themindunleashed--2020-03-31--Photographs Capture a Rare Sight—Frozen Waves of Dream Lake in Colorado

( TMU ) — I wonder if Joseph Nicéphore Niépce , who took the first photograph in 1826 from an upstairs window of the Niépce ’ s estate in the Burgundy region of France , could ever have imagined that in the future billions of people would be carrying a camera in their hands every day .
That first image is a moment in history frozen in time , never to be repeated , as all photographs essentially are .
Colorado landscape photographer Eric Gross seeks out the unique and often unseen wonders in nature on his travels in North @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , without having to travel to the other end of the world , Gross happened to capture the ultimate moment frozen in time , almost on his doorstep , at Dream Lake in Colorado ’ s Rocky Mountain National Park .
Gross decided to explore a more isolated area of the lake when he arrived , hoping to find an exceptional view .
“ While much of the lake was simply bumpy , one small section near the shore actually had what looked like frozen waves with sharp edges , hard curves , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t explain what I was seeing , so while trying to imagine how ‘ frozen waves ’ could occur , I started shooting .
And shooting , and shooting , ” Gross said .
It was a case of learning on the go , and he soon found a technique that gave him the unique perspective he was looking for and fired his excitement for more .
Not surprisingly , after his amazing shoot in February , he was back at the lake in March for more , after which his photos of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ headlines soon after he posted them .
According to Gross , the weather was by far the most difficult part of his photoshoot at the lake .
He explained : “ After that first bluebird February day gave me an image I loved , I knew I had to go back and try again with more planning .
I tried to go for a sunset shoot the following week , but this location , being at 9,905 feet in elevation , battered me with over 40mph snow coming directly at me down the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ snowing at the trailhead at 9,400 feet , ” he continued : “ I hiked the next morning , where again , it was sunny at the trailhead , but after the 1 mile trip to the lake , it was far too windy with nearly whiteout conditions to take any photographs .
On my fourth and fifth trips , I was able to actually use my camera.
” Most nature photographers seem to have unbelievable patience and can do attitude when it comes to getting that perfect shot and thankfully Gross has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sorts of weather conditions .
And on this trip he also learned some lessons : “ What I learned from this experience is that for most locations , there is simply no way to plan a foreground for an image .
It requires going to the site and walking around , possibly for hours , to find something interesting enough to take up half the image .
Even on the carved ice , I have dozens of images from different pockets that aren ’ t nearly as compelling as the best ones , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inches can have an enormous impact on the image ’ s foreground.
” Gross has this to say of the future : “ As some hype built around these images and the lake itself , it became apparent that an interesting foreground , combined with a beautiful landscape background , is my ultimate prize .
As CoViD-19 has shuttered some areas and effectively locked me out of some opportunities before winter ends , my plan now is to put my boots to the ground a lot more often , looking for the most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on dramatic mountain peaks.
” With that in mind and being homebound for the time being , Gross has started making a list of past images taken from across North America which he hopes to retake , using his newly discovered artistic eye and perspective for foreground .
You can find more of his work on his website , Facebook , and Instagram page .

(TMU) — I wonder if Joseph Nicéphore Niépce, who took the first photograph in 1826 from an upstairs window of the Niépce’s estate in the Burgundy region of France, could ever have imagined that in the future billions of people would be carrying a camera in their hands every day. That first image is a moment in history frozen in time, never to be repeated, as all photographs essentially are.
Colorado landscape photographer Eric Gross seeks out the unique and often unseen wonders in nature on his travels in North America and the world. In February, without having to travel to the other end of the world, Gross happened to capture the ultimate moment frozen in time, almost on his doorstep, at Dream Lake in Colorado’s Rocky Mountain National Park.
Gross decided to explore a more isolated area of the lake when he arrived, hoping to find an exceptional view.
“While much of the lake was simply bumpy, one small section near the shore actually had what looked like frozen waves with sharp edges, hard curves, and steep sides. I couldn’t explain what I was seeing, so while trying to imagine how ‘frozen waves’ could occur, I started shooting. And shooting, and shooting,” Gross said.
It was a case of learning on the go, and he soon found a technique that gave him the unique perspective he was looking for and fired his excitement for more. Not surprisingly, after his amazing shoot in February, he was back at the lake in March for more, after which his photos of the frozen lake started trending and making headlines soon after he posted them.
According to Gross, the weather was by far the most difficult part of his photoshoot at the lake. He explained:
“After that first bluebird February day gave me an image I loved, I knew I had to go back and try again with more planning. I tried to go for a sunset shoot the following week, but this location, being at 9,905 feet in elevation, battered me with over 40mph snow coming directly at me down the valley, even though it was not snowing at the trailhead at 9,400 feet,” he continued: “I hiked the next morning, where again, it was sunny at the trailhead, but after the 1 mile trip to the lake, it was far too windy with nearly whiteout conditions to take any photographs. On my fourth and fifth trips, I was able to actually use my camera.”
Most nature photographers seem to have unbelievable patience and can do attitude when it comes to getting that perfect shot and thankfully Gross has experience in hiking and climbing in all sorts of weather conditions. And on this trip he also learned some lessons:
“What I learned from this experience is that for most locations, there is simply no way to plan a foreground for an image. It requires going to the site and walking around, possibly for hours, to find something interesting enough to take up half the image. Even on the carved ice, I have dozens of images from different pockets that aren’t nearly as compelling as the best ones, which showed that moving just a few inches can have an enormous impact on the image’s foreground.”
Gross has this to say of the future:
“As some hype built around these images and the lake itself, it became apparent that an interesting foreground, combined with a beautiful landscape background, is my ultimate prize. As CoViD-19 has shuttered some areas and effectively locked me out of some opportunities before winter ends, my plan now is to put my boots to the ground a lot more often, looking for the most interesting foregrounds, instead of focusing more on dramatic mountain peaks.”
With that in mind and being homebound for the time being, Gross has started making a list of past images taken from across North America which he hopes to retake, using his newly discovered artistic eye and perspective for foreground.
You can find more of his work on his website, Facebook, and Instagram page.
By Jade Small | Creative Commons | TheMindUnleashed.com
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themindunleashed--2020-03-31--‘Red Beacon of Doom’: New Yorkers Alarmed by ‘Nightmare’ Empire State Building Siren

( TMU ) — As the world continues to battle the coronavirus , each of us owes a profound debt of gratitude to our medical and emergency frontliners , who have been performing feats of heroism with great costs to their own health and safety .
Nowhere is this truer than in New York City , which is currently the epicenter of the CoViD-19 pandemic in the United States .
With over 36,000 cases and nearly 800 deaths as of Monday , hospitals and other critical services in the city have been pushed near the breaking-point as New Yorkers contend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Monday evening , the iconic Empire State Building made a gesture of gratitude with a glaring light display filled with symbolism that would make clear the city ’ s gratitude toward critical healthcare personnel and first responders .
Instead , the gesture came across to many New Yorkers as ominous , unsettling , and just plain frightening .
In an announcement on Twitter , the building ’ s management wrote : And while the idea of solidarity and togetherness is always welcome in the resilient Big Apple , the sight of the skyscraper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cloud cover struck many residents as simply bizarre—as if the city that never sleeps had become the realm of Mordor , fictional home to the Lord of the Rings arch-villain , Sauron .
“ The @ EmpireStateBldg reminding us that the city is in the middle of an emergency , ” tweeted Rita King , who accompanied her tweet with video of the menacing scene .
While supportive of the cause , she added that she “ recommend [ s ] that the siren be replaced by the iconic pulsing heartbeat effect to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ efforts will succeed , and soothe nervous New Yorkers now sheltering in place.
” Another user added : “ We know we ’ ve really screwed things up when the Empire State Building gets mad.
” Other residents hilariously lambasted the good-intentioned gesture that resulted in what appeared to be a “ Glowing Red Tower of Portending Doom.
” While New Yorkers greeted the poorly-executed gesture with characteristic good humor , the city has witnessed nothing less than a humanitarian disaster over the past days .
On Monday evening , the State of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the virus , bringing the total to over 67,000 , with more than half of the cases in NYC alone .
Governor Andrew Cuomo reiterated that the worst of the novel virus outbreak is still yet to come despite hundreds of people dying in the 24 hours prior .

