Sad Keanu

Original shot - Sad Keanu

This is "old" as far as Internet Memes go...but it's a GOODIE.

You see, one day, poor sad Keanu Reeves was having a singular, lonely, solitary lunch when a paparazzi took this now infamous picture and it launched a thousand photoshop parodies.

The SAD KEANU meme is one of the funniest Internet gags ever. There is another one of Leo DiCaprio going around that is hysterical too.

Here are a few of the best...Click on the gallery below to see a site full of them.

Gallery!

Google Search

"I'm You...Except with Bigger Tits"

Elvira...a true American...with Big Tits

"The Most Famous Person on Board Was the Pilot"

Bruce Dickenson - PILOT
as he is now, so conservative looking you'd never know...

Bruce Dickenson, singer and leader extraordinaire of one of the greatest, most successful and beloved heavy metal bands in the world - Iron Maiden is widely known by his other job - airline pilot. And not just any airline, but owner of his band's jumbo jet.

Bruce, a licensed pilot for over 20 years, has been flying the custom made jet, named Ed Force One and decorated with Iron Maiden's famous icon, the skeleton "Eddie", for longer than we can remember.

Bruce is class act all the way. Not only does he have one of the best bands ever, he's an awesome vocalist, seriously in our top 5 of all time and he's SMART. One of the reasons we love Iron Maiden so much is for their literary referenced laced lyrics. Knowing The Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner by heart won us English honors in high school and that was over 20 years ago and they STILL SELL OUT CONCERT STADIUMS OF OVER 50,000 PEOPLE every time they tour. Iron Maiden taught us and continues to teach us.

Bruce Dickenson - MEGA ROCK STAR VOCALIST
in full 80's Heavy Metal style

Anyway, the reason for this whole post! - Bruce Dickenson stepped in to fly poor Premiere League's Team Liverpool all the way to Naples for a match. The team has only won one match all season and is financially broke. Someone even joked that of all the people on the plane, the most famous person on board was the pilot!

News Article

It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's ANOTHER Wave of UFO's

For those of us who have personally witnessed Unexplained Flying Objects, some of us MULTIPLE times, this recent super-rash of UFO sightings is nothing new.

For those of you who don't bother to look up because you KNOW better, there are rational explanations for all of this. The Balloon and Flock of Birds Theories works really well on you folks. That's awesome!

The past week has seen a spike in the number of reported UFO's hovering over MAJOR U.S. Cities. New York, El Paso, Richmond to name a few domestic spots.

A Chinese airport was shut down internationally for an Unidentified Flying Object freaking out pilots over there. Actually, it was the 9th sighting of a UFO over a Chinese airport in about 3 months.

Just a few week ago, six former Air Force personnel disclosed dramatic first-hand experiences with UFOs at nuclear weapons sites.
LET'S RETYPE THAT AND PLEASE ALLOW IT TO SINK IN...

Just a few week ago, six former Air Force personnel disclosed dramatic first-hand experiences with UFOs at nuclear weapons sites.

So what do we have here? Alien invasion? Media hype? Mass hysteria? Nothing at all?

We think we all need to just LOOK UP. You'll be amazed at what you see once you start paying attention.

Richmond,VA UFO

El Paso, TX UFO Exact same formation as the party balloons over NYC. What a remarkable coincidence!

New York, NY UFO The FAA unable to distinguish party balloons from UFO's? Fire the lot!

Military Personnel Vow Seeing UFOs over our weapons installations!

Rooney wants OUT

Wayne "Fugly Mug" Rooney

That's right, folks. Wayne Rooney, star striker for the most famous soccer club in the world, Manchester United, has told the club manager Sir Alex "The other other Fergie" Furguson that he wants to be let go.

We actually think Wayne needs to be let go, but hey we're American and have little to do with The Premiere League. (Except to say "GO ARSENAL!!)

Wayne Rooney made Tiger Woods headlines last month when not one but two prostitutes came forward to say they slept with him. His wife, Coleen, famous for something we don't know what, was NOT amused. She declined to divorce him - after all he's super-filthy-mega-wealthy-rich- and the two have been in couples therapy since.

