"I am not a nerd nor am I intelligent. My brain is as big as a pea. I have flunk my science classes since Fourth Grade. For some reason, my brain start blocking anything that has not been established. I remember exactly what my Fourth Grade teacher said (can't remember her name though), "The universe has so much mysteries that has yet to be discovered." From there on, I hardly give a crap. My fascination on wondering how beautiful it must be out there brought me back in wanting to know more about the huge space we have not explored.

Major Planet Formation Mystery Solved
By Dave Mosher
Staff Writer
posted: 29 August 2007
1:01 pm ET

Planet formation is a story with a well-known beginning and end, but how its middle plays out has been an enigma to scientists-until now.

A new computer-modeled theory shows how rocky boulders around infant stars team up to form planets without falling into stars.

"This has been a stumbling block for 30 years," said Mordecai-Marc Mac Low, an astrophysicist at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, of planet formation theories. "The reason is that boulders tend to fall into the star in a celestial blink of an eye. Some mechanism had to be found to prevent them from being dragged into a star."

The solution: Together, many boulders can join to fight a cosmic headwind that otherwise would doom them.

Truckin' boulders

The stuff of rocky planets originates in an accretion disk, or collection of gas and dust that circles around a newborn star. Over time the dust particles bunch together and form large boulders, but eventually they meet "wind" resistance from the disk's mist of gas.

"They see a headwind. It's deadly and drags them into the star," Mac Low told SPACE.com.

Modeling the turbulence within the gas, however, showed that boulders can team up and form planets.

"Turbulence in the disk concentrates boulders in regions of higher pressure," Mac Low said, noting that such a disturbance is enough to enable the boulders to fight the dooming headwind. "If the gas is sped up, the boulders don't see a headwind. By getting the gas going with them they conserve energy and stay in orbit."

Mac Low compared the effect to a chain of semi-trucks driving down a highway. Each boulder is like a semi-truck "pushing" the gas in front of it, creating a friendly pocket of air behind it that other semis can travel in without using up as much fuel. "The end of the story is that enough boulders gather together, gravity takes over and they collapse into planet-like bodies," Mac Low said.

Mac Low and his colleagues' findings will be detailed in an upcoming issue of the journal Nature.

Pulverizing problem

Although Mac Low and his colleagues kept planet-forming boulders safe from the gravitational clutches of stars in their simulation, he noted that many questions remain.

"There are enough uncertainties that [planet formation] is not going to be an open and shut case any time soon," he said. "We don't know how that collapse into a planet actually occurs. You've got thousands, millions of boulders swarming together like a bees. In my nightmares I imagine that they grind each other down to dust and it all goes away."

Despite the problem, Mac Low is confident the theory will hold up to future scrutiny.

"All that material is gravitationally bound together, so we think it's likely that it will form large objects," he said. Running the computer simulation, in fact, formed tight boulder clusters as large as the dwarf planet Ceres (formerly known as the asteroid Ceres).

Alan Boss, an astrophysicist with the Carnegie Institution in Washington, D.C., said that the theory is attractive despite the caveat.

"Overall, the calculations present an encouraging approach to understanding how something happened that we know must have happened, at least for the terrestrial planets," Boss said in an e-mail. How giant planets form yet another question. One idea is that gas coalesces around a rocky, or terrestrial planet. Boss, however, thinks the gas giants collapse from a knot, much in the manner of star formation.

Mac Low and his team plan to address the mystery of how boulders collapse into planetesimals, or protoplanetary chunks of rock, in the future.

Video: New Black Planet

I am speechless... thanks Chuva!!

You Got to hear the song

Relationships. Why can't it be as simple as a straight line? Why does it have to be so complicated? Chuva, Reyna and Matilda are now moving on with their life coping and coped with the heartaches they had. But why does it have to be complex! So I found this interesting How to have a healthy relationship and I would like to share this info to all of you.

1. Do not expect anyone to be responsible for your happiness. Too often relationships fail because someone is unhappy and blames their partner for making them that way. Make yourself happy first, and then share his or her happiness.

Precisely!!! How can you expect your partner to be happy when all you do is bitch about your life?!!! Have you ever had that instance that someones mood just rub off on you! You have to stir your life and mind away from this bad vibes.

2. Do not do anything for your partner if it comes with an expectation of reciprocation. The things you do for your partner must always be done because you chose to do them and you wanted to do them. Do not hold your “good deeds” over their head at a later time. Keeping score in a relationship will never work: a person is less likely to notice and value all the contributions of their partner as much as their own.

