AND SO IT SEEMS

Fauxtoshop: 15 More Real Photos that Look Faked

A man walking on water, a bunny the size of a dog and a fetus floating in a starry sky – none of these things can actually be real, right? In an age when almost anyone can effectively manipulate images in Photoshop, it’s easy to scoff at every incredible photograph that you see on the internet. Don’t let your cynicism get the best of you. Some are the result of sheer dumb luck, others from hours of careful preparation and some exist because reality is simply stranger than fiction, but these 15 images are 100% authentic.

Walking on Water

(image via: marianitoz)

Speedboat driver Joe Peroceschi walked on water… sort of. After windy conditions caused his boat, Smokin Joe, to flip during the Budweiser Drag Boat Nationals race on Wappapello Lake in Missouri, Peroceschiappeared in photos to be momentarily running across the surface of the water. In reality, he was about to get hit by a competing boat. Miraculously, Peroceschi survived to walk again.

Faux Photoshop, Literally

(image via: Stupid Videos)

Using a couple cardboard props and a checkered background, this photographer imitated the look of a photoshopped image in progress, seemingly using the eraser tool on himself. Impeccably lined up with the background, it’s difficult to tell at first that this isn’t an image in the process of being edited.

Trippy Illusion in a Parking Garage

(image via: de-war.de)

Driving through a parking garage and seeing words floating around might lead you to think that perhaps someone put a little something in your drink. Graphic designer Axel Peemöller painstakingly painted distorted letters on the walls, floors and beams of a Melbourne, Australia parking garage so that when you stand in the right spot, they seem to hover in mid-air.

A Jumping Shark and Some Surfers

(image via: BoingBoing)

A CNN photographer just happened to snap a photo in the right place at the right time, capturing a spinner shark jumping out of the water in New Smyrna Beach, Florida just yards behind two oblivious surfers. Don’t believe it? CNN has video showing additional images and testimony of witnesses.

Johan Lorbeer’s ‘Still Life’ Performances

(image via: ahboon)

Like Li Wei, Johan Lorbeer puts on seemingly gravity-defying public performances, hovering above the ground with one hand against a wall for hours at a time. He’s surrounded by puzzled onlookers who just can’t figure out how he does it. His secret? A fake arm connected to a harness. His real arm is hidden inside his clothes.

Andre Agassi and Roger Federer: Tennis on a Helipad

(image via: The Guardian)

Surely, those guys aren’t really playing tennis that high in the air, right? Well, yeah – and ‘those guys’ are Andre Agassi and Roger Federer. The too-crazy-to-be-real setting is actually a helipad at the Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai. Good thing these two tennis greats aren’t afraid of heights.

Can a Bunny Really be This Insanely Huge?

(image via: Blogsters Guild)

This photograph is one of many that have been circulated around the internet to instant cries of “Photoshopped!” But, believe it or not, rabbits this big do exist. Seriously. There’s video. These giant rabbits are bred in Germany by Karl Szmolinsky – as a source of meat for the North Korean population. You can’t make this stuff up.

Truck Chased by Missiles on the Highway

(image via: CannesLions)

Without the little inset photo, in which you can see the tethers, this photo of a truck being chased down a highway by missiles would be pretty hard to swallow. But, the missiles are just harmless balloons. The ‘Missile Car’ was an entry in the 2009 Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival.

Japan’s Futuristic Flood Prevention System

(image via: Neatorama)

A science fiction movie could easily be shot in Japan’s underground flood tunnels. The reflective floors, endless rows of towering pillars and eerie lighting makes the G-CANS project look like something out of this world. It consists of five concrete containment silos that prevent overflow of the city’s major waterways and rivers during rain and typhoon seasons.

Apocalyptic Street Scene

(image via: Metanamorph)

Street artist Edgar Mueller is a master of optical illusion, creating chalk drawings on pavement and other surfaces that transform the space into something altogether different. This post-apocalyptic scene of a German street disintegrating into a churning sea is just one example of Mueller’s many jaw-dropping street scenes. Mueller’s work relies on the viewer to stand in just the right spot to see the illusion.

