lucky accident
  ¶ 9:24 PM 1 comments

  'Plutoed' chosen as '06 Word of the Year 'Plutoed' chosen as '06 Word of the Year
Sun Jan 7, 8:38 PM ET

ANAHEIM, Calif. - Pluto is finally getting some respect — not from astronomers, but from wordsmiths.

"Plutoed" was chosen 2006's Word of the Year by the American Dialect Society at its annual meeting Friday.

To "pluto" is "to demote or devalue someone or something," much like what happened to the former planet last year when the General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union decided Pluto didn't meet its definition of a planet.

"Our members believe the great emotional reaction of the public to the demotion of Pluto shows the importance of Pluto as a name," said society president Cleveland Evans. "We may no longer believe in the Roman god Pluto, but we still have a sense of personal connection with the former planet."

"Plutoed" won in a runoff against "climate canary," defined as "an organism or species whose poor health or declining numbers hint at a larger environmental catastrophe on the horizon."

Other words considered: murse (man's purse), flog (a fake blog that promotes products) and macaca (an American citizen treated as an alien).

Republican former Sen. George Allen (news, bio, voting record) was ahead in his re-election campaign when he said "macaca," which some regard as a racial slur, and "welcome to America" in referring to a U.S.-born man of Indian descent who was volunteering for Allen's opponent. Allen lost to Democrat Jim Webb.

The 117-year-old American Dialect Society comprises linguists, grammarians, historians and independent scholars, among others. Members conduct the vote for fun and not in an official capacity to induct words into the English language.

The society chose "truthiness" as its top word last year. The word is credited to Comedy Central satirist Stephen Colbert, who defined it as "truth that comes from the gut, not books."

Last month, an online survey by dictionary publisher Merriam-Webster declared "truthiness" the word of the year for 2006.  ¶ 4:47 AM 0 comments

  How to make roses from maple leaves | haha.nu - a lifestyle blogzine How to make roses from maple leaves | haha.nu - a lifestyle blogzine
How to make roses from maple leaves...





























  ¶ 5:26 AM 1 comments

  n7w: Register Vote n7w: Register Vote:
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Alhambra

Chichen Itza

Colosseum

Great Wall

Neuschwanstein Castle

Pyramids of Giza

Taj Mahal

  ¶ 11:04 PM 0 comments

  Giant Panda in China rips off man's jacket

China: Tourist has jacket ripped off his back by Giant Panda in open cage at Nature Reserve dedicated to survival of the endangered species 02 Nov 1992 A recent visitor to a Chinese zoo had a narrow escape when his jacket was torn off his back by a giant panda. The visitor to Chengdu Zoo sat with his back against the panda's railings for a picture to be taken. His jacket attracted the 75-kilogram (165 pound) panda's attention and the creature grabbed it, while the man was held by his friends, setting up a 'tug of war'. Eventually, the panda got the jacket, then rolled around nuzzling it, to the delight of some onlookers. Future prospects for giant pandas have just been strengthened by a Chinese 10-year plan that will cost about 50 million United States dollars. Officials have realised that more funds are needed to save the panda, which could otherwise become extinct in 50 years time. Only 1,000 giant pandas are believed to be alive today. Officals in Chengdu have the greatest success in breeding captive giant pandas. Keywords: Panda, China, animals, baby, cute, sweet, rare, funny, naughty, zoo, unusual. Reuters 6916/93

  ¶ 9:17 PM 0 comments

  Kauai Postcards, test   ¶ 5:21 AM 0 comments

  Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health - KYTA Bulletin Highlights : Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health - KYTA Bulletin Highlights :
Pregnancy is a wonderful time for a woman to start a yoga practice because she's already inwardly focused and in her body. For pregnant women, the gentle practice of Kripalu Yoga is ideal for becoming more aware of body and breath and learning relaxation techniques for pregnancy, labor, and delivery. However, teachers should be aware of certain precautions and contraindications. The following guidelines will help you provide a safe yoga experience for pregnant women.

