text:
Wednesday, June 18, 2008

The Idol Lover and Other Stories: Praise, Encouragement, Critique

I received the following comment from Leslie Simon, a poet based in San Francisco:
"Though I never made it to the reading, I picked up a copy of The Idol Lover at City Lights and thoroughly enjoyed it. Your prose is stunning, and you address politics with a clear eye on the complexities of race, class, gender, nation state. I'm very impressed. I also loved how you moved into the SF context in the second half, giving voice to the cafe society in our midst, both what it gives and what it takes aways. Having worked both sides of the counter as a waitress and a poet, I appreciate your honesty."
Comment by poet and novelist (Mobility Lounge) David R. Lincoln:
"In case this email ever finds its way to you, let me extend my congratulations on the collection of stories that, for me for the first time, gives me insight into my old friend Moazzam, to such an extent that I feel I've met an entirely new friend. Especially, I thought, the title story and Gypsy Leaves, provide us with an engaging voice of a daring new writer."
Comment email to me by novelist (God Bless the Squirrel Cage) Nick Sarno III:
"I just wanted to write a short note to let you know how much I enjoyed The Idol Lover. I read it in three sittings over the course of two days late this week."
Sweetest words by a poet friend, Evelyn Posamentier, to a listserv of women poets:
". . . it occurs that I should mention that my friend, Moazzam Sheikh's new book of short stories, The Idol Lover is stunning and most beautiful."
Via email, by a writer/poet/artist friend, Rinku Dutta, "Ayesha had a copy of your book and I got to read it. Congratulations on a brave exploration of unspoken grounds. I had read Monsoon Rains earlier, and I like it the most. Snakeskins was most intriguing.Looking forward to your next collection."

Marie said...

You have a book! I'm going to have to keep an eye out. :-)

The Holistic Knitter said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
The Holistic Knitter said...

I'm going to have to try to find a copy of this too


Content-Type: application/http; msgtype=response

WARC-Type: response

text:
News Home

Runaway truck smashes 5 cars, tree, building

A runaway truck crashed into five cars and a tree at Magill in Adelaide's east this morning before slamming into a building.

Workers had been unloading a cubby house from the back of the truck on East Street just before 8am (ACDT), when the brakes gave way.

Two workers in the back of the truck managed to hold on, while the driver tried to steer the vehicle in the middle of the road.

The truck rolled backwards a couple of hundred metres, hitting parked cars, before crossing Magill Road and hitting a wall.

One of the workers was taken to hospital for a cut to his face.

Carl Barlow's van was smashed by the truck and he says the timing of the crash was extremely lucky.

"Definitely, I'll be buying a lottery ticket that's for sure. If I'd had been in there, it could have been quite serious," he said.

"We were only in there two minutes prior, unloading material."

More Stories

warcinfo:
robots: classic
hostname: ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal
software: Nutch 1.6 (CC)/CC WarcExport 1.0
isPartOf: CC-MAIN-2015-35
operator: CommonCrawl Admin
description: Wide crawl of the web for August 2015
publisher: CommonCrawl
format: WARC File Format 1.0
conformsTo: http://bibnum.bnf.fr/WARC/WARC_ISO_28500_version1_latestdraft.pdf


text:
Download the Ringtone Send Ringtone to Cell Phone

Recent ringtone creations using this song...

  • Ringtone Created By Mark Q.

    Higher 00:00 → 00:40

    5 years ago by Mark Q.

  • Ringtone Created By CJ Johnson

    Higher 00:54 → 01:17

    5 years ago by CJ Johnson

  • Ringtone Created By Dany H.

    Higher 00:03 → 00:43

    5 years ago by Dany H.

Recent app creations...

  • 01:56→02:31

    3 years ago
  • 00:54→01:24

    3 years ago
  • 01:56→02:36

    3 years ago

Lyrics For "Higher"

Yo Kanye blow the hook, you a genius boy

Now when you hear this song you know it's on babygirl
When you hear this song you know it's on
When you...

View more...

Check out these videos...


text:
Northern Downpour By Panic At The Disco

Not Within Top #500

Northern Downpour

Panic At The Disco

Send "Northern Downpour" Ringtone to Your Cell (ad)

Popular ringtone start times for this song... (mouse over to see times)

Download the Ringtone Send Ringtone to Cell Phone

Recent ringtone creations using this song...

Recent app creations...

  • 00:11→00:50

    2 years ago
  • 01:19→01:49

    2 years ago
  • 00:00→01:00

    2 years ago
  • 00:00→00:30

    3 years ago
  • 01:54→02:34

    3 years ago

Lyrics For "Northern Downpour"

If all our life is but a dream
Fantastic posing greed
Then we should feed our jewelery to the sea
For diamonds do appear to be
Just like broken gl...

View more...

Check out these videos...


WARC-Truncated: length

text:
and get 10% OFF

Subscribe to ModernTribe emails and get a coupon code for 10% off your first order. Plus get first-notice of new products, upcoming sales, giveaways, and other fun stuff! The discount code will be in the Welcome email.

You are $75.00 away from FREE SHIPPING within the U.S.!

The Cupcake is our favorite of the new Yummy Pockets designed by Israeli designer Anat Safran of Infobag. Store your belongings in these yummy shaped cupcake pockets! Zipper pouch fits small accessories lip gloss, coins, or jewelry. SIZE 3" in diameter x 4" tall. Includes keyring. CHOOSE: Pink or Chocolate icing, both with sprinkles.

Leaves the warehouse in 1-2 business days.
Yummy Pocket Cupcake

Customer Reviews

Yummy Pocket Cupcake has a rating of stars based on reviews.


text:
Make every day sweeter for a chance to win some fabulous prizes with @PureViaSweet #PVSweet

Love is in the air Tweeps!

With Valentines Day just days away, Pure Via is celebrating all things sweet! Whether it be a kind gesture from a stranger, a loving message from a friend, or a delicious treat, Pure Via is encouraging Canadians to make every day sweeter with a super fun new Twitter Challenge starting TODAY!

pure via sweet

Follow @PureViaSweet and track the Hashtag #PVSweet for  weekly “Sweet Challenges” all themed to making life a little sweeter!

Win SWEET Prizes!

Your sweet challenge tweet will enter you into a draw for a  grand prize of a $1,000 Visa gift card and fabulous Pure Via product!! Now THAT’s Sweet!

There’s more!

Throughout the course of the challenge, participants will also have the chance to win a host of additional prizes, including Pure Via products, Visa gift cards and a special Valentine’s Day gift set!

Pretty Sweet Right??

Okay, so head over to Twitter, follow the hashtag #PVSweet and find out what the “Daily Sweet” challenge is so you can get entered! Challenge runs from February 10th-21st

The grand prize winner will be announced February 26th

Good Luck Sweets!

  1. Can’t get much sweeter then $1000 cash prize! I’m going to have to go check this out.

  2. Now that’s pretty “sweet”!! hehe. Love it! What a fun idea and I’ll definitely be going to Twitter to check it out! Love the idea of the challenges :)

  3. $1000 is a pretty SWEET prize – running over to twitter as we speak!

  4. Thanks for sharing! I’ve tried and love purevia so will do my best to be there!

  5. How fun is that? You know I like some twitter. So the only thing better than twitter is winning something on twitter. I have some of this and haven’t yet tried it. You have reminded me it’s time to try it.

join the conversation

Mom vs The Boys© 2015

Terms of Use | Disclosure | Contact Me

Do not copy in any form without permission. Copyright protected.


text:
Monday, July 04, 2011

Monday, March 21, 2011

Is it illegal to be a kid in this town?

Your thoughts please... Yesterday I received a phone call from the local law enforcement asking, "did I know where my (10 & 12 year-old) kids were?"

I answered "unless something unusual happened, they are either at Target or on their way home from there."

Apparently they were stopped for being unaccompanied children. Because that is so abnormal. (I did question them about what they were doing; they assured me separately that all they were doing was walking).

I guess it was a good thing for all of us that they were where I expected them. The officer let them go.
Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Books, Libraries & Reading

I am very pleased to have developed three readers (so far) in my family. Trips to the library have been well received lately. Here is a story for each boy...

J has been making origami things for quite awhile. He was at the section where they had instruction books, and complained that they all had the same thing, and he already knew how to do all of them. So I introduced him to the stacks... We found the section on paper folding (for adults) and he practically jumped out of his skin, he was so excited. He picked out about five new books. The next week he figured out to ask for help with books on another subject he's excited about - knives. (But that's another story).

R seems to have about four books going at any given time. He does not feel the need to finish one before he sets out on another one. He is forever asking for bookmarks (I think he forgets to take them out of the books when he's done with them). He happily identifies himself as a "book worm." Last night we discussed the subject of one book, that reminded me of another book (and another author). I am happy to say that he is right this minute reading a Hugo/Nebula award winner (Ender's Game).

A is in first grade, and his world has just recently opened up to reading. It is so much fun to watch him figure things out. One of my favorite authors of all time (Spider Robinson) once wrote that his mother would read stories to him, and at the most exciting part, suddenly have something important to do in the kitchen (leaving him alone with the book). With that encouragement, he learned to read. So I've done the same thing with A. And it has worked beautifully.

The really funny part is that he was committed to reading his book (Animorphs - about a second or third grade level book), but didn't want to read his assigned book for class (20 pages - 40 sentences, plus or minus). I made him put down the hard book to read the easy one - but then wrote a letter to his teacher explaining how wrong that felt. We both agreed to give him something more challenging. He's reading a "Nate the Great" book every two or three days now. And Animorphs.

E is 5 and is learning his letter sounds. Montessori education focuses on the sound of the letter prior to the name of it ("ah" instead of "ay"). He's got most of them down and can read individual words (with pictures to help). I can't wait to see him develop this skill too.

Special bonus (for me). When we were at the library last week, I found not one, but two books by two different authors for two different series where they had not written anything new in years. I got both. Such a treat.

