text:
A Focus on Specific Dropouts Can Help Colleges Raise Completion Rates
College dropouts who came close to graduating but didn't quite finish could be a key target for higher-education institutions that are under the gun to improve their completion rates, according to a report released on Tuesday by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.
Instead of focusing only on helping new students succeed, colleges should also be reeling in some of the four million who intended to earn degrees and finished at least two years of study before falling off track, it says. Those "potential completers" make up a small fraction of the 31 million people the clearinghouse estimates have left college without earning a degree or certificate over the past 20 years.
We're sorry. Something went wrong.
We are unable to fully display the content of this page.
The most likely cause of this is a content blocker on your computer or network. Please make sure your computer, VPN, or network allows javascript and allows content to be delivered from c950.chronicle.com and chronicle.blueconic.net.
Once javascript and access to those URLs are allowed, please refresh this page. You may then be asked to log in, create an account if you don't already have one, or subscribe.
If you continue to experience issues, contact us at 202-466-1032 or firstname.lastname@example.com
College dropouts who came close to graduating but didn't quite finish could be a key target for higher-education institutions that are under the gun to improve their completion rates, according to a report released on Tuesday by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.
Instead of focusing only on helping new students succeed, colleges should also be reeling in some of the four million who intended to earn degrees and finished at least two years of study before falling off track, it says. Those "potential completers" make up a small fraction of the 31 million people the clearinghouse estimates have left college without earning a degree or certificate over the past 20 years.
Chasing down former students can be expensive and time-consuming, and knowing which ones are mostly likely to return helps. Some may have completed the coursework needed for an associate degree, and others may be just a few credits away.
"Because most data up to now has focused only on the graduation rates of first-time, full-time students, those with some college, no degree have been overlooked," the report says. They can't afford to be forgotten today, the researchers say.
With the intense pressure federal and state governments are putting on colleges to increase their completion rates, "focusing on first-time, traditional-age students isn't going to be enough," Afet Dundar, associate director of the research center and one of the report's authors, said in an interview.
"There are four million people who made at least two years of progress in two- or four-year colleges," she added. "This is a huge potential for us."
The report, supported by a grant from the Lumina Foundation, digs through two decades of data to outline enrollment patterns among dropouts. The data, which could help both recruit former students and advise those at risk of dropping out, come from 3,600 participating colleges, representing 96 percent of enrollments nationwide.
Project Win-Win
Most former students in the target group are ages 24 to 29 and left college two to six years ago, as of December 2013. Most attended only one or two colleges, and they were almost equally divided between two- and four-year institutions, with many having attended both. The target group includes slightly more women than men.
Here's who probably won't return: Nearly a third of the "noncompleters" enrolled for only a single term at a single institution, so college probably is no longer on their radar. Others took courses at community colleges to improve their job skills or to switch careers, but never intended to graduate. A degree, to them, probably isn't a big deal, and the time and effort it would take to hunt them down might be wasted.
Returning for an associate degree might also be a tough sell for students who enrolled in community colleges with plans to transfer to four-year colleges, since they never counted on getting a two-year degree.
This isn't the first large-scale effort to help colleges lure back former students. Working with 61 colleges across nine states, Project Win-Win, which ended last year, helped some 6,700 former students earn associate degrees.
Cliff Adelman, a senior associate at the Institute for Higher Education Policy, which helped lead the project, welcomed the latest study, but he questioned the research center's decision to reach back 20 years to locate students. Project Win-Win went back only five to seven years because older credits often weren't recognized, he said by email.
"In some fields (e.g., nursing) 'old' means more than two years," he wrote. "So if one is talking about bringing back students who have been out of school for 20 years, lots of luck." In his study, researchers were unable to find about a quarter of the students who either qualified for the degrees or were close.
Stop Outs and Dropouts
The research center allowed The Chronicle to share the new report with Stan Jones, president of the nonprofit advocacy group Complete College America. He praised its "powerful insights" but added that "our focus cannot solely be about the recruitment and outreach to 'noncompleters' and 'potential completers.' We must also ensure the system they are entering is one where their success is far more likely." His group has lobbied state lawmakers to base part of their higher-education allocations on completion and other measures of success, and has prescribed its own "game-changing" strategies for student success.
The clearinghouse's report also focuses on another category of former students whom colleges have the best chances of retrieving: those who attended at least two terms at more than one college, often part time and with a few stops along the way. It calls those students "multiple-term enrollees."
Not surprisingly, the more often students "stop out"—to care for young children or aging parents, or to earn money to pay for a degree—the less likely they are to make it to the finish line, the statistics show. That's the kind of data advisers can use, the researchers note, to encourage students to remain enrolled.
Colleges can track former students using the clearinghouse's StudentTracker service, zeroing in on those the report indicates are most likely to return. And a college can tailor its outreach to those groups: Evening and weekend courses, for instance, might help those juggling multiple responsibilities.
"Knowing students' age may help institutions to design outreach efforts based on their current stage in life," the report notes. "Similarly, knowing how long the student has spent out of the college setting allows institutions to tailor advice about the need to revalidate credits or whether a degree could be finished before that process needs to take place."
Helping students finish what they started should be a national priority, Joni E. Finney, a practice professor at the University of Pennsylvania's Graduate School of Education, said in a news release accompanying the report. "These students represent a vast resource of untapped educational capital that the country can ill afford to overlook."


text:
BOON Cube Storage Shelf Square Step 3x3:
The BOON cube storage system is designed for use in any room in your home. Made of eco-friendly chipboard material, these storage solutions are lightweight and sturdy.
BOON provides ultimate versatility with a wide range of customizable configurations to fit any height, length or 90 degree corner desired.
From a small 1x1 accent shelf to a statement 6x6 shelving system, BOON offers the finest quality in cube shelving and storage. Adjustable feet allow you to place your BOON shelving system on uneven surfaces.
Assembly of the BOON shelving system is required. While the process is not overly difficult, we do recommend having two people present to support the shelf while assembling.
All necessary hardware will be provided unless otherwise listed.
|Product Dimensions: 43.1 x 43.9 x 12.9 in
|Shelf Board Thickness: 1.1 in
|Product Material: Eco-friendly Chipboard with a Scratch-Resistant Melamine Coating
|Weight Capacity per Shelf: 33 lbs
|Product Weight: 81.94 lbs
|Designed and produced in Europe

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Nappy Liners
Browse our range of the best Nappy Liners on the market, from brands such as Tots Bots, Little Lamb, Cannymum and Close Parent. Many parents decide to opt for liners with their reusable nappy systems, and these can be in either washable nappy liner or disposable nappy liner form. Washable nappy liners are typically made from fleece fibre, which are useful inside bamboo or cotton nappies to create that stay-dry layer next to your babies skin. They can also make the removal of solids from your nappies easier, and help to prevent staining. Disposable nappy liners are always handy to have around- many parents use them inside their nappies 100% of the time to aid with the easy removal of solids straight into the toilet or the bin. Even if you decide not to use them full time, disposable liners are handy if you need to use nappy rash cream to protect transfer onto your nappies, or for easy 'out and about' nappy changing.


text:
My favorite city in the world. We'd been there once before, nine years ago. This time we rented a tiny apartment in the Marais. On our first walk out, we found ourselves at the Pompidou Center, just a few blocks away.
That evening, we went for a walk and saw these dancers at the Hotel de Ville. Tango?
We crossed the Seine, and found ourselves at Notre Dame.
I love Paris. It's ancient and modern at the same time. And I have a weakness for cathedrals, palaces, and iconic monuments like Les Invalides and the Arc de Triomphe. Why don't we have more monuments here? (Um, because Napoleon's not around to build monuments to his own glory?) My favorite:
Especially at night.
Or any time.
We took a side trip to Reims to visit Champagne caves and the cathedral there. Notre Dame de Reims is even more airy gothic than Notre Dame de Paris. What a difference a century made, as they were figuring out the engineering in the 12th and 13th centuries.
So different from the Romanesque St. Germain des Pres in Paris, dating from about 1014.
Check out these bottles at Taittinger. A normal champagne bottle is second from the right.
95,000 bottles of Taittinger Comtes de Champagne.
Back in Paris, behind Notre Dame, we saw this bridge that was covered with locks. Apparently couples commemorate their love this way.
We even saw locks on the statues on the Pont Alexandre III. (This bridge is another over-the-top monument to past glory.)
Fabrice Risi runs an excellent ice cream cart at the north end of the bridge. I really only wanted a bottle of water, but he gave us a sample of his mango ice cream and I was hooked. It tasted like fresh mangoes! But I opted for chocolate instead. Divine.
I enjoyed the charm of circular staircases. This one is at end of 284 steps at the Arc de Triomphe, looking down…
And this one is at Taittinger, looking up.
We loved the Rodin Museum. Of course, I had to do this:
Don't miss my post on yarn shopping at La Droguerie! I didn't see anyone knitting in public, but local mass transit wasn't really optimal for it. I did knit on trains between cities, finishing a shawlette that I ripped out when I came home. (It's done now, and I love it. I'm knitting version B now. Post soon.)
Travel note: I loved having apartments in Amsterdam and Paris, and would highly recommend this if you're staying more than two nights. We had wireless internet in both, and a washing machine/dryer in Paris. It's so nice to be able to have breakfast (and sometimes happy hour) at "home" instead of having to go out for every meal. It was also less expensive than a hotel for us in both cities.
It was fun to be a part of a neighborhood. I had my favorite boulangerie, wine shop, cheese shop, and produce stand. I had a little game going with myself. The object was to go in, greet the shopkeeper, have a little interaction/conversation and keep it all in French from beginning to end. Most of the time I was successful, but on my third visit to the wine shop, I thought I had counted exact change, but I wasn't quite right. I stood there, befuddled, with a handful of coins. The shopkeeper helpfully plucked the correct change from my palm, and said, "thank you." Busted!
Fashion note: Animal prints are everywhere, and I love them. First of all, my boots from Bruges.
One print item is usually enough, but the woman in front of me in the passport control line had a leopard print bag AND zebra print shoes.
This huge billboard at Histoire d'Or on Rue de Rivoli intrigued me enough that I went in to price the watch.
He didn't have any in stock, but they were due in the next week, and cost 199 euro. Too rich for me! He gave me a card so I could call him back…in French.