* If a student becomes pregnant and wants to stay with your class rather than switching to a prenatal yoga class, you'll need to pay particular attention to her practice. Unless she's very familiar with yoga and with her body, she may push too hard or attempt postures that could be harmful.
* The risk of miscarriage is greatest in the first trimester of pregnancy. Most miscarriages are caused by genetic disorders, not the actions of the mother. However, your students should be under the care of a physician or midwife and if they experience spotting or cramping, they should let their practitioner know and stop all activity until told otherwise.
* Dirgha and ujjayi breath and nadi sodhana are fine to practice and are helpful for keeping the abdomen toned. The practice of dirgha breath may be more difficult because of the enlargement of the uterus and the rearrangement of other organs to accommodate it.
* Kapalabhati in both its forms is a precaution throughout the entire pregnancy—during the first trimester because the embryo is not firmly planted in the uterus and after that because it brings increased energy and heat to the abdominal region.
* Hot or vigorous yoga experiences are not recommended because of the danger of overheating.
* Contracting and releasing the perineum (kegels), as in core lift, is great for toning the pelvic floor and helpful in delivery and restoring muscle tone after the birth.
* Encourage sounding. Releasing the throat during labor can help to open the cervix. Chanting Om, the vowel sounds or another mantra—perhaps a lullaby—can help relax the throat.
* Belly-down postures are contraindicated after the first trimester. You can modify some of these postures by practicing them on hands and knees. When practicing backbends in this position, pay attention to how far the back sways with regard to the increased weight on the abdomen and the muscles of the back. Be aware that there is already quite a bit of stretching in the abdominal region and encourage your students to stay within their comfort zone.
* Postures practiced while lying on the back are contraindicated after the second trimester. In the supine position, the inferior vena cava, which runs down the right side of the back and returns blood to the heart, is compressed by the weight of the uterus. This is true whether or not the woman is uncomfortable in this position. For some women, lying on the back becomes uncomfortable well before the third trimester; encourage her to listen to her body. Modify Savasana by having your students lie on the left side with a pillow under the head and between the legs.
* Avoid constricting the belly in twists and forward bends. Many of these postures can be done by opening the legs wider.
* Pregnancy causes an increase in the amount of blood in the body and can lead to high blood pressure. Therefore, long holdings, especially in strenuous postures, inversions, or with the arms overhead can be a precaution.
* Toward the end of pregnancy, a woman's center of gravity changes rapidly. For balancing postures, have her stand near a wall or chair so support is available if needed. Working with balance in yoga class can help improve her balance during daily activities.
* Also toward the end of the pregnancy, hormones are released which loosen the ligaments. At this stage, be very careful not to overstretch, particularly in the pelvic area. Postures such as Warrior I and Pigeon should be practiced with care and entered only partway. Pigeon should be practiced with the heel underneath the buttock so the knee does not turn out to the side.
* For students who experience leg cramps, particularly at night, recommend stretching the calf muscles before bed. For a student who is confined to bed, suggest ankle exercises, dirgha pranayama and sounding.
* Most of all, encourage your students to attune to the child in class and in their lives and to revel in this time of growth and joy.  ¶ 11:16 PM 0 comments

  Telephone telepathy -- I was just thinking about you - Yahoo! News Telephone telepathy -- I was just thinking about you - Yahoo! News

Telephone telepathy -- I was just thinking about you

Tue Sep 5, 9:29 AM ET

Many people have experienced the phenomenon of receiving a telephone call from someone shortly after thinking about them -- now a scientist says he has proof of what he calls telephone telepathy.

Rupert Sheldrake, whose research is funded by the respected Trinity College, Cambridge, said on Tuesday he had conducted experiments that proved that such precognition existed for telephone calls and even e-mails.

Each person in the trials was asked to give researchers names and phone numbers of four relatives or friends. These were then called at random and told to ring the subject who had to identify the caller before answering the phone.

"The hit rate was 45 percent, well above the 25 percent you would have expected," he told the annual meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science. "The odds against this being a chance effect are 1,000 billion to one."

He said he found the same result with people being asked to name one of four people sending them an e-mail before it had landed.

However, his sample was small on both trials -- just 63 people for the controlled telephone experiment and 50 for the email -- and only four subjects were actually filmed in the phone study and five in the email, prompting some scepticism.

Undeterred, Sheldrake -- who believes in the interconnectedness of all minds within a social grouping -- said that he was extending his experiments to see if the phenomenon also worked for mobile phone text messages.  ¶ 7:22 PM 0 comments

  Milwaukee is named 'Drunkest City' - Yahoo! News Milwaukee is named 'Drunkest City' - Yahoo! News: "Milwaukee is named 'Drunkest City'

1 hour, 44 minutes ago

MILWAUKEE - Milwaukee has been ranked by Forbes.com as 'America's Drunkest City' on a list of 35 major metropolitan areas ranked for their drinking habits.

Forbes said Tuesday it used numbers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to rank cities in five areas: state laws, number of drinkers, number of heavy drinkers, number of binge drinkers and alcoholism.

Minneapolis-St. Paul was ranked second overall; followed by Columbus, Ohio; Boston; Austin, Texas; Chicago; Cleveland; Pittsburgh and then Philadelphia and Providence, R.I., in a tie for ninth.

Rick DeMeyer, 28, said Wednesday as he was celebrating his birthday at G-Daddy's BBC he could understand Milwaukee's ranking.

'I have had people stay with me from London and Chicago, and they can't get over how much we drink,' he said. 'I guess we do.'

