Three jokes from Osho, words of wisdom. http://amplify.com/u/k5tq

World's Largest Online Database Assembled for Plants

Amplify’d from news.discovery.com

Capping the UN's International Year of Biodiversity, botanists in Britain and the United States on Wednesday unveiled a library of plant names aimed at helping conservationists, drug designers and agriculture researchers.

The database, accessible at The Plant List, identifies 1.25 million names for plants, ranging from essential food crops such as wheat, rice and corn to garden roses and exotic jungle ferns, and provides links to published research.

The aim is to clear up a century-old taxonomic jumble in which non-standard names sowed ignorance, rivalry and sometimes damaging confusion about the world's plant wealth.

See more at news.discovery.com

 

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Ancient Bible fragments reveal a forgotten history

Jews continued to use a Greek version of the Bible in synagogues for centuries longer than previously thought.

Amplify’d from www.admin.cam.ac.uk

New research has uncovered a forgotten chapter in the history of the Bible, offering a rare glimpse of Byzantine Jewish life and culture.

The study by Cambridge University researchers suggests that, contrary to long-accepted views, Jews continued to use a Greek version of the Bible in synagogues for centuries longer than previously thought. In some places, the practice continued almost until living memory.

The key to the new discovery lay in manuscripts, some of them mere fragments, discovered in an old synagogue in Egypt and brought to Cambridge at the end of the 19th century. The so-called Cairo Genizah manuscripts have been housed ever since in Cambridge University Library.

Now, a fully searchable online corpus (http://www.gbbj.org) has gathered these manuscripts together

See more at www.admin.cam.ac.uk

 

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Everyday Canadian Hero

One of the clip and comment by @shaor3 made me clip this heart-warming story. Watch it at the source.



http://www.globalnational.com/video/index.html?releasePID=xYzhSPYw4feN2gYhdV1zLCBeH1zOFKFC

Amplify’d from www.globalnational.com

Fri, Dec 17: If you've ever had your car die on the side of a road, you know how frustrating that can be. But there is one stretch of highway in Ontario where you can count on help. Dawna Friesen reports Read more at www.globalnational.com

 

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Americans Are Horribly Misinformed About Who Has Money

Amplify’d from www.good.is

Americans have a really distorted view of how wealth is distributed in this country.

This chart is from a paper called "Building a Better America One Wealth Quintile at a Time" by Dan Ariely and Michael I. Norton.

The top row shows the actual distribution of wealth in America. The richest 20 percent, represented by that blue line, has about 85 percent of the wealth. The next richest 20 percent, represented by that red line, has about 10 percent of the wealth. And the remaining three-fifths of America shares a tiny sliver of the country's wealth.

See more at www.good.is

 

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The internet changes nothing ...

Excellent article, read at the site.

Amplify’d from www.roughtype.com

Before the Web we were already used to sitting in front of electronic boxes for hour upon hour. The boxes have now changed, but they are still boxes. Of course the things we do on the Internet are different from those we did (and do) in front of the TV. But it’s important to remember that they are only different; they are not new. Think for a moment about what you do on the Internet. Not what you could do, but what you actually do. You email people you know. In an effort to broaden your horizons, you could send email to strangers in, say, China, but you don’t. You read the news. You could read newspapers from distant lands so as to broaden your horizons, but you usually don’t. Read more at www.roughtype.com

 

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2011 Calendar – Excel Template

The source is an excellent site for Excel fans.



h/t, via Zoho forums.

Amplify’d from chandoo.org

Here is a 2011 new year gift to all our readers – a free 2011 calendar template.

See more at chandoo.org

 

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NASA's International Space Station Calendar for 2011

Amplify’d from twitter.com

» NASA NASA Need a 2011 calendar? Our International Space Station calendar celebrates 10 yrs of people living in space: http://go.nasa.gov/hO0GLF 8 hours ago Read more at twitter.com

 

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Somebody was using Computer back in the 1600s!

Amplify’d from ngrams.googlelabs.com

See more at ngrams.googlelabs.com

 

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Exhibition explores early Islamic science

Amplify’d from www.ox.ac.uk

A new exhibition at the Museum of the History of Science explores the world of early Islamic scientific instrument makers as they sought a delicate balance between function and beauty.

‘Al-Mizan: Sciences and the Arts in the Islamic World’ marks the 25th anniversary of the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies and is open until 20 March 2011. 'Al-Mizan' is the Arabic word for 'balance'.