text:
'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house...
Every creature was still stirring, much to Faith Hill's considerable chagrin.
"Each year, we try to read the Bible story and the poem ''Twas the Night Before Christmas,'" Hill recalls with a sigh. "But last year, we got a late start on everything, so we figured we could just skip the poem and hurry everyone along to bed. Well, our girls were just not having it. They started wailing, 'Nooo, we have to read it! We have to!' So we tried reading it real fast — 'TwasthenightbeforeChristmasdahdahdah' — and skipping a couple of parts, but our girls knew what was going on and they kept saying, 'No, you left out the part where he went to the window!' Tim and I were looking at each other thinking, How are we going to get these kids to go to sleep, already? We're so tired!"
More From Good Housekeeping
Hill probably won't have a chance to rest up for Christmas this year. She's just released her seventh album, The Hits, featuring her most popular songs as well as three new tracks. And she hasn't finished unpacking from the joint world tour she and her superstar husband, country singer Tim McGraw, completed last summer with their three daughters — Gracie, 10, Maggie, 9, and Audrey, 6 — in tow. The family got home to Nashville just a few weeks before school started. "I still have stacks of clothes and boxes in my dining room," says Hill, who is 40.
Soon, though, everything will be stowed to make way for Hill and McGraw's monthlong holiday festivities. Raised with two older brothers in tiny Star, MS, Hill is the kind of woman who places a lot of importance on family rituals. She and McGraw, from the small town of Start, LA, have been married for 11 years. Though they have busy performing schedules (and 16 platinum albums, eight Grammys, and 13 Country Music Awards between them), the girl from Star and the boy from Start clear their calendars every December and get down to the very important job of celebrating the season. They have a particularly good reason for getting in the spirit early.
"Our youngest daughter, Audrey, was born on December 6," Hill says, settling on a couch at a studio near her home in Nashville. "She was eight weeks premature, and we were finally able to bring her home the day before Christmas Eve. So this time of year just feels extra-special to us. And now, every year, to celebrate Audrey's birthday, we decorate the tree on the sixth. It's a little bit of a challenge, keeping a live tree fresh for the entire month of December. But there's no other way we'd do it: We decorate on the sixth, and it has to be a live tree."
In fact, Hill says, the family has developed a number of Christmas rituals that absolutely, positively must be followed. "One year, I decorated a little differently, and the girls were crazed. They said: 'What do you mean you're not going to put the Christmas carolers on the piano? They have to be there, they're there every year!'" Hill shrugs as she pulls back her butter-blond hair. "You know, I was the same way when I was little: Mom, you have to put the ball on that side of the tree because we always put it on that side! So, we're pretty steeped in tradition at our house."
One of those traditions is the annual gift for Santa's hardworking sleigh pullers. "We make food for the reindeer," Hill says. "It's oatmeal, birdseed...and silver glitter. When you have girls, you have glitter. We mix it up and then we throw it all over the lawn, so that when Santa lands, the reindeer will have something to eat. And wouldn't you know it, every year, amazingly, one of the reindeer drops a little silver sleigh bell onto the lawn. So the girls have a nice collection."
Click on the next page to continue reading about Faith Hill's holiday traditions.
They also have quite an assortment of seasonal sleepwear. "We open one present on Christmas Eve," Hill says, pulling her gray cardigan around her and hugging her knees to her chest. "And it's always matching pajamas for the girls. I want them to have the same ones, so I can take a really great picture of them, you know? But that's a stupid idea, clearly, because they all have different tastes. Last year, Gracie opened hers up and said, 'I don't like flannel, Mom. Don't ever buy me flannel pj's again.' Meanwhile, Tim makes this special spaghetti sauce every Christmas Eve, and it was taking forever and wasn't ready on time. And so we ended up rushing through the poem. And then, the next morning, no one wanted to eat the breakfast casserole I'd made — they all just wanted to race to the living room to open presents."
Hill says that when she thinks back to her own childhood Christmases, she often marvels at how her mother orchestrated the celebrations. "The hardest thing for me is planning ahead," she says, addressing her holiday snafus. "My mom was brilliant at it. For Christmas Day, she would have already made all of her desserts, and the sweet-potato casserole, and the stuffing — from scratch — days or even weeks in advance, so she could either freeze them or have them ready in the refrigerator.
"But not me," Hill says. "I'm doing it Christmas morning, after we've opened presents with the children, and it's exhausting. By about two o'clock in the afternoon, I'm ready to just lay on the couch for the rest of the day. This year, I'll try to plan it out better. Because not doing it is not an option. I think I'm a lot like other moms out there who feel like if we don't have the pecan pie we have every year, then it just won't be Christmas."
Whatever the subject, Hill's conversation soon turns to "our girls." Gracie, the eldest, is now at the stage where she's beginning to assert her personality — "I think that when she gets a little bit older, we'll become even closer," Hill says — and Maggie is a nature-obsessed animal lover who turned vegetarian for more than a year because she was so horrified by a storefront window full of fur coats. Audrey, the youngest, is smart, funny, "and very thoughtful," says her mom. "And lately, she's really been into opera." The girls' differences became clear when the family moved into a new home last year and Hill asked each daughter how she'd like her room to be decorated.
"Maggie said she wanted her room to look like 'the colors of the sunset in Africa.' Where she's never been. So I thought, Oh, that'll be easy," Hill says, rolling her eyes. "Audrey wanted hers to look like an opera house. And Gracie said, 'I don't care what it looks like as long as it's not classy.'" Hill leans back and lets out a whoop of laughter. "I mean, what? She said: 'I don't like your taste in furniture. So anything you'd pick out, I don't want in my room.' I think what she meant was that she didn't want anything traditional or old-fashioned; she wanted sleek and modern," Hill says. "But still: 'I don't want anything classy.' I thought, Well, I hope that doesn't apply to her taste in clothes once she's a teenager."
On a roll now, Hill leans forward to share another anecdote. "I don't know if I should even tell you this," she begins, then breaks into giggles. "It's just so funny. You know, we've done what all the books tell you you're supposed to do, and taught the girls all the proper names for their, um, anatomy. Now, in my day, that is not what was done; we definitely had cute little names for things. But the girls know what a vagina is." Hill's face flushes a bit as she says the word. "We have this rope swing in our backyard. And the other day, some lifelong family friends were over, and Audrey was on the swing. One of our friends was pushing her, and she was swinging pretty high. So he said to her, 'Are you OK, Audrey?' And she said 'Yeah, I'm fine...it's just that sometimes this swing gives me a vagina wedgie.' The poor guy pushing her didn't know what to say!"
Click on the next page to finish reading Faith Hill's holiday interview!
Hill dissolves into laughter, shaking her head at the memory. It's clear that nothing gives her as much pleasure as her girls and her husband, especially during the holidays. "The first year we were married and that we had Gracie, Tim wrote me a letter that he put in my stocking," she recalls. "And he wrote one to Gracie, too. Now he does it every year. I get a letter from him in my stocking, and so do each of the girls. I can't even tell you how much that means to me."
Hill and her husband don't give their daughters extravagant presents; they're adamant that the McGraw sisters will not be spoiled. "I grew up asking for everything under the sun for Christmas, but I knew I wasn't going to get it all," Hill says. "And we make sure that our girls realize that, too. We don't get them lavish gifts: Last year, glitter markers were a big hit."
And the fancy paper may be even more alluring than the present itself. "The girls do give each other gifts. But right now, it's mostly about the wrapping, and eventual unwrapping, for them," Hill says, laughing. "They just bring down stuff from their rooms that they don't want anymore, and say, 'I really want to wrap this for Sissy,' which is what they call each other. I say, 'But you just wrapped four other things for her!' But they say, 'Yeah, I know, but I really want her to have this, too.' And they give me and Tim gifts that they made in school. I just love that so much. I've saved every one of them."
Ultimately, of course, Christmas isn't about the stuff. Each year, Hill, McGraw, and the girls create new traditions — recently, they discovered the holiday movie The Family Stone and added it to their roster of must-see Christmas films — and Hill looks forward to watching her daughters pass these rituals on to their own families someday.
"We're raising our girls to understand the real meaning of Christmas, and to know that it's most important to have Christmas in your heart. We go to our local mall and donate toys, and we say prayers for all the people in the world who might not be as lucky as we are. And as they grow older, I just want the girls to know that Christmas is a special time, no matter what. Even if the pie turns out bad, or you spill the reindeer food on the floor, or the corn bread stuffing doesn't seem right.
"Even," she says with a grin, "if the pajamas are flannel."
Go to the next page to see a few of Faith's favorite things.
- Christmas carol: "I love 'Little Drummer Boy.' I'm working on a Christmas album right now, and that's going to be on there."
- Guilty pleasure: "Lay's Barbecue Potato Chips. And I'm not talking about the little bag — I like the great big bag, with some homemade ranch dip. And a real Coke. If I start eating that, there's no way for me to stop."
- Place in the world: "Home. And to me, home is Nashville. Especially at Christmas, Tim and I will get in the car with our kids and just drive around and look at the lights."
- Childhood gift: "A little wooden airplane that I could ride on, sort of like a rocking horse, but it had rubber wheels so I could scoot around the house in it."
- Holiday food: "I bake cookies with the girls every year, which is great. But when I was a girl, my parents grew their own vegetables in their garden, so I love vegetables, too. Of course, being a Southern cook, I make them in a way that removes whatever vitamins they might have. But there's nothing better than a good green-bean casserole."


