Chinese Space Program Aspiration: Send Lander to Moon Next Year

A Chinese flag on the Moon?

The communist country tested a new rocket engine Sunday that uses liquid oxygen and kerosene, which will power future missions to the moon, according to news reports.

If successful, China’s probe would be the first craft to land on the moon as part of a mission since the Soviets managed it in the 1970s. The country also said it plans to land a man on the moon, a feat only achieved by the United States, most recently in 1972.

Neither the Russians nor the U.S. is currently capable of landing a man on the moon. Since the end of the space shuttle era, NASA’s has focused its eyes on a new spacecraft for manned exploration of space, the Orion multipurpose vehicle, which won’t be ready until 2017 at the earliest.

But China will nonetheless face stiff competition from a growing private space industry in the U.S. and elsewhere. The industry has its eyes on the moon and the cash that can be extracted from rocks and craters.

Click image for full story at Fox.com

Are You Living Your Life to the Fullest?: Top Five Death Bed Regrets



This question is the subject of The Top Five Regrets of Dying from the new published work by Australian palliative care nurse and singer, Bronnie Ware.

1. I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me

This was the most common regret of all. When people realise that their life is almost over and look back clearly on it, it is easy to see how many dreams have gone unfulfilled. Most people had not honoured even a half of their dreams and had to die knowing that it was due to choices they had made, or not made.

2. I wish I didn't work so hard

This came from every male patient that I nursed. They missed their children's youth and their partner's companionship. Women also spoke of this regret. But as most were from an older generation, many of the female patients had not been breadwinners. All of the men I nursed deeply regretted spending so much of their lives on the treadmill of a work existence.

3. I wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings

Many people suppressed their feelings in order to keep peace with others. As a result, they settled for a mediocre existence and never became who they were truly capable of becoming. Many developed illnesses relating to the bitterness and resentment they carried as a result.

4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends

Often they would not truly realise the full benefits of old friends until their dying weeks and it was not always possible to track them down. Many had become so caught up in their own lives that they had let golden friendships slip by over the years. There were many deep regrets about not giving friendships the time and effort that they deserved. Everyone misses their friends when they are dying.

5. I wish that I had let myself be happier

This is a surprisingly common one. Many did not realise until the end that happiness is a choice. They had stayed stuck in old patterns and habits. The so-called 'comfort' of familiarity overflowed into their emotions, as well as their physical lives. Fear of change had them pretending to others, and to their selves, that they were content. When deep within, they longed to laugh properly and have silliness in their life again.

click cartoon for full story

What would be your greatest regret or what have you done to ensure you don't have them?

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/lifestyle/life/common-regrets-of-the-dying-20120716-224y2.html#ixzz22Bsu8HZi

Are American Flags Planted on Moon by Apollo Missions Still Standing?

Buzz Aldrin has claimed that the flag left by the Apollo 11 mission got knocked over by the exhaust from their launch engine, but the fate of the other flags from the remaining five missions was not known.

But a new analysis of photographs taken by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has solved the mystery — and the flags are still there. What the flags actually look like, however, is still a mystery.

Writing in Space.com, Clara Moskowitz explains:

"Personally I was a bit surprised that the flags survived the harsh ultraviolet light and temperatures of the lunar surface, but they did," Robinson wrote. "What they look like is another question (badly faded?)."

Most scientists had assumed the flags hadn't survived more than four decades of harsh conditions on the moon.

"Intuitively, experts mostly think it highly unlikely the Apollo flags could have endured the 42 years of exposure to vacuum, about 500 temperature swings from 242 F during the day to -280 F during the night, micrometeorites, radiation and ultraviolet light, some thinking the flags have all but disintegrated under such an assault of the environment," scientist James Fincannon, of the NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, wrote in the Apollo Lunar Surface Journal.

click image for more on moon flags

101 Ways to Entertain Yourself While Pissing Off Everyone Else Around You

1. Sing the Batman theme incessantly.

2. In the memo field of all your checks, write "for sensual massage."

3. Specify that your drive-through order is "to go."

4. Learn Morse code, and have conversations with friends in public consisting entirely of "Beeeep Bip Bip Beeep Bip..."

5. If you have a glass eye, tap on it occasionally with your pen while talking to others.

6. Amuse yourself and your friends for endless hours by hooking a camcorder to your TV and then pointing it at the screen.