He also made headlines during World Cup this past summer when he and his teammates put on the worst Three Lion Club (Man U) showing in the HISTORY OF WORLD CUP.

Since WC, there hasn't been any luck for the Voted Most Fugly Soccer Star. He supposedly hurt his ankle and was pulled from games but denied being injured, leading may to wonder...does Management have it out for him? He was pulled from the pitch for the prostitute thing. Management - Fergie - saying they didn't want him to suffer any more humiliation. LOLs!

We don't hold Rooney in high regard. Our advice to Fergie - "Let him go."

Chelsea and a dozen different clubs are drooling to get him. Bye Wayne!

News Article

MUCH BETTER News Article

Azaria Chamberlain - God Rest Her Little Soul

Lindy and Azaria, at Ayers Rock, just hours before the tragedy

"A dingo's got my baby!"

Most of us are familiar with that line. It won Meryl Streep one of her 89 Oscars. The movie "A Cry in the Dark" with one of our other favorites, Sam Neill, is an okay film. It's pretty dated and not super compelling, but the one thing it does do is accurately portray the couple in question, The Chamberlains, as they endure every parents worst nightmare - the death of a baby daughter.

Early in 1980, the Chamberlains, Lindy and Michael of Australia, went to Ayers Rock for an overnight camping trip. The accommodations were rustic and very outdoors but nice. There was a communal barbecue and seating area for campers, right next to the camping area itself where dozens of hikers, campers and families had pitched their tents for the night. Everyone was having a relaxing quiet time near the campfire after dinner, when Lindy put her baby, Azaria, in the tent to sleep, about 10 or 20 yards away. Near enough that they could hear her cry out and close enough to visually see it.

At some point into the evening, Lindy went to check on Azaria and disturbed an animal rustling in the tent. An animal that ran away with something in its mouth. Lindy frantically searched the sleeping bags and blankets, saw blood droplets and started screaming the now infamous line - "A dingo's got my baby!"

Instantly the camp went on super high alert. Campers pulled their cars around and left the headlights on to illuminate the area as much as possible. EVERYONE started searching the immediate area and calling for backup. At daylight the search went into an even more frantic mode with the parents completely freaking out.

A murder trial ensued of epic and vile proportions. A trial that ended in a guilty verdict and life sentence in prison for poor Lindy.

What happened? How could people turn against the family and think they made up the entire dingo story and secretly at some point that afternoon, killed their infant daughter, stashed the body and then went on to barbecue and laugh with fellow campers?

Call it the "Ramsey Syndrome". Remember when Jon Benet was killed and the entire world vilified Patsy and Jon Ramsey for not "acting normal", for blocking police access and yada yada?

Lindy and Michael, divorced since 1991, were at the time - Seventh Day Adventists. They both had a deep sense of faith and legitimized almost all things with a blase "It's God's will", "The Lord works in mysterious ways", "It's want God wanted", "Little Azaria is in Heaven now."

This, just as in the Ramsey case, was not what people wanted to hear or see. The parents weren't "acting right." Who in their right mind, could lose a child one day and wake up the next saying it's God's will? Psycho killers that's who. And so the witch hunt on Lindy began.

Blood drops in the car confirmed what people "knew". The Chamberlains murdered their baby.

Years later, a bloodstained sweater was found. A tiny infant sized piece of clothing that confirmed Lindy's story. It was found not only in the dirt of Ayers Rock BUT RIGHT NEXT TO A DINGO DEN. HOLY MOLY! A continent reeled. How could they have been so wrong? What happened to the justice system? How could forensic evidence (blood drops) be wrong?

Well, there was blood in the tent from the initial grab of the baby and that blood was transferred on Lindy and Michael's clothing to their car. That's it. Innocent cross-contamination that damned a mother to life imprisonment.

Lindy's case was finally overturned in 1988, but the death certificate still reads, cause of death "unknown."

Lindy was released from prison but the specter of guilt has always hung over her head. On the 30th anniversary of that day, just last August, Lindy wrote a scathing letter - still fighting to clear her name.

She wants the death certificate changed to reflect what really happened.

That a dingo got her baby.