But officials at Visit Milwaukee, the area's convention and visitors bureau, contend that the city has come a long way in ridding itself of its beer-guzzling image.

Milwaukeeans have plenty of other ways to entertain themselves without drinking alcohol, said Dave Fantle, a spokesman for the group. He noted a new convention center and baseball park had been built and the Milwaukee Art Museum expanded in recent years.

'We've gone from Brew City to new city,' he said."  ¶ 4:35 PM 0 comments

  Bloomberg.com: Muse Bloomberg.com: Muse
Rare Ferrari Sells for $5.61 Million, Misses Expected Record

By Rochelle Garner

Aug. 20 (Bloomberg) -- A 1958 Ferrari driven by racing legends Phil Hill and Richie Ginther sold for $5.61 million in Monterey, California, falling short of the record price for an automobile sold at auction in North America.

The Ferrari 412 S was sold late yesterday during the Monterey Classic Car weekend, an annual gathering of wealthy automobile owners and other racing enthusiasts. RM Auctions Inc., which handled the sale, estimated the car's value at $7 million and $9 million, above the current record. RM declined to divulge the name of the buyer or seller.

The sale places the Ferrari fourth among the most-expensive cars sold at auction in North America, according to Portland, Oregon-based Sports Car Market magazine, which keeps tracks of automobile auctions around the world.

``The estimate was optimistic,'' Keith Martin, Sports Car Market publisher, said in an interview from Monterey after the sale. ``The auction houses want the bragging rights for the most- expensive car of the weekend. This lower selling price doesn't say anything about the market in general.''

The top-priced vintage car auctioned on the continent is a 1931 Bugatti Royale Berline de Voyager that sold for $6.5 million in 1986, according to Sports Car Market. The Ferrari sold in Monterey is as famous in racing circles for its 400-horsepower engine as for the curvaceous, red body of chassis No. 0744.

``The collectors who race vintage cars tend to be very competitive and want a car that will win,'' Michael Fairbairn, partner and cofounder of Blenheim, Ontario-based RM Auctions, said in an interview before the sale. ``This is among the most powerful of the 12-cylinder engines.''

The Ferrari sports car was among hundreds of vintage automobiles put before the gavel by six auction houses during the four-day event on the central California coast. Auction prices include a commission that's typically 10 percent on top of the number when the gavel hits.

``The value of rare collectible cars is holding strong,'' Martin said in an interview. ``Investors have become discerning and knowledgeable about the cars they buy. They also tend to have a lot of money, so they're not buying with the intention of selling later for a profit. That means it's harder to buy a car than it is to sell one.''

Both Hill and Ginther drove the Ferrari in competition in 1958. Hill became America's first Grand Prix champion. Ginther was one of his Ferrari teammates.

The Bugatti changed hands for $6.5 million, including commission, in 1986 in Reno, Nevada. Adjusted for inflation, the value of the sale would be $11.8 million, according to Sports Car Market.

To contact the reporter on this story: Rochelle Garner in San Francisco at rgarner4@bloomberg.net .  ¶ 4:25 AM 0 comments

  Spencer's Faerie Queene B5C2 Spencer's Faerie Queene B5C2

The Faerie Queene: Book V

Canto II

Artegall heares of Florimell,
Does with the Pagan fight:
Him slaies, drownes Lady Munera
Does race her castle quight.

Nought is more honorable to a knight,
Ne better doth beseeme braue cheualry,
Then to defend the feeble in their right,
And wrong redresse in such as wend awry.
Whilome those great Heroes got thereby
Their greatest glory, for their rightfull deedes,
And place deserued with the Gods on hy.
Herein the noblesse of this knight exceedes,
Who now to perils great for iustice sake proceedes.

To which as he now was vppon the way,
He chaunst to meet a Dwarfe in hasty course;
Whom he requir'd his forward hast to stay,
Till he of tidings mote with him discourse.
Loth was the Dwarfe, yet did he stay perforse,
And gan of sundry newes his store to tell,
As to his memory they had recourse:
But chiefely of the fairest Florimell,
How she was found againe, and spousde to Marinell.

For this was Dony, Florimels owne Dwarfe,
Whom hauing lost (as ye haue heard whyleare)
And finding in the way the scattred scarfe,
The fortune of her life long time did feare.
But of her health when Artegall did heare,
And safe returne, he was full inly glad,
And askt him where, and when her bridale cheare
Should be solemniz'd: for if time he had,
He would be there, and honor to her spousall ad.

Within three daies (quoth hee) as I do here,
It will be at the Castle of the strond;
What time if naught me let, I will be there
To doe her seruice, so as I am bond.
But in my way a little here beyond
A cursed cruell Sarazin doth wonne,
That keepes a Bridges passage by strong hond,
And many errant Knights hath there fordonne;
That makes all men for feare that passage for to shonne.

