MIAMI - About 45 feet beneath the ocean’s surface lies a cemetery with gates, pathways, plaques and even benches.
The Neptune Memorial Reef, which opened last fall, is seen by its creators as a perfect final resting spot for those who loved the sea. They hope that one day the reef will cover 16 acres and have room for 125,000 remains.
“This is simply as good as it gets,” said Gary Levine, a diver who conceived the reef and is now a shareholder in the company that owns it.
The Neptune Memorial Reef is located in open waters 3 1/4 miles off the coast of Key Biscayne, which means any certified diver can visit. The artificial reef’s first phase allows for about 850 remains.
The ashes are mixed with cement designed for underwater use and fitted into a mold, which a diver then places and secures into the reef. A copper and bronze plaque is installed with the person’s name, date of birth and death. There is also a line for a message.
Artificial reef near Miami is cemetery, diving attraction - Yahoo! News
]]>A University of Leicester space scientist has worked out that sending texts via mobile phones works out to be far more expensive than downloading data from the Hubble Space Telescope.
He worked out the cost of obtaining a megabyte of data from Hubble – and compared that with the 5p cost of sending a text.
He said: “The bottom line is texting is at least 4 times more expensive than transmitting data from Hubble, and is likely to be substantially more than that.
“The maximum size for a text message is 160 characters, which takes 140 bytes because there are only 7 bits per character in the text messaging system, and we assume the average price for a text message is 5p. There are 1,048,576 bytes in a megabyte, so that’s 1 million/140 = 7490 text messages to transmit one megabyte. At 5p each, that’s £374.49 per MB - or about 4.4 times more expensive than the ‘most pessimistic’ estimate for Hubble Space Telescope transmission costs.”
Space scientist says texting is four times more expensive than receiving scientific data from space
]]>The way the warden sees it, the more than 400-pound 180-kilogram black bear living in the middle of the sprawling Louisiana State Penitentiary is an extra layer of security.
“I love that bear being right where it is,” Warden Burl Cain said Monday. “I tell you what, none of our inmates are going to try to get out after dark and wander around when they might run into a big old bear. It’s like having another guard at no cost to the taxpayer.”
The bear was first seen by an inmate crossing a road in the prison on Friday. It was taking a stroll near the center of the state’s only maximum security prison, which is about 115 miles 185 kilometers northwest of New Orleans. Most of the roughly 28-square-mile 73-square-kilometer prison is run as a farm, but about 5.5 square miles 14 square kilometers is mostly untouched piney woods.
Prison workers measured the bear’s footprints, which were 6 inches 15 centimeters in diameter, Cain said.
“Every inch equals 75 pounds, so that would make it about 450 pounds,” Cain said. “The wildlife people told us they think it’s a big female they’ve been tracking for a while.”
Prison officials believe they have eight to 10 bears on the grounds, said Gary Young, head of the executive management office at the prison.
Maria Davidson, manager of the Large Carnivore Program for the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries, doubts there are that many, but marvels that even one was spotted in an area of high activity such as the center of the prison.
US Prison Finds Something New to Deter Escapes - a Bear Living on the Grounds - News
]]>If you’re interested in purchasing one, why not consider purchasing Nathan Thoms’ book, Machiavelli Meets Mayor Quimby: Political Commentary in the First Season of The Simpsons in Kindle format for your reading pleasure at only $1.99?
]]>With a name like ‘No More Gas’, you can bet that this cute little personal electric vehicle is as good to the environment as it is to the user. Its size, weight and fuel make it much better for the planet, while its look and driving experience make it great fun for the driver. Looking like it’s dropped straight out of an episode of The Jetsons, this tiny car can achieve speeds of over 75mph for a cost of $0.02 per mile. All this eco-goodness earned Myers Motors’ NmG vehicle kudos at this year’s Well-Tech Awards exhibit in Milan.
No More Gas, myers motors, well-tech awards, milan 2008, personal electric vehicle, EV, Electric car, emissions free car, NmG, eco car, green car
Much of the NmG’s benefits stem from its size. Holding just one person, it’s much smaller than the average car. Smaller cars means more commuters can fit on the roads, getting where they need to be in a shorter time. The size also enables drastic reductions in fuel consumption, earning it the title of the most energy efficient vehicle on the road today. Its size also allows the NmG to achieve a range of 25 to 30 miles, making it suitable for the vast majority of commutes.
