Mind Soup

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In meteorology, a corona is produced by the diffraction of light from either the Sun or the Moon by individual small water droplets (and sometimes tiny ice crystals) of a cloud. The corona consists of small number of concentric colored rings around the celestial object and a central bright aureole. The angular size of the corona depends on the diameters of the cloud droplets - small droplets produce bright coronae. Coronae differ from haloes in that the latter are formed by refraction (rather than diffraction) from comparatively large rather than small ice crystals. Reddish colors always occupy the outer part of a corona's ring. Photos taken by amateur photographers using cell phone cameras.

NEW YORK -- J.D. Salinger, the legendary author, youth hero and fugitive from fame whose "The Catcher in the Rye" shocked and inspired a world he increasingly shunned, has died. He was 91. Salinger died of natural causes at his home on Wednesday, the author's son said in a statement from Salinger's literary representative. He had lived for decades in self-imposed isolation in the small, remote house in Cornish, N.H. "The Catcher in the Rye," with its immortal teenage protagonist, the twisted, rebellious Holden Caulfield, came out in 1951, a time of anxious, Cold War conformity and the dawn of modern adolescence. The Book-of-the-Month Club, which made "Catcher" a featured selection, advised that for "anyone who has ever brought up a son" the novel will be "a source of wonder and delight - and concern." Enraged by all the "phonies" who make "me so depressed I go crazy," Holden soon became American litera...

It's funny how the people had a difficult time in finding themselves. This is absolutely hilarious. Identical twins in identical rooms opposite each other and proceed to prank everyone who walks in.

LONDON (Reuters) – International hotel chain Holiday Inn is offering a trial human bed-warming service at three hotels in Britain this month. If requested, a willing staff-member at two of the chain's London hotels and one in the northern English city of Manchester will dress in an all-in-one fleece sleeper suit before slipping between the sheets. "The new Holiday Inn bed warmers service is a bit like having a giant hot water bottle in your bed," Holiday Inn spokeswoman Jane Bednall said in an emailed statement to Reuters. The bed-warmer is equipped with a thermometer to measure the bed's required temperature of 20 degrees Celsius (68 Fahrenheit). Holiday Inn said the warmer would be fully dressed and leave the bed before the guest occupied it. They could not confirm if the warmer would shower first, but said hair would be covered. Florence Eavis, Holiday Inn spokeswoman told Reuters that the "innovative" bed-warming method was a response to Britai...

Cupertino, CA, United States (AHN) - With an alliterative nod to its popular iPod music and video playing devices, Apple on Wednesday unveiled the iPad, a touch-screen tablet computer. Chief Executive Steve Jobs introduced the device, shaped like an oversized iPhone, at company headquarters that had been anticipated for weeks by Mac fans and the media. The Wi-Fi-capable device contains a 1-gigaHertz chip, with more than 16 to 64 gigabytes of Flash ram. Like Apple's popular iPhone, the iPad runs Apple Store applications. Jobs said the tablet was designed with the environment in mind. It's highly recyclable as components are free of arsenic, BFT, PVC and mercury. The device can display full-size Web pages and its keyboard is nearly the same size as that of a desktop computer. Users can read books on its display, watch videos or play music. Potential sales for the iPad could be in the millions. In the first year the iPhone and iPod were released, each sold about...

An unconfirmed report by the Russian Northern Fleets suggests that the devastating Haiti earthquake was caused by a United States Navy "earthquake weapons" test, which was intended to be used against Iran. On Thursday, Digital Journal reported that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez accused the United States of causing the Haiti earthquake, which killed more than 100,000 people, through a tectonic weapon. Chavez also accused the US of trying to use the deadly earthquake to occupy Haiti. According to an unconfirmed report by the Russian Northern Fleets, the tragic earthquake in Haiti was caused by a US navy earthquake weapon that went "horribly wrong," reports Press TV . The weapons test was originally supposed to be used against Iran but caused the cataclysmic earthquake in the Caribbean country. The purpose of the earthquake weapon being used against Iran, according to the Russian report, was to topple the current Islamic system in the country. Vive TV reports tha...

