Golden Gatherings With A Lust to Share [Archive] - Page 4

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giovonni

18th May 2014, 12:24

the divine feline ... :rolleyes:

https://scontent-a-sea.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/t1.0-9/549089_10152252964165987_1692033939_n.jpg

giovonni

19th May 2014, 01:38

http://isanam.com/scraps/smiley-face-gif/smiley-17.gif

down by the shore ... sand art ...

https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/t1.0-9/1613956_10152292085458010_1302768563_n.jpg

giovonni

19th May 2014, 18:57

Happy 69th Pete Townshend http://www.skype-emoticons.com/images/emoticon-00166-cake.gif

"You must have heard the cautionary tales
The dangers hidden on the cul-de-sac trails
From wiser men who've been through it all
And the ghosts of failures spray-canned up on the wall" ...

FACE the FACE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ls18J5mwCBQ&noredirect=1

giovonni

20th May 2014, 01:56

Heads up Dianna ...

Toronto International Film Festival :first:
September 4–14, 2014

http://www.showbiz411.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/jon-stewart-.jpg

Exclusive: Jon Stewart Sneaks into Cannes for Screening of Directorial Debut (http://www.showbiz411.com/2014/05/18/exclusive-jon-stewart-sneaks-into-cannes-for-screening-of-directorial-debut)

giovonni

20th May 2014, 02:22

OK ... since i have HBO available on the net ... i am finally going to take a Peek ... http://www.skype-emoticons.com/images/emoticon-00184-tmi.gif

Game of Thrones

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVaD8rouJn0

giovonni

21st May 2014, 04:48

speaking of trying to convert the choir ... http://www.pic4ever.com/images/301.gif

Allow me to digress with more Tull ...

Jethro Tull - Their Fully Authorised Story - Documentary

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MH20FZy_TvI&list=PLUB4A-Vp99KgPUxpEcATR7DKz4-AWc0wF

giovonni

21st May 2014, 06:33

It should be noted Ian and the band played last evening and is currently on tour (http://www.gigantic.com/artist/ian-anderson)in Merry Olde England ...

Ian is one of my all time favorites (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvBpW0ksE-k) :hippie:
Have great memories of seeing him and the rest of Tull back in Baltimore in 72

For me the group surely defines the term travelling minstrel's ... :jester:

http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2014/4/4/1396603511948/d92fda21-99a9-4936-b49e-70ccba4be715-460x276.jpeg

Ian Anderson: five lessons from travelling the world with Jethro Tull (http://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2014/apr/04/jethro-tull-ian-anderson-five-lessons-travelling-world)

giovonni

21st May 2014, 06:56

Dreams ...

Recalled having a bizarreo dream yesterday in which foretold Paul McCartney was gravely ill ...

Today i read this ...

http://assets-s3.rollingstone.com/assets/images/story/paul-mccartney-cancels-rest-of-japanese-tour-due-to-illness-20140520/1000x600/pm-600-1400601894.jpg

Paul McCartney Cancels Rest of Japanese Tour Due to Illness (http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/paul-mccartney-cancels-rest-of-japanese-tour-due-to-illness-20140520)

***********

Paul McCartney Trades Dance Moves With a Robot in 'Appreciate' Video
The former Beatle invented the android in a dream. He has named it Newman ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpxdtWJAfSY

sheme

21st May 2014, 07:20

You just reminded me that I had a dream last night, something I rarely do these days, I asked if i could help deliver the lambs , this dream for me in these times signifies beginnings . Best wishes for all the troubled and sick in our world I wish them all peace.

giovonni

21st May 2014, 07:30

giovonni

21st May 2014, 17:43

http://www.skype-emoticons.com/images/emoticon-00136-giggle.gif

https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc3/t1.0-9/10007064_10152396586609636_1643426521_n.jpg

shh ... https://camo.phpbb.com/5b73feb111b01d60e619d9e1f26e57f470f92d96/687474703a2f2f7777772e6c6f63616c62696b6572732e6f72672e756b2f70687062622f65787472615f736d696c6965732f 69636f6e5f7368682e676966

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2e/Praying_Mantis_Mating_European-35.jpg

giovonni

21st May 2014, 18:07

diversity ...

http://blogs.oregonstate.edu/currents/files/2013/12/Humbacks.jpg

From Science Daily

Humpback whale subspecies revealed by genetic study (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/140520220422.htm)

giovonni

22nd May 2014, 15:50

During the last couple days i have had some reeling encounters with a few individuals on the internet ... So troublesome so, i wondered if there were still any insane asylum out there that might fit and accommodate a few of these bothering characters ... :twitch:

My search brought me to the likes of this mega dinosaur of a hell hole ... Remember the movie Sessions 9 ... Well here's where it was filmed ... And believe it or not the movie's sub plot was not far off the realty mark of the script's in depicting the rehabilitating and turning the place into a luxury condominium complex .. :faint2:

http://img.wonderhowto.com/img/20/20/63413506682016/0/danvers-state-insane-asylum-massachusetts-luxury-living.w654.jpg

Welcome To Danvers State Mental Hospital ~
Now known as Avalon Danvers Apartment complex (http://urban-exploration.wonderhowto.com/inspiration/danvers-state-insane-asylum-massachusetts-luxury-living-0117698/) :scared:

giovonni

23rd May 2014, 07:56

Hilarious funny ... But needs more cowbell ... :rolleyes:

Chili Peppers Surprise Will Ferrell, Chad Smith Drum-Off on 'Fallon'
Band perform cowbell classic "Don't Fear the Reaper" for first late-night performance in eight years

http://consequenceofsound.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/will-ferrell-chad-smith.jpg?w=700

http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-fc/drums.gif
Go Here (http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/chili-peppers-surprise-will-ferrell-chad-smith-drum-off-on-fallon-20140523)

giovonni

23rd May 2014, 20:43

swaying to and fro ~ in synch with nature ...

it's all in the ears :)

Published on May 21, 2014

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZJ50abaS4Q

giovonni

24th May 2014, 08:35

firing up the grill ... they sure do love deep frying in the south ...

http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/9c8e34a226177d84dee0aead71f4812a4a33813a/c=0-602-2053-2143&r=x404&c=534x401/local/-/media/USATODAY/USATODAY/2014/05/23//1400818776000-AP-Executions-Methods.jpg

Tennessee ready to bring back electric chair (http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/05/22/tennessee-electric-chair/9474435/)

giovonni

25th May 2014, 01:59

Via my friend Delores ...

Do you think ... 'Clever gators might be responsible for this sign' !

https://scontent-a-sea.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/t1.0-9/10380305_777185672332483_8108492983995596240_n.png

gripreaper

25th May 2014, 23:34

Wow, is this for real?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgKkvh1JRYQ

giovonni

26th May 2014, 01:32

thanks gripreaper ... probably as real as this guys art work ...

https://scontent-b-sea.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/v/t1.0-9/11882_490104267761233_622623697_n.jpg?oh=6c3a71059d4a7163ce3deaac76ac7a6c&oe=53E85FC1

Politicians discussing global warming (http://futuryst.blogspot.com/2014/03/politicians-discussing-global-warming.html)

giovonni

26th May 2014, 03:06

http://www.skype-emoticons.com/images/emoticon-00136-giggle.gif

He said ... Noooo ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSxwcj3ohg8

giovonni

26th May 2014, 03:18

great show ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2jtOFfiF80

giovonni

26th May 2014, 04:24

the summer that was ...

Monterey Pop Festival 1967 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monterey_Pop_Festival)

Performances from the Monterey Pop Festival not released on the original documentary by D.A. Pennebaker. Nearly two hours of bonus footage from the Criterion Collection release of Monterey. The Festival that marked the beginning of the summer of love and spurred one of musics most creative and influential era's. This includes performances by:

The Association- "Along Comes Mary"
Simon and Garfunkel- "Homeward Bound" 3:55 "Sound of Silence" 6:46
Country Joe and the Fish- "Not So Sweet Martha Lorraine" 10:00
Al Kooper- "Wake Me, Shake Me" 15:20
The Butterfield Blues Band- "Driftin' Blues" 22:50
Quicksilver Messenger Service- "Dino's Song" 27:34
The Electric Flag- "Wine" 30:51"
The Byrds- "Chimes of Freedom" 33:40 "He Was A Friend of Mine" 37:36 "Hey Joe" 40:30
Laura Nyro- "Poverty Train" 42:55
Jefferson Airplane- "Somebody To Love" 48:24
The Blues Project- "Flute Thing" 52:29
Big Brother and the Holding Co. w/ Janis Joplin "Combination of the Two" 1:03:07
The Buffalo Springfield- "For What It's Worth" 1:08:57
The Who- "Substitute" 1:12:30 "Summertime Blues" 1:16:19 "A Quick One" 1:19:57
The Mamas and The Papas- "Straight Shooter" 1:28:14 "Somebody Groovy" 1:32:00 "I Call Your Name" 1:34:53
(Hilarious antics of Mama Cass) 1:38:46 "Monday, Monday" 1:40:36
Scott McKenzie- "San Francisco" 1:44:30
The Mamas and The Papas and Scott McKenzie- "Dancin' in the Street" 1:48:05

All rights credited to Criterion Collection

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiQN3pQ6EwM

Extra Bonus ~ Finale

Otis Redding

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByramCRD8E0

giovonni

27th May 2014, 12:12

hmm ...

http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2014/5/26/1401118008766/A-nurse-helps-a-woman-dur-009.jpg

Swiss group to allow assisted dying for elderly who are not terminally ill (http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/may/26/swiss-exit-assisted-suicide-elderly-not-terminally-ill)

giovonni

27th May 2014, 20:56

Note personally i've given up a while back on this kind of communicating...
But for those on the forum who might like to improve these behavioral skills ... :rolleyes:

From BBC/Future

The best way to win an argument

http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/wwfeatures/624_351/images/live/p0/1z/gz/p01zgzbc.jpg
"How psychology say you should try to change someone's opinion in an argument

How do you change someone’s mind if you think you are right and they are wrong? Psychology reveals the last thing to do is the tactic we usually resort to.

You are, I'm afraid to say, mistaken. The position you are taking makes no logical sense. Just listen up and I'll be more than happy to elaborate on the many, many reasons why I'm right and you are wrong. Are you feeling ready to be convinced?

Whether the subject is climate change, the Middle East or forthcoming holiday plans, this is the approach many of us adopt when we try to convince others to change their minds. It's also an approach that, more often than not, leads to the person on the receiving end hardening their existing position. Fortunately research suggests there is a better way – one that involves more listening, and less trying to bludgeon your opponent into submission.

A little over a decade ago Leonid Rozenblit and Frank Keil from Yale University suggested that in many instances people believe they understand how something works when in fact their understanding is superficial at best. They called this phenomenon "the illusion of explanatory depth". They began by asking their study participants to rate how well they understood how things like flushing toilets, car speedometers and sewing machines worked, before asking them to explain what they understood and then answer questions on it. The effect they revealed was that, on average, people in the experiment rated their understanding as much worse after it had been put to the test.

What happens, argued the researchers, is that we mistake our familiarity with these things for the belief that we have a detailed understanding of how they work. Usually, nobody tests us and if we have any questions about them we can just take a look. Psychologists call this idea that humans have a tendency to take mental short cuts when making decisions or assessments the "cognitive miser" theory.

Why would we bother expending the effort to really understand things when we can get by without doing so? The interesting thing is that we manage to hide from ourselves exactly how shallow our understanding is.

It's a phenomenon that will be familiar to anyone who has ever had to teach something. Usually, it only takes the first moments when you start to rehearse what you'll say to explain a topic, or worse, the first student question, for you to realise that you don't truly understand it. All over the world, teachers say to each other "I didn't really understand this until I had to teach it". Or as researcher and inventor Mark Changizi quipped: "I find that no matter how badly I teach I still learn something".

Explain yourself

Research published last year on this illusion of understanding shows how the effect might be used to convince others they are wrong. The research team, led by Philip Fernbach, of the University of Colorado, reasoned that the phenomenon might hold as much for political understanding as for things like how toilets work. Perhaps, they figured, people who have strong political opinions would be more open to other viewpoints, if asked to explain exactly how they thought the policy they were advocating would bring about the effects they claimed it would.

Recruiting a sample of Americans via the internet, they polled participants on a set of contentious US policy issues, such as imposing sanctions on Iran, healthcare and approaches to carbon emissions. One group was asked to give their opinion and then provide reasons for why they held that view. This group got the opportunity to put their side of the issue, in the same way anyone in an argument or debate has a chance to argue their case.

Those in the second group did something subtly different. Rather that provide reasons, they were asked to explain how the policy they were advocating would work. They were asked to trace, step by step, from start to finish, the causal path from the policy to the effects it was supposed to have.

The results were clear. People who provided reasons remained as convinced of their positions as they had been before the experiment. Those who were asked to provide explanations softened their views, and reported a correspondingly larger drop in how they rated their understanding of the issues. People who had previously been strongly for or against carbon emissions trading, for example, tended to became more moderate – ranking themselves as less certain in their support or opposition to the policy.

So this is something worth bearing in mind next time you're trying to convince a friend that we should build more nuclear power stations, that the collapse of capitalism is inevitable, or that dinosaurs co-existed with humans 10,000 years ago. Just remember, however, there's a chance you might need to be able to explain precisely why you think you are correct. Otherwise you might end up being the one who changes their mind."

source and reference page here
(http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20140521-the-best-way-to-win-an-argument)

giovonni

27th May 2014, 23:17

During this time of year, i miss being in my home town of Washington D.C. ...

Fond memories of the beautiful cherry blossoms and wonderful evenings with old friends going to concerts ...

i recall during that magical crazy time (1974) attending a planned concert featuring Mott the Hopple along with a new group called Queen opening up for them ... My friends and i were sadly disappointed upon arriving to here it announced, that unfortunately Freddie and the Band, would not be playing that evening due to Mr. Mercury apparently suffering from an ongoing bout with hepatitis ... Though we were pleasantly surprised to have substituting this mod band just down from Boston filling in called Aerosmith ... below at the DAR Constitution Hall ... Though i still reeled to see that group Queen ... :(

http://www.dar.org/sites/default/files/Hall%20interior.jpg

Note the following year though, i was able to get tickets for me and my girlfriend at the Kennedy Centers Concert Hall ... When Freddie and the band returned to play they're first triumph US tour in 1975 ...

6th role seats stage left below ... :)

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7qOmNlu9u10/Tb9HGPVh_bI/AAAAAAAADYM/t4MT9YhNpsw/s1600/IMG_5332.jpg

Worth the Wait
we weren't disappointed ~ it was truly stellar !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iUi4vDPnOI

TargeT

28th May 2014, 00:14

I would love to see queen play live... what a talent "Freddie" was

giovonni

28th May 2014, 00:45

you gotta love him ... some excellent advice ... :biggrin1:

Bill Murray Crashes Bachelor Party and Gives Advice

... "Over the weekend, the actor delivered a funny, heartfelt, impromptu speech to friends of a groom gathered at a Charleston, South Carolina steakhouse for the groom-to-be's bachelor party.

"You know how they say funerals are not for the dead but for the living?" Murray begins. "Bachelor parties are not for the groom, they're for the uncommitted."

Jokes aside, Murray went on to offer some warm advice to the aforementioned uncommitted, telling them if they think they've found that special someone, don't just pick a date, do something completely out of the ordinary — like buy a plane ticket for two and travel around the world. "And if when you come back to JFK, when you land in JFK, and you're still in love with that person, get married at the airport," said Murray"...

Published on May 27, 2014

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccARHuybNwY

giovonni

28th May 2014, 07:27

of mice like men ...

http://www.distractify.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads//2014/05/1782105_778429402185641_418958319_n-934x.jpg

http://www.distractify.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads//2014/05/382868_551265744902009_1653145551_n-934x.jpg

giovonni

29th May 2014, 14:04

Some escapism ~ Kinda like a sequel to Blazing Saddles ... http://www.skype-emoticons.com/images/emoticon-00136-giggle.gif

Seth McFarlane ~ A Million Ways To Die In The West

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhGkcOoTlkQ

Related ...

Seth MacFarlane talks A Million Ways To Die In The West and Ted 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJEGTHYbHig

giovonni

31st May 2014, 04:15

to live perchance to dream ... ay ... that's the question ... :rolleyes:

The Death Penalty

From Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kye2oX-b39E

giovonni

31st May 2014, 04:57

the comsumate wizard of love that was ...

Marc Bolan (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marc_Bolan)

Get it On ~ Bang A Gong

Bolan claimed to have written the song out of his desire to record Chuck Berry's "Little Queenie", and said that the riff is taken from the Berry song. In fact, a line (And meanwhile, I'm still thinking) of "Little Queenie" is said at the fade of "Get It On".
During the Top of the Pops performance, Elton John played piano on the song. This has created confusion amongst many listeners of the song, causing them to believe that John was a member of the group (although he did play on the studio versions of other songs as a guest musician.) The piano glissando on the record was performed by Rick Wakeman. Wakeman who was desperate for work at the time to pay his rent had bumped into Bolan in Oxford Street who offered him the session. Wakeman pointed out to Tony Visconti that the record didn't actually need a piano player. Visconti suggested that he could add a gliss, Wakeman said that Visconti could do that to which Bolan replied "you want your rent, don't you?" Wakeman did and earned £9 for his efforts.

In March 2005, Q magazine placed "Get It On" at number 36 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks.

From Top Of The Pops - T-Rex ft with Sir Elton John

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWV6eMaoTiE

giovonni

1st June 2014, 02:09

You can never be too old to act a fool ...
And still have some fun ... :dance3:

Three Old Men

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-IDofWImFk

dianna

1st June 2014, 21:28

The Powerful Provocative Art of Pawel Kuczynski

don't know where to begin in describing this amazing, perceptive artwork. Absolutely powerful statements on the condition of manipulated humanity. A must see.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hYZiWTQWOc

giovonni

2nd June 2014, 11:20

Obviously George W. Bush has a cousin Downunder ... wink/wink

Tony Abbott, President of the USA of Australia

Via Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)

Published on Jun 2, 2014

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3IaKVmkXuk

dianna

2nd June 2014, 11:33

giovonni

4th June 2014, 02:02

:)

"Curt Stager playing "Blackbird" with special guest, Birdie, our favorite crow" ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TH8Syz0NvD4

giovonni

4th June 2014, 16:29

The War At Home: Post Traumatic Streets Disorder

"There's an epidemic of PTSD in American cities, and it has nothing to do with the wars being fought abroad. Homegrown violence and a sense of impunity in America's urban war zones are leaving thousands of teenagers with severe psychological trauma that stunts their emotional and cognitive development. VICE News travels to the front line of this epidemic in Los Angeles with the kids who are suffering, and the adults trying to save them from being destined for the fringes of society."

Published on Jun 4, 2014

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7ovFvA1Wgk

giovonni

4th June 2014, 18:36

Paper Towels For Beginners ... http://www.skype-emoticons.com/images/emoticon-00122-itwasntme.gif

http://t.fod4.com/t/b44a7c258f/c640x360_57.jpg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7TseW0ikGo

giovonni

5th June 2014, 04:30

:thumb:

http://www.openlettersmonthly.com/issue/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/N2-Gore-Vidal-Hi.jpg
'the United States was founded by the smartest people and we haven't seen them since'
Gore Vidal
1925 ~ 2012

GORE VIDAL: THE UNITED STATES OF AMNESIA

Trailer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhGqwuvo7wU

GORE VIDAL: THE UNITED STATES OF AMNESIA with dir. Nicholas Wrathall

... "Is the documentary about the brilliant author/philosopher/provocateur, Gore Vidal. Director Nicholas Wrathall shares his doc in this uncensored interview with film and trailer footage. Atheism, promiscuity, war, religion, and the police state of America is all put to the sword by Vidal, and we talk about the production of the movie + get insights from the thought-provoking director on BYOD--the world's only all documentary talk show."

Published on Jun 4, 2014

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adLfOddmPR8

giovonni

5th June 2014, 23:38

thinking about George today ... remembering that all things must past ...

But ~ 'it's not always gonna be this grey" ~ Cos ~ 'a mind can blow those clouds away'

:)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EVeeR41aGw

giovonni

6th June 2014, 07:11

hmm ...

apparently sculptured from a watermelon ...

"Gatormelon"

https://scontent-b-sea.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/t1.0-9/10417503_10152156631488461_7149488728233240213_n.jpg

giovonni

6th June 2014, 07:38

A Real Bird Feeder ...

''Cha Cha'' (Australian White-winged Chough), not Crow, feeding ''Kitten'' (tail-less Manx cat) & ''Skye'' (cross Whippet/Jack Russell)..... All my pets are rescued from death-row, dumped, or injured off roads. ''Skye'' is a timid dog, because of former abuse, who at time of video-ing was getting sick of Cha Cha annoying her & tryng to feed her all day. If my voice sounds raised when i call her, it is because she is semi-deaf, & I only use short one word commands for her. Some comments below, suggest I abuse my beloved 'babies'.....NEVER!!! ... I adore them all. I have spent my whole life rescuing abused, dumped & injured animals & birds, & they all have to get along with each other when they live together. (this is only 3 of them by the way).. Cha Cha, being a Chough, will naturally try to feed everyone and everything. It is in their blueprint as a 'family' bird.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZ3o5S61lBY

giovonni

6th June 2014, 16:18

gees ...

Caught On Camera: Moment Lightning strikes pickup Truck in Alberta, Canada

A quiet drive on a rural highway in the Canadian province of Alberta turned terrifying for one couple over the weekend ... As they were traveling down the high way, surveillance video caught a lightning bolt as it descended from the sky, crashing into the moving truck.

The video shows the dramatic moment when lightning struck the pick up truck and turned it into a fireball as an elderly couple tried desperately to escape ... The strike engulfed vehicle with flames and trapped husband and wife inside ... A Police officer rescued Al and Betty Perry after lightning knocked out electrics and locked them in the smoke-filled truck ... Amazingly the couple survived the incident.