For hundreds of years Arabic was the primary language of science and mathematics. Read more at www.ox.ac.uk

 

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McDonald markets its meals directly to young children violating several consumer protection laws

Oh yes they do. Try preventing the young one from getting chicken nuggets, ahem, the toy they like!

Amplify’d from www.theglobeandmail.com

The lawsuit was filed in California Superior Court in San Francisco on Wednesday.

They claim McDonald's decision to markets its meals directly to young children violates several consumer protection laws because it exploits a child's vulnerability.

San Francisco recently became the first city to prohibit fast-food restaurants from including toys with children's meals that don't met nutritional guidelines.

A similar ordinance was passed Santa Clara County. Read more at www.theglobeandmail.com

 

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What is your idea of heaven?

There is no heaven and there is no hell.  They are not geographical, they are part of your psychology. They are psychological. To live a life of spontaneity, truth, love and beauty is to be in heaven. To live a life of hypocrisy, lies and compromises, to live according to others, is to live in a hell.  To live in freedom is heaven, and to live in bondage is hell.

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Chocolate - The Bitter Truth

http://j.mp/fkdaov

Amplify’d from j.mp

See more at j.mp

 

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Chocolate - The Bitter Truth - BBC investigative documentary.http://j.mp/fzlrBuYou don't want to watch this if you like chocolate. http://amplify.com/u/idec

In Genesis, God is arguing against the powerful deities prevalent in that culture

I can agree with this particular historical premise.

Amplify’d from www.guardian.co.uk via Google Reader

In Genesis, God is alone, and the measured, ordered creation comes into existence by the sheer benevolent power of God. Sun, moon and stars, often seen in ancient cultures as powerful deities, requiring worship and propitiation, are merely among the things that God creates in Genesis, and God decides their proper role and sphere (1.14-19). In Genesis, God creates human beings with the deliberate intention of sharing the ordering of creation with them (1.26). Over and over again, Genesis emphasises the peaceful origins of the world, and its innate goodness. So the story of degeneration that follows does not reflect an eternal dualism in the cosmos between good and evil, and it does not suggest that there is anything more powerful than God at work.

So it reads as though Genesis is a deliberate challenge to the accepted understanding of the origins of the universe. Genesis is looking at what the culture around it believes about the nature and purpose of the material world, and disagreeing with it profoundly. It is not what we might call a "scientific" disagreement, in that it is not so much talking about the mechanics of how the world comes into being. Instead, it is a "theological" disagreement, which leads to a radical rethinking of what human life is for and how the human and divine realm interact. Genesis is arguing that our lives are not accidental and purposeless, that we are not helplessly caught between good and evil, that the world is not morally neutral, and that we have a role to play in it, based on our relationship with the creator. And all of that is as much a critique of the prevailing cultural assumptions of the 21st century as it was of 10th century BCE. Read more at www.guardian.co.uk

 

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The Lion of Narnia has elements of Muhammad, Buddha, all the Great Prophets and Spiritual Leaders

"But there's no mistaking that The Chronicles of Narnia has always connected with audiences in a mystical, magical way. And to whatever extent that is true with the books, I think it will be equally true with this movie."

Amplify’d from www.guardian.co.uk via Google Reader

Is the new Narnia movie, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, tantamount to Christian propaganda? Or is it an affront to the faithful, its makers so irreligious and "stupid" that they have destroyed the Christian thinking behind the books?

Both, if recent press reaction is to be believed. The Guardian's own Andrew Pulver noted "the sledgehammer moral lessons with nakedly religious overtones" found in "the godlike burbling of Liam Neeson, the voice of Aslan", whenever "the lion has to deliver one of his homilies".

On the flip side, Neeson remarked in a press conference last week that, in addition to Aslan's Christ-like qualities, he finds elements of "Muhammad, Buddha, all the great, great prophets and spiritual leaders that we've had over the centuries". Read more at www.guardian.co.uk

 

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Ikea in India

Ikea in India: "Flat-pack kings woo India with development money"

Two hours from Varanasi, the beating heart of Hinduism in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, a small village anxiously awaits a big visit.

BBC News - Stone tools 'change migration story'

BBC News - Stone tools 'change migration story': "A research team reports new findings of stone age tools that suggest humans came 'out of Africa' by land earlier than has been thought.

Geneticists estimate that migration from Africa to South-East Asia and Australia took place as recently as 60,000 years ago."

