Lit

"This story is part of special National Geographic News series on global water issues. When antidepressant pills get flushed down the drain, they do more than create happier sewers. Scientists in Erie, Pennsylvania, have found that minute concentrations of fluoxetine, the active ingredient in Prozac, are killing off microbial populations in the Great Lakes. Traces of antidepressants such as Prozac have been found in both drinking and recreational water supplies throughout the world, in quantities experts say are too dilute to affect humans but which have been found to damage the reproductive systems of mollusks and may even affect the brains of animals like fish." - Lit

It's not the best drug, as it does make some people more aggressive, and it's also too widely prescribed by some GP's, as they still have little understanding about mental health issues and the drugs. - Halil

"A NASA spacecraft has been approved to launch in 2016 to visit a near-Earth asteroid, mission managers announced today. Dubbed OSIRIS-REx—for Origins Spectral-Interpretation Resource-Identification Security Regolith Explorer—the robotic craft will conduct the first U.S. mission to collect pieces of an asteroid and bring them back to Earth. OSIRIS-REx was selected out of three projects under consideration for funding by NASA's New Frontiers Program, which aims to develop uncrewed spacecraft missions designed to help us understand our solar system." - Lit

"Now, an international team of researchers co-led by MIT's Josh Tenenbaum has found that infants can use that knowledge to form surprisingly sophisticated expectations of how novel situations will unfold. Furthermore, the scientists developed a computational model of infant cognition that accurately predicts infants' surprise at events that violate their conception of the physical world. The model, which simulates a type of intelligence known as pure reasoning, calculates the probability of a particular event, given what it knows about how objects behave. The close correlation between the model's predictions and the infants' actual responses to such events suggests that infants reason in a similar way, says Tenenbaum, associate professor of cognitive science and computation at MIT." - Lit

"Seventeen lost pyramids are among the buildings identified in a new satellite survey of Egypt. More than 1,000 tombs and 3,000 ancient settlements were also revealed by looking at infra-red images which show up underground buildings." - Lit

Take that!, Geraldo Rivera - Steve Koch

"The secret to vocational fulfillment is not always found in a better job, or a more impartial supervisor. Sometimes the only thing you need to change is your attitude. And, as cognitive psychologists have long demonstrated, attitude can be significantly influenced by where you choose to focus your attention. What we think shapes what we feel, at least as often as the other way around." - Lit

"1. Direct your gaze along the following positive lines and see if it helps you to develop that (yes, it's saccharine, but it's also powerful) "attitude of gratitude." 2. Review the sweet spots of your day. A physician so frustrated by managed care and malpractice that he brooded daily about escape eased his professional struggles with a positive trick of the brain. "Every morning when I start my internal rant against the ridiculous requirements of my new practice group, I force myself to STOP and picture one patient I feel I helped the day before. That soothing image brings my stress level down enough to get through another day." 3. Whether your best moments are central to your job description (you manage a team and management of any kind brings out your personal best) or peripheral to it (you organize the office softball team, including the T-shirt design), take the time to notice the moments in the day when you feel like your best self. Flash on that mental image in a clear and vivid way several times a day. 4. Cherish the social support. However grand the mission of a war, warriors report that they fight on behalf of their unit buddies. So it is in the office. Whether we are making the widgets or selling them, we are in the marketplace fighting alongside our buddies. Their friendship, success, and our own contribution to the overall cause are often the best reasons to come to work. Take a minute to remind yourself. 5. Appreciate positive parenting. If your work is a place where you can continue to develop, and if you've got a boss who bothers to show you the way, then you have a surrogate parent long past the time when most of us are left to flounder on our own. Good mentoring is not always easy to take, but it is definitely reason to cheer. 6. Perks count, too. If you work in a pretty place, if they throw in baseball tickets, if you can bring the baby or the puppy to the office so all the parts of you are under one roof, if they give a swell holiday party or take a relaxed attitude towards facial hair or sweat suits (and you are partial to facial hair or sweat suits), then count it as a blessing. 7. Finally, foremost, the money. Hallelujah, you are working for the money. Frankly, that's why they call it "work" and if you are being reasonably well paid, you have a very good reason to love your job. While this should be immediately obvious, you may find that your appreciation of a salary and benefits has gotten lost in the public promotion of other, higher, reasons to value your job. Bliss is, after all, a tough act to follow. " - Lit