Saturday, February 19, 2011

In appreciation of children

Conversations between E & A
Where did dinosaurs live?
In the desert.
No, cowboys live there.
Dinosaurs died because humans live here now.

A's question this morning
Where do fish go in the winter?
The same place they go in summer.
But what about when it snows?

Even though I think the younger boys are probably old enough to wake themselves up to get ready for school, I don't mind participating. My "payment" for participating is that I get snuggle time. And during snuggle time, I get to hold them and touch their soft smooth skin. And boy oh boy do they have wonderful skin. Yum!

R has decided that he doesn't like his alarm clock and would rather I wake him up personally. And so, even though he is ten, I still do. Ten years old and still wants a hug from his mama in the morning. In fact, he is still quite the snuggler. I wonder how long it will last. I think J stopped around age 11. R may last longer.

It amazes me to watch my oldest move from "little boy" to adolescent. He is everything all the books/magazines talk about - with wild mood swings, infuriating obnoxiousness, and delightful inventions, often within three minutes of one another. Four more months and he will be an official teenager. (Which marks the beginning of a 12 year cycle that I will have at least one teenage boy in my home).

Yesterday dirt & mulch & plants arrived to be worked into the landscape and garden. All of the boys (except E) pitched in to help (with the promise of monetary reward). They were all so cheerful and willing. Kind of surprised me. In a good way.

Wonder if it will last through today - 'cause there is a lot more to be done.

Monday, January 24, 2011

Monday, January 17, 2011

Word of the Year

I am feeling a little slow this year. But I was inspired to make a Vision Board recently...

Apparently my word is "Boing." Which I think is about having more fun and finding stuff that gives me energy.

Secondarily, "Ahhhh." Which I'm pretty sure is about both enjoying life more and relaxing.


text:
Open page

Why closure of the strait of Hormuz could ignite a war and a global depression

February 2012, by Michael Klare

Ever since December 27th, war clouds have been gathering over the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow body of water connecting the Persian Gulf with the Indian Ocean and the seas beyond. On that day, Iranian Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi warned that Tehran would block the strait and create havoc in international oil markets if the West placed new economic sanctions on his country.

“If they impose sanctions on Iran’s oil exports,” Rahimi declared, “then even one drop of oil cannot flow from the Strait of Hormuz.” Claiming that such a move would constitute an assault on America’s vital interests, President Obama reportedly informed Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei that Washington would use force to keep the strait open. To back up their threats, both sides have been bolstering their forces in the area and each has conducted a series of provocative military exercises.

All of a sudden, the Strait of Hormuz has become the most combustible spot on the planet, the most likely place to witness a major conflict between well-armed adversaries. Why, of all locales, has it become so explosive?

Oil, of course, is a major part of the answer, but — and this may surprise you — only a part.

Petroleum remains the world’s most crucial source of energy, and about one-fifth of the planet’s oil supply travels by tanker through the strait. “Hormuz is the world’s most important oil chokepoint due to its daily oil flow of almost 17 million barrels in 2011,” the U.S. Department of Energy noted as last year ended. Because no other area is capable of replacing these 17 million barrels, any extended closure would produce a global shortage of oil, a price spike, and undoubtedly attendant economic panic and disorder.

No one knows just how high oil prices would go under such circumstances, but many energy analysts believe that the price of a barrel might immediately leap by $50 or more. “You would get an international reaction that would not only be high, but irrationally high,” says Lawrence J. Goldstein, a director of the Energy Policy Research Foundation. Even though military experts assume the U.S. will use its overwhelming might to clear the strait of Iranian mines and obstructions in a few days or weeks, the chaos to follow in the region might not end quickly, keeping oil prices elevated for a long time. Indeed, some analysts fear that oil prices, already hovering around $100 per barrel, would quickly double to more than $200, erasing any prospect of economic recovery in the United States and Western Europe, and possibly plunging the planet into a renewed Great Recession.

The Iranians are well aware of all this, and it is with such a nightmare scenario that they seek to deter Western leaders from further economic sanctions and other more covert acts when they threaten to close the strait. To calm such fears, U.S. officials have been equally adamant in stressing their determination to keep the strait open. In such circumstances of heightened tension, one misstep by either side might prove calamitous and turn mutual rhetorical belligerence into actual conflict.

Military overlord of the Persian gulf

In other words, oil, which makes the global economy hum, is the most obvious factor in the eruption of war talk, if not war. Of at least equal significance are allied political factors, which may have their roots in the geopolitics of oil but have acquired a life of their own.

Because so much of the world’s most accessible oil is concentrated in the Persian Gulf region, and because a steady stream of oil is absolutely essential to the well-being of the U.S. and the global economy, it has long been American policy to prevent potentially hostile powers from acquiring the capacity to dominate the Gulf or block the Strait of Hormuz. President Jimmy Carter first articulated this position in January 1980, following the Islamic Revolution in Iran and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. “Any attempt by an outside force to gain control of the Persian Gulf region will be regarded as an assault on the vital interests of the United States of America,” he told a joint session of Congress, “and such an assault will be repelled by any means necessary, including military force.”

In accordance with this precept, Washington designated itself the military overlord of the Persian Gulf, equipped with the military might to overpower any potential challenger. At the time, however, the U.S. military was not well organized to implement the president’s initiative, known ever since as the Carter Doctrine. In response, the Pentagon created a new organization, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), and quickly endowed it with the wherewithal to crush any rival power or powers in the region and keep the sea lanes under American control.

CENTCOM first went into action in 1987-1988, when Iranian forces attacked Kuwaiti and Saudi oil tankers during the Iran-Iraq War, threatening the flow of oil supplies through the strait. To protect the tankers, President Reagan ordered that they be “reflagged” as American vessels and escorted by U.S. warships, putting the Navy into potential conflict with the Iranians for the first time. Out of this action came the disaster of Iran Air Flight 655, a civilian airliner carrying 290 passengers and crew members, all of whom died when the plane was hit by a missile from the USS Vincennes, which mistook it for a hostile fighter plane — a tragedy long forgotten in the United States, but still deeply resented in Iran.

Iraq was America’s de facto ally in the Iran-Iraq war, but when Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in 1990 — posing a direct threat to Washington’s dominance of the Gulf — the first President Bush ordered CENTCOM to protect Saudi Arabia and drive Iraqi forces out of Kuwait. And when Saddam rebuilt his forces, and his very existence again came to pose a latent threat to America’s dominance in the region, the second President Bush ordered CENTCOM to invade Iraq and eliminate his regime altogether (which, as no one is likely to forget, resulted in a string of disasters).

If oil lay at the root of Washington’s domineering role in the Gulf, over time that role evolved into something else: a powerful expression of America’s status as a global superpower. By becoming the military overlord of the Gulf and the self-appointed guardian of oil traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, Washington said to the world: “We, and we alone, are the ones who can ensure the safety of your daily oil supply and thereby prevent global economic collapse.” Indeed, when the Cold War ended — and with it an American sense of pride and identity as a bulwark against Soviet expansionism in Europe and Asia — protection of the flow of Persian Gulf oil became America’s greatest claim to superpowerdom, and it remains so today.

Every option on every table

With the ouster of Saddam Hussein in 2003, the one potential threat to U.S. domination of the Persian Gulf was, of course, Iran. Even under the U.S.-backed Shah, long Washington’s man in the Gulf, the Iranians had sought to be the paramount power in the region. Now, under a militant Shiite Islamic regime, they have proven no less determined and — call it irony — thanks to Saddam’s overthrow and the rise of a Shiite-dominated government in Baghdad, they have managed to extend their political reach in the region. With Saddam’s fate in mind, they have also built up their defensive military capabilities and — in the view of many Western analysts — embarked on a uranium-enrichment program with the potential to supply fissile material for a nuclear weapon, should the Iranian leadership choose someday to take such a fateful step.

Iran thus poses a double challenge to Washington’s professed status in the Gulf. It is not only a reasonably well-armed country with significant influence in Iraq and elsewhere, but by promoting its nuclear program, it threatens to vastly complicate America’s future capacity to pull off punishing attacks like those launched against Iraqi forces in 1991 and 2003.

While Iran’s military budget is modest-sized at best and its conventional military capabilities will never come close to matching CENTCOM’s superior forces in a direct confrontation, its potential pursuit of nuclear-arms capabilities greatly complicates the strategic calculus in the region. Even without taking the final steps of manufacturing actual bomb components — and no evidence has yet surfaced that the Iranians have proceeded to this critical stage — the Iranian nuclear effort has greatly alarmed other countries in the Middle East and called into question the continued robustness of America’s regional dominance. From Washington’s perspective, an Iranian bomb — whether real or not — poses an existential threat to America’s continued superpower status.

How to prevent Iran not just from going nuclear but from maintaining the threat to go nuclear has, in recent years, become an obsessional focus of American foreign and military policy. Over and over again, U.S. leaders have considered plans for using military force to cripple the Iranian program though air and missile strikes on known and suspected nuclear facilities. Presidents Bush and Obama have both refused to take such action “off the table,” as Obama made clear most recently in his State of the Union address. (The Israelis have also repeatedly indicated their desire to take such action, possibly as a prod to Washington to get the job done.)

Most serious analysts have concluded that military action would prove extremely risky, probably causing numerous civilian casualties and inviting fierce Iranian retaliation. It might not even achieve the intended goal of halting the Iranian nuclear program, much of which is now being conducted deep underground. Hence, the consensus view among American and European leaders has been that economic sanctions should instead be employed to force the Iranians to the negotiating table, where they could be induced to abandon their nuclear ambitions in return for various economic benefits. But those escalating sanctions, which appear to be causing increasing economic pain for ordinary Iranians, have been described by that country’s leaders as an “act of war,” justifying their threats to block the Strait of Hormuz.

To add to tensions, the leaders of both countries are under extreme pressure to vigorously counter the threats of the opposing side. President Obama, up for re-election, has come under fierce, even hair-raising, attack from the contending Republican presidential candidates (except, of course, Ron Paul) for failing to halt the Iranian nuclear program, though none of them have a credible plan to do so. He, in turn, has been taking an ever-harsher stance on the issue. Iranian leaders, for their part, appear increasingly concerned over the deteriorating economic conditions in their country and, no doubt fearing an Arab Spring-like popular upheaval, are becoming more bellicose in their rhetoric.

