Poetry

Touched by An Angel
by Maya Angelou


We, unaccustomed to courage
exiles from delight
live coiled in shells of loneliness
until love leaves its high holy temple
and comes into our sight
to liberate us into life.


Love arrives
and in its train come ecstasies
old memories of pleasure
ancient histories of pain.
Yet if we are bold,
love strikes away the chains of fear
from our souls.


We are weaned from our timidity
In the flush of love's light
we dare be brave
And suddenly we see
that love costs all we are
and will ever be.
Yet it is only love
which sets us free.

...just a sec

Three of the 'craziest' road signs ever!

#1: Travel at your own risk...

#2: Oh snap!

#3: I was dumbfounded when I first saw this sign, just couldn't believe it was for real! These sings can be found on the California hwy by the Mexican border *blank stare*

Historic First: A Spacecraft Orbits Mercury

NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft successfully achieved orbit around Mercury at approximately 9p.m. EDT on Thursday, March 17, 2011. This marks the first time a spacecraft has accomplished this engineering and scientific milestone at our solar system's innermost planet.

MESSENGER's main thruster fired for approximately 15 minutes at 8:45 p.m., slowing the spacecraft by 1,929 miles per hour and easing it into the planned orbit about Mercury. The rendezvous took place about 96 million miles from Earth.

NASA engineers received telemetry data confirming orbit insertion. NASA's engineers Operations Center, received the anticipated radiometric signals confirming nominal burn shutdown and successful insertion of the MESSENGER probe into orbit around the planet Mercury where it started transmitting data. Upon review of the data, the engineering and operations teams confirmed the burn executed nominally with all subsystems reporting a clean burn and no logged errors.

The journey took Messenger six and half years to travel 4.9 billions miles to the planet Mercury. The mission's primary science phase began on April 4, 2011.

Deep, Deeep Sea Diving

Sir Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group of companies, has revealed his plans to explore the deepest spots in each of the five oceans.

Sir Branson, along with American sailor and explorer Chris Welsh and submarine designer Graham Hawkes, has launched the Virgin Oceanic, a project to explore the last frontiers of our own Blue Planet: the very bottom of our seas. They intend to hit the deepest depths using the Virgin Oceanic’s flying submarines. For the dives, Virgin oceanic will use the DeepFlight Challenger submersible built by Hawkes Ocean Technologies of Point Richmond, Calif.

The Virgin Oceanic project proposes journey to the five deepest parts of each of Earth’s five oceans in 2011 and 2012. The first dive is planned to reach the deepest place on the planet i.e. the bottom of the Mariana Trench, which is roughly 11 kilometers straight down. The subs will hit the Mariana Trench (Pacific), Puerto Rico Trench (Atlantic), Diamantina Trench (Indian), South Sandwich Trench (Southern), and Molloy Deep (Arctic). Interestingly, the second dive, planned to hit the bottom of the Puerto Rico Trench (the deepest in the Atlantic), will be piloted by Sir Richard Branson himself.

They have even partnered with Google to assist with the charting and mapping of the sea floor during the missions.

On the launch of Virgin Oceanic, Sir Richard Branson said: "What if I were to tell you about a planet, inhabited by ‘intelligent’ beings that had, in the 21st Century, physically explored 0% of its deepest points and mapped only 3% of its oceans by unmanned craft, when 70% of that planet’s surface was made up of water. Then I tried to convince you that only 10% of the life forms inhabiting that unknown world, are known to those on the surface - you’d think I’d fallen asleep watching the latest sci-fi blockbuster! Then you discover that planet is Earth".

Virgin Oceanic Flying Sub Designed by Graham Hawkes, the flying submersible resembles a dolphin, and is made from 8,000 pounds of carbon fiber and titanium. It boasts an operating depth of 37,000 feet (7 miles) and is capable to operate independently for 24 hours. The Virgin Oceanic Flying Sub has been designed to survive enormous pressures, 1500 times than that of an airplane. The sub can fly up to 10km over the ocean floor, travel at a maximum of three knots and can dive at 350 feet per minute. This sub also has a mothership, which is a 125′ racing catamaran.