News Link

Eyewitness Account

Lindy's Trial

Hipster Cat Says

R.I.P - Benoit Mandelbrot

"Clouds are not spheres, mountains are not cones, coastlines are not circles,
and bark is not smooth,
nor does lightning travel in a straight line."
—Mandelbrot, in his introduction to The Fractal Geometry of Nature

Fractals. They are one of nature's most beautiful mysteries.

Benoit Mandelbrot, the French mathematician, was The Father of Fractals, for he coined the term and researched fractals as his life work. He died last week at the age of 85.

The above fractal is named for him. Nobel prizes aren't awarded posthumously, so we are saddened that he wasn't even nominated for one.

His seminal works, Fractals: Form, Chance and Dimension and The Fractal Geometry of Nature, were published in 1977 and 1982. In these, he argued that seemingly random mathematical shapes in fact followed a pattern if broken down into a single repeating shape. Mandelbrot developed fractals and the concept has been used to measure coastlines, clouds and other natural phenomena and had far-reaching effects in physics, biology and astronomy.

In words of praise from Nicholas Sarkozy, French President: "(Mandelbrot has a) powerful, original mind that never shied away from innovation and battering preconceived ideas. His work, which was entirely developed outside the main research channels, led to a modern information theory."

Honestly? For all of the "good science" that fractals can do, it is the ART of the fractal that spellbinds us.

Andy Murray - 2010 Shanghai Master

Andy Murray - The strongest British Player in years.
Look for Henman's Hill to be renamed for Murray after his retirement.
We'd bet on it.

Well, well, well, how the mighty have fallen!

Roger Federer, once the undisputed Mega-Champion of all time, cannot BUY a tournament at this time.

Brit Andy Murray lambasted Federer at the Shanghai Masters this week - 6-3,6-2!! Yes, an astonishing 5 whole games for the defeated Swiss.

Meanwhile, World's #1 - Andy Murray is having a hell of a season. The best of his career.

A beautiful shot of the stadium in Shanghai

News Link

Congrats Again Lance

Is it just us, or does this woman look too much like Elin?

Lance Armstrong is celebrating the birth of his FIFTH child. Only a few more to go before they can qualify as a full-fledged racing team.

It seems he has a child with every woman he's dated but alas it's just 3 with the ex-wife and 2 with his girlfriend of a few years Anna Hansen...aka Elin Nordgren. His oldest son is now, 11 and lives with his twin sisters, 8, and mom, Kristen in Texas.

You know, for a guy that had testicular cancer and now only has one left...that one's doing a hell of a job.

Mata Hari

Mata Hari posing for a pantyless picture in 1906.
Decked out in only jewlery and bra. Scandalous!

Mata Hari. The name alone evokes feelings of seductive conspiracy. Meaning Sunrise, her very name is synonymous with sexy espionage. Indeed, she is the inspiration for the modern femme fatale.

On this day in history, 93 years ago in 1917, Mata Hari was executed by a French firing squad for being a German spy during WWI.

Read this excerpt from a fabulous Daily Mail article:

She stood alone in the sodden field on the outskirts of Paris, her fashionable ankle boots firmly planted in the mud churned up by the cavalry who drilled there.

No, she would not be tied to the stake, she told her executioners politely. And nor would she allow them to blindfold her. She faced the barrels of the firing squad without flinching.

The 12 soldiers in their khaki uniforms and red fezzes raised their rifles. She waved to the two weeping nuns who had been her comfort in prison and on her last journey. She blew a kiss to the priest and another to her lawyer, an ex-lover.

The sun was coming up when the shots rang out. She slumped to the ground. The officer in charge marched forward and fired a single bullet into her brain, the coup de grace.

An extraordinary life was over.

She was blamed for the deaths of tens of thousands of French soldiers and she was shot and killed as a spy. But was she innocent? A scapegoat? A new book by an American author, tries to set her story in a new light. Far removed from the fervor of the war, after all these decades, the real story of Margaretha Geertruida "Grietje" Zelle MacLeod, stage name Mata Hari, can be told.