"May 26, 2011 -- In an exclusive interview with WebMD, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) says the replacement for the Food Pyramid will be announced on June 2 -- and that the new icon heralds a "monumental effort" to improve America's health....There are six how-to messages to guide healthy eating: 1. Enjoy your food, but eat less. 2. Avoid oversized portions. 3. Make half of your plate fruits and vegetables. 4. Switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk. 5. Compare sodium in foods like soup, bread, and frozen meals, and choose the foods with lower numbers. 6. Drink water instead of sugary drinks." - Lit

"Doing all of this at once may be too much to swallow. So the USDA plan is to stress one idea at a time. First up will be the "make half of your plate fruits and vegetables" advice. It will be supported by a wide array of guidance on exactly how to do this. For example, one might add fruit to a leafy green salad. Or replace a sugary dessert with a bowl of fruit. Post notes that the government can't do this alone. Key to the plan is a myriad of private/public partnerships with a wide variety of businesses ranging from grocery to media companies." - Lit

"Scientists believe the blast, which was detected by Nasa's Swift space observatory, occurred a mere 520 million years after the Big Bang." - Lit

"(Nicholas Hooper) A Grammy Award (originally called Gramophone Award) — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry." #Lits_music - Lit

I have listened to the HP soundtracks so many times. <3 - Jenny

:) They have some excellent tracks. I recently become a HP fan... - Lit

"...To date, Röyksopp has been nominated for one Grammy Award, won seven Spellemannprisen awards, performed worldwide tours, and produced albums which have topped the charts in several countries, including four consecutive number-one albums in their native Norway..."via http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki... - Lit

Information on M.A.N.D.Y http://www.myspace.com/getmand... #Lits_music - Lit

Of course ;) - Lit

"1. Start with exercise. A healthy diet is built on a base of regular exercise, which keeps calories in balance and weight in check. Read five quick tips for staying active and getting to your healthy weight, and a dozen ideas for fitting exercise into your life. 2. Focus on food, not grams. The Healthy Eating Pyramid doesn’t worry about specific servings or grams of food, so neither should you. It’s a simple, general guide to how you should eat when you eat. 3. Go with plants. Eating a plant-based diet is healthiest. Choose plenty of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and healthy fats, like olive and canola oil. Check out these delicious healthy recipes that bring the Healthy Eating Pyramid into your kitchen. 4. Cut way back on American staples. Red meat and processed meat, refined grains, potatoes, sugary drinks, and salty snacks are part of American culture, but they’re also really unhealthy. Go for a plant-based diet rich in non-starchy vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. And if you eat meat, fish and poultry are the best choices. 5. Take a multivitamin, and maybe have a drink. Taking a multivitamin can be a good nutrition insurance policy. Moderate drinking for many people can have real health benefits, but it's not for everyone. Those who don’t drink shouldn’t feel that they need to start. Read about balancing alcohol's risks and benefits." - Lit

"Olympic hopeful Sara Hall offers training tips for runners"...great running technique advice. - Lit

Thank you, Ms Hannah - Michael W. May

Every time I look at this photo, I keep seeing a younger William Shatner! - Halil

I love Colorado Springs! - Jenny

Thank you kindly. I agree Halil it was a great view. I'll post more later. ;) - Lit

Great electronic/old-world fusion sound...Some people dance well to this ;), though you will not find many videos on the internet posting them, lol... - Lit