Storefront Security Gate as Fender Guitar Amp

(image via: Music Radar)

A guitar store in Southampton, England found a brilliant way to not only make its security gate more attractive, but announce what it sells in the most gleefully attention-grabbing way possible. A Fender logo adorns the gate and a sign above the store is complete with controls turned all the way up to 11.

Invisible Car Art by Sara Watson

(image via: The Telegraph)

What appears to be a ghostly apparition of a vehicle over Sara Watson’s shoulder is actually a Skoda Fabia spray-painted to blend in with a parking lot and art studio entrance. Watson, a student at the University of Central Lancashire, worked on the paint job for three weeks. “People have been stopping in the street to look and coming up and almost bumping into it, so it’s had the desired effect.”

The Impeccably Camouflaged Orchid Mantis

(images via: 37signals)

It’s hard to tell at first whether you’re looking at a flower that looks like a mantis or a mantis that looks like a flower. In fact, the orchid mantis is a rainforest insect whose legs resemble flower petals and coloring perfectly matches that of the flowers it is often found hiding inside.

Three Eagles Fighting Over a Fish

(image via: thelastminuteblog)

What looks like a somewhat cheesy patriotic digital image created by a computer is a real photograph of three eagles fighting over a fish in Homer, Alaska taken in March 2008 by photographer Jose Hernandez. This incredible image was one of the winners in the National Geographic 2008 International Photography Contest.

A Fascinating Peek Inside the Womb

(image via: World Famous Photos)

A fetus, still in its gestational sac and attached to the placenta, floats eerily against a starry background. But this is no collage, no matter how unreal it seems. It’s an actual living fetus taken inside a pregnant woman’s uterus with an endoscope. When Lennart Wilson showed it to LIFE Magazine’s editors in 1965, they demanded witnesses to prove that it was real. It remains one of the magazine’s most iconic cover images.

THE WEEK THAT WAS IN PICTURES

Who was Michael Jackson ? Did he ever grow up? What became of the innocent little boy who sang about BEN,his pet mouse ?

What lies beneath the surface? What was the cause of his cardiac arrest ? What will happen to his children ?

May you rest in peace, Michael. Thank you for healing the world with your music. Gone too soon but your work will always be remembered in years to come.

Michael Jackson announces plans for Summer residency at the O2 Arena at a press conference held at the O2 Arena on March 5, 2009 in London.

Michael Jackson at the Earls Court in London, Nov 2006.

Singer Michael Jackson testifies during the morning session of his civil trial in Santa Maria Superior Court on December 4, 2002 in Santa Maria, California. The artist was being sued for $21 million by his longtime promoter for backing out of two concerts

Singer Michael Jackson holds his eight-month-old son Prince Michael II over the balcony of the Adlon Hotel November 19, 2002 in Berlin

Michael Jackson performs with Britney Spears during the Michael Jackson '30th Anniversary Celebration, The Solo Years' concert at New York's Madison Square Garden, September 7, 2001.

Michael Jackson at the Oxford Union, Oxford, to speak in aid of His charity 'Help the Children', Feb 2001.

Michael Jackson attends the G&P Foundation for Cancer Research event to honor her Majesty Queen Noor of Jordan, Sir Paul McCartney and former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev November 30, 2000 in Manhattan

South African President Nelson Mandela (L) and US singer Michael Jackson clasp hands at a press conference at the President's home Genadendal in Cape Town 23 March 1999.

Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley share an intimate moment outside the Ivy restaurant, Feb 1998.

Singer Michael Jackson (R) and guitarist Slash of 'Guns and Roses' perform the opening number at the 1995 MTV Video Music Award

US pop star Michael Jackson and his then wife Lisa-Marie Presley arrive at Budapest's airport 6 August 1994.

US President Bill Clinton (L) shakes hands with singer Michael Jackson (C) as singer Stevie Nicks sings during inauguration festivities in Landover, Maryland, Jan 1993.

Madonna and Michael Jackson, Mar 1990

Entertainer Michael Jackson stands with President George Bush in front of the White House April 5, 1990 in Washington, DC

Michael Jackson and Tatiana Thumbtzen at the Madison Square Garden in New York City, Mar 1988.

Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder and Lionel Richie at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, Feb 1986

Singer Michael Jackson with an honary degree in New York, Jan 1985

Entertainer Michael Jackson poses with his pet boa constrictor,

Bubble's, Michael Jackson's pet chimp, Oct 1987.

Michael Jackson performs live during his 'Victory' Tour on July 1984 at the Texas Stadium in Dallas.

President Ronald Reagan speaks alongside wife Nancy and Michael Jackson May 4, 1984 at the White House.

Michael Jackson & Quincy Jones at the Grammys in Los Angeles, Feb 1984

Michael Jackson & Brooke Shields, Jan 1984.

Michael Jackson and Jane Fonda at the CBS Records in Century City, California, Feb 1983.

Muhammad Ali, wife Veronica, and Michael Jackson, Aug 1977.

A young Michael Jackson (centre) performs live with the Jackson Five in February 1975 in London.

American singer and actress Cher (center) and Jackson Five in prehistoric garb for a skit on the television variety show 'The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour,' 1972. Pictured are, from left, Tito (sitting), Jackie (crouching), and Marlon Jackson (standing), Cher (center), Janet (on ground), Jermaine (holding rock), Michael, and Randy Jackson, Jan 1972.

The Jackson Five perform on 'The Ed Sullivan Show,' New York, New York, May 10, 1970. Pictured are, from left, Tito Jackson, Marlon Jackson, Jackie Jackson, Michael Jackson, and Jermaine Jackson, May 1970

Ed Sullivan shakes hands with brothers Michael Jackson (right) and Marlon Jackson (second from right) as their older brothers Jackie Jackson (third from right), Tito Jackson and Jermaine Jackson (both at left) look on, Dec 1969.

U.S.: Neo-Cons, Republicans Paint Obama as Weak on "Rogues"

U.S.: Neo-Cons, Republicans Paint Obama as Weak on "Rogues"
By Jim Lobe*

WASHINGTON, Jun 22 (IPS) - In what appears increasingly to be an orchestrated campaign, right-wing Republicans and Israel-centred neo-conservatives are pulling out all the stops in depicting President Barack Obama as "weak" on national security and promoting democracy abroad.

While they have been pressing that charge on Obama since even before he defeated Sen. John McCain in last November's elections, the past week's turmoil in Iran – and Obama's thus-far cautious reaction to it - has raised the volume to fever pitch.

A "parade of Republican lawmakers", as the right-wing Washington Times put it, appeared on the weekend's public-affairs television programmes urging Obama to speak out more strongly against repressive actions by Tehran's security forces against opposition demonstrators.

Similarly, the latest edition of the neo-conservative Weekly Standard magazine devoted its lead editorial and no less than half of its articles this week to the same theme, with William Kristol, its editor, and Stephen Hayes, who has often served as a mouthpiece for former Vice President Dick Cheney, accusing Obama of acting as a "de facto ally of (Iranian) President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei."

The neo-conservative editorial board of the Wall Street Journal also weighed in Monday with a lead editorial that warned that the current crisis in Iran, as well as the enforcement of U.N. sanctions against North Korea – the U.S. Navy is currently tracking a vessel believed to be carrying proscribed cargo from Nampo to Myanmar - in the wake of its nuclear test last month, marks a "major test of his Presidency". It suggested that Obama's failure to take a harder line against both "rogues" would put him in the same category as former President Jimmy Carter.

"We'll soon learn if Mr. Obama is made of sterner stuff," the editorial asserted, warning that any effort to engage Tehran diplomatically in the wake of the current crackdown "will lend (the government) legitimacy at the expense of the Iranian people."

The chorus of right-wing criticism came as Obama himself became increasingly outspoken about the situation in Iran over the weekend, after Friday's endorsement by Khamenei of the results of the disputed election and subsequent clashes between demonstrators and security forces that killed at least 10 people Saturday.

In a statement released by the White House Saturday afternoon, he called "on the Iranian government to stop all violence and unjust actions against it own people" and warned, "If the Iranian government seeks the respect of the international community, it must respect the dignity of its own people and govern through consent not coercion."

Obama is expected to have more to say about the situation in Iran during a press conference scheduled for mid-day Tuesday.

