Jay Mohler Updates the Traditional Craft of Homespun God’s Eyes

Far more than just popsicle sticks and yarn, Jay Mohler‘s Ojos de Dios or “God’s Eye” mandalas update the craft often seen at sleepaway camps and elementary classrooms. Upwards of 15 colors of yarn are included in his elaborate mandalas, producing pieces that span up to 48 inches in diameter.

Mohler has been crafting Ojos de Dios since 1966, inspired by both Huichol natives of Mexico, and monks from Tibet. The Asheville, North Carolina-based artist began making 8-sided pieces when they grew in popularity as folk art in the 1970’s American Southwest, selling them at tourist gift shops around Albuquerque, New Mexico. Most recently Mohler has been producing 12-sided works that he recognizes as potentially spiritual objects, but explains, “I create these for artistic satisfaction rather than as any sort of spiritual talisman.”

Not only does Mohler sell his own elaborate pieces, but he also creates DIY kits for fans to make their own work. You can buy both his finished pieces and kits on his Etsy page and find detailed instructions for making your own mandalas here. (via The Jealous Curator)

10 Most Fascinating Natural Phenomena :

A natural phenomenon is a non-artificial event in the physical sense, and therefore not produced by humans, although it may affect humans. Common examples of natural phenomena include volcanic eruptions, weather, and decay. Most natural phenomena, such as rain, are relatively harmless so far as humans are concerned.

There are various types of natural phenomena, which include Meteorological phenomena, weather, including hurricanes, thunderstorms and tornadoes, and geological phenomena, including volcanic activity and earthquakes. So here I have compiled some of the most fascinating natural phenomena. 

Aurora Borealis :

Undoubtedly one of the most beautiful events to occur in our world, the Aurora Borealis, also known as the Northern Lights, has both astounded and amazed people since it was first discovered. 

Mammatus Clouds :

They are a cellular pattern of pouches hanging underneath the base of a cloud. Composed primarily of ice, Mammatus Clouds can extend for hundreds of miles in each direction. Mammatus clouds are often harbingers of a coming storm or other extreme weather system.

Red Tides :

More correctly known as an algal bloom, the so-called Red tide is a natural event in which estuarine, marine, or fresh water algae accumulate rapidly in the water column and can convert entire areas of an ocean or beach into a blood red color.

Penitentes :

These amazing ice spikes, generally known as penitentes can be found on mountain glaciers and vary in size dramatically. Initially, the sun’s rays cause random dimples on the surface of the snow.

Sailing Stones :

Rocks weighing up to hundreds of pounds have been known to move up to hundreds of yards at a time. Some scientists have proposed that a combination of strong winds and surface ice account for these movements.

SuperCells :

Super cell are usually isolated storms, which can last for hours, and sometimes can split in two, with one storm going to the left of the wind and one to the right. They can spout huge amounts of hail, rain and wind and are often responsible for tornados.

Fire Whirls :

A fire whir is a rare phenomenon in which a fire, under certain conditions acquires vertical vortices and forms a whirl of a vertical orientation rotating column of air. They can be as high as 30 to 200 ft tall.

Ice Circles :

Ice Circles are formed when surface ice gathers in the center of a body of water rather than the edges. A slow moving river current can create a slow turning eddy, which rotates, forming an ice disc. These ice circles have been seen with diameters of over 500 feet.

Gravity Waves :

The undulating pattern of a Gravity Wave is caused by air displaced in the vertical plain, usually as a result of updrafts coming off the mountains or during thunderstorms. Nature then tries to restore the fluid changes caused by updrafts within the atmosphere, which present in a visible oscillating pattern within the cloud.

Fire Rainbow :

Fire rainbow appears when the sun is high in the sky and its light passes through diaphanous, high-altitude cirrus clouds made up of hexagonal plate crystals.

7 Free Windows Password Recovery Tools

7 Free Windows Password Recovery Tools :

Windows password recovery tools are used to recover, or reset lost user and administrator passwords used to log on to Windows operating systems.
Password recovery tools are often called "password cracker" tools because they are sometimes used to "crack" passwords by hackers. Legally cracking or unlocking your own Windows password is certainly a legitimate practice.

1. Ophcrack

The Ophcrack Windows password cracker is by far the best free Windows password recovery tool available. It's fast and easy enough for a first time Windows password cracker with a basic knowledge of Windows.

With Ophcrack, you don't need any access to Windows to be able to recover your lost passwords. From another computer, visit the site, download the free ISO image, burn it to a CD and boot from the CD. The Ophcrack program starts, locates the Windows user accounts, and proceeds to recover (crack) the passwords - all automatically.
In a test on a Windows 8 PC, Ophcrack recovered the 8-character password (mixed letters and numbers) to my administrator account in 3 minutes and 29 seconds. Ophcrack supports Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP.

Ophcrack v3.4.0 Review and Free Download

2. Offline NT Password & Registry Editor

Offline NT Password & Registry Editor (ONTP&RE) works differently than most password recovery programs in that it erases your Windows password instead of recovering it. You can think of it as more of a Windows password reset tool.