Published on Jun 6, 2014

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b30wAYk-U44

giovonni

7th June 2014, 12:25

sorting it all out ... :o

Denver PD cops, wives investigated for swingers party brawl (http://www.9news.com/story/news/local/2014/06/04/aurora-police-investigate-dpd-officers-wives/9982027/)

giovonni

7th June 2014, 13:38

Remember Chrissie Hynde ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFCxKxzsUek

She Back !

still rocking at 62 ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qo-M48rEDEs

giovonni

7th June 2014, 13:56

Dude ... https://s.yimg.com/lq/i/mesg/emoticons7/41.gif

Rideable suitcase scooter invented in China

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOt_4C2FOiU

giovonni

7th June 2014, 18:36

Vincent Van Gogh's Ear Reconstructed From DNA

"Vincent Van Gogh's ear has been reconstructed using DNA from the great-great-grandson of his brother, and a living, 3D-printed copy of it is now on display in a German museum. The ear, which van Gogh famously cut off, was regrown by a German artist with the intention of combining art and science. We look at the technology behind this unique art display, in this Lip News clip with Mark Sovel and Elliot Hill."

Published on Jun 7, 2014

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8Y5V4vfC-0

A Beautiful ♫♪♫ Tribute ...

Vincent's Ear ~ Michael Franks

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQoRiI7NwTk

giovonni

7th June 2014, 21:51

Looks like a pool party ...

So dude where's the salmon ...

https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpa1/t1.0-9/10422560_671690516217966_1857177098714938384_n.jpg

Roisin

7th June 2014, 23:32

giovonni

8th June 2014, 05:12

You didn't see the next frame on this one did you? Let's just say it's got something to do with a kayaker. http://smiley.nowdararpour.ir/yahoo/22.gif

[Only joking. Of course.those bears are waiting for salmon but the thought occurred to me when I was viewing that photo where I asked myself "what if they were waiting for something else to surface above the foam instead?" That's just how my mind works. I look for other things beyond the obvious because when it come to life in general... when we start taking things for granted that when "A" happens, "B" occurs, that's when God throws a wrench into the scenario that sends us into a panic because we never planned for something else other than what we expected to occur. The bottom line is it never hurts to explore those other possibilities out there wrt to the outcome of any given situation.]

Yes ~ i got that after a few moments Roisin ...

i am gradually catching onto to your unique sense of humor of my friend ... http://www.skype-emoticons.com/images/emoticon-00136-giggle.gif

PS ~ note up here in the Great Northwest there are lots of rapid river runs with lots of kayaking and rafting ...
So anything such is possible to some degree.

Blessings Gio

raregem

8th June 2014, 05:36

What an amazing video and artwork, Dianna.! Thank you so much for posting.

: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hYZiWTQWOc

dianna

8th June 2014, 12:31

Black Fire: Women, Tattoos, and the Transformative Power of Body Art

http://realitysandwich.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/ladyviola21.jpg

Full article here:
Black Fire: Women, Tattoos, and the Transformative Power of Body Art

From Ice Men to High Society Women

Tattooing itself is far from a recent phenomenon, but it has risen to an entirely new level of popularity in North America over the last few decades, particularly for women. In 2012 a poll confirmed that, for the first time in history, women in the U.S. were getting tattooed more than men (23% of women compared to 19% of men). This may come as a surprise to those who still equate tattoos with male sailors, underground gangsters, drug dealers, and prison inmates. Tattooing has historically been a male dominated profession with a few female exceptions (particularly if we are speaking of the West), but the practice of tattoos has an elaborate history and goes back centuries, with some form of tattooing tradition found in nearly every culture around the globe.

The famous "Otzi the Ice Man", who was discovered on the Otztal Alps between Austria and Italy in 1991, was confirmed the oldest and most well preserved body ever found. Otzi was dated at over 5000 years old and was found to be sporting an impressive 57 tattoos dispersed all over his body, speaking to how far back the practice of tattooing goes. For Pacific cultures, tattooing has had huge significance historically and ritualistically. Polynesian tattooing is considered the most intricate and skilled of the ancient world, as Polynesians believe that a person's mana, their spiritual power or life force, is expressed through their tattoo. The Egyptians also highly valued tattooing, and elaborate tattoos have been found on mummified remains of ancient Egyptian priests and priestesses. Egyptians also had a huge impact in spreading the practice of tattooing throughout many parts of the world during its third and fourth dynasties.

Western culture was somewhat late to embrace tattoos as an acceptable cultural practice. Although the early Greeks and Romans dabbled with tattoos (having learned the practice from the Persians), as Christianity spread throughout the Roman Empire tattooing gradually fell out of favor. A slew of Popes forbade tattooing of any kind and the practice became virtually unknown for centuries. Surprisingly, one of the major resurgences of interest in tattoos in Europe occurred among 19th century high society Victorian women (as well as men), after British explorers encountered tattooed cultures on their voyages to the South Pacific and brought back the practice to Britain. Feminist art critic, Margot Miffin, in her fascinating book Bodies of Subversion: The Secret History of Women and Tattoos, explains how tattooing became an upper class social fad during the 19th century and gave women a way to subtly challenge prevailing Victorian ideals of feminine purity, as tattoos had long been associated with deviance in the West. Tattoos gave Victorian women an experience of power and self-ownership in a time when they had little sexual or political agency.

The tattoo craze grew during the 19th century, and even Winston Churchill's mother had a tattoo of a snake eating its tail (the symbol of eternity) on her wrist. Queen Victoria was also believed to have had a tattoo of a Bengal tiger fighting a python. From Victorian Europe, the craze spread to America. In 1897, Miffin says that an estimated 75% of American society women were tattooed, usually in places that could be easily covered.

http://realitysandwich.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/lady-viola1.jpg

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries some of the first women appeared with tattoos covering their entire bodies, performing in freak shows and circus acts where women could make more money than men doing "flash shows". These women were mostly of lower class who performed as a way to make a living. They submitted themselves to getting entire body suit tattoos that were done by hand needle by male tattooists (this was before the time of machine tattoo guns--ouch!). Some of these women felt oppressed and exploited by the experience, while others felt liberated and empowered by the chance to act outside of traditional feminine roles and occupations and continued modeling their tattoos even after retirement

…..

The Mark of Tattoos on the Feminist Sexual Revolution

http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/43/78/3d/43783d90c70f9fe98fb5d0f4c233e364.jpg

After the second world war, tattoos lost their appeal for nearly everyone as they became associated with concentration camps (Jews having been tattooed by the Nazis). It wasn't until the 1960s and 70s, with the emergence of the second wave feminist movement and the sexual revolution that there was a sudden resurgence of interest in tattoos among women. As Miffin notes, tattoos emerged at the forefront when issues surrounding women's bodies were in the public limelight with the arrival of the Pill, debates about abortion rights, sexual harassment, as well as the feminist sexual revolution, all raising questions about who owned women's bodies. Some women chose to get tattoos as a statement of ownership of their own bodies and/or to fight against the stigma of being sexually available.

For second wave feminists who chose to get inked, I imagine tattoos would have posed a useful double challenge to both Victorian notions of women's sexual purity, as well as Freudian psychoanalytic notions of passive femininity, the latter of which had dominated cultural ideas about women's sexuality in the post-war era. Despite the common contemporary misconception that second wave feminists were anti-sex, in reality sex was arguably the central pivot point on which second wave feminism turned. As Jane Gerhard points out in her illuminating book, Desiring Revolution: Second Wave Feminism and the Re-Writing of American Sexual Thought, a concern with re-inventing sexuality, claiming the female body as sexual agent, and freeing female sexuality from confined Freudian definitions of passive femininity was central to the political and personal agenda of second wave feminism. Ideas about what sexual liberation meant were incredibly diverse among second wave feminists, but tattoos could have easily been seen by many women of the time as a complimentary "accessory" to their goals of sexual revolution.

It was also during this time that women began entering the male dominated profession of tattooing, and opening their first tattoo shops. Where women in the West had historically been the models and muses of male tattoo artists, women were now taking up tattooing as a medium of creation and self-expression. Some of the earliest female tattooists offered to do tattoos free of charge on other women as an expression of solidarity.

Tattoos and the Paradox of Empowerment

Tattoos became increasingly accepted into mainstream culture in the 80s and 90s, as tattoo art became a way for women to express their inner lives and tell their stories on their bodies. Tattoo culture also underwent a distinct shift at this time as their popularity arose in parallel with the rise in cosmetic surgery and the mainstreaming of pornography in the 80s and 90s.

Marisa Kakoulas, a New York Lawyer and tattoo model speaks to the huge change she witnessed in tattoo culture from the 80s and 90s to the new millennium. She laments how tattoo magazines moved from their early focus on body art, where models of different ages, both male and female alike, exposed their body art in diverse ways to be photographed (these were the magazines I used to peruse in my teens), to what became a focus on a singular model of the "sexy woman" at the turn of the millennium. Tattoo magazines learned that they could sell more copies if they constantly featured sexy naked tattooed young women in the same suggestive poses on their covers. This was part of a much larger trend towards "sexiness" aimed at young women that was taking place in nearly every corner of the culture--from music videos to Halloween costumes. Thus, slowly, tattoo magazine culture shifted from focusing on the diversity of body art tattoos, to an increasingly narrow representation of one kind of sexy tattooed female body. The more tattoos became mainstream and fashionable, the more their original deviant erotic appeal became commodified and sold to the masses.

Despite the conflicted messages commodified tattoo culture is giving to young women today, I still believe in the power of tattoos as an empowering art form for women, if done consciously. I also need to say that choosing not to get a tattoo can be an equally empowering choice for a woman. The most common reasons cited by women for why they get tattoos are: a) to feel empowered, b) to feel sexy, c) to reclaim their body after sexual abuse, trauma, or cancer, d) to mark an important milestone in their life, e) to enact a form of rebellion. Tattoos are as diverse as the women who wear them, and they have the ability to uplift us as much as they do to degrade us. Looking back at my own journey with tattoos over the past 13 years, I would say that my own motivations for getting tattoos were a mix of all these themes at different points in my life.

http://testdb.msmagazine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/tattoed-woman1.jpg

It's undeniable that I was influenced by the culture around me in my teens, and that a desire to be seen as sexy and rebellious played a role in my choice to start tattooing myself. I carried a genuine creative impulse in my desire for tattoos, but it was more immature and dis-embodied in my late teens; it was less connected to that fearless sense of self-possession and sexual agency that I had wanted to emulate in the tattoo models that I idolised. My relationship to tattoos gained more dimension and depth as I got older. My tattoos came to express more of my mature erotic and artistic side, and displayed my "rebellion" against conventional standards of feminine beauty that I had always felt confined by. I had never strongly identified with being feminine (even though I look quite feminine) or masculine in the conventional sense. Tattoos were my way of disrupting any comfortable gendered dichotomies or expectations the culture or others might impose on me. Despite the many mixed motivations that were involved for me from the beginning, tattoos have always been a way that I worked toward discovering my own personal power, a way I confronted and challenged gender assumptions in the culture around me, and a way that I uncovered my own erotic and spiritual depths, through trial and error.

From Butterflies to Black Fire: A Rite of Passage

From as early as I can remember my life journey has been marked by a fire walk through the dark side. I've written elsewhere about some of the traumas that impacted and fragmented the formation of my self-identity as a young child, and the unique and dangerous journey through madness and mysticism that I underwent in my twenties as a result. I've also written elsewhere about my relationship with the Liminal, which I define as an in-between space of darkness, ambiguity, and creativity, that has been central to my inspiration as an artist and to my identity as a nomadic traveler. Black Fire, my latest tattoo, represents, for me the unique soul print I carry as a result of this precarious and difficult path I've taken through the dark side in this lifetime, and the untamable creativity that has emerged in my life as a result of that crucible.

The tattoo also marks a major milestone and turning point in my life, and I experienced the process of getting it as a ritualistic rite of passage. Perhaps also part of turning 30 this year. Over an eight hour period of getting the tattoo, where I endured a lot of physical pain at different points, I found myself spontaneously entering into different forms of meditation. Sometimes I would fall into a natural rhythm of matching my breath with the breath of my tattoo artist for hours; my mind completely peaceful and emptied of all content. At other times, painful memories, images, emotions, and body traumas came to the surface. Many uncomfortable energies of pain, anger, fear, loss, disappointment, and resentment that I'd held onto subtly and unconsciously for years in my body rose to the surface to be felt. I experienced some of these energies as very visceral, ancient, and preverbal; as if I had descended into the underworld where symbols and words no longer made sense to my conscious mind. As feelings, images, and memories surfaced, I found myself spontaneously inviting them into my heart, filling them with light, and then releasing them with love on my out breath, without trying to make any story about them. The experience was very deep and guttural, and intensely painful. I had to be with the pain fully, in tandem with the physical pain of getting the tattoo, and release the emotional energy on its own terms through a state of surrender and without a story. It was a kind of surrender to love that is as evicerating as it is liberating.

Despite the deeply personal processing I was undergoing, I also found the experience of getting my tattoo incredibly relational. My tattoo artist and I co-designed the piece together, and we worked out the lines literally as he was drawing them on my body. I experienced the artistic process as much more intimate and co-creative than tattoos I've gotten in Canada, but that may have also been a result of the scale of the tattoo itself. The design pattern was abstract and emergent and had to be strategically wrapped around my body at every step, so it required a lot of team work to execute well.

My intense eight hour initiation of getting the tattoo was then followed by a month of healing and integration. For those who have gotten tattoos, you know that a tattoo has a distinct healing phase where it scabs up and then flakes off over a period of two to three weeks. The tattoo gets quite ugly as all the dead skin and scabs fall off, finally revealing the smooth pigmented skin underneath. For a large scale tattoo like mine, the healing phase is quite intense and disruptive to ones everyday activities. You can't get the tattoo wet, sleep on it, or sweat too much. I spent a lot of this time in contemplation. I experienced more layers of subtle energies and past memories surface over that month. Past wounds and lingering knots came forward to be witnessed, but this time the experience was softer and gentler and filled with more sadness and grieving. I spent a couple days crying at different points, but it felt like a very natural if difficult release.

Close to the end of the healing process of the tattoo, my energy started to feel more focused and channeled. I've always been a very creatively charged person, but I started to feel a bit like lightening, literally. Most importantly, I felt like channeled lightening, with less like scattered energy and attention. Certain distractions and negative thought patterns naturally became dimmer and fell to the background, and certain difficult decisions and boundaries I had needed to make in my life for a long time I finally started to make. By the time the month of healing for my tattoo was over, I felt subtly but distinctly different. I felt stronger and humbler, more embodied and more fiercely committed to my own voice and creative fire. I experienced more spaciousness from the holds of my past and more intimacy in my own skin in the present. I felt the tattoo itself had taken my life journey and my crucible through the dark side and transformed it into a unique meditation; an expression of beauty and strength that would be forever displayed on my body.

The Evolving Culture of Tattoos

Despite the ancient practice of tattooing, the culture surrounding tattoos is ever evolving and innovating. This past month, I was able to attend a tattoo convention in Kathmandu featuring tattoo artists from around the world who were showcasing their work as part of a public exhibition. Every country had a stand set up at the convention with tattooists from each country tattooing people live, as well as showcasing photographs of their past work. It was an amazing opportunity to see the innovations in technique, color, and quality of tattoos that have occurred over the past decade, and to contrast the different art forms that were favoured in different countries and cultures. I found myself most drawn to the artwork coming out of Japan, Nepal, and Thailand, which tended to be much more intricate work with a lot more abstract designs crafted seamlessly with the contours of the body. I found most of the tattoo art coming out of the U.S and UK to be quite pictoral and blunt (like hanging a picture on someone's body), whereas the Asian art was much more "in movement" and in tune with the body's natural lines. I was also impressed to see that for every country in attendance at the convention there was an equal number of female tattoo artists as men.

Perhaps interesting to note is that modern interpretations of tribal-like pattern designs (like the one I got in Nepal) are starting to become more popular in the West as well. More women are starting to opt for large scale tattoos rather than small flowers or butterflies, the latter of which have been the most popular among women in the recent past. In our modern Western culture where the importance of ritual practices and sacred rites of passage for girls have been downplayed or forgotten, it is perhaps unsurprising that a resurgent interest in tribal-like tattoo patterns-- patterns that give a modern flare to the ancient themes of our ancestors--is coming increasingly into vogue.

Tattoo culture will continue to evolve in the years to come, and women's unique place in tattoo culture will likely continue to transform. The most important advice I would give to a young woman (or anyone) who is considering getting a tattoo is to really do your research. Equip yourself with deep knowledge about tattoos and what is involved in getting one. Make sure you go to places that are safe and clean; and most importantly, really think about why you are getting a tattoo and what it means to you. Statistics show that women have a higher percentage rate of tattoo regret later in life than men do. So if you are getting a tattoo just to be cool, it is more likely you will regret it later. Understanding our own personal motivations as best we can, as well as knowing the historical, social, political, and spiritual dimensions that intersect at the site of tattoos on women's bodies, will hopefully support new generations of woman to make more empowered choices when it comes to getting (or not getting) a tattoo for themselves.

giovonni

8th June 2014, 14:22

Polar bear POV: videocam shows female hunting and finding a mate

"US Geological Survey attached a camera to a bear in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, to show how animals are coping with ice loss ...

Polar bear POV: videocam shows female hunting and finding a mate

US Geological Survey attached a camera to a bear in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, to show how animals are coping with ice loss

The first video of life on Arctic sea ice from a polar bear point of view has been released by the US Geological Survey.

The agency on Friday released a clip recorded by a camera attached to the collar of a female polar bear without cubs in the Beaufort Sea north of Prudhoe Bay, Alaska.

The necks of polar bear males are wider than their heads and collars slide off.

The clip shows the bear pursuing a seal under water, dunking a frozen seal into seawater and interacting with a male who might be a suitor."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXuh_0u4leY

"The cameras are part of a study to find out how polar bears, listed as a threatened species, are responding to sea ice loss from global warming. Scientists in the Beaufort are generally limited to about six weeks of field work each spring, between the time it's light enough to work and before ice begins to break up.

"It's all information that we wouldn't be able to get otherwise," said Todd Atwood, research leader for the USGS polar bear research program, from his office in Anchorage.

The collars were attached in April and collected eight to 10 days later as a test run of how they eventually will be deployed for longer periods. Cameras were attached to two bears in 2013, but the batteries could not handle Arctic temperatures, Atwood said.

Redesigned collars were attached to four females that already were going to be captured for blood samples on a study of behaviour and energy expenditure led by USGS research biologist Anthony Pagano.

The bears already carry collars with GPS recording data and accelerometers, an activity sensor that records whether a bear is resting, walking, swimming or hunting.

The USGS is part of the team that will draft a polar bear conservation plan to meet requirements of the Endangered Species Act. The law requires the plan to guide activities for polar bear conservation."

source (http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/jun/07/polar-bear-videocam-females-hunting)

giovonni

8th June 2014, 14:50

nice post from a while back ...

https://scontent-b-sea.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfa1/t1.0-9/392195_190334101060879_800532160_n.jpg

"This is an Amazing Story we received from one of our readers...

Some fishing stories are a little hard to believe, But this guy has pictures to prove his story... Tom Satre told the Sitka Gazette that he was out with a charter group on his 62-foot fishing vessel when four juvenile black-tailed deer swam directly toward his boat. "Once the deer reached the boat, the four began to circle the boat, looking directly at us. We could tell right away that the young bucks were distressed. I opened up my back gate and we helped the typically skittish and absolutely wild animals onto the boat. In all my years fishing, I've never seen anything quite like it! “Once on-board, they collapsed with exhaustion, shivering. We headed for Taku Harbour.

Once we reached the dock, the first buck that we had been pulled from the water hopped onto the dock, looked back as if to say 'thank you' and disappeared into the forest.” After a bit of prodding and assistance, two more followed, but the smallest deer needed a little more help (that’s him in the wheelbarrow). My daughter, Anna, and son, Tim, helped the last buck to its feet. We didn't know how long they had been in the icy waters or if there had been others who did not survive. My daughter later told me that the experience was something that she would never forget, and I suspect the deer felt the same way as well!"

source: GodFruits FaceBook (https://www.facebook.com/GodFruits?fref=photo)

giovonni

9th June 2014, 08:20

:lalala:

Assad's Too Sexy ...

From ~ Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

"Right Said Fred (really!) appears on Last Week Tonight with John Oliver to tell Syrian president Bashar al-Assad what a dick he is. It's going to be especially disappointing to Assad, as they are one of his favorite bands."

Published on Jun 8, 2014

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lKYPp2Kp6s&feature=em-uploademail

Roisin

9th June 2014, 11:48

Delight

9th June 2014, 23:00

This is so cool.

ARCHITECTURE
Nicole Jewell
Brilliant WarkaWater Towers Collect Drinking Water from Thin Air

Italian designer Arturo Vittori has unveiled the WarkaWater Tower, a revoluntionary new way to collect clean drinking water in Ethiopia and other parts of Africa. The artist was inspired by a recent trip to a remote village in northeastern Ethiopia where water collection is often a dangerous and incredibly time-consuming process. With just a little financial backing, Vittori hopes the innovative WarkaWater Towers, which take advantage of condensation, will provide a more reliable, efficient and sustainable method of water harvesting for local women and their families. inhabitat.com/nature-inspired-warkawater-towers-use-condensation-to-collect-drinking-water-in-ethiopia/

rDXWK5GRaiQ

giovonni

10th June 2014, 15:30

Thanks Lady's

Dianna ~ Roisin and Delight ~

For your contributions here ... :thumb:

giovonni

10th June 2014, 15:38

there are no coincidences folks ... :rolleyes:

https://fbexternal-a.akamaihd.net/safe_image.php?d=AQAZF2MuJT_Wq7H7&w=484&h=253&url=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.answcdn.com%2Fview%3Acrop%2Fcew%2F2%2F1%2F4%2F5%2F8%2F1%2F2145813015%2Feb3ee15a 0fd9f9c589b4ee9f9ab2b53ecb6d6b42.jpg&cfs=1&sx=1&sy=0&sw=559&sh=292

7 Wild Historical Coincidences Too Crazy To Believe (http://www.answers.com/article/1185697/7-wild-historical-coincidences-too-crazy-to-believe?param4=fb-us-de-lifestyle&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=ssde-imgspl#slide=1)

giovonni

10th June 2014, 16:54

Those Sweet ... Dancing Days

http://www.sportenphoto.org/OMBRE73.gif

Led Zeppelin ~ Live At Southampton University January 22, 1973

For two days, Southampton was blessed with the presence of the world's top rock band ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yszP3eGwiII

More here ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWyhLu-rgsE

dianna

10th June 2014, 22:13

I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member.
Groucho Marx

From RedIce:
http://www.redicecreations.com/article.php?id=30495

http://www.redicecreations.com/ul_img/30494nietzsche.jpg

Nietzsche: not welcome on university campuses

Comment: This is just beyond absurd! When will people wake up the censorship and failure of current direction of western cultural Marxist policies? So tolerant... isn’t it? A repressive kind of tolerance.

