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Photo: Frederic Cirou @ PhotoAlto Agency RF Collections
This is the year that I'm going to tighten up my tummy. I mean business. I'm just so fed up with having a mushy muffin-top, and I have no more excuses since I'm not planning on having any more kids. The problem is that after having weathered some pretty big phases of weight gain during my pregnancies, I fear that diet and exercise alone won't give me the results I want. Actually, I know they won't, because it's been a solid year that I've been working out religiously and eating pretty cleanly, and though I've lost a lot of weight, my stomach still spills out of my jeans.
Since I've given the good old-fashioned muscle method a thorough go (and always will), I've decided that it's time to get some extra "help." I contemplated a tummy tuck, but it seems too invasive, and I freaked out after watching Kate Gosselin's consultation (which also made me feel a little bit better about my stomach situation). So I started researching less invasive procedures, and decided to try the new Lipomassage by Endermologie. "It is the only scientifically proven technique, targeting the fat that is resistant to diet and exercise. To date, all our clients who have experienced this technology have been extremely satisfied," says Nicole Contos, CEO of NYC's Smooth Synergy Spa, one of the few medispas that has the latest LPG Lipomassage machine, called the Integral.
Here's how the treatment works: You strip down, then slip on a body stocking (think of a unitard made out of pantyhose), then the specialist massages your body with the machine's new Ergodrive head, which is equipped with a bunch of motorized rollers that lift up and knead your skin in various different directions. This "mechano-stimluation" of the skin's surface is proven to stimulate a deep biological response to eliminate fat cells, reduce cellulite, firm the skin, improve lymphatic drainage and overall reshape the contours of your body–all without any cutting, sucking, or other unpleasantries. Each treatment costs $150 and takes about 45 minutes, and upon my first consultation, I was told that I may see results after the first session, but should commit to at least six or eight sessions, getting two a week, to start reaping the benefits. A total of 20 sessions is suggested to see maximum results, after which you can go into maintenance mode with one monthly treatment. I was a little afraid of the cost and time commitment, but stayed the course because, as I said, I mean business.
Hairstyles That Make You Look Thinner
I have to say I felt a little slimmer after the first treatment, but it wasn't until after my third treatment that I started to notice visible results. I could see that my stomach skin was more toned, less squishy and didn't have that bloated look. I was really impressed. Maybe it was a slight body change that only I would notice, but it was enough to make me a believer, and I wound up doing a total of 10 sessions. Each week I saw a little more improvement, and by the end of five weeks, I can definitely say that I've gone down one pant size. I should point out that I kept up my workout regimen and good eating habits at the same time. In fact, I was told Lipomassage results are actually enhanced when you work out soon after a treatment because it's easier for your body to flush out the toxins and fat.
The most challenging part of the whole process was finding the time to fit it into my day, but once I made it to the spa and lied down on the table, I was thrilled to get those 45 minutes of "me" time, and the procedure is actually very relaxing. It was just the treatment I needed to get back into all of my pre-pregnancy clothes, so while I did have to shell out a lot of money and etch out the time, I feel like I've gained a whole new wardrobe, as well as some much-needed body confidence. Like most spas, Smooth Synergy offers a discount if you buy a series of 10, 15 or 20 sessions, so if you are contemplating Lipomassage, be sure to ask about package deals. For Spa Week, April 16-22, Smooth Synergy is offering Lipomassage appointments for only $50. Appointments are still available!
Now, in all honestly, I won't commit to getting into a bikini too fast–there are still some issues that maybe only plastic surgery could truly fix, but for now, I'm happy with my Lipomassage results.
Are you considering trying any type of body contouring treatments? Tell us!
As one of the web's largest beauty sites, DailyMakeover.com constantly receives products and services from beauty companies for editorial review. Smooth Synergy extended a 50% on services for the editor to experience the treatment. Please read our Editorial Ethics Pledge if you'd like to know how we select products and services to feature.


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The IFS 125HR is the ultimate instrument for ultra-high resolution spectroscopy.
In absorption or emission mode, the IFS 125HR can resolve highly complex spectra into discrete lines for recognition and spectral assignment. Combined with the wide spectral range coverage from THz to UV the IFS125HR allows record of any gas phase reference data base that the scientist may need.
Every experiment can access up to 4 different sources and 6 detectors without breaking vacuum. All optical devices are usable through each of the two sample compartment channels. Cube corner interferometer with hybrid scanner construction provides enhanced system stability for the available spectral resolution and guarantees with double-sided interferogram data acquisition (option) symmetric line shapes.
IFS-125 FT-IR Applications:
Manufacturer Bruker Optics
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Astronomers may have underestimated the extent to which interstellar dust obstructs our view of other galaxies. New research suggests that dust blocks half of all the starlight in the universe from reaching Earth, meaning there is a lot more light and radiation out there than previously accounted for. By looking at galaxies in different orientations, Simon Driver, director of St. Andrews Observatory in Scotland, observed how much light the dust within spiral galaxies blocked. Using a new model of dusty galaxies developed by Richard Tuffs of the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics, Driver then recalculated how much energy the dust blocks for 10,000 galaxies. The newly calibrated model showed far more hidden energy than expected; that energy then heats up the obscuring dust.
If this finding holds up, we may have to reevaluate the numbers of known stars in a galaxy, how much mass the stars contain, and how much radiation escapes a galaxy.


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*The latest ruminations from LUPEC Boston, in case you missed 'em in The Weekly Dig.
by Pink Lady
Fellow drinkers, cocktail enthusiasts and lovers of quality beverage: We are lucky. We're enjoying a glorious era. The cocktail is queen, and finding a quality drink in Boston is as simple as sidling up to any of the great bars in a long list of local destinations. Many of us remember a different time, a darker time, before rye was present among the spirits on the back bar, before the B-Side was even born (may it now rest in peace).
On occasion, though, we Boston drinkers might find ourselves inexplicably outside our comfort zone. Your fratty cousin comes to visit, for example, and you end up drinking with him at the Boylston Street bars (one that is misleadingly named after a spirit, perhaps?), and no matter how hard you try to explain that "Eastern Standard is, like, RIGHT THERE," no one will budge. What's a bratty cocktail snob to do?
A Manhattan or a classic martini is a simple enough template, but proceed with caution here—you have no idea how long that vermouth has been open, unrefrigerated and gathering dust on the back bar. A margarita should also be avoided, unless you have an unspoken affection for from-the-gun sour mix. There is a time and a place for a beer and a shot, or a gin and tonic … and many would say that this is it. If that's not quite your speed, fear not; there are cocktails out there that simply cannot be ruined, no matter how hard an inexperienced bartender may try. So we present a new LUPEC feature for situational ordering: "Bullet-Proof Cocktails," or "Drinks You Can't Mess Up."
Proud among these is the Mamie Taylor, a great old highball named for a famous Broadway star. It was the drink-du-moment for a few fleeting years around the turn of the 20th century and consumed by the thousands in the hot summer of 1900. The drink figured prominently in popular culture, writes Ted "Dr. Cocktail" Haigh in Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails: "Poems were written about the drink, jokes were told, and articles were written using Mamie to illustrate au courant sophistication."
The Mamie's a simple beverage composed of inexpensive ingredients, yet bars were nevertheless able to charge exorbitant prices thanks to the drink's popularity. According to Haigh, it became "synonymous with 'swank refreshment' until 1920—and Prohibition." Mamie enjoyed a brief comeback in the '40s and was a predecessor to vodka's gateway cocktail, the Moscow Mule.
Let's bring Mamie back! Just … maybe don't ask for her by name, lest you risk feeling even more uncomfortable than you already do with your fratty cousin's "bros."
From Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails by Ted Haigh
2 oz Scotch
.75 oz spicy ginger ale or ginger beer
Build over ice in a highball glass. Stir and garnish with lime wedge.
Notes on situational ordering: If the bar has ginger beer, lucky you! If not, or if you're afraid to ask, ginger ale will do. If said bar does not have a fresh juice program, ask for Scotch & ginger with extra lime wedges as "garnish"—three or four should do.


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While this past weekend was full of impressive MMA action, not all of it was conducted according to UFC president Dana White's liking.
At Saturday night's UFC 139 event, White watched first-hand as referee Dan Stell was slow to halt a Chris Weidman (7-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) choke that rendered Tom Lawlor (7-4 MMA, 3-3 UFC) unconscious.
Following the event, White said he's tired of referees who appear slow on the trigger and pointed to another near disaster – Ronda Rousey's (4-0 MMA, 2-0 SF) mangling of fellow Strikeforce fighter Julia Budd's (2-2 MMA, 2-2 SF) arm – as a sign of necessary improvement.
"You're a referee; You should know when somebody is out," White said at the UFC 139 post-event in press conference at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif. "Get your ass in there and stop the fight. Same thing with the armbar [Friday] night in Las Vegas. Standing way over there while she's putting an armbar on? You get in there, and you stop the fight as soon as you can so these guys don't get hurt."
Rousey, of course, needed just 39 seconds to uncomfortably torque Julia Budd's arm en route to a submission win at this past Friday's Strikeforce Challengers 20 event in Las Vegas. Despite the quick finish, White contends referee Kim Winslow could have stepped in before Rousey appeared to dislocate her opponent's elbow.
In Weidman's case, the middleweight prospect utilized slick submission skills to lock in a D'arce choke as he and Lawlor scrambled for position. With Lawlor's face not immediately visible to Stell, it took a Weidman alert for the referee to stop the bout at the 2:07 mark of the opening round – a point that appeared to be a few seconds after "The Filthy Mauler" had slipped into unconsciousness.
White admitted Weidman's performance was impressive.
"He's very talented," White said. "Tonight was a huge, huge performance for him."
Weidman, a 27-year-old Serra-Longo product still making his way in the promotion, declined to criticize the match official for the apparent slow finish.
"I'm definitely not blaming him," Weidman said. "I can't really see what he was watching. I definitely felt him go out, and I was telling [Stell] that he was out, but as a ref, he can't believe what I'm saying because I could just be trying to get a cheap victory with that.
"[Lawlor] was definitely out for a little long, but I'm glad that he's alright."
It was Weidman's third-straight UFC win, and he remains undefeated seven bouts into his professional MMA career. And while all that is just fine and dandy, White said it's important not to forget what could have happened – and who is at fault.
"I blame [Stell]," White said. "I blame him 100 percent."
For additional coverage of UFC 139 and Strikeforce Challengers 20, check out the UFC Events section of the site.
(Pictured: Chris Weidman)


