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Rhianna's Groovy Tarot BLOG: What's in The Cards?
Blog of Rhianna, a Groovy Fortuneteller: read about political & economic rants and rambles as Rhianna reveals crystal ball forecasts and tarot card predictions with a mystical twist on celebrity gossip, fortunetelling, current events, astrology, humor, entertainment, news and advice.
Monday, May 31, 2004
Self Study Guides Currently Available at Central Institute of Technology's free online self-study IT courses mirrored at the University of Nebraska at Kearney
Picture the future
MIS | Magazine > Picture the future: "There will be 80 million camera phones in use by 2005. Dan Danbom provides a snapshot of where this alarming trend will take us"
Could chaos come with the camera ordered to the phone? Well, in brief:
Study finds fractals relax and remove stress
UO researchers are studying the patterns-within-patterns that humans find soothing
"At their basic level, fractals are repeating patterns that reveal greater complexity the more they are enlarged. Some are geometric and easy to spot, like a snowflake or the popular example known as the Sierpinski Triangle, a triangle made of so many smaller triangles that the closer you look the more triangles you find.
Others are more subtle, their geometry so irregular it appears chaotic. A swirl of clouds or the complex interlacing of tree branches might seem random to the naked eye, but when examined in extremely close detail they reveal patterns built of patterns built of patterns."
Jackson Pollock, stress reliever: Physicist finds fractals have a calming effect
Jackson Pollock, stress reliever: Physicist finds fractals have a calming effect: "Physicist Richard Taylor of the University of Oregon says such fractal patterns, found in nature and in art, seem to reduce stress. He is leading an international team of scientists that has found exposure to these patterns can lessen a person's stress levels by as much as 60 percent."
Sunday, May 30, 2004
IHT: Victory and sacrifice honored by memorial
IHT: Victory and sacrifice honored by memorial
"Tens of thousands of aging veterans gathered under a sparkling sky on the National Mall for the long-awaited dedication of the World War II Memorial, a tribute to the United States' greatest military victory and to those who fought to preserve democracy against the threat of tyranny."
Ever wonder about the Cold Process soapmaking method?
AquaSapone - Marina's version of the classic cold process soapmaking method (CP) - Overview
Marina, from Australia, gives an in-depth overview to the soap making process. Remember that soap making deals with certain harsh substances/chemicals, so you might want to read about the process in order to appreciate natural soap making.
It might be easier to buy a bar than to make a batch. Check this out for information on essential oils, soapmaking, kits, supplies, gifts and links!
Czech it out!
National Polka Fest continues through this evening in Ennis
Polka festivals are great family entertainment:
"The sights are colorful and include the traditional red and white polka costumes, as well as multi-colored balloons, handmade floats decorated with tissue paper in a rainbow of colors, with sounds that include the “oohs and aghs” from young and old alike.
“The parade gets bigger and bigger every year,” Cindy Pechal, executive director of the Ennis Convention & Visitors Bureau, said. “The annual Polka Festival continues to draw people from all walks of life looking to have family fun.”
Individuals who have a love for the Czech tradition come from all across the nation to enoy the three day event. "
Harry Potter Stars Predict Gruesome End to Series
Film Article | Reuters.com: "LONDON (Reuters) - It may not be the ending Harry Potter fans are hoping for, but the film's teenage stars predict Harry will die at the end of the series, Ron will turn evil and Hermione may end up with him."
Saturday, May 29, 2004
Bloogz The Blog Search Engine:
Bloogz The Blog Search Engine
"Bloogz is a search engine based on feed rss, a format that is appropriate for diffusion of contents on the Internet.
RSS documents are an effective tool for web sites with frequent updating.
Bloogz continuously collects news, using a "Crawler" which scans RSS files of web logs registered in the database."
Bloglines | Free, Web-Based News Aggregator
Bloglines | Free, Web-Based News Aggregator: "Bloglines is a free service that makes it easy to keep up with your favorite blogs and newsfeeds. With Bloglines, you can subscribe to the RSS feeds of your favorite blogs, and Bloglines will monitor updates to those sites. You can read the latest entries easily within Bloglines."
Trends in Blog Searching
"To use Google to find information across blogs, enter your keywords then ~blog inurl:archives. Using blog and archives is somewhat redundant but using archives alone retrieves more newspaper articles and using ~blog alone works and gets more hits but with less precision"
" In Yahoo, adding blog inurl:archives to your search also seems to do the trick. In Teoma, add blog archives to your search. The inurl: shortcut works only if used for the whole search phrase."
Coming Soon – the Death of Search Engines?