What mister wight (quoth he) and how far hence
Is he, that doth to trauellers such harmes?
He is (said he) a man of great defence;
Expert in battell and in deedes of armes;
And more emboldned by the wicked charmes,
With which his daughter doth him still support;
Hauing great Lordships got and goodly farmes,
Through strong oppression of his powre extort;
By which he stil them holds, & keepes with strong effort.

And dayly he his wrongs encreaseth more,
For neuer wight he lets to passe that way,
Ouer his Bridge, albee he rich or poore,
But he him makes his passage-penny pay:
Else he doth hold him backe or beat away.
Thereto he hath a groome of euill guize,
Whose scalp is bare, that bondage doth bewray,
Which pols and pils the poore in piteous wize;
But he him selfe vppon th rich doth tyrannize.

His name is hight Pollente, rightly so
For that he is so puissant and strong,
That with his powre he all doth ouergo,
And makes them subiect to his mighty wrong;
And some by sleight he eke doth vnderfong.
For on a Bridge he custometh to fight,
Which is but narrow, but exceeding long;
And in the same are many trap fals pight,
Through which the rider downe doth fall through ouersight.

And vnderneath the same a riuer flowes,
That is both swift and dangerous deepe withall;
Into the which whomso he ouerthrowes,
All destitute of helpe doth headlong fall,
But he him selfe, through practise vsuall,
Leapes forth into the floud, and there assaies
His foe confused through his sodaine fall,
That horse and man he equally dismaies,
And either both them drownes, or trayterously slaies.

Then doth he take the spoile of them at will,
And to his daughter brings, that dwels thereby:
Who all that comes doth take, and therewith fill
The coffers of her wicked threasury;
Which she with wrongs hath heaped vp so hy,
That many Princes she in wealth exceedes,
And purchast all the countrey lying ny
With the reuenue of her plenteous meedes:
Her name is Munera, agreeing with her deedes.

Thereto she is full faire, and rich attired,
With golden hands and siluer feete beside,
That many Lords haue her to wife desired:
But she them all despiseth for great pride.
Now by my life (sayd he) and God to guide,
None other way will I this day betake,
But by that Bridge, whereas he doth abide:
Therefore me thither lead. No more he spake,
But thitherward forthright his ready way did make.

Vnto the place he came within a while,
Where on the Bridge he ready armed saw
The Sarazin, awayting for some spoile.
Who as they to the passage gan to draw,
A villaine to them came with scull all raw,
That passage money did of them require,
According to the custome of their law.
To whom he aunswerd wroth, Loe there thy hire;
And with that word him strooke, that streight he did expire.

Which when the Pagan saw, he wexed wroth,
And streight him selfe vnto the fight addrest,
Ne was Sir Artegall behinde: so both
Together ran with ready speares in rest.
Right in the midst, whereas they brest to brest
Should meete, a trap was letten downe to fall
Into the floud: streight leapt the Carle vnblest,
Well weening that his foe was falne withall:
But he was well aware, and leapt before his fall.

There being both together in the floud,
They each at other tyrannously flew;
Ne ought the water cooled their whot bloud,
But rather in them kindled choler new.
But there the Paynim, who that vse well knew
To fight in water, great aduantage had,
That oftentimes him nigh he ouerthrew:
And eke the courser, whereuppon he rad,
Could swim like to a fish, whiles he his backe bestrad.

Which oddes when as Sir Artegall espide,
He saw no way, but close with him in hast;
And to him driuing strongly downe the tide,
Vppon his iron coller griped fast,
That with the straint his wesand nigh he brast.
There they together stroue and struggled long,
Either the other from his steede to cast;
Ne euer Artegall his griple strong
For any thing wold slacke, but still vppon him hong.

As when a Dolphin and a Sele are met,
In the wide champian of the Ocean plaine:
With cruell chaufe their courages they whet,
The maysterdome of each by force to gaine,
And dreadfull battaile twixt them do darraine:
They snuf, they snort, they bo˜uce, they rage, they rore,
That all the sea disturbed with their traine,
Doth frie with fome aboue the surges hore.
Such was betwixt these two the troublesome vprore.

So Artegall at length him forst forsake
His horses backe, for dread of being drownd,
And to his handy swimming him betake.
Eftsoones him selfe he from his hold vnbownd,
And then no ods at all in him he fownd:
For Artegall in swimming skilfull was,
And durst the depth of any water sownd.
So ought each Knight, that vse of perill has,
In swimming be expert through waters force to pas.

Then very doubtfull was the warres euent,
Vncertaine whether had the better side:
For both were skild in that experiment,
And both in armes well traind and throughly tride.
But Artegall was better breath'd beside,
And towards th'end, grew greater in his might,
That his faint foe no longer could abide
His puissance, ne beare him selfe vpright,
But from the water to the land betooke his flight.

