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k2_c's Stats
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 7
am I doing things right? help please.
This is kind of long.. pls bear with me.
Hi! I just want to know if Im doing things right. You see, Im new to this working out thing. I want to lose fat and reduce my waist size since most of my old clothes dont fit me already. Ive been doing cardio for a month already but until now, Im still not sure if Im on the right path.
A month and a half ago, I started seeing a dietician to help me change my eating habits and lose weight. She told me to eat at least 5 small meals every 2-3 hours everyday. I reduced my caloric intake since my first session with her but I only ate 3 times a day. It was only yesterday when I started eating 5 small meals a day. During our second session which was a month after the first, she told me to maintain my caloric intake and just do cardio to burn the fat I want to lose. So from August 22, 2007 to September 16, 2007, I did 60-80 mins of low-intensity cardio (are walking and step-ups/step aerobics low intensity?) everyday. I lost 0.5 inch the first 2 weeks. The next 2 weeks, I did not see any improvements so I figured, I must have been doing something wrong. I decided to do lots of research. Ive read (and still am reading) articles from the internet on bodybuilding and fat loss to help me out but it only left me even more confused. Some bodybuilders say that HIIT for about 15-20 mins is the best type of cardio but some also say that 45-60 mins of low to moderate intensity is best. Ive also read articles stating that you only need to do 20-30 mins of moderate-intensity cardio a day and that exceeding 45 mins is bad for the muscles. They also say different things regarding strength training (number of reps, sets). Anyway, I changed my schedule based on what Ive read:
**BTW, I dont go to the gym. I do everything at home. I use anything heavy enough as weights.
Monday and Friday low to moderate intensity cardio (jogging) for at least 30 mins, strength training for abs, chest, arms, shoulders
Abs: 30reps, 2 sets crunches, bicycle and lying leg lifts
Chest: 8reps, 3 sets chest fly
Shoulders: 8 reps, 3 sets lateral raise
Arms: 8 reps, 3 sets bicep curls, kickbacks
Tuesday and Thursday moderate to high interval training (about 3.5mins of jogging then 1-1.5mins of running/sprint. I repeat the sets for as long as I can. It took me around 30 mins yesterday), strength training for the back, butt and legs
Back: 8reps, 3 sets pelvic thrust, superman
Legs and Butt: 8 reps, 3 sets squats (no weights), 8 reps, 3 sets single leg thrust
Wednesday low intensity cardio (step-ups) for at least 40 mins, strength training for the abs
Saturday - moderate to high interval training
Sunday low to moderate intensity cardio (walking, jogging, step-ups)
I dont want to become huge and muscular. I just want a nice, toned body. Jessica Alba-ish.
My questions:
1. Am I doing things right?
2. Should I change my cardio exercises? Do I have to lessen the number of days that I do cardio? Minus the exercises that I do, I have a pretty sedentary lifestyle. Should I really push myself into doing 40-45 mins of cardio all the time? It can get kind of boring
3. For a beginner, is my strength training schedule and exercises okay?
4. How long does it usually take before you see results?
Another thing, since I changed my cardio schedule, I have been having a hard time breathing even hours after the workout. Ive also been feeling kind of weak. Does that have anything to do with the exercises that Ive been doing?
Age: 21
Height: 52
Weight: 105 lbs
Waist (narrowest part): 26
Waist (navel area): 28
I dont know my body fat %. Ive tried the different body fat % calculators available in the internet but I get different results. I only used the ones which only need tape measurements. I really dont know which one to follow.
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EricT's Stats
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 6,314
On the low intensity cardio question, anything that you can maintain for 60 to 80 minutes is, by definition, low intensity. Basically the shorter the time you can keep it up the higher the intensity.
1. I think that you should change your resistance work to things that utilize your own bodyweight, since you workout at home. If you can do lunges, bodyweight squats, pullups, pushups and basically things that are COMPOUND movements (look in definitions
training section
) which are movements that utilize MORE than ONE joint, they will be 100% more productive for you.
Those types of things should form the core of your restistance training and you would be better off to do something that is fullbody maybe starting with twice a week. That means you would do something like squats or lunges, deadlifts, pushups, and pullups...just things along those lines...every day you do your weight work. That doesn't mean you can't add a little bit of the other stuff you've been doing just that that should be the main focus of your work. This will be higher intensity and so will have a greater impact on your post exercise fat burning.
A set of simple adjustable dumbells and a pullup bar can do wonders. But I like the idea of using other things that are heavy too
Read through this thread:
to get some ideas of a good basic setup. Read through to the end for the cardio adjustments. You don't have to do the five rep scheme like in that thread. You could do 8 reps or whatever just look at it in terms of a good basic setup that is really all you need right now.
2. Yes, you should lessen the number of days you do cardio. I think you started out with too much. Better to start with a little and add to it as you body becomes better able to cope with the workload. Starting with too much can actually be detrimental to fat loss because your body basically goes in to a kind of starvation mode, expecially if your caloric intake has been lowered. Basically you are telling your body that the shit has hit the fan (pardon my english
) so it will want to maintain energy reserves (fat) in order to survive that.
This is all very general I know but maybe you should try two days of resistance and two days of cardio. You can do some HIIT and some steady state (low intensity longer duration) for now.
