A giraffe’s shocking neck | Bad Astronomy

NASA’s Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer took its last image of the sky in February, 2011. But while it was active it surveyed the entire sky several times in the far infrared, so its data archive is a vast treasure trove just waiting to be dug into (hmmm, I should try to squeeze another metaphor into there).

Anyway, lookee what the astronomers found:

Cooool. Literally! That’s dust surrounding the star Alpha Camelopardalis, what appears as a fairly non-descript star in a faint, non-descript constellation. At least, to the eye. When seen in the IR, you get this shocking view. Also literally.

Alpha Cam is a massive, luminous star: 50 times as hefty as our Sun, and blasting out perhaps a million times as much energy. But it’s far away (3000 light years, maybe, the distance is not well-known) and behind a lot of dust, dimming our view. It’s barreling through space at a pretty good clip, and emitting a wind of subatomic particles as it does. This wind expands, slams into the surrounding dust, and sculpting it into this giant bow shock formation.

In this false color ...


Euro-Libertarian Geert Wilders – Multicultural Left actively assisting the Rise of Islamism across Europe

Muslim ideology spreading at a "rapid pace"

Excerpt from a speech by Dutch Party of Freedom leader Geert Wilders, March 25, 2011, at the Annual Lecture of the Magna Carta Foundation in Rome, Italy (via American Thinker):

Islam is a totalitarian ideology. Islamic Shariah law supervises every detail of life. Islam is not compatible with our Western way of life. Islam is a threat to our values. Respect for people who think otherwise, the equality of men and women, the equality of homosexuals and heterosexuals, respect for Christians, Jews, unbelievers and apostates, the separation of church and state, freedom of speech, they are all under pressure because of islamization.

Europe is islamizing at a rapid pace. Many European cities have large islamic concentrations. In some neighbourhoods, Islamic regulations are already being enforced. Women's rights are being trampled. We are confronted with headscarves and burqa's, polygamy, female genital mutilation, honour-killings. "In each one of our cities" says Oriana Fallaci, "there is a second city, a state within the state, a government within the government. A Muslim city, a city ruled by the Koran." - End of quote.

Ladies and gentlemen, make no mistake: The multiculturalist Left is facilitating islamization. Leftist multiculturalists are cheering for every new shariah bank, for every new islamic school, for every new mosque. Multiculturalists consider Islam as being equal to our own culture. Shariah law or democracy? Islam or freedom? It doesn't really matter to them. But it does matter to us. The entire leftist elite is guilty of practising cultural relativism. Universities, churches, trade unions, the media, politicians. They are all betraying our hard-won liberties.

More information GeertWilders.nl

Obama’s NCAA picks: The Last shall be First – OR – The Last 1 Standing?

VCU comes out of nowhere

by Clifford F. Thies

Meanwhile, over in the NCAA Division 1 Men's Basketball Tournament, President Obama's pick for national champion looks to be in the cat bird seat. With the Kentucky Wildcats knocking off the #1 1-seed Ohio State Buckeyes, the Kansas Jayhawks are now the only remaining 1-seed in the tournament. They are "The last 1 standing." But, before they can cut down the net, they're going to have to get past VCU, one of the last four teams to be invited to the dance, and maybe the very last team. Most people don't even know the mascot of this team, or even if they have a mascot. And, many people don't know what the initials "VCU" stand for either. But, catapulted by ESPN commentator Jay Bilas' disrepect, who said it was a "travestry" that VCU was allowed into the tournament, the Billygoats or Leprechauns or Black
Glob or whatever they are, have been on a tear. Lead by somebody, they have knocked off one after another higher-seeded team, and now are one win away from the Final Four. Congra-d-ulations to VCU of the great state of Virginia, or maybe Vermont, for getting this far. You may fulfill the prophesy that the Last shall be First.

Farrahkan: Obama goes from being the Messiah to being a Jew

by Clifford F. Thies

Minister Louis Farrahkan of the Nation of Islam who, in 2008, proclaimed Barack H. Obama to be the Messiah, is now calling Obama our country's first Jewish President, along with defending Gaddafi. The United States, he says, is not populated by human beings, our country is filled "with beasts." Dictators aren't a bad thing, "your mothers and fathers," speaking to a black audience, were dictators. God himself rose up Gaddafi in Libya and Assad in Syria. And, dictators send tanks and planes to kill their people, just like parents discipline their children. Democracy, you see, is an invention of white people, also known as beasts. Democracy's "a trick."

We know from history that calling people "Jews" is the prelude to genocide; but, as for this Messiah versus Jew thing, according to the Christians of the world, the Messiah was a Jew.

(Source: TheBlaze)

Futurescape Fast Approaching – Register Now

You will want to be a part of Futurescape IV, the CAP Foundation’s conference, coming soon — April 15-17, 2011 — at the InterContinental Hotel O’Hare in Rosemont, Ill.

At Futurescape, you’ll connect the most innovative and novel areas of development with implementation in the current practice of pathology. You’ll learn how the latest technologies are defining future treatment for patients. Plus, pre-conference industry workshops are sure to provide additional excitement, as well as plenty of opportunity to meet and network with pioneering innovators in pathology.

Act now, as registration closes April 6, 2011. The CAP Travel Desk can help you with airline reservations: 1-800-323-4040 ext. 7800. And contact the InterContinental Hotel to secure the special Futurescape conference rate: 1-800-381-9552.

Registration is now available on-line —$395 for CAP Members and Laboratorians; $525 for Non-CAP Members; $125 for Pathology Residents; or print the downloadable registration form and:

  • Mail to:

    CAP Foundation
    Futurescape
    325 Waukegan Road
    Northfield, IL
    60093

  • Fax to 847-832-8749
  • Scan and email to CAPFdn@cap.org

 

Art: A painter’s emotional enlightenment | Philadelphia Inquirer | 2011-03-27 – Philadelphia Inquirer

Art: A painter's emotional enlightenment | Philadelphia Inquirer | 2011-03-27
Philadelphia Inquirer
It enhances the atmospheric areas between objects. After Inness became attracted to the mystical religion of Emanuel Swedenborg, tonalism naturally entered this vocabulary as the perfect tool to express the spiritual dimensions of nature.

Glenwood OKs zoning regs for medical pot operations – Glenwood Springs Post Independent


The 420 Times
Glenwood OKs zoning regs for medical pot operations
Glenwood Springs Post Independent
Colorado Attorney General John Suthers is scheduled to participate in a panel discussion on medical marijuana and its impact on youth at 6 pm Thursday, April 7, at the Glenwood Springs High School Auditorium. Also slated to be on the panel will be Dr. ...
Medical Marijuana Task Force opposes proposed ordinanceSan Diego CityBEAT

all 25 news articles »

Ruining the Environment, One State at a Time

A bill requiring the Department of Natural Resources to commercially log trees in two southeastern Minnesota state parks, which officials say would be unprecedented, has sparked the debate and galvanized park supporters. The bill will be voted on next week in the full Minnesota House. (Read the story here.) In Minnesota, the Republicans might not run the governor’s office, but they have taken over the state legislature. They are busy trying to pollute what is left of our environment with more dirty energy and now with logging our state parks.  The MN Democratic governor, Mark Dayton, is not exactly protecting the environment either.  He has signed a law allowing destructive mining in the “Iron Range” — which is good for jobs, but bad for the environment.  This new law (and others) according to the article in the Star Tribune: “. . . . . exempts the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board from complying with the same environmental rules that apply to the rest of state government.. . . . This is hardly the only attempt to grant special exemptions from environmental laws to favored industries or projects. In recent weeks alone, at least three such bills have been introduced [...]