Can you scream aww!
- 1Via @thedodo
- 2Via @afvofficial
- 3Via : @mishipeshus
- 4Via @vlenika
- 5
- 6Via catloversclub
- 7
Read more: http://cheezburger.com/4771845/7-top-5-cat-videos-we-saw-on-instagram-this-week
Tuesday, February 13, 2018
7 Top Cat Videos We Saw On Instagram This Week
Saturday, January 20, 2018
Officials: The kids were starved. The dogs were well-fed.
(CNN)When authorities arrived Sunday night to a home in the California town of Perris, they found a family with 13 children, most of them starved and startlingly skinny.
They also found two female dogs. Well-fed, in good shape, seemingly well-trained.
The parents, David and Louise Turpin, were arrested and face dozens of charges each that include torture of their children. The Turpins pleaded not guilty on all counts.
The children - seven adults, six kids - are in the hospital, recovering from years of alleged abuse and neglect.
The dogs are at a shelter, and authorities plan to find a new home for them as a pair.
"They are in good condition, very active and friendly," Perris city spokesman Joseph Vargo said of the two 1-year-old Maltese mixes.
The dogs will get a new home on February 5 when the winners of a raffle, open to locals only, are announced.
City residents will need to apply in the next week and be prepared to have their homes checked out.
Vargo said the dogs - a black one named Fluffy and a white one with no known name - bark and wag their tails when they meet people and look pretty happy.
The dogs will get their shots and be spayed before being adopted out.
Authorities have accused the elder Turpins, whose children are between 2 and 29 years old, of beating, choking and tying most of the siblings up as punishment. Prosecutors have not alleged the 2-year-old was tortured. The parents allegedly deprived the children of water and fed them small portions of food on a strict schedule.
The 29-year-old child weighs just 82 pounds, prosecutors said and the other children are so thin they all look younger than their actual ages, authorities said.
The parents have pleaded not guilty to 37 charges. David Turpin also pleaded not guilty to one count of lewd conduct with a minor.
Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2018/01/19/us/turpin-family-dogs/index.html
Sunday, December 17, 2017
Thanks to Google AI, Astronomers Have Found New Planets
For the first time, NASA has used machine learning to identify two new planets in distant star systems. One of those worlds is the eighth in its system, making that planetary system the largest-known yet discovered.
We know stars can have eight planets already (hello, Solar System!), so thats no surprise. The excitement comes in how this new world was found: using an artificial intelligence machine learning method known as neural networks.
On Thursday afternoon, Christopher Shallue, a senior software engineer at Google Brain, and Andrew Vanderburg, an astrophysicist at the University of Texas at Austin, announced the new worlds in a press conference. Its the eighth planet orbiting the 90th star in the Kepler observatorys catalog, so it carries the name Kepler-90i. Its a smallish, rocky planet orbiting very close to its host star. This method also identified a fifth planet in the Kepler-80 system, described in the same research paper.
The data pointing to the planets existence was collected several years ago, but was simply too weak a signal to be revealed using standard methods.
But thats exactly what computers are good at: performing tasks that are challenging or tedious for humans to do unaided. In particular, neural networks operate by teaching a computer to recognize patterns. In fact, the type of neural network we use is similar to the type we use for identifying cats and dogs in images, Shallue said at a press conference.
Once the neural network establishes a pattern, it can apply what it learns to new data, much like we humans can recognize dogs weve never seen before. Now weve shown that neural networks can also identify planets, Shallue said.
The Kepler mission collected so much data that it was impossible for scientists to analyze it all by hand, Vanderburg said. There are too many weak signals.
In other words, the signs of these planetssome possibly even habitableare hiding in plain sight within Kepler data, but produce effects that are too small for us to notice. Its like trying to pick out the sound of a single violin within a large symphony orchestra. With neural networks, however, the proverbial needle in the haystack can be found. Shallue reported it takes roughly five to six hours of computer run-time per star to find planets, but the speed improved as the neural network learns.
This is a really exciting discovery, and we consider it to be a proof-of-concept for identifying planets, Vanderburg said.
The Kepler observatory identifies exoplanets (planets orbiting other stars) by the amount of light they block from their host stars. This brief eclipse, called a transit, provides information about the size of the planet, which tells us if its rocky like Earth or gaseous like Jupiter. The transit also tells us how long the planet takes to orbit and how large its orbit is, revealing whether liquid water could exist on the surface.
This is a really exciting discovery, and we consider it to be a proof-of-concept for identifying planets.