Lost tiger population discovered

Lost tiger population discovered: "A 'lost' population of tigers is caught on camera living in Bhutan, a discovery that could be crucial for the big cats' survival."

HOME (English with subtitles)

An American-born Mexican Priest uses foul-mouthed Language With a Gangster Dialect to bring God's Message - NYTimes.com

Mexico City Journal - Speaking God’s Language With a Gangster Dialect - NYTimes.com: "MEXICO CITY — Frederick Loos was cussing like a sailor the other night, which was surprising given that he is a Roman Catholic priest and his foul-mouthed discourse was delivered from the pulpit to hundreds of faithful gathered before him. He spoke of God, the need to serve him and how he can transform lives. But interspersed in his sermon was the most colorful of street Spanish, which brought smiles to the faces of many of the gang members, addicts and other young people pressed in tight to listen. “When you go to China you have to speak Chinese,” the priest explained afterward, slipping out of his vestments."

Please, Give Us A Google Voice Desktop App

We, the users, have developed a growing love for all things GOOGLE. Google Voice has been a landmark service that has brought a high-level of convenience to millions. We have asked, begged, and pleaded for a desktop VoIP application. We have heard news of said application and then sadly heard news of this application possibly being dropped for your "to-do list". This petition is brought forth to show you the overwhelming demand for such an application for OS/X, Windows, and Linux PCs (and possibly an Android App). We understand your hesitation for a desktop application, but a web application (as was stated by people from your company) would be far too complicated at this time to create. Please hear our voices. We use your services daily and stay loyal to your company. We <3 you Google.

http://www.giveusgvdesktop.com/

A Musical Message Discovered In Plato's Works

A Musical Message Discovered In Plato's Works : NPR: "It sounds like something out of a Dan Brown novel, but a scholar in Manchester, England, claims to have found hidden code in the ancient writings of Plato. If true, the secret messages would have made the ancient philosopher and mathematician a heretic in his day.

Jay Kennedy tells NPR's Guy Raz that his discovery was partially luck. Looking at Plato's works in their original scroll form, he noticed that every 12 lines there was a passage that discussed music. 'The regularity of that pattern was supposed to be noticed by Plato's readers,' Kennedy says.

Music in ancient Greece was based on a 12-note scale, unlike the eight-note scale of modern Western music. Kennedy posits that Plato deliberately inserted discussions of music every 12 lines to send a secret, musical message.

What Plato couldn't tell people was that he was a closet Pythagorean. Pythagoras and his followers believed that mathematics and music were the key to the universe.

'The Pythagoreans realized that when we hear beauty and music, when we hear notes harmonizing, that's because the notes have simple ratios, like 1:2 or 3:4,' Kennedy explains. 'So the beauty of music is direct perception of the mathematical order underlying the world. They worshipped that mathematics.'"

At least 220 dead in oil explosion in Congo

At least 220 dead in oil explosion in Congo - KansasCity.com: "A tanker truck hauling fuel on a rural eastern Congo highway overturned Saturday, gushing oil that later exploded in a fireball and killed about 220 people.



Witnesses said dozens of people had descended on the truck to siphon fuel illegally from the wreckage with jerricans and plastic buckets, apparently unaware of the danger.

U.N. peacekeepers rushed to evacuate more than 200 injured from the scene by helicopter and ambulance. Red Cross teams carried the charred bodies away in body bags and buried them in two mass graves a few miles away."

Paris Hilton held in South Africa after World Cup game - BBC News

The details of her charges have not been released and the court hearing went ahead behind closed doors.

BBC News - Paris Hilton held in South Africa after World Cup game: "US socialite Paris Hilton has appeared in a South African court following her arrest after a World Cup game.

Ms Hilton was arrested in Port Elizabeth after the Netherlands' defeat of Brazil in the quarter-finals of the tournament."

Blogger in Draft: Introducing Blogger Stats

Blogger in Draft: Introducing Blogger Stats: "Although some of you use Google Analytics or other third party tools to track your blog traffic, many of you have requested an easier-to-use, fully-integrated stats feature for Blogger. We heard that, and we are excited to announce that Blogger in Draft now has built-in stats. Just go to Blogger in Draft, and you'll notice a new 'Stats' tab. You don't have to install or configure anything to start benefitting from Stats.

The coolest thing about the new Blogger Stats is that it monitors and analyzes your visitor traffic in near-real-time."

Utah firing squad death announced on Twitter - BBC News

BBC News - Utah firing squad death announced on Twitter: "It was a very modern way to announce a very old-fashioned death.