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December 28th, 2012
Nathan Berrong works at CNN's satellite desk and writes Eatocracy's beer column, "Berrong on Beer." He Tweets at @nathanberrong and logs beers at Untappd.
2012 has been yet another milestone year in the world of American craft beer. There are currently more breweries in operation in the United States than ever before, even surpassing the alcohol boom of the late 1800s. Outdated beer laws are beginning to change and will benefit both brewers and consumers, and a debate began between the little guys and the big boys about what exactly defines craft beer. Oh yeah - there were also some incredible beers made in the last 12 months.
Since being turned onto the world of craft beer, I rarely order a Guinness, but I swear the one I had in Dublin atop the Guinness brewery is one of the best beers I've had to date. I should also point out that I was enjoying it with my new bride and it happened to be St. Patrick's Day. When I'm drinking a beer or eating a meal, these outside factors matter to me.
The rarity of a beer factors into my perception of it, as well. Often times, much like a rare car, it might not be the collector's fastest or sleekest, but it could very well be the favorite based on its lack of availability. Take the Belgian beer, Westvleteren 12 (pictured), for example. Many beer geeks swear it's the best beer on the planet, but it probably doesn't hurt that it's also considered one of the rarest. The only place this beer is sold legally is the actual brewery, which happens to be a monastery, and the procedure to buy the beer isn't exactly easy.
The brewery is one of only eight authentic Trappist breweries in the world and is the only one that is not distributed outside its respective monastery for retail sales. The Westvleteren monastery, however, is currently in need of repairs and to raise money the beer was distributed and sold in the United States for one time only on 12/12/12. The beer sold out quickly and unless you were in line early at your local beer store and ponied up $85 (for a six pack), you'll have to rely on a trip to Belgium to buy one or spend hundreds of dollars via eBay.
The beer is extremely rare, yes, but it's also fantastic and for a Quadrupel it's extremely dry, which sets it apart from the many others that try to replicate it. It's one of my picks for the top beers of 2012.
Choosing a "best of" list is difficult and regardless of the quality of choices, someone is going to cry foul when they don't see their favorite listed. This list is not based on any formula for determining the best beers or even based on things like tasting notes or reviews. It's just my personal list and the beers that stood out to me in the past year. With that, I give you my top 12 beers of 2012.
– Westvleteren Trappist 12
– 21st Amendment Marooned on Hog Island Stout brewed with oysters in collaboration with Hog Island Oyster Company
– Firestone Walker Union Jack Double dry-hopped IPA made using over four pounds of hops per barrel
– Odell Woodcut No.6 Oak Aged Ale using Mosiac hops
– Sierra Nevada Narwhal Russian Imperial Stout crafted with 6 different malt varieties
– Lagunitas Daytime extremely flavorful IPA, clocking in at a mere 4.5% ABV
– Jester King Boxer's Revenge Organic Wild Ale aged in whiskey and wine barrels
– Alchemist Heady Topper Imperial IPA hop bomb with 120 IBUs
– Cascade Noyaux Wild Ale with raspberries and apricot nuts added, aged in oak barrels
– Ballast Point Victory at Sea Imperial Porter brewed with vanilla and Caffe Calabria coffee
– Wedge Vadim Bora Russian Imperial Stout brewed with raspberries
– Avery Odio Equum Wild Ale aged for 12 months in Cabernet Sauvignon barrels.
And now it's your turn. What were your favorite beers of 2012? Let me know in the comments and cheers to good health, peace, and a bunch of great beer in 2013!
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JEWISH Democrats strongly agree with the Israeli position and dis agree with President Obama's on issues such as a Palestinian state, settlement construction and trading land for peace. Does the president realize he's at risk of a break with an important part of his base?
A phone survey (sponsored by the Traditional Values Coalition and conducted by Global Marketing Research Services on July 22-24) of 500 American Jews who self-identified as Democrats exposes broad disagreement with Obama's Middle East policies.
Asked to choose between the Obama view that "if Israel could settle its dispute with the Palestinian refugees and give them a nation of their own, that the Arabs would live in peace with Israel" and the Israeli government view that "the Arabs will never live in peace with Israel and that giving them a nation of their own will just make them stronger," Jewish Democrats sided with the Israeli view by 52 percent to 20 percent.
On the contentious issue of construction in existing West Bank settlements, Democratic Jews also sided with Israel more than with Obama. The survey asked for agreement with Obama when he "says that it is very important that Israel not expand its settlements on the West Bank so as not to alienate the Palestinians," or with Israel that "it should be allowed to build new homes in existing settlements but not to start new ones" — and got 52-37 backing for the Israeli view.
Democratic Jews still strongly back Obama in general, with 92 percent reporting that they approve of the job he is doing as president. But 44 percent feel that "Obama is naive in thinking he can make peace with the Arabs," while only 37 percent disagree.
Nearly half of Jewish Democrats still reject the idea that Obama is biased against Israel: In all, 49 percent said he wasn't and 16 percent said he was — but a significantly large number, 35 percent, said they were undecided.
By 58-16, Jewish Democrats agree that "Obama is doing a good job of promoting peace in the Middle East." But they share Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's skepticism about trading land for peace, the cornerstone of the "road map" to a settlement laid out in the 1990s.
Only 27 percent feel that "President Obama is right that Israel should agree to let the Palestinians form their own country and return the West Bank to them. This would defuse the hatred in the Middle East, reduce terrorism and help America, the Palestinians, and Israel live in peace."
But 55 percent disagree, preferring the statement: "President Obama is naive in thinking that the Palestinians would make peace, whatever they say. They will just use the new land as a base to attack Israel like they did in Gaza."
On the issue of Iran, Jewish Democrats are confused. While they agree, by 67-8, that "if Iran gets nuclear weapons, it will use them to destroy Israel," only 14 percent said it was "very likely" that "Israel could be destroyed by an Iranian nuclear attack in the next 10 years." Another 37 percent called it "somewhat likely" and 40 percent said "unlikely."
Only 40 percent said they thought Obama is doing a good job in his efforts to "stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons." At the same time, by 15-62, they disagree that "Israel should bomb Iran to stop them from developing nuclear weapons."
Yet, only 38 percent felt that there "is a real chance that Iran can be stopped from developing a bomb without an Israeli attack."
Jewish Democrats heartily approve of Israel and most of its policies and emphatically reject any moral equivalence between the Jewish state and the Palestinian refugees:
* 92 percent have a favorable opinion of Israel; just 17 percent have a positive view of the Palestinian refugees.
* By 81-6, they agree that "Israel is a democracy and has a free political system."
* They agree that "it is very important that Jews have a country of their own, considering their history of persecution" by 86-7.
* Emphatically, by 9-75, they reject the claim that "Israel has become a bully, pushing its Arab neighbors around."
* By 14-55, they disagree with the accusation that "the Israeli Army and Mossad are guilty of human-rights abuses." Rather, they say by 59-14 that "the Israeli Army and Mossad go out of their way to avoid hurting civilians."
* Asked if "Israel is always trying to grab more land and throw out the Palestinians who live there," Jewish Democrats disagree by 11-73. And they also disagree with the charge that "Israel is intolerant of its neighbors and does not do enough to get along with them in peace" by 13-70.
The pro-Israeli mindset of Jewish Democrats is most evident on the basic question of who's to blame for the Arab-Israeli conflict. By 60-20, they agree that "if the Arabs lay down their weapons, there would be no more war. It is just their desire to destroy Israel that creates the conflict." Likewise, they agree by 83-6 that "if Israel were to lay down its weapons, the Arabs would destroy it."
The fervency of their support for Israel suggests that Obama may suffer real political damage among a core Democratic constituency if he continues his current policies.


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Classroom warfare is tough. You have teachers hounding your stash, cute girls to impress, punk kids coming up with punkier ways to punk you—basically a lot to worry about. That's why you need this rubberband shooting ruler.
Designed by Sebastian Bergne, it looks like a regular ruler so you can avoid confiscation but delivers pain harder than the ol' wind 'em up with your finger method. You'll be king of the class. [Buy Sebastian Bergne via Dezeen]


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Epiq helps legal professionals better understand and leverage technology to shape and administer information governance strategies and tactics.
Our technology driven information governance solutions include:
Many organisations are moving their email to the cloud (Office 365 or Google Apps for Work). The critical issue that arises is whether, and how, to migrate accumulated email to the cloud. Epiq brings substantial technical and process expertise to aid organisations in determining what email to migrate and the most efficient processes to complete the task.
Many legal and (RIM) professionals know they have a data problem. Epiq content audit/assessment provides the detailed quantitative and qualitative information needed to justify launching a defensible deletion project to rid the organisation of "ROT".