Andrew Vanderburg, University of Texas at Austin astrophysicist
Kepler-90 is a little larger and hotter than our sun. Kepler-90i is the smallest planet in the system, though its still about 30 percent larger than Earth. Kepler-90i orbits Kepler-90 about every 14 days, meaning its surface is likely about 800 degrees F. Its probably a rocky world, its temperature making it more like Mercury than Earth.
Its not a place I would want to visit, Vanderburg said.
The other newly discovered planet, Kepler-80g, is slightly larger than Kepler-90i, and orbits at about the same distance to its star. These arent planets for future human settlement, even if we could figure out how to get there. But both planets are members of complex star systems, which have planets far more tightly packed than the Solar System.
In particular, all eight of Kepler-90s planets orbit the star closer than Earth orbits the sun. Thats a common situation in exoplanet systems, where nearly all multiple planet systems we know have very hot planets.
On the other hand, exoplanet transits make it more likely to find such close-in planets. The neural network method of identifying other planets could help locate others that dont fit that pattern.
Its possible Kepler-90 has even more planets that we just dont know about, says Vanderburg. He wants to analyze all 150,000 stars in the Kepler data set to find other planets that might be hiding there, particularly those that are small, far out from their host stars, or both.
The Kepler observatory was launched into space on March 9, 2009, and operated successfully until the middle of 2013. Rather than orbit Earth, the spacecraft orbits the sun directly at the same distance Earth does, so (unlike the Hubble) its view isnt blocked by the planet. During its operation, the telescope aimed at a region of the sky, observing all the stars in its field of view constantly.
In that way, Kepler could monitor the tiny fluctuations of light from the transit of exoplanets. As of Thursday morning, astronomers had identified 4,496 potential exoplanets and confirmed 2,341 of those as definitely being planets orbiting other stars. Based largely on those discoveries, scientists think most stars in the Milky Way have planets, and the total number of planets may vastly outnumber the galaxys stars.
When two of its four reaction wheels failed, the telescope lost its ability to point steadily at one part of the sky. From that point, the mission was renamed K2, and continued to work, even though it slowly rotates and cant consistently look at the same stars. Despite that, K2 has identified 184 new exoplanets and 515 candidates.
Jessie Dotson, Kepler project scientist at NASAs Ames Research Center, pointed out that not only are these successes due to the sheer amount of data Kepler has collected, but also to technological advances in efficiently analyzing that data. The use of neural networks is the latestbut probably not lastexciting development.
[Keplers data] clearly demonstrate the diversity of planetary systems, Dotson said. Using these new methods, who knows what potential insights might be gained?
Read more: https://www.thedailybeast.com/thanks-to-google-ai-astronauts-have-found-new-planets
Tuesday, December 12, 2017
Missed the bitcoin boom? Five more baffling cryptocurrencies to blow your savings on
Regretting not spending a few hundred quid on bitcoin five years ago? Get ahead of the speculators by spending thousands of dollars on a imaginary cat or the Paris Hilton-backed LydianCoin
If you are worried youve missed out on making millions by betting on bitcoin, dont worry: there will be plenty more bizarre, borderline-incomprehensible digital bubbles in the future, and their value is only going to go up (until it all comes crashing down, that is). Here are five assets each competing to be the next bitcoin.
Ethereum
If there is a reason beyond market exuberance for the latest boom in bitcoins price $16,900 (12,600) as I write this, though who knows what it will be when you read it then it is Ethereum. It is hard to buy Ethereum directly, so most investors trade currency for bitcoin, then bitcoin for Ethereum, meaning a spike in interest in the latter helped revive the former.
Ethereum, which was launched in 2015, allows users to build decentralised applications, spending tokens called ether to buy processing power on computers run by other members of the network. Those applications can offer anything from file storage to financial services or simple games, all in a way that is impossible for any centralised authority to shut them down.
CryptoKitties
One of the oddest Ethereum projects in operation, CryptoKitties is a three-way cross between Tamagotchis, Beanie Babies and animal husbandry. Users can buy, sell and breed the eponymous cats, with traits inherited down the generations. The CryptoKitties network is responsible for 11% of all traffic on Ethereum, according to one report. A new gen0 cat is born every 15 minutes, which the company auctions off, and it also takes a cut of all other CryptoKittie sales. The typical cat sells for about $4 these days, but a few of the rarer cats particularly those descended from some of the oldest bloodlines are worth many times that. The most expensive CryptoKitty sold to date, Founder Cat #18, went for more than $110,000 on Thursday.