Obama and his defenders have argued that more aggressive U.S. support for the opposition led by former Prime Minister Mir Hossein Moussavi could prove counter-productive, particularly in light of the fraught history between the two nations, notably the Central Intelligence Agency's (CIA) role in the overthrow of the democratically elected government of Prime Minister Mohammed Mossadeq and the restoration of Reza Shah Pahlavi in 1953, not to mention U.S. support for Iraq during the bloody Iran-Iraq War.

"It's not productive, given the history of U.S.-Iranian relations, to be seen as meddling, the U.S. president meddling in Iranian elections," Obama said late last week.

"The last thing I want to do is to have the United States be a foil for those forces inside Iran who would love nothing better than to make this an argument about the United States," he said in an interview released by the White House Sunday. "We shouldn't be playing into that."

That assessment is shared by much of the foreign policy establishment, including more moderate Republicans.

"I think the president has handled this well," former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger said last week. "Anything that the United States says that puts us totally behind one of the contenders, behind Moussavi, would be a handicap for that person."

That assessment was echoed Saturday by ret. Gen. Brent Scowcroft, who served as national security adviser to former Presidents Gerald Ford and George H.W. Bush. "I think the administration is about right in their reaction," he told the Journal. "We have to keep our eye on the ball. While it would be comforting to blast what is happening over there, you have to ask how it would help matters. A more belligerent tone would not be helpful."

But that has not deterred the critics whose prominent political leader to date has been none other than McCain himself, as well as two of his closest associates, Republican Sen. Lindsay Graham and the neo-conservative independent Democrat, Joseph Lieberman. Graham Sunday accused Obama of being "timid and passive" in dealing with Iran.

In an interview Monday with Fox News, McCain dismissed the notion that a stronger stand against the government could backfire, given Washington's past support for the Shah or other U.S. actions.

"Look, the point is that, all during the Cold War, there was the liberal elites who said we should not do anything to upset the Russians, whether it be the Prague Spring or the workers in Poland, in Gdansk," he said.

"And there was Ronald Reagan who, said, 'Take down this wall,' called [the Soviet Union] an evil empire... And to say we don't want to - quote - 'meddle,' of course, is - is -is not in keeping with that tradition in any way. In fact, it's a direct contradiction of it."

McCain has also called for the U.S. Navy to stop and board the North Korean vessel, the Kang Nam, which reportedly is being shadowed, ironically, by the USS John S. McCain, which is named for the senator's father and grandfather, both of whom were admirals.

The ship is believed to be carrying military cargo proscribed by the U.N. Security Council which last month approved a resolution authorising member states to search – but only with the crew's permission – suspect vessels. Pyongyang has said it would consider any interception an "act of war".

"Will the president let (North Korean leader) Kim Jon Il make a mockery of U.N. condemnations?" the Journal asked Monday.

*Jim Lobe's blog on U.S. foreign policy can be read at http://www.ips.org/blog/jimlobe/.