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Compared to the first presidential debate, round two introduced a new arena, a different moderator, the voters asked the questions directly, and there was a series of intense exchanges between President Obama and Mitt Romney. The topics ranged from immigration to the job market, equal pay, gun violence, China, tax plans, the attack on the U.S. Consulate in Libya, and the character of the candidates. We asked on Facebook what you would have brought up and got: Medicaid, abortion, LGBT rights, Pell grants, health care, and DOMA. Have an issue to add to the list? Post it in a comment.
Click on each picture to enlarge.
The US needs a different analysis and real solutions. There are only two fundamental problems: #1. We have to stop transferring our wealth to other countries every day – when Americans fill up their car with gas, they transfer their hard earned dollars to the Middle East or South America – when Americans buy more low cost junk from Walmart, they are transferring their hard earned dollars to China, Thailand and Viet Nam. #2 We need a robust sustainable economy, meaning a 1% growth in GDP will fix the deficit in a more sustainable way than any cut in spending ever will (please look at the proportion of the jobless rate related to losses in city, state and federal cutbacks). Don't kid yourself America. There is no easy fix. This is not reality show that resolves issues in 60 minutes. Stand up, be a real leader, be a real man. We did not get here in the last 5 minutes, so the fix is one that requires a thoughtful, careful analysis so we have a strategic long-term plan with near term tactics that deliver results in the right direction. That's reality. It's a process of change. Get serious and get to work if you want to be the leader of the free world and restore the United States economic strength.
There needs to be a fact check about the types of people in society who should not carry weapons. I was highly disappointed when the president brought up mental illness as a possible threat to society if such peoples carry weapons. As someone working for a humanitarian organization, I can say that most criminals and those who are violent most likely do not have a mental illness. Moreover, mental illness does not mean that that person will violent. A violent person will be violent regardless of their condition. One thing is the condition, another thing is the violence. Also, according to most doctors/psychiatrists/psychologists, most people with mental illness are not violent. In fact, they are vulnerable and danger can come upon them. They are vulnerable like in the case of the homeless gentleman in Los Angeles who was abused by members of society who should have offered him help. He had a brain condition and was vulnerable and was attacked. For everyone and anyone who knows someone with a brain condition/depression/bipolar/etc..., I know how disappointed you feel with the bad reputation and the stereotypes that invade society when we hear the word, 'mental illness.'
Gov. Romney repeatedly uses the state of Massachusetts as his model for success for the United States. Upon listening to him I was sure that the state was fully behind and supported him. But in looking at the polls for his state, it appears that Mr. Obama has slight lead in the polls. I wonder why his state does not fully back Mr. Romney, especially after he has done so many great things for the citizens. Now I know you can't please everyone, but I never thought Mr. Obama would have ever have a lead in the polls of Mr. Romney's state of Massachusetts.
we keep hearing about the inequality of wages earned by women but what we do not hear is that men make more for specific reasons...men work in dangerous places like mines and the oil industry and construction they are in fact 3000 that is three thousand percent more likely to get injured or killed than a woman. I have worked in offices and have asked women why they are not running things and they all said the same thing I do not want the pressure of that job I like my job just fine...they are not applying for the top jobs whereas if a man stays in the mail foom for ever the wife will leave because he is not applying for the higher up more pay jobs.. go to colleges and see where the women are they are all in just a few courses whereas men are in many there is a thing called supply and demand if I want a manufacturing technologist I may have to search the world for one and pay lots to get him to come work for me if I want a secretary I just need to make a phone call agoin supply and demand Tell you what women will earn equal pay on average when the death and injury rate in the workplace is fifty percent women instead of less than five. Go ahead check these facts I have. Why do we not hear the whole truth about pay equity one cannot keep spealing just the facts they like and call it the truth.
Governor Romney needs to make up his mind he has said "As President I'll create Jobs" and last night he told president Obama " The Government doesn't create jobs private sector does that" another flip flop Governor Romney?
Romney repeats over and over that he worked with the strongly democratic legislature while Governor of Massachusettes.
In fact he vetoed about 800 pieces of legislation and virtually all of them were overridden by the legislature. Mitt Romney was and is an obstructionist. He is a master of taking credit for things he had no part in creating.
Americans did not use the attack on 911 as a fault of George Bush and for people to do use the attack of US citizens in Libya as a fault of Obama is a bad political move by the Republican party. This shows the true character of Romney and the people he has chosen to be on his team. Why isn't anyone on CNN addressing this?
Candy Crowley did a very biased and unfair job for the debate, favoring the president. She allowed him more than three minutes extra, allowed him to go on and on without calling him down, and did not stop him various times when she should. Then, she intervened about the presidents statement about 9/12 in the rose garden, and was wrong!!!! She will no longer get my viewership. This was a terrible dis-service to the American people, who deserved a fair debate. This election is extremely important, more than ever in my 70 plus years. No more respect left for CNN. None!
Governor Romney's content won the debate in any objective state of reality. But Candy Crowley's incorrect defense of what the President said did not help him, in fact, it hurt him. In a court of law, it might have resulted in a mistrial. The President was referring to the first 9/11 when he mentioned act of terror not to Libya. And, his and the Administrations rhetoric after the Rose Garden speech did not mention terror or terrorism until weeks after the incident. Whose payroll is Candy on?
What I find so disturbing about the Oil discussion is the absence of the real information about the real cost of gasoline. If we had 100% of our oil needs, the oil companies would not sell the oil in the US for half the price that the would get selling the oil to the rest of the world. The world market drives the cost of oil, not the amount we drill for in this country. Who pays the cost? Not the oil companies,but the middle class. Will someone address how having more oil in the US drives the cost of gasoline down????
Candy Crowley should not be walking her statement back. If you read the full statement given by President Obama in the Rose Garden you will see that he referred to the 9/11 attacks as just that. "Attacks". The same way in which he referred to these most recent attacks in Libya. When he referred to 'acts of terror' he is referring to and including the 9/11 attacks as well as the Libyan attacks. All were meant as acts of terror. C'mon people. It was in the context in which he was speaking. Look at his statement as a whole and not just one single sentence. Do you really think the President believes the 'attacks' on 9/11 were not terrorist attacks because he did not use the word 'terrorist' in one part of his statment. Of course not. He then refers to these acts as 'acts of terror'. Candy was right and she has no reason to walk this statement back. Go read the full statement in its entirety. His statement was inclusive of all attacks as acts of terror. Period.
If Mitt is so concerned about American jobs, why won't he commmit to making the companies that he's invested with bring back the jobs that they are currently outsourcing?
What's happened to "respect" for the office of president and common courtesy? During the debate, Gov. Romney showed complete lack of respect for our president and for our country. Totally disgusting.


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"It's better to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow"—chances are if you're reading this you've heard this statement before. Whether you believe this is just a stupid generalization dreamt up by people who drive slow cars or the focus of your automotive obsession revolves around a similar concept, almost all car lovers have had some fun behind the wheel of a car with less than impressive straight line performance.
Rather than argue back and forth about the aforementioned statement, this weekend we want to know what car you think is the ultimate in driving amusement even if it is a little sloth-like from 0-60. What slow car is the most fun to drive fast?
I spent several years behind the wheel of a 1980 BMW 320i—my pick for the slow car that is the most fun to drive fast. The car was my "reliable winter car" for several years based solely on the fact at 28 years old it was still ten years newer than anything else I owned. Thanks to the 110 horsepower engine getting up to highway speed was a slightly terrifying experience but thanks to the handling and the 5-speed my BMW was still an absolute blast to drive.
No one is ever going to get away with justifying their choice to drive an appliance every day to me following the "better to drive a slow car fast" line of reasoning and given the choice I'd rather drive a fast car slow. Having said that, it's rare more than a week or two go by when I don't miss tearing up the back roads in my little under-powered 320i.


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Wolf Blitzer delivers the most important breaking news and political, international, and national security stories of the day. Tune to The Situation Room weekdays 5-7pm ET on CNN.
CNN's Mary Snow reports on some victims of Superstorm Sandy who are battling health problems a month after the storm.
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New York town sued over public-meeting prayer
The town of Greece, N.Y.'s practice of prayer before public meetings is getting national attention.
A Washington, D.C., watchdog group for the separation of church and state is suing the town of Greece and Supervisor John Auberger for starting its meetings with Christian prayer.
Americans United for Separation of Church and State filed the suit Thursday in federal district court on behalf of two residents who object to government-sponsored religious activities that favor one faith over others, according to a news release.
The lawsuit alleges that almost all of the Town Board's opening prayers are explicitly Christian. That practice sends a message that the town favors Christian religions over others, that Christians are political insiders and that non-Christians are outsiders, the group said.
"Greece officials should conduct their meetings in a way that welcomes all citizens," said the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, the group's executive director. "Repeatedly offering Christian prayer at these public events sends a message to non-Christians that they are second-class citizens. That's not a message public officials should want to send, and it is not a message that the Constitution allows."
Last year, a Brighton, N.Y., resident filed a complaint, which was later dismissed, with the Genesee Valley Chapter of the New York Civil Liberties Union. Nancy Braiman charged that the town's use of sectarian prayer violates the Constiution.
Americans United sent a letter to the town in July urging it either stop praying before meetings or be more inclusive in its offerings. The board didn't comply, according to the group, so it filed the lawsuit.
In a statement, Auberger said the town has no intention to stop the practice, which it has been doing for the last 10 years.
"The opportunity to say a prayer at our meeting is available to any Greece resident," he said. "We do not control the content of the prayers given, nor do we place restrictions or guidelines on these prayers."
Auberger has said there's nothing wrong with it, pointing to other government bodies, like the Unites States Congress, who do so.
A local pastor from a Christian church gave an invocation before Auberger's state of the town address earlier this month.
Greece Post