So oil, the prestige of global dominance, Iran’s urge to be a regional power, and domestic political factors are all converging in a combustible mix to make the Strait of Hormuz the most dangerous place on the planet. For both Tehran and Washington, events seem to be moving inexorably toward a situation in which mistakes and miscalculations could become inevitable. Neither side can appear to give ground without losing prestige and possibly even their jobs. In other words, an existential test of wills is now under way over geopolitical dominance in a critical part of the globe, and on both sides there seem to be ever fewer doors marked “EXIT.”

As a result, the Strait of Hormuz will undoubtedly remain the ground zero of potential global conflict in the months ahead.

  • The staff - Contact us

  • ✪ Republishing enquiries

    tel: +1 336 686 9002

  • LMD around the world

    Le Monde diplomatique, originally published in French, has editions in 25 other languages


text:
Our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy have changed.

By continuing to use this site, you are agreeing to the new Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.

6 reasons health care costs keep going up

@CNNMoney July 12, 2012: 5:12 AM ET
There are many reasons health costs keep going up. Bigger ticket items in hospital care and doctor visits are among the reasons why.

There are many reasons health costs keep going up. Bigger ticket items in hospital care and doctor visits are among the reasons why.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Health care reform will help millions more Americans get insurance.

But experts say the Affordable Care Act itself won't stop the cost of health care from continuing to rise and consumers from paying bigger bills.

Insurance premiums -- the monthly fees consumers pay to get coverage -- continue to rise much faster than the 2% rate of overall inflation. In 2011, average premiums rose 8% for individual coverage and 9% for family coverage, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.

There are many reasons costs are going up; some apply to all patients, and others only to patients who get insurance through big insurance plans. But experts identify six main drivers.

Hospital care: Hospital care accounts for nearly one-third of the nation's annual health care expenditures.

According to the American Hospital Association, factors driving up hospital costs include the rising cost of goods and services used for patient care -- such as workers, equipment and information systems. Other factors are rising demand for care and compliance with regulatory requirements.

An increasingly significant issue for hospitals is the increase in patients covered by Medicare and Medicaid -- 60% of all admissions. Neither program fully reimburses the cost of hospital care, the hospital association said.

Hospitals are also seeing a jump in the cost of care for patients who can't pay, which averages about 6% of hospital expenses. Hospitals assume those costs as part of their legal duties to provide "charity care."

Doctor visits: According to the American Medical Association, the cost of physician care, both to insurance and patients, has risen 1.3% during the past year.

Doctors who accept insurance have little wiggle room to recoup higher costs, because they are locked into negotiated fee rates with insurers.

At the same time, consumers are paying a bigger share of their medical bill than before. Why? Because insurers are shifting more of the payment burden onto customers through higher co-payments, co-insurance and deductibles.

Insurers are also making customers pay much more out of pocket if they choose a doctor who is not in their network.

Medical tech: New technologies, such as robotic surgery, are growing rapidly. More than 36% of hospitals already perform robotic surgery, according to a report from PwC's Health Research Institute.

These high-cost procedures improve the quality of care but they also push up costs for consumers, the research firm said.

In health care, any advancements in technology costs more at the outset. "That's why MRIs costs more than X-Rays," said Mike Thompson, principal with PwC, who advises employers on their health benefits strategies.

As a result, insurance claims for new high-tech procedures also are typically higher.

Lab tests: More consumers are using medical labs -- driving up the overall cost of testing.

According to the PwC report, 51% of laboratory representatives expect an increase in demand in the next three to five years. The reasons: the aging population and a push toward "personalized" medicine based on patients' genetic makeup.

Drugs: Drug costs are still rising but at a slower pace, said Thompson.

"The pace of increase is being mitigated by more expensive branded drugs going off patent and their cheaper generic equivalents coming to market," he said.

According to PwC, generic drugs account for about 80% of all prescriptions in the United States. "Generic equivalents don't immediately hit the market," Thompson said. "So there is a lag time before prices adjust for a drug that goes off patent."

Health plan administration: Insurers make annual changes to the prices of their plans to factor in their own cost of doing business.

For example, insurers may set higher premiums and deductibles if the volume of insurance reimbursements they paid out in the prior year was more than they had expected.  To top of page

Overnight Avg Rate Latest Change Last Week
30 yr fixed3.83%3.86%
15 yr fixed2.95%2.94%
5/1 ARM3.13%3.05%
30 yr refi3.95%3.98%
15 yr refi3.05%3.05%
Rate data provided
by Bankrate.com
View rates in your area
Find personalized rates:
Economic Calendar
Latest ReportNext Update
Home pricesAug 28
Consumer confidenceAug 28
GDPAug 29
Manufacturing (ISM)Sept 4
JobsSept 7
Inflation (CPI)Sept 14
Retail sales Sept 14
  • -->


text:
Netflix-Verizon feud flares up again

netflix verizon speed
A Netflix error message tweeted by the journalist and developer Yuri Victor.

Netflix and Verizon are at it again.

Netflix has begun displaying messages for users whose videos are slow to load that blame Verizon (VZ, Tech30) and other Internet service providers for the problem. It's the latest development in the streaming service's battle with the country's largest ISPs.

Verizon responded Thursday with a cease-and-desist letter calling for Netflix to stop displaying the message, calling it "deceptive" and threatening legal action.

The issue came to public notice earlier this week after journalist and developer Yuri Victor tweeted a Netflix error message reading: "The Verizon network is crowded right now."

Netflix (NFLX, Tech30) spokesman Joris Evers confirmed that the company is "testing ways to let consumers know how their Netflix experience is being affected by congestion on their broadband provider's network."

AT&T (T, Tech30) users have received similar messages, Evers noted.

Netflix's dig at Verizon comes despite the fact that the two companies reached an agreement in April in which Netflix will pay to boost streaming speeds by connecting directly to Verizon's network. This connection apparently isn't yet being used for all the traffic Netflix sends to Verizon, however.

Related: Time to buy or sell Netflix stock?

"I sincerely hope this is not a harbinger of things to come in terms of how Netflix treats its network partners and our mutual customers," Verizon executive vice president Randal Milch wrote in his letter to the streaming service.

Netflix's Evers, commenting on the Verizon letter, said that "this is about consumers not getting what they paid for from their broadband provider."

"We are trying to provide more transparency," he added.

Related: Netflix moves to conquer Europe

Netflix struck a similar connection deal with Comcast (CMCSA) in February. The company says it struck the deals with Verizon and Comcast "reluctantly," accusing the ISPs of abusing their market power to extract a toll for content their customers have already paid for.

But the ISPs tell a very different story. They point to the fact that Netflix generates a massive amount of data consumption -- around a third of traffic online during peak hours -- while sticking them with the costs of upgrading their infrastructure to handle the ever-increasing flows.

In a separate blog post from Verizon on Wednesday, the company said the error message displayed in Victor's tweet "is not only inaccurate, it is deliberately misleading."

Related: The future of media with Brian Stelter

"It would be more accurate for Netflix's message screen to say: 'The path that we have chosen to reach Verizon's network is crowded right now,'" Verizon vice president David Young wrote in the blog post. "However, that would highlight their responsibility for the problem."

Jeff Bewkes thinks Netflix is 'great'

Netflix still delivers much of its traffic to ISPs via third parties like Cogent Communications (CCOI). The ISPs then transmit the content on the last leg of its journey into your home. But Netflix now has the ability to bypass third-party transit providers through its direct-connection deals with Comcast and Verizon.

The agreements followed several months of declining streaming speeds for Comcast and Verizon users, which Netflix CEO Reed Hastings has called a deliberate move by the ISPs to force Netflix into paying them.

Related: Netflix picks up 'DreamWorks Dragons'

The heart of the problem is that high-speed Internet networks are extremely expensive to deploy. There aren't many companies with the resources to do it, and there isn't enough competition in most regions to push ISPs to quickly upgrade their infrastructure. Paid-connection deals are part of how the broadband industry wants to address this issue.

"It's simply not fair for Mr. Hastings to demand that ISPs provide him with zero delivery costs -- at the high quality he demands -- for free," AT&T vice president Jim Cicconi wrote in a blog post earlier this year.

Other big tech companies, including Microsoft (MSFT, Tech30), Google (GOOGL, Tech30) and Facebook (FB, Tech30), already have paid-connection deals with big ISPs. Netflix, meanwhile, already connects directly for free with some smaller ISPs like Cablevision (CVC), as well as a number of international providers.

CNNMoney Sponsors

Around the Web


text:
Kevin L. Heaton, 55, Clearwater

Kevin L. Heaton, 55, Clearwater, died Wednesday, May 23, 2012, at his home.

Funeral service was Tuesday, May 29, 11 a.m., at Rejoice Lutheran Church in Clearwater. The Rev. Scott Gjevre and The Rev. Tim Lindhorst officiated. Interment was at Acacia Cemetery in Clearwater. Visitation was Monday, May 28, 4-8 p.m., at Rejoice Lutheran Church.

Kevin was born July 25, 1956, in St. Cloud, to Lyle and Marlys (Pramann) Heaton. He married Cindy Murphy on Sept. 16, 1989, at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in St. Cloud. The couple made their home in Clearwater and were blessed with two sons, Derek and Ryan. Kevin was an insurance agent for Farmers Insurance for 25 years. He was also a proud member of the Clearwater Fire Department for 34 years.

Earlier in Kevin’s life he worked for Murphy Ambulance Service. Kevin was a member of Rejoice Lutheran Church in Clearwater. He enjoyed fishing, hunting, and most of all spending time with his beloved family. Kevin was a man of great integrity. He was a very giving, caring, helpful, honorable man. Many of the wonderful things Kevin did went unnoticed, as he was very humble and followed the saying of I did it because it was the right thing to do”


text:
Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Wednesday WOW Finds {Thankful Trees}

This year, since Our Lil' Turkey is old enough to understand what being thankful is, I want to make a Thankful Tree to display during November in our home!  So, as I was doing some blog searching to get inspired, I came across several C.U.T.E trees!  Take a look!