This is so true. Stop lifting your own chair because the goodness of that deed start to look like done just for show.

3. Tell the unarguable truth. Many people are taught to lie to protect someones feelings, either their own or those of their partner. Lies create disconnection in a relationship, even if your partner never finds out about it. The unarguable truth is about your feelings; your partner can argue about anything that happens outside of you, but he or she cannot rationally deny your feelings. Here are some examples: "I felt scared when I saw you talking to him at the party or at school," "I feel angry when you hang up on me," and "I felt sad when you walked out during our fight and didn't want to be around me."

When you lie to someones face, you are only FOOLING yourself. Plus lying does not make you cool. Do you get satisfaction from LYING?! I don't. I feel stupid and foolish when I do ;-)

4. Forgive one another. Forgiveness is a process of ending your anger or resentment towards another individual. It can have the power to transcend all offenses, great and small, and learning to forgive another takes patience, honesty, and respect. When sincerely given freely in a relationship, forgiveness may heal relationships that are suffering. Forgiveness is an act of humility, not one of haughty feelings.

This really varies. Forgiving is really easy but very tricky!

5. Make and keep clear agreements. For example, if you say you're going to meet your partner for lunch at noon, be on time, or call if you're going to be late. If you agree to have a monogamous relationship, keep that agreement and/or tell the truth about any feelings you're having about someone else before you act on them. Keeping agreements shows respect for yourself and your partner, as well as creating a sense of trust and safety.

6. Be Responsible. Here's a new definition: Responsible means that you have the ability to respond. It does not mean you are to blame. There is tremendous power in claiming your creation. If you've been snippy to your partner, own up to it, and get curious about how you might do it differently next time. If you are unhappy in your relationship, get curious about how this situation is similar to others from your past, and how you might create a better relationship for yourself rather than try to change your partner.

7. Approach your relationship as a learning experience. Each one has important information for you to learn. For example, do you often feel 'bossed' around in your relationship, or do you feel powerless? When a relationship is not working, there is usually a familiar way that we feel while in it. We are attracted to the partner with whom we can learn the most, and sometimes the lesson is to let go of a relationship that no longer serves us. A

truly healthy relationship will consist of both partners who are interested in learning and expanding a relationship so that it continues to improve.

8. Appreciate yourself and your partner. In the midst of an argument, it can be difficult to find something to appreciate. Start by generating appreciation in moments of non-stress, and that way when you need to be able to do it during a stressful conversation, it will be easier. One definition of appreciation is to be sensitively aware so you don't have to be sugar-coating anything so tell her or him you love him and that you don't want to argue but talk and make it better.

9. Review your expectations. Make sure you don't try to make your partner fulfill every need in your life. One person cannot be everything to you. Everybody needs love, intimacy, affection, and affirmation, but your partner cannot alone give you all of that. You need to get some from your friends, from your family, but first and foremost, love yourself. Attempting to change someone else’s mode of processing or personality style won’t work -- and will create derailments.

This I have to learn. Learn really fast too. I do love myself and I love my son the most but sometimes with the schedule its too hard to find time to hang around with friends.

10. Use communication to establish a common ground to understand different points of view and to create a mutual, collaborative agreement or plan. You can either choose to be right, or you can have a relationship. You can't have both. Most people argue to be "right" about something. They say. "If you loved me, you would..." and argue to hear the other say, "Okay, you're right." If you are generally more interested in being right, this approach will not create a healthy relationship. Having a healthy relationship means that you have your experience, and your partner has his or her experience, and you learn to love and share and learn from those experiences.


Tips

* It is not necessarily a good idea to answer certain questions with absolute truth if they bring emotional harm. "Do you sometimes think about your ex?" and "do I look fat in these pants?" are both loaded questions. In a relationship, answer questions honestly, but with tact and grace. For example, "I don't think those pants look good on you" is a helpful answer, instead of simply "they don't", or "they do make you look fat".
* Remember what you don’t do is as important as what you do.
* Strike while the iron is cold. Know when to be reflective and invoke principles. When the house is burning is no time to teach fire safety principles.
* All good relationships are based upon mutual respect. If you do not feel respect for your partner, or believe that they are losing respect for you, then consider rebuilding the respect immediately.
* Communicate with your partner. Without communication, there is no relationship so try and call your partner even if it's just to say 'hi' and 'I love you'.
* Avoid flirting with others, especially previous partners. Doing so may spur romantic feelings for another. There is nothing wrong with having friends of the opposite gender; just keep flirting out of the friendship.
* Tell your partner how you really feel about your ex and why you're no longer romantically involved. Don't ever lie or cheat on your partner.
* Be the first to tell your partner what is on your mind either positive or negative. Address what your plan is to remedy it. Playing guessing games may lead to misunderstanding and confusion.
* Always make sure to show your partner that you appreciate him/her. Whether it's calling them to check in, say I love you, or just spend your Saturday night together. The possibilities are endless

The meteors about to rain down on September 1, 2007, date from about 4 A.D.

