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Editorial: The Energy Costs of Moisture
Large parts of North America have suffered from unusually rainy and wet conditions during the past year. The costs of flooding and water inundation are well known and they rank third highest among insurance claims. The impact of moisture, such as vapor in the air, liquid and vapor within building materials or condensed on surfaces, is more subtle. People don't talk about a moisture bill like they do for heating and cooling bills but it exists and it's large.
A moisture energy bill is complex because it is dispersed among many devices. If we were to create a moisture energy bill, here are some of its constituents. The dehumidifier is the most obvious contributor to a home's moisture bill. About one fifth of American homes have dehumidifiers. Operating patterns vary widely but, in Mid-Atlantic states, they can easily run 2,000 hours/year and consume 1,000 kWh/year. That's almost 10% of an average home's electricity bill! Dehumidifiers in basements need a sump pump, too; this can add more electricity consumption.
Excessive moisture in homes leads to mildew, mold, increase in dust mites, and other issues that lead to odor and health problems. It also leads to poor comfort and can damage building materials such as rotting wood and peeling paint. Ventilation is a partial solution… and another constituent of the moisture bill. People ventilate for other reasons, such as odor removal, so the couple hundred kilowatt-hours per year associated with bathroom fans can't be blamed entirely on moisture.
Other elements of a home's moisture bill are more subtle. For example, many air conditioners do a poor job of dehumidifying. This leads to overcooling in order to achieve satisfactory thermal comfort and a higher cooling bill. Improved dehumidification saves energy like increasing the summer thermostat setting a couple of degrees. These problems are made worse in high-performance homes that have very low thermal loads with a correspondingly small amount of dehumidification from the air conditioner. In many climates a dehumidifier is essential for a high performance home, and this offsets some of the thermal energy savings.
Moisture reduces the effectiveness of insulation. Wet insulation translates to higher heating and cooling bills. The problem may be confined to a single wall or corner, but the costs are nevertheless real.
Put all of these costs together and the moisture bill in many homes will approach the bills for heating or cooling. And this doesn't include the costs of material damage (or health complaints) from moisture-induced mold, mildew, and dry-rot.
How can a home's moisture bill be reduced? Each home's situation is different and there isn't space here to detail all the options. Installing a more efficient dehumidifier is a reliable first step, but more efficient ventilation fans and controls help, too. On the other hand, a more efficient air conditioner might not help because some manufacturers sacrificed dehumidification efficacy to achieve a high thermal efficiency. A variable-speed unit (even if only 2 speeds) may be more effective. Replacing wet insulation is a much bigger job but might be more easily justified for the health benefits rather than energy savings. When internal sources of moisture are the culprit, targeted solutions, such as enclosing the shower, could be the simplest solution.
Providing thermal comfort and maintaining material integrity in a home is more complicated than just heating and cooling. Creating a moisture bill is one way to highlight its complexity and perhaps raise the profile of drying out a home.
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After what seemed like forever, Karmin is back! Our favorite girl rapper's latest single, "Acapella," hit airwaves this morning and we can't get enough! Front woman Amy Heidemann's other half Nick explained, "We flipped the original meaning of the word 'acapella' to mean 'D.I.Y.,' or should we say 'D.I.A. — Do It Acapella!" "Acapella" is Karmin's first single off the duo's first album, which is set to release this summer. Can't get enough of Karmin's rapid-fire vocals on YouTube? The band's heading out on tour with The Jonas Brothers this June. You can check out "Acapella" here!
Do you think Karmin's new single is a hit? Let us know in the comments section!

subset: commoncrawl


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Editorial: China a force to be reckoned with
The torch has gone out in Beijing, but in many ways it has just been lit on China's ambitions and influence in the world.
Many Americans and other Westerners got an unprecedented glimpse during these recently completed Olympics of a China many may have envisioned as still a backward place, not fully recovered from the injuries inflicted by Mao. Many, no doubt, were still stuck on those grainy 1970s images resulting from Richard Nixon's visit there, or the tanks rolling into a very gray Tiananmen Square. While the view we got from China was far from a complete one, we trust most such notions have been dispelled.
China is in some places (and fast becoming in others) a modern nation — booming, creative, wanting to show itself off rather than retreating to a corner. To be sure, China wants it both ways, demanding that the rest of the world mind its own business when it succumbs to its darker side, those totalitarian instincts that repress dissent and overreact to challenge in an effort — we'd suggest an ultimately futile one — to control all.
China could have used these Olympics to showcase its confidence that it has overcome those insecurities and anxieties and that it can play by the rules of a Western world that embraces freedom and still prevail. Alas, through its crackdown on protesters, its censorship of outside sources of information, its age controversy with its gymnasts, etc., it reinforced some of those negative impressions.
Nonetheless, China clearly established itself as a force to be reckoned with, and not only in the realm of athletics.
Were it only about sports, these Olympics were among the best ever. An eye-popping 43 world records and 132 Olympic records broken. Michael Phelps recording the greatest individual performance ever in the pool. America's gymnasts and volleyball players, Jamaica's extraordinary sprinters, this nation's Redeem Team men's basketball squad not only recapturing gold in the game America invented but making a diplomatic statement, as well. We are proud of them.
Selfishly, this was a very fine Olympics for the United States, which won the most medals overall, while China garnered the most gold. It is symbolic of the world's current polarity: West vs. East, America vs. China — with Russia trying to muscle its way back into the picture — two vastly different approaches not only to athletics but to everything, both of which achieve results in their own way.
What differentiates and distinguishes us? Gold-medal-winning U.S. gymnast Shawn Johnson is coached by Chinese-born Liang Chow, in Iowa of all places. Nadia Liukin, all-around champion in women's gymnastics, was born in Russia and brought here to live and prosper by her Soviet gymnast parents. America's athletes look like the entire world's. We derive our strength from our diversity. And people from all over the planet still aspire to come here, to live here, to become Americans. Can the same be said of China?
We're relieved this was a for the most part peaceful, secure Olympics. Why, even the skies were blue in what we'd been led to believe was this pollution-choked capital. The question now is where China goes from here, whether the sun continues to shine there or the air darkens again.
In any event, to the degree sports is a metaphor for other things, these Olympics were proof not of America's descent — though some would like to view it that way — so much as China's ascent. China has arrived, and we're going to have to deal with it.
Peoria Journal Star


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3 Tasting Notes
This is a tea I always have at work with me when I forget to bring my tea tumbler or need a green tea pick me up. I love to brew it hot and then after it has steeped add cold water from the water cooler to make an "iced" tea. Very refreshing.
180 °F / 82 °C 2 min, 0 sec


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By Kiran Khalid, CNN
The Muslim community in Des Moines, Iowa, is as small as it is diverse. The members of the four mosques here are from Yemen, Somalia, Pakistan and Bangladesh, among other nations. Although the roots of the Muslims here may be worlds apart, the community is a tight-knit group. That's why what happened at their mosques here is alarming to so many of its members.
"That was really surprising, very sad that somebody would come or the FBI or Homeland Security would send somebody here to pretend to be Muslim and try to find out what goes on here. I feel there is no need for that," said Dr. Hamed Baig, president of the Islamic Center of Des Moines.
Baig is talking about 42 year-old Arvinder Singh. Baid says he saw Singh a couple of times at his mosque, and that Singh would have been welcomed like all newcomers interested in learning about Islam. But it wasn't until recently that members of the community discovered that Singh, who was raised a Sikh, was allegedly sent into their mosques to spy for the FBI.
Singh told CNN that the FBI told him, "'You look Middle Eastern, and we need your help for the war against terror.'"
Singh says he obliged because he had been charged with "selling or transferring precursor substances for an unlawful purpose" back in March of 2002. Singh says he unwittingly sold more than the legal limit of Sudafed, often used in meth labs to create the illegal drug crystal meth. The charge was deferred but the Indian-born immigrant says he worried about getting his citizenship, something he desperately wanted. Singh says the FBI came to him with a simple tradeoff: We'll help you get your citizenship if you help us get some terrorists.
Singh spoke to CNN in an exclusive on-camera interview from Hardin County Jail in Iowa, where he's been awaiting deportation. He says the promise to expunge his record of that felony was another promise left unfulfilled by the FBI: When he tried to apply for citizenship, he was arrested.
Singh says when he was first approached by agents, "I was surprised. I said, 'Me? I have no idea about this' And they said 'We'll train you. You'll get used to it. We'll make you go and do some work for us.'"
Singh says he assumed a Muslim identity– Rafik Alvi - and went into the mosques pretending to be interested in converting. He says he frequented mosques all over the state but attended the four in Des Moines regularly for seven years. He says sometimes the FBI gave him pictures of persons of interest and he would confirm that they were at the mosque. On a few occasions, Singh says he taped his conversations with congregants.
"They wanted me to go investigate some people in the area," Singh told CNN in a jailhouse interview. "See what they're doing, who they're meeting. Who's their family member, who's attending them, what they are talking about. That kind of work."