And it’s sticker price is a mere $36,000!
For more information and photos, visit Inhabitat » NO MORE GAS Personal Electric Vehicle
]]>Willy Wonka came up with some pretty cool confectionary creations: Non-melting ice cream. The Everlasting Gobstopper. Edible wallpaper. And who wouldn’t have loved to try his Three-Course-Dinner-Gum? (Though we probably wouldn’t have been so wild about turning into a giant blueberry, a la Violet Beauregard.)
]]>Life Expectancy Is Declining in Some Pockets of the Country
By NICHOLAS BAKALAR
Published: April 22, 2008
Life expectancy has long been growing steadily for most Americans. But it has not for a significant minority, according to a new study, which finds a growing disparity in mortality depending on race, income and geography.
]]>Also known as the Children of God and the Family of Love, these folks are the reason most of us know the word “cult” today. We say accept no substitute when you want to devote your life and soul to a group of societal outcasts.
Most famous for giving sex a more prominent role in their beliefs than your average Amish, the Family has a tradition of religious prostitution. While suckers at regular churches handed out pamphlets threatening you with Hell if you didn’t go to Church, the Family used positive reinforcement by having people fuck you to convert you, a marketing ploy that could probably sell anything from sandwiches to shoes full of broken glass.
Since they decided to take an official stand against sexual child abuse, which they happily claim to have stopped a full 18 years after they were founded in 1968 (really, who knew child molestation was wrong before 1986?).
They also take a stand on sexuality believing that it’s cool for chicks to be bi. But only if a dude is there, which is something Jesus probably would have said if he’d thought of it. Also of note: that this cult exists in the real world and not a porno, though we can only guess at what inspired it.
Like most Christian-based religions, the Family loves Jesus. Unlike most, they feel they literally love Jesus. During sex or masturbation, women are encouraged to imagine it’s Jesus working his magic on them. Men, as you may expect, are encouraged to imagine they are women, so as not to seem gay when they think of Jesus doing them. You didn’t expect that? Neither did we. But, we try to always keep an open mind.
In fact it’s nice to know that as a member you’d be way closer to the Lord than most people claim to be. Way, way closer.
]]>“If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.” - Cicero
While many readers have noted my efforts and articles on self-improvement, what I haven’t stressed as much is the beauty of becoming content with what you have and who you already are.
I’m definitely a goal-oriented person — I always have my eye on a goal, whether that’s writing a book, running a marathon, improving my blog, waking early, losing weight, or one of a dozen other goals I’ve had (and usually achieved) in the last couple of years. And once I’ve achieved a goal, I begin looking for another: now that I finished my second marathon, I’m already looking for a third.
So isn’t that a contradiction? Doesn’t that seem to indicate that I’m not content with my life? Not at all. I’m extremely content with my life, with what I have, and with who I am. I have accepted that I am the type of person who will always be striving for a goal, the type of person who enjoys a challenge, and who enjoys the journey. It’s not the goal that matters to me — it’s the journey to get there that is so fun. And I’m content with being that type of person…
Read the rest of The Incredible Power of Contentment | Zen Habits
]]>updated 3:08 p.m. ET, Tues., April. 1, 2008
We’ve all been there — the small child kicking the back of your seat, the lack of leg room, the war over the armrest. While there’s no fail-safe way to guarantee that aisle seat in the exit row near the front of the plane with no one sitting next to you, we have some tactics that will help. Check out our tips for getting the best seat on the plane
What makes a great seat?
Exit rows, aisle or window seats, and seats close to the front of the plane are typically considered the best. On a short business trip, you probably want an aisle seat near the front of the plane. On an overnight flight, you’ll want a window seat so you can rest your head. Nervous fliers may want to sit over the wing, where there is less turbulence.Exit row seats usually offer a bit more legroom, but they’re not appropriate if you’re traveling as a family. By federal law, no one under 15 may sit in an exit row, and infants are not permitted in the rows immediately behind or in front of an exit row either…
Read the rest at 10 ways to get the best seat on the plane - Tips- msnbc.com
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