This is a discussion group! Yet, some violent extreme left groups, like this is ok ...and sanctioned by "peace loving" cultural Marxists who own the university environment?

The philosophy society has been kicked off campus for alleged links to a ‘far-right, fascist ideology’

You might be a devout follower of Nietzsche’s teachings, or you might have no idea who he is and think Zarathustra is a horse-riding royal; but if you’re interested in the ethics of free speech then you might be interested to know that the UCL have banned its Nietzsche club.

It all started fairly innocently when the Nietzsche club, originally founded as the "Traditional Society", declared that they were committed to "traditionalist art and philosophy". But then the society put up posters around UCL campus bearing suspicious slogans such as "Equality is a false god". Another asked: "Is there too much political correctness?"

According to the motion passed at the student union, the group is "aimed at promoting a far-right, fascist ideology at UCL" and may have potential links to "wider fascist movement and other organised groups". This was enough for the SU to bar the club from hosting events on campus and putting up any more flyers.

Admittedly, Mussolini was a big fan of Nietzsche’s philosophy (so what!?), but some political theorists argue that accusing Nietzsche himself of fascism springs from a fundamental misinterpretation of his work. And while we can’t vouch for the fact that the society isn’t a secret cabal of National Front members, banning the Nietzsche club at UCL seems pretty at odds with a university ethos of discussion and debate.

Tom Slater runs a campaign called Free Speech Now!, which aims to promote open dialogue within the university. Speaking to the Daily Beast, he said: "Not only does this censorship undermine the very ideal of a university as a place where even the most abhorrent ideas are aired and contested, but it projects a lowly view of students. The notion that one wacky reading group could somehow pose a direct threat to ‘student safety’ just shows how little the union believes in the mental capacity of its members to take part in the cut and thrust of politics and debate."

So is the ban good or bad? According to Nietzsche, such polarised meanings of morality are redundant – so in honour of the late philosopher, we’ll leave it open-ended. What do you think?

giovonni

11th June 2014, 13:36

will also share this here ...

Dude ... http://www.skype-emoticons.com/images/emoticon-00105-wink.gif

"He Was Stuck All Night In An Airport, So He Did THIS With His iPhone Camera!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W99OVlTkpR4

From

https://vimeo.com/97634383

giovonni

11th June 2014, 13:51

hmm ..

http://consciouslifenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/fracking-flammable-water.png

Scientists: Tests prove fracking to blame for flaming Parker County wells (http://www.wfaa.com/news/investigates/Scientists-say-state-tests-prove-fracking-to-blame-for-Parker-Co-flaming-wells-262056131.html)

giovonni

12th June 2014, 12:22

http://mysteriousuniverse.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Imich-1-585x306.png

From MYSTERIOUS UNIVERSE

The Occult Interests of Earth’s Most Elderly Man (http://mysteriousuniverse.org/2014/06/the-occult-interests-of-earths-most-elderly-man/)

giovonni

13th June 2014, 16:56

For Dianna ~ A kinda New Jersey/Toronto thing ... ;)

Governor Chris Christie's got nothing on Toronto's colorful Mayor Rob Ford ...

Christie Busts a Move on The Tonight Show

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrY9ZVbeSHM

And from The Colbert Report Toronto Mayor Rob Ford

I've got more than enough to eat at home: ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c72PuC7YW8Q

dianna

13th June 2014, 21:20

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrY9ZVbeSHM

Ah, Chris ("Mugsy") Christie, a personal favorite of my familia, and the only man who can pull off SHUTTING DOWN THE GEORGE WASHINGTON BRIDGE ?!? (seriously, who does that?? haha) … and still have time to hang on late night TV … "winning!" (he must "know a guy") lol

giovonni

14th June 2014, 23:52

when in Miami do as the Romans did ...

http://www.ourcrave.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/photo13.jpg

Ancient Roman Temple Discovered in Miami ! (http://www.ourcrave.com/ancient-roman-temple-discovered-in-miami/)

giovonni

15th June 2014, 07:00

hmm ...

https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xap1/t1.0-9/10300228_698695000208507_6962970939568316371_n.jpg

giovonni

15th June 2014, 07:03

will share this here ...

Via Vice News

Contra A Copa: The Other Side of Brazil's World Cup (Full Length)

June 14, 2014

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTW1ePYoV7Q&feature=em-uploademail

giovonni

15th June 2014, 12:12

From FRONTLINE

Note this exclusive report first air back in February on ISIS ...

Syria's Second Front: the militant jihadist group that has taken control of a broad swath of territory in Syria and Iraq since the beginning of the year.

Why Watch Now?: Get the backstory on the force that just overran Mosul, the second largest city in Iraq. It's the latest territorial grab in an offensive that is pushing the country to the brink of chaos less than three years after the final departure of US troops. As President Obama weighs how to respond, take an up-close look at ISIS's rise and tactics.

http://wpmedia.o.canada.com/2014/02/frontline_mezzanine_852.jpg?w=680&h=381

Watch Here (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/syrias-second-front/#-syrias-second-front)

Part two Children of Aleppo ~ amid the turmoil of Syria’s seemingly endless civil war, the notion of a normal childhood has all but disappeared...

http://images.alarabiya.net/e3/34/640x392_31080_235977.jpg

Watch Here (http://video.pbs.org/video/2365177080/)

giovonni

15th June 2014, 12:27

who knew ...

Thousands take part in gay pride march in Tel Aviv

Published June 16.2914

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ah0L-SoVfTc

giovonni

15th June 2014, 19:27

speaking of father's day ... a daughters love ...

http://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/images/news_large/news-vlad.jpg

Tomb of 'Dracula' discovered in Naples

Posted on Saturday, 14 June, 2014

"The alleged tomb of the infamous 16th century tryant Vlad the Impaler has been uncovered in Italy.

The main inspiration for Bram Stoker's iconic vampire Dracula, Count Vlad Tepes was one of the most feared men in 16th century Romania.

Thought to have died on the battlefield in 1476, Tepes' final resting place has remained something of a mystery, but now researchers believe that the infamous impaler may have actually survived the battle and had instead ended up being captured by the Turks.

His daughter Maria was believed to have paid a ransom to have him released and taken to Italy.

In support of this version of events a curious headstone was recently discovered in Naples' Piazza Santa Maria La Nova, the same graveyard in which his daughter and son-in-law are buried. The stone was found to be adorned with images and symbols more indicative of Translylvanian origins than of an Italian nobleman.

"When you look at the bas-relief sculptures the symbolism is obvious," said historian Raffaello Glinni. "The dragon means Dracula and the two opposing sphinxes represent the city of Thebes also called Tepes. In these symbols, Dracula Tepes, the very name of the count is written."

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/images/article-2655354-1EABF84A00000578-301_634x358.jpg

"Estonian researchers believe they may have finally discovered the whereabouts of “Dracula’s” grave, which is in Italy and not the Romanian Transylvanian Alps as first thought.

The inspiration behind Bram Stoker’s 1897 gothic novel “Dracula” is thought to be Vlad III, the 15th century Prince of Wallachia in Eastern Europe. Known posthumously as Vlad the Impaler, the ruler was known for his brand of cruelty across Europe, which included impaling his enemies.

Vlad’s ultimate enemy were the Ottomans. Depictions of his endless cruelty made history books, securing his reputation as one of the biggest villains in Turkey’s collective consciousness, as written by Emrah Güler of the Hürriyet Daily News in 2012. Vlad’s story was also converted into a ballet last year in Turkey.

Born in 1431, Count Vlad Tepes was part of a noble family who belonged to the Order of the Dragon, a group that was founded as a means of protecting Christianity in Eastern Europe from Ottoman expansion. His father was nicknamed Dracul, meaning “Dragon,” so the young Vlad became known as Dracula, or “son of Dragon.”

In 1476, Vlad Tepes disappeared in battle. While some sources have claimed he died, researchers claim he was in fact imprisoned by the Turks, who hauled him away in chains. His daughter Maria was meanwhile brought to the Neapolitan court, whose ruling family was allied with her own family, where she was adopted and eventually married to a Neapolitan nobleman.

Scholars from the University of Tallinn say they have discovered evidence that suggests the count was taken prisoner, ransomed to his daughter in Italy and then buried in a church in Naples.

Researchers are claiming a newly uncovered headstone in Naples’ Piazza Santa Maria la Nova, in the same graveyard as his daughter and son-in-law, could be his final resting place.

The headstone was discovered by Neapolitan student, Erika Stella, who was writing a dissertation on the history of the church. Stella shared the photograph on the Internet and experts identified it with a certain level of confidence after years of research.

Medieval history scholar Raffaello Glinni said the 16th century tomb is covered in images and symbols of the House of the Transylvanian “Carpathians,” and not the tomb of an Italian nobleman.

“When you look at the bas-relief sculptures, the symbolism is obvious. The dragon means Dracula and the two opposing sphinxes represent the city of Thebes, also known as Tepes. In these symbols, the very name of the count Dracula Tepes is written,” Glinni told reporters.

"Researchers are now seeking permission to investigate the grave further."

Sources:
Ancient Mysteries (http://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/news/267684/tomb-of-dracula-discovered-in-naples)

Daily News (http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/draculas-tomb-discovered-in-italy.aspx?pageID=238&nID=67748&NewsCatID=375)

dianna

15th June 2014, 22:02

What a Shaman Sees in A Mental Hospital
http://earthweareone.com/what-a-shaman-sees-in-a-mental-hospital/

http://earthweareone.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/IMG2_3951.jpg

In the shamanic view, mental illness signals “the birth of a healer,” explains Malidoma Patrice Somé. Thus, mental disorders are spiritual emergencies, spiritual crises, and need to be regarded as such to aid the healer in being born.

What those in the West view as mental illness, the Dagara people regard as “good news from the other world.” The person going through the crisis has been chosen as a medium for a message to the community that needs to be communicated from the spirit realm. “Mental disorder, behavioral disorder of all kinds, signal the fact that two obviously incompatible energies have merged into the same field,” says Dr. Somé. These disturbances result when the person does not get assistance in dealing with the presence of the energy from the spirit realm.

One of the things Dr. Somé encountered when he first came to the United States in 1980 for graduate study was how this country deals with mental illness. When a fellow student was sent to a mental institute due to “nervous depression,” Dr. Somé went to visit him.

“I was so shocked. That was the first time I was brought face to face with what is done here to people exhibiting the same symptoms I’ve seen in my village.” What struck Dr. Somé was that the attention given to such symptoms was based on pathology, on the idea that the condition is something that needs to stop. This was in complete opposition to the way his culture views such a situation. As he looked around the stark ward at the patients, some in straitjackets, some zoned out on medications, others screaming, he observed to himself, “So this is how the healers who are attempting to be born are treated in this culture. What a loss! What a loss that a person who is finally being aligned with a power from the other world is just being wasted.”

http://bipolarblast.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/jung-red-book.jpeg?w=600

Another way to say this, which may make more sense to the Western mind, is that we in the West are not trained in how to deal or even taught to acknowledge the existence of psychic phenomena, the spiritual world. In fact, psychic abilities are denigrated. When energies from the spiritual world emerge in a Western psyche, that individual is completely unequipped to integrate them or even recognize what is happening. The result can be terrifying. Without the proper context for and assistance in dealing with the breakthrough from another level of reality, for all practical purposes, the person is insane. Heavy dosing with anti-psychotic drugs compounds the problem and prevents the integration that could lead to soul development and growth in the individual who has received these energies.

On the mental ward, Dr Somé saw a lot of “beings” hanging around the patients, “entities” that are invisible to most people but that shamans and psychics are able to see. “They were causing the crisis in these people,” he says. It appeared to him that these beings were trying to get the medications and their effects out of the bodies of the people the beings were trying to merge with, and were increasing the patients’ pain in the process. “The beings were acting almost like some kind of excavator in the energy field of people. They were really fierce about that. The people they were doing that to were just screaming and yelling,” he said. He couldn’t stay in that environment and had to leave.

In the Dagara tradition, the community helps the person reconcile the energies of both worlds–”the world of the spirit that he or she is merged with, and the village and community.” That person is able then to serve as a bridge between the worlds and help the living with information and healing they need. Thus, the spiritual crisis ends with the birth of another healer. “The other world’s relationship with our world is one of sponsorship,” Dr. Somé explains. “More often than not, the knowledge and skills that arise from this kind of merger are a knowledge or a skill that is provided directly from the other world.”

The beings who were increasing the pain of the inmates on the mental hospital ward were actually attempting to merge with the inmates in order to get messages through to this world. The people they had chosen to merge with were getting no assistance in learning how to be a bridge between the worlds and the beings’ attempts to merge were thwarted. The result was the sustaining of the initial disorder of energy and the aborting of the birth of a healer.

http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs012/1101454195791/img/513.jpg?a=1103924975208

“The Western culture has consistently ignored the birth of the healer,” states Dr. Somé. “Consequently, there will be a tendency from the other world to keep trying as many people as possible in an attempt to get somebody’s attention. They have to try harder.” The spirits are drawn to people whose senses have not been anesthetized. “The sensitivity is pretty much read as an invitation to come in,” he notes.

Those who develop so-called mental disorders are those who are sensitive, which is viewed in Western culture as oversensitivity. Indigenous cultures don’t see it that way and, as a result, sensitive people don’t experience themselves as overly sensitive. In the West, “it is the overload of the culture they’re in that is just wrecking them,” observes Dr. Somé. The frenetic pace, the bombardment of the senses, and the violent energy that characterize Western culture can overwhelm sensitive people.

Schizophrenia and Foreign Energy

http://www.theicarusproject.net/files/images/voices_visions_cage.preview.jpg

With schizophrenia, there is a special “receptivity to a flow of images and information, which cannot be controlled,” stated Dr. Somé. “When this kind of rush occurs at a time that is not personally chosen, and particularly when it comes with images that are scary and contradictory, the person goes into a frenzy.”

What is required in this situation is first to separate the person’s energy from the extraneous foreign energies, by using shamanic practice (what is known as a “sweep”) to clear the latter out of the individual’s aura. With the clearing of their energy field, the person no longer picks up a flood of information and so no longer has a reason to be scared and disturbed, explains Dr. Somé.

Then it is possible to help the person align with the energy of the spirit being attempting to come through from the other world and give birth to the healer. The blockage of that emergence is what creates problems. “The energy of the healer is a high-voltage energy,” he observes. “When it is blocked, it just burns up the person. It’s like a short-circuit. Fuses are blowing. This is why it can be really scary, and I understand why this culture prefers to confine these people. Here they are yelling and screaming, and they’re put into a straitjacket. That’s a sad image.” Again, the shamanic approach is to work on aligning the energies so there is no blockage, “fuses” aren’t blowing, and the person can become the healer they are meant to be.

It needs to be noted at this point, however, that not all of the spirit beings that enter a person’s energetic field are there for the purposes of promoting healing. There are negative energies as well, which are undesirable presences in the aura. In those cases, the shamanic approach is to remove them from the aura, rather than work to align the discordant energies

Alex: Crazy in the USA, Healer in Africa

http://bipolarblast.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/emer-e1267234018732.jpg?w=286&h=300

To test his belief that the shamanic view of mental illness holds true in the Western world as well as in indigenous cultures, Dr. Somé took a mental patient back to Africa with him, to his village. “I was prompted by my own curiosity to find out whether there’s truth in the universality that mental illness could be connected with an alignment with a being from another world,” says Dr. Somé.

Alex was an 18-year-old American who had suffered a psychotic break when he was 14. He had hallucinations, was suicidal, and went through cycles of dangerously severe depression. He was in a mental hospital and had been given a lot of drugs, but nothing was helping. “The parents had done everything–unsuccessfully,” says Dr. Somé. “They didn’t know what else to do.”

With their permission, Dr. Somé took their son to Africa. “After eight months there, Alex had become quite normal, Dr. Somé reports. He was even able to participate with healers in the business of healing; sitting with them all day long and helping them, assisting them in what they were doing with their clients . . . . He spent about four years in my village.” Alex stayed by choice, not because he needed more healing. He felt, “much safer in the village than in America.”

To bring his energy and that of the being from the spiritual realm into alignment, Alex went through a shamanic ritual designed for that purpose, although it was slightly different from the one used with the Dagara people. “He wasn’t born in the village, so something else applied. But the result was similar, even though the ritual was not literally the same,” explains Dr. Somé. The fact that aligning the energy worked to heal Alex demonstrated to Dr. Somé that the connection between other beings and mental illness is indeed universal.

After the ritual, Alex began to share the messages that the spirit being had for this world. Unfortunately, the people he was talking to didn’t speak English (Dr. Somé was away at that point). The whole experience led, however, to Alex’s going to college to study psychology. He returned to the United States after four years because “he discovered that all the things that he needed to do had been done, and he could then move on with his life.”

The last that Dr. Somé heard was that Alex was in graduate school in psychology at Harvard. No one had thought he would ever be able to complete undergraduate studies, much less get an advanced degree.

Dr. Somé sums up what Alex’s mental illness was all about: “He was reaching out. It was an emergency call. His job and his purpose was to be a healer. He said no one was paying attention to that.”

After seeing how well the shamanic approach worked for Alex, Dr. Somé concluded that spirit beings are just as much an issue in the West as in his community in Africa. “Yet the question still remains, the answer to this problem must be found here, instead of having to go all the way overseas to seek the answer. There has to be a way in which a little bit of attention beyond the pathology of this whole experience leads to the possibility of coming up with the proper ritual to help people.

Longing for Spiritual Connection

http://contemporaryshaman.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/shaman.jpg

A common thread that Dr. Somé has noticed in “mental” disorders in the West is “a very ancient ancestral energy that has been placed in stasis, that finally is coming out in the person.” His job then is to trace it back, to go back in time to discover what that spirit is. In most cases, the spirit is connected to nature, especially with mountains or big rivers, he says.

In the case of mountains, as an example to explain the phenomenon, “it’s a spirit of the mountain that is walking side by side with the person and, as a result, creating a time-space distortion that is affecting the person caught in it.” What is needed is a merger or alignment of the two energies, “so the person and the mountain spirit become one.” Again, the shaman conducts a specific ritual to bring about this alignment.

Dr. Somé believes that he encounters this situation so often in the United States because “most of the fabric of this country is made up of the energy of the machine, and the result of that is the disconnection and the severing of the past. You can run from the past, but you can’t hide from it.” The ancestral spirit of the natural world comes visiting. “It’s not so much what the spirit wants as it is what the person wants,” he says. “The spirit sees in us a call for something grand, something that will make life meaningful, and so the spirit is responding to that.”

That call, which we don’t even know we are making, reflects “a strong longing for a profound connection, a connection that transcends materialism and possession of things and moves into a tangible cosmic dimension. Most of this longing is unconscious, but for spirits, conscious or unconscious doesn’t make any difference.” They respond to either.

As part of the ritual to merge the mountain and human energy, those who are receiving the “mountain energy” are sent to a mountain area of their choice, where they pick up a stone that calls to them. They bring that stone back for the rest of the ritual and then keep it as a companion; some even carry it around with them. “The presence of the stone does a lot in tuning the perceptive ability of the person,” notes Dr. Somé. “They receive all kinds of information that they can make use of, so it’s like they get some tangible guidance from the other world as to how to live their life.”

When it is the “river energy,” those being called go to the river and, after speaking to the river spirit, find a water stone to bring back for the same kind of ritual as with the mountain spirit.

“People think something extraordinary must be done in an extraordinary situation like this,” he says. That’s not usually the case. Sometimes it is as simple as carrying a stone.

A Sacred Ritual Approach to Mental Illness

https://maridreamwalker.files.wordpress.com/2014/06/madness.jpg

One of the gifts a shaman can bring to the Western world is to help people rediscover ritual, which is so sadly lacking. “The abandonment of ritual can be devastating. From the spiritual view, ritual is inevitable and necessary if one is to live,” Dr. Somé writes in Ritual: Power, Healing, and Community. “To say that ritual is needed in the industrialized world is an understatement. We have seen in my own people that it is probably impossible to live a sane life without it.”

Dr. Somé did not feel that the rituals from his traditional village could simply be transferred to the West, so over his years of shamanic work here, he has designed rituals that meet the very different needs of this culture. Although the rituals change according to the individual or the group involved, he finds that there is a need for certain rituals in general.

One of these involves helping people discover that their distress is coming from the fact that they are “called by beings from the other world to cooperate with them in doing healing work.” Ritual allows them to move out of the distress and accept that calling.

Another ritual need relates to initiation. In indigenous cultures all over the world, young people are initiated into adulthood when they reach a certain age. The lack of such initiation in the West is part of the crisis that people are in here, says Dr. Somé. He urges communities to bring together “the creative juices of people who have had this kind of experience, in an attempt to come up with some kind of an alternative ritual that would at least begin to put a dent in this kind of crisis.”

Another ritual that repeatedly speaks to the needs of those coming to him for help entails making a bonfire, and then putting into the bonfire “items that are symbolic of issues carried inside the individuals . . . It might be the issues of anger and frustration against an ancestor who has left a legacy of murder and enslavement or anything, things that the descendant has to live with,” he explains. “If these are approached as things that are blocking the human imagination, the person’s life purpose, and even the person’s view of life as something that can improve, then it makes sense to begin thinking in terms of how to turn that blockage into a roadway that can lead to something more creative and more fulfilling.”

The example of issues with an ancestors touches on rituals designed by Dr. Somé that address a serious dysfunction in Western society and in the process “trigger enlightenment” in participants. These are ancestral rituals, and the dysfunction they are aimed at is the mass turning-of-the-back on ancestors. Some of the spirits trying to come through, as described earlier, may be “ancestors who want to merge with a descendant in an attempt to heal what they weren’t able to do while in their physical body.”

“Unless the relationship between the living and the dead is in balance, chaos ensues,” he says. “The Dagara believe that, if such an imbalance exists, it is the duty of the living to heal their ancestors. If these ancestors are not healed, their sick energy will haunt the souls and psyches of those who are responsible for helping them.” The rituals focus on healing the relationship with our ancestors, both specific issues of an individual ancestor and the larger cultural issues contained in our past. Dr. Somé has seen extraordinary healing occur at these rituals.

Taking a sacred ritual approach to mental illness rather than regarding the person as a pathological case gives the person affected–and indeed the community at large–the opportunity to begin looking at it from that vantage point too, which leads to “a whole plethora of opportunities and ritual initiative that can be very, very beneficial to everyone present,” states. Dr. Somé.

giovonni

15th June 2014, 23:32

The back story Out of Africa ...