Anis Rehman, executive board treasurer of the Islamic Center of Des Moines and a college professor says he feels violated. "To know that somebody made an intrusive entry into the masjid for purpose other than prayer, or other than socializing or taking care of anybody who is in need makes me very much nervous and embarrassed, too, that I belong to a community where we have a member who has come for some other purpose. But later when we saw that he was not actually a member but a pretender then it made me more angry," Rehman said.
Basim Bakri says he knew Arvinder Singh who used an American name, "Roger." He says if Singh's claims are true, the FBI just took a step backwards in building trust with the Muslims in his community.
"I think the FBI owe[s] us an apology because they did violate our civil rights," Bakri said.
Rehman says the idea of a FBI informant in their tiny mosque is not only offensive but baffling. "I find that to send an impostor into our community which is so small where not only we know each other but (where) the law enforcement agents can perhaps pick each one of us by name and by family, I don't think that the incident [on] 9/11 could warrant such action in a small community like ours."
Weysan Dun, the FBI's special agent in charge of the Omaha Division says the agency doesn't confirm or deny the identity of its informants nor do they cut deals like the one Singh described. But he adds that if such surveillance were to occur, it would be unrealistic to involve mosque leaders.
"We approach our investigations with the intent of finding the truth and we are just as eager to prove someone innocent as we are to prove guilt. If we involve mosque leaders prior to conducting surveillance on a member of their community, we could be tarnishing the reputation of the subject of the investigation if it turns out the person was innocent. Thus, to protect those against whom unfounded or malicious accusations have been made, we cannot involve others prior conducting investigative activities," Dun said in an email to CNN.
But that comes as little consolation to the American Muslims such as Bakri who says he's demoralized that the partnership his community believed it had built with law enforcement was a one-way street.
"It wasn't right at all, it wasn't right from the beginning and they have no right to do that," Bakri said, shaking his head in dismay.
Alien Shark There was proof
its funny how he is sad for being betrayed
Kill the unbelievers wherever you find them." Koran 2:191
"Make war on the infidels living in your neighborhood." Koran 9:123
"When opportunity arises, kill the infidels wherever you catch them." Koran 9:5
"Any religion other than Islam is not acceptable." Koran 3:85
"The Jews and the Christians are perverts; fight them."... Koran 9:30
"Maim and crucify the infidels if they criticize Islam" Koran 5:33
"Punish the unbelievers with garments of fire, hooked iron rods, boiling water; melt their skin and bellies." Koran 22:19
"The unbelievers are stupid; urge the Muslims to fight them." Koran 8:65
"Muslims must not take the infidels as friends." Koran 3:28
"Terrorize and behead those who believe in scriptures other than the Qur'an." Koran 8:12
"Muslims must muster all weapons to terrorize the infidels." Koran 8:60
Everyone who reads these fake lines please go o QuranExplorer.com and click launch quran explorer on your right hand side. If You really Want truth then go and fight the true terror your under called fear.
Joes, outstanding posting of facts. FBI was stupid on only one part, picking the fool. Recruit from within their force.
FBI don't gotta apologize to no one.
The only good muslim... is a Kurdish muslim.
Did you mean, Saladin (Salahuddin) who thwarted crusades Mr Kumar?
Who. Cares...really Muslims Christians make allow kinds of atrocities so does the FBI, CIA, local cops politicians ignorant Muslims. It's the world.No one is innocent.
people, do you read what you type? its disgusting and degrading to even think like you do, people no matter the religion are the same as you or me. Im an athiest and i dont bash religion like you people of good wholesome chritian religion are doing right now. You make me sick and sad to live in this country.
You do not have to live here, pickup and leave quickly. Try Afganistan, they are very understanding.
people need to mind their own business. Theres good muslims and bad, same goes for christians, catholics, or any other religions. wasn't ted kazynski a christian?
I've talked to my Muslim friends who attend the only mosque in my city, and since 2001, every single adult worshiper has been approached to be an informant by the FBI, and all have refused (or said they did at least). We have a national labs here, a USAF base, and there is no terrorism here, nor any stirrings of it.
we know l what american and Israil are, indeed so let the normal people talk
It has been shown that 80% of all mosques in the US teach hatred against non muslims and the west. They hand out jihadi literature and are detrimental to the safety of the US. The true fact is tyhat they are just teaching the koran.
That's just a complete lie. That statistic doesn't exist. I'd say it's less than 1%, particularly mosques that are IN the west. I'd say there are more evangelical churches that teach hatred for America than mosques.
Good work FBI! Watch those muslims, there are always up to no good, and the more insulted they get, the better, maybe they go back to their countries
Wait! When they will get you. You are a typical Fox news lover who has no idea about the rest of the world
I know you are being sarcastic but the irony is that is exactly the thinking. The new immigration laws in Alabama are designed to persecute, harass, and threaten outsiders so much they "self-deport." Watch for this phrase in the GOP lineup, they all seem to think that making people consider the US worse than the countries they fled for economic and political reasons to begin with is somehow a) moral, and b) will work. If the US gets bad enough Mexicans would rather live with the cartel massacres, I don't know that the rest of us would want to be here, either.
Ban Islam, are you serious? A religion with over 1.5 billion followers or over 22% of earth's population it is the second-largest and one of the fastest-growing religions in the world. So stop being ignorant. No wonder more than half the people in this world dislike America & this country that we live in. It's because of people like you, people who are an embarrassment to this country. Yet let me guess you claim to be a holy Christian/Catholic? Get over yourself. No religion out there is perfect, just like no race, color, gender, age, or person is. It's just easier to point fingers and put hate on others than to sit there and look in the mirror & look at your own religion & see the kind of people who are a part of it. You make me embarrassed & ashamed to be living on the same earth & breathing the same air as you.
Fastest growing enforced religion. If the mullahs take there foot of the necks of the people there would be alot less muslims in the world. Any religion that says you must die if you recant islam isnt much of a religion at all.
I did not realize you were aloud to be openly racist in the USA. Wouldn't CNN be obligated to keep xenaphobic and racialy insightfull language of the screen.
Only against certain people. Apparently Muslims and blacks are not protected. CNN probably thinks that flame wars are good for getting sidebar ads out to more people.
Read Read Read and you will gain the knowledge and best of all the TRUTH....
Watch all parts...
If FBI wants to go to my church and "spy" I don't care I have nothing to hide
Isn't that what the Nazis told people who objected to random searches? "If you have nothing to hide, you won't object". This is NOT the American Way. Let's not strip America of the very ideals we strive to protect.
SINGH got exactly what he deserve, he betrayed Muslims, FBI betrayed him. Go back to India and do something better..
@ahmed before you can call yourself an all american muslim you must first realize thats exactly how the average american is treated.second you need a good old police beat down like the one i got for being in the wrong neighborhood.if i get treated that bad as a white american citizen then you should definitely be treated worse than me considering it was your people that committed that act of terror on 9/11.
There is no solid proof who who was behind 911 check this link...
Also check:
Dr.Alan Sabrosky
Dov Zakheim 911 and missing Trillions from pentagon
and now watch....
Khhhhaaaaaaaann!!!! You're a moron.
@Noyb, wait, u r glad that FBI had spies in ur mosque ?? U want a non-muslim to decive u and be next to u in the prayer in the mosque ??
LMFAO@if something were to ever happen, they would KNOW that it wasn't us
Are u kidding ??? Whether u did or did not do, Fox news and its ilk will blame u buddy, its always you
FBI have no right to do this, and I am glade this man EXPOSED them
I am a member of this mosque, and was disgusted to see cnn filming in it that day, but unfortunately right now we have such weak community leaders that they allowed this to happen without having a clear statement or response prepared for them. let me be clear, i am glad that fbi or whomever had spies, that way if something were to ever happen, they would KNOW that it wasn't us, but for this pathetic excuse for a human being to say he was betrayed is the definition of irony. you just pretended to be muslim for the sole purpose of betraying people, THEN you sell drugs and revoke your green card, and now you want us to see you as the victim. i don't think so, gitmo is too good for you, but our community forgives you, i don't wish you punishment or harm, but will not help in your pathetic effort to rally support for your selfish acts either.
FBI are losers, they tried the same crap with me 4 yrs ago, they came to my house asking me to help them by monitoring ( spying ) on ppl in my local mosque, and when i got aggressive with them and declined their offer, they tried to twist my arm with some stuipd legal matters that i had in the past, when i showed them that i dont care, and made fun of them and almost kick them out of my house, they ran away and i never heard from them since, -- TO All muslims, dont get intemidated by these girly men of the FBI, be strong and tough with them and they will run
You're an idiot and most likely a complete liar.
get out of my country you filthy murdering Muslim. Go back to your pitiful homeland and beat your women and blow up your bombs there.
@jim there would be no islam haters if muslims werent driving airplanes into buildings,blowing themselves up just to kill non muslims,beheading their women just for wanting freedom and training children to be suicide bombers.
You need to check some history. The Crusades were a long time before 9/11 and there was no provocation I've ever heard of. It seems like you and others like you are setting out to treat these people like the Jews were treated for centuries. This is "American" land of religious freedom, why don't you start acting like an American instead of a Nazi.
No...there would still be Islam haters.
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Feds are dump as ususal, and wasting tax payers money on B.S
they have no clue about muslims cause they get trained WRONG by ppl who no clue, but more likely islam haters
Keep wasting tax payers money FBI
@peace on you- muslims dont commit crime?honor killings are ok?did you forget muslims intentionally drove airplanes into buildings?
