tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4507277145242757042024-03-17T01:49:47.267-07:00Archangels and DemonsStephen Skeltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03686826170554991900noreply@blogger.comBlogger932125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-450727714524275704.post-58852826276669035122015-07-24T05:58:00.000-07:002015-07-24T06:00:09.284-07:00Guan Yin - Message from Guan Yin on Tantra<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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MESSAGE FROM GUAN YIN<br />
I am Guan Yin, Lady of the Earth.<br />
I bring to you the teachings of Tantra or Unity, in this time of Awakening, in Beauty, Light and Love.</div>
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TANTRA<br />
Tantra तन्त्र simply means “to weave” from the root tan meaning expand and<br />
tra meaning instrument. This also means union, unity or unity consciousness.</div>
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The essence of the path of Tantra in Tibetan Vajrayana Yoga is “to weave method and wisdom”. The method here refers to bodhicitta, seeking<br />
buddhahood for the benefit of all sentient beings and the wisdom refers to wisdom realizing emptiness.</div>
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THE YOGA METHOD OF GUAN YIN, THE BUDDHA OF COMPASSION<br />
In deity yoga practice we first meditate on and dissolve everything into emptiness. Then from within emptiness, the very clear mind that realizes emptiness arises in the form of the meditation deity, Our Mother, Guan Yin. This is explained below.</div>
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THE HEART SUTRA<br />
gate gate pāragate pārasaṃgate bodhi svāhā<br />
ག༌ཏེ༌ག༌ཏེ༌པཱ༌ར༌ག༌ཏེ༌པཱ༌ར༌སཾ༌ག༌ཏེ༌བོ༌དྷི༌སྭཱ༌ཧཱ།<br />
"go, go, go beyond, go thoroughly beyond, and establish yourself in enlightenment”</div>
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THE SHARED HEART<br />
The foundation of Our Mother, Guan Yin’s path is compassion.<br />
Simply put, our loving kindness in our relationships (with our self and others) gives Her Delight.<br />
Loving kindness directed towards ourself or others inspires Our Higher Self and because we exist in the Shared Heart with Our Mother it inspires Her to Divine Delight in Her Children.<br />
If you truly look at every connection as an opportunity for wisdom (learning from) and liberation (giving to) then the Higher Self's Shared Heart expands with every communication which is in effect an energy exchange of love.<br />
When you give pure love to me, for example, Your Higher Self IS GIVING my Higher Self energy light and love, helping it expand into a new reality, that of the Divine Shared Heart with Our Mother.</div>
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THE PERFECTION OF WISDOM<br />
Insight into emptiness is a deep wisdom. When you understand emptiness you understand that the self you have created is also empty, devoid of existence. When you empty your self, the nature of the mind is revealed as clear and luminous and into this clear luminous limitless light Our Mother is able to BE.<br />
The potential for attaining the qualities of the Buddha of Compassion, Our Mother Guan Yin, lies naturally within all of us.<br />
When we grasp at our self and existence we distort perception of reality.<br />
By practicing deity yoga, the yoga method of Guan Yin, where we visualize ourself as Her, we cultivate our innate mind of clear light and understand the true meaning of emptiness WHICH IS TO LET DIVINITY IN.</div>
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INITIATION INTO THE YOGA METHOD OF GUAN YIN<br />
The true nature of Our Mother is compassion, bodhicitta, seeking<br />
buddhahood for the benefit of all sentient beings. This is the right motivation for initiation of this energy process.<br />
If you have another deity such as Lord Sananda (Yeshua’s Higher Self) or Lady Nada (Mary Magdalene’s Higher Self) or Mother Mary or Lord Krishna you can still follow this same process, choosing that deity as Your Mother or Father.<br />
In deity yoga practice, visualization and imagination are very important so let go of your ordinary perception and identity and cultivate the perception and identity of the meditation deity.</div>
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DIVINE GRACE<br />
The Practice is as follows.<br />
The Deity<br />
One taste of emptiness dissolves all form. Both the meditator, you, and the meditation deity, Guan Yin, are devoid of form and existence. The emptiness of our self allows your self to become an empty vessel, devoid of form, the same as the deity you are meditating upon. The limitless light will fill an empty vessel just as One that is still will know the truth. This is the same essence as the phrase “Be Still and Know God” Psalm 46:10<br />
The Deity of Sound<br />
Out of our experience of emptiness arises a sound, the resonance of emptiness.<br />
The Deity of Syllables<br />
Out of the pure mind arises grains of gold.<br />
The Deity of Form<br />
Out of the pure mind arises a meditation based on bodhicitta and emptiness. When we emanate light and make offerings to all the Krishnas, Christs, buddhas and bodhisattvas, ascended masters, angels and lighted beings, we can offer our own spiritual practice which is the highest of offerings. This is something we actually have to offer that pleases and delights Our Mother. It also gives a meaning to our meditation in that we are taking on the activities of Our Mother in bringing about others welfare.<br />
The Deity of Mudra<br />
We now arise in the full form of Our Mother<br />
The Deity of Sign<br />
We invoke and absorb the wisdom beings, Our Mother, making an offering to Her families and requesting the empowerment. The empowering deity, Our Mother , dissolves into us, crowning our body with the halo of compassion, love and light.</div>
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There are many manifestations of Our Mother. She is unlimited and so is your experience. Be blessed and love, be compassionate towards all beings.</div>
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WE are Krishna, WE are The Christ, WE are the Buddha.<br />
Seek refuge in Krishna, the Buddha, the Christ Within.There is Our Salvation.<br />
I am Guan Yin, Lady of the Earth.Love and Blessings from the Source.<br />
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/altairshyam" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/altairshyam</a></div>
<br />Stephen Skeltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03686826170554991900noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-450727714524275704.post-32837040217095885582015-06-25T04:25:00.003-07:002015-06-25T04:25:35.114-07:00God's Own Country - Aurora Australis southern lights stun New Zealand - AMAZING PICS!<br />
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Aurora Australis southern lights stun New Zealand</h1>
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2 hours ago</div>
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<li class="mini-info-list__item" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: inherit; display: inline-block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 2px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="mini-info-list__section-desc off-screen" style="border: 0px !important; clip: rect(1px 1px 1px 1px); color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: 1px !important; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px !important; position: absolute !important; vertical-align: baseline; width: 1px !important;">From the section</span><a class="mini-info-list__section" href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world/asia" style="border: 0px; color: #bb1919; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1.3rem; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: 1.23077; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Asia</a></li>
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<figure class="lead media-landscape full-width has-caption" style="background-color: #111111; border: 0px; clear: both; color: inherit; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 32px -54px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="Aurora australis" class="js-image-replace" height="549" src="http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/660/cpsprodpb/14E50/production/_83848558_stephenvoss1.jpg" style="-webkit-user-select: none; border: 0px; color: #bdbdbd; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: auto; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 646px;" width="976" /><figcaption class="media-caption" style="border: 0px; color: inherit; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="media-caption__text" style="border: 0px; color: #ececec; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1.3rem; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: 1.23077; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Earlier this week many New Zealanders braved the cold to capture images of the phenomenon</span></figcaption></figure><div class="story-body__introduction" style="border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1.6rem; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin: 28px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
New Zealand's South Island, and some parts of Australia, have been treated to the Aurora Australis, a natural light display in the sky.</div>
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A solar storm meant that the Aurora Australis, the southern counterpart of the Aurora Borealis, was visible much further north than it usually is.</div>
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Aurorae occur when cosmic rays or solar wind interact with the earth's upper atmosphere.</div>
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The aurora is forecast to be active again on Thursday night.</div>
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Earlier this week many New Zealanders braved the cold to capture images of the phenomenon.</div>
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Blair Pattinson, a photographer from Queenstown is part of a community of "aurora chasers".</div>
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"When you look at places [like] Finland, Iceland, North Canada, northern lights are very common," he told the BBC.</div>
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"We see it more as a treat, when you see an aurora that is strong enough. It's quite special. Many people wait years before they see them."</div>
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Stephen Voss, a medical practitioner based at the southern tip of New Zealand's South Island, has been chasing aurorae for the last 15 years.</div>
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"There is one word to describe the experience of every New Zealander who was out photographing the aurora this week ...freezing," told the BBC.</div>
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"We've had our coldest week of the winter this week with the entire South Island dropping well into sub-zero temperatures overnight."</div>
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Stephen Skeltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03686826170554991900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-450727714524275704.post-72339084066287291842015-06-24T05:28:00.001-07:002015-06-24T05:28:16.590-07:00Stephen Skelton | Divine Mother Guan Yin (Feat. Chloe) | CD Baby Music Store<a href="http://www.cdbaby.com/AlbumDetails.aspx?AlbumID=stephenskelton8#.VYqiU0GeJYM.blogger">Stephen Skelton | Divine Mother Guan Yin (Feat. Chloe) | CD Baby Music Store</a>Stephen Skeltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03686826170554991900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-450727714524275704.post-89784283014629252802015-06-16T05:31:00.004-07:002015-06-16T05:31:58.221-07:00Raccoon riding an alligator - as Russia increases its nuclear arsenal, perhaps we should pay more attention to the wisdom of animals<h1 class="story-body__h1" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #1e1e1e; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 3.2rem; line-height: 1.125; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Man captures photo of raccoon riding an alligator</h1>
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<li class="mini-info-list__item" style="border-right-color: rgb(220, 220, 220); border-right-style: solid; border-width: 0px 1px 0px 0px; color: inherit; display: inline-block; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 2px 0.2em 2px 0px; padding: 0px 0.5em 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="date date--v2 relative-time" data-datetime="16 June 2015" data-seconds="1434443619" data-timestamp-inserted="true" style="background-image: url(http://static.bbci.co.uk/news/1.74.1360/img/news--icons-sprite.png); background-position: 0% -4011px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border: 0px; color: #5a5a5a; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1.3rem; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: 1.23077; margin: 0px 0px 0px -10px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 28px; vertical-align: baseline;">
3 hours ago</div>
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<div class="story-body__inner" property="articleBody" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 16px; margin: 0px 53px 0px auto; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<figure class="lead media-landscape full-width no-caption" style="border: 0px; clear: both; color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 32px -54px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="Racoon on the back of an alligator" class="js-image-replace" height="360" src="http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/660/media/images/83649000/jpg/_83649157_8bf0026e-4b6a-4e66-9830-b199bb3127cf.jpg" style="-webkit-user-select: none; border: 0px; color: inherit; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; height: auto; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 646px;" width="640" /></figure><div class="story-body__introduction" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1.6rem; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 28px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
A man walking in a national forest in central Florida has captured a rare image of a raccoon appearing to ride on the back of an alligator.</div>
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Richard Jones was walking with his family in the Ocala National Forest when they spotted the alligator.</div>
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He believes his son startled the raccoon while trying to take a picture of the reptile.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1.6rem; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
The image has become an internet sensation since the photo was taken on Sunday morning.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1.6rem; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Mr Jones <a class="story-body__link-external" href="http://www.wftv.com/news/news/local/man-snaps-unique-picture-raccoon-top-gator-ocala-n/nmcmC/" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(220, 220, 220); border-bottom-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">told local television station WFTV</a> that he "snapped a lucky picture right when the gator slipped into the water and before the raccoon jumped off and scurried away".</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1.6rem; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
"Without the context you'd think the raccoon was hitching a ride across the river," he told the television station.</div>
