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...