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Hudhur said Surah Fatiha is a Surah that is read in every Salat. Ahadith relate many names given to this Surah, one of which is Surah Salat. The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) said that God states that He has divided Surah Fatiha half and half between Him and His servants. The first half cites God's attributes and the second half is comprised of prayers for His servants. Hudhur said each person offering Salat should ponder and reflect on the Divine attributes cited in the Surah to gain greater benefit and should also say the prayers therein with concentration to gain beneficence in every unit of every Prayer.
It should also be remembered that this Surah has a great significance with reference to the current age as cited in old scriptures, indicating its benefits in the time of the Promised Messiah and its safeguards against being misguided. In this respect, today it should have vast importance for the Muslims, but unfortunately the so-called religious leaders have influenced them to such an extent that they have lost the capacity to ponder and the majority is not prepared to reflect and deliberate. With the grace of God there are also a number of people who do reflect and understand the need of a Messiah. While those who are influenced by the mullah are heading towards evil and errability, those Muslims who genuinely care say that in this time of wickedness, shirk (associating partners with Allah) and errability a special person of God is needed to put an end to it. They should go ahead and search for this person, for he has indeed come. That special person of God has come but due to their fear of the mullah, people are not prepared to accept him. They should seek guidance from God and give up their obstinacy. Hudhur said our task is to take the message and we shall continue to do that. Likewise, those of us who associate ourselves to this true and ardent devotee of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) should try and increase our awareness and spiritual knowledge. We should try and seek the beneficence of the subject of Surah Al Fatiha. In light of the way the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) has elucidated this subject, it is our responsibility to try and understand it so that we can inculcate it in ourselves and seek its beneficence.
Hudhur said today he will expound the second verse of the Surah: 'All praise belongs to Allah, Lord of all the worlds.' (1:2) The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) has elucidated different subjects inherent in this verse in different ways and Hudhur said he would present a few aspects from the spiritual treasure. Without doubt reading and listening to them increases one's spiritual knowledge but one cannot reach the profound meanings of these writings by listening to them once. It is also important to study them. Then alone will we acquire a correct insight into the writings of the Imam of the age and will be able to benefit from them.
The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) briefly explains the verse 'All praise belongs to Allah, Lord of all the worlds' as follows:
'All praise is due to the Rightfully Worshipped Being, Who combines in Himself the aggregate of all Perfect excellences and whose name is Allah. All perfect excellence belongs to Allah.
In the language of the Noble Quran, Allah is that Perfect Being Who is rightfully adored, combining in Himself all perfect attributes, and free from every defect, the One without associate and the Source of all beneficence; for, Allah, the Exalted, has, in His Holy word, the Noble Quran, made His name Allah comprehensive of all His other names and attributes and has not accorded that status to any other name. Therefore, the name Allah has primacy over all the other names of which it is comprehensive. Since it is the aggregate of all names and attributes, it combines in itself all the Perfect qualities. The meaning of Alhamdu lillahe then is that every type of praise, whether relating to external aspects or internal realities, whether relating to inherent excellences or as manifested in natural phenomena, is due exclusively to Allah. No other shares in it. Whatever true praise or perfect excellence the wisdom of the wise can imagine or the minds of thinkers can contemplate belong to Allah the Supreme. There is no excellence of which sane reason can contemplate the possibility but which Allah lacks. In other words, reason is not able to conceive of any excellence which is not comprehended among Divine attributes. He has all the excellences that any one can imagine and He is Perfect in His Being, in His attributes and qualities, in every respect and is totally free from every defect and shortcoming.' (Baraheen Ahmadiyyah, Vol. IV, pp. 364-365, Footnote 11 – The Commentary on the Holy Qur'an, Vol. I, Page 71)
Hudhur explained that the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) has indeed taught a prayer on the lines of seeking refuge from the good effect of all the names and attributes of God that we are aware of as well as those which we are not aware of.
Explaining the meanings of Al Hamd, the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) wrote:
'Hamd is praise which is offered in appreciation of commendable action of one worthy of praise: it also means lauding one who has done a favour of his own volition and according to his own choice. The true reality of hamd is the due only of the Being Who is the source of all grace and light and exercises beneficence deliberately and not in ignorance or under compulsion. All this is found only in Allah, the All-Knowing, the All-Seeing. Indeed He is the true Benefactor and from Him proceed all benefits from beginning to end, and for Him is all glorification, in this world and in the hereafter and all praise that is bestowed on others reverts to Him.' (Karamatus Sadiqeen - The Commentary on the Holy Qur'an, Vol. I, pp. 71 – 72)
Explaining, Hudhur said the foundation of everything that a person does is God-given ability, thus all praise reverts to Him.
The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) wrote:
'Hamd is verbal praise which is offered to honour a mighty and noble being for His acts of beneficence. Perfect praise is the exclusive prerogative of the Lord of Majesty. The ultimate goal of every kind of glorification, be it in a small or a large measure, is our Lord Who guides the misguided and exalts the lowly and is the object of praise of all who are praiseworthy.' (Karamatus Sadiqeen - The Commentary on the Holy Qur'an, Vol. I, p 72)
Hudhur explained that as in earlier times when Prophets of God were scorned, in the current age some hold contemptuous views about our Jama'at. For one, God manifests His support for us as we carry on, but a time will come when these people will be finished. Hudhur said in summary 'Hamd' also indicates that perfect praise belongs to God and He also gives perfect praise and it is the task of a Momin to seek insight of God's 'Hamd' and come in His refuge.
Explaining why the Holy Qur'an starts with 'Hamd' of God, the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) wrote:
'According to many scholars shukr (gratitude) differs from hamd in the sense that its application is restricted to beneficent qualities and madh differs from hamd in the sense that it applies to involuntary beneficence also. This is fully appreciated by rhetoricians and men of letters. Allah commenced His Book with hamd (glorification) and not with shukr (gratitude) or madh (praise) for hamd comprises the sense of the other two and is their substitute par excellence, in that it also comprehends correction, adornment and beautification. Since the idolators used to praise their idols without any justification, preferring the use of the word hamd for them, believing them to be sources of favours and bounties, and their mourning females vied with one another in boastful enumeration of the valorous deeds of their dead in battlefields and at banquets and praised them in the manner in which Allah, the Bestower, the Guardian, the Guarantor should be praised, the Fatiha is their rebuttal, and, of all who associate partners with Allah, and furnishes an admonition for those who use their judgment. In these words Allah reproaches the idol-worshippers, the Jews, the Christians and all those who associate partners with Allah, as if He was saying: Why do you glorify your associate-gods and why do you magnify your ancestors? Are they your lords who sustain you and your children? Or are they the compassionate ones who treat you mercifully, ward off calamities and avert evil and affliction, safeguard the good that has been your lot, or wash off the dirt of your sufferings and cure you of your diseases? Or are they the lords of the Day of Judgment? Nay, Allah alone sustains and shows mercy by granting happiness in full measure and by the grant of means of guidance and by answering prayers and by deliverance from enemies and He shall certainly reward those who work righteousness.' (Karamatus Sadiqeen - The Commentary on the Holy Qur'an, Vol. I, pp. 72 – 73)
The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) further wrote:
'The Fatiha also warns that whoso perishes for lack of his cognition of Allah, the Supreme, through his misconduct or by taking some other than Him as his god, in truth perishes because of his disregard of His excellences, his failure to contemplate His wonders and his neglect of all that is His due, as is the way of those who are the devotees of falsehood. Have you not considered that the Christians were invited to the Unity of God, but it was this distemper that brought about their ruin? Their erring selves and their beguiling passions drew them to the worship of a servant of Allah as their god. They drank deep of misguidance and ignorance and forgetting the excellences of Allah, the Supreme, and His attributes they invented for Him sons and daughters. Had they pondered the attributes of Allah, the Supreme, and the excellences that are worthy of Him, their insight would not have failed them and they would not have perished. That is why Allah, the Supreme, has warned us here that to safeguard ourselves against error in respect of a true concept of Him we must ponder His excellences and should seek out His appropriate attributes and should remind ourselves constantly of them, for they are far superior to every material gift and far more helpful than every kind of succour. We should reflect particularly over those attributes of His which have been manifested in His works, that is to say, His might, His power, His dominance and His bounteousness. Then be mindful of it and neglect it not. Be sure that all Providence belongs to Allah and all Rahmaniyyat belongs to Allah and all Rahimiyyat belongs to Allah and all sovereignty belongs to Allah on the Day of Judgment. Withhold not, therefore, your obedience from your Sustainer and be of those who submit themselves wholly to the One Lord. This verse also connotes that Allah, the Supreme, is far above every suspicion of weakness or shortcoming, such as the assumption of a new attribute on the decline of another attribute, or a change in His status or dignity, or developing a defect, or any kind of renewal or rehabilitation. On the contrary, to Him belongs all worthiness of praise in the beginning and in the end, manifestly and covertly, for ever and evermore. Whoever says aught contrary to this repudiates the Truth and is a disbeliever.' (Karamatus Sadiqeen - The Commentary on the Holy Qur'an, Vol. I, pp.75 - 76)
Hudhur explained that the earlier people were destroyed because they did not recognise the Divine attributes, or they forgot them and became embroiled in shirk. As regards the teaching given to Muslims, the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) wrote:
'In the phrase Alhamdu lillahe, Muslims have been taught that when they are asked: Who is your Lord? Each one of them must say: My Lord is the One to Whom all praise is due and there is no excellence or power but is found in Him in perfection. Be not, therefore, of those who are apt to forget.' (Karamatus Sadiqeen - The Commentary on the Holy Qur'an, Vol. I, pp 76 )
Hudhur explained that one should be ever inclined to God, that He is our God and we worship Him. The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) wrote:
'This chapter begins with Alhamdu lillahe which means that all praise and all glorification belongs to the Being named Allah. This is inspired by the purpose that the worship of Allah, the Supreme, must be characterized by the fervour of the soul and a strong inclination, animated by love and ardour, which cannot well up, unless it is established that the object of worship is a Being, possessing all perfect excellences that inspire the heart spontaneously with admiration. It is obvious that comprehensive praise is inspired by two qualities, the perfection of beauty and the perfection of beneficence. If a being combines both these excellences, the heart melts and yearns for him with fervent devotion. The Holy Quran aims at impressing these two excellences of the Supreme Being upon the seekers after Truth, so that mankind may be drawn to that peerless and unique Being, and worship Him with fervent devotion and yearning. That is why in the very opening chapter, this charming description has been set forth to demonstrate the wonderful excellences of the Divine Being to whom the Quran invites mankind. Thus this surah begins with Alhamdulillahe, which means that all praise belongs to the Being called Allah.' (Ayyamus Solh, p. 18 - The Commentary on the Holy Qur'an, Vol. I, p 77)
Hudhur explained that the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) has expounded the perfection of beauty and the perfection of beneficence of God in great detail, but it is a subject in itself. His perfection of beauty is because in Him all excellences are found as well as the aggregate of all perfect attributes. For the perfection of beneficence of God the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) has expounded four main principles, which Hudhur said he will briefly explain. His first beneficence is that He is Rabb (Lord), He creates and He sustains. His second beneficence is His quality of Rahmaniyyat by virtue of which He grants capacities to every living thing and makes arrangements for their survival, among these mankind has been given the largest share. His third beneficence is His quality of Raheemiyyat through which He accepts prayers and good works and keeps one protected from calamities. His fourth beneficence is that He is Master of the Day of Judgement by virtue of which He dispenses His grace and dispenses it as He pleases.
The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) illustrates below that there is an indication towards light after darkness in the term 'Rabbil Aalameen' (Lord of all the worlds):
'The word alalameen encompasses all that is found in the world, of the groups of the guided as well as the parties of the misguided and the lost. At times, the alam (realm) of misguidance and disbelief and transgression and excess flourishes until the earth becomes full of injustice and tyranny and people abandon the ways of Allah, the Lord of Majesty. They appreciate not the true nature of the relationship subsisting between the Creator and His creatures and do not render that which is due to Him as Provider and Sustainer. The world becomes dark like the blackest night and faith is pulverized under this affliction. Then Allah initiates another alam (realm) and the earth is replaced with another earth and a fresh decree descends from heaven and men are granted perceiving hearts and eloquent tongues to render thanks to Allah for His bounties. Then they make their selves lowly like frequented paths, before the Lord of Greatness and run to Him in fear and hope, their eyes downcast with modesty and their faces turning wistfully to the Provider of all needs with a resolve in submissiveness that knocks at the very top of the heights. Such people are needed most when the nadir of misguidance has been reached and through degradation of their condition people turn into beasts and animals. It is at this moment that Divine compassion and His eternal favour urge that a person be raised in heaven, who should dispel darkness and demolish that which Satan has built and raised up. Then an Imam (leader) descends from the Rahman (the Gracious One) to fight the armies of Satan and these two forces join battle - only those perceive them who are gifted with insight - until falsehood is fettered and its mirage-like reasoning is obliterated. That Imam dominates the enemy and lends constant support to the rightly guided, raising aloft the banners of guidance, reviving the seasons and gatherings of piety, until people come to realize that he has succeeded in capturing the ringleaders of disbelief, fastening hard their fetters and has rounded up the beasts of falsehood and has placed halters round their necks and has destroyed the structures of innovations, dismantling their domes and has consolidated the word of Faith, and strengthened its organisation and has reinforced the dominion of heaven and has closed every breach.' (Ijazul Masih – The Commentary on the Holy Qur'an, Vol. I, pp. 91 – 92)
Hudhur explained that in order to pay the dues of being servants of God we need to avail of the elucidations of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) and shun all harmful innovations in religion and thus strengthen our faith. Hudhur said when a person truly recognises God, he or she then attains an insight of Rabbil Aalameen. The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) wrote:
'Allah, the Holiest, has indicated in His word Lord of the worlds (Rabbil Aalameen) that He is the Creator of everything and is praised highly in the heavens and in the earth and that His praise is celebrated constantly by His servants who are ever occupied with His remembrance. There is not a thing but celebrates His praise and glorifies Him all the time. When one of His servants discards his own desires, is emptied of his passions, is wholly centered in Allah, His ways and His worship, and knows His Lord Who nurtured him by His favour, he glorifies Him all the time loving Him with all his heart, even with all the particles of his body.' (Ijazul Masih – The Commentary on the Holy Qur'an, Vol. I, p 93)
Hudhur said of the Aalameen (realms), one alam (realm) was in which the advent of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) took place. Then another group of people was created who were the followers of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace). As we have associated ourselves to this group we should focus on our preferences to be solely for the sake of God. Expounding what is included in 'Aalameen', the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) wrote:
'Aalameen covers, with the exception of the Creator Himself, every existing thing, whether in the realm of spirits or in the realm of bodies, whether of earthly creation or like the sun, the moon or other celestial objects, all of them being aalameen abiding under the providence of the Lord.' (Ijazul Masih – The Commentary on the Holy Qur'an, Vol. I, p 94)
Hudhur said we know that it is God alone Who sustains us, nurtures us, but at times man begins to consider man everything. In such instances a Momin should promptly self-reflect, repent and seek forgiveness from God and once again turn to Rabbil Aalameen. The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) explains below that God also fulfils spiritual needs:
'God is the Lord of the entire universe. He is Rabbilaalameen, the Lord of the Universe and as He has provided all the material means for the physical requirements of all kinds of creatures collectively, without discrimination, like food-grains, air, water, light and other things, so has He raised, time and again, reformers for every people, to warn and guide. The Holy Quran says: There has not been a people to whom a Warner has not been sent' (35:25) (Al-Hakam, Aug. 10, 1902 - The Commentary on the Holy Qur'an, Vol. I, pp. 94 – 95)
'Surah Fatiha begins with Al-hamdulillahe-Rabbil-aalameen which means that all holy and perfect attributes are exclusively possessed by God who is the Lord-Sustainer of the Universe. The word aalameen (worlds) covers all nations, all ages and all lands. This initial verse of the Holy Quran constitutes a refutation of those who seek to confine the Providence and grace of God to their own people, believing that other communities were not created by God, or that after creating them God had rejected them or had forgotten them.' (Jang-i-Muqaddas - The Commentary on the Holy Qur'an, Vol. I, p. 96)
'There is yet another direction in the word hamd, and that is that Allah, the Exalted and Lord of blessings, says: O My servants, know Me through My attributes and recognise Me through My excellences. I certainly do not suffer from any defect or shortcoming. Nay, My Praiseworthiness far exceeds the highest limits of praise rendered by those who praise Me. You will not find in the heavens or in the earth any praiseworthy feature that is not to be found in My countenance. If you tried to count My excellences you would not be able to number them, even if you exerted yourselves hard and took pains like the dedicated. Search well then if you can light upon a praiseworthy merit that you do not find in Me or can discover an excellence that is beyond Me and My Presence. If you feel that way then you have no knowledge of Me and are bereft of vision. I am known through My glories and excellences and the heavy clouds saturated with My blessings indicate the plenitude of My bounties. Those who believe in Me as comprehending all perfect attributes and all excellences and attribute to Me whatever perfection they observe anywhere and whatever glory they can conceive of in the highest flights of their imagination and ascribe to Me every grandeur that their minds and vision may observe and every power that is reflected in the mirror of their thoughts, are indeed the people who are treading the paths that lead to true recognition of Me. They have grasped the Truth and they will be successful. Be up then (may Allah keep watch over you) and seek earnestly for the attributes of Allah, the Glorious, and reflect over them like deep thinkers. Seek diligently and ponder every aspect of perfection searching for it in every overt and covert manifestation of this universe as a greedy person occupies himself incessantly with the pursuit of the object of his desires. When you arrive at the comprehension of the fullness of His perfection and begin to perceive His fragrance, it is then that you have found Him. This is a mystery that is unveiled only to those who are earnest seekers of guidance.
This then is your Lord, your Master, Perfect in Himself, comprehending all perfect excellences and worthy of all praise. He alone can know Him who deliberates deeply over the Fatiha, seeking His help with a pining heart. For those who make a covenant with Allah in perfect sincerity, binding themselves fast in perpetual obedience to Him, and cleanse their minds of all rancour and ill-will, are admitted through the portals of this Surah and are endowed with inner sight.' (Karamatus Sadiqeen – The Commentary on the Holy Qur'an, Vol. I, pp. 73 -75)
Hudhur said having taken the Bai'at of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) this is the station we should try and look for. Ways to deliberate on Surah Fatiha and deliberate on the Holy Qur'an can indeed be attained through the guiding principles of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace). May God enable us to attain insight of Divine attributes in accordance to the wishes of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) so that we may mould our lives in line with God's commandments.
Next Hudhur announced two funeral Prayers in absentia:
Fateh Begum sahiba, wife of the late Maulana Ahmad Khan Naseem who was the additional Nazim Islah O Irshad in Rabwah. She passed away on 3 February. She was a very pious, prayerful lady who was regular in her Salat and Tahajjud. She had a most sincere connection with Khilafat and was a Moosia. She was a most caring person who gave whatever she had to the needy and deprived. She leaves behind three daughters and three sons. One of her sons is Naseem Mahdi sahib, our missionary in USA. Certainly his mother's prayers had worked for him, may he continue to be the bearer of her prayers. May God elevate her station.
Hakim Bibi sahiba, wife of Maulwi Ghulam Rasool sahib, mu'allim Islah O Irshad, Pakistan. She passed away on 9 February. She was a very pious and prayerful lady who lived a life of dignity in spite of financial adversity. She was very self-respecting person who was well dressed and who did not ever ask for financial help. She leaves behind three sons and two daughters, one of her sons is Mubarak Ahmad Zafar sahib, additional Vakeel ul Maal in London.
Related Resources