(TMU) — As the world continues to battle the coronavirus, each of us owes a profound debt of gratitude to our medical and emergency frontliners, who have been performing feats of heroism with great costs to their own health and safety.
Nowhere is this truer than in New York City, which is currently the epicenter of the CoViD-19 pandemic in the United States. With over 36,000 cases and nearly 800 deaths as of Monday, hospitals and other critical services in the city have been pushed near the breaking-point as New Yorkers contend with the unprecedented health crisis.
On Monday evening, the iconic Empire State Building made a gesture of gratitude with a glaring light display filled with symbolism that would make clear the city’s gratitude toward critical healthcare personnel and first responders.
Instead, the gesture came across to many New Yorkers as ominous, unsettling, and just plain frightening.
In an announcement on Twitter, the building’s management wrote:
“Starting tonight through the COVID-19 battle, our signature white lights will be replaced by the heartbeat of America with a white and red siren in the mast for heroic emergency workers on the front line of the fight.”
Starting today, @empirestatebldg’s classic white lights will be replaced with America’s heartbeat and a siren of red and white in the mast as we pay respect to our heroic emergency workers on the front line of the fight. pic.twitter.com/XQB4UFr3GD — Empire State Realty Trust, Inc (@ESRTsocial) March 30, 2020
And while the idea of solidarity and togetherness is always welcome in the resilient Big Apple, the sight of the skyscraper’s pulsating in blood-red amid low cloud cover struck many residents as simply bizarre—as if the city that never sleeps had become the realm of Mordor, fictional home to the Lord of the Rings arch-villain, Sauron.
Right, so, New York is Mordor and the Empire State Bldg is Barad-dûr. That’s the world we live in now. Ok. Totes ok. This is ok. Ok. https://t.co/d7WyE2uyLn — Amaya Ramiel (@AmayaRamiel) March 31, 2020
“The @EmpireStateBldg reminding us that the city is in the middle of an emergency,” tweeted Rita King, who accompanied her tweet with video of the menacing scene.
While supportive of the cause, she added that she “recommend[s] that the siren be replaced by the iconic pulsing heartbeat effect to reassure our heroic healthcare workers that their efforts will succeed, and soothe nervous New Yorkers now sheltering in place.”
The @EmpireStateBldg reminding us that the city is in the middle of an emergency. pic.twitter.com/50TjEjOogN — Rita J. King (@RitaJKing) March 31, 2020
Raheem Kassam wrote:
Turning the Empire State Building into a massive flashing siren was either a stroke of artistic genius or a seriously intense way of panicking people. Both? pic.twitter.com/GH407ArT2S — Raheem Kassam (@RaheemKassam) March 31, 2020
Another user added: “We know we’ve really screwed things up when the Empire State Building gets mad.”
Other residents hilariously lambasted the good-intentioned gesture that resulted in what appeared to be a “Glowing Red Tower of Portending Doom.”
https://twitter.com/fordm/status/1244804756721319939
love to have the glowing red beacon of doom on the skyline — Mask wearing and still pretty distant Tom Tomorrow (@tomtomorrow) March 31, 2020
https://twitter.com/a_alesy/status/1244811809011482625
Cool very normal times with the Empire State Building turning into a blood red siren https://t.co/wyVG1gyPGl — Laura Hudson (@laura_hudson) March 31, 2020
While New Yorkers greeted the poorly-executed gesture with characteristic good humor, the city has witnessed nothing less than a humanitarian disaster over the past days.
On Monday evening, the State of New York reported over 7,000 new cases of the virus, bringing the total to over 67,000, with more than half of the cases in NYC alone.
Governor Andrew Cuomo reiterated that the worst of the novel virus outbreak is still yet to come despite hundreds of people dying in the 24 hours prior.
By Elias Marat | Creative Commons | TheMindUnleashed.com
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themindunleashed--2020-04-01--Medical Fetish Donated Entire Supply of Disposable Scrubs to UK Hospital Workers

( TMU ) — A fetish website based in the UK donated its entire stock of disposable medical scrubs to an unnamed hospital in South England .
MedFetUK said that they were contacted by “ desperate ” health officials from the National Health Service ( NHS ) who were reaching out to anyone in an attempt to find basic protective equipment and clothing for health workers on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic .
The company said that it was “ scandalous ” that they were “ being sought out as last-resort supplier ” and accused the government of being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they are willing to admit .
In a later tweet the company said : “ When you see someone from the government saying the NHS is getting what it needs , that is a LIE .
We have been contacted this week by representatives of NHS procurement all over the country , trying to source basic protective equipment and clothing .
When we , a tiny company set up to serve a small section of the kink community , find ourselves being sought out as a last-resort supplier to our National Health Service @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is seriously wrong .
In fact , it ’ s scandalous.
” The statement went on to praise the efforts of the doctors , nurses , and other staff who are being forced to deal with such extreme circumstances .
Last week , the Mind Unleashed reported that the popular adult website PornHub donated 50,000 masks to healthcare workers in New York City , which has become the epicenter of the outbreak in the U.S .
Meanwhile , workers at hospitals around the country have been told that they will be fired if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ personal protective equipment at their facilities .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) is finally considering changing its guidelines to recommend that everyone should wear a mask to help slow the spread of the virus .

(TMU) — A fetish website based in the UK donated its entire stock of disposable medical scrubs to an unnamed hospital in South England.
MedFetUK said that they were contacted by “desperate” health officials from the National Health Service (NHS) who were reaching out to anyone they could find in an attempt to find basic protective equipment and clothing for health workers on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic.
The company said that it was “scandalous” that they were “being sought out as last-resort supplier” and accused the government of being more unprepared for the current crisis than they are willing to admit.
Today we donated our entire stock of disposable scrubs to an NHS hospital. It was just a few sets, because we don't carry large stocks, but they were desperate, so we sent them free of charge.
We don't usually do politics on Twitter, but here's a short thread. [1/5] pic.twitter.com/Z4ygmGr99M — MedFetUK (@MedFet_UK) March 27, 2020
In a later tweet the company said:
“When you see someone from the government saying the NHS is getting what it needs, that is a LIE. We have been contacted this week by representatives of NHS procurement all over the country, trying to source basic protective equipment and clothing. When we, a tiny company set up to serve a small section of the kink community, find ourselves being sought out as a last-resort supplier to our National Health Service in a time of crisis, something is seriously wrong. In fact, it’s scandalous.”
The statement went on to praise the efforts of the doctors, nurses, and other staff who are being forced to deal with such extreme circumstances.
Last week, the Mind Unleashed reported that the popular adult website PornHub donated 50,000 masks to healthcare workers in New York City, which has become the epicenter of the outbreak in the U.S.
Meanwhile, workers at hospitals around the country have been told that they will be fired if they speak out about the lack of personal protective equipment at their facilities. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is finally considering changing its guidelines to recommend that everyone should wear a mask to help slow the spread of the virus.
By John Vibes | Creative Commons | TheMindUnleashed.com
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themindunleashed--2020-04-01--While Hiking in Norway, Photographer Captures Extremely Rare White Baby Reindeer

( TMU ) — If its a snowy wonderland you ’ re after , the Nordics in winter are indeed spectacular and blessed with magnificent scenery .
And if you ’ re lucky , you might spot some interesting and sometimes rare wildlife .
During a hike near Oslo in Norway , wildlife enthusiast photographer Mads Nordsveen was fortunate to have an unusual experience with a rare animal two winters ago .
The adorable animal happened to be a very well camouflaged baby deer , as white as the snow surrounding it .
According to Nordsveen it made no attempt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for some pictures .
It seems both Nordsveen and little deer were surprised and curious about the strange creature they encountered .
The photographer was also delighted to meet the little one : “ He came very close to me , and we looked at each other straight in the eyes , ” he recalled , “ After some minutes the mother of the white deer came out of trees just behind .
It walked around for some minutes before running back to its mother .
It was very magical and a fairy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by white deer , probably since the first one was spotted likely millennia ago .
These mysterious , ghostly creatures were featured in folklore , myths , and superstition and are considered to be sacred .
One persistent legend warns that a hunter killing a white deer will have bad luck for a long time and this idea appears to be universal among hunting cultures .
In his book , Kudu , writer Peter Flack notes that hunters across Africa believe misfortune , perhaps even death , will befall any hunter who kills @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see the mysterious white deer would be blessed with luck .
According to Dr Nicholas Tyler , from the Centre for Saami Studies at the University of Tromso in Norway , white reindeer are rare but easy to spot in summer , when most photographs of them are taken .
While white reindeer have an uncommon genetic mutation that strips their fur of pigment giving them great camouflage in the snow , they have dark pigmentation in their eyes and antlers and as such are not classified as albino .
On the other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Large Animal Clinical Sciences at the University of Saskatchewan , Canada has spent time studying the reindeer herds of Northern Mongolia .
Haigh discovered that white reindeer are ‘ ’ quite common ’ ’ in the herds cared for by the nomadic Dukha community .
In recent years , with advanced technology enabling surveillance in areas difficult to access , more examples of wild species ’ babies born without pigment have been found , although many seldom survive in the wild due to either being an easy target for predators or being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ One animal being born with white fur in a species whose fur is usually not white is often incorrectly referred to as albino when they likely have a different condition .