Sir Richard Branson says: "Virgin Oceanic will expand the reach of human exploration on our planet. By promoting and utilizing new technology, Virgin Oceanic will aid human kind’s ability to explore our Oceans, assist science in understanding our eco system and raise awareness of the challenges facing our Oceans".

BBC Earth has announced to work with Richard Branson’s Virgin Oceanic Five Dives expedition to produce a theatrical film and TV series.

Poetry

Eros

by Ralph Waldo Emerson

The sense of the world is short,

Long and various the report,

To love and be beloved;

Men and gods have not outlearned it,

And how oft soe'er they've turned it,

'Tis not to be improved.

Some of the World's Most Expensive Foods

Hot Dog: A New York restaurant, Serendipity 3, which is the city’s first coffee house boutique in Manhattan has now added the world’s most expensive ‘haute’ dog on their menu.

This 30 cm foot long hot dog is made of wholesome beef, grilled in white truffle oil. A pretzel bun that is used in it is imported from Germany and toasted with white truffle butter. With a delicious topping of medallions of duck foie gras with black truffles it is served with mouth-watering condiments of black truffle Dijon mustard, caramelized Vidalia onions and heirloom tomato ketchup.

Sushi #1: 12-yr-old Italian balsamic vinegar, Japanese rice, 70-yr-old virgin water, Muscovado sugar, Norwegian pink salmon, cucumber, mango, foie gras, sea cucumber (smoked then pickled and steamed ’til tender sticky), genuine crabmeat, wild saffron, mayonnaise with butter and garnished with 12 local Palawan pearls and 4 .20ct African diamonds of VVS clarity. This most expensive sushi is available for sale for a price of $4,300. The prices for this new and expensive sushi rolls are subject to change without prior notice, depending on stone clarity and ingredients used, and even takes into account the customer’s budget.

Sushi #2: Next on the list is world’s most expensive sushi made by Filipino chef Angelito Araneta Jr.

What makes this plate of sushi consisting of five pieces the most expensive is not the fish, but the garnishing in gold leaves and diamonds. The sushi is garnished with .20-carat African diamonds and wrapped with 24-karat gold leaves and is available in a restaurant in Manila for $2,750.

FleurBurger 5000. This one is available at Fleur de Lys, Chef Hubert Keller’s restaurant in Mandalay Bay.

This burger that’s stuffed with Kobe-beef burger topped with foie gras, black truffles, and Keller’s secret sauce, that go inside a brioche bun. Now, what makes it so pricey is the ingredients together with the presentation. It comes with a bottle of 1990 Chateau Petrus served in imported Italian Ichendorf Brunello stemware, which is again a something enchanting. They deliver as well…they ship the stemware and the certificate of authenticity right at your doorstep

Thoughts

Ask people, "What is your passion?" and they often freeze. They feel as if they have to give an amazing answer, like "feeding the orphans of the world" or "writing a novel that changes the landscape of literature." Or they feel as if "I don't know" isn't an option.

You might be one of those passionate people who have hearts aflame, pumping with desire. But you might have the kind of heart that's quieter, softer. It's harder for people to hear these whispers—I know, that sounds like a country and western song—but the way you tune your ear to hear them is to simply watch what you do. Some people don't take whispers seriously, thinking they're somehow not legitimate, because they're spoken with a softer voice.

I actually learned this myself. I went to law school and then worked in government and on Capitol Hill. I was an economic policy guy, but for 10 or 15 years, I was writing articles on the side. If someone had asked me, "What's your passion?" I never would have said, "Oh, writing about business and technology." I would have seized up and stammered. Now if someone had asked, "What do you think about when you're spacing out at work? What do you do on Friday afternoons?" The answer was clear. As a result, it's what I do now.

