Moments of Awareness

We're holding a space for YOU!

noreply@blogger.com (Peace Jaway) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 22:34:00 +0000

From: Maha Yoga
Date: Thu, Jan 26, 2012 at 3:30 PM

Feb 17th

-
Apr
8th

2012

Be Part of the Most Fun Teacher Training in LA

Your Personal Practice Will Expand Profoundly

If teaching is calling you, this is the most comprehensive and fun 200 hour teaching program you can find in LA.

You Will Learn:

- Embody the wisdom of each pose in detail
- Discover the secrets of sequencing poses
- How to safely open your body with stamina, strength and flexibility
- Improve your overall practice

Teach Live Classes. The class offers rare opportunity for an experienced teacher to guide and help you develop your own personal style, voice and confidence to teach your unique style of yoga to the students you want to reach.

This is about developing your own personal authenticity, not some cookie cutter imitation.

This is a holistic approach. Yoga is not much more than exercise and gymnastics without self-discovery. Learn: Yogic diet, purification, breath technique and bandhas.

Study with a Master Yogi. Serious meditation taught with love and care by Steve Ross. Learn: philosophy, sutras, advaita, vendanta, tantra, mantras, chanting and puja.

Build a strong foundation that will last a lifetime! Contact us to reserve your spot today

info@mahayoga.com

310.899.0047

Maha Yoga |

13050 San Vicente Blvd | Suite 202 | Los Angeles | California | 90049

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Official Hills of Elysium Street Team Now Forming!

noreply@blogger.com (Peace Jaway) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 20:59:00 +0000

From: Hills of Elysium
Date: Wed, Jan 25, 2012 at 5:19 PM

Hills of Elysium

Seattle, WA
Rock / Alternative / Hard Rock

We are currently recruiting members for the Official Hills of Elysium Street Team!

We’re looking for committed, passionate fans that are interested in participating in fun and creative guerrilla marketing in exchange for exclusive HoE merch and music, free admittance to select shows, and more. If this is you, sign up below!

Upon joining the Hills of Elysium Street Team, you’ll be provided with more details on what’s in store for the year.

Join the Hills of Elysium Street Team!

**Membership is open to all fans, from all corners of the globe.**

Rock.And.Roll.

Hills of Elysium

MUSIC STORES

iTunes Amazon Mp3 Rhapsody CD Baby Hills of Elysium Amazon Hills of Elysium

PRESS

"A stunning cover of Jack off Jill's 'Angels Fuck'..." Mike Bax, Fazer Online Music Magazine

"Cigadent plays like an audio chapbook of cultural warfare..." Joshua Ruffin, Metro Spirit

"Cigadent is not for the easily offended." Adam Newton, Dryvetyme Onlyne

LINKS

ReverbNation Twitter Artist Website other Facebook

WIDGETS

Music Player (Pro) Video Player Widget (Pro) Show Schedule Widget (Pro) Press Widget (Pro) Fan Collector (Pro) Exclusive Downloads (Pro) TuneWidget Grab Box

Physical inquiries can be sent to: 601 N 143rd St., Seattle, WA, 98133, US
Powered by FanReach

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Brown Fat Burns Ordinary Fat, Study Finds

noreply@blogger.com (Peace Jaway) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 05:25:00 +0000

Fat people have less than thin people. Older people have less than younger people. Men have less than younger women.

It is brown fat, actually brown in color, and its great appeal is that it burns calories like a furnace. A new study finds that one form of it, which is turned on when people get cold, sucks fat out of the rest of the body to fuel itself. Another new study finds that a second form of brown fat can be created from ordinary white fat by exercise.

Of course, researchers say, they are not blind to the implications of their work. If they could turn on brown fat in people without putting them in cold rooms or making them [...]

Full article at nytimes.com

I wouldn't be surprised if the brown fat within the white fat is a precursor that migrates to the areas where we store it long-term (sides of neck, along spine, etc.) and matures there into it's final form as a metabolic powerhouse.