She spoke at least five languages, was gorgeous, talented and an iconoclast. She had many international, wealthy lovers and was a seasoned traveler. It's clear now, that obviously she was a threat to someone higher up and was killed under pretense of spying. Very Monroe-esque. Or maybe Marilyn was "Mata Hari-ied." It's all very familiar.

In her day, Margaretha was a famous as Lady Gaga is now. All of her comings and goings were widely reported in daily gossip columns. She was in demand at all times by men and women. Hardly fitting for a spy.

From the article:
It did not seem to matter that no one had the least bit of evidence against her. Nor could anyone point to a single document, plan or secret that she passed to the Germans. Suspicion, envy and the prejudices of small-minded men would triumph. Only 30 years after her death would one of her prosecutors concede the truth - "there wasn't enough evidence to flog a cat".

Read more about this extraordinary woman and her unbelievably fascinating life:
Wiki Article
Eyewitness to History.com

Dick Cheney Before He Dicks YOU!

After all these years, and countless jokes, Dick Cheney still hasn't apologized for shooting his load into another man's face...and chest and HEART.

It turns out, the spin is over and the man is finally revealing the horrific extent of his injuries. Counter to the early claims that the "incident" was no big deal, the man at the time, suffered a heart attack, a collapsed lung, endured 30 pieces of shrapnel tearing his body apart, cannot speak the same after one ripped apart his larynx AND still has much of the lead in his body including a piece next to his heart, which doctors are unable to get to. Phew!

On top of all that, the man continually apologizes to Cheney, like it was his fault...or like he's afraid.

Really, Dick? Looks like your mom was really onto something...even she knew you were a dick.


News link

38 Years Ago Today...

Today marks the 38th anniversary of the Andes plane crash that left survivors alone and starving high up in the Andes Mountains. Of the 45 people on the flight, only 16 survived the 2 months on a cold inhospitable mountain.

Ironic that the other most famous survivors in history are being rescued today after surviving 2 months in a hot inhospitable mountain.

Mistress or Wife?

Cheating ladies man, Yonni Barrios

Trapped Chilean Miner, Yonni Barrios, is going to wish he stayed trapped underground. Mr. Barrios, aka the Chilean Lothario, has been married for over 28 years. His wife, Marta Salinas, obviously upset by the cave-in, joined the families of the other miners at Camp Esperanza on August 5th. Day after day she prayed for her trapped husband, Yonni.

Unbeknownst to her, another woman, Susana Valenzuela was also praying fervently for her lover, a Mr. Yonni Barrios. It is unclear how the women met, or how the affair was uncovered, but with so many people at the camp, word spread quickly.

Even the Chilean President's office is aware of the situation. And now so is the entire planet.

Salinas, the pissed-off wife, said: "I am happy because he made it, it's a miracle of God. But I'm not going to see the rescue. He asked me to, but it turns out that he also asked the other lady, and I am a decent woman. Things are clear: it's her or me. I won't even watch it on TV. Besides, in phone conversations and in the letters he has sent me it's clear that he is fine, and that's enough for me."

We don't blame her. Fuck that. She's been humiliated on an INTERNATIONAL level. Her cheating husband will be the last man rescued.

That is if he takes the capsule.

He might want to live down there now.

Daylight Come and We Want to Go Home

Alex Vega, rescued miner #10

You've heard the expression - "Any day above ground is a good day." Well, for these 33 miners, no truer words have ever been spoken.

At least half of the rescued men have already sworn to never work a mine again.

Rescued Chilean Miner #11, Jorge Galleguillos, was greeted upon surfacing by two Presidents, Bolivian President Evo Morales and Chilean President Miguel Piñera.



Sidenote:
Reddit.com has raised it's own miner today with an adorable Chilean miner rendition if its Alien logo

Happy Birthday, Mr. Jackman

Hugh as Hugh is a sexy guy...

Happy 42^nd birthday to Australia's sexiest import - Hugh Jackman.

Star of over 30 movies and winning recipient of numerous acting awards, this Boy From Oz, is super-sexy, super-smart, super-talented and above all super-nice.

We loved, loved, loved him in The Fountain (with our girlfriend, Rachel Weisz), The Prestige (with everyone's favorite hot-head, Christian Bale and BONUS! - ANDY SERKIS!!) and if you haven't seen Wolverine - RUN, don't walk to the video store - Liev Schrieber, Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman in ONE movie, Ladies and Gents. Well worth the rental.