(TMU) — If its a snowy wonderland you’re after, the Nordics in winter are indeed spectacular and blessed with magnificent scenery. And if you’re lucky, you might spot some interesting and sometimes rare wildlife.
During a hike near Oslo in Norway, wildlife enthusiast photographer Mads Nordsveen was fortunate to have an unusual experience with a rare animal two winters ago.
Nordsveen explained:
“I was walking in the mountains looking for nice landscapes for my travel photography when out of nowhere I saw this adorable animal.”
The adorable animal happened to be a very well camouflaged baby deer, as white as the snow surrounding it. According to Nordsveen it made no attempt to hide and even seemed to pose for some pictures.
It seems both Nordsveen and little deer were surprised and curious about the strange creature they encountered.
The photographer was also delighted to meet the little one:
“He came very close to me, and we looked at each other straight in the eyes,” he recalled, “After some minutes the mother of the white deer came out of trees just behind. It walked around for some minutes before running back to its mother. It was very magical and a fairy tale moment.”
People have been captivated by white deer, probably since the first one was spotted likely millennia ago. These mysterious, ghostly creatures were featured in folklore, myths, and superstition and are considered to be sacred.
One persistent legend warns that a hunter killing a white deer will have bad luck for a long time and this idea appears to be universal among hunting cultures. In his book, Kudu, writer Peter Flack notes that hunters across Africa believe misfortune, perhaps even death, will befall any hunter who kills a white antelope, while those who see the mysterious white deer would be blessed with luck.
According to Dr Nicholas Tyler, from the Centre for Saami Studies at the University of Tromso in Norway, white reindeer are rare but easy to spot in summer, when most photographs of them are taken. While white reindeer have an uncommon genetic mutation that strips their fur of pigment giving them great camouflage in the snow, they have dark pigmentation in their eyes and antlers and as such are not classified as albino.
On the other hand, Jerry Haigh, a professor of Large Animal Clinical Sciences at the University of Saskatchewan, Canada has spent time studying the reindeer herds of Northern Mongolia. Haigh discovered that white reindeer are ‘’quite common’’ in the herds cared for by the nomadic Dukha community.
In recent years, with advanced technology enabling surveillance in areas difficult to access, more examples of wild species’ babies born without pigment have been found, although many seldom survive in the wild due to either being an easy target for predators or being rejected by the mother or herd.
One animal being born with white fur in a species whose fur is usually not white is often incorrectly referred to as albino when they likely have a different condition.
More Info: Instagram | Website
By Jade Small | Creative Commons | TheMindUnleashed.com
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themindunleashed--2020-04-02--‘Milkshake’ the Rare Pink Pug is One of Less Than 100 in the World

( TMU ) — Milkshake the pink pug quickly became a star on social media when his mom Maria started posting photos and videos on Instagram in November of 2018 .
Milkshake is an adorable and quite a rare pup—one of around only 100 worldwide .
Born with the adorably squishy face of a pug but blessed with baby blue eyes and blush pink fur and skin , he is quite a unique little fellow .
It ’ s his unusual coloring that made him stand out in the litter of pug pups , making Maria want to take him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coloring , caused by lack of pigmentation , from an albino pug in his lineage .
Maria , who lives in London , was able to take Milkshake home when he was 10 weeks old and started sharing his life on Instagram .
Not surprisingly , he rose to insta-stardom quickly , with more the 65k followers currently and growing .
Maria described first seeing the pup : ‘ ’ I had never even heard of pink pugs before , but when I went to the breeder and spotted Milkshake I thought he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have him .
‘ They ’ re very rare .
At the time , I think Milkshake was one of 30 in the world but there have been a few litters .
There ’ s no more than 100 worldwide.
” According to Maria , Milkshake is a quirky , happy-go-lucky , friendly pup .
He joins Maria during meetings at work and gets pampered with manicures and pedicures at his weekly visits to a dog spa in preparation for his photo shoots , where he is dressed in cute outfits before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of chicken .
Milkshake also participates in national dog shows and , with an eye one his future , he has a trainer working with him for a possible modeling and acting career in adverts and movies .
‘ ’ Milkshake is the most famous pink pug on social media .
His Instagram started just as a bit fun but straight away he got such a positive response , ’ ’ Maria said of his rise to fame .
‘ ’ A lot of people messaged me saying they ’ d had a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them up which encouraged me to post more.
” With a dose of cuteness overload , it ’ s only natural that some of his Instagram followers find themselves star-struck when they see the pup in real life .
We hope Milkshake keeps those adorable pink paws firmly planted on the ground , no matter how bright his star shines .
According to Pets4Homes , every true pink pug has a rare genetic disorder called albinism , a gene mutation that causes a complete lack of melanin .
The condition is also seen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cats , rats , deer , dolphins , fish , lizards , snakes , and many others .
Those born with albinism are not be able to produce melanin , the main pigment that colors the skin , hair , and other tissue , including the eyes .
A similar condition in which an animal can lack pigment everywhere except for their eyes is called leucistic and thus is not a true albino .
Albinos are extremely vulnerable to UV light and sun exposure .
Strong UV light sources can cause skin cancer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could lead to blindness .

(TMU) — Milkshake the pink pug quickly became a star on social media when his mom Maria started posting photos and videos on Instagram in November of 2018. Milkshake is an adorable and quite a rare pup—one of around only 100 worldwide.
Born with the adorably squishy face of a pug but blessed with baby blue eyes and blush pink fur and skin, he is quite a unique little fellow.
It’s his unusual coloring that made him stand out in the litter of pug pups, making Maria want to take him home with her. He inherited his coloring, caused by lack of pigmentation, from an albino pug in his lineage.
Maria, who lives in London, was able to take Milkshake home when he was 10 weeks old and started sharing his life on Instagram. Not surprisingly, he rose to insta-stardom quickly, with more the 65k followers currently and growing.
Maria described first seeing the pup:
‘’I had never even heard of pink pugs before, but when I went to the breeder and spotted Milkshake I thought he was adorable, and knew I had to have him. ‘They’re very rare. At the time, I think Milkshake was one of 30 in the world but there have been a few litters. There’s no more than 100 worldwide.”
‘’He’s not actually albino—he just has the coloring so he doesn’t suffer from any sight loss or hearing loss. He’s a happy healthy boy.’’
According to Maria, Milkshake is a quirky, happy-go-lucky, friendly pup. He joins Maria during meetings at work and gets pampered with manicures and pedicures at his weekly visits to a dog spa in preparation for his photo shoots, where he is dressed in cute outfits before ending his day with a well-deserved treat of chicken.
Milkshake also participates in national dog shows and, with an eye one his future, he has a trainer working with him for a possible modeling and acting career in adverts and movies.
‘’Milkshake is the most famous pink pug on social media. His Instagram started just as a bit fun but straight away he got such a positive response,’’ Maria said of his rise to fame. ‘’A lot of people messaged me saying they’d had a bad day and seeing Milkshake really cheered them up which encouraged me to post more.”
‘’His following just kept getting bigger and bigger.’’
With a dose of cuteness overload, it’s only natural that some of his Instagram followers find themselves star-struck when they see the pup in real life. We hope Milkshake keeps those adorable pink paws firmly planted on the ground, no matter how bright his star shines.
According to Pets4Homes, every true pink pug has a rare genetic disorder called albinism, a gene mutation that causes a complete lack of melanin. The condition is also seen in humans, gorillas, dogs, cats, rats, deer, dolphins, fish, lizards, snakes, and many others. Those born with albinism are not be able to produce melanin, the main pigment that colors the skin, hair, and other tissue, including the eyes.
A similar condition in which an animal can lack pigment everywhere except for their eyes is called leucistic and thus is not a true albino. Albinos are extremely vulnerable to UV light and sun exposure. Strong UV light sources can cause skin cancer and damage to the eyes, which could lead to blindness.
By Jade Small | Creative Commons | TheMindUnleashed.com
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themindunleashed--2020-04-02--New Experimental App Analyzes Your Voice To Determine If You Have COVID-19