"What does the future hold for search engines and searchers?
There is little doubt that both Google and Yahoo will continue to grow their portals. At the present time, generating as much ad revenue as possible is the only viable business model for a free service that depends on huge amounts of traffic for success. The only other pure-search player of significance is Gigablast, and its principals care about improving search query interpretation...Gigablast doesn’t have enough going for it to create a mass migration away from Google. The other major player, Microsoft, is expected to enter the search arena in the coming months with a major new product. What that will look like is anyone’s guess, but given Microsoft’s deals with LexisNexis, Gale, and other paid content suppliers, it is reasonable to assume that Microsoft may expect to earn revenue from its search site – not exclusively from advertising, but also by selling (probably cheap) paid content on demand."
USATODAY.com - Touring farm, Prince William hints at armed forces career
USATODAY.com - Touring farm, Prince William hints at armed forces career
"LONDON (AP) — Prince William hinted strongly on Saturday that he will join the armed forces when he graduates from university."
Economic Data to Call the Shots
Business News Article | Reuters.com: "The economy has shown signs of surprising strength in recent months, but indications that inflation may be rearing its ugly head -- particularly as oil prices hit record highs -- have put stock investors on edge."
Russian Ex-Capital May Sell Palaces to Save Them
Life & Leisure News Article | Reuters.com: "St Petersburg is dotted with palaces and aristocratic mansions built by the cream of Russian society when the city was founded in 1703 marshland by Czar Peter the Great. They were taken over by Soviet authorities in the name of the people.
The dire state of many buildings, particularly lesser known monuments not in the city center, has convinced many that the plan amounts to a last-ditch rescue mission."
Watching Paint Dry Is Latest Reality TV Gimmick
Oddly Enough News Article | Reuters.com: "LONDON (Reuters) - Some critics say the endless stream of hugely popular reality television shows are as dull as watching paint dry."
David Vest: Welcome to the Hundred Year Quagmire
David Vest: Welcome to the Hundred Year Quagmire
"'Someone Else For President,' the slogan that will have won the election, may come to ring hollow indeed, and Kerry's presidency could effectively be destroyed before he takes office, by a war that became his very own the day he voted to authorize it, a vote he shows no sign of repenting, launching us forward into what could well turn out to be a Hundred Year Quagmire."
Friday, May 28, 2004
The Spoof - U.S. Employment up 12%
The Spoof - U.S. Employment up 12%
"Only thirteen employed people left in America, Bureau of Labor Statistics has two of them.
Washington, DC -- Employment grew at a robust 12% in the last quarter as the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the Department of Labor announced its latest findings today. The highlight of the increase was in the fast food sector..."
Bush eyes Democracy R Us in Iraq
The Spoof - Bush eyes Democracy R Us in Iraq
"Iraq's conversion to a Halliburton-based economy will be aided by a transitional Iraqi government comprised of guys who don't mind having a terrorist bull's eye painted on their headgear.
National elections will come soon enough. But first it is vital to teach Iraqi politicians how to divert millions into their campaign war-chests and slime their opponents with negative ads. Presidential candidates will also need seminars on how to exploit family connections and use the Supreme Court to seize power. "
Avril is not afraid to be different
Don't Call Me Punk, Singer Avril Lavigne Warns
Don't try to classify Avril Lavigne: she doesn't want to carry the banner of punk, yet she isn't exactly folk. Avril has her own rock niche and the sounds from Janis Joplin might carry artistic influence into Avril's future sound.
With the hike on ice cream prices, what'ya expect?
Inflation Mild But Consumers Glum
Consumer confidence is down. Worries about the price of oil are up. Ice cream cones are overpriced...plus the weather hasn't been that great.
New York City's Metropolitan Museum Hosts Show of Late-Byzantine Art
Examples of art come from the expanded time frame of 1261 through 1557.
"A new exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City is perhaps the largest show ever assembled of late-Byzantine art, with works created in the medieval empire that extended from what is now Russia and Ukraine, to the Balkan states, to Turkey, Greece and Egypt. Byzantium: Faith and Power is on view through July 4.
Byzantine art looks away from the natural world, attempting instead to represent what’s eternal, divine and unchanging. The signal pieces in the show are icons, religious images thought to be holy in themselves, that are meant to be venerated. They may be icons of individual saints, like Saint Theodosia, or Russia’s patron saints, Boris and Gleb."