3. See 1.
4. It is best to go for a FAT loss of 1 to 2 pounds per week. You may start off dropping it a little faster but if your primary goal is fat-loss then 1 to 2 pounds, slow and steady, is the preferred way to go. That will garner the best long-term results. That means you should start seeing those kind of results right away but it could take several weeks before you start really noticing favorable changes in body composition.
Diet is not my strong suit, especially for fat-loss so I won't go there. Hope some of this helps gives you some things to consider and maybe some more specific questions. I know this isn't everything...just a start.
Another thing, since I changed my cardio schedule, I have been having a hard time breathing even hours after the workout. Ive also been feeling kind of weak. Does that have anything to do with the exercises that Ive been doing?
Could be a symptom of doing too much too fast. It wouldn't be a bad idea to get a checkup. You shouldn't really have breathlessness more than around 10 minutes and anything over 20 I'd start to think you were doing too much. It's probobly too much in general although it can be caused by doing too much in a session. Are you having any other problems like dizziness or lightheadedness? Cramps in your legs? Those are other signs. If you get a racing heartbeat that persists later on that is a sure sign that you need to cut back and build up more slowly.
But again, if you haven't had a checkup lately I'd encourage you to get one.
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If you act sanctimonious I will just list out your logical fallacies until you get pissed off and spew blasphemous remarks.
Last edited by EricT; 09-21-2007 at
. Reason: typos
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hrdgain81's Stats
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 3,713
Eric is on point for all the cardio/resistance training
Now the diet:
The best thing you can do as far as diet goes is to keep a journal of what your eating. A lot of people use an online resource like fitday.com, if you find that helpful then go for it. but if you could post up your diet, broken down by meals and what time you eat them, and your stats (ht, wt, age, sex, goal) then it will be a lot easier to help you get your diet in check, or atleast confirm what the dietition is telling you.
I don't do this for my family, my friends, women, accolades, pride, or ego. I do it for me and no one else, its just part of who I am.
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k2_c's Stats
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 7
Thanks for helping out Eric
Actually, yes, I feel dizzy almost everyday and I have been experiencing leg pain for several days already. I considered reducing my cardio before but then I thought that decreasing my cardio sessions means I'll also lose less fat or it will take me a hell of a longer time before I reach my goal. My dietician also told me to do cardio everyday. But after what you've said, I guess I really have to do something about it now! I still have a few questions though. I've been doing cardio 7 days a week for a month and a half already. Isn't reducing it by that much too much? I won't be losing even a pound in a week at that rate, right? Or will cutting the number of times I do cardio from 7 to 2 days help in burning fat faster?
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Hi hrdgain
I do keep a journal. My dietician asked me to record what I eat. She also told me to as much as possible lose the weight/ fat through exercise and avoid sacrificing food. She doesn't want me to go below 100 pounds. I'm not really consistent with how much and what I eat. I just try not to consume a lot of calories as much as I can. There are times when I feel I eat too much though. Sometimes, I eat chocolates and candies (I love sweets!). But when I do, I try to limit the amount.
Anyway, here is what I ate last Sept.20. It's the first time I tried eating 5 meals a day:
7:30 am
-2 egg whites with a little catsup
-Oatmeal with sugar substitute and a tsp. of powdered milk
10:00 am
-An apple
2:00 pm
-1 slice of toasted whole wheat bread w/ sugar free strawberry jam
-tofu with teriyaki sauce
5:00 pm
-1 slice of whole wheat bread
-4 egg whites with little catsup
-1 fortune cookie
Fried fish with sweet and sour sauce
4 spring rolls
There are times when I can't eat 5-6 small meals like today. I was out the entire day so I was only able to eat 2 med sized meals and a big one for dinner.
This is what I had today:
10:40 am
-Chicken bbq with peanut sauce
2:00 pm
-2 slices of whole wheat bread
-chicken ham
-turkey breast
-low fat cheese
-fat free thousand island dressing
-salad: lettuce with honey mustard dressing
6:50 pm
-1 baked scallop
-4 pcs squid rings with garlic
- fried chicken (1/2 of the leg part)
-about 2 tbsp. of sisig. It's a Filipino dish made of parts of a pig's head and pork cracklings. It doesn't sound so yummy but it's actually pretty good.
-a bowl of frosties cereal
Anyway, based on what I gave you, do you think I'm eating too much? SHould I change something?
I gave my stats in my first post. But I'll just repost it for you.
Age: 21
Height: 5'2"
Weight: 105 lbs
Waist (narrowest part): 26"
Waist (navel area): 28"
I don't know my body fat %. I've tried the different body fat % calculators available in the internet but I get different results. I only used the ones which only need tape measurements. I really don't know which one to follow.
Goal: A toned body. Like what I said, Jessica Alba-ish (She's hot!). I'm not exactly huge but my tummy area doesn't look nice. There's no shape and I can still see that it's filled with fat--so far from a bikini body. I can't still wear my old clothes. I used to have a 24-inch waistline, small arms and skinny legs. I had a flat ass though. Haha! But I didn't exactly get it through healthy means. :( Right now, I want that waistline, nicer arms, legs and butt and I want to get those through a much healthier way. I really want to stay fit and stop the yo-yo effect and also, not be anorexic!