( TMU ) — As SARS-CoV-2 , the novel coronavirus that causes CoViD-19 , continues to spread around the world , scientists , medical experts , and healthcare professionals search for ways to diagnose the illness and “ flatten the curve ” of infection .
Since the window of time in which early testing could have helped shape effective quarantine strategies was missed , a team of researchers at Carnegie Mellon University are trying something different : a voice analyzer app that may be able to determine whether or not you ’ re infected .
While the app is still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ researchers believe their algorithm could help alleviate the widespread shortage of testing kits .
While they are quick to point out that their tool has not been approved by the FDA or the CDC and is not a medical diagnostic system , the COVID Voice Detector may be able to pick up on some of the telltale breathing , coughing , and voice patterns exhibited by infected people .
“ In terms of diagnostics , of course , it ’ s never going to be as accurate as taking a swab and putting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it to grow , ” said Benjamin Striner , a Carnegie Mellon graduate student who worked extensively on the app .
“ But in terms of very easily monitoring a ton of people daily , weekly , whatever , monitoring on a very large scale , it gives you a way to handle and track health outbreaks.
” The app developers say that more data is needed to say how effective the Voice Detector is at diagnosis .
Bhiksha Raj , a professor at Carnegie Mellon who is one of the app ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ score the app currently shows is an indicator of how much the signatures in your voice match those of other COVID patients whose voices we have tested .
This is not medical advice .
The primary objective of our effort/website at this point of time is to collect large numbers of voice recordings that we could use to refine the algorithm into something we—and the medical community—are confident about.
” The app is part of a long line of experimental algorithms that pinpoint micro-signatures in the human voice .
Such micro-signatures , says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ science at Carnegie Mellon , can be used to assess preliminary diagnostics about a patient ’ s psychological , physiological , and other medical info .
“ The cough of a COVID patient is very distinctive , ” Singh observes .
“ It affects the lungs so badly that breathing patterns and several other vital parameters are affected , and those are likely to have very strong signatures in voice.
” Not everyone is convinced this is the best time for such an experiment .
Professor Ashwin Vasan remarked : “ Despite what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bunch of engineers to help during this crisis , this is not exactly the messaging we want to be out there .
That somehow there is a nifty new tool we can use to diagnose coronavirus , in absence of the things we really need much more of , actual test kits , serologic testing , PPE for frontline healthcare workers , and ventilators for critically ill patients.
” While the app is not yet being used in any kind of official medical capacity , it is part of a growing suite of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ healthcare industry , government agencies , and law enforcement .
Just in the last few weeks , we ’ ve seen a portable artificial intelligence gadget that helps forecast pandemics by analyzing coughing sounds ; a Southern California police department in Chula Vista using Chinese drones to help spotlight people breaking social distancing and stay-at-home restrictions ; a supercomputer that is running simulations to try and find a CoViD-19 treatment ; and , of course , government officials from the CDC and local departments using cellphone meta-data from 500 U.S. cities to surveil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If anyone was worried what Big Data during a second Patriot Act-style event would look like , it seems we ’ re about to get a frontline view .

(TMU) — As SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus that causes CoViD-19, continues to spread around the world, scientists, medical experts, and healthcare professionals search for ways to diagnose the illness and “flatten the curve” of infection.
Since the window of time in which early testing could have helped shape effective quarantine strategies was missed, a team of researchers at Carnegie Mellon University are trying something different: a voice analyzer app that may be able to determine whether or not you’re infected.
While the app is still in an early beta stage, the researchers believe their algorithm could help alleviate the widespread shortage of testing kits. While they are quick to point out that their tool has not been approved by the FDA or the CDC and is not a medical diagnostic system, the COVID Voice Detector may be able to pick up on some of the telltale breathing, coughing, and voice patterns exhibited by infected people.
“In terms of diagnostics, of course, it’s never going to be as accurate as taking a swab and putting it on some agar and waiting for it to grow,” said Benjamin Striner, a Carnegie Mellon graduate student who worked extensively on the app. “But in terms of very easily monitoring a ton of people daily, weekly, whatever, monitoring on a very large scale, it gives you a way to handle and track health outbreaks.”
The app developers say that more data is needed to say how effective the Voice Detector is at diagnosis.
Bhiksha Raj, a professor at Carnegie Mellon who is one of the app’s co-developers, says:
“The score the app currently shows is an indicator of how much the signatures in your voice match those of other COVID patients whose voices we have tested. This is not medical advice. The primary objective of our effort/website at this point of time is to collect large numbers of voice recordings that we could use to refine the algorithm into something we—and the medical community—are confident about.”
The app is part of a long line of experimental algorithms that pinpoint micro-signatures in the human voice. Such micro-signatures, says Rita Singh, a professor of computer science at Carnegie Mellon, can be used to assess preliminary diagnostics about a patient’s psychological, physiological, and other medical info.
“The cough of a COVID patient is very distinctive,” Singh observes. “It affects the lungs so badly that breathing patterns and several other vital parameters are affected, and those are likely to have very strong signatures in voice.”
Not everyone is convinced this is the best time for such an experiment. Professor Ashwin Vasan remarked:
“Despite what could be a well-intentioned attempt by a bunch of engineers to help during this crisis, this is not exactly the messaging we want to be out there. That somehow there is a nifty new tool we can use to diagnose coronavirus, in absence of the things we really need much more of, actual test kits, serologic testing, PPE for frontline healthcare workers, and ventilators for critically ill patients.”
While the app is not yet being used in any kind of official medical capacity, it is part of a growing suite of data collection and tracking efforts by the healthcare industry, government agencies, and law enforcement.
Just in the last few weeks, we’ve seen a portable artificial intelligence gadget that helps forecast pandemics by analyzing coughing sounds; a Southern California police department in Chula Vista using Chinese drones to help spotlight people breaking social distancing and stay-at-home restrictions; a supercomputer that is running simulations to try and find a CoViD-19 treatment; and, of course, government officials from the CDC and local departments using cellphone meta-data from 500 U.S. cities to surveil peoples’ movements during the pandemic.
If anyone was worried what Big Data during a second Patriot Act-style event would look like, it seems we’re about to get a frontline view.
By Jake Anderson | Creative Commons | TheMindUnleashed.com
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themindunleashed--2020-04-02--Dyson Designed Coronavirus-Specific Ventilator in Just 10 Days and is Set to Make 15,000 of Them

( TMU ) — Dyson Vacuum company is in coordination with The Technology Partnership ( TTP ) in hopes to help aid in the current ventilator shortage due to recent CoVid-19 pandemic .
Sir James Dyson the British inventor was approached 10 days ago by Prime Minister Boris Johnson in efforts .
Dyson responded with a pioneering design called “ The CoVent ” which has quick production time , offers hospital bed attachment , and it can be battery-operated .
The functionality this design offers plays a crucial role when battling the the expansion of hospital bed capacity .
Many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may depend on such changes .
The UK ’ s existing supply of about 5,000-8,000 ventilators is inadequate if the outbreak heightens .
The number of corona virus deaths in Britain rose by 41 to 465 on Wednesday and is has been predicted to continue at this pace .
With oversight from the U.K. National Health Service and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency ( MHRA ) , Dyson has agreed to produce 10,000 ventilators for the country under UK government grant .
Dyson who has a net worth of $ 6.2B @ @ @ @ @ @ @ produce another 5,000 ventilators as a donation out of pocket .
One thousand of those will go to the U.K .
The remaining 4,000 will go to other countries in need.. Prime Minister Johnson ’ s spokesman stressed on Wednesday that any design would need regulatory approval .
Dyson remains optimistic and has projected the production to be ready for use by early April .
“ The core challenge was how to design and deliver a new , sophisticated medical product in volume and in an extremely short space of time , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now on to get it into production.
” American companies including GM , Ford , and Tesla have pledged to make ventilators to address current shortages but by many reports it could take months to convert such vehicle manufacturers to ventilator production .
In recent email to the company employees , Dyson states ; Hospitals are the frontline in the war against Covid-19 , where heroic doctors , nurses , and care workers are battling to save lives and help people recover from this terrible virus .
As with any battle , there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ least the availability of essential equipment which in this case means ventilators .
A ventilator supports a patient who is no longer able to maintain their own airways but sadly there is currently a significant shortage , both in the UK and other countries around the world .
Since I received a call from Boris Johnson ten days ago , we have refocused resources at Dyson , and worked with TTP , The Technology Partnership , to design and build an entirely new ventilator , The CoVent .
This new device can be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It is designed to address the specific clinical needs of Covid-19 patients , and it is suited to a variety of clinical settings .
The core challenge was how to design and deliver a new , sophisticated medical product in volume and in an extremely short space of time .
The race is now on to get it into production .
The Dyson Digital motor sits at the heart of the new device and the motor ’ s design is optimized to have a very high level of intrinsic safety , making @ @ @ @ @ @ @ volume production .
The device is designed to achieve a high quality air supply to ensure its safety and effectiveness , drawing on our air purifier expertise which delivers high-quality filtration in high-volume products .
Amidst the pandemic , a collaborative contribution towards the goal of health and well-being persists internationally .