Beautiful and soothing ... - Sepi ⌘ سپی

"Anyone with clear skies Saturday night saw a spectacular swollen moon, 14 percent bigger and 30 percent brighter than our satellite usually appears. Photos abound from amateur and professional photographers, but we like this picture from NASA, showing a pink-hued moon rising above the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. On Saturday, the moon was 221,565 miles away — the closest it's been to Earth since March 1993. It caused higher and lower tides, which apparently led to some minor problems for ships — five vessels were stranded in the U.K. because of sandbars that were exposed in a particularly low tide. But for the most part, the supermoon simply looked superb." - Lit

http://www.youtube.com/watch... ...a video describing the event's facts ;) - Lit

Oh, yes and this was the Iranian new year (March 18th/19th). Happy New Year's to those who recognized this day as such! :) - Lit

this is *hot* - Bren

yep is it...enjoy the share along with Bonobo's Kiara (another of my favs.) ;) - Lit

I liked both. Thank you! - Bren

You're welcome :) - Lit

"CAIRO — Hundreds of thousands poured out of mosques and staged protests across the Arab world Friday, some trying to shake off autocratic rulers and others pressuring embattled leaders to carry out sweeping reforms. In the Libyan capital of Tripoli, protesters reported coming under a hail of bullets and said they saw at least seven people killed. In Iraq, troops opened fire in several cities to push back crowds marching on government offices, killing at least 12. Scuffles were reported in Yemen, while pro-reform marches in Egypt, Bahrain and Jordan were largely peaceful. The large crowds signaled that the push for change in North Africa and the Middle East continues to build momentum. The first anti-government protests erupted several weeks ago, toppling rulers in Tunisia and Egypt and quickly spreading to other countries. The situation remained most volatile in Libya, where longtime leader Moammar Gadhafi has cracked down hard on an 11-day-old rebellion after losing control over large chunks of the country. In Tripoli, where Gadhafi remains in charge, protesters staged the first significant anti-government rallies in several days, trying to march from several districts to the central Green Square. Protesters said they came under fire from pro-Gadhafi militias. One man among a crowd of thousands said gunmen on rooftops and in the streets opened fire with automatic weapons and even an anti-aircraft gun. "In the first wave of fire, seven people within 10 meters (yards) of me were killed. Many people were shot in the head," the man, who was marching from Tripoli's eastern Tajoura district, told The Associated Press. "It was really like we are dogs." Across cities that have come under control of the rebels, tens of thousands held rallies to support their comrades in Tripoli. Iraq saw its biggest and most violent anti-government protests since the wave of regional unrest began. Thousands marched on government buildings and clashed with security forces in several cities, an outpouring of anger that left 12 people dead. The protests were fueled by frustration over corruption, chronic unemployment and shoddy public services. "We want a good life like human beings, not like animals," said Khalil Ibrahim, 44, one of about 3,000 protesters in the capital, Baghdad. Demonstrators knocked down blast walls, threw rocks and scuffled with club-wielding troops who chased them down the street. Many Iraqis rail against a government that locks itself in the highly fortified Green Zone, home to the parliament and the U.S. Embassy, and is viewed by most of its citizens as more interested in personal gain than public service. Iraq's deadliest clashes Friday were reported in the northern city of Mosul, where hundreds rallying outside a provincial council building came under fire from guards. Officials said five people were killed. The other deaths were reported in four other cities. Huge crowds also turned out in Egypt, Bahrain and Yemen, but with very different goals. In Egypt, where an 18-day uprising toppled President Hosni Mubarak on Feb. 11, tens of thousands jammed Cairo's Tahrir Square to keep up the pressure on the country's military rulers to carry out reforms. Demonstrators said they are worried the army is not moving quickly enough on reforms, including repealing emergency laws, releasing political prisoners and removing members of Mubarak's regime from power. Thousands chanted that they won't leave until they see Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq, one of the Mubarak-era holdovers, removed from office. Some waved flags of Libya to show support for the uprising next door. "We made Mubarak step down and we must make Shafiq also step down," said Safwat Hegazy, a protester from the Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt's largest and best-organized opposition group. Since Mubarak's fall, the military rulers have disbanded both houses of parliament and promised constitutional reforms that will allow wider participation in elections, to be held within six months. They have also promised to repeal emergency laws that give security forces largely unchecked powers, though only when conditions permit – a caveat that worries protesters. In Bahrain, the first Gulf state to be thrown into turmoil by the Arab world's wave of change, tens of thousands rallying in the central square demanded sweeping political concessions from the ruling monarch. Security forces made no attempt to halt the marchers, an apparent sign that Bahrain's rulers do not want more bloodshed denunciations from their Western allies. In the early stage of the two-week-old rallies, troops had used lethal force. The unrest is highly significant for Washington. Bahrain is home to the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet, which is the Pentagon's main counterweight against Iran's widening military ambitions. Bahrain's Sunni monarchy, meanwhile, is under pressure from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf rulers not to yield to the Shiite-led protesters, fearing it could open footholds for Shiite powerhouse Iran. In the Arab world's poorest country, Yemen, tens of thousands marching in the capital of Sanaa demanded that their U.S.-backed president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, step down. It was one of the largest crowds since protests erupted earlier this month. A Muslim preacher who led Friday's prayer told protesters it was their religious duty to topple Saleh, describing him as a "devil who has driven us to the stone ages." Shouts from the crowd of "Allahu akbar," or "God is great," accompanied his words. "We are coming to take you from the presidential palace," activist Tawakul Kermal told the gathering, addressing Saleh. Yemen has a weak central government and an active branch of al-Qaida. Saleh has promised to step down after elections in 2013, but the demonstrators want him out now. Activists have been digging in, setting up encampments in some public areas. A record crowd turned out Friday in Jordan, where Jordan's largest opposition group, the Muslim Brotherhood, has warned that citizens' patience is wearing thin with the government's "slow" moves toward reform. Hamza Mansour, a leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, called for quicker steps to give Jordanians a bigger say in politics and to have them elect their prime minister – now selected by King Abdullah II. Mansour spoke to 4,000 Jordanian protesters, the largest crowd yet to take to the streets of downtown Amman for the pro-reform cause." - Lit