Hugh as Wolverine is one sexy, bad-ass motherfucker!

Did We Say We Quit? No Way!

Sig Hansen, John and Andy Hilstrand
getting "punked" by little Jake Harris

They're baaaack!

We knew it wouldn't last. Discovery channel caved in and dropped the lawsuit and the Hillstrands agreed to finish filming "Hillstranded." And then everyone agreed to just shut up and fish for the cameras like good reality stars.

King crab season starts early next week. God Bless The Fleet.

Novak Djokovic Wins China Open

The world's Number Two tennis player, Novak Djokovic (joke-o-vich) successfully defended his China Open Title with a win over Spain's David Ferrer.

The match was rained out on day one and when it resumed Ferrer was unable to stop the Djokovic train (6-4, 6-2).

On the womens side: The final between new world number one Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark and Russia's Vera Zvonareva will take place on Monday.

Everyone's now gearing for the Shanghai Masters set to start Wednesday.

Happy Binary Day!

10/10/10

Septuagenarian Fields Forever

John Lennon's 70th Birthday

Well, Shiver Me Timbers! It's Captain Sparrow!

We have to give kudos to Johnny Depp for surprising a London middle-school with an impromptu (and heartwarming) visit from "Captain Jack Sparrow".

Although, undoubtedly the worst pirate you've ever heard of...you have heard of him.

Johnny Depp, currently filming another Pirates of the Caribbean sequel at the Old Royal Naval College in London, received an unusual fan letter the other day.

It was from 9-year-old Bea Delap, a student at the Meridian school in Greenwich (southeast London). She wrote "We are a bunch of budding young pirates. Normally we're a right handful, but we're having trouble mutinying against the teachers. We'd love it if you could come and help."

Help indeed! Giving the school officials a scant 10 minutes notice, Johnny arrived in full costume and character to surprise Bea and her entire class with a lesson in mutineering. He called out Bea by name and asked for her to come up to the front of the class where he thanked her for her awesome letter and said he was going to frame it. He then gave her a hug, undoubtedly making it the best day of her 9 year old life.

Johnny then helped the students pen their grievances and demands: "We shall take over the school, and we shall eat nothing but candy, and all of our teeth will fall out."

Everyone had a good laugh and then "The Captain" talked the kids out of mutiny saying: "You may want to lay off the mutiny today because police outside are monitoring me. I wouldn't want you to get into trouble."

Johnny Depp arrived with several other extras and production staff, putting on an entire 15 minute impromptu show for the students and equally astonished teaching staff.

That's truly awesome.

The Claustrophobic Rise of The Phoenix

One of the trapped...a haunting ghostly image..

The biggest global news event of the second half of the year will be the rescue of the trapped Chilean mine workers, expected sometime early next week. Perhaps Tuesday or Wednesday.

The BBC alone has dispatched a news crew of over 25 people to capture the events as they unfold live on TV. The BBC has the largest news crew on the site. Second is the Chilean news network, TVN. Reporters are converging on the tiny "town", located in one of the most remote regions on Earth (and the driest, The Atacama Desert), from all over the world, in hopes of bringing the first news footage of the rescued men.

The 33 miners, trapped in the San Jose Mine since August 5, 2010 are not being told that rescue could be "imminent." Officials do not want to get their hopes up. The men are being sent items like sunglasses that might tip them off, but rescuers will literally be "knocking on the door" so to speak, before telling the men this is the day.

The rescue capsule is named "The Phoenix". It's a typical mine rescue tube with an interior cage only 26 inches across.

The drill is expected to reach the miners this weekend, with an additional 48 hours or so needed until the shaft is shored up enough to lower The Phoenix capsule. The men are trapped 2,300 feet (!) below the surface so even when this rescue gets rolling, it will still take days to extract all 33 men. One man an hour would be 33 hours alone and we think it will take longer than that.

Family members are besides themselves with anticipation. Emotions have been and will remain super-high with a predicted crescendo to explode when the men start popping out of the tube.