OH MY GOD!  Yes! That is a real bug. Appropriately named the rhino beetle, it sure is huge. Imagine if more bugs were this size. Aaghh! It sure is a nightmare for those who are scared of creepy crawlies and even for those who get nervous when they see one close. It does redefine entomophobia, the fear of creepy crawlies. Can you just imagine how one would react to a couple of them crawling within a few feet of distance? These rhino beetles are a wily pest and can destroy coconut crops in a jiffy. Wonder what kind of bird if any has the guts to feed on this giant bug. Nature can have a strange sense of humor. Wonder why she made a bug so huge or may be we should be wondering why she made the others so small. Nature has her share of weird things in the world, so can man be far behind? So many extra large weird stuff, man made are out there to bring our fantasy to another level. Ranging from a gigantic burger, to a coffin shaped like a giant duffel bag or a coffee table...

Check out this one-year meal plan here (pdf). FRIENDSWOOD, TX (KTRK) -- Do you know what you're cooking for dinner tonight? Planning ahead can be a great way to save time and money but one woman is taking it to a whole new level. It may be hard to believe, but a Friendswood mom not only knows what she is feeding her family every single night of the week, she has it all planned out for the entire year! She says having a plan has cut her grocery bill by more than half and she's sharing her strategy with us. Leslie Chisolm admits keeping up with a family of six that includes four boys is not easy. "It's kind of like a circus," she said. "There is something going on all the time." That's why dinner time has to be organized. "They know exactly what they are having," Leslie explained. "It's easier on me because I know what we are having. I don't stress out and say what am I going to cook tonight, what am I going to c...

When Lynn Middlebrooks Geter found that her 12-year-old son's report card wasn't to her liking, she didn't offer to help him with homework or ask teachers for extra instruction. No, she decided something more drastic was in order. The 38-year-old mom from Warm Springs, Georgia decided the best way for her boy to learn was to kill his pet hamster. With a hammer. The kid, naturally, was quit upset. What would happen with his next report card? Would he have to beat his sister to death to improve his commitment to math? So he told his teacher about it the next day. The teacher called social workers, who in turn called the Meriwether County sheriff's department. For her visionary parenting strategies, Geter is now in jail for animal cruelty, child cruelty and battery. UPDATE: Lynn Geter was either the greatest mom in Georgia, or a Mommy Dearest who put up a good show in public, but was a wicked witch inside the privacy of her own home. Those seem to be the radically dif...

Ethiopian women, relatives of passengers of the Ethiopian Airlines plane that crashed in the sea, react upon their arrival at Beirut airport, Lebanon. Lebanese Red Cross workers move a body retrieved from the Mediterranean Sea. Pieces of the plane and debris were washing ashore in the hours after the crash, including passenger seats, a fire extinguisher and bottles of medicine. Lebanese soldiers gather debris from the crash on the shore near Beirut airport. Families of the passengers, some of them weeping uncontrollably rushed to the Rafic Hariri International Airport in Beirut to await news of their loved ones. The Boeing 737-800 disappeared off the radar some five minutes after taking off from Beirut's Rafik Hariri International Airport. Chopper carrying corpses from the crash site to UNIFIL ships. Prime Minister Hariri consoling victims' families and friends after news of the plane crash.

Translation: Lebanon in national mourning after plane crash carrying 90 passengers, of which 54 are Lebanese. (see article below for English) بيروت - ا ف ب - سقطت فجر الاثنين طائرة تابعة للخطوط الجوية الاثيوبية بعد دقائق من اقلاعها من مطار رفيق الحريري الدولي في بيروت وعلى متنها 90 راكبا وبدات على الفور اعمال البحث عن ناجين وسط احوال جوية سيئة للغاية كما اعلن وزير الاشغال اللبناني غازي العريضي. واوضح العريضي للصحافيين اثر اجتماع عقده مع المسؤولين في المطار ان "العمل بدأ للبحث عن ناجين وذلك بمساعدة  بحرية وطوافات الجيش اللبناني وقوات الطوارىء الدولية (اليونفيل) البحرية واجهزة الصليب الاحمر الدولي". وقال "حتى الان ليس ثمة نتائج ملموسة" موضحا ان الطائرة هوت "غربي بلدة الناعمة (12 كلم جنوب المطار) على بعد 3.5 كلم من الشاطىء". وقال "الطائرة تقل 90 شخصا: 83 راكبا وطاقمها المؤلف من سبعة اشخاص" ومن بين الركاب 54 لبنانيا. وفند العريضي جنسيات الركاب وقال انهم "54 لبنانيا, 22 اثيوبيا, عراقي واحد, سوري واحد, كندي واحد من اصل لبناني, روسية واحد...