<figure class="media-landscape full-width has-caption" style="background-color: #111111; border: 0px; clear: both; color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 24px -24px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="null" class="js-image-replace" datasrc="http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/media/images/81366000/jpg/_81366899_woodpeckerweasel.jpg" height="360" src="http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/624/media/images/81366000/jpg/_81366899_woodpeckerweasel.jpg" style="-webkit-user-select: none; border: 0px; color: #bdbdbd; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; height: auto; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 616px;" width="640" /><figcaption class="media-caption" style="border: 0px; color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="media-caption__text" style="border: 0px; color: #ececec; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1.3rem; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: 1.23077; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Weasel rides a woodpecker was the last animal duo to take the internet by storm</span></figcaption></figure><h2 class="story-body__crosshead" style="border: 0px; color: #1e1e1e; font-family: inherit; font-size: 2rem; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: 1.2; margin: 18px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
The internet reacts</h2>
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The photo was met largely with humour and a degree of admiration for the raccoon.</div>
<figure class="media-landscape full-width no-caption" style="border: 0px; clear: both; color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 24px -24px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="null" class="js-image-replace" datasrc="http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/624/media/images/83653000/jpg/_83653863_356e89b2-4049-4d56-b572-103667c6d6a5.jpg" height="220" src="http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/624/media/images/83653000/jpg/_83653863_356e89b2-4049-4d56-b572-103667c6d6a5.jpg" style="-webkit-user-select: none; border: 0px; color: inherit; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; height: auto; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 616px;" width="624" /></figure><div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1.6rem; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
"The raccoon riding an alligator is the most Florida thing since mortgage fraud,"<a class="story-body__link-external" href="https://twitter.com/brfreed/status/610164529595576320" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(220, 220, 220); border-bottom-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">tweeted Benjamin Freed</a>, a writer for the Washingtonian, alluding to the financial crisis that began in 2007.</div>
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While Mark Di Stefano found a deeper meaning in the image: "Some days you're the raccoon. Some days you're the alligator." <a class="story-body__link-external" href="https://twitter.com/MarkDiStef/status/610336703627161600" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(220, 220, 220); border-bottom-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">he tweeted.</a></div>
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The debate also moved to how this compared to previous internet animal stars.</div>
<figure class="media-landscape full-width no-caption" style="border: 0px; clear: both; color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 24px -24px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="null" class="js-image-replace" datasrc="http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/624/media/images/83653000/jpg/_83653855_163574d5-7d6b-4f6d-b5b8-d9af876b5509.jpg" height="460" src="http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/624/media/images/83653000/jpg/_83653855_163574d5-7d6b-4f6d-b5b8-d9af876b5509.jpg" style="-webkit-user-select: none; border: 0px; color: inherit; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; height: auto; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 616px;" width="624" /></figure><div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1.6rem; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
One Tweeter put out a call for a meme.</div>
</div>
Stephen Skeltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03686826170554991900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-450727714524275704.post-11314232309790442822015-06-15T05:45:00.002-07:002015-06-15T05:45:43.860-07:00France basilica fire: Saint-Donatien in Nantes in ruins<h1 class="story-body__h1" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #1e1e1e; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 3.2rem; line-height: 1.125; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
France basilica fire: Saint-Donatien in Nantes in ruins</h1>
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4 minutes ago</div>
</li>
<li class="mini-info-list__item" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: inherit; display: inline-block; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 2px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="mini-info-list__section-desc off-screen" style="border: 0px !important; clip: rect(1px 1px 1px 1px); color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; height: 1px !important; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px !important; position: absolute !important; vertical-align: baseline; width: 1px !important;">From the section</span><a class="mini-info-list__section" href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world/europe" style="border: 0px; color: #bb1919; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1.3rem; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: 1.23077; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Europe</a></li>
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<div class="story-body__inner" property="articleBody" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 16px; margin: 0px 53px 0px auto; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<figure class="media-landscape full-width has-caption lead" style="background-color: #111111; border: 0px; clear: both; color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 32px -54px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="Saint-Donatien on fire" class="js-image-replace" height="400" src="http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/660/media/images/83631000/jpg/_83631734_chh45n1wsaaagey.jpg" style="-webkit-user-select: none; border: 0px; color: inherit; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; height: auto; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 646px;" width="624" /><figcaption class="media-caption" style="border: 0px; color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="media-caption__text" style="border: 0px; color: #ececec; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1.3rem; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: 1.23077; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Images of the burning building were widely shared on social media</span></figcaption></figure><div class="story-body__introduction" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1.6rem; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 28px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
A huge fire has destroyed part of the 19th Century basilica of Saint-Donatien in the French city of Nantes.</div>
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The blaze broke out on Monday after morning Mass, with worshippers evacuated from the building, Rev Benoit Bertrand told local media.</div>
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Around 40 firefighters worked to extinguish the flames, which are believed to have originated on the roof where work was being carried out.</div>
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Two workers escaped from the top of the building unharmed.</div>
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The Mayor of Nantes Johanna Rolland said the basilica was "an important symbol" for the Catholic community.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1.6rem; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<a class="story-body__link-external" href="https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=945181528874329&id=527856500606836&substory_index=0" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(220, 220, 220); border-bottom-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">In a statement on Facebook</a> (in French) she also thanked firefighters for their "rapid and brave action".</div>
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The blaze broke out at around 10:30 local time (08:30 GMT) and may have been linked to "waterproofing work", according to the city's chief fire officer.</div>
<figure class="media-landscape full-width has-caption" style="background-color: #111111; border: 0px; clear: both; color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 24px -24px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="Firefighters works after a spectacular blaze that ravaged the roof of a 19th century basilica in Nantes, western France on june 15, 2015." class="js-image-replace" height="351" src="http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/624/media/images/83639000/jpg/_83639432_hi027707723.jpg" style="-webkit-user-select: none; border: 0px; color: inherit; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; height: auto; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 616px;" width="624" /><figcaption class="media-caption" style="border: 0px; color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="media-caption__text" style="border: 0px; color: #ececec; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1.3rem; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: 1.23077; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The flames were extinguished by "mid-morning" according to fire crews</span></figcaption></figure><div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1.6rem; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
The roof has been severely damaged and efforts are now underway to save several precious objects inside the basilica, most notably its organ.</div>
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Brendon Jeffreys, a professor at the University of Nantes, witnessed the fire take hold.</div>
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"Initially, it consisted of huge plumes of smoke coming from the tower, but after a few minutes, the flames started poking through and taking hold of the roof," he told the BBC.</div>
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"Many of the passers-by were visibly upset. The most frequent comment that I overheard was 'la vache', an expression of disbelief."</div>
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<figcaption class="media-caption undefined" style="border: 0px; color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="off-screen" style="border: 0px !important; clip: rect(1px 1px 1px 1px); color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; height: 1px !important; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px !important; position: absolute !important; vertical-align: baseline; width: 1px !important;">Media caption</span><span class="media-caption__text" style="border: 0px; color: #ececec; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1.3rem; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: 1.23077; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Amateur footage showed large plumes of black smoke rising from the basilica</span></figcaption></figure></div>
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Social media users shared images of the burning building on Twitter, showing smoke billowing from its rooftop.</div>
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The basilica dates back to the 19th Century and is dedicated to the religious martyrs St Donatien and St Rogatien.</div>
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Another of the city's religious sites, Nantes Cathedral, suffered similar damage during a fire in 1972. It has since been restored.</div>
<figure class="media-landscape full-width no-caption" style="border: 0px; clear: both; color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 24px -24px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="Roisin O'Connor tweet" class="js-image-replace" height="440" src="http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/624/media/images/83633000/png/_83633616_tweetfrance.png" style="-webkit-user-select: none; border: 0px; color: inherit; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; height: auto; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 616px;" width="624" /></figure><figure class="media-landscape full-width no-caption" style="border: 0px; clear: both; color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 24px -24px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="Nunes Christopher tweet" class="js-image-replace" height="600" src="http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/624/media/images/83634000/png/_83634970_tweet2.png" style="-webkit-user-select: none; border: 0px; color: inherit; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; height: auto; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 616px;" width="624" /></figure><figure class="media-landscape body-width no-caption" style="border: 0px; clear: both; color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 24px -24px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="line" class="js-image-replace" height="2" src="http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/624/media/images/75306000/jpg/_75306515_line976.jpg" style="-webkit-user-select: none; border: 0px; color: inherit; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; height: auto; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 616px;" width="464" /></figure><div style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1.6rem; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Are you in Nantes? Did you see the Saint-Donatien basilica fire? Email your eyewitness accounts to </strong><a class="story-body__link-email" href="mailto:haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk?subject=Nantes%20fire" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="icon email" style="border: 0px; color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1.2rem; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; letter-spacing: 0.085em; line-height: 1.33333; margin: 0px; opacity: 0.6; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-transform: uppercase; vertical-align: baseline; word-spacing: 0.085em;"></span><span class="story-body__link-email-text" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(220, 220, 220); border-bottom-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 0px 6px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk</span></a><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">.</strong></div>
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Stephen Skeltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03686826170554991900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-450727714524275704.post-8956039019556825832015-06-05T02:44:00.002-07:002015-06-05T02:44:37.707-07:00SHOCKING BREAKING NEWS - Eight out of 10 Malala suspects 'secretly acquitted' - BBC<h1 class="story-body__h1" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #1e1e1e; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 3.2rem; line-height: 1.125; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Eight out of 10 Malala suspects 'secretly acquitted'</h1>
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15 minutes ago</div>