Also, many thanks to my mom and dad for saving energy and reducing their carbon footprint through Minnesnowta winters and keepin' our brown fat highly active! :D

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End Piracy, Not Liberty – Google

noreply@blogger.com (Peace Jaway) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 04:34:00 +0000

Thank you – and the more than 7 million other Americans – who stood up for the Web

Wednesday, January 18th was a big day for the Web. Americans stood up in opposition to PIPA and SOPA – bills that would censor the Web and impose harmful [...]

[PDF, 2.5 MB]

Full article, as well as a quick, easy link for thanking your government officials, at google.com

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Infamous event happened in Boise 25 years ago | KTVB.COM Boise

noreply@blogger.com (Peace Jaway) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 02:46:00 +0000

BOISE -- Today is the 25th anniversary of an event that changed downtown Boise forever.

[...]

Photos and full article at ktvb.com

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Celestial Stunner: Venus to Cross Face of Sun This Year | Venus Transit of the Sun Jun 5-6 | 2012 Venus Transit

noreply@blogger.com (Peace Jaway) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 06:00:00 +0000

Three views of Venus' solar transit in 2004, taken by NASA's sun-observing TRACE spacecraft. The top image is in visible light; the view on bottom left is in the ultraviolet, and the one on bottom right is in the extreme ultraviolet.
CREDIT: NASA/LMSAL

View full size image

On your 2012 calendar, be sure to put a big red circle around June 5. On that day, a celestial occurrence that will not be seen by human eyes until well into the 22nd century — the year 2117 to be exact — will take place.

The planet Venus will cross the face of the sun.

Through the balance of this winter season and well into the spring of 2012, Venus will gradually climb higher in the sky and grow progressively brighter, eventually becoming an "evening lantern" for those commuting home from work and school. [...]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Joe Rao serves as an instructor and guest lecturer at New York's Hayden Planetarium. He writes about astronomy for The New York Times and other publications, and he is also an on-camera meteorologist for News 12 Westchester, N.Y.

Full article at space.com

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Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

noreply@blogger.com (Peace Jaway) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 03:44:00 +0000

The neutrality of this article is disputed. Please see the discussion on the talk page. Please do not remove this message until the dispute is resolved. (January 2012)

ACTA

Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement

Type Plurilateral agreement, status draft

Drafted Official negotiation started in June 2008
(Finalized English text of the agreement ACTA participants finalized the English, French and Spanish versions of the ACTA text on April 15, 2011)

Signed 1 October 2011

Location Tokyo

Signatories United States, Australia, Canada, Japan, Morocco, New Zealand, Singapore, and South Korea

Parties negotiating parties: Australia, Canada, the European Union, Japan, Mexico, Morocco, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Switzerland and the United States

Depositary Japan (proposed)

Languages English, French and Spanish

The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) is a proposed plurilateral agreement for the purpose of establishing international standards on intellectual property rights enforcement.^[1] It would establish an international legal framework for countries to join voluntarily,^[2] and would create a governing body outside international institutions such as the World Trade Organization (WTO), the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) or the United Nations.^[1]^[3] Negotiating countries have described it as a response "to the increase in global trade of counterfeit goods and pirated copyright protected works."^[2] The scope of ACTA includes counterfeit goods, generic medicines and copyright infringement on the Internet.^[4] Groups such as the [...]

Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement
Type	Plurilateral agreement, status draft
Drafted	Official negotiation started in June 2008 (Finalized English text of the agreement ACTA participants finalized the English, French and Spanish versions of the ACTA text on April 15, 2011)
Signed	1 October 2011
Location	Tokyo
Signatories	United States, Australia, Canada, Japan, Morocco, New Zealand, Singapore, and South Korea
Parties	negotiating parties: Australia, Canada, the European Union, Japan, Mexico, Morocco, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Switzerland and the United States
Depositary	Japan (proposed)
Languages	English, French and Spanish

Full article at en.wikipedia.org

Thanks to Jason Widerstrand from PopeTopia.

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The beatings must stop./Thanks, Julie :)

noreply@blogger.com (Peace Jaway) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 03:05:00 +0000

It’s no secret that I believe in the importance of self acceptance. For many, this brings up a lot of fears about what will happen if they decide to love and accept themselves. Many overweight women believe that to love and accept their body means that they have to give up on weight loss.