text:
It's sure to meet resistance from the well-established vendors already at work on log file management. They include the widely used Splunk system, SolarWinds' Log and Event Manager, TripWire Log Management, and Sumo Logic. But it seems clear there will be no future software-defined data center without automated server log file analysis, and VMware is volunteering to take on the role from the vantage point of virtualized operations. Splunk has returned the compliment by offering Splunk for VMware, a product that collects log file data on the VMware environment.
VMware, like other vendors in the field, not only collects data but reviews it in real time, sorting out what indicates normal operations and focusing on abnormalities or patterns that might indicate the start of trouble. To do this for many servers with a low latency is no small task.
The typical vSphere server log file in the VMware environment generates at least 250 MB of data a day; a Microsoft Exchange Server will generate a GB. Keeping up with large numbers of these servers, along with virtual machine hosts, firewalls, Web servers, load balancers and database servers becomes a big data problem.
[ Want to learn more about VMware's entry into log file management? See VMware Tackles Server Log Data Pain. ]
Nevertheless, Splunk welcomed VMware into the marketplace, saying the addition of VMware's Log Insight "really validates our market," said VP Sanjay Mehta. Splunk better collects and analyzes machine data from a variety of systems in the data center, including alerts and click-stream data, not just virtualized server log files. It also offers specialized products looking at Hadoop or relational database systems.
"Data is only as good as the value that can be derived from it. Splunk allows many users within an enterprise to extract tremendous business value from their machine data," Mehta said in response to an email query about VMware's entry. "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery," he added as a parting shot. VMware is listed as a Splunk customer on its website.
Sumo Logic CEO Vance Loiselle said in an interview that it's important to know what to do with server log file information, once you've got it. He called the VMware offering "very limited" and said it's an on-premises product aimed squarely at the existing VMware customer base, not the larger data center, operations management market.
Like Sumo Logic's server log file data collection, VMware's is searchable. But Loiselle adds, "For search to be effective, you need to know what you're searching for." Sumo Logic, in the field since 2010, has an edge in that regard, he said. Splunk started shipping its product in 2006.
Sumo Logic has applied for a patent on its LogReduce sorting and analysis system, which reduces "millions of log lines into a handful of human digestible patterns," and allows its users to decipher more useful results. It's looking at Cisco network switch logs as well as server logs, for example, and sorting out the sequences and patterns that lead to system errors. Its LogReduce analysis system is looking for patterns that indicate trouble is starting to happen, not after it's already underway.
Loiselle said his firm "took a significant amount of time, two years, to develop LogReduce" and has spent the last 18 months refining what it can do. It's offered as an online service, and will analyze 500 messages a day for new prospects for free.
"The Splunk team has capabilities that surpass VMware," said Loiselle, but both Splunk and VMware are limited to on-premises installed products, unlike Sumo Logic's service.
A Splunk spokesman responded that it also offers a cloud-based version, called Splunk Storm.
Use of such products is likely to increase our knowledge of how to manage servers before they go down and how to keep an automated data center out of trouble. But server log file management is a field that is just starting to get sophisticated knowledge of what it can do. It may one day be a major contributor to continuous operations in the software-defined data center; right now it's a field of fierce competitive efforts.