(TMU) — Dyson Vacuum company is in coordination with The Technology Partnership (TTP) in hopes to help aid in the current ventilator shortage due to recent CoVid-19 pandemic.
Sir James Dyson the British inventor was approached 10 days ago by Prime Minister Boris Johnson in efforts. Dyson responded with a pioneering design called “The CoVent” which has quick production time, offers hospital bed attachment, and it can be battery-operated.
The functionality this design offers plays a crucial role when battling the the expansion of hospital bed capacity. Many field hospitals which are now being opened may depend on such changes.
The UK’s existing supply of about 5,000-8,000 ventilators is inadequate if the outbreak heightens. The number of corona virus deaths in Britain rose by 41 to 465 on Wednesday and is has been predicted to continue at this pace.
With oversight from the U.K. National Health Service and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), Dyson has agreed to produce 10,000 ventilators for the country under UK government grant. Dyson who has a net worth of $6.2B, according to Forbes, will also produce another 5,000 ventilators as a donation out of pocket. One thousand of those will go to the U.K. The remaining 4,000 will go to other countries in need..
Prime Minister Johnson’s spokesman stressed on Wednesday that any design would need regulatory approval. Dyson remains optimistic and has projected the production to be ready for use by early April.
“The core challenge was how to design and deliver a new, sophisticated medical product in volume and in an extremely short space of time,” Dyson added. “The race is now on to get it into production.”
American companies including GM, Ford, and Tesla have pledged to make ventilators to address current shortages but by many reports it could take months to convert such vehicle manufacturers to ventilator production.
In recent email to the company employees, Dyson states;
Hospitals are the frontline in the war against Covid-19, where heroic doctors, nurses, and care workers are battling to save lives and help people recover from this terrible virus. As with any battle, there are many challenges to overcome, not least the availability of essential equipment which in this case means ventilators. A ventilator supports a patient who is no longer able to maintain their own airways but sadly there is currently a significant shortage, both in the UK and other countries around the world.
Since I received a call from Boris Johnson ten days ago, we have refocused resources at Dyson, and worked with TTP, The Technology Partnership, to design and build an entirely new ventilator, The CoVent. This new device can be manufactured quickly, efficiently and at volume. It is designed to address the specific clinical needs of Covid-19 patients, and it is suited to a variety of clinical settings. The core challenge was how to design and deliver a new, sophisticated medical product in volume and in an extremely short space of time. The race is now on to get it into production.
The Dyson Digital motor sits at the heart of the new device and the motor’s design is optimized to have a very high level of intrinsic safety, making it particularly well-suited for industrial, high volume production. The device is designed to achieve a high quality air supply to ensure its safety and effectiveness, drawing on our air purifier expertise which delivers high-quality filtration in high-volume products.
Amidst the pandemic, a collaborative contribution towards the goal of health and well-being persists internationally.
By Lana Eucalyptus | Creative Commons | TheMindUnleashed.com
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themindunleashed--2020-04-02--Indian Police Officer Goes Viral Wearing Coronavirus Helmet To Help Raise Awareness of Staying Home

( TMU ) — Rajesh Babu , a police inspector in the southern city of Chennai has creatively took efforts to raise awareness of the seriousness of the CoVid-19 pandemic .
The officer began wearing an artist ’ s rendition of the Coronavirus and believes to be having an immediate effect on the people of India .
The uniquely designed helmet was constructed to portray the likeness of the microscopic image of the Coronavirus .
The helmet is covered in the characteristic club-like projections emanating from the viral membrane .
Local artist B. Gowtham , founder of the Chennai-based organization @ @ @ @ @ @ @ realizing people weren ’ t taking the illness seriously because of its invisibility to the naked eye .
He decided creating a mask which would be more visually optimal would scare the people into thinking the virus was coming towards them .
Then the artist added , “ people will be frightened.
” A 21 day nationwide lock-down closed down all stores which pushed the artist to improvise by using newspapers and tissue paper to construct the helmet spikes .
Officer Rajesh loved the idea of this unusual approach to educate the people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He has since then gone viral on social media for wearing a helmet .
The helmet has an ability to stir up fear or comic relief but in either case its shocking appearance has raised awareness .
Speaking to Asian News International , Rajesh Babu quoted : “ We take all the steps , but still people come out on the streets .
Therefore , this corona helmet is one of the steps we are taking to ensure that people are aware of the seriousness of the police .
The helmet is an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new approach was been more successful than the prior effort of hitting civilians with police batons which were not staying home .
“ When I wear this , the thought of corona virus comes into the minds of the commuters , ” the policeman told the local media .
“ Especially , the children react strongly after seeing this and want to be taken home.
” India fears that a spread of Covid-19 at the rate of China and Italy would cause nationwide crisis due to the fragile health-care system and economy .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ just over 1,050 cases , experts fear the real tally could be much higher and say the disease is already spreading in the community .
The authorities of India are working together in hopes to spread the message to the population of 1.3 billion .
They remain positive they will not see a spread of that magnitude .

(TMU) — Rajesh Babu, a police inspector in the southern city of Chennai has creatively took efforts to raise awareness of the seriousness of the CoVid-19 pandemic. The officer began wearing an artist’s rendition of the Coronavirus and believes to be having an immediate effect on the people of India.
The uniquely designed helmet was constructed to portray the likeness of the microscopic image of the Coronavirus. The helmet is covered in the characteristic club-like projections emanating from the viral membrane.
Local artist B. Gowtham, founder of the Chennai-based organization Art Kingdom devised the striking design after realizing people weren’t taking the illness seriously because of its invisibility to the naked eye. He decided creating a mask which would be more visually optimal would scare the people into thinking the virus was coming towards them.
Then the artist added, “people will be frightened.”
A 21 day nationwide lock-down closed down all stores which pushed the artist to improvise by using newspapers and tissue paper to construct the helmet spikes.
Officer Rajesh loved the idea of this unusual approach to educate the people about the importance of staying home. He has since then gone viral on social media for wearing a helmet. The helmet has an ability to stir up fear or comic relief but in either case its shocking appearance has raised awareness.
Speaking to Asian News International, Rajesh Babu quoted: “We take all the steps, but still people come out on the streets. Therefore, this corona helmet is one of the steps we are taking to ensure that people are aware of the seriousness of the police. The helmet is an attempt to do something different.”
The new approach was been more successful than the prior effort of hitting civilians with police batons which were not staying home.
“When I wear this, the thought of corona virus comes into the minds of the commuters,” the policeman told the local media. “Especially, the children react strongly after seeing this and want to be taken home.”
India fears that a spread of Covid-19 at the rate of China and Italy would cause nationwide crisis due to the fragile health-care system and economy. While India has seen 29 deaths and just over 1,050 cases, experts fear the real tally could be much higher and say the disease is already spreading in the community. The authorities of India are working together in hopes to spread the message to the population of 1.3 billion. They remain positive they will not see a spread of that magnitude.
By Lana Eucalyptus | Creative Commons | TheMindUnleashed.com
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themindunleashed--2020-04-02--Corpses Litter Ecuador’s Streets as Port City Rapidly Becomes “Wuhan of Latin America”

( TMU ) — Ecuador ’ s major port city of Guayaquil has become a scene of absolute horror as health authorities appear unable to contain the rapid spread of the coronavirus , resulting in corpses being abandoned in the streets .
The sudden spread of the disease in the Andean nation has made the country the epicenter of the pandemic in Latin America , with regional newspapers dubbing Guayaquil “ The Wuhan of Ecuador.
” According to officials , over 400 bodies have been recovered both from the streets and from empty buildings .
The situation has rapidly overwhelmed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 3.6 million , reports EFE news agency .
On Wednesday , Vice Minister of Comprehensive Healthcare Ernesto Carrasco announced that the South American country ’ s Emergency Operations Committee had registered 3,163 infections and 120 deaths , with 82 of the deaths occurring in Guayas province , whose capital is Guayaquil .
However , Associated Press reports that medical professionals believe the true number of coronavirus cases may be at least five times the official count .
Shocking video shared online showed people collapsing in the middle of the streets and corpses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or burned in the open by frightened residents , while images have filtered out depicting coffins strewn throughout the city—suggesting that authorities haven ’ t yet tallied the recent wave of deaths .
Guayaquil Mayor Cynthia Viteri , who has announced that she has also been infected , has demanded that the federal government of President Lenin Moreno should step up efforts to collect bodies , reports Los Angeles Times .
In a video message posted to Twitter , she said : The federal government has come under sharp criticism for its handling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the neoliberal policies enforced prior to the crisis , which saw thousands of nurses , doctors , and healthcare workers being sacked since President Moreno came to power in May 2017 .
Moreno has backtracked on a proposal to dig a mass grave for the dead in Guayaquil as the city ’ s ruling Social Christian Party has insisted on residents receiving a proper “ Christian burial.
” In the meantime , very few coronavirus tests have been made available to the public , with the cost of testing being far too expensive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spiraling mortality rates , the government ’ s poor handling of the crisis has raised fears that the spread of CoViD-19 will be far more widespread than the government is willing to acknowledge—as well as a terrifying preview of what awaits the broader region .

