March 23, 2015

The World’s Largest Asteroid Impact Zone Has Been Found, Scientists Say


                                                                   



Every now and then, the universe rises to make clear the enormity of its size — and our relative place in it. One such moment was in February 2013, when an asteroid exploded over the Russian city of Urals, inflicting panic, broken windows and injuries upon more than 1,000 people. People were stunned by what happened, but one asteroid expert named Andrew Glikson was watching from Australia, thinking it could have been much worse.

If only people realized what asteroids once did to this planet.

The evidence of those days, he said, is embedded beneath Australia’s crust near the East Warburton Basin, below, in the center of the country. In those same weeks, he had found an asteroid crater at least 125 miles in diameter. 

He was amazed by its size and what it could mean. “This is a new discovery,” Glikson, of the Australian National University, told Agence France-Presse at the time. “And what really was amazing was the size of the terrain that has been shocked. It’s now a minimum of 200 kilometers, this makes it about the third biggest anywhere in the world.”

Glikson and others believe the impact was felt across the world, changing life’s course and spewing a blanket of ash into the atmosphere that blanketed out the sun. “It’s likely to be part of a particular cluster that was linked with a mass extinction at that time,” he told the Conversation.

But even then, questions lingered. Did the asteroid split before it hit the Earth? Was its impact actually wider than those 200 kilometers? Could it really have been much bigger?
Now nearly two years later, he thinks he has his answer, which he has published in a fresh issue of the geology journal Tectonophysics.

“They appear to be two large structures, with each of them approximately 200 kilometers” in diameter, he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. “So together, jointly they would form a 400 kilometer structure which is the biggest we know of anywhere in the world.

 The consequences are that it could have caused a large mass extinction event at that time, but we still don’t know the age of this asteroid impact and we are still working on it.”
The asteroid broke apart right before impact, Glikson contended, splitting into two halves, each of which was at least six miles across. “It would have been curtains for many life species on the planet at the time,” he said in a statement.

It remains unclear when, exactly, this happened. Given its size, its impact must have corresponded with a mass extinction. “Large impacts like these may have had a far more significant role in the Earth’s evolution than previously thought,” Glikson said.

Now nearly two years later, he thinks he has his answer, which he has published in a fresh issue of the geology journal Tectonophysics.

“They appear to be two large structures, with each of them approximately 200 kilometers” in diameter, he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation

“So together, jointly they would form a 400 kilometer structure which is the biggest we know of anywhere in the world. The consequences are that it could have caused a large mass extinction event at that time, but we still don’t know the age of this asteroid impact and we are still working on it.”
The asteroid broke apart right before impact, Glikson contended, splitting into two halves, each of which was at least six miles across. “It would have been curtains for many life species on the planet at the time,” he said in a statement.

It remains unclear when, exactly, this happened. Given its size, its impact must have corresponded with a mass extinction. “Large impacts like these may have had a far more significant role in the Earth’s evolution than previously thought,” Glikson said.

                                                             

By Terrence McCoy


Picture of the Basin and more info with many thanks to Red Orbit

With may thanks to The Washington Post






Paraprosdokians



                                                                     





A paraprosdokian is a figure of speech in which the latter part of a sentence or phrase is surprising or unexpected in a way that causes the reader or listener to re-frame or re-interpret the first part. It is frequently used for humorous or dramatic effect. For this reason, it is extremely popular among comedians and satirists.
From English Forums. 

Winston  Churchill loved these figures of speech in which the latter
part of  a sentence or phrase is surprising or unexpected; frequently
humourous.  Enjoy!
                                            
Picture credit Santa Banta
1.  Where there's a will, I want to be in it.

2. The last thing I want to do  is hurt you. But it's still on my list.


3. Since light travels faster  than sound, some people appear bright until you hear them speak.

4.  If I agreed with you, we'd both be wrong.


5. We  never really grow up, we only learn how to act in public.

6.  War does not determine who is right - only who is left.


7.  Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit.. Wisdom is not putting it in
a  fruit salad.

8. To steal ideas from one  person is plagiarism. To steal from many is
research.


9. I  didn't say it was your fault, I said I was blaming you.

10. In filling out an  application, where it says, 'In case of emergency,
Notify:' I put   'DOCTOR'.


11.  Women will never be equal to men until they can walk down the street with a bald head and a beer gut, and still think they are sexy.

(ever  been to WAL MART?)