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btw, i was also told that doing cardio helps increase your metabolism and a person's metabolism decreases after 48 hours of cardio. so you should try doing cardio everyday or at least not let 2 days pass by without it to maintain/increase your metabolism. is that true?
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K2, I don't think you have a choice but to reduce it for a while. You are having bad symptoms and if you keep it up what's bound to happen is you just can't continue at all, feel like complete crap, and have to give it up completely for a while. Lot's of people never get back to it after that. But this enthusiastically going out with all guns blazing only to burn out and end up with no results is really common. It is never the correct approach to start out anything with 7 days a week. And certainly, if one does, you need to adjust the intenstiy, or the duration accordingly.
Breathlessness, dizzyness, leg pain....need I say more? Look up overtraining syndrome or "cardio overtraining". I'm not saying you have reached a point of true overtraining but you are certainly overreaching heading towards overtraining. Simply because your body is not able to recover between workouts. Fatigue and metabolic stress is building up.
You may actually want to take a rest...maybe for a week, until those symptoms subside and then get back into it with an appropriate workload.
You will have a much better chance of success if you start out with two days and add to it slowly rather than all at once. But you should always have some days off, imo.
Also, keep in mind that the improvement in your resistance training will make a lot of difference.
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Originally Posted by
4. It is best to go for a FAT loss of 1 to 2 pounds per week. You may start off dropping it a little faster but if your primary goal is fat-loss then 1 to 2 pounds, slow and steady, is the preferred way to go. That will garner the best long-term results. That means you should start seeing those kind of results right away but it could take several weeks before you start really noticing favorable changes in body composition.
Do you think this is a little high because of her starting weight of 105?
I would say that you may get 1 week of 2 pounds loss but after that I wouldn't expect any more than a pound to a half pound a week. Don't get discouraged if you don't lose weight at a pound a week, the fat will come off.
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Damn, you're right. Absolutely, Dave. I was so worried about the over-working that I really didn't see how light she was. Good call. Up to 2 pounds could likely mean you were dropping more than fat. Whatever the case, slow and steady is the way.
I should have paid more attention to the last paragraph. That doesn't seem like a bad weight even for a woman with a small frame. So it sounds like there is not really much fat but what little there is is concentrated in a certain place. Also a lack of lean mass could mean there is a higher percentage of weight from fat. So this means, to me, like Dave, said, slower fat loss. Also I think, going by that, the resistance work is very important to you and it is a mistake to put SO much emphasis (meaning quality of though) into the cardio.
The weight work, should, over time help effect a very nice change in body composition. But I think that diet really is the most important thing as far as getting the fat off the belly. The thing about relying on cardio exercise for fat loss is that it is kind of like the yo-you dieting you are trying to avoid (rightly).
Some people find very little success at all with just cardio. But some women (and I know a couple) go all out with the cardio and drop weight very quickly (and lean mass, probably) getting all skinny and as soon as they are not able to keep up with the constant cardio the fat comes back with a vengeance. Plus the fact that, body comp wise, they were skinnier but didn't really look all that great. Not like Jessica Alba
. So unless you want to be a slave to your body and workout 7 days a week forever, a re-think is needed anyway.
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Originally Posted by
The weight work, should, over time help effect a very nice change in body composition.
But I think that diet really is the most important thing as far as getting the fat off the belly
. The thing about relying on cardio exercise for fat loss is that it is kind of like the yo-you dieting you are trying to avoid (rightly).
I've done it both ways... 2 hours of cardio a day with more food, less calorie tracking.. and minimal cardio with strict dieting. And between the two, I've had the best success and more rapid fat loss with the less cardio approach.
Cardio should be a supplemental aspect of fat loss, not a primary aspect. Especially if you're doing steady state cardio. The body adapts to that pretty easily and you'll have to keep increasing time and/or intensity to get the same effect.
And as it's been stated already, resistance training will do more for metabolic boosts than just the endless hours of cardio.
IMO, your dietician isn't doing anything for you in terms of what a true dietician does (please don't take that the wrong way). A dietician should be writing your nutritional programs for you, in specifics, not prescribing cardio sessions and just telling you to eat a lot.
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I'm familiar with the use of alpha-complementation of beta-galactosidase with the pUC alpha-peptide and the M15 lacZ gene product, and would like to hypothetically apply alpha-complementation in other settings with different enzymes. I do have a few questions, but hopefully they are similar enough to all be answered here.
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What other proteins, if any, have been engineered to perform similar alpha-complementation? What steps were taken to accomplish this?

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The North Carolina bar filed charges today against Durham District Attorney Mike Nifong in connection with the Duke lacrosse prosecution. Nifong apparently has been under investigation since last March. He is charged with making inflammatory comments to the media about the defendants in the case, and with "dishonesty, fraud, deceit and misrepresentation" in connection with the exculpatory DNA evidence that he apparently tried to conceal. Nifong faces penalties ranging up to disbarment.
Our criminal justice system reposes a tremendous amount of discretion in prosecutors. When prosecutors are corrupt, like Nifong or Ronnie Earle of Travis County, Texas, who ruined Tom DeLay's public career, the consequences can be devastating.