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<figure class="media-landscape full-width has-caption lead" style="background-color: #111111; border: 0px; clear: both; color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 32px -54px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="Malala Yousafzai is pictured before officially opening The Library of Birmingham in Birmingham, central England. (3 Sept 2013)" class="js-image-replace" height="351" src="http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/660/media/images/83437000/jpg/_83437820_83437557.jpg" style="-webkit-user-select: none; border: 0px; color: inherit; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; height: auto; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 646px;" width="624" /><figcaption class="media-caption" style="border: 0px; color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="media-caption__text" style="border: 0px; color: #ececec; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1.3rem; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: 1.23077; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Malala Yousafzai was seriously injured in a 2012 assassination attempt</span></figcaption></figure><div class="story-body__introduction" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1.6rem; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 28px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Eight of the 10 men reportedly jailed for the attempted assassination of Pakistani schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai were actually set free, it has emerged.</div>
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In April, officials in Pakistan said that 10 Taliban fighters had been <a class="story-body__link" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-32530324" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(220, 220, 220); border-bottom-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">found guilty</a>and received 25-year sentences.</div>
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But sources have now confirmed to the BBC that only two of the men who stood trial were convicted.</div>
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The secrecy surrounding the trial, which was held behind closed doors, raised suspicions over its validity.</div>
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Muneer Ahmed, a spokesman for the Pakistani High Commission in London, said on Friday that the eight men were acquitted because of a lack of evidence.</div>
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Saleem Marwat, the district police chief in Swat, Pakistan separately confirmed that only two men had been convicted.</div>
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Mr Ahmed claimed that the original court judgement made it clear only two men had been convicted and blamed the confusion on misreporting.</div>
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But Sayed Naeem, a public prosecutor in Swat, told Associated Press after the trial: "Each militant got 25 years in jail. It is life in prison for the 10 militants who were tried by an anti-terrorist court." In Pakistan, a life sentence is 25 years.</div>
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The acquittals emerged after reporters from the London-based Daily Mirror attempted to locate the 10 convicted men in prisons in Pakistan.</div>
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Secret trial</h2>
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The trial was held at a military facility rather than a court, a Pakistani security source told the BBC, and was shrouded in secrecy. Anti-terrorism trials in Pakistan are not open to the public.</div>
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Pakistani authorities did not make the judgement available at any stage, nor did they correct the reports over the past two months that 10 men had been convicted.</div>
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The announcement of the convictions in April took many by surprise. No journalists had been made aware that the trial was taking place.</div>
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Pakistani authorities did not say when and where the men had been arrested or how they were linked to the attack, or explain the charges against them.</div>
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Ms Yousafzai, who is now 17, was targeted by Taliban gunmen while she was travelling home from school in the town of Mingora.</div>
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The gunmen boarded a bus and asked for her by name before shooting her in the head.</div>
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She was treated for her injuries in the UK and currently lives in Birmingham with her family. They are unable to return to Pakistan because of Taliban death threats.</div>
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Ms Yousafzai was targeted after campaigning for education rights for girls. She also wrote an anonymous blog for the BBC's Urdu service, describing life under the Taliban.</div>
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Pakistan's mountainous Swat valley, where she lived with her family, was overrun by the Taliban between 2007 and 2009.</div>
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Stephen Skeltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03686826170554991900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-450727714524275704.post-90400464185716733672015-04-17T05:06:00.001-07:002015-04-17T05:07:14.414-07:00Star Wars The Force Awakens Official Teaser Trailer #2 - NEW<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-9W1xTUqwpriSa-Hc29IyFu8xKuSRJX9Ed_J3bsvuRWpPVDjfLBhKzpf_zFjLTookXl7KKgoVyf00Mz5zh0CirBTndqPJjBBf32m5PygKs8tILt19LkI8S0opkebHxW1gCHsqGcMuxb0/s1600/Star+Wars+Teaser+Trailer+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-9W1xTUqwpriSa-Hc29IyFu8xKuSRJX9Ed_J3bsvuRWpPVDjfLBhKzpf_zFjLTookXl7KKgoVyf00Mz5zh0CirBTndqPJjBBf32m5PygKs8tILt19LkI8S0opkebHxW1gCHsqGcMuxb0/s1600/Star+Wars+Teaser+Trailer+2.jpg" height="268" width="640" /></a></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/X8zLbS_XivQ" width="480"></iframe>Stephen Skeltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03686826170554991900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-450727714524275704.post-68143756535918024112015-03-27T21:48:00.004-07:002015-03-27T21:48:37.192-07:00Divine Mother, may Thy love shine forever on the sanctuary of my devotion, and may I be able to awaken Thy love in all hearts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKTxFol77CvTMsoy_43ycTXs8VYUVQnWQi_ZzQX3pLwEchNYQgrbgM1VXJ2_y-wF_X9G-zFyywxt7il5RCRg5OhKdCdusXjfeOdP3UnX9yz52hgDU5XY5UNGq4V8flFrbyYU5ctygEMIU/s1600/Quan+Yin+Beautiful.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKTxFol77CvTMsoy_43ycTXs8VYUVQnWQi_ZzQX3pLwEchNYQgrbgM1VXJ2_y-wF_X9G-zFyywxt7il5RCRg5OhKdCdusXjfeOdP3UnX9yz52hgDU5XY5UNGq4V8flFrbyYU5ctygEMIU/s1600/Quan+Yin+Beautiful.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #4e5665; line-height: 16px;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Divine Mother, may Thy love shine forever on the sanctuary of my devotion, and may I be able to awaken Thy love in all hearts</span></i></span></div>
Stephen Skeltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03686826170554991900noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-450727714524275704.post-34759380828770849462015-03-26T05:12:00.002-07:002015-03-26T05:12:30.183-07:00BREAKING NEWS : Germanwings plane crash: Co-pilot 'wanted to destroy plane'<h1 class="story-body__h1" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #1e1e1e; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 3.2rem; line-height: 1.125; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Germanwings plane crash: Co-pilot 'wanted to destroy plane'</h1>
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2 minutes ago</div>
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The co-pilot of the Germanwings plane that crashed into the French Alps on Tuesday appeared to want to "destroy the plane", French officials said.</div>
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Marseille prosecutor Brice Robin, citing information from the "black box" voice recorder, said the co-pilot was alone in the cockpit.</div>
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He intentionally started a descent while the pilot was locked out.</div>
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Mr Robin said there was "absolute silence in the cockpit" as the pilot fought to re-enter it.</div>
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The co-pilot, now named as Andreas Lubitz, was alive until the final impact, the prosecutors added.</div>
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"We hear the pilot ask the co-pilot to take control of the plane and we hear at the same time the sound of a seat moving backwards and the sound of a door closing," Mr Robin told reporters.</div>
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"At that moment, the co-pilot is controlling the plane by himself. While he is alone, the co-pilot presses the buttons of the flight monitoring system to put into action the descent of the aeroplane.</div>
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"This action on the altitude controls can only be deliberate."</div>
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The Airbus 320 from Barcelona to Duesseldorf hit a mountain, killing 150 people, after an eight-minute descent.</div>
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Stephen Skeltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03686826170554991900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-450727714524275704.post-76178092604197886722015-03-24T04:38:00.003-07:002015-03-24T04:38:22.793-07:00Pray for the souls on board the Germanwings airliner that they were taken up before they knew what happened - Airliner crashes into French Alps <h1 class="story-body__h1" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #1e1e1e; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 3.2rem; line-height: 1.125; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Germanwings airliner crashes in French Alps</h1>
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11 minutes ago</div>
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<figure class="media-landscape full-width has-caption lead" style="background-color: #111111; border: 0px; clear: both; color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 32px -54px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="A Germanwings Airbus A320 (file image)" class="js-image-replace" height="351" src="http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/660/media/images/81864000/jpg/_81864644_026462963.jpg" style="-webkit-user-select: none; border: 0px; color: inherit; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; height: auto; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 646px;" width="624" /><figcaption class="media-caption" style="border: 0px; color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 16px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="media-caption__text" style="border: 0px; color: #ececec; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1.3rem; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: 1.23077; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Germanwings airliner, similar to this one, had been flying to Dusseldorf in Germany</span></figcaption></figure><div class="story-body__introduction" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1.6rem; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin-top: 28px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
An Airbus A320 airliner has crashed in the French Alps between Barcelonnette and Digne, French aviation officials and police have said.</div>
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The jet belongs to the German airline Germanwings, a subsidiary of Lufthansa.</div>
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The plane had reportedly been en route from Barcelona to Dusseldorf and was carrying 142 passengers and six crew.</div>
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French President Francois Hollande said: "The conditions of the accident, which have not yet been clarified, lead us to think there are no survivors."</div>
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Mr Hollande said the crash was a tragedy and called for solidarity with the victims, adding that the area of the crash was very difficult to access.</div>
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The plane had issued a distress call at 10:47 (09:47 GMT), according to sources quoted by AFP news agency.</div>
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French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said he had sent Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve to the scene and a ministerial crisis cell to co-ordinate the incident had been set up.</div>
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Both Airbus and Germanwings have said they are aware of the reports but cannot yet confirm them.</div>
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Stephen Skeltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03686826170554991900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-450727714524275704.post-82375464225538670172015-03-20T22:01:00.001-07:002015-03-20T22:01:11.596-07:00Tree of Souls - Flowers that are out of this world: Enchanting wisteria vines in Japan are real-life version of blockbuster Avatar's Tree of Souls<h1 style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px; min-height: 1px; padding: 0px;">
Flowers that are out of this world: Enchanting wisteria vines in Japan are real-life version of blockbuster Avatar's Tree of Souls</h1>
<ul style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; min-height: 1px; padding: 0px;">
<li style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 1.4em;">Japan's Ashikaga Flower park is home to hundreds of wisteria in its 10,000 square foot vine grove </span></li>
<li style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 1.4em;">Wisteria can be 'trained' with careful pruning to stand upright in a tree-form, rather than just climb up surfaces</span></li>
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By <a class="author" href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/search.html?s=&authornamef=Daily+Mail+Reporter" rel="nofollow" style="color: #003580; cursor: pointer; margin: 0px; min-height: 1px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; text-transform: uppercase;">DAILY MAIL REPORTER</a></div>
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<span class="article-timestamp article-timestamp-published" style="font-size: 0.9em;"><span class="article-timestamp-label" style="font-weight: 700; text-transform: uppercase;">PUBLISHED:</span> 10:21 GMT, 14 May 2013 </span>| <span class="article-timestamp article-timestamp-updated" style="font-size: 0.9em;"><span class="article-timestamp-label" style="font-weight: 700; text-transform: uppercase;">UPDATED:</span> 13:07 GMT, 14 May 2013</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 1.2em;"></span><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">In the Hollywood 3D blockbuster Avatar, the Tree of Souls mesmerised audiences with its vibrant blue and purple colours.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; min-height: 1px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">But there's now an Earthly version giving the alien tree a run for its money - the breath-taking 10,000 square foot wisteria vine grove in Japan.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; min-height: 1px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">These amazing photographs were captured at Japan's Ashikaga Flower park, home to hundreds of enchanting wisteria vines</span>.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Scroll down for video</span></b></div>