But what I want you to know is that accepting yourself first does not mean giving up on yourself.

It means the opposite.

When you love something, you take care of it. You show up for it. You honor it. You put it on your list of priorities. You do the work.

This means eating when you are hungry. Stopping when you’re full. Bathing. Moving joyfully. Resting when you are tired. Giving yourself some space. Feeling your feelings. Changing your beliefs and thoughts.

And when you do those things, lasting change is not only possible – it is inevitable.

In the beginning, the idea of doing all of that can be overwhelming.

Trust me, I know.

But I also know that in order to truly care for yourself and your body, you have to stop beating yourself up. Permanent change happens through love, not hate.

You cannot beat yourself into love.

This includes beating yourself up about beating yourself up.

Stop it.

Seriously.

The only way to stop it is to begin by noticing the ways in which you do it. Begin to notice the things you say to yourself. Notice how you feel and behave when you beat yourself up. Ask yourself if you would speak to your best friend or a small child that way.

Just notice.

Noticing is the first step. Always.

via christieinge.com

Agreed, 100%.

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SpaceWeather.com -- News and information about meteor showers, solar flares, auroras, and near-Earth asteroids

noreply@blogger.com (Peace Jaway) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 01:13:00 +0000

RADIATION STORM IN PROGRESS: Solar protons accelerated by this morning's M9-class solar flare are streaming past Earth. On the NOAA scale of radiation storms, this one ranks S3, which means it could, e.g., cause isolated reboots of computers [...]

ALMOST-X FLARE AND CME (UPDATED): This morning, Jan. 23rd around 0359 UT, big sunspot 1402 erupted, producing a long-duration M9-class solar flare. The explosion's M9-ranking puts it on the threshold of being an X-flare, the most [...]

The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) and NASA's STEREO-B spacecraft detected a CME rapidly emerging from the blast site: movie. Analysts at the Goddard Space Weather Lab say the leading edge of the CME will reach Earth on Jan. 24 at 14:18UT (+/- 7 hours). Their animated forecast track shows that Mars is in the line of fire, too; the CME will hit the Red Planet during the late hours of Jan. 25.

This is a relatively substantial and fast-moving (2200 km/s) CME. Spacecraft in geosynchronous, polar and other orbits passing through Earth's ring current and [...]

JAN. 22ND CME IMPACT: Arriving a little later than expected, a coronal mass ejection (CME) hit Earth's magnetic field at 0617 UT on Jan. 22nd. According to analysts at the Goddard Space Weather Lab, the CME strongly compressed Earth's magnetic field [...]

"This was amazing," he says. "It was a wonderful experience to see these stunning auroras."

NOAA forecasters estimate a 10% - 25% chance of continued geomagnetic storms [...]

UPDATED: January 2012 Aurora Gallery

The Jan. 22nd CME also disturbed Earth's ionosphere. In Atlanta, Georgia, radio engineer Pieter Ibelings monitored a 4.5 MHz CODAR (coastal radar) signal as it bounced off layers of ionization along the US east coast. "The moment of impact [...]

"The CODAR transmitters are located all around the coast and are used for mapping the ocean currents to a distance of about 200 miles," Ibelings explains. "These signals [...]

Full entry at spaceweather.com

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The Air Force Wants to Read Your Brain Waves | Mother Jones

noreply@blogger.com (Peace Jaway) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 17:57:00 +0000

The military's not-at-all-complicated plan to read your mind: Air Force/Wired

Minority Report fans, your moment has arrived: The Air Force's top scientist is trying to develop a system that can predict conflicts and terrorist attacks by collecting and analyzing your thoughts. "Social radar," as Dr. Mark Maybury calls it, is just a natural extension of what the military already does with conventional sonar and radar—except, in this case, "we also want to see into the hearts and the minds of people." It's a demand that comes straight from the US's top politicians and military brass, Maybury tells Noah Shachtman, editor of Wired's Danger Room blog:

"We're supposed to provide ISR," says Maybury, using the military acronym for intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance. "But our constituents [...]

