Seoul’s Bridge of Life Offers Free Counseling

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/cDsVOXTQAIs?rel=0" width="853"></iframe><br /><br /><div id="posttext" style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.fastcoexist.com/1682428/this-south-korean-bridge-lights-up-to-persuade-people-not-to-jump?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+fastcompany%2Fheadlines+%28Fast+Company%29" target="blank"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Fast Company</span></b></a> <br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">S</span><b>amsung Life Insurance loves you and here is proof.</b><br /><br />In South Korea South, suicide is the most common cause of death for people under 40. The country has the second highest rate of suicides in the developed world (after Greenland). And Seoul’s Mapo Bridge (dubbed the Bridge of Death) is a particularly tragic spot. Every year, dozens of people jump to their death.<br /><br />To do something about this, Cheil Worldwide came up with the ”Bridge of Life“: a light-and-message system that gets people out of themselves, and seeing the essential side of life again. The company claims the suicide rate has fallen 77% on the bridge as a result. <br /><br />The bridge railing now has an extra section with sensors inside. When people come close, it lights up and displays phrases like <br /><blockquote>“The best is yet to come,” <br />“I love you,”<br />“Did you eat anything?”<br />“Is there something on your mind?” <br />“Why don’t we forget everything and go watch a movie?”</blockquote><br />There’s also an image section with photos of happy kids, couples and grandparents, and a nice brass statue showing two friends (one guy is miserable, the other is trying to cheer him up).<br /><br />Bridge of Life was paid for by Samsung Life Insurance.</div>

Seoul’s Bridge of Life Offers Free Counseling

Fast Company S amsung Life Insurance loves you and here is proof. In South Korea South, suicide is the most common cause of death for peop...

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In The Near Future Your Commercial Airline Flight May Not Have A Pilot On Board

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/LFb7hvWOR0Q?rel=0" width="853"></iframe><br /><br /><div id="posttext" style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.gizmag.com/uav-future-of-unmanned-flight/27478/" target="blank"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Gizmag</span></b></a><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">A </span><b>BAE Systems Jetstream research aircraft flew 500-miles from Preston in Lancashire, England, to Inverness, Scotland and back. This 500-mile (805 km) journey wouldn't be worth noting if it weren't for the small detail that its pilot was not on board, but sitting on the ground in Warton, Lancashire and that the plane did most of the flying itself.</b><br /><br />What’s the difference between a Jetstream turned into a UAV and a regular one? The answer is: Not a lot. If you've flown in a modern, long-haul passenger aircraft you've already ridden in what is almost a UAV.<br /><br />Autopilots have become computerized and incredibly sophisticated. While smaller aircraft may be restricted to simple autopilots to control roll or keep them flying level, larger aircraft have autopilot systems that can control takeoff, ascent, cruising, descent, approach, and landing. In the not too distant future, they will even be able to handle rollouts and taxiing.<br /><br />This isn’t surprising because autopilots aren’t just a form of mechanical steering. They can control a plane’s throttles, determine its position using GPS, dead reckoning and radio beacons, and balance the plane by automatically pumping fuel from one tank to another. Furthermore, many modern airliners use fly-by-wire systems instead of direct hydraulic linkages. In this set up, the plane’s computers aren't just an adjunct to the pilot, they are an integral part of the controls and, in a sense, the pilot isn’t so much flying the plane as telling the computer what to do. Add in the situational awareness and ability to be directed from the ground that the experimental Jetstream has and you've got a UAV.</div>

In The Near Future Your Commercial Airline Flight May Not Have A Pilot On Board

Gizmag A BAE Systems Jetstream research aircraft flew 500-miles from Preston in Lancashire, England, to Inverness, Scotland and back. This 5...

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iON | The Great Wall of China

<iframe width="853" height="480" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/_CJ3U_TJ5dk?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br /><div id="posttext" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://achieveradio.com/payday/" target="blank">Payday</a></b></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">B</span><b>ob Dobbs’ private session 225, 21 December 2009. <br /></b><br /><br /><object data="http://halkinnaman.com/ed/audio_rr/player.swf" height="24" id="audioplayer563" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="290"> <param name="movie" value="http://halkinnaman.com/ed/audio_rr/player.swf"><param name="FlashVars" value="playerID=audioplayer563&soundFile=http://halkinnaman.com/ed/audio_rr/ion_great_wall.mp3"><param name="quality" value="high"><param name="menu" value="false"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></object> <div><a href="http://halkinnaman.com/ed/audio_rr/ion_great_wall.mp3" target="blank">download mp3</a> </div></div>

iON | The Great Wall of China

Payday B ob Dobbs’ private session 225, 21 December 2009. download mp3

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Levitating Superconductor on a Magnetic Möbius Strip

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/zPqEEZa2Gis?rel=0" width="853"></iframe><br /><br /><div id="posttext" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/TheRoyalInstitution?feature=watch" target="blank">The Royal Institution</a></b></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">A</span><b>ndy from the Royal Institution suspended a Möbius strip of rare-earth magnets, cooled down an object until it became a superconductor, and then levitated the superconductor around the magnetic track. </b></div>

Levitating Superconductor on a Magnetic Möbius Strip

The Royal Institution A ndy from the Royal Institution suspended a Möbius strip of rare-earth magnets, cooled down an object until it became...

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Borrow the Google Street View Trekker Camera

<iframe width="853" height="480" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/SuiEmxDklKw?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br /><div id="posttext" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dGdFd053cU9wdXVOMjJuRHdzZnVkcEE6MQ#gid=0" target="blank">Google</a></b></span> <br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">W</span><b>e’ve kicked off a pilot program enabling third parties to borrow our Trekker equipment and take it to amazing places around the world that they know and love. If you represent an organization such as a tourism board, non-profit, government agency, university or research group that would like to take photos with the Trekker for future inclusion on Google Maps, please <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dGdFd053cU9wdXVOMjJuRHdzZnVkcEE6MQ#gid=0" target="_blank">fill out this form</a>.</b></div>

Borrow the Google Street View Trekker Camera

Google W e’ve kicked off a pilot program enabling third parties to borrow our Trekker equipment and take it to amazing places around the w...

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Bremont Codebreaker

<iframe width="853" height="480" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/9W08dyqL5ek?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br /><div id="posttext" style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.bremont.com/briefing-room/codebreaker" target="blank"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Bremont</span></b></a><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">T</span><b>he new Bremont Codebreaker timepiece is rooted in the machine at Bletchley Park that was created to break the German Enigma, aptly called the Bombe. Part of the rotor of the watch contains original smelted parts from the wheel of an original Enigma machine.</b></div><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/31185786?byline=0&portrait=0&color=ffffff" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="853"></iframe>

Bremont Codebreaker

Bremont T he new Bremont Codebreaker timepiece is rooted in the machine at Bletchley Park that was created to break the German Enigma, aptly...

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A Band Called Death

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/RDPDm9_nX0o?rel=0" width="853"></iframe><br /><br /><div id="posttext" style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://drafthousefilms.com/film/a-band-called-death" target="blank"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Drafthouse Films</span></b></a><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">P</span><b>unk before punk existed—three teenage brothers in the early ’70s formed a band in their spare bedroom, began playing a few local gigs in Detroit and even pressed a single in the hopes of getting signed. But this was the era of Motown and emerging disco. Record companies found <a href="http://deathfromdetroit.com/" target="_blank">Death</a>’s music— and band name—too intimidating, and the group were never given a fair shot, disbanding before they even completed one album.</b><br /><br /><i><a href="http://drafthousefilms.com/film/a-band-called-death" target="_blank">A Band Called Death</a></i> chronicles the incredible fairy-tale journey of what happened almost three decades later, when a dusty 1974 demo tape made its way out of the attic and found an audience several generations younger. Playing music impossibly ahead of its time, Death is now being credited as the first black punk band (hell...the first punk band!), and are finally receiving their long overdue recognition as true rock pioneers.<br /><br />Like Sixto Rodriguez of <i>Searching for Sugarman</i>, The Hackneys brothers are from Detroit. They were preacher’s kids, devout Christians (Jehovah’s Witnesses) raised in a classic working-class black neighborhood. They didn’t have white friends or go to a white school or anything; they must have stuck out at concerts by Alice Cooper and the Who.</div>

A Band Called Death

Drafthouse Films P unk before punk existed—three teenage brothers in the early ’70s formed a band in their spare bedroom, began playing a fe...

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Ray Donovan Premiere Episode

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/UCjXhhJ7avk?rel=0" width="853"></iframe><br /><br /><div id="posttext" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://www.sho.com/sho/ray-donovan/home" target="blank">Showtime</a></b></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">R</span><b>ay Donovan is Los Angeles’s Olivia Pope—the go-to guy who makes the problems of the city's celebrities, superstar athletes, and business moguls disappear. </b></div>

Ray Donovan Premiere Episode

Showtime R ay Donovan is Los Angeles’s Olivia Pope—the go-to guy who makes the problems of the city's celebrities, superstar athletes, a...

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The Great Gatsby | Special Effects

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/68451324?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0&color=ffffff" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="853"></iframe><br /><br /><div id="posttext" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">VFX</span> <b>supervisor <a href="http://vimeo.com/user10120109" target="_blank">Chris Godfrey</a> uploaded before and after scenes from the film, showing how blue and green screens were transformed into the final look.</b></div>

The Great Gatsby | Special Effects

VFX supervisor Chris Godfrey uploaded before and after scenes from the film, showing how blue and green screens were transformed into the ...

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Japanese Clone Mouse From a Single Drop of Blood

<script src="http://pshared.5min.com/Scripts/PlayerSeed.js?sid=281&width=853&height=480&playList=517837423" type="text/javascript"></script><br /><br /><div id="posttext" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2013-06/mouse-cloned-mere-drop-blood" target="blank">Popsci</a></b></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">S</span><b>cientists at the Riken BioResource Center in Japan have managed to clone a mouse from a minuscule, peripheral blood sample for the first time. The method leaves donor animals virtually unharmed, and allows a single donor to be a clone source more than once. It also shows promise for the cloning of farm animals.</b><br /><br />In this experiment, the scientists merely drew 10–15 μl of blood from a mouse’s tail and collected white blood cells from that sample. The nuclei were then extracted from the white blood cells, and scientists continued with the somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) process. <br /><br />This method could allow for the cloning of endangered or cherished animals (such as a cow that produces a large amount of milk, or “invaluable strains of mice” as the report states) since the donor need not be euthanized.</div>

Japanese Clone Mouse From a Single Drop of Blood

Popsci S cientists at the Riken BioResource Center in Japan have managed to clone a mouse from a minuscule, peripheral blood sample for the ...

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Skateboard Deck By Craig Driscoll

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLylxOyfXTVAaiZnX6_H-qfXY0SiF6abPAcht5gyY_Gr5jHHSfOILSLFVrQmsobB0pgtena6NM3D7D7Ka8ZqUNyeao9CA-7-8wXQ_fIBcgIrYq33O4Uzt6b6gAuKufxOYTQCo22SGw3ak/s1600/20130610_Driscoll_Deck.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLylxOyfXTVAaiZnX6_H-qfXY0SiF6abPAcht5gyY_Gr5jHHSfOILSLFVrQmsobB0pgtena6NM3D7D7Ka8ZqUNyeao9CA-7-8wXQ_fIBcgIrYq33O4Uzt6b6gAuKufxOYTQCo22SGw3ak/s400/20130610_Driscoll_Deck.JPG" width="137" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: Craig Driscoll</td></tr></tbody></table>And now for something completely different . . . tattoo art. I admit that I find tattoos and tattoo art (if done well) very intriguing. That said, I do not have tattoo acquisition disorder due to: (a) the extremely high cost of tattoos rendered by top-flight artists; (b) the permanence of tattoos; and (c) the pain that usually accompanies tattoos. Speaking of top-flight artists, I consider <a href="http://craigdriscoll.com/home.html" target="_blank">Craig Driscoll</a> to be one of them. I've always liked his tattoo designs, paintings, and artwork, especially his skateboard deck pieces. In fact, I was going to buy one of his decks a few years ago, but he sold it a few days before I had a chance to make an offer. So bummed.<br /><br />Skip ahead (or back) to a couple of months ago. I was randomly checking out Craig's website, and I saw that he had some cool skateboard decks for sale once again. I contacted him to discuss the artwork, chit chat, blah blah blah, and ultimately commissioned him to create an original deck for me. I wasn't 100% set on a design, and I decided to let him choose between a snake design or a koi design. That's about all the input I gave him; I wanted the finished artwork to be a surprise.<br /><br />The original, hand painted, piece of awesomeness is shown in the picture. The logo at the top is Craig's signature, and the bright blue painted highlights and paint splatters are intentional. I love this skateboard deck! If anyone is wondering, the answer is "HELL NO." I will not be riding this board; it lives on the wall, where it will remain indefinitely.