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<img alt="Rare sight: A vibrant wisteria plant has been trained with careful pruning over numerous years to grow upright into a tree at the Ashikaga Flower park in Japan" class="blkBorder" height="641" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/05/14/article-2324253-19C48135000005DC-287_964x641.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(0, 0, 0); margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" width="964" /></div>
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Rare sight: A vibrant wisteria plant has been trained with careful pruning over numerous years to grow upright into a tree at the Ashikaga Flower park in Japan</div>
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<img alt="Like something out of a fairy-tale: The view from beneath the wisteria trees in Ashikaga Flower park in Japan earlier this month" class="blkBorder" height="641" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/05/14/article-2324253-19C48CC5000005DC-27_964x641.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(0, 0, 0); margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" width="964" /></div>
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Like something out of a fairy-tale: The view from beneath the wisteria trees in Ashikaga Flower park in Japan earlier this month</div>
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<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">IT support worker Jeff Matsuya visited the park in May, and was blown away by the beauty and immense number of vines, held up by special poles that allow the plants to climb upwards.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">'Most people react in surprise when they see the Wisteria, as at first sight you wouldn't guess it were a real plant,' said Jeff.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">'This is always followed by pure amazement - it's hard to take your eyes off the wisteria when you're standing in the fairy-tale environment.</span>'</div>
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<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Jeff came across the park while researching online and decided he had to see it first-hand. </span></div>
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<img alt="Magical garden: The park contains a 10,000 square foot wisteria grove which visitors can walk through with the plant dangling overhead" class="blkBorder" height="641" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/05/14/article-2324253-19C48BEC000005DC-312_964x641.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(0, 0, 0); margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" width="964" /></div>
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Magical garden: The park contains a 10,000 square foot wisteria grove which visitors can walk through with the plant dangling overhead</div>
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<img alt="Spot the difference: The wisteria plants at the Ashikaga Flower park bear a striking resemblance to the Tree of Souls in the Hollywood 3D blockbuster Avatar, pictured" class="blkBorder" height="543" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/05/14/article-2324253-19C49358000005DC-297_964x543.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(0, 0, 0); margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" width="964" /></div>
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Spot the difference: The wisteria plants at the Ashikaga Flower park bear a striking resemblance to the Tree of Souls in the Hollywood 3D blockbuster Avatar, pictured</div>
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<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">He added: 'As soon as I saw images of the wisterias online, I immediately knew that I had to go and see it for myself</span>.'</div>
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<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Wisterias are climbing plants related to the pea native to North America, China and Japan.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">They were imported to Britain in the 18th Century and can be seen flowering this time of year across the country.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">Through careful pruning wisteria can be 'trained' to stand upright in a tree-form, rather than just climb up surfaces as is natural for them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">These breath-taking photographs, also captured by photographer Koji Tajima, show how the vines range through a spectrum of colours from white, light pink, purple and red.</span></div>
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Beautiful! The Ashikaga Flower park visited</div>
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<img alt="A wall of flowers: The hanging wisteria is so thick in some parts of the Japanese park it is impossible to see through it" class="blkBorder" height="643" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/05/14/article-2324253-19C487C5000005DC-260_964x643.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(0, 0, 0); margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" width="964" /></div>
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A wall of flowers: The hanging wisteria is so thick in some parts of the Japanese park it is impossible to see through it</div>
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Years in the making: Wisteria vines normally grow along walls but with pruning and the use of special poles to hold up the branches, they can be manipulated into tree shapes</div>
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<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">The park is home to hundreds of these spell-binding trees, ranging from shrubs, draped wisteria, to 260-foot-long tunnels and are said to be the most beautiful wisterias in the world.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">'Having lived in Japan for ten-years, I couldn't believe I hadn't visited before,' said Jeff.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">'There are so many places I'm discovering for the first time and this was just one of the ones that took my breath away.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">'I spent the entire day walking around and taking photos as various scenes caught my eye, there was so much to see.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">'Photographers will always continue to visit this magical place year-after-year, just to capture the growing beauty.'</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 1.2em;">One of the largest wisterias, known as a 'Fugi Tree' in Japan, has been growing for 100-years, and forms a living umbrella of leaves over visitors.</span></div>
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Blooming marvellous: Wisteria plants come in a variety of colours including white, pictured, light pink, purple and red</div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10px;"><br /><br />Read more: <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2324253/Flowers-world-Enchanting-wisteria-vines-Japan-real-life-version-blockbuster-Avatars-Tree-Souls.html#ixzz3Uze7XKuj" style="color: #003399; cursor: pointer; margin: 0px; min-height: 1px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2324253/Flowers-world-Enchanting-wisteria-vines-Japan-real-life-version-blockbuster-Avatars-Tree-Souls.html#ixzz3Uze7XKuj</a><br />Follow us: <a href="http://ec.tynt.com/b/rw?id=bBOTTqvd0r3Pooab7jrHcU&u=MailOnline" style="color: #003580; cursor: pointer; margin: 0px; min-height: 1px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">@MailOnline on Twitter</a> | <a href="http://ec.tynt.com/b/rf?id=bBOTTqvd0r3Pooab7jrHcU&u=DailyMail" style="color: #003580; cursor: pointer; margin: 0px; min-height: 1px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">DailyMail on Facebook</a></span>Stephen Skeltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03686826170554991900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-450727714524275704.post-90824785910723550982015-03-20T04:11:00.000-07:002015-03-20T04:12:53.539-07:00Breathtaking Solar Eclipse<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<img src="webkit-fake-url://7694B66D-0520-4050-8C21-3DDC5C7455D0/image.tiff" />Stephen Skeltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03686826170554991900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-450727714524275704.post-15796390239480575942015-03-14T22:18:00.001-07:002015-03-14T22:18:29.773-07:00Japanese scientists make breakthrough in wireless energy transmission - remember TESLA? - JAXA Science Article <div class="gallery single_block" style="background-color: #fbfbfb; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Pluto, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0.875em !important; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<figure style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><img alt="" src="http://jto.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/n-spacesolar-a-20150313-870x705.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 816px;" title="A solar flare erupts on the Sun's northeastern hemisphere during a powerful solar storm in January 2012. Japanese scientists have succeeded in transmitting energy wirelessly, a key step that could one day make solar power generation in space a possibility, an official said this week." /><figcaption class="padding_block" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 0.8125rem; line-height: 1.125rem; margin: 0px auto; padding: 0.3125em 0px 0px; width: 816px;">A solar flare erupts on the Sun's northeastern hemisphere during a powerful solar storm in January 2012. Japanese scientists have succeeded in transmitting energy wirelessly, a key step that could one day make solar power generation in space a possibility, an official said this week. | NASA / AP</figcaption></figure></div>
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Japanese scientists make breakthrough in wireless energy transmission</h1>
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Japanese scientists have succeeded in transmitting energy wirelessly, a key step that could one day make solar power generation in space a possibility, an official said.</div>
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Researchers used microwaves to deliver 1.8 kilowatts — enough to run an electric kettle — through the air with pinpoint accuracy to a receiver 55 meters (170 feet) away.</div>
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While it wasn’t a great distance, the technology could pave the way for mankind to eventually tap the vast amount of solar energy available in space and use it here on Earth, a spokesman for The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) said Thursday.</div>
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“This was the first time anyone has managed to send a high output of nearly 2 kilowatts of electric power via microwaves to a small target, using a delicate directivity control device,” he said.</div>
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JAXA has been working to devise space solar power systems, or SSPSs, for years, he said. Solar power generation in space offers many advantages, notably the permanent availability of energy regardless of weather or time of day.</div>
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While man-made satellites, such as the International Space Station, have long been able to use the solar energy that washes over them from the sun, getting that power down to Earth where people can use it has been a thing of science fiction.</div>
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But the Japanese breakthrough offers the possibility that humans will one day be able to tap an inexhaustible source of energy in space.</div>
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The idea, said the JAXA official, would be for microwave-transmitting satellites with sunlight-gathering panels and antennae to be set up about 36,000 km (22,300 miles) from Earth.</div>
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“But it could take decades before we see practical application of the technology — maybe in the 2040s or later,” he said.</div>
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“There are a number of challenges to overcome, such as how to send huge structures into space, how to construct them and how to maintain them,” he said.</div>
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The SSPS concept emerged in the U.S. in the 1960s. Japan’s version, mostly financed by the industry ministry, started in 2009, he said.</div>
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Resource-poor Japan has to import huge amounts of fossil fuel. It has become substantially more dependent on these imports as its nuclear power industry shut down in the aftermath of the disaster at Fukushima in 2011</div>
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Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. meanwhile said Thursday it succeeded in transmitting 10 kilowatts wirelessly to a receiver 500 meters away, in a test in Kobe. It hopes to find practical applications for the technology in five years, such as for charging electric vehicles or powering warning lights on power transmission towers. The company also said it aims to use the technology to send power to isolated areas in the wake of disasters.</div>
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Mitsubishi Heavy has cut costs by using a mechanism employed in microwave ovens because the cost of wireless power transmission technology used in space is high, according to the company. The company plans to eventually halve the cost.</div>
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At present, a more efficient system is needed to transmit power from offshore wind turbines and send electricity to isolated rural areas, Mitsubishi Heavy said</div>
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Stephen Skeltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03686826170554991900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-450727714524275704.post-70843388941393778982015-03-14T02:40:00.001-07:002015-03-14T02:40:17.020-07:00Life on Jupiter! Next the scientists will find Life on Venus! Now wouldn't that be surprising... - BBC Science article<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<h1 class="story-body__h1" data-asset-uri="/news/science-environment-31865815" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; clear: both; color: #1e1e1e; font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 30px; line-height: 1.125; margin: 11px 0px 12px; padding: 16px 0px 1px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Life on Jupiter - Hubble finds 'best evidence' for Ganymede subsurface ocean</h1>
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<strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">13 March 2015</strong> Last updated at 06:20 GMT</div>
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There is further, compelling evidence that Ganymede - the largest moon in the Solar System - has an ocean of water beneath its icy crust.</div>
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The new data comes from the Hubble Space Telescope, which has been studying how auroral lights dance around the satellite of Jupiter.</div>
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The presence of a sub-surface ocean would heighten interest in Ganymede as a potentially habitable world.</div>
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Europe's robotic Juice probe is being sent to orbit the moon in the 2030s.</div>
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Stephen Skeltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03686826170554991900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-450727714524275704.post-27317161287894106702015-03-03T15:28:00.000-08:002015-03-03T15:28:01.815-08:007 ways to have a near-death experience - Parnia Report School of Medicine USA - 2000 experiences<h1 class="article-heading" itemprop="headline" role="heading" style="clear: both; font-size: 3.6rem; letter-spacing: -0.03em; line-height: 1.0715em; margin: 0px 16px 10px 0px; padding: 0px;">