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The size of your success is measured by the strength of your desire; the size of your dream; and how you handle disappointment along the way.
I make my life meaningful by simplifying life of those in the art, science & business of making software.
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Copyright 2011 Abhishek Parolkar. Newsletter

subset: commoncrawl


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Controversial TV Series "The Magnificent Century"Cultural Battle in Turkey
They came equipped with drums and dressed as Janissaries. Hundreds of demonstrators, mobilised by the Saadet Party, gathered outside the gates of the private television network Show TV and loudly demanded that a newly launched television series be taken off air. Muhtesem Yüzyil (in English "The Magnificent Century") is currently the most hotly debated series on Turkish television.
It tells of Suleiman the Magnificent and his harem. For Islamists, the right wing and those nostalgic for the days of the Ottoman Empire, the show represents a base betrayal of the country's great past. After all, the 40-year reign of Suleiman Kanuni (known in Turkey not as "Suleiman the Magnificent", but as "Suleiman the Lawgiver") was the heyday of the Ottoman Empire.
In no other era was the empire as powerful, never was it larger than in the sixteenth century, when Suleiman's troops first conquered Budapest and then laid siege to Vienna. This heritage is nothing to laugh about. Its critics are calling the series "inappropriate", "disrespectful", "impertinent", "stupid" and, to make matters worse, "historically incorrect", saying that it consequently has no business being broadcast on Turkish television.
This is the opinion not only of conservative demonstrators on the street, but also of Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arinc, who publicly announced that he would wield his authority to try to stop the broadcasting of the harem soap opera. The state-run Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) was convened without delay.
Consideration for "society's sensibilities"
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned that the law allows the head of state to ban a show from television in an emergency, whereupon RTÜK immediately notified the makers of the series that they could expect sanctions should they fail to show consideration for "society's sensibilities". And the makers did show consideration.
In the second episode (a 90-minute episode is broadcast each week), all of the kissing scenes were cut before the film was broadcast. But what exactly is all the fuss about? Muhtesem Yüzyil is not exactly a series that censures the Ottomans or exposes them to ridicule.
The film is an insipid love story that uses the Ottoman Empire as a backdrop for a story of jealousy and intrigue. Viewers love it. The series is a huge hit that brought its producers spectacular ratings last Wednesday. Half the Turkish population was glued to their TV screens, waiting breathlessly to see how the notorious Roxelana, who is named Alexandra in the film, manages to reel in the sultan.
In view of such overwhelming interest, a ban is no longer likely, even if the series continues to unfold more in the harem than on the battlefield, and the sultan continues to indulge in wine.
Nevertheless, the film is still a good indicator of the cultural battle currently raging in Turkey. If the controversy over the soap opera seems almost laughable, elsewhere there is greater cause for concern.
A "monstrous" artwork?
The debate over the film had just gotten underway when Prime Minister Erdogan added further fuel to fire. During a visit to the city of Kars in the remote eastern reaches of the country near the Armenian border, he discovered a monument that met with his disapproval.
The object in question is a 35-metre-high sculpture by the German-Turkish sculptor Memet Aksoy showing two half-figures approaching each other. They are meant to symbolise the rapprochement between Turks and Armenians after nearly a century of division. Erdogan referred to the sculpture – a monument to reconciliation – as a "monstrosity", demanding that it be removed from the cityscape.
A head of state who sets aesthetic standards, instructing the mayor in charge, a member of his party, to see that a work of art is removed? And a deputy head of state who wants to have a television series cancelled? The freedom the AKP government touted for so long now seems to have been forgotten.
It appears that they were right all along, the critics who long claimed that the freedom meant by the Turkish ruling party AKP is only the freedom to act in its own interests – for example by abolishing the headscarf ban at universities and schools.
The fact that tolerance is suffering a similar fate is also demonstrated by a new law scheduled to come into force in the coming days, representing another chapter in the cultural battle between the Islamic majority and secular minority: in future, not only will all advertising of alcohol be banned, but also the offering of drinks at exhibition openings in galleries or at theatre premieres.
Jürgen Gottschlich
© Qantara.de 2011
Translated from the German by Jennifer Taylor
Editor: Aingeal Flanagan/Qantara.de
Contemporary Turkish Cinema
Plenty of Light, Plenty of Shadow
Turkish cinema is currently experiencing a boom – local films are beating Hollywood productions in the market, and the films are dealing with new, controversial topics. All the same, the bright surface of modern Turkish cinema hides the same old rickety chassis. By Amin Farzanefar
Turkish Cinema
The Mirror of Social Change
Today's modern Turkish film industry - multi-faceted, complex, innovative, is also home to a new wave of directors whose films no longer shy away from the politically or socially sensitive. Amin Farzanefar takes a front-row seat
"Kanal Avrupa"
Television as a Bridge
"Kanal Avrupa" is a Turkish television station founded in Germany a few years ago offering a diverse program primarily for the Turkish community in Germany. Now the station will be adding a German-language program. Alexandra Jarecki reports
Düzgün TV
Integration via Satellite TV
The topic of integration is ever-present on German television. But Many German Turks are not tuning in to these channels. Many of them receive their television via Turkish-language satellite from Turkey. Now, however, Düzgün TV, a private television station in North Rhine-Westphalia, wants to change this. By Petra Tabeling


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Another restaurant knocked over, despite attempts to rally residents
Despite efforts by community and business figures to rally Oakland residents to ignore a recent rash of takeover-style restaurant robberies and come out to eat, bandits last night hit another Oakland restuarant, forcing customers and staff into a back room, robbing them, then cleaning out the register.
Oakland residents, horrified that the crime wave hit upscale neighborhoods, demonstrated last night on yuppified College Ave. with candles and flashlights. The robbery took place several blocks west, on less yuppified Shattuck Ave. See a map on the Chronicle's website of the summer crime spree.


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The middle infield is perhaps the easiest of all of the position-by-position previews that I will write about this spring.
Unless there is an unexpected trade or injury, we know that Carlos Triunfel and Nick Franklin will be playing at shortstop and second base this year. Heck, we've known this since the end of last season.
At the Mariners pre-spring training event in late January, Director of Player Development Chris Gwynn said that the plan was to continue to flip-flop Triunfel and Franklin defensively, giving both players experience at second and short. This is exactly what happened in the second half last year, when Franklin was promoted from Jackson (Triunfel was already here).
So, we have:
Starting SS/2B
Carlos Triunfel: It seems to be standard form when writing about Triunfel to mention the fact that he will play the 2013 season at the age of 23. It seems like he's much older because we've been hearing about him since the Mariners signed him for big bucks at age 16. Triunfel spent the 2012 season with Tacoma, leading the team with 131 games played and getting a September call-up. With the Rainiers he batted .260 with a career-high 10 homers, and a slash line of 260/308/391. Triunfel has major league range at shortstop and one of the strongest arms you will ever see on an infielder, but he needs to refine his game and cut down on the 30 errors he made last year.
Nick Franklin: Despite hitting just .243 in his first taste of Triple-A last year, Franklin is the better offensive prospect of the middle infield duo. The switch-hitter has legitimate power from the left side of the plate – and that was before he put on 35 pounds during the off-season. Last year Franklin started the season at Jackson and hit 322/394/502, and then in 64 games for Tacoma he hit 243/310/416. The Mariners are going to continue to allow him to switch-hit despite the fact that he has been far more dangerous from the left side. Defensively, Franklin can certainly handle second base, although the opinions on his shortstop play are mixed. Franklin will play the 2013 season at age 22 and has plenty of room for improvement – just like Triunfel.
Rainiers utility infielder candidates
The back-up situation is a little more unsettled. Typically you want a utility infielder who is capable of playing a serviceable shortstop, but really with Triunfel and Franklin on the roster the Rainiers utility man doesn't need to play shortstop. If either Triunfel or Franklin is unavailable for whatever reason, manager Daren Brown will start the remaining player at shortstop and plug someone else in at second base.
Eric Farris: an Triple-A starter for Nashville the last two-and-a-half seasons, Farris was picked up by the Mariners in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 Draft. Farris even has MLB experience, appearing in 14 games for the Brewers the last two years. He's played a whole lot of second base in his career, including 217 games at second for Nashville the last two years. He's a speed player (35 steals last year; career-high of 70 steals at Class-A in 2009) and he has been tried in the outfield occasionally in the past. Farris could serve as an infielder/outfielder for the Rainiers this year, shuffling around the diamond defensively while hitting first or second in the lineup.
Scott Savastano: the jack-of-all-trades spent the entire 2012 season with the Rainiers, seeing time at first base, second base, third base, and left field. He also specializes in 18th inning pitching and 18th inning walk-off homers – when you get to the 18th inning, Savastano is your man and you should accept no substitute. The acquisition of Farris means it is not a lock that Savastano will be coming back for 2013 – a good spring training camp is important for him.
Leury Bonilla: the longtime organizational utility man is back for another season in the Mariners system. Bonilla has set up shop in Jackson the last few seasons, where he once played all nine positions in a single game. Bonilla usually makes an appearance in Tacoma at some point during the season, and I expect that 2013 will be no different.
Then there is Stefen Romero, who I wrote about last week with the corner infielders. Romero has lots of experience at second base, so if he is on the Rainiers roster he can play the keystone when needed.
Others to know
Brad Miller: an interesting shortstop prospect, Miller is hoping to build on a very strong 2012 season. He began the year at High Desert, and hit 339/412/524 in 97 games. Big deal – everybody hits in High Desert. Well, Miller went up to Jackson for the final 40 games and batted .320 with four homers and a .406 on-base percentage. Hmmmm, very in-ter-es-ting. Miller will be waiting in the wings down at Jackson.
Gabriel Noriega: a throwback of sorts, Noriega is an all-glove, no-bat shortstop. They say he is a wizard defensively. The stats say he hit .208 with zero homers and a .266 OBP in Jackson last year. We could see him in Tacoma someday and when he shows up, we should all enjoy watching him play defense.
Those are our middle infielders to watch for Tacoma in 2013. Next Wednesday, we'll move to the outfield.
- Six Mariners prospects – including several prospective Rainiers – are living together in Peoria.
- Good reporting from Geoff Baker on the politics of Mariners players seeking instruction from outside of the organization. I'm not sure if this is a growing trend, or if it's always happened but now it's being reported.
- Another strong piece from Baker, on the tough youth of new infielder Robert Andino.
- On Monday, Jeremy Bonderman pitched in a game for the first time since 2010. Results were inconclusive.
- Ryan Divish writes that Tom Wilhelmsen is looking to use his change-up more this year, and he threw a good one the other day to Chase Headley.
- Justin Smoak is on a tear down in Peoria.
- Not sure how I feel about this one: we'll be in Reno for Brett Butler Championship Bobblehead Night.
- Down in Hillsboro (right on the outskirts of baseball-hating Portlandia), they had the topping-out ceremony as they build a new ballpark for the short-season Northwest League. It's great for local baseball fans just to get back in the game, but it's also a shame. This is a Triple-A market.
Our next blog update will be Friday.