Skateboard Deck By Craig Driscoll

Photo: Craig Driscoll And now for something completely different . . . tattoo art. I admit that I find tattoos and tattoo art (if done well)...

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Byzantium

<iframe width="853" height="480" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/_zu2cW7AhO8?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Byzantium

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The NSA | We’re Here and We Care

<iframe width="853" height="480" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/XsaNdbMsTFg?start=56" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />

The NSA | We’re Here and We Care

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Guo Jingming | Tiny Times

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/I6n0D-shdDk?rel=0" width="853"></iframe><br /><br /><div id="posttext" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/chinese-film-tiny-times-eyeing-575395" target="blank">The Hollywood Reporter</a></b></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">C</span><b>hinese Director Guo Jingming’s <i>Tiny Times</i> sells imaginings of lives yet to be lived. It’s a fantasy befitting a country careening in its turbo-charged way towards commodity-driven capitalism too.</b><br /><br />“We are very different from people born in the 1960s or 70s…for people born in the 1980s, or even more so for those from the 1990s, it’s about trying to be different from everybody else. Whereas doing that in the past would see you branded as an anomaly, these days it’s all about looking after myself—saying, ‘I want to enjoy life the way I like it.’ ”</div>

Guo Jingming | Tiny Times

The Hollywood Reporter C hinese Director Guo Jingming’s Tiny Times sells imaginings of lives yet to be lived. It’s a fantasy befitting a co...

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Inside Pixar With Monsters University

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Inside Pixar With Monsters University

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Citizens of Texas Take Back Their Power & Call Bullshit On Texas State Senate From The Gallery

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/qsfmNF3u2yo?rel=0" width="853"></iframe><br /><br /><div id="posttext" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://www.texasobserver.org/live-blog-senate-filibuster-on-anti-abortion-bill/" target="blank">Texas Observer</a></b></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">W</span><b>ith the Texas Senate poised to approve one the harshest anti-abortion laws in the country—just 15 minutes before the midnight deadline—the citizens took over in a display of democracy in action. Thousands of Texas who packed the Texas Capitol all day (and outnumbered Texas Department of Public Safety officers who were trying to eject them) began roaring louder and louder until they literally shouted down the final minutes of the 30-day special session in a deafening scream before Republicans could pass the bill.</b><br /><br />In the confusion, Republican senators ran around insisting that the bill had passed before a midnight deadline. Major news sites including The New York Times reported the bill as passed. But many observers who watched the debate live didn’t see it that way.<br /></div><br /><embed allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" background="#333333" flashvars="si=254&&contentValue=50149661&shareUrl=http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57591047/texas-abortion-bill-fails-after-sen-wendy-davis-filibuster/" height="480" salign="lt" scale="noscale" src="http://cnettv.cnet.com/av/video/cbsnews/atlantis2/cbsnews_player_embed.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="853"></embed> <br /><br /><div id="posttext" style="text-align: justify;">The initial time stamp on the Capitol website and on Senate documents placed the vote at 12:02 or 12:03 on June 26 (which would have been past the deadline of midnight). But then someone mysteriously changed the time stamp to make it appear SB 5 passed before the deadline. The time stamp evidence, circulated on Twitter causing the Senators to retreat and meet privately.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4r6t91qBdphyphenhyphenAKQz2nVVOW_SHZof9m04sNaDw06LkSVh-3sI7YkN2Zzh8XtCj9oNRwlyTQ6yfBAbIDZo_K4b73UXe_SuEGO0R3RfhoRe-8kAAZjv0Rz-d1JOAnCIEWvZH5ySou_P-DCk/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4r6t91qBdphyphenhyphenAKQz2nVVOW_SHZof9m04sNaDw06LkSVh-3sI7YkN2Zzh8XtCj9oNRwlyTQ6yfBAbIDZo_K4b73UXe_SuEGO0R3RfhoRe-8kAAZjv0Rz-d1JOAnCIEWvZH5ySou_P-DCk/s1600/1.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Texas Representative Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa holding 2 different time stamps.<br />Photo: <a href="https://twitter.com/TxChuy/status/349773336496181248/photo/1" target="_blank">twitter.com/TXChuy</a></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div id="posttext" style="text-align: justify;">Just after 3 a.m., the Senate finally reconvened following the lengthy private meeting. Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst emerged on the dais insisting the 19-10 vote was in time, but said, “with all the ruckus and noise going on, I couldn't sign the bill” before the deadline and declared it dead.<br /><br />Here’s how it went down.<br /><br />Texas Gov. Rick Perry called a 30-day special legislative session. On the last day of the session, the hugely Republican majority senate was expected to pass SB 5, a highly restrictive bill on abortion that would have effectively caused all but a handful of the state’s abortion clinics to close because of added costs mandated by the bill to upgrade their facilities. <br /><br /><span style="color: black; display: inline; float: left; font-family: museo-1,museo-2,helvetica; font-size: 32px; font-weight: 300; letter-spacing: -0.04em; line-height: 1em; margin: 30px 30px 30px -125px ! important; text-align: right; width: 295px;">11 Hours on her feet without breaks or water.</span>Sen. Wendy Davis of Fort Worth, determined to filibuster the bill until the midnight deadline. The rules of the filibuster were demanding. Davis would not be allowed to sit, lean on a desk, take bathroom breaks, talk about anything that wasn’t “germane” to the bill or have assistance from others. The points of order (POO) declared that 3 violations and she would have to stop. She had 13 hours to kill to make it to midnight and block the bill. She made it to more than 11 hours on her feet without breaks or drinks of water.<br /><br />Her first strike was for discussing Planned Parenthood’s budget which was ruled not germaine. <br /><br />Davis received her second warning when the Senate voted 17 to 11 to sustain a point of order called by state Sen. Tommy Williams on Davis for receiving assistance to put on a back brace. Sen. Rodney Ellis, helped Davis to put on a back brace, violating a rule that prevents the filibusterer from receiving outside assistance.<br /><br />Sen. Donna Campbell called the final point of order saying Davis is off-topic for talking about the sonogram law. That point was sustained.</div><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/DqS2lrvtNAo?rel=0" width="853"></iframe><br /><br /><div id="posttext" style="text-align: justify;">In a dramatic scene, Sen. Davis’ filibuster was cut off, but Democratic senators stalled with questions about procedural rules till 11:45 p.m. Sen. Robert Duncan, presiding in place of Dewhurst, was about to start the roll call on a procedural vote before the final vote on the bill. But Sen. Van de Putte, angry that she hadn’t been recognized earlier, interrupted with a parliamentary inquiry and asked: At what point must a female senator raise her voice to be heard by her male colleagues?<br /><br />The gallery erupted. And the cheers kept going, drowning out the action on the floor, as Duncan asked for the roll call.</div><br /><iframe width="853" height="480" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/uPgd463nbbs?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br /><div id="posttext" style="text-align: justify;">“Members, we’re in the middle of a vote,” Duncan said, somewhat weakly. The yelling got louder. He made another attempt to conduct the vote but that only seemed to increase the shouts from the gallery. Duncan asked repeatedly for order in the chamber.<br /><br /><span style="color: black; display: inline; float: left; font-family: museo-1,museo-2,helvetica; font-size: 32px; font-weight: 300; letter-spacing: -0.04em; line-height: 1em; margin: 30px 30px 30px -125px ! important; text-align: right; width: 295px;">Order was never returned.</span>But order never returned, and state troopers moved in, trying to remove protesters from the gallery. It was chaos in the Senate that most observers had never seen.<br /><br />At two minutes to midnight, Sen Duncan asked tentatively if he could have some order, if he could have some attention. He didn’t get it. So he started the vote anyway, said something about the previous question having 17 votes, but his voice was drowned out and then the crowd erupted because when the clock struck midnight.<br /><br />The filibuster was a defining moment for Davis, a twice-divorced single mother who had her first daughter as a teenager, was the first in her family to go to college, and worked her way from junior college and a Tarrant County trailer park to Harvard law school and the Fort Worth City Council.</div><br /><iframe width="853" height="480" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Kcjfv2BF9f0?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br /><div id="posttext" style="text-align: justify;">As of late Tuesday night, roughly 200,000 people were watching the proceedings on The Texas Tribune’s YouTube feed. Obama <a href="http://twitter.com/BarackObama/status/349703625616011264" target="_blank">tweeted</a>, “Something special is happening in Austin tonight,” followed by the hashtag “#StandWithWendy.” Even filmmaker Michael Moore and comedian Sarah Silverman got in on the social media action as did U.S. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and celebrities like author Judy Blume and actors Lena Dunham and Henry Winkler.</div><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/IZeKVOdADh4?rel=0" width="853"></iframe>

Citizens of Texas Take Back Their Power & Call Bullshit On Texas State Senate From The Gallery

Texas Observer W ith the Texas Senate poised to approve one the harshest anti-abortion laws in the country—just 15 minutes before the midnig...

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iON | The Hydrogen Conversation

<div id="posttext" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://achieveradio.com/payday/" target="blank">Payday</a></b></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">B</span><b>ob Dobbs’ private session 393, 26 September 2011. <br /></b><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-size: large;">“This whole hydrogen conversation has to do with gravity, gravity pull and the decrease of polarity interplay. And that has to do with dimensional aspects between worlds.”</span></blockquote><br /><object data="http://halkinnaman.com/ed/audio_rr/player.swf" height="24" id="audioplayer561" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="290"> <param name="movie" value="http://halkinnaman.com/ed/audio_rr/player.swf"><param name="FlashVars" value="playerID=audioplayer561&soundFile=http://halkinnaman.com/ed/audio_rr/ion_hydrogen_conversation.mp3"><param name="quality" value="high"><param name="menu" value="false"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></object> <div><a href="http://halkinnaman.com/ed/audio_rr/ion_hydrogen_conversation.mp3" target="blank">download mp3</a> </div></div>

iON | The Hydrogen Conversation

Payday B ob Dobbs’ private session 393, 26 September 2011. “This whole hydrogen conversation has to do with gravity, gravity pull and the de...