Monero
If lovable algorithmic cats are too cutesy for you, Monero harks back to the dark origins of the cryptocurrency craze. This alternative to bitcoin lets users make the same sort of digital transactions as its older sibling, but with vastly greater privacy protections. While bitcoin transactions are permanently recorded, and visible to everyone (if hard to connect to a real person), Monero goes to great lengths to obscure what is actually going on: you cant ever prove the sender, recipient and value of a transaction at the same time. The currency is also altered to make it easier to generate new coins using the sorts of processors in computers and phones, rather than requiring specialised mining rigs. This makes it very popular for services ranging from drug dealing online to monetising malware by taking over the processors of victims.
LydianCoin
Perhaps you want to plough your money into something backed by an authority you trust. In that case, let me introduce you to LydianCoin, the first AI big data marketing cloud for blockchain. If the buzzword bingo doesnt get you pulling out your e-wallet, maybe the celebrity backer will: in September, Paris Hilton said she is backing the currency.
Want someone else? Boxer Floyd Mayweather posted his support of Stox.coms ICO (a Bancor-based open-source prediction market platform that is built on Ethereum, to quote industry news site Coin Telegraph), as well as Hubii Network (a content marketplace). He even dubbed himself Floyd Crypto Mayweather. Or you could follow Jamie Foxx (Cobinhood, a zero trading fee cryptocurrency exchange) or Wu-Tang Clan member Ghostface Killah (Cream Capital, a blockchain-based ATM network).
PlexCoin
PlexCoin, an innovative attempt to build the next decentralised worldwide cryptocurrency, has already raised $15m from backers, so youd better move fast to ah, hang on. No. The founder has just been sent to jail for two months for, among other things, falsehoods on the companys fundraising documents, as well as taking investor money and using it to fund home improvements. A statement by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said the company hits all of the characteristics of a full-fledged cyber scam. Oh well. At least PlexCoin is now a steal on the open market: just 2 a coin, down from 12 before the SEC filed charges. Maybe you could buy low and make a killing after all?
Monday, December 11, 2017
New Hilarious Photos By The Twitter Account Matching People with Their Doppelganger Dogs
Have you ever wondered what your doggie doppelgnger would look like? Well, wonder no more: The hilarious @YouAreDogNow takes photo submissions of selfies (or squads) and pairs them with an image of their perfect counterparts.Here are some new photos submitted lately.
- 123456789101112
Saturday, December 2, 2017
Fit in my 40s: If you breathe properly, it will improve skin, sleep, digestion, mood
First, you must concentrate
Esther Nagle is teaching me to breathe by Skype. If you breathe properly, filling your lungs from the belly to the throat, it will improve everything: skin, sleep, digestion, even impending Christmas stress. First, you must concentrate. Its not meditation that has a precise meaning. We call it quiet sitting. Right. I should be able to sit quietly.
Sit up straight. Clasp your hands, right hand dominant, thumbs touching, put them in your lap. Dont change the way youre breathing, just focus on it. Is it through your mouth or nose? Deep or shallow? Really think about whats happening. I can breathe, but I cant think about breathing. I am thinking about revenge. When your mind wanders, bring it back gently. How could she see my mind wandering, over Skype, with my eyes closed? No recriminations. Dont judge yourself.
In fact, Im judging the man who cycled into my dog, not an hour ago, then floated his intent to call the police. You hurt a dog, playing in a park, and you want to call the police?
It is ze English law ze dog must be under control. Pollution mask. Cycling 20 miles an hour through a park. Hates dogs. Obsessed with authority. Plainly, I had slipped into a Ukip anxiety dream.
Well start with sukha pranayama, easy breathing. Yup, sorry, right, I can breathe, I can do this. Start with three long breaths, taking four seconds to inhale, four to exhale. If you can manage it, well move to six seconds. But dont do it if its too hard. Ive hurt my lungs before trying too hard. How do you hurt a lung? I was experimenting with different ratios of breath. We go to six seconds. It is no longer easy.
We move on to vibhagha pranayama, lobular breathing, where you segment your lungs into upper breathing, mid-chest breathing and abdominal breathing, then work one at a time. To breathe into your abdomen, place your hands flat, just below your ribcage, with your middle fingers touching. Do a six-second breath to separate those fingers, then exhale to bring them back together. Then place your hands on your side aim for the feeling of your ribcage opening like an accordion then flat against your spine. Repeat this for mid-chest hands on your boobs and upper chest, hands just below the hollow of your throat, then at corresponding heights at the side and the back. By the end, youve had 54 seconds of quality breath.