text:
A Shi'ite View of the Companions
بِسْمِ اللَّـهِ الرَّحْمَـٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
The topic in this article is how the Shi'a view the companions of the Prophet Muhammad (S). In this part we shall look at Allah's (SWT) opinion, as stated in the Qur'an, with regards to the companions as well as the Prophet's (S) opinion through authentic Sunni traditions.
The Shi'a do not have a unique opinion towards the companions of the Prophet. Based on the relative authenticity and interpretations of the transmitted traditions, some arrive at different conclusions for the second faction of the companions mentioned below. Which tradition is more authentic and what is its correct meaning, is something debatable. However, here, I provide what is considered to be a typical Shi'ite position in this regard.
The Shi'a divide the companions into three factions: First, are those who believed in Allah (SWT), believed in the Prophet (S), and gave all they could for the sake of Islam. These are the highest in rank. These companions always supported the Prophet and were with him. They never disobeyed him in every other issue, nor did they ever accused him of talking non-sense! (may Allah protect us). Examples include, but are not limited to, 'Ali Ibn Abi Talib (as), Abu Dharr al-Ghifari, Salman al-Farsi, Miqdad, Amar Ibn Yasir, Jabir Ibn Abdillah al-Ansari, ... may Allah (SWT) be pleased with them.
The second group, are those who were Muslims, but were not sincere in their acts.
The third group, are those who became apostate after the death of Prophet as al-Bukhari recorded (see below), or those who neither believed in Allah (SWT), nor the Prophet (S) in the first place, but managed to infiltrate the Islamic isles to be included among the Muslims. These are the hypocrites, like Abu Sufyan, his son Muawiyah, and his grandson Yazid. Yazid, when he became caliph, said:
"Hashimite played with the throne, but no revelation was revealed, nor was there a true message!!!"
Sunni references:
- History of al-Tabari, Arabic, 13, p2174
- Tadhkirat al-Khawas, Sibt Ibn al-Jawzi al-Hanafi, p261
"Hashimite"is the clan and tribe of the Prophet (S), and this is an intentional pun suggesting that the Prophet (S) was a liar, not a true prophet. The "throne (sovereignty)"is an allusion to the control of the affairs of Mecca and the entire region, meaning that the tribe of Hashim controlled the entire region by virtue of the Message of Islam and that Muhammad (S) is the chosen Prophet, but really there was no revelation and there was no message!!! That is Yazid's opinion of Allah (SWT), Islam, and the Prophet (S). His father, Muawiyah, and his grandfather, Abu Sufyan, were no better. At the beginning the reign of Uthman when Umayad occupied the prominent positions, Abu Sufayn said:
"O Children of Umayyah! Now that this kingdom has come to you, play with it as the children play with a ball, and pass it from one to another in your clan. We are not sure whether there is a paradise or hell, but this kingdom is a reality."
Sunni references:
- al-Isti'ab, by Ibn Abd al-Barr, v4, p1679
- Sharh Ibn Abil Hadid, v9, p53 which quotes the last sentence as follows:
"By him in whose name Abu Sufyan swears, there is neither punishment nor reckoning, neither Garden nor Fire, neither Resurrection nor Day of Judgment!"
Then Abu Syfyan went to Uhud and kicked at the grave of Hamza (the uncle of the Prophet who was martyred in the Battle of Uhud in fighting against Abu Sufyan) and said: "O Abu Ya'la! See that the kingdom which you fought against has finally come back to us."(Sharh Ibn Abil Hadid, v16, p136).
Now let us see what his son, Muawiyah, said when he took over the Caliphate:
"I didn't fight you to pray, fast, and pay charity, but rather to be your leader and control you!!!"
This is an indication that Muawiyah never cared about any of Islam's mandates, nor Allah's (SWT) orders; rather his war was politically motivated to gain control of the whole region and take over the Caliphate. It is no wonder or surprise! Muawiyah poisoned Imam al-Hasan (as), the greater son of Fatimah (sa) -- the daughter of the Prophet (S).
Sunni references:
- Tadhkirat al-Khawas, Sibt Ibn al-Jawzi al-Hanafi, pp 191-194
- Ibn Abd al-Barr, in his "Seera"
- Abu Nu'aym
- Also reported by the traditionists such as al-Suddi and al-Sha'bi.
Then Yazid, the Muawiyah's son, slaughtered Imam al-Husayn (as), in the desert of Karbala in Iraq, and ordered that Imam al-Husayn's (as) head be carried on a spear and displayed in towns for people to see it! May Allah avenge the Prophet's family!!! May Allah avenge the Prophet's family!!!
May Allah avenge the Prophet's (S) family!!!
The Holy Qur'an
Now let us look at the Holy Qur'an for different categories:
The first faction of the companions are characterized by Allah (SWT) in this verse:
"Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah; and those who are with him are strong against the unbelievers, (but) compassionate amongst each other. Thou wilt see them bow and prostrate themselves (in prayer), Grace from Allah and (His) Good Pleasure. On their faces are their marks, (being) the traces of their prostration.
This is their similitude in the Taurat (Torah); And their similitude in the Gospel is: Like a seed which sends forth its blade, then makes it strong; it then becomes thick, and it stands on its own stem, (filling) the sowers with wonder and delight. As a result, it fills the Unbelievers with rage at them. Allah has promised those among them who believe and do righteous deeds Forgiveness, and a great Reward. (Qur'an 48:29)"
These companions (May Allah (SWT) be Pleased With Them), the Shi'a and the Sunnis have no quarrel about. As such, they will not be discussed here. However, note what Allah (SWT) in His (SWT) infinite wisdom states in the last line: "Allah has promised those among them who believe and do righteous deeds Forgiveness, and a great Reward."Now, note "...those among them..."Why didn't Allah (SWT) say "Allah has promised all of them?"Because not all of them were righteous! That's what the Shi'a are trying to convey to the world! The Sunnis, whenever they bless the Prophet (S), they also bless all the companions, with no exception. Why did Allah (SWT), their Creator (SWT), make an exception, while the Sunni Muslims don't? This is a sign for those who reflect...
Moreover, the verse specifies those who were with the Prophet, which means those who were obedient to him and did not oppose/discredit him. Certainly the hypocrites walked with the Prophet and used to attach themselves to him, yet no Muslim ever entitle them to the above verse which states "those who were with him".
As for the second faction of the companions, Allah (SWT) said:
"O ye who believe! What is the matter with you, that when ye are asked to go forth in the Cause of Allah, ye cling heavily to the earth? Do ye prefer the life of this world to the Hereafter? But little is the comfort of this life, as compared with the Hereafter. Unless ye go forth, He will punish you with a grievous penalty, and put others in your place; But Him ye would not harm in the least, For Allah hath power over all things."(Qur'an 9:38-39)
This is a clear indication that some of the companions were lazy during the call to Jihad and other activities, and, thus, deserved the above reprimand by Allah (SWT). This is not the only instance where Allah (SWT) threatened to replace them:
"... If you turn back (from the path), He will substitute in your stead another people; then they would not be like you! (Qur'an 47:38)"
Could you tell me Who Allah is referring by "you"in the above verse? Allah also said:
"O you who believe! Do not raise your voices above the voice of prophet ... lest your deeds become null while you do not perceive."(Qur'an 49:2).
Authentic Sunni traditions confirm that there have been some companions who used to oppose the Prophet's order and quarrel with him in several occasions:
a) There was the issue of the captives of the battle "Badr"that the Prophet ordered their freedom for payment of the ransom money (Fidyah), and these companions went against it.
b) There was the battle of "Tabook"that the Prophet ordered to slaughter the camels, to save their lives, and the same people went against it.
c) There was the treaty of "Hudabiyyah"that the Prophet wanted to make peace with people of Mecca, and the very same companions went against it and they even cast doubt about the prophethood of Muhammad (S).
d) There was the battle of "Hunain"where they accused the Prophet of injustice in distributing the war booty.
e) There was the appointment of "Usamah Ibn Zayd"who was assigned as the leader of Islamic army by the Prophet, and these companions disobeyed the order to follow him.
f) There was a tragic Thursday when the Messenger of Allah wanted to state his will, and the very same companions accused him of talking non-sense and prevented him to do so.
And there are many more of such reports which can be even found in Sahih al- Bukhari.
As for the third faction of the companions, there is a whole chapter in the holy Qur'an addressing them: "al-Munafiqun --The Hypocrites -- Ch. 63", and beside that there are many other verses in this regard as well. Allah (SWT) states in the Qur'an:
"Muhammad is no more than a Messenger: many were the Messengers that passed away before him. If he died or were slain, will ye then turn back on your heels? If any did turn back on his heels, not the least harm will he do to Allah; But Allah (on the other hand) will swiftly reward those who (serve Him) with gratitude. (3:144)"
This verse was revealed when some of the companions ran away from the battle of Uhud, when they falsely heard that Prophet was killed. Although they were forgiven by Prophet later, but the above verse gives a possibility that some of the companions may abandon Islam if the Prophet
(S) dies. But Allah (SWT) makes exceptions:
"...those who (serve Him) with gratitude."
Again, Allah (SWT) states:
"O ye who believe! If any from among you turn back from his faith, soon will Allah produce a people whom He will love as they will love Him, --Lowly with the Believers, Mighty against the Rejecters, in the way of Allah, and never afraid of the reproaches of such as find fault. That is the Grace of Allah, which He will bestow on whom He pleaseth. And Allah encompasseth all, And He knoweth all things. (Qur'an 5:54)"
The Authentic Traditions
Before giving more straightforward verses from Qur'an for this third group, let me give you some traditions from Sahih al-Bukhari which confirms apostasy for them. Since al-Bukhari has confirmed the authenticity of the following tradition, I hope you do not consider him a "Kafir"after reading these traditions.
Note: As usual, the numbers match the Arabic-English version of Sahih al-Bukhari which is available in almost every places. The first number before the point indicates volume number, and the number after the point indicates the tradition number (NOT the page number). For example Hadith 8.578 indicates volume 8, tradition #578.
Sahih al-Bukhari Hadith: 8.578
Narrated 'Abdullah:
The Prophet said, "I am your predecessor at the Lake-Fount."'Abdullah added: The Prophet said, "I am your predecessor at the Lake-Fount, and some of you will be brought in front of me till I will see them and then they will be taken away from me and I will say, 'O Lord, my companions!' It will be said, 'You do not know what they did after you had left.'
Sahih al-Bukhari Hadith: 8.584
Narrated Anas:
The Prophet said, "Some of my companions will come to me at my Lake Fount, and after I recognize them, they will then be taken away from me, whereupon I will say, 'My companions!' Then it will be said, 'You do not know what they innovated (new things) in the religion after you."(also Sahih Muslim, part 15, pp 53-54)
Sahih al-Bukhari Hadith: 8.585
Narrated Abu Hazim from Sahl bin Sa'd:
The Prophet said, "I am your predecessor (forerunner) at the Lake- Fount, and whoever will pass by there, he will drink from it and whoever will drink from it, he will never be thirsty. There will come
to me some people whom I will recognize, and they will recognize me, but a barrier will be placed between me and them."Abu Hazim added: Nu'man bin Abi 'Aiyash, on hearing me, said. "Did you hear this from Sahl?"I said, "Yes."He said, "I bear witness that I heard Abu Said al-Khudri saying the same, adding that the Prophet said: 'I will say: They are my companions. Then it will be said to me, 'You do not know what they innovated (new things) in the religion after you left'.
I will say, 'Far removed, far removed (from mercy), those who changed after me."Abu Huraira narrated that the Prophet said, "On the Day of Resurrection a group of companions will come to me, but will be driven away from the Lake-Fount, and I will say, 'O Lord (those are) my companions!' It will be said, 'You have no knowledge as to what they innovated after you left; they turned apostate as renegades (reverted from the true Islam
Sahih al-Bukhari Hadith: 8.586
Narrated Ibn al-Musaiyab:
"Some men from my companions will come to my Lake-Fount and they will be driven away from it, and I will say, 'O Lord, my companions!' It will be said, 'You have no knowledge of what they innovated after you left: they turned APOSTATE as renegades (reverted from true Islam)."
(also Sahih Muslim, part 10, p64, also P59)
Here is the original Arabic text of above Hadith (8.586) of al-Bukhari:
يردُ عليَّ الحوض رجال من أصْحابي فيحلون عنه. فأقول يا ربِّ أصحابي، فيقول إنَّكَ لا علم لك بما أحدثوا بعدك. إنَّهم ارْتَدَّوا على أدبارهم القهقري.
Sahih Bukhari Hadith: 8.587
Narrated Abu Huraira:
The Prophet said, "While I was sleeping, a group (of my followers were brought close to me), and when I recognized them, a man (an angel) came out from amongst (us) me and them, he said (to them), 'Come along.' I asked, 'Where?' He said, 'To the (Hell) Fire, by Allah' I asked, 'what is wrong with them?' He said, 'They turned apostate as renegades after you left.' Then behold! (Another) group (of my followers) were brought close to me, and when I recognized them, a man (an angel) came out from (me and them) he said (to them); Come along.' I asked, "Where?' He said, 'To the (Hell) Fire, by Allah.' I asked, What is wrong with them?' He said, 'They turned apostate as renegades after you left. So I did not see anyone of them escaping except a few who were like camels without a shepherd."
Sahih al-Bukhari Hadith: 8.592
Narrated Asma 'bint Abu Bakr:
The Prophet said, "I will be standing at the Lake-Fount so that I will see whom among you will come to me; and some people will be taken away from me, and I will say, 'O Lord, (they are) from me and from my followers.' Then it will be said, 'Did you notice what they did after you? By Allah, they kept on turning on their heels (turned away from true Islam).' "The sub-narrator, Ibn Abi Mulaika said, "O Allah, we seek refuge with You from turning on our heels, or being put to trial in our religion."
Sahih al-Bukhari Hadith: 9.172
Narrated Asma':
The Prophet said, "I will be at my Lake-Fount (Kauthar) waiting for whoever will come to me. Then some people will be taken away from me whereupon I will say, 'My followers!' It will be said, 'You do not know they turned apostates as renegades (deserted their religion).'"(Ibn Abi Mulaika said, "Allah, we seek refuge with You from turning on our heels from the (Islamic) religion and from being put to trial").
Sahih al-Bukhari Hadith: 9.173
Narrated 'Abdullah:
The Prophet said, "I am your predecessor at the Lake-Fount (Kauthar) and some men amongst you will be brought to me, and when I will try to hand them some water, they will be pulled away from me by force whereupon I will say, 'O Lord, my companions!' Then the Almighty will say, 'You do not know what they did after you left, they introduced new things into the religion after you.'"
Sahih al-Bukhari Hadith: 9.174
Narrated Sahl bin Sa'd:
I heard the Prophet saying, "I am your predecessor at the Lake-Fount (Kauthar), and whoever will come to it, will drink from it, and whoever will drink from it, will never become thirsty after that. There will come to me some people whom I know and they know me, and then a barrier will be set up between me and them."Abu Sa'id al- Khudri added that the Prophet further said: "I will say those people are from me. It will be said, 'You do not know what changes and new things they did after you.' Then I will say, 'Far removed (from mercy), far removed (from mercy), those who changed after me!' "
Sahih al-Bukhari Hadith: 8.434
Narrated 'Uqba bin 'Amir:
The Prophet went out and offered the funeral prayer for the martyrs of the (battle of) Uhud and then ascended the pulpit and said, "I am your predecessor and I am a witness against you. By Allah, I am now looking at my Tank-lake (Al-Kauthar) and I have been given the keys of the treasures of the earth (or the keys of the earth). By Allah! I am not afraid that you become polytheist after me, but I am afraid that you will start competing for it (i.e., the pleasures and treasures of this world).
إنِّي و الله ما أخافُ عليكم أن تشركوا بعدي و لكني أخافُ عليكم أن تنافسوا فيها.
Sahih al-Bukhari Hadith: 3.555
Narrated Abu Huraira:
The Prophet said, "By Him in Whose Hands my soul is, I will drive some people out from my (sacred) Fount on the Day of Resurrection as strange camels are expelled from a private trough."
Sahih al-Bukhari Hadith: 4.375
Narrated Anas bin Malik:
... The Prophet said to the Ansar: "You will find after me some great selfishness (UTHRAH). Then be patient till you meet Allah and meet His Apostle at al-Kauthar (i.e. a fount in Paradise)."(Anas added:) But we did not remain patient.
Note: In English translation of Sahih al-Bukhari 'Uthrah' (selfishness) has been translated to another word, but the rest are the same.
Sahih al-Bukhari Hadith: 5.488
Narrated al-Musaiyab:
I met al-Bara bin 'Azib and said (to him). "May you live prosperously! You enjoyed the company of the Prophet and gave him the Pledge of allegiance (of al-Hudaibiya) under the Tree (of al-Hudaybiyah)."On that, al-Bara' said, "O my nephew! You do not know what we have done after him (i.e. his death)."
These traditions, nonetheless, indicate the Prophet's (S) knowledge and awareness that some of his companions will change after him (S), and, therefore, will be condemned to hell. This is another reason why the Shi'a maintain that the Prophet (S) MUST have had a special vicegerent to trust the affairs of the Ummah (Nation) to -- a vicegerent that will NOT mutilate the religion and will remain steadfast until he meets his Creator (SWT).
It is a known fact that the companions quarreled after the death of the Prophet (S), and wars were waged. The fact, again and again, that the companions were divided is illuminated by Allah (SWT) in the following verse:
"Let there be among you an Ummah inviting to all that is good, enjoining what is right, and forbidding what is wrong. They are the ones to attain felicity. Be not like those who are divided
amongst themselves and fall into disputations after receiving Clear Signs: For them is a dreadful Chastisement. On the Day when some faces will be (lit up with) white, and some faces will be (in the gloom of) black: To those whose faces will be black, (will be said): Did ye reject Faith after accepting it? Taste then the Chastisement for rejecting Faith."(Qur'an 3:104-106)
The above verse shows among the companion there were a group (Ummah) who will remain righteous. The verse emphasizes that this Ummah is among them so it does not cover all of them. However. the latter part the verse describes the thrid group who were apostatized (turned back on) their faith after the Prophet (S) died. The verse indicates that on the Day of Judgment, there will be two factions: one with white-lit faces, and the other with black-lit faces; that's another hint that the companions will be divided.
Here are some more verses from the Qur'an that address the third group of companions and their actions:
"They swear by Allah that they said nothing (evil), but indeed they uttered blasphemy, and they uttered it after accepting Islam: and they meditated a plot which they were unable to carry out: this revenge of theirs was (their) only return for the bounty with which Allah and His Messenger had enriched them! If they repent, it will be best for them: But if they turn back (to their evil ways), Allah will punish them with a grievous chastisement in this life and in the Hereafter: They shall have none on earth to protect or help them. (Qur'an 9:74)"
"So He hath put as a consequence hypocrisy into their hearts, (to last) till the Day whereon they shall meet Him: because they broke their Covenant with Allah, and because they lied (again and again). (Qur'an 9:77)"
"The Arabs are the worst in unbelief and hypocrisy, and most fitted to be in ignorance of the command which Allah hath sent down to His Messenger: But Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise. (Qur'an 9:97)"
"Hast thou not turned thy thought to those who declare that they believe in the revelations that have come to thee and to those before thee? Their (real) wish is to resort together for judgment (in their
disputes) to the Evil (Tagut) though they were ordered to reject him. But Satan's wish is to lead them astray far away (from the Right). (Qur'an 4:60)"
"In their hearts is a disease; and Allah has increased their disease: And grievous is the chastisement they (incur), because they lied (to themselves). (Qur'an 2:10)"
Now let us look at the following verse:
"Has not the time arrived for the Believers that their hearts in all humility should engage in the remembrance of Allah and of the Truth which has been revealed (to them), and that they should not become like those to whom was given The Book aforetime, but long ages passed over them and their hearts grew hard? For many among them are rebellious transgressors. (Qur'an 57:16)"
There may be some translations which state that the above verse is meant to address the Jews and the Christians. That is not true, because it contradicts the verse itself. First, Allah (SWT) is addressing the companions and then comparing them to the Jews and the Christians. How then could it be that Allah (SWT) tells the Jews and the Christians: "Has not the time arrived for the Believers that their hearts in all humility should engage in the remembrance of Allah..."and then tell them: "...and that they should not become like those to whom was given The Book aforetime..."
Why would Allah (SWT) compare the Christians (or the Jews) to themselves? Does that make sense? No, and Allah (SWT) doesn't contradict Himself (SWT). Rather, the verse was revealed as a questioning by Allah (SWT) regarding some of the the Muhajiroon (the Immigrants), who 17 years after the Qur'an was revealed, had still not fully believed in their hearts. Allah (SWT), as a result, showed disapproval. Again, at the end, Allah points out that among them are many rebellious transgressors.
As we mentioned, there are some verses in Qur'an which admired the first faction among the companions. Nevertheless, these verses do not include ALL the companions. Qur'an often uses the phrase "believers among them"or "those who preceded in belief among them"which shows it does not address the whole companions. In fact some hypocrites were among the companions. If hypocrites were known among the companions they would be no longer hypocrites and would become known enemy,
Moreover, when Allah states I WAS pleased with them till today, it does not imply that they will also be good tomorrow. It is inconceivable that Allah will give a permanent immunity to some people who supposedly have done some good things earlier, but they shed the blood of thousands of innocent Muslims later after the departure of Prophet.
If it were so, it would mean that a companion could cancel all the Qur'anic rules and the instructions of the Prophet. However, as I mentioned, Shi'a do not discredit all the companions. There were companions who are in great respect for us. These are those whom Allah admired in the Holy Qur'an. As you might have noticed, those verses in the Holy Qur'an do not include all the companions. When Allah states:
And those who preceded (in belief), from among Immigrants and Helpers and those who followed them in what was good, Allah "WAS "satisfied with them; He has prepared for them gardens under which rivers flow to dwell therein for ever. That is the great felicity. (Qur'an 9:100)
And (however) among the Arabs around you are hypocrites, and also among the people of Madina (there are some who) persist in hypocrisy whom you (O Muhammad) do not know. We, We know them, and We shall punish them twice; then they will be sent to a painful doom. (Qur'an 9:101)
The above verses show that:
1- Allah WAS satisfied with them, but may not be applicable later.
2- Allah addressing those who preceded in belief from among them, thus it means He is not addressing all of the companions.
3- Immediately in the next verse, Allah talks about the hypocrites arround Prophet who pretend to be his sincere companions and even Prophet does not know them according to the above verse. This is in conformity with the traditions of Sahih al-Bukhari mentioned above that Allah will say to His Prophet that "You do not know what these companions have done after you left them."
Of course, there are verses in Qur'an in which Allah uses past tense verb, but it is intended as present and/or future tense verb. However it is not always the case. There are many verses in Qur'an in which Allah clearly states that He changes His decisions in time based on our actions at each instant of time. Allah is not in the domain of time, but He has ability to change his decision in the dimension of time. Of course He previously know what He will to change later, and He has the foreknowledge of every thing. He does not treat a believer in a bad manner today, even though He knows that this believer will become apostate tomorrow.
To clarify this point, please see verses of Qur'an such as 8:65-66, 7:153, 16:110, 16:119, 13:11, in which Allah clearly states He changes His decision based on our behavior. You can locate many verses like these in Qur'an.
Thus Allah's judgment about human beings changes in time according to our actions. If we do something good, He will get please with us, and then if we do something bad, He gets angry from us, and so on. Companions are not exempt from this rule. Any body who does good deeds, Allah was pleased with him, no matter if he was companion or not.
Allah is JUST. He does not discriminate between companion and others who live at this time. No body is guaranteed to go to paradise if he or she does wrong things, kills innocents,... . Otherwise Allah is not just. Allah states in Qur'an that
"Every body is responsible for what he has done."(Qur'an 74:38).
Allah Also states: "Fulfill your propmise, so that I fullfill My Promise."(Qur'an 2:40).
Thus even if we assume for the sake of argument that the verse 9:100 implies "all"the companions have been promised Paradise, the verse 2:40 clearly states that if those people break their convenant
after the death of the messenger of Allah and kill innocents, then Allah will not fulfill His promise for them either.
Let us also look at the following Qur'anic verses which clearly shows that even a person with high virtues who deserves paradise, can burn out all his good deeds (Habt of Amal) at once! So never judge people for their early good work (if any!). We should always look at the final result of each person. Even prophet didn't know what will be his destiny till he died (i.e., till he passed his final exam!) because he had freedom to do wrong things too.
Allah said:
"(O Prophet) If you ascribe a partner to Allah, your work will burn out, and you will be among the losers."(Qur'an 39:65)
If prophet's deeds are in danger of burning, it is clear how to judge for the companions. Of course prophet did not burn out his deeds, but there was potential of danger of burning for him too.
Allah also said:
"And if any of you turn back from their faith and die in disbelief, their works burn out and will be of no use in this world and Hereafter, and they will be companions of Fire for ever."(Qur'an 2:217)
He, Exalted, also said: "Those who become unbeliever after they have been believer, and grow violent in disbelief, their repentance will not be accepted and such people are those who go astray."(Qur'an 3:90)
He also said:
"On that day (Doomsday) some faces will be bright and some faces will be dark. To those whose faces will be dark (will be said:) Did you reject faith after accepting it? Taste the penalty for rejecting faith!"(Qur'an 3:106)
Allah also said:
"Those who believe, then reject faith, then believe (again), and then reject faith (again) and go on in disbelief, Allah willnot forgive them nor guide them on the way."(Qur'an 4:137)
So it is quite possible for a believer whom Allah is satisfied with him, to become unbeliever tomorrow. Otherwise if somebody is promised that Allah is satisfied with him for ever and unconditionally (no mater he kills innocents or does any other wrong thing later), then it means that he is no longer under the test of Allah, which is in contradiction with several verses of Qur'an.