I am thankful for so many crafty people out there giving me so much inspiration to make our own tree!!!

1 comment:

Crafting Chicks said...

Thanks for featuring my tree. I love to see all the fun different ways to do this. :)


text:
« World Champion Parenting | Main | gratitude, part II »

November 17, 2006

I always sneeze and cough into my sleeve and have taught the boys to do the say. Finally, I've done something right!

Thanks for validating my actions.:)

I love this!!!! My son's school is teaching all the students and teachers to cough and sneeze into their sleeves.

the coughing olympics judges....LOL...oh, trying to catch my breath here...hahaha...I laughed until the tears ran down my face, it just sounded SO much like my SIL and I...our running commentary during cold season is much like that, and this is the first time I've EVER heard anyone else with that commmentary..:) :) thank you for this little gem on germs...

YES! Finally I'm doing something right as a parent!

All of my little chitlins sneeze into their elbows. Generally a great idea....occasionally I have to wash off some grimy greenies....but it is worth it!

It was a big comical when I don't think it should be, it being a very important topic and all but good to get the word out there anyway. We were drilled with all of this while in the NICU and is something I would certainly never forget :)

I just sneezed into my hand. Directly after watching the video. Evidently, this habit will be difficult for me to break. *lol*

I think my favorite part of this video is seeing doctors I've worked with using arm bands...

I spent a month at cmmc and no one said anything about this gem! thanks for posting it.

The comments to this entry are closed.

Falling Down, November 2004

  • Balloon in hand, my 4-year-old
    twirled across the kitchen floor,
    singing nonsense words
    in her own key.
    "It's my gift!" she declared
    to the world at large, which
    was really only me,
    sitting at the table. Enough
    twirling, and she lost
    her balance, tumbling
    to the floor in a theatrical
    slapstick of elbows and knees.

    She lay on her back
    for a few seconds,
    at the textured ceiling
    with the mysterious
    spaghetti sauce stain.
    Suddenly she
    flapping her arms and legs
    there on the floor, as if to swish
    the imaginary snow
    into a snow angel.

    "Falling down is also a gift!" says she.

My Photo

Mostly here now


text:
And the spring beatings go on

If Friday’s game against the Royals were three innings long, Friday would have been a good day for the Giants.

The Giants were knocking out hit after hit in building a 3-0 lead against Royals starter Vin Mazzaro. Madison Bumgarner was sailing, retiring nine of the first 10 batters he faced.

And then things went bad. Very bad.

The Royals tagged Bumgarner for four runs in the fourth and four more in the fifth. In the end, MadBum gave up eight earned runs on 10 hits in 4 1/3 innings on the way to the Royals winning 15-3. Yikes.

“I think the biggest thing was that I was missing over the middle a lot more,” Bumgarner said. “Early on, I was hitting spots pretty well. I don’t know if it was fatigue, but obviously I’d rather have better results.”

So would we. But Bumgarner did get himself stretch out. He’s slated to pitch again on Wednesday against the A’s in the preseason finale, then make his 2011 regular season debut on April 5 at San Diego. If there was a positive note, it’s that Bumgarner didn’t walk anyone. So it was clear that he wasn’t trying to be too fine.

On the flip side, Santiago Casilla, a candidate to close in the event Brian Wilson is not ready to open the season, had a terrible outing. He gave up five runs in the sixth to the Royals, walking four in the process.

But the Giants play twice on Saturday, doubling their chances of snapping this skid of five losses and seven losses out of eight.

The Giants will roll out an A lineup against the Reds Saturday afternoon of: CF Torres, 2B Sanchez, RF Huff, C Posey, LF Burrell, 3B Sandoval, SS Tejada, 1B DeRosa, SP Lincecum.

It could be the opening day lineup. We could also see DeRosa in RF and Huff at 1B in the opener. The other option is Rowand in CF, Torres in RF and Huff at 1B. Remember, the Giants are facing lefty Clayton Kershaw in the opener.

The Giants will send the B lineup against the Indians Saturday night: 2B Fontenot, RF Schierholtz, 1B Belt, CF Rowand, LF Ishikawa, 3B Rohlinger, SS Crawford, C Whiteside, DH TBA, P Vogelsong.

Leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: Logo

You are commenting using your account. Log Out / Change )

Twitter picture

You are commenting using your Twitter account. Log Out / Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. Log Out / Change )

Google+ photo

You are commenting using your Google+ account. Log Out / Change )

Connecting to %s

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 349 other followers

%d bloggers like this:


text:
Thursday, January 28, 2010

Treasure Chest Thursday - January 28, 2010

The following are photos of the interior of the old William Bean home, as posted yesterday.

The Front Room

The stariway leading to the 2nd floor.

One of the bedrooms.

The doorway leading to the stairs.

A window, where once there was a chimney, looks out on the beautiful Potts Valley, toward Waiteville.

One of the upstairs bedrooms.

Although the exterior has changed a bit, there has been siding placed over the logs and both stone chimney’s have been removed, the interior remains much the same as it was when William and his wife, Rachel, lived there with their family in the 1840’s-1860’s. Only electricity and a modern bath added. The rear extension behind the house is a complete modern addition.

Lori said...

Beautiul view out of the picture window. I'll bet that view really hasn't changed that much over the years. I love how you can see each log in the wall. What a true treaure.

hummer said...

It is marvelous workmanship that the house is still being used with little changes.
Thanks for sharing.


text: Joshua Zung en-us Copyright © Mountain Lake PBS 2014. All rights reserved. Wed, 27 Feb 2013 15:26:00 GMT Genevieve P.M. Roy Appassionata Chamber Orchestra - Spotlight on the Future Appassionata Chamber Orchestra. Presented as part of the Montréal en lumière festival, they featured three young and virtuosic 2012 Canadian Music Competition (CMC) laureates in its concert entitled: Spotlight on the Future. Wed, 27 Feb 2013 15:26:00 GMT


text:
Login with Facebook
Mary's Playground
Select Route:
Mary's Tower T
Storm Trooper Of Death

Mary's Tower

YDS: 5.10+ French: 6b+ Ewbanks: 21 UIAA: VII+ ZA: 20 British: E3 5b

Type:  Trad, 1 pitch, 125'
Consensus:  YDS: 5.10+ French: 6b+ Ewbanks: 21 UIAA: VII+ ZA: 20 British: E3 5b [details]
FA: Jesse B and Jesse Z
New Route: Yes
Page Views: 231
Submitted By: Jesse Zacher on Aug 10, 2007

You & This Route  |  Other Opinions (1)
Your todo list:
Your stars:
Your rating: -none- [change]
Your ticklist: [add new tick]
Your opinion of this PAGE:    [0 people like this page.]
BETA PHOTO: Enlarge to see the route

Private Property Access MORE INFO >>>

Start off in some rotten hard to protect rock in a corner. As you get higher, the rock gets better and more sharp. Layback and jam up a detached flake until you reach a saddle. Chimney up then stem and face climb on side pulls and edges to surmount the last bulge to the summit. At the summit, there is a small seam that is the only protection for a belay. To get down, you must use walk to the corner closest to the wall and use two ropes to simul rap (it is not advised to do this without having done it before) down. Use the little divot to guide the ropes and keep them from rolling off.

Tower is not easy to spot as it blends in with the wall. It is almost exactly across from the old Quarry.

Doubles from #0.3 to #5 Camalots. With some extra small pieces. No anchors at the top. #0.75 and #1 for the belay anchor.

Photos of Mary's Tower Slideshow Add Photo
Jesse working on Mary.
Jesse working on Mary.

Comments on Mary's Tower Add Comment
Show which comments
- none yet -
Beyond the Guidebook:
The Definitive Climbing Resource
Inspiration & Motivation
to Fuel Your Run
Next Generation Mountain
Bike Trail Maps
Backcountry, Sidecountry
& Secret Stashes
Better Data. Better Tools.
Better Hikes!


text:
On The Road Episode VIII - Tres Volcanes

A Ski video by Ski Union - 2,596 views

Presented by PATAGONIA and brought to you by New Belgium Brewery
Buy the SOLITAIRE DVD and Blu-Ray:
Episode VIII - Tres Volcanes: The conclusion of the Bolivia saga, the team makes the final push for the 20,000 ft volcanoes high above the altiplano.
ON THE ROAD WITH SOLITAIRE is a 12-part web series following Sweetgrass Productions in the making of their 2-year project, the South American backcountry ski and snowboarding film SOLITAIRE. For the summer of 2012, new episodes will be released every Thursday until July 26th.
Sound Mix by COUPE STUDIOS, Greg Mcrae
Brought to you by: Patagonia, New Belgium, Dynafit, CLIF Bar, Tecnica/Blizzard, Osprey, Venture, BCA,, Gentemstick, Flylow, Backcountry Mag, and Goal Zero

Read More
Read Less
Get the best of Mpora straight to your inbox
More Radness is Imminent...

Mpora © 2015 Factory Media Ltd.


text:
Road Cycling

Hairstyles for Helmets: Side Sweep Barrel

A Road Cycling video by Total Women's Cycling - 1,781 views

If you're looking for a simple hairstyle that looks great, takes only a couple of minutes to create and won't get spoilt underneath your helmet, than you're at the right place..

Read More
Read Less
Get the best of Mpora straight to your inbox
More Radness is Imminent...

Mpora © 2015 Factory Media Ltd.


text:
Home » NEWS » LNG tanks pass important test

LNG tanks pass important test

PASCAGOULA — A test of a temporary ventilation system for the two tanks of the Gulf LNG Energy plant under construction in Pascagoula went as expected.

A company spokesman tells the Mississippi Press a smoke test was conducted April 11.