In many states, there are severe limits on how much money can be recovered in tort suits against governmental units. I haven't researched the law in North Carolina, but it would seem that such a statute is the only plausible defense to what would otherwise be blockbuster lawsuits on behalf of the three wrongly accused Duke students.
UPDATE: The Complaint against Nifong is here. It basically focuses on statements he has made to the media, rather than the much more egregious attempt, as I understand the facts, to bury DNA evidence that pretty conclusively showed that all three defendants were innocent. I'd guess that this reflects the fact that the bar committee has been investigating since March and the DNA issue surfaced only recently. I wouldn't be surprised if the Complaint is amended. Via Drudge.
SCOTT adds: K.C. Johnson has also taken a close look at the complaint at Durham-in-Wonderland. As John suggests, Johnson notes that "The filing focuses solely on [Nifong's] procedurally improper public statements…" Johnson anticipates that another complaint may be filed dealing with the suppression of the exculpatory DNA evidence.
To discuss this story, go here.
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text:
By Garrett Wilson
for HOOPSWORLD.com
Sep 25, 2005, 21:28
As the start of the NBA season draws nigh, so does a deadline for a major decision by the Golden State Warriors front office. Mike Dunleavy Jr. is entering the final season of his rookie contract, and Chris Mullin and company must decide whether to extend that contract now, or roll the dice this off-season and let him become a restricted free agent. What the Warriors do with Dunleavy could well determine the path of the franchise for years to come.
Don't misunderstand me; Mike Dunleavy is not a franchise player. At best, Dunleavy is the third best player on his own team. He has never seemed to live up to the high expectations that made him the #3 pick in the 2002 draft. From time to time, he has provided glimpses of the offensive tools that many Warrior faithful dreamed he would develop, but he simply has not been able to produce on a consistent basis. But when Baron Davis arrived on the scene in Golden State last season, things seemed to start to click for Mike D. He only averaged one more point per game after the Davis trade, but his overall play was far more reliable and efficient. Dunleavy's field goal percentage before Davis was 43.5%, but was 48.1% when Davis joined the team. Even more glaring was Dunleavy's three point shooting touch improved drastically, going from a mediocre 35.6% to an incredible 43.6% (which would have been good for 4th in the league had he shot at that clip the whole season). Dunleavy also cut his turnovers from 1.86 per game to 1.29 per game.
So the question is: how much stock should the Warriors put into Dunleavy's late-season improvement? If Dunleavy's improvement continues this coming season, Mike stands to make millions more than he could by signing an extension today. Perhaps that is why Chris Mullin is currently negotiating with Dunleavy's agent. If an agreement for an extension is reached in the next few weeks, the contract value would most likely be (in my independent estimation) for five years and anywhere between $35 million and $45 million. If Mullin waits until after the season and Dunleavy picks up where he left off last year, $45 million might go from the top-end of the spectrum to the bottom. The more money that Dunleavy gets, the less money Chris Mullin will have to spend on roster upgrades over the next several years.
Regardless of the finances of the new contract, just giving an extension to Dunleavy will mean major and immediate changes to the Warriors roster. Locking up Mike D immediately makes Mickael Pietrus expendable. While Pietrus is a useful back-up, he has loads of trade value due to his potential and small contract. Golden State might be able to hold onto him for a year, but the closer Pietrus gets to the end of his rookie contract (which expires after the 2006-2007 season), the more his trade value drops.
The changes won't end there either; an extension will put added pressure on Chris Mullin to trade the albatross contracts of either Derek Fisher or Adonal Foyle (or even both). Owner Chris Cohan might be more willing to pay the luxury tax now that the Warriors seem to have a good shot at the play-offs, but he is still going to want Mullin to trim the fat wherever possible.
Dunleavy's contract might also cause Chris Mullin to explore (or perhaps continue to explore) trading Troy Murphy. An extension for Dunleavy would insure that at least one defensive liability will be logging heavy minutes for Golden State for the next few seasons. There might not be room for two, which means big Troy might be shown the door in favor of a power forward with a bit more, well, power.
The Warriors do have other options though. They could trade Dunleavy during the season to fill whatever needs they feel they have, but that carries the risk of altering the chemistry of a potentially successful team. Or the Warriors could go into the next off-season and let the market set Dunleavy's price, while the Warriors have the right to match whatever offer Dunleavy gets. That could be even more risky though as some team could overpay Dunleavy and the Warriors would get nothing in return. Or the Warriors could orchestrate a sign-and-trade of Dunleavy, but by then, his trade value will not be as high as it is right now. In any case, the Warriors would likely then replace Dunleavy with the athletic but raw Mickael Pietrus. Pietrus is a superior defender, but does not have the same all-around offensive ability of Dunleavy.
So what are the Warriors going to do? Well, this is just a hunch, but all signs seem to point to Mike Dunleavy starting the season with a shiny new contract. Chris Mullin has invested too much time and too much of his own reputation in trying to develop Dunleavy, and he is not likely to throw that all away by letting Dunleavy get traded or hit the free agent market next summer. Mullin is also not likely to pass up a chance to re-sign his teacher's pet at a bargain price.
So get comfortable Warriors fans, because it looks Mike Dunleavy is here to stay.
On the Warpath - The Dunleavy Dilemma
Discuss anything related to Golden State Warriors basketball here
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Hope he gets a 5 year 20-25 mil extension. Anything higher than that would be ridiculous.