7. Speak only in a "robot" voice.

8. Push all the flat Lego pieces together tightly.

9. Start each meal by conspicuously licking all your food, and announce that this is so no one will "swipe your grub".

10. Leave the copy machine set to reduce 200%, extra dark, 17 inch paper, 98 copies.

11. Stomp on little plastic ketchup packets.

12. Sniffle incessantly.

13. Leave your turn signal on for fifty miles.

14. Name your dog "Dog."

15. Insist on keeping your car windshield wipers running in all weather conditions "to keep them tuned up."

16. Reply to everything someone says with "that's what YOU think."

17. Claim that you must always wear a bicycle helmet as part of your "astronaut training."

18. Declare your apartment an independent nation, and sue your neighbors upstairs for "violating your airspace".

19. Forget the punchline to a long joke, but assure the listener it was a "real hoot."

20. Follow a few paces behind someone, spraying everything they touch with Lysol.

21. Practice making fax and modem noises.

22. Highlight irrelevant information in scientific papers and "cc:" them to your boss.

23. Make beeping noises when a large person backs up.

24. Invent nonsense computer jargon in conversations, and see if people play along to avoid the appearance of ignorance.

25. Erect an elaborate network of ropes in your backyard, and tell the neighbors you are a "spider person."

26. Finish all your sentences with the words "in accordance with the prophesy."

27. Wear a special hip holster for your
remote control.

28. Do not add any inflection to the end of your sentences, producing awkward silences with the impression that you'll be saying more any moment.

29. Signal that a conversation is over by clamping your hands over your ears.

30. Disassemble your pen and "accidentally" flip the ink cartridge across the room.

31. Give a play-by-play account of a persons every action in a nasal Howard Cosell voice.

32. Holler random numbers while someone is counting.

33. Adjust the tint on your TV so that all the people are green, and insist to others that you "like it that way."

34. Drum on every available surface.

35. Staple papers in the middle of the page.

36. Ask 1-800 operators for dates.

37. Produce a rental video consisting entirely of dire FBI copyright warnings.

38. Sew anti-theft detector strips
into peoples backpacks.

39. Hide dairy products in inaccessible places.

40. Write the surprise ending to a novel on its first page.

41. Set alarms for random times.

42. Order a side of pork rinds with your fillet Mignon.

43. Instead of Gallo, serve Night Train next Thanksgiving.

44. Publicly investigate just how slowly you can make a "croaking" noise.

45. Honk and wave to strangers.

46. Dress only in clothes colored Hunters Orange.

47. Change channels five minutes before the end of every show.

48. Tape pieces of "Sweating to the Oldies" over climactic parts of rental movies.

49. Wear your pants backwards.

50. Decline to be seated at a restaurant, and simply eat their complimentary mints by the cash register.

51. Begin all your sentences with "ooh la la!"

52. ONLY TYPE IN UPPERCASE.

53. only type in lowercase.

54. dont use any punctuation either

55. Buy a large quantity of orange traffic cones and reroute whole streets.

56. Pay for your dinner with pennies.

57. Tie jingle bells to all your clothes.

58. Repeat everything someone says, as a question.

59. Write "X - BURIED TREASURE" in random spots on all of some one's road maps.

60. Inform everyone you meet of your personal Kennedy assassination/UFO/ O.J Simpson conspiracy theories.

61. Repeat the following conversation a dozen times: "Do you hear that?" "What?" "Never mind, its gone now."

62. Light road flares on a birthday cake.

63. Wander around a restaurant, asking other diners for their parsley.

64. Leave tips in Bolivian currency.

65. Demand that everyone address you as "Conquistador."

66. At the laundromat, use one dryer for each of your socks.

67. When Christmas caroling, sing "Jingle Bells, Batman smells" until physically restrained.

68. Wear a cape that says "Magnificent One."

69. As much as possible, skip rather than walk.

70. Stand over some one's shoulder, mumbling, as they read.

71. Pretend your computer's mouse is a CB radio, and talk to it.

72. Try playing the William Tell Overture by tapping on the bottom of your chin. When nearly done, announce "no, wait, I messed it up," and repeat.

73. Drive half a block.

74. Inform others that they exist only in your imagination.

75. Ask people what gender they are.

76. Lick the filling out of all the Oreos, and place the cookie parts back.

77. Cultivate a Norwegian accent. If Norwegian, affect a Southern drawl.

78. Routinely handcuff yourself to furniture, informing the curious that you don't want to fall off "in case the big one comes".

79. Deliberately hum songs that will remain lodged in co-workers brains, such as "Feliz Navidad", the Archies "Sugar" or the Mr. Rogers theme song.

80. While making presentations, occasionally bob your head. like a parakeet.

81. Lie obviously about trivial things such as the time of day.

82. Leave your Christmas lights up and lit until September.

83. Change your name to "AaJohn Aaaaasmith" for the great glory of being first in the phone book. Claim it's a Hawaiian name, and demand that people pronounce each "a."

