WcP Blog

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AFP - France spearheaded alarmed reaction from European nations as Israeli tanks and troops pushed into the Gaza Strip, revealing a sharp difference in tone from the official line in Washington.

At least 460 Palestinians have been killed and thousands wounded in an eight-day bombing campaign, according to Gaza medics, as Israeli tanks clashed overnight with Hamas fighters who fired back with mortars and rockets.

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said the decision to send ground forces into Gaza after a week of air strikes was a "dangerous military escalation", while Britain called for an immediate ceasefire.

The European Union's new Czech presidency said Israel did not have the right to take military actions "which largely affect civilians," though its launching of land operations in the Gaza Strip was no surprise.  read more »

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The US space agency's (NASA) Mars rovers are celebrating a remarkable five years on the Red Planet. The first robot, named Spirit, landed on 3 January, 2004, followed by its twin, Opportunity, 21 days later. Their longevity in the freezing Martian conditions has surprised everyone.

The unmanned rovers Spirit and Opportunity are showing serious signs of wear after an astounding five years roaming Mars, U.S. space agency officials say. Scientists initially thought the remote-controlled machines would last only three months in Mars' freezing climate, said John Callas, rover project manager at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Jet Propulsion laboratory in Pasadena, Calif.

"These rovers are incredibly resilient considering the extreme environment the hardware experiences every day," Callas said, noting information sent by the rovers have proved water existed on Mars billions of years ago.  read more »

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(above) Norway - Bright beaks and feet signal the breeding season for Atlantic puffins on Hornoya Island. The birds’ colors dull for winter. Puffins in summer and winter coloration look so different they were once thought different species.

(left) Among cities, San Diego may be the most animal-centric. Animals at the zoo and SeaWorld have names, constituencies and birthday parties. So when Zhen Zhen, a giant panda at the San Diego Zoo, turned 1 year old on Sunday, she celebrated with a jumbo-sized birthday cake: a honey-glazed exterior, stuffed inside with fruit, vegetables and bamboo. Sister Su Lin turned three a few days earlier, with a similar fest. For pandaphiles, Zhen Zhen is now 45 pounds and is approaching the day of independence from her mother, Bai Yun. Su Lin is about two years away from potential motherhood.

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Photos courtesy of Jan Vermeer, Foto Nature, San Diego Zoological Society, ppalmward/wallpaperbase.com, and First People  read more »

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Stargazers around the world are busy preparing for the International Year of Astronomy. A staggering 135 nations are collaborating to bring the Universe closer to Earth. Events and activities will take place over the coming 365 days and beyond, in a spectacle of cosmic proportions.

The International Year of Astronomy 2009 (IYA2009) has been launched by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) under the theme, "The Universe, yours to discover". Thousands of IYA2009 events are described on the national websites, as well as on astronomy2009.org, and a few of the global projects are listed here.

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Excerpt from Off the Train of Morrow
by LuCxeed

Is Past a past
or a ghost?
Mind of Time, haunted,
disturbed, confused,
cannot think, nor rest...

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From the book: Love’s Footsteps ~ dedicated to a Bridge for Wisdom to Walk on

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Chuckles from the Top of Everest
by LuCxeed

Love delivers kisses aplenty
so does lust or affection
so does scheme or infatuation
so does courtesy or flirtation

chuckles from the top of Everest
laughing at the rest
of romance fled
as Daylight brooms the bedroom

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From pages 19 & 20 of the book: Love’s Footsteps ~ dedicated to a Bridge for Wisdom to Walk on

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Matt Harding is a 32-year-old deadbeat from Connecticut who used to think that all he ever wanted to do in life was make and play videogames. Matt achieved this goal pretty early and enjoyed it for a while, but eventually realized there might be other stuff he was missing out on.

In February of 2003, he quit his job in Brisbane, Australia and used the money he'd saved to wander around Asia until it ran out. He made this site so he could keep his family and friends updated about where he is. A few months into his trip, a travel buddy gave Matt an idea. They were standing around taking pictures in Hanoi, and his friend said "Hey, why don't you stand over there and do that dance. I'll record it." He was referring to a particular dance Matt does.

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Poet in solitude. Voice out of silence.
Journey after journey, over decades, along a lonely path
filled with perilous adventures and distinct accomplishments
paralleling constant pondering in various schools of thought.
Thus,
the poems are wide-ranging in topics,
many inspired by true events, by true stories
while alongside, photographs and art, by nature.
Uncommon.

Poet in solitude.
Voice out of silence.
For years, LuCxeed has led a mostly solitary
existence, dedicating life and passion to thought,
paying homage to philosophy & poetry, photography & art.