Three Ways To Wreck Your Finances
The Motley Fool UK: Money Comment 27/05/2004
Read the article for the explanations. The 3 ways to wreck your finances are:
Ice Cream vendors feel a pinch from rising prices
Crain's New York Business: "New York ice cream lovers may have to pay higher prices for their favorite scoop or cone, starting next week, when the price per gallon of milk jumps by 25 cents, the second price increase in two months. "
High Gas Price Seen Stunting Shopping and Travel
US News Article | Reuters.com: "CHICAGO (Reuters) - Some U.S. consumers plan to cut back on travel and shopping as long as steep gasoline prices keep taking a bigger bite out of their wallets, according to an NPD Group survey released on Friday.
The sales and marketing information group's survey found that 28 percent of American consumers say they have bought less gasoline than usual, and a 'significant percentage' plan to reduce spending on clothing, dining out and entertainment like cinema, theater and sports events."
Slashdot | Teaching History In Schools With Video Games
Slashdot | Teaching History In Schools With Video Games
This author advocates that learning history can be enhanced through video games.
Why not enhance the teaching of Medieval/Renaissance history with tarot cards?
Thursday, May 27, 2004
Space telescope glimpses births of stars: NASA. 28/05/2004. ABC News Online
Space telescope glimpses births of stars: NASA. 28/05/2004. ABC News Online: "The Spitzer Space Telescope has given US scientists their first glimpses of stars being born, NASA says."
Spacecraft on edge of Saturn's rings
The Scotsman - International - Spacecraft on edge of Saturn's rings: "What sets Saturn apart from the rest of the planets are its rings, which are made up by billions of ice and rock particles. "
Visual Collections
"Visual Collections provides simple access to over 300,000 images from over 34 collections including cartography, fine arts, architecture, photography, and other renowned collections."
"Cartography, fine arts, architecture, photography, visual arts, David Rumsey Historical Map Collection, Charting the Nation, Japanese Historical Maps, USF Florida Maps, USF Rare Maps, AMICO Library, MoMA, National Palace Museum, Estate Project for Artists with AIDS, Claire Holt Indonesian Art Images, Andrew Dickson White, Sape A. Zysitra Architectural Slides, CITY2000, The Corner Archive of Chicago, Centro Asturiano Membership Records, Robertson, Fresh, Earl R. Jacobs, Burgert Brothers, Icelandic, Manatee County Public Library, Stokes, Archibald Slaymaker Glass Negative, Ensminger Brothers, Wehman, Hoover Institution Posters, Farber Gravestones, Archive of Early American Images, Hampton Dunn Postcards, The Digital Scriptorium, Walter Scott, Charles Ringling Family Papers, Athanasius Kircher, artists, research, collection, catalog, media content, image search, internet, on-line collection, library, Cartography Associates, David Rumsey, Luna Imaging, Insight, Java Client, resource, metadata, zoom"
Mark Fiore's Animated Political Cartoons!
Mark Fiore's Animated Political Cartoons!
Get the Flash plug-in to see these animated political cartoons.
Mark Fiore is a master of political satire. Turn on your speakers too for the full effect.
OFT warns on store card costs
Guardian Unlimited Money | News_ | OFT warns on store card costs: "Britain's main consumer watchdog yesterday launched a public awareness campaign urging people to look carefully at the costs and conditions before signing up for a store card.
The Office of Fair Trading has published a credit card-sized leaflet, titled Are You Store Card Smart? 'to alert consumers to the serious credit commitment that a store card represents'."
Japanese still falling for 'It's me' telephone scams
The Japan Times Online
"These scams, which have been coined 'Ore ore' ('It's me') frauds, involve mainly young men acting alone or in groups who call targets and persuade them that they are relatives in trouble and need quick cash -- one example is to say they have caused a fatal traffic accident and need compensation money."
BBC NEWS | Technology | Spam messages on the increase
BBC NEWS | Technology | Spam messages on the increase
There will be more spam and lots of it will be devoted to financial scams.
"The Can-Spam Act requires people to reply to e-mails in order to stop receiving them, while the EU favours a so-called opt-in clause, meaning individuals have to actively request commercial e-mails.
The fact that much of the spam is generated in the US renders the EU law ineffectual."
Translating Kabbalah's origins requires a life of dedication
"The Zohar, which means "radiance" in Hebrew, is both a vast metaphysical compendium, full of abstract terms that are light years distant from a modern reader's vocabulary and a kind of mystical novel told in an earthy narrative style."
Posh Denies Kabbalah Link
Totally Jewish - News Channel
"Her personal life may have been thrown into disarray in recent months but Victoria Beckham has denied turning to spiritual offshoot kabbalah.
The former Spice Girl was recently seen sporting a red string round her wrist as favoured by supporters of the controversial cult including celebrities Madonna and Britney Spears."