84. Sit in your front yard pointing a hair dryer at passing cars to see if they slow down.

85. Chew on pens that you've borrowed.

86. Wear a LOT of cologne.

87. Listen to 33rpm records at 45rpm speed, and claim the faster speed is necessary because of your "superior mental processing."

88. Sing along at the opera.

89. Mow your lawn with scissors.

90. At a golf tournament, chant "swing-batabatabata-suhWING-batter!"

91. Ask the waitress for an extra seat for your "imaginary friend."

92. Go to a poetry recital and ask why each poem doesn't rhyme.

93. Ask your co-workers mysterious questions, and then scribble their answers in a notebook. Mutter something
about "psychological profiles."

94. Stare at static on the TV and claim you can see a "magic picture."

95. Select the same song on the jukebox fifty times.

96. Never make eye contact.

97. Never break eye contact.

98. Construct elaborate "crop circles" in your front lawn.

99. Construct your own pretend "tricorder," and "scan" people with it, announcing the results.

100. Make appointments for the 31st of September.

101. Invite lots of people to other people's parties.

NASA: Red Planet Keeps Calling - Curiosity Rover Represents Humanity's 40th Effort to Explore Mars



The huge number of attempted Mars missions may seem surprising, especially since many of our solar system's other planets and moons remain relatively unstudied. But the Red Planet keeps calling us back — and for good reason, experts say.

"Mars is such a compelling scientific target," said Scott Hubbard of Stanford University, the former "Mars Czar" who restructured NASA's Red Planet program after it suffered several high-profile failures in the late 1990s.

"You can get to it every 26 months, and it's the place in the solar system most likely to have had life emerge," Hubbard told SPACE.com. "If you add that to Mars being also the most logical ultimate target for human exploration, I think that Mars will continue to be part of the space exploration portfolio."

Mars' position in solar system

Click image for more on red planet

Humor, Parody, Smiley Faces and 'Poe's Law'

Poe's Law

Poe's Law is named after its author Nathan Poe, is an Internet adage reflecting the fact that without a clear indication of the author's intent, it is difficult or impossible to tell the difference between sincere extremism and an exaggerated parody of extremism.

The law and its meaning

Poe's law states:

"Without a winking smiley or other blatant display of humor, it is impossible to create a parody of fundamentalism that someone won't mistake for the real thing."

The core of Poe's law is that a parody of something extreme by nature becomes impossible to differentiate from sincere extremism. A corollary of Poe's law is the reverse phenomenon: sincere fundamentalist beliefs being mistaken for a parody of that belief.

A further corollary, the Poe Paradox, results from suspicion of the first corollary. The paradox is that any new person or idea sufficiently extreme to be accepted by the extremist group risks being rejected as a parody or parodist.

The statement called Poe's law was formulated in 2005 by Nathan Poe on the website christianforums.com in a debate about creationism. The original sentence read "Without a winking smiley or other blatant display of humor, it is uttrerly [sic] impossible to parody a Creationist in such a way that someone won't mistake [it] for the genuine article."

The sentiments expressed by Poe date back much further – at least to 1983, when Jerry Schwarz in a post on Usenet wrote:

  Avoid sarcasm and facetious remarks.
Without the voice inflection and body language of personal communication these are easily misinterpreted. A sideways smile, :-), has become widely accepted on the net as an indication that "I'm only kidding". If you submit a satiric item without this symbol, no matter how obvious the satire is to you, do not be surprised if people take it seriously.

Another precedent posted on Usenet dates to 2001. Following the well-known schema of Arthur Clarke's Third law, Alan Morgan wrote:

"Any sufficiently advanced parody is indistinguishable from a genuine kook."

So if you are going to joke, emote or parody don't forget your emoticon or somebody may think you are serious!