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Esteban Gutierrez will race in Formula One alongside Nico Hülkenberg at Sauber next year, the team confirmed on Friday.
Dutchman Robin Frijns, who tested for the team in Abu Dhabi, will be the reserve driver.
Given Gutierrez's ongoing Telmex sponsorship, the pick of Gutierrez over Kamui Kobayashi comes as no surprise.
Meanwhile "Esteban has already been part of the team for a long time and we have followed his career very closely," said Sauber team boss Monisha Kaltenborn. "In 2010, we signed him up as an affiliated driver, and in 2011 and 2012 he was our test and reserve driver. We mapped out his path to Formula One step by step.Esteban has great talent and now he's ready to take the leap.
"Monitoring Robin's racing career makes it easy to spot his potential. This was the reason we gave him the chance to drive at the Young Driver Days in Abu Dhabi. He managed this very well. We will now carefully guide him to Formula One. This is a long way, but Robin has got the skills to do that successfully."
Regarding Kobayashi, she said: "Over the last three years Kamui has shown us he is not only a fierce competitor on the track, but also a wonderful person and fantastic team player. Every member of our team has the greatest respect for him, and his podium in Japan was a particularly emotional moment for all of us.
"This has not been an easy decision for us to take, but we have committed ourselves to a new beginning and our time with Kamui will come to an end after the final two races of the season. We wish Kamui all the best for the future. Our thanks also go to Sergio Pérez, who has claimed three podiums for the team so far and now has the opportunity at McLaren-Mercedes to display his immense talent with one of the most successful teams in Formula One history. We would also like to wish Sergio all the best and every success for the future."
Gutiérrez said "After three years working with Sauber, I feel very grateful for all the attention I have received from everyone in the team and for all their input, which has allowed me to develop into a Formula One driver in a very progressive way. Now, after experiencing other categories of racing as an introduction to Formula One, this is the start of the real challenge to succeed at the pinnacle of motor sport.
"The support from my family, as well as from my sponsors, has been a key factor in getting there and I am very grateful to everyone who has been involved in our project. It will be a great pleasure to be racing in the same team as an experienced driver like Nico Hülkenberg. He will be a good reference point for me and will push me to adapt quickly to F1 competition so we can develop the car together with the team in the best way."


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Maine police responding to reports of screaming, possible domestic assault, find amorous pig
CHINA, Maine – Police responding to reports of screaming coming from a home in Maine didn't find a victim of domestic violence as they feared. Instead, they found an amorous pig.
State police say a woman called last week after hearing what she believed to be a fight coming from a neighbor's home in the town of China. The caller said she heard screaming and thought there was a domestic assault.
The Morning Sentinel (http://bit.ly/1jafexV ) reports that four state troopers responded and talked to the neighbor.
The neighbor explained that she raises pigs and the screaming was coming from an overjoyed male pig that had been placed in a pen with five sows in heat.
Police say there was no assault and no disturbance "other than the screaming male pig."
Information from: Morning Sentinel, http://www.onlinesentinel.com/


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Exec. director of the Miss. Emergency Management Agency updates Anderson cooper about a dam threatening to rush water downstream.
Hurricane Isaac's floodwaters are reminiscent of Katrina. See the latest in Mississippi, where a dam threatens to breach.
CNN's Deb Feyerick investigates controversial remarks that New York priest Benedict Groeschel gave to the National Catholic Register concerning pedophiles and sexual abuse in the Catholic Church.
In their statement, the Franciscan Friars say that Father Benedict never intended to excuse the abuse or implicate the victims. They say in recent months his physical and mental health have been failing, and while its not an excuse it may suggest, they believe, why a man they consider so compassionate, could be so wrong.
Anderson Cooper talks to columnist Andrew Sullivan about what Obama needs to say at the DNC to counter the RNC momentum.
Were Republicans successful at the Tampa convention in getting their message to voters? Republican Strategist Mary Matalin and Democratic Strategist Paul Begala discuss.
Anderson Cooper and Gloria Borger talk to Michael Barbaro of The New York Times about what led to Eastwood's RNC speech.
Reporter's Note: I write to President Obama every single day, and no he has not responded.
Dear Mr. President,
The big GOP convention is done, and I am sitting in the Tampa airport as I write this; pretty tired generally, and tired of politics specifically, at least for the moment. If the vote were this Tuesday it would be none too early for my taste.
And yet, on Monday I'm heading to your Democratic convention, and I'll make my best effort to be energetic and cheerful there, just as I was here. That's only fair. Just because one party holds it's convention first the other should not be condemned to a bunch of grumpy, sleepy journalists. Although, to be fair, a lot of us started the whole year that way. Ha!
I suppose one of the things that has me a bit tired is my assignment as the resident "Fact Checker." I've always thought that any journalist, by his or her very nature, ought to be a fact checker and I suppose most are. Still, when you politicos start tossing around accusations against each other, it requires a more concerted effort than usual to determine what is true and what is... well, a tad on the tricky side.
Part of the issue is that the top players, you included, rarely say something that is simply, flatly, unreservedly false. No, most of you prefer to imply, or shade meanings, or omit information; you usually don't tell outright fibs. So quite often we are reduced to saying things like, "While it is true 'Candidate A' spent twenty years in prison, 'Sen. B' neglected to mention that 'Mr. A' was a warden."
In any event, both sides go absolutely carpet chewing, howling at the moon crazy over these things. If a fact checker finds an opponent wrong, your political pals can't wait to tweet that out and praise the wise assessment; if, however, you are found leaning to the less truthful side, it is astonishing how quickly and vigorously the same folks will scream that the fact checker is a biased, unfair, unintelligent bigot. Truth be told, I think both parties ought to welcome fact checkers, because they will hold everyone to a standard of truth, and all anyone has to do to avoid trouble is be honest. That's it.
Hey, look at it this way: If you all did that, I'd be out of business, and all you Democrats and Republicans would not have to gripe about this fact checker any more. Ha!
Call when you can.
Editor's note: CNN contributors offer their analysis of Mitt Romney's delivery at the RNC. Read reaction from Julian Zelizer, Maria Cardona, David Gergen, Donna Brazile, Ana Navarro and others.
Julian Zelizer: Mitt Romney, problem solver
Mitt Romney had to accomplish three goals in his speech Thursday night: He had to introduce himself to the nation, he needed to explain why he is a better alternative than President Obama and he needed to outline his vision for the nation in the next four years.
Through a solid, though not an exceptional, speech, Romney made progress on all fronts. He opened up by sharing more about his religion as well as his family. His speech showed that Romney is more than a ruthless capitalist, offering an alternative narrative of Romney as a problem solver.
Until tonight, all of the speakers, including Gov. Chris Christie and Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan, spoke about the need to make tough choices. The speech, and the biographical film, presented Romney as the person who could take up this challenge.
Anderson Cooper, Wolf Blitzer, and many others from CNN's Political team of anchors, analysts, and strategists hosted a week of live coverage on CNN from the Republican National Convention.
Shortly before the RNC was set to start, Tropical Storm Isaac's uncertain path targeted Tampa and eventually turned west aiming toward the Louisiana/Mississippi part of the Gulf Coast, charting along a path similar to Hurricane Katrina, which made landfall close to the same date 7 years earlier. Anderson left Tampa en-route to New Orleans on Monday to report the latest on the Hurricane.
After Isaac made landfall, and slowly lessened in power, Anderson returned to Tampa on the night Mitt Romney accepted the Republican Party nomination for president.
Immediate reactions to Mitt Romney's RNC speech and the overall Republican convention from CNN's political team.


