Figures & Facts

Super Moon rises over the hills tonight near Los Angeles. (Credit: Craig DeMartini)

The supermoon captured over Mount Rainier. (Credit: Tommy McPharlin)

A bright light will soon be visible in the sky as "Supermoon" begins rising. (Credit: TKTLA)

The first spectacular "supermoon" of the summer peaks this Saturday. (Credit: Huffington Post)

A supermoon rises behind the scaffolding-wrapped Washington Monument, Sunday, June 23, 2013. (Credit: NASA)

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Spectacular ‘Supermoon’ Visible in the Sky Overnight
The moon will seem a little bit bigger and brighter Saturday morning when a “supermoon” — the first of an expected three this summer — will be visible, according to NASA. The occurrence, also called a “perigee moon,” takes place when the moon becomes full at the point of orbit when it’s closet to earth, making the moon “seem extra big and bright,” NASA reported on its website.  read more »

50 State Flowers to Grow Anywhere

Photos courtesy This Old House magazine

2014 FIFA World Cup: a tournament for the men's football world championship. Brazil: June 12 to July 13

opening ceremony: World Cup 2014 in Sao Paulo, Brazil, June12

Rafael Marquez (C) and Javier Hernandez (R) of Mexico go for a header: Mexico vs Cameroon

France's Karim Benzema scores a goal during the 2014 World Cup Group E soccer match between Switzerland and France.

German fans before the game against Portugal

U.S. fans during the match with Germany

Belgian fans celebrate during the 2-1 win over Algeria.

Mexico fans before the game against Croatia

Dutch fans prior to the match against Australia

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The Navy's Newest Destroyer Is a Drone, the first ship with a brain of its own
Among the high-tech features included on the USS Zumwalt—cannons that fire rocket-propelled, GPS-guided rounds and stealth design that gives the 610-foot ship the radar signature of a small fishing vessel—there’s also a computer intelligence capable of preparing the ship for battle and engaging enemy targets on its own. Think of it as a gigantic floating drone: “Most UAVs [unmanned aerial vehicles] are a few million dollars,” says Wade Knudson, who heads the Zumwalt project for Raytheon (RTN), which made most of the ship’s computer systems. “This is a $5 billion UAV.”  read more »

Skip the plastic, save a fish. Texas-sized ocean garbage vortex found in Pacific, plastic sea trash doesn't biodegrade

More Ocean Graphics on PInterest

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June 8th is World Oceans Day

Oceans are the largest ecosystems on Earth, they are the Earth’s largest life support systems. To survive and prosper, we all need healthy oceans. Oceans generate half of the oxygen people breathe. At any given moment, more than 97% of the world’s water resides in oceans. Oceans provide a sixth of the animal protein people eat. They’re the most promising source of new medicines to combat cancer, pain and bacterial diseases. Living oceans absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and reduce the impact of climate change.  read more »

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USS Indianapolis was a Portland class heavy cruiser of the US Navy, flagship for Admiral Raymond Spruance while he commanded the Fifth Fleet in battles across the Central Pacific. On 30 July 1945, the ship was torpedoed by the Japanese submarine I-58, sinking in 12 minutes. Of 1,196 crewmen aboard, 300 went down with the ship. The remaining 900 faced exposure, dehydration, saltwater poisoning, and shark attacks. Her sinking led to the greatest single loss of life at sea in the history of the U.S. Navy.

On 30 July 1945, the ship was torpedoed by the Imperial Japanese Navy submarine I-58, sinking in 12 minutes. Of 1,196 crewmen aboard, approximately 300 went down with the ship.

The remaining 900 faced exposure, dehydration, saltwater poisoning, and shark attacks.

Out of the Depths: A WWII Vet's Miracle of Survival Edgar Harrell, survived the sinking of the USS Indianapolis in 1945.
Harrell saw fierce combat on the ship - events that shook him to the core. The 89-year-old vividly recalls one harrowing incident when a Japanese kamikaze plane struck the Indianapolis in the battle for Okinawa. "I can remember seeing that plane, thinking that life is over," Harrell shared. "This is the end of life because he's diving for the fantail."  read more »

Colorado lawmakers unsure how to spend marijuana tax revenue

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"Saving Grace":
In this Sundance Audience Award-winning comedy from director Nigel Cole, newly widowed Grace (Brenda Blethyn) finds herself in financial ruin when she discovers that her dearly departed husband has left her deep in debt. With the help of her gardener, Matt (Craig Ferguson), Grace applies her green thumb to ganja plants -- and soon, everyone in her small English town is getting high on more than life.

Critical reaction to the film was generally positive and it received favorable notice for an independent British comedy film, eventually grossing $24,325,600 worldwide, following its theatrical release in the United States.

[2013] Reuters: Uruguay becomes first country to legalize marijuana trade  read more »