The grim task of searching the turbulent seas off the coast of Lebanon goes on following the crash of the Ethopian airline. As the hours have ticked around 20 bodies have so far been recovered. Relatives watch on. With their pain there is anger that the jet was allowed to take off during a thunder storm. The airline’s chief executive has confirmed there is no word of any survivors. 83 passengers and seven crew were on board the Boeing 737-800. Among them was the wife of the French ambassador to the Lebanon. The Lebanaes President has said an act of sabotage is unlikely. One eye witness described the inferno as the plane burst into flames. “At about 2.30 there was big ball of fire it was as big as a tent. I watched it fall into the sea between these two buildings, it landed in the sea perhaps about one kilometre from here,” he said. Throughout the morning people have been gathering at the hospital clinging to hope and desperate for any news. Lebanon’s Prime Minister Saad H...

This year's Grammy Awards will reflect the loss of a key component in the music industry…the King of Pop. Producer Ken Ehrlich told ET's Kevin Frazier all about the Michael Jackson tribute that show organizers have up their sleeves. Inspiration for the tribute blossomed from a meeting between Ken and Michael just one day prior to the pop star's untimely death. During their encounter, Ken was treated to sneak peek at the 3D spectacle Michael had planned for "Earth Song" during his highly-anticipated tour. The singer told Ken that "was the most important…piece in the whole show because of the message of 'Earth Song'; the message about the environment and the message about preserving the environment." Ken said, "When we knew that everybody was kind of looking to see what the Grammy's were going to do about Michael Jackson…it really came down to what I felt and what we all felt Michael would have wanted. Michael would have wanted us to d...

Neil Patrick Harris wants you to know Carrie Underwood is “awesome.” “This week’s awesome guest star,” he wrote on his Twitter page, linking to this photo of himself with the country superstar on the set of How I Met Your Mother. “HIMYM – You’ll Love The Way We Fly!” In an episode scheduled to air in March, Underwood is set to play Tiffany, an enigmatic pharmaceutical sales rep and love interest for Ted (played by Josh Radnor) on the show, which recently celebrated its 100th episode. But in this photo, the singer looks more like a flight attendant — are those overhead bins in the background? — than a drug rep. Maybe someone is having a high-flying, pill-induced fantasy?

James Cameron's 'Avatar' may soon be stopped from screening in China, as the authorities apparently feel the movie is subversive. Seemingly, the China Film Group has demanded theatres across the country to stop showing the 3-D version of Avatar from January 23 on orders from Beijing's propaganda chiefs. The Government's concern reportedly is that the citizens of the country may find similarity with Avatar's Na'vi people, who fight to save their planet from humans. The authorities have two reasons for this check on Avatar: first, it has taken in too much money and has seized market share from domestic films, and second, it may lead audiences to think about forced removal, and may possibly incite violent acts. To views relief multiple-screen cinema, in the city of Wuxi, has promised to refund the tickets booked for shows after January 23.

A Woman in China is singing a song in Arabic for the famous singer Fairuz, it is one of Fairuz's older songs called "Zahrat Al Mada2en" or "Flower of the Cities" (Jerusalem). She Sang the song in a Chinese opera house in Arabic from how much she likes Fairuz. صينية تغني أغنية "زهرة المدائن" للفنانة فيروز بالعربي في دار أوبرا في الصين و تعلمت الغنى باللغة العربية من كثر ما تحب فيروز

Have you seen every single episode of Lost multiple times? Do you have complex theories about time travel? If so, then, like many other devoted fans, you might be addicted to Lost. But how can you be sure? We have a list of 42 signs that you are a confirmed Lost addict. See how many you have to diagnose your addiction. 1. You might be a Lost addict if...you play 4-8-15-16-23-42 in the lottery every week. 2. You might be a Lost addict if...you call your bedroom "The Hatch." 3. You might be a Lost addict if...you request to sit in seat 23B, just like Jack, every time you're on an airplane. 4. You might be a Lost addict if...you'd never vote for President Ob A ma again if he'd preempted Lost with the State of the Union address. 5. You might be a Lost addict if...you used the data in the Lamp Post to try and triangulate where the Island is. 6. You might be a Lost addict if...your Valentine's Day gift for your gi...