What Is It About an Elephant's Tusks That Make Them So Valuable?
(http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2012/09/what-is-it-about-an-elephants-tusks-that-make-them-so-valuable/262021/)

***********

http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--u5AN22wP--/c_fit,fl_progressive,q_80,w_636/769340296663785135.jpg

Poachers in Kenya Kill One of the World's Largest Elephants (http://gawker.com/poachers-in-kenya-kill-one-of-the-worlds-largest-elepha-1591134015)

giovonni

16th June 2014, 14:32

peek a boo ... what are you doing ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iB52iP2a_MY

giovonni

17th June 2014, 09:27

At Last, a Magical Desk That You Can Share With Your Cat (http://io9.com/at-last-a-magical-desk-that-you-can-share-with-your-ca-1591710190)

giovonni

17th June 2014, 19:04

'never put a baby bird in a corner' ... :shocked:

Meet the Disco

Published May 15, 2914

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFJeY9fL5tk

"I'm a Parakitty!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhtme--h5Zs

giovonni

17th June 2014, 20:01

Trust me ... :rolleyes:

I'm an engineer ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rp8hvyjZWHs

giovonni

18th June 2014, 01:51

any bets ...

Alligator Vs. Housecat

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zpay-UAWIQ

giovonni

18th June 2014, 11:38

hmm ...

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/06/17/article-2660148-1ED7F3A000000578-937_634x467.jpg

Indian teenager is worshipped because he has a seven inch Tail (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2660148/Indian-teenager-worshipped-seven-inch-TAIL-need-removed-hes-unable-walk.html)

giovonni

18th June 2014, 18:11

Via my friend Brook ...

https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xfp1/t1.0-9/10177980_298423150326215_6797816325353286464_n.jpg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CS9OO0S5w2k

giovonni

19th June 2014, 11:38

http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/75640000/jpg/_75640518_022768099-1.jpg

Germany caver Westhauser surfaces after Riesending rescue (http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-27922781)

giovonni

19th June 2014, 11:44

http://consciouslifenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/spcae-quantum.jpg

How Time and Space Clues Point To Who We Are and Where We Are Going (http://www.wakingtimes.com/2014/06/18/time-space-clues-point-going/)

giovonni

19th June 2014, 13:21

http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/wwfeatures/624_351/images/live/p0/21/7s/p0217szc.jpg

Via BBC/Future

Do sewers expose illegal drug habits accurately ? (http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20140619-the-hidden-drugs-under-your-feet)

giovonni

19th June 2014, 17:08

digging in the dirt ...

"he loves digging holes...and then sitting in them and staring at everybody" ...

https://scontent-a-sea.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfp1/t1.0-9/10430823_10152459897412808_4475759308419952669_n.j pg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4HpOaASy34

giovonni

21st June 2014, 07:13

two new tracks ...

Linkin Park - The Hunting Party

Until It's Gone

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nym1P-BO_ws

A Line In The Sand

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSBnzJCmx9k

giovonni

22nd June 2014, 12:13

will share this here ...

Paul Ekman: Outsmart Evolution and Master Your Emotions

Facial expression allows us to self-generate any emotion! Sadly, self generating enjoyment is apparently the most challenging.

Renowned psychologist and emotion-guru Paul Ekman describes how introducing conscious awareness to facial expressions can help one override and control their emotions.

Transcript– One of the most amazing discoveries, it completely surprised me, and that’s what I like most in research is when you learn something you didn’t you were going to learn. That’s very different from research where you prove something you think you already know. You have to do that too ’cause maybe you were wrong, but when you discover something you didn’t expect, that’s really exciting.

And what we discovered, published this more than 20 years ago, made the front page of the New York Times. We didn’t kill anybody. What it did was show that if you put on your face one of the universal expressions you will turn on the physiology of emotion. You will begin to experience that emotion. So the face is not simply a display system that tells you what’s happening inside me. I can self generate any emotion by making the movements on my face.

Now some of them are harder to make than others, and wouldn’t you know it the one that’s the hardest to make is the one that turns on enjoyment ’cause a smile alone won’t do it. You have to be able to activate one of the muscles around the eyes and only about ten percent of the people we’ve tested can do it.

We are just beginning to use this discovery of how you can self generate emotion to teach people how to become more aware of what they’re feeling at the moment they feel it. Because it is my belief — and I want to underline the word belief ’cause I can’t prove this — it’s my belief that the way in which emotions evolved it was to deal with things like saber-toothed tigers. The current incarnation of which is the car that’s suddenly lurching at your car at a high speed.

You don’t have time to think. You have to do and make very complex decisions, think of what you do to avoid that car you make split seconds estimates of speed and angle and what you need to do with your feet and your hands. And if you had to think about what you were doing, you’d be dead. So it’s a system that evolved to deal with really important things without your thinking about it.

So that means that sometimes you’re going to be very inconsiderate, very thoughtless, sometimes your emotions aren’t going to fit the situation and you’re not even going to know it until someone says to you, “What are you getting so upset about?” And you think, “Oh, my God. That’s right. I’m really afraid. I don’t know why. Maybe I shouldn’t. Maybe I misunderstood the situation.”

Well these exercises that we’re giving people — moving their facial muscles, concentrating on the sensations that they then experience to make them more aware of an emotion when it arises, so that they will feel it at the moment and then can say, “Did you really mean to ignore me when she put the toast on the table? No. That was just an accident. Or maybe I shouldn’t jump to the conclusion that she doesn’t care about me at all. And why doesn’t she care about me?” That whole business, it takes the way in which we can improve our emotional life is to introduce conscious awareness into the process and that will take practice and nature did not want you to do that so you have to do it yourself.

Directed / Produced by Jonathan Fowler and Elizabeth Rodd

Published Aug. 1, 2013

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVp5pGSwZkg

giovonni

24th June 2014, 04:57

http://dailygrail.com/sites/dailygrail.com/files/imagecache/BlogImage-Large/storyimages/dying-light.jpg

What the Dying Know (http://dailygrail.com/Spirit-World/2014/6/What-the-Dying-Know)

giovonni

3rd July 2014, 03:09

He is the Walrus ...

"The first baby walrus born in Germany was proudly presented today at
Hamburg's Hagenbeck Zoo. Report by Claire Lomas."

Published on Jul 2, 2014

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEu3NpCxcOU

meanwhile sitting on a corn flake ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ap6kSV_U45o

giovonni

3rd July 2014, 04:45

SECRETS OF THE DEAD
Bones of the Buddha

http://kcpt.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/SOD_Buddha-06-0096edit4-640x509.jpg

"The mystery surrounding the bones of the Buddha dates back more than 100 years ago, when colonial estate manager William Peppe and his workers began digging at a mysterious hill in Northern India" ...

>Watch Here< (http://video.pbs.org/video/2365051623/)

giovonni

4th July 2014, 19:44

looking forward to this ...

Red Rock Serenade

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50XNvpQR1Mg

giovonni

6th July 2014, 18:03

"rent-a-white-guy"

Censorship & Strange Truth About Being A Foreigner in China w. Mitch Moxley

Censorship in China, and the surreal experience of being a foreigner in China is detailed by author of "Apologies To My Censor," Mitch Moxley. From being cast for Chinese TV and videos, to hired as a "rent-a-white-guy" for corporate presentations, to most substantially, working as a journalist and reporter for the english language media, Moxley guides us through modern China in this Lip News interview hosted by Gabriel Mizrahi.

GUEST BIO:
Mitch Moxley has written for publications including The Atlantic, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, TIME, the Globe and Mail, The Walrus, and others, and he is an editor at the online magazine Roads & Kingdoms. His first book, Apologies to My Censor: The High and Low Adventures of a Foreigner in China, was published by Harper Perennial in July 2013.

Mitch is originally from Saskatchewan, Canada, and he holds a masters degree in journalism from the University of Western Ontario, where he won the JM Penny Prize for Investigative Reporting. He lived in Beijing for six years and is currently based in New York City. He has filed stories from China, Burma, Mongolia, India, Japan, Vietnam, and the Philippines. Mitch has eaten scorpions, partied with models in Manila, and donned the skin of a Second Life avatar—all in the name of journalism.

Published on Jul 6, 2014

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4AarY_KfpA

giovonni

6th July 2014, 19:33

Paul McCartney Bounces Back in Albany
The former Beatle's first show since falling
ill in May is a three-hour triumph ... Story here (http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/paul-mccartney-bounces-back-in-albany-20140706)

something old ...

Another Day

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFzEA7ZAfZQ

something new ...

Appreciate

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpxdtWJAfSY

giovonni

7th July 2014, 13:15

From ~ Spirit Science and Metaphysics

Are Birthmarks Connected to Your Past Life ?

An old woman died in Thailand with the wish to reincarnate as a boy. Her daughter dipped a finger in white paste and marked the back of the woman’s neck with the paste.

Not long after the woman’s death, the daughter gave birth to a son with a white mark on the back of his neck that mirrored the white paste left on the woman’s neck. When the boy became old enough to talk, he would claim possession of things that belonged to his grandmother as though they’d always been his.

This is one of many cases recounted by Dr. Jim Tucker at the University of Virginia in which birthmarks seem to relate to past lives.

http://www.spiritscienceandmetaphysics.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Reincarnation-birthmark.jpg
A boy born with a mark said to be left by his violent death in a past life, included in research at the University of Virginia. (Screenshot/YouTube)

The late Dr. Ian Stevenson, whose work Tucker continues, investigated 210 cases of children with birthmarks or defects that related to memories they retained from past lives.

Stevenson obtained a post-mortem report in 49 cases. The wound and birthmark were within 10 square centimeters of each other on the body in 43 percent of these cases, and many were much closer to the same location.

http://www.spiritscienceandmetaphysics.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Reincarnation-birthmark-3.jpg
A boy in Thailand with a birthmark on his neck that mirrors the mark made on his grandmother’s neck before she died, shortly before his birth. (Screenshot/YouTube)

In some cultures, people mark the deceased with soot or paste to recognize them when they are reborn.

Here are a few examples of birthmarks related to past life memories studied by Stevenson.

http://s2.djyimg.com/n3/eet-content/uploads/2013/11/Reincarnation-birthmark-2.jpg

A boy born in India without fingers on his right hand remembered another life in which he was a boy who had his fingers amputated after sticking them in a fodder chopping machine.

A boy in Turkey with a malformed right ear remembered having been shot and killed at close range on that side of his head.

A boy named Maha Ram in India could remember being killed in a previous life with a shotgun fired at close range. He remembered enough details of his past life for Stevenson to find the autopsy report of the man supposedly reincarnated as Ram. The birthmarks on Ram’s chest corresponded to the bullet wounds.

Some anecdotal accounts of birthmarks from past lives that have not been verified are shared on a past life discussion blog post.

Karen Kubicko posted photos of herself in high school with a birthmark on her neck and a photo of herself later in life without the birthmark. She said she remembered in 2011 that in a previous life she was a woman named Helen who was hit by a stray bullet in the neck and died in 1927.

The mark was where the bullet had hit in her vision.

After she remembered this, the mark gradually disappeared.

Another person on the blog said she had a birthmark on the back of her leg. She remembered a past life in which a snake bit her there. A few years later, she realized the mark had faded away. She said the area is not often exposed, so light exposure or other such external elements are not to blame.

Read more on the evidence for reincarnation HERE (http://www.spiritscienceandmetaphysics.com/the-scientific-evidence-for-reincarnation-fact-or-fantasy/)

source page (http://www.spiritscienceandmetaphysics.com/are-birthmarks-connected-to-your-past-life/)

giovonni

7th July 2014, 22:18

The Sloths That Could Cure Cancer: Bio-Prospecting in Panama

"VICE News host Thomas Morton swings from the trees with an international team of scientists in Panama that's found a promising treatment for malaria, Chagas disease and breast cancer in the most unlikely place: The mossy fur of tree sloths. It's yet another reason to not cut down rainforests. About half of all drugs brought to market from 1997-2006 came from plants, fungi and bacteria discovered by "bio-prospectors" in nature. And we see that sloths are just one of many new and unusual frontiers for this research."

Published on Jul 7, 2014

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOkmIH9Vpb8&feature=em-uploademail

giovonni

8th July 2014, 19:43

http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/wwfeatures/624_351/images/live/p0/22/f1/p022f1pm.jpg

From BBC/Future

‘Wisdom of the crowd’: The myths and realities (http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20140708-when-crowd-wisdom-goes-wrong)

giovonni

8th July 2014, 20:20

speaking of crowds ... 29 years ago this week ...

Queen

BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY ～ RADIO GA GA / QUEEN LIVE AID - WEMBLEY 1985

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ej3uKXVaDW0

giovonni

10th July 2014, 03:01

never give up ... never give in ...

Honey Badgers ~ Masters of Mayhem

The Honey badger is one fearless mother !
He is the ultimate bad-ass of the animal kingdom.

Published on Apr 25, 2014

http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/obF7WT_P7Ds/0.jpg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZJLN1qjtLI

giovonni

10th July 2014, 16:33

will share this special story here ...

Raju's Journey to Freedom (http://www.wildlifesos.org/blog/rajus-journey-freedom-photo-journal)

50 years a Slave:
Raju the Elephant cried tears of joy after being freed from suffering

Published on Jul 7, 2014

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhrjTFSDqTU

giovonni

10th July 2014, 22:39

Dude ...

https://scontent-b-sea.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/10003897_10152574501143464_1626312700053534440_n.jpg?oh=365604cf3e59996bcc18314c4a0dde51&oe=543CE75A

giovonni

12th July 2014, 06:24

check these photos out ...

http://www.distractify.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads//2013/12/miranda-934x.jpg

The 38 Most Haunting Abandoned Places On Earth (http://news.distractify.com/culture/arts/the-most-spectacular-abandoned-places-in-the-world/?v=1)

giovonni

13th July 2014, 11:32

From Damn Interesting

http://cdn.damninteresting.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/godin-jungle-small.jpg
Welcome to the Jungle

Article With Audio Here (http://www.damninteresting.com/welcome-to-the-jungle/#autoplay)

giovonni

14th July 2014, 19:03

because he's tacky ... and kind of funny ...

'Weird Al' Enlists Jack Black, Aisha Tyler for Pharrell Parody 'Tacky'
Margaret Cho, Kristen Schaal and Eric Stonestreet also help Yankovic send up pop smash "Happy"

http://www.billboard.com/files/styles/promo_650/public/media/weird-al-tacky.jpg

Watch Here (http://www.rollingstone.com/music/videos/weird-al-enlists-jack-black-aisha-tyler-for-pharrell-parody-tacky-20140714)

giovonni

15th July 2014, 02:34

interesting footage ...

Admiral Byrd (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/ice/peopleevents/pandeAMEX86.html) Antarctic Expedition, 1939-1941

United States Antarctic Service Expedition (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Antarctic_Service_Expedition)

On Adm. Byrd's Antarctic expedition, 1939-1941. Reel 1, a snowmobile is loaded on the North Star at Boston. Men are initiated at the Equator. The ship anchors at Pitcairn Island, natives row to the ship with fresh food, and a party visits the island. The ship sails past volcanic peaks on the island. Reel 2, the Bear passes through ice floes. Shows whales, seals, and penguins. A snowmobile, a Condor seaplane, and other supplies are unloaded at Little America. Reel 3, the Bear moves past icebergs off Palmer Peninsula. A Barkley-Grow seaplane is unloaded and takes off. Penguins play on the ice. Seals and penguins are captured and taken aboard. Reel 4, the Bear rounds Cape Horn. Shows men chopping seal meat, feeding dogs, and making skis and sleds. A Condor seaplane takes off. Seals, penguins, and snow petrels are shown. Shows panoramic shots of a camp near the Rockefeller Mountains. Reel 5, supplies, including a Barkley-Grow seaplane, are loaded on the North Star. A seal is lassoed and penguins are fed. Department of the Interior. Office of Territories. (07/28/1950 - 07/01/1971) Made possible by a donation from Public.Resource.Org.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zt2mG27EYZk

giovonni

15th July 2014, 04:05

weird ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBqM2ytqHY4

more weird ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbuluDBHpfQ

giovonni

15th July 2014, 20:00

here's hoping and praying for his best ...

Adorable dog lives under a shed for a year after owner dies

Published on Jul 15, 2014

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsW5iHqnWvk

giovonni

17th July 2014, 02:11

the great abode beyond the sky ...

Heaven

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVqaGej9aC0

giovonni

17th July 2014, 04:11

entrainment by entertainment ...

Red Ice Insight - Anchorman 2 Review & The Politics of Will Ferrell

Henrik and Lana analyze the propaganda found within the movie Anchorman 2. They'll also examine the actor Will Ferrell, his double standards, and his Funny or Die posse that includes producer Judd Apatow and writer/producer Adam McKay. What is the purpose behind the progressive's politically correct agenda pushed in Hollywood entertainment?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqDuKaCEEdw&feature=em-uploademail

giovonni

17th July 2014, 15:05

Johnny Winter, Texas Blues Guitar Icon, Dead at 70
(http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/johnny-winter-texas-blues-guitar-icon-dead-at-70-20140717)

Johnny Winter "Highway 61"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCApLGaeBdQ

giovonni

17th July 2014, 19:45

http://i0.huffpost.com/gen/1914483/thumbs/n-SHIPPING-CONTAINER-STUDY-MBARI-large570.jpg

Thousands Of Containers Fall Off Ships Every Year...
What Happens To Them ? (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/17/med-taipei-shipping-container-study_n_5593719.html?ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000044)

giovonni

18th July 2014, 05:08

giovonni

18th July 2014, 07:09

interesting topic from a good man ...

Drug & Sex Addiction + Celebrity with Leonard Buschel

Drug and sex addiction, plus the creative impulse to excess is examined with addiction expert Leonard Buschel. Behavioral disorders, the cycle of dependence and self-destruction, and the human condition are all explored--with attention paid to the influence of celebrity and genetics in addiction (as well as the 12-step program). We also hear why Shame, starring Michael Fassbender is one of the best depictions of addiction in this uncensored Media Mayhem hosted by Allison Hope Weiner.

GUEST BIO:
Leonard Buschel CADCA, is a California State Certified Substance Abuse Counselor and publisher. He is the Founder of Writers In Treatment. W.I.T. a non-profit organization which helps individuals in the writing profession suffering from any self-destructive addiction get into a good treatment facility. Mr. Buschel is also the founder of the Reel Recovery Film Festival, a multi-day event which celebrates film, the arts, writing and creativity. We showcase filmmakers who make honest films about addiction, alcoholism, behavioral disorders, treatment and recovery. Slated for screening is an eclectic lineup of contemporary and classic films, documentaries and shorts from American and international, first-time filmmakers and industry veterans.

Published on Jul 17, 2014

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2T6JybaoJcg

Related video ...

Shame (http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/shame-2011)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24cjqfVv1fs

giovonni

18th July 2014, 14:56

lately flying is learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss ...

♪ Night Flight ♪

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpoxLSYTEEw

giovonni

18th July 2014, 15:20

http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--d3185eNF--/vb408n4hcgfwsslg7ge6.jpg

The Mathematician Who Showed How the US Could Be Made A Dictatorship (http://io9.com/the-mathematician-who-showed-how-the-us-could-be-made-a-1607024259)

giovonni

18th July 2014, 15:44

From Shelly ...

https://scontent-b-sea.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/t1.0-9/10155528_636931453043986_2785019781899499241_n.jpg

giovonni

19th July 2014, 16:03

now isn't this shocking ... :rolleyes:

Facebook Users Hurt Themselves When Left Alone ?

"Facebook users hurt themselves when left alone, according to a study, which asked men to sit in a room by themselves with nothing to do but think. There was also a battery in the room that the men knew would administer a shock if they touched it. However, they were so bored that most couldn't even last six minutes without touching the battery anyway. Researchers summed up the study by explaining that, "most people seem to prefer to be doing something rather than nothing, even if that something is negative. We look at our potentially unhealthy attachment to social media, in this Lip News clip with Lissette Padilla and Gabriel Mizrahi."

Published on Jul 19, 2014

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVwxkqL1uig

giovonni

19th July 2014, 19:27

he's on a roll ...

"Weird Al" Yankovic has already corrected your grammar and foiled the Illuminati this week — now he's here to fix your dishwasher. In the latest video from his new album, Mandatory Fun, the prince of pop parody sets his sights on Iggy Azalea's ubiquitous "Fancy," turning it into "Handy," an ode to a contractor's myriad skills, from repairing busted windows to installing formica countertops. He's got 99 problems, but a switch ain't one" ...

'Weird Al' Gets 'Handy'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0shG9zC6oU

giovonni

19th July 2014, 20:21

too funny ... http://www.skype-emoticons.com/images/emoticon-00136-giggle.gif

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBbHRaNNBuY

giovonni

20th July 2014, 21:07

Nothing is Impossible !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hL1M5F0d_Kc

giovonni

21st July 2014, 19:33

send in the clowns ... :rolleyes:

http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--lyMfDC17--/c_fit,fl_progressive,q_80,w_636/rcnoy7zi9tauuger98xx.jpg

What Did Doctors Learn By Scaring Toddlers in the "Risk Room" ? (http://io9.com/what-did-doctors-learn-by-scaring-toddlers-in-the-risk-1607907413)

giovonni

22nd July 2014, 09:07

hmm ...

http://www.coasttocoastam.com/cimages/var/ezwebin_site/storage/images/coast-to-coast/repository/photos/the-half-barren-tree/779917-1-eng-US/The-Half-Barren-Tree_reference.jpg

Picture of a half-barren tree beside a graveyard in Vienna, Indiana.

--Gary
Gary_1999_50@yahoo.com

giovonni

22nd July 2014, 18:54

will share this here ...

the perpetuation of hatred ...

Violence in Northern Ireland Between Protestants and Catholics: Belfast Burning

Every year, on the 12th of July, the British identifying Protestants, loyalists and unionists of Northern Ireland celebrate their culture, by burning huge bonfires and marching through the streets playing music and saluting to the Queen.

This year it's reported that roughly 50,000 people marched around Northern Ireland. "The Twelfth" is a particularly contentious period in the heavily divided Protestant/Catholic city of Belfast. After decades of conflict in Northern Ireland (known as The Troubles—a political and sectarian war which claimed roughly 3,600 lives) some people on each side still feel oppressed by the other, and riots often kick off between them.