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iON | June 2013

<div id="posttext"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://achieveradio.com/payday/" target="blank">Payday</a></span></b><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;">27 June</span><br /><a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-06-27--1900---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 1</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-06-27--2000---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 2</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-06-27--2100---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 3</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-06-27--2200---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 4</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-06-27--2300---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 5</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-06-28--0000---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 6</a><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">25 June</span><br /><a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-06-25--1900---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 1</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-06-25--2000---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 2</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-06-25--2100---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 3</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-06-25--2200---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 4</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-06-25--2300---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 5</a><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">20 June</span><br /><a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-06-20--1900---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 1</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-06-20--2000---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 2</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-06-20--2100---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 3</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-06-20--2200---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 4</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-06-20--2300---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 5</a><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">18 June</span><br /><a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-06-18--1900---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 1</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-06-18--2000---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 2</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-06-18--2100---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 3</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-06-18--2200---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 4</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-06-18--2300---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 5</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-06-19--0000---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 6</a><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">13 June</span><br /><a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-06-13--1900---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 1</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-06-13--2000---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 2</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-06-13--2100---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 3</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-06-13--2200---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 4</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-06-13--2300---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 5</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-06-14--0000---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 6</a><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">11 June</span><br /><a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-06-11--1900---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 1</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-06-11--2000---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 2</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-06-11--2100---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 3</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-06-11--2200---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 4</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-06-11--2300---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 5</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-06-12--0000---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 6</a><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">6 June</span><br /><a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-06-06--1900---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 1</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-06-06--2000---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 2</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-06-06--2100---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 3</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-06-06--2200---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 4</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-06-06--2300---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 5</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-06-07--0000---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 6</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-06-07--0100---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 7</a><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">4 June</span><br /><a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-06-04--1900---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 1</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-06-04--2000---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 2</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-06-04--2100---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 3</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-06-04--2200---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 4</a>, <a href="http://audio.achieveradio.com/media2/PAYDAY/2013-06-04--2300---PAYDAY.mp3" target="blank">Part 5</a></div></div>

iON | June 2013

Payday 27 June Part 1 , Part 2 , Part 3 , Part 4 , Part 5 , Part 6 25 June Part 1 , Part 2 , Part 3 , Part 4 , Part 5 20 June Part 1 , Part ...

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Unlocking the Truth

<div id="posttext" style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.unlockingthetruthband.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-large;">U</span><b>nlocking the Truth</b></a><b> is a young heavy metal/hard rock band from Brooklyn, New York, who write and create their own lyrics and music. The boys are in the 6th grade and they’re pretty good students too. </b></div><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/f6ra7_M9LXw?rel=0" width="853"></iframe><br /><br /><iframe width="853" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/TlHLrfOxlOU?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Unlocking the Truth

U nlocking the Truth is a young heavy metal/hard rock band from Brooklyn, New York, who write and create their own lyrics and music. The bo...

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Kanye West | I Am A God

<iframe width="853" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/8LFVm4CXLMs?start=47" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Kanye West | I Am A God

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China’s Huawei Vows To Become The Best Smartphone On The Planet

<iframe width="853" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/HfHVQMEnKUE?list=PL8wcaOBMisz7h35loMqVa9ZXaYEEh8c3s" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br /><div id="posttext" style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/huawei-boss-trashes-smartphone-rivals-2013-6?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+businessinsider+%28Business+Insider%29" target="blank"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Business Insider</span></b></a><br />Matt Warman<br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">R</span><b>ichard Yu, chairman of China’s Huawei, says the company has the ambition to make the best smartphone in the world and to sell it for less than Apple or Samsung by the end of 2015. Last week for its first major consumer launch, the Huawei <a href="http://consumer.huawei.com/en/mobile-phones/smart-phones/features/p6-u06-en.htm#anchor" target="_blank">Ascend P6</a>—the world’s thinnest smartphone, journalists were flown in from South Africa, Europe and beyond to witness the kind of event usually hosted by Apple or Samsung.</b></div><br /><iframe width="853" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/SxWCXXv9ufg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br /><div id="posttext" style="text-align: justify;">When he sees my Samsung Galaxy S4 on the desk, Yu is blunt: “We want to provide the best, most beautiful, slimmest smartphone—this one’s much thicker.” Picking up on criticisms about the Samsung build quality he says simply: “We’re not made of plastic.”<br /><br /></div><br /><iframe width="853" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/oN6_w_U96r4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br /><div id="posttext" style="text-align: justify;">“We don’t have so much money to do marketing and branding so we have to make our products better. The best smartphone in the past was from Nokia, then from Apple, then from Samsung. And who is number one? The industry is so dynamic–no matter how successful you are, if you’re currently number one, doesn’t mean tomorrow you’ll be number one.<br /><br />“In its latest update, Apple makes the phone extremely simple to use,” he says. “But if we are just learning from them we can’t catch up, because they are now slipping. We want to go higher than them.”</div><br /><iframe width="853" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ZlfunoWnxV4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

China’s Huawei Vows To Become The Best Smartphone On The Planet

Business Insider Matt Warman R ichard Yu, chairman of China’s Huawei, says the company has the ambition to make the best smartphone in the w...

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iON | Cern

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghJn5CCr0DYWYDzfEcyPgVzCI45Jmk1JV8moYJBVt_tKIxVpZ7Rh53C42oUjLsEREo4iGSk5YnChsuyiNB_9vDJIQvwv2079Zlj2wQeJPgP0oHXDu3Wx0CfZ7Vacrj4gKn-ZVl4b7dsPg/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghJn5CCr0DYWYDzfEcyPgVzCI45Jmk1JV8moYJBVt_tKIxVpZ7Rh53C42oUjLsEREo4iGSk5YnChsuyiNB_9vDJIQvwv2079Zlj2wQeJPgP0oHXDu3Wx0CfZ7Vacrj4gKn-ZVl4b7dsPg/s640/1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div id="posttext" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://achieveradio.com/payday/" target="blank">Payday</a></b></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">B</span><b>ob Dobbs’ private session 219, 10 December 2009. Dr Carolyn Dean and Bob Dobb’s questions about CERN lead to the discovery that technology was placed on the International Space Station by Nowers related to the evolution of the cell phone.</b><br /><br /><blockquote>“And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that <span style="font-size: large;">there should be time no longer.”</span> ~Revelation of John, Chapter 10, Verse 6</blockquote><br />Part 1<br /><object data="http://halkinnaman.com/ed/audio_rr/player.swf" height="24" id="audioplayer559" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="290"> <param name="movie" value="http://halkinnaman.com/ed/audio_rr/player.swf"><param name="FlashVars" value="playerID=audioplayer559&soundFile=http://halkinnaman.com/ed/audio_rr/ion_cern1.mp3"><param name="quality" value="high"><param name="menu" value="false"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></object> <br /><div><a href="http://halkinnaman.com/ed/audio_rr/ion_cern1.mp3" target="blank">download mp3</a> <br /><br /></div>Part 2<br /> <object data="http://halkinnaman.com/ed/audio_rr/player.swf" height="24" id="audioplayer560" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="290"> <param name="movie" value="http://halkinnaman.com/ed/audio_rr/player.swf"><param name="FlashVars" value="playerID=audioplayer560&soundFile=http://halkinnaman.com/ed/audio_rr/ion_cern2.mp3"><param name="quality" value="high"><param name="menu" value="false"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></object><br /><div><a href="http://halkinnaman.com/ed/audio_rr/ion_cern2.mp3" target="blank">download mp3</a>  <br /><br /> <a href="http://www.tubeplus.me/player/1336889/Squidbillies/" target="_blank">Watch <i>God’s Bro</i></a>.</div></div>

iON | Cern

Payday B ob Dobbs’ private session 219, 10 December 2009. Dr Carolyn Dean and Bob Dobb’s questions about CERN lead to the discovery that tec...

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Drone Journalism

<div id="posttext" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">U</span><b>sing the internet, social media and now drones, citizen journalists are documenting stories around the planet. <br /><br />Vimeo user <a href="https://vimeo.com/jenk1907" target="_blank">Jenk K</a> is posting aerial footage of Turkey’s protests taken from a radio-controlled, camera-equipped drone. One of his drones was shot down by rubber bullets from police, but he’s still uploading new footage.</b></div><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/68229603?byline=0&portrait=0&color=ffffff" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="853"></iframe><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="640" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/68156381?byline=0&portrait=0&color=ffffff" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="853"></iframe>

Drone Journalism

U sing the internet, social media and now drones, citizen journalists are documenting stories around the planet. Vimeo user Jenk K is posti...

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NeverWet Coating Protects From Water & Stains

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/DZrjXSsfxMQ?rel=0" width="853"></iframe><br /><br /><div id="posttext" style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/861483_Magical-NeverWet-arrives-in-stores.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-large;">N</span></a><b><a href="http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/861483_Magical-NeverWet-arrives-in-stores.html" target="_blank">everWet</a> is a superhydrophobic spray-on coating that repels water, mud and more on virtually any surface. The video shows chocolate, mustard and ketchup sliding off of a white cotton shirt, a cardboard box used as a cooler and an iPhone submerged in water. </b></div>

NeverWet Coating Protects From Water & Stains

N everWet is a superhydrophobic spray-on coating that repels water, mud and more on virtually any surface. The video shows chocolate, musta...

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iFetch For Dogs

<iframe width="853" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/-MtNhTsEkLo?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br /><div id="posttext" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">I</span><b>f your dog’s appetite for fetching outpaces your capacity to satisfy him, <a href="http://www.goifetch.com/" target="blank">iFetch</a> can help.</b></div>

iFetch For Dogs

I f your dog’s appetite for fetching outpaces your capacity to satisfy him, iFetch can help.

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Jimmy Fallon | Viewers Send Clips Of Moms Playing Video Games

<iframe width="853" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/qMUAo7VsUMM?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Jimmy Fallon | Viewers Send Clips Of Moms Playing Video Games

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Scrooser | Fat Tire Scooter

<iframe frameborder="0" height="640" src="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/905627905/scrooser-urban-mobility/widget/video.html" width="854"> </iframe><br /><br /><div id="posttext" style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.scrooser.com/" target="blank"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Scrooser</span></b></a><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">S</span><b>crooser is an electric mobility solution that does not require a license or a helmet.</b></div>

Scrooser | Fat Tire Scooter

Scrooser S crooser is an electric mobility solution that does not require a license or a helmet.

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A Day In The Life of a Mars Astronaut

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/vT6hO_U3Z9s?rel=0" width="853"></iframe><br /><br /><div id="posttext" style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://kategreene.net/?cat=444" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-large;">K</span><b>ate Greene</b></a><b>, crewmember of the <a href="http://hi-seas.org/?p=35" target="_blank">HI-SEAS</a> (Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation) simulated Mars mission, narrates this video from the domed habitat where she’s been living for the past 2 months on the slopes of Mauna Kea volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii.</b><br /><br />HI-SEAS focuses on the everyday life of astronauts to be sent to Mars around the year 2030 including diet, loneliness, the use of robo pets, and clothing. The video walks you through a typical day in a simulated Martian environment.</div>

A Day In The Life of a Mars Astronaut

K ate Greene , crewmember of the HI-SEAS (Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation) simulated Mars mission, narrates this video from...

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Fabrizio Goldstein Leads Free SoulCycle Workout Class For The Homeless

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/eABKmjgDGTc?rel=0" width="853"></iframe><br /><br /><div id="posttext" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://www.thecrosbypress.com/2013/06/20/soul-cycle-for-homeless-people-is-apparently-a-thing-that-is-now-happening-in-new-york-city/" target="blank">The Crosby Press</a></b></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">A</span><b>little known fact about CitiBikes, New York’s bike share program, is that when docked and not in use, the wheels still spin. So now people are holding SoulCycle classes for homeless people. Because those who can’t afford Soul Cycle or FlyWheel (one class usually costs about $35) should also be able to have gorgeous bodies.</b></div>

Fabrizio Goldstein Leads Free SoulCycle Workout Class For The Homeless

The Crosby Press A little known fact about CitiBikes, New York’s bike share program, is that when docked and not in use, the wheels still sp...

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Commuting in New York City

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/po85lER-qRo?rel=0" width="853"></iframe><br /><br /><div id="posttext" style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://caseyneistat.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-large;">C</span><b>asey Neistat</b></a><b> lives in New York City and conducted a study to find the best way of commuting to work based on comfort, speed, cost and ease of use.</b></div>

Commuting in New York City

C asey Neistat lives in New York City and conducted a study to find the best way of commuting to work based on comfort, speed, cost and eas...