Roll call for the 67th annual Golden Globe awards, chosen by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association from this list of nominees . Golden team … Avatar actor Sam Worthington, director James Cameron, actor Zoe Saldana, producer Jon Landau and actor Sigourney Weaver with the Golden Globe for best drama at the 67th Golden Globe awards. Photograph: Valerie Macon/AFP/Getty Images Best motion picture – drama Avatar Best performance by an actress in a motion picture – drama Sandra Bullock , The Blind Side Best performance by an actor in a motion picture – drama Jeff Bridges , Crazy Heart Best motion picture – comedy or musical The Hangover Best performance by an actress in a motion picture – comedy or musical Meryl Streep , Julie & Julia Best performance by an actor in a motion picture – comedy or musical Robert Downey Jr , Sherlock Holmes Best animated feature Up Best foreign language film The White Ribbon (Germany) Best performance by an actress in a supporting role i...

Meryl Streep  is the new queen of the Golden Globes as her win for best actress in a comedy or musical for "Julie & Julia" gives her seven statuettes to the half dozen owned by  Jack Nicholson  and  Angela Lansbury . Streep set the record for most nominations last year when her double lead actress nods for "Doubt" (drama) and "Mamma Mia!" (comedy/musical) gave her 23 in total, breaking the tie with  Jack Lemmon  who racked up 22 lead nods and 4 wins (movie drama — 0/6; movie comedy — 3/10; and TV movie/mini — 1/6) over 40 years beginning in 1960. She lost both those races -- drama to  Kate Winslet  ("Revolutionary Road") and comedy/musical to  Sally Hawkins  ("Happy-Go-Lucky"). This year, she was also a double nominee -- bringing her total tally to 25 -- competing against herself in the comedy-musical actress with a bid for "It's Complicated" as well. From her 21 movie nominations, Streep had won five Golden Globes ...

On this day, 5 years ago, two friends of mine who happen to be sisters passed away because of a car accident. So today, we remember them and ask God to bring peace and solace to their families and those who love them. R.I.P Sabine and Nadine.

London, England (CNN) -- Obsessive, overenthusiastic, fanatical -- call them what you will. They used to be the exception rather than the norm. But these days, devoted fan followings are cropping up with increasing frequency. The latest embodiment of the die-hard fans that have emerged: "Avatards," the loyal followers of James Cameron's wildly popular 3D science fiction film "Avatar." Since the blockbuster epic hit the cinema screen across the globe last month, countless forums, Web sites and wikis devoted to all things "Avatar" have popped up. Enthusiastic fans can go to "Learn Na'vi" to study the language spoken on the mythical world of Pandora. On fan sites like "Naviblue," fans discuss everything from their bordering-on-obsessive relationship with the film to feelings of despondence caused by the fact that Pandora is not real. On fan site ""Avatar Forums," one forum member, Neytiri, offers advice on...

The last song of the iTunes countdown. It's not bad :) check it out :)

A Taiwanese man with a history of high blood pressure has died of a stroke that an emergency room doctor says was likely triggered from over-excitement while watching the 3D blockbuster Avatar, AFP reports. The 42-year-old man, who suffered from hypertension, was rushed to the hospital after he began feeling ill during the screening of the movie earlier this month in the Taiwanese city of Hsinchu, AFP says. The man identified only as Kuo was unconscious when he got to Nan Men General Hospital where a scan showed that his brain was hemorrhaging, Dr. Peng Chin-Chih, an emergency room doctor, told AFP. "It's likely that the over-excitement from watching the movie triggered his symptoms," the doctor told AFP. Kuo died 11 days later from the brain hemorrhage.

Step away from the television... TV is not your friend. In fact, according to a new study, it's your mortal enemy. Researchers have discovered that every hour per day spent watching television increases your chance of dying from heart disease by one-fifth. We all know a sedentary lifestyle can lead to disastrous health problems, but this new study shows even the most physically fit are at risk for heart disease when they spend a good amount of time watching TV. "Even if someone has a healthy body weight, sitting for long periods of time still has an unhealthy influence on their blood sugar and blood fats," says Professor David Dunstan, the study's lead researcher. Australian scientists, lead by Prof. Dunstan, looked at about 9,000 people over the course of six years, grouping them into categories depending on how much television they watched. The group that watched the most (four or more hours a day) were 80% more likely to develop heart disease and die from ...