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Word from the Smithsonian Channel is that they've decided to shelve a new documentary on the so-called "Gospel of Jesus' Wife" due, in part, to a high degree of scholarly criticism ranging from claims that the fragment is an outright fake to claims that it appears to be a cut-and-paste job of verses taken from the Gospel of Thomas.
This is a good thing! Kudos to Smithsonian for listening to the facts, weighing the evidence, and evaluating the scholarly critique instead of rushing to air a sensationalized documentary that may turn out to be nothing but an hour of strained speculation sold to a cable channel in the hopes of making quick money, archaeology be damned.
I applaud Smithsonian Channel. And I applaud Harvard Divinity School's Dr. Karen King. Dr. King released this fragment the way it should be released in this new digital era of immediate feedback: first to a group of scholars for review, and then to a professional conference of her peers for review, and only then to the public.
And, when the scholarly experts began to raise doubts and voice their concerns about the authenticity of the object and its interpretation, the planned documentary was put on hold to preserve the credibility of the network and of the scholar making the claim, despite the fact that there was quick money to be made. There is no highly speculative, popular book to recall because Dr. King went through the academy first. And now that the scholarly community has voiced its desire for more research, Dr. King (who has repeatedly expressed her own doubts about the fragment's authenticity) appears all the more professional and the Smithsonian Channel looks all the more responsible.
It's a shame that other networks can't follow Smithsonian's lead and cancel other documentaries they believe to be highly problematic, factually challenged, speculative, and mere attempts to make a quick buck on potentially pseudoarchaeological claims.
[N.B.: We have yet to hear if the documentary's producer has decided to sue Joe Zias for millions of dollars because a growing majority of the scholarly community has questioned the validity of the documentary's claims, causing it to be shelved and potentially canceled. Because obviously, any documentary related to the Bible and archaeology that is shelved due to a growing critique of the sensational claims by a number of scholars must be Joe's fault alone. ;-)]
Filed under: archaeology, bible, christianity, fakes, media, scholarship | Tagged: christian, coptic, Divinity School, documentary, fragment, Gospel of Jesus' Wife, harvard, Karen King, postponed, simcha jacobovici, Smithsonian Channel | 2 Comments »


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Last week I struck a nerve with this divorce post. As life tends to happen, no sooner did I press the "publish" key when I was told by some good friends of ours that they, too, were getting a divorce. "The spark just isn't there anymore," said one. "We're tired of fighting," said the other. It wasn't entirely shocking as those two hadn't been getting along for a while. And yet, the finality of it sent shivers down my spine. Even the normally stoic Rex grew a somber scowl for the rest of the weekend.
"I've just known them for so long," he lamented. "I know that everyone has their own reasons for doing what they do - and I'm not judging either of them - but it's just sad."
I couldn't agree more. After all, as I admitted in the last post, I have been through a divorce myself. I had my reasons for it: I was young, naive, didn't know what I was doing. My excuses for getting out? I felt trapped, it never was the right fit, we didn't have kids... I wanted a clean break.
More From Good Housekeeping
For the more religious crowd out there, my reasons probably don't sound very acceptable. After all, the vows didn't say, "Til death do us part, unless your mate gets really boring, grows a pot belly and you can't take one more night of SportsCenter." Many take a clue from their Bible of choice which states in no uncertain terms that divorce, unless abuse occurs, is wrong.
Now that I'm older, and I am seeing life through a more spiritual lense, I often wonder if my first marriage could have worked. After all, if I turned my frustrations to a higher power, instead of relying on instant gratification that no human can possibly meet, would I perhaps still be with my first husband? And even more to the point, would I be content?
In my opinion there's a difference between "accepting" challenges in marraige and simply being a martyr. (I don't do tortured martrr well... Though I would love the name St. Andrea, Patron Saint of Sex Columns."!) I think about acceptance in the case of my two friends - twenty years older than I was when I got divorced. They have a child now. They are more mature. Is there nothing they could do to get that spark back? Do they really think that another person will fulfill them more?
I would be a complete hypocrite to crucify my friends for resorting to what I did all those years ago. But... and I can only say this from experience... if I didn't drastically change my expectations of marriage, despite having a fabulous husband in Rex, I would not still be with Rex today. Marriage is hard work. No man can fill every aspect of my life. For me, God is the ticket. It's not for everyone.
So I'm going to ask the question again: What is the answer to fulfillment in marriage during the rocky times with your spouse? Is "out" always the right answer? Have you ever thought you couldn't take it anymore but dug deep and turned it around? I'd love to know. I'm sure there are several women/men out there who are going through a difficult time and could use some encouragement.
As for me, especially if there are kids involved, I'd like to encourage couples to find peace within their marriage. No, I don't think "staying together for the children while being miserable" is the answer. But I am asking what you can do to stay together and not be miserable. It's a challenge, but it is indeed possible. Here are a few tips. And, speaking of tips (Yes, you knew I'd go there) never underestimate the power a weekly romp. Remind me to tell you the apron story next week.
Thoughts on making marriage work?
* Rex and me on our wedding day. Thank God, all these years later, I still love kissing that man.