@peace on you- you may call them faux news but in their defense i can say that they dont have to do 4 articles to get the story right as cnn did with the death of paterno.fox news got it right the first time.cnn has spent so much effort demonizing the tea party and fox news that 6 months to late you are finally figuring out the real criminal element is in the occupy movement.all you have on the tea party is that they alledgedly had a monkey sign.but for 6 solid months fox news has been reporting on the criminal activity committed by the occupy movement that cnn can no longer hide with bogus tea party articles:trespassing,loitering,unlawful entry,noise pollution,disturbing the peace,traffic obstruction,disruption of commerce,theft,possesion and use of drugs,child endangerment,vandalism,arson and inciting riots just to name a few violations of the law.
I like muslims more then black people, at muslims work and have job nlggers only take welfare
until i hear muslims saying just as loud that al quaeda has betrayed you and see an honest effort to stop terrorism i will consider all muslims as terrorists.if the terrorists were truly the minority of muslims we would succeed in ridding the world of terrorism.just maybe thats because the rest of the muslims would rather play the role that they are innocent than to do anything about it.
What are you doing on CNN? Shouldnt you be back on Faux News. What you dont realize is just like FLDS are not Christians, they are pedophiles who want to justify their agenda under the banner of religion, AlQaeda is the same thing. They are not Muslims, PERIOD. I can say I am a buddhist and therefore I am therefore required to get as much buddi as I can, but that does not all Bhuddists, sodomizers. There is not justification in Islam for murder of any kind. And as to why you never hear Muslims speak out against terrorism: It doesn't sell news.
I am very sorry what american FBI did that muslim people but it is not the fast time that american do like this, I am not surprising because american we know what he did Iraq, Afganistian, Libeya and many other muslim countries. American stands to decrease that muslim development and also papulations but allah will not agree with hem to happen that dreams
Majority of Muslims are terrorist right? Says the guy who is home-safe in his free safe land of the United States of America, where we believe in justice and fairness and equality and tolerance right? The good majority of Muslims come from parts of the world where we have seen all types of crazy things that the average American only see's on tv, on the news, or in movies. Most Muslims come from places where we see, live, crazy things. American's don't. The United States, God Bless the United States of America, Allah Bless America for occupying the Middle East, South Asia, and butting it's nose into the business of Muslims countries (and those corrupt Muslim governments who allows the US to come in, and were funded and backed by the US in the first place, but are hated by the Muslim people of the country). And those brave Muslims brothers and sisters who fight against the corrupt Muslim leaders who are oppressors, and the US which is also an oppressor, those brave Muslim brothers and sisters of mine are quick to be called "insurgents", "belligerents", "extremists", "radicals", "fundamentalists".
You live in America, you only see what you see based on TV. You don't see the rest of the world first hand. All this world politics which is going on, is really still the Crusades. Islam vs the Western elite. Islam is under attack because it has the power to challenge all other beliefs, and it has the power to attract the masses into belief, that is why them Elites want to fight it.
God will make the truth manifest, and falsehood perish. And all is in accordance with His Plan.
:It's rare to get a specialist in whom you might have some faith. In the world at eerspnt, nobody truly cares about showing others the answer in this issue. How fortunate I am to have definitely found a wonderful site as this. It's people like you exactly who make a true difference in this world through the suggestions they reveal.
kind of strange you didnt hear the muslims saying that al quada betrayed them after 9/11.so they may have got roughed up and harassed by police,thats just the average life of a typical american.send the muslim to gitmo where he belongs.
We did... no one listened.
I do not understand what kind of a person r u ? American ? Christian ?
McKveigh blew up the federal building ,do you indicate that all white christians should go to a Gitmo ?
This is neither American Nor Christian , do not be arrogant and go back to your senses,remember you r a human , not God . life is very limited ,remember where did you come from and where r you going at the end of your life .
i am a proud American Muslim i have no problems with the fbi spying on me. i have nothing to hide....and as for this informant who decided to turn against the fbi.......you're doomed buddy. not only you screwed yourself but the muslims in india gonna have a nice welcome home party waiting for ya. keep pushing the envelop with the feds they have all the tools to show you that they can teach you a valuable lesson !!
I agree with you , that there is nothing for us as muslims to hide , but what is not acceptable is that the FBI came to the Muslim communities throughout the US and told them they are asking for their cooperation, they all cooperated, as the community have nothing to hide, they went behind their backs to spy on them. would you blame them if they do not trust the FBI anymore ?
Islamic ideology is backward and barbaric and should be suppressed every time it rears it ugly head. It has no place in western civilized society. They are closeted intolerant and bigoted and should be looked down upon.
Dear Noxomus :
The muslim society in the USA has one of the lowest rate of alcoholism , crime , drug abuse , violence, divorce and domestic abuse , and one of the highest rates of education, family integration , and they are law obedient citizens . it is clear that you do not know anything about Islam , and if you do your information is very limited .and unless you have a special agenda I urge you to go back with an open mind and look for the muslims in your community and learn more .
The FBI spies on all U.S. citizens of all nationalities and religions everywhere at all times. the patriot act allows that. so just because you are muslim doesn't mean you have special privilege, so shut it.
not surprising in the slighest. the FBI did the same thing in heavily irish-catholic churches in boston back during the troubles. you know why? because–guess what–that's where terrorist supporters were most likely to be found. and they WERE found.
most terrorists are now muslim. mosques, especially those espousing a violent (or more violent, i guess) brand of islam, are going to be watched. get over it. you can still pray and do whatever else you usually do–but if you happen to support terrorism, the feds are gonna know. that's it.
The US Muslims are a peaceful community , they are law abiding citizens , they have no fear of anything to hide , but I do not thing anyone wants this privacy intrusion , please go and visit , Please do not guess , go to the nearest mosque in your area and see for yourself ,
please their eyes watch us too....
wendys or burger king?
It's not new, the FBI has been spying on mosques even before 911, I think if u have nothing to hide then you shouldn't be afraid.
If we cave into fear we give the terrorist what they want. The best way to combat terrorism is just to shrug it off. Once they see that we cannot be intimidated, they will invent a new villain.
They didn't have to 'invent' us, nor us them.
After bin laden fought the evil soviets they turned to the evil americans. Inventing an enemy is a classic way for leaders to rise to power.
i just ate a burger
So what's wrong with this? If the FBI made some white guy infiltrate a white supremacy group I'd be fine with it. Quit being a bunch of PC idiots.
No, it would have to be a light skinned black guy pretending to be white to make the analogy work 🙂
nope, still not right. More like a white liberal spying on the KKK. Being a Sikh doesn't preclude the possibility of conversion to muhammedism where as the light skinned would not be allowed to entry into KKK at all.
What ever happened to Ali Muhammed?
Nothing new about government law enforcement lying. It all started with the "Lady in Red" who the FBI promised to take care of her problems with immigration.
The way I see it. If they have nothing to hide. Where's the problem?
well I mean, you wouldn't want anyone spying on you and your personal conversations, neither would I or anyone else. But I don't buy this story. If it is true than it is true, either way, CNN kinda jumped the gun putting the story out with no evidence. Not the best journalism.
Nothing to hide?
so would you go naked?
What's the point in tax dollars being spent, if the F.B.I will just sit in a room a play cards all day. That's what their there for, to protect the American citizens. To me it's only normal they do this. Same as taking a plane. They look through your bags etc....
Taqiyya, google it.
I heard that hate filled pastors give their 'flock' a few pieces of bogus information on Islam and send them to hate-based websites to learn more half fudged one sided information and send the 'sheep' out into the world to spread their beautiful message.
Taqiyya us a cop-out and an extremely weak argument at best. The following article explains why...this is a sight where the truth spoken regarding the obvious lies propagated by Islamophobics.
Congrats USA! You are now like the Middle eastern countries. The mosques are full of informants to shut the people up. The land of the free alright!
at first glance, I thought the same thing, but you know what...this story is not credible. It is based off the testimony of a man who says he has been lying for seven years, and there is no supporting evidence. Maybe he was dealing with the FBI agents in his head?
Actually his story does make sense otherwise why wasn't he deported a long time ago since his offenses occured in 2002. Selling those drugs would have been sufficient to deport him yet the charges were deferred for years. If he's not telling the truth then why wasn't he charged?
I like your comment bro, but see this is not new , mosques have been under watch since the 1950 or perhaps even earlier due to the ongoing problems between Arabs and the Israelis .
I am all forstopping terrorists, but if we are to call America the land of the free, we shouldn't condone secret spying on Americans and 7 year long fishing expeditions. Freedom and equality.
something about this story doesn't seem right though. Is there any evidence other than this dudes word? I don't like trampling of civil liberties or anything, but I don't like discrediting an entire agency over one guys word, who says he has been lying consistently for seven long years. remember, these are the people that would put their lives on the line for you or your children if they had to.
It is the Anglo Whites who are the haters to begin with; belonging to Evangelical and Baptist groups in particular. They just brought their European carp to the Americas and in the process killed of the natives. As for Muslims, their religion has an agenda of world dominance and conspiring to harm the infidels is a religious virtue. So long as this is preached in mosques and madrases, the infidels have no choice but to preempt violence. While many Muslims express outrage and discrimination, its a lot of BS for the public. Once among themselves and their leaders, they are out doing Allah's dirty work. They don't stop to wonder why Allah cannot take care of the infidels himself. Like all religious people, Muslims are just as stupid as Christians (all republicans included), Hindus and Buddhists and the rest. Religion is a human disease that is cured only by death. And I say " Thank God, for Death." In the end "human stupidity will prevail" and that is the Great Design of the Gods ! Its all in your stupid heads, people !!
It's all true. Religion will be the end of life. Stupid little deadly stories.
dear Gettheruth :
If you really believe what you have said about the muslims and infidels you are misled and ignorant about the faith of Islam ,if you do not have a special agenda , please seek the truth by going to the nearest mosque and see what the true message is .
I have attended different mosques over the last 20+ years and I have never heard any sermons preaching hate either. Sure, every religion speaks about it being the only truth and the others all fall short and should be done away with. However, most of the terrorist acts against America has been initiated by Americans. 911 has yet to be thoroughly proven. Science and the physics of science completely absolves Muslims of the crime.
I'm sure this guy is making stuff up. I work with immigrants and people will say some crazy stuff to stay in the country.
Born and bred Americans will say weird things to get out of trouble too. Kids who get caught picking their noses do the same as well.
Great, we have a cynic working with our immigrants....
GOD bless Canada
This also happening in Canada at a much larger scale.
Are you kidding? There's no such thing as Canada now... it's all foreign cultures segregated into their communities. The city I live is 85 percent Chinese, for example.
It was an ill-conceived idea to put someone who might have an ulterior motive to do this task: "We'll help you get your citizenship if you help us get some terrorists." Sincere Muslims don't want any criminal element in their mosques either. I can tell you that if I heard of some kind of plot, I'd report it. I would welcome an UNBIASED FBI investigation just so that they can see for themselves that we are interested in happy, peaceful lives. No community, no neighborhood, no nation prospers when they are in fear for their lives. I can tell you that if an undercover agent met me, my family, my fellow congregants, they'd have nothing bad to report... they might even be bored from the routine lives we lead. If these allegations are true, then I'm disappointed in the FBI (or in that particular branch) ... they need to work more closely with us and see that we don't want the bad guys around either. I'm all for getting the wrongdoers out of our communities but let us do it in a better way.
Weird thing about this story is the FBI got a sikh/punjabi guy to do this even through he doesn't look like he is from the middle-east or muslim country. Just because the average american can't tell the difference between brown people – the people in the mosques (or potential people that the fbi wants to reach) will know the difference between people that decent from various countries. I hope this story is false because i can't believe the FBI was be this stupid...we're need smarter tactics to defeat terrorism.
India has the largest muslim population and sikh look like pakistanis so i dont see anything funny about this
I'd have to read the story again but I think he was sent as a convert or someone who was interested in converting. Even though he may not look like a stereotypical Muslim, his fellow worshipers would have still accepted him since Muslims come in all shapes, sizes and colors. Generally, the first assumption when a new one comes to the mosque is that he/she is a visitor. The second assumption would be... he/she is here to pray alongside the rest of them. The idea that there would be an informant or a criminal informant would likely be the furthest from their minds, which is, I guess, if the story was true, why this plan was hatched.
Nadia... I could be wrong, but I believe that Indonesia has the largest Muslim population. But I see your point... without the traditional Sikh garments and symbols, I don't know that I could tell the difference, which is, I think what Nick was trying to say... Mr. Arvinder Singh probably looks like he would fit in seamlessly.
I agree with you we should have better and more intelligent ways , ? a drug dealer has a motive to get a citizenship to be the informant , and for seven years ??
correction there are muslims in India and in the Punjab , so his shape fits , especially he claimed he wants to become a muslim
Why was it malconceived? Most terrorists who wish death to America are Muslims. I am of Italian origin. If italians were conducting acts of terrorism, I would totally support infiltrating Christian Churches were Italians pray, Italian restaurants, pizzerias etc. Why is it wrong to spy on the people who want to destroy us and have sworn to do so? It would be very naive not to do that. Then again a lot of people who comment here have not travelled outside the US. A lot are left wing whack jobs. Others are just "born and raised in California" and can't see past their nose!
You misunderstood... investigation is fine. I personally have nothing to hide. The ill-conceived part was to use a person who is desperate to stay because he allegedly has a criminal problem and would have been deported if he did not cooperate (turns out he's gonna get sent away anyway). So his motives may be suspect. It would be different if the FBI had used someone without bias.
The issue of the FBI spying on mosques or any other place (church, synagogue, temple etc) because these practices are needed to protect america. I bet most of you would be fine with the fbi doing the same with organized crime (the mob). How are the FBI supposed to catch people planning attacks?
What I have an issue with is whether this singh guy is telling the truth or not. If he is telling the truth then america/FBI should come through on their part of the deal. He helped them out and they should drop changes and let him stay (they need to investigate this to find out the truth).
Don't forget people, we can't wait for another attack to happen – the FBI, Homeland sec, and others need to be on the offensive to ensure our safety.
Dear nick
If you look at statistics , the muslim community in the USA has one of the highest rates of education ,and family values and on of the lowest rates of crime , violence , drug abuse , alcoholism , divorce or domestic violence , they are law peaceful and abiding citizens , but if the FBI wants to have an informant they should not use an informant with an Ulterior motive : a drug dealer with a need to get his citizenship and avoid deportation ?? what kind of dependable informant !
because you can't investigate people for maybe. it's called probable cause.
In my country, police would watch Christian churches. If they even spoke to someone that was muslim, the police would swoop in and start arresting people.
Right now,it is not xians who are making problems with the world...it is Muslim s. They taste blood,hate being hosted in the countries of those they vow to kill. Musli Ms, any Muslims who read the Sudan are dangerous people. It is just fact. And now they kill tribally,along their own religious lines. Awful crap. Take a look at thereligionofpeace. Dot com sometime.We at banthemosque believe in the removal of any subversive muslim mosque, which is about ninety nine percent of them. And yes,we would love to ban any religious group who has a political agenda including Xi'an churches who try to preach politics and votig from the pulpit. No religion passes the tests of subversion and hate like the Muslim s though.
Please leave us alone. Let us abuse and enslave our women, marry children and plan your death. It is our religion.
That almost sounds as brash as some of these muslim activists are becoming. They love the freedom we have here to spout their hatred, and threats, and the freedom to hide under religious persecution laws. Fact is, any follower of the Syrian is dangerous and subversive. And, yes, I am serious. Check out the truth at banthemosque dot com
Follower of the Quran is what I meant
What a stupid comment. I'm not muslim but how can you put all people under one banner? So all muslims are bad people and can't be trusted? You don't think there are good honest american muslims that are part of communities.
There are bad apples in all religions and countries! Half of america thinks terrorism started in 2001 (meaning they basically started paying attention to terrorism in 2001) but the world has been dealing with terrorists for a long time. What about the IRA from ireland? Should we discriminate against all irish? There are white supremacists in various parts of america....should all white people be discriminated against?
Your views are very dangerous – we need to get back to being one country!
Nick, it is not the people, it is the religion. If u are a devout Quran reading and devout muslim, then you are required to be in jihad against infadels, which includes non Muslims. So, it is the teachings of the Syrian that cause the muslim devotees to be bad people. Yes, there are a ton that wish no harm to anyone, but that goes against therir own faith. But, most t if called apron would harm non believers. It is the nature of islam...dangerous.
Just went on the website you noted in your post. I that is the source of your hate I suggest you do more research. Getting all your information from these sorts of sites is dangerous because they have their own agenda. I read through some of the quotes and explanations and checked them against other sources and the quotes on that site have been changed to make it seem like the sole reason of the quran is to destroy the rest of the world.
Please do your own research from a variety of sources and form your own opinion (not just on this issue but everything like politics too).
This site is basically doing the same thing extemists in other countries are doing (twisting words and not telling the whole story) to get people to be on their side.
Should I get my Bible out & reference the Biblical backing for the abuse & enslavement of women (and men), as well as the Biblical decrees to murder non-believers & others (including children)? Should I point out the Christians who marry children (sometimes more than one), or the Christians who abuse children (in all the horrible ways possible)? Should I go gather a list of Christians who have killed in the name of their religion? (There's a number of domestic terrorists on that list...)
There are extremists in both religions. Heck, most religions have extremists (though it's usually only the Christians & Muslims who are violent; you never hear of Buddhist terrorists, after all). The thing is– with comments like yours, you just reinforce the hatred. I mean, I'm neither Christian or Muslim but I live more in fear of what people like you are capable of doing in the name of God than anyone else in America.
Thank god! A normal logical thinking person! Some of the comments here are pretty crazy so its good to know there are logical thinkers out there.
We never learn from history....people have killed in the name of religion for thousands of years and yet everyone still wants to carry on. What is worrying about some views in america is that we are free here and have all the information at our fingertips (unlike some places in the middleeast and north korea) and yet there are many people here with backwards views. I swear some people still think the cold war is going on.
none of that is part of islam at all, so you shouldn't even talk, cause you're not muslim. you're way out of bounds.