The seven ways to have a near-death experience</h1>
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Seeing a light and a tunnel may be the popular perception of death, but as Rachel Nuwer discovers, reports are emerging of many other strange experiences.</div>
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In 2011, Mr A, a 57-year-old social worker from England, was admitted to Southampton General Hospital after collapsing at work. Medical personnel were in the middle of inserting a catheter into his groin when he went into cardiac arrest. With oxygen cut off, his brain immediately flat-lined. Mr A died.</div>
<blockquote class="secondary-asset" style="color: #666666; display: inline; float: right; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 3.2rem; line-height: 3.2rem; margin: 22px 0px 22px 24px; padding: 0px; width: 304px;">
<span class="open quotemark" style="background-image: url(http://static.bbci.co.uk/wwfeatures/2.7/img/shared/shared-sprite.png); background-position: -761px -121px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; color: #e3e3e3; display: inline-block; font-size: 1.4rem; height: 25px; line-height: 1.6rem; margin-right: 7px; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: top; width: 27px;"></span>"The mental experience of death is much broader than what’s been assumed" <span class="close quotemark" style="background-image: url(http://static.bbci.co.uk/wwfeatures/2.7/img/shared/shared-sprite.png); background-position: -790px -121px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; color: #e3e3e3; display: inline-block; font-size: 1.4rem; height: 25px; line-height: 1.6rem; margin-left: 6px; margin-right: 6px; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: top; width: 27px;"></span><span class="quote-author" style="color: #999999; font-size: 15px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 1.6rem; white-space: nowrap;">— Sam Parnia, researcher</span></blockquote>
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Despite this, he remembers what happened next. The staff grabbed an automated external defibrillator (AED), a shock-delivery machine used to try to reactivate the heart. Mr A heard a mechanical voice twice say, “Shock the patient.” In between those orders, he looked up to see a strange woman beckoning to him from the back corner of the room, near the ceiling. He joined her, leaving his inert body behind. “I felt that she knew me, I felt that I could trust her, and I felt she was there for a reason [but] I didn’t know what that was,” Mr A later recalled. “The next second, I was up there, looking down at me, the nurse and another man who had a bald head.” </div>
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Hospital records later verified the AED’s two verbal commands. Mr A’s descriptions of the people in the room – people he had not seen before he lost consciousness – and their actions were also accurate. He was describing things that happened during a three-minute window of time that, according to what we know about biology, he should not have had any awareness of. </div>
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Mr A’s story – described in a <a href="http://www.resuscitationjournal.com/article/S0300-9572(14)00739-4/abstract" style="color: black; outline: 0px;">paper in the journal Resuscitation</a> – is one of a number of reports that challenge accepted wisdom on near-death experiences. Until now, researchers assumed that when the heart ceases to beat and stops sending vital blood to a person’s brain, all awareness immediately ends. At this point, the person is technically dead – although as we learn more about the science of death, we are beginning to understand that, in some cases, the condition can be reversible. For years, those who have come back from that inscrutable place have often reported memories of the event. Doctors mostly dismissed such anecdotal evidence as hallucinations, and researchers have been reluctant to delve into the study of near-death experiences, predominantly because it was viewed as something outside of the reach of scientific exploration. </div>
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But Sam Parnia, a critical care physician and director of resuscitation research at Stony Brook University School of Medicine in New York, along with colleagues from 17 institutions in the US and UK, wanted to do away with assumptions about what people did or did not experience on their deathbeds. It is possible, they believe, to collect scientific data about those would-be final moments. So for four years, they analysed more than 2,000 cardiac arrest events – moments when a patient’s heart stops and they are officially dead.</div>
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Of those patients, doctors were able to bring 16% back from the dead, and Parnia and his colleagues were able to interview 101 of them, or about a third. “The goal was to try to understand, first of all, what is the mental and cognitive experience of death?” Parnia says. “And then, if we got people who claimed auditory and visual awareness at the time of death, to see if we are able to determine if they really were aware.” </div>
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<span style="font-weight: 700;">Seven flavours of death</span></div>
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Mr A, it turned out, was not the only patient who had some memory of his death. Nearly 50% of the study participants could recall something, but unlike Mr A and just one other woman whose out-of-body account could not be verified externally, the other patients’ experiences did not seem to be tied to actual events that took place during their death.</div>
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Instead, they reported dream-like or hallucinatory scenarios that Parnia and his co-authors categorised into seven major themes. “Most of these were not consistent to what’s called ‘near-death’ experiences,” Parnia says. “It seems like the mental experience of death is much broader than what’s been assumed in the past.”</div>
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Those seven themes were:</div>
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Fear<br />Seeing animals or plants<br />Bright light<br />Violence and persecution<br />Deja-vu<br />Seeing family<br />Recalling events post-cardiac arrest</div>
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These mental experiences ranged from terrifying to blissful. There were those who reported feeling afraid or suffering persecution, for example. “I had to get through a ceremony … and the ceremony was to get burned,” one patient recalled. “There were four men with me, and whichever lied would die … I saw men in coffins being buried upright.” Another remembered being “dragged through deep water”, and still another was “told I was going to die and the quickest way was to say the last short word I could remember”.</div>
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Others, however, experienced the opposite sensation, with 22% reporting “a feeling of peace or pleasantness”. Some saw living things: “All plants, no flowers” or “lions and tigers”; while others basked in the glow of “a brilliant light” or were reunited with family. Some, meanwhile, reported a strong sense of deja-vu: “I felt like I knew what people were going to do before they did it”. Heightened senses, a distorted perception of the passage of time and a feeling of disconnection from the body were also common sensations that survivors reported.</div>
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While it is “definitely clear that people do have experience at the time that they’re dead”, Parnia says, how individuals actually choose to interpret those experiences depends entirely on their background and pre-existing beliefs. Someone from India might return from the dead and say they saw Krishna, whereas someone from the Midwest of the US could experience the same thing but claim to have seen God. “If the father of a child from the Midwest says, ‘When you die, you’ll see Jesus and he’ll be full of love and compassion,’ then of course he’ll see that,” Parnia says. “He’ll come back and say, ‘Oh dad, you’re right, I definitely saw Jesus!’ But would any of us actually recognise Jesus or God? You don’t know what God is. I don’t know what God is. Besides a man with a white beard, which is just a picture. </div>
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“All of these things – what’s the soul, what is heaven and hell – I have no idea what they mean, and there’s probably thousands and thousands of interpretations based on where you’re born and what your background is,” he continues. “It’s important to move this out of the realm of religious teaching and into objectivity.”</div>
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<span style="font-weight: 700;">Common cases</span></div>
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So far, the team has uncovered no predictor for who is most likely to remember something from their death, and explanations are lacking for why some people experience terrifying scenarios while others report euphoric ones. Parnia also points out that it’s very likely that more people have near-death experiences than the study numbers reflect. For many people, memories are almost certainly wiped away by the massive brain swelling that occurs following cardiac arrest, or by strong sedatives administered at the hospital. Even if people do not explicitly recall their experience of death, however, it could affect them on a subconscious level. Parnia hypothesises that this might help explain the wildly different reactions cardiac arrest patients often have following their recovery: some become unafraid of death and adopt a more altruistic approach to life, whereas others develop PTSD.</div>
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Parnia and his colleagues are already planning follow-up studies to try to address some of these questions. They also hope their work will help broaden the traditionally diametric conversation about death, breaking it free from the confines of either a religious or sceptical stance. Instead, they think, death should be treated as a scientific subject just like any other. “Anyone with a relatively objective mind will agree that this is something that should be investigated further,” Parnia says. “We have the means and the technology. Now it’s time to do it.”</div>
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Stephen Skeltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03686826170554991900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-450727714524275704.post-55283156952890918792015-02-21T16:14:00.004-08:002015-02-21T16:14:55.762-08:00Dead for 48 minutes, Catholic Priest claims God is female - news article - MUST READ<h1 id="0.463959424989298" style="background-color: white; color: #006699; font-family: Oswald; font-weight: normal; line-height: 32px;">
Dead for 48 minutes, Catholic Priest claims God is female</h1>
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Feb 19, 2015 at 2:13pm</div>
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A Catholic priest from Massachussetts was officially dead for more than 48 minutes before medics were able to miraculously re-start his heart has revealed a shocking revelation that will change everything you once believed.<br id="0.9811842143535614" /><br id="0.3463166975416243" />The 71-year-old cleric Father John Micheal O’neal claims he went to heaven and met God, which he describes as a warm and comforting motherly figure.<br id="0.015041920822113752" /><br id="0.6063116968143731" />Father John Micheal O’neal was rushed to the hospital on January 29 after a major heart attack, but was declared clinically dead soon after his arrival.<br id="0.6686718445271254" /><br id="0.17198514356277883" />With the aid of a high-tech machine called LUCAS 2, that kept the blood flowing to his brain, doctors at Massachusetts General Hospital managed to unblock vital arteries and return his heart to a normal rhythm.<br id="0.4843283088412136" /><br id="0.6903410709928721" />The doctors were afraid he would have suffered some brain damage from the incident, but he woke up less than 48 minutes later and seems to have perfectly recovered.<br id="0.6330656567588449" /><br id="0.6645831982605159" />The elderly man claims that he has clear and vivid memories of what happened to him while he was dead. He describes a strange out-of-body experience, experiencing an intense feeling of unconditional love and acceptance, as well as being surrounded by an overwhelming light.<br id="0.8627667310647666" /><br id="0.8815423455089331" />He claims that at that point in his experience, he went to heaven and encountered God, which he describes as a feminine, mother-like “Being of Light”.<br id="0.24175319029018283" /><br id="0.2614202022086829" />“Her presence was both overwhelming and comforting” states the Catholic priest. “She had a soft and soothing voice and her presence was as reassuring as a mother’s embrace. The fact that God is a Holy Mother instead of a Holy Father doesn’t disturb me, she is everything I hoped she would be and even more!<br id="0.42013379535637796" /><br id="0.29431053972803056" />The declarations of the cleric caused quite a stir in the catholic clergy of the archdiocese over the last few days, causing the Archbishop to summon a press conference to try and calm the rumors.<br id="0.6357383001595736" /><br id="0.08118945173919201" />Despite the disapproval of his superiors, Father O’neal says that he will continue dedicating his life to God and spread the word of the “Holy Mother”.<br id="0.2490403635893017" /><br id="0.7754422973375767" />“I wish to continue preaching” says the elderly cleric. “I would like to share my new knowledge of the Mother, the Son and the Holy Ghost with all catholics and even all Christians. God is great and almighty despite being a woman…”<br id="0.8280227538198233" /><br id="0.5688423304818571" />The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston has not confirmed however, if they will allow Father O’neal to resume his preaching in his former parish in South Boston.</div>
Stephen Skeltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03686826170554991900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-450727714524275704.post-12383945244292955522015-02-21T05:22:00.002-08:002015-02-21T05:22:17.690-08:00Tareth Alchemy and The Grail - 5 stars - book review - highly recommended<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz3yCrmfiQCLNSGExe6rFXwHK8exXprU0FuAyNm6yeULHQZwI3LV3k0sQYpM0cei2SR179uZdk9oC6QmgMfEisnVMFqptCS6C8S9pVy-ZOSeFDInh8UYaMZMUE6w3lvHbFJUYb1r44A_c/s1600/Alchemy+and+the+Grail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz3yCrmfiQCLNSGExe6rFXwHK8exXprU0FuAyNm6yeULHQZwI3LV3k0sQYpM0cei2SR179uZdk9oC6QmgMfEisnVMFqptCS6C8S9pVy-ZOSeFDInh8UYaMZMUE6w3lvHbFJUYb1r44A_c/s1600/Alchemy+and+the+Grail.jpg" height="640" width="422" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px;">Tareth has the rare and ancient gift of being able to manifest sound and light and bring the blessings of the Source through divine oils and fragrances which I have both experienced with him and been able to manifest through his teachings and inspiration. Tareth is a messenger from the Source and this beautiful book both honestly and clearly demonstrates our human potential. It is our birthright to be in direct communication with the Source and the wisdom within this book has simple yet profound exercises which reconnect us with this knowledge, the path of Alchemic Healing and reactivates the potential in each one of us.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/review/R26Z51DA9NZFT4" target="_blank">http://www.amazon.com/review/R26Z51DA9NZFT4</a></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.tareth.co.uk/" target="_blank">http://www.tareth.co.uk</a><br />