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The FairTax is a tax proposal that would replace all federal income taxes — including corporate tax, gift tax, estate tax, capital gains tax, alternative minimum tax, Social Security, Medicare, and self employment taxes — with a federal national retail sales tax on personal consumption. The tax would be paid on the purchase of all new goods and services, and would be collected at the final point of sale.[1] Thus, instead of taxing "income", the FairTax would tax spending. This is known as a consumption tax — a method for taxing income on the back end, when the money is spent, rather than when it is earned.
A consumption tax would have a positive effect on savings and investment.[2] Supporters state the plan would ease tax compliance, increase economic growth, have incentives for international business to locate in the U.S., and increase U.S. competitiveness in international trade.[3] The rate for the FairTax as proposed under current legislation is 23 percent of the total payment including the tax ($23 of every $100 spent in total—calculated similar to income taxes).[4] This would be equivalent to a 30 percent traditional sales tax ($23 on top of every $77 spent—$100 total). Although some critics say it would be higher to be revenue neutral (take in the same amount as the current system).[5] The effective tax rate for a family household would be variable due to the fixed monthly tax rebates.
The proposal includes monthly payments to all family households of lawful U.S. residents as an advance rebate, or 'prebate', of tax on purchases up to the poverty level. The rebate is meant to eliminate the taxation of household necessities and make the plan progressive. Used goods, exports, and intermediate business transactions would not be taxed, nor would savings, investments, or education tuition expenses as they would be considered an investment (rather than final consumption). The tax is voluntary to the extent that individual consumers can choose when to increase or decrease their product buying, unlike now, when income taxes are withheld from the paychecks of most workers.
If passed, the Fair Tax would accomplish the following:[6]
- Abolish the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
- Abolish personal and business income taxes and replace it with a national retail sales tax.
- Repeal of the 16th Amendment through companion legislation.
- Provide each worker a monthly prebate, equal to the tax on "poverty level" income.[7]
- Close many loopholes under the current system.
- Enable retirees to receive their full pension, untaxed, until they spend it.
- Enable workers to keep their entire paycheck, untaxed, until they spend it.
- Proponents believe the removal of the above will save 265 billion dollars a year in compliance costs under the current tax system,[8] and be more practical than the current system, which includes over 60,000 pages of tax code.[9]
The origins of the FairTax began with a group of businessmen from Houston, Texas, who initially financed what has become the political advocacy group Americans For Fair Taxation (AFFT) or FairTax.org, which has grown into a large grassroots tax reform movement.[10] The Chairman of AFFT, Leo Linbeck, stated that Americans have to pressure the government to come up with a better way of taxation, he said, "It is painfully obvious that Washington, D.C. insiders so closely linked with the status quo cannot be trusted to overturn the corrupt system of federal taxation. This effort will have to be driven by the American people.[11]" The organization hired experts to look into an idea for a better tax system, they spent 23 million dollars in coming up with the idea of the Fair Tax. Their findings were combined into a book, "The FairTax Book: Saying Goodbye to the Income Tax and the IRS," which Linbeck co-authored with Republican Congressman John Linder.[12]
The FairTax became popular among free market conservatives, libertarians, and some economists in recent years. The complication and wasted bureaucracy of the Internal Revenue Service, government pressure on citizens to reveal information and records, and the loopholes in the current tax system created the incentive to look for a new way of taxation in the United States. Some Democrats also sought a tax system that would rid them current income tax, which they claim to be discriminate.
In the last 20 years the United States tax system has been changed over 14,000 times, this has led to an abundance of complexities which lead to its being an inefficient system. In 2003, United States Senator Saxby Chambliss, a Republican, and Senator Zell Miller a Democrat; introduced a by-partisan version of the Fair Tax. Although the bill had some support in the Senate, it eventually lost in a 50-50. Senator Sam Brownback later stated the challenges of tax reform, "When you take (the tax code) on straight on, you take on every lobbyist,"
Former Federal Reserve Chairman, Alan Greenspan, called for a federal sales tax to replace the broken income tax in 2005. "Since the exemplary 1986 reform, the tax code has drifted back to be overly complicated and burdened by higher marginal rates and by many special provisions that have undesirably narrowed the tax base," Greenspan stated at a Presidential Advisory counsel.[13]
In 2005 congress created a bill to enact the FairTax (H.R. 25; Senate Bill 1943), it had the support of more than 54 co-sponsors, and both Senate and House minority leaders Dennis Hassert and Tom DeLay.[14] Although the bill received the most support ever for any fundamental tax reform bill, it failed to pass. After the elections of 2004, Georgia Republican Congressman, John Linder, reintroduced the FairTax on the first day of the 109th congress.[15] Congressman Linder stated before congress, "The time is ripe for fundamental tax and a completely new Federal tax regime. I am pleased to reintroduce my Fair Tax proposal today reform, and look forward to the Congress creating a fairer, simpler tax system that advances our core goals of lower taxes and more freedom for our citizens.".[16]"
In 2007 support for the FairTax bill grew to include 60 co-sponsors.[17]
One of the most outspoken supporters of the Fair Tax is Republican presidential candidate, Mike Huckabee. Huckabee has said that the Fair Tax would "put the IRS out of business, but put Americans in business.[18]"
Supporters and Opponents
Most of the support for the FairTax comes from the Republican Party and the Libertarians. A significant number of Conservatives want Republican presidential candidates to support the FairTax, including one Indiana group called 'Hoosiers for Fair Taxation'.[19][20] Nevertheless, while the number of the members of Congress who have signed on to the proposal has been growing, it still lacks popular support to be close to passage. Former Arkansas governor and presidential candidate Mike Huckabee made passage of a national sales tax a part of his platform during his recent bid for office. Former Federal Reserve chief Alan Greenspan also exhibited support for the FairTax in a recent interview.[21]
Of the 2008 Democrat presidential candidates, only Mike Gravel supported the plan. Rudy Giuliani, a one time candidate for President on the Republican side, was hesitant and did not support it.:[22] "I don't think a Fair Tax is realistic change for America. Our economy is dependent upon the way our tax system operates."[23]
Former Republican governor of New Mexico and current Libertarian Party candiate for president Gary Johnson (who also sought the GOP nomination in 2012 before switching parties) is also a supporter of the FairTax. He has said that while there is no such thing as a "good tax", the FairTax is the "best of the worst". He acknowledges that the FairTax is not perfect, but feels it is the best option at the moment.
Mitt Romney wrote in his 2010 book, No Apology: The Case for American Greatness, "One challenge with the fair tax is that the very rich would see their taxes go down--a lot. If Bill Gates makes about a billion dollars a year on his investments, for example, his current taxes would be at least $200 million. Let's say he spends $50 million on himself and his family every year--which is a huge sum and I doubt he spends that much, but let's use it for illustration: Under the fair tax, Bill Gates would pay "only" about $17 million in taxes—his tax bill would thus drop from $200 million to $17 million. The Wall Street Journal found that the enormous amount saved by the wealthiest under the fair tax would be made up by a higher tax burden on the middle class."
William Gale, of the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center, has suggested that a pseudo-consumption tax could be implemented under the current American income tax system. In this, all citizens would have an Individual Retirement Account, but one with no restrictions and limitations, into which all income is deposited. A citizen would essentially use this is a check-writing bank account, with funds only being taxed when they are withdrawn (consumed) to make purchases. This system would approximate the FairTax, but without rebates.
- Critics contend that the FairTax would have Constitutional issues.
- The FairTax would benefit the rich most, because they tend to spend a lower proportion of their income. The name 'Fairtax' therefore seems to be a misnomer.
- There would still be tax evasion with the FairTax. Purchases made overseas, although subject to the tax and collected by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, would be difficult to track and therefore evasion could occur, as much as or more than it does now under the current system.
- A greater dependence on second-hand goods would very likely occur, since they would be exempt from this tax, and therefore alter the spending habits of the U.S. consumer and damage industry.
- There is no cap on the rate that might be imposed by Congress. Just as current income tax rates change, the initial rate of 23% may be changed over time as Congress desires. However, since there is one rate, it would be difficult to engage in class warfare and pit one economic group against another — Congress would raise or lower the rate on everyone. Every citizen has an interest in keeping the rate low.
- Many claim that due to the nature of politics, while the FairTax might be enacted, all or part of the existing income tax might be preserved, resulting in the federal government having two means of taxation. The proposed FairTax legislation has a sunset clause that would eliminate the tax in seven years if the 16th Amendment is not fully repealed. However, there is no guarantee that the sunset clause would not be removed from the legislation prior to passing or later repealed by Congress.
- Like an income tax, a sales tax has its own implications with regard to personal privacy rights.
External links
- ↑ Americans For Fair Taxation, "About the FairTax," http://www.fairtax.org/site/PageServer?pagename=about_main
- ↑ Auerbach, Alan J. "A Consumption Tax", The Wall Street Journal, 2005-08-25. Retrieved on 2008-02-05.
- ↑ Boortz, Neal; Linder, John (2006). The FairTax Book, Paperback, Regan Books. ISBN 0-06-087549-6.
- ↑ "Embedded Taxes Change Fair Tax Analysis",http://www.roanoke.com/editorials/commentary/wb/wb/xp-51569
- ↑ https://www.factcheck.org/taxes/unspinning_the_fairtax.html
- ↑ American For Fair Taxation, http://www.fairtax.org/site/PageServer?pagename=about_main
- ↑ Just how fair is the 'Fair Tax' CNN Money, September 2005, https://money.cnn.com/2005/09/06/pf/taxes/consumptiontax_0510/
- ↑ http://www.fairtax.org/site/PageServer?pagename=about_fairtax_four#neutral
- ↑ 67,204-Page Code Confounds Taxpayers, Yet Congress Sits By, USA Today, https://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/2007-04-03-edit_N.htm?csp=34
- ↑ Just how fair is the 'FairTax' CNN Money, September 2005, https://money.cnn.com/2005/09/06/pf/taxes/consumptiontax_0510/
- ↑ Americans For Fair Taxation http://boortz.com/nuze/200510/10132005.html
- ↑ "The Fair Tax Book",2005, https://www.amazon.com/Fair-Tax-Book-Saying-Goodbye/dp/0060875496/ref=sr_1_1/102-3275846-3467353?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1184106196&sr=1-1
- ↑ Greenspan: "Consumption Tax COuld Help Economy",https://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,149298,00.html
- ↑ "The FairTax: A Trogan Horse For America," Jews For Preservation of Firearms Ownership, http://www.jpfo.org/fairtax.htm#fn1
- ↑ "Linder Reintroduces FairTax Legislation", http://www.johnlinder.com/News_Details.asp?NewsID=128
- ↑ "Linder Reintroduces FairTax Legislation", http://www.johnlinder.com/News_Details.asp?NewsID=128
- ↑ FairTax Gains Support, http://www.fairtaxblog.com/20070508/record-sixty-co-sponsors-for-fairtax-bill-hr-25/
- ↑ Massachusetts For Mike Huckabee, http://massachusettsforhuckabee.blogspot.com/search/label/Tax%20Plan
- ↑ "FairTax Supporters Vent Frustration", June 2007, http://www.theindychannel.com/news/13651607/detail.html
- ↑ "FairTaxer's continue to "flex their muscles", July 2007, http://www.fairtax.org/site/PageServer?pagename=news_feature
- ↑ Greenspan: Consumption Tax could Help Economy, Fox News, March 2005, https://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,149298,00.html
- ↑ "Giuliani Jeered For Opposing Flat Tax", Associated Press, July 2007, https://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/07/07/ap3891710.html
- ↑ "Giuliani Jeered For Opposing Flat Tax", Associated Press, July 2007, https://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/07/07/ap3891710.html


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CAIRO – Egyptians created helmets for protection during the protests. The U.S. Military is adopting them for American troops.
Egyptian protesters had to come up with makeshift helmets – some made of bread – to protect them from the rocks throw during the protests and from the bullets shot by the Egyptian army.
What was surprising was how effective the helmets were. "Not one Egyptian was injured while wearing a makeshift helmet. These helmets were crude but they worked extremely well," said General Robert Bontempo of the U.S. Army, stationed in Cairo.
He has the U.S. Army wondering why they spend s0 much money – over $5,000 per helmet – on their gear. "We are reconsidering spending the money on these advanced protective helmets. We may just have our troops make helmets from plastic bottles," said Bontempo.
Here is the helmet that Bontempo was referring to:
It's impossible to get hurt wearing a rock tied to your head:
This is an old standby, maybe not as creative, but "bucket on the head" has worked for over two hundred years in many battles:
Well, putting a pot on the head is an old standby too… but sometimes when you get hit by a rock in your pot, it can cause ringing in the ears.
Even though you have to use one of your hands to hold it on, this bowl from the family china closet was extremely effective:
For centuries people have used bread to protect their skulls:
There's always an American in the crowd. Some Americans got stuck in Cairo and had to improvise. Here's Jeb Jeffers from Little Rock, Arkansas. He said his hat, "done work real good."


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When communicating with your college student, there is a fine line between offering just enough support and being too smothering. Your child will need your guidance throughout his college years, but he will also want to experience freedom in order to become an independent adult. Use these tips to help you find the right amount and type of communication without becoming too overbearing.
Phone calls usually require more time commitment over other modes of communication, such as texting or social media, so it's best if you let your busy college student set ground rules for telephone calls. If you call too often, your child may feel frustrated. If you call too little, your child may feel forgotten. Each student/parent relationship is different, so be sure to discuss with your child how often he would like to call home and receive calls from home. Some students will want to talk with their parents multiple times a week, while other students will prefer fewer phone calls.
As mentioned above, phone calls require more time commitment and can therefore be more frustrating if received too often. However, busy students are less annoyed with other forms of communication, such as texts, emails, social media, etc. because they can return messages at their convenience. Sending quick texts and email/social media messages are an easy way to keep in touch with your child on a regular basis. Just don't overdo it!
If your student is ever homesick, use video chat options, such as Skype or FaceTime, to help him feel closer to home. Include other family members and family pets in the video chat. Being able to see and talk to family members will help comfort your student when they experience moments of homesickness.
Let your child know that you are thinking of him by sending cards and care packages. Add a little note in the card or package letting him know how proud you are of him or wishing him luck on an upcoming test. This gesture may even prompt a thank-you phone call from your busy student!
When communicating with your college student, don't be overly intrusive. It's okay to ask questions to find out about his schedule, what he does in his free time, upcoming assignments/tests, etc. but avoid asking for too many details about each subject. Ask open-ended questions and let the conversation unfold naturally.
Let your child know that you are always open to hearing from him. Encourage him to call if he has exciting news or even if he just needs to vent. If he has good news to share, be happy for him. If he needs to vent, don't give your advice unless he asks for it. Just try to lend a sympathetic ear.
College is a busy time for students to grow into fully-functioning adults. Work with your student to find appropriate times and ways to keep in touch during this hectic and exciting period of his life.
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I'm at the airport waiting for my flight to Vietnam. The next three weeks will be jam packed with hard-core shooting..... Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. Our itinerary will keep us very busy! For an overseas trip, I'm traveling very light this time.... mainly because we'll be photographing more cultural scenes and landscapes then wildlife. Nevertheless, I always travel with 3 bags:
1) The large MEC duffle bag at my feet goes into checked baggage. It contains my tripods, heads, miscellaneous accessories and clothing. Typically I have so much stuff in this bag that it's overweight. That's why I use a duffle bag - the bag itself is very light compared to a standard suitcase. I use my clothing as padding to protect the gear.
2) The pack on the right is a Gura Gear "Bataflae" 18L. Normally I use a Gura Gear 32L pack, but on this trip I'm not taking a huge telephoto lens. This bag is my my primary carry-on and contains all of the expensive, fragile stuff. See the photo below to see what's in it.
3) On my other shoulder is a small North Face day pack which is my 'personal' item for carry-on. It contains my laptop, binoculars and reading material for the long plane flight!
This is traveling light for me! The Gura Gear "Bataflae" 18L is amazingly spacious for its size and weight. What's in the bag for my Asia trip? Going clockwise from the top left: Canon 24/1.4 (Canon 1.4x II TC underneath), Sigma 15/2.8 fisheye (Canon 2x II TC underneath) , Canon 17-40/4, Sigma 24-70/2.8, Canon 70-300/4-5.6, Canon 1D mk IV body, Canon 5d mk II body, Canon 300/2.8. I also have a Canon 580 EX II flash that sneaks in next to the 300mm lens, but I took it out for this shot so you could see the glass.
Happy shooting!


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How diabetes drugs may work against cancer
(Medical Xpress)—For several years, a class of anti-diabetic drugs known as biguanides, has been associated with anti-cancer properties. A number of retrospective studies have shown that the widely used diabetes drug metformin can benefit some cancer patients. Despite this intriguing correlation, it has been unclear how metformin might exert its anti-cancer effects and, perhaps more importantly, in which patients.
Now, Whitehead Institute scientists are beginning to unravel this mystery, identifying a major mitochondrial pathway that imbues cancer cells with the ability to survive in low-glucose environments. By finding cancer cells with defects in this pathway or with impaired glucose utilization, the scientists can predict which tumor will be sensitive to the anti-diabetic drugs known to inhibit the pathway in question. Their work is described online this week in the journal Nature.
To study how cancer cells survive in the kind of low-glucose environment found within cancerous tumors, Kıvanç Birsoy and Richard Possemato, postdoctoral researchers in Whitehead Member David Sabatini's lab, developed a system that circulates low-nutrient media continuously around cells. Of the 30 cancer cell lines tested within this system, most appeared unaffected by a lack of glucose. However, a few of the lines thrived and reproduced rapidly, while others struggled. The varied responses to a glucose shortage were puzzling.
"No one really understood why cancer cells had these responses or whether they were important for the formation of the tumor," says Possemato, who coauthored the Nature paper with Birsoy. "The cancer-relevance of the alterations that we found as underlying this response to low glucose will still need to be investigated."
Birsoy and Possemato wondered whether certain cancer cells' susceptibility to a low glucose environment could be exploited to attack tumors. They screened overly distressed cells for genes whose suppression improved or further hindered the cells' survival rates. The screen flagged genes involved in glucose transportation and oxidative phosphorylation, a metabolic pathway in mitochondria. The powerhouses of a cell, mitochondria are membrane-bound organelles with their own DNA, including genes that control oxidative phosphorylation.
Birsoy and Possemato hypothesized that cancer cells with mutations in these genes are over-taxing their mitochondria under normal conditions. When placed in a harsh, low-glucose environment, the mitochondria are maxed out, and the cells suffer. If true, the hypothesis would suggest that further impairing mitochondrial function, with biguanides—which are known oxidative phosphorylation inhibitors—could push the mitochondria beyond their limits, to the detriment of the cancer cells.
They first tested their hypothesis in vitro on 13 cell lines with glucose utilization defects and mitochondrial DNA mutations. Compared to control cells, those sensitive to low glucose were five to 20 times more susceptible to phenformin, a more potent biguanide than metformin. Birsoy and Possemato then tested phenformin's effectiveness in mice implanted with tumors derived from low-glucose-sensitive cancer cells. The drug inhibited the tumors' growth.
"These results show that mitochondrial DNA mutations and glucose import defects can be used as biomarkers for biguanide sensitivity to determine if a cancer patient might benefit from these drugs," says Birsoy. "And this is the first time that anyone has shown that the direct cytotoxic effects of this class of drugs, including metformin and phenformin, on cancer cells are mediated through their effect on mitochondria."
To confirm the accuracy of their proposed biomarkers, Birsoy and Possemato want to analyze previous clinical trials to see if cancer patients with the proposed biomarkers fared better with metformin treatment than patients without the biomarkers.
More information: Kıvanç Birsoy, et al."Metabolic determinants of cancer cell sensitivity to glucose limitation and biguanides." Nature, March 16, 2014. DOI: 10.1038/nature13110


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See Pics of Country Stars With Their Moms [Pictures]
No matter how famous they get or how many fans are screaming their names, country's biggest stars always have a place in their heart for dear ol' Mom.
Many of these moms have supported their sons and daughters on their road to fame, whether that included stints on American Idol or just moving to Nashville to try and make it. They've inspired songs, as is the case with Brantley Gilbert's "Indiana's Angel," and they add great value to music videos, which Carrie Underwood learned when she put her mom, Carole Underwood, in "Mama's Song." They even make great awards show dates! Jake Owen calls his mom a "hottie," and we can't disagree — it's easy to tell where he gets his charming good looks.
See pictures of Tim McGraw, Lady Antebellum's Hillary Scott, Chris Young, Taylor Swift, Rascal Flatts' Jay DeMarcus and several more with their No. 1 lady: Mom.
See Country Stars With Their Moms