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Regular computerized passports will be available starting Friday afternoon at the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

But the electronic or machine-readable passports will be issued initially to applicants of passport renewal. First-time applicants will still get the old green passports with handwritten entries.

“We are still in the transition period. Those who will renew their passport on Friday will be issued a Machine-Readable Passport (MRP). But we will accept new applicants for MRP passport by September 17," explained DFA Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs Domingo Lucenario.

Read more...

From: Love Bytes With Sex Expert Tracey Cox
Thursday, August 09, 2007

Is he the one for you? Relationship experts tend to agree there are five key areas which seem to make or break a relationship. Couples who remain blissfully bonded for life tend to connect on all five, those who match on three or four still enjoy very happy, satisfying relationships, but the couples who struggle to hit two inevitably decide they are barking up the wrong pair of trouser legs and split!

Let’s see how you and your lover score.

The first crucial connection point is:.
Chemistry: does it feel right?
There’s a simple way to tell if you’ve got chemistry with your partner. If you have to think too hard about it, you haven’t! It’s instant: it’s either there right from the start or it develops rapidly. You’ve got chemistry if you find them very, very attractive, you feel like you ‘click’ and your gut instinct on meeting them was a very definite ‘Yes, please!’
Compatibility: how much do you have in common?
Most of us have cultural beliefs and values, even if we aren’t conscious of them, and we tend to match up with someone whose views correspond with ours. Compatibility is about past experiences and future expectations - it’s about identifying with someone so we feel comfortable with them. If you don’t, there could be rough seas ahead.
Common goals: how many do you share?
I’m not just talking about the big things like houses and children. I’m talking about the little ones as well - like wanting to travel together, throwing parties, decorating the house together. Fun stuff! The more goals you set together as a couple, the stronger the relationship. If you work well as a team, it’s a very good sign.
Speed: are you both ‘fast’ or ‘slow’ people?
Fast people juggle a dozen projects at once, talk on the phone while they’re typing on their computer, rarely sit down for more than five minutes and plan on being MD in five years. If that’s you, it’s not a good idea to choose someone whose idea of excitement is watching Cheers re-runs on a Saturday night.
Timing: are you at the same stage in your lives?
This one’s as important as chemistry. You can connect on all the other four but it’s not going to get you anywhere if your timing’s wrong. If you’re 32 and ready to settle down and he’s 26 and still interested in partying or working full-time on his career, it’s pointless. Not so good either if they’ve just come out of a marriage and not looking for commitment but you are. It’s not always about age, by the way, we all mature at different stages. It’s more about wanting the same things from a relationship at the same time.

To my dearest Reyna, this is for you! So those bastards stops hurting you!

Lions and Buffallo and Crocs oh my!

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News - NASA Photographs Big Galactic Collision - AOL News: "NASA Photographs Big Galactic Collision
By Ker Than,
Posted: 2007-08-07 05:38:23
Filed Under: Science News
Space.com


(Aug. 7) - A major cosmic pileup involving four large galaxies could give rise to one of the largest galaxies the universe has ever known, scientists say.

Each of the four galaxies is at least the size of the Milky Way, and each is home to billions of stars.

The galaxies will eventually merge into a single, colossal galaxy up to 10 times as massive as our own Milky Way.

'When this merger is complete, this will be one of the biggest galaxies in the universe,' said study team member Kenneth Rines of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.

Space.com
Feed


Photo Gallery: Mega-Merger
K. Rines, JPL-Caltech / NASA



One of the biggest galactic collisions ever observed takes place at the center of this image. The four blobs in the middle are galaxies that have begun to merge into a single gargantuan galaxy.


T. Pyle, JPL-Caltech / NASA

An artist imagines what the night sky might look like from the surface of a planet in the vicinity of the cosmic pileup.


COBE/NASA

Each of the four galaxies in the collision is at least the size of the Milky Way, depicted here in a satellite scan, and each is home to billions of stars.