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<br />Stephen Skeltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03686826170554991900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-450727714524275704.post-16288723850376446742015-02-18T15:35:00.001-08:002015-02-18T15:35:42.597-08:00Alien Star Invaded Our Solar System - Science article BBC!!!<h1 class="story-header" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #505050; font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 2.461em; letter-spacing: -1px; line-height: 34px; margin: 3px -160px 13px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; width: 623px;">
Alien star system buzzed the Sun</h1>
<span class="byline" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-color: rgb(216, 216, 216); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #505050; display: block; font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px; margin: -1px -160px 21px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 12px; position: relative;"><span class="byline-name" style="display: block; font-size: 1.231em; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; padding-bottom: 2px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">By Paul Rincon</span><span class="byline-title" style="display: block; margin-bottom: 0px;">Science editor, BBC News website</span></span><br />
<div class="caption full-width" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #505050; float: none; font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 15px; position: relative;">
<img alt="Scholz's star - artist's impression" height="351" src="http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/81084000/jpg/_81084773_81084664.jpg" style="-webkit-user-select: none; border: 0px; font-style: italic; letter-spacing: 0px; position: relative;" width="624" /><span style="display: block; width: 624px;">Scholz's star - shown in this artist's impression - is currently 20 light-years away. But it once came much closer</span></div>
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<a class="hidden" href="http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-31519875#story_continues_1" style="color: #4a7194; font-weight: bold; left: -5000px; position: absolute; text-decoration: none; top: -5000px;">Continue reading the main story</a><h2 style="border-bottom-color: rgb(216, 216, 216); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(216, 216, 216); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; font-size: 1.231em; margin: 0px 0px 8px; padding: 11px 0px 12px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">
Related Stories</h2>
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<li style="background-image: none; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px 0px 8px; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-rendering: auto;"><a class="story" href="http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-25426424" rel="published-1387416478374" style="color: #4a7194; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">'Billion-star mapper' lifts off</a></li>
<li style="background-image: none; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px 0px 8px; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-rendering: auto;"><a class="story" href="http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-12184029" rel="published-1294937996553" style="color: #4a7194; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Angry suns may scorch alien life</a></li>
<li style="background-image: none; font-size: 1em; margin: 0px 0px 8px; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-rendering: auto;"><a class="story" href="http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-21350899" rel="published-1360173406809" style="color: #4a7194; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Earth-like planets just got closer</a></li>
</ul>
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<div class="introduction" id="story_continues_1" style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 1.077em; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: auto;">
An alien star passed through our Solar System just 70,000 years ago, astronomers have discovered.</div>
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No other star is known to have approached this close to us.</div>
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An international team of researchers says it came five times closer than our current nearest neighbour - Proxima Centauri.</div>
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The object, a red dwarf known as Scholz's star, cruised through the outer reaches of the Solar System - a region known as the Oort Cloud.</div>
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Scholz's star was not alone; it was accompanied on its travels by an object known as a brown dwarf. These are essentially failed stars that lacked the necessary mass to get fusion going in their cores.</div>
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The findings are <a href="http://iopscience.iop.org/2041-8205/800/1/L17/article" style="color: #4a7194; font-weight: bold; line-height: 16px; text-decoration: none;">published in Astrophysical Journal Letters</a>.</div>
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Observations of the dim star's trajectory suggest that 70,000 years ago this cosmic infiltrator passed within 0.8 light years of the Sun. By comparison, Proxima Centauri is 4.2 light years away.</div>
<span class="cross-head" style="background-color: white; color: #505050; display: block; font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 1.231em; font-weight: bold; line-height: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 16px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">Close encounter</span><br />
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In the paper, astronomers led by Eric Mamajek at the University of Rochester, New York, say they are 98% certain that Scholz's star travelled through what is known as the "outer Oort Cloud" - a region at the edge of the Solar System filled with trillions of comets a mile or more across.</div>
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This region is like a spherical shell around the Solar System and may extend out to as much as 100,000 Astronomical Units, or AU (one AU is the distance between the Earth and the Sun).</div>
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The Oort Cloud is thought to give rise to long-period comets that can swing past the Sun when their orbits are disturbed.</div>
<div class="caption full-width" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #505050; float: none; font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 15px; position: relative;">
<img alt="Oort Cloud" height="351" src="http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/81085000/jpg/_81085674_81085672.jpg" style="-webkit-user-select: none; border: 0px; font-style: italic; letter-spacing: 0px; position: relative;" width="624" /><span style="display: block; width: 624px;">The Oort Cloud in perspective: 1 Astronomical Unit (AU) represents the distance from the Earth to the Sun</span></div>
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To determine the trajectory of the star, the researchers needed two pieces of information: the change in distance from the Sun to the star (its radial velocity) and the star's motion across the sky (its tangential velocity).</div>
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Scholz's star currently lies 20 light years away - making it a fairly nearby system. But it showed very slow tangential motion for a star this close. This indicated that it was either moving away from us or towards a future close encounter with the Solar System.</div>
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The radial velocity measurements confirmed that the binary star system was actually speeding away from us. By tracing its movements back in time, they found its close shave with the Sun occurred some 70,000 years ago.</div>
<span class="cross-head" style="background-color: white; color: #505050; display: block; font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 1.231em; font-weight: bold; line-height: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 16px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">Grand theft Oort-o?</span><br />
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A star passing through the Oort Cloud could potentially play gravitational havoc with the orbits of comets there, sending them on trajectories into the inner Solar System. But Dr Mamajek believes the effects of Scholz's star on our cosmic neighbourhood were "negligible".</div>
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"There are trillions of comets in the Oort cloud and likely some of them were perturbed by this object," he told BBC News.</div>
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"But so far it seems unlikely that this star actually triggered a significant 'comet shower'."</div>
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The effect of a passing star on the Oort Cloud is a function of the star's mass, speed and proximity. The worst case scenario for stirring up comets would be a slow-moving, massive star that came close to the Sun.</div>
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Scholz's star came relatively close, but the binary system (the red dwarf and its brown dwarf companion) has a low mass and it was speeding by. These factors conspired to make its effect on the Oort Cloud very small.</div>
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While this is the closest flyby detected so far, Dr Mamajek thinks it's not uncommon for alien stars to buzz the Sun. He says a star probably passes through the Oort Cloud every 100,000 years, or so.</div>
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But he suggests an approach as close - or closer - than that made by Scholz's star is somewhat rarer. Dr Mamajek said mathematical simulations show such an event occurs on average about once every nine million years.</div>
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"So it is a bit of a strange coincidence that we happen to have caught one that passed so close within the past 100,000 years or so," he said.</div>
Stephen Skeltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03686826170554991900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-450727714524275704.post-59042569420304880382015-02-14T23:50:00.002-08:002015-02-14T23:50:24.078-08:00Save the Earth's Soul - please share...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Stephen Skeltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03686826170554991900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-450727714524275704.post-31147304181824037332015-02-13T00:42:00.003-08:002015-02-13T00:42:41.175-08:00Ho’oponopono – Hawaiian Code Of Forgiveness<div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'source sans pro', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 20px;">
<a href="http://i2.wp.com/in5d.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/ngfyj.jpg" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.3s ease-in-out; color: #a00cb0; outline: none; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.3s ease-in-out;"><img alt="Ho'oponopono - Hawaiian Code Of Forgiveness" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-2315" height="454" src="http://i2.wp.com/in5d.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/ngfyj.jpg?resize=800%2C600" style="border: none; height: auto; max-width: 97%;" width="606" /></a></div>
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Are we responsible for all that happens in our world – illness, war, violence, but also the good things like love, progress, wise decisions and happiness? Ihaleakala Hew Len, Ph.D., says we are indeed, and we can change the less positive manifestations in our lives by working on our thoughts.</div>
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The technique to achieve this is called <a href="http://www.hooponoponotheamericas.org/index.htm" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.3s ease-in-out; color: #a00cb0; outline: none; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.3s ease-in-out;" target="_blank" title="Ho'oponopono">Ho’oponopono</a> and it is an ancient Hawaiian code of forgiveness, used to correct the things that went wrong in a person’s life. It may sound preposterous, but apparently personal responsibility is a reality and it can change things. Dr. Len says “There is no such thing as <em>out there.</em> Everything exists as thoughts in my mind.”</div>
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Simply put, Ho’oponopono means, “to make right,” or “to rectify an error.” According to the ancient Hawaiians, error arises from thoughts that are tainted by painful memories from the past. Ho’oponopono offers a way to release the energy of these painful thoughts, or errors, which cause imbalance and disease. (Definition found <a href="http://www.drcat.org/articles_interviews/html/hotfudge.html" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.3s ease-in-out; color: #a00cb0; outline: none; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.3s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">here</a>)</div>
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I want to thank some people who have sent this information around in emails, especially Dr. Joe “Mr. Fire” Vitale, the marketing genius who has met Dr. Len and written up his impressions on his site and blog.</div>
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Thanks also go to Gary who sent Vitale’s information with the following comment:</div>
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Truth is often stranger than fiction. Anyone who is aware of recent research conclusions in frontier science (such as in<img align="left" alt="Ho'oponopono - Hawaiian Code of Forgiveness" height="479" hspace="15" src="http://i1.wp.com/in5d.com/images/hoop.jpg?resize=411%2C479" style="height: auto; max-width: 97%;" vspace="15" width="411" />entanglement physics, quantum mechanics, astronomy, astro-biology, etc) would readily agree. Actually, recent frontier science can be used to, at least, partially explain the “strange” technique of the “World’s Most Unusual Therapist.”</div>
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Gary</div>
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PS If the article seems to you to be complete fantasy without even a 5% probability of possibility, try these phrases (copy and paste each line, separately for each search, as is written below) into your Internet browser’s search engine (such as WebCrawler, Clusty, or even Google) on the World Wide Web; very interesting “stuff!” Then reread the article.</div>
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“entanglement physics”<br />“action at a distance” “physics”<br />“Time reversal symmetry”<br />“neuro synchrony”<br />“water molecules” “Emoto”<br />“Evoked potential”<br />“Biology of Belief”<br />“role of the observer in scientific experimentation” “physics”</div>
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But before you go searching for these terms, here the article of Dr. Joe Vitale – food for thought…</div>
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The World’s Most Unusual Therapist</h2>
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by Dr. Joe Vitale<br /><a href="http://www.mrfire.com/" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.3s ease-in-out; color: #a00cb0; outline: none; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.3s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">www.mrfire.com</a></div>
