Jurassic Park in Dubai

Dinosaurs are finally roaming the earth!

Well, realistic animatronics that is!

Located in the City of Dubai ( in United Arab Emirates) - The real live Jurassic Parkesque theme park, a $1.3 billion dollar project, called 'Restless Planet', will be home to the world's largest collection of animatronic dinosaurs.

The T.rex is the first to be completed of 109 robots, which are being built in various shapes and sizes to resemble more than 40 different extinct species. Hoping to attract many wealthy tourists the park will attempt to provide an educational experience amid all of the Vegas-style spectacle. This will be done using history themed rides and robots/habitats that represent an accurate portrayal (based on current knowledge) of what life was like millions of years ago.

The robots will be capable of interacting with guests by following them with their eyes or lunging at them as the walk by."The Restless Planet provides a visual, audio and tactile experience allowing visitors to experience some of the exciting things that have gone on in the Earth's history," says managing director Mustafa Galadari. "Extremely realistic and scary – but at the same time, educational, the 500,000 square foot (46,000 square metre) Restless Planet, will most of all be enormous fun. A thrilling ride in a scientifically accurate environment."

"Right now it's pretty much under wraps, but I can tell you that it will indeed be accurate to our modern knowledge, and it will be unlike anything you've ever seen before," adds palaeontologist Jack Horner, of the Museum of the Rockies at Montana State University in Bozeman, U.S., who is advising the designers of the park. Horner dug up the first known dinosaur nest fossils, was a technical advisor on Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park, and is purported to have inspired the character of Alan Grant in Michael Crichton's original book. "On any commercial project I do my best to suggest things that would make the dinosaurs look as best they can based on the latest discoveries, and most up-to-date ideas," says Horner.

That leaves one sticky problem as far as the science goes: "Colour is far more difficult as nobody really knows what colour dinosaurs were," says our NHM expert. Fossils don't betray any clues as to whether the long-extinct creatures were brown, purple or had stripes. So the scientists make best guesses for the models based on today's animals, especially birds and reptiles.

To fill in the details on how the dinosaurs might have moved, the Museum's palaeontologists look to the anatomy of the skeletons and hunt for marks on the fossils that betray where muscles might once have been attached. Computer modelling then takes into account biomechanics to reconstruct the shape of the animal, estimate its weight and work out how fast it might have been able to move. This information is also based on the estimated physical strain on the bones, ligaments, muscles and joints. "One study on T.rex has estimated that the giant flesh-eater would have been incapable of moving at more than a fast walk, making it only about half as fast as the top human sprinters today," said the NHM expert. "Though not many people can keep up a fast sprint for longer than a few seconds, so we still might have had trouble outrunning T.rex."

Scientists have recently made some amazing steps towards the goal of deriving dino DNA. Horner was part of a team who reported in the U.S. journal Science in April 2007, that they had succeeded in extracting and sequencing collagen protein from a 68-million-year-old fossilised T.rex bone (see, Protein extracted from T.rex fossil, Cosmos Online). Prior to this, the oldest sequenced protein came from a mammoth fossil which was just 300,000 years old.

That would be amazing if they received enough dna to clone dinosaurs. Possibility?? I think so, but for now I'm excited about park opening up - it will get you close enough to experiencing live dinosaurs in case they aren't ever able to clone the dna.

They are keeping details under wraps, but the creators of the development, the Ilyas and Mastafa Galadari Group, have released promotional videos showing a T.rex charging at visitors and pterodactyls flying overhead and the park is scheduled to open in late 2008 in Dubai.

I don't know about you, but I personally can't wait to check out this park. I hope they don't overprice their tickets!

Sources and more info:

Dubai Restless Planet
Detailed info on the new park

MSNBC.com
Scientists recover T Rex soft tissue!

Molecular Analysis Confirm Link to Birds
Scientists compare dinosaurs to their possible closest living relatives: birds, chickens, ostriches, and alligators.

Science Daily
Great source for all the latest research news

Monstor crocodiles unearthed!
Millions of years ago these large crocs with 6 foot jaws fed off of the largest dinosaurs – surging out of the water and snapping anything that happened to be lounging on the shore

My Website Banners and Desktop Wallpapers

Banners




Band Template 760x I made with photoshop tut ^



Alternative Mila Studio Banner I made ^



Daisy de la Hoya vertical banner in violet ^


Daisy de la Hoya vertical banner in pink ^


Daisy de la Hoya vertical banner in black ^


(Daisy is the runner up from vh1 reality hit, Rock of Love 2


Rock of Love Bus (Rock of Love 3) Ad^



Tila Tequila Black Grunge Banner ^


Tila Tequila Red Banner ^


Mila Cross Banner in Pink ^

note: you can use the banners as desktop wallpaper as well, except for the Rock of Love ad and Daisy banners - those will have sizing issues because they are smaller.




Desktop Wallpapers 1024 x 768



Palm Tree Beach ^



Winter Road ^
borrowed from Vlad and added my own few touches to it



Autumn New Hampshire ^



Lonely Road ^




Sunset Beach Florida ^




Oregon ^




South Falls, Oregon ^




TAPS Ghost Hunters ^




House of 1000 Corpses ^




Haunted House ^
borrowed photo and added black sidebar




Tila Tequila ^
playboy goddess, reality tv star, and singer




Britney Spears ^



Kim Kardashian ^




Note: the black space on either the top, bottom, or left of the image are the space for the icons. Just makes your desktop wallpaper look cleaner that way. Also, to use them - simply click on the image. And once it brings it to bigger window. Right click. Click 'set as background'. Voila!

Created by: © Mila Cross - Photoshop CS3 - More to come!!

The Sacred Feminine

"It’s not as if he had no will or no say in his eating of the apple. “God” told Adam not to touch the apple, He didn’t tell Eve. So Adam was the messenger, yet he went on and ate the damn thing. One would assume from this story that Eve was physically bigger and stronger than Adam, so much so that she was single-handedly able to pin him down and shove the apple right down his throat, totally against his will. Give us all a break!"

-Grandmother's response in effort to save Eve's legacy (source noted below)


Kudos to grandma! I love that new take on the old 'Adam and Eve' fairytale. And I say fairytale because unlike some people, I don't take everything from the bible LITERAL. There are many wonderful stories that possess a metaphorical meaning to them, but aren't meant to be literal. Although some persons misconceptions about gender seems to fuel this imbalance we've had with everything masculine and everything feminine.

Consider this:


“The Judaeo-Christian cosmology that informs Western civilization sees the female body and female sexuality in the person of Eve as responsible for the downfall of mankind. For thousands of years, women have been beaten, abused, burned at the stake and blamed for all manner of evil simply because of their sex. We forget, in this era of rapid change, that women did not even start to win the right to vote until the twentieth century!


-Dr Christiane Northrup, in her book entitled, 'Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom'.
Dr Northrup's Official Site


“Man enjoys the great advantage of having a god endorse the code he writes. And since man exercises a sovereign authority over women it is especially fortunate that this authority has been vested in him by the Supreme Being. For the Jews, Mohammedans
and Christian among others, man is master by divine right; the fear of God will therefore repress any impulse towards revolt in the downtrodden female.’ The belief that men are meant to be rulers of women runs deep in many Western traditions.”

'The Second Sex' - Simone de Beauvoir

I agree with these authors for the most part. However, I will say that those who believe that 'man is master by divine right' have simply translated the bible wrong. The bible from whatever religion they follow (I think there are about 31 different bibles in the world total). I also know that some translate it strangely and think woman are only created for entertainment for men. I known many persons first hand who have odd translations. I wish those that have those misconceptions shred their egos and just follow the message that Jesus taught, which is simply - love.

The return of the 'sacred feminine', is not about women ruling society, but it is about the return to nature, balanced restored, ying/yang united - both hemispheres of the brain working in balance, and higher consciousness.

I believe this goes along with perhaps 2012, the supposed 'end of all things era'.

But I believe it's not really an end to anything, but rather an awakening.

The truth has been swept under the rug for too long...


Mini-quiz:
[self-investigation]

Do you think you haven’t been affected by the denigration of the Feminine? Read these statements, do they apply to you - yes or no?

• You feel guilty when you rest.
  
  
• You apologise for crying or showing upset emotion.
  
  
• In relationships, you bottle up your feelings.
  
  
• You have trouble asking for help or asking for something you want or need.
  
  
• How you look takes up more of your attention than how you feel
  e.g. how a relationship or job looks to people is more important than how it makes you feel inside.

Click below to finish the whole quiz and find out your results:
Have you been affected by the denigration of the feminine??



Links:

Article on Feminity
Shemiran Ibrahim, belly dancer and spiritual teacher, has beautifully wrote an article about the divine feminine. Check out her blog! Quote from her, "I believe much of the world-wide disconnect women have with their true beauty and power lies in our collective disconnect to all things Feminine."

Link to Shemiran's Home Page

Art History

These are a 'lil collection I've gathered of a few of my many favorite paintings and artwork by famous artists. You may notice most of them are from the 'Italian Renaissance' period, 1400's-1600's, but I just have an unexplainable attraction to the artwork from that era.



'After a Bath' by Renoir ^

'Girls at the Piano' by Renoir ^

Renoir's paintings are notable for their vibrant light and saturated color, most often focusing on people in intimate and candid compositions.

Renoir Gallery

'The Mona Lisa' by Leonardo Da Vinci ^

What's interesting about The Mona Lisa is how he created the horizon on the left side of her much lower than the right side so she appears larger on the left side. The left side is correlated with femininity. (how the right side of your brain is connected with the left side of your body and likewise) Perhaps hinting at the imbalance of things present in a patriacharcal society. Some also say the knowingly smirk given by the Mona Lisa is because she is pregnant - looking at her round face, 'swollen' fingers, and placement of her hands over her belly.

Leonardo da Vinci, 1452-1519, one of many Italian famous artists in art history, studied light and the effects it had on the human figure. He did not like harsh direct light on faces, but favored light that illuminated a face just before the sun rose in the morning, and how light fell across a face just after the sun went down. To achieve this art effect in the studio he recommend painting the four courtyard walls black. Then stretch a sheet of linen over the top of the walls and place the model underneath in order to get the defused light that illuminates the face not producing sharp shadows that break up forms.