So, what do you do when no one's watching? What do you read in your spare time? I've noticed that if people are interested in something, they'll steer the conversation to that topic. So, where do you seem to inevitably take your conversations? Too often the question, What is your passion? leads to an answer you've come up with for other people, whereas the other questions I've mentioned will lead to an answer for yourself. Some people don't take whispers seriously, thinking they're somehow not legitimate, because they're spoken with a softer voice. I think you have to remind yourself that this is what your heart is telling you. It may not be screaming at you, but it might be giving you something more valuable.

By Daniel Pink

—As told to Oprah.com's Jancee Dunn

Source: Oprah.com

ASTRO Gaming has announced limited edition pre-orders for “The Gold Edition,” a line of gaming gizmos that have been created using solid 22K gold. The products in the new lineup include the A40 headset, Xbox 360 Controller, MixAmp 5.8 Rx wireless receiver and the Urban Lanyard, all done in solid gold. The Gold Edition A40 headset comes with gold cables and connectors. The modified Gold Edition Xbox 360 controller is accompanied with diamond-tipped buttons and gold wiring.

The ASTRO Gaming is selling The Gold Edition for $1,000, and you need to send them your email address to be notified of its availability.

Source: bornrich

The Bacterium Toothbrush

Researchers have identified a new ally in the war against tooth decay: an enzyme produced by a mouth bacterium that prevents plaque formation.

The finding could eventually lead to the development of toothpaste that harnesses the body's own plaque-fighting tools.

The human mouth is awash with bacteria. More than 700 species thrive in the hot, moist conditions, including Streptococcus mutans, one of the main components of plaque. Clinging to the teeth in thin layers called biofilms, S. mutans digests sugars and produces acids that can eat into enamel and cause cavities. Other bacteria are more gracious guests. In 2009, for example, scientists found that S. salivarius, a type of bacterium found on the tongue and other soft tissues in the mouth, decreases the buildup of S. mutans biofilms.

The protein FruA, an enzyme that breaks apart complex sugars, was the most powerful biofilm blocker. The researchers also found that a form of FruA, produced by the common fungus Aspergillus niger and available off-the-shelf, stymies plaque equally well. This commercial FruA worked despite the fact that its amino acid sequence is somewhat different from that of S. salivarius FruA. That might speed the development of toothpastes that include FruA, says Senpuku.

The findings, reported in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, are not a license to eat all the candy you want, however. When researchers increased the concentration of sucrose, a type of sugar, in mixtures containing S. salivarius FruA and S. mutans, the beneficial bacterium lost its ability to prevent biofilm formation. The authors write that this observation may help explain why a 1996 study found that FruA contributed to cavity formation in rats.

The findings could spur the development of better toothpaste but it won't be an easy task; finding "the formulation" that would 'guarantee' that the enzyme remained enzymatically active on the shelf of your favorite drug store is a big challenge

Source: Sciencemag

Million Dollar Bottle

Mendis coconut brandy is a 100% all-natural clear brandy distilled from the essence of the coconut flower and it is also the world’s first clear ultra-premium brandy produced from coconut.

The million dollar bottle was the first production bottle released and approved for sale as a coconut brandy and the company has decided to offer it for sale to the public. The bottle will be signed and numbered by the founder of the distillery and will come with a certificate of authenticity.

Also, the purchaser will also be provided with a luxury trip and personal security for the bottle.

TOP-SECRET NASA SHUTTLE DISAPPEARS IN ORBIT FOR 2 WEEKS

A Top Secret U.S. (multi-million dollar) space weapon was suddenly snactched from orbit and vanished for two weeks.

One moment it was there, then it was gone. After 14 days of total silence , the X-37B Nasa shuttle reappeared in a completely different orbit.

The bizarre mystery soon caught the attention of officials at "Project Black Book," the government agency that investigates this type of activity.

The calculations from the computers and settings were completely changed and the onboard cameras sent back pictures of the shuttle's interior that were beyond strange. A collection of odd-shaped bottles containing remnants of an unknown liquid were tossed around on the floor at the cargo bay.

Source: Panache Report

What in the World....?!