(TMU) — Ecuador’s major port city of Guayaquil has become a scene of absolute horror as health authorities appear unable to contain the rapid spread of the coronavirus, resulting in corpses being abandoned in the streets.
The sudden spread of the disease in the Andean nation has made the country the epicenter of the pandemic in Latin America, with regional newspapers dubbing Guayaquil “The Wuhan of Ecuador.”
According to officials, over 400 bodies have been recovered both from the streets and from empty buildings. The situation has rapidly overwhelmed funeral homes and mortuaries in the city of 3.6 million, reports EFE news agency.
https://twitter.com/Eduardor312/status/1245487464485138433
On Wednesday, Vice Minister of Comprehensive Healthcare Ernesto Carrasco announced that the South American country’s Emergency Operations Committee had registered 3,163 infections and 120 deaths, with 82 of the deaths occurring in Guayas province, whose capital is Guayaquil.
However, Associated Press reports that medical professionals believe the true number of coronavirus cases may be at least five times the official count.
Shocking video shared online showed people collapsing in the middle of the streets and corpses being draped in cloth by loved ones or burned in the open by frightened residents, while images have filtered out depicting coffins strewn throughout the city—suggesting that authorities haven’t yet tallied the recent wave of deaths.
Guayaquil Mayor Cynthia Viteri, who has announced that she has also been infected, has demanded that the federal government of President Lenin Moreno should step up efforts to collect bodies, reports Los Angeles Times.
In a video message posted to Twitter, she said:
“They’re leaving them in the villages, they fall in front of hospitals … No one wants to recover them.”
The federal government has come under sharp criticism for its handling of the pandemic as well as for the neoliberal policies enforced prior to the crisis, which saw thousands of nurses, doctors, and healthcare workers being sacked since President Moreno came to power in May 2017.
Moreno has backtracked on a proposal to dig a mass grave for the dead in Guayaquil as the city’s ruling Social Christian Party has insisted on residents receiving a proper “Christian burial.”
In the meantime, very few coronavirus tests have been made available to the public, with the cost of testing being far too expensive for most Ecuadoreans.
Along with the spiraling mortality rates, the government’s poor handling of the crisis has raised fears that the spread of CoViD-19 will be far more widespread than the government is willing to acknowledge—as well as a terrifying preview of what awaits the broader region.
By Elias Marat | Creative Commons | TheMindUnleashed.com
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themindunleashed--2020-04-02--Bright Comet Last Seen by Ancient Egyptians Could Grace Our Skies Just as Coronavirus Peaks

( TMU ) — A comet that hasn ’ t visited our solar system in about 5,500 years will become visible to the naked eye later this month , gracing skies in the northern hemisphere .
It is believed that the bright comet ’ s visit to our neighborhood may coincide with the coronavirus pandemic reaching its peak , reports Forbes .
Astronomers discovered Comet C-2019-Y4 ( ATLAS ) —or Comet Atlas , for short—while working at the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System ( Atlas ) project in Hawaii .
The comet will be at its brightest at the end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sky chart to see where Comet Atlas is now and find it yourself with a telescope .
If we ’ re lucky , Comet Atlas will be visible with binoculars or the naked eye on or around April 30 .
According to health.com , the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation ( IHME ) estimates the coronavirus pandemic will reach its peak in mid to late April .
It has been described as resembling a large and dirty snowball , but astronomers are hoping the celestial body will put on a bright , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flew close to Earth back in 1997 .
“ Comets tend to develop long , fluorescent tails as they approach the sun before swinging back out into outer space .
We hope that it will become visible to the naked eye in early April reaching closest approach to earth on May 23 .
Coming to within 100 million miles of the earth , very close in astronomical terms , it presents no risk to the earth , but does have the potential to lift people ’ s spirits as we go through the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a 4.5-inch refracting telescope at his East Yorkshire home , noted that a small set of binoculars will be sufficient to view the comet .
“ Look to the Northern sky .
The comet should appear between the Plough and the planet Venus , easily the brightest object in the night sky at the moment other than the moon .
We are hoping it will be as spectacular as Hale-Bopp , which was visible in daylight.
” We don ’ t know the precise composition of the comet—it could be 90 per cent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that could effect whether it throws off a spectacular tail as it gets closer to the sun and the sun ’ s gravity takes effect.
” While the comet ’ s timing may shock some readers—especially due to a long history of superstitious beliefs and misperceptions about comets—it ’ s important to remember that these beautiful spectacles are little more than space dust , ice , and gas that pose no real threat to terrestrial life .

(TMU) — A comet that hasn’t visited our solar system in about 5,500 years will become visible to the naked eye later this month, gracing skies in the northern hemisphere.
It is believed that the bright comet’s visit to our neighborhood may coincide with the coronavirus pandemic reaching its peak, reports Forbes.
Astronomers discovered Comet C-2019-Y4 (ATLAS)—or Comet Atlas, for short—while working at the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (Atlas) project in Hawaii.
The comet will be at its brightest at the end of April/beginning of May. Use this sky chart to see where Comet Atlas is now and find it yourself with a telescope. If we’re lucky, Comet Atlas will be visible with binoculars or the naked eye on or around April 30. According to health.com, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) estimates the coronavirus pandemic will reach its peak in mid to late April.
It has been described as resembling a large and dirty snowball, but astronomers are hoping the celestial body will put on a bright, brilliant show—not unlike the Hale-Bopp comet which flew close to Earth back in 1997.
#Comet ATLAS on March 29th. https://t.co/QaTWFWcA0w A tail is starting to develop. Lets hope it lives up to expectations – a decent comet is long overdue! pic.twitter.com/BuO3iyXhjV — Damian Peach (@peachastro) March 30, 2020
On Tuesday, U.K.-based astronomer George McManus explained:
“Comets tend to develop long, fluorescent tails as they approach the sun before swinging back out into outer space. We hope that it will become visible to the naked eye in early April reaching closest approach to earth on May 23. Coming to within 100 million miles of the earth, very close in astronomical terms, it presents no risk to the earth, but does have the potential to lift people’s spirits as we go through the current crisis.”
McManus, who has a 4.5-inch refracting telescope at his East Yorkshire home, noted that a small set of binoculars will be sufficient to view the comet.
Comet C/2019 Y4 (ATLAS) moving from Ursa Major to Camelopardalis. Animation shows movement of last night from 22:58 to 00:50 UTC. 174×30" frames at f/4.8 with @zwoasi 183MM#Comet #CometAtlas #Astrophotography pic.twitter.com/H5EhrA7Ae7 — CosmoNowa (@CosmoNowaMD) March 30, 2020
He added:
“Look to the Northern sky. The comet should appear between the Plough and the planet Venus, easily the brightest object in the night sky at the moment other than the moon. We are hoping it will be as spectacular as Hale-Bopp, which was visible in daylight.” We don’t know the precise composition of the comet—it could be 90 per cent ice or 90 per cent dust and that could effect whether it throws off a spectacular tail as it gets closer to the sun and the sun’s gravity takes effect.”
While the comet’s timing may shock some readers—especially due to a long history of superstitious beliefs and misperceptions about comets—it’s important to remember that these beautiful spectacles are little more than space dust, ice, and gas that pose no real threat to terrestrial life.
By Elias Marat | Creative Commons | TheMindUnleashed.com
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themindunleashed--2020-04-03--Adiós, Mexican Beer: Pandemic Shuts Down Brewing of Corona, Modelo, Pacifico, Victoria

( TMU ) — The coronavirus pandemic has been devastating across the world , with unpredictable effects roiling every facet of society .
And now , Corona beer production will soon grind to a halt—along with several other beloved Mexican beers .
On Thursday , Mexico ’ s Grupo Modelo announced that it would shutter operations across its 11 breweries in the country this Sunday , effectively ending production—for now—of all of the Grupo ’ s popular brands , which are exported to 180 countries by Anheuser-Busch Inbev .
In addition to Corona , the company ’ s brands include @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and Estrella Jalisco .
The move to halt production comes after its business activities were declared non-essential under the health emergency decreed by the Mexican government as it scrambles to contain the pandemic .
On Thursday , health officials reported 1,510 confirmed cases and 50 deaths—a number many fear is the tip of the iceberg amid low numbers of tests and delayed moves to clamp down on large gatherings in the Latin American nation .
“ If the federal government considers it appropriate to issue some clarification confirming beer as an agro-industrial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ready to execute a plan with more than 75 percent of our staff working from home and at the same time guaranteeing the supply of beer.
” The move also comes as fake news and rumors of a dry law—an alleged prohibition on alcohol sales—caused a wave of panic-buying of beer and liquor in parts of the country as anxiety grows among Mexicans about the prospect of being stuck indoors with little to do .
According to the Chicago Tribune , U.S. distributors have six weeks of Mexican beer in reserve , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rush to stock up on their favorite pilsner-style beers from south of the border .
On Friday , the hashtag # MéxicoSinCerveza began trending across Twitter as Mexicans shared typically cheeky memes expressing anguish about the impending halt in beer production .