NASA: Top Five Exoplanets that could Harbour Life



1. Gliese 581g
Topping the list is a rocky world that may not even exist. The exoplanet Gliese 581g, which is 20 light-years away and perhaps two to three times as massive as Earth, was discovered in September 2010, but its existence is a point of contention among critics, because of what was then believed to be a non-circular orbit. Still, newer findings suggest that Gliese 581g is indeed real, and is "probably nice and Earthy warm," says Rebecca Boyle at Popular Science, inhabiting a "Goldilocks zone" that gives it roughly the same surface temperature as our planet, thanks to a desirable proximity to its own red dwarf star.  
2. Gliese 667Cc
Discovered in February 2012, this massive exoplanet is at least 22 light-years away and orbits a red dwarf in the constellation Scorpius. The "super Earth" is 4.5 times larger than our planet, and completes an orbit every 28 days. Unlike our planet with its single sun, however, Gliese 667Cc resides in a triple-star system, "so the planet's night sky would probably be a sight to behold," says Mike Wall at Space.com.
3. Kepler-22b
This exoplanet was spotted by NASA's planet-hunting Kepler space telescope, which has detected more than 2,300 potentially inhabitable worlds since it was first used in March 2009. Kepler-22b was the first confirmed to officially exist in the "habitable zone," or the set of conditions that a potential Earth-clone would need to meet to be deemed livable. It boasts a "balmy temperature" of 72 degrees, which would theoretically support the existence of liquid water.
4. HD 85512b
This alien world 35 light-years away has an estimated surface temperature of 77 degrees. HD 85512b is about 3.6 times "as massive as our planet," says Space.com's Wall, but beyond that little else is known. Follow-up work is needed to understand exactly how the exoplanet orbits its star, says Discovery News. "Is it a rocky, truly Earth-like world? Does it have an atmosphere? If it does, is the atmosphere thick like Earth's; as suffocating as Venus'; or, as tenuous as Mars'?" The answers are all unknown.
5. Gliese 581
The largest exoplanet on the list is roughly seven times as massive as Earth, and orbits the same sun as its Gliese siblings, says Space.com's Wall. Discovered in 2007, Gliese 581 is probably too cold to be habitable, although recent studies suggest it could in fact be warmed by greenhouse gases, which gives it some potential to harbor life.

click image for more

Night Shift Jobs May Increase Risk for Heart Attack, Stroke, Diabetes

The increased risk of vascular disease apparent in night shift workers, regardless of its explanation, suggests that people who do night shift work should be vigilant about risk factor modification.

A variety of factors -- not just the shift work itself -- could be culprit in increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke for people in those occupations. A lack of sleep, poor eating habits and lower levels of physical activity could plague those who work irregular hours and drive up the risk of vascular disease.

click image for complete story

After Massacre at Aurora Theatre Obama Speaks of Gun Control

I believe the Second Amendment guarantees an individual the right to bear arms," Obama said. "But I also believe that a lot of gun owners would agree that AK-47s belong in the hands of soldiers, not on the streets of our cities."
Obama, speaking Wednesday evening to the National Urban League, affirmed his belief in Americans' right to own guns, but he singled out assault rifles as better suited for soldiers than civilians.

According to a Gallup poll in 1990, 78 percent of those surveyed said laws covering the sale of firearms should be stricter, while 19 percent said they should remain the same or be loosened.
By the fall of 2004 support for tougher laws had dropped to 54 percent. In last year's sounding, 43 percent said they should be stricter, and 55 percent said they should stay the same or be made more lenient.

Even so, the call for federal lawmakers to tighten gun laws has intensified following the mass shooting in Colorado.

James Holmes, a 24-year-old grad school dropout, is accused of opening fire in a midnight showing of the new Batman movie in Aurora, Colo., killing 12 and injuring dozens. Police say he used a shotgun, semi-automatic rifle and handgun in the shooting, and another handgun was found in his car -- all purchased legally, as was 6,000 rounds of ammunition.

My personal opinion on gun control parallels President Reagan's stance on the subject.

Click image for more on gun control

My New Release:'Dad's Desperate Wisdom and other Odds&Ends' is Now Available!

This is my first non-fiction compilation and I am, of course proud to feature it here on my blog!

Click cover to find out how to get your copy!

An origional compilation of mostly non-fiction short stories, poetry, and observations, divided into four parts including, jokes, quotes, lists, riddles, opinions, antidotes, honorifics, rememberances, and much, much more!

Order Now!



Nuclear Proliferation: Countries with Nuclear Weapons and When they were Aquired

United States-16 July 1945

United Kingdom-3 October 1952
U.S.S.R/Russian Federation-August 12, 1953
France-February 13, 1960
China-October 16, 1964
Israel-September 22, 1979
India-18 May 1974
Pakistan-May 28, 1998
North Korea-October 9, 2006
click image for more on this subject

and
South Africa-22 September 1979
South Africa is the only country to give up all their
Nuclear Weapons.
South Africa stood down its nuclear weapons programme in 1989.

George Jefferson-Sherman Hemsley dead at 74



Hemsley played Jefferson for two years on “All in the Family,” from 1973-75, then starred opposite Isabel Sanford from 1975 to 1985 on their own spinoff, “The Jeffersons.” Isabel Sanford died in 2004 at age 86.

George Jefferson was not the first black character on television, but he remains one of the most indelible.

Because he first played in counterpoint to Archie Bunker, and because both had the exaggerated personalities of sitcom characters, George Jefferson shared many of Archie’s traits.

