The Spaces In Between

That Video

Okay, so I couldn't manage to blog it.  I guess I am technologically challenged when it comes to using YouTube.   But if you click here to visit my profile page and scroll to the bottom of the page you will find it under "Media"

Strange Geometry

So I was surfing along through the myspace pages and came across this video.   The new agey thing making all these claims and blah blah blah.   But then they did this geometric progression thing and something turned on in my mind and went "yes!!" at some of them and "that's not quite accurate" at others.   And I'm thinking... how do I know this.   And then I find myself thinking, "The same way I know the algebra they taught me in high school is fun and useful but utterly innaccurate when you expand your view of reality to higher dimensions".   Along with this thought the sense of that same algebra as being "rustic".

So then they get to another geomentric progression, with the 3 dimensional version of the star shape traced in side, and that same part of my mind says, "Oh no, that's not right.   That's missing a piece, right there.   Like this..."  And as my inner eye zeros in on the spot where the missing part of the geometric shape should be (to represent what they are trying to represent), I have this sudden awareness that they got it wrong because whatever it represents has been blocked.   Which got me asking why, to which the answer popped back with this image of Adolph Hitler and some kind of huge trauma in the human collective consciousness of something we cannot bear to face.   About ourselves it seemed like.

So its rather interesting that this peson was claiming the images were supposed to unlock some kind of remembering that holds the key to higher consciousness.   And then I had this bizarre thing run through my mind that said, basically, that it wasn't the right key -- because we couldn't bear to access the complete information because it forced us to encompass something we didn't want to face, collectively.

I would blog the video but I had technical difficulties.

Maybe I can manage it tomorrow or something.

As if I don't have enough real time things to do.

For now I'll put the url  where I stumbled across it.  (It's the one way down the page in the "comment" posts.  With the blurry green lettering on the video screen.)

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=19415457

Where I Spend All My Time Lately...

Lately I seem to be on some kind of hamster wheel... running and running... and ... not sure I'm keeping up with the "to do" list.  So then, I thought maybe I need to cross some things off the list.   But then the laundry piled up so high in my bedroom that I couldn't find any underwear.   Okay, so clearly THAT wasn't the thing to cross off.

Not doing the dishes also proved to be the wrong choice.

Ditto not watering the yard.  Unless y'think grey drab and wilted is a good look for landscaping.

Yeah... then there's the kids, the cats, the bunnies...   

And then there is going to a diet/nutrition class once a week.  Now if I could just find the time to exercise.  (Like this morning I was all set to go bike riding and it started to POUR.)   I don't think I should skip these...

Meanwhile, I am volunteering for the Humane Society every Saturday morning with Gabbi (she wanted to do it, and so I had to also since she's not old enough to do it without a parent).   

And then I had this brochure to get ready for Earth's Kids.  Hopefully it comes back from the printers looking sharp.  And hopefully it makes it to New Jersey for the NAEYC conference in time.

And THEN I got caught up in the process for getting my adult education teaching credential.  Which involves writing all these letters to people I haven't seen in YEARS to document work experience and volunteer work that applies to my credential qualifications.  Lord do I hate paperwork.  Ditto interviews.

And as if all this weren't enough, with various holiday occasions and plannings and so forth, I decided to launch a myspace page for Earth's Kids, as well as one for myself.   

www.myspace.com/earthskids

www.myspace.com/linnaeaariel

The idea was to start networking with other groups with similar goals as Earth's Kids, to share information and so forth.  Which is actually going quite well.  Faster than I expected I must say.  Pretty cool.

Plus being on myspace lets me keep on eye on what my children are up to on there.

Oh, and did I mention I'm doing childcare twice a week.  Which provides Brian with more playtime with kids his age.  And a little extra cash in my pocket.

But when oh when do I sit down and write????  I finally finished my bio of Agatha Christie, which was more interesting than I thought it would be by far, but I need to proof and edit it, and then of course upload it.   And since I've already been paid for it... uh yeah...