12. You do not need a  parachute to skydive. You only need a parachute to skydive twice.


13. I  used to be indecisive. Now I'm not so sure..

14. To be sure of hitting the  target, shoot first and call whatever you
hit the target.


15.  Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in a  garage makes you a car.

16. You're never too old to  learn something stupid.


17.  I'm supposed to respect my elders, but its getting harder and harder for  me to find one now.


Many thanks to Edith for sending these.




                                                               


Some additional ones from English Forums:



    I asked God for a bike, but I know God doesn't work that way. So I stole a bike and asked   for forgiveness.


    Do not argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.


    I want to die peacefully in my sleep, like my grandfather, not screaming and yelling like the passengers in his car.


    Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.
  
    The last thing I want to do is hurt you. But it's still on the list.


    Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.


    If I agreed with you, we'd both be wrong.


    We never really grow up; we only learn how to act in public.


    War does not determine who is right - only who is left.


    Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.


    Evening news is where they begin with 'Good evening' and then proceed to tell you why it  isn't.


    To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism. To steal from many is research.


    A bus station is where a bus stops. A train station is where a train stops. On my desk, I have a work station.


    How is it one careless match can start a forest fire, but it takes a whole box to start a campfire?


    Some people are like Slinkies ... not really good for anything, but you can't help smiling when you see one tumble down the stairs.


    Dolphins are so smart that within a few weeks of captivity, they can train people to stand on the very edge of the pool and throw them fish.


    I didn't say it was your fault; I said I was blaming you.


    Why does someone believe you when you say there are four billion stars but check when you say the paint is wet?


    Why do Americans choose from just two people to run for president and 50 for Miss America?


    Behind every successful man is his woman. Behind the fall of a successful man is usually another woman.


    A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.


    You do not need a parachute to skydive. You only need a parachute to skydive twice.


    The voices in my head may not be real, but they have some good ideas!


    Always borrow money from a pessimist. He won't expect it back.


    A diplomat is someone who can tell you to go to hell in such a way that you will look forward to the trip.


    Hospitality: making your guests feel like they're at home, even if you wish they were.


    Money can't buy happiness, but it sure makes misery easier to live with.


    Some cause happiness wherever they go. Others whenever they go.


    I used to be indecisive. Now I'm not sure.


    When tempted to fight fire with fire, remember that the Fire Department usually uses water.


    You're never too old to learn something stupid.


    To be sure of hitting the target, shoot first and call whatever you hit the target.


    Nostalgia isn't what it used to be.


    Some people hear voices. Some see invisible people. Others have no imagination whatsoever.


    A bus is a vehicle that runs twice as fast when you are after it as when you are in it.


    If you are supposed to learn from your mistakes, why do some people have more than one child?


    Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine.


See also 
Contronyms

 Heteronyms 

Do All Languages Come From A Single Common Ancestor?


How English Gave Birth To Surprising New Languages

Can You Correctly Pronounce Every Word In This Poem?



                                                                     

Cinderella: Disney's New Version



                                                                    




There have been several versions made of Cinderella. The first one I ever saw was Disney's animated version. 

Then there were a couple of movies I also remember: "The Glass Slipper" and "The Slipper And The Rose"

Drew  Barrymore has also done a Cinderella movie called "Ever After".

I have seen the animated version several times.Perhaps the new movie may also offer a little respite from  "Frozen" as it sounds very appealing, judging by this short review.

                                                                



The tale of Cinderella has been retold, directly or indirectly, countless times in recent years, but something just happened to it that I would not believe if I had not seen it.

The latest rendition, released in theaters this past weekend, tells the story with delightful charm, breathtaking beauty, squeaky-clean morality and — most surprising in this age of sly sarcasm — “without a hint of irony.”

That last phrase I stole from another princess film — Enchanted — which was, phrase notwithstanding, rich in irony (as well as terrific humor and great music).

With Cinderella (2015), director Kenneth Branagh and screenwriter Chris Weitz have done the almost unimaginable. 

They’ve displayed sincere affection between a prince and a servant girl, without post-modern angst or politically correct messaging.

In a word, they made a “Disney movie” the likes of which I feared had faded to black with each year since Walt’s passing.

If there is any seemingly obligatory commentary about the role of women, gender equality, and the impossible dream of true love, it’s among the bitter on Twitter, not in the film.

Perhaps more shocking than the genuine and chaste love between the prince and Cinderella is the sincere respect, love and admiration between the prince and his father, the king, as the son struggles to balance his love for the mysterious maiden, with his desire to honor his father. Most men yearn for a such a relationship with their boys.