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The Last Ice Merchant

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/66507747?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0&color=ffffff" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="853"></iframe><br /><br /><div id="posttext" style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://vimeo.com/user10685671" target="blank"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Sandy Patch</span></b></a><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">F</span><b>or over 50 years Baltazar Ushca has harvested the glacial ice, a gourmet frozen water containing vitamins and minerals, of Ecuador’s Mount Chimborazo.</b></div>

The Last Ice Merchant

Sandy Patch F or over 50 years Baltazar Ushca has harvested the glacial ice, a gourmet frozen water containing vitamins and minerals, of Ecu...

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Volvo Autonomous Parking

<iframe width="853" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/o7eed-0B3MY?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br /><div id="posttext" style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.media.volvocars.com/global/enhanced/en-gb/Media/Preview.aspx?mediaid=49569" target="blank"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Volvo</span></b></a> <br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">V</span><b>olvo’s concept for autonomous parking finds and parks in a vacant space by itself, without the driver inside while interacting safely and smoothly with other cars and pedestrians in the car park.</b></div>

Volvo Autonomous Parking

Volvo V olvo’s concept for autonomous parking finds and parks in a vacant space by itself, without the driver inside while interacting saf...

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Miley Cyrus | We Can’t Stop

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Miley Cyrus | We Can’t Stop

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Modern Concrete Construction

<div id="posttext" style="text-align: justify;"><iframe frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F95818768" width="100%"></iframe><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://99percentinvisible.org/" target="blank">99% Invisible</a></b></span></div>

Modern Concrete Construction

99% Invisible

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Die Antwoord | Cookie Thumper

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/K8nrF5aXPlQ?rel=0" width="853"></iframe><br /><br /><div id="posttext" style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: right;">Lyrics and translations on the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8nrF5aXPlQ" target="_blank">YouTube page</a>.</div></div>

Die Antwoord | Cookie Thumper

Lyrics and translations on the YouTube page .

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Female Masturbation | There’s An App For That

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_zn8DjvJ1BF8ZdQ7DQXNI8pLJGmlt-ai-e-rWFMTG9OLZoOHR7HMDAppCR8cYdO46jrb7tuDP5jeYqEFgNBGwcUUIZtBrIAOs0IBNDbVPFS_AxEGRv3tonSDi1LEBSKS8dIZkA91KYh8/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_zn8DjvJ1BF8ZdQ7DQXNI8pLJGmlt-ai-e-rWFMTG9OLZoOHR7HMDAppCR8cYdO46jrb7tuDP5jeYqEFgNBGwcUUIZtBrIAOs0IBNDbVPFS_AxEGRv3tonSDi1LEBSKS8dIZkA91KYh8/s1600/1.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dr Joycelyn Elders</td></tr></tbody></table><div id="posttext" style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.happyplaytime.com/" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-size: large;">HappyPlayTime</span></b></a><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">A</span><b>lmost 20 years ago, way back in the Clinton administration, Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders was asked by Dr. Rob Clark, a psychologist who was attending the United Nations conference on AIDS, about the prospects for “a more explicit discussion and promotion of masturbation” as a means to limit the spread of the virus.</b><br /><br />Dr. Elders began by describing herself as “a very strong advocate” of teaching sex education in schools “at a very early age.”<br /><br />“As per your specific question in regard to masturbation,” Dr. Elders said, “I think that is something that is a part of human sexuality and it’s a part of something that perhaps should be taught. But we’ve not even taught our children the very basics.”<br /><br />Dr. Elders was <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/1994/12/10/us/surgeon-general-forced-to-resign-by-white-house.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm" target="_blank">forced to resign</a> by the White House.<br /><br />That was back before the internet has the presence it enjoys today, before cell phones were ubiquitous and there was an app for everything. Today the veil on masturbation has been lifted.<br /><br />New York-based designer Tina Gong has created <a href="http://www.happyplaytime.com/" target="_blank">an app</a> that hopes to teach females how to happily masturbate both effectively and without shame.<br /><br />The app is called <a href="http://www.happyplaytime.com/" target="_blank">HappyPlayTime</a>, and Gong advertises it as a fun way for girls to “learn techniques and facts about getting off.”<br /><br />The app’s mascot, Happy (that’s her below—don’t guys have a Mr Happy?), teaches masturbation. She says loving your body is not a sin. No more secrets and no more shame. Happy is on a mission to free the world from a silly social sigma.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkfjq9_BqxKhUF12eT7QuAHbeAF77jOCEP8CP1dgFVvKb007eNR6Bg1DOfaT7_aPcP5-BOLP8UUb98Y5DsnuSdyMf0eM81RiMPdvyaArvwrWHqRvcmkgAGMao4QQc50IIAso2CwMwXBJc/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkfjq9_BqxKhUF12eT7QuAHbeAF77jOCEP8CP1dgFVvKb007eNR6Bg1DOfaT7_aPcP5-BOLP8UUb98Y5DsnuSdyMf0eM81RiMPdvyaArvwrWHqRvcmkgAGMao4QQc50IIAso2CwMwXBJc/s1600/2.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiKbKMhijzywaWA9fT_DlbmDouD7mT2rBGzmm34lrhxJFW-weX30CznVNqgwplMfj_tCiZcPHsmf43JBnNjjGVYsg6XV6ypGmFLZ4ocVO_4yz09EMP0csWEKWYyWaKKcvgfeywBOmQL58/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiKbKMhijzywaWA9fT_DlbmDouD7mT2rBGzmm34lrhxJFW-weX30CznVNqgwplMfj_tCiZcPHsmf43JBnNjjGVYsg6XV6ypGmFLZ4ocVO_4yz09EMP0csWEKWYyWaKKcvgfeywBOmQL58/s1600/1.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div id="posttext" style="text-align: justify;">HappyPlayTime aims to break the taboo surrounding female masturbation through the use of playful games and cartoons. It also educates users on the female anatomy while providing a generous list of stimulatory techniques.<br /><br />Gong says, “The app’s approach to education involves a quick demonstration of different masturbation techniques for each level, followed by a freestyle portion that has the player perform each technique on the mascot. Completion of each level builds up to a fantastically funny and wacky climax upon completion.”<br /><br />Sound like fun? Yes/No?<br /><br /><blockquote>“Sexuality is one of the most basic instincts of human beings. Being comfortable with your own sexual pleasure is a prerequisite to both being able to healthily accept pleasure from others, and pleasing others. How can you exchange pleasure with someone else if you don't understand what your own body likes? That's why masturbation, and learning how to masturbate is such a fundamental life lesson.<br /><br />“Unfortunately for many women, there has been a cultural stigma that blocks access to self-stimulation. HappyPlayTime is here to eliminate this barrier as much as possible. By talking openly and lightheartedly about female masturbation, we are taking the first step to becoming truly sexually liberated.” ~from the HappyPlayTime website</blockquote><br /></div>

Female Masturbation | There’s An App For That

Dr Joycelyn Elders HappyPlayTime A lmost 20 years ago, way back in the Clinton administration, Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders was asked by ...

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Surveilling Cats | The Secret Life Of Cats

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ky9MPO2caIk?rel=0" width="853"></iframe><br /><br /><div id="posttext" style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-22821639" target="blank"><b><span style="font-size: large;">BBC</span></b></a><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">C</span><b>at experts in Britain attach GPS collars and cat-cams to pets to find out where cats go and what they are up to.</b></div>

Surveilling Cats | The Secret Life Of Cats

BBC C at experts in Britain attach GPS collars and cat-cams to pets to find out where cats go and what they are up to.

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Paris | Goyard

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/53585240?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="853"></iframe><br /><br /><div id="posttext" style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=564009107862031725" target="blank"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Goyard</span></b></a><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">O</span><b>riginally the House of Martin, The Maison Goyard is known to be the oldest and most prestigious trunk maker in existence. From being the favorite luggage maker of the prestigious aristocratic families, who would adorn their trunks with their coats of arms, Goyard moved towards being an international brand with an impressive reputation amongst their high-profile clientele which adopted the famous painting canvas in the motives of chevrons.</b><br /><br />Goyard’s letterhead paper dated June 24, 1891 bore the coats of arms of the United Kingdom and the Russian Empire and the Great Seal of the United States of America. The queens of Yugoslavia and Greece became customers after WWII, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor purchased their first Goyard goods in 1939. High profile purchasers such as the Grimaldis or the Maharajah of Kapurthala rub shoulders with celebrities, socialites or first ladies like Catherine Deneuve, Édith Piaf, Romy Schneider, Jean-Claude Brialy, who acquired his first Goyard pieces in 1974, Mrs Georges Pompidou, who became a client from 1963 onwards, princess Andrée Aga Khan (1956), princess Radziwill (1949) or the prince and princess von Fürstenberg (1968). Contemporary glitterati like Madonna, Victoria Beckham, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy are regularly spotted wearing Goyard bags. It is not uncommon for customers to have accounts that have been active for decades. Karl Lagerfeld’s account, for instance, was opened in 1972. (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goyard" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a>)<br /><br />The hard-wearing, soft and waterproof Goyardine fabic is made up of hemp, linen and cotton and increases in beauty with age. The exact manufacturing process remains a family secret.</div>

Paris | Goyard

Goyard O riginally the House of Martin, The Maison Goyard is known to be the oldest and most prestigious trunk maker in existence. From bein...

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Edward Snowden | Ask Me Anything