Rock throwing, petrol bombs and even live rounds being fired at the police are not unusual around the Twelfth. One of the main problems is the Protestant marchers walking past a small set of shops on the Ardoyne, which is a heavily Irish identifying Catholic area (apart from the mostly Protestant areas surrounding it on all sides). Both sides take offense to each other and serious attacks have been commonplace in previous years. This has been going on for a long time now. Extreme violence against the police, and each other, is nothing new. But with the younger generation becoming increasingly more radicalised, questions have been asked if a strong resurgence in political violence in Belfast is going to break out.

The truth is though that many of these disenfranchised young men have no memories of The Troubles and only a regurgitated knowledge of their political past. It seems the majority of them are actually simply looking to galvanise themselves by finding a common enemy. The crippling poverty in Belfast plays a big role in this. The city's poverty is at a ten year high, with around 8.1% unemployment and roughly one in four 18 to 24-year-olds out of work. It's now become a perfect breeding ground for the many leftover paramilitaries to indoctrinate this struggling generation.

So with nothing else to do, low education, and the backdrop of Belfast's troubled past, angry young men are becoming increasingly more radicalized—especially now it seems on the loyalist side.

To look further into this, VICE News managed to get a blessing to go to the biggest bonfire in Northern Ireland, on Belfast's impoverished and notorious Shankill Road. Here we watched Protestants burn Irish flags, get drunk, and fight, as they celebrated their contentious heritage to a backdrop of broken homes and unemployment.

Published on Jul 22, 2014

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86nLtVleoMc&feature=em-uploademail

giovonni

23rd July 2014, 16:00

hmm ...

http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/74582000/jpg/_74582839_8j9y89k4.jpg

Peaches Geldof died of heroin overdose, inquest rules (http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-28438913)

giovonni

23rd July 2014, 17:26

getting tired of hanging around ...

When The Music's Over

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLAr-WlxMZY

giovonni

24th July 2014, 12:12

Mac

24th July 2014, 12:41

She counted 600 breaths before he died,flaming mind blowing.Where is the anger or despair,but hey it's her job.Talk about the energetically dead !

dianna

24th July 2014, 13:23

giovonni

24th July 2014, 13:35

yes murder is murder ... whether it comes from a psychopathic citizen or government ... :(

¤=[Post Update]=¤

on a positive note ... great effort and job ... :)

Dramatic rescue: Bodyboarder caught in rip current saved by lifeguard

"Young bodyboarder in distress rescued from dangerous rip current in Cornwall by RNLI lifeguard...
Report by Claire Mewse."

Published on Jul 24, 2014

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6ivqpwhMzA

dianna

24th July 2014, 13:37

yes murder is murder ... whether it comes from a psychopathic citizen or government ... :(

Yes, I do get that, its just sometimes hard not to see the execution of a murderous psychopath as more of a "putting down" of a rabid animal …

giovonni

24th July 2014, 13:56

will share this here ...

Though from 2012 ... It is only getting worse everywhere ...

POOR KIDS

As more businesses close as a result of the factory closing (their former clientele now facing harsher economic circumstances or having moved away), the decline continues. The interdependence of these factors accelerates, resulting in a cycle of decline. At the community level, a lack of employment opportunities leads to outmigration, closing retail stores, and declining local tax revenues, which leads to deterioration of the schools, leading to poorly trained workers, leading firms not to be able to utilize cutting edge technology and to the inability to recruit new firms to the area, which all creates an even greater lack of employment.

This cycle repeats itself at the individual level. The lack of employment leads to lack of consumption and spending due to inadequate incomes, and to inadequate savings; individuals do not have resources to invest in education and training and they lack the ability to invest in businesses or to start their own businesses. This situation leads to lack of expansion, erosion of markets, and disinvestment, all of which contribute to more inadequate community opportunities. Health problems and the inability to afford preventive medicine, a good diet, and a healthy living environments become reasons the individuals fall further behind. This spiral of poverty also means that people who lack adequate income fail to invest in their children’s education, the children do not learn as well in poor quality schools and they fall further behind when they go to get jobs. They also are vulnerable to illness and poor medical care.

Another effect of the cycle of poverty is that individual lack of jobs and income leads to deteriorating self-confidence, weak motivation, and depression. The psychological problems of individuals are reinforced by association with other individuals in similar circumstances, leading to a culture of despair and misery. This culture of despair affects leaders as well, generating a sense of hopelessness and fatalism among community leaders. Yes, even newspaper editors.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V1IVweVDLUA/UPYr5vciTiI/AAAAAAAATF0/HGOmRfjARFQ/s1600/FrontPov.jpg

WATCH HERE (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/poor-kids/?elq=f74cdf057a14459fa4e4009c22a14b74&elqCampaignId=985)

giovonni

24th July 2014, 18:07

PERFECT !

the only thing missing ...

a white streak ... :p

https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpa1/t1.0-9/10547622_738850676157200_3359729341129354021_n.jpg

Mac

24th July 2014, 18:27

Joseph Wood: Arizona murderer dies almost two hours after execution begins (http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/23/arizona-killer-still-alive-an-hour-after-execution-begins)

Published on Jul 23, 2014

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJmN7FeQvAM

I am against the death penalty (mainly because I know innocent people are sometimes put to death) however, it is hard to have sympathy for the psychopaths that are executed and deserve to be. As part of my job I read and research court judgments … some of which makes it impossible for me to sleep some nights … most of which make me aware of an extremely evil, predatory element that we share this planet with … let us not forget the lives this man destroyed … I feel no sympathy when I read this article, except for the sister of one of the victims …

"What I saw today with him being executed, it is nothing compared to what happened on Aug. 7, 1989," Jeanne Brown, Debra Dietz's sister, told an Associated Press reporter after the execution. "What's excruciating is seeing your father lying there in a pool of blood, seeing your sister lying in a pool of blood."

Hear what you're saying Dianna but what makes people turn bad,I would offer it is
society and there is always the chance of redemption.Most wrong uns who redeem themselves point to someone in their lives who showed them love or believed in them, and this was the catalyst for change.Nobody would put the rights of the accused above the devastation they cause but a mark of a civilised society is how we treat the diseased surely.
I was looking for a study I once read on successful rehabilitation but can't find it,here is a vid that I found that shows it in action though.Keeping the ones that can't change incarcerated is a far better route than killing them like rabid animals imo. peace

http://www.ted.com/talks/shaka_senghor_why_your_worst_deeds_don_t_define_yo u

Edit to add-still can't find the study must be off the net now,but it was about the encouraging success a mentor system run by ex cons was having. rgrds

giovonni

24th July 2014, 22:33

meanwhile the rich keep getting richer ... http://www.picgifs.com/smileys/smileys-and-emoticons/money/smileys-money-147793.gif

Facebook Gain Makes Zuckerberg Wealthier Than Google Guys (http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-07-24/facebook-gain-makes-zuckerberg-wealthier-than-google-guys.html)

giovonni

25th July 2014, 01:50

having experienced 3 of these episodes personally ...
then under going triple by pass for them ...
i can say it's not quite this dramatic ...
it more like just blacking out ...

:faint2:

note i was 42 when these occurred ...

i am now 62 ... alive and kicking ...

Note this is a satire from the Onion

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPGBbjNCf_8&feature=em-uploademail

giovonni

25th July 2014, 02:04

speaking of which ...

may your life survive ...

Stay until your Love is ... Alive and Kicking ... :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GsbCeyDx8Q

giovonni

25th July 2014, 22:38

in the garden that was ...

http://img.geocaching.com/cache/large/25ddf393-fe45-4649-bfb5-900a7c34f0ad.jpg

Strawberry Fields Forever (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strawberry_Fields_Forever)http://www.skype-emoticons.com/images/emoticon-00155-flower.gif

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=My9u5uqGZr0

giovonni

25th July 2014, 23:16

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rzKh-YJi4Iw/Uu65lRFyS4I/AAAAAAADK0s/vaSUw5QDc4g/s1600/Philip+Seymour+Hoffman+double+exposure.jpeg

From Rolling Stone

"As Hoffman's final movie 'A Most Wanted Man' hits theaters, we remember the brilliant career
and tragic last days of the greatest actor of his generation" ...

Philip Seymour Hoffman's Last Days (http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/news/philip-seymour-hoffmans-last-days-20140725?utm_source=dailynewsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter)

giovonni

26th July 2014, 00:13

Blessed = Benita ... :)

Kangaroo Goes Missing in Oklahoma

Published on Jul 25, 2014

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2d3TG8l07lo

giovonni

26th July 2014, 00:19

the never ending stupidity and crudity of "humans" ...

http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02985/Tiger1_2985447b.jpg

Bengal tiger discovered locked up in abandoned house in Mexico (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/centralamericaandthecaribbean/mexico/10988402/Bengal-tiger-discovered-locked-up-in-abandoned-house-in-Mexico.html)

giovonni

26th July 2014, 01:05

‘When Harry Met Sally’ got it wrong 25 years ago (http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/2014/07/25/when-harry-met-sally-got-it-wrong-25-years-ago/)

Related video ... :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shC016PnxPs

giovonni

26th July 2014, 06:39

hmm ...

What else would you expect from a man who spends ...
'320 nights a year on the road.’ :rolleyes:

Is this society blonde the 'Energiser' who's been one of Bill Clinton's secret lovers for 13 years ? (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2706273/Is-society-blonde-Energiser-whos-one-Bill-Clintons-secret-lovers-13-years.html)

giovonni

26th July 2014, 17:14

nice for camping ...

Budget 101

https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/10584023_10152571948145119_8092244126991262986_n.jpg?oh=23f2f77ffa72670ad47d256e81e3387b&oe=5458D378&__gda__=1414580846_4f516593362b89e3fd7c057731ed7bc1

giovonni

26th July 2014, 22:36

Dude ...

Patty-Cake

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3iFhLdWjqc&feature=youtu.be

giovonni

27th July 2014, 07:24

The California Earthquake of 1973

a documentary

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwcaznhZxwc

giovonni

27th July 2014, 17:46

take that you frenchies ... :p

ITALIA !

Italy's Vincenzo Nibali Set to Win First Tour De France

Published on Jul 27, 2014

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4daQyyXQPs

Mac

27th July 2014, 20:36

Russell Brand on Mentoring and Community.
I was hoping he would be able to sustain his chi/balance as time passed, as it can be a challenge for westerners who can't just up and disappear.More power to him I say.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfO_XFjEkHU&list=UUswH8ovgUp5Bdg-0_JTYFNw

giovonni

28th July 2014, 14:56

is anybody thinking about ... http://www.skype-emoticons.com/images/emoticon-00138-thinking.gif

♪Tomorrow Today♪

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8cPDjYso-Y

giovonni

28th July 2014, 15:30

40 years ago in a country i affectionately call ... :rolleyes:

America's original banana republic ... http://yoursmiles.org/tsmile/banana/t0209.gifhttp://yoursmiles.org/tsmile/banana/t0218.gifhttp://yoursmiles.org/tsmile/banana/t0209.gif

DICK CAVETT'S WATERGATE

"From 1972 to 1974, the Watergate scandal was frequently a part of "The Dick Cavett Show." With exclusive access to the archive of the show, DICK CAVETT'S WATERGATE documents the scandal in the words of the people who lived it: from the botched burglary at the Democratic National Headquarters; to the must-see TV of the daily Congressional Watergate hearings; to the ongoing behind-the-scenes battle between the White House and "The Dick Cavett Show," culminating with the resignation of President Nixon on August 9, 1974."

Published on Jul 28, 2014

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FAsoDiuxak

giovonni

28th July 2014, 22:33

Via Neil Kramer ...

Spotted this creative version of the "philosopher's hand" in the Hotel Oregon in McMinnville recently.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/10339658_10152181152441394_8903613168975697822_n.j pg?oh=69380b199592bed10971aaa86829bd7d&oe=5442B715&__gda__=1412743171_87293a37ddc85ad092221159579c158 a

http://ww3.hdnux.com/photos/07/70/02/2064530/5/628x471.jpg

After seeing this ... It got me humming this diddly ...

http://ibero909.fm/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Hotel-California-Todos-Santos-780x300.jpg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEpI7t22DVo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEpI7t22DVo

giovonni

29th July 2014, 03:45

hmm ...

"Inscription on the Statue of Liberty"

Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses, yearning to breath free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore,
Send these, the homeless, tempest tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door.

Author: Emma Lazarus

Dr. Seuss Bill Maher Style

Bill Maher Reads Oh, the Places You'll Go ...
And Get Kicked Out Of !

Aired & Published on Jul 25, 2014

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wP0CZ1pWGgs

giovonni

29th July 2014, 23:30

Back in 1967 during 'the summer of love' ... A blaze was started ...

And 47 years ago today it reached #1

The Story of "Light My Fire" by The Doors

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGQwAA3I-eQ

The Doors on the Ed Sullivan Show ...

starting a fire

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MifWlrkEBD4

dianna

29th July 2014, 23:49

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MifWlrkEBD4

One of my all time favourite songs, and videos … at 17 I was in Paris, and visited him and Oscar Wilde in Père Lachaise Cemetery LOL (I always felt that somehow those two were connected … weird)

Jim ...
http://www.death2ur.com/IUEUD00Z.jpg

Oscar ...
http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/03/9f/0f/53/pere-lachaise-cemetery.jpg

Also, Proust is here …
http://www.bestourism.com/img/items/big/6784/Pere-Lachaise-Cemetery-in-Paris-France_Marcel-Proust-grave_7692.jpg

giovonni

30th July 2014, 03:00

All you need is Love ... and a little Chocolate ... :)

Cocoa farmers trying chocolate for the first time

"Farmer N'Da Alphonse grows cocao and has never seen the finished product. "To be honest I do not know what they make of my beans," says farmer N'Da Alphonse. "I've heard they're used as flavoring in cooking, but I've never seen it. I do not even know if it's true."

Published on Feb 21, 2014

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEN4hcZutO0

dianna

30th July 2014, 13:20

Naughty Nuns, Flatulent Monks, and Other Surprises of Sacred Medieval Manuscripts
By Hunter Oatman-Stanford — July 24th, 2014
Full article here:
http://www.collectorsweekly.com/articles/naughty-nuns-flatulent-monks-and-other-surprises-of-sacred-medieval-manuscripts/
http://www.collectorsweekly.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/tumblr_m7k5173O461rqxd5ko1_1280.jpg

Flipping through an illustrated manuscript from the 13th century, you’d be forgiven for thinking that Jesus loved a good fart joke. That’s because the margins of these handmade devotional books were filled with imagery depicting everything from scatological humor to mythical beasts to sexually explicit satire. Though we may still get a kick out of poop jokes, we aren’t used to seeing them visualized in such lurid detail, and certainly not in holy books. But in medieval Europe, before books were mass-produced and reading became a pastime for plebes, these lavish manuscripts were all the rage—if you could afford them. The educated elite hired artisans to craft these exquisitely detailed religious texts surrounded by all manner of illustrated commentary, known today as marginalia.

“Imagination is a much freer thing in the margins of a book; it’s allowed to run amok.”

Kaitlin Manning, an associate at B & L Rootenberg Rare Books and Manuscripts, says part of the reason why modern viewers are so captivated by marginalia is because we expect this era to be conservative when compared to our own society. For example, few Monty Python fans realize that the comedy group’s silly animations are direct references to artwork in illuminated manuscripts. (Illuminated simply means decorated with gold or silver foil.) “I think it’s such a shock when you have this idea in your head of what medieval society was like,” says Manning, “and then you see these bizarre images that make you question your assumptions.” The wild mixture of illustrations challenges our contemporary need to compartmentalize topics like sex, religion, humor, and mythology.

Manning was first drawn to marginalia while studying at the Courtauld Institute in London, where worked with some of the most significant illuminated-manuscript collections in the world, including those at the British Library. “I loved the idea that marginalia was such an overlooked part of the medieval experience,” says Manning, “so much that up until 20 or 30 years ago, scholars were completely uninterested and wrote it off as trivial or not meaning anything.”

Though the meaning of specific images is still hotly debated, scholars conjecture that marginalia allowed artists to highlight important passages (or insert text that was accidentally left out), to poke fun at the religious establishment, or to make pop-culture references medieval readers could relate to. We’ll probably never understand all the symbolism used in marginalia, but what have we learned about medieval life through these absurd images?

We recently spoke with Manning about the origins and hidden meanings behind this fantastic art form.
http://www.collectorsweekly.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/roland-f.-99v.jpg

Collectors Weekly: How is marginalia defined?

Kaitlin Manning: Generally speaking, marginalia simply means anything written or drawn into the margins of a book. In the medieval context, marginalia is understood to mean images that exist outside or on the edge of a page’s main program. But the term is also sometimes applied to other arts, like architecture. It can describe sculptural details that might seem grotesque or nonsensical to modern eyes. Gargoyles, for instance, could be thought of as a kind of marginalia.

“Marginalia helps us recognize that medieval society was as complex as our own.”

The heyday of marginalia was between the 12th and 14th centuries, more or less. The printing press is said to have been invented in 1450, but that’s just a convenient estimate. Printing wasn’t widespread until the end of that century, and before the use of the press, books were made by hand from start to finish. Traditionally, it was the job of scribes in monasteries who would painstakingly copy and decorate each volume, either for the use of the church or for influential patrons. Although examples of marginalia can be found all over Europe, England and Northern France were particularly productive centers for this kind of art.
http://www.collectorsweekly.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/summer-vol-of-breviary.jpg

The prevailing view for most of the 19th and 20th centuries was that marginalia was nonsensical, unserious, profane, and had nothing to do with the sacred images it surrounded. It was only relatively recently, due to the work of scholars like Michael Camille and Lillian Randall, in particular, that marginalia became viewed as a genre worthy of study in and of itself. Camille has suggested that marginalia emerged from the tradition of the gloss, which is an explanatory note that helps elucidate difficult passages in the text. A gloss wasn’t a footnote; it was actually written into the margin, either in the original language of the book or in the vernacular.

In the context of medieval illuminated manuscripts, the kinds of images that occur in the margins are pretty astonishing. Although there were recurrent themes and symbols, the artists seem to be less constrained by traditional sacred imagery. Think, for example, of how the image of the Crucifixion or the Last Supper became iconic, as the same composition and visual cues were repeated over and over. Imagination is allowed much freer rein in the margins of a book; it’s allowed to run amok. So monsters or human-monster hybrids, animals behaving as humans, and fart jokes were all fair game.
http://www.collectorsweekly.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/rutland-f.98r.png

Collectors Weekly: Were most illuminated manuscripts religious texts?

Manning: Yes, particularly in the 12th century and earlier. The content became more varied as literacy grew more prevalent among various classes and as society became a bit more secularized. Chivalric romances were very popular, as were epic poems and tales of travel (like The Canterbury Tales, for example). Traditionally speaking, however, reading and writing was a concern of the church. Monks and nuns, particularly, needed to be able to read sacred texts, and because their duties included copying them, they needed to write. But in the later Middle Ages, literacy among the secular elite became more common.

“Monsters or human-monster hybrids, animals behaving as humans, and fart jokes were all fair game.”

The Book of Hours was an especially popular type of devotional text in the 14th and 15th centuries and was usually intended for the use of laypeople. It emerged from the tradition of the Psalter, which normally consisted of a book of Psalms plus other types of sacred material to aid the reader in prayer. Psalters and Books of Hours ranged from very modest examples to highly illustrated luxury objects. Of course, the latter are much more fun, and it is within these more expensively made tomes that we see some of the most memorable examples of marginalia. Some marginalia might have been tailored to the tastes of the patron, so it takes on this other level of meaning as well.

Around this same time period, in the 13th and 14th centuries, bookmaking was increasingly in demand, so it started becoming a legitimate profession with artisans, workshops, and guilds. They tended to be concentrated in cities where much of the newer wealth was located. Multiple people worked on creating a book: There was the person who wrote out the text, who may or may not be different from the person who illustrated it, who may or may not be different from the person who illuminated it or painted it and added the gold foils and bound it. Monks were still producing books, but it was shifting to a job for artisans.

Many books from this period are what we would think of as luxury items, which seems weird in the era of e-readers and cheap paperbacks. But these materials were expensive, and coupled with the hours of labor that went into them, books were costly to commission. Many books of hours have donor portraits as well, so the owner literally steps into the book. They become part of that book. It’s worth pointing out that books at that time were very personal objects. Whereas cathedrals were decorated with these biblical scenes and stories for public consumption, reading books was a private experience.
http://www.collectorsweekly.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/roland-psalter-f.87v.png

Collectors Weekly: What was the social standing of artisans at the time?

Manning: The way we think of artisans today is not the way they were viewed in the Middle Ages. Artisans worked with their hands and were therefore on the lower rungs of society. They often worked communally as part of a workshop, and because of that, they rarely signed their works. The result is that marginalia is very difficult to attribute. It’s often hard just to identify the workshop where a manuscript was made.
http://www.collectorsweekly.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Gorleston-Psalter-England-14th-century.-British-Library-Add-49622-fol.-13v.jpg

There are a few exceptions where we do know the name of a person who did the manuscript. One name that comes immediately to mind is Matthew Paris. He was a Benedictine monk from the St. Albans monastery during the first part of the 13th century. We have several examples of his work including what’s believed to be a small self-portrait. But this kind of identification is, by far, the exception, not the rule. Like the rest of medieval society, though, there was a hierarchy to the world of artisans, which was often determined by the material with which one worked. Goldsmiths, for example, were at the very top of the pecking order because of the expensive materials they handled.

Michael Camille pointed out in his book that manuscripts were illuminated and illustrated after the text had been laid in. Although it was partly for practical reasons, the order also implies that the status of the image is somehow lower than that of the word. Our modern understanding of the word “marginal” says something about what this sort of art this was. Yet marginalia artists still had the last laugh because they could poke fun at what was already on the page or any mistakes they found.

Collectors Weekly: What types of images are common to marginalia?

Manning: The images vary widely, but they tend to be very strange and even disturbing—overt sexual acts, defecation, monsters, human-monster hybrids, animals acting like humans. There’s also examples of clergy behaving very badly, the sort of thing you would not expect to see in the margins of a sacred book. There are some motifs that do recur, and one that comes to mind is a knight battling a snail. Monkeys often roam the margins, as the monkey was a convenient foil to man, the idea being that they hold up a mirror to our own follies.
http://www.collectorsweekly.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/phallus-tree.jpg

I should also mention that not all marginalia is vulgar: It can be helpful by pointing out passages of interest or inserting missing text. It can be a commentary on the text, like a gloss to help you understand the message or illustrate something the text is getting at. I think the rather shocking images are allowed to exist because of the space they occupy. They’re marginal. They’re outside of the conventional picture space. I think boundaries and delineating the known world was really important for medieval society, as much for reasons of survival as for political ambition. What lay outside of these constructed borders was the mysterious unknown. You can see the fear of this idea expressed in world maps at the time, with monsters and freaks inhabiting the unknown spaces.