Unfortunately, the consequences of being underground for such a long time are causing dehabilitating effects. The men are expected to be practically blinded at rescue so even with the preparation of sunglasses, the men will be unable to see. It may take weeks for them to recover normal vision and tolerance for direct sunlight.

Then again, human beings are remarkable resilient. All some of these guys might need to totally rebound is one "normal" day with a steak, a smoke, a drink, sleep in a real bed, a shower and some sex! Who cares if you can barely open your eyes if you can eat and breathe and hug your wife and kids! That is the only medicine they will really need. Family.

Hopefully, none of them will have any long-term lingering effects or suffer from PTS. And we wonder, if they have bonded, like the Andean survivors of the 70's? Will these guys meet every few years to share stories and reunite as brothers? Will they want to put it behind them forever?

UPDATE: The rescue, if all goes according to plan, will begin Tuesday and take up to at least 48 hours. The Phoenix will arrive with more personnel first, to help the miners, so that will take a few additional trips early on. Then each man will face a 20 minute ride to the surface. We cannot wait!

ROY!!

Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Roy Halladay, left, celebrates
with catcher Carlos Ruiz after throwing a no-hitter to
defeat the Cincinnati Reds 4-0 in Game 1 of the NLDS on Wednesday.

WHAT A GAME! There's not a Phillies fan in the entire Delaware Valley that will EVER forget what a magical game Roy Halladay threw last night!

It should have been "Doc" Halladay's SECOND PERFECT GAME IN ONE SEASON, if not for a walk in the 5th inning. As far was we are concerned, it was a perfect game.

The Phillies pitcher makes history as only the second guy in baseball recorded history to throw a no-hitter during the playoffs. It was history making as well for the Phillies Team to have a second no-hitter in a single season. And it makes Halladay the 5th pitcher in MLB to do it twice in one season.

Oh, and let's not forget, Halladay hit a single, RBI AND scored a run! If not for that damned walk it would have been the most perfect game in history. (It still is!)

"The excitement spread beyond Citizens Bank Park — the last two outs were shown on the video board at Target Field, where the Twins were preparing to play the Yankees, and Minnesota fans cheered." Right on!



GO PHILS!!

Cycling: When the Shit Hits the Spokes

Forget the shit hitting the fan - in cycling the shit is all over the fucking place.

MAJOR BREAKING NEWS STORIES TODAY IN THE CYCLING WORLD:

1) Suspended Tour de France 3 time champ, Alberto Contador disgraces Spain as a second doping test comes back POSITIVE for - get this - plasticines/plasticizers. Yes. Plastic. "The lab also found plastic traces that might turn up after a transfusion of blood from a plastic bag." Apparently, getting blood transfusions - blood doping - leaves small but traceable residues in the blood stream. Contador has 8 times the normal plasticine levels found in a normal human being. It's pretty much doomed him, his career and is making him go from superstar to persona non grata in all of Spain.

2) Retired cyclist Bernard Kohl talked to the press and said the following:
"People know in cycling that's it's not possible to win the Tour de France without it (doping). It's three weeks, 3,000 km and you climb (the equivalent of) Mount Everest four times. That's just not possible. Floyd Landis won the Tour de France and his average speed was 40 kph," Kohl said. "This year it was Cantador and it was also about 40. It was nearly the same average speed. Landis was doped." He leaves off there but you get the implication...Landis doped...Contador doped. Hell, he says you cannot win without doping.

3) A federal grand jury sitting in Los Angeles has been hearing evidence in its doping probe, and investigators have contacted American riders, sponsors and associates of Armstrong. The Lance Armstrong witch trial continues and it doesn't look good. There are conflicting stories from all sides. Postal riders swear they never saw doping, postal riders swear they doped all the time. It's a mess. All it would take is one little subpoena and the Feds could confiscate Lance's urine and blood samples and do additional testing on them (for plasticizers). Federal prosecutor's want to have it all in hand by January, when statute of limitations run out. Basically, by admitting that, they are saying that they want Lance's head on a platter. What is he accused of? You cannot get the official word. It doesn't exist. This is the most bizarre witch hunt in sports history.