Fairy tales were meant to sweep us from our mundane lives, captivate our hearts, lift our spirits and make us dream again.

 This Cinderella does all of that better than anything I’ve seen since Beauty and the Beast (1991).

By Scott Ott 

With many thanks to PJMedia

See more details about it at IMDb. The cast list is most impressive.

Lily James as Cinderella - you may recognise her from 'Downton Abbey', and Holliday Grainger, below, from "The Borgias" as Anastasia - just for starters.

                                                                   


Related:
Downton Abbey: Ending After Its Sixth Season?
The Real Downton Abbey
Jarrod Radnich - Strong From 'Cinderella' 2015
Downton Abbey Producers In Talks To Make A 1930s-set Feature-length Movie
Fairy Tales Are Grim! 
The Untold Truth About The Holy Grail
 




March 21, 2015

Downton Abbey: Ending After Its Sixth Season?


                                                                  



                                                                      
I suppose this was inevitable - still, it's a shame. It was a great series.

Several weeks after Downton Abbey’s Maggie Smith declared that the sixth season of the beloved period drama will be her last, we learn that the forthcoming season will be everyone’s last. How is that for upstairs-downstairs solidarity?

TVLine broke the sad news Friday afternoon, reporting that multiple sources have confirmed that the Julian Fellowes-created series will shutter after its upcoming sixth season, which is currently being filmed. Per TVLine:


The decision to end Downton was mostly a practical one—the cast’s contracts expire at the end of Season 6 and, with one or two possible exceptions, the actors are ready to move on.
“You can keep the show going without Matthew and Sybill, but you can’t continue it without the entire Crawley family,” an insider notes.

That gives Edith only about nine episodes to find eternal happiness; Mary only about nine chances to find her romantic match; and Carson and Hughes about nine hours to plan and pull off their wedding. (There will be riots if we don’t get a proper Carson/Hughes wedding, Fellowes.) 

Television viewers may be seeing the last of Lady Mary next season but they won’t be seeing the last of Fellowes-created period drama. The Downton Abbey mastermind is creating a series about New York City’s millionaire titans of the 1880s for NBC called The Gilded Age.

                                                             


By Julie Miller

With thanks to Vanity Fair 

See also: 

The Real Downton Abbey


                                                                

Lindsey Stirling and William Joseph: Halo Theme


                                                                  



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Sign up for my super-cool newsletter here ;)
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Lindsey Stirling - Dragon Age & Roundtable Rival. Updated: An Australian Tour in 2015

Frozen: Some Lessons Can Be Learned - Sisters Before Misters And Others


                                                           




Well, it seems we can’t quite “let it go’’ yet, with Disney Films confirming it’s making a sequel to its gargantuan hit Frozen. 

This comes as no surprise. To date, Frozen has taken in about $1.3 billion at the box office, and that’s before taking into account the millions of dollars the film raised in merchandise, of which I believe my own household contributed a not inconsiderable portion.

(Mine too! Frozen parties are all the rage!)

Frozen was a runaway hit for Disney, and deservedly so, featuring two female heroines and a nice twist on the “handsome prince to the rescue” theme — which we all know doesn’t always end in a fairy tale, don’t we girls?

Now, while there are wonderful lessons in Frozen for the little girls of this world, the film also contains some wisdom we all could benefit from.

                                                                    


So, in no particular order, here are some of the lessons Frozen has taught us.

Let it go.
Obviously, this is the big one, which Taylor Swift cleverly turned into “Shake It Off”, and also made a motza. But the message is a good one. That boy who broke your heart? That girl who you thought was your friend, but turned out to be your frenemy? That co-worker who you are sure stole your sandwich out of the work fridge? Let it go, girl, let it go. Remember, you are one with the wind and sky.

Do not hide your child’s different-ness.
Imagine if instead of hiding Elsa away when they discovered her cryokinetic powers, her parents had enrolled her at a school for gifted children instead. Or, alternatively entered her in The X Factor … “What a pretty dress Elsa, very nice blue — and what do you do?” “I’m going to freeze the entire studio audience.’’ “Lovely!”

Beware the quickie engagement.
You know how it is, girl. You meet a man who seems to fall instantly and totally in love with you. He showers you with roses, he tells everyone he meets you are the one, he proposes, and you, caught up in the giddy romance of it all, accept and the next thing you know, he’s plotting your death and planning to take over your kingdom. These sorts of men are everywhere, and I’m sure there’s probably an actual term for them, and this sort of behaviour. But now, thanks to Frozen, we can just refer to them as “Prince Hans’s”.