Like Ophcrack, you boot to a burned CD created with the Offline NT Password & Registry Editor ISO file.  After running the program, you can log in to your Windows account without entering a password at all.
If you like this "password deleting" strategy then I highly recommend this program. It requires some seemingly difficult command line work but I have a full walkthrough available. In other words: you can do this!
I've tested Offline NT Password & Registry Editor on 64-bit & 32-bit versions of Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP PCs and it reset the passwords immediately without problem. It should work on Windows 2000 and Windows NT operating systems too.

Offline NT Password & Registry Editor Review and Free Download

3. PC Login Now

PC Login Now is one of the better free Windows password recovery programs I've tested... even though it doesn't actually recover passwords.

Instead of discovering and displaying your current Windows password, PC Login Now deletes it, allowing you to access Windows without a password, after which you can create a new one.
PC Login Now works just like the free and popular Offline NT Password & Registry Editor (listed above) only it's much easier to use.
The trade-off with PC Login Now over Offline NT Password & Registry Editor is that PC Login Now causes Windows to detect a possible hard drive problem on the first reboot after deleting the password. I've never seen nor heard of a problem actually happening but it's still a little bothersome.
In a test on a Windows 7 PC, PC Login Now deleted the 15-character password to my user account instantly. PC Login Now supports Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP. PC Login Now did not work properly in my tests with Windows 8.

PC Login Now v2.0 Review & Free Download

4. Kon-Boot

Kon-Boot is yet another free password reset program, much like ONTP&RE and PC Login Now. Just burn the program to a disc, boot to it, and you're off.

Kon-Boot works differently than the two password reset tools above, so if you have problems using them, give Kon-Boot a try. It's very, very easy to use and probably the fastest password reset, and certainly password recovery, tool available.



Unfortunately, Kon-Boot 1.0 does not work with 64-bit versions of Windows, nor any version of Windows 7 or Windows 8.
I used Kon-Boot v1.0 to successfully delete the password on a Windows Vista PC and then also on a Windows XP PC. A commercial version of Kon-Boot, version 2.2, supposedly works with 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows 7 and Windows 8 but I haven't tried it myself.

Kon-Boot v1.0 Review & Free Download

5. Cain & Abel

Cain & Abel is a free, fast and effective Windows password recovery tool.

Unlike Ophcrack and other popular Windows password hacking programs, Cain & Abel requires access to Windows under an administrator account. Due to this fact, Cain & Abel is a valuable resource to recover passwords to accounts other than the one you're using.
Add that to the fact that Cain & Abel is a bit more complicated to use than other password recovery apps and you have what is, in my book, a pretty advanced tool. Check it out if you think it might be useful to you.



Cain & Abel was able to recover the 10-character password to the Windows XP "Administrator" account in ten seconds. While it only officially supports Windows XP, 2000, and NT, some users have had luck getting it to work in Windows Vista and Windows 7. 

Cain & Abel v4.9.46 Review and Free Download

6. LCP

LCP is yet another free password recovery software tool for Windows.

Like Cain & Abel, LCP is a standard Windows program you download from LCPSoft's website and install inside of Windows, meaning you'll need access to a user account on the computer.
LCP can be a little intimidating to those new to Windows password recovery tools so some prior knowledge is very helpful to avoid even bigger problems with your PC.

LCP v5.04 Free Download

7. John the Ripper

John the Ripper is a very popular free password recovery tool that can be used to find Windows account passwords.

While the password recovery application itself is free, the wordlists used by John the Ripper to discover passwords do cost and are required for the software to work.



Note: I'm told there are free wordlist alternatives that work with John the Ripper which is why this Windows  password recovery tool is still listed as free. However, I have not tested any of them.
John the Ripper is operated at the command line making it a password cracking tool reserved for the very advanced user. In theory, John the Ripper should support all popular versions of Windows like Windows 8, 7, Vista, and XP.

John the Ripper v1.7.9 Free Download

Swirling Illustrations by James R. Eads Explore Human Connections and the Natural World

Multi-disciplinary artist and illustrator James R. Eads plays with motion and color to render harmonizing illustrations of people and nature. With swirling van Gogh inspired skies and percussive strokes of color, his style is well-suited for meditations on human connection and the relationships between humans and the natural world. He also makes pretty wicked gig posters.

The LA-based artist lives and works at the The Brewery where his studio is open to the public during bi-annual art walks. You can follow his work on Instagram or Facebook, and prints are available in his shop.

11 Promises You Must Make to Yourself for Happiness

11 Promises You Must Make to Yourself for Happiness : 

Make these promises to yourself, and keep them.