He was cranky, impatient and prone to speaking without thinking — though he was also more clever and calculating than Archie.

click image for full story

Space Pioneers: Sally Ride First American Woman in Space Dies at 61

Ride's place in history was assured on June 18, 1983 when she rocketed into space on Challenger's STS-7 mission with four male crewmates.

Ride's contribution to America's space program continued right up until her death at age 61 this week. After two trips to orbit aboard the shuttle, she went on to an award-winning academic career at the University of California, San Diego, where her expertise and wisdom were widely sought on matters related to space. She holds the distinction of being the only person to serve as a member of both investigation boards following NASA's two space shuttle accidents. She also served as a member of the Review of U.S. Human Spaceflight Plans Committee in 2009 which informed many of the decisions about NASA's current human spaceflight programs.

Sally Ride died today after a 17-month battle with pancreatic cancer.

click image for more on this amazing woman!

Damon and Pythias: The Story of True, Deep Friendship

Do you have a friend so loyal they would die for you? Are you that kind of friend? Well, I would like to think that I have a few(very few) friends that I'd unhesitatingly risk my life to save. Here is an ancient story of just that kind of friendship. It's a short story, read on and learn a pleasant lesson.

Damon and Pythias

There once lived two men, called Damon and Pythias. They were both lovers of truth and integrity and in all the city of Syracuse they could find no one who upheld these principles so well as each other.
Dionysius was at that time the ruler of Syracuse;  he wielded complete authority and very often abused his power, for he was hot-tempered and imperious and anyone who angered him was put to death.
One day he was informed that a young man named Pythias had been heard complaining against the cruelty of Dionysius; no one was allowed to criticise the ruler, and Dionysius condemned the youth to die.

When Pythias learned of his fate, he begged to be allowed to return home to set his affairs in order.
“How far away is your home?” enquired Dionysius suspiciously, “and how may I be certain you will return?”
“My home is many miles distant,” replies Pythias, “but I have a friend, Damon, who is willing to take my place while I am away.”
There was a stir amongst the bystanders and a man stepped to Pythias’s side.
“I am Damon, my lord” he said. “I will give myself up as a pledge of my friend’s return, and if any accident befalls him I will die in his stead.”
The tyrant was amazed by this generosity, and gave Pythias leave to depart, fixing on the day and hour of his return, and warning that he would not fail to exercise justice on his friend, if he did not arrive back in time.
The days passed and the morning dawned on which Pythias was to have been executed – still, Pythias did not appear, and the people of Syracuse said that Damon would surely be killed.
Everyone was agreed in condemning his behaviour as rash and foolhardy; but Damon himself was the happiest man in the prison. He was filled with hope that his friend would not return in time, and he was led out to execution with a cheerful face. Dionysius had come to see him meet his death, and called out to him in mocking words.
“So, Damon, where is your friend, of whom you were so confident? I fear you have allowed him to take advantage of your simplicity.”
“It is impossible for me to doubt my friend’s constancy,” replied Damon. “Perhaps he has met with some accident along the way.”
At that  moment a horse broke through the crowd, and Pythias, travel-stained and weary, half fell out of his saddle, and ran to embrace his friend.
“I am come – in time,” he gasped. “My horse – was killed, and I could not find another. Thank heaven I am in time to save you!”
But Damon did not want Pythias to die. He pleaded with him to allow the execution to continue, and Dionysius watched in disbelief as each friend eagerly sought to give up his life for the other.
  “Cease, cease these debates,” he exclaimed, stepping forward and taking their hands. “I hereby set both of you free. Never in my life have I seen such loyalty; nor did I dream such a thing could exist. I beg you will accept my pardon and allow me to share in your friendship.”

~Bethan Lewis~

From Greek Mythology

Obama on Campaign Trail While Visiting Bar-"Turn Off Fox News!"

Obama has been making a campaign bus tour through the country, and, naturally, made perennial swing state Ohio one of his stops. While having a 'back-and-forth' with a man in a bar called Ziggy's he thanked the group for their support, one of them gestured to one of the TV's and said, "You're in a building that has Fox news on."
Obama suggested that the man ask for it to be changed. "The customer is always right," he said.
It was added later that Obama "made the remark in a humorous exchange."
Obama's less-than-friendly relationship with Fox News is, of course, well-known.

click image for Obama on Aurora Colorado Massacre

Colorado Shooter James Holmes Considered Online to be 'Boyfriend Material' the Day After Massacre

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

In Honor of my Father: Carlos M. Cox 2/12/1933-7/22/2008

It has been four years since I lost my father, I still think of him everyday. This week I will release my new book called 'Dad's Desperate Wisdom and other Odds&Ends.'  It is filled with many stories, opinions, jokes, and quotes by and about my father. The title story is true as best I can remember it. This true story happened when I was 11 years old and the events therein changed the way I saw my dad and  it also taught me how a quick thinking man like my father could lead and preserve his family in the time of grief, fear, calamity, and sadness. His instant wisdom was our saving grace during this trying period in our young lives. I can say that I am a different kind of person because of my emulation of this great man.

Four generations

my Dad,my Daughter Angie, Me holding my granddaughter Genny

I miss you Dad and I hope this work will honor you and keep your valued memory alive and fresh in the minds of those of us that love and miss you even to this day.

Carlos M. Cox 1933-2008

To be released on Amazon and Create Space this week

Gunman Open Fires at Screening of New Batman Movie Reportedly Killing 12, Wounding 52

Click the image below for more on the shooting in Aurora Colorado.

Emergency Vehicles race to the scene of the mass shooting

Click here for more on gunman's capture



Astronomers Discover Planet Capable of Supporting Life, and it's Very Close to Earth.



"It's not just in our backyard, it's right in our face," lead researcher Professor Steven Vogt said.

The planet is 22 light years away, previously thought to be 20 light years, and is formally known as Gliese 581g, but Professor Vogt told news.com.au that he has since named it after his wife.

"I called it 'Zarmina's world'," Professor Vogt said.

We will see if that particular name sticks or not; I personally prefer Gliese 581g.

While his claims have been previously reported, a new study, released to News.com.au this week, dismisses calls of balderdash by the international science community. 

The study - by astronomers at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and the Carnegie Institution of Washington - shows the planet is twice the size of Earth. It is known as a "super Earth" due to its ability to hold on to its gassy atmosphere, which increases its chances of retaining liquid.

click image for more on Gliese581g

Ten Good Reasons Not to Piss off the Gay Population.

I don't understand why people must come out against homosexuals. I am a straight republican, but I'm wise enough not to cross gay people.

Here are a few reasons why I say just live and let live.

1) It is not a choice; they are born gay.

2) They feel they have the same rights as any natural born American;so do I.

3) If being blindsided by the AIDS virus in the early 80's couldn't destroy them why do some people think they can?

4) The Bible says to judge not unless you are judged yourself; still there is a negative opinion of them. Let God make the judgement the rest of us should mind our own business.

5) Most gay people are satisfied to keep to themselves unless confronted.

6)Gay couples are loving, productive, simple tax paying folks.

7) If they are married and adopt, they raise their children to be open minded and forgiving of others ignorance.

8) Homosexuals love their parents and siblings just as the rest of us do, but wouldn't dream of trying to recruit them because they understand it is not a choice.
9) They, as we, are a creation of God.(Only God can create, Satan can only manipulate)
And this next one is the biggy:
10) Hell hath no fury as a woman(or gay) scorned.

Chick-Fil-A has stepped in it now!

Universal Simplicity

God's universe is a magestic and complex place which is held together buy a very few simple rules:

Relativity:
Matter and energy tell space and time how to look, and in turn space and time tell matter and energy where to be.

Laws of motion says:
 1)Leave it alone and it will remain in place.
 2)If it is in motion it will remain so.
3) You push it it pushes you back.

There are four basic forces:

Electromagnetic force

Strong nuclear force

Weak nuclear force

Gravitational force

Everything is made up or effected buy the above simple rules.

If we are the only life in the universe then we are the mind and consciousness of the universe.
In otherwords the universe is aware of itself because we think and reason.

 

British Government Releases 'UFO' Documents

 The British government recently released a trove of data relating to the U.K.'s response to the possible existence of UFOs. The 25 files and 6,700 pages of data document UFO policy, issues with media outreach, public correspondence, and, of course, reports of UFO sightings from the public.

The Ministry of Defence received more than 10,000 reports of UFOs between 1950 and 2009. The sightings ranged from events that could be easily explained -- aircraft lights, satellites -- to more credible reports from police officers, pilots, and members of the military. A UFO desk officer from 1991 to 1994, said, "These are probably the most fascinating and bizarre government files ever made available to the public."

click image for full story

Cat Mayor of Alaska Town for Fifteen Years-Watch that Gag Write-In Vote; Snoopy Could Win!

Mayor Stubbs has more than 2,500 Facebook fans on his page, nearly three times as many people who live in the town itself.

Stubbs is a cat, who was elected to office as a write-in candidate shortly after his birth.

National polls show that voters all over the country are losing faith in their elected leaders. But the 900 residents of Talkeetna, Alaska, say their mayor is doing a great job bringing in tourist dollars and has served in office for over a decade.

"He's good. He's probably the best we've ever had. He was just in the Alaska Magazine, and he's been featured in a few different things."

And with the power of social media, Stubbs is growing in popularity and drawing visitors to Talkeetna, who comes specifically to meet the honorary mayor.

Though residents say he's been taking the newfound fame in stride, with his major indulgence being a daily dose of catnip served from a wine glass.

click image for more on Mayor Stubbs

GOP: Romney VP Running Mate Choices Speculated to be Down to Three

Many Republicans believe Romney will break from tradition and announce his choice well before the party's convention in Tampa in late August that will formally nominate Romney as the Republican candidate.

Still, Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, has yet to make up his mind.

Naming his vice presidential running mate in coming days could help Romney remove a withering spotlight instigated by the Obama campaign over his personal financial information and tenure at the private equity firm Bain Capital.

The Democrats accuse Romney of leading Bain at a time when it invested in companies that outsourced U.S. jobs overseas. Romney says he was running the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City at the time and had given up all management of the company.

The controversy is proving to be a distraction for the Romney campaign and overshadowing his attempt to make the election campaign about Obama's handling of the U.S. economy amid 8.2 percent unemployment and record budget deficits.

Reuters say he has yet to make up his mind

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The short list includes Ohio Senator Rob Portman, former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty and Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal all offering various strengths to Romney.

Fox News Latino reports that Romney's short list is down to two not including Marco Rubio of Florida, or Gov. Susana Martinez of New Mexico.

Sarah Palin Not Invited to 2012 GOP Convention, Cannot be Trusted?

 Palin wouldn't be the first former vice-presidential candidate to be shunned by the party at its next convention. The last time it happened? John Edwards in 2008.

Palin herself seems to be taking the apparent snub in stride. "What can I say?" she told the magazine in an email from Alaska. "I'm sure I'm not the only one accepting consequences for calling out both sides of the aisle for spending too much money, putting us on the road to bankruptcy, and engaging in crony capitalism."

Mitt Romney currently has no plans to give Sarah Palin a role at the 2012 Republican National Convention. In fact, John McCain's 2008 running mate hasn't even been invited to the GOP soiree in Tampa.

Palin would certainly light up the base at the convention … but a jolt of Palin at Romney's convention seems most unlikely. The Romney campaign prides itself on adherence to script, Newsweek states that Palin cannot be trusted to avoid the impulse to go rogue."

clickimage for more on Sarah Palin

NASA: Astronauts Thumb Another Ride on Soyuz to ISS

 Sunday’s launch is the latest to take place for NASA, which after a series of budget cuts retired its shuttle fleet earlier this year. Since then it has had to rely on the Soviet-era Soyuz as governments and private companies scramble for new ways to launch humans to the station and beyond.

In a statement released from NASA headquarters, officials said the mission is likely to remain on track and should go smoothly.

Ironically, today's launch took place on the 37th anniversary  of the landmark Apollo-Soyuz mission.

click on image of Suyuz for more on this long-lived spaceship design

Long Arm of the Law: After 24 Years on Run Fugitive Caught



One of the U.S. Marshals Service’s 15 most wanted fugitives has been captured in the Mexican beach town of Cancun after 24 years on the run.

Vincent Legrend Walters, 45, was apprehended early Friday morning and is being held on an extradition request.

Walters, who faces murder, drugs and weapons charges, hid in plain sight and reportedly boasted he was a wanted fugitive, according to the U.S. Marshals Office.

Walters used the alias Oscar Rivera and worked at Cancun International Airport, officials said.

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NASA: Curiosity's Video 'Seven Minutes of Terror' Goes Viral

 The new video is of the Curiosity rover, scheduled to land on Mars on the night of Aug. 5. The rover will go tearing into the Martian atmosphere and, engineers hope, land safely on the surface seven minutes later.

NASA made the computer-animated video of the landing sequence, and found it has a hit on its hands. With almost a month to go until landing, the video has been viewed more than half a million times on YouTube alone, and it's appeared on countless other websites as well.

NASA video

click on image for this exciting NASA animated video!

Sylvester Stallone's Son Sage Stallone Found Dead

"Sylvester Stallone is devastated and grief-stricken over the sudden loss of his son Sage Stallone," Sylvester's rep said in a statement to E! News. "His compassion and thoughts are with Sage's mother, Sasha [Czack]. Sage was a very talented and wonderful young man, his loss will be felt forever."

Sage, who starred alongside Stallone in Rocky 5, was found dead in his Los Angeles home Friday afternoon.

Police, who responded to a welfare check at the home around 2:15 p.m., said there were no signs of forced entry at the home, nor any apparent foul play, and that there did not appear to be any criminal activity involved.