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnwNgqtTzDOwVlkp5Sb1hZAS1VtFmIwWTUdu9rzsnXXk8b0Z9QXTLuPdCVF34rI_eKC5PTJ5QSYXeCV5VAMMpMnqTBI3bhd-FswNxrSx4eyK6DIz0tLxw_wGaf3pddPCGk-WOcPS2brhM/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnwNgqtTzDOwVlkp5Sb1hZAS1VtFmIwWTUdu9rzsnXXk8b0Z9QXTLuPdCVF34rI_eKC5PTJ5QSYXeCV5VAMMpMnqTBI3bhd-FswNxrSx4eyK6DIz0tLxw_wGaf3pddPCGk-WOcPS2brhM/s1600/2.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: Reuters</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div id="posttext" style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/17/edward-snowden-nsa-files-whistleblower?commentpage=1" target="blank"><b><span style="font-size: large;">The Guardian UK</span></b></a> <br /><br />Using a secure internet connection, Edward Snowden answered questions live posted by journalists and others on the web. You can also read the comments (over 3500 at the time of this posting) <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/17/edward-snowden-nsa-files-whistleblower?commentpage=1" target="blank"> here</a>.<br /><br /><b>Why did you choose Hong Kong to go to and then tell them about US hacking on their research facilities and universities?</b> —GlennGreenwald<br /><br />First, the US Government, just as they did with other whistleblowers, immediately and predictably destroyed any possibility of a fair trial at home, openly declaring me guilty of treason and that the disclosure of secret, criminal, and even unconstitutional acts is an unforgivable crime. That's not justice, and it would be foolish to volunteer yourself to it if you can do more good outside of prison than in it.<br /><br />Second, let's be clear: I did not reveal any US operations against legitimate military targets. I pointed out where the NSA has hacked civilian infrastructure such as universities, hospitals, and private businesses because it is dangerous. These nakedly, aggressively criminal acts are wrong no matter the target. Not only that, when NSA makes a technical mistake during an exploitation operation, critical systems crash. Congress hasn't declared war on the countries - the majority of them are our allies - but without asking for public permission, NSA is running network operations against them that affect millions of innocent people. And for what? So we can have secret access to a computer in a country we're not even fighting? So we can potentially reveal a potential terrorist with the potential to kill fewer Americans than our own Police? No, the public needs to know the kinds of things a government does in its name, or the "consent of the governed" is meaningless.<br /><br /><b>How many sets of the documents you disclosed did you make, and how many different people have them? If anything happens to you, do they still exist?</b> —GlennGreenwald<br /><br />All I can say right now is the US Government is not going to be able to cover this up by jailing or murdering me. Truth is coming, and it cannot be stopped.<br /><br /><b>My question: given the enormity of what you are facing now in terms of repercussions, can you describe the exact moment when you knew you absolutely were going to do this, no matter the fallout, and what it now feels like to be living in a post-revelation world? Or was it a series of moments that culminated in action? I think it might help other people contemplating becoming whistleblowers if they knew what the ah-ha moment was like. Again, thanks for your courage and heroism.</b> —AhBrightWings<br /><br />I imagine everyone's experience is different, but for me, there was no single moment. It was seeing a continuing litany of lies from senior officials to Congress - and therefore the American people - and the realization that that Congress, specifically the Gang of Eight, wholly supported the lies that compelled me to act. Seeing someone in the position of James Clapper - the Director of National Intelligence - baldly lying to the public without repercussion is the evidence of a subverted democracy. The consent of the governed is not consent if it is not informed.<br /><a name='more'></a><br /><b>I should have asked you this when I saw you but never got round to it… Why did you just not fly direct to Iceland if that is your preferred country for asylum?</b> —ewenmacaskill<br /><br />Leaving the US was an incredible risk, as NSA employees must declare their foreign travel 30 days in advance and are monitored. There was a distinct possibility I would be interdicted en route, so I had to travel with no advance booking to a country with the cultural and legal framework to allow me to work without being immediately detained. Hong Kong provided that. Iceland could be pushed harder, quicker, before the public could have a chance to make their feelings known, and I would not put that past the current US administration.<br /><br /><b>Did you lie about your salary? What is the issue there? Why did you tell Glenn Greenwald that your salary was $200,000 a year, when it was only $122,000 (according to the firm that fired you.)</b> —D. Aram Mushegian II<br /><br />I was debriefed by Glenn and his peers over a number of days, and not all of those conversations were recorded. The statement I made about earnings was that $200,000 was my "career high" salary. I had to take pay cuts in the course of pursuing specific work. Booz was not the most I've been paid.<br /><br /><b>Why did you wait to release the documents if you said you wanted to tell the world about the NSA programs since before Obama became president?</b> —Gabrielaweb<br /><br />Obama's campaign promises and election gave me faith that he would lead us toward fixing the problems he outlined in his quest for votes. Many Americans felt similarly. Unfortunately, shortly after assuming power, he closed the door on investigating systemic violations of law, deepened and expanded several abusive programs, and refused to spend the political capital to end the kind of human rights violations like we see in Guantanamo, where men still sit without charge.<br /><br /><b>Define in as much detail as you can what "direct access" means.</b> —Anthony De Rosa<br /><br />More detail on how direct NSA's accesses are is coming, but in general, the reality is this: if an NSA, FBI, CIA, DIA, etc analyst has access to query raw SIGINT databases, they can enter and get results for anything they want. Phone number, email, user id, cell phone handset id (IMEI), and so on - it's all the same. The restrictions against this are policy based, not technically based, and can change at any time. Additionally, audits are cursory, incomplete, and easily fooled by fake justifications. For at least GCHQ, the number of audited queries is only 5% of those performed.<br /><br /><b>Can analysts listen to content of domestic calls without a warrant?</b> —Anthony De Rosa<br /><br />NSA likes to use "domestic" as a weasel word here for a number of reasons. The reality is that due to the FISA Amendments Act and its section 702 authorities, Americans’ communications are collected and viewed on a daily basis on the certification of an analyst rather than a warrant. They excuse this as "incidental" collection, but at the end of the day, someone at NSA still has the content of your communications. Even in the event of "warranted" intercept, it's important to understand the intelligence community doesn't always deal with what you would consider a "real" warrant like a Police department would have to, the "warrant" is more of a templated form they fill out and send to a reliable judge with a rubber stamp.<br /><br /><b>When you say "someone at NSA still has the content of your communications" - what do you mean? Do you mean they have a record of it, or the actual content?</b> —GlennGreenwald<br /><br />Both. If I target for example an email address, for example under FAA 702, and that email address sent something to you, Joe America, the analyst gets it. All of it. IPs, raw data, content, headers, attachments, everything. And it gets saved for a very long time - and can be extended further with waivers rather than warrants.<br /><br /><b>What are your thoughts on Google's and Facebook's denials? Do you think that they're honestly in the dark about PRISM, or do you think they're compelled to lie?</b> —HaraldK<br /><br />Their denials went through several revisions as it become more and more clear they were misleading and included identical, specific language across companies. As a result of these disclosures and the clout of these companies, we're finally beginning to see more transparency and better details about these programs for the first time since their inception.<br /><br /><b>Perhaps this is a better question to a lawyer like Greenwald, but: If you're presented with a secret order that you're forbidden to reveal the existence of, what will they actually do if you simply refuse to comply (without revealing the order)?</b> —HaraldK<br /><br />They are legally compelled to comply and maintain their silence in regard to specifics of the program, but that does not comply them from ethical obligation. If for example Facebook, Google, Microsoft, and Apple refused to provide this cooperation with the Intelligence Community, what do you think the government would do? Shut them down?<br /><br /><b>Some skepticism exists about certain of your claims, including this:<br /><br /><blockquote>I, sitting at my desk, certainly had the authorities to wiretap anyone, from you, or your accountant, to a federal judge, to even the President if I had a personal email.</blockquote><br />Do you stand by that, and if so, could you elaborate?</b> —MonaHol<br /><br />Yes, I stand by it. US Persons do enjoy limited policy protections (and again, it's important to understand that policy protection is no protection - policy is a one-way ratchet that only loosens) and one very weak technical protection - a near-the-front-end filter at our ingestion points. The filter is constantly out of date, is set at what is euphemistically referred to as the "widest allowable aperture," and can be stripped out at any time. Even with the filter, US comms get ingested, and even more so as soon as they leave the border. Your protected communications shouldn't stop being protected communications just because of the IP they're tagged with.<br /><br />More fundamentally, the "US Persons" protection in general is a distraction from the power and danger of this system. Suspicionless surveillance does not become okay simply because it's only victimizing 95% of the world instead of 100%. Our founders did not write that "We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all US Persons are created equal."<br /><br /><b>There is rampant speculation, outpacing facts, that you have or will provide classified US information to the Chinese or other governments in exchange for asylum. Have/will you?</b> —Spencer Ackerman<br /><br />This is a predictable smear that I anticipated before going public, as the US media has a knee-jerk "RED CHINA!" reaction to anything involving HK or the PRC, and is intended to distract from the issue of US government misconduct. Ask yourself: if I were a Chinese spy, why wouldn't I have flown directly into Beijing? I could be living in a palace petting a phoenix by now.<br /><br /><b>Regarding whether you have secretly given classified information to the Chinese government, some are saying you didn't answer clearly - can you give a flat no?</b> —Spencer Ackerman<br /><br />No. I have had no contact with the Chinese government. Just like with the Guardian and the Washington Post, I only work with journalists.<br /><br /><b>US officials say terrorists already altering TTPs because of your leaks, & calling you traitor. Respond?</b> —Kimberly Dozier<br /><br />US officials say this every time there's a public discussion that could limit their authority. US officials also provide misleading or directly false assertions about the value of these programs, as they did just recently with the Zazi case, which court documents clearly show was not unveiled by PRISM.<br /><br />Journalists should ask a specific question: since these programs began operation shortly after September 11th, how many terrorist attacks were prevented SOLELY by information derived from this suspicionless surveillance that could not be gained via any other source? Then ask how many individual communications were ingested to acheive that, and ask yourself if it was worth it. Bathtub falls and police officers kill more Americans than terrorism, yet we've been asked to sacrifice our most sacred rights for fear of falling victim to it.<br /><br />Further, it's important to bear in mind I'm being called a traitor by men like former Vice President Dick Cheney. This is a man who gave us the warrantless wiretapping scheme as a kind of atrocity warm-up on the way to deceitfully engineering a conflict that has killed over 4,400 and maimed nearly 32,000 Americans, as well as leaving over 100,000 Iraqis dead. Being called a traitor by Dick Cheney is the highest honor you can give an American, and the more panicked talk we hear from people like him, Feinstein, and King, the better off we all are. If they had taught a class on how to be the kind of citizen Dick Cheney worries about, I would have finished high school.<br /><br /><b>Do you believe that the treatment of Binney, Drake and others influenced your path? Do you feel the "system works" so to speak?</b> —Mathius1<br /><br />Binney, Drake, Kiriakou, and Manning are all examples of how overly-harsh responses to public-interest whistle-blowing only escalate the scale, scope, and skill involved in future disclosures. Citizens with a conscience are not going to ignore wrong-doing simply because they'll be destroyed for it: the conscience forbids it. Instead, these draconian responses simply build better whistleblowers. If the Obama administration responds with an even harsher hand against me, they can be assured that they'll soon find themselves facing an equally harsh public response.<br /><br />This disclosure provides Obama an opportunity to appeal for a return to sanity, constitutional policy, and the rule of law rather than men. He still has plenty of time to go down in history as the President who looked into the abyss and stepped back, rather than leaping forward into it. I would advise he personally call for a special committee to review these interception programs, repudiate the dangerous "State Secrets" privilege, and, upon preparing to leave office, begin a tradition for all Presidents forthwith to demonstrate their respect for the law by appointing a special investigator to review the policies of their years in office for any wrongdoing. There can be no faith in government if our highest offices are excused from scrutiny - they should be setting the example of transparency. <br /><br /><b>So far are things going the way you thought they would regarding a public debate?</b> –tikkamasala<br /><br />Initially I was very encouraged. Unfortunately, the mainstream media now seems far more interested in what I said when I was 17 or what my girlfriend looks like rather than, say, the largest program of suspicionless surveillance in human history.<br /><b><br />Anything else you’d like to add?</b> —GlennGreenwald<br /><br />Thanks to everyone for their support, and remember that just because you are not the target of a surveillance program does not make it okay. The US Person / foreigner distinction is not a reasonable substitute for individualized suspicion, and is only applied to improve support for the program. This is the precise reason that NSA provides Congress with a special immunity to its surveillance.</div>

Edward Snowden | Ask Me Anything

Photo: Reuters The Guardian UK Using a secure internet connection, Edward Snowden answered questions live posted by journalists and others...

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Motorcycle Helmet With Fighter-Jet Type Augmented Reality

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/wCfjX-KEWmA?rel=0" width="853"></iframe><br /><br /><div id="posttext" style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.wired.com/autopia/2013/06/livemap-ar/" target="blank"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Wired</span></b></a><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">A</span> <b>team of Russian motorcyclists-slash-engineers built an augmented reality GPS system directly into a bike helmet.</b><br /><br />The result is a full-color, translucent image projected onto a helmet’s visor running a version of Android and controlled through voice commands.</div>

Motorcycle Helmet With Fighter-Jet Type Augmented Reality

Wired A team of Russian motorcyclists-slash-engineers built an augmented reality GPS system directly into a bike helmet. The result is a fu...