4) Floyd Landis is regretting waiting so long to come "clean" - (you see what we did there?) "because he knew once he'd admitted lying, he would not be believed about the widespread use of performance enhancing drugs in the sport. There were plenty of good people in cycling who made the same decisions I did," he said. "And it was never their intention to cheat anybody. It was never their intention to hurt anybody, it's just that it was so commonplace that you could rationalize it in your mind that you weren't hurting anybody." I guess ending your career in such a humiliating fashion can turn someone into a philosopher. At least he admits feeling sorry the most about lying to his mommy. (We met her and she's the nicest woman you'd ever want to meet. It's a shame.)

The bottom line? More and more cyclists are "coming out" and it seems performance enhancing doping regimens are the normal course of events not isolated cases. What can cycling do?

Lance - guilty or not?

We Give a Damn Too!

Join Elton John, Ricky Martin, Lily Tomlin, the beautiful Judith Light and Friends in the "We Give a Damn" Campaign to end gay hate crimes.

wegiveadamn.org

Amazing Wildlife Discoveries!

What a beauty!
This is a "Tube-nosed" bat from Papua New Guinea.
He and his kind been on Earth probably for about a million years
and yet we just "discovered" him.

2010 has been a banner year for wildlife and marine biologists as technology has finally allowed many remote areas of Earth to be genetically mapped out. Not since the 1800's has there been more cataloging and naming of newly discovered species.

The rainforests of Borneo and Papua New Guinea have revealed more unknown wildlife than was thought possible in the modern age where most people are under the false impression that science has already catalogued and charactertized all there is to know in the world. FAR FROM IT!

And under the sea...marine biologists have discovered more than 20,000 new species of marine life. 20,000! There are some pretty whacked out looking things out there...the truth isn't just stranger than fiction, it's not even in the room.


"The Census of Marine Life" found living creatures everywhere, even where heat would melt lead, seawater froze to ice, and light and oxygen were lacking. It expanded known habitats and ranges in which life is known to exist. It found that in marine habitats, extreme is normal"

You don't want to know what this is...just that it's "new"

This little guy is a pink-eyed caecidia.
We think he looks pink-footed as well!

Our planet has such abundant bio-diversity, it's a shame we didn't realize before it was too late.

Papua New Guinea article

Oceanic Census article

Tim Gunn - IT GETS BETTER

We are beside ourselves this week with all of the gay teen suicides. So many lives wasted. Beautiful talented people that are killing themselves at 8, 11, 13 years old! It's a crime against humanity. And it has to stop.

The "It Gets Better" Campaign has seen dozens of celebrities film quick 1 minute video messages for gay and lesbian teenagers, as a way of hope, to let the kids know that it sure as hell DOES get better.

High School is a particular kind of hell. 10% of Americans think that high school was the best time they ever had, while the other 90% of us wonder how the hell we made it through at all.

Teen suicides have always been an epidemic of heinous proportions and there have been numerous programs set up to establish help lines for all teenagers. Gay youth however, face a different kind of hell. It's one thing to be called fat...you can lose weight. You can be called a whore or slut...and know better. You can be called ugly...and wait until you get those braces off. How do you counteract the taunts, the bullies making fun of what you fundamentally are? As a kid, you can't. You internalize. Your microcosm of a life, doesn't allow you the experience to really know better. To know that there is a WIDE WORLD out there and places where you will feel accepted. Instead, you think there is no way out and end your life.

This is tragedy beyond belief, the talented, sensitive people we have lost and the bullies (misguided youth themselves) that are left behind.

So we SALUTE TIM GUNN and the other celebs willing to put their own hearts into messages of hope - That IT GETS BETTER.

Tim's video was released today and we were super-emotional when viewing it. Tim describes how he once attempted suicide as a 17 year old in despair. It's moving. Tim Gunn is the personification of intelligence, composure, thoughtfulness and gentility. We are graced with his presence here on Earth and cannot imagine a world where he once existed as a tortured kid that killed himself. TAKE HEED!

We love you Tim. Thanks for doing your part to help!



The Trevor Project

Silence of the Lambs!

We're cold!

This is terrible!