From a modern perspective, it can be difficult to understand how sacred text and bawdy images could exist side by side, especially given our preconceived notions about the uptight religious fervor of the age. But I think marginalia helps us recognize that medieval society was as complex as our own. While it might be tough for us to grasp the meaning behind such seemingly opposite imagery drawn together on a page, perhaps for the medieval viewer the conflict wasn’t quite so black and white.

Collectors Weekly: What are some of the stranger images you’ve come across?

Manning: One that instantly comes to mind depicts a nun picking severed penises off a tree like fruits, and then placing them in a basket. Another of my favorite motifs within the grotesque or hybrid tradition is a creature with the legs of a human, but its genitals are the mouth of a lion. A hybrid simply means a cross between two or more things, like an ostrich with a human head. A hybrid is a type of grotesque, which is generally understood to mean images that appear distorted or otherwise unnatural. Grotesques are recognizable yet they make you feel uncomfortable, and often lend themselves well to sculpture. You see a lot of grotesques in monasteries and cathedrals.

On the other hand, many of the images in illuminated manuscripts capture mundane, real-life events, like a merchant rolling a cart around or a scribe illuminating a manuscript. Marginalia provides a great repository of information about the way things actually looked, such as clothing, goods, and architecture.

http://www.collectorsweekly.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/6a013488b5399e970c017ee4044ce8970d-800wi.png

Collectors Weekly: Why were pictures of excrement so prevalent?

Manning: My sense is that it depends a lot on context, and it could often be commentary about what’s going on in the central text of the page. On the other hand, I also think these low-brow jokes are a nice reminder that medieval society wasn’t just about prayer and plagues. People had a sense of humor and enjoyed a bit of bawdiness, much like today. Some scholars have also pointed out that medieval Europe was a much more sensual society in terms of eating and smells and the more potent aspects of everyday life. Because the senses were so highly engaged, that experience is expressed in art of the time period, including marginalia.

Collectors Weekly: What kinds of references were encoded in marginalia?

Manning: A lot of ink has been spilled in pursuit of marginalia’s coded messages. From what I understand, pop-culture references were often literary or came from the oral tradition, anything that lent itself to a good image. Popular romances like Tristan and Isolde or the Holy Grail show up pretty regularly. I think more common is what might be termed “folk culture” in the form of riddles or pastimes, and most of these references would have depended on the region where the book was made.

To use the example of the knight and the snail, Lillian Randall wrote an article that examined the literary and historical origins of the image. She links the snail to a nickname given to the Lombards, a group disparaged often in the early Middle Ages, among other esoteric connections. While she offers fascinating insight into the meaning of the motif, she also concluded that the image in question could have multiple meanings, and I think that’s really key to understanding what marginalia is all about.

….

“These low-brow jokes are a nice reminder that medieval society wasn’t just about prayer and plagues.”

Collectors Weekly: Did marginalia subvert the medieval hierarchy or reinforce it?

Manning: I think the answer is both. The medieval world was all about hierarchies, not just in the sense of that three-tiered world that we’re used to hearing about—the church, the aristocracy, and the peasantry. Even within those groups, the divisions and pecking orders were meant to give structure to an otherwise cruel and unordered world.

A phrase that often comes up in studies of marginalia is “Le Monde Renversé” or “the world upended.” And a lot of these marginal images do just that. Some images will include recognizable members of medieval society doing inappropriate things like a nun suckling an ape or the knight battling a snail. Scholars have suggested that these images were a way for artists to subvert the powers that be, to satirize, to upend what could be seen as a stifling social order. But I’ve also heard the argument that these sorts of images could bolster the truth of the central image or text on the page, thus reinforcing the world order. I think they can be looked at at both ways.
http://www.collectorsweekly.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Gorleston-Psalter-f-82r.png

Collectors Weekly: Why did marginalia eventually disappear?

Manning: From the 15th century onward, Mr. Gutenberg and his famous moveable type had more than a little to do with the way we made and consumed books. But Camille argues that even earlier, marginalia was disappearing due to changing tastes. As we got closer to the Renaissance, there was a distinct shift in the look of illuminated manuscripts to an emphasis on three-dimensionality and illusionistic images. The trompe l’oeil style of painting is in demand.

At the same time, the margins of books were being sucked into the central program of the page. Instead of these playful monkeys and naughty nuns roaming about, you start to find really intricate patterns, illusionistic designs, and recognizable static objects that take the place of more playful, impromptu imagery. This was particularly true in northern France and the Flemish region, or what is now Belgium. They were masters of illusionistic art, and in some cases the art in the margins surpasses what’s on the central page.

giovonni

30th July 2014, 19:45

The Myth of Male Power

Radio 3Fourteen - Warren Farrell

July 23, 2014
Dr. Warren Farrell is the author of 7 books on men’s and women’s issues, probably best known for The Myth of Male Power plus Why Men Are The Way They Are. His books create links between self-help and legislative solutions to male-female and family problems such as the disenfranchisement of dads after divorce. He has served on the boards of four national men's and fathers' organizations and he is the only man in the US to ever have been elected three times to the Board of Directors of the National Organization for Women. Warren has taught at the university level in five disciplines. He’s been featured on numerous mainstream TV shows and publications. Dr. Farrell is currently the Chair of the Commission to Create a White House Council on Boys to Men. We’ll discuss the myth of male power and question the image of male as oppressor. Just who is the worst treated demographic today? Warren responds to the feminist claim, “we need to level the playing field and have our chance because men have had their day.” We’ll have an interesting conversation about anti-male gender studies courses, how political correctness affects men and discuss the portrayal of men in entertainment, media and education. Also, we question the agenda to feminize males. Later, Warren talks about the harm of boys growing up without their father. He’ll also share his thoughts on male circumcision. At the end, Farrell explains his view of a healthy relationship dynamic between a man and a woman.

Published on Jul 30, 2014

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vFtgyJzlLg

giovonni

30th July 2014, 22:21

it's getting where a woman can't even walk with her man in plain day light ... :confused:

http://cbspittsburgh.files.wordpress.com/2014/07/naked_man.jpg?w=620&h=349&crop=1

More here (http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2014/07/30/naked-man-on-leash-in-w-va-could-face-charges/)

giovonni

31st July 2014, 08:01

Note ~ i have followed this vibrant young man on his sojourn for several years now on YouTube ...
He's always been moving and aspiring ... :)

From GabrielKundalini (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCr2cc3Y45b-zBavt-8kCjbg) ...

Is Jesus buried in India?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwTmzyaUNu4

giovonni

1st August 2014, 19:08

carrying on ...

Jonathan the tortoise in the year 1900 and today. (http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-26543021)

https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xap1/t1.0-9/s720x720/10525360_10152556176322808_8275234302279983284_n.png

giovonni

1st August 2014, 19:38

my kind of flick ... :pop2:

http://www.awardsdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/birdman-1024x569.jpg

New 'Birdman' Trailer Previews The Year's Most Absurd Movie (http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/videos/new-birdman-trailer-previews-the-years-most-absurd-movie-20140801)

giovonni

1st August 2014, 19:54

Via my friend Christine

now that's what i call a chopper ...

https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xap1/v/t1.0-9/10406766_10152669476530815_4852817680753790643_n.jpg?oh=2fbe0757e67ce3233412577a14b4ff3c&oe=5436AFE9&__gda__=1413672892_085c4f2e7d39a21adb144090f15277c9

giovonni

1st August 2014, 22:06

Mexican Oil and Drug Cartels: Cocaine & Crude

VICE News sent Suroosh Alvi to Mexico to see the effects of cartel oil theft firsthand.

Mexico’s notoriously violent drug cartels are diversifying. Besides trafficking narcotics, extorting businesses, and brutally murdering their rivals, cartels are now at work exploiting their country’s precious number one export: oil.

Every day as many as 10,000 barrels of crude oil are stolen from Mexico’s state-run oil company, Pemex, through precarious illegal taps, which are prone to deadly accidents. Pemex estimates that it loses $5 billion annually in stolen oil, some of which ends up being sold over the border in US gas stations. As police fight the thieves, and the cartels fight each other, the number of victims caught in the battle for the pipelines continues to climb.

Published on Aug 1, 2014

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPEfArQU7tc&feature=em-uploademail

giovonni

2nd August 2014, 13:45

meanwhile downunder ...

Thanks to Arie El ... :)

https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/995031_971197489557505_2565693142038768856_n.jpg?oh=6f9648bf2057a1cf8a42019d07dcabd8&oe=544D462D&__gda__=1413038785_0d75801cb8397f453eff284c3deabff3

This lucky shot of two kangaroos caught out in the snow was taken by Christie Panozzo and shared with us by Lorrae Dawson.
It was taken at Federation University in Ballarat yesterday!

giovonni

2nd August 2014, 14:29

nice ...

Bear Saves Drowning Crow, Doesn't Eat It

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJ_3BN0m7S8

giovonni

3rd August 2014, 07:26

Via my friend Jay Gillliland ... :)

Yer Blues

John Lennon (Beatles),
Eric Clapton (Cream),
Keith Richards (Rolling Stones),
Mitch Mitchell (Jimi Hendrix Experience)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iuy-10Ejck4

giovonni

4th August 2014, 02:21

They're coming ...

MEET JIBO

The World's First Family Robot (http://www.bloomberg.com/video/meet-jibo-the-world-s-first-family-robot-_wkbyv15RO6vQ76SzBnCug.html)

Cynthia Breazeal has been a media darling since her grad-student days at MIT’s Artificial Intelligence Lab. She has worked on “social robots” with expressive faces and names like Kismet and Leonardo. So it’s no surprise that her current startup—and robot, called Jibo—is getting lots of attention.

The company’s crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo has netted more than $1.2 million since its launch on July 16. A prototype of the robot (pronounced JEE-bow), featured in a playful demo video, can do things like take family pictures around a table, tell kids bedtime stories, and voice reminders about your calendar or messages. It does all this in a cute package, with a swiveling head-like display straight out of a Pixar film (though it won’t hop around your house). The robot is on sale for $499 but won’t ship until late 2015 or early 2016, according to the company.

Breazeal, Jibo’s CEO, is currently on leave from the MIT Media Lab, where she leads the Personal Robots Group. Jibo has raised several million dollars—the company hasn’t disclosed exactly how much—from investors including CRV (formerly known as Charles River Ventures), Fairhaven Capital, and Generator Ventures. Now, with a successful crowdfunding campaign under its belt, the startup can expect more venture capitalists to get interested in a hurry.

And that speaks to the current state of commercial robotics. The field of home robots in particular has seen remarkably little change since iRobot introduced the Roomba in 2002. For all the talk of the field being like the PC industry in the early ‘80s, mainstream robots have been few and far between. In the past five years, there have been signs that things are changing, but robotics still needs a lightning rod to focus the energy and attention of consumers.

Jibo might be just that. There’s nothing inherently amazing about what this “family robot” can do, but it puts together capabilities in areas like face tracking, gestural interfaces, emotion sensing, speech recognition and synthesis, and computer vision and graphics. And does so in a way that feels new, at least.

“You just couldn’t do this five years ago cost-effectively,” says Bruce Sachs, the partner who led CRV’s investment in Jibo. He’s talking about off-the-shelf technical stuff like low-power processing and camera technology, but also “access to the supply chain in Asia.”

Indeed, shipping a hardware product remains a critical challenge for any startup. Jibo (and consumer robotics in general) will have plenty of technology risk hanging over it until it proves it can manufacture and deliver robots for a mass audience.

Sachs admits it’s very early days for the company. “There’s a lot of development that has to go on between now and when Jibo is in production,” he says. “But I don’t think it’s invention or rocket science.”

I talked with a few other tech investors with knowledge of robotics and human-machine interfaces who aren’t involved with the company. The general consensus: Jibo is risky, but intriguing, as a business.

Count Eric Paley among the outside investors who find Jibo really interesting. A managing partner at seed-stage VC firm Founder Collective, Paley is an investor in Harvest Automation, a Boston-area robotics company with a labor and industrial focus on horticulture.

Reached by e-mail, Paley calls Jibo “definitely risky,” but he says “it will be all about what use cases it enables. If I have it around all the time because I find frequent uses for it, then it will be great. If it’s never where I need it in the infrequent moments that I need it, then it will never get used.” He thinks the robot is likely to be used for pictures, video conferencing, home automation, and searches and questions.

Paley says the emotion-sensing part of the technology relates to “wanting to engage the device, and the delight of the experience.” Which seems to be about Jibo’s basic personality and how it interacts with people. “No one wants to be engaging Hal 9000,” Paley says. Still, he adds, “The emotional part by itself isn’t enough to matter unless it is a therapy robot, and I think we’re a far distance from that being an engaging use case.”

Others think elder care is an intriguing application—not so much for therapy, but for checking in with aging family members remotely. “That could be incredibly valuable,” says Andy Palmer, an angel investor and entrepreneur who’s currently CEO of Tamr, based in Cambridge, MA.

Palmer has been an advisor to Affectiva—a startup working on software for emotion sensing and recognition—and his expertise spans technology and healthcare. He’s also the proud owner of a Roomba and a telepresence robot from Double Robotics, which he uses to interact with work colleagues remotely.

His main lesson for anyone trying to ship a consumer robot: “It has to be brutally easy to set up and configure,” he says. He also thinks Jibo’s $499 price tag is about right for breaking into the market.

So, if all goes well, could it be the next Roomba? “Yeah, for sure,” Palmer says.

But the stakes are higher than that. If Jibo succeeds, it could become a popular device for new kinds of social apps, content, and information discovery (hello Google acquisition—and privacy concerns). It could make people interact with devices in a richer way than staring and swiping at screens. It could change the social dynamics of some homes and families.

If Jibo fails, it could be because the joy of its coming-out party doesn’t translate to its actual use cases; or because the company falls down on customer service; or any number of startup problems. Whatever the reason, it would cast serious doubt on the viability of new consumer robots, even as the market—at least crowdfunding early adopters—seems receptive.

Neither scenario is about the robotics technology per se, but about the ability to solve real-world problems in a fun, easy way—maybe even problems we didn’t know we had. The smart money, in any case, is on Jibo leading to uses that no one has thought of yet.
source (http://www.xconomy.com/boston/2014/07/29/is-jibo-the-next-roomba-or-a-bigger-test-for-consumer-robots/?single_page=true)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3N1Q8oFpX1Y

giovonni

4th August 2014, 20:38

a remarkable human spirit ...

Helen Keller & Anne Sullivan (1928 Newsreel Footage)

"Helen Adams Keller was an American author, political activist, and lecturer...
She was the first deafblind person to earn a bachelor of arts degree."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdTUSignq7Y

giovonni

5th August 2014, 09:36

the continuing problem of a lack of institutional memory ... :(

http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/wwfeatures/624_351/images/live/p0/24/6b/p0246bbm.jpg

From BBC/Future

Anthropology: The sad truth about uncontacted tribes (http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20140804-sad-truth-of-uncontacted-tribes)

gripreaper

6th August 2014, 06:48

So Africa is a Nation and not a Continent? Who knew!

Every time Biden opens his mouth he sticks his foot in it. He makes the best case for NOT impeaching Obama. Look what we would get!

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/08/06/article-2717393-2049362100000578-732_634x426.jpg

giovonni

6th August 2014, 16:20

nice ...

http://cdn.images.express.co.uk/img/dynamic/78/590x/Commuters-Push-Train-496179.jpg

Perth commuters band together to push train off man
who trapped leg in gap between carriage and platform (http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/australasia/perth-commuters-band-together-to-push-train-off-man-who-trapped-leg-in-gap-between-carriage-and-platform-9650779.html)

Related video sequence ...

Published on Aug 6, 2014

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hplpVs-b6A

giovonni

7th August 2014, 01:54

fascinating stuff ...

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lSln7NGxcuQ/UxbTwwLX6yI/AAAAAAAAJ-E/BOZQmVFyedc/s1600/FronlineGenerationLike.png
Originally aired Feb, 14, 2014 Re- broadcast Aug. 5, 2014

“Generation Like” (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/media/generation-like/what-did-generation-like-think-of-generation-like/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+FrontlineEditorsNotes+%28FRONTLINE+-+Latest+Stories%29)

“For kids today, you are what you like,” says author and media scholar Douglas Rushkoff in Generation Like. But in today’s social media age, does “liking” a band, or a movie or even a certain kind of snack food online make you a fan? Or does it make you a stealth marketer?"

Watch Here (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/generation-like/)

giovonni

8th August 2014, 03:00

From The RedBook (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redbook)

FORGOTTEN AMERICA: 1950's

a short documentary on suburban life

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bpX0nGpzcc

giovonni

8th August 2014, 04:57

Robert Plant Is 'On Fire' in Sensational Space Shifters 'Rainbow' Clip (http://www.rollingstone.com/music/premieres/robert-plant-is-on-fire-in-sensational-space-shifters-jungle-clip-20140807)

Uploaded on Aug 5, 2014

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCFTkMWA0GQ

dianna

8th August 2014, 21:59

All of a sudden ... don't feel so guilty about my nightly pre dinner cocktails … LOL … BTW, big fan of his ...

Hunter S. Thompson’s Daily Drug and Drink Routine
http://disinfo.com/2014/08/hunter-s-thompsons-daily-drug-drink-routine/

http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/6827/2997/320/Hunter%20S%20Thompson.0.jpg

Taken from HUNTER: The Strange and Savage Life of Hunter S. Thompson by E. Jean Carroll

You can get a free copy here:

http://www.hunterbio.com/free-book-rtf.html

3:00 p.m. rise
3:05 Chivas Regal with the morning papers, Dunhills
3:45 cocaine
3:50 another glass of Chivas, Dunhill
4:05 first cup of coffee, Dunhill
4:15 cocaine
4:16 orange juice, Dunhill
4:30 cocaine
4:54 cocaine
5:05 cocaine
5:11 coffee, Dunhills
5:30 more ice in the Chivas
5:45 cocaine, etc., etc.
6:00 grass to take the edge off the day
7:05 Woody Creek Tavern for lunch-Heineken, two margaritas, coleslaw, a taco salad, a double order of fried onion rings, carrot cake, ice cream, a bean fritter, Dunhills, another Heineken, cocaine, and for the ride home, a snow cone (a glass of shredded ice over which is poured three or four jiggers of Chivas)
9:00 starts snorting cocaine seriously
10:00 drops acid
11:00 Chartreuse, cocaine, grass
11:30 cocaine, etc, etc.
12:00 midnight, Hunter S. Thompson is ready to write
12:05-6:00 a.m. Chartreuse, cocaine, grass, Chivas, coffee, Heineken, clove cigarettes, grapefruit, Dunhills, orange juice, gin, continuous pornographic movies.
6:00 the hot tub-champagne, Dove Bars, fettuccine Alfredo
8:00 Halcyon
8:20 sleep
- See more at: http://disinfo.com/2014/08/hunter-s-thompsons-daily-drug-drink-routine/#sthash.7D7g5IfM.dpuf

william r sanford72

9th August 2014, 19:29

for the coming storm and full..FULL..moon.hope its clear enough to view tomarrow..in my neck of the woods.:cool:
1oQvtOcJKj4

William.

dianna

10th August 2014, 23:12

LIST OF REASONS FOR ADMISSION TO AN INSANE ASYLUM FROM THE LATE 1800S
http://dangerousminds.net/comments/list_of_reasons_for_admission_to_an_insane_asylum

Based on this … I'm pretty much in!

http://images.dangerousminds.net/uploads/images/inasnejgjgjgjjgjhg.jpg

After viewing this list of what could have gotten you admitted to West Virginia’s Hospital for the Insane (Weston) aka Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum back in the late-1800s, I’ve swiftly concluded that the criteria was rather all-encompassing. Who among us is a stranger to what’s on this list?

In this century, it looks more like a “wish list” for Dr. Phil’s guest bookers!

Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum is still open, but only for tours.

Sources: Appalachian History, Grateful Web, West Virginia State Archives, West Virgina Encyclopedia, Steampunk

giovonni

11th August 2014, 00:25

Excellent find Dianna ... ;)

My favorite ...

False Confinement

The ultimate Catch22

A requirement that cannot be met until a prerequisite requirement is met, however,
the prerequisite cannot be obtained until the original requirement is met.

https://gmwrag.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/victorian-mental-asylum.jpg

giovonni

11th August 2014, 02:58

:doh:

From ~ CrazyRussianHacker

Have You Been Using Aluminum Foil Wrong ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGiPh_UPzEw#t=84

giovonni

11th August 2014, 20:05

European Societal Change ...

Here are two recent Vice News reports on the ongoing refugee dilemma in Britain and Germany ...

The Struggle for Survival of the Roma People: Europe's Most Hated

In January, European Union restrictions on Romania and Bulgaria were lifted, meaning citizens of those countries were free to travel and work throughout the EU. This inspired anger in wealthier countries like the UK, where people anticipated a flood of migrants looking to take advantage of relatively generous welfare systems. This anger was directed most fiercely at the Roma.

Europe's largest ethnic minority — also known as gypsies — has long endured bigotry and abuse. This year, they've been a boon to rightwing politicians who've used them to garner support for anti-immigration policies and achieve significant electoral victories.

VICE News examines the so-called "Roma influx" by visiting a Roma community in northern England, then traveling to Romania to meet a group of Roma who have just been evicted from their homes and don't have the money to leave the country to seek out better lives.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALdlphTYdi4

***********

Evicting the Unwanted: Berlin's Refugee Crisis

In late June, Berlin’s central Kreuzberg district became the scene of a tense standoff between a group of refugees squatting in an abandoned school and the district authorities. The refugees had moved into the school after authorities destroyed refugee camps just a few months earlier. As more and more squatters moved in, the governing Green party faced pressure to resolve a situation where hygiene was deteriorating and crime was becoming an issue.