Bill Baerg of the El Paso Corporation said the test was conducted on the $1.1-billion liquefied natural gas terminal’s storage tanks, which will hold one million barrels each of LNG.

Construction on the facility began in Feb. 2008 and completion is scheduled for late 2011.

The facility will process LNG shipped from foreign producers, reheat the liquefied natural gas into a gaseous state and pump it by pipeline into national transmission systems.

About Megan Wright

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


text:
APR 1 Ford Times
Model T mentioned. Letter from dealer said, "....will open some eyes!"

JUN 1 Ford Times
Pictures of the Model T Landaulet

JUN 15 Ford Times
"Watch the Fords Go By" moving electric sign erected on top of the Temple Theater building on June 8. 35 feet long by 22 feet high, it pictured the Model T Touring in motion.

JUL 1 Ford Times
Story comparing the Model A (1903) and the Model T. Picture of the Model T Touring.
"High Price Quality in a Low Price Car" slogan used in an ad for the 6-40 (Model K) Runabout.

SEP 15 Ford Times
"To Be Built" sign erected on the site of the Highland Park Plant on September 3.
"Model T Ready for Delivery "notice." By October 1."' "No retail orders until every dealer has a demonstrator." "By the middle of October we will have a Model T Coupe listing at $950. November 1 for the Town Car at $1000, and Landaulet at $950."
The top for the Model T Touring is listed at $80 extra.
The last page has an illustration of the Model T Touring, printed in red.

SEP 28 (Ford Archives)
Model T engine number one built. (Car shipped October 1.)

OCT 1 Ford Times
Coverage of the Model T features. Notes that the Model T engine block sells at $30, the same price as one dual-cylinder casting of the Model N-R-S engine. Article features the new engine. Price of the Touring is $850, without top, windshield and gas lamps.

OCT 15 Ford Times
Continuing coverage of the Model T (chassis features). "It's a veritable Pullman for easy riding." A 1357 mile trip is described in which 67 gallons of gas and 11-1/2 gallons of oil were used. "20 mpg gas and 85 mpg oil" noted but figures given indicate 118 miles per gallon of oil.

NOV 1 Ford Times
Picture of the engine crankcase showing the oil dam at the rear main bearing. Photo of the Highland Park Plant in progress, dated November 10, 1908.

DEC 14 Acc. 575 Ford Archives
New design starting crank to be used after first 500 cars. Crank is T519B and ratchet is T529B. Starting crank collar, T525B is to be cold drawn steel instead of drop forging and is to be used after the first 2500 cars.

DEC 15 Ford Times
Picture of the pressed-steel transmission cover.

DEC 19 Ford Archives
Three-pedal cars under production. (Model T) Numerous modifications in design were made. A factory letter indicates that after 500 cars the three-pedal modification was made. At about car number 800 all used the three-pedal system. (Evidence recently found indicates that there were 750 two-lever cars made; the original run was 500 and then an additional 250 were added.)
According to factory shipping invoices, 1909 cars could have been supplied with Prestolite tanks (in place of carbide generators). Weed chains, robe rails, foot rests, auto chimes, dragon horns, tire carriers and bumper rails were also factory options listed. Touring cars came without tops, or with several styles of tops, some lined. Tops came in gray, but most were black.

DEC 29 Acc. 575 Ford Archives
Floor boards changed to three-pedal design. Used after the first 750 cars (See note above).

DEC 31 Acc. 575, Ford Archives
T-483 cylinder head cap screw changed from 3/8-24 to 7/16-14 "Bastard head size." T-550 head outlet screw of the same dimensions also changed. Cylinder heads and gaskets also changed to accept the new screw size. (3/8" screws used on the first 500 cars.)

The following was supplied by Trent Boggess and is excerpted from Frank Hadas Reminisces at the Ford Archives. Mr. Hadas was a chief tester during the NRS & K period at the Piquette Avenue plant and also tested the first Model T's. He writes:

"On the Model T, we had trouble with the fiber discs (bands?) on the planetary transmission. We had trouble with the damn pump and a lot of things. The cover for the transmission was also a stamping and the shaft that carried the levers that applied the pressure on the different bands; reverse, slow speed and brake attached to this thing here.

"You press down good and proper on two of them and you'd bend that case a little bit. You find that the adjustments you had in there were no good at all. We finally had to make a solid cover. The first Model T's did not have a cast cover. They were stampings at first."

So now we know why the stamped steel transmission cover lasted only about 840 jobs. It tended to bend when had pedal pressure was applied causing the adjustment of the bands to go out.

Mr. Ernest Grimshaw joined the Ford Motor Company on Oct. 6, 1906. He writes this about the first Model T's built:

"I know that when I worked in the Purchasing Department we ordered material for the first 10,000 Model T cars. They were delivered in quarters: the first three months 2,500 were delivered, and so forth. It took approximately one year before the 10,000 cars were produced.

"When the Model T went into production, one of the Company's major suppliers was Dodge Brothers. The McCord Manufacturing Company made the radiators. Both B.F. Everitt Body Company and C.R. Wilson Body Company made the bodies. The Company was not buying bodies from the A.(O.)J. Beaudett Company then, but later got some bodies from them. The B.F. Everitt Body Company and Wilson Body Company were the main two body makers for Ford then. Referring to castings, I believe they came from the Holmes foundry in Romeo. The A.(O.)J. Beaudett Company manufactured tops as well as did the American Top Company in Jackson."

Mr. Grimshaw moved from purchasing into claims and he wrote:

"When the Model T was first built there was a run of poor rear axles. They had to be replaced with new ones and were quite a loss to the Company. The situation was remedied soon enough."

Frank Hadas also talked about the poor nature of the pressed-steel rear axle design. He also confirmed that there were problems with the early flywheel magnetos. It appears from the comments in different Reminiscences that the problem was in the way the coil rings were insulated. Apparently they first tried simply painting the insulating varnish on, but this left air bubbles in the insulation. The solution was found by applying the varnish while the coil rings were in a vacuum tank.

GO TO 1909

© Bruce W. McCalley. Rev. February 18, 2007


text:
Saturday, 26 May 2007

Tagged Again

Ok, Jackie has tagged me for the Eight Facts and Habits meme. I was about to protest that I'd done it already, but looking back, I see that I've actually completed the Six Weird Things meme and the Five Random Facts meme, but not the Eight Facts and Habits meme... and just suggesting that you put the two posts together doesn't seem very sporting!

1. I am a book-a-holic. Libraries are a disaster area for me because I hate giving the books back.

2. I adore chocolate... though, since my experiences with the Chocolate Tasting Club, I have become rather picky about what chocolate I eat. This may prove to be my salvation in the waistline department, as the chocolate I now consider to be the best is rather on the pricey side.

3. I am terrible about getting up in the morning. I'm a real night-owl... unfortunately my SD doesn't believe in such things, and I've been told to go to bed earlier...

4. I love computers. I am (unfortunately) old enough to remember the old punch-card computers, and learned how to write simple programs in BBC BASIC. I then "progressed" to the Sinclair Spectrum and became a dab hand at playing "The Hobbit" (one of the earliest examples of computer games) Computers were so unusual back then that, by dint of hogging the school library computer to write quizzes and play games, I was awarded the Library Prize at the end of the Fifth Year (Year 11 in today's money.) I do find it hard to understand why other adults of the same age as myself can be such technophobes. We've had the machines readily available for 25 years...

5. I adore cats.

6. My favourite cartoon is Garfield. A fat cat who hates mornings, and loves coffee, lasagne and pizza. 'Nuff said. The Far Side comes a pretty close second.

7. I really love driving. The major car-crash I had 18 months ago didn't put me off: the three weeks it took me to get a new car were the longest of my life!

8. I love real coffee. I used to have my own percolator in my classroom. Strangely enough, I don't tend to drink as much coffee at home.

Now for the hard bit... upon whom shall I inflict this meme? Ok, the eight lucky people are: Newhousenewjob, Carolina Canonball, Fr. Justin, Fr. Benedict, Mark, Fr. Paul, Jeffrey and Stephen...

Rules: 8 things about you or your habits and then tag 8 people by visiting their blogs...

A Snippet Of Trivia...

Fr. Ray has put up a fascinating little snippet of information:

Amethyst, (a-methusko in Greek), means 'not to be intoxicated'. Therefore a bishop wearing the traditional amethyst ring are stating they are successors of the Apostles.

He also points out that a Partial Indulgence can be obtained by kissing a bishop's ring. What I want to know is, why do the bishops seem to get so embarassed when a member of the laity tries to do just that?

Birmingham, Bloggers And The Oratory

Fr Tim abandoned Blackfen for a day when he was invited to preach at the Birmingham Oratory for the Feast of St Philip Neri... (it's ok, we were left in the capable (and deliciously Trad) hands of Fr. Briggs from Chislehurst.) He also managed to fit in a Bloggers' Convention: Matt Doyle (Lacrimarum Valle) and Fr Seán Coyle (Misyon) joined Fr Tim (among others) at Jackie Parkes' house for a blogging tutorial! Looks like the Catholic Mom of 10 had her hands full!

Fr Tim went armed with his camera, and so I was sure there would be some stunning photos... those Oratorians really do know how to do liturgical !! Sure enough, he has a few posts up: Brummie Bloggers, St. Philip's Chapel, Birmingham Oratory High Altar, Round the Oratory Church and Oratory Hospitality...

By a strange coincidence, I see that Newhousenewjob has posted about her trip to the Birmingham Oratory for the Feast of the Ascension.

Books To Take

As I said before, I like to read over lunch, so I have to decide which books to take with me to Lourdes. The choice is actually harder than it first appears: in addition to bringing something entertaining, size is an issue! Too big a book, no matter how fascinating, and it's not going to make it out of the suitcase: too much hassle carting it around town, especially if one plans to stop at a few little shops after lunch. Too small, and it won't last the week. There is also the consideration that mood plays a part in what you feel like reading...

So, it's worth bringing a variety. But the luggage allowance isn't exactly generous...