Shortly after midnight in the US state of Utah, Attorney General Mark Shurtleff picked up his Apple iPhone, opened up a Twitter 'app' on his handset and began tweeting.

But Mr Shurtleff's 134-character composition was no ordinary post. This was not a piece of miscellany from the 53-year-old's home life, a link chosen to amuse or interest his followers, nor even a political prod at his Democratic rivals."

U.S. Identifies $1 Trillion Riches of Minerals in Afghanistan - NYTimes.com

U.S. Identifies Vast Riches of Minerals in Afghanistan - NYTimes.com: "The United States has discovered nearly $1 trillion in untapped mineral deposits in Afghanistan, far beyond any previously known reserves and enough to fundamentally alter the Afghan economy and perhaps the Afghan war itself, according to senior American government officials."

The previously unknown deposits — including huge veins of iron, copper, cobalt, gold and critical industrial metals like lithium — are so big and include so many minerals that are essential to modern industry that Afghanistan could eventually be transformed into one of the most important mining centers in the world, the United States officials believe.

An internal Pentagon memo, for example, states that Afghanistan could become the “Saudi Arabia of lithium,” a key raw material in the manufacture of batteries for laptops and BlackBerrys.

Canadian Grand Prix survives one-year hiatus

Canadian Grand Prix survives one-year hiatus: "MONTREAL — The grandstands in the Senna Corner were boasting a healthy population at 8 a.m. ET, still four hours from the start of Sunday’s Canadian Grand Prix.

Race promoter Francois Dumontier didn’t need to look in that direction from his third-floor corner office, in the control tower above the start/finish line of Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. He knew that soon there wouldn’t be an empty seat in those famous bleachers."

A timeline o fthe Gulf oil spill - Video - TIME.com

The Oil Spill by the Numbers - Video - TIME.com

BBC News - 'Bullying' link to child suicide rate, charity suggests

BBC News - 'Bullying' link to child suicide rate, charity suggests: "As many as 44% of suicides among 10-14 year olds between 2000-2008, may be bullying-related, a charity suggests.

Beatbullying said 26 out of 59 cases of child suicide reported in the national media were linked to bullying.

The charity admitted it had scant information but believed up to 78 of 176 such cases in England, Scotland and Wales, were victims of bullying."

Pakistan's ISI intelligence agency 'supports' Taliban - BBC News

BBC News - Pakistan's ISI intelligence agency 'supports' Taliban: "A new report claims to provide the most concrete evidence yet of direct links between Pakistan's ISI intelligence agency and the Taliban in Afghanistan.

The report says the ISI is providing funding, training and sanctuary to the Taliban on scale much larger than previously thought.

The document was prepared by the London School of Economics (LSE)."

World's Most Peaceful Countries: Global Peace Index (PHOTOS)

World's Most Peaceful Countries: Global Peace Index (PHOTOS): "Prepared by the Sydney, Australia-based Institute for Economics and Peace, the Global Peace Index (GPI) annually ranks 149 countries based on a range of variables, including corruption, crime rates, military spending and access to primary education."

Indian painting by Syed Haider Raza sold for a record by London auctioneers - BBC News

BBC News - Indian painting sold for a record by London auctioneers: "A painting by top Indian artist Syed Haider Raza has set a record for a modern Indian work, officials at Christie's auctioneers say.

Raza's painting Saurashtra sold for �2.4m ($3.5m) in London on Thursday.

Officials at Christie's told the BBC that the large-scale painting was produced during a key period of Raza's career."

BBC News - India moves to make it easier for couples to divorce

BBC News - India moves to make it easier for couples to divorce: "The Indian government has proposed a new law which will make it easier for couples to get divorced.

It has ordered that the country's Hindu marriage act should be altered to allow irretrievable breakdown of marriage as grounds for divorce.

Up until now, a divorce would in most cases be granted by the courts only if there were mutual consent."

BBC News - 'Oldest leather shoe' discovered

BBC News - 'Oldest leather shoe' discovered: "The oldest example of a leather shoe has been discovered by archaeologists in a cave in Armenia.

At 5,500 years old, the well preserved cow-hide shoe pre-dates Stonehenge by 400 years and the Pyramids of Giza by 1,000 years.

It was made of a single piece of leather and was shaped to fit the wearer's foot, the researchers say."

BBC News - Physicists burst bubble mystery

BBC News - Physicists burst bubble mystery: "With the help of high speed video, scientists have discovered that there is far more to bursting bubbles than meets the eye.