Why does Posh deny incorporating helpful philosophies from the Kabbalah into her own life practices?
Porsche Owners: Swift Knights of Action
Survey finds more Porsche owners fool around. 27/05/2004. ABC News Online
"Do not trust a man with a fast car.
Porsche drivers are less faithful than any other group of car owners, with almost 50 per cent of them cheating on their partners, a survey published in German magazine Men's Car has revealed."
Tarot symbolism: The Knight of Wands is often pictured as a warrior in complete armour on a black steed. The Knight of Wands is logic-defying in his actions and is a lover of action. Perspicacious in everything he does, he is energetic, has a quick wit, and can be sexually aggressive.
The Knight of Wands, or in some decks, the Prince of Wands in your spread could signify a person, or an event, or influences around a decision depending on your question and the spread.
If the Knight/Prince of Wands indicates a man in your life or one that will soon be, he will appear as an unanticipated source of support whose enthusiastic creative approach will seem to solve your present problems.
This card has such an emphasis on travel that the proposed solution might be to get away. Sure a vacation from your problems might offer a clearer solution to them, but watch out if travel plans seem too hasty or too costly.
The Knight of Wands or the Prince of Wands in your spread could mean good fortune or misfortune depending on the card's placement in the spread and whether the card is dignified (upright) or ill-dignified (reversed).
You, too, can have your WHEEL OF FORTUNE
Buying an existing business a better alternative to starting one from scratch: "For a growing number of entrepreneurs, buying an existing business has become a good way to reap the benefits of business ownership without having to go through the risk and work of building a company from scratch."
Indian American nets a fortune with anti-spam venture
The Peninsula On-line: Qatar's leading English Daily
"New York: Indian American technology professional Sunil Paul could never have imagined that solving his wife’s nagging complaints about unwanted e-mails would help him earn a fortune."
Former presidents of Peru and Ecuador shared fortune teller - May 26, 2004
CNN.com - She was off by a day: "LIMA, Peru (AP) -- Former president Alberto Fujimori and his Ecuadorean counterpart Jamil Mahuad both saw their terms cut short amid turmoil about three years ago. A new video shows they had something else in common -- a mysterious soothsayer to advise them...It was unclear what tips the fortune teller gave Mahuad, now a fellow at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government."
Behind the scenes of 'Wheel of Fortune'
KATU 2 - Portland, Oregon: "Vanna and Pat's interaction with the audience, touching the screens and spinning the wheel has put the show in the captain's seat of television game shows. It is the number one show in the history of syndicated television."
2 fall prey to healer, fortune teller ruses - MAY 27, 2004
Elderly women cheated out of savings and jewellery with tales of black magic and appeasing spirits
"Police spokesman Karen Chen said: 'The elderly should be wary of strangers who try to be too friendly. Do not fall for anything that sounds too good to be true, such as fortune-telling, magic talismans that can cure illnesses, or any get-rich-quick schemes.'"
Fortune teller told Peru's Fujimori to flee. 27/05/2004. ABC News Online
Fortune teller told Peru's Fujimori to flee. 27/05/2004. ABC News Online: "A videotape has come to light showing a fortune teller telling Peru's disgraced ex-president Alberto Fujimori to flee in 2000 and warning him of the huge corruption scandal that caused his government to collapse."
Forbes.com: Yahoo adds anti-spyware feature to browser toolbar
Forbes.com: Yahoo adds anti-spyware feature to browser toolbar: "Anti-Spy for the Yahoo! Toolbar, which is being released as a beta, or test, version, allows users to identify potentially unwanted software that creeps into personal computers. "
Wednesday, May 26, 2004
Mirror.co.uk - WHY DO STARS PUT THEIR FAITH IN KABBALAH?
Mirror.co.uk - WHY DO STARS PUT THEIR FAITH IN KABBALAH?
"Kabbalah, described as 'a divine system of wisdom', is believed to have been passed by God to Abraham and to Moses.
Rabbi Solomon describes it as the spiritual laws of creation, 'like the DNA of the cosmos', but there's nothing very mystical or esoteric about Rabbi Solomon's presentation on his flip-chart.
The word Kabbalah is Hebrew for 'receive' and it's this 'gimme gimme' aspect that he decides to focus on: 'The creator wants you to have everything you want.'
Later, browsing the Kabbalah Centre's online store, it's the same story. One book, The 72 Names Of God, promises that by meditating on the appropriate name, you'll be able to 'bring more money into your life, ignite sexual energy and passion, meet your true soulmate and radiate beauty to all who see you.'"