JPL-Caltech / NASA

Galaxy collisions are a common occurrence in the universe. Our own Milky Way is fated to collide and merge with its neighbor, Andromeda, pictured here. Source: JPL-Caltech, Space.com, NASA

Bad Thai cops to endure Kitty shame - Yahoo! News: "Bad Thai cops to endure Kitty shame

Mon Aug 6, 7:38 AM ET

BANGKOK, Thailand - Thai police officers who break rules will be forced to wear hot pink armbands featuring 'Hello Kitty,' the Japanese icon of cute, as a mark of shame, a senior officer said Monday.

Police officers caught littering, parking in a prohibited area, or arriving late — among other misdemeanors — will be forced to stay in the division office and wear the armband all day, said Police Col. Pongpat Chayaphan. The officers won't wear the armband in public.

What kind of punishment do you think is good for the Philippine Law Enforcers who does not abide by the law? I have a few in mind and they are not very nice. Do you have anything in mind?

The striking armband features Hello Kitty sitting atop two hearts.

'Simple warnings no longer work. This new twist is expected to make them feel guilt and shame and prevent them from repeating the offense, no matter how minor,' said Pongpat, acting chief of the Crime Suppression Division in Bangkok.

'(Hello) Kitty is a cute icon for young girls. It's not something macho police officers want covering their biceps,' Pongpat said.

He said police caught breaking the law will be subject the same fines and penalties as any other members of the public.

'We want to make sure that we do not condone small offenses,' Pongpat said, adding that the CSD believed that getting tough on petty"

A newly discovered solar system could be a preview of our sun's fate.

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A very cute puppy

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I grew up having several breeds of dogs. We had a Japanese Spitz (Whitie), Doberman (Bomba), Duschund (Genie, Balweg and Bogart), English Bulldog (Harley), Pekingese (Cottonballs) and askal (Clara and Bogart). I remembered wanting to pet cats whenever my parents took me to my Lola's (grandma) house but I and my cousins where not allowed. Why? Beats me! The explanation I remembered is that they carry disease and they don't like kids. So I guess I never bothered. Although for some reason, I remember that there where people who would put them kitten in sacks and take them villages away to get rid of them. I know it was mean. But I guess they were not cat lovers. So if you would have asked me 8 years ago if I wanted a cat. My answer would have been Hell NO! As my hair and eyes color change so did my perception about CATS. They are such wonderful pets. First and foremost, they don't droll all over the place. They do not stink at all (which my lola kept telling me) and have great personalities. They are not difficult to handle since from birth they are potty trained. Cat's are perfect pets for people with limited living area. I would like to share some photos of our cats and hopefully you would admire and love them the way we do. The Gray color Domestic short hair cat is THE CAT while the White Kitten with me is Mouge.

If you would like to adopt dogs and cats, please visit The Animal Oprhanage located in Voorhees, NJ.



Cats vs. dogs at the shelter:
At the third largest shelter in the country, Santa Clara County, California,
- 36% of the animals handled are dogs, vs. 64% cats.
- Euthanasia totals are 80% cats and 20% dogs.


Food for thought:
If all stray and feral cats were caught and altered or killed, owned cats would have to produce an additional 22 litters per year per thousand cats to sustain zero population growth. This is twice the current rate. To balance out the cat population, it is necessary to either increase cat ownership or reduce kittens being born to strays and ferals, or both. Programs which address these solutions should be encouraged, i.e. elimination of limit laws, or Trap / Test / Vaccinate / Alter / Release programs (TTVAR).


The American Shorthair Breed Profile of the "All-American" Cat

Guest Feature Article by Michelle T. Bernard ©2003
The American Shorthair (ASH) is thought to have originated from cats brought over on the Mayflower. These cats were employed on the ship as mousers. While today's ASH should still be able to hunt, most are far too busy being lap cats to be bothered by such a mundane task as mousing. When first registered and exhibited with The Cat Fancier's Association (CFA), the ASH was called the Domestic Shorthair. The name was changed to American Shorthair in 1965.

The ASH is a breed that should be moderate in all respects. There should be nothing exaggerated in its appearance. Exhibited in a rainbow of colors, the most common being the striking silver classic tabby and the brown classic tabby, the ASH is a medium to large-sized cat with females ranging from 8 to 10 pounds and males from 10 to 12 pounds.

The head structure of the ASH is one of the features that distinguishes the ASH from today's random-bred domestic shorthair. The head, when viewed from the side should be as broad as it is long. The eyes are large and wide-set with the top of the eye being round and the bottom almond-shaped. The standard (the description of the "perfect" ASH used by judges when evaluating show cats) calls for brilliant gold eye color for most colors except for silver tabbies who should have brilliant green eye color. Solid whites can be shown with gold, blue or odd eye (blue and gold) eye color.
The muzzle of the ASH should be square (capable of grasping prey) and the ears should be medium in size and low-set. The overall head structure should offer a wide-open, sweet expression.