text:
I can't think of anything I want more than lots of fresh salad these days. Yom Tov was great, but more food than we usually eat in an 8-day period. It's time to lighten up and eat more salad. That also means a new dressing. I love the fresh herbs that give this dressing so much flavor! Feel free to use dried herbs (use 1/3rd the amount of fresh) if you prefer.
This dressing is great with romaine lettuce and any mix-ins you like. I made it with cherry tomatoes, Persian cucumbers, hearts of palm, and avocado. It's also delicious on arugula, with mango and toasted nuts.
Fresh Herb Vinaigrette
Makes 1 ½ cups
1 cup olive oil (or vegetable oil if you prefer)
1/3 cup red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
¼ cup finely chopped shallot
2 tablespoons finely chopped oregano, thyme or basil or 1 teaspoon dried
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard or ½ teaspoon dry mustard
2 – 3 teaspoons sugar (or agave, maple syrup, brown sugar or honey)
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
In a screw-top jar, combine oil, vinegar, shallots, herbs, mustard, sugar, garlic, salt and pepper. Cover tightly and shake well. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use. Olive oil may solidify in refrigerator so take it out about an hour before using. Shake well.


text:
Take an extravagant excursion through the ancient civilizations of Egypt, Mesopotamia, the Indus Valley and China with Grammy Award winner Kitaro on his latest release, "Ancient". Kitaro manages to transport the listener to a mystical and contemplative place with the glorious textures of Great Pyramid. This magical journey also features the majestic and dramatic resonance of Nile and the eloquently evocative Unicorn, with it's airy, almost playful melodies. Ancient manages to create audio imagery with exotic, unpredictable sounds, ancient wind instruments, and among other things, the synthesizer. The result is a sound that seems primeval, yet Kitaro's artistic sensitivity makes it distinctly modern, ultimately exploring the connection between humans and the earth itself, which remains eternally beguiling and wonderously captivating in its mysteries.
1. Prologue
2. Main Theme Nile
3. Ancient Of Wind
4. Ritual Dance
5. Water Of Mystery
6. Tumba Dance
7. Wave From Ancient
8. Spirit Of Harp
9. Great Pyramid
10. Mysterious Triangle
11. Itonami
12. Unicorn
13. Crystal Sand
14. Dholavira
15. End Theme Beyond


text:
Adam S. Miller spends his days teaching philosophy to students at Collin College in McKinney, Texas, but the most important lessons he's ever prepared have been for his own children. He distilled many of those lessons into his new book, Letters to a Young Mormon. Miller's letters are meant for a young Mormon who is familiar with Mormon life but green in their faith. In simple but profound prose, Miller addresses the real beauty and real costs of trying to live a Mormon life in today's world. He encourages Mormons young and old to live in a way that refuses to abandon either life or Mormonism. Most importantly, even while dispensing wisdom, Miller wonders alongside the reader. Letters to a Young Mormon is unlike anything ever written for a young Latter-day Saint audience.
Letters—the first of the Maxwell Institute's new "Living Faith" book series—is now available on Amazon.
Adam S. Miller is a professor of philosophy at Collin College in McKinney, Texas. He and his wife, Gwen, have three children. He is the author of five books, including Rube Goldberg Machines: Essays in Mormon Theology, and he serves as the director of the Mormon Theology Seminar.
Advance praise for Letters to a Young Mormon:
"Letters to a Young Mormon frustrated me. Not that I didn't like it, because I enjoyed it immensely. No, it frustrated me because I only wish I had had such a book to read when I was a 1960s teenager with racing mind and hormones. And perhaps more poignantly, I wish it had been available when my children were passing through those difficult and impressionable years. Letters to a Young Mormon is both tender and gentle, and at the same time provocative and intellectually stimulating. Its disarming honesty is only surpassed by the significance of its messages. I recommend it wholeheartedly, for young and old."
–Robert L. Millet, Professor of Religious Education, Brigham Young University</strong
"Miller's letters read not like missives from a great distance or from lofty heights, but like the words of a friend who is just a little further along the road, sending back words of warning, encouragement, and the happy reminder to look at all the wonders along the path. No trail of breadcrumbs—these are small bright jewels to mark the way home."
—Kristine Haglund, Editor, Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought
Reviews of Letters to a Young Mormon:
- Chris Henrichson, "A Letter to My Young Mormon," Approaching Justice blog, January 7, 2014.
- EOR, "Letters to a Young Mormon: A Review," Rational Faiths blog, January 8, 2014.
- Neylan McBaine, "A Grateful Mother Of Young Mormons," January 9, 2014.
- Trevor Holyoak, "Book Review: Letters to a Young Mormon," FAIRMormon blog, January 9, 2014.
- Neal Rappleye, "'Until the Heart Betrays': Life, Letters, and the Stories We Tell," FAIRMormon blog, January 16, 2014.
- Gerald Smith, "Book Review: Letters to a Young Mormon," Millennial Star blog, January 16, 2014.
- David Tayman, "Review: Letters to a Young Mormon," ImprovementEra.com, January 17, 2014.
- Stephen O. Smoot, "Help for the Troubled 'Young Mormon,'" MormonInterpreter.com, January 17, 2014.
- Hannah Wheelwright, "book review: letters to a young mormon, by adam miller," YoungMormonFeminists.org," January 17, 2014.
- Mike Whitmer, "'Letters to a Young Mormon' shares effective counsel for Mormons, young and old," Deseret News, February 15, 2014.
- Jaymie Reynolds, "Miller, 'Letters to a Young Mormon,'" Association for Mormon Letters, March 4, 2014.
- Dave Banack and Julie M. Smith, "A Conversation About Letters to a Young Mormon," Times & Seasons blog, March 24, 2014.
- C. Jane Kendrick, "Letters to a Young Mormon," CJaneKendrick.com, July 16, 2014.
- Sandra, "Book Review: Letters to a Young Mormon," Segullah, July 23, 2014.
- BHodges, "What's Adam Miller Up To in Letters to a Young Mormon?" By Common Consent blog, March 13, 2016.
- Amazon.com customer reviews.


text:
We finally have a winner. You will be glad to know that now that All my Children is ending I will have more time to devote to the site and to the caption contest.
3rd Place
Jim Cavanaugh says:
You pour a strong drink, ma'am. It's enough to curl a guy's hair.
2nd place:
msWILDside says:
If you don't like your wifes new perm, there's always the "Beer goggles".
And 1st place:
S. Faith says:
Bart knew it was "Lather, rinse, repeat." but he just couldn't stop repeating.
- Posted by Gruhn on August 29th, 2010


text: This is my Stripe Pattern Fingerless Gloves knitting pattern. These fantastic gloves are really quick and easy to make yet the results are truly stunning. I have designed these gloves to be fingerless so that you can still get on with all your important texting and laptop work whilst outside in the cold. The knitting pattern provides full written instructions for 4 sizes XS (child),S(teen), M (woman) & L (large woman) and there are photos to help you with the simple makeup. They are worked flat on 3.25 mm needles in any dk yarn of your choice. You can buy this pattern here as an immediate pdf download.


text:
Free Moving Quotes from Movers in Baltimore, MD
Finding the Right Moving Company in Baltimore is Easy!
Top Moving Company 4 You is working hard to connect you with the best moving companies in Baltimore MD. Submit your moving information to get free quotes from moving companies in Baltimore, MD.
You can check our moving and relocation guides either before or after you do that in order to read up on tips about every type of relocation service you could ever imagine.
Baltimore Free Moving Quote
To help you anticipate the cost of your move, movers will give you an estimate of the price according to a list of items that you'll provide. Help the movers calculate the cost of your move by listing every single item to be moved. Reach a clear understanding about the amount of packing and other services needed.
Still need help planning the details of your move? Use our helpful moving guide to read excellent tips on hiring top movers, corporate relocation, auto transport, self storage, packing, organizing, and much more. By getting organized and planning ahead now, you can save yourself valuable time and money and it all starts right here with Top Moving Company 4 You.


text:
TALLAHASSEE — After months of calling pension reform a top priority in his inaugural year as Florida House speaker, Will Weatherford could do nothing Tuesday as his plan went down to defeat in the Senate.
A third of Senate Republicans joined Democrats in voting 22-18 against an amendment that would have banned new state workers, teachers and county workers from joining the state's $132 billion pension system, and steer them instead toward private, 401(k)-style investment plans, shifting the risk from taxpayers to workers.
"One of the reasons they work for government is not for the salary," said Sen. Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater. "They haven't had raises in six or seven years. It's for the pension and if we want to continue to have the quality of employees that we have, we need to continue to offer that pension."
The setback came at the exact moment Weatherford, 33, faced a filibuster on the House floor among Democrats who wanted to draw attention to the House's refusal to tap federal dollars to give health care coverage to 1 million uninsured Floridians.
"You always know you're never going to get everything you asked for," Weatherford said late Tuesday. "It came up a little bit short, but it was a great debate and I'm grateful to the Senate for giving it an opportunity to be heard."
Weatherford has made much of his concern that the Florida pension system, which is about 86.9 percent funded, poses a dangerous risk to state finances. It's a concern he shares with the Florida Chamber of Commerce and the James Madison Institute, a Tallahassee libertarian think tank. Weatherford's father-in-law, former House Speaker Allan Bense, sits on the boards for both.
But Weatherford couldn't convince members of his own party in the Senate that the pension system should be closed down to new employees. Instead, he got a forceful and emotional pushback from Latvala, a frequent sparring partner, who argued the pension serves as a reliable pillar for lowly paid workers.
During a memorable floor debate, Latvala welled up as he told the story of two Lake City firefighters, Brett Fulton and Josh Burch, who perished in 2011 fighting a blaze. They made about $26,000, he said.
"That's barely the federal poverty level," Latvala said. "They worked for their pension. One firefighter's family was able to collect the survivor's benefit, and he was in his 20s, and his family collects $1,200 a month. That's what's left of their dad. That's what's left of their husband.
"I do not understand why we want to experiment around and why we want to take these people who are protecting us every single day and put them in a system just because it works in private business," Latvala said, pointing out that those in the private sector aren't risking their lives for the public good.
Republicans joining Latvala's insurrection were Charlie Dean, R-Inverness, a former sheriff; Nancy Detert, R-Venice; Miguel Diaz de La Portilla, R-Miami; Greg Evers, R-Baker; Anitere Flores, R-Miami; Denise Grimsley, R-Sebring; and John Legg, R-Trinity.
Latvala openly acknowledged what other Republican leaders in the Senate would not: Weatherford had demanded the vote.
"We all know this is the speaker's priority for the year," Latvala said during debate, addressing his comments to Senate President Don Gaetz, R-Niceville. "We all know the speaker asked for an up-and-down vote on this, and that's what we're doing. I appreciate very much your commitment, Mr. President, that once we do this up-and-down vote, once it's down, it goes away and we get on with other business that we have."
Minutes after the vote, Latvala explained that Gaetz promised him that once Weatherford got a Senate vote, the issue wouldn't come up again this year. "Sometimes you're the dog, sometimes you're the hydrant," he said. "I've been telling Will for two or three months that he didn't have the votes over here. Now he sees it, black and white."
Gaetz would not confirm that he had made such a promise.
"Well, I guess if Sen. Latvala said it, it must be true," Gaetz told reporters.
After the failed amendment vote, Sen. Wilton Simpson, R-Trilby, decided to withdraw the overall bill, SB 1392. Unlike Weatherford's preference to require new employees to enroll in private investment plans, Simpson's bill only encouraged them to do so while still allowing them to enroll in the pension system. But after the vote against Weatherford's measure, Simpson gave up.
"There's no support for it in the House," Simpson said. "It's dead."
Times/Herald staff writer Katie Sanders contributed to this report.


