Play That Funky Music, Green Boy: A forest dragon lizard was photographed getting down with a leafy guitar in Indonesia. Yes to the Dress: White and gold or black and blue? I see pink and yellow polka dots with lime green paisley trim. Mother Monster: Lady Gaga created a stir after announcing on her social media pages that she would star in the upcoming season of American Horror Story: Hotel. Llama Drama: Two on-the-lam llamas cause havoc after escaping their enclosure and rampaging through the streets of Sun City, Arizona, with cops and animal control agents in hot pursuit. I'll Tumble 4 Ya: Madonna takes a hard fall while performing live at the Brit Awards 2015, after failing to untie her Armani cape in time to ascend a flight of stairs. The Beacon: Mysterious bright lights spotted shining on dwarf planet Ceres by NASA's Dawn spacecraft. Live Long & Prosper: Iconic actor Leonard Nimoy, Spock from the original Star Trek science fiction series, dies at age 83.
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Remember that episode of The Golden Girls when Rose makes Dorothy, Blanche and Sophia promise to have their heads frozen when they die so they could be transplanted onto bodies and re-animated in the future? (Dorothy: "We look like a reunion of Henry VIII's wives...") An Italian surgeon has claimed that human head transplants will be available in as little as two years. Dr. Sergio Canavero of the Turin Advanced Neuromodulation Group told media that the heads of deceased people that have been cryogenically frozen can be successfully grafted onto the bodies of the recently deceased and "brought back to life", Frankenstein-style! The procedure is currently in the development stages and is a hope for people suffering from advanced cancer or degenerative muscle conditions. Dr. Canavero plans to announce the ambitious endeavor at the American Academy of Neurological and Orthopedic Surgeon's conference in June. Canavero explained that the recipient's head and donor body would be cooled at the start of the procedure in order to extend the amount of time human cells and tissue could survive without a supply of oxygen. The spinal cords would then be severed and the head would be attached to the new body. Blood vessels would be reattached via tiny tubes to restore the blood flow. The patient would then be placed in a medically-induced coma for four to six weeks to prevent the patient from moving and to give the body time to heal. The surgeon believes once the patient awoke, he/she would possess their sense of touch and smell and speak in the same voice. He believes the patient would be able to re-program the new body to walk and move freely within a year with intense physical therapy. Anti-rejection medications would be needed to ensure the new hybrid body could survive. Canavero is unsure if medical ethics would allow the procedure to be performed in Europe or the United States, but is confident that the surgery would be possible somewhere in the world. A house in Oregon has gone missing and local authorities are asking the public for help in finding it! Sheriff Frank Skrah of the Klamath Falls police department made the announcement of the errant home at a press conference on Tuesday. "We had a complete home stolen." Sheriff Skrah told the local press. "This isn't a motor home, this isn't a mobile home, this is a home." When reporters asked if the home was already on wheels when it was taken, he responded as he pointed to a photograph of the house, "No, it was not. It was on the foundation you see here." The 1200-square foot wooden cabin was officially reported as missing on Tuesday, and the house was unoccupied at the time of the disappearance. The homeowners have been notified in regards to their abducted residence. Anyone with information regarding the crime is urged to contact Klamath County police. Wonder if a new color-coded alert system needs to be devised for when homes go missing? Knotty Pine Alert has a nice ring to it... 80s/90s kids rejoice! The Disney XD channel is planning a reboot of the best cartoon ever, DuckTales! Yes, the awesome misadventures of crotchety duck dynasty billionaire Uncle Scrooge McDuck and his loyal duckling nephews Huey, Dewey and Louie are set to return to the small screen. Surely, Uncle Scrooge and the Ducklings will still be fighting to stop dastardly villains from stealing his precious "Number One Dime", the first money the miserly old codger ever earned! Hopefully, Scrooge's haughty butler Duckworth (who is actually an anthropomorphic dog, which I never quite got) will still be in McDuck's gainful employ. The original series was broadcast on the Disney Channel from 1987 to 1990, with 100 episodes produced which have remained in syndication over the past several decades. As of now, the updated version of DuckTales is not scheduled to debut until 2017. In the meantime, you can enjoy this adorable video of the DuckTales opening sequence, featuring actual ducks! KFC in the UK is set to launch a world's first for a fast food chain: An edible coffee cup made out of chocolate!