Unusually for me, I have a variety of new books to choose from. Normally I buy a couple and then leave well alone until I've finished reading them... and then during SD I ask for suggestions of what to read next. A delay in the delivery of my last bunch, combined with a recent book-buying frenzy, means that I have a whole pile to choose from. Oh, decisions, decisions...

I'm very tempted to take "The Spiritual Life" by Tanquerey. It looks fabulous, but it is very heavy (physically, I mean...) I opened it at random just now, to see if it would be more of a reference work than a "read" (because of the way it is divided into numbered paragraphs) and I was hooked. I was even distracted from blogging!

The next book on the pile which is crying out to be packed is Faber's "Spiritual Conferences" - this has the advantage of being about the right "handbag" size, being about an inch thick.

Then there is a book which is rather relevant to my chosen state in life: "The Mystery of Love for the Single" by Fr. Dominic Unger. I can't remember who recommended that one to me, but it arrived the other day...

...and what about the Holy Father's latest: "Jesus of Nazareth" ! I have a feeling that this one will be coming along too...

Hmmn. I think I might need a bigger handbag...

Final Preparations

Oh wow. Nearly there: and on Monday I shall be here...

It's at this point that the nerves kick in: what could possibly go wrong? So various checklists are running through my head... but not only for myself: as I'm organising the bookings, I sort of feel responsible for the 27 other pilgrims in the group. Last year we didn't experience any problems until the return journey, when, at Stanstead Airport, an over-eager cleric from another group grabbed what he assumed to be his suitcase... it turned out to be the suitcase of a lady in our group. It could have been a lot worse (it could have been the outward journey, which would have caused all sorts of problems) but she was understandably upset.

I like to think that I learn from my mistakes, and occasionally from the mistakes of others, so this year I have prepared little luggage tags... with a great image of Our Lady on them so we have a unique "identifier"!

We're flying to Toulouse instead of Pau this year (I didn't fancy the group taking its chances with RyanAir if anything went wrong... like the increased security checks which paralysed the airports last Summer, so we're flying British Airways) and so the coach journey will be a little longer. I have to remember to pack the DVD in my hand luggage. We're going to be watching Jean Delannoy's "Bernadette" starring Sydney Penny. That should provide a little light entertainment, and give some background before we arrive in Lourdes. On the return journey we will have the second part: "The Passion of Bernadette" to watch. That covers the period St. Bernadette spent in the convent at Nevers.

I'm a little uncertain of the weather prospects: at the moment it looks as though it's going to be ghastly. CNN predicts thunderstorms on Monday and rain on Tuesday, and at a maximum of 12°C I'm going to be cold. Cold and wet. I'll just have to drink plenty of local wine... for medicinal purposes! And pack lots of jumpers.

I also need to decide which books I'm taking with me. I have to choose carefully, as the baggage allowance isn't exactly generous. We're half-board at the hotel, which means that at lunchtime I can mosey off to my favourite restaurant (they do a roast duck to die for!) and read a book. It sounds terribly anti-social, but it is really good to get away for an hour or so.

I doubt that I'll have time to blog while I'm in Lourdes itself. I don't see myself heading straight for the nearest internet café, but you never know! However, I'm almost certain that the Hermeneutic of Continuity will be keeping everyone updated with the latest events.

Friday, 25 May 2007

New Order of Chivalry

The Roving Medievalist has founded a new Order of Chivalry. The Militant and Just Bloody Rotten Order of the Torch exists in order to declare war on

"That disgusting relic of the fraudulent, defunct and stinking 'spirit of Vatican II'...."

otherwise known as the "felt banner." I have to admit to a deep loathing for those banners, and also for the limp rags passing themselves off as matching vestments.

There are two degrees of membership: Knights Commander and Knights Companion. Knights Commander qualify by posting a picture on their blog (or emailing one to Jeffrey if they are non-bloggers):

"The picture should show you holding one of the misbegotten monstrosities in one hand and a fire-producing device in the other."

Actual incineration is not compulsory. Knights Companion just need to voice support for the Order. I'm restricted to applying for the latter degree of membership, as my PP appears to have removed any evidence of felt banners... if there ever were any in Blackfen, that is.

The motto of the Order is "The Seventies Are Over, Burn The Bloody Things!"

Pop over and indicate your interest HERE.

UPDATE: As I was one of the first ten to sign up, The Grand Master has made me an honorary Knight Commander. Heheheh...

Thursday, 24 May 2007

Too Tired To Blog...

I need sleep. I'll be back tomorrow...

Wednesday, 23 May 2007

Quick Prayer Request

If you have a spare minute, I'd really appreciate a prayer or two Thursday and Friday: job hunting! While you're at it, I notice that Fr. Ray's father is unwell, and Fr. Zuhlsdorf has asked for prayers for a private intention...

(The picture, by the way, is of St. Gemma Galgani. She's been mentioned a few times on Fr. Tim's blog, and I'm reading her biography, so when a Google Image Search on the saints in prayer threw this picture out, I figured that a nod was as good as a wink... )

...And I've just spotted that Esther has asked for prayers for her grandmother, Juanita, and the Catholic Warrior, PBXVI asked for prayers for his grandmother as well...

More On Moggies

Another cat post... well, I'm waiting for my nails to dry, and it's in a good cause...

Stephen over at CSSML is still looking for a home for Harry and Boots. I'm getting twitchy, and they're not my cats, so heaven knows what Stephen is going through...

In a combox for one of his posts he wrote:

Hi Mac! No takers yet for moggies & I'm beginning to get a bit twitchy. I'm advertising all this week in the Cambridge Evening News and 10 local weeklies which at has at least prompted one call. The ad refers people to my other (single entry) blog site

Prayers by one and all, please!!

PS Did I mention the reason I can't take the cats to Alton Abbey? It's not that they're mean, just that the Abbot recently took in a Devon Rex refugee. She was in a household of racist mogs who ganged up on her and the Abbot gave her sanctuary. On arrival at the Abbey she promptly disappeared - up the Abbot's chimney. I leave what was involved in the rescue bid to readers' imaginations. Given the colour of their habits, it's just a mercy Alton is not a Cistercian House. While I love my two chaps dearly, they're no saints and I have little doubt they too would gang up pretty effectively on any Devon Rex under the same roof.

At the very least, say a prayer that a good home can be found.

Latest On The Consultation...

Ummm. I think my last email to the HFEA must have struck a nerve. I received a reply today to the first one:
Thanks for your interest in attending the event on the 26th June from
6pm-8pm. The event will be held in central London and we will send you
further details, the venue and a map nearer the time.

Best wishes

And then to the second:
Dear Miss McLernon

Apologies for not responding sooner. It has taken us a while to get on
to this event as we have been doing a number of different events for
this project up to now.

I hope you received my email. We will send you further details, the
venue and a map in due course.

Best wishes

Funny how both replies arrived after I left a message on the answerphone... Oh, and the "number of different events" appears to include telling the Government to go ahead with the hybrids... but they're still "consulting," of course.

It Catches Up With All Of Us...

There I was, tickling Sylvester under the chin, when I noticed it...

...he's going grey! Bunches of his whiskers have turned white, and his muzzle is getting flecked with grey in a salt-and-pepper effect. I forget how old he is in cat years... he was about three when I got him, and he's thirteen now... really brought a lump to my throat!

Tuesday, 22 May 2007

Fatherly Advice

I saw this joke over at Vive Jesus! and couldn't resist snaffling it. However, to prevent a whole load of snippy comments about how this could never happen due to the Seal of the Confessional, blah, blah, blah... I took the liberty of doctoring the original a little...

A bunch of seminarians get to practice hearing confessions using each other as pretend penitents, with a priest sitting in on the sessions. The first seminarian hears several "mock" confessions, then the priest asks him to step out of the confessional for a few suggestions.

The priest tells the seminarian, "First, cross your arms over your chest and rub your chin with one hand." The seminarian tries this. The priest then said, "Right, got it... now try saying things like, 'I see, yes, go on', and 'I understand, how did you feel about that?'"

The seminarian repeats the phrases, trying them out. The priest then says, "Now, don't you think that's a little better than slapping your knee and saying, 'No way! What happened next?'"

Monday, 21 May 2007

Blogging has been sparse this weekend, for which I apologise. I have had other fish to fry, namely my mobile phone. My initial delight with my not-so-new, all-singing-all-dancing phone has been put to the test this weekend, and I'm just about ready to chuck it out of the window...

First of all, my computer refused to recognise the phone when I attempted to synchronise the two. I put this down to the vagaries of ActiveSync, Windows and Microsoft Outlook having a hissy-fit because I preferred to use Calendarscope, HandySync and Mozilla Thunderbird. I finally managed to sort the problem out by Saturday night (or so I thought) and life carried on, though synchronising was still slightly "sticky."

And then, on Sunday, my phone packed up completely. I phoned O2, only to get through to a particularly gormless individual. He blamed a build-up of static, and suggested that I wipe the SIM card with my finger. When I said I'd already tried taking out the SIM card, he suggested that, umm, maybe I should try another phone... and then he said that he'd just spotted that there was a problem with the network, and they had an engineer on it right now, and if the phone didn't work after 24 hours, to call back... seemed plausible enough. And then a friend phoned my home phone for a chat. From her O2 phone... and I noticed that my Calendar on my mobile was inaccessible... as was my list of contacts...

I rang O2 again... only Customer Services was now closed. It was at this point that I started to get twitchy. I began to realise exactly how much I had come to rely on the mobile as a way of recording everything important... I mean, it's such a handy little thing... I even use it instead of a notebook...

And so I explored the phone a little... and discovered the "re-set to factory settings" option. After dithering for all of five minutes (during which my lack of mobile phone connectivity caused serious withdrawal symptoms) I pressed the buttons. The good news was that the phone now worked...

...the bad news was that all the bits I had put on my phone previously had all disappeared... Like the contacts list. That was easy to put right - I had managed to save my contacts on my home PC. The calendar should have been easy to put right too. Unfortunately, Outlook tried to get too helpful (in an attempt to woo me away from Calendarscope, no doubt) and had copied my calendar when I wasn't looking. So when I synchronised with Calendarscope, every single appointment and all the feast days were duplicated... twice... on my PC as well as on the phone.