WHAT'S HAPPENING AT GREEN ACRES

ENVIRONMENT: Earth Can Generate Summer out of Winter By Lowana Veal* The borehole at the Agricultural University's site in Hveragerdi. Credit:Lowana Veal REYKJAVIK, Jun 20 (IPS/IFEJ) - Iceland manages to produce tomatoes, paprika and cucumbers all year round by harnessing geothermal energy locally, even though the growing season is short. Iceland first started to use geothermal energy in the late 19th century for heating soil to grow outdoor vegetables, and continued in a small way in the early 20th century for heating swimming pools, greenhouses and buildings. But it was only during the oil crisis in the 1970s that Icelanders started to develop their geothermal resources in earnest, as a way of becoming self- sufficient in energy. Now there are six geothermal power plants in the country. Three of these, the tiny Bjarnaflag and the larger Nesjavellir and Svartsengi plants, provide hot water for district heating as well as electricity. The Reykjanes, Krafla and Hellisheidi plants are used solely for producing electricity. All of these power stations lie in high-temperature geothermal fields, where the water emerges as steam at 200 degrees Celsius, but is so full of minerals and gases that it cannot directly be used for heating purposes. Instead, it is used to heat cold water that can then be used for space heating. However, water from high-temperature areas is ideal for producing electricity. Low-temperature geothermal areas produce steam at a temperature that does not exceed 150 degrees C. This can be used directly for district heating. One such area lies in Mosfellsdalur, on the outskirts of Reykjavik, and is tapped for space heating for the Reykjavik area. But geothermal energy is also utilised on a smaller scale. The Blue Lagoon, which uses wastewater from the adjacent Svartsengi geothermal plant to heat its mineral-rich waters, is one of Iceland's top tourist attractions that is also used for treating psoriasis sufferers. A similar development was opened in North Iceland a few years ago, using water from a borehole from the Bjarnarflag geothermal station. Many agricultural communities have developed their own little geothermal systems for local use, while in some cases individuals or private enterprises have tapped geothermal heat directly from the earth. Fludir, a small agricultural village in South Iceland that is located in a low- temperature geothermal zone, is one such. Hannibal Kjartansson from Hitaveita Fluda (HF), the local district heating utility, told IPS: "The utility was started in 1964 by a group of farmers who wanted to heat their greenhouses. Today, about half of the hot water sold goes to greenhouses." HF have an experimental borehole from which they hope to generate electricity as well as hot water, but the project is still very much in the experimental stage. The bigger companies in Fludir, such as the Fludasveppir mushroom company, the Fludafiskur fish processing company and the greenhouses Jorfi and Melar get their heat directly form HF, but some farmers have developed their own systems, sometimes in collaboration with a neighbour. Fludasveppir uses geothermal heat as part of their mushroom production process. Georg Ottosson explains the cycle. "Fresh root mass is put into cubicles on a weekly basis, then after six weeks, when all the mushrooms have been picked, the cubicles are heated with hot water to 80 degrees to sterilise the cubicles. The mushrooms are cultivated in rooms which mimic the seasons, so the temperature can be anywhere between 16 degrees and 25 degrees, although 18 degrees is the norm." The fish processing company Fludafiskur exports dried fish and fish heads to Nigeria, and uses hot water to heat the air used in the fish-drying process. "The air is heated to 20 degrees and is then blown onto the fish, which are placed on racks in special cubicles. The process takes four to seven days, depending on the size of the fish," says Margret Gunnarsdottir from the company. Dairy farmer Sigurdur Sigurjonsson has his own borehole, operated in conjunction with two neighbouring dairy farms. When asked why he developed the borehole, he said: "At that time (1984), the house, cowshed and stables were heated with electricity as HS was not connecting people who lived as far out as we do. As we knew that hot water was present, we decided to utilise it." Sixty kilometres away, at the horticultural department of the Agricultural University of Iceland in Hveragerdi, bananas and other tropical produce are grown in an experimental greenhouse heated by geothermal energy. "We have our own heating system, which we use for heating the school buildings, showers and greenhouses," says Gudridur Helgadottir, head of the Vocational Training and Continuing Education Department. Gudni Thorvaldsson also works at the Agricultural University, though in a different location. He is just starting a project mostly financed by Reykjavik Energy on the use of hot water to heat golf courses and football fields. "The idea is to lengthen the time that these can be used, by heating the soil in the latter half of winter and into spring. Because the heating system is very expensive, it is important to do a trial on a small plot before going on to bigger projects. This experiment is designed to find out when it is safe to start heating the soil and how much the soil should be heated," he says. Half of the trial will be with grass used on football fields and half on grass used on golf courses.

WHAT'S HAPPENING AT GREEN ACRES

9 of the World’s Most Amazing Wind Farms

(image via Caveman92223)

The world currently has 121 gigawatts of installed wind energy capacity. Most of this electricity is generated via large wind farms. While the newer installations are made up of larger, more efficient turbines with slower-moving blades, earlier wind farms, like those in the California, were made up of thousands of small, fast-spinning turbines that have had a devastating impact on not only avian populations, but also on wind energy development in general, as they have created strong political tension and anti-wind constituencies. Below are some of the world’s most amazing wind farms and why.