The appropriately named "Scoff-ee" cup will be made out of a heat-resistant white chocolate, so it won't melt between your legs and create a mess as you are driving into work in the morning! The "to go" cup is perfect for the on-the-go person, who wants their coffee, a snack, and no mess to throw in the trash bin. (This should help cut down on litter, too!) The cups will also be infused with mood-boosting scents, such as Freshly Cut Grass, Wildflowers and Coconut Sun Creme, in case you need more than the aroma of a piping hot mug of the Colonel's Java to wake you up and get your day going. The cups have been created to compete with other fast food chains such as McDonalds and Wendy's, who have achieved strong sales by offering breakfast fare, as well as to promote KFC's new "Seattle's Best Coffee" range, a city widely-regarded for its coffee (think Starbucks). No word on when or if the tasty cups will be available in US KFC locations, but here's hoping they will be. The New Cold War: Russian president Vladimir Putin seems intent on showing his great displeasure with the United States in regards to his actions in the Ukraine.
Irate over sanctions lobbied against Russia for what is viewed politically as his "interference" in the Ukraine, Putin decided to express his anger with President Obama by authorizing a mock-up missile float for the Army Day parade in Moscow. The "missile" is emblazoned with the Communist symbol of the hammer and sickle along with the words "To Be Personally Delivered to Obama", an obvious threat to the American president. Putin has been flexing his military muscles across the globe in recent months, which many view as his way of venting his frustrations over costly economic sanctions lobbied against his country. NATO and Europe have seen near daily incursions in sovereign territories by Russian fighter jets, with jets being scrambled to meet the threat. Nuclear capable Russian bombers have also been intercepted nearing American airspace on several occasions, on both the East and West coasts, which have been interpreted as tests of military response times. Sky Wars: Attack of the Drones: unmanned aircraft Flying Over Paris Landmarks cause terror fears2/24/2015 At least five drones were spotted flying over popular Paris tourist destinations today, creating concern that the City of Lights was under attack from terrorists once again.
The unmanned aircraft were seen flying very near to Paris' premiere tourist location, the Eiffel Tower, where tens of thousands of tourists and locals alike gather daily. Drones were also spotted at Bastille Square as well as near to the US Embassy on Rue du Faubourg St Honoré. Unmanned aircraft were also spotted last evening at the French capital's popular Place de la Concorde and L'Hotel des Invalides, which houses the tomb of Napoleon Bonaparte. French forces and the national gendarmerie were unable to locate anyone responsible for navigating the drones either last evening or today. Over the last several months, France has seen an influx of mysterious drones flying freely in the skies over the nation. In January, a drone was seen flying over the French presidential palace, Palais de l' Elysée. Of greater concern, drones have violated restricted air space over French nuclear power plants at least 20 times over the past few months, fueling speculation that the aircraft could be used for nefarious purposes. Paris is still reeling from the shocking massacre in January of twelve journalists at the headquarters of the Charlie Hedbo satirical magazine by militant jihadists, who were subsequently killed. Local authorities reassure that all precautions are being taken to ensure the safety of French citizens as well as tourists, and there has not been a credible threat associated with the drones. You can forget expensive world travel and the cheaper Stay-cation version in the future, as new technology will implant memories of exciting world travels to exotic locales we have never actually visited in our minds, says revered theoretical physicist Michio Kaku. Similar to the plot line of the 1990 blockbuster sci-fi film Total Recall starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, people will be able to have false memories implanted into their brains of vacations to locations anywhere in the world, or even to Outer Space! According to Kaku, we will be able to search for any type of experience we would like to have online and simply download the app to our smart phone or home computer and upload the created memories directly to our brains! In his bestselling book The Future of the Mind, Kaku details how rapid advancements in both medical knowledge and technology will meld together, turning science fiction into science reality. Kaku points out that knowledge of the human brain has expanded vastly in the past decade alone, and envisions the incredible strides in understanding the complexities of the mind will continue to grow exponentially in the not-too-distant future. If memory serves me correct, this did not work out too well in the film Total Recall, but it will cost far less than an extravagant Grand Tour of Europe, so it might just be worth the risk/price! Four more mysterious craters have been discovered in the Yamal Peninsula of Siberia in Russia, an area known to the local population as the "End of the World". Scientists believe that further expeditions will discover even more craters. Last year, airplane surveillance over the region discovered that several massive craters had formed in a very short span of time, prompting a mystery that global scientists were hard-pressed to explain. Explanations