(TMU) — The coronavirus pandemic has been devastating across the world, with unpredictable effects roiling every facet of society. And now, Corona beer production will soon grind to a halt—along with several other beloved Mexican beers.
On Thursday, Mexico’s Grupo Modelo announced that it would shutter operations across its 11 breweries in the country this Sunday, effectively ending production—for now—of all of the Grupo’s popular brands, which are exported to 180 countries by Anheuser-Busch Inbev.
In addition to Corona, the company’s brands include Modelo, Pacifico, Victoria, León, and Estrella Jalisco.
The move to halt production comes after its business activities were declared non-essential under the health emergency decreed by the Mexican government as it scrambles to contain the pandemic. On Thursday, health officials reported 1,510 confirmed cases and 50 deaths—a number many fear is the tip of the iceberg amid low numbers of tests and delayed moves to clamp down on large gatherings in the Latin American nation.
In a statement, the brewing giant announced:
“If the federal government considers it appropriate to issue some clarification confirming beer as an agro-industrial product, at Grupo Modelo we are ready to execute a plan with more than 75 percent of our staff working from home and at the same time guaranteeing the supply of beer.”
https://twitter.com/JAVIERBC12/status/1246128993155284993
The move also comes as fake news and rumors of a dry law—an alleged prohibition on alcohol sales—caused a wave of panic-buying of beer and liquor in parts of the country as anxiety grows among Mexicans about the prospect of being stuck indoors with little to do.
According to the Chicago Tribune, U.S. distributors have six weeks of Mexican beer in reserve, and experts say that consumers shouldn’t rush to stock up on their favorite pilsner-style beers from south of the border.
On Friday, the hashtag #MéxicoSinCerveza began trending across Twitter as Mexicans shared typically cheeky memes expressing anguish about the impending halt in beer production.
Twitter user David Wolf wrote:
“(Mexico without beer) is trending because breweries will stop operations due to beer being considered non-essential. In a country where diabetes reigns supreme I can think of many other non-essential products that will continue selling as usual.”
By Elias Marat | Creative Commons | TheMindUnleashed.com
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themindunleashed--2020-04-03--With Humans Stuck Indoors, Endangered Sea Turtles Hatch on Deserted Brazilian Beach

( TMU ) — Nearly 100 critically endangered sea turtles have successfully hatched on a beach in Brazil free of human interference in the latest sign that governments ’ measures to restrict tourism and gatherings of people has benefited wildlife to some degree .
The Guardian reports that the 97 hawksbill sea turtles ( Eretmochelys imbricate ) hatched on March 22 in the town of Paulista , Pernambuco .
The popular destination is typically packed with tourists who throng the beaches in order to witness the delicate baby turtles hatching from their eggs , but state Governor Paulo Câmara ordered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to stay indoors and prevented them from holding beach gatherings .
Civil servants were the only ones to witness and photograph the hawksbill sea turtles breaking free from their shells and taking their very first steps toward the Atlantic Ocean .
A statement the City of Paulista acknowledged that the successful hatching and first contact of the animals with water was made possible by technicians from the Urban Sustainability Center .
“ It ’ s really beautiful because you can see the exact instant they come out of the eggs and… watch their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s marvelous .
It ’ s a wonderful , extraordinary feeling .
This time , because of coronavirus , we couldn ’ t even tell people it was happening.
” Brazil ’ s Tamar conservation project , which devotes its efforts to the protection of sea turtles , said that the critically endangered species lays their eggs along the northeastern coast of the country .
The turtles are capable of growing to over three and a half feet in length and can weigh upwards of 185 pounds ( 85 kg ) —making @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Their Portuguese name , tartarugas-de-pente , translates to “ comb turtles ” due to the historic use of their colorful patterned shells to make combs and frames for glasses .
The English name of the turtle , however , derives from its narrow , pointed beak .
Hawksbill sea turtles are classified as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List , with its population declining precipitously by 80 percent over the past decade .
According to the U.S.-based Sea Turtle Conservancy , because sea turtles rely on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cycles , species like the hawksbill are especially threatened by the effects of global heating , with sea level rise posing an existential threat to the species and their nesting sites .
“ Hawksbills are found mainly throughout the world ’ s tropical oceans , predominantly in coral reefs .
They feed mainly on sponges by using their narrow pointed beaks to extract them from crevices on the reef , but also eat sea anemones and jellyfish .
Sea turtles are the living representatives of a group of reptiles that has existed on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last 100 million years .
They are a fundamental link in marine ecosystems and help maintain the health of coral reefs and sea grass beds.
” The hawksbill turtles are especially at risk of being snatched by birds after hatching , or crushed by beachgoers—a threat that simply didn ’ t exist due to restrictions on visiting the beach .

(TMU) — Nearly 100 critically endangered sea turtles have successfully hatched on a beach in Brazil free of human interference in the latest sign that governments’ measures to restrict tourism and gatherings of people has benefited wildlife to some degree.
The Guardian reports that the 97 hawksbill sea turtles (Eretmochelys imbricate) hatched on March 22 in the town of Paulista, Pernambuco.
The popular destination is typically packed with tourists who throng the beaches in order to witness the delicate baby turtles hatching from their eggs, but state Governor Paulo Câmara ordered a partial shutdown that saw residents urged to stay indoors and prevented them from holding beach gatherings.
Civil servants were the only ones to witness and photograph the hawksbill sea turtles breaking free from their shells and taking their very first steps toward the Atlantic Ocean.
Some happy news this Thursday ☀ last week 97 tiny hawksbill sea turtles, hatched on a beach in Paulista, Brazil. These critically endangered turtles had a clear path to the ocean due to Coronavirus restrictions. #happynews pic.twitter.com/OOq8szZijc — SW London Greenpeace (@SW_London_GP) April 2, 2020
A statement the City of Paulista acknowledged that the successful hatching and first contact of the animals with water was made possible by technicians from the Urban Sustainability Center.
Paulista environmental secretary Roberto Couto told the Guardian:
“It’s really beautiful because you can see the exact instant they come out of the eggs and… watch their little march across the beach. It’s marvelous. It’s a wonderful, extraordinary feeling. This time, because of coronavirus, we couldn’t even tell people it was happening.”
Today's #OneSmileEachDay comes in the form of 97 tiny hawksbill sea turtles, which hatched last Sunday in Paulista, Brasil. These critically endangered turtles help to protect coral reefs, which are crucial for the survival of many other creatures. pic.twitter.com/hmLItBdKCc — WWF Cymru ? (@WWFCymru) April 1, 2020
Brazil’s Tamar conservation project, which devotes its efforts to the protection of sea turtles, said that the critically endangered species lays their eggs along the northeastern coast of the country.
The turtles are capable of growing to over three and a half feet in length and can weigh upwards of 185 pounds (85 kg)—making them one of the smaller sea turtles.
Their Portuguese name, tartarugas-de-pente, translates to “comb turtles” due to the historic use of their colorful patterned shells to make combs and frames for glasses. The English name of the turtle, however, derives from its narrow, pointed beak.
Hawksbill sea turtles are classified as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List, with its population declining precipitously by 80 percent over the past decade.
https://twitter.com/earthisliving/status/1245166403449217025
According to the U.S.-based Sea Turtle Conservancy, because sea turtles rely on both land and sea throughout their life cycles, species like the hawksbill are especially threatened by the effects of global heating, with sea level rise posing an existential threat to the species and their nesting sites.
The World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) wrote:
“Hawksbills are found mainly throughout the world’s tropical oceans, predominantly in coral reefs. They feed mainly on sponges by using their narrow pointed beaks to extract them from crevices on the reef, but also eat sea anemones and jellyfish. Sea turtles are the living representatives of a group of reptiles that has existed on Earth and travelled our seas for the last 100 million years. They are a fundamental link in marine ecosystems and help maintain the health of coral reefs and sea grass beds.”
The hawksbill turtles are especially at risk of being snatched by birds after hatching, or crushed by beachgoers—a threat that simply didn’t exist due to restrictions on visiting the beach.
By Elias Marat | Creative Commons | TheMindUnleashed.com
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themindunleashed--2020-04-03--Gamer Projects Mario Cart Onto Neighboring Apartment During Lockdown

( TMU ) — All over the world , governments have ordered people to stay inside as the coronavirus pandemic continues to spread across the globe .
And as a result , people have come up with a variety of different creative ways to keep themselves occupied during the lockdown .
A gamer living in an apartment in Toronto is keeping himself and others occupied by projecting his video games onto the side of a neighboring apartment .
He played classic games like Mario Kart and Bubble Bobble for his whole neighborhood to see .
The gamer , Dax Martin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accomplishment to the Reddit page for the city of Toronto .
Martin spoke with Narcity about how he set everything up .
“ I ’ ve always wanted to project something on the building across from us .
Its the perfect distance and there are no windows , so we ’ re not disturbing anyone .
Right now , we ’ re playing 1 – 2 different retro games every night around 9 , ” Martin said .
He also said that he didn ’ t get any complaints from the neighbors .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ old projector that doesn ’ t work very well and that he doesn ’ t plan to do this every night .
“ I ’ m not sure how much longer we will do this .
We thought about playing a movie that people in the building can watch from there balconies , but it ’ s still a bit too cold for that .
For now , we ’ re just having fun with it , ” he said .
In Italy , it was common for residents to sing and play @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case , a dance music DJ took out his mixer and some speakers and gave a performance for his community from the balcony .
Other people across the country are engaging in collective howls , sighs and sing-a-alongs at specific times every night .

