>We may all be space aliens: study

>Have you ever looked at humans and thought about how strange and alien we look? You may correct.

European and US scientists have proved for the first time that two bits of genetic coding, called nucleobases, contained in the meteor fragment, are truly extraterrestrial. Genetic material from outer space found in a meteorite in Australia may well have played a key role in the origin of life on Earth, according to a study to be published Sunday.Previous studies had suggested that the space rocks, which hit Earth some 40 years ago, might have been contaminated upon impact. Both of the molecules identified, uracil and xanthine, “are present in our DNA and RNA,” said lead author Zita Martins, a researcher at Imperial College London. … A team of European and US scientists showed that the two types of molecules in the Australian meteorite contained a heavy form of carbon — carbon 13 — which could only have been formed in space. “We believe early life may have adopted nucleobases from meteoric fragments for use in genetic coding, enabling them to pass on their successful features to subsequent generations,” Martins said. If so, this would have been the start of an evolutionary process leading over billions of years to all the flora and fauna — including human beings — in existence today. … Uracil is an organic compound found in RNA, where it binds in a genetic base pair with another molecule, adenine. Xanthine is not directly part of RNA or DNA, but participates in a series of chemical reactions inside the RNA of cells. – bbart

The image of a DNA shaped nebula was captured by NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope.

>Dog Survives Toto Impression During Tornado

>

… Neighbor Tatyiana Smith saw it.

“The dog was in the air, he was going around like he was pulled out of the ground,” Smith said.

Luckily, Chase didn’t get whisked away to the magical land of Oz.

Instead, residents found him more than a block away in the woods, dazed and shocked, but alive. … – cbs

This makes me wonder how many people have been taken up by a tornado and survived.

>Woman sat dead in front of TV for 42 years

>

THE remains of a woman have been found sitting in front of her TV – 42 years after she was reported missing.

Hedviga Golik, who was born in 1924, had apparently made herself a cup of tea before sitting in her favourite armchair in front of her black and white television.

Croatian police said she was last seen by neighbours in 1966, when she would have been 42 years old. … She said: “I still remember her. She was a quiet woman who kept herself to herself but was polite. – dailyrecord

This is one of those stories you are glad didn’t  include a picture.

>Experts unveil ‘cloak of silence’

>

Being woken in the dead of night by noisy neighbours blasting out music could soon be a thing of the past.

Scientists have shown off the blueprint for an “acoustic cloak”, which could make objects impervious to sound waves.

The technology, outlined in the New Journal of Physics, could be used to build sound-proof homes, advanced concert halls or stealth warships.

Like the silent black triangle UFOs?

… The Spanish team who conducted the new work believe the key to a practical device are so-called “sonic crystals”. … These would be used to channel any sound around an object, like water flowing around a rock in a stream. – bbc

>A UFO hits a Romanian fighter plane

>A here it is

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>Treadmill cats

>This is why I have the Internet.

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>Kiss with who?

>I’m out listening to other 12 string acoustic guitar players tonight and I found this…

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>Xenophilia at Arco Arena?

>Wow. We played a show last Saturday night at Marylin’s in Sacramento with a band called the Alanis Crow Project (I forgot to post it here) and we had some scouts out to see us. One supposedly made an offer to sign us to a record label.

Xenophilia is very good luck for bands we play with. Yet another band we played with just got signed, joining the ranks of Jackie Greene and Jason Mraz. The Grumpy was just signed to Columbia.

Through a contact there, we were asked tonight to play an hour set at Arco Arena. The idea is quite a rush. Here is a picture of some band playing Arco showing what the audience looks like from the band’s perspective. click to enlarge.

What a mass of humanity…

Playing Arco has been a life long dream of Amy Anne’s.

I’m wondering how much time we have to prepare because at this point I don’t even have a bass player trained. I could use another guitar player who sings too. Perhaps one of the guys I’ve worked with in the past will be available. Or we might find some amazing undiscovered guitar genius, the next Eddie Van Halen, to join us and make it all come together. Perhaps a keyboard player too…

I’m waiting to get more details, date, time, and so on.

I’ve already played the same stage as Eddie Van Halen –not the same night–but if I play Arco Arena, I will also have played the same stage as Paul McCartney. Sir Paul played Arco November 16th, 2005.

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UPDATE: The date is locked in: September 9th, 2008. We will be playing original tunes for an hour Tuesday night from 5:45 to 6:45 welcoming people to the final Monarchs (Sacramento Women’s Basketball) game of the season. The above image is misleading. We will actually be playing in front of Arco Arena, not inside. That’s great, much more relaxing. The crowd is expected to be more like 7,000 people, not the full 17,317 capacity of Arco Arena. King’s games can bring in 15,000, I’m told.

SPECIAL DEAL: To come to the show and then watch the game with us: email me. I have a limited number of $10 lower level tickets. The game starts at 7 PM.