On June 24, authorities attempted to evict refugees from the school. With the refugees refusing to leave, the school and surrounding neighborhood block was besieged for eight days by riot police, protesters and press.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RESaTeWpPCk

dianna

11th August 2014, 22:02

The Mysterious Real Zombies of Haiti

Full Article Here
http://mysteriousuniverse.org/2014/08/the-mysterious-real-zombies-of-haiti/?utm_source=feedly&utm_reader=feedly&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-mysterious-real-zombies-of-haiti

http://s2.djyimg.com/n3/eet-content/uploads/2014/01/Zombie.jpg

In the voodoo religion, which is said to be practiced or believed by 80 to 90 percent of Haitians, it is said that there are two ways a person could die, either by natural means such as sickness, or by unnatural means such as murder. Those who died unnatural deaths were said to have souls that were particularly vulnerable to the witchcraft of voodoo sorcerers, who would entrap the souls in bottles or earthenware jars called zombi astral and use them to control the undead body, which was referred to as the zombi cadavre. The bokor could use these reanimated corpses to do their bidding, either for benevolent purposes or for more nefarious things such as toiling mindlessly in slave labor, attacking enemies, or carrying out dark magic and curses. Sometimes a person was turned into a zombie merely as punishment or as retribution for crossing a bokor. On occasion, bokors would sell their zombie creations to other priests.

http://mysteriousuniverse.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/17BRH_8957-copy-2.jpg

Zombies can also allegedly be made from those who are still living if the bokor is powerful enough to wrest the victim’s soul from their body. The process of turning a living person into a zombie is said to follow certain steps. First, the bokor will place a hex on the target of the ritual, who will subsequently suddenly fall mysteriously ill and die soon after. The family of the victim will pronounce them dead and have them buried in an above ground or semi-buried family tomb, which is a common method of burial in Haiti. The responsible bokor will then steal the body from its grave a few days later and set about reanimating it through dark sorcery.

Those who are turned into zombies are described as having gaunt features and skin with a greyish pallor that is pulled tight against their bones. They have fixed, staring expressions and their movements and actions are characterized as being repetitive, clumsy, and purposeless. They are slow, uncoordinated, and walk with an unsteady, shambling gait. Zombies are able to speak, but only very basic phrases, and their speech is slurred, with a nasal quality. Zombies can also hear and understand basic commands, but their comprehension is limited and they lack free will, mostly being considered to be mindless automatons. Zombies are sometimes said to exhibit enhanced physical strength, making them ideal for hard manual labor, and they display little to no responsiveness to physical stimuli, seeming to be impervious to pain or tiredness. It is said that the victim remains in a sort of dream-like trance, with little or no awareness of their condition. Unlike the rampaging, bloodthirsty zombies of Western horror films, the real zombies of Haiti are submissive and not known to be aggressive or to attack people unless commanded to do so by their master.

http://www.travelcreepster.com/uploads/2/0/9/3/20934844/3650384_orig.jpg

Those who are turned into such abominations are mostly considered to be doomed to forever serve their masters, but there are said to be ways to break a bokor’s control over them. It is said that if the zombie astral vessel that holds the victim’s soul is somehow broken, or if the offending bokor dies, then they will regain some free will and be free to rejoin their families. It is also said that feeding a zombie salt can sometimes reverse the effects of the curse, especially if the bokor himself is the one to do it. Additionally, if a zombie sees the ocean it is said that they can shake loose the bokor’s control over them, and a zombie can be set free through divine intervention as well. Zombies freed in such ways unfortunately remain physically the same and their mental state is still diminished and vulnerable to recapture. The only known way to fully revert a person back to the health and vigor they had enjoyed before their “death” is said to be through the mercy and divine intervention of a voodoo god called Le Grand Maitre.

Far from Western depictions of zombies as evil and destructive monsters, the zombies of Haiti were traditionally seen as victims rather than villains. Haitians historically were not afraid of zombies themselves so much as they were terrified of being turned into one against their will. This fear of being turned into a mindless, undead automaton upon death for the purpose of eternal enslavement was so great that some took preventative measures such as holding vigils outside of tombs for trespassers, decapitation of the corpse, or placing protective charms within the burial chamber. The ever present fear of being zombified was long used as a tool for political and social control in Haiti. During the oppressive Duvalier regime from 1957 to 1984, for instance, the cruel and brutal secret police known as the Tonton Macoute were said to employ powerful bokor sorcerers, and used the threat of zombification to quell resistance among the superstitious populace.

http://mysteriousuniverse.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/fotos-de-zombies.jpg

The phenomenon of zombification first began to come into the consciousness of the Western world during the USA’s occupation of Haiti between the years of 1915 to 1934, when soldiers began to bring back stories of black magic and magically animated corpses. These reports were not taken very seriously at the time, and were mostly treated as exotic urban legends and spooky folklore. It was from these dark tales that pulp comics of the time depicting the bloodthirsty, flesh eating zombies we are now familiar with sprung. Zombies captured the public’s imagination, and the creatures slowly gained a reputation as horror icons. However, there were those who took notice of the zombie reports originating from the backwaters of Haiti and wondered if there was somehow any truth to the tales.
One of the first expeditions undertaken to investigate real zombies in Haiti was launched in 1937 by an American folklorist and anthropologist by the name of Zora Neale Hurston. During Hurston’s travels around Haiti in a search for evidence, the researcher came across a woman by the name of Felicia Felix-Mentor, who was claimed to be a zombie by villagers. The locals explained that the woman had died in 1907 and then returned as a zombie 20 years later. The woman exhibited limited mental facilities, was unresponsive, physically uncoordinated, and generally largely consistent with what a traditional zombie was said to be like. Hurston investigated further and gathered evidence and rumors that brought her to the conclusion that the cause of zombification was not black magic, but rather had a pharmacological basis. In other words, Hurston believed that some sort of poison or drug was used to induce a death-like state in the victim.

http://mysteriousuniverse.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/enhanced-buzz-11251-1348688551-7.jpg

Perhaps the most well-known expedition to Haiti in search of zombies was that of the ethnobotanist, anthropologist, and explorer Wade Davis, who travelled to Haiti in 1982 to investigate the curious case of an alleged zombie by the name of Clairvius Narcisse. Narcisse had reportedly been turned into a zombie by his own brothers as punishment for refusing to sell his land, and was forced to do slave labor along with other zombies on a sugar plantation by a bokor in 1962. He then mindlessly toiled away on the plantation until the death of his bokor released him from servitude, after which he spent the following 16 years wandering the wilderness in the perpetual daze of a zombie.

Narcisse gradually gained enough lucidity to journey back to his village where he happened across his sister. The sister did not recognize him at first but was convinced of Narcisse’s identity when he shared childhood memories that only they knew. Villagers were in shock because at this point Narcisse had been presumed dead for 18 years. Narcisse explained to the bewildered villagers that he had died, been buried, and had risen from the grave to work the plantation after a bokor had stolen his soul. The case was made even more baffling by the fact that doctors had examined the corpse of Narcisse upon his death and had officially declared him dead. Indeed, Narcisse’s death was officially documented, and so the case was seen as a way to finally gather scientific evidence for zombies.

http://mysteriousuniverse.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Clairvius-Narcisse.jpg

Wade Davis himself was a Harvard educated ethnobotanist and anthropologist who was mostly interested in traditional beliefs of various tribes concerning psychoactive properties of certain plants, as well as their effects. Davis made the journey to Haiti at the request of a Dr. Nathan S. Kline, who had heard of Narcisse’s case and believed it to be the result of some as yet unknown and powerful drug perhaps derived from some local plant that could induce a zombie state. Kline wanted to gather samples of such drugs and analyze them for their potential medical applications. It was hoped that Davis would be able to find the source of the drug and bring it back to the States so it could be studied.

Davis agreed that there was most likely a pharmacological basis for the creation of zombies, and traveled to Haiti in 1982 to begin his investigation. Upon speaking to the locals, Davis at first heard only of zombies changed through black magic and sorcery by a bokor. There was no mention of any sort of drug used, and Davis, who eschewed such paranormal and mystical explanations, became discouraged. However, after further investigation Davis made the observation that bokors would routinely use special powders made from a complex mixture of ground up plant and animal parts in their rituals. Davis became convinced that these concoctions had some kind of pharmacological effects that were integral for the actual zombification of a victim.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_yF5MEn_XdOk/THQxhTRPfOI/AAAAAAAAAXo/5-VIz0t5rdI/s1600/The+Serpent+and+the+Rainbow+cover.jpg

Davis postulated that these “zombie powders” contained a powerful neurotoxin such as that derived from puffer fish called tetrodotoxin. He theorized that the resulting toxic powder could then be delivered to the target in a variety of ways such as in their food, applied as a paste to skin, or even inhaled as an airborne dust. In non-lethal doses, tetrodotoxin produces paralysis and can induce a death-like state characterized by a low body temperature, extremely reduced rate of breathing, and a very slow and faint, almost imperceptible heartbeat. In such a state, the victim would appear to witnesses as dead and would then be buried. The victim would later awaken when the poison wore off and then be administered a drug made from the plant Datura stramonium, commonly called Jimsons Weed, or the “zombie cucumber,” which has potent psychotropic properties and would keep them in a delirious, trance-like state vulnerable to mind control. Davis speculated that the zombie’s master would keep the victim in this suggestible, trance-like state through regular infusions of the poison. In the case of Narcisse, Davis speculated that the man had slowly regained his mental faculties and lucidity only after the bokor’s death prevented his regular doses of the poison.

Davis scoured the voodoo underworld of Haiti and eventually collected 8 samples of these powders from several regions for analysis. When the powders were chemically analyzed, it was shown that among other bizarre ingredients such as dried toad, pieces of skull, and ground lizards and spiders, they indeed contained tetrodotoxin just as Davis had predicted. Furthermore the powders induced states of lethargy and immobility when administered to laboratory monkeys that they were later able to recover from. Davis was widely touted at the time for being the man to finally offer up a rational, scientific explanation for the zombie mystery, and he later wrote a book about his travels and research called The Serpent and the Rainbow which was subsequently made into a horror film of the same name which is very loosely based on the events depicted in the book.

In the ensuing years, Davis’ research came under fire by skeptics who questioned the scientific veracity of his claims and the validity of his methodology. It was pointed out that while the zombie powders did contain tetrodotoxin, the measurements were wildly inconsistent and there were only trace amounts of the toxin that were unlikely to cause the effects of zombification in full grown adults. It was additionally asserted that this sort of toxin would have had to have been very specifically measured for each victim into a dose that would only work on a certain individual. Too much toxin and the victim would die, too little and there would be no effect. Skeptics doubted that bokor voodoo priests would be able to reliably account for this. There were also doubts that the story of Narcisse and other zombies were even genuine, with some calling the stories exaggerated or even complete fabrications. The complete lack of any evidence of the alleged zombie plantations didn’t help the case for the existence of zombies either.

The skeptics fail to realize that the problem of exact amounts needed for the toxins to work are already represented in zombie lore. The victim was usually well known to the bokor before the process began, giving them time to brew the right dose of toxin into their powder. Even with that done, the creation of a zombie was said to be far from an exact science and bokor were known to fail just about as often as they succeeded, which could be an explained by the doses being wrong. Failure could mean death to the victim or no effect at all. Davis himself allegedly ingested some zombie powder on purpose, using himself as a guinea pig to see what would happen, but no effects were evident possibly simply because the dosage was all wrong.
Davis for his part defended himself from many of the accusations hurled his way. He explained that while the powders may have shown only trace amounts of tetrodotoxin, they could have somehow worked in conjunction with the other myriad ingredients to produce the desired effects. Namely, Davis pointed to the inclusion of toad in the powders, and pointed out that the poison from some toads can act as an extremely powerful painkiller. Furthermore, Davis complained that the process of putting the powder in a solution for testing could have possibly nullified some of the potency of the active ingredient. It must also be remembered that there is the very real possibility that a voodoo shaman might not be so willing to share ancient secrets with an outsider such as Davis, and consequently may have given him watered down versions of their powders cut with various superfluous and inert ingredients.

Davis also explained that the tetrodotoxin was only part of the process and was only meant to make the victim appear dead, not actually make the zombie. It was only later after arising and being subjected to mind altering drugs that the victim could truly be considered a zombie. Davis described this by saying that the process involved first making the victim “dead,” for which tetrodotoxin is utilized, and then making them “mad,” through the use of psychotropic drugs such as Datura stramonium.

In a second book called Passage of Darkness: The Ethnobiology of the Haitian Zombie, Davis continued to maintain that tetrodotoxin in zombie powders could conceivably cause the initial death-like state from which a victim could later be revived. To support this opinion, he points to research from Japan, where puffer fish is a popular delicacy, on the effects of the fish’s tetrodotoxin which concurs with the death-like states that Davis describes. It was reported that in Japan there were rare cases of people falling into a death-like coma after consuming puffer fish, only to regain consciousness and completely recover after being declared dead. Davis also added that the process of zombification went deeper than the mere use of powders and poisons. He explained that toxic powders were only part of the equation, and that the process also relied on the deep rooted belief of the Haitian people that black magic and voodoo are real. Davis argued that this deep seated, ingrained belief would make potential victims more suggestible and vulnerable to the effects of zombification.

http://www.daviswade.com/data/pages/templates_img/56_photo-0.jpg

Although the debate may rage on with regards to the validity of Davis’ research, there have been other, more modern studies conducted on alleged real zombies. The English medical journal The Lancett published a remarkable article in its October 11, 1997 edition, volume 350, examining three clinical cases of actual purported zombification in southern Haiti from the years 1996 to 1997.

In the article, the first case examined is that of a subject known only as FI, who was said to have died of a febrile illness at the age of 30. She was later buried by her family and proceeded to mysteriously reappear 3 years later wandering in the wilderness near the village. Her family all recognized her, as did her husband and a local priest, so there was no doubt as to her identity. Upon being found, FI was delirious, mute, and would later prove to be unable to feed herself. After her grave was opened and proved to be empty, the family immediately suspected the woman was a zombie and actually accused her husband of carrying out the zombification out of jealousy over an affair she had allegedly had. The woman’s family did not know what to do with the shambling, semi-comatose woman who had once been their daughter, so they admitted her to a psychiatric hospital.

FI was examined by doctors at the hospital who discovered that she looked younger and thinner than she did in an earlier photograph. In addition, the subject walked slowly and stiffly, without moving her arms and with her head constantly lowered. Examination of her musculature showed that she had lost muscle tone. When questioned, the woman refused to speak and would only mumble incomprehensibly. She would not cooperate with a psychological assessment and resisted all attempts at rehabilitation. Doctors did a full examination of the woman’s central nervous system, but found nothing out of the ordinary and certainly nothing to explain her bizarre behavior. In the end, FI was officially diagnosed with catatonic schizophrenia.
The second case revolves around the 26 year-old subject known as WD, who was the son of a secret policeman under Duvalier’s regime. WD became sick with a mysterious and inexplicable illness at the age of 18 and died 3 days later. It was alleged that 19 months later, WD showed up at a cock fight of all places, where he recognized his father. Villagers accused him of being a zombie and the father accused his brother of zombifying him, upon which the uncle was arrested. WD was kept at his father’s house and was reportedly chained to a log in order to keep him from wandering off. Many years later, after escaping from prison in 1991, the uncle would deny having anything to do with WD’s zombification.

When WD was examined by doctors, it was noted that he was very skinny, constantly scowling, and looked younger than his age. He was described as spending much of his time in an odd position with his lower limbs to the left and his upper limbs to the right. He spoke only rarely and only in single word sentence fragments when he did. He avoided eye contact and his hands were described as restlessly picking at his nails or the ground. There were apparently scars circling the subject’s wrists that were consistent with those that could be caused by chains or wire. On WD’s sternum was a bizarre circular hole oozing pus that seemed somewhat scarred over, and the father claimed that this was where the zombie poison had been administered.

The subject’s nervous system seemed normal upon examination, and there was no evidence of retardation or catatonia, but there was obvious diminished cognitive function, as WD had difficulty identifying familiar objects when they were placed in his hand unseen. He was also reported as having regular violent fits as he slept and throwing childish tantrums when teased even slightly. The final diagnosis was organic brain syndrome and epilepsy consistent with a period of anoxia. It was later determined through fingerprints and DNA analysis that WD was not even the family’s real son, and that the whole case was one of mistaken identity.

The third and final case report of the article focuses on the subject called MM, a 31 year old woman. At the age of 18, the girl had joined in prayers for a neighbor that was thought to have been turned into a zombie. Shortly after, MM became ill with diarrhea and a fever and died within a few days. After being buried, the woman reappeared 13 years later in the market of her village. The dazed and confused woman went on to describe how she had been zombified and forced to work in a village 100 miles to the north, where she claimed to have given birth to the child of another zombie. She was eventually released after her bokor master had died and had gradually made her way back home.

MM was considered atypical for a zombie due to the fact that she largely retained most of her cognitive abilities and responsiveness, although she was described by her family as being duller and less intelligent than before the incident. She also exhibited certain problems in social situations, such as the tendency to giggle at inappropriate times and a generally short attention span. Physically, the woman demonstrated no abnormalities except a circular scar with no apparent cause on her sternum reminiscent of the one found on the subject WD. At this point, the woman was tentatively diagnosed as having a learning disability and possibly fetal alcohol syndrome.

The story gets even weirder when MM was brought to the village she claimed to have been imprisoned in. In the market of the village, she was recognized by a woman who claimed that MM was a local woman known to be slightly retarded who had disappeared 9 months previously. The family of that girl also recognized her and insisted that she was their lost daughter. Now both families not only claimed that MM was their daughter, but each accused the other of zombifying her. MM’s brother and daughter in the village bore remarkably similarities to her in both appearance and mannerisms. MM admitted that the girl was her daughter, but insisted that she was the result of the union with another zombie that she had described previously. In the end, researchers of the case deemed it to be one of mistaken identity. It was surmised that the woman had been abducted or ran away to another village where she was mistakenly identified as another family’s dead daughter.

The report’s conclusion was that the most likely explanation for the majority of zombie reports was that of schizophrenia or other mental illnesses, learning disabilities, or brain damage, that were misidentified by superstitious locals as the effects of zombification. The superficial signs of mental illness were thought to have not been perhaps readily recognized by uneducated and superstitious locals for what they were, and so were interpreted through the lens of folklore, in this case zombies.

Interestingly, the report admits that the incidence of bokors breaking into tombs is widespread, either for the purpose of attempting to zombify the bodies or for stealing body parts used as macabre ingredients in a wide range of black magic spells. The report also stops short of discounting the use of toxins or drugs to create zombies in some cases. It does not rule out the possibility of bokors utilizing regular doses of the mind altering Datura stramonium to revive and enslave victims through the state of extreme passivity, nor does it deny the theoretical possibility of using neurotoxins to create zombies. The report states in its conclusion:

“We cannot exclude the use of a neuromuscular toxin, topically administered together with a local irritant by a bokor, to induce catalepsy followed by secret retrieval of the poisoned individual. Japanese evidence of tetrodotoxin poisoning indicates that a full and rapid recovery can occur spontaneously. This would presumably be consistent with the history of FI, who could have suffered anoxic brain damage in the tomb.”

In the end, the report doesn’t claim to have all of the answers, and recommends a fuller investigation into the zombie phenomenon, not only with regards to possibly pharmacological connections, but also the sociopolitical connections unique to Haiti and its culture.

So do zombies exist? The people of Haiti certainly think so. Here they are considered to be more than spooky stories, but rather very real entities. Stories of zombies persist in Haiti right up to the modern day, with sightings of the poor, haggard creatures fairly common in many rural areas. Cases are so prevalent that there have been wild estimates claiming that there are as many as up to one thousand new cases of zombies a year, and zombification is even a crime under the Haitian Penal Code (Article 246), in which it is considered to be on par with murder despite the fact that the zombified individual is technically still alive.

There seems reason to believe from work and research done in the past that there may possibly be a concrete, scientific basis for stories of zombies, so perhaps time will tell. For now these mysterious creatures lurk along the fringes of Haitian villages and our imaginations. Whether drug addled slaves or corpses reanimated through dark sorcery, the enigma of the real zombies of Haiti beckons us. Perhaps one day we will bring them out into the light and have the answers we seek.

giovonni

12th August 2014, 04:03

they don't call it Portlandia (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FE_9CzLCbkY) ... :luv:

for nothing ...

Meanwhile in Portland (http://brolycow.com/meanwhile-poland-47-pics/)

http://brolycow.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/poland-06.jpg

giovonni

12th August 2014, 19:17

"Immigrant Song" was written during Led Zeppelin's tour of Iceland, Bath and Germany in the summer of 1970. The opening date of this tour took place in Reykjavík, Iceland, which inspired Plant to write the song. As he explained:

We weren't being pompous ... We did come from the land of the ice and snow. We were guests of the Icelandic Government on a cultural mission. We were invited to play a concert in Reykjavik and the day before we arrived all the civil servants went on strike and the gig was going to be cancelled. The university prepared a concert hall for us and it was phenomenal. The response from the kids was remarkable and we had a great time. "Immigrant Song" was about that trip and it was the opening track on the album that was intended to be incredibly different.

Just six days after Led Zeppelin's appearance in Reykjavik, the band performed the song for the first time on stage during the Bath Festival.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlNhD0oS5pk

778 neighbour of some guy

12th August 2014, 21:26

giovonni

14th August 2014, 03:31

Doublespeak (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doublespeak)

a rose is a rose, is a rose ...

James Corbett ~ Obama Says the "T" Word

"Language is the great tool of the tyrants. It always has been, and always will be. Patriots are expected to abide by a PATRIOT Act that destroys their Bill of Rights, support “surgical strikes” against “enemy combatants” by the Department of “Defense,” and cheer the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to those who wage war."

Published on Aug 13, 2014

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wC0Y7YOD3Xc&feature=em-uploademail

giovonni

14th August 2014, 04:46

Mr. G and Jellybean

Published on May 20, 2014

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bv2OGph5Kec

The Back Story of Mr. G and Jellybean

The story of Mr. G and Jellybean has captivated the entire world. It's a story of animal friendship between different species thrown together by fate, surviving years of abuse only to be separated then reunited forever at the Animal Place Sanctuary in Grass Valley California. For the first time hear the back story of this incredible adventure."

Published on Jun 2, 2014

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_3QHlTv-k0

giovonni

14th August 2014, 12:13

ISIS

Islamic State of Iraq and Syria

From Vice News (Full Length Documentary)

Descriptive

The Islamic State, a hardline Sunni jihadist group that formerly had ties to al Qaeda, has conquered large swathes of Iraq and Syria. Previously known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), the group has announced its intention to reestablish the caliphate and has declared its leader, the shadowy Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, as the caliph.

The lightning advances the Islamic State made across Syria and Iraq in June shocked the world. But it's not just the group's military victories that have garnered attention — it's also the pace with which its members have begun to carve out a viable state.

Flush with cash and US weapons seized during its advances in Iraq, the Islamic State's expansion shows no sign of slowing down. In the first week of August alone, Islamic State fighters have taken over new areas in northern Iraq, encroaching on Kurdish territory and sending Christians and other minorities fleeing as reports of massacres emerged.