ranged from meteor impacts to alien activity, but the true cause behind the enormous craters has yet to be completely determined. Scientists descended upon the region to uncover clues about how such massive craters could have formed in the permafrost of Siberia in a matter of days. Experts began to suspect that climate change had created the craters, causing natural methane gas to bubble up from the ground and igniting the permafrost. Witnesses have reported seeing bright flashes of light in the frigid, night skies of Siberia near to where the new craters have suddenly formed, supporting the theory. Strange, unexplained "trumpet" noises in the sky have also been plaguing the area. The region is rich in natural gas, and one of the craters has formed in close proximity to a gas plant, sparking enough of a safety concern for local authorities to launch an official investigation into the mystery. Officials are concerned that a crater might suddenly form near to a village or city, creating a hazard to health and life. The consensus of opinions among scientific experts is that if methane is indeed the culprit behind the formation of the craters, this is not good news for the planet. Mass methane releases have been responsible for extinction-level events on the planet throughout the course of history. This news, coupled with troubling data concerning the changing climate and the fragility of Earth's eco-systems, places an urgent new importance on discovering the complete truth behind the mysterious craters and what exactly the implications for Earth's future are. Lady GaGa (in Azzedine Alaia) looks ready to multi-task: Walk the Red Carpet, perform, and do the dishes after the ceremony. Laura Dern (Best Supporting Actress Nominee for Wild) shines in a stunning silver Alberta Ferretti gown. Best Actress Gone Girl nominee Rosamund Pike takes the Hot Tamale Train down the Red Carpet in a fire engine red, strapless gown with a corset-laced back that showed off her post-baby bod to perfection! Fifty Shades of Red: She's the star of the hottest movie on the planet, so Hollywood Royalty Dakota Johnson (her Mom is Melanie Griffith, her Dad is Miami Vice star Don Johnson) looks appropriately sexy in a one-shouldered Yves Saint Laurent flowing gown with minimal accessories and a simple ponytail 'do. Actress Loralei Linklater (Boyhood) is a miss in a messy, Gothic-inspired Gabriela Cadena dress coupled with bad posture. Best Actress nominee Reese Witherspoon (Wild) wore an exquisite palest of blue Tom Ford creation with black velvet straps across her shoulders and accentuating her tiny waist. Baby on Board: A radiantly expecting Keira Knightley (Best Supporting Actress nominee for The Imitation Game) shines in an embroidered, creamy-beige chiffon gown. Scarlett Johansson could have pulled off this fetching emerald green Atelier Versace floor-sweeper, if not for the cluttered green choker and severe, super-short hairstyle. Such Devoted Sisters: Boyhood Best Supporting Actress winner Patricia Arquette , subdued and stunning in an asymmetrical, off-the-shoulder black and white gown designed by her lifelong friend Rosetta Getty, is joined by her actress sister Rosanna on the Red Carpet.
Four years ago, on February 22, 2011, the New Zealand city of Christchurch on the South Island was struck by a cataclysmic 6.3M earthquake. The powerful temblor followed a 7.1M quake the previous September, which had caused great damage to the city, but no fatalities. The city had made great strides in rebuilding from the September quake when a deadly disaster of unimaginable scale struck. Although not as powerful as the September earthquake, the February 2011 quake was a shallow one, only five kilometers beneath the surface of the ground, and the epicenter was far closer to the city of Christchurch. The minutes following the earthquake, the city was shaken to its very core. Practically every building in the city of over 350,000 was damaged, many completely destroyed. Entire neighborhoods were left unlivable. Roads and other critical infrastructure were left in ruins, as liquefaction created oozing rivers of mud, water, sewage and clay running through cracked streets blocked with debris. The revered Christchurch Cathedral, the very symbol of the vibrant city, sustained catastrophic damage. New Zealand's treasured Garden City was in ruins. Hundreds of people were trapped in collapsed buildings as scenes of chaos and panic swept across the city. Among the devastation, were scenes of courage and determination, as the population of Christchurch- and indeed the whole of New Zealand -came together to cope with a catastrophe of mammoth proportions. The death toll would eventually climb to almost two hundred people, making it one of New Zealand's darkest days. The financial toll of the disaster is almost beyond measure, as is the emotional toll. Strong and terrifying aftershocks continue to this day following the earthquakes, further traumatizing the remaining residents of Christchurch. Over the past four years, thousands have decided to cut their losses and move elsewhere to start their lives once again in a mass Exodus from Christchurch. Many others, however, have remained, staying resolute to the love they have for their beautiful, stately city. Christchurch continues to deal with the horror and destruction of that dark day four years later. For a heart-breaking record of the Great Christchurch Earthquake, I recommend the documentary When a City Falls (available on YouTube and Hulu Plus), which tells the harrowing story of what happened on that day, and the weeks and months following.