Under the right conditions, a bursting bubble on a liquid surface does not simply vanish, but creates a perfect ring of tiny 'daughter bubbles'.

This occurs as the ruptured bubble retracts into the liquid, forming a doughnut shape of trapped air."

Russian math genius doesn't want $1 million Prize | RIA Novosti

Russian math genius ignores $1 million Millennium Prize | Science | RIA Novosti: "Russian reclusive math genius Grigory Perelman did not appear in Paris on Tuesday to collect his $1 million prize for solving a problem that has puzzled scientists for over a century.

In March 2010, the Clay Mathematics Institute (CMI) of Cambridge, Massachusetts, announced that Perelman, 43, would be awarded the prize for proving the Poincare conjecture, one of seven problems on the institute's Millennium Prize list."

Google Voice to Integrate with Gmail

Google Voice to Integrate with Gmail as a VoIP Service: "Google tests a new feature that makes Gmail chat more useful: users are able to make and receive Google Voice calls from Gmail. A new phone icon opens a Gmail chat window with a dialpad, an option to find contacts, a credit balance and a call button."

Solar Cell Inventor receives Millennium Technology prize | BBC News

BBC News - Swiss solar innovator wins Millennium Technology prize: "The inventor of a low-cost solar cell that could be used to build electricity generating windows has been awarded this year's Millennium Technology Prize.

Professor Michael Gratzel of the Lausanne Federal Technology Institute received the €800,000 (�660,000) prize at a ceremony in Helsinki.

Professor Gratzel's innovation mimics the way plants turn light into energy."

200 young couples detained for kissing in Sri Lanka | BBC News

BBC News - Sri Lanka police detain young couples for kissing: "Police in two Sri Lankan towns have detained nearly 200 young couples they accuse of indecent behaviour.

Locals complained the young lovers were kissing, cuddling or simply holding hands, reports say.

In the central town of Kurunegala about 350 youngsters have been detained and reprimanded in the past two weeks."

Snakes going extinct | BBC News

BBC News - Snakes in mysterious global decline: "Snakes may be declining across the world, according to a global study.

Researchers examined records for 17 snake populations covering eight species over the last few decades, and found most had declined markedly.

For reasons that are not entirely clear, some populations shrank in number abruptly around 1998."

AFP: Turkey pushes for condemnation of Israel

AFP: Turkey pushes for condemnation of Israel: "ISTANBUL — Turkey sought a fresh condemnation of Israel over its deadly raid on Gaza-bound aid ships as regional leaders gathered in Istanbul Tuesday to discuss security in Asia.

Presidents Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran, Bashar al-Assad of Syria, Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan as well as Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas and Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin attended the talks, expected to end with a joint declaration later Tuesday.

'There will probably be a condemnation of Israel in the final declaration,' a Turkish diplomat said."

Breaking News: Peruvian authorities say Joran Van der Sloot confesses to killing woman in hotel room – In Session: - CNN.com Blogs

Breaking News: Peruvian authorities say Joran Van der Sloot confesses to killing woman in hotel room – In Session: - CNN.com Blogs: "Lima, Peru- Peruvian government authorities confirm that Joran Van der Sloot has confessed to killing Stephany Flores Ramirez. In Session's Jean Casarez reports formal charges are expected to be filed later today. Van der Sloot is currently in a holding cell."

Gulf Oil Spill: Cap Placed Over Leak Collecting Only Fraction Of The Oil

Gulf Oil Spill: Cap Placed Over Leak Collecting Only Fraction Of The Oil: "ON BARATARIA BAY, La. — The wildlife apocalypse along the Gulf Coast that everyone has feared for weeks is fast becoming a terrible reality.

Pelicans struggle to free themselves from oil, thick as tar, that gathers in hip-deep pools, while others stretch out useless wings, feathers dripping with crude. Dead birds and dolphins wash ashore, coated in the sludge. Seashells that once glinted pearly white under the hot June sun are stained crimson."

BBC News - New robotic telescope in Chile set for planet hunt

BBC News - New robotic telescope in Chile set for planet hunt: "A new robotic telescope designed to study planets around other stars has taken its first image.

Although based in Chile, the Trappist telescope will be operated from a control room in Belgium, 12,000km away.

As well as detecting and characterising so-called exoplanets, Trappist will also study comets orbiting our Sun."