The body should be medium-sized with a solid bone structure. The length of the body should be able to be divided into three equal parts. Excessive ranginess or cobbiness is faulted.

The coat should be short in length, thick and it should have some texture to it. While the coats of some colors, like the silver tabby, tend to have a longer, softer feel, the short length, textured coat is what is preferred.

The ASH, being a working cat, should present the appearance of a cat that would be able to withstand the elements, run through undergrowth and catch prey. It is normal for a slight pouch under the belly of the ASH which provides protection. The skin should also be slightly loose, again, for protection.

While we certainly do not want our ASH running around like wild cats, fending for themselves, they should still have all the necessary equipment.

The temperament of the ASH is like its body structure and appearance: moderate. They are very middle-of-the-road. Not too active, nor too sedate, the ASH is a wonderful cat to live with. Normally, they are not vocal and often will communicate in sweet chirps and squeaks. Many will open their mouths to meow and no sound comes out - a silent meow. They are great couch or bed cats and will happily follow their caregiver from room to room.

One aspect of the ASH personality that is important to know is that they are what we call "four-on-the-floor cats." They prefer to get around on their own steam. While some ASH may accept toting around, many will struggle to be put down if carried too far, too frequently. In fact, should your ASH become frightened while in your arms, it is usually safer for all concerned if you put the cat on the floor and restrain here there instead of in your arms. They tend to calm down more rapidly if their four feet are on a solid surface.

While ASH have the reputation of being great family cats, I do not think they are any better than many other breeds. It all depends on how they are brought up as kittens. Research breeders carefully. If you want a cat to be a child's companion, try to find a breeder who has children. While kittens tend to adapt to new situations, it will be easier to introduce a kitten to children if he has previously been exposed and handled by children. The same goes for previous exposure to dogs. If nothing else, find a breeder who raises kittens "under foot" in a home environment. This type of upbringing results in well-socialized, easy going kittens.

While the ASH is one of the more healthy breeds, there are a few hereditary diseases in some lines such as cardiomyopathy. Ask about the parents and grandparents of the kitten you are considering. If they are not alive, ask what they died from. Ask for references from the breeder. You should purchase your kitten with a health guaranty wherein the breeder agrees to replace the kitten should he be diagnosed with a hereditary disease.

Given healthy food, adequate exercise and a clean environment, your ASH should be with you for many years.

I have always been chubby when I was young. Well except when I was between 7 to 9 years old, I was a bit bony and chunky (ok really that did not make sense at all).
The worst was after I had my son. It was ok at first but I could just not stop stuffing my face with anything in sight. I love food. I love eating. Then here it comes one morning I looked at the mirror and I was not satisfied so I took a picture. To my disgrace, I stopped taking a picture of myself and stopped looking at the mirror. Then things was not working with my marriage. The fights were constant and non sense. It was awful when you have a child and could not get along with your spouse. The verbal abuse wasn't helping me with my weight problem. It was the late 2003 my dear friend Matilda and her boyfriend Will opened a nice upscale club in Philly. They invited me and my hubby to go, since my ex was informed that its an open bar and free drinks he wanted to go. I was a little hesitant but what the hell so we went. I had a blast! So I went out again with Matilda (without the hubby) and met more people. I kept enjoying myself and thought I need new wardrobe!!! Because I was a 200lb woman, I felt so uncomfortable haning around MATILDA since she is like a walking stick. I've told myself that day that I would try to cut down on my food intake. So instead of ordering a Personal Pizza and a dozen buffalo wings for lunch I ordered a small salad with no dressing. Low fat here and there! Next thing I know from a size 16 I was fitting on size 12. I was so happy that I was fitting in more clothes but he night outs with my friends was not helping my marriage. Since I love my son, I stop going out and instead tried to save my marriage. A year later, whew!!! He was out the door and thank goodness I maintained the weight but the size 12 was getting tight. I was stuffing my face with food and CHOCOLATE. After the separation, I was really determined to lose as much weight as I can. It was January 2005, since yo momma is now single there is a need for new outfit!!!! I was so amaze when I tried on a size 6 jeans and they fit. Hurray it worked it worked! And it did not end there. I am have been living with my boyfriend have been back to being content. Now I have to start all over again and try to shed some more I am still between size 8-10 but hey at least not that huge anymore.


I know that there are women who are content with their looks. I have so much insecurities and I did not feel good about myself. I am not trying to offend anyone I just want to share my story and I felt I succeed.