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namjagerungbengi wrote:Hope he gets a 5 year 20-25 mil extension. Anything higher than that would be ridiculous.
He is getting payed 5.5 million this year and I dont think he has done anything to deserve a raise.
Mullin please dont sign another bad contract, we had out fill with fisher and foyle.
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Player32 wrote:I hope he has a flop season and we don't resign him. That would be choice
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migya wrote:Player32 wrote:I hope he has a flop season and we don't resign him. That would be choice
Maybe noone else signs him!!!!
That would stink cause we would want some team stuck with him like we were.


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Advances in soil science have called for an update in the Corn Suitability Rating (CSR), a system for rating the crop-growing productivity of Iowa soil, according to Iowa State University agronomist Lee Burras.
Read the full release from Iowa State here.
"Advances in soil-mapping techniques and the adoption of the national soil classification system during the past 50 years provides improved methods for calculating the CSR when compared to its original formula," Burras said.
The CSR was originally established in response to county assessors who needed a measure to help assess the productivity of farmland. In the mid-1970's the State of Iowa established legislation that requires agricultural land be assessed on the basis of productivity and the net earning capacity to ensure equitable assessment. Today, the CSR is used in many additional ways, including to develop land use plans, determine land values, predict yields and negotiate cash rents.
"The goal of CSR2 is to provide a transparent system for calculating CSR such that a county assessor, farmer, realtor and any other interested person readily understands the mathematics underlying CSR," Burras said. CSR2 values are meant to be proportional to the existing CSR values, he said, although it is not always possible given the responsibility for transparency and consistency. The CSR2 values of any given soil map unit (SMU) is a function of five parameters: (a) the soil properties captured within a soil series classification, (b) the specific field conditions captured by each SMU, (c) the soil depth, (d) local climate and environment, (e) expert judgment. A secondary goal is the creation of a framework for CSR2 evolution, which is necessary to ensure rapid and transparent updates of CSR2 as new soil series and new classifications are created.
Burras presented the updated CSR2 at the Soil Management and Land Valuation Conference Wednesday. A recording of his presentation will soon be available at the Iowa State Land Use web page (http://www.extension.iastate.edu/soils/), which also includes frequently asked questions about the change. He said the new CSR2 values would be added to the Iowa State Land Use web page by July 1. The USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service will make CSR2 available Oct. 1 through the USDA-NRCS Web Soil Survey (http://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/app/HomePage.htm).
For more information, visit http://www.ag.iastate.edu/news/


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Throughout the month of December, The Simple Dollar is posting a daily series focusing on specific activities you can do right now to set the stage for a great 2011. Out with the old, in with the new.
22. Start a potluck circle.
One of our favorite social events is the potluck dinners we have with our friends. At these events, everyone in our group congregates at someone's house, the host makes some sort of main course, and all of the attendees bring some sort of supplement to it – beverages, side dishes, desserts, and so on. Since everyone's together, we usually make a long evening of it by watching movies, playing board games, or doing something else socially together.
Having these events as a regular part of our social calendar cuts our entertainment budget significantly while often reducing our food budget a bit as well. If you add on top of that the fact that we're building our friendships while also having a very enjoyable evening with them, then you can easily see the value of a potluck circle.
A potluck circle is simple to start. Just host a potluck dinner and invite some compatible people. Tell them what you're going to serve and invite them to either bring a side dish, a beverage, or a dessert of some kind.
What should I serve? Keep it simple! Don't worry about having some perfect seven course meal for a potluck dinner. Prepare a huge cauldron of soup. Make burritos or enchiladas. Serve up a giant batch of chili. Whip up some homemade pizzas. Focus on main dishes that can easily carry an entire meal with minimum accompaniment and you're likely in the right area for this.
If you want, you can get very complicated with meal selection and preparation, but there's really no need to do so.
Have something in mind for post-dinner entertainment Have a few interesting movies on hand. Have a few simple board games or card games on hand. Between the two of these, you can usually entertain your guests, no matter who they are.
Our circle almost always chooses to play games, and the games usually go on until late in the night. It's perfect for us because we're all sitting around a table conversing about random things as the turns pass.
Carrying the circle forward The biggest challenge for many people is simply making sure that the circle will move forward – in other words, ensuring that it doesn't end up being just a one time thing or that you aren't stuck always being the host.
My suggestion for solving this problem is to mention it up front. Simply state that you thought it would be fun to start having regular potluck dinners with the group you're inviting and volunteer to host the first one. Suggest that the group can talk about future potlucks at the first one.
When you're all together, it's a good idea to come up with a schedule of hosts with a little bit of flexibility. Obviously, some people are going to have conflicts some weeks. My suggestion is to just rotate the potluck amongst possible hosts on a regular basis so that it's easy for everyone to figure out the schedule and who is hosting the next one at any given time.
It's also useful to suggest that whoever is hosting share what they're planning on having for a main course so that appropriate side dishes and beverages can be selected and brought by the attendees. A Facebook group or an email list is a perfect way to do this.
A potluck dinner circle is a great way to maximize your entertainment and food dollars at the same time while also enjoying the friendship of others. In other words, it's a win in more ways than one. Give it a shot.