But Artegall pursewd him still so neare,
With bright Chrysaor in his cruell hand,
That as his head he gan a litle reare
Aboue the brincke, to tread vpon the land,
He smote it off, that tumbling on the strand
It bit the earth for very fell despight,
And gnashed with his teeth, as if he band
High God, whose goodnesse he despaired quight,
Or curst the hand, which did that vengeace on him dight.

His corps was carried downe along the Lee,
Whose waters with his filthy bloud it stayned:
But his blasphemous head, that all might see,
He pitcht vpon a pole on high ordayned;
Where many years it afterwards remayned,
To be a mirrour to all mighty men,
In whose right hands great power is contayned,
That none of them the feeble ouerren,
But alwaies doe their powre within iust compasse pen.

That done, vnto the Castle he did wend,
In which the Paynims daughter did abide,
Guarded of many which did her defend:
Of whom he entrance sought, but was denide,
And with reprochfull blasphemy defide,
Beaten with stones downe from the battilment,
That he was forced to withdraw aside;
And bad his seruant Talus to inuent
Which way he enter might, without endangerment.

Eftsoones his Page drew to the Castle gate,
And with his iron flale at it let flie,
That all the warders it did sore amate,
The which erewhile spake so reprochfully,
And made them stoupe, that looked earst so hie.
Yet still he bet, and bounst vppon the dore,
And thundred strokes thereon so hideouslie,
That all the peece he shaked from the flore,
And filled all the house with feare and great vprore.

With noise whereof the Lady forth appeared
Vppon the Castle wall, and when she saw
The daungerous state, in which she stood, she feared
The sad effect of her neare ouerthrow;
And gan entreat that iron man below,
To cease his outrage, and him faire besought,
Sith neither force of stones which they did throw,
Nor powr of charms, which she against him wrought,
Might otherwise preuaile, or make him cease for ought.

But when as yet she saw him to proceede,
Vnmou'd with praiers, or with piteous thought,
She ment him to corrupt with goodly meede;
And causde great sackes with endlesse riches fraught,
Vnto the battilment to be vpbrought,
And powred forth ouer the Castle wall,
That she might win some time, though dearly bought
Whilest he to gathering of the gold did fall.
But he was nothing mou'd, nor tempted therewithall.

But still continu'd his assault the more,
And layd on load with his huge yron flaile,
That at the length he has yrent the dore,
And made way for his maister to assaile.
Who being entred, nought did then auaile
For wight, against his powre them selues to reare:
Each one did flie; their hearts began to faile,
And hid them selues in corners here and there;
And eke their dame halfe dead did hide her self for feare.

Long they her sought, yet no where could they finde her,
That sure they ween'd she was escapt away:
But Talus, that could like a limehound winde her,
And all things secrete wisely could bewray,
At length found out, whereas she hidden lay
Vnder an heape of gold. Thence he her drew
By the faire lockes, and fowly did array,
Withouten pitty of her goodly hew,
That Artegall him selfe her seemelesse plight did rew.

Yet for no pitty would he change the course
Of Iustice, which in Talus hand did lye;
Who rudely hayld her forth without remorse,
Still holding vp her suppliant hands on hye,
And kneeling at his feete submissiuely.
But he her suppliant hands, those hands of gold,
And eke her feete, those feete of siluer trye,
Which sought vnrighteousnesse, and iustice sold,
Chopt off, and nayld on high, that all might the behold.

Her selfe then tooke he by the sclender wast,
In vaine loud crying, and into the flood
Ouer the Castle wall adowne her cast,
And there her drowned in the durty mud:
But the streame washt away her guilty blood.
Thereafter all that mucky pelfe he tooke,
The spoile of peoples euill gotten good,
The which her sire had scrap't by hooke and crooke;
And burning all to ashes, powr'd it downe the brooke.

And lastly all that Castle quite he raced,
Euen from the sole of his foundation,
And all the hewen stones thereof defaced,
That there mote be no hope of reparation,
Nor memory thereof to any nation.
All which when Talus throughly had perfourmed,
Sir Artegall vndid the euill fashion,
And wicked customes of that Bridge refourmed.
Which done, vnto his former iourney he retourned.

In which they measur'd mickle weary way,
Till that at length nigh to the sea they drew;
By which as they did trauell on a day,
They saw before them, far as they could vew,
Full many people gathered in a crew:
Whose great assembly they did much admire,
For neuer there the like resort they knew.
So towardes them they coasted, to enquire
What thing so many nations met, did there desire.

There they beheld a mighty Gyant stand
Vpon a rocke, and holding forth on hie
An huge great paire of ballance in his hand,
With which he boasted in his surquedrie,
That all the world he would weigh equallie,
If ought he had the same to counterpoys.
For want whereof he weighed vanity,
And fild his ballaunce full of idle toys:
Yet was admired much of fooles, women, and boys.