Thousands of birds fell from the sky in Arkansas on New Years Eve 2010. All dead. The only explanation so far: they suffered trauma. But what caused the trauma? Officials are claiming it was caused by fireworks **blank stare**. Not for a second do I believe this explanation. In all the years since the invention of fireworks, nothing like this has ever happened. And birds are not that dumb, contrary to what some people may think.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red-winged_Blackbird

Thousands of dead fish also washed up on the shores of Arkansas. I am still waiting for explanation the officials are going to claim caused this. Perhaps they gave up and all swam to shore in a suicidal pact :-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sciaenidae

This is really very sad and quite nerve racking.

Updates to come...


"The 17 birds we did a necropsy on had internal bleeding that looks like blunt force trauma -- like they ran into something, would be our best guess," Dr. George Badley told CTV's Canada AM Tuesday morning. Tests have, so far, ruled out poison and lightning as the cause of the birds' mass death. "They all had internal bleeding and no signs of disease, but our pathologist is continuing to make sure that they are no viruses, germs or poisons in the birds," Badley added.

Randomness

Keeping your Christmas decorations up after New Years Day is likely good for your mental health.

Underrated Movies

Sometimes you just have to watch a movie, or read a book and give it your own ratings. I have found, alot of times I might add, that I check out the hollywood review and imdb ratings review on movies and its very hard to choose to spend time watching something others are telling you are not watchable. Alas, too often, this is not the case. Alot of really good movies get released with little or no fan-fare, get low ratings and go straight to dvd.

May I suggest that once in a while to just give a few of these movies a watch and you may be pleasantly surprised.

One of the most underrated films to be released and is a Must See:



Not Forgotten, starring Simon Baker and Paz Vega

trailer: http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2627863065/

Enjoy!

Hippocampus

Researchers have successfully identified the memory a person is recalling by analyzing their brain activity. The result offers new insights into how and where the brain records memories and may help scientists understand memory impairments caused by injuries, aging, and neurological conditions, such as a stroke.



The study is being conducted by Cognitive neuroscientist Eleanor Maguire at the University College London. Their recipe of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and a specific computer algorithm has gleaned the secrets of the hippocampus, a brain region that tracks where a person is and also plays a role in memory and learning. The technologicaltag team works like this: fMRI measures the brain's blood flow—associated with neuron activity—on the scale of voxels, three-dimensional "pixels" that each include roughly 10,000 neurons. The algorithm then interprets the changes voxel by voxel to learn the brain's patterns of activity over time.

The findings confirm that the hippocampus is heavily involved in episodic memory.

fMRI can't spot particular neurons in the act of signaling each other. The fMRI resolution limits researchers to seeing in voxels, so "you don't know that exactly the same neurons or circuits are at work every time," he explains.

Maguire, whose team reported its results online in Current Biology, is refining her method. She's also hoping to study what happens in the hippocampus over longer periods or when the brain ages or is injured. "What happens to these memories over time is an important issue that remains to be resolved," she says.

Take Five

http://www.oprah.com/spirit/The-Happiness-Test

The disappearnce of New Moore Island

For nearly 30 years, India and Bangladesh have argued over control of a tiny rock island, New Moore Island, in the Bay of Bengal.

Now, it's gone.

Rising sea levels in the bay have plunged New Moore Island in the Sunderbans completely underwater, said oceanographer Sugata Hazra, a professor at Jadavpur University in Calcutta. Its disappearance has been confirmed by satellite imagery and sea patrols, he said.

"What these two countries could not achieve from years of talking, has been resolved by global warming," said Hazra.

Reports say that around 10 more small island like New Moore Island are still at risk in the Bay of Bengal.

Got Game?

The Striatum is Part of the basal ganglia of the brain. The basal ganglia are interconnected masses of gray matter located in the interior regions of the cerebral hemispheres and in the upper part of the brainstem.

Researchers have found that individuals with large Striatums are better at video games than those withsmall stiatums; its also been found that large-striatum individuals were also better at shifting priorites from, say, shooting a target to outrunning an enemy - abilities that could translate to the real world.

The game Space Fortress is used in the study; it looks like an old arcade game with geometric shapes subbing for spaceships and buildings. Over the years, researchers have used the game to study memory, motor control and learning speed; the US air force and the Israeli air force have even changed their training regimens based on how cadets fared as players.