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3 teens rescued after 50 days adrift in S. Pacific
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Three teenagers survived 50 days adrift in a tiny boat in the South Pacific by drinking rainwater and eating raw fish and a seagull before being rescued by a passing trawler, a senior crewman on the fishing vessel said.
The trio — Samuel Pelesa and Filo Filo, both 15, and Edward Nasau, 14 — had been given up for dead on their coral atoll in the Tokelau islands, where a memorial service was held for them after extensive searches failed to find them.
The boys set off on Oct. 5 in their aluminum dinghy from their home island to one nearby. It's not known how they went missing, but the outboard motor on their boat may have broken down at sea.
Worried family members reported them missing and the New Zealand air force launched a sea search. No sign of the tiny boat was found.
On Wednesday, the tuna boat San Nikuna spotted a small dinghy bobbing in the open sea northeast of Fiji, with three people aboard waving frantically, said first mate Tai Fredricsen. They had drifted 800 miles (1,300 kilometers) from where they set out.
"We saw a small vessel, a little speedboat on our bows, and we knew it was a little weird," Fredricsen said.
The fishing boat pulled up alongside the smaller vessel and asked the teenagers if they needed any help, to which they readily replied that they did.
"All they could say was 'thank you very much for stopping," Fredricsen told New Zealand's National Radio on Thursday by phone from the ship. "In a physical sense, they look very physically depleted, but mentally — very high."
The teens and their boat were hauled aboard the fishing trawler, which was on its way to Fiji Friday where it would deliver the trio into medical care.
Fredricsen said the boys were dehydrated, sunburned and very thin, but otherwise seemed well. The tuna boat's crew gave them small portions of fruit and fluids.
Fredricsen said the boys reported having just two coconuts with them when they set out. During their ordeal, they drank rainwater that collected in the boat and ate fish they had caught. Once, they managed to grab a sea bird that landed on the boat and they devoured that, Fredricsen said.
The rescue came not a moment too soon: Fredricsen said they had begun to drink sea water because it hadn't rained in the past few nights.
He said the waters where the teenagers were spotted are very isolated and commercial vessels rarely pass through. The San Nikuna was there trying to shorten its return journey to New Zealand.
The boys come from the atoll of Atafu, one of three that comprises the tiny Tokelau island group where 1,500 people live.
The teens were able to telephone home from the San Nikuna, where one of them spoke to his grandmother and gave them the news that they were alive.
"It's a miracle, it's a miracle," said Tanu Filo, the father of Filo Filo. "The whole village, the whole village, they were so excited and cried and they sang songs and were hugging each other. Everybody was yelling and shouting the good news," he told Radio New Zealand International.
Atafu, Nukunonu and Fakaofo, picture-perfect South Pacific islets, lie 300 miles (500 kilometers) north of Samoa, surrounded by 128 mostly uninhabited coconut palm-covered islets. The territory has a total land area of just 4.7 square miles (12.2 square kilometers).


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State health exchange rates vary, but lower than expected
WASHINGTON -- As state health exchanges continue to announce lower-than-expected rates for health insurance, experts say both state and regional issues play a part in how much a consumer will pay for insurance beginning in January.
Several factors come into play: a state's regulations, how many insurers will participate in the state and federal exchanges, and what kind of a risk those insurers are willing to take.
"There is tremendous existing variation within the rates in the states now," said Sherry Glied, professor of health policy and economics at Columbia University and former assistant secretary for planning and evaluation at the Department of Health and Human Services. "It's hard to compare the old rates to the new."
Maryland's insurance commissioner said Friday that the expected new rates for residents who will need to buy insurance starting Oct. 1 are up to 33% lower than expected, and that coverage for a 21-year-old non-smoker could cost as low as $93 a month.
In Connecticut, insurer HealthCT announced plans that would drop an average of 36% from its original proposal in the individual market; and Nevada will sell plans to young adults to cover catastrophic health situations for less than $100 a month.
An HHS report released this month showed that silver health exchange plans -- the lower cost plans that uninsured people are more likely to buy -- are an average 18% lower than anticipated in the 11 states the department studied.
"We know the rates are coming in lower than we expected," Glied said. "They're coming in well below the Congressional Budget Office's estimated rates, which people thought were optimistic."
These new rates apply only to those who are currently uninsured and who will be buying insurance through the state or federal exchanges. A health exchange or marketplace is a website that allows consumers to choose from several different private insurers.
Under the 2010 health care law, Americans who buy health insurance on the state exchanges can choose from four types of plans -- bronze, silver, gold and platinum. Bronze has the lowest levels of coverage and cost; platinum is the elite and most expensive. Industry surveys and records from Massachusetts, which enacted a health care law in 2006, show the overwhelming majority of people buy either bronze or silver plans.
Not all states are reporting lower rates. Republican Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, who opposed the health care law while a U.S. representative, released preliminary statistics showing rates would be 72% higher than current plans. But those numbers lumped all four categories of coverage together.
Rates for New York and California, two of the nation's three most populous states, have also come in lower than expected.
What about people who already have insurance through their employers? "The exchanges should have absolutely no effect on how the market works," Glied said.
States with insurance markets that were dominated by one health insurer may not see as many benefits from the exchanges, said Linda Blumberg, who focuses on health insurance research at the Urban Institute, a non-partisan think tank that conducts economic research. For example, in Alabama, one insurer holds the majority of the market, so it's hard to push competition even with the new exchanges.
"That's difficult to change," Blumberg said. "Entering a new market is costly and difficult."
Dave Axene, a fellow at the Society of Actuaries, agreed that most people will choose silver and bronze plans. But some insurers have delayed entering the exchanges before they've "stabilized," he said. such as United HealthCare and Cigna, which have stayed out of the California and Missouri exchanges.
"They're saying, 'Do I really want to take that much risk for a population that may not be as large as my regular business?'" he said. "They might get in later down the road."
Some companies, Axene said, feared they would set rates too low and end up with too many sick customers or bid too high and not get enough customers.
In some markets, that won't matter, but in a place like Alabama, "it could be a problem."
In Connecticut, HealthCT revised its rates lower after seeing data showing the uninsured people who plan to buy insurance are healthier than originally anticipated, said Kenneth Lalime, the company's CEO.
That has the potential to drive rates lower, just as having a larger percentage of safe drivers in an auto insurance pool pushes those rates lower.
In the 11 states HHS analyzed, the report said "that greater competition and greater transparency are driving down prices in the marketplace." The agency studied rates in California, Colorado, the District of Columbia, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and Washington. In six states, those costs are also 18% lower than small employers had paid in the past for similar plans. Some states may see individual rates go down as much as 50%.
The actual rates are lower than HHS, the Government Accountability Office and insurance companies expected them to be. The Society of Actuaries estimated that underlying claims costs could go up by an average of 32% by 2017.
For Americans who receive health insurance through their employees, HHS statistics show those rates are stabilizing. Those rates increased by 3% from 2011 to 2012, the lowest increase since 1996


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Funeral plans set for 'Sopranos' star James Gandolfini, HBO says
NEW YORK – Funeral services for actor James Gandolfini will be Thursday at the Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine in New York City.
An HBO spokeswoman speaking on behalf of the family says the funeral is scheduled for 10 a.m.
The 51-year-old star of "The Sopranos" died Wednesday in Rome. Family spokesman Michael Kobold says Gandolfini died of a heart attack.
Port Authority of New York & New Jersey spokesman Steve Coleman tells the Star-Ledger of Newark that a Signature Airlines flight carrying Gandolfini's body arrived at Newark Liberty International Airport from Rome Sunday night. The body was taken from the airport around 11:20 p.m. but Colman did not say where.
The actor had been headed to Sicily to appear at the Taormina Film Festival, which paid tribute to him Saturday.


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Dear readers,
as I'm sure you've noticed, this blog has been quiet for a few months now. There have been many changes in my life lately, and this is the main reason behind my silence: I needed to take a break from this blog to give more energy and time to other aspects of my life…BUT, and I'd like to stress BUT, I'm still here, and I do intend to stay.
From the next few weeks, I'll be back on these pages. I'll be focusing more on translating and writing editorials and analysis, rather than news articles. This, because I think fellow bloggers from Struggles In Italy have more capacity and energy (i.e. more people!) to do that kind of work. I also would like to work a bit more on my Music and Films sections, which make me slightly sad every time I look at them…;-) So, loads of autumnal propositions, as you can see…I hope you all stick around.
Mutevolmente vostra,
Italy Calling.


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Authorities on the Event of Karbala
- :Dr. Ibrahim Ayati
- 1038
The event of the tragedy of Karbala is nearing completion. It however seems desirable to mention some important authorities and authentic references which have not been stated up till now.
One of those valuable authorities is the sermon which Imam Sajjad, the fourth Imam delivered in Damascus, the capital of the Islamic caliphate, in the year 61 A.H. He acquired a very suitable opportunity, which he availed of in the most sublime manner.
Indeed, it may be said that the best opportunity which Imam Sajjad got during his journey as a captive was on the day when the official preacher of the caliph mounted the pulpit and began to vilify Imam Ali and his children and to praise Mu'awiya and his children. Of course, this stage was designed by Yazid himself. It was he who ordered a preacher to mount the pulpit and inform the people of Syria about the evil deeds (God forbid!) of Imam Husayn and his father, Imam Ali. This drama, like many other dramas in history, was also staged against truth and the truthful people. Those who staged it did not, however, realize that truth can utilize every development to its own advantage and every plan which is chalked out to destroy it increases its strength. Imam Sajjad's addressing the people in these cities was especially necessary because from the day on which the city of Damascus was conquered till the day on which the Ahlul Bayt who had been made captives arrived there (i.e. for about 46 years) it had been continuously under the influence of Bani Umayya and the Islamic Government there was administered by the Umayyads who had been old enemies of Ahlul Bayt (the progeny of the Holy Prophet) during the Age of Ignorance as well as after their embracing Islam. In 13 A.H., four days before the death of Abu Bakr, the Muslim mujahids besieged Damascus under the command of Khalid bin Walid. When Abu Bakr died and Umar succeeded him as caliph he removed Khalid from the Commandership and Abu Ubayda took his place. The Muslims continued the siege of Damascus for one year and a few days and were able to conquer it in the month of Rajab of 14 A.H. For some time Yazid bin Abu Sufyan was the Governor of Damascus and when he died of plague in 17 A.H. Umar appointed his brother Mu'awiya in his place. Mu'awiya held this office from 17 A.H. till the beginning of the Caliphate of Imam Ali in 35 A.H. During the time of the Caliphate of Imam Ali and Imam Hasan, which lasted for about five years, Mu'awiya held Syria under his control and Damascus remained the base of enmity against Ahlul Bayt. After Imam Hasan renounced the caliphate in 41 A.H. this city became the capital of the caliphate and Islamic Government and till 61 A.H. i.e. for about twenty years was more than ever a center of hostility against Bani Hashim and especially against Imam Ali. In 61 A.H. Imam Sajjad arrived in this city and got an opportunity to address its inhabitants and to unveil the realities which had remained hidden from them for a period of forty-six years. Of course, Imam Sajjad did not get this opportunity to address the people easily and had to face numerous difficulties and inconveniences to acquire it, but even then it was something very valuable. What could be better than that Imam Sajjad, the grandson of Imam Ali and the son of Imam Husayn, should have come to Damascus on the insistence of the caliph himself, where he mounted the pulpit which had been set for vilifying his honorable ancestors, set at naught the forty-six year old propaganda of Bani Umayya and enlightened with one speech those people, who had been ignorant of truth for years. In this way thpir hostility against Ahlul Bayt immediately converted into friendship and they became acquainted with the sacred names that they had seldom heard before.
We think that till that time most of the people of Syria did not know that the Doyen of the Martyrs was Hamza bin Abdul Muttalib or that the Holy Prophet had said about Imam Hasan and Husayn that they were the chiefs of the young men of Paradise. It cannot, therefore, be imagined that if Imam Sajjad and his aunt lady Zaynab had not got such an opportunity or had not availed of one which had been bestowed upon them by Allah it would have been possible for anyone till the end of the, caliphate of Bani Umayya in 132 A.H. to utter a word, in the unfavorable atmosphere of Damascus, about the magnanimity and greatness of the persons belonging to Ahlul Bayt or to introduce them as the honorable personalities of Islam. After these speeches, however, the position became such that although during the period of 1000 month rule of Bani Umayya, Bani Hashim and Ahlul Bayt and the followers of Imam Ali were tormented and persecuted, the effect of these speeches also remained firm and established. In fact, the efforts of the distinguished companion, Abuzar Ghifari, had already created a favorable atmosphere for the success of these speeches and with the arrival of Ahlul Bayt in Syria and with what the people of Damascus heard from them, the memory of Abuzar, who had firmly and openly opposed the deviations of Mu'awiya, was revived. (Refer to Abuzar Ghifari, ISP, 1984)
Abuzar was a very out-spoken, religious and brave person and as soon as he realized that the Islamic Caliphate had deviated from its proper course he opposed and criticized it in the presence of the caliph as well as in the streets and the bazaars. He may be considered to be the founder of such Islamic risings and movements, because he was a companion of the Holy Prophet and enjoyed precedence over others in the chronological order. Of course, Abuzar was exiled, suffered hardships and died in Rabaza in a state of helplessness, but in spite of all this he never sat still and continued to invite the people to good and to restrain them from evil.
After Mu'awiya came in power some other persons continued the task of Abuzar. Abuzar departed from the world but Hujr bin Ady Kindi took his place and said what ought to have been said. He opposed with great boldness the regime which had declared in the name of Islam the vilification of Imam Ali to be a religious duty and even a condition for the acceptance of worship, and laid down his life in pursuance of this task. Hujr did not reach Damascus and was killed at Marj Uzra, a place situated near that city, but even there he continued to say what he had to say and to defend Imam Ali's right. However, the words of Abuzar and Hujr bin Ady and his friends could not constitute a sufficient reply to the unjust propaganda of the Umayyad dynasty and caliphate which extended over a period of more than forty years. It was, therefore, necessary that persons belonging to Ahlul Bayt should have met the people of this city themselves and removed their misunderstanding. They should have furnished a living proof of the services rendered by the distinguished members of the family of Bani Hashim to Islam and the Muslims of the world and also made public the shameful past of Bani Umayya consisting of enmity with the Prophet of Allah and the Muslims. It was for this reason that Imam Sajjad considered the availability of the pulpit and an assembly to be something very valuable and joined that assembly notwithstanding the fact that it had been arranged to vilify Imam Husayn and his father Imam Ali.
The preacher appointed by Mu'awiya mounted the pulpit and praised Allah. Then he abused Imam Ali and Imam Husayn and at the same time praised Mu'awiya and Yazid lavishly and associated every goodness with them as if these father and son were the fountain-head of all noble acts and good morals and whatever the people possessed had been given to them by the descendants of Abu Sufyan. They had to depend on them for their prosperity in this world and in the Hereafter and the only source to gain Divine pleasure was to obey and follow them.
It was on this occasion that Imam Sajjad said loudly without any fear or apprehension: "Woe be to you O speaker! Why in order to please the people are you courting Allah's wrath? You should know that your destination is Hell".
The remark of the Imam was aimed at the preacher of Damascus who annoyed Allah to please Yazid and thus chose the path to Hell, but actually it contains advice for every speaker and warns him against things which displease Allah and please His creatures. All the Muslim speakers have thus been instructed to keep in view only the Divine pleasure in whatever they say, and should communicate Allah's message to the people without any addition or distortion. They should not say anything which displeases Allah so as to please people and should have firm faith in what Allah has said in this regard in the Holy Qur'an: Certainly We created man, and We know what his soul whispers to him. We are closer to him than his jugular vein. Since the two scribes are placed on each of his shoulders, man does not utter a word which is not recorded immediately by the watchful scribes. (Surah Qaf, 50:16 -18)
These are the words of Allah which find their place in the Holy Qur'an. Imam Sajjad was also inviting the attention of the ignorant preacher to this very thing and warning him that every good or bad act of man is recorded and one should not ignore the wrath of Allah to please one of His creatures and should not forget that a day will come when the persons whom he considered powerful will not be able to do anything for him.
After reproaching the caliph's preacher and admonishing him for his extravagant talk, Imam Sajjad (Zaynul Abidin) turned to Yazid and said: "Do you permit me as well to ascend these pieces of wood and say something which may please Allah and become a means of spiritual reward for the listeners?"
A very fascinating wit is hidden in these few words of Imam Sajjad and it might be said that he summarized in a few words what he wanted to say. Firstly he did not seek permission to ascend the pulpit but the piece of wood. He meant to say that everything which is given the shape of a pulpit and someone mounts and delivers a speech from there, cannot be called a pulpit. On the contrary these pieces of wood are a means to destroy the pulpits. Anybody who assumes the guise of a preacher cannot be called the promoter and preacher of religion. He also meant to say that the preacher who had delivered the speech had sold his faith for the sake of worldly gains and had agreed to please the people and to displease Allah and his destination was, therefore, Hell. Then Imam Sajjad said: "I want to say things which may please Allah". He meant to say that what the preacher was saying was the cause of inviting Divine wrath and it was not possible to earn Allah's pleasure by abusing a man like Imam Ali and by praising a man like Yazid. He himself, therefore, wanted to say things through which the listeners might earn spiritual reward i.e. what the preacher was saying could not produce any result other than sinfulness and adversity for the people and their deviating from the right path.
The people insisted that Yazid should permit the Imam to speak but he declined vehemently to do so and said at last "These are people brought up in the atmosphere of knowledge and wisdom and if I allow him to speak he will put me to shame". However, insistence of the people prevailed and Imam Sajjad mounted the pulpit. He spoke in such a way that the people were moved and began to weep and cry. The son of Imam Husayn indicated the position of Ahlul Bayt in the Islamic society and made their merits and virtues known to the people. He also put forward a logical verdict which is accepted by all wise men. He said: "Whoever wishes to lead and 'guide the people must be superior to them and be chosen for their leadership on account of that very superiority. The Holy Qur'an says about this very logical verdict: Is one who guides to the truth a proper guide or one who himself cannot find guidance unless he is guided? What is wrong with you that you judge so unjustly? (Surah Yunus, 10:36)
This verse is not used as an argument, rather the attention of the people has been invited to the very logical verdict that only that person who is more knowledgeable, can guide the people and not others, and whoever himself needs guidance cannot guide others. Although the polytheists of Makkah did not believe in the prophethood of the Holy Prophet of Allah, they accepted the logical verdict that if a prophet was to be appointed by Allah a great man of the nation should have been chosen for this task. They were, however, mistaken about the means of greatness and source of superiority and thought that greatness depended on a large amount of wealth or many sons and kinsmen or power. They, therefore, used to say: "If Allah desired to send a prophet for us, the people of the Hijaz, why did he not appoint to this office the great man of Makkah i.e. Walid bin Mughira Makhzumi or the great man of Taif i.e. Urwa bin Masud Thaqafi?" The Holy Qur'an says: They say why this Qur'an had not been revealed to a great man from either of the two towns. (Surah Zukhruf, 43:32)
The polytheists of Makkah were correct in saying that the Divine Book should have been revealed to one of the great men of the Hijaz. They were, however, mistaken in attributing the quality of greatness to Walid or Urwa. This was so because they treated wealth and material power and distinction to be the criterion of greatness and superiority but did not attach any importance to knowledge, good morals and other human virtues They could not, therefore, believe that the great man of not only the Hijaz but of the entire world was Muhammad, the Prophet of Allah and not Walid or Urwah.
In his sermon Imam Sajjad mentioned the merits by which an individual could excel another individual and a nation could become superior to another nation. He also made it clear that the Holy family of the Prophet enjoyed superiority over others and others are not of the same rank, because Allah has made them superior to others and chosen them for the guidance and training of the Muslims. Imam Sajjad said explicitly and with great boldness: "O people! Allah has given us six things and our superiority over others rests on seven pillars. We have been given knowledge which is the basic condition for the superiority of an individual over an individual or of a nation over a nation. We have been given forbearance which is very important for the reformation and guidance of the people. Generosity which is useful for the Islamic rulers is our habit. Eloquence which is extremely necessary for the guidance of the people and enjoining them to do good and restraining them from evil and enlightening and stimulating them for jihad. And self-sacrifice is our family distinction. Bravery on which leadership and rulership rest has been given to us. Friendship and affection of the faithful people which is the secret of rulership and sovereignty has been given to us i.e. it is not possible to acquire the friendship and attachment of the people by force". By uttering these words he meant to say: "O Yazid! Allah has desired that the faithful people should love us and it is not possible to restrain them from doing so, and not do anything whereby they may become friendly towards others and inimical towards us".
Then Imam Sajjad said: "Our superiority over others, whoever they may be, rests on these distinctions: Muhammad, the Prophet of Allah, his successor Ali bin Abi Talib, Hamza bin Abdul Muttalib, the heavenly flyer, Ja'far bin Abi Talib, Hasan and Husayn, the two grandsons of the Prophet of this nation, and the Mahdi (the savior of the oppressed) viz. the twelfth Imam they all belong to us. That being so Yazid should in the first instance take away these distinctions from us, if possible, and attribute the same to himself. In other words he should distort the facts of history, if he can, so that it may give him what belongs to us, overlook his shameful and evil deeds and re-allocate the positions. Yazid should grapple with us only if he can do this. Otherwise, how can it be possible to make us obscure or to defame us or to give our right to others or to turn towards others the hearts attached to us, till the day the distinctions of Islam are with us and the members of the family of Bani Hashim like Abu Talib and his brother Hamza and his sons Ali and Ja'far and the sons of Imam Ali i.e. Hasan and Husayn are recorded in history as the most sincere servants of Allah and especially when the Prophet of Allah also belongs to the family of Bani Hashim". Then Imam Sajjad introduced himself and the condition became such that Yazid was obliged to interrupt him and in order to achieve his end he asked the mu'azzin to pronounce the call to prayers. The Imam also became silent as a mark of respect to the name of the Almighty Lord. However, he got another opportunity soon and availed of it fully i.e. when the mu'azzin said: "I testify that Muhammad is the Prophet of Allah", Imam Sajjad took off his turban and said: "O mu'azzin! I ask you to keep quiet for the sake of the very Prophet whose name you have just taken". Then he turned towards Yazid and said: "Is this Holy Prophet your grandfather or mine? If you say that he is your grandfather all know that you will be telling a lie. And if you say that he is my grandfather why did you kill my father, plunder his property and make his women captives?" Then he tore the collar of his shirt and continued to speak till the people were deeply moved and the gathering dispersed in a state of confusion and disorder.
Adapted from the book: "A Probe into the History of Ashura" by: "Dr. Ibrahim Ayati"
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Biggest Loser trainer Jillian Michaels has sparked criticism with her statement that she doesn't want biological kids because "I can't handle doing that to my body." But not all the critics have the right idea.
Michaels told Women's Health she planned to adopt because she didn't want her body to go through pregnancy and because "when you rescue something, it's like rescuing a part of yourself." Fox's Hollie McKay talked with several doctors who disagreed with Michaels's message, including Dr. Leslie Seppinni, who says, "Women [...] have children all the time and get right back in shape particularly if they exercise." But this isn't necessarily the best perspective either.
It's certainly disturbing that Michaels, who likely represents health to millions of Americans, seems to equate pregnancy with some sort of bodily injury. But the best response to this would be to acknowledge that pregnancy does change women's bodies, and that they shouldn't be under pressure to "get right back in shape" — at least not in the exact shape they were in before conceiving. This pressure — the baby-to-bikini-in-sixty-seconds ethos that now permeates tabloids — likely contributes to the kind of fear Michaels is expressing.
Of course, this fear is relatively common, and Michaels is entitled to talk about anxieties that a lot of women probably feel. As psychologist Dr. Haleh Stahl points out, she may feel these anxieties even more acutely because, "She is in a profession where she's looked up to for her body and she's an inspiration to others for losing weight and getting in shape and staying in shape." This profession, however, also means she's perfectly placed to tell women that overall health isn't about instantaneously dropping the baby weight, and that the physical changes of pregnancy aren't something to revile.
Whether Michaels wants have a baby or not is her business, but as her public profile grows, she might want to think about promoting a more holistic, less restrictive view of health. She already knows how to do this — she also told Women's Health, "I want to empower people to find happiness via a healthy lifestyle, and when I say healthy, I don't just mean diet and exercise. Those are just tools." Michaels isn't satisfied with her current fame — she's apparently gunning for Oprah's spot as queen of daytime talk when she goes off the air in 2011. If that happens, let's hope she focuses on achieving happiness — with or without a flat belly.
Do Babies Ruin Bodies? 'Biggest Loser's' Jillian Michaels Won't Give Birth [Fox News]