Thoughts and prayers of hope to the citizens of Christchurch, as they continue on the long path to recovery. Photos of the Week: A Rowdy Raven, Kim Jong Un's New Style, BRRRR! & Beckham Family Portrait2/20/2015 Nevermore! A rowdy raven with a bird's eye view of Levi Stadium in California mugs for the camera. The Boston Tundra: Photograph shows Bean Town looking more like Siberia after never-ending series of winter storms. The Emperor's New Hair: Kim Jong-Un, the Supreme Leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, sports a super-stylin' new slick-backed hairstyle and extra-tweezed eyebrows in Pyongyang. New York Harbor frozen over after the latest round of the dreaded Polar Vortex caused temperatures to plunge to record-breaking lows throughout much of the US. Weather Bomb: Satellite images show two powerfully dangerous tropical Cyclones, Marcia and Lam, bearing down on northern Australia. Now, from Faux News Headquarters in New York: CNN report contends ISIS is using kittens and snack-favorite Nutella to lure women to join terrorist forces. Could We Be Any More Beautiful? Dad David takes Beckham family selfie portrait of sons Brooklyn, Romeo, Cruz & daughter Harper at Mum Victoria's fashion show during New York Fashion Week. A Really Big Dough: Ben & Jerry's announced their latest creative ice cream flavor inspired by Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon, called The Tonight Dough.
"4, 3, 2, 1 Earth below us, drifting, falling Floating, weightless, calling, calling, home..." Peter Schilling - Major Tom (Coming Home) The ambitious Dutch-based space program Mars One has selected 100 viable candidates out of a pool of over 200,000 applicants to settle a space colony on our celestial neighbor, Mars. Out of the 100 candidates, a battery of physical and psychological tests over the next several years will eventually whittle the number down to an elite group of 24 strong-minded and able-bodied astronauts who hope to rocket off to the Red Planet within the next decade. The non-profit group is hoping to use current (and future) technology to achieve their lofty goal of placing a human colony on Mars, a feat not yet accomplished by NASA or the European or Russian space programs. A human colony on the planet has long been the goal of NASA, but the logistics and cost of such a program have proven prohibitive over the years. Another hang-up for such an adventure: It would most certainly be a one-way ticket to Mars, with virtually no possibility of the brave astronauts ever returning to Earth once there. The trip to Mars would last a grueling seven months, with a high likelihood that several passengers would die en route. A recent study from prestigious MIT concluded that a human colony on Mars might survive for approximately 68 days in the extremely harsh conditions of the planet before seeing the first fatalities. More would likely follow. The program is hopeful to launch the first in a series of missions to Mars by the year 2024. (For a highly riveting account of what a mission to the planet would be like, check out Andy Weir's stunning new science-fiction bestseller, The Martian.) It's a Small World, After All: Couple Visits 3 Different Disney Parks on Same Day for Anniversary!2/19/2015 It is indeed a small world, after all. California couple Diane and Michael Greening spent their first year anniversary at the Happiest Place on Earth, Disneyland in Anaheim. They have celebrated the day at a Disney theme park every year since. As their 17th anniversary loomed, they knew they had to plan something very special. The couple decided to embark on a major challenge: Visit three separate Disney parks around the world, on the same day. With careful planning in respect to time zones and geographic challenges, the couple decided to start the day off at Tokyo Disneyland in Japan at 9:50 AM on a Saturday, February 14, Valentine's Day. After a quick photo op, they made a mad dash to the airport to catch a flight to Los Angeles. 10 hours later (and still on Saturday time due to California being 14 hours behind Japan) they arrived in California before rushing to the original Disneyland theme park and snapping another cherished photograph. With no time to lose, they took off to nearby John Wayne Airport, but unfortunately they had missed their flight to Orlando, Florida. Feeling for the couple's plight, the airline managed to last-minute book them on another flight bound for sunny Florida. Diane and Michael managed to arrive at Disney World in Orlando at 11:40 PM, only 20 minutes before the park closed! The total travel time for the whirlwind tour was 28 hours and the couple was certainly exhausted, but thrilled they had made their anniversary such a special event. Can't wait to see what the happy couple is planning for their next anniversary! What is going on in Chelyabinsk, Russia? First, there were those mysterious "trumpet" sounds heard in the sky. Then, came the terrifying exploding meteor that traumatized the city and did hundreds of millions of dollars in damage. There was the mysterious, deep craters that formed virtually overnight in the Yamal Peninsula, known to locals as the "End of the World". Then, only last week, came the blue snow. And now, three suns in the sky? Chelyabinsk residents were startled to look up in the phenomenon-prone skies over their city to see the appearance of not one, not two, but three suns! Before you start screaming "Nibiru" or "Nemesis the Destroyer", the "rare" phenomenon is known as anthelion or a phantom sun or triple snowdog, and occurs when microscopic ice crystals in the atmosphere act as a prism and reflect the light of the actual sun, the one in the center, of course, creating the stunning optical illusion. The phenomenon is more common in extremely cold climates such as Siberia, and Mongolia was witness to a similar incident this past December. Makes one wonder what highly unusual event the residents of Chelyabinsk might see next... |
Miguel DanteAuthor, blogger, truthseeker. CategoriesArchives
January 2023
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