Mistake #1 was trusting law enforcement. They aren't on your side.
Mistake #2?
Being Muslim in Iowa.
wow – so much for the rights of Muslims and US citizens. What about the poor Arvinder Singh who did nothing but unwittingly sold more than maximum amount of sudafed? He was left hanging for more than 7 years and then deported. no one is commenting one iota about that. Muslims and Christians are a spoiled breed.. Learn to understand the point of view of other religions and stop pretending that no one exists besides Christians or muslims...
Mr Singh got what he deserved.. Betrayal begets betrayal no matter what religion or race you belong to..
This happens everywhere- not just in mosques. That is the purpose of secret intelligence. The same thing happens in Islamic countries. (I've spent the last 3 years living in the Middle East, and Islamic governments did the same to Christian churches. They sent in 'under-cover' Christians to search out the Christian churches and make sure Christians were not sharing their faith with their neighbors. I learned to accept it and live with it.) Its what all governments do.
No way you spent 3 years in the middle east. Your just lying
The Non-Muslim. The Muslim Community is angry because You do not need FBI to go to a mosque.
If you have a question about Islam or Muslims, Go to the nearest Mosque, Ask to Speak to the Imam. Take off your shoes if you are in the prayer area. and ask him any question ( politely and humbly because you want to Know the truth). If he refuses to reply, just tell him God has ordered you to answer my question and you have violated that order and see what he will say and leave. Go to a different mosque and repeat the cycle till you get an answer (I assure you (95 % probability wise) will get the answer from the first or the second cycle)
I would advise America's muslims to keep in mind that the allegations of Mr. Singh are coming from a man who is facing deportation on what amounts to a meth charge. Mr. Singh may be telling the truth, but it is also likely he's lying to avoid drug charges and to stay in the country.
As to this: "To know that somebody made an intrusive entry into the masjid for purpose other than prayer, or other than socializing or taking care of anybody who is in need makes me very much nervous and embarrassed, too, that I belong to a community where we have a member who has come for some other purpose. But later when we saw that he was not actually a member but a pretender then it made me more angry," Rehman said:
Mr Rehman, there are people who use your faith's mosques and schools to plot terror attacks against your fellow citizens and neighbors. If Mr. Singh was a pretender, he was sent in there to find people who might be defiling your holy places with plots of violence.
Innocent until proven guilty. Even our own justice system screws up but you fix it by adopting such perspectives.
Well stated
During the 1960s and 70s the FBI, CIA, Secret Service, and local police forces all over the country had agents and informers among the membership of the Nation of Islam under the leadership of Elijah Muhammad.
Most Americans don't care as long as they do it to people and organizations they don't care about.
The FBI also had agents among the Ku Klux Klan, but many of them were just as racist as the true Klan members.
They do this at my mosque, too, in the DC area. How is it fair that we are targeted for this? Should we put concealed FBI agents in Norwegian community centers because of Anders Breivik? How about in every church because of Tim McVeigh? It's ridiculous; this needs to stop. It is unfair and unlawful to target a group of people solely on the basis of their religious practices. It's saddening and it makes it seem like the government sees me and the remainder of the Islamic community as less than Americans, when we are just as American as anyone else.
You are less than American if you are a devout muslim. The Quran is dangerous and hate filled. We will continue to watch until Muslims stop building mosques.
You are very stupid. Your views give everyone else a bad rep. That website you keep quoting is full of inaccuracies where quotes are changed to make a point.
I see more hatred from you than any normal muslim (note i didn't say terrorist or extremist because most religions have extremists).
You talk about being american but you are not....what happened to the first amendment? Comments and views like yours are not what made america great....views like yours are holding this country back.
I hope someday you do more independent research instead of taking that banthemosque site as fact.
Racism and discrimination is the center core of nation. Happen to Africa-American as slaves back in 1800's and continued until 1970's. Also happen to Italian and Irish people early 1900's and happening to Mexican up to these days. We love buying cheap Chinese products and dislike the ideas that jobs are going to Chinese people. Now it's turn for the Muslim
Your logic sounds right. But it is the Anglo Whites who are the haters to begin with; belonging to Evangelical and Baptist groups in particular. They just brought their European carp to the Americas and in the process killed of the natives. As for Muslims, their religion has an agenda of world dominance and conspiring to harm the infidels is a religious virtue. So long as this is preached in mosques and madrases, the infidels have no choice but to preempt violence. While many Muslims express outrage and discrimination, its a lot of BS for the public. Once among themselves and their leaders, they are out doing Allah's dirty work. They don't stop to wonder why Allah cannot take care of the infidels himself. Like all religious people, Muslims are just as stupid as Christians (all republicans included), Hindus and Buddhists and the rest. Religion is a human disease that is cured only by death. And I say " Thank God, for Death." In the end "human stupidity will prevail" and that is the Great Design of the Gods ! Its all in your stupid heads, people !!
Amazing generalizations, these. Please give evidence for your statement of Muslims, "conspiring to harm the infidels is a religious virtue"
Where did you get it from? And "So long as this is preached in mosques and madrases, the infidels have no choice but to preempt violence"
Which mosque and how many mosques have you attended where you heard this being preached from? You are such an awful liar—not even a good one at that. You are not even trying to be sophisticated in your hate but just spewing raw sewage!
And again, "Once among themselves and their leaders, they are out doing Allah's dirty work."
Did you go and listen to them talk to each other? Are you fluent in Urdu, or Arabic or Punjabi or Farsi or maybe Pashto perhaps that you could so easily eavesdrop and hear what they are saying?
And this usage of the word "infidel", well, for your information the Quran and the Muslims never use it when referring to either the Christians or the Jews. Both are referred to as the "People of the Book" (meaning the Scriptures) or "ahlal kitaab" in Arabic. So stop wallowing in your own venom. Get enlightened and learn to love.
Are we not war on terror? Internal stabilization of society is more important than war beyond boundaries. Tell our Muslim brothers" have you brought any guy and presented to FBI that catch this guy from our faith with ulterior motive" Muslims should clean their house and nobody will be informant" Information is central to the safety of USA. I congratulate FBI for
Putting a lot of effort for everyone. I challenge Muslims to change their sharia law , satanic verses, woman' s right.
Pl listen to "wafa sultan " on you tube. I would not be worrY,
even if FBI is sharing my house.
1 in 3 of all terrorists are reported to the authorities by members of the U.S. muslim community itself.
I'd say they're doing their part.
1 of 4 black kids smoke pot, so we can assume most black kids smoke pot
1 of 3 Mexican's does cheap labor and takes cash pay. we can assume most Mexican's are job theft
1 of 7 fat people are fat because the visit McD and Burger king, so we can assume McD and Burger are the leading cause of obesity in America.
If we use factors like these, we no longer need to think on our own, might as well let others think for us
It it's true, that would be cool. Post a link where we can verify your claim.
Are we not war on terror? Internal stabilization of society is more important than war beyond boundaries. Tell our Muslim brothers" have you brought any guy and presented to FBI that catch this guy from our faith with ulterior motive" Muslims should clean their house and nobody will be informant. Information is central to the safety of USA. I congratulate FBI for
Putting a lot of effort for everyone. I challenge Muslims to change their sharia law , satanic verses, woman' s right.
Pl listen to "wafa sultan " on you tube. I would not be worr
Ed even if FBI is sharing my house.
good job FBI.... FBI didn't do anything wrong.... they didn't offend God of Islam.... all they did is spy on the people inside the mosque.... and please don't tell me that everyone who visits a mosque or a church or a temple is a saint....
Sending someone in undercover, doesn't violate anyones civil rights. And I for one I'm glad to see the FBI/law enforcement know what they are doing. They have discovered many Jihadis this way in other States, keep up the good work.
Who gives a CRAP about what the FBI did. No one's rights were violated and we are sick of whining Muslims who think America is targeting them because we want to know if they are involved in terrorism. Oh wait, we are targeting them and we have EVERY reason to do so. If they don't like it, they can hop back on the camel they came on and go back and eat sand and live in mud huts. Keep complaining! No one is listening and no one cares about you!
Did you mean to reply to me? I agree with you.
you Americans R The BEST!!!! you animal fat your Idea is like dog eat more food and making dirty with good people so stop crying like woman.
Now that you're a Muslim, why should we believe your story? After all, the FBI denies it.... hahaha
Whats the big deal FBI sends people into churches to spy on pedophile priests. Get over it Muslims, of course you are welcome to go set up shop in Saudi Arabia where the religious police will spy on you.
paranoid white people/
As a non-Muslim I am not happy that the FBI does this kind of thing. As an American I am saddened that the American Muslims in the story above do not seem to see why the FBI is doing this kind of activity. American Muslims... like it or not there are people that worship the god you worship that believe they have a duty to defend Islam against every perceived threat. They murder people every single day across the world. Simply type into Google "Islamic Attack" or "List of Islamic Attacks this year".