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The secret life of ancient trees
An ancient evergreen tree reveals its secret life to scientists, helping them decode climate history.
| Da Lat, Vietnam
A thousand years ago, the steep slopes of Vietnam's southern highlands were cloaked by forests of towering pines and other trees. Tribesmen roamed the forests, hunting wild boar and deer under a lush canopy of laurels and oaks.
In their quest for sustenance, they moved slowly through an understory of tangled bamboo and palms. Thick layers of moss and decaying leaves muffled their footsteps as they stalked their prey.
On the forest floor, the seed of a Fokienia hodginsii tree sprouted in the moist detritus. As it grew, a chronicle of each year of its life was locked into narrow bands inside its trunk – light for the beginning of a growing season and dark marking winter.
Now, a thousand years later, Vietnamese forest specialist Le Canh Nam and American tree ring scientist Brendan Buckley are hunting in the forest. But their quarry isn't wild boar or deer. It's the tree that grew from the Fokienia hodginsii seed and has survived for a millennium, growing into an ancient giant.
Like the hunters of the past, Mr. Nam walks deliberately through prickly stands of rattan palms and over downed trees in what is now Bidoup-Nui Ba National Park near Da Lat, Vietnam.
Nam's quest began two years ago when he was asked by Dr. Buckley to find ancient Fokienia hodginsii trees from which he and a team of scientists could extract tree rings to help with climate studies.
Buckley and his colleagues have spent the past five years working with collaborators in more than a dozen countries to reconstruct information about historical monsoons from tree rings. Such data is useful for climate modelers, who want to find out how global warming might affect monsoon rainfall.
The models that predict rising temperatures are "very iffy" about precipitation patterns, says Edward Cook, director of Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (LDEO) Tree- Ring Laboratory. That puts a premium on figuring out how much it rains from year to year in Asia's densely populated river deltas. Tree rings help scientists understand past climate variations.
Nam spent a week in the forest searching for big trees. Now he is guiding the group back to a promising site.
"A tree that is beautiful to me is probably ugly to most people, says Buckley. "Mine are twisted and have been through hell on a weathered ridge or dry slope. Those are the trees I'm interested in."
Buckley is considered the foremost tree-ring scientist (dendrochronologist) working in Southeast Asia and is a research scientist at LDEO's Tree-Ring Laboratory. Nam consults his map, a global positioning system, and a compass, and relies on an intuitive sense of direction developed through years in the forest.
Close on Nam's heels, Buckley twists his lanky body to avoid low-hanging limbs. Tucked safely inside his pack are two hollow corers used to extract narrow dowels of wood showing a tree's growth rings. The air is heavy with humidity, and the climb is unrelenting.
Then Nam breaks through a clump of brush and stops, looks to his left, and says simply, "Fokienia."
It is a massive evergreen tree. Lichens hang from the 6-foot-wide trunk and thick vines climb 120 feet to limbs hosting orchids, ferns, and mosses. It is exactly the kind of ancient tree that the researchers had hoped to find and whose climate history can now begin to be unlocked.
"A tree like this could be as old as the oldest ones we've gotten," says Buckley. "The idea is so simple ... there is this organism sitting here and kind of recording what is going on in its environment and reliably so. When you find that right site that has whatever characteristic is necessary to give it an imprint of the overall climate and it just locks in, that's a pretty special thing."
Teak was once the most studied tree in the tropics, but it's been backdated reliably only 400 years. Then, in the late 1990s, Japanese researchers discovered that Fokienia hodginsii had all the characteristics they were looking for in a tropical species. The tree had identifiable rings that were produced annually, the ring samples could be cross-dated between trees, and the ring patterns over time recorded the climate in which it grew.
LDEO research fellow Kevin Anchukaitis rests a hollow coring device against the trunk of a tree the team has labeled Tree No. 12 and turns it slowly to sink the bit. Within seconds, the corer begins its journey through time.
The forest silence is broken by a rhythmic "uRR, uRR, uRR," as the 32-inch corer drives into the wood. Soon, the drill can go no farther. A quick spin in the opposite direction breaks off the end of the one-fifth of an inch piece of wood inside the hollow corer, and it is ready to extract.
Dr. Anchukaitis slowly pulls the core out, and his eyes widen as he quickly studies it.
"Oh, wow!" exclaims Buckley. "That's incredible. [The growth ring pattern] just doesn't stop. It's slow growing all the way back."
Tree No. 12's growth rings are compacted tightly and nearly imperceptible, about 1/40th of an inch or narrower. The only way to reliably determine the tree's age is to mount the sample, finely sand it, and painstakingly count the rings under a microscope back in the lab.
But Buckley knows that the tree is very old. "If I had to put my bets, I would say this is close to a thousand years old," he says.
Buckley's guess is confirmed months later when the cores from Tree No. 12 are analyzed at the LDEO lab in New York. The tree is dated back to 1029.
In Asia, the monsoon has long dictated the rhythms of life. More than 40 percent of the world's population relies on water from the seasonal rainfall to grow food and for drinking. If there are disruptions to the monsoon, there are serious potential economic and social consequences.
In Bidoup-Nui Ba National Park, researchers have been able to get reliable climate data for the past 722 years using Fokienia tree ring data. Coupled with research that Buckley conducted in Thailand, he and his colleagues have established tree ring chronologies indicating severe periods of drought across mainland Southeast Asia in the early 1400s.
During this period, the ancient city of Angkor in present-day Cambodia went into rapid decline. While some historians have blamed this on invasions by the rival kingdoms of Siam and Champa, another possibility is that Angkor's canals and reservoirs ran dry. That would have ended an ambitious expansion that had exhausted the available farmland. A second prolonged drought in the 18th century, which was noted by foreign visitors to Siam, coincided with political upheaval, including the sacking of the Siamese capital by Burmese invaders.
The causes of drought in Southeast Asia are complicated and still far from being understood. El Niño (the periodic warming of the eastern Pacific Ocean) causes a weaker southwest monsoon and a longer dry season in Asia. La Niña, which occurs when sea temperatures cool in the Pacific, triggers a heavier Asian monsoon. Sea surface temperatures in the Indian and Pacific oceans also have an effect.
Anchukaitis likens all this to watching a game of chess. "It's not simply that we want to understand the rules of the climate system.... We want to understand how those rules interact," he says. "In chess, each move that a player makes in the game is going to influence the subsequent move, so there are long-term consequences of each individual move."
Having reliable climate data for only a short time span is like watching a single chess move, he says. That's why the paleoclimatic data obtained from tree rings is so important. Pushing back the timeline through the tree rings of Fokienia hodginsii enables researchers to see past climate variability and to continue to build their understanding of the interaction between different regions and how they affect the Asian monsoon.
After four physically grueling days, the team has been able to accomplish all of its goals for the expedition. Researchers have collected nearly 100 core samples, developed a new site for study that Buckley believes will push the climate chronology back past the 700-year mark, and have reinforced the collaborative spirit that the team shares with its Vietnamese counterparts.
"I look at this site and I look at Southeast Asia – Vietnam in particular – and I could easily see working here until I'm incapable of working anymore," Buckley says. "There is that much to do, and it's that exciting."
Correspondent Simon Montlake contributed to this article.
Editor's note: For more articles about the environment, visit the Monitor's main environment page, which offers information on many environment topics. Also, check out our Bright Green blog archive and our RSS feed.