New Zealand is reporting the deaths of "hundreds of thousands" of lambs due to the worst spring blizzards in memory. There has been a succession of 6 blizzards and the poor baby animals can't take it. The people can hardly take it.

At this point, over half of a million lambs have died as well as a number of adults, sending milk production plummeting. It's "lambing season" and they can't be moved at this time. Farmers across the country are devastated saying "It couldn't have come at a worse time."

The farmers are scared to death for the remaining lambs and the pregnant ewes yet to give birth. Everyone is praying for a quick warm up and "melt."

St. Francis! Help!

News article

Feast Day of St. Francis

Okay, we know. We spend all of our time here at Omni ripping the Catholic Church a new one, so why post about St. Francis?

Because:
1) He was cool
2) We can
3) He is the patron saint of animals and the environment

Giovanni Francesco di Bernardone 1181/1182 – October 3, 1226, is our most beloved Saint.

He was raised in a very wealthy family and sheltered from the harsh realities of life. When as a teenager he roamed the streets and saw the poverty, disease and inadequacies of life, he cast aside his wealth. One day, he stripped down to his underwear, threw the fancy clothes to his father, told his father and his entire family, mom and all, to fuck off, and went out to live "among the people".

The Basilica of St. Francis, in Assisi, is so beautiful. Unlike the marble, gold encrusted, gaudy and gross churches across Italy, the Basilica welcomes you with warm wood and stone construction, where there is a spirituality that is so palpable, that it feels real.

You are probably most familiar with his Peace prayer..but this one is our favorite.

Saint Francis’ Canticle of All Creatures

Most High, all-powerful, all-good Lord,
All praise is Yours, all glory, all honour and all blessings.
To you alone, Most High, do they belong,
and no mortal lips are worthy to pronounce Your Name.

Praised be You my Lord with all Your creatures,
especially Sir Brother Sun,
Who is the day through whom You give us light.
And he is beautiful and radiant with great splendour,
Of You Most High, he bears the likeness.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars,
In the heavens you have made them bright, precious and fair.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Brothers Wind and Air,
And fair and stormy, all weather’s moods,
by which You cherish all that You have made.

Praised be You my Lord through Sister Water,
So useful, humble, precious and pure.

Praised be You my Lord through Brother Fire,
through whom You light the night
and he is beautiful and playful and robust and strong.

Praised be You my Lord through our Sister,
Mother Earth who sustains and governs us,
producing varied fruits with coloured flowers and herbs.

Praise be You my Lord through those who grant pardon
for love of You and bear sickness and trial.
Blessed are those who endure in peace,
By You Most High, they will be crowned.

Praised be You, my Lord through Sister Death,
from whom no-one living can escape.
Woe to those who die in mortal sin!
Blessed are they She finds doing Your Will.
No second death can do them harm.

Praise and bless my Lord and give Him thanks,
And serve Him with great humility.

Heavenly Father,
You gave Your servant Francis
great love for each of Your creatures.
Teach us to see Your design in all of creation.
We ask this in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Official Site

The 27 Club - Remembering Janis Joplin

40 years ago today, Janis Joplin's body was discovered in a hotel room, dead from a heroin overdose. (It was a "bad batch" as several other of her dealers "clients" also died that week.) Her on-again, off-again drug use was too overbearing and is her unfortunate legacy.

Janis's ongoing contribution to Rock and Roll cannot be ignored. 40 years later her iconic songs are still remembered, still played, still sung to. Her voice, her powerhouse, still has her listed in the top thirty singers of all time. She's influenced every female rock singer from Stevie Nicks to Avril Lavigne.

Janis is a member of the 27 Club. The Forever Club is named for all the rock and roll artists who died at age 27.

Jimi Hendrix
Janis Joplin
Jim Morrison
Kurt Cobain
Brian Jones

There are 36 other members, lesser known musicians, all dead at age 27. Everyone from the drummer of Echo and the Bunnymen, a member of The Grateful Dead, a vocalist from The Drifters, the bassist from The Stooges, the singer of Canned Heat and so on.

It's weird.

So, go crank up "Piece of my Heart" and sing at the top of your lungs, remembering Janis today.

"Cause you know you got it if it makes you feel good!"