"After the death of his father King George V (Michael Gambon) and the scandalous abdication of King Edward VIII (Guy Pearce), Bertie (Colin Firth) who has suffered from a debilitating speech impediment all his life, is suddenly crowned King George VI of England. With his country on the brink of war and in desperate need of a leader, his wife, Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter), the future Queen Mother, arranges for her husband to see an eccentric speech therapist, Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush). After a rough start, the two delve into an unorthodox course of treatment and eventually form an unbreakable bond. With the support of Logue, his family, his government and Winston Churchill (Timothy Spall), the King will overcome his stammer and deliver a radio-address that inspires his people and unites them in battle. Based on the true story of King George VI, THE KING'S SPEECH follows the Royal Monarch's quest to find his voice." - Lit

Yes, Halil, the abdication. It was fairly accurate. Although if you delve into the biographies, you will get a bit more of the seamy side of most of it. It certainly was not the romanticized version sold to the nation through the famous radio speech "For the woman I love". The Windsors were quite vehement in their feelings towards their son and the infamous "Duchess of Windsor" and from all accounts including their unwise choice of dinner partners and visits, it seemed warranted. - Melanie Reed

"83rd annual Academy Awards - List of nominees...Best picture: 'Black Swan' 'The Fighter' 'Inception' 'The Kids Are All Right' 'The King’s Speech' '127 Hours' 'The Social Network' 'Toy Story 3' 'True Grit' 'Winter’s Bone'" - Lit

...of the lot I'm rooting for The King's Speech. After having seen them all my opinion is it's the best of the bunch with a couple others closely following. :) - Lit

"For the first time in his life, he was starting to be recognized as a composer, and was able to live stably without fear of poverty. He received a generous stipend from a commission in Vienna, which allowed him to compose his Fifth Symphony and several chamber works as well as the Serenade. Allegedly, Dvořák wrote the Serenade in just 12 days, from 3–14 May. The piece was premiered in Prague on 10 December 1876 by Adolf Čech and the combined orchestras of the Czech and German theatres. It was published in 1877 in the composer's piano duet arrangement by Emanuel Starý in Prague." via Wikipedia - Lit