In equanimity, and more than often, the poet travels
back and forth, between West and East,
back and forth, between nature and society.

Journey after journey, over decades, along a lonely path
filled with perilous adventures and distinct accomplishments
paralleling constant pondering in various schools of thought.
Thus, the poems are
wide-ranging in topics,
many inspired by true events, by true stories while
alongside, photographs and art, by nature.

Poetry from life is presented to Life - the release of
more than 100 poems in five books by LuCxeed,
inviting readers to enjoy Poem in Art, Poetry in Gallery,
voice and visual art under one roof. Each page
delivers a surprise, refreshing and appealing,

imbued with the poet’s philosophy for Truth, for Simplicity, for Beauty.  read more »

TimeAhead^TM Calendar
"For Kids, the Future of Our World"
January 2009 - December 2009

Click here to view larger image and download the 8.5"x11" letter-size printable calendar (pdf file).

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Cheops Pyramid – Egypt, finished in 2,600 BC (481 ft - 146 m)

The Cheops Pyramid at Giza, Egypt, was finished in the year (approx) 2,600 BC and reigned as the world's tallest building / structure for another 4,000 years. How the Great Pyramid was built is a question that may never be answered. This pyramid is thought to have been built between 2589 - 2566 BC. It would have taken over 2,300,000 blocks of stone with an average weight of 2.5 tons each. These stones were brought from Aswan and Tura and the water would have brought the stones right to the pyramid. The total weight would have been 6,000,000 tons and a height of 482 feet (140m). The Great Pyramid of Cheops (Khufu) is the largest and the oldest of the Pyramids of Giza. It wasn't until the 13th Century that Egypt lost the title to a cathedral that was constructed in the U.K. at Lincoln.

Lincoln Cathedral, U.K., completed in 1311 AD (525 ft - 160 m)

Construction of the Cathedral finished in the year 1311 AD, and the Cathedral maintained the title of the world's tallest building for 238 years until 1549 AD, when the central spire was destroyed in a storm. The central spire was never re-built.

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If “Habit is the nursery of errors”, let ThinkAhead^TM Calendar be the nursery of greatness.

ThinkAhead^TM Calendar is vision in visuals, visual vision.
Nature tosses lives into the constant flow of time.
Think ahead for Life ahead. Vision delivers options to embrace the near future with choices.

The traditional calendar presents dates based on the position of the sun.
The planner is more about “planning” events, schedules by the hour.
ThinkAhead^TM Calendar is a visual presentation of your own vision, choices for a better life in a better world, to mark inspired ideas for the near future on the seasonally-renewed always-12-months-ahead calendar.

Vision in visuals, visual vision.
Concept having been told, here are the design features -
◊ always 12 months ahead, dynamic, seasonally-renewed, i.e.
   January 2009 - December 2009;
   April 2009 - March 2010;
   July 2009 - June 2010; …
   October 2010 - September 2011 and so on
◊ downloadable pdf file, ready to print (letter size)
◊ background & foreground images with area for notes
◊ foldable, easy to jot notes on and carry around
◊ inexpensive & replaceable, convenient to be filed away,
   impressive for handing out

Destiny is a mystery.  read more »

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Christmas is the most popular holiday of the year in the whole world. About 400 millions people celebrates Christmas holiday each year in winter. In the early 17th century, a wave of religious reform changed the way Christmas was celebrated in Europe. When Oliver Cromwell and his Puritan forces took over England in 1645, they vowed to rid England of decadence and, as part of their effort, cancelled Christmas. By popular demand, Charles II was restored to the throne and, with him, came the return of the popular holiday. The pilgrims, English separatists that came to America in 1620, were even more orthodox in their Puritan beliefs than Cromwell. As a result, Christmas was not a holiday in early America.

From 1659 to 1681, the celebration of Christmas was actually outlawed in Boston. Anyone exhibiting the Christmas spirit was fined five shillings. By contrast, in the Jamestown settlement, Captain John Smith reported that Christmas was enjoyed by all and passed without incident. After the American Revolution, English customs fell out of favor, including Christmas. In fact, Congress was in session on December 25, 1789, the first Christmas under America’s new constitution.  read more »

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Caroline Kennedy

This card, from the US Senate-hopeful, read: "In this season of Joy, the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum thanks you for your friendship and good will and we wish you a year of peace and happiness."

In the photo, President Kennedy fed bread to a deer in Lassen National Park, Calif., in September 1963. The next morning when the president asked why there was no toast with his breakfast, he was told he had fed the entire supply to the deer.

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Photos courtesy of Cecil Stoughton

Original Source: Boston Globe