Spectacular Eruptive Prominence Captured by SOHO

solar_eruption (4k image) – A massive solar eruption, more than 30 times the length of Earth’s diameter, blasted away from the Sun on Monday at 9:19 a.m. EDT. The ESA/NASA SOHO satellite captured this image of the spectacular eruptive prominence escaping the Sun.  
  
 Prominences are loops of magnetic fields with hot gas trapped inside. Sometimes, as the fields become unstable, they will erupt and rise off of the Sun in just a few minutes or hours. If eruptions like these are directed toward the Earth they can cause a significant amount of aurora and other geomagnetic activity. Click to enlarge image

North Carolina uses tobacco settlement money to build a new tobacco processing plant.

TIME.com: Full Story –When 46 states agreed in 1998 to settle their claims against the nation’s tobacco companies for $206 billion, they promised that a “significant” portion of the money would go toward antismoking efforts. North Carolina, has directed only 1.2% of their tobacco revenues to smoking prevention. 
 The North Carolina General Assembly was to distribute the state’s settlement revenues and they spent $15,000 for a tobacco-history video. Perhaps more egregiously, it granted rural Nash County $400,000 to attract a tobacco-processing plant.

Martha’s New Bathing Suit

The summer weather has been SO hot lately. The water in Lake Erie has started to warm up early this year so we decided to go to the beach. When we get there, Martha takes a BIG breath and announces, “I’m going to the bathhouse to change into my new swim suit… It’s a thong” Yikes, I can’t believe her bravery but I shot back to the car to get the camera so I could share on the blog. Check it out! Oo LaLa

After police claim they are too busy to help, man chases and catches suspect using pepper spray, stun gun, and fishing net

Original Story –When San Francisco police said they couldn’t spare an officer to arrest a man suspected of stealing Tom Van Lokeren’s credit cards and checks, the 47-year-old North Beach tax accountant took matters into his own hands.  
 Van Lokeren bought a large fishing net at Fisherman’s Wharf, some pepper spray and a stun gun at a military surplus store and then lured the suspect into a trap on a busy downtown street.
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Laura’s Grade 8 Graduation (with pictures)

topicimagelaura (4k image)– Laura’s graduation day went very well for her. She went with a friend and they both got their hair cranked up in the morning. Laura asked to have Maureen Masterson do her hair and they really enjoyed the final result. Martha got some flowers to braid into Laura’s hair and it turned out great. Laura seemed to be floating all day. We could tell she liked being dressed up and was looking forward to seeing all her friends at the evenings celebration.
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School outlaws tag. Bleeding Heart Liberals win again?

Original Story The principal of Franklin Elementary School in Santa Monica CA became “it” when she banned the children’s game of tag–for reasons that included issues of self-esteem–from the playground late last month. 
 To critics, Samarge [the principal] is the latest example of political correctness run even more amok than usual in a city sometimes referred to as “The People’s Republic,” for its reputation of excessive governmental regulation and bleeding-heart attitudes.
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