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Vkontakte continues to change and introduce new rules and features. I'd say that despite visual similarity to Facebook, running campaigns on Vkontakte requires more patience and a different approach. Before tapping into the most popular social network in Russia, it's crucial to speak Russian and have a clear understanding of your target audience.
I want to emphasise that people spending time on Vkontakte are different from Russians who've chosen to be on Facebook. For example, if you want to create awareness about expensive gadgets, it's not worth the effort running a campaign on Vkontakte, as this network is predominantly occupied by the younger generation with a weak purchasing power, whilst Early Adopters with money prefer Facebook.
In contrast, if you're promoting summer English language courses, Vkontakte is the place to be; because the majority of Russian teens actively participate in this network . Some argue that it's not worth investing in advertising Vkontakte, as SEM on Yandex and Google are bringing more return on investment. In my opinion, it all depends on objectives. For instance, if you want to create a buzz around your brand and listen to what others have to say it's definitely worth trying Vkontakte.
Vkontakte is completely overwhelmed with adverts, groups, and spammers. My advice to advertisers would be to ensure a high level of prominence in order to stand in this information-dense environment. The Network's recent decision to stop banner advertising was a definite shift towards better user experience. However, this month Vkontakte has introduced a new type of advertising: video banners. This exciting innovation means that each time a user clicks on a small textual and visual advert a full screen video appears. These adverts are made to encourage sharing of content between the network users. People can "Like" adverts, add to 'Favourites' and see other people who are fond of the same videos.
The Russian digital agency, AdWatch Isobar, is the first in the market to start using this type of advertising. Their ad campaign for Megafon, a major Russian mobile network operator, which was launched 15th of April, has already proved to be a success. According to the MD of the agency, a сlickthrough rate of the campaign was four to five times higher compared with traditional targeted adverts.
Another significant change is the possibility to create public pages. Vkontakte allows the changing of groups into public pages. This makes it easier for organizations and businesses which previously were only able to use groups to engage with their audience. It's free to create a public page and any member can do so easily. The only difference to Facebook is that you have to provide a phone number to get the page activated. As of today there are 410 967 public pages falling into the following categories: places, small business, companies, organizations, celebrities and goods
The first public page on Vkontakte was created by Sberbank Rossii (Сбербанк России ), the largest bank in Russia and is run under the supervision of the famous Russian social media expert, Arthur Welf It appears that Vkontakte encourages users to switch into public pages as it's becoming increasingly complicated to recruit members to groups. It's not possible to send out invitations to anyone in the network except your friends. The most simple, but expensive way to recruit new people to groups is through targeted advertising. The other option is to visit other groups and advertise on their walls or by posting engaging and catchy content.
Another option to attract members is through applications. Such an approach is less expensive than targeted advertising, but can be just as effective.
The most popular app on Vkontakte is a game called Тюряга (Prison) with 6 134 947 installations. The goal of the game is to make tattoos to become a respectful criminal. Russian criminal tattoos have a complex system of symbols and this application educates widely on this topic. I think this is an interesting fact, compared to the relatively innocent leader of Facebook apps CityVille.
Furthermore, it is possible to promote a group or a public page by endorsing celebrity accounts and to attract users from external websites. There are many individuals in the network offering promotion services, although I haven't used any of them and can't recommend anyone who can deliver notable results.
It's exciting to follow developments introduced by this network and learn about its members. Bearing in mind that Vkontakte provides many opportunities for understanding how the product or brand is being perceived in various regions of Russia, not simply exclusive to major cities. Facebook is still the favourite network in the Moscow and St.Petersburg population.


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Sylvie Matherat appointed Global Head of Government & Regulatory Affairs
Deutsche Bank announced today that Sylvie Matherat, age 52, will join as Global Head of Government & Regulatory Affairs effective 1 August. In this role, she will lead an expanded Government & Regulatory Affairs function with responsibility for regulatory adherence and implementation, regulatory relationship management, and regulatory advocacy.
Matherat will also become a member of the Group Executive Committee (GEC). The GEC performs advisory, coordinating, performance-monitoring and decision-preparing functions for the Management Board.
Matherat will join from Banque de France, the French central bank, where her most recent positions were Deputy Director General of Operations and Director for Financial Stability. She will be based in Frankfurt and report to Stephan Leithner, Member of the Management Board, whose functional responsibilities include Government & Regulatory Affairs.
Jürgen Fitschen and Anshu Jain, Co-Chief Executive Officers of Deutsche Bank, said: "We are pleased that Sylvie Matherat will join Deutsche Bank to lead our Government & Regulatory Affairs department. Sylvie is an internationally recognised expert with an excellent track record in regulation and supervision. Sylvie's appointment underscores our commitment to further improve our control environment and engagement with regulators globally."
Matherat joined Banque de France in 1986. From 1986 to 1993 and from 1995 to 2007, she held various senior positions at the Commission Bancaire (now Autorité de Controle Prudentiel et de Régulation), including Director for Policy and International Relations, and Head of the Banking Survey Division. She became Director for Financial Stability in 2007 and Deputy Director General of Operations in 2011.