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I have decided to begin with my grandparents and to work back through the generations. This is the first of my great great grandparents that I will include here, my paternal grandfather's grandfather.
Allen Moses Brown
26 January 1836 MS – after 1870
26 January 1836 MS – after 1870
Allen Moses Brown was the son of Edward S Brown & Mary Polly Spurlock. Allen was the oldest of 5 children. His siblings were: Mary Magdelene, Martha M., Adeline V. and James Pascal Brown. They were all born in Amite, MS.
In 1850 Edward S Brown & family were in Amite, MS where Edward owned a farm. Allen was 17 years old at the time.[1]
Allen married Emmaline Smith, daughter of Wyatt Smith & Euseba Fortenberry, on 28 April 1858.[2]
By 1860 Allen's father had died. Allen & his wife lived with Allen's mother, Mary. Both Mary & Allen were planters on their farm in Liberty, Amite, MS. Allen's brother, James, was also living on the farm.[3]
During the Civil War Allen's brother, James P Brown served as a private in Company E, 22nd Regiment of MS volunteers. James died 5 August 1862 in Baton Rouge, LA. An 'A. M. Brown' served in Rhodes' Calvary. This might be Allen Moses Brown.[4]
In 1870 Allen and Mary were in Osyka where he was a farmer. Their three children were at home: Jasper, Alvira & Mary.[5] This is the last record of Allen. In 1880 Emmaline was raising their children alone.[6]
My grandmother, Ivy Mark Brown, told me a story about Allen. She said Allen was cutting hay one day and got very hot. He went into the river to cool off and he drown. She said Allen's son, Jasper, was about four years old. That timing would be right that he would be in the 1870 census but not again in 1880.
My grandmother, Ivy Mark Brown, told me a story about Allen. She said Allen was cutting hay one day and got very hot. He went into the river to cool off and he drown. She said Allen's son, Jasper, was about four years old. That timing would be right that he would be in the 1870 census but not again in 1880.
Allen & Family:
1 Allen Moses Brown b: 26 Jan 1836 in Liberty, Amite, MS, m: 28 Apr 1858, d: Aft. 1870
... + Emmaline Smith b: 13 Sep 1831 Pike, MS, d: 3 Aug 1920 Pike, MS
......2 Mary E. Brown b: 13 Aug 1861
......2 Jasper Pascal Brown b: 15 May 1865 Pike, MS, d: 8 Jun 1950 McComb, Pike, MS
...... + Rose Ella Brumfield b: 18 Jul 1867 MS, m: 21 Dec 1887 Pike, MS d: 2 Oct 1948 Magnolia, Pike, MS
......2 Alvira E. Brown b: 5 Aug 1868
Related Posts:
[1] 1850 US Census. Amite County, Mississippi; Microfilm Roll M432-368, Lines 30; E. S. Brown & family.
[2] Brown Family Papers; 1700's to 1900's; Gathered by Rayleen Hall Brown from Various Family Members; Includes Brown, Fortenberry, Smith, Alford, Ott, Kennington & Dillon. Includes information on Allen M Brown.
[3] 1860 US Census, Liberty, Amite, MS; Microfilm M653-577; Mary Brown family.
[4] Conerly, Luke Ward and E. Russ Williams. Source Records From Pike County, Mississippi 1798 1910. South Carolina: Southern Historical Press, 1989.
[5] 1870 U.S. Census, Osyka, E Pike Co., Pike Co., MS; Page 3, Line 19; Allen M Brown family.
[6] 1880 U. S. Census, Pike Co., Mississippi; 1880; First District, Beat #1; Page 56, Line 467; Emmaline Brown family.


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Featured News - Current News - Archived News - News Categories
Drug testing program approved for town employees
by Susan Mikula Campbell
The Town of Niagara now will officially be a drug-free and alcohol-free workplace.
The Town Board on Tuesday approved signing of a two-year contract with WNY Occupational Health Care to provide drug testing services. It also approved the appointment of Harvey Albond as consultant and compliance officer for the program at $100 an hour, not to exceed $3,000.
Having a drug-free workplace "is a goal I've had since day one," said Town Supervisor Steve Richards.
Richards noted that Albond was instrumental in getting the previous federal Department of Transportation requirement for testing of commercial drivers negotiated into the union contract. "Now it's in the contract for the whole place."
Albond said he planned to set up a pool for random statistical sampling from each department for each quarter of the year. Supervisors of each department also will be trained on what to do if they detect somebody reporting to work under the influence of drugs and to provide routine testing of any town employee involved in an accident.
In other matters:
•The board approved changes to its March meeting schedule. Work sessions will be held on March 14 and 21. The regular monthly meeting will be on March 26.
•Richards noted that Roger Trevino of Niagara Falls Redevelopment brought three visitors from Mongolia to visit the Town of Niagara last week: Pagva Bira, Ph.D., chairman of the National Authority Police Force (Khuch) Bayanzurkh District, Mongolia, and Olympic champions Naidan Tuvshinbayar (judo) and Munkhsailhan Usukhbayar (wrestling).
The visitors were on a mission to promote free trade and were interested in the Town of Niagara because of the Niagara Falls International Airport, the town's plans to acquire the old Army base on Porter Road, and the availability of space around the airport, including 150 acres already designated "shovel ready," Richards said.
They exchanged gifts and "the chief (Town of Niagara Police Chief H. James Suitor) and I were invited to come to Mongolia," Richards said.
"Is that why we're changing our March meetings?" quipped Councilman Charles Teixeira.
•Richards noted that he had loaned a MIG welder from his automotive shop on Sweet Home Road to the town recently.
"If anyone sees them delivering it back to me, please don't call the FBI," he said, referring to recent news stories about he and other town officials being interviewed by the FBI, which he believes was politically motived.
•The board approved a resolution by Teixeira to make this Saturday, Feb. 21, Town of Niagara Lions Club Day in honor of the group's 60 years of service to the community.
•Elvis tribute artist Shawn Klush, who bills himself as "The Closest Thing to the King in Concert," performed at the town park last summer as part of the town's bicentennial celebration. Richards said Klush was No. 1 among the top five Elvis impersonators in the world featured on "The Late Show with David Letterman" last week and has been selected by Las Vegas to be the "King" for its upcoming celebration of the anniversary of Elvis' performing in Las Vegas.
•No one spoke at the public hearing prior to the meeting on Town Attorney Michael Risman's proposed amendment to the town's zoning code. The change in the B-1 business zoning allows additional uses (such as commercial offices and records storage) for older plazas and, in turn, provides more jobs, was approved.
•The board approved obtaining a bond anticipation notice and purchasing four Ford police vehicles from Delacy Ford (lowest bidder) for $110,976. The sale includes the trade in value of $7,700 for three of the department's outdated vehicles.
•The board approved a list of duties for the town project manager assigned to the town's Building Department as discussed last month.