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Pilot 78G Fountain Pen

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZXJOTr8HSzCtIOkVRehpsAk_siB2O_vWf9DKKhNJ3rPlHEF4qs-KDU-A7g8iuLcGPMyw5YJPfnjD9-gB-Wqi3V-R0YjWTEL3pxzk2vvCK_HEChkJ4rBjiUmPnS58e2DEQ6Yho1WOGxC0/s1600/IMG_6256.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZXJOTr8HSzCtIOkVRehpsAk_siB2O_vWf9DKKhNJ3rPlHEF4qs-KDU-A7g8iuLcGPMyw5YJPfnjD9-gB-Wqi3V-R0YjWTEL3pxzk2vvCK_HEChkJ4rBjiUmPnS58e2DEQ6Yho1WOGxC0/s200/IMG_6256.JPG" width="150" /></a>The Pilot 78G is generally considered to be one of the better fountain pens in the "budget" category. Although I may be mistaken, the 78G may technically be discontinued or otherwise unavailable in the United States. Even if that is true, there is an abundance of overstock on the market, and it's pretty easy and financially painless to acquire a 78G.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpxlIB9tBnaXoMqizZ6UlzryfxMMLgaFLKbit6BQn-LV9XVeqaIApglUJgPDdVS_4ansNHwJ5rUEhZhAecCy3n3jWRWYx-D3W1_SmwNKtMk_bFrGPGF9CDc76GZS3uJjAevVMUpB0-T1w/s1600/IMG_6257.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpxlIB9tBnaXoMqizZ6UlzryfxMMLgaFLKbit6BQn-LV9XVeqaIApglUJgPDdVS_4ansNHwJ5rUEhZhAecCy3n3jWRWYx-D3W1_SmwNKtMk_bFrGPGF9CDc76GZS3uJjAevVMUpB0-T1w/s200/IMG_6257.JPG" width="150" /></a>I got the teal colored pen, with a medium sized nib. It came with a black ink cartridge (one that only fits Pilot pens), a <strike>CON-20</strike> squeeze-type ink converter [edit: that is similar to a CON-20 converter], and an extra large bag of awesome. Is the nib as smooth and consistent as, say, my Pelikan M205 or my Pilot Custom Heritage 91? No. Is the pen body cheap, lightweight, and plasticky? Yup. Is the faux gold trim cheesy and tacky looking? I think so. So what? The 78G costs less than a couple of Happy Meals at McDonald's. At that price point you could almost treat it as a disposable pen!<br /><br />The pen writes well enough, doesn't skip, and isn't too scratchy. It comes in different colors and different nib sizes. It is cheap enough to buy on a whim, and you won't lose any sleep if your kid happens to bend the nib, use it as a dart, or trade it for a not-so-rare Pokemon card.<br /><br />I was going to describe the pen in more detail, but then I found a much better review with great pictures, all of the specs, and even a video. I hope the folks at Gourmet Pens don't mind the reference: <a href="http://www.gourmetpens.com/2013/04/review-pilot-78g-green-fountain-pen.html" target="_blank">Pilot 78G Review</a>. Oh, and here's another good review at Ink of Me Fondly: <a href="http://inkofmefondly.blogspot.com/2012/11/pilot-78g-fountain-pen-fine-nib-black.html" target="_blank">Another Pilot 78G Review</a>. The pen in the first linked review has a broad nib, and the pen in the second linked review has a fine nib, in contrast to my medium nib.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm76ne5XaXwn4hADHm7smfrvL01l64jjEmId7YYqGEIWfFwb1SQf1Qdh-pilLi2rY-TkpsX9qeM0EeJneivMHuAI2BBO_S3CGwQi7-dQbBB1YZlbboDKx-AWvkUlLrbzz14EtTEH5L-aw/s1600/IMG_6258.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm76ne5XaXwn4hADHm7smfrvL01l64jjEmId7YYqGEIWfFwb1SQf1Qdh-pilLi2rY-TkpsX9qeM0EeJneivMHuAI2BBO_S3CGwQi7-dQbBB1YZlbboDKx-AWvkUlLrbzz14EtTEH5L-aw/s200/IMG_6258.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>The above picture shows the 78G in a disassembled state, with the ink cartridge installed. No surprises there. I'll finish this post with some writing samples on different types of paper.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZVi7ECy5VjrmfDTYsw0tArGC2jKiKGknIbURMAadY73SYbUGHREfS0_iMI2hdDwpbY3IN1MWLkUbnpR8C7CVVkGHK7Uu4w72dewyrOTQ1dUdsPiHB-eZN8UDwkC8BJKAHCxeH0iyg-JA/s1600/20130607_Pilot_78G_Sample.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZVi7ECy5VjrmfDTYsw0tArGC2jKiKGknIbURMAadY73SYbUGHREfS0_iMI2hdDwpbY3IN1MWLkUbnpR8C7CVVkGHK7Uu4w72dewyrOTQ1dUdsPiHB-eZN8UDwkC8BJKAHCxeH0iyg-JA/s320/20130607_Pilot_78G_Sample.jpg" width="219" /></a></div><br />The first sample also includes short blurbs written with other fountain pens that are described <a href="http://dailyacquisition.blogspot.com/p/pens.html" target="_blank">elsewhere on this blog</a>, just for the sake of comparison.<br /><br />The bottom line with me and the 78G: it's well worth the price and is a decent pen, but I'd rather use my Pilot Custom Heritage 91. In fact, I gave the 78G to my son for use as a school pen. I would recommend the 78G as a "first real fountain pen" (rather than, say, a Pilot Varsity, a Platinum Preppy, or a Lamy Safari).

Pilot 78G Fountain Pen

The Pilot 78G is generally considered to be one of the better fountain pens in the "budget" category. Although I may be mistaken, ...

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Dmitry Itskov | Lifelike Humans by 2035

<iframe width="853" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/MoJSpA4uFCI?start=278" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/FjQltzTL5bA?rel=0" width="853"></iframe><br /><br /><div id="posttext" style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/dmitry-itskov-immortality-2013-6?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+businessinsider+%28Business+Insider%29" target="blank"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Business Insider</span></b></a><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">R</span><b>ussian tycoon and former media mogul Dmitry Itskov is trying to figure out how to build lifelike copies of humans ... to be eventually uploaded with the contents of a real human brain.</b><br /><br />Dmitry says that we could have the first phase—that will enable people to operate a nonbiological body—in the next seven years. And he believes that the concept can be proved to be viable in the next three years. He is talking about an artificial body with sensations—the sensation that you would be walking in the body.<br /><br />The next phase (Avatar B) is brain transplantation. Instead of your dying, neurosurgeons isolate the brain and some of the spinal chord, put it in a life support system, and that is inserted into the android developed in Avatar A. The timetable: 2020-25.<br /><br />In the next phase (Avatar C), you make the brain non-biological by uploading it into a computer. The timetable: 2030-35. <br /><br />The final phase (Avatar D) is replacement of the physical body with a nonphysical, hologram-like body. You are essentially living inside a computer, but you can physically manifest yourself as a hologram. Think Princess Leia in "Star Wars." The goal: 2045.<br /><br />Many investors are attending his conference in New York City, including, according to the sponsors, Allen & Co.,Citigroup, Barclays, and several VCs and hedge funds. Credit Suisse, which has a heavy investment in a Swiss robotics lab along with the Swiss government, will also be there.</div>

Dmitry Itskov | Lifelike Humans by 2035

Business Insider R ussian tycoon and former media mogul Dmitry Itskov is trying to figure out how to build lifelike copies of humans ... to ...

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iON | Analysis-Revelation Revealed Chapters 1-3 (Anniversary)

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJJe7HYMlediDrG_lpzku4lMWAFycH0OkJG-iyzRl2ObPw5PkvcCj577feBvOLszGGqD7ES3wIy6YbIsRVDoVuh_0xb6BVmfnwUcVpWggr9HpKI7j16v3ZXPxKppQF5_HQwJ3eyrurTk0/s1600/1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="750" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJJe7HYMlediDrG_lpzku4lMWAFycH0OkJG-iyzRl2ObPw5PkvcCj577feBvOLszGGqD7ES3wIy6YbIsRVDoVuh_0xb6BVmfnwUcVpWggr9HpKI7j16v3ZXPxKppQF5_HQwJ3eyrurTk0/s1600/1.png" width="656" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.theascensionpainting.com/" target="blank"><i>The Ascension Painting</i></a> by Sheila Kern</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div id="posttext"><span style="font-size: large;">INFORMATION FARM EXCLUSIVE</span><i></i><br /><br />19 June 2010—<b><a href="http://www.fivebodied.com/index.php%22" target="blank">Bob Neveritt</a>, former intelligence community insider and member of the Secret Council of Ten, and non-physical <a href="http://www.howionic.com/" target="blank">iON</a> return for an analysis of <i>The Revelation of John</i>.</b><br /><br /><a href="http://www.bartleby.com/108/66/">Follow along and read the Revelation text</a>.<br /><br />Revelation Revealed: Chapters 1 & 2<p></p><object data="http://halkinnaman.com/ed/audio_rr/player.swf" height="24" id="audioplayer386" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="290"> <param name="movie" value="http://halkinnaman.com/ed/audio_rr/player.swf"><param name="FlashVars" value="playerID=audioplayer386&soundFile=http://halkinnaman.com/ed/audio_rr/edit_rev_1-2.mp3"><param name="quality" value="high"><param name="menu" value="false"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></object> <div><a href="http://halkinnaman.com/ed/audio_rr/edit_rev_1-2.mp3" target="blank">download mp3</a></div><p></p>Revelation Revealed: Chapters 2 (continued) & 3 <p></p><object data="http://halkinnaman.com/ed/audio_rr/player.swf" height="24" id="audioplayer387" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="290"> <param name="movie" value="http://halkinnaman.com/ed/audio_rr/player.swf"><param name="FlashVars" value="playerID=audioplayer387&soundFile=http://halkinnaman.com/ed/audio_rr/edit_rev_2cont-3.mp3"><param name="quality" value="high"><param name="menu" value="false"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></object> <div><a href="http://halkinnaman.com/ed/audio_rr/edit_rev_2cont-3.mp3" target="blank">download mp3</a></div><p></p>Experience for the first time, the real meaning of <i>The Revelation of John</i>.<p></p><ul><li>All human beings are GOD. There is no GOD outside of human beings.</li><li>These human creators are creating all that is.</li><li>At one point, these human creators forfeited their power, put it in a box (the <a href="http://informationfarm.blogspot.com/2010/08/ion-arc-of-covenant.html">Arc of the Covenant</a>) called the Mercy Seat and began to believe that GOD was something outside of themselves. All of this was for the experience. </li><li>Human creators can be, do or have anything including the experience that they are not the powerful creators that they indeed are.</li><li>John the Revelator wrote of this process in the Biblical book <i>The Revelation of John</i>. </li><li><i>The Revelation of John</i> foretells of all the other books of the <i>Bible</i> which is read back to front beginning with <i>The Revelation</i> and ending with <i>Genesis</i>.</li><li>Human creators have not yet experienced the Garden of Eden, this is to come.</li></ul><p></p>The remaining chapters of Revelation Revealed are available at <a href="http://www.howionic.com/?page_id=15" target="blank">howionic.com</a> for $50 per audio. Each audio contains 2-4 chapters including Chapter 23 which is missing from the Bible.</div><p></p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="510" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/FObjd5wrgZ8?rel=0" width="853"></iframe>

iON | Analysis-Revelation Revealed Chapters 1-3 (Anniversary)

The Ascension Painting by Sheila Kern INFORMATION FARM EXCLUSIVE 19 June 2010— Bob Neveritt , former intelligence community insider and mem...

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iON | Using the Pineal, Thyroid & Hypothalamus To Tell If a Portal Is Present

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2mGIxjhX4zGpyM-8Q8uj_T2am8h2nvRUqqNotBzzxtVb3q8q6XJ21wPjdeCOGL1DqnqW72MbvyfCPahjB36n3xg9bUfvNXjCihf_dEtM6YLU8I-s1fs-6-TgzdPhpsYYNR_sTwbeyLDg/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2mGIxjhX4zGpyM-8Q8uj_T2am8h2nvRUqqNotBzzxtVb3q8q6XJ21wPjdeCOGL1DqnqW72MbvyfCPahjB36n3xg9bUfvNXjCihf_dEtM6YLU8I-s1fs-6-TgzdPhpsYYNR_sTwbeyLDg/s320/1.jpg" width="277" /></a></div><div id="posttext"><span style="font-size: x-large;">iON</span><b> explains that you can use clues from the pineal gland, the thyroid and the hypothalamus to know when a portal is nearby. </b><br /><br />If a portal is nearby, the pineal gland will be agitated and send adrenaline throughout the body. The thyroid determines if the agitation is due to the presence of a portal. If so, then the thyroid signals the hypothalamus which gives a sensation of hot or cold indicating how close the portal is to the body.<br /><br /><object data="http://halkinnaman.com/ed/audio_rr/player.swf" height="24" id="audioplayer481" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="290"> <param name="movie" value="http://halkinnaman.com/ed/audio_rr/player.swf"><param name="FlashVars" value="playerID=audioplayer481&soundFile=http://halkinnaman.com/ed/audio_rr/ion_pineal_portal_relationship.mp3"><param name="quality" value="high"><param name="menu" value="false"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></object> <br /><div><a href="http://halkinnaman.com/ed/audio_rr/ion_pineal_portal_relationship.mp3" target="blank">download mp3</a></div></div>

iON | Using the Pineal, Thyroid & Hypothalamus To Tell If a Portal Is Present

iON explains that you can use clues from the pineal gland, the thyroid and the hypothalamus to know when a portal is nearby. If a portal is...