The US (thank God) does not allow Islamic terrorists to kill its citizens or the citizens of other countries if we can prevent it. Unlike Pakistan, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Sudan, Somalia and many other Islamic States that not only encourage terror groups but export terror and the idea of a global jihad. As long as this condition exists in the world the FBI and other agencies will (sadly) be forced to monitor Muslims.
your information about the muslim community in US is very wrong , the Us Muslim community has one of the highest rates of education , and family values and one of the lowest rates of drug abuse, alcoholism , crime , divorce and domestic violence .
and assuming a need for spying , do you think about using an informant that is a drug dealer that has to provide information , or face deportation and loss of citizenship ,was appropritate? is that the right person to use ?
Welcome to any other American's life, Muslims. We all experience the same $h!t but there isn't anything we can do about it. No need to complain.
Totally agree with you!
st*upid m*us*lim hahahahah


text:
CAIRO (AP) -- Islamists approved a draft constitution for Egypt early Friday without the participation of liberal and Christian members, seeking to pre-empt a court ruling that could dissolve their panel with a rushed, marathon vote that further inflames the conflict between the opposition and President Mohammed Morsi.
The vote by the constituent assembly advanced a charter with an Islamist bent that rights experts say could give Muslim clerics oversight over legislation and bring restrictions on freedom of speech, women's rights and other liberties.
The draft, which the assembly plans to deliver to the president Saturday, must be put to a nationwide referendum within 30 days. Morsi said Thursday it will be held "soon."
The Islamist-dominated assembly that has been working on the constitution for months raced to pass it, voting article by article on the draft's more than 230 articles for more than 16 hours. The lack of inclusion was on display in the nationally televised gathering: Of the 85 members in attendance, there was not a single Christian and only four women, all Islamists. Many of the men wore beards, the hallmark of Muslim conservatives.
For weeks, liberal, secular and Christian members, already a minority on the 100-member panel, have been withdrawing to protest what they call the Islamists' hijacking of the process.
"This constitution represents the diversity of the Egyptian people. All Egyptians, male and female, will find themselves in this constitution," Essam el-Erian, a representative of the Muslim Brotherhood, declared to the assembly after the last articles were passed just after sunrise Friday.
"We will implement the work of this constitution to hold in high esteem God's law, which was only ink on paper before, and to protect freedoms that were not previously respected," he said.
The sudden rush to finish came as the latest twist in a week-long crisis pitting Brotherhood veteran Morsi and his Islamist supporters against a mostly secular and liberal opposition and the powerful judiciary. Voting had not been expected for another two months. But the assembly abruptly moved it up in order to pass the draft before Egypt's Supreme Constitutional Court rules on Sunday on whether to dissolve the panel.
"I am saddened to see this come out while Egypt is so divided," Egypt's top reform leader, Nobel Peace laureate Mohamed ElBaradei said, speaking on private Al-Nahar TV. But he predicted the document would not last long. "It will be part of political folklore and will go to the garbage bin of history."
A new opposition bloc led by ElBaradei and other liberals said the assembly had lost its legitimacy.
"It is trying to impose a constitution monopolized by one trend and is the furthest from national consensus, produced in a farcical way," the National Salvation Front said in a statement, read by Waheed Abdel-Meguid, one of the assembly members who withdrew.
Thursday's vote escalates the already bruising confrontation sparked last week when Morsi gave himself near absolute powers by neutralizing the judiciary, the last branch of the state not in his hands. Morsi banned the courts from dissolving the constitutional assembly or the upper house of parliament and from reviewing his own decisions.
Speaking in an interview on state TV aired late Thursday, Morsi defended his edicts, saying they were a necessary "delicate surgery" needed to get Egypt through a transitional period and end instability he blamed on the lack of a constitution.
"The most important thing of this period is that we finish the constitution, so that we have a parliament under the constitution, elected properly, an independent judiciary, and a president who executes the law," Morsi said.
In a sign of the divisions, protesters camped out in Cairo's Tahrir Square who were watching the interview chanted against Morsi and raised their shoes in the air in contempt.
The president's edicts sparked a powerful backlash in one of the worst bouts of turmoil since last year's ouster of autocrat Hosni Mubarak. At least 200,000 people protested in Cairo's Tahrir square earlier this week demanding he rescind the edicts.
Street clashes have already erupted between the two camps the past week, leaving at least two people dead and hundreds wounded. And more violence is possible.
The opposition plans another large protest for Friday, and the Brotherhood has called a similar massive rally for the following day, though they decided to move it from Tahrir to avoid frictions. Bands of youths have been daily battling police on a road leading off the square and close to the U.S. Embassy.
The Constitutional Court's announcement that it would rule on the legitimacy of the assembly was in direct defiance of Morsi's edicts. It will also rule Sunday on whether to dissolve the upper house of parliament, which is overwhelmingly held by Islamists. Most of the nation's judges are on indefinite strike to protest the edicts.
It is not clear what would happen to the approved draft if the court dissolves the assembly. The crisis could move out of the realm of legal questions and even more into the more volatile street, to be decided by which side can bring the most support.
The opposition is considering whether to call for a boycott of any referendum on the constitution or to try to rally a "no" vote, said Hamdeen Sabahi, a National Salvation Front leader who ran in this year's presidential race and came in a surprisingly strong third.
"The people should not be made to choose between a dictatorial declaration or a constitution that doesn't represent all the people," he told independent ONTV, referring to Morsi's decrees. "He is pushing Egypt to more division and confrontation."
During Thursday's session, assembly head Hossam al-Ghiryani doggedly pushed the members to finish. When one article received 16 objections, he pointed out that would require postponing the vote 48 hours under the body's rules. "Now I'm taking the vote again," he said, and all but four members dropped their objections. In the session's final hours, several new articles were hastily written up and added to resolve lingering issues.
"We will teach this constitution to our sons," al-Ghiryani told the gathering.
Islamist members of the panel defended the fast tracking. Hussein Ibrahim of the Brotherhood said the draft reflected six months of debate, including input from liberals before they withdrew.
"People want the constitution because they want stability. Go to villages, to poorer areas, people want stability," he said.
Over the past week, about 30 members have pulled out of the assembly, with mainly Islamists brought in to replace some. As a result, every article passed overwhelmingly.
Human Rights Watch Rights groups criticized the hurried manner in which the constituent assembly pushed the draft charter through, saying it not the right way to guarantee fundamental rights or the rule of law.
"Rushing through a draft while serious concerns about key rights protections remain unaddressed will create huge problems down the road that won't be easy to fix,"said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East and North Africa director for the New York-based group.
The draft largely reflects the conservative vision of the Islamists, with articles that rights activists, liberals and others fear will lead to restrictions on the rights of women and minorities and on civil liberties in general.
One article that passed underlined that the state will protect "the true nature of the Egyptian family ... and promote its morals and values," phrasing that suggests the state could prevent anything deemed to undermine the family.
The draft says citizens are equal under the law but an article specifically establishing women's equality was dropped because of disputes over the phrasing.
As in past constitutions, the new draft said the "principles of Islamic law" will be the basis of law.
Previously, the term "principles" allowed wide leeway in interpreting Shariah. But in the draft, a separate new article is added that seeks to define "principles" by pointing to particular theological doctrines and their rules. That could give Islamists the tool for insisting on stricter implementation of rulings of Shariah.
Another new article states that Egypt's most respected Islamic institution, Al-Azhar, must be consulted on any matters related to Shariah, a measure critics fear will lead to oversight of legislation by clerics.
The draft also includes bans on "insulting or defaming all prophets and messengers" or even "insulting humans" -- broad language that analysts warned could be used to crack down on many forms of speech.
It also preserves much of military's immunity from parliamentary scrutiny, putting its budget in the hands of the National Defense Council, which includes the president, the heads of the two houses of parliament and top generals.
The committee has been plagued by controversy from the start. It was created by the first parliament elected after Mubarak's ouster. But a first permutation of the assembly, also Islamist-dominated, was disbanded by the courts. A new one was created just before the lower house of parliament, also Brotherhood-led, was dissolved by the judiciary in June.


text:
"The only thing I heard is that there was a screening in Los Angeles of 'Meet The Feebles', for Universal. I wasn't there, I wasn't even in the country, but Universal wanted to have a look at the film and Lisa Henson - Jim Henson's daughter, she's an executive at Universal - saw it and apparently enjoyed it. She was quite shocked when she saw Kermit nailed on a cross!" ~Peter Jackson on Henson reaction to Meet the Feebles.
Meet The Feebles, a puppet tragedy of gross proportions, relates the fateful events that lead to the infamous Feebles Variety Massacre - a day that rocked the puppet world! Bletch, a cigar chomping walrus, has his hands full with his cast of egocentric show-biz stars. When you've got an incompetant panic stricken fox as a director, a junkie knife throwing frog, and a hare with a fatal disease as MC, things do not look sunny. But Bletch's biggest problem is with his star and long time lover, Heidi the Hippo, who suspects that he is having an affair with a Siamese cat called Samantha. With two failed suicide attempts and her mental balance totally destroyed, Heidi makes an unannounced entrance centre-stage.....armed with a machine gun!
Click here to watch the trailer:
"The Puppet Spunk Hits The Fan"
"Hell Hath No Fury Like A Psycho Hippo With A Heavy Machine Gun"
"Welcome To The Jungle!"