He sayd that he would all the earth vptake,
And all the sea, deuided each from either:
So would he of the fire one ballaunce make,
And one of th'ayre, without or wind, or wether:
Then would he ballaunce heauen and hell together,
And all that did within them all containe;
Of all whose weight, he would not misse a fether.
And looke what surplus did of each remaine,
He would to his owne part restore the same againe.

For why, he sayd they all vnequall were,
And had encroched vppon others share,
Like as the sea (which plaine he shewed there)
Had worne the earth, so did the fire the aire;
So all the rest did others parts empaire.
And so were realmes and nations run awry.
All which he vndertooke for to repaire,
In sort as they were formed aunciently;
And all things would reduce vnto equality.

Therefore the vulgar did about him flocke,
And cluster thicke vnto his leasings vaine,
Like foolish flies about an hony crocke,
In hope by him great benefite to gaine,
And vncontrolled freedome to obtaine.
All which when Artegall did see, and heare,
How he mis-led the simple peoples traine,
In sdeignfull wize he drew vnto him neare,
And thus vnto him spake, without regard or feare;

Thou that presum'st to weigh the world anew,
And all things to an equall to restore,
In stead of right me seemes great wrong dost shew,
And far aboue thy forces pitch to sore.
For ere thou limit what is lesse or more
In euery thing, thou oughtest first to know,
What was the poyse of euery part of yore:
And looke then how much it doth ouerflow,
Or faile thereof, so much is more then iust to trow.

For at the first they all created were
In goodly measure, by their Makers might,
And weighed out in ballaunces so nere,
That not a dram was missing of their right,
The earth was in the middle centre pight,
In which it doth immoueable abide,
Hemd in with waters like a wall in sight;
And they with aire, that not a drop can slide:
Al which the heauens containe, & in their courses guide.

Such heauenly iustice doth among them raine,
That euery one doe know their certaine bound,
In which they doe these many yeares remaine,
And mongst them al no change hath yet beene found.
But if thou now shouldst weigh them new in pound,
We are not sure they would so long remaine:
All change is perillous, and all chaunce vnsound.
Therefore leaue off to weigh them all againe,
Till we may be assur'd they shall their course retaine.

Thou foolishe Elfe (said then the Gyant wroth)
Seest not, how badly all things present bee,
And each estate quite out of order go'th?
The sea it selfe doest thou not plainely see
Encroch vppon the land there vnder thee;
And th'earth it selfe how daily its increast,
By all that dying to it turned be?
Were it not good that wrong were then surceast,
And from the most, that some were giuen to the least?

Therefore I will throw downe these mountaines hie,
And make them leuell with the lowly plaine:
These towring rocks, which reach vnto the skie,
I will thrust downe into the deepest maine,
And as they were, them equalize againe.
Tyrants that make men subiect to their law,
I will suppresse, that they no more may raine;
And Lordings curbe, that commons ouer-aw;
And all the wealth of rich men to the poore will draw.

Of things vnseene how canst thou deeme aright,
Then answered the righteous Artegall,
Sith thou misdeem'st so much of things in sight?
What though the sea with waues continuall
Doe eate the earth, it is no more at all:
Ne is the earth the lesse, or loseth ought,
For whatsoeuer from one place doth fall,
Is with the tide vnto an other brought:
For there is nothing lost, that may be found, if sought.

Likewise the earth is not augmented more,
By all that dying into it doe fade.
For of the earth they formed were of yore;
How euer gay their blossome or their blade
Doe flourish now, they into dust shall vade.
What wrong then is it, if that when they die,
They turne to that, whereof they first were made?
All in the powre of their great Maker lie:
All creatures must obey the voice of the most hie.

They liue, they die, like as he doth ordaine,
Ne euer any asketh reason why.
The hils doe not the lowly dales disdaine;
The dales doe not the lofty hils enuy.
He maketh Kings to sit in souerainty;
He maketh subiects to their powre obay;
He pulleth downe, he setteth vp on hy;
He giues to this, from that he takes away.
For all we haue is his: what he list doe, he may.

What euer thing is done, by him is donne,
Ne any may his mighty will withstand;
Ne any may his soueraine power shonne,
Ne loose that he hath bound with stedfast band.
In vaine therefore doest thou now take in hand,
To call to count, or weigh his workes anew,
Whose counsels depth thou canst not vnderstand,
Sith of things subiect to thy daily vew
Thou doest not know the causes, nor their courses dew.

For take thy ballaunce, if thou be so wise,
And weigh the winde, that vnder heauen doth blow;
Or weigh the light, that in the East doth rise;
Or weigh the thought, that frõ mans mind doth flow.
But if the weight of these thou canst not show,
Weigh but one word which from thy lips doth fall.
For how canst thou those greater secrets know,
That doest not know the least thing of them all?
Ill can he rule the great, that cannot reach the small.