(TMU) — All over the world, governments have ordered people to stay inside as the coronavirus pandemic continues to spread across the globe. And as a result, people have come up with a variety of different creative ways to keep themselves occupied during the lockdown.
A gamer living in an apartment in Toronto is keeping himself and others occupied by projecting his video games onto the side of a neighboring apartment. He played classic games like Mario Kart and Bubble Bobble for his whole neighborhood to see.
The gamer, Dax Martin, shared photos and videos of his accomplishment to the Reddit page for the city of Toronto.
Martin spoke with Narcity about how he set everything up.
“I’ve always wanted to project something on the building across from us. Its the perfect distance and there are no windows, so we’re not disturbing anyone. Right now, we’re playing 1 – 2 different retro games every night around 9,” Martin said.
He also said that he didn’t get any complaints from the neighbors.
“So far, everyone is enjoying it as it’s not hurting anyone, besides what the heck else are we going to do with our nights when everything is closed?”
Martin explained that he just used an old projector that doesn’t work very well and that he doesn’t plan to do this every night.
“I’m not sure how much longer we will do this. We thought about playing a movie that people in the building can watch from there balconies, but it’s still a bit too cold for that. For now, we’re just having fun with it,” he said.
In Italy, it was common for residents to sing and play instruments from their balconies. In one case, a dance music DJ took out his mixer and some speakers and gave a performance for his community from the balcony. Other people across the country are engaging in collective howls, sighs and sing-a-alongs at specific times every night.
By John Vibes | Creative Commons | TheMindUnleashed.com
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themindunleashed--2020-04-03--Arnold Schwarzenegger Donates $1 Million in Protective Equipment to Coronavirus Fight

( TMU ) — Action movie legend and former California Gov .
Arnold Schwarzenegger has donated $ 1 million worth of masks and personal protection equipment ( PPE ) to help medical workers in the fight to contain the coronavirus pandemic .
The 72-year-old star of Terminator and Total Recall endorsed a fundraising page belonging to Flexport.org , an aid organization that has been working to put critical medical equipment into the hands of doctors , nurses , and medical workers who are saving lives across the world .
Schwarzenegger has kept a very public profile amid the rapidly expanding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ orders and socially isolate themselves .
The former governor and bodybuilder has also offered backyard workout tips to followers .
Last Tuesday , he announced the donation in a post to Instagram where he linked to a GoFundMe page for the Frontline Responders Fund .
He wrote : “ I never believed in sitting on the couch and complaining about how bad things are , I always believed we should all do our part to make things better .
This is a simple way to protect our real action heroes on the frontlines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ m proud to be part of it .
I donated 1 million dollars , and I hope that all of you who can will step up to support these heroes.
” In a statement for the GoFundMe page , Schwarzenegger said : “ Our doctors , nurses and hospital staff are the real action heroes of this crisis .
I just play one in the movies .
We have an opportunity and a responsibility to provide them with personal protective equipment right now to keep them safe as they fight this virus , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s plan , this was a no-brainer to me .
With all of the courageous work they are doing on the frontlines to keep us safe , buying a few hundred thousand masks with a million dollars is the least I can do .
Please take a moment to join me in supporting our heroes.
” In a video he posted to Facebook , Schwarzenegger updated followers about the delivery he personally made to a Los Angeles hospital .
Standing in front of a huge pile of boxes containing gowns , masks , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said : “ A week ago , we went and we ordered a million dollars worth of masks and protective gear for our nurses and for our doctors and our medical workers here at the hospitals around Los Angeles .
And now I ’ m here to check out if , in fact , it got here and if the right masks got here .
All of this here is part of the shipment right here to the hospital.
” Continuing , he pulled out an N95 mask from a box and said @

(TMU) — Action movie legend and former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has donated $1 million worth of masks and personal protection equipment (PPE) to help medical workers in the fight to contain the coronavirus pandemic.
The 72-year-old star of Terminator and Total Recall endorsed a fundraising page belonging to Flexport.org, an aid organization that has been working to put critical medical equipment into the hands of doctors, nurses, and medical workers who are saving lives across the world.
Schwarzenegger has kept a very public profile amid the rapidly expanding crisis, urging Californians to obey shelter-at-home orders and socially isolate themselves. The former governor and bodybuilder has also offered backyard workout tips to followers.
Last Tuesday, he announced the donation in a post to Instagram where he linked to a GoFundMe page for the Frontline Responders Fund. He wrote:
“I never believed in sitting on the couch and complaining about how bad things are, I always believed we should all do our part to make things better. This is a simple way to protect our real action heroes on the frontlines in our hospitals, and I’m proud to be part of it. I donated 1 million dollars, and I hope that all of you who can will step up to support these heroes.”
In a statement for the GoFundMe page, Schwarzenegger said:
“Our doctors, nurses and hospital staff are the real action heroes of this crisis. I just play one in the movies. We have an opportunity and a responsibility to provide them with personal protective equipment right now to keep them safe as they fight this virus, so when I heard about Flexport.org’s plan, this was a no-brainer to me. With all of the courageous work they are doing on the frontlines to keep us safe, buying a few hundred thousand masks with a million dollars is the least I can do. Please take a moment to join me in supporting our heroes.”
In a video he posted to Facebook, Schwarzenegger updated followers about the delivery he personally made to a Los Angeles hospital.
Arnold Schwarzenegger Helps Hospital Workers Arnold Schwarzenegger just donated $1,000,000 in masks and protective gear to hospital workers. Posted by ATTN: on Wednesday, April 1, 2020
Standing in front of a huge pile of boxes containing gowns, masks, thermometers, and other supplies, he said:
“A week ago, we went and we ordered a million dollars worth of masks and protective gear for our nurses and for our doctors and our medical workers here at the hospitals around Los Angeles. And now I’m here to check out if, in fact, it got here and if the right masks got here. All of this here is part of the shipment right here to the hospital.”
Continuing, he pulled out an N95 mask from a box and said:
“The 95 mask. That’s exactly what everyone is looking for—it keeps them healthy, fit, and alive. Mission accomplished.”
By Elias Marat | Creative Commons | TheMindUnleashed.com
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themindunleashed--2020-04-03--2 Million Guns Sold During March as Sales Skyrocket to Second Highest Level Ever

( TMU ) — According to a new report from the New York Times , Americans bought nearly two million guns last month as the country slowly went into lockdown .
This was the second-highest sales numbers ever seen in the U.S. for firearms , surpassed only by the January after then U.S. President Barack Obama ’ s re-election , which was also when the Sandy Hook shooting occurred .
And while more guns were sold in January 2013 , the numbers are actually extremely close—with roughly two million guns sold during each time period .
The data used in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the number of background checks reported by the FBI , so it is likely that the actual numbers are even higher because background checks are not required in every state .
The FBI has been tracking monthly gun sales in the U.S. since 1998 .
Timothy Lytton , a law professor at Georgia State University , believes that people are preparing for civil unrest which has reportedly already begun in places like Italy .
“ People are nervous that there ’ s a certain amount of civil disorder that might come if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a huge number of institutions are not operating normally .
They may have an anxiety about protecting themselves if the organs of state are starting to erode , ” Lytton told the Times .
This week , U.S. President Donald Trump included gun stores , shooting ranges , and firearm and ammunition manufacturers in a list of essential businesses that can remain open during the lockdown .
According to Politico , the move came in response to backlash from firearm owners and activists after gun shops around the country began to receive shutdown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ organizations have argued that people need access to firearms now more than ever with the looming threat of civil unrest on the horizon and thousands of police officers across the country out of work due to the novel coronavirus pandemic .

(TMU) — According to a new report from the New York Times, Americans bought nearly two million guns last month as the country slowly went into lockdown.
This was the second-highest sales numbers ever seen in the U.S. for firearms, surpassed only by the January after then U.S. President Barack Obama’s re-election, which was also when the Sandy Hook shooting occurred. And while more guns were sold in January 2013, the numbers are actually extremely close—with roughly two million guns sold during each time period.
The data used in the report from the Times was based on the number of background checks reported by the FBI, so it is likely that the actual numbers are even higher because background checks are not required in every state. The FBI has been tracking monthly gun sales in the U.S. since 1998.
Timothy Lytton, a law professor at Georgia State University, believes that people are preparing for civil unrest which has reportedly already begun in places like Italy.
“People are nervous that there’s a certain amount of civil disorder that might come if huge numbers of people are sick and a huge number of institutions are not operating normally. They may have an anxiety about protecting themselves if the organs of state are starting to erode,” Lytton told the Times.
This week, U.S. President Donald Trump included gun stores, shooting ranges, and firearm and ammunition manufacturers in a list of essential businesses that can remain open during the lockdown.
According to Politico, the move came in response to backlash from firearm owners and activists after gun shops around the country began to receive shutdown orders from state governments. Gun rights organizations have argued that people need access to firearms now more than ever with the looming threat of civil unrest on the horizon and thousands of police officers across the country out of work due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
By John Vibes | Creative Commons | TheMindUnleashed.com
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