text:
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People who keep their teeth and gums healthy with regular brushing may have a lower risk of developing dementia later in life, according to a new study.
Researchers who followed close to 5,500 elderly people over an 18-year period, found those who reported brushing their teeth less than once a day were up to 65 percent more likely to develop dementia than those who brushed daily.
"Not only does the state of your mind predict what kind of oral health habits you practice, it may be that your oral health habits influence whether or not you get dementia," said Annlia Paganini-Hill, who led the study at the University of California.
Inflammation stoked by gum disease-related bacteria is implicated in a host of conditions including heart disease, stroke and diabetes.
And some studies have found that people with Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of dementia, have more gum disease-related bacteria in their brains than a person without Alzheimer's, said Paganini-Hill.
It's thought that gum disease bacteria might get into the brain causing inflammation and brain damage, she told Reuters Health.
So she and her team wanted to look at whether good dental health practices over the long term would predict better cognitive function in later life.
The researchers followed 5,468 residents of a Californian retirement community from 1992 to 2010. Most people in the study were white, well-educated, and relatively affluent. When the study began, participants ranged in age from 52 to 105, with an average age of 81.
All were free of dementia at the outset, when they answered questions about their dental health habits, the condition of their teeth and whether they wore dentures.
When the researchers followed-up 18 years later, they used interviews, medical records and in some cases death certificates to determine that 1,145 of the original group had been diagnosed with dementia.
Of 78 women who said they brushed their teeth less than once a day in 1992, 21 had dementia by 2010, or about one case per 3.7 women. In comparison, among those who brushed their teeth at least once a day, closer to one in every 4.5 women developed dementia. That translates to a 65-percent greater likelihood of dementia among those who brushed less than daily.
Among the men, the effect was less pronounced, with about one in six irregular brushers developing the disease - making them 22 percent more likely to have dementia than those who did brush daily. Statistically, however, the effect was so small it could have been due to chance, the researchers said.
There was a significant difference seen between men who had all, or at least most, of their teeth, or who wore dentures, and those who didn't - the latter group were almost twice as likely to develop dementia.
That effect was not seen in women, though.
Paginini-Hill could only speculate on the reasons for the different outcomes among men and women. Perhaps women wear their dentures more often than men, and they visit the dentist more frequently, she suggested.
The new findings, published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, cannot prove that poor dental health can cause dementia.
Neglecting one's teeth might be an early sign of vulnerability to dementia, for instance, or some other factor could be influencing both conditions.
Still, this report "is really the first to look at the effect of actions like brushing and flossing your teeth," said Dr. Amber Watts, who studies the causes of dementia at the University of Kansas and was not involved in the research.
The new study does have some limitations. Paganini-Hill and her team looked at behavior and tooth count as a kind of proxy for oral health and gum disease. They didn't carry out any dental exams so they couldn't determine if people had gum disease or not.
And tooth loss isn't always related to gum disease, Watts noted. Head injury and malnutrition are also important causes of tooth loss in adults, and any of those might increase risk for dementia, she said.
"I would be reluctant to draw the conclusion that brushing your teeth would definitely prevent you from getting Alzheimer's disease," Watts said.
Yet despite the limitations, Watts said the study is an important step toward understanding how behavior might be linked to dementia.
"It's nice if this relationship holds true as there's something people can do (to reduce their chances of developing dementia)," said Paganini-Hill. "First, practice good oral health habits to prevent tooth loss and oral diseases. And second, if you do lose your teeth, wear dentures."
SOURCE: bit.ly/N5CCOu Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, online August 2, 2012.
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.


text:
Who are the five Capital Gazette employees killed in Annapolis shooting?
Five people were fatally shot Thursday after a gunman opened fire on an unsuspecting newsroom in Annapolis, Maryland.
Police identified the names of those who were lost at the Capital Gazette. Each victim was confirmed as having been employed at the paper.
The Capital Gazette tweeted,"Today, the Capital Gazette lost five members of our family. Stories on all five bright, wonderful lives will be included in the following tweets."
The 59-year-old is described by the Baltimore Sun as a wryly observant writer and mentor of the younger staff members at Capital Gazette.
Robert was married to Maria Hiaasen for 33 years. The two married five months after their first date. Together they had three kids: Ben, 29,; Samantha, 27, and Hannah, 26.
He was known as "Big Rob" by his children and many others as he stood 6 feet 5 inches tall. Maria described him as humorous and "just the best husband."
Robert was a native to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He joined the Capital Gazette as an assistant editor in 2010 and wrote a column that appeared in the Sunday paper.
Gerald Fischman, 61, is described as having a "wicked pen" and worked as a voice of the Annapolis news for 25 years, according to the Capital Gazette.
"He had ability that, I thought, deserved a higher calling than The Capital," longtime editor and publisher Tom Marquardt said.
Fischman started working at the paper in 1992 and was known for his post-it notes on just about every piece he submitted.
He married an opera star from Mongolia online.
Fischman graduated from the University of Maryland in 1979 and was routinely awarded regional writing awards.
John McNamara, 56, worked at the Capital Gazette for more than 20 years covering sporting events.
He went by "Mac" and was known for his concise writing and extensive knowledge of regional sports.
A fellow reporter said his "razor wit" would come out in bursts that impressed them all.
Mac graduated from the University of Maryland and wrote two books about his alma mater's athletics. He was said to be working on a book about great basketball players before he died.
He is survived by his wife Andrea Chamblee.
"Our biggest argument was about who was lucky enough to have the other," she said.
"He was devoted to his friends and family. He was devoted to his craft and he was devoted to me."
Wendi Winters, 65, moved to Maryland 20 years ago after a career in fashion and public relations in New York City. She was hired at the Capital Gazette and covered all sorts of local news.
Wendi has four children and her daughter, Winters Geimer, said her mother was a "fantastic reporter."
"Her life was a gift to everyone who knew her and the world will not be the same without her," said Winter. "We are grieving and trying to make sure all of us can be together to celebrate the life of our mother."
Wendi studied fashion design at Virginia Commonwealth University.
Friends said she was known for her detailed Christmas letters.
"You would be completely updated about every aspect of her life," Kathryn Flynn, a longtime editor at the Capital Gazette said and laughed.
Her last tweet posted Sunday was about a community mural project.
"Spreading beauty one artwork at a time today ..." she wrote.
"That would be Wendi," Flynn said.
Rebecca Smith, 34, was a recent hire at the Capital Gazette but was already thought of as a "valuable asset."
She was a sales assistant and her boss said she made sure the sales department ran smoothly.
"She was a very thoughtful person," Capital Gazette advertising director Marty Padden said. "She was kind and considerate, and willing to help when needed. She seemed to really enjoy to be working in the media business."
Rebecca described herself on her Facebook as a survivor of endometriosis — and a "Dog Mom. Softball Fiance. Bonus Mom to the best kid ever."
She lived in Baltimore County with her fiancé.
"She was a very kind person," Padden said. "She was very likable, and she had a good sense of humor."


text:
Welcome to my blog —
I'd like to thank Lynna Banning who invited me to answer her questions and talk about my hopes for my newest novel. Over the last seven years, Lynna has become a dear friend and mentor to me. She is also the author of my absolutely favorite book of 2012, GAUCHOS AND GUMPTION, which is based on her own grandmother's adventures in Argentina at the beginning of the twentieth century.
These are the questions Lynna asked me to answer:
> What is the working title of your book?
This title came from the women artists' San Francisco art organization that offered day-long train excursions to Monterey so the members could sketch and paint the marvelous scenery.
> Where did the idea come from for this book?
My agent suggested the subject after she had seen a show of California Impressionist paintings. I was very excited with the idea because I was familiar with and loved these vivid works of art. I have spent a good deal of time on the California coast, taught art for years, and enjoy writing stories where ambitions and passions intertwine.
> What genre does your book fall under?
After happily writing historical romance for years, this story seems a perfect segue into the world of historical fiction.
> How long did it take to write the first draft?
I guess you could say I am still working on the first draft. I edit as I go, so a first draft takes me quite awhile. But with any luck at all, I have a manuscript that usually only needs light revisions when I reach the end.
> What actors would you use for a movie rendition of your book?
Cecelia: Amanda Peet
Joe: a younger version of Antonio Bandaras
Evelyn: Mila Kunis
Mary: Maggie Gillenhall
Lucia: Ellen Page
> What is a one sentence synopsis of your book?
THE SKETCH CLUB is an intimate portrait of the lives and loves of four women painters who struggle for recognition as members of the Monterey Art Colony at the turn of the twentieth century.
> Will it be self published or represented by an agency?
It will be represented by the agent with whom I've worked for some years.
> Who or what inspired you to write this book?
Research is always how I find my way into a story and what inspires me as I write. For many months, I read about the artists who lived and worked in Monterey, visited museums and studied the paintings these women artists have left behind. As I did, I came to see each of them as talented individuals who made extraordinary art in a period when critics did their best to dismiss women artist's work. In reading about their struggles and the Bohemian lives they lived, I came to see each of these artists not as historical figures, but as living, breathing women with stories to tell.
> What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
Readers who enjoy the books of Susan Vreeland (author of GIRL IN HYACINTH BLUE) and Tracy Chevalier (author of THE GIRL WITH THE PEARL EARRING) might well enjoy THE SKETCH CLUB.
> What else about your book might pique the reader's interest?
I hope that readers will be fascinated by the same things that made these real women compelling to me: that each faced her own challenges. One must weigh her artistic ambition against her marriage to successful muralist. Another must silence the self-doubt instilled by her domineering father. A third is forced to make the heart-breaking choice between her child and her career. And the student who comes to learn from each of these remarkable artists, must decide if she can marry a man she fears she cannot learn to love, so she can keep on painting.


text:
Post Latina in the U.S. Summit featuring the Adelante Movement's founder, Nely Galán!
Nely Galán is a self-made media entrepreneur She was the first Latina President of Entertainment for a U.S. television network- Telemundo, and an Emmy Award winning producer of over 700 television shows in English and Spanish, including the hit reality series, "The SWAN" for 20th Century Fox, which she produced through her multi-media company Galan Entertainment. Her company also launched over 10 television channels abroad for companies like HBO, ESPN, FOX, MGM and Sony.
Galan took a mid -career sabbatical, completing a masters and doctorate Clinical Psychology, where she decided to focus on the Psychology of Money, in multicultural communities.
She then authored The New York Times bestselling book SELF MADE, Becoming Empowered, Self-Reliant, and Rich in Every Way (2016) (published in English, Spanish and Mandarin) about the revolution in women's entrepreneurship led by multicultural women in the U.S. and emerging women around the world, out this fall in paperback. Her digital platform, BecomingSelfMade.com reaches over 500,000 women monthly and hosts content in financial literacy, and Self-Made stories of women of color and webinars. Galán teaches women and their families that if we all focus on becoming financially self-reliant, we can overcome any obstacle.
Since then, Galán has founded The Adelante Movement. A 501c3 Non-profit organization aimed to empower and train Latina women both economically as well as entrepreneurially (in Spanish and English).


text:
Wairarapa is an hour's drive north of Wellington. Visit the vineyards of Martinborough or Cape Palliser, the southernmost point of the North Island.
Coming from Wellington, you drive over the winding Remutaka Hill road. Halfway down there's a corner where the whole vista of the Wairarapa opens up before you, bush-clad ranges to the west across flat plains to a rugged coast on the east.
A rural area with an off-the-beaten-track charm, Wairarapa, New Zealand, offers travellers a wide range of experiences. Head up to the Waiohine Gorge at the foot of the Tararuas and a swing bridge is your gateway to tramping tracks into the ranges. Head out to Cape Palliser on the coast and you'll pass through the tiny fishing village of Ngawi where you'll see a colourful array of old bulldozers and tractors parked on the beach.
The towns have their own individual character and charm. Martinborough is the centre of the local wine industry – take a tour of the vineyards - while Greytown has an architectural charm and is a favourite weekend getaway for Wellingtonians.
Accommodation ranges from boutique hotels to homestay cottages. Having a car for transport works best; it's a big area.