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rAndom International | Rain Room

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/7cem71cR0S0?rel=0" width="853"></iframe><br /><br /><div id="posttext" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://thecreatorsproject.vice.com/blog/random-international-moma-rain-room" target="blank">Creators Project</a></b></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">I</span><b>magine that angels follow you with an invisible umbrella leaving you dry as you walk through a rain shower. <a href="http://random-international.com/work/rainroom/" target="_blank"><i>Rain Room</i></a> offers visitors the chance to stand in the middle of a rain storm without getting wet.</b><br /><br />Sensors detect and track your movement so that as you move forward, the rain around you ceases to fall overhead, allowing a glimpse into what it might be like to control the rain. Every movement is anticipated—quickly shoot out your arm and still it stays dry; change the speed or angle of your walking and still the rain stops.</div><br /><iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/51830893?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0&color=ffffff" width="853" height="480" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe>

rAndom International | Rain Room

Creators Project I magine that angels follow you with an invisible umbrella leaving you dry as you walk through a rain shower. Rain Room of...

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Pacific Rim | Featurette

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Pacific Rim | Featurette

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Kevin Kwan | Crazy Rich Asians

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/EuSTV7-_EmY?rel=0" width="853"></iframe><br /><br /><div id="posttext" style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/06/16/lifestyles-of-the-rich-and-asian.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+thedailybeast%2Farticles+%28The+Daily+Beast+-+Latest+Articles%29" target="blank"><b><span style="font-size: large;">The Daily Beast</span></b></a><br />Kevin Kwan<br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">I</span><b>n <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Crazy-Rich-Asians-ebook/dp/B00AP2VQEM/ref=kinw_dp_ke" target="_blank">Crazy Rich Asians</a></i> a mother in Singapore tells her girls to finish everything on their plates because “there are children starving in America.”</b><br /><br />Over the past few years, as Asia’s new gilded age has been breathlessly chronicled on the front pages of newspapers, few journalists have reported on the fact that outside of Mainland China, there has long existed a class of fabulously wealthy Asians—scattered throughout South East Asia and beyond—who have very quietly been going about their lives for centuries. My novel, <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Crazy-Rich-Asians-ebook/dp/B00AP2VQEM/ref=kinw_dp_ke" target="_blank">Crazy Rich Asians</a></i>, was inspired by this world.<br /><br />It is a world I have, for better or for worse, been exposed to since birth. I spent the first twelve years of my life growing up in Singapore. Back then, in the early eighties, it was still a tropical island at the tip of the Malay Peninsula striving to shine on the world stage. Today Singapore is better known as the country with the highest percentage of millionaires in the world (17 percent of its resident households).<br /><br />The jaw-dropping displays of wealth one encounters—it simply that has to be seen to be believed. No matter where I land in Asia these days, I feel as if I’m on some surreal Jackie Collins-meets-Amy Tan acid trip. Welcome to the world of Crazy Rich Asians.<br /><br />Here’s an excerpt:<br /><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-size: large;">“I have no idea who these people are. But I can tell you one thing—these people are richer than God.”</span></blockquote><br />As Peik Lin’s car approached the porte cochere of Tyersall Park, Nicholas Young bounded down the front steps. “I was worried you’d gotten lost,” he said, opening the car door.<br /><br />“We did get a bit lost, actually,” Rachel replied.<br /><br />“For some strange reason, your grandmother’s house didn’t show up on my GPS,” said Peik Lin, who prided herself on knowing every street in Singapore.<br /><br />Rachel got out of the car and stared up at the majestic facade before her. “Am I really late?”<br /><br />“No, it’s OK,” Nick said. “Peik Lin—thanks so much for giving Rachel a lift.”<br /><br />“Of course,” Peik Lin murmured, rather stunned by her surroundings. She paused, thinking Nick might invite her in for a drink, but no invitation seemed forthcoming. Finally she said as nonchalantly as possible, “This is quite a place—is it your grandmother’s?”<br /><br />“Yes,” Nick replied.<br /><br />“Has she lived here a long time?” Peik Lin asked, craning to get a better look.<br /><br />“Since she was a young girl.”<br /><br />What Peik Lin really wanted to ask was, Who on earth is your grandmother? “Well, you two have a great time,” she said instead, winking at Rachel and mouthing Call me later. Rachel gave her friend a quick smile.<br /><br />Nick turned to Rachel, looking a little sheepish. “I hope it’s OK . . . but it’s not just the family. My grandmother decided to have a small party at the last minute because her tan hua flowers are going to bloom tonight.”<br /><br />“She’s throwing a party because some flowers are in bloom?” Rachel asked.<br /><br />“Well, these are very rare. They bloom only about once every decade, and only at night. The whole thing lasts just a few hours. It’s quite something.”<br /><a name='more'></a><br />“Sounds cool, but now I’m feeling really underdressed,” Rachel said, eyeing the fleet of limousines lining the driveway. She was wearing a sleeveless, chocolate-colored linen dress, a pair of low-heeled sandals, and the only expensive jewelry she owned—Mikimoto pearl studs that her mother had given her when she got her doctorate.<br /><br />“Not at all—you look absolutely perfect,” Nick replied.<br /><br />As they entered the house, Rachel was transfixed for a few moments by the intricate black, blue, and coral mosaic tile pattern on the floor of what appeared to be a large foyer. Then, to her amazement, a tall, spindly Indian man standing next to a table clustered with pots of enormous white-and-purple phalaenopsis orchids bowed ceremoniously to her.<br /><br />“Everyone’s upstairs in the living room,” Nick said, leading Rachel toward a carved-stone staircase. She saw something out of the corner of her eye and let out a quick gasp. By the side of the staircase lurked a huge tiger, mouth open in a ferocious growl.<br /><br />“It looks so real!” Rachel said.<br /><br />“It was real,” Nick said. “It’s a native Singaporean tiger. They used to roam this area. My great-grandfather shot it when it ran into the house and hid under the billiard table, or so the story goes.”<br /><br />“Poor guy,” Rachel said.<br /><br />“It used to scare the hell out of me when I was little. I never dared go near the foyer at night,” Nick said.<br /><br />“You grew up here?” Rachel asked in surprise.<br /><br />“Yes, until I was about seven.”<br /><br />“You never told me you lived in a palace.”<br /><br />“This isn’t a palace. It’s just a big house.”<br /><br />“Nick, where I come from, this is a palace,” Rachel said, gazing up at the cast-iron-and-glass cupola soaring above them. The murmur of party chatter and piano keys wafted down. As they entered the drawing room, Rachel felt momentarily giddy, as if she had been transported back in time to the grand lounge of a twenties ocean liner, en route from Venice to Istanbul, perhaps.<br /><br />The “living room,” as Nick so modestly called it, was a gallery that ran along the entire northern end of the house, with Art Deco divans, wicker club chairs, and ottomans casually grouped into intimate seating areas. A row of tall plantation doors opened onto a veranda, inviting a view of verdant parklands and the scent of night-blooming jasmine into the room. At the far end of the room a young man in a tuxedo played a Bösendorfer grand piano. Rachel longed to study every exquisite detail: the exotic potted palms in massive Qianlong dragon jardinieres, the lacquered teak surfaces, the silver-and-lapis-lazuli-filigreed walls. The glamorous guests, she couldn’t help noticing, appeared completely at ease lounging on the shantung silk ottomans while a retinue of white-gloved servants circulated with trays of cocktails.<br /><br />“Here comes my cousin Astrid’s mother,” Nick muttered. A stately-looking lady approached them, wagging a finger at Nick.<br /><br />“Nicky, you naughty boy, why didn’t you tell us you were back?” The woman spoke in a clipped English accent straight out of a Merchant Ivory film. Rachel couldn’t help but notice how her tightly permed black hair fittingly resembled the Queen of England’s.<br /><br />“So sorry, I thought you and Uncle Harry would be in London at this time of the year. Dai gu cheh, this is my girlfriend, Rachel Chu. Rachel, this is my auntie Felicity Leong.”<br /><br />Felicity nodded at Rachel, boldly scanning her up and down.<br /><br />“So nice to meet you,” Rachel said, unsettled by her hawklike gaze.<br /><br />“Is Astrid here yet?” Nick asked.<br /><br />“Aiyah, you know that girl is always late!” At that moment, his aunt noticed an elderly Indian woman in a gold-and-peacock-blue sari being helped up the stairs. “Dear Mrs. Singh, when did you get back from Udaipur?” she screeched, pouncing on the woman as Nick guided Rachel out of the way.<br /><br />“Who is that lady?” Rachel asked.<br /><br />“That’s Mrs. Singh, a family friend who used to live down the street. She’s the daughter of a maharaja and was great friends with Nehru. I’ll introduce you later, when my aunt isn’t breathing down our necks.”<br /><br />“Her sari is absolutely stunning,” Rachel remarked, gazing at the elaborate gold stitching.<br /><br />“I hear she flies all her saris back to New Delhi to be specially cleaned,” Nick said as he tried to escort Rachel toward the bar, unwittingly steering her into the path of a very posh-looking middle-aged couple. The man had a pompadour of Brylcreemed black hair while his wife wore a classic gold-buttoned red-and-white Chanel suit.<br /><br />“Uncle Dickie, Auntie Nancy, meet my girlfriend, Rachel Chu,” Nick said. “Rachel, this is my uncle and his wife, from the T’sien side of the family.”<br /><br />“Ah, Rachel, I’ve met your grandfather in Taipei . . . Chu Yang Chung, isn’t it?” Uncle Dickie asked.<br /><br />“Er . . . actually, no. My family isn’t from Taipei,” Rachel stammered.<br /><br />“Oh. Where are they from, then?”<br /><br />“Guangdong originally, and nowadays California.”<br /><br />Uncle Dickie looked a bit taken aback, while his well-coiffed wife grasped his arm tightly and continued. “Oh, we know California very well. Northern California, actually.”<br /><br />“Yes, that’s where I’m from,” Rachel replied politely.<br /><br />“Ah, well then, you must know the Gettys? Ann is a great friend of mine,” Nancy effused.<br /><br />“Um, are you referring to the Getty Oil family?”<br /><br />“Is there any other?” Nancy asked.<br /><br />“Rachel’s from Cupertino, not San Francisco, Auntie Nancy. And that’s why I need to introduce her to Francis Leong over there, who I hear is going to Stanford this fall,” Nick cut in, quickly moving Rachel along. The next half hour was a blur of nonstop greetings, as Rachel was introduced to aunties and uncles and cousins, the distinguished though diminutive Thai ambassador, and the sultan of some unpronounceable Malay state, along with his two wives in bejeweled head scarves.<br /><br />One woman seemed to command the attention of the room. She was very slim and aristocratic-looking with snow-white hair and ramrod-straight posture, dressed in a long white silk cheongsam. Most of the guests orbited around her, paying tribute, and when she at last came toward them, Rachel noticed Nick’s resemblance to her. Rachel decided to greet her in Mandarin, but before Nick could make proper introductions, she bowed her head nervously and said, “It is such a pleasure to meet you. Thank you for inviting me to your beautiful home.”