Therewith the Gyant much abashed sayd;
That he of little things made reckoning light,
Yet the least word that euer could be layd
Within his ballaunce, he could way aright.
Which is (sayd he) more heauy then in weight,
The right or wrong, the false or else the trew?
He answered, that he would try it streight,
So he the words into his ballaunce threw,
But streight the winged words out of his ballaunce flew.

Wroth wext he then, and sayd, that words were light,
Ne would within his ballaunce well abide.
But he could iustly weigh the wrong or right.
Well then, sayd Artegall, let it be tride.
First in one ballance set the true aside.
He did so first; and then the false he layd
In th'other scale; but still it downe did slide,
And by no meane could in the weight be stayd.
For by no meanes the false will with the truth be wayd.

Now take the right likewise, sayd Artegale,
And counterpeise the same with so much wrong.
So first the right he put into one scale;
And then the Gyant stroue with puissance strong
To fill the other scale with so much wrong.
But all the wrongs that he therein could lay,
Might not it peise; yet did he labour long,
And swat, and chauf'd, and proued euery way:
Yet all the wrongs could not a litle right downe lay.

Which when he saw, he greatly grew in rage,
And almost would his balances haue broken:
But Artegall him fairely gan asswage,
And said; Be not vpon thy balance wroken:
For they doe nought but right or wrong betoken;
But in the mind the doome of right must bee;
And so likewise of words, the which be spoken,
The eare must be the ballance, to decree
And iudge, whether with truth or falshood they agree.

But set the truth and set the right aside,
For they with wrong or falshood will not fare;
And put two wrongs together to be tride,
Or else two falses, of each equall share;
And then together doe them both compare.
For truth is one, and right is euer one.
So did he, and then plaine it did appeare,
Whether of them the greater were attone.
But right sate in the middest of the beame alone.

But he the right from thence did thrust away,
For it was not the right, which he did seeke;
But rather stroue extremities to way,
Th'one to diminish, th'other for to eeke.
For of the meane he greatly did misleeke.
Whom when so lewdly minded Talus found,
Approching nigh vnto him cheeke by cheeke,
He shouldered him from off the higher ground,
And down the rock him throwing, in the sea him dround.

Like as a ship, whom cruell tempest driues
Vpon a rocke with horrible dismay,
Her shattered ribs in thousand peeces riues,
And spoyling all her geares and goodly ray,
Does make her selfe misfortunes piteous pray.
So downe the cliffe the wretched Gyant tumbled;
His battred ballances in peeces lay,
His timbered bones all broken rudely rumbled:
So was the high aspyring with huge ruine humbled.

That when the people, which had there about
Long wayted, saw his sudden desolation,
They gan to gather in tumultuous rout,
And mutining, to stirre vp ciuill faction,
For certaine losse of so great expectation.
For well they hoped to haue got great good,
And wondrous riches by his innouation.
Therefore resoluing to reuenge his blood,
They rose in armes, and all in battell order stood.

Which lawlesse multitude him comming too
In warlike wise, when Artegall did vew,
He much was troubled, ne wist what to doo.
For loth he was his noble hands t'embrew
In the base blood of such a rascall crew;
And otherwise, if that he should retire,
He fear'd least they with shame would him pursew.
Therefore he Talus to them sent, t'inquire
The cause of their array, and truce for to desire.

But soone as they him nigh approching spide,
They gan with all their weapons him assay,
And rudely stroke at him on euery side:
Yet nought they could him hurt, ne ought dismay.
But when at them he with his flaile gan lay,
He like a swarme of flyes them ouerthrew;
Ne any of them durst come in his way,
But here and there before his presence flew,
And hid themselues in holes and bushes from his vew.

As when a Faulcon hath with nimble flight
Flowne at a flush of Ducks, foreby the brooke,
The trembling foule dismayd with dreadfull sight
Of death, the which them almost ouertooke,
Doe hide themselues from her astonying looke,
Amongst the flags and couert round about.
When Talus saw they all the field forsooke
And none appear'd of all that raskall rout,
To Artegall he turn'd, and went with him throughout.  ¶ 11:54 PM 0 comments

  Alfred Einstein - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Alfred Einstein - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: "Alfred Einstein
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Alfred Einstein (December 30, 1880 – February 13, 1952), was a German-American musicologist and music editor. He was noted as one of the widest-ranging music historians in the first half of the 20th century.