'The Last Supper' by Leonardo Da Vinci ^

The Last Supper is probably one of the more controversial paintings as there are so MANY interpretations of it. Some focus on the expression of the disciples faces as Jesus was supposedly saying, "One of you will betray me". Some focus on the theory of this painting being the arrival of the holy grail or 'chalice'. Although not a literal cup, it is rather a symbol for femininity. Below I drew out where it's located in white:



Others also emphasize that the person located on Jesus's right is that of Mary Magdelene, his wife.

'Dancers in Pink' by Degas ^

Degas is known for his movement and unique style.

'Woman drying herself' by Degas ^






'Portrait of a Young Girl' by Sandro Botticelli ^

Sandro Botticelli is another famous artist from the renaissance period and most known painting is his 'Birth of Venus' below. One theme he used over and over again in his work was a young sad girl detached from what was going on around her. Very melancholy and dreamy. His later works incorporated alot of religion. He is one of my top favorites and has a very interesting biography.

'The Birth of Venus' by Sandro Botticelli ^

'The Proposal' by William Adolphe Bouguereau ^

William Bouguereau, 1825-1905, is unquestionably one of history’s greatest artistic geniuses. His works are known to be very realistic and photo-like.

'A Young Girl Defending Herself Against Eros' by William Adolphe Bouguereau ^

'The Garden in Springtime' by Camille Pissarro ^

Pissarro, impressionist painter, is known for his trademark comma-like strokes.

'David' by Michelangelo ^

This sculpture represents youth, vitality, and strength. Also, what's interesting is how natural he portrays David. He's not fully prepared for battle and is not shown aggressive with any sort of weapon. Some think he has caught him just in the moment when he has heard that his people are hesitating, and he sees Goliath jeering and mocking them.

'Hour of Prayer' by Thomas Kinkade ^

Onto a more modern artist, Thomas Kinkade, an american painter often criticized for his 'chocolate box art' - but no matter how he markets his work, no one can deny the exquisite beauty of his work. Kinkade, nicknamed 'the painter of light'; his work is like a magnet. Hypnotizing and mesmerezing.


'Afternoon Light' by Thomas Kinkade ^


'A Holiday Gathering' by Thomas Kinkade ^

This one above, 'A Holiday Gathering', has always been one of my favorites by Kinkade. I suppose because it gives a good warm feeling and it reminds me of home, family, and spending wonderful christmas's together.

'Garden of Prayer' by Thomas Kinkade ^

Oregon Beauty

I've lived here in the state of Oregon, USA - near the city of Portland - for four years now and still don't take for granted the scenic beauty and mild temparutes Oregon has to offer. Born a mid-west girl, I had grown accustomed to the extreme four-season weather filled with thunderstorms, ice storms, humidity, and tornadoes - not to mention the small-world mindset of most Missourians. I didn't know what I was missing...

Oregon State Motto: "She flies with her own wings"


City of Downtown Portland, Oregon ^


Highest waterfall in Oregon, Multnomah Falls, 620 feet ^



Ocean - Pacific City, Oregon ^


beautiful greenery - some places out here are so rainforest-like! ^


Portland - city of Roses ^


Biggest fireworks show in the northwest - (about 20 minutes from Portland shown at Vancouver, Washington) ^


So much fog moments out here - perfect atmosphere to film a horror movie ^


Speaking of horror movies, a portion of 'The Shining' was filmed here at Timberline Lodge ^

Oregon is popular hotspot for filming. Here are some other great movies filmed out here:

Feast of Love 2007

The Ring 2002

Ring 22005

Fahrenheit 911 2004, portions filmed in Florence

The Hunted 2003

The Postman 1997

Body of Evidence 1993

Free Willy 1993

Kindergarten Cop 1990

Short Circuit 1986

The Goonies 1985

Animal House 1978

One flew over the cuckoo's nest 1975

Five Easy Pieces 1970

Bend of the River 1952

[To name a few...]


Here are a few of those infamous 'You know your from...when...' ~

You know your from oregon when.....

• you feel guilty throwing aluminum cans or paper in the trash
  
  
• you feel overdressed wearing a suit to a nice restaurant
  
  
• you stand on a deserted corner in the rain waiting for the 'walk' signal
  
  
• you consider swimming an indoor sport
  
  
• you know that Boring is a town in Oregon and not just a state of mind
  
  
• you can point to at least 2 volcanoes, even if you cannot see through the cloud cover
  
  
• you have actually used your mountain bike on a mountain
  
  
• you think people who use umbrellas are either wimps or people from california
  
  
• you often switch from 'heat' to 'A/C' in the same day
  
  
• you know all the important seasons: almost winter, Winter, Still Raining (Spring), Road construction (summer), Deer & Elk season (fall)
  
  
• every day is casual friday
  
  
• know at least eight people who work for Intel or Nike, or used to work for Tektronix
  
  
• you are sad during christmas because it never snows in the valley
  
  
• you go out of state and wait in your car for someone to pump you gas