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Vice President: Condoleezza Rice Front Runner on Narrowing GOP List

Late Thursday evening, Mitt Romney's presidential campaign launched a new fundraising drive, 'Meet The VP' -- just as Romney himself has narrowed the field of candidates to a handful, sources reveal. And a surprise name is now near the top of the list:

Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice!

click image for more on this developing news

Is Condi really Mitt's choice for VEEP?

"The upcoming elections loom as one of the most important in my lifetime," Condoleezza warned. "I'm very often asked to speak about our current foreign policy and the challenges that lie before us. However, we, as a country, are not going to be able to address any of those international challenges unless we first get our domestic house in order."

It was Condi who received two standing ovations at Romney's Utah retreat a few weeks ago, and everyone left with her name on their lips.

Some say that Conoleezza Rice could put Mitt Romney and the GOP back in the White House.

What do you think?

NASA: Hubble Telescope Reveals Pluto has Fifth Moon

On July 11, 2012, astronomers announced that a fifth moon had been discovered orbiting the dwarf planet. Researchers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope found the moon. The discovery comes almost exactly one year after Hubble spotted Pluto's fourth moon, a tiny body currently called P4.

Too small to be a planet Pluto remains in the scientific news. Only gas giant planets in our solar system have 5 or more moons, but tiny, demoted Pluto refuses to go unnoticed!

click image for more on Pluto's moons at Space.com

Conspiracies: Is Roswell for Real? Is Area 51 Hiding Alien Technology? Retired CIA Agent Says Yes!

'It was not a weather balloon - it was what people first reported,' says Chase Brandon, a CIA agent who served 35 years with the agency. 'It was a craft that did not come from this planet.'

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A long-serving CIA agent has spoken out on the 65th anniversary of the Roswell Incident to reveal a hidden CIA file on the 'UFO' that was supposedly found at the site - and says, 'It really happened.'

When the Roswell incident occurred, military authorities issued a press release, which began: ‘The many rumours regarding the flying disc became a reality yesterday when the intelligence officer of the 509th Bomb Group of the Eighth Air Force, Roswell Army Air Field, was fortunate enough to gain possession of a disc.’

Tightrope Walker Slips Falls 600 Feet and Lives

I am a fan of Nik Wallenda-tightroped across Niagara Falls earlier this year- the famous grandson of the late Karl Wallenda -who fell to his death in San Juan, Puerto Rico in 1978. The Wallendas are true professionals, this guy from China is an idiot in my opinion!

Here is the headline and video: 

A Chinese acrobat suffered minor injuries after slipping near the end of a 700-meter tightrope while attempting to walk backwards, blindfolded.

click image for video and full story

Where are We in the Universe? Let Me Show You Around the Neighborhood

Earth

Earth as viewed from the surface of Mars

Our Solar System-Earth is third from the sun

The star systems around us-sun in the center of image

Our galaxy the Milky Way-sun in center of image

Our local cluster of galaxies-the Milky Way is slightly right of center

Our local supercluster of galaxy clusters-local galaxy cluster center of image

The Known Universe- again our Super Cluster is centered in image

And beyond this nobody knows- I like to think of it as the creator's realm or God's country

When looking out into the universe we are not only observing distance, but because light speed is finite we are also looking back into time.

Below is a map of the earliest universe we can record- we can look no further back simply because there were no stars forming in the universe as of yet and without radiation, heat nor light we cannot capture an earlier image.

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Star Gazers: Mid Summer Planets Moon Dance in Early Morning Sky

July 15th the planets Venus and Jupiter meet the cresent moon in the early morning sky.
Throughout July, Venus and Jupiter will steal the show, as the two most luminous planets blaze brightly in the early predawn sky.
Next month, in August, the cosmic trio of Saturn, Mars and the bright star Spica will put on a heavenly dance for observers shortly after sunset.

click image for full story at space.com

Deadly Heat Wave Claims 30+ Lives so Far

Unrelenting heat has killed at least 30 people across half the country.

The heat sent temperatures soaring over 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) in several cities, including a record 105 F (40.5 C) in Washington, St. Louis (106 F, 41 C), and Indianapolis (104 F, 40 C), buckled highways and derailed a Washington-area train even as another round of summer storms threatened.

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The heat sent temperatures soaring in more than 20 states to 105 F (40.5 C) in Louisville, Kentucky, 101 F (38.5 C) in Philadelphia, and 95 F (35 C) in New York; besides Washington, a record of 104 F (40 C) was set in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and Baltimore set a record at 102 F (39 C).

At least 30 deaths were blamed on the heat, including nine in Maryland and 10 in Chicago, mostly among the elderly. Three elderly people found dead in their houses in Ohio had heart disease, but died of high temperatures in homes lacking power because of recent outages, officials said. Heat was also cited as a factor in three deaths in Wisconsin, two in Tennessee and three in Pennsylvania.