Full article at motherjones.com

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World Blog - Damascus on edge under Assad's always watchful eye

noreply@blogger.com (Peace Jaway) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 08:56:00 +0000

Sana/Handout / EPA
An image of President Bashir al-Assad watches over the scene of a pro-government rally at Sabe Bahrat square in Damascus in December.

Editor's note: Cairo-based NBC News correspondent Ayman Mohyeldin is reporting from Syria this week. Follow his updates on Twitter @Aymanm
By Ayman Mohyeldin , NBC News correspondent

Inside Syria
Day 1

DAMASCUS -- To say that Damascus suffers from a cult of personality is an understatement. Arriving in Damascus airport, there is no mistaking who runs Syria: "Doctor Bashar al-Assad."

In the short walk from the airplane to the car, I counted more than 200 posters plastered on the walls, columns, doors and pretty much everywhere my eye turned. All I could see were pictures carrying the image of Assad. From planting olive trees to donning full military dress, Assad is everywhere. Even customs officials processing our paperwork were humming pro-Assad songs. [...]

Full article at worldblog.msnbc.msn.com

It would be foolish to think this cannot happen (and is not currently happening) here.

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Factsheet: The Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007 | Center for Constitutional Rights

noreply@blogger.com (Peace Jaway) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 08:30:00 +0000

Could Rosa Parks, who was arrested in Montgomery, Alabama in 1955 for violating segregation laws by sitting in the white-only section of a bus and refusing to move, be considered a “homegrown terrorist” by the U.S. government today? Under the terms defined in the Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act she just might be.

Summary
Bill Status
Bill Origin & History
CCR's Recommendations to Congress
Government Opposition

Summary back to top
The Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Act of 2007 (S.1959 / H.R.1955), with an estimated budget of $22 million over four years, would establish a national bipartisan commission to “[e]xamine and report upon the facts and causes of violent radicalization, homegrown terrorism, and ideologically based violence in the United [...]

Full article at ccrjustice.org

Of course, we'd do well not to forget about this one amidst all the hullabaloo around SOPA & PIPA.

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H.R. 2306: Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act of 2011 (GovTrack.us)

noreply@blogger.com (Peace Jaway) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 07:36:00 +0000

112^th Congress: 2011-2012
Bill numbers restart from 1 every two years. Each two-year cycle is called a session of Congress. This bill was created in the Congress, in .

The titles of bills are written by the bill's sponsor and are a part of the legislation itself. GovTrack does not editorialize bill summaries.
-->
91%
9%
To limit the application of Federal laws to the distribution and consumption of marihuana, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Barney Frank [D-MA4]
Status: This bill is in the first step in the legislative process.

via govtrack.us

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Red Thai Tofu with Sesame Rice Noodles | Veg Bon Vivant/Thanks, Ali! :)

noreply@blogger.com (Peace Jaway) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 04:34:00 +0000

I love it when I can grab a bunch of stuff out of my fridge and create a great recipe. Turns out Isa Chandra Moskowicz and I obviously share an icebox. I got into Isa’s cookbooks only recently as I am not Vegan, only Vegan-ish. I’m considered Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian, so it was just a bit ago that I discovered that her TV show Post Punk Kitchen is now available on Google Video. As a side note, I’m happy to say that this Oprah mainstream stuff did not inspire me to go Veg or Vegan for that matter and I don’t rely on a personal chef to cook my meals for me. Hell, if I have a personal chef, of course I’d be Vegan!!!!! I’d also have a personal trainer, a car service, a magical camera to make me look skinny from all angles, the list goes on, and on. However, I don’t live on Fantasy Island and I certainly do not have humpback whales to give each of you [...]

Full post at vegbonvivant.wordpress.com

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[censored]

noreply@blogger.com (Peace Jaway) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 02:29:00 +0000

From: Jess Kutch, Change.org
Date: Tue, Jan 10, 2012 at 11:25 PM

Ask gaming company Electronic Arts to oppose the Internet censorship bill.

Congress has a plan to change the Internet forever. A bill they're debating right now would give the government power to shut down whole websites, and even let corporations say which websites should be shut down.