text:
Why Chinese are protesting Japan again
Japan and China both gave vent this weekend to nationalism over the Senkaku/Diaoyu island dispute. But indications now are they want to keep the hostility in check.
| Taipei, Taiwan
Anti-Japan demonstrations erupted in China over the weekend, highlighting a sovereignty dispute between Asia's two biggest economies ahead of a major leadership transition later this year for China.
China is not stopping the anti-Japan demonstrations in an effort to appear confident at home, but neither Beijing or Tokyo show signs of allowing a return to the lows of 2005, when riots across China targeted Japanese shops and lasted for about a month.
"The Chinese government wants to show the Chinese people they are not taking a subtle approach on sovereignty issues, especially regarding Japan," says Shi Yinhong, international relations professor at Renmin University of China in Beijing.
Since former Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi left his post in 2006 after a series of actions that upset China, newer leaders in Tokyo have tried to get along with Beijing and its impossible-to-ignore global economic might.
But on Aug. 15, Japan arrested 14 activists and journalists from China, Hong Kong, and Macau who landed on the Senkaku Islands, which Japan claims. China and Taiwan also claim the East China Sea islets, which sit near fisheries and undersea oil tracts. The uninhabited islets are called the Diaoyu Islands in China and the Tiaoyutai in Taiwan.
Japan controls the islands 138 miles east of Taiwan and deported the activists on Aug. 17. Yesterday about 150 Japanese legislators and activists on 21 boats approached the islets in an apparent countermove against China.
Related demonstrations in cities around China raised reminders of much larger protests in 2005 over a Sino-Japanese series of flaps related to territory and World War II memories. News reports say that over the weekend some protesters destroyed Japanese-themed shops and Japanese made cars.
'Tough acts abroad reap harvest at home'
Beijing, which wants to be seen at home as a rising superpower, used the events of the past week to bash Japan for political gain at home, analysts say.
Japan occupied China from 1937 to 1945. Modern Sino-Japanese territorial disputes include oil fields in the East China Sea as well as the Senkaku Islands. Those issues have fanned mass distrust of Japan among the Chinese population.
Chinese leaders must spare subtlety to prove their foreign policy mettle ahead of the Communist Party's 18th National Congress later this year, says Lin Chong-pin, strategic studies professor with Tamkang University in Taiwan. The Congress will decide who takes the nation's top leadership jobs.
"Tough acts abroad reap harvests at home," Mr. Lin says. "Top leaders cannot afford to appear meek."
Using Taiwan
So China's current guard used the conflict from last week to make a range of statements, says Liu Yih-jiun, public affairs professor at Fo Guang University in Taiwan. The activists set out from Hong Kong in an appeal to patriotism in the Chinese-run territory and took a Taiwanese flag, a tribute to Taipei's claim to the Senkakus, Mr. Liu notes, calling both moves "unconventional."
Taiwan and China have worked together economically since 2008 after decades of hostilities. Taiwan lodged a protest with Japan on Sunday. "I think [the Chinese activists] were carrying out government policy, that's beyond a doubt," Liu says.
China's government had formally protested to Japan a day earlier as the Japanese activists set off for the islets. Beijing expressed no room for compromise.
"China … urges Japan to put an end to its actions that seek to undermine China's territorial sovereignty," a foreign ministry spokesman said via the official Xinhua News Agency. "The Japanese side should properly handle the current issue and avoid seriously damaging the overall situation of China-Japan relations."
Beijing wants to send a message to Washington as well that it's serious about territorial claims, Liu adds. The US is also pressuring China to cooperate with five other claimants to disputed territory in the South China Sea.
Japan's moves to defend the Senkakus also point to local consumption: Approval ratings for Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda's government were down to 22 percent as of Aug. 6, the Asahi Shimbun newspaper found in a survey. The paper cited parliamentary infighting and said Mr. Noda's rating came near a "critical zone."
End in sight?
But there are signs that both sides want to quit the conflict.
The Chinese government may have allowed the weekend protests to let citizens vent anger that favors the central leadership's goal of looking strong. But analysts believe it will not let those actions grow to 2005 levels, when 20,000 people marched – with government encouragement – in one event and caused major damage. Protests this time were reported to be as small as 200 people. That year, Japan's government sought compensation for damage to diplomatic property as Japanese, fearing violence, canceled trips to China.
Japan also freed the Chinese activists it arrested within two days, faster than it handed back a ship captain during a collision near the Senkakus in 2010.
China, with the world's second biggest economy, needs the lucrative investment from Japan, which is No. 2 in Asia but growing only slowly. Japanese automotive and PC makers, for their part, value China's vast consumer markets and low-cost manufacturing bases.
"Over time, both Tokyo and Beijing will apply psychological pressure but will not let it spill over," Lin says.


text:
Wall, Richard
Wall, Richard, 1694–1778, Spanish statesman. Born in France of Irish parents, Wall entered the Spanish military service as a young man and later held important diplomatic posts. He helped negotiate the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle (1748) ending the War of the Austrian Succession, and he cemented friendly Anglo-Spanish relations as ambassador in London (1748–52). In Madrid, he served (1752–64) as minister of state under Ferdinand VI and Charles III.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2023, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: Spanish and Portuguese History: Biographies


text: July 12, 2012 Tennis balls before Ian Pettigrew 0 Like Post 0 Comment Ian Pettigrew Ian Pettigrew runs Kingfisher Coaching with a mission to help people, teams, and organisations realise their strengths. This is delivered through running leadership development and resilience workshops and providing team and individual coaching. View all posts by Ian Pettigrew


text:
Newswise — Millions of people in the United States have a circulatory problem of the legs called peripheral vascular disease. It can be painful and may even require surgery in serious cases. This disease can lead to severe skeletal muscle wasting and, in turn, limb amputation.
At The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) Medical School, scientists tested a non-surgical preventative treatment in a mouse model of the disease and it was associated with increased blood circulation. Their proof-of-concept study appears in the journal Cell Reports.
Unlike previous studies in which other investigators used individual stimulatory factors to grow blood vessels, Vihang Narkar, Ph.D., senior author and assistant professor in the Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology at the UTHealth Medical School, identified and turned off a genetic switch that stifles blood vessel development.
"We discovered an inhibitory switch that degrades blood vessels," said Narkar, whose laboratory is in the UTHealth Center for Metabolic and Degenerative Diseases at The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases. "We were able to genetically turn it off to prevent peripheral vascular disease in a preclinical study."
Added Narkar, "Our next step will be to test this targeted treatment in models of other conditions that dramatically decrease circulation like diabetes and atherosclerosis."
Narkar said using individual growth factors to stimulate blood vessel growth often leads to the formation of leaky and non-functional blood vessels. "By turning off a genetic switch that acts as a roadblock for blood vessel growth, we were able to trigger and accelerate the natural process of blood vessel regeneration that involves a battery of growth factors," he said.
The switch is called peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma co-activator 1 beta (PGC1beta) and could be a key to future treatments for additional conditions like cardiac myopathies, cancer and retinopathy.
Narkar's UTHealth co-authors are Vikas Yadav, Ph.D. (lead author), Antonios Matsakas, Ph.D., and Sabina Lorca. Narkar is on the faculty of The University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Houston. The study titled "PGC1beta activates anti-angiogenic program to repress neo-angiogenesis in muscle ischemia" received support from the American Heart Association (AHA#11SDG7600213), American Diabetes Association (ADA#1-13-BS-127) and Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA#174408).
MEDIA CONTACTRegister for reporter access to contact details
Cell Reports


text:
Jan. 2, 2009 — -- Unemployment offers an opportunity to learn new skills or improve existing ones through online and classroom learning. There are a number of free and low-cost resources available nationwide serving individuals at all skill levels.
Career One Stop focuses on job searching, such as assistance with applying for unemployment benefits, resume writing and access to phones, faxes, computers to assist with your search, as well as access to on-site and online skills development workshops and training programs, most of which are free.
Career Voyages is a collaboration between the U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S. Department of Education designed to provide information on high-growth, in-demand occupations along with the skills and education needed to attain those jobs. There's access to apprenticeship and certificate programs in the areas that the Bureau of Labor Statistics determines are high-growth positions for both blue-collar and white-collar workers.
Jewish Vocational Service, which was founded during the Great Depression to assist immigrants with job training and placement, now operates 22 agencies throughout the country, serving nearly a half million people with a wide range of career-related services. More than 25,000 were placed in jobs last year as a result of the training they received. And JVS works with 40,000 employers of all sizes. The organization gets to know the business needs in its area and can customize training programs to meet the demands in a variety of industries.
Similar skills training and placement services are offered through Goodwill, which says it places someone in a good job every 53 seconds of every business day. There are 161 Goodwill community-based locations in the United States that offer job training programs in a variety of industries, including health care, hospitality, banking, information technology, computer programming and more.
Temporary Agencies
When you register with temp agencies, many of them offer access to free tutorials designed to help improve the skill level of their candidates.
For example, a retired accountant who is looking to get back to work can sign up with Robert Half, which specializes in placing accounting and finance professionals, and has access to 8,000 online tutorials that cover everything from technical accounting skills to leadership and public speaking.
So, if you're working now with a temp agency, headhunter or outplacement firm, ask if it offers access to online-training programs.
There are more than 1,000 community colleges in the United States that offer degrees and certifications in a range of fields. If you're considering such a school or an online university, ask about financial aid and job placement assistance. Every day, I hear from recent graduates of adult learning programs who say they're unable to turn that degree into a job offer. When I ask if they've talked to career services at their schools, the answer is almost always no. Find out about employers who hire from the program, ask about the employment rate of 2008 graduates -- and consider that when deciding on a program for you.
Click here for a comprehensive list of Web sites and phone numbers for training programs.
Tory Johnson is the Workplace Contributor on ABC's "Good Morning America" and the CEO of Women For Hire. Visit her Web site at www.womenforhire.com.