Its being reported in Cerebral Cortex (magazine) that even among highly educated people, the size of the striatum can play a significant role in skills such as learning and multitasking; the next step is to figure out whether playing the game can alter the striatum size and function. Yaakov stern, a cognitive neuroscientist at columbia university said, "that could help answer the question of whether some people are born with larger striatums than others, or whether this region becomes bigger as people develop certain skills."

source: sciencemag

WTH Advice

Dear Pastor,

Greetings, in the name of the most high, Jesus Christ. I have a problem and I would like your advice. I have this insatiable girlfriend, who always wants sex. I need to know what I can do to please her. I tried Viagra and Cialis but none of them have helped me. Even with all those chemicals and drugs in my body, she still manages to out-do me in bed.

She has Indian in her background, and I can truly say I now know it is true what old people say about Indians and sex. I know you are not going to believe this, but as I am writing this, she is all over me for what she says is her 'tings'. Help me, please.

T.W., Kingston, Jamaica

Dear T.W.,

People talk about Indian women and how they love to have sex, but Indian women don't agree.
It seems to me you can't manage this woman. So, the best thing for you to do is to run. Run like hell. I cannot encourage a young man who is supposed to be healthy and strong, to be using the drugs that you are on to keep up with a young woman who wants to have sex 24/7. These drugs are for men who are suffering from erectile dysfunction. People who use them suffer from side effects. I repeat, healthy men ought not to use them frivolously.

This woman is going to kill you. You don't have the strength to cope with her. What you need is a woman who would not just want to have sex, but would be interested in having you as a husband and both of you would learn not to overdo a good thing.

Right now, your relationship is only sexual, and you cannot manage.

Pastor

**lmao**

Word on the Street...

-Rap icon KRS-ONE has launched his own religion, complete with a 600 page 'Bible' for potential followers. He's written a 600 page bible called The Gospel of Hip Hop: The First Instrument.

In an interview with All Hip Hop.com, KRS says of his book: "It explores the spirituality of hip hop, the divinity of hip hop. I'm suggesting that in 100 years, this book will be a new religion on the earth. Now you talk about controversy, there's some Christian ministries if you go online, look up some ministers, they dissing right now. 'Who the hell does he think he is?' Well, I think I have the authority to approach God directly, I don't have to go through any religion (or) train of thought. I can approach God directly myself and so I wrote a book called 'The Gospel Of Hip Hop' to free from all this nonsense garbage right now. Respect (to) the Christianity, the Islam, the Judaism but their time is up."

-KRS One is featured in a documentary entitled 'The Obama Deception'. He had this to say: “If they controlled it before, what makes you think they're not controlling it now? The country was on the verge of revolution. They threw a Black man up, now we like this (complacent). They put a Black face on the New World Order and now we all happy. KRS ain't buying it.”

For more on The Obama Deception, check out the link: http://hiphopwired.com/7285/krs-one-breaks-down-the-new-world-order-the-obama-deception/

-Venus and Serena Williams are now part owners of the Miami Dolphins.

u go girls!

-Hip-hop entrepreneur Jay-Z is aiming to move his basketball team the New Jersey Nets to his native Brooklyn, New York by the end of next year (2010).

His plans have been hampered by a number of legal delays, but Jay-Z reveals progress is being made and he's looking to unveil the Nets' new home in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Prospect Heights by December 2010.

Jay-Z says, "We're trying to get to Brooklyn, I think in early December; we'll start building the new stadium, it'll take hopefully a year (to complete)." The rapper wants the team's new move to be coupled with a new name - the Brooklyn Nets - and he's keen to add his pal LeBron James to the line-up when the basketball ace's contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers is up.

-A movie is currently in the works on the life of Whitney Houston. No word yet on who will portray Houston.

The movie will depict her rise to stardom, her tumultuous marriage to Bobby Brown, her drug abuse and her recent comeback.

-Janet Jackson will do a duet with Madonna.