"Sex, Drugs And Soft Toys"
"More Carnality From The Director Of Bad Taste"
Fun Trivia:
Director Peter Jackson couldn't locate blank rounds, so the M-60 used in the movie is firing live ammunition.
When the Feebles Variety Hour finally goes live, one of the audience members is wearing the alien costume from director Peter Jackson's previous movie Bad Taste.
This film was shot with standard 16mm color film stock, which has a TV-Monitor aspect ratio of 4:3 (or 1.33:1). So all VHS and DVD editions that look like they are "pan and scan" are really fullscreen.
All dialogue in the film was recorded before the production of the film to make shooting easier.
Fun Quotes:
Bletch: Have you thought of a name for it, yet?
Trevor: I was thinking along the lines of..."Dennis does Daisy".
Bletch: No. That's lousy.
Trevor: How about..."Anal Antics"?
Bletch: "Anal Antics"... yes. It will appeal to the intellectuals. Do you think it will do as well as our last release and win the Hooker Prize?
Heidi: Eat lead you man-stealing slut!
Robert: I thought you were nice.
Lucille: I am nice.
Robert: No your not, you're loose! And you drink!
Lucille: No...
Robert: You're nothing but a loose lush Lucille and I never want to see you again!
Click here to watch one of the most twisted scenes ever to grace the silver screen...yes it's the Sodomy floor show:


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Nominations for Accellera Systems Initiative's Technical Excellence Award Open through January 18
Award Honors Outstanding Achievement in EDA and IP Standards
NAPA, Calif. - November 15, 2012 - Nominations are being accepted now through Friday, January 18 for the 2013 Technical Excellence Award sponsored by Accellera Systems Initiative (Accellera). The Award recognizes outstanding contributions in the creation of electronic design automation (EDA) and intellectual property (IP) standards by a member of an Accellera technical committee. Standards created by Accellera are contributed to the IEEE Standards Association for formal standardization and ongoing control.
Any individual who is a member of an Accellera technical committee is eligible to receive the award. Candidates may be nominated by the industry at large and are endorsed by Accellera committee members. Award nominations are due January 18, 2013. To nominate an individual, visit: http://www.accellera.org/about/awards/.
The Technical Excellence Award will be presented during a luncheon at Accellera Systems Initiative day, a featured part of DVCon 2013 taking place February 25-28, 2013 in San Jose, Calif. Sponsored by Accellera, DVCon is the premier conference and exhibition for functional design and verification, focused on bringing information from the leading edge of technology, techniques, standards and methods.
Accellera currently has 13 technical committees dedicated to create, support, promote and advance system-level design, modeling and verification standards. Committees are composed of a broad spectrum of chip designers, engineers, educators, scientists, tool providers and technologists with many years of practical experience in IC design and tool development. Working together, these committees produce the leading-edge EDA and IP standards that lower the cost to design commercial electronics and increase efficiency of designers worldwide.
Technical Activities
- Analog/Mixed-Signal extensions to Verilog (Verilog-AMS)
- Analog/Mixed-Signal extensions to SystemC (SystemC-AMS)
- Configuration, Control and Inspection (CCI) standards for SystemC
- IP Tagging for data-driven tracking of soft IP
- IP-XACT metadata standard for IP integration
- Open Verification Library (OVL) assertion library
- Standard for Co-Emulation Modeling Interface (SCE-MI)
- Synthesizable subset of SystemC
- SystemC language standard
- SystemC Verification (SCV) library
- SystemRDL
- Transaction-Level Modeling (TLM)
- Unified Coverage Interoperability Standard (UCIS)
- Universal Verification Methodology (UVM) standard
About Accellera Systems Initiative


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Long time readers of this blog know that I have always been a big fisherwoman in game, long before it became trendy, with everyone doing it. I used to get a lot of crap and disbelief from guildies for how much I fished, but it was a huge money maker for me from level 20-40 or so.
You'll also see that any screenshots of me show K with the Salty title, a title that I never ever change. I don't know, I just very much identify with it. It references my fishing, as well as my choice of language at times.
Anyways, because of this I'm looking forward to the new fishing tournament coming out in patch 3.3, the Kalu'ak Fishing Derby. For detailed info on this new tourney, as always check out the bible of all things WOW fishing, Els Anglin
The basics:
1. Starts on Saturdays at 2 pm server
2. Fish from any pool from Northrend for a Blacktip Shark
3. Stone and turn it in to the cute Walrus guy who will be next to the Dalaran fountain.
Here's why this is big. To get the Salty title now, you have to win either the original Stranglethorn Fishing Tourney or this new one. So this will definitely increase the number of folks who will be running around with the Salty title. I don't know... I guess I can share.
Will I try the tourney? Well, the rewards for winning are Dread Pirate Ring and Boots of the Bay. I don't know. I may just try for it and see if I can be the first person to get it, but not actually turn it in since I know a lot of others want the Salty title.
Now for strategy. The key is going to be finding an area with a dense concentration of pools but with low competition. I am thinking that the coast of Borean Tundra in the Frozen Sea as well as Sholazar Basin is going to be packed. I don't know if I would go there. Instead I may choose the Northern lakes in Howling Fjord, the Blue Sky Logging grounds in Grizzly Hills, or Lake Kum'uya in Borean Tundra.
Will you be participating in this new derby?
To close this fishing related post, a super cute pic of three of us in the guild:


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Academics . Illustration . Courses
Fundamentals of Illustration
Course No. ILL 263 Credits: 3.0
To prepare illustration students to become working professionals by providing them with the necessary skills and knowledge to advance through the courses provided at the Institute to develop a professional level of performance for future employment. The department of Illustration emphasizes the understanding of contemporary themes and concepts as a basis for nurturing the student's ability to translate this acquired thematic vocabulary into inventive visual solutions. The main objective is to motivate the student's visual awareness to a professional level. For them to be aware that illustration is an applied art, a business, to satisfy the client needs, and should be executed in a professional business manner by experiencing classroom assignments prepared in a job like situation. Offered fall.
Robert Roth
Robert Roth is a native of Cold Spring Harbor, NY. A graduate of Rhode Island School of Design, one of Robert&...more
While at CIA, you'll learn from the masters through our rigorous, world-class curriculum and connect with working professionals to begin your career.


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By a nonelite, unprivileged Bahun
I am totally amused, almost to death, by the hypocrisy of REAL Bahun Chhetri elites whose parents (bureaucrats, judges, ministers etc) were lucky (or corrupt or influential or combination of all) enough to make money to send their kids to top schools of Kathmandu (xaviers, 'kanthas etc), D'ling and D'doons and to the collages and universities of amrika and belayet (Columbia, Brown, SOAS for example).
Is it a coincidence or just that I am selectively getting to read views of such 'educated and rich' Bahuns/Chhetris whose parents and grandparents had access to resource? A minister's daughter or a judge's son or a sachib's grandson. Of course these elite Bahuns/Chhetris can rightly think that since they are privileged, well off and can live in between Kathmandu and (London, NY or Toronto) they don't need any more facilities from the state.
These elite and privileged Bahuns/Chhetris- not sure if they are sympathizing with the Janajati/southern movement or patronizing it- with their rosy glasses see all Bahuns and Chhetris of Nepal as rich and privileged as they are. But these elite Bahuns/Chhetris CAN NOT speak for the millions of poor and rural Bahuns and Chhetris in rural areas of Nepal or those in Kathmandu who had to come here as a compulsion during the difficult times of conflict or those who somehow have built homes in Kathmandu by selling whatever they had in the villages and still live in incomplete/unfurnished or rented buildings in Kathmandu.
In this context comes the declaration of Khas Arya as indigenous people. The privileged and rich Bahuns/Chhetris and Thakuris AND politically indoctrinated ones can ridicule this decision. But to portray ALL Bahuns, Chhetris as rich and privileged is simply wrong. When Khas Arya were promised to be counted as indigenous yesterday that included Dalits too- one of the most underprivileged class in Nepal.
By the way, some of these elite Bahuns/Chhetris/Thakuris may rightly claim that they went to those elite schools because they deserved that and were capable to getting partial or full scholarship (from the university or the likes of Fulbright for example). However, they shouldn't conveniently forget that there could be equally talented and deserving people out there in some remote areas of Nepal. But those in remote areas- yes, poor Bahuns and Chhetris (and of course poor Janajatis and Dalits too but now my point is about poor Bahuns and Chhetris) didn't have neither ACCESS nor resources to learn, to begin with, about the scholarships or the schools.
They were not in Kathmandu, where everything was/is, because their parents (or grandparents or great grandparents) were not the bureaucrats, judges, ministers (or other influential people like royal priests) based in Kathmandu. Their parents were the farmers of the villages who had to toil day and night in the fields and look after cattle.
Just as there are two classes- poor/destitute and rich/elite- of Khas Arya, the Janajatis and Madhesis too have distinct classes in terms of wealth, access and education. There are elite Janajatis and elite Madhesis as there are poor, underprivileged Janajatis and poor, underprivileged Madhesis. There are zamindar and feudal Madhesis and there are super rich Janajatis. There are Dalit Madheiss and there are destitute Janajatis.