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©Brenda Coffee. All rights reserved.
The first floor of Neiman Marcus is on full tilt. Loud music blares as pouty Victoria Beckam-like models sit atop podiums in the shoe department, dangling stiletto Jimmy Choos from their slender feet, while A-list shoppers dine on finger food and sip from crystal flutes of champagne. The real show, however, is taking place in a small broom closet of a room near the cosmetics counter where iconic makeup artist, Sandy Linter, is giving private makeup lessons to the Dallas rich and famous. On tour complements of Neiman's, to promote her new book, Makeup Wakeup, Sandy is fresh, fabulous and achingly beautiful, with nary a hint of her 63 years.
The first time I met Sandy Linter, we were both in our early twenties, and the memory of this angelic vision has stayed with me ever since. I remember she was dressed in a pale yellow chiffon, dropped-waist vintage dress, with chic short blonde hair. Even then, Sandy Linter was no ordinary makeup artist.
A couple of years ago Sandy, "Ambassador at Every Age" for Lancôme, helped me do a series of videos for BreastCancerSisterhood.com. I wanted to show women taking chemotherapy how to compensate for lack of eyebrows and eyelashes and how to give their skin a healthy glow. These videos turned out to be great makeup lessons for every woman, and have since become the most downloaded makeup lessons on the Internet. Today, however, I'm at Neiman's to talk with Sandy, and co-author, Lois Joy Johnson, one of the founding editors and the former beauty and fashion director of MORE magazine, about their book, Makeup Wakeup. As we talk, Sandy can't resist changing my lipstick. "It's not quite the right shade," she said, "But everything else you've done is perfect."
BC: "One of the things I love about your book is that you and Lois have different styles and approaches to makeup. I think this gives women permission to find something that works for them and not follow a cookie cutter look."
SL: "The book has two, different distinct flavors because Lois is a beauty and fashion expert, and I'm a makeup artist. I feel one way; she feels another, but we arrive at similar places."
BC: "What made you and Lois decide to be so brutally honest about Botox, droopy skin and plastic surgery?"
SL: "I'm 63. All of the women I make up who are over 40, 50, and 60 have questions about eye surgery, lips and facelifts. They want to talk about surgery. Since this is a makeup book for women over 40, you can't avoid talking about it. Lois and I wanted to write a beauty guide we'd read ourselves, one that solved the kinds of issues women face every day."
BC: "One of the reasons women are going to love this book is because you talk about yourself."
SL: "I'm like you are with your readers. I tell it like it is. I've made mistakes, but I talk about Botox and surgery and what I did to make me feel better. It's not for everybody."
BC: "You've been doing little procedures all along. I've never done anything, not even Botox, so I'm afraid I'd windup with a drastic new look I wouldn't like."
SL: "You should be afraid of that, so you know what? You pick the one thing that bothers you most and do that first. Then you heal and live with it, and if you want, then you do the next thing that bothers you."
BC: "What's the most important thing women over 40 can do to take care of their skin?"
SL: "Sun protection. Women spend thousands of dollars on laser treatment to correct sun damage. Plus sun damage can cause cancer. In the book, Lois talks about her skin cancer. The entire tip of her nose had to be rebuilt because of it."
BC: "What's the worst mistake women over 40 make?"
SL: "The worst mistake is to give up and stop wearing makeup. Women say, 'Oh, I have wrinkles, I can't wear foundation,' but there's all kinds of new foundations with better texture, so keep up-to-date with your products. Don't wear the same thing you've worn forever. Go to the makeup counter and try two or three colors on your jaw until you find the right one. Learn how to make the most of your eyes with eyeliner, mascara; get good brushes; learn the technique."
BC: "As you know, I'm all about survivorship. What's made you survive in an industry where so many come and go or succumb to drugs, ego and fame?"
SL: "When you first knew me, I was really involved in a rock 'n roll lifestyle, and I wound up burnt-out. It's a really weird feeling because you don't know you're burnt-out until maybe a year after you're burnt-out. You just have to start all over again. I blocked out all the people around me and just zoned in on my own little career. I rebuilt it from the days when you knew me as a star (gesturing from high to low), then went to there and no one knew about me for years. Then little by little, I got back."
BC: "What would people be surprised to learn about you?"
SL: (Sandy dissolves into gales of laughter.) "People would be surprised to learn a lot of things about me, but I won't tell them!"
Makeup Wakeup is more than a "how-to" book. It is like dishing with girlfriends only these girlfriends have helped define and launch the anti-aging of beauty and fashion. The book's forward is written by Bette Midler and features "before" and "afters" of familiar faces like models Carol Alt, Patti Hansen and Cheryl Tiegs, "Behind the Velvet Ropes" Lauren Ezersky, actress Sigourney Weaver and rock star Debbie Harry/Blondie. Chapters include "I'm Obsessed with My…" and "Should I Have Some Work Done? Yes, No, Maybe," plus interviews with the world's top dermatologists and plastic surgeons. One of my favorite parts of this 288 page book are the specific brands and colors Sandy and Lois recommend, not to mention a "before" and "after" of Sandy doing her own makeup.
If you'd like to win an autographed copy of Makeup Wakeup, just put a comment on my blog, using the words "Makeup Wakeup." I will then make a list of everyone's name on a separate Post It, fold them, put them in my wide-brimmed sun protection hat, close my eyes and draw a name. Once I've drawn a name, I'll email you offline for your address, then send the book to you postage free. You have until next week's BRENDA'S BLOG is posted, Sunday, April 24th, to enter, so get crackin'. For those of you who wish to purchase Makeup Wakeup at a special price, go to RETAIL THERAPY on BreastCancerSisterhood.com. Next week, I want to introduce you to Lois Joy Johnson. We'll talk about her basal cell carcinoma and her fabulous career.


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A few years ago I wrote a literate FORTH compiler and tutorial called JONESFORTH. It's a good way, I think, to understand the power and limitations of FORTH, and a good way to learn a completely different and mind-blowing programming language.
If you've not heard of FORTH before, cogitate on this: It is possible to write a FORTH program in 2,000 lines. A program which will boot and provide an entire development environment (inc. editor, compiler etc) on bare hardware.
Anyhow, I just uploaded my semi-private CVS repository to git. You can find it here:
The original tutorial is in two parts:


text: Hostal de la Bocas building is an old Hotel from the early XXth century fostering some of the immigrants that massively came to Buenos Aires at that time. This type of construction was denominated conventillo, shared by many families. Completely refurbished, the Hostel preserves its original characteristics: High ceilings, huge windows, a big porch, internal patios and the incessant feeling of being right at home.


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By Bob Hurt, 4 November 2015
The 2 November 2015 US Supreme Court denial of certiorari in Tran v Bank of New York settled once-and-for-all the spurious assertion that borrowers can challenge putative violations of the Pooling and Servicing Agreement (PSA) creating a securitization trust. Borrowers, encouraged by Glaski v BOA, a California appellate win for the borrower, have claimed that because New York Law voids assignment of a note into a trust after its closing date in the PSA, the assignee has no authority to enforce the note in a foreclosure effort.
This argument boils down to nothing more than a borrower's effort to use quirks in the law to get a "free house" by preventing foreclosure because the borrower did not make timely payments. Bottom line the courts will not allow a borrower to get a free house unless the lender team injured the borrower sufficiently to justify it.
Numerous California courts have deprecated the Glaski opinion, as have other courts across the land. Now the US Supreme Court has flicked its chin at it.
The US 2nd Circuit supported the NY Southern District in its reliance upon the 2nd Circuit's Rajamin v Deutsche Bank opinion that borrowers lack standing to challenge the PSA or any assignment of the note because they
- Never became a party to the PSA or assignment
- Did not get injured by the PSA violation or assignment, and
- Receive no 3rd party benefits from the PSA or assignment.
Now, the SCOTUS has put the KIBOSH forever on the frivolous argument that the borrower can cite irregularities in obeying the PSA and assigning the note as a basis for stymieing a foreclosure. I have presented full opinions of the relevant cases. READ THEM.
If you want to know how to prove the lender team injured the borrower, and how the borrower can use that proof to win millions in compensatory and punitive damages, visit http://MortgageAttack.com.
Court Opinion Links:
- Tran v. Bank of New York, Supreme Court of the United States 2 Nov 2015
- Tran v. Bank of New York, Court of Appeals, 2nd Circuit 2015
- Tran v. Bank of New York, Dist. Court, SD New York 2014
- RAJAMIN v. DEUTSCHE BANK NATIONAL TRUST COMPANY, Court of Appeals, 2nd Circuit 2014
- Glaski v. Bank of America, 218 Cal. App. 4th 1079 – Cal: Court of Appeal, 5th Appellate Dist. 2013
Download this article with the above opinions embedded. Distribute broadly.


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WASHINGTON (AP) — The House on Thursday extended disaster assistance to livestock producers reeling from rising feed prices caused by the drought that has scorched much of the nation.
The 223-197 vote to revive expired disaster relief programs for cattle and sheep producers was one of the House's last actions before lawmakers left for their five-week August recess.
The Senate was not acting on the bill as it wrapped up its pre-recess work, and Democratic opponents characterized the legislation as cover for Republicans having to explain to rural constituents why they put off action on a comprehensive five-year farm policy bill.
While many crop farmers have insurance that provides some protection from the effects of the worst drought in a quarter-century, livestock producers are vulnerable to sharp increases in feed prices resulting from the dry weather. Some have had to liquidate stocks early because of the high maintenance costs.
The bill would restore four disaster aid programs, mostly for livestock producers and tree farmers, that expired last year. The estimated cost, $383 million, would be paid for by shaving some $630 million from two conservation programs. The disaster programs would be restored for the 2012 budget year.
While there was little dispute over the difficult straits of the livestock industry, there was opposition to the bill from environmental groups disturbed by the cuts to the conservation programs, anti-tax groups who saw the bill as another government bailout and agriculture groups who have been pushing the House to vote on a five-year farm bill that, in addition to making fundamental changes in agriculture safety nets, would restore the disaster relief programs. The current long-term farm bill expires at the end of September.
The top Democrat on the House Agriculture Committee, Rep. Collin Peterson of Minnesota, said that while he would vote for the disaster relief measure, "this bill is a sad substitute for what is really needed, a long-term farm policy." He said that while the legislation would help cattle and sheep farmers, "dairy and specialty crop producers will be left hurting and there is no assistance for pork and poultry producers."
Another Agriculture Committee Democrat, Jim Costa of California, said he opposed the bill. "The drought relief package that we are voting on I believe is sadly more about giving the Republican leadership relief when they go back to their districts in August than helping our nation's farmers, ranchers and dairymen."
The Senate in June passed, on a bipartisan vote, a five-year farm bill that revises crop subsidy programs, eliminating direct payments to farmers even when they don't plant crops, and authorizes nearly $100 billion a year for subsidy, conservation and food stamp programs. The House Agriculture Committee last month approved similar legislation.
But the House GOP leadership has resisted bringing the bill to the floor, leery of a potential rebellion from conservative lawmakers against spending levels in the bill — particularly the nearly $80 billion a year for the food stamp program, which provides food aid to some 46 million people. Some Democrats, in turn, oppose the House bill because it cuts 2 percent, or $1.6 billion a year, from the food stamp program.
House leaders last week proposed legislation that would have combined disaster relief with a one-year extension of the existing farm law. That was widely criticized by farm groups, who said farmers need the certainty of a new five-year bill, and Senate Democrats, who warned that it was a ploy to block consideration of the new bill. The one-year extension idea was abandoned this week.
The head of the Senate Agricultural Committee, Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., said after the House vote that "we have to address what's happening to livestock" but that it would be more appropriate to negotiate a compromise on the farm bill that includes comprehensive disaster relief and safety net provisions covering all food producers. She said informal talks would be held over the August recess with the intention of coming up a plan that could be offered to the House and Senate in September.
House Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas, R-Okla., said his "priority remains to get a five-year farm bill on the books." But he said the more pressing issue was ensuring that drought-hit farmers were protected. "Vast areas of productive pastureland are burning up and our ranchers are in dire need."
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced Wednesday that some 3.8 million acres of conservation land would be opened for emergency haying and grazing to bring relief to livestock producers dealing with shortages of hay and pastureland. He also said farmers would be given an extra 30 days to make insurance premium payments this year without incurring interest penalties on unpaid premiums.
Vilsack also signed disaster designations for an additional 218 counties in 12 states. Half of all counties in the country have been designated disaster areas by the Agriculture Department in 2012, mainly due to drought.
Also on Thursday, 156 lawmakers wrote Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson urging her to relax government rules requiring that a certain percentage of corn production go to making ethanol for transportation fuel.
"Relief from the Renewable Fuels Standard is extremely urgent because another short corn crop would be devastating to the animal agriculture industry, food manufacturers, food service providers, as well as consumers," said the letter sponsored by Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., and Mike McIntyre, D-N.C. They said about 40 percent of the corn crop now goes into ethanol production.