That means a huge corporation could have any website even suspected of violating a copyright shut down -- no questions asked. The government could then completely block all access to sites as big as Facebook or YouTube if one person posts one thing on those websites that corporations don't want online.

Most major entertainment companies have come out in support of the bill, but despite swirling rumors, the huge video-gaming company Electronic Arts (EA) has yet to take an official stance. However, EA is part of the Entertainment Software Association, one of the big corporate lobbyists for the bill to censor the Internet -- meaning that if EA came out against the bill, that would be a serious blow to the people trying to get it passed.

Shashank Kasturirangan is a student at NYU who's a huge fan of gaming -- including EA's games -- but he can't believe that EA would want to mess with the Internet. Shashank started a petition on Change.org calling on Electronic Arts to stop lobbying for Congress's plan to censor the Internet and come out against the bill. Click here to add your name to his petition.

The Internet censorship bill is particularly dangerous, according to advocates, because it would enable the government to set up the same type of tools to block online content that are used in repressive regimes around the world, like China, Iran, and Syria. For the first time, corporations and the government would be able to say what's acceptable to put on the Internet.

While some companies like Google, Facebook, and Twitter have come out against the bill, big movie studios, record companies, and their corporate lobbyists like the Entertainment Software Association are pushing Congress hard to pass Internet censorship.

Electronic Arts has millions of customers around the world playing video games like Madden 2012, The Sims, and Scrabble, and they care deeply about what the public thinks about their company. If enough people call on EA to oppose the plan to censor the Internet, they will be forced to come out against the bill. And if EA backs off, other companies that haven't yet taken a position will certainly think twice before supporting Congress's plan to censor the Internet.

Sign Shashank's petition to Electronic Arts to stop lobbying for Internet censorship and oppose the bill in Congress. Click here to sign.

Thanks for being a change-maker,

- Jess and the Change.org team

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MOA Tonight

noreply@blogger.com (Peace Jaway) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 03:19:00 +0000

We listen to music and talk to people. Watch on cable channel 11 in the Boise area or on-line at TVCTVOnline.org. Watch previous shows here, and check out the backgrounds here. Join us at MOA's Facebook page for discussion throughout the week. :)

Band info at reverbnation.com

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iPad Survives Fall From Edge of Space in Jaw-Dropping Video | iPads in Space | Space Images & 2012 Consumer Electronics Show

noreply@blogger.com (Peace Jaway) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 06:31:00 +0000

An iPad with a G-Form Extreme Edge case is lifted to over 100,000 feet by a weather balloon which bursts at altitude,
CREDIT: G-Form

View full size image

This story was updated at 10:13 a.m. ET.

A new video has captured an Apple iPad's mindboggling fall to Earth from a balloon in the stratosphere in what may be the ultimate tablet survivor tale.

The high-definition video shows the iPad falling from a height of 100,000 feet (30,480 meters), with the blackness of space and the bright curve of Earth providing a stunning backdrop. The device free-falls all the way back to Earth to make a crash landing on a rocky Nevada hillside.

The video was recorded by the Rhode Island-based company G-Form, which [...]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You can follow Tariq Malik on Twitter @tariqjmalik. Follow SPACE.com for the latest in space science and exploration news on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.

Full article at space.com

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Prepare to Soar January Workshop Schedule

noreply@blogger.com (Peace Jaway) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 05:34:00 +0000

From: Prepare to Soar Training & Development
Date: Mon, Jan 9, 2012 at 10:01 AM

January Workshop Schedule

Training Workshops Designed for Growth & Development

Workshops:

January 13 Basic Excel Workshop

January 17-19 Train the Trainer

January 23 Communication Strategies

January 31 Time Management

February 2 Coaching: A Leadership Skill

LunchBox Learning -- Fridays 12-1 FREE

January 13 Effective Presentations-Create Presentations that Pop
January 20 Why do I need a Life Coach?

For more information or to register for an upcoming workshop, please go to: www.preparetosoar.com/store. Seating is limited, register now to secure your spot.