Repeat after me: “I promise…”

1. “I will accept everything I am, and everything I am not.”– Self-worth comes from one thing: thinking that you are worthy.  So be confident.  Too many days are wasted comparing ourselves to others and wishing to be something we aren’t.  Everybody has their own strengths and weaknesses, and it is only when you accept everything you are, and aren’t, that you will truly find happiness and success.  Read The Road Less Traveled.
2. “I will appreciate others for who they are.” – Sometimes the way you think about a person isn’t the way they are.  On the outside, maybe they laugh, and maybe they cry; but you would be surprised at everything they keep deep inside.  So pay close attention, and love the people you care about for who they are, and not for who you want them to be.  In the long run, this is how you will get the best of them.
3. “I will speak kindly and consciously to others.” – Open your mind before you open your mouth.  Don’t mix bad words with a bad mood.  Just be calm and deal with your emotions.  You’ll have many opportunities to change your mood, but you’ll have an extremely tough time recovering the words you have spoken.
4. “I will speak kindly and consciously to myself.” – Wait, what did you just say to yourself?  Were they the inspiring, comforting words you would speak to a friend?  Or were they the belittling remarks you might shout to an enemy if you had no heart.  Or the negative assessments about life you would utter if you had no faith?  All day long we speak silently to ourselves, and a part of us believes every word.  So stay mindful, and ask yourself, “If I had a friend who always spoke to me in the same way that I am speaking to myself right now, how long would I allow that person to be my friend?”
5. “I will stop trying to control everything.” – I hate to break it to you, but you can’t control everything in your life no matter how many safeguards you put into place.  But thankfully, you don’t have to control everything to find peace and happiness.  It lives with you always, deep within.  More than getting into the nuances of control itself, you should be more interested in encouraging yourself to commit to giving it up, on purpose.  See what happens when you loosen your grip, throw your hands into the air, and allow life to just happen and flow as it does, without constant micromanagement.  Read The Power of Now.
6. “I will appreciate the beauty of small moments.” – Positive minds live positive lives.  There is always, always something to be thankful for and something to smile about.  The happiest people are not those who get everything they want; they are those who, while in pursuit of worthy goals, notice and appreciate the beauty and sweetness of everyday moments.
7. “I will do what I think is right.” – What comes easy won’t always last, and what will last won’t always come easy.  So do the right things, not the easy things.  Whatever comes your way, whatever battle is raging inside you, you always have a choice.  In the end, it’s the choices you make that make you who you are.  And no matter what, you can always choose to do the right thing.
8. “I will grow from my challenges.” – You can be stunned, awakened, and changed by what happens to you, but choose to grow from it, and refuse to be reduced by it.  Repeat after me: “I am determined to live a happy life no matter my challenges.  I will turn all my tales of fury into tales of glory.  I will turn all of my tales of woe into tales of WOW!”
9. “I will realize and use my power.” – The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.  In a world filled with doubt, you must dare to dream.  In a world filled with anger, you must dare to forgive.  In a world filled with hate, you must dare to love.  In a world filled with distrust, you must dare to believe.  And once you do, you will find that power you once thought you lacked.
10. “I will follow the path my heart longs to take.” – Life is too short to live with regrets.  So love the things that make you smile, let go of the things that make you cry, and believe that everything happens for a reason.  Follow the path that your heart longs to take; it’s your time to shine.  If you get a chance, take it.  If it changes your life, let it.  You are far from what you once were, but not yet who you are going to be.  Read The Last Lecture.
11. “I will have some fun while I’m doing it all.” – Some people frantically seek a predetermined definition of success as though their entire self-worth depends on whether or not they make it to the top.  Their goals and routines are wound tight around stringent routines that they repeat every single day without stopping to breathe.  And while discipline is important, think about how much better off they’d be if they unwound their vision just a little – like kite string – and ran with it like an optimistic youth, breathing and working, just for the joy of seeing if they can make it touch the clouds.

Making the 5 Pointed Origami Star

Making the 5 Pointed Origami Star

These 5 pointed origami stars are easy to fold and make beautiful Christmas decorations. You can make them from magazines, scrapbook papers or sheet music, whatever you happen to have lying around.



      Got your square of paper? Great! Now we need to cut it into a pentagon shape.

Origami Trick to Make Pentagon

Fold the square in half:

Fold up the bottom left corner to the top, then unfold again.

Fold the top left corner to the bottom, then unfold again.

Fold the bottom right corner to the center of the X-shaped crease.

Fold the top layer in half.

Fold up the bottom edge to meet the edge of the top layer.

Turn over the paper. Then fold in half along this line.

Cut along the edge of the top layer

Unfold, and you have a perfect pentagon :-)

Folding the 5 Pointed Origami Star

Step 1

Start with your paper nice-side-down. Fold the pentagon in half through each of its points and unfold again, so that you have a set of creases like this:

Fold up the bottom edge so that the corners meet the creases you just made:

Unfold again, then make the same fold for all the other sides of the pentagon, so that you have a set of creases like this:

Step 2

Fold in the left edge along one of the creases you just made. Then fold up the bottom edge, at the same time pulling the corner of the pentagon out to the left like this. Squash the fold flat.

Unfold completely. Rotate the pentagon 1/5th of a rotation so that the next side is at the bottom, then repeat the folds as in the image above. Do the same thing for all the rest of the sides of the pentagon. When you've finished you will have a new set of creases that look something like this:

Step 3

Starting with the pentagon completely unfolded, pinch all the corners together and squash them toward the center. With a bit of "massaging" the paper will collapse into a star shape.

Step 4

Turn over the star. Fold in the right edge to the center line, like this:

Working clockwise around the star, do the same thing for all the other arms:

Finished!

Tada! Here's the finished star: