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ALBINO HUMMINGBIRD.............♥
Picture of the Day 003
Crimson Skies and Mammatus Clouds
In this amazing photo, we see crimson mammatus clouds over Citi Field in Queens, New York. The photograph of the intense storm was taken before the game on June 26, 2009 by Flickr user beau-dog.
Citi Field is the home baseball park of the New York Mets. It was completed in 2009 as a replacement for the adjacent Shea Stadium which opened in 1964.
Mammatus, also known as mammatocumulus (meaning “mammary cloud” or “breast cloud”), is a meteorological term applied to a cellular pattern of pouches hanging underneath the base of a cloud. The name mammatus is derived from the Latin mamma (meaning “udder” or “breast”).
Mammatus are most often associated with the anvil cloud and also severe thunderstorms. True to their ominous appearance, mammatus clouds are often harbingers of a coming storm or other extreme weather system. Typically composed primarily of ice, they can extend for hundreds of miles in each direction and individual formations can remain visibly static for ten to fifteen minutes at a time. While they may appear foreboding they are merely the messengers – appearing around, before or even after severe weather.
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Picture of the Day 002
OUT FOR A FAMILY STROLL
In this majestic photo we see a mother and baby Sperm whale swimming in the ocean. The Sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) is the largest of the toothed whales. Its name derives from a waxy liquid called spermaceti, found in its enormous head. The sperm whale is also known as the cachalot.
Mature males average at 16 metres (52 ft) in length but can reach 20.5 metres (67 ft), with the head representing up to one-third of the animal’s length. The sperm whale feeds primarily on giant and colossal squid. Plunging to 3 kilometres (9,800 ft) for prey, it is the deepest diving mammal.
Its clicking vocalization, a form of echolocation and communication, can be as loud as 230 decibels underwater, making it the loudest sound produced by any animal. It also has the largest brain of any animal on Earth, more than five times heavier than a human’s.
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Religious Thought 253
Knowledge or ignorance, Freedom or bondage, What are they? What is "I," Or "mine," Or "this"? Or the form of the true Self? I am always one. What do I care for freedom In life or in death, Or for my present karma?
- Ashtavakra Gita 20:3-4
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All the wealth you've acquired from beginningless time until now has failed to fulfill all your desires. Cultivate therefore this wish-granting gem of moderation, O fortunate ones.
- Milarepa, "Drinking the Mountain Stream"
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Religious Thought 252
A devotee who can call on God while living a householder's life is a hero indeed. God thinks: "He who has renounced the world for My sake will surely pray to Me; he must serve Me. Is there anything very remarkable about it? People will cry shame on him if he fails to do so. But he is blessed indeed who prays to Me in the midst of his worldly duties. He is trying to find Me, overcoming a great obstaclepushing away, as it were, a huge block of stone weighing a ton. Such a man is a real hero."
- Ramakrishna
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The true principle is that even reality is not really real, and even falsehood is not unreal. It is not something calculable. Like space, it cannot be cultivated. If any intellectual fabrication occurs in the mind, then it is governed by measurements. This is like divination signsthey are governed by metal, wood, fire, and earth. It is also like sticky glue; the kind demon can grab you, stuck in five places, and go home freely.
- Pai-chang
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Religious Thought 251
I am in all things, From Brahma to a blade of grass." When you know this, You have no thought For success or failure Or the mind's inconstancy. You are pure. You are still.
- Ashtavakra Gita 11:7
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The ultimate way is without difficulty; those who seek it make their own hardship. The true mind is originally pure; those who exercise it make their own defilement.
- Hui-k'ung
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PICTURE OF THE DAY 001
OBSERVING MARS IN 1926
In this photo from 1926, we see George A. Van Biesbroeck (1880-1974), an astronomer at Yerkes Observatory, observing Mars when it approached close to the Earth that year. Van Biesbroeck is shown using the observatory’s 40 inch refracting telescope, the largest of its kind in the world.
A refracting or refractor telescope is a type of optical telescope that uses a lens as its objective to form an image. The refracting telescope design was originally used in spy glasses and astronomical telescopes but is also used for long focus camera lenses. Although large refracting telescopes were very popular in the second half of the 19th century, for most research purposes the refracting telescope has been superseded by the reflecting telescope.
Religious Thought 250
Light illumines the Sun, But the Sun itself creates that light. The glorious Sun and its light are one and the same.
- Jnaneshwar (also known as Jnanadeva)
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Few cross over the river. Most are stranded on this side. On the riverbank they run up and down. But the wise person, following the way, Crosses over, beyond the reach of death. Free from desire, Free from possessions, Free from attachment and appetite, Following the seven lights of awakening, And rejoicing greatly in his freedom, In this world the wise person Becomes themselves a light, Pure, shining, free.
- from the Dhammapada
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Religious Thought 249
At the beginning, mankind and the obligation of selfless service were created together. "Through selfless service, you will always be fruitful and find the fulfillment of your desires": this is the promise of the Creator.
- Bhagavad Gita 3:10
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When other beings, especially those who hold a grudge against you, abuse and harm you out of envy, you should not abandon them, but hold them as objects of your greatest compassion and take care of them.
- His Holiness the Dalai Lama
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Religious Thought 248
Between the pillars of spirit and matter the mind has put up a swing. There swings the bound soul and all the worlds with not even the slightest rest. The sun and moon also swing, and there is no end to it. The soul swings through millions of births like the endless circling of sun and moon. Billions of ages have passed with no sigh of relief. The earth and sky swing, Wind and water swing, Taking a body, God Himself swings.
- Kabir
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Friends, I know nothing which brings suffering as does an untamed, uncontrolled, unattended and unrestrained heart. Such a heart brings suffering.
- Anguttara Nikaya
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Wackiest Schools and College Majors
1. Sex School (The Austrian International School of Sex, Austria)
If you felt that Sex Ed classes in school were rather inadequate, we have some good news for you. There is now a school that provides courses related exclusively to sexual education, and includes practical instructions as well. The Austrian International School of Sex (AISOS) will soon be open to students near Vienna. The opening was announced by the headmistress of the school, Ylva Maria Thompson. The vision of the school, according to Thompson, is to teach people how to be better lovers. She goes on to say that people spend time and money on training their mind, muscles, and fitness, but do not spend enough effort on developing their love-making skills. This is precisely what the sex school hopes to address.
Curious to know more? Well, all we know for now is that the school plans to provide theoretical and practical training. Courses such as the history of sex and modern sexual theory will be taught. A major chunk of the course, however, will be ‘hands-on'. An entire semester at the school consists of five full-term and three special intensive courses. The cost for a semester is Euro 1,400 which is roughly $1,850. According to the school's website, classes will take place at an 18th century mansion, which is about a half-hour drive from Vienna. The mansion has been redecorated to suit the needs of the school and is equipped with high-tech teaching rooms.
I couldn't find any information on what title you could get after finishing the course, but I think that nailing a husband would be guaranteed.
Note: our readers pointed out that this school turned out to be a hoax. It was made up by a facebook group called The BirdBase. The incident caused some furor in German and Austrian newspapers.
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Some Unseen Google Logos
Google Logos You Probably Haven't Seen..
Everybody who logs onto the internet has used Google before. In fact, you might have even reached this post from a Google search result. What you might not know is, Google shows different logos for holidays and events in different countries. Here are some of the most popular ones selected.
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