Matherat was Banque de France's representative on the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision and Co-Chair of its liquidity group. She was also a member of the Committee on Payment and Settlement System (CPSS), a member of the Crisis Management and Resolution Steering Group of the Financial Stability Board (FSB) and a member of the Payment and Settlement System Committee of the European Central Bank (ECB). From 1993 to 1995, Matherat worked for Paribas Capital Markets as Head of the Structured Finance Department and from 1985 to 1986 for Société Générale as Auditor on Retail and Investment Banking.
For further information, please call:
Deutsche Bank AG
Press & Media Relations
Regina Schüller
Phone: +49 69 910 44032
E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
Armin Niedermeier
Phone: +49 69 910 33402
E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
PDF version


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21-40: Questions and Answers
21- How do I know which one of my actions will meet with Allah's approval?
Allah always inspires the most proper course of action through the conscience of one who fears Him. In a verse, Allah says:
You who believe! if you go in fear (taqwa) of Allah, He will give you a criterion (by which to judge between right and wrong) and will cleanse you of your sins and forgive you. Allah's favour is indeed immense. (Surat al-Anfal, 29)
It should not be forgotten that the first voice the individual hears in his heart is the voice of his conscience which helps him to judge between right and wrong, and it is this very voice which tells him the behaviour that will please Allah. People who fear Allah arrive at the truth by listening to the voice of their conscience.
22- Is there any other voice in a person's heart apart from that of his conscience?
All of the other alternatives that surface after the voice of one's conscience are the "voices of the self" that try to suppress the conscience. The self tries with all its might to prevent one from behaving righteously and to make one do evil deeds.
It may not do this very openly. It may outline certain excuses which may seem sensible. It may cause one to say "all this will come to nothing." Allah states this truth in the Qur'an:
By the soul and Him that moulded it and inspired it with the knowledge of sin and piety: blessed shall be the man who has kept it pure." (Surat ash-Shams, 7-9)
As stated in the verse, man is a prey to sin but knows he has a duty to guard against it. Man is tested on his choice between good and evil.
23- How do we see?
Allah brought you out of your mothers' wombs devoid of all knowledge and gave you hearing, sight and hearts so that perhaps you would give thanks. (Surat an-Nahl, 78)
The act of seeing is realised progressively. During the act of seeing, light clusters (photons) travelling from any object to the eye pass through the lens at the front of the eye where they are refracted and fall upside-down on the retina at the back of the eye. Here, impinging light is turned into electrical signals that are transmitted by neurons to a tiny spot called the centre of vision in the back of the brain. This electrical signal is perceived as an image in this centre in the brain after a series of processes. The act of seeing actually takes place in this tiny spot in the posterior part of the brain, which is pitch-dark and completely insulated from light.
When we say, "we see," we are in fact seeing the effects of impulses reaching our eyes and induced in our brain, after they are transformed into electrical signals. That is, when we say, "we see," we are actually observing electrical signals in our minds.
Both the book you are now reading and the boundless landscape you see when you gaze at the horizon fit into this tiny space. This adjustment in scale holds true also for the different perceptions we obtain through our other senses.
24- What does it mean "not to have direct experience of the real matter"?
All the information that we have about the world in which we live is conveyed to us by our five senses. The world we know of consists of what our eyes see, our hands feel, our noses smell, our tongues taste, and our ears hear. Modern research reveals that our perceptions are only responses created in the brain by electrical signals. In this regard, we merely deal with the copy images reaching our brains of people, colours, and everything we own in the external world.
For instance, let us take a piece of fruit: Electrical signals pertaining to the taste, smell, appearance, and hardness of the fruit, reach our brains through our nerves and build up a picture of the fruit there. If the nerves that travel to the brain were disrupted, the perceptions relating to the fruit would disappear. What we perceive as a fruit is actually a collection of perceptions reaching our brains. The fruit exists in the outside world, but we can never know its original external existence. In other words, we can never have direct experience of the original of this "collection of perceptions" that exists on the outside. We have no means of getting outside our brains to contact anything: we have only our perceptions.
25- Can we reach the original of the external world?
We can never reach the original of the external world. Since throughout our lives we merely deal with the electrical signals reaching our brains, we merely know the perceptions in the mind. The only world we know of is the world that exists in our minds: the one that is designed, recorded, and made vivid there; the one, in short, that is created within our minds.
26- Do we not also experience dreams in the mind?
Yes, dreaming is an excellent example to understand the subject. In our dreams, we experience events, see people, objects and settings that seem completely real. However, they are all nothing but mere perceptions. Both of the "dream" and the "real world" are experienced in the brain. While dreaming there is nothing apart from what is in the brain. In the real world, however, the actual matter exists outside us, but we can never reach it and merely know its version perceived in the mind.
27- If we deal merely with perceptions of all matter, then what is the brain?
Since our brains are a part of the physical world just like our arms, legs, or any other object, we deal merely with its perception just like all other objects. An example about dreams will illuminate the subject further. Let us think that we see the dream. In the dream, we will have an imaginary body, an imaginary arm, an imaginary eye, and an imaginary brain. If during our dream, we were asked, "Where do you see?" we would answer "I see in my brain." Yet, actually, there is not any brain to talk about, but an imaginary head and an imaginary brain. The seer of the images is not the imaginary brain in the dream, but a "being" that is far "beyond" it.
28- Who or what is the perceiver?