<br /><br />The woman looked at her quizzically and replied slowly in Mandarin, “It is a pleasure to meet you, too, but you are mistaken; this is not my house.”<br /><br />“Rachel, this is my great-aunt Rosemary,” Nick explained hurriedly.<br /><br />“And you’ll have to forgive me, my Mandarin is really quite rusty,” Great-Aunt Rosemary added in a Vanessa Redgrave English.<br /><br />“Oh, I’m so sorry,” Rachel said, her cheeks flushing bright red. She could feel all eyes in the room upon her, amused by her faux pas.<br /><br />“No need to apologize.” Great-Aunt Rosemary smiled graciously. “Nick has told me quite a bit about you, and I was so looking forward to meeting you.”<br /><br />Nick put his arm around Rachel and said, “Here, come meet my grandmother.” They walked across the room, and on the sofa closest to the veranda sat an older woman dressed simply in a rose-colored silk blouse and tailored cream trousers, her steel-gray hair held in place by an ivory headband. Standing behind her were two ladies in immaculate matching gowns of iridescent silk.<br /><br />Nick addressed his grandmother in Cantonese. “Ah ma, I’d like you to meet my friend Rachel Chu, from America.”<br /><br />“So nice to meet you!” Rachel blurted, forgetting her Mandarin.<br /><br />Nick’s grandmother peered up at Rachel. “Thank you for coming,” she replied haltingly, in English, before turning to resume her conversation with a woman at her side. The two ladies swathed in silk stared inscrutably at Rachel.<br /><br />“Let’s get some punch,” Nick said, directing Rachel toward a table dominated by a huge Venetian glass punch bowl.<br /><br />“That had to be the most awkward moment of my life,” Rachel whispered.<br /><br />“Nonsense. She was just in the middle of another conversation,” Nick said.<br /><br />“Who were those two elegant women in matching silk dresses standing like statues behind her?” Rachel asked.<br /><br />“Her lady’s maids. They never leave her side. They’re from Thailand and were trained to serve in the royal court.”<br /><br />“Is this a common thing in Singapore? Importing royal maids from Thailand?” Rachel asked incredulously.<br /><br />“I don’t believe so. This service was a special lifetime gift to my grandmother.”<br /><br />“A gift? From whom?”<br /><br />“The King of Thailand.”<br /><br />“Oh,” Rachel said. She took the glass of punch from Nick and noticed that the fine etching on the Venetian glassware perfectly matched the intricate fretwork pattern on the ceiling. She leaned against the back of a sofa for support. There was so much for her to take in. Who knew that Nick’s family would turn out to be so grand? And why hadn’t he prepared her better?<br /><br />Rachel felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around to see Nick’s cousin, Astrid Leong, holding a sleepy toddler. “Astrid!” she cried, delighted to see a friendly face. Astrid was wearing the chicest outfit Rachel had ever seen—an embroidered Alexis Mabille white peasant blouse, pearl-gray Lanvin cigarette pants, and a fantastical pair of bejeweled earrings, very Millicent Rogers. So this was Astrid in her natural habitat.<br /><br />“Hello, hello!” Astrid said cheerily. “Cassian, say hi to Auntie Rachel.” The child stared at Rachel, then buried his head into his mother’s shoulder. “So,” she continued, “how are you finding Singapore so far? Having a good time?”<br /><br />“A great time! Although tonight’s been a bit . . . overwhelming.”<br /><br />“I can only imagine,” Astrid said with a knowing glint in her eye.<br /><br />A melodious peal rang out. An elderly woman in a white cheongsam top and black silk trousers was playing a small silver xylophone by the stairs.<br /><br />“Ah, the dinner gong,” Astrid said. “Come, let’s eat.”<br /><br />The crowd began to make a beeline for the stairs, passing the woman with the xylophone. As they approached her, Nick gave the woman a big bear hug and exchanged a few words in Cantonese. “This is Ling Cheh, the woman who pretty much raised me from birth,” he explained. “She has been with our family since 1948.”<br /><br />“Wah, nay gor nuay pang yau gum laeng, ah! Faai di git fun!” Ling Cheh commented, grasping Rachel’s hand gently. Nick grinned, blushing a little. Astrid quickly translated: “Ling Cheh just teased Nick about how pretty his lady friend is.” Then she whispered to Rachel, “She also ordered him to marry you soon!” Rachel laughed.<br /><br />A buffet supper had been set up in the conservatory, an elliptical-shaped room with frescoed walls of Chinese mountainscapes. Three enormous tables gleamed with silver chafing dishes, one offering Thai delicacies, another Malaysian cuisine, and the last classic Chinese dishes. Rachel came upon a tray of exotic-looking golden wafers folded into little top hats. “What in the world are these?” she wondered aloud.<br /><br />“That’s kueh pie tee, a nyonya dish. Little tarts filled with jicama, carrots, and shrimp. Try one,” a voice behind her said. Rachel looked around and saw a dapper man in a white linen suit. He bowed in a courtly manner and introduced himself. “We’ve never properly met. I’m Oliver T’sien, Nick’s cousin.” Yet another Chinese relative with a British accent, but his sounded even plummier than the rest.<br /><br />“Nice to meet you. I’m Rachel—”<br /><br />“Yes, I know. Rachel Chu, of Cupertino, Palo Alto, Chicago, and Manhattan. You see, your reputation precedes you.”<br /><br />“Does it?” Rachel asked, trying not to sound too surprised.<br /><br />“Don’t you know how much the tongues have been wagging since you’ve arrived?” he said mischievously.<br /><br />“I had no clue,” Rachel said a little uneasily. Walking out onto the terrace, she noticed the lady in the Chanel suit and her husband looking toward her expectantly.<br /><br />Oliver grabbed her plate from her hand and walked it over to a table at the far end of the terrace.<br /><br />“Why are you avoiding them?” Rachel asked.<br /><br />“I’m not. I’m helping you avoid them. You can thank me later.”<br /><br />“Why?” Rachel pressed on.<br /><br />“Well, first of all, they are insufferable name-droppers, always going on about their latest cruise on so-and-so’s yacht, and second, they aren’t exactly on your team.”<br /><br />“I didn’t realize I was on any team.”<br /><br />“Like it or not, you are, and they are here tonight to spy for the opposition.”<br /><br />“To spy?”<br /><br />“Yes. They mean to pick you apart and serve you up as an amuse-bouche the next time they’re invited to dinner.”<br /><br />This Oliver seemed like a character straight out of an Oscar Wilde play. He looked to be in his mid-30s, with short, meticulously combed hair and small round tortoiseshell glasses that only accentuated his longish face. “So how exactly are you related to Nick?” Rachel asked, changing the subject.<br /><br />“Nick’s grandfather James Young and my grandmother Rosemary T’sien are brother and sister.”<br /><br />“But that would mean that you and Nick are second cousins.”<br /><br />“Right. But here in Singapore, since extended families abound, we all just say we’re ‘cousins’ to avoid confusion.”<br /><br />Just then Nick and Astrid appeared. Oliver turned to Astrid and his eyes widened. “Holy Mary Mother of Tilda Swinton, look at those earrings! Wherever did you get them?”<br /><br />“At Stephen Chia’s . . . they’re VBH,” Astrid said.<br /><br />“Of course they are. I wouldn’t have thought they were quite your style, but they do look fabulous on you. Hmm . . . you still can surprise me after all these years.”<br /><br />“You know I try, Ollie, I try.”<br /><br />“Oliver is the Asian art and antiquities expert for Christie’s in London,” Nick explained to Rachel.<br /><br />“Yes, the Asian art market is heating up like you wouldn’t believe.”<br /><br />“I hear that every new Chinese billionaire is trying to get their hands on a Warhol these days,” Nick remarked.<br /><br />“Well, yes; there are quite a few wannabe Saatchis around, but I’m dealing more with the ones trying to buy back the great antiquities from European and American collectors. For years, hardly anyone in Asia bothered to collect Chinese pieces, not with any real discernment, anyway. Why, even your great-grandfather went mad for Art Deco when he could have snapped up all the imperial treasures coming out of China.”<br /><br />Just then someone announced, “The tan huas are coming into bloom!” As the guests began to head back in, Nick pulled Rachel aside. “Here, let’s take a shortcut,” he said. Nick led her through a long passage into an enclosed courtyard that was open to the sky. Rachel couldn’t believe her eyes. It was as if they had stumbled onto a secret cloister deep within a Moorish palace. Elaborately carved columns lined the arcades around the perimeter, and a lotus blossom sculpted out of rose quartz protruded from a stone wall, spouting a stream of water. Overhead, hundreds of copper lanterns flickered with candlelight.<br /><br />Rachel walked to the center of the courtyard. In the middle of a reflecting pool were huge terra-cotta urns that held the painstakingly cultivated tan huas. Rachel had never seen such exotic flowers. The tangled forest of plants grew together into a profusion of large leaves the color of dark jade. Long stems sprouted from the edges of the leaves, curving until they formed huge bulbs. Pale reddish petals curled around them. Oliver stood by the flowers, scrutinizing one of the bulbs closely.<br /><br />“You know, it’s considered to be very auspicious to witness tan huas blooming in the night,” he said.<br /><br />Just then Rachel noticed Nick under an arcade chatting intently with a striking woman. “Who is that woman talking to Nick?” Rachel asked.<br /><br />“Oh, that’s Jacqueline Ling. An old family friend.”<br /><br />Rachel stared at Jacqueline’s ballerina-like figure, shown to great advantage by the pale yellow halter top and palazzo pants that she wore with a pair of silver stilettos.<br /><br />“She looks like a movie star,” Rachel commented.<br /><br />“Yes, doesn’t she? I’ve always thought that Jacqueline looks like a Chinese Catherine Deneuve, only more beautiful.”<br /><br />“She does look like her!”<br /><br />“Widowed once, almost married a British marquess, and since then she’s been the companion of a Norwegian tycoon. There’s a story I heard as a child: Jacqueline’s beauty was so legendary that when she visited Hong Kong for the first time in the sixties, her arrival attracted a throng of spectators, as if she were Elizabeth Taylor. All the men were clamoring to propose to her, and fights broke out at the terminal. It made the newspapers, apparently.”<br /><br />“All because of her beauty.”<br /><br />“Yes, and her bloodline. She’s the granddaughter of Ling Yin Chao.”<br /><br />“Who’s that?”<br /><br />“He was one of Asia’s most revered philanthropists. Built schools all over China. Not that Jacqueline is following in his footsteps, unless you consider her donations in aid of Manolo Blahnik.”<br /><br />Rachel laughed, as both of them noticed that Jacqueline had one hand on Nick’s arm.<br /><br />“Don’t worry—she flirts with everyone,” Oliver quipped. “Do you want another piece of juicy gossip?”<br /><br />“Please.”<br /><br />“I’m told Nick’s grandmother very much wanted Jacqueline for Nick’s father. But she didn’t succeed.”<br /><br />“He wasn’t swayed by her looks?”<br /><br />“Well, he already had another beauty on his hands—Nick’s mother. You haven’t met Auntie Elle yet, have you?”<br /><br />“No, she went away for the weekend.”<br /><br />“Hmm, how interesting. She never goes away when Nicholas is in town,” Oliver said, turning around to make sure no one was within earshot before leaning closer in. “I’d tread extra carefully around Eleanor Young if I were you. She maintains a rival court,” he said mysteriously before walking off.<br /><br />Left alone, Rachel felt unnerved by his warning. She allowed her eyes to close for a moment. Every time a breeze blew, the copper lanterns swayed like hundreds of glowing orbs adrift in a dark ocean. For a moment Rachel felt as if she were floating along with them. She wondered if life with Nick would always be like this.</div>

Kevin Kwan | Crazy Rich Asians

The Daily Beast Kevin Kwan I n Crazy Rich Asians a mother in Singapore tells her girls to finish everything on their plates because “there ...

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