Prepare to Soar Training Center * 8 6th Street North, Ste. 101 * Nampa ID 83687

Save $10

Group discount available. Sign up two or more people from your organization/team and each registration saves $10. All workshops include materials and lunch. To take advantage of this special, please contact Kim Lewis at 208-989-5102 or kim@preparetosoar.com. Must present coupon on day of training and must pay in full prior to event. Coupon is transferrable simply by forwarding this email to interested parties.

Offer Expires: January 31, 2012.

Idaho Business Women's Network | PO Box 907 | Nampa | ID | 83653

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Niyama Hot Yoga Classes

noreply@blogger.com (Peace Jaway) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 05:26:00 +0000

From: Maha Yoga
Date: Mon, Jan 9, 2012 at 5:40 PM

Niyama Hot Yoga Classes with Mac McHugh

Every Saturday 6:00-7:30pm
Every Sunday 12:30-2:00pm

The Niyama Hot Yoga sequence was created by Mac McHugh at her successful Chicago yoga studios.
We are happy to welcome Mac to the Maha Yoga teaching schedule.

Niyama Hot Yoga is taught heated to 95-98 degrees and is suitable for first-time students as well as long-time practitioners.
Class begins with a one-hour slow warm-up of standing poses. There is an emphasis on core strength, twisting, standing forward folds and balance.
After the first hour, the focus shifts to front body opening through a series of gentle, chest-expanding back-bends.
During the final 15 minutes, quiet stretching is combined
with relaxation breathing.
Sequencing of each class is the same. Strength, stamina, and flexibility are built as students detoxify through sweating.
There are no arm balances, inversions, push-ups or
"down-dog" during this class.

Maha Yoga

| events@mahayoga.com

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Red Tape - New virus raids your bank account - but you won't notice

noreply@blogger.com (Peace Jaway) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 02:28:00 +0000

The best way to protect yourself from an online financial scam is to diligently check your bank accounts. At least, until now.

Israeli-based Security firm Trusteer has found an elaborate new computer virus that not only helps fraudsters steal money from bank accounts -- it also covers its tracks.

Think of a crime plot involving a spy who plans to break into a high-security building and begins by swapping out security camera video so guards don't notice anything is amiss. Known as a surveillance camera hack, the technique has been used in dozens of movies. [...]

Full article at redtape.msnbc.msn.com

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MOA Tonight

noreply@blogger.com (Peace Jaway) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 03:06:00 +0000

We listen to music and talk to people. Watch on cable channel 11 in the Boise area or on-line at TVCTVOnline.org. Watch previous shows here, and check out the backgrounds here. Join us at MOA's Facebook page for discussion throughout the week. :)

Also tonight, see 'Self Portrait' (in progress) by Jason Kiefer.

Band info at reverbnation.com

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Is Georgia's Anti-Obesity Campaign a Form of Bullying? - Weight Loss Center - Everyday Health

noreply@blogger.com (Peace Jaway) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 07:11:00 +0000

FRIDAY, Jan. 6, 2012 — The Georgia anti-childhood obesity campaign featuring overweight children has been called shocking and sparked heated debate across the country. Now it has attracted the attention of the National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA), who has equated the advertisements to bullying.

“Every day we hear about the terrible rise in bullying within our schools, yet this ad campaign could actually promote and give permission to such behaviors among kids,” Lynn Grefe, president and CEO of NEDA, said in a press release. “Sadly, these ads will be successful in shaming children with weight problems and their parents, but will do nothing to promote and educate about wellness and emotional well-being. Shame on [...]