I then had to spend the rest of the evening going through my diary and deleting all the duplicate items. I managed to disable the calendar on Outlook, and finally, it's all sorted... well, at least until the next time my mobile decides to throw a hissy fit...

The Secret's Out...

My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is:
Her Most Noble Lady Mulier Fortis the Magnificent of Little Blogging
Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title

Mantilla-twitch to Fr Justin.
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...


text:
Category Archive for "Muscle Building Workouts"

Bodybuilder Phil Heath Shoulder Workout

Standing Smith Machine Military Press 2 warm-up sets of 10 to 15 reps with moderate weight 2 sets of 8-12 reps or until failure, 60 seconds rest 2 drop sets of 4 to 6 reps or until failure Machine Side…

Chest Building Workout #1 By Frank Melfa

This chest building workout appeared in the book Bodybuilding A Realistic Approach by Frank Melfa. Please support Frank Melfa and purchase his book. Chest Building Workout Bench Press Warm up – 10 reps Set 1 – 10 reps Set 2…

Bodybuilding Workout Programs And Splits By Frank Melfa

The following workout programs and splits appear in the book Bodybuilding A Realistic Approach by Frank Melfa. For more information please purchase the book. 3 Day Per Week Workouts 3 Day Per Week Bodybuilding Split Monday – Chest, Biceps and…

Massive Legs Squat Workout

This workout is an intense 8 to 12 week leg building program that focuses on the use of the barbell squat and the front squat. Use the heaviest weight possible for each listed rep range, and add weight when possible….

Frank Zane Workouts

Mr. Olympia Frank Zane used the following workout split leading up to his 1977 victory. Monday – Morning Legs and Calves. Monday – Afternoon Shoulders, Biceps, Forearms and Abs. Tuesday – Mornings Back Tuesday – Afternoon Chest, Triceps and Abs…

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Workout And Diet Plan

This workout by Arnold Schwarzenegger was originally featured in the October, 1991 issue of Muscle Mag. Arnold Schwarzenegger Workout A – Performed on Monday, Wednesday and Friday Chest Bench press – 5 sets, 6-10 reps Flat bench flies – 5…

Pro Bodybuilder Branch Warren Workout

This is a workout provided by pro bodybuilder Branch Warren. Monday – Back * Incline T-bar rows 3 sets x 10 reps * One arm dumbbell rows 3 sets x 8 reps * Bent-over barbell rows 3 sets x 8…


text:
Getting The Ultimate Guitar Sound – Part 3

This post is part of a series called Getting The Ultimate Guitar Sound (Premium).
Getting The Ultimate Guitar Sound – Part 2
Getting The Ultimate Guitar Sound – Part 4

Every guitar player, engineer and producer wants that frequently elusive perfect guitar sound for the track, but finding it is sometimes easier said than done. This series is based around my new book, The Ultimate Guitar Tone Handbook (written with Rich Tozzoli), where I’ll outline why acoustic and electric guitars, amplifiers, speaker cabinets and effects sound the way they do, and the best way to record and mix them after you’ve gotten the sound.

Also available in this series:

  1. Getting The Ultimate Guitar Sound – Part 1
  2. Getting The Ultimate Guitar Sound – Part 2
  3. Getting The Ultimate Guitar Sound – Part 3
  4. Getting The Ultimate Guitar Sound – Part 4
  5. Getting The Ultimate Guitar Sound – Part 5
  6. Getting The Ultimate Guitar Sound – Part 6
  7. Getting The Ultimate Guitar Sound – Part 7

While it’s great if you already have a variety of gear to choose from, sometimes it’s just cheaper and easier to tweak some gear that you already have instead of springing for something completely new. Of course, you can always place a new pedal in between your guitar and amp, but that’s a temporary fix that won’t work in every situation. In Part 3 of the series, we’ll look at a few ways that you can change your sound right at the source.

Tweak Your Guitar

There are a number of ways that you can tweak the sound of the guitar itself, some quite easy, and some that require some major surgery on the instrument. Let’s look at them.

The Strings - By far the easiest variation to your sound is the one that’s the most overlooked, and that’s to change your strings. The theory is pretty simple; bigger strings sound bigger. Why? Because they generate more voltage as they cut through the magnetic field of the pickups. Want some real-life examples? Stevie Ray Vaughan used a really heavy gauge set that went from .013 to .060, with his high E string sometimes as thick as .018! On the other hand, Billy Gibbon’s custom set has a high E string that’s only .007 (see Figure 1), but he’s a special case in that he has the means to do whatever he needs to make it sound big. It’s still easier to get a bigger sound with bigger strings (and stay in tune better as well).

Figure 1: Billy Gibbon’s Custom String Set

The Pick - The pick makes a huge difference in your sound, yet no one ever seems to take notice. A heavier pick (about .85mm or more) gives you a brighter sound and provides a lot more note definition as well, especially when using heavy distortion. A lighter pick may be better for strumming and rhythm work and provides a mellower tone. A pick made from plastic sounds much mellower than a stainless steel pick or one crafted from a coin like Brian May (see Figure 2) and Billy Gibbons uses.

Figure 2: Brian May’s Sixpence Pick

The Pickups - This is where we begin to get into the surgery part of changing your sound. While every guitar player knows the difference between single coil and Humbucking (which uses dual coils) pickups, not everyone knows about some of the other parameters that determine the sound of your guitar.

There are a large number of pickup parameters if you want to get into the science of it, but there’s one parameter more than any other that gives you the best indication of what it sounds like - the DC resistance. DC resistance indirectly tells you how many coil windings are used in the pickup (see Figure 3). The more windings, the louder the pickup but the less high-end it will have. The fewer windings, the better the high-end, but it won’t be as loud. A value of around 6k ohms or so indicates a bright pickup, while a DC resistance value of 10k ohms or more indicates a very loud pickup.

Figure 3: A Typical Strat Pickup With The Windings Exposed

A loud pickup will allow you to overdrive your amp a little easier, but at the expense of note definition. If you’re using an amp that distorts easily or you use overdrive or distortion pedals, you might like the sound of a brighter, less loud pickup instead.

The Neck - Although it’s a lot more subtle than changing a pickup, the fretboard of a neck adds a surprising amount to the overall sound of a guitar. A fretboard made of Ebony or Maple lends itself to a very bright sound while a rosewood fretboard is much mellower (see Figure 4). Of course, many players prefer the feel of one type of fretboard over another, so that may be a lot more of factor to the player than the sound itself.

Figure 4: A Rosewood Fretboard

The Bridge/Tailpiece - The bridge and the tailpiece mean so much to the sustain of the guitar, yet they’re frequently overlooked as contributing factors. Sometimes just a simple adjustment such as blocking the vibrato arm on a Strat or screwing down the stop tailpiece of a Les Paul can suddenly provide more sustain without changing anything else (see Figure 5). Be sure to contact a tech before attempting either though, because your intonation will change a little as well, and let’s face it, playing in tune is a lot more important than anything else sometimes.

Figure 5: A Les Paul Stop Tailpiece Screwed All The Way Down

The Finish - The type of paint, the number of coats, the undercoat and sealant all make a difference in how the guitar sounds, but do you really want to undertake such major and extensive guitar surgery?

Tweak Your Amplifier

If you own a tube amp, you’re in luck. It’s possible to do some tweaks to your amp that can make a bigger difference to the sound than you ever thought possible. Let’s look at a few fairly inexpensive ways that can make changes in the sound.

Change Your Tubes - Tubes vary a great deal in two major parameters - tone and gain. Every tube manufacturer and distributor sells several variations of the same 12AX7 preamp tube that most tube amps use, and yet each version sounds different (see Figure 6).

Figure 6: A Typical 12AX7 Preamp Tube

It’s commonly thought that the very first preamp tube that the signal from your guitar sees is responsible for large part of the tone of the amp. By selecting the preamp tube to get the amount of input distortion that feels good to you, then finding one that provides the right tone (some tubes are harsh and some are mellow sounding), you can change the sound of your amp with this simple and inexpensive tweak more than you think.

Changing the output tubes also can make a big difference. Some output tubes break up more easily than others (Groove Tubes provides a 1 to 10 rating for this, with the lower number being easier to overload) while some will sound smooth and others more aggressive (see Figure 7).

Figure 7: A Groove Tubes EL-34 Power Tube (note the number “9” on the lower left near the pins, indicating that’s it’s slow to distort)

Tubes seem to change with each batch manufactured so ask your tech or tube dealer for suggestions before you buy something that you might not be happy with.

Set Your Bias - The bias is the operating point of your amp’s power tubes and how it’s set makes a huge difference in how the amp sounds. A very “cold” setting can make your amp limp and lifeless with too much headroom and little distortion or sustain (this is how most tube amps come from the factory), while a setting that’s too “hot” will provide more sustain and distortion, but may be too aggressive for the type of music you’re playing. It will also shorten the life of the tubes. Work with your tech to find the setting that’s best for your style of playing. Setting your bias is NOT something that you should attempt to do yourself unless you have lots of experience in high-voltage electronics. The voltages in a tube amp can be lethal and it’s not worth dying over just to save a few bucks and a trip to the tech.

Pull The Output Tubes For Less Output - A really good trick for those times when you need to turn up the amp to get the sound of overdriven output tubes yet keep the overall volume from blowing everyone away is to pull a couple of the power tubes. For example, if you have a 100 watt Marshall JMC that’s just too loud for the studio (they almost always are), pull a couple of the EL-34 power tubes (one from each end) and the power will drop to around 50 watts (see Figure 8). This won’t hurt anything so don’t be afraid to do it. It’s also possible to pull one of the tubes in a two power tube amp like a black or silver-face Fender Bassman or one of Fender’s Hot Rod series amps, and this will also cut the output power in half, although it might not sound as good as in the four tube models where the tubes can be symmetrically pulled.