Therefore the clear demarcation of rich and poor, privileged and unprivileged CAN NOT be done on ethnic or regional lines. It has to be done on the basis of the poverty index. If one person gets more benefit form the State than other, that has to happen on the basis of how poor (financially, culturally and politically) the person is. It CAN NOT be done in a wholesome manner, along ethnic lines, with false claims that all Bahun Chhetris are rich, privileged and oppressors and all Madheis and Janajatis are poor, unprivileged and oppressed.
Federalization of Nepal can not be done on such flawed argument. That is why there can not be ONE Madhes ONE Pradesh or Provinces carved along the ethnic lines. It has to be done on the basis of need- who needs to get priority over whom. That prioritization should be done on the basis of, as stated earlier, poverty index (which is another way of saying resources, not identity) so that the same benefit can be offered to a Dalit of Dhanusha, a poor Panajati of Taplejung and a poor Khas Arya from Okhaldhunga or Kalikot.


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Tips for Good Vision
The following tips can help you keep your eyes healthy and your vision as clear as possible.
- Provide good light for reading, work, or study.
Use soft background light, plus a light on your task.
- Take regular breaks from close work and visually demanding tasks.
Blink often, and close and rest your eyes when they feel tired or dry.
- Avoid glare on TV and computer screens.
Place your TV or computer screen where lights do not reflect on the screen. Some people find it easier to work on a computer in a dimly lit room. And some people use special nonglare screens that fit over the computer screen.
- Wear proper eye safety equipment for hazardous tasks.
- Wear UV-blocking sunglasses to protect your eyes.
Wearing sunglasses can protect your eyes from excessive ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun. Too much UV exposure can damage your retina and cause lasting vision loss. It can also raise the risk of cataracts.
- Avoid smoke and other things that irritate your eyes.
- Get routine eye exams from an eye doctor.
Related Information
Current as of: October 12, 2022
Author: Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:
Adam Husney MD - Family Medicine
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Medical Review: You are leaving this website for information purposes onlyAdam Husney MD - Family Medicine


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Someone said to me recently that people are only as faithful as their options. It made think, could that be true? At what point does cheating become "out of your hands"? Don't we have free will? Don't we have choices? Could temptation be that, well, tempting, that it's beyond your control? I've always maintained that cheating is a choice. I've said it before in a previous post "The Changing Face of Infidelity, Cheating and Adultery" where I write that "it's easier to cheat than to take responsibility for your relationship. The majority of people who cheat are regular people like you and me that are faced with a choice." So whatever reason people cheat it's a choice, so why make that choice and, more importantly, why put yourself in situations where you are faced with constant irresistible temptation?
Cheating: Only as Faithful as Your Options?
So let's say that you have a job that pretty much guarantees you are faced with temptation more often than not. What do you do?
For example, you might travel a lot for work. This travel ensures that you end up at the hotel bar a couple times a week where others like you hang out. Let's say you're lonely and you've been fighting with your significant other lately. How about you're just really horny and you know that you won't see your partner for another week? What if you're a guy who works in a nightclub? You're surrounded by drunk girls dressed in next to nothing and you've been drinking too? What if they're hitting on you and it makes you feel good and wanted and attractive? Perhaps you've bought them some drinks. Then what? All those hot drunk women want YOU … it won't hurt to take one home would it? I mean why not. It's not like your partner is going to find out. What if you worked as a photographer or the fashion industry and you're surrounded by attractive people everyday. What do you do then? Can you make the case that the temptation was too strong and "the devil made you do it"? I mean it was just meaningless sex, wasn't it? Well … not meaningless if you brought home a disease of some sort or guaranteed yourself a stalker or stage 5 clinger!!
So is it true that you're only as faithful as your options? The key word here is OPTIONS. Options means that there is a choice. You are choosing to act or not to act. But can temptations be too much to resist sometimes? I think yes they can be. Does it make you innocent if you choose to cheat? No it doesn't. If you are surrounded by temptations and you don't have the will power to resist then instead of cheating you should remove yourself from the temptation. That is, if your relationship means anything to you. If you're tempted because you are lacking something in your relationship then fix it or leave the relationship. Don't cheat.
Cheating: The Illusion of Choice
A lot of the options that you're surrounded with are not actually options. It's just like online dating. You have the illusion of being popular and attractive and virile … but … in reality, you're not. Most people online are just wasting time or bored or even in relationships. Social media also makes us think we're more popular than we really are but when it comes down to it, do we really have that much choice in partners? Are there REALLY that many fish in the sea? If you are surrounded by lots of choice at a nightclub for example, does it really mean you have a choice? What if you're just the creepy old guy to these young attractive women? Is that person at the hotel bar really into you or is it just the alcohol and loneliness speaking? That person who's flirting with you isn't necessarily interested in you … some people just like to flirt for attention. Our ego plays tricks on our mind sometimes giving us the illusion of choice when really there isn't a viable option other than the one that you've got. I'm just being honest and realistic, not mean. If you've got something good at home, don't ruin it for a moment's pleasure. The grass ISN'T greener on the other side, it's greener where you water it!
Some people just can't be in relationships and that's completely OK. They like being surrounded by attractive people and like going home with someone different every night. That's fine as long as they don't have a partner. People like that should always remain single. People like that shouldn't be in relationships, but it's precisely those types of people who do enter into relationships and hurt others deeply. I've seen and heard so much that I couldn't fit the stories into one book. If you meet someone you really like but you know they either have a reputation for cheating, or, they are in a profession that puts them in the "high cheating risk" category then think twice about entering into the relationship. Just be aware and date smart because you don't want to end up with whatever they picked up during one of their trysts. It's a harsh reality but reality nonetheless.
There is never a good excuse for cheating, even if you're constantly surrounded by temptation. If you can't be faithful then don't be in a relationship and don't hurt others by your actions (whether it's intentional or not). Plain. Simple.
Readers, do you think it's true that you're only as faithful as your options? I would love your input in the comments below!
Your Sister in Dating Bliss,
Single Dating Diva
Copyright Single Dating Diva


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Poverty is a desperate, sad thing. It damns us all, but hurts some of us even more.
Single mothers face twice the poverty rate of couples with children. New immigrants, First Nations people and People of Colour find the labour and housing markets exclude them in very similar and harsh ways. Youth now enter a re-shaped labour market with limited prospects for success. People travel further within Toronto for poorer jobs, bad food and scarce housing. These are terrible awful things which we all well know.
So, then…
As the great Torontonian Ursula Franklin reminded us, "After you have finished awfulizing, then what?"
On March 17, the City of Toronto's Community Development and Recreation Committee considered a motion to develop a strategy to address poverty. The motion passed and is the April agenda at City Council.
Last fall, the Alliance for a Poverty-free Toronto (APT) produced a report, delivered to every City Councillor, which builds a strong case for change and then points the way. This second half of the report, the call for action, offers some possibilities for the conversation which is about to begin. In it, the Alliance put forward some very specific recommendations for many of the 'wicked' problems which face low-income people.
The APT report, Towards a Poverty Elimination Strategy for the City of Toronto, calls for actions in the areas of:
1. Employment (e.g. living wage policy, stronger employment equity, paid internships for youth and newcomers, advocacy for a provincial/national jobs strategy)
2. Income support (advocacy for more adequate provincial income support programs and improved access to Employment Insurance)
3. Housing (address provincial wait list, TCHC repairs, inclusionary zoning, upgrade shelter services, enhance Housing Stabilization Fund)
4. Transit (increased operating support for TTC, barring fare hikes, discounting transit passes for low-income residents, advocacy for adequate provincial funding)
5. Community Services (increased access to mental health, addictions, disability supports; better funding for non-profit and community organizations, better access to affordable child care)
APT also offered a few broad recommendations:
► The first is that a coordinated approach to addressing poverty is needed. In poverty, problems are complex and intertwined, so one-off solutions will not work.
► The second is that every decision brought before Council requires a poverty lense to be used – will the recommendation being considered make poverty better or worsen it? How can the decision under discussion improve the lot of those without? This strong core is required to make a change.
It seems now that strategies are sexy, the new way for governments to respond, to demonstrate their commitment to respond. Last month the Director of Poverty at the Rowntree Foundation in the U.K. posted a cynical blog post about a new Child Poverty strategy. A strategy has to be more than priorities, he cautioned, but connect to specific targets and spark action; otherwise it is simply window-dressing.
The time for action is now. Why? Here's why:
In an anecdote about his childhood, Mayor Naheed Nenshi explains the difference a city can make. He explained, that while he was from a low-income family, they were not poor. The library with any book he wanted was up the street, the City pool was down and around the corner. For him, downtown was an easy transit ride away. At school, he would have enjoyed a daily snack (something particularly poignant in Toronto given the recent testimony by a pediatric nutritionist on how the school snack program saved Jeffrey Baldwin's sister from starvation).
Poverty is not inevitable, but it is a choice, of our own economic and social priorities. The City has a chance to make a difference.
This is a version of a text delivered earlier as a deputation by APT for a municipal poverty reduction strategy. A version is cross-posted at Opportunity blogs here.