How are you feeling about the cyclist?
Much better. I no longer want vengeance. I merely want the world to know that a bad man exists and he has a bike.
How do you usually cope with stress?
I sublimate, then drink through.
Breathing is brilliant for addiction recovery.
Wait, what? I dont want to recover!
She smiles. And breathe.
This week I learned
If youre breathing deeply, dont hold your breath.
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/nov/25/fit-in-40s-breathe-properly-zoe-williams
Sunday, November 26, 2017
Ex-sheriff Joe Arpaio used criminal case to embarrass senator, lawsuit says
Son of Arizona senator Jeff Flake says former sheriff and hard-right figurehead pursued animal cruelty case against him to hurt his father and publicize himself
A federal lawsuit set to go to trial next month is the latest action brought against the former Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio over allegations that he pursued a trumped-up criminal case to get publicity and embarrass an adversary.
One of Arizona senator Jeff Flakes sons has filed a malicious-prosecution lawsuit, saying Arpaio pursued felony animal cruelty charges against him and his then wife in an attempt to do political damage to the senator and to gain publicity.
Austin Flake and his wife were charged in the heat-exhaustion deaths of 21 dogs in June 2014 at a kennel operated by his in-laws. The Flakes were watching the dogs when the in-laws were out of town. The dogs died when an air conditioning unit failed in a small room where the animals spent the night.
The case against the Flakes was dismissed at the request of prosecutors. The owners of the kennel pleaded guilty to animal cruelty charges after an expert determined the air conditioner failed because it was not properly maintained.
The lawsuit against Arpaio, which is scheduled for trial on 5 December, alleges that he was intent on linking the Flakes to the dogs deaths, going so far as to conduct surveillance on the senators home. The suit also says Arpaios investigators examined phone records to see if the younger Flake had called his father during the time he was watching the dogs.
Lawyers for Austin Flake and his then wife, Logan Brown, have said Jeff Flake disagreed with Arpaio over immigration and was critical of the movement questioning the authenticity of Barack Obamas birth certificate, in which Arpaio played a leading role.
Arpaio, 85 and a figurehead for the anti-immigration hard right who became an ally of Donald Trump, lost his election bid for a seventh term as sheriff of Maricopa County last November. In August this year, Trump pardoned him over a conviction for contempt of court, in a case regarding the profiling of Latinos.
Jeff Flake, a prominent Republican critic of the president, has announced that he will not seek re-election to the Senate in 2018.
In a deposition in the case brought by Flakes son, Arpaio did not accept responsibility for bringing the charges against the couple and was unable to cite any evidence to support the allegations. He still expressed confidence in his investigators.
I am going by what my detectives accomplished during their investigation, he said during the July 2016 deposition. They had the nuts and bolts already. I defend my people. I have confidence in them. I dont have to know everything thats going on.
Arpaio and Jeffrey Leonard, an attorney representing Maricopa County and the former sheriff, declined to comment on the case.
Stephen Montoya, an attorney for Austin Flake and Logan Brown, said the sheriffs office did not have evidence showing his clients intended to hurt the dogs, yet still charged them with crimes that devastated them and contributed to the demise of their marriage.
It splashed their names across the internet as the murderers of 21 dogs, Montoya said, noting that Austin Flake was 21 and his wife was 20 at the time. It really ravaged them emotionally.
A ruling in August by the US district judge Neil Wake dismissed a defamation allegation from the lawsuit but determined investigators did not have probable cause to charge the couple.
A fact-finder could thus reasonably find that the prosecutors initially charged the Flakes based on pressure from Arpaio, Wake wrote.
The prosecutor who brought the allegations said in a court filing that she wasnt pressured by Arpaios office to prosecute the couple and that the decision to present the case to a grand jury was made by her and her supervisors. The Maricopa County Attorneys Office is not named as a party in the lawsuit.
The lawsuit does not specify how much money the younger Flake and his ex-wife are seeking. They previously sought $4m in a notice of claim a precursor to a lawsuit.
It is not the first time Arpaio has been accused of trumping up charges in an animal cruelty case. He launched an investigation against a police officer from the Phoenix suburb of Chandler over a 2007 death of a police dog that was left in a hot vehicle for 12 hours in blistering summer heat.
The officer was charged with animal abuse and eventually acquitted. He filed a lawsuit alleging Arpaio brought the criminal case so the sheriff could exploit the publicity. Taxpayers paid $775,000 to the officer to settle the case.
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/nov/24/joe-arpaio-jeff-flake-animal-cruelty-case-lawsuit
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