VICE News reporter Medyan Dairieh spent three weeks embedded with the Islamic State, gaining unprecedented access to the group in Iraq and Syria as the first and only journalist to document its inner workings.

Published on Aug 14, 2014

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUjHb4C7b94&feature=em-uploademail

william r sanford72

14th August 2014, 19:38

......:eek:
PGzghUQRVk8

:o
truth and balance always.

giovonni

14th August 2014, 20:01

Thanks William ...

imagining the Undertaker's business will only get better ... ;)

http://th01.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/i/2014/099/f/3/undertaker___the_backwater_gospel_by_grieverjoe-d7dtzap.jpg

william r sanford72

14th August 2014, 20:51

man to dark a tone..couldn't leave off with that kinda vibe Gio..so....

N5Rt58KHi1Y

always from the heart.

giovonni

15th August 2014, 00:30

Nevada: Free To Pee You And Me :welcome:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hug1yPs4Igg

giovonni

15th August 2014, 10:09

'What's it all about Alphie' ...

Giant Inflatable Turtle in Sydney Harbour

"A giant inflatable turtle cruised in Sydney Harbour on Friday to celebrate the opening of an undersea art exhibition at the city's aquarium. The floating sculpture - dubbed Alphie - is just over 16 tall and 49 long."

Published on Aug 15, 2014

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QH9czw2QAc

giovonni

15th August 2014, 10:26

virtual realities ...

http://rodrickzx.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/5d1c9541-83dc-4404-ba24-eb01066d89a2.jpg?w=584

From BBC/Future

New dimension for digital cities (http://www.bbc.com/future/sponsored/story/20140721-the-urban-conscience)

giovonni

16th August 2014, 08:11

have you ever been treated like ....

https://scontent-b-sea.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/1978664_10152588512857808_6509236964752937291_n.jpg?oh=0aa3478a6ab780160885487978572947&oe=547218BC

giovonni

17th August 2014, 04:55

Semper Fidelis Flare ... https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSU051Cpg5wWQ6LaO6ffNd9zDhTpKWCC EiToXrwp_clCynEtdSPUQ

the name of my brother's beloved former English Bulldog (http://dogtime.com/dog-breeds/bulldog) ...
i have fond memories as boy loving this canine friend ... play wrestling and walking to get ice cream together (which was the incentive for him to go) ... giggle :)

Breed specifically to have a short spinal column vertebrae ... You can see why this excellent exercise (video below) is so exciting and enjoyed by this wonderful ... though health plagued and short life span canine group ...

Blessed The Always faithful Flare

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40BqsoZHImE

giovonni

17th August 2014, 05:36

i got this ... :rolleyes:

The Exist

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQS3Ropa-nQ

giovonni

17th August 2014, 05:51

Madame Presidentá ... :rolleyes:

http://www.reviewjournal.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/media/web1_Hillary-Clinton_041014DB_007_4.jpg?itok=dZrCehFV

High fashion, expense for Hillary travel
(http://www.reviewjournal.com/news/las-vegas/high-fashion-expense-hillary-travel)

giovonni

17th August 2014, 06:27

and speaking of Hillary ...

Wish President Clinton a Happy 68th Birthday ...

"With Congress in recess and President Clinton's birthday coming up on August 19, House of Cards’ Frank Underwood has found a new way to make mischief."

Kevin Spacey steps into character as Frank Underwood in the spoof, which finds the scheming political player bored with the Washington D.C. summer. "I like to entertain myself by having some fun with my predecessors," he explains, before calling up the former Secretary of State and doing his best impersonation of the 42nd U.S. President.

Spacey/Underwood tries to get Clinton to reveal what she's getting her husband for his birthday, to which the potential 2016 presidential candidate gives the now-familiar reply: "I told you, this is a very personal decision that I will make when I'm ready." After Spacey suggests buying an elephant and tries to put out the name "Frank" as a contender for Chelsea's baby name, Clinton reveals that she's onto him. The sketch closes with a sinister House of Cards-style text exchange with Bill that indicates the former president was a party to the conspiracy.

The Netflix political drama has previously attempted to draw a sitting president into its sphere as well. In December, shortly before House of Cards unleashed its second season, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings tried to enlist President Obama for a cameo. The President demurred, but has revealed himself to be a fan of the show.

House of Cards is currently filming its third season.

source (http://www.rollingstone.com/tv/news/kevin-spacey-pranks-clintons-in-house-of-cards-birthday-spoof-20140816)

$ Happy birthday Bubba $

Published on Aug 15, 2014

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7pmnIitgeI&list=UUxJqAjvqwsEWt-dsMGFs57w#t=32

gripreaper

18th August 2014, 05:54

Sometimes I just want to go fishing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InENM6fwIwE

giovonni

18th August 2014, 06:33

Face to Face !

"This is video that I shot while hunting with Ben Cockell at Northern Alberta Outfitters
in Ft. Assiniboine, Alberta, Canada."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jRTrRxamxQ

giovonni

18th August 2014, 16:22

When a house isn't house ... How governments hide thing in plain sight ...

The House On Wade Avenue ?

"In Raleigh, N.C., there's a house... Or what looks like a house...
What's hidden inside is more important than most people realize."

Published on Jan 15, 2014

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QobxnFYhMos

giovonni

18th August 2014, 21:51

Amazing Acts Of Human Kindness

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnOIOcbKgjI

giovonni

18th August 2014, 21:55

Electronic Makeup Completely Transforms This Model's Face

"Imagine theater where performers can change their makeup—and essential their character—in real-time without going off stage and applying a new layer of eyeliner. In a new video by Nobumichi Asai called Omote, such a future is imagined as a model's faced is morphed on the spot with makeup made of light.

In the two-minute clip, the subject's face is immersed in transformative visuals, a kind of "digital makeup," using motion capture technology and projection mapping. With impressive accuracy the face is scanned before becoming a series of stunning masks that work even as the face moves around. The visuals range from makeup, rouge and some eyeliner, to a full-on cyborg face with amazing animated visuals that turn the model's face into a reflective surface."

Published on Aug 18, 2014

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9ZxWL--Ld0

giovonni

18th August 2014, 22:38

wow ...

http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/77006000/jpg/_77006783_car.jpg

Saudi prince's convoy in Paris attacked by gunmen (http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28832868)

giovonni

19th August 2014, 08:19

http://www.skype-emoticons.com/images/emoticon-00136-giggle.gif

Dinosaur prank in Groupon's office

"One of the baby Tyrannosaurus Rex costumes used in 'Walking with Dinosaurs' paid a visit to Groupon's headquarters in Chicago, IL and greeted some workers using the elevators before it roamed the halls of the office scaring those at their desks."

Published on May 29, 2014

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oo19imJWN_M

giovonni

19th August 2014, 12:34

http://mysteriousuniverse.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/aghori-baba-585x306.jpg

From MYSTERIOUS UNIVERSE

The Mystic Cannibal Monks of India (http://mysteriousuniverse.org/2014/08/the-mystic-cannibal-monks-of-india/)

giovonni

19th August 2014, 12:51

surely we are near an end if we cannot protect these magnificent beings ... :(

http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/77020000/jpg/_77020848_c0161535-elephant_bull,_giraffes,_zebra,_namibia-spl.jpg

Elephant poaching deaths reach tipping point in Africa (http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-28842965)

giovonni

20th August 2014, 15:41

David Letterman Honors Robin Williams: 'He Was Like a Hurricane' (http://www.rollingstone.com/tv/news/david-letterman-honors-robin-williams-20140819)

Published on Aug 19, 2014

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bVgilYncao#t=96

giovonni

20th August 2014, 17:38

Robin Williams ~ Seize the Day

'A musical tribute to the great Robin Williams'

by Melodysheep

Published on Aug 20, 2014

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2e_M06YDyY&feature=em-uploademail

giovonni

21st August 2014, 23:01

http://www.movoto.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/supernatural-map-static-feat.jpg

This Awesome Map Shows The States
Where Most People Believe In The Supernatural (http://www.movoto.com/blog/opinions/most-supernatural-states-map/)

giovonni

21st August 2014, 23:32

now that's a crime ... not ... :rolleyes:

Sea Lion stealing Monster fish !!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGz-NIBZwEw

giovonni

22nd August 2014, 05:24

file this one under narcissistic wet dream ...

http://cdn.thedailybeast.com/content/dailybeast/articles/2014/08/20/sex-crazed-narcissist-pretends-he-s-an-artist/jcr:content/image.crop.800.500.jpg/1408528208673.cached.jpg

Dude ...

Sex-Crazed Narcissist Pretends He's an Artist (http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/08/20/sex-crazed-narcissist-pretends-he-s-an-artist.html)

giovonni

23rd August 2014, 00:31

will share this very interesting look into achieving a higher education in America ...

Explore the future of higher education with Hari Sreenivasan

"Declining graduation rates, skyrocketing student debt and a paltry job market for graduates has many in the education community looking for new ideas to restart America’s colleges and universities. Join PBS NewsHour Weekend anchor Hari Sreenivasan as he explores innovative approaches that are changing the way higher education works around the nation."

Published on Aug 22, 2014

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHRxerr30Hk

giovonni

23rd August 2014, 00:56

For those using using PC's ...

http://mysteriousuniverse.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/computer-virus-585x306.jpg

From MYSTERIOUS UNIVERSE

You’re Buying: The Great Antivirus Software Conspiracy (http://mysteriousuniverse.org/2014/08/youre-buying-the-great-antivirus-software-conspiracy/)

giovonni

23rd August 2014, 08:28

Please note this video is for educational purposes only ... :rolleyes:

True Facts About Marsupials (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marsupial)

True Facts About Marsupials, Nature's Cutest Animals With Three Vaginas

Published on Aug 21, 2014

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNqQL-1gZF8

giovonni

23rd August 2014, 12:20

Paulette the Dudette ... :eyebrows:

"Paul Hunt performs on balance beam at the 1988 USA-USSR display in Los Angeles."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EO_BnsrWMnI

giovonni

24th August 2014, 17:01

"Stones rehearsing their 1967 classic. "The critics picked up the unashamed lyrics and developed them into a moralistic story, particularly in America," writes Martin Elliott. "Either radio stations bleeped out the 'night' in the single or settled for 'Ruby Tuesday' on the other side. Fans were quick to point out that LSNT was an honest love song depicting modern times" ...

Rolling Stones - Let's Spend the Night Together (1997)

Published on Aug 24, 2014

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2wEy9llMwY

giovonni

25th August 2014, 10:27

gives a new meaning to the word parroting ...

This Is What It's Like To Race A Macaw (http://io9.com/this-is-what-its-like-to-race-a-macaw-1626021937)

My Frequent Flyer

Published on Jul 18, 2014

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vVUoGC45C4&list=UUVsdradCKwLZYIE2sTbwtsw

giovonni

26th August 2014, 15:49

interesting interview ...

Plant Consciousness Interview with John Perkins

John Perkins is a leading authority on shamanism and institutional transformation. He is is a founder and board member of Dream Change and The Pachamama Alliance. New York Times and international best-selling author of books including Shapeshifting, The World Is As You Dream It, Psychonavigation, The Stress-Free Habit, Spirit of the Shuar, Confessions of an Economic Hit Man, and Hoodwinked. A graduate of Boston University's School of Business Administration, he served in the Peace Corps in the late 1960s and as United States Representative to the United Nations' International Atomic Energy Agency in the 1970s. He also served as chief economist at the international consulting firm Chas. T. Main, where he worked directly with heads of state and CEOs of major companies. He has advised the World Bank, the United Nations, Fortune 500 corporations, and countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East.

He discusses the consciousness of plants and their messages for our world in crisis.

John will be presenting at the upcoming Plant Consciousness Conference on the 3rd to 6th October 2014
For more info: http://www.plantconsciousness.com/ note site takes a few moments to upload

Streamed live on Aug 21, 2014

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffGY0Nz7148#t=41

giovonni

26th August 2014, 15:55

excellent insight ...

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/10/Thomas_Nagel_teaching_Ethics.JPG

Thomas Nagel: Thoughts Are Real (http://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/thomas-nagel-thoughts-are-real)

giovonni

26th August 2014, 19:17

James Swagger with Max Igan

Truth Activism & Humanitarianism

Capricorn TV
Published on Aug 26, 2014

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqHIS6xR2l0&feature=em-uploademail

giovonni

28th August 2014, 10:08

i still have some fond memories ... especially this time of year ...

From my university alma mater ~ WIU's Colonel Rock III

Happy National Dog Day ... :)

https://scontent-a-sea.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xaf1/v/t1.0-9/10606013_707570889296210_7443838922500888358_n.jpg?oh=ab0d514a980c2d23e566ae357d88ab23&oe=546E095B

giovonni

28th August 2014, 15:21

putting a spin on the spin ...

From Jon Stewart's The Daily Show

Race/Off

"The shooting of an unarmed black teenager by the police in Ferguson, Missouri,
strikes a racial nerve in the U.S., but Fox News manages to remain colorblind."

Published on Aug 28, 2014

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_98ojjIZDI

giovonni

29th August 2014, 14:50

hmm ...

http://static01.nyt.com/images/2014/08/29/us/ARCTIC2/ARCTIC2-master675.jpg

New Study Offers Clues to Swift Arctic Extinction (http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/29/science/study-offers-clues-to-arctic-mystery-paleo-eskimos-abrupt-extinction.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&smid=tw-nytimesscience&_r=0)

giovonni

29th August 2014, 15:12

too funny ... http://www.skype-emoticons.com/images/emoticon-00136-giggle.gif

Little boy on mom’s pregnancy ...
‘This is exasperating' !

Published on Aug 28, 2014

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mjQ2DM3Xdk

giovonni

31st August 2014, 06:14

having it your way ...

http://static01.nyt.com/images/2014/08/31/us/JP-ADVANCE-1/JP-ADVANCE-1-master675-v2.jpg

Coverage for End-of-Life Talks Gaining Ground (http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/31/health/end-of-life-talks-may-finally-overcome-politics.html?_r=0)

giovonni

31st August 2014, 13:24

http://images.sciencedaily.com/2014/08/140828184811-large.jpg

Via Science Daily

The universal 'anger face':
Each element makes you look physically stronger and more formidable (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/08/140828184811.htm)

giovonni

31st August 2014, 16:20

hmm ...

http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--TL4DwA_X--/c_fit,fl_progressive,q_80,w_636/gbfz0mcsuv7ovjal7sya.png

Do You Really Want To Live Forever ? (http://io9.com/do-you-really-want-to-live-forever-1628819927)

giovonni

1st September 2014, 14:56

Finally got to see this film this holiday weekend ... :thumb:

A Most Wanted Man (2014) (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/filmreviews/11061443/A-Most-Wanted-Man-review-lavishly-mesmerising.html)

Staring Philip Seymour Hoffman ...

It has an oh so chilling ending in more ways than one ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUyYBrlF_W8

giovonni

1st September 2014, 16:30

The Doors

Summer's Almost Gone

where will we be ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnU3TLJhjjQ

giovonni

1st September 2014, 16:47

Yes it sure is ...
Have you ever stop into a convenient store at supper time ... :rolleyes:

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xfa1/v/t1.0-9/10516584_10152639922193048_5059116318464611929_n.jpg?oh=e572bdad29a7897b23dfabcd37ebc26f&oe=5463785A&__gda__=1416595127_55b5bcb0c3d91633fad6a5e9c624e1ef

giovonni

1st September 2014, 17:12

just a reminder ...

125 days till Christmas ...

Duel at the Mall

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBvysuewIOs

giovonni

1st September 2014, 21:54

SOMEDAY SOON ... :rolleyes:

'May you soar as high as your student loan interest rates. Meet Anderson, your average
recent graduate: unemployed and drowning in debt, yet full of hope.'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPDqz0nQPd0

giovonni

1st September 2014, 23:30

all but forgotten ...

http://cdn.theatlantic.com/static/newsroom/img/mt/2014/08/HaymarketRiot_Harpers/lead.jpg?nb8u4a

When Labor Day Meant Something
Remembering the radical past of a day now
devoted to picnics and back-to-school sales (http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/09/when-labor-day-meant-something/379307/)

giovonni

2nd September 2014, 00:03

http://www.distractify.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads//2014/08/Valle-Nevado-934x.jpg

giovonni

4th September 2014, 13:09

one good Ram deserves another ... :rolleyes:

Angry ram takes down a drone... and its owner

"I was looking for the angry ram with my fpv quadcopter, I got a bit close & he managed to hit it knocking it into a bush, luckily no harm done. When I went to retrieve it he followed me, I had my hands full so he got me pretty good.

To the trolling haters on this vid who think this is animal abuse, you are mistaken - The ram was not injured at all, they are built to withstand enormous impacts on the noggin, taking down a little 1kg quadcopter is nothing to him. I actually look after this guy, I rescued him after his previous owner was going to kill him for being too aggressive" ...

Published on Sep 1, 2014

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfLCb4ewDDc

giovonni

4th September 2014, 16:20

Sock it to me baby ... :hungry:

http://media3.s-nbcnews.com/j/newscms/2014_36/649631/140904-dog-sockes-mn-915_3815eb19a9bfaa4a1a86e4bc2f37a333.nbcnews-ux-560-600.jpg

Surgery Reveals Oregon Great Dane Ate 43 Socks (http://www.nbcnews.com/news/weird-news/surgery-reveals-oregon-great-dane-ate-43-socks-n195481)

giovonni

4th September 2014, 16:50

speaking of sock it to me ...

Mitch Ryder & Detroit - Rock 'N' Roll ... :cool:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ov6ZI58ozYE

giovonni

4th September 2014, 20:00

perhaps been outplayed is a better way of putting it ... ;)

http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--kmDIdd2Q--/c_fit,fl_progressive,q_80,w_636/coahoyr5zwamhomlp4tm.jpg

How The West Has Fallen Behind In The New Propaganda Wars[ (http://io9.com/how-the-west-has-fallen-behind-in-the-new-propaganda-wa-1630583185)

giovonni

5th September 2014, 16:54

Thanks Brook ...

Adam Ben Ezra

AWESOME !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyUZh_Cbw6Q

giovonni

8th September 2014, 03:42

who knew ... a new generation of animal geeks ...

http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/wwfeatures/624_351/images/live/p0/25/zl/p025zlwl.jpg

Why animals can’t resist touchscreen technology (http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20140903-why-animals-love-touchscreens)

giovonni

8th September 2014, 19:02

https://scontent-a-sea.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xap1/v/t1.0-9/10494748_10152293704990779_6215077734379093826_n.jpg?oh=e2399dcfb699ebcb9c64bdbf379d8727&oe=549733D9

Flashback: The Who's Final Performance With Keith Moon (http://www.rollingstone.com/music/videos/flashback-the-whos-final-performance-with-keith-moon-20130110)

giovonni

10th September 2014, 09:36

James Corbett with William Binney and Richard Gage

NSA Whistleblower Supports 9/11 Truth - on GRTV

"William Binney was a 30 year veteran official of the National Security Agency who resigned in October 2001 to blow the whistle on the NSA’s deliberate violation of the constitution. Now, 13 years after the events of 9/11 that helped the NSA justify its total surveillance dragnet, Binney has signed the Architects and Engineers for 9/11 Truth’s petition calling for a new investigation into 9/11. Today we talk to Richard Gage, founder of AE911Truth.org, and William Binney himself, about this petition, its significance, and the ongoing quest for 9/11 truth and justice."

Published on Sep 10, 2014

SHOW NOTES AND MP3: http://www.corbettreport.com/?p=12180

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fMWttcQ5hg

giovonni

10th September 2014, 13:50

oh oh
EXCLUSIVE

http://i.ytimg.com/vi/v9v7h2D5Bgk/0.jpg

Joan Rivers had surprise throat biopsy that cut off her air supply, source claims
(http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/joan-rivers-surprise-biopsy-cut-air-supply-source-article-1.1934178)

giovonni

11th September 2014, 20:59

little dude ...

big dreams ...

https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xaf1/v/t1.0-9/10703936_774895665908298_7893592082726420974_n.jpg?oh=93b1eb997ebce05acdbdc55d5a6e9089&oe=549C7822&__gda__=1422674067_d1711755c68366530ffb9da0516443b0

Attacked a coyote, lost miserably. Cost my parents hundreds of dollars in vet bills.

giovonni

11th September 2014, 23:45

INROCK Interviews The GOASTT

Exclusive french interview of
The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger
(Sean Lennon & Charlotte Kemp Muhl)

Published on Sep 6, 2014

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sb_frneXAAo#t=1067

giovonni

12th September 2014, 17:17

organismic pug ... with the balls ... :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZYq-c5OdGw

giovonni

12th September 2014, 18:54

Harper Simon with Fred Armisen

SNL, Portlandia, Punk Rock and John Waters on Talk Show

Fred Armisen of Portlandia, SNL, Late Night with Seth Myers and much more joins Talk Show with Harper Simon for an uncensored interview exploring comedy, music, and his history with Elvis Presley. Crossdressing, true love, Martin Lawrence and John Waters are discussed, along with the real reason he started Portlandia with Carrie Brownstein on the first episode of Talk Show on TheLipTV.

GUEST BIO:
Fred Armisen is an Emmy Award-nominated writer, musician and actor known for his roles on Saturday Night Live and Portlandia. He is the current bandleader for Late Night with Seth Myers.

Published on Sep 12, 2014

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwcXjhR41FU

giovonni

13th September 2014, 11:41

My first adult job was working on a railroad ... First as a trackman then later as a brakeman ...
It was tough work ... But it taught me some well learned life lessons ... :)

The American Experience: The 1940s Great Railroads

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yy3UhOy3OvQ

giovonni

13th September 2014, 18:00

scary ...

Who will feed China's growing middle class ?

From PBS

"China consumes half of the world's pork. And the country's growing middle class — bigger than the population of the United States — wants more meat. Nathan Halverson of The Center for Investigative Reporting looks at how China plans to meet that demand."

Published on Sep 13, 2014

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNibCp-xipk

giovonni

14th September 2014, 05:37

http://assets.nybooks.com/media/img/blogimages/russia_tracks_jpg_600x505_q85.jpg

The Dying Russians (http://www.nybooks.com/blogs/nyrblog/2014/sep/02/dying-russians/)

giovonni

14th September 2014, 18:25

keep America simple ...

http://tvstuffonline.com/upload/dump-cakes.png

Just Dump & Eat ... :rolleyes:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bluob5fc3uI