#Dvorak #index #mp3 - Koleksiyoner Ali

"Updated, 1:18 a.m. | Monday night and into the morning, the Earth will prevent the Sun’s rays from reaching the moon, what is known as a lunar eclipse. But one like this won’t happen again until 2094. For the the first time in 372 years, a lunar eclipse also marks the beginning of the winter solstice, the time at which the sun is at its southernmost point in the sky. And it is scheduled to happen over the course of about 72 minutes, starting 1:33 on Tuesday morning Eastern time. But the moment to dash out of the house and into the cold is 3:16:57 E.S.T, when the moon will be a reddish copper color in the Earth’s shadow. It is supposed to be a particularly good show for people in North America (if they’re under clear skies) and a rare way to usher in a new season. Not letting this spectacle escape its gaze, the NASA community has set up several ways for skywatchers to convene on its Web site. Viewers can post pictures on Flickr, or watch a live video feed from a camera mounted at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. NASA is also hosting an “Up All Night” question-and-answer  feature with the astronomer Mitzi Adams, who will be online from midnight to 5 a.m., Eastern time.  The site includes some advanced reading materials on eclipses of this year that speak in dynamical time, or how time is tracked in the solar system, as well as other explanatory materials for novices, like this timeline of the eclipse tracked in Universal Time. For New Yorkers and others on Eastern time, subtract five hours, which we’ve done for you here: Penumbral Eclipse Begins: 12:29:17 E.S.T. Partial Eclipse Begins: 1:32:37 E.S.T. Total Eclipse Begins: 2:40:47 E.S.T. Greatest Eclipse: 3:16:57 E.S.T. Total Eclipse Ends: 3:53:08 E.S.T. Partial Eclipse Ends: 5:01:20 E.S.T. Penumbral Eclipse Ends: 6:04:31 E.S.T. Google Earth’s Sky feature will also allow viewers to stay inside and keep warm this frigid night with a live feed from the robotic telescope service Slooh. Or allow them to watch gigantic projections of the moon in transition on massive screens in Times Square. So even where it’s pouring, or the sky is covered with a thick blanket of clouds, everyone can watch if they stay up late enough." - Lit

Every time I think of eclipses, I think of Regent's Park, because I saw one there with friends and it was a great day out, we all bunked work and rushed down the the park! That was quite a few years ago now though, but still great memory! :-) - Halil

It sounds like a great one... It was a beautiful sight last night :) - Lit

"Henry VIII (28 June 1491 – 28 January 1547) was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was also Lord of Ireland (later King of Ireland) and claimant to the Kingdom of France. Henry was the second monarch of the House of Tudor, succeeding his father, Henry VII. Besides his six marriages, Henry VIII is known for his role in the separation of the Church of England from the Roman Catholic Church. Henry's struggles with Rome led to the separation of the Church of England from papal authority, the Dissolution of the Monasteries, and establishing himself as the Supreme Head of the Church of England. He changed religious ceremonies and rituals and suppressed the monasteries, while remaining a believer in core Catholic theological teachings, even after his excommunication from the Roman Catholic Church.[1] Henry also oversaw the legal union of England and Wales with the Laws in Wales Acts 1535–1542. Henry was an attractive and charismatic man in his prime, educated and accomplished.[2] He ruled with absolute power. His desire to provide England with a male heir—which stemmed partly from personal vanity and partly because he believed a daughter would be unable to consolidate the Tudor Dynasty and the fragile peace that existed following the Wars of the Roses—led to the two things that Henry is remembered for today: his wives, and the English Reformation that made England a Protestant nation. In later life he became morbidly obese and his health suffered; his public image is frequently depicted as one of a lustful, egotistical, harsh and insecure king.[3] Henry is famously remembered for having six wives—two of whom he had beheaded—which helped to make him a cultural icon, with many books, films, plays, and television series based around him and his wives." - Lit

You are never a nuisance...message away. It is always good to hear from a friend. ;) - Lit

Live from National Mall, Washington, DC - Lit

:) - Lit

Your are missed Hannah :-) - Sepi ⌘ سپی

"Weaving spiders, come not here; Hence, you long-legg’d spinners, hence! Beetles black, approach not near; Worm nor snail, do no offence. – William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night’s Dream" - Lit

:) - Lit