Sigh...

Maybe things will be more settled down this week.  And I can get back to my regular writing routine.   Oh wait, I have to drive Michelle to Sausalito (north of San Francisco) for her marine biology field trip.

I need a nap.

The Pet Diary -- Dog vs. Cat

Excerpts from a Dog's Diary

8:00 am - Dog food! My favorite thing!

9:30 am - A car ride! My favorite thing!

9:40 am - A walk in the park! My favorite thing!

10:30 am - Got rubbed and petted! My favorite thing!

12:00 pm - Lunch! My favorite thing!

1:00 pm - Played in the yard! My favorite thing!

3:00 pm - Wagged my tail! My favorite thing!

5:00 pm - Milk bones! My favorite thing!

7:00 pm - Got to play ball! My favorite thing!

8:00 pm - Wow! Watched TV with the people! My favorite thing!

11:00 pm - Sleeping on the bed! My favorite thing!


* Excerpts from a Cat's Diary*

Day 983 of my captivity.

My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling
objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I are
fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets. Although I make my contempt for
the rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength.
The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape. In an attempt to disgust them,
I once again vomit on the carpet.

Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their
feet. I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it
clearly demonstrates what I am capable of. However, they merely made
condescending comments about what a "good little hunter" I am.
Bastards!

There was some sort of assembly of their accomplices tonight. I
was placed in solitary confinement for the duration of the event.
However, I could hear the noises and smell the food. I overheard that
my confinement was due to the power of "allergies." I must learn what
this means, and how to use it to my advantage.
Today I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of
my tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking. I must try
this again tomorrow -- but at the top of the stairs.

I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and
snitches. The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly released - and
seems to be more than willing to return. He is obviously retarded.
The bird has got to be an informant. I observe him communicate with
the guards regularly. I am certain that he reports my every move. My
captors have arranged protective custody for him in an elevated cell,
so he is safe.

For now...

Strange Objects Imply Highly Intelligent Beings of Ages Past

Earlier I'd posted about anomylous skulls and other human remains.   But of course there have been other "finds" that make us wonder about the official version of history.   About.com has a nice section about strange objects.   

http://paranormal.about.com/od/ancientanomalies/ig/Most-Puzzling-Ancient-Artifact/index.htm

For example:

Over the last few decades, miners in South Africa have been digging up mysterious metal spheres. Origin unknown, these spheres measure approximately an inch or so in diameter, and some are etched with three parallel grooves running around the equator. Two types of spheres have been found: one is composed of a solid bluish metal with flecks of white; the other is hollowed out and filled with a spongy white substance. The kicker is that the rock in which they where found is Precambrian - and dated to 2.8 billion years old! Who made them and for what purpose is unknown.

Even more good stuff can be found here

'Hobbit' human 'is a new species'

I was quite pleased when the news broke about the Homo floresiensis find a few years ago.   It was not the first time such anomalous remains had been found, but it was the first time (that I know of) that they were taken seriously.

Here is the most recent news item, posted by the BBC:

______________________________________________

The tiny skeletal remains of human "Hobbits" found on an Indonesian island belong to a completely new branch of our family tree, a study has found.

The finds caused a sensation when they were announced to the world in 2004.

But some researchers argued the bones belonged to a modern human with a combination of small stature and a brain disorder called microcephaly.

That claim is rejected by the latest study, which compares the tiny people with modern microcephalics.

LB1 has a highly evolved brain. It didn't get bigger, it got rewired and reorganised, and that's very interesting Dean Falk Florida State University

Microcephaly is a rare pathological condition in humans characterised by a small brain and cognitive impairment.

In the new study, Dean Falk, of Florida State University, and her colleagues say the remains are those of a completely separate human species: Homo floresiensis.

They have published their findings in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The remains at the centre of the Hobbit controversy were discovered at Liang Bua, a limestone cave on the Indonesian island of Flores, in 2003.