Wild Horse Wind Farm -Kittitas County, Washington, USA

(images: Horizon Wind Energy; Blush Response)

Nameplate capacity: 230 MW
Why it’s amazing: With 127 turbines scattered over 86,000 acres, Wild Horse is huge. The Project has brought new jobs and approximately $1M annually in local property tax revenues to Kittitas County. Despite theapparent size of the project, the turbines, underground power lines, roads, and substation blend well with other land uses, and the wind farm itself takes up only about 165 acres.

Tehachapi Pass Wind Farms - Southern California, USA

(image via sky#walker; Center for Land Use Interpretation)

Nameplate capacity: 562 MW
Why it’s amazing: Covering virtually every ridgeline in the mountain pass between the Mojave Desert and California’s central valley, the 5,000 wind turbines of Tehachapi are owned by a dozen separate companies. With consistent winds flowing between the Mojave Desert and the San Joaquin Valley, Tehachapi has long been a mecca for wind energy testing and experimentation

Horse Hollow Wind Energy Center - Taylor, Texas, USA

(images via forhisrenown; Mesquite53; mandaloo)

Nameplate capacity: 735 mw
Why it’s amazing: Horse Hollow is the largest wind farm in the world (year ending 2008). The Texas wind farm was subject to one of the nation’s first nuisance lawsuits against a wind farm. Plaintiffs filed suit unhappy about the appearance of the turbines. Soon after, the judge ruled that under Texas law, they had no standing to bring suit based on aesthetics.

Barrow Offshore Wind Farm - East Irish Sea, UK

(image via BOWind)

Nameplate capacity: 90 MW
Why it’s amazing: Besides the fact that Barrow is owned and operated by a company called Dong Energy, it also happens to be the largest offshore wind farm in the UK - but not for long. The UK has tremendous offshore wind energy potential and several projects currently under construction that will make Barrow look small in comparison.

Roscoe Wind Farm - Roscoe, Texas, USA

(images: Roscoe Wind; Chad Wright)

Nameplate capacity: 335.5 MW
Why it’s amazing: Once all four phases and 627 wind turbines are completed and installed in mid-2009, Roscoe will be the largest wind farm in the U.S. and one of the world’s largest wind farms, with a generating capacity of 781.5 MW.

Middelgrunden Wind Turbine Cooperative - Copenhagen, Denmark

(images via wikimedia)

Nameplate capacity: 40 MW
Why it’s amazing: Like many other small wind farms in Denmark, Middelgrunden is cooperatively owned and has never taken on debt. Cooperative members own shares corresponding to 1/40,500 of the partnership. Despite how many shares a person owns, they have just one vote. Middelgrunden has also shown that offshore wind installations can operate without incident in popular shipping lanes and recreational areas. In fact, Middelgrunden has become a bit of a tourist attraction.

Maple Ridge Wind Farm - Lowville, New York, USA

(images via dangler; post406)

Nameplate capacity: 320 MW
Why it’s amazing: Maple Ridge has 195 1.65 MW wind turbines that account for three quarters of the wind power capacity of New York; making it the biggest wind farm east of the Mississippi. The site was chosen because it lies at an elevation of 1600-1800 feet and gets strong lake-effect winds from nearby Lake Ontario. Maple Ridge has been a boon to local landowners but continues to be the object of strong political opposition.

Altamont Pass - Central California, USA

(images via footloosiety)

Nameplate capacity: 576 MW
Why it’s amazing: Home to one of the oldest wind farms in the U.S. Altamont Pass is still the largest concentration of wind turbines in the world. Unfortunately, wind turbines at Altamont Pass killed more birds of prey than any other wind farm in North America. The site is located on a major bird migratory route and there are large concentrations of raptors in this area including the largest population of breeding golden eagles in the world.

San Gorgonio Pass - Palm Springs, California, USA

(images via NASA; Caveman92223)

Nameplate capacity: 359 MW
Why it’s amazing: The San Gorgonio wind installations generate about 893 gigawatt-hours of electricity. San Gorgonio Pass has proven to be a reliable location for wind energy production due to stable wind flows caused by warm desert air mixing with cooler coastal air, producing average wind speeds of 15 to 20 mph. San Gorgonio is unique in that winds generally are strongest during the summer months, when electricity demands are at their highest.