Full article at everydayhealth.com

Well, if these ads get pulled, then the meth ads will have to be pulled or we're condoning bullying of addicts. People familiar with meth and it's effects tell me that those ads are the truth of what happens all too often, and that they should remain on the air. Bullying is never cool, and bullies suck, but sometimes the truth hurts and we need to start differentiating between telling the truth and being mean (and, we need to stop thinking that the only appropriate form of honesty is brutal; yes, our collective social head is buried in the sand over many issues and it can take a blow from a 2x4 to get anything through to us, but if we start being gentler with one another we'll learn to hear gentle criticisms before they need to be stated harshly). It's not always fun when we're faced with our own poor choices (and the choices others would have us make aren't always going to be the right ones for us), but if we can learn to listen and hear and take in what may be being offered, and if we can learn that when people choose not to hear us they probably have their reasons for that, and if we can take critiques in the spirit in which they're offered (which isn't always positive, but knowing that someone offers something from a negative place is as valuable as understanding that they may be coming from a caring place), we'll each have better individual results and as a result society as a whole will be a better place to live. Yes, there are a lot of fat kids, and they, their parents, and society are all to blame for that. There are a lot of fat adults too, and the older we get the more the responsibility lies on our own shoulders for addressing it where it's an issue. Who's to blame doesn't matter. What matters is that people find healthy places for themselves (kids and adults) where they can comfortably exist in their own bodies, do the things they want to do, see who they want to see when they look at themselves. It's sad to see shame being used, yet again, to try to change behavior (it'll work short-term for a lotta people, but in the long-term it is always, ALWAYS destructive), but hopefully it'll open a dialogue in which people who don't struggle with weight issues can come to better understand those who do, and why they do, and we can learn how to apply that to our own lives and our own issues, since we all have them (which is why shame is always destructive, since at some point the fingers we point at others start to poke us in our own eyes and then we all just feel like a buncha failures for all the stuff we're doin' wrong instead of seeing ourselves as humans who do a lot right in any given day, and maybe have some behaviors we think it might be a good idea to change).

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12 Must-See Skywatching Events in 2012 | 2012 Skywatching Events Guide & 2012 Venus Transit | Amateur Astronomy

noreply@blogger.com (Peace Jaway) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 02:39:00 +0000

Venus Transit
CREDIT:

This story was updated on Jan. 2.

As the year 2011 comes to a close, some might wonder what is looming sky-wise for 2012? What celestial events might we look forward to seeing?

I've selected what I consider to be the top 12 "skylights" for this coming year, and list them here in chronological order. Not all these events will be visible from any one locality … for the eclipses, for instance, you'll probably have to do some traveling … but many can be observed from the comfort of your backyard.

Hopefully your local weather will cooperate on most, if not all, of these dates. Clear skies! [...]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This story was updated to include the correct date of the next Venus transit of the sun, which occurs in 2117.

Joe Rao serves as an instructor and guest lecturer at New York's Hayden Planetarium. He writes about astronomy for The New York Times and other publications, and he is also an on-camera meteorologist for News 12 Westchester, New York.

See the list at space.com

It's 11 now 'cause the Quadrantids peaked last night, but still, lotsa cool stuff to see this year. :)

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NASA Spacecraft Captures Sun's Year-End Outburst on Video | The Sun & Space Weather | Solar Flares & Coronal Mass Ejections

noreply@blogger.com (Peace Jaway) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 01:44:00 +0000

NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory spacecraft captured this shot during a period of intense solar storm activity from Dec. 29-30, 2011.
CREDIT: NASA/SDO

View full size image

The sun closed out 2011 with a flurry of activity, and a keen-eyed NASA spacecraft captured the dramatic outburst on video.

NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) watched as our star erupted in dozens of storms during a 36-hour period on Dec. 29 and Dec. 30. The probe's stunning video, taken in extreme ultraviolet light, shows spouts of plasma and intense flashes of radiation blasting from the solar surface.

"Magnetic forces were violently pulling against each other, creating the frenetic [...]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You can follow SPACE.com senior writer Mike Wall on Twitter: @michaeldwall. Follow SPACE.com for the latest in space science and exploration news on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.

Full article (and video) at space.com

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MOA Tonight

noreply@blogger.com (Peace Jaway) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 01:55:00 +0000

We listen to music and talk to people. Watch on cable channel 11 in the Boise area or on-line at TVCTVOnline.org. Watch previous shows here, and check out the backgrounds here. Join us at MOA's Facebook page for discussion throughout the week. :)

Also tonight, see 'Self Portrait' (in progress) by Jason Kiefer.

Band info at reverbnation.com

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