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Two years ago, I heard about a therapist in Hawaii who cured a complete ward of criminally insane patients — without ever seeing any of them. The psychologist would study an inmate’s chart and then look within himself to see how he created that person’s illness. As he improved himself, the patient improved. When I first heard this story, I thought it was an urban legend. How could anyone heal anyone else by healing himself? How could even the best self-improvement master cure the criminally insane?</div>
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It didn’t make any sense. It wasn’t logical, so I dismissed the story. However, I heard it again a year later. I heard that the therapist had used a Hawaiian healing process called ho’oponopono. I had never heard of it, yet I couldn’t let it leave my mind. If the story was at all true, I had to know more. I had always understood “total responsibility” to mean that I am responsible for what I think and do. Beyond that, it’s out of my hands. I think that most people think of total responsibility that way. We’re responsible for what we do, not what anyone else does. The Hawaiian therapist who healed those mentally ill people would teach me an advanced new perspective about total responsibility. His name is Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len. We probably spent an hour talking on our first phone call. I asked him to tell me the complete story of his work as a therapist. He explained that he worked at Hawaii State Hospital for four years. That ward where they kept the criminally insane was dangerous. Psychologists quit on a monthly basis. The staff called in sick a lot or simply quit. People would walk through that ward with their backs against the wall, afraid of being attacked by patients. It was not a pleasant place to live, work, or visit.</div>
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Dr. Len told me that he never saw patients. He agreed to have an office and to review their files. While he looked at those files, he would work on himself. As he worked on himself, patients began to heal. “After a few months, patients that had to be shackled were being allowed to walk freely,” he told me. “Others who had to be heavily medicated were getting off their medications. And those who had no chance of ever being released were being freed.” I was in awe. “Not only that,” he went on, “but the staff began to enjoy coming to work. Absenteeism and turnover disappeared. We ended up with more staff than we needed because patients were being released, and all the staff was showing up to work. Today, that ward is closed.”</div>
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This is where I had to ask the million dollar question: “What were you doing within yourself that caused those people to change?” “I was simply healing the part of me that created them,” he said.</div>
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I didn’t understand. Dr. Len explained that total responsibility for your life means that everything in your life — simply because it is in your life — is your responsibility. In a literal sense the entire world is your creation. Whew. This is tough to swallow. Being responsible for what I say or do is one thing. Being responsible for what everyone in my life says or does is quite another. Yet, the truth is this: if you take complete responsibility for your life, then everything you see, hear, taste, touch, or in any way experience is your responsibility because it is in your life.</div>
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This means that terrorist activity, the president, the economy — anything you experience and don’t like — is up for you to heal. They don’t exist, in a manner of speaking, except as projections from inside you. The problem isn’t with them, it’s with you, and to change them, you have to change you. I know this is tough to grasp, let alone accept or actually live. Blame is far easier than total responsibility, but as I spoke with Dr. Len, I began to realize that healing for him and in ho’oponopono means loving yourself. If you want to improve your life, you have to heal your life. If you want to cure anyone — even a mentally ill criminal — you do it by healing you. I asked Dr. Len how he went about healing himself. What was he doing, exactly, when he looked at those patients’ files? “I just kept saying, ‘I’m sorry’ and ‘I love you’ over and over again,” he explained. That’s it? That’s it.</div>
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Turns out that loving yourself is the greatest way to improve yourself, and as you improve yourself, your improve your world. Let me give you a quick example of how this works: one day, someone sent me an email that upset me. In the past I would have handled it by working on my emotional hot buttons or by trying to reason with the person who sent the nasty message. This time, I decided to try Dr. Len’s method. I kept silently saying, “I’m sorry” and “I love you,” I didn’t say it to anyone in particular. I was simply evoking the spirit of love to heal within me what was creating the outer circumstance.</div>
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Within an hour I got an e-mail from the same person. He apologized for his previous message. Keep in mind that I didn’t take any outward action to get that apology. I didn’t even write him back. Yet, by saying “I love you,” I somehow healed within me what was creating him. I later attended a ho’oponopono workshop run by Dr. Len. He’s now 70 years old, considered a grandfatherly shaman, and is somewhat reclusive. He praised my book, The Attractor Factor. He told me that as I improve myself, my book’s vibration will raise, and everyone will feel it when they read it. In short, as I improve, my readers will improve. “What about the books that are already sold and out there?” I asked. “They aren’t out there,” he explained, once again blowing my mind with his mystic wisdom.</div>
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“They are still in you.” In short, there is no out there. It would take a whole book to explain this advanced technique with the depth it deserves. Suffice it to say that whenever you want to improve anything in your life, there’s only one place to look: inside you. “When you look, do it with love.” This article is from the forthcoming book “No Limits” by Joe Vitale and Dr. Len</div>
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For more info, check out:<br /><a href="http://www.hooponoponotheamericas.org/index.htm" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.3s ease-in-out; color: #a00cb0; outline: none; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.3s ease-in-out;" target="_blank">http://www.hooponoponotheamericas.org/index.htm</a></div>
Stephen Skeltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03686826170554991900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-450727714524275704.post-58064018456457683082015-02-11T04:16:00.001-08:002015-02-11T04:16:47.289-08:00Beauty is in your heart, Earth Angel<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Q15YgTlYToD4oB0ncnofbz93C1KkiTd8GEEdXEgCQxVJ6sbZqnT6ugUrFfQ88VPsAW5UPY3GHylQ2bQZP21731xOpGkrVnfv5iCIwgj_uvlx4LA7hnzt0lABueZxP-GLXSqJi8Mpd1U/s1600/Earth+Angel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Q15YgTlYToD4oB0ncnofbz93C1KkiTd8GEEdXEgCQxVJ6sbZqnT6ugUrFfQ88VPsAW5UPY3GHylQ2bQZP21731xOpGkrVnfv5iCIwgj_uvlx4LA7hnzt0lABueZxP-GLXSqJi8Mpd1U/s1600/Earth+Angel.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Stephen Skeltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03686826170554991900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-450727714524275704.post-28762295312647606332015-02-06T15:46:00.001-08:002015-02-06T15:46:13.323-08:00Meditation On The Source - Heart Chakra Mandala<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh7YjLSry5LgHpfm-uAINH6kNU6X40Flc1WrU9UaDc1MuOOhNhkIesttmB8JHwE1tWhvzR0mAtshOIVEo4X05zHitWgKb0TyPO-AUuCYxchyXhN6mjiF65482pSdhyV5S93uf4QN1WKak/s1600/Heart+mandala.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh7YjLSry5LgHpfm-uAINH6kNU6X40Flc1WrU9UaDc1MuOOhNhkIesttmB8JHwE1tWhvzR0mAtshOIVEo4X05zHitWgKb0TyPO-AUuCYxchyXhN6mjiF65482pSdhyV5S93uf4QN1WKak/s1600/Heart+mandala.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Beautiful long meditation in the Source last night. The heart chakra opened in a way I can't describe in words, so this image is just a taste of the mandala that was within. Breathless. To work with the Source and the Elders I surrender ALL I AM. My heart is one with ALL hearts.</span>Stephen Skeltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03686826170554991900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-450727714524275704.post-20610563873312660172015-02-04T13:36:00.001-08:002015-02-04T13:36:54.404-08:00Mummified monk in Mongolia 'not dead', say Buddhists<div class="story-body" style="border: 0px; color: rgb(64, 64, 64); font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><h1 class="story-body__h1" style="border: 0px; color: rgb(30, 30, 30); font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-size: 2.4rem; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: 1.16667; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Mummified monk in Mongolia 'not dead', say Buddhists</h1><div class="story-body__mini-info-list-and-share" style="border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(220, 220, 220); color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 16px; vertical-align: baseline; overflow: auto; width: 304px;"><ul class="mini-info-list" style="border: 0px; color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 16px 16px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; float: left;"><li class="mini-info-list__item" style="border-width: 0px 1px 0px 0px; border-right-style: solid; border-right-color: rgb(220, 220, 220); color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 2px 0.2em 2px 0px; padding: 0px 0.5em 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline; display: inline-block;"><div class="date date--v2 relative-time relative-time relative-time" data-seconds="1423056966" data-datetime="4 February 2015" data-timestamp-inserted="true" style="border: 0px; color: rgb(118, 118, 118); font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-size: 1.4rem; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: 1.14286; margin: 0px 0px 0px -10px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 28px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: url(http://static.bbci.co.uk/news/1.57.0145/img/news--icons-sprite_x2.png); background-size: 32px; background-position: 0% -4011px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">7 hours ago</div></li> <li class="mini-info-list__item" style="border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 2px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; display: inline-block;"><span class="mini-info-list__section-desc off-screen" style="color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; clip: rect(1px 1px 1px 1px); overflow: hidden; border: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; position: absolute !important; height: 1px !important; width: 1px !important;">From the section</span><a href="http://m.bbc.com/news/world/asia" class="mini-info-list__section" style="border: 0px; color: rgb(204, 1, 1); font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-size: 1.4rem; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: 1.14286; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(17, 103, 168, 0.298039);">Asia</a></li></ul></div><div class="story-body__inner" style="border: 0px; color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><figure class="media-landscape full-width has-caption lead" style="border: 0px; color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 24px -8px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(17, 17, 17); clear: both;"><img alt="The mummified monk found on 27 January in Mongolia" src="http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/340/media/images/80772000/jpg/_80772090_mm.jpg" width="624" height="351" class="js-image-replace" style="border: 0px; color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; height: auto; max-width: 100%; -webkit-user-select: none; width: 320px; display: block;"><figcaption class="media-caption" style="border: 0px; color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 8px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="media-caption__text" style="border: 0px; color: rgb(236, 236, 236); font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-size: 1.4rem; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: 1.14286; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; display: block;">The monk was found wrapped in traditional Buddhist robes</span></figcaption></figure><p class="story-body__introduction" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin: 24px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">A mummified monk found preserved in Mongolia last week has been baffling and astounding those who uncovered him.</p><p style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-size: 1.6rem; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin: 19px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Senior Buddhists say the monk, found sitting in the lotus position, is in a deep meditative trance and not dead.</p><p style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-size: 1.6rem; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin: 16px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Forensic examinations are under way on the remains, found wrapped in cattle skins in north-central Mongolia.</p><p style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-size: 1.6rem; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin: 16px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Scientists have yet to determine how the monk is so well-preserved, though some think Mongolia's cold weather could be the reason.</p><p style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-size: 1.6rem; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin: 16px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">But Dr Barry Kerzin, a physician to Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, <a href="http://siberiantimes.com/other/others/news/n0105-mummified-monk-is-not-dead-and-in-rare-meditative-state-says-expert/" class="story-body__link-external" style="border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(220, 220, 220); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(17, 103, 168, 0.298039);">told the Siberian Times</a> that the monk was in a rare state of meditation called "tukdam".</p><p style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-size: 1.6rem; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin: 16px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">"If the meditator can continue to stay in this meditative state, he can become a Buddha," Dr Kerzin said.</p><p style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-size: 1.6rem; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin: 16px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The monk was discovered after being stolen by a man hoping to sell him on the black market.</p><p style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-size: 1.6rem; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin: 16px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Mongolian police have arrested the culprit and the monk is now being guarded at the National Centre of Forensic Expertise.