He was born in Munich. Though originally he studied law, he quickly realized his principal love was music, and acquired a doctorate at Munich University, focusing on instrumental music of the late Renaissance and early Baroque eras, in particular music for the viola da gamba. In 1918 he became the first editor of the Zeitschrift für Musikwissenschaft; slightly later he became music critic for the Münchner Post; and in 1927 became music critic for the Berliner Tageblatt. In 1933, after Hitler's rise to power, he left Germany, moving first to London, then to Italy, and finally to the United States in 1939, where he held a succession of teaching jobs at universities including Smith College, Columbia University, Princeton University, the University of Michigan, and the Hartt School of Music in Hartford, Connecticut.

Einstein not only researched and wrote detailed works on specific topics, but wrote popular histories of music, including the Short History of Music (1917), and Greatness in Music (1941). In addition, he published a revision of the Köchel catalog of Mozart's music (1937), and a comprehensive, three-volume set The Italian Madrigal (1949) on the secular Italian form, the first detailed study of the subject. His 1945 volume Mozart: His Character, His Work was a very influential study of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and is perhaps his best known book."  ¶ 10:31 PM 0 comments

  Did the second man on the moon say anything profound? Did the second man on the moon say anything profound?: "Beautiful, beautiful. Magnificent desolation."  ¶ 2:00 PM 0 comments

  Song of the Dunes/Chant des dunes Song of the Dunes/Chant des dunes
DUNE TUNES. For centuries, world travelers have known of sand dunes
that issue loud sounds, sometimes of great tonal quality. In the
12th century Marco Polo heard singing sand in China and Charles
Darwin described the clear sounds coming from a sand deposit up
against a mountain in Chile. Now, a team of scientists has
disproved the long held belief that the sound comes from vibrations
of the dune as a whole and proven, through field studies and through
controlled experiments in a lab, that the sounds come from the
synchronized motions of the grains in avalanches of a certain size.
Small avalanches don’t produce any detectable sound, while large
avalanches produce sound at lots of frequencies (leading to
cacophonous noise). But sand slides of just the right size and
velocity result in sounds of a pure frequency, with just enough
overtones to give the sound “color,?as if the dunes were musical
instruments. In this case, however, the tuning isn’t produced by
any outside influence but by critically self-organizing tendencies
of the dune itself. The researchers thus rule out various “musical?
explanations. For example, the dune sound does not come from the
stick-slip motion of blocks of sand across the body of the dune
(much as violin sounds are made by the somewhat-periodic stick-slip
motion of a bow across a string attached to the body of the
violin). Nor does the dune song arise from a resonance effect (much
as resonating air inside a flute produces a pure tone) since it is
observed that the dune sound level can be recorded at many locations
around the dune. Instead, the sand sound comes from the
synchronized, free sliding motion of dry larger-grained sand
producing lower frequency sound. The scientists---from the
University of Paris (France), Harvard (US), the CNRS lab in Paris,
and the Universite Ibn Zohr (Morocco)---have set up a website
(http://www.lps.ens.fr/~douady/SongofDunesIndex.html ) where one can
listen to sounds from different dunes in China, Oman, Morocco, and
Chile. (Douady et al., Physical Review Letters, upcoming article;
contact Stephane Douady at douady@lps.ens.fr)  ¶ 2:35 PM 0 comments

  Mushroom drug produces mystical experience - Yahoo! News Mushroom drug produces mystical experience - Yahoo! News: "Mushroom drug produces mystical experience

By MALCOLM RITTER, AP Science Writer Tue Jul 11, 12:32 AM ET

NEW YORK - People who took an illegal drug made from mushrooms reported profound mystical experiences that led to behavior changes lasting for weeks — all part of an experiment that recalls the psychedelic '60s.

Many of the 36 volunteers rated their reaction to a single dose of the drug, called psilocybin, as one of the most meaningful or spiritually significant experiences of their lives. Some compared it to the birth of a child or the death of a parent.

Such comments 'just seemed unbelievable,' said Roland Griffiths of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, the study's lead author.

But don't try this at home, he warned. 'Absolutely don't.'

Almost a third of the research participants found the drug experience frightening even in the very controlled setting. That suggests people experimenting with the illicit drug on their own could be harmed, Griffiths said.

Viewed by some as a landmark, the study is one of the few rigorous looks in the past 40 years at a hallucinogen's effects. The researchers suggest the drug someday may help drug addicts kick their habit or aid terminally ill patients struggling with anxiety and depression.

It may also provide a way to study what happens in the brain during intense spiritual experiences, the scientists said.

Funded in part by the federal government, the research was published online Tuesday by the journal Psychopharmacology.

Psilocybin has been used for centuries in religious practices, and its ability to produce a mystical experience is no surprise. But the new work demonstrates it more clearly than before, Griffiths said.

Even two months after taking the drug, pronounced SILL-oh-SY-bin, most of the volunteers said the experience had changed them in beneficial ways, such as making t"  ¶ 2:34 PM 0 comments