CRAZY FOR KABBALAH
New York Post Online Edition: entertainment: "Kabbalah is based on the Zohar, a 23-volume set of books on Jewish mysticism written 3,800 years ago, entirely in Mel Gibson's native Aramaic.
Its numerology and symbology promise the secret to consciousness-raising powers.
And here's the best part for non-Jewish celebs: the center claims that merely scanning the Zohar will cause its magic to rub off; you don't even have to know how to read the Hebrew letters."
Focus: Mysterious, lucrative, cool. So what is the secret of Kabbalah?
News: Celebrity and mysticism: "If you strip away the colourfully Baroque cosmology of the movement, the Kabbalah is an ancient and profound form of personality typing, arising out of the Image of God. This may seem presumptuous, but the Jewish Torah describes God's features and emotions in very human terms, and the Kabbalah continues this tradition.
Its guiding principle, therefore, is that the Unknowable God has made himself known by revealing himself in 10 different manifestations. Each of these manifestations or Sefirot corresponds to a particular human personality type. And so it is that all Kabbalists, as they reflect on their character, the light and the shadow, can find themselves in the divine form. In themselves, they represent a particular truth about God, and are thus part of the image of God."
Perspectives & Forecasts
Perspectives & Forecasts from The Herman Group where you can read about:
We are trapped in an era of escalating change The past is behind us Corporate size no longer equals corporate power Unprecedented churning in labor marketplace will be disruptive Corporate loyalty is dead Workers will take control of their own careers
Read about those topics and more! Take the Questionnaire for The Future
What words and where? Applying usability testing techniques to name a new live reference service
What words and where? Applying usability testing techniques to name a new live reference service
"Using a user-centered design methodology has helped to ensure that the new live reference service is visible and used. Because of the testing, we are confident that the level of use is not impeded by the name or the graphic design. Many of this study's findings echoed the findings of the National Cancer Institute: graphics should be chosen by users; banner graphics are ignored by users; Web designers must make it clear where to click; and they must place the link to the service in a prominent location like the center of the screen. Text links worked better than graphic links. Even our graphical links were designed to look like text with a clickable button."
CCS Your Way to Learner Control
CCS Your Way to Learner Control
"Cascading style sheets enable HTML authors to change the default specifications in a style sheet rather than in HTML code, so that new style rules may be applied to all instances of a specified HTML context in a site. This is similar to functionality of custom styles in MSWord documents. A CSS-enabled Website that’s thoughtfully designed allows the developer direct, immediate, and global control over all major formatting elements."
Inflation is predicted
STLtoday - Business - Story: "WASHINGTON - Fueled by rising energy prices and a rebounding economy, inflation will pick up more this year than previously believed, says a group of forecasters.
In its latest outlook, the National Association for Business Economics estimated that inflation, as measured by the consumer price index, will rise by 2.5 percent in 2004. The index is the government's most closely watched inflation gauge. "
EXCLUSIVE: Madonna's Israel Dream
Totally Jewish - News Channel
Madonna's spiritual beliefs and practices follow the mystical Kabbalah and she would love to perform in Israel; but due to the situation there at this time, it would be wise for Madonna to postpone her concert.
“Perception of Space” at Boijmans Van Beuningen
ROTTERDAM.- Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen presents “Perception of Space,” on view through August 1, 2004. : "Not only the phenomenological or optical perception of space plays a part, but the mental and physical sensation of it just as much. The artists play a deliberate game with the parameters of perception through a strong interest in optical phenomena and different modes of consciousness. "
The Mythology of the Constellations
The Mythology of the Constellations: "Most ancient cultures saw pictures in the stars of the night sky. The earliest known efforts to catalogue the stars date to cuneiform texts and artifacts dating back roughly 6000 years. These remnants, found in the valley of the Euphrates River, suggest that the ancients observing the heavens saw the lion, the bull, and the scorpion in the stars. The constellations as we know them today are undoubtedly very different from those first few--our night sky is a compendium of images from a number of different societies, both ancient and modern. By far, though, we owe the greatest debt to the mythology of the ancient Greeks and Romans. "
bubblegeneration - strategy, business models and technology
bubblegeneration - strategy, business models and technology: "If this is a multiplayer game, the really important bit is coordination. But coordination takes (a lot) of time, effort, and usually, money - there are significant costs to coordination. Now, for fanatics, as we've noted, opportunity costs are really low - so the opportunity cost of coordination is similarly low. But for the average person, the opportunity cost of coordination is really high - they've got lives to live. That means, in an extreme case, coordination failure: average people will fail to coordinate among themselves and influence the outcome of the 'democratic' process."