</p><h2 class="story-body__crosshead" style="border: 0px; color: rgb(30, 30, 30); font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-size: 2rem; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: 1.2; margin: 16px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Worship for eternity</h2><figure class="media-landscape full-width has-caption" style="border: 0px; color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 24px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(17, 17, 17); clear: both;"><img alt="The mummified monk found on 27 January in Mongolia" src="http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/304/media/images/80772000/jpg/_80772094_insidemummy.jpg" width="624" height="500" class="js-image-replace" style="border: 0px; color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; height: auto; max-width: 100%; -webkit-user-select: none; width: 304px; display: block;"><figcaption class="media-caption" style="border: 0px; color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 8px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="media-caption__text" style="border: 0px; color: rgb(236, 236, 236); font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-size: 1.4rem; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: 1.14286; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; display: block;">The monk was found as he was about to be sold on the black market</span></figcaption></figure><p style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-size: 1.6rem; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin: 16px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The identity of the monk is unclear, though there is speculation that he is the teacher of Lama Dashi-Dorzho Itigilov, who was also found mummified.</p><p style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-size: 1.6rem; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin: 16px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">In 1927, Itigilov - from neighbouring Buryatia in the then Soviet Union - supposedly told his students he was going to die and that they should exhume his body in 30 years.</p><p style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-size: 1.6rem; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin: 16px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The lama sat in the lotus position, began meditating and died.</p><p style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-size: 1.6rem; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin: 16px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">When he was dug up, legend has it that his body was still preserved.</p><p style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-size: 1.6rem; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin: 16px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Fearing interference by the Soviet authorities, his followers re-buried him and he remained at rest until 2002 when he was again dug up to great fanfare and found still well preserved.</p><p style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-size: 1.6rem; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: 1.375; margin: 16px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The lama was then placed in a Buddhist temple to be worshipped for eternity.</p></div></div><div class="share share--lightweight show ghost-column" style="border: 0px; color: rgb(64, 64, 64); font-family: Helmet, Freesans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; 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font-size: 14px; line-height: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div class="group story-alsos more-on-this-story" style="border-width: 8px 0px 0px; border-top-style: solid; border-top-color: rgb(220, 220, 220); color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 40px 0px 0px; padding: 8px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="group__header" style="border-width: 0px 0px 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(220, 220, 220); color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 16px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><h2 class="group__title" style="border: 0px; color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-size: 2.4rem; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: -0.0425em; line-height: 1; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">More on this story</h2></div></div></div>Stephen Skeltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03686826170554991900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-450727714524275704.post-73432735504817493522015-02-02T19:19:00.001-08:002015-02-02T19:19:25.263-08:00WIFE OF JESUS - referred explicitly to in 4th century Coptic script - report by Harvard Scholar Karen King<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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An ancient scrap of papyrus makes explicit reference to Jesus having a wife, according to a renowned expert in christian history.</div>
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Harvard divinity professor Karen King unveiled the 4th century coptic script at a conference in Rome.</div>
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She said researchers had identified the words "Jesus said to them, 'my wife'", which might refer to Mary Magdalene.</div>
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Christian tradition holds that Jesus did not marry - but Ms King said in early years it was subject to debate.</div>
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The provocative find could spark debate over celibacy and the role of women within christianity, she added.</div>
Stephen Skeltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03686826170554991900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-450727714524275704.post-79483526489887464342015-01-28T18:32:00.001-08:002015-01-28T18:32:11.721-08:00What is Apple going to do with $142 billion dollars... read on!<h1 class="story-header" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #505050; font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 2.461em; letter-spacing: -1px; line-height: 34px; margin: 3px -160px 13px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; width: 623px;">
Why is Apple sitting on $142bn?</h1>
<span class="byline byline-photo" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-color: rgb(216, 216, 216); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #505050; display: block; font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; height: 62px; line-height: 16px; margin: -1px -160px 21px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 12px; position: relative;"><img alt="Jamie Robertson" src="http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/49854000/jpg/_49854476_49854475.jpg" style="-webkit-user-select: none; border: 0px; float: left; font-style: italic; letter-spacing: 0px; margin: 0px 8px 0px 0px; position: relative; top: 2px;" /><span class="byline-name" style="display: block; font-size: 1.231em; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; padding-bottom: 2px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">By Jamie Robertson</span><span class="byline-title" style="display: block; margin-bottom: 0px;">Presenter, BBC World News</span></span><br />
<div class="caption full-width" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #505050; float: none; font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 15px; position: relative;">
<img alt="Apple CEO Tim Cook" height="351" src="http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/80577000/jpg/_80577435_455056634.jpg" style="-webkit-user-select: none; border: 0px; font-style: italic; letter-spacing: 0px; position: relative;" width="624" /><span style="display: block; width: 624px;">Dwarfed by his own success - CEO Tim Cook and Apple's money making monster</span></div>
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<a class="hidden" href="http://www.bbc.com/news/business-31016446#story_continues_1" style="color: #4a7194; font-weight: bold; left: -5000px; position: absolute; text-decoration: none; top: -5000px;">Continue reading the main story</a><h2 style="border-bottom-color: rgb(216, 216, 216); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(216, 216, 216); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; font-size: 1.231em; margin: 0px 0px 8px; padding: 11px 0px 12px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">
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King Midas, you may remember, had a problem with gold. Everything he touched turned to the yellow stuff.</div>
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Fine for a while, but not when he realised "everything" meant just that - everything.</div>
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He might have had some sympathy with Apple's problem of simply having too much money.</div>
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And the biggest quarterly profit in history, $18bn, is actually adding to Apple's biggest headache - an excess of cash.</div>
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In short the company is making money far faster than it can spend it.</div>
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Its cash pile now stands at close to $142bn (£93.5bn).</div>
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The problem is how to generate a return with that money for shareholders.</div>
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It has enough, in theory, to buy 480 or so of the companies in the S&P 500.</div>
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Or Lithuania, three times over.</div>
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But simply buying up companies is a complex and intricate business and suitable take-over targets are few and far between.</div>
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Its latest, the subscription music service Beats, cost just $3bn - and that was its largest purchase ever.</div>
<div class="caption full-width" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #505050; float: none; font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 15px; position: relative;">
<img alt="Beats headphones" height="351" src="http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/80569000/jpg/_80569988_489010551.jpg" style="-webkit-user-select: none; border: 0px; font-style: italic; letter-spacing: 0px; position: relative;" width="624" /><span style="display: block; width: 624px;">Apple is spending cash - but buying Beats subscription music service only cost $3bn</span></div>
<span class="cross-head" style="background-color: white; color: #505050; display: block; font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 1.231em; font-weight: bold; line-height: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 16px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">Apple Campus</span><br />
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It can invest in its own development, and it is spending an estimated $5bn on the 176-acre Apple Campus headquarters site.</div>
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But still the money keeps rolling in.</div>
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Most of it gets parked in what the accounts call "cash and cash equivalents" and short and long term marketable securities: government and corporate bonds.</div>
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Apple manages the cash through a subsidiary, Braeburn Capital, based in Reno, Nevada which has no state corporate income tax, or taxes on corporate shares.</div>
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It is in effect one of the largest hedge funds in the world.</div>
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But shareholders like shareholder activist, Carl Icahn, have been demanding the company simply must hand some of that cash back to shareholders by buying back shares.</div>
<span class="cross-head" style="background-color: white; color: #505050; display: block; font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 1.231em; font-weight: bold; line-height: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 16px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">Share buybacks</span><br />
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Hedge fund manager David Einhorn of Greenlight Capital went so far as to sue the company two years ago to try to get a payout.</div>
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They argue that cash, invested largely in government securities gives a paltry rate of return.</div>
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Einhorn argued that getting the excess cash off Apple's balance sheet and back to shareholders would increase the value of the company by $50 per share or more.</div>
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So the company obliged and in 2012 started buying back its own stock . Last year it spent some $45bn buying back Apple shares.</div>
<div class="caption full-width" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #505050; float: none; font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 15px; position: relative;">
<img alt="Apple Pay logo" height="351" src="http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/80582000/jpg/_80582231_457552034.jpg" style="-webkit-user-select: none; border: 0px; font-style: italic; letter-spacing: 0px; position: relative;" width="624" /><span style="display: block; width: 624px;">Shareholders have been demanding share buybacks from Apple - and getting them</span></div>
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The problem is it has not made much difference. The latest set of results show it has as much cash as it has ever had.</div>
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In total, the amount of cash in the group is around $178bn. Some $35bn in debt reduces that figure to the $142bn mentioned above.</div>
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Debt? Why on earth, when you have more wealth in your piggy bank than the average developing nation generates in a year, would you want to borrow more?</div>
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The answer is that little of that cash is easily accessible to pay shareholders. Some 89% of it lies offshore out of the hands of the Internal Revenue Service.</div>
<span class="cross-head" style="background-color: white; color: #505050; display: block; font-family: Arial, Helmet, Freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 1.231em; font-weight: bold; line-height: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 16px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">Tax reform</span><br />
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Bringing it back would subject it to a top corporate tax rate of 35%.</div>
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Far easier to borrow the money instead. And since it has a such a cash pile behind it, banks are happy to lend to Apple at rock bottom rates - even by today's standards.</div>
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Last year Apple funded its share buy-back with a $17bn bond issue.</div>
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So, in effect, Apple did what Icahn and Einhorn wanted.</div>
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The share price has recovered from around $60 in mid 2013 to around $110 this week.</div>
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But the cash mountain remains.</div>
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Chief Executive Tim Cook told Congress two years ago that much of it could eventually come back to the US.</div>
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He even admitted Apple would be happy to pay more tax, but only if there was a "dramatic simplification of the corporate tax code" including a "reasonable tax on foreign earnings that allows the free flow of capital back to the United States".</div>
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But of course if the money did flow freely back to the US, no one is guaranteeing it would be invested any more wisely than it is at the moment.</div>
Stephen Skeltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03686826170554991900noreply@blogger.com0