The ladeez love the tradies.
We do, and with good reason. They’re so practical, so manly, so handy in an eternal winter, aren’t they? And really, who wouldn’t have picked hunky Kristoff breaking all that ice with his bare hands over Hans, with his bouffant hairdo and equestrian boots? Also, it turns out he was a narcissistic, psychopathic killer, which is never attractive.

Sisters stick together.
Sisters can fall out, have the world’s biggest screaming matches, call each other every single name under the sun, physically attack each other, accidentally freeze each others hearts to death, and still love each other. Another interesting fact about sisters that may be handy for men to know, is while they can call each other every name under the sun, you cannot. Indeed you can listen for years against a non-stream tirade against a particular sister, but the moment you actually join in, you will receive a stare as cold as ice, and wish your own heart had actually been frozen to death.

The best men are usually the “Fixer-uppers”.
Remember that scene in Frozen when Hans’s troll family tried to convince Anna to marry him on the basis that while he was a long way from perfect, he was an excellent fixer-upper? This was excellent advice because smart girls know the best men are the ones who are a little unfinished, a little unsure of their path in the world, a little rough around the edges. So we can change them.

Love is an open door.
Well, sometimes, but you may want to check first that it leads to an actual person, and not a stairwell.
                                                                     


By Frances Whiting


With many thanks to  RendezView

                                                                     
                                                                   

Accessing Self Love To Access Your Higher Self


                                                                    


                                                                 

Hear Daniel Rechnitzer share insights from Universal Intelligence on the importance of Self Love as the gateway to extraordinary knowledge, wisdom and health.


Discover how unlock your Self Love now! 

For more information visit: www.DiscoverUi.com, or visit Daniel's You Tube Channel.

More posts on Daniel Rechnitzer, The All Knowing Diary and Universal intelligence can be found by using the search engine - top left.There are quite a lot!


March 19, 2015

Spain Finds Don Quixote Writer Cervantes' Tomb In Madrid



                                                                     





Forensic scientists say they have found the tomb of Spain's much-loved giant of literature, Miguel de Cervantes, nearly 400 years after his death.

They believe they have found the bones of Cervantes, his wife and others recorded as buried with him in Madrid's Convent of the Barefoot Trinitarians.
Separating and identifying his badly damaged bones from the other fragments will be difficult, researchers say. 

The Don Quixote author was buried in 1616 but his coffin was later lost.
When the convent was rebuilt late in the 17th Century, his remains were moved into the new building and it has taken centuries to rediscover the tomb of the man known as Spain's "Prince of Letters".

"His end was that of a poor man. A war veteran with his battle wounds," said Pedro Corral, head of art, sport and tourism at Madrid city council. 

The team of 30 researchers used infrared cameras, 3D scanners and ground-penetrating radar to pinpoint the burial site, in a forgotten crypt beneath the building.

Inside one of 33 niches found against the far wall, archaeologists discovered a number of adult bones matching a group of people with whom Cervantes had been buried, before their tombs were disturbed and moved into the crypt. 

"The remains are in a bad state of conservation and do not allow us to do an individual identification of Miguel de Cervantes," said forensic scientist Almudena Garcia Rubio.

"But we are sure what the historical sources say is the burial of Miguel de Cervantes and the other people buried with him is what we have found." 

Further analysis may allow the team to separate the bones of Cervantes from those of the others if they can use DNA analysis to work out which bones do not belong to the author.
  • 1547: Born near Madrid
  • 1571: Shot and wounded at Battle of Lepanto
  • 1575: Captured and enslaved for five years in Algiers
  • 1605: Publishes first part of The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha, second part in 1615. Don Quixote is man obsessed with chivalry who sets out in search of adventure on his ageing horse Rocinante and with his faithful squire Sancho Panza
  • 1616: Cervantes dies aged 68, with six teeth remaining. Buried at Convent of Barefoot Trinitarians
  • Grave lost when convent rebuilt
By Camilla Ruzz
                                                                     
Above: Peter O'Toole as Don Quizote in the film musical.
It was also a stage play and is no doubt being performed somewhere around the world. I really enjoyed the play as I saw it three times, and also the film.
With many thanks to The BBC
Picture credit: Spanish Culture

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