Figure 8: Pull The Outside Power Tubes To Lower The Amp’s Power

But I Don’t Have A Tube Amp

If you own one of the popular modeling amps now on the market by Line 6, Marshall, Vox, Fender and others, you’re in luck, because you have more control over your sound than you ever knew. Let’s look at some of the possible tweaks.

The Amp Model - This parameter gives you the biggest variance in sound so dig in and start experimenting. From a Fender (which may be referred to as something like “Clean American”) to a Vox (“British Smooth”) to a Marshal (“British Crunch”) to a Mesa Boogie (“Metal” or “American Overdrive”), you have almost every popular amp type covered. It’s surprising how different the same general amp settings will sound with different amp models.

The Speaker Cabinet Model - This allows you to select between the sound of a 10 inch speaker, dual 12” in an open or closed back cabinet, a typical 4x12 cabinet, a 4x10 cabinet, and a single 15” in an open or closed back cabinet, and more. Once again, it’s surprising how different these can all sound with the same amp model and using the same settings.

The Mic Modeling - This is one of the coolest features of most modeling amplifiers in that you can select a simulation of microphone placement on the speaker cabinet. Dial in a close-mic or distant mic setup, multiple mics, and in some cases, even the type of microphone.

Drive - I’m sure you already know this, but just in case…. Sometimes called “Preamp,” this is the control that dials in the amount of sustain or distortion on your rig. Set it on 2 or 3 and it’ll be clean and jazzy sounding, set it on 5 or 6 and you’ll start to hear some mild breakup, and full up on 10 and you’re in the land of insane distortion and nearly infinite sustain (with the right amp model, of course).

With just these four parameters, it’s easy to dial in an almost infinite variety of sounds, of which one is going to be perfect for your track for sure.

Change The Speakers

This tweak requires more cost, but can worth it. While changing your speakers can make a big difference in your sound, if you’re not careful it might not be for the better. Many guitarists change their speakers at random without any knowledge of what or why they’re doing so and that can give you mixed results at best, so to prevent some unhappy results, here are a few things to think about first:

Is your speaker cabinet open or closed back? The speaker requirements are quite different for each, so a speaker meant for one just won’t cut it if used in the opposite application. Mismatch these speakers and not only will you not get the sound you expect, but you might find your nice new speakers blown the first time you use them.

Figure 9: An Open Back Fender Cabinet

What wattage are the speakers? Believe it or not, lower wattage speakers are the most desirable because they have a quicker response time and dynamic range. This is because the paper of the cone, the wire of the voice coil and the magnet structure are all smaller, giving the speaker a better dynamic “feel” when you play.

Check out different models. Every speaker manufacturer has a ton of different speakers to choose from, but some will be more appropriate for your application than others, so it’s important to not choose something just because of the brand name or because someone else uses it. Speakers are not all created equal and they won’t all work in your situation, so be sure to ask for advice before you make that change.

In Part 4 we’ll look into the world of effects pedals and pedalboards.


text:
3/8 Vegas, baby

James Russell will make his first spring start Saturday in Las Vegas when the Cubs split squad faces the Reds. Carlos Zambrano will start on Sunday in Vegas against the Dodgers. Russell went three innings in his last outing Monday against the Angels.

“I felt really good,” Russell said of his outing Monday. “I’m closer. There were just a couple mistakes that came back to bite me in the butt but overall, I felt really good.”

What helps is being stretched out. He was used strictly in relief last season. Doesn’t he get antsy between outings?

“A little bit,” Russell said, smiling. “I feel left out, not throwing every other day.”

— Carrie Muskat

1 Comment

Carrie, Have thoroughly enjoyed your articles, comments, and Cub blogs. Follow us with your fans including drama involving the Cubs on Sportademics.com – “Clark and Addison” – a 20 something Cub hangout ( Weaghman’s Park ) which really gets into Chicago Sports. New Spring Training episode kicking off season due out soon. Can’t get enough ” Cold Rooms ” will take one deeper into the Cubs mystique, 20 something lifestyle, and all that is great about living in Chicago and enjoying the Chicago sports world. Thanx again. Charles H. Ripp MD

Leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Log Out / Change )

Twitter picture

You are commenting using your Twitter account. Log Out / Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. Log Out / Change )

Google+ photo

You are commenting using your Google+ account. Log Out / Change )

Connecting to %s

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 54,618 other followers

%d bloggers like this:


text:
Scholars A-Z

Born on 796 Died on 806
In the eighth century Abu Yahya Ibn al-Batriq worked as a translator for Al-Mansur. Some of the major works he translated include Galen, Hippocrates, Aristotle and Plato. Click here for more information
Born on 1463 Died on 19 Oct, 1548
Abu’l-Barakaat was al-Qadi (Chief Judge)  of Timbuktu. He was born in the year 868 AH (1463 CE) and was one of the youngest of the famous sons of Shaykh Umar ibn Muhammad Aqit. He was also a scholar, professor, the jurist and Imam of Takruur (West Africa). He was appointed o...
Born on 1080 Died on 1152
Adelard of Bath was a 12th-century English natural philosopher. He is known both for his original works and for translating many important Greek and Arab scientific works of astrology, astronomy, philosophy and mathematics into Latin from Arabic versions, which were then introduced to Western Europe...
Born on 26 Oct, 1556 Died on 22 Apr, 1627
Ahmed Baba was a Teacher, Philosopher, Arabic grammarian and author of over 40 books and various works – ranging from biographies to commentaries. He was also the last chancellor of the University of Sankore. The institution, located in Timbuktu, was the jewel in the crown of the city...


text:
(248) 426-7777 Sunday - Aug 30, 2015

Community News (V14-I37)

Syed Irfan Ali Receives Humanitarian Award

Syed Irfan Ali, MD, a hospitalist at MaineGeneral Medical Centerâ€™s Thayer Unit in Waterville, received the 2011 NASF Humanitarian of the Year award from the Nasreen & Alam Sher Foundation  last month. Dr. Ali earned the honor after spending several days in Pakistan providing free care to patients at Aisha Bibi Memorial Hospital.

Chelsea, Maine-based NASF supports health, education, humanities, and peace in South Asian countries. Later this month, Dr. Ali will move to a residency program in anesthesiology at Brigham and Womenâ€™s Hospital in Boston, but he hopes to return to Pakistan, perhaps at the end of this year.

Pakistani Civic Association honors community workers

STATEN ISLAND,NY–The Pakistani Civic Association of Staten Island Inc. celebrated Eid-ul-Fitr and Pakistan 65th Independence Day last Sunday on the South Meadow at Livingstonâ€™s Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden.

A host of people were honored for their longtime service to the community are: Dr. Ted Brown, director of the Institute for Basic Research; the Hon. Faqir Syed Asif Hussain, consul general of Pakistan New York; Melissa Rabinovich, executive editor of NY1 News; Shafiq Saddiqui, president and CEO of Media Broadcasting Network; the Rev. Terry Troia, executive director of Project Hospitality, Staten Island, and Mohsin Zaheer, a Pakistani American journalist and editor of Sada-E-Pakistan.

Dr. Brown is a world-renowned medical internist and geneticist, author and educator. He began his research into premature aging conditions, including progeria and Down syndrome, while an assistant professor at Cornell Medical School and moved to become chairman of the Department of Human Genetics of Staten Islandâ€™s Institute of Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities (IBR). With the recognition that autism spectrum disorders are so prevalent in the community, his research today is focused on finding more effective means to diagnose, treat and determine the causes of autism.

Hon. Faquir Syed Asif Hussain is the consul general of Pakistan at the Consulate General, New York, since November. A career diplomat, Mr. Asif has an experience of both multilateral and bilateral diplomacy. Mr. Asif has represented Pakistan in several international and regional conferences and meetings.

Melissa Rabinovich joined New York 1 News in February 1998 and nearly 12 years later has assumed the position of executive editor of the stationâ€™s local edition. She sits on the board of the Jewish Community Center, is vice president of Chromosome 22 Central and is a supporter of myriad community organizations, including the Seton Foundation and Parent to Parent NYS, as well as other special-needs groups.

Shafiq Saddiqui is an award-winning Pakistani journalist and media personality. He is one of Pakistanâ€™s lead anchor/reporters currently residing in New York. He has covered events from the White House, Capitol Hill and the United Nations, and has worked as a freelance journalist, reporting on location with a CNN crew on the earthquake in Guarjat, India. Mr. Saddiqui appeared as a panel guest on â€œReal Time with Bill Maher.â€

The Rev. Terry Troia, a native Staten Islander, began volunteering in Project Hospitalityâ€™s (the Port Richmond-based agency that feeds and shelters the homeless and needy) Carpenter Shelter in 1984. She joined the Brighton Heights Reformed Church in 1985, serving as youth minister until 1990. An appointed director of the churchâ€™s Project Hospitality, an interfaith outreach project, she was ordained a specialized minister to the hungry and homeless by the Reformed Church in 1989, the same year she was named an Advance Woman of Achievement.

Mohsin Zaheer is a Pakistani-American journalist and editor based in New York whose work spans two decades. He won the New York Community Media Allianceâ€™s Ippies Award several times and has been the beneficiary of numerous Pakistani-American Awards. He joined Daily Khabrain, Lahore, in 1989 as a staff reporter, eventually becoming the deputy editor of reporting.

Muslim grave desecrated again in Evergreen Park

EVERGREEN PARK, IL–A Muslim gravesite has been desecrated for the second time in two weeks in Evergreen Park. The Evergreen Cemetery holds about 500 Muslim graves. According to media reports the grave was defaced with anti-Islamic slurs and remarks taunting police.

Evergreen Park police have placed a light and camera strategically within a tree near the gravesite, which the vandals mentioned in the graffiti, thanking police for the light, a police sopkesperson said. The cemetery is also cooperating with the FBI.

They are yet to determine if it is a hate crime.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You may use these HTML tags and attributes:   <acronym title="">
      <q cite="">

Translate »