First-timers Stosur and Schiavone set for final battle | Reuters

First-timers Stosur and Schiavone set for final battle | Reuters: "Not since 2004 has the Paris showpiece featured two players in their first grand slam final but this one is even more surprising than the duel six years ago when Anastasia Myskina beat fellow Russian Elena Dementieva.

Schiavone, soon to turn 30, will become the first Italian female to win a grand slam singles title if she prevails against Stosur, herself bidding to become the first Australian woman to win one since Evonne Goolagong triumphed at Wimbledon in 1980."

BBC News - Stephen Fry crowns most beautiful tweet at Hay Festival

BBC News - Stephen Fry crowns most beautiful tweet at Hay Festival: "The most beautiful tweet ever tweeted has been announced by broadcaster Stephen Fry.

Fry, whose musings on micro-blogging site Twitter have attracted 1.5 million followers, announced the winner at the Hay Festival.

The winning tweet read: 'I believe we can build a better world! Of course, it'll take a whole lot of rock, water & dirt. Also, not sure where to put it.'

Marc MacKenzie, 41, from Canada, said he was 'pleasantly surprised' to win."

3 Idiots movie sweeps annual Bollywood roadshow - Boston.com

3 Idiots movie sweeps annual Bollywood roadshow - Boston.com: "Bollywood actress Kareena Kapoor looks on as she arrives at the International Indian Film Academy, or IIFA, awards event in Colombo, Sri Lanka,

Saturday, June 5, 2010. Some of India's top movie stars converged in Sri Lanka on Thursday for Bollywood's annual roadshow despite calls to boycott the event because of the alleged killing of Tamil civilians during the final stages of the country's decades-long civil war. Kapoor has been named 'India's Most Beautiful Woman' by the People Magazine. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)"

Rush Limbaugh’s wedding day; Elton John to sing at banquet | Jose Lambiet’s Page2Live.com

After rehearsal luau, it’s Rush Limbaugh’s wedding day; Elton John to sing at banquet | Jose Lambiet’s Page2Live.com: "Palm Beach radio talker Rush Limbaugh threw a Hawaiian luau Friday night at The Breakers in honor of his soon-to-be-wife, who grew up in the 50th state.

The rehearsal luau was attended by 400-or so close friends and family wearing Hawaiian shirts. They all expect to witness the Conservative firebrand Limbaugh get hitched tonight to Republican blue blood Rogers, a hottie nearly half his age."

Drosselmeyer Wins Belmont Stakes - The Rail Blog - NYTimes.com

Drosselmeyer Wins Belmont Stakes - The Rail Blog - NYTimes.com: "Drosselmeyer, with the Hall of Fame trainer Mike Smith aboard, outran Nick Zito-trained Fly Down in the stretch to win the Belmont Stakes on Saturday by 3/4 of a length.

The victory gives WinStar Farm its second win of the Triple Crown season. They also bred and own Super Saver, who won the Kentucky Derby by 2� lengths in the slop on May 1. The victory is trainer Bill Mott’s first in a Triple Crown race."

Lakers Versus Celtics and The NBA Finals (Is Tomorrow) | The Big Lead

Lakers Versus Celtics and The NBA Finals (Is Tomorrow) | The Big Lead: "Game 1 wasn’t that close as Kevin Garnett looked old and Kobe Bryant looked good. Rajon Rondo was mostly quiet with 13 points and 8 assists.

In a game that featured Ray Allen and Paul Pierce, the best 3-point shooter in game 1 was Ron Artest. Basically, it doesn’t look good for the C’s after one game."

Drosselmeyer Wins Belmont Stakes - The Rail Blog - NYTimes.com

Drosselmeyer Wins Belmont Stakes - The Rail Blog - NYTimes.com: "Drosselmeyer, with the Hall of Fame trainer Mike Smith aboard, outran Nick Zito-trained Fly Down in the stretch to win the Belmont Stakes on Saturday by 3/4 of a length.

The victory gives WinStar Farm its second win of the Triple Crown season. They also bred and own Super Saver, who won the Kentucky Derby by 2 lengths in the slop on May 1. The victory is trainer Bill Mott’s first in a Triple Crown race."

Gaza flotilla attack: A week that changed Middle East politics | World news | The Observer

Gaza flotilla attack: A week that changed Middle East politics | World news | The Observer: "Israel's actions sparked an international outcry, jolted its relationship with allies Turkey and America and may yet reshape diplomacy in the region"

Most Beautiful Valley in Pakistan, sadly submerging

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/06/landslide_lake_in_pakistan.html