Researchers found one near-complete skeleton, which they named LB1, along with the remains of at least eight other individuals.

The specimens were nicknamed Hobbits after the tiny creatures in JRR Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Computer model

The researchers believe the 1m-tall (3ft) people evolved from an unknown small-bodied, small-brained ancestor, which they think became small in stature to cope with the limited supply of food on the island.

The little humans are thought to have survived until about 12,000 years ago, when a volcanic eruption devastated the region.

The Hobbit has forced a re-think of human evolution

LB1 possessed a brain size of around 400 cubic cm (24 cu inches) - about the same as that of a chimp.

Long arms, a sloping chin and other primitive features suggested affinities to ancient human species such as Homo habilis.

Professor Falk's analysis used the skulls of 10 normal humans, nine microcephalics, one dwarf and the Hobbit.

The brain leaves a mirror image imprinted onto the skull, from which anatomists can reconstruct its shape. The resulting brain cast is called an endocast.

Professor Falk's team scanned all 21 skulls into a computer and then created a "virtual endocast" using specialist software.

Then, they used statistical techniques to study shape differences between the brain casts and to classify them into two different groups: one microcephalic, the other normal.

Advanced tools

The dwarf's brain fell into the microcephalic category, while the Hobbit brain fell into the normal group - despite its small size.

In other ways, however, the Hobbit brain is unique, which is consistent with its attribution to a new species.

Archaeologists had found sophisticated tools and evidence of a fire near the remains of the 1m-tall adult female.

"People refused to believe that someone with that small of a brain could make the tools," said Professor Falk.

She said the Hobbit brain was nothing like that of a microcephalic and was advanced in a way that is different from living humans.

A previous study of LB1's endocast revealed that large parts of the frontal lobe and other anatomical features were consistent with higher cognitive processes.

"LB1 has a highly evolved brain," said Professor Falk. "It didn't get bigger, it got rewired and reorganised, and that's very interesting."

This apparently contrasts with LB1's other "primitive" anatomical features.

In September last year, Professor Teuku Jacob and colleagues published a scientific study in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences which claimed the Hobbit showed similarities to living pygmies and to microcephalics.

However, a different analysis by Australian researchers, published last year in the Journal of Human Evolution, supported the idea that LB1 was a creature new to science.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6311619.stm

______________________________________________

See also :

"Hobbit" Was Own Species, Not Diseased Human, Brain Study Says  National Geographic - January 29, 2007 

Anthropologist confirms 'Hobbit' indeed a separate species  PhysOrg - January 29, 2007 

Grotte de Font de Gaume

Check out these beautiful paintings...  I think most of us are more familiar with the cave art at Lascaux, France.  But these shown above are, in my opinion, far more beautiful.  Not only the detailing, but the overall feeling the artist conveyed about the animals themselves.   The delicate qualities combined with the sense of fleshly abundance...

What I want to know, is how someone creates something so beautiful without creating hundreds of UGLY and awkward ones first??  Perhaps they exist but no one publishes pictures of them.   

Global Climate Changes, Not "Global Warming"

The media often pitches to the lowest common denominator and/or goes with the most lurid headline.  Thus we get news items about "Global Warming" rather than the actual phenomenon, radical global climate change.   And the problem here is that when the climate does something other than become hotter, the general public (and many of less informed political leaders) think that this is anecdotal evidence that "nothing is really happening".    When of course what scientists have feared all along is a drastic departure from normal weather patterns, including unusual highs and lows, drastic redistribution of rainfall, and so on.   Yes, the overall picture is a global rise in temperature (unless things happen in a certain pattern and a second ice age is then triggered), but this comes along with a variety of changes on the local level.

To illustrate this phenomenon:

http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/research/cag3/cag3.html

So... while higher global temperatures, melting ice packs, and rising oceans are indeed a massive threat...we are also faced with record setting freezes, rainfall, drought, increased hurricane and typhoon action, and much more.  In short, unpredictability and massive change on a variety of fronts.