So far, people have believed that what does the perceiving is the brain. When we analyse the brain, however, we see that there is nothing in it but lipid and protein molecules, which also exist in other living organisms. This means that within the piece of meat we call the "brain," there is nothing there to observe images, to constitute consciousness, or to create the being we call "myself."
It is clear that the being that sees, hears, and feels is supra-material in nature. This being is "alive" and it is neither matter nor an image of matter. This being associates with the perceptions in front of it by using the image of our body.
This being is the "soul." In the Qur'an Allah states:
They will ask you about the Spirit. Say: 'The Spirit is my Lord's concern. You have only been given a little knowledge.' (Surat al-Isra', 85)
29- Since the material world we have experience of is actually perceptions seen by our soul, then what is the source of these perceptions?
The reality that should be noted when answering this question is that we see matter only as an illusion and we can never have direct experience of its external existence. Since matter is a perception to us, it is something "artificial." That is, this perception must have been caused by another power, which means that it must have been created. There is a Creator, Who has created the material universe and continues His creation ceaselessly. This Creator tells us, through the Book He revealed, about Himself, the universe and the reason of our existence. This Creator is Allah and His book is the Qur'an.
The facts that the heavens and the earth are not stable, that their presence has been made possible by Allah's having created them and that they will disappear when He ends this creation, are all explained in the following verse:
It is Allah Who keeps a firm hold on the heavens and earth, preventing them from vanishing. And if they vanished, no one could then keep hold of them. Certainly He is Most Forbearing and Ever-Forgiving. (Surah Fatir, 41)
30- How is it that Allah encompasses everything and He is closer to us than our jugular vein?
Material beings cannot see Allah; but Allah sees the matter that He created in all its forms. That is, we cannot grasp Allah's being with our eyes, but Allah has thoroughly encompassed us from the inside, from the outside, in looks and in thoughts. We cannot utter any word unless it is with His knowledge, nor can we even take a breath.
While we watch these sensory perceptions that Allah shows to us in the course of our lives, the closest being to us is Allah Himself. The secret of the following verse in the Qur'an is concealed in this reality: "It is We Who created man, and We know what dark suggestions his soul makes to him: for We are nearer to him than (his) jugular vein." (Surah Qaf, 16) When a human being thinks that he has experience of his original and actual body, and fails to remember that every moment he experiences is actually experienced in the mind, he cannot comprehend this important fact. If he takes his brain to be "himself," then the place that he accepts to be the outside is 20-30 cm away from him. However, when he understands that he merely deals with a copy of matter formed in his brain, notions such as outside, inside, far or near lose their meaning. Allah has encompassed him and He is "infinitely close" to him.
31- Is the love of Allah not sufficient? Is fear of Allah a must?
According to the Qur'an, true love requires respect and avoiding things of which Allah does not approve. When we look at the lives and actions of people who believe that love alone is enough, we see that they are not steadfast on the point mentioned above. However, a person who loves Allah sincerely, primarily follows His commands strictly, avoids the things He prohibits and is guided towards actions of which He approves. He shows his love by seeking our Lord's approval at every moment of his life by his deep respect for, trust in, obedience and loyalty to Him.
As a result of such concern, he deeply fears losing Allah's approval and incurring His wrath. Otherwise, expressing one's love only in words, while living a heedless life, transgressing Allah's limits, is certainly a very insincere attitude. In the Qur'an Allah has ordered man to fear Him:
Turn back in repentance to Him, and fear Him: perform salat (regular prayers), and do not be of those who ascribe partners to Allah. (Surat ar-Rum, 31)
32- How intense must the fear of Allah of a sincere believer be?
Everyone who is aware of the being of Allah and who knows Him with His supreme attributes fears Allah deeply. This is because in addition to being infinitely compassionate and merciful, Allah is also al-Qahhar (the Subduer), al-Hasib (the Reckoner), al-Muazzib (the Punisher), al-Muntaqim (the Avenger), al-Saiq (the One Who consigns to Hell). Therefore, Muslims fear Allah in the unseen; they know no one is safe from His punishment. Since they know that they will be accountable for everything they do, they greatly avoid behaving in any way displeasing to Allah. However, it must be added that fear, as referred to here, has a totally different connotation from the typical fear felt in irreligious societies. It is a fear that gives peace to the believer, motivates him and prods him to action to gain Allah's approval. Allah commanded the believers as follows:
So fear Allah as much as you can, and listen and obey and spend in charity for the benefit of your own soul. It is the people who are safeguarded from the avarice of their own selves who are successful. (Surat at-Taghabun, 16)
33- Anyone who reads the Qur'an can understand it.
Allah has sent down the Qur'an to all people as a guide. This is why the Qur'an is extremely comprehensible and clear. Allah thus stresses this characteristic of the Qur'an: " … A Light has come to you from Allah and a Clear Book." (Surat al-Ma'ida, 15) Another verse further clarifies this:
In this way We have sent it (the Qur'an) down with Clear Signs. Allah guides anyone He wills. (Surat al-Hajj, 16)
To be able to see the wisdom in the Qur'an and to comprehend its supreme features, one who reads it must be a hundred percent sincere and always think in accordance with his conscience.
However, it needs to be made clear that Muslims must strongly avoid producing pronouncements