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Two years ago at the Community of Democracies (CD) in Vilnius, Aung San Suu Kyi appeared via video message, addressing former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, foreign ministers, presidents, and human rights activists from under house arrest in Burma. While she wasn't physically present, her grace and strength were felt even from thousands of miles away. I remember she said she was "full of hope and full of anticipation for what the not too distant future will bring us."
Those were telling words. This week, in Ulaanbaatar, at the seventh ministerial of the CD, Aung San Suu Kyi once again addressed the audience – this time in person. Back straight, regal, and elegant with flowers adorning her hair, Dau Suu said she never lost faith that humans "desire light above darkness." She walked among the other dignitaries and yet always stood apart. As one official noted, she seemed like "the next Mandela." Her moral force reminded all of us that we have a duty to remember those who do not live free and to work tirelessly to ensure that one day they can.
Dau Suu's remarks were followed by Tawakkol Karman, a brave young Yemeni woman who won the Nobel Prize for her non-violent struggle for the safety of women and women's rights in peacebuilding work in Yemen. Her emotional appeal to "stop the killing in Syria and the killing of Muslims in Burma" was blunt, forceful, and a sharp contrast to the more diplomatic speeches that such gatherings inevitably generate.
Deputy Secretary Burns delivered a powerful message from President Obama about generating the "new technologies and tools for activism." It is our hope that the information technology revolution means we will continue to open governments and transform the global struggle for democracy and human rights. For innovation not only makes hiding corruption even harder, it can help governments listen and respond to their citizens.
And we are already seeing results. One of the most interesting and informative presentations was from an Indonesian leader proudly showing how her government is using technology to empower citizens to hold governments accountable in ways that even the world's oldest, most established, democracies would do well to replicate. Mongolian officials, our hosts, were talking of transparency, open societies, shared lessons on democratic transition and cooperation with emerging democracies.
At USAID, we are embracing this virtuous cycle through Making All Voices Count, the Open Government Partnership, and by supporting game-changing innovations from governments, partners, organizations, and change agents around the world. We believe these efforts will help new democracies deliver to their citizens, empower civil society activists, and challenge authoritarians everywhere. We have seen a lot of progress since the last CD in 2011 but we have also seen a backlash in many places. Governments attempt to rule by laws designed to close space around civil society and activists. While many of us have hope that such efforts do not have a bright future in the hyper-connected 21st century, we met many activists that live daily with security services trailing and jailing them. I must remind myself that change is possible and hope that when I see them at the next CD, their lives are transformed by freedom.


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Murdered Mississippi mayoral candidate remembered as leader
CLARKSDALE, Miss. – Friends and relatives are remembering a slain Mississippi mayoral candidate as a humble leader who wanted to serve his community.
Hundreds of people gathered at the Coahoma County College for Marco McMillian's funeral. The Clarksdale mayoral candidate was killed in late February. Authorities have charged 22-year-old Lawrence Reed in McMillian's death. Few details have been released.
The Commercial Appeal in Memphis, Tenn., reports that more than 100 members of his Phi Beta Sigma fraternity attended.
Georgia congressman John Lewis praised McMillian as a young man who was willing to give up the prime of his life to serve his community.
Carter D. Womack, McMillian's godfather, says the family is still hoping for justice -- and more information about what happened to the 33-year-old man.


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Recently I spoke at the Southeast Valley .NET User Group, in Arizona, about iOS programming from a .NET developer's perspective. I really enjoyed speaking to the group and they had a bunch of good questions for me. Sharing my experiences in the "other world" is an interesting challenge!
I went into detail about how native iOS programming compares to .NET programming. The presentation briefly covered many of the topics that my book 'iOS Programming for .NET Developers' goes into in great detail. For example, I spent some time comparing Objective-C to C# and showing how to translate between them.
I exported my slide deck to a PDF, which can be downloaded from this blog post.
iOS Programming for .NET Devs Slides


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The Doctor is out on Doctor Who.
Matt Smith, who plays the title role in the BBC series, will make his exit at the end of the year after starring in the show's 50th anniversary 3D special on Nov. 23 and the annual Christmas special, when he will regenerate.
Doctor Who Renewed for Season 8
"Doctor Who has been the most brilliant experience for me as an actor and a bloke, and that largely is down to the cast, crew and fans of the show," Smith said in a statement. "I'm incredibly grateful to all the cast and crew who work tirelessly every day, to realise all the elements of the show and deliver Doctor Who to the audience. It's been an honour to play this part, to follow the legacy of brilliant actors, and helm the TARDIS for a spell with 'the ginger, the nose and the impossible one.' But when ya gotta go, ya gotta go and Trenzalore calls. Thank you guys. Matt."
Is Doctor Who racist?
Added executive producer Steven Moffat: "This isn't the end of the story, because now the search begins. Somewhere out there right now - all unknowing, just going about their business - is someone who's about to become The Doctor. A life is going to change, and Doctor Who will be born all over again! After 50 years, that's still so exciting!"
Last month, Doctor Who was renewed for an eighth season.
Will you miss Smith as the Doctor? Who do you think should replace him?
I for one was hoping for Matt to stay for season . I liked his take on the Doctor.


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Those of you who follow me regularly know that I have not yet had the opportunity to be represented on the Freshly Pressed page of WordPress.com. In my thorough studies of the blog posts that have earned that honor, I have noticed that many are often food related and deliver in-depth instructions and photographs related to food preparation and fine dining in the home. I thought it would be a good idea to write some posts on some of the fine foods that we eat a lot of here at The Brown Road Chronicles. So, today I've chosen four of our most popular meals, all of which have a French influence and all of which can be easily prepared at home with simple ingredients and in relatively short time for those of you who are busy with jobs and children and families. As with many fine foods from European cultures and especially those from France, they are often difficult to pronounce properly. Here at The Brown Road Chronicles, however, we encourage you to partake in these recipes with your finest French accent. We find this increases the pleasure you will experience when you finally get the opportunity to dine. Enjoy!
1. Nudlés et Fromage au Robért de Sponge:
An excellent choice for any meal of the day, but we typically prepare this fine meal for lunch and dinner.
Nudlés au Robért de Sponge
1 Cup Milk
Fromage de Florescent Orange
Preparation Instructions:
In a medium sized pot, boil approximately two cups of water. Add the Nudlés au Robért de Sponge and boil until tender. Drain the Nudlés au Robért de Sponge. Add approximately one cup of milk. Tear open the package of Fromage de Florescent Orange and sprinkle into pot. Mix thoroughly and enjoy.
Note: the Nudlés au Robért de Sponge can be replaced with Nudlés de la Elbeaux.
2. Pinut Butré and Gelée on Wheat Bread
This is a quick meal that can be eaten at any time of the day as a snack or perhaps even as the main course of a bag lunch.
Two slices Wheat Bread (or bread of your choice)
Pinut Butré
Gelée (Grape or Strawberry)
Preparation Instructions:
Take the two slices of Wheat Bread and set them on a plate or counter top. Using a knife, cover one slice of bread generously with the Pinut Butré. Lick knife. With the same knife, cover the other slice of bread generously with the Gelée. Put the two slices of bread together with the Pinut Butré and the Gelée sides together. Enjoy.
Note: Bread au Wondére makes an excellent bread choice as well
3. Haute Dauge au Meat de la Mystére
This meal makes another excellent choice for lunch or dinner. We don't often eat this particular meal for breakfast as it has been known to cause slight indigestion.
One Haute Dauge au Meat de la Mystére
One Bunné
Mustard, Ketchup, Relish or other preferred condiments
Preparation Instructions:
Insert Haute Dauge au Meat de la Mystére into Microwave and heat on high for 30 seconds. Do not be concerned if Haute Dauge au Meat de la Mystére has areas that look burnt and exploded. It will not affect the flavor. Insert Haute Dauge au Meat de la Mystére into Bunné. Add condiments as desired. Enjoy.
4. Flakes au Maize avec Sucre
This is an excellent choice for breakfast, but also makes a great dinnertime meal when in a hurry. For example, I had Flakes au Maize avec Sucre as my dinner last night as I was rushing to a meeting I had to attend. Sometimes it can be less filling than desired, so when I returned from my meeting I had a Haute Dauge au Meat de la Mystére.
Flakes au Maize avec Sucre
Preparation Instructions:
Pour Flakes au Maize avec Sucre into a large bowl. Add milk. Enjoy.
I hope you enjoy these fine French recipes and I encourage you to try them at home. We here at The Brown Road Chronicles certainly have gotten plenty of nutritious mileage from them. I will tell you as well, I thoroughly enjoyed writing about food and plan on sharing some of our other fine recipes in future posts. So please keep an eye out.
Next up? Helpére de la Hambergére. Stay tuned…