Experts: Alps Glaciers Will Melt by 2050

POSTED: 9:10 am PST January 23, 2007

VIENNA, Austria -- Glaciers will all but disappear from the Alps by 2050, scientists warned Monday, basing their bleak outlook on mounting evidence of slow but steady melting of the continental ice sheets.

In western Austria's Alpine province of Tyrol, glaciers have been shrinking by about 3 percent a year, said Roland Psenner of the University of Innsbruck's Institute for Ecology.

And 2050 is a conservative estimate, he said: If they keep melting at that rate, most glaciers could vanish by 2037.

"The future looks rather liquid," he said.

Experts at a regional conference on the Alps, held annually in the mountain resort of Alpbach, stopped short of blaming global warming. But they called for a review of preventive measures to protect people living in valleys at risk of dangerous flooding.

Runoff from melting glaciers caused severe flooding that devastated parts of Switzerland in the summer of 2005.

Glacial melting is a global problem, according to the Zurich-based World Glacier Monitoring Service, which keeps tabs on 30 ice sheets in nine mountain ranges worldwide and says their average mass is steadily eroding.

Glaciers are the planet's largest source of fresh water after polar ice, which scientists say also is melting to 100-year lows. In Europe, they're also hugely popular with skiers and snowboarders seeking year-round thrills and help anchor a multimillion-dollar tourist industry.

In 2005, glacier thickness decreased by an average of 23 1/2 inches, and in 2004 by an average of 27 1/2 inches, the Swiss agency said, citing preliminary measurements. Since 1980, it said, Europe's glaciers have lost about 31 1/2 feet of ice. About 7 feet melted away in a single summer — 2003 — when a heat wave zapped much of Europe, said Michael Zemp, a glacier expert at the University of Zurich.

"What's important for a glacier is winter snow accumulation and a cold summer with not a lot of melting," Zemp said Monday in a telephone interview. "A bad year for a glacier is a dry winter and a hot summer, and these are the conditions we've been seeing."

"Glaciers have been in a general retreat worldwide since the end of the last Ice Age," he said.

Forecasting their demise is problematic "because we don't know what scenarios there will be, and there are a range of scenarios. This isn't a weather forecast. But we are seeing an accelerated glacial melting."

In the 13 years spanning 1991-2004, twice as much glacial ice melted away in Europe than in the 30 preceding years from 1961-1990, climatologists say.

To be sure, a few glaciers have more staying power: Switzerland's Great Aletsch Glacier is still more than a half-mile thick and seems destined to survive well into the 22nd century.

But data collected by aircraft and satellites since 2002 has shown that many of Earth's estimated 160,000 glaciers from the Rocky Mountains to the Himalayas have been shrinking.

Scientists say the phenomenon has been occurring for more than a century, suggesting that manmade emissions of carbon dioxide are combining with purely natural factors, such as a shift in jet streams pumping warmer air into traditionally cooler northern climes.

Even in Austria, a relatively sparsely populated country of 8.2 million people, passenger cars alone chug 11.4 million tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere each year, the nation's leading automobile club said Monday.

It urged commuters to consider walking or cycling to work, and called on motorists to ease back, saying a recent study showed that 10 percent of drives covers less than a half-mile — a distance easily traveled on foot or with a bike.

Europeans, meanwhile, have fretted and sweated their way through an unusually balmy winter that has shattered temperature records and forced World Cup ski organizers to cancel competitions for lack of snow.

"Winter has been in a holding pattern," said Gerhard Baumgartner, a meteorologist with Austria's national weather service.

http://www.ktvu.com/globalwarming/10823641/detail.html

If Greenland Goes...

Now that "An Inconvenient Truth" is out on DVD more and more people are finding a common language in the discussion on global warming.   For those who've seen the documentary or studied the subject in depth the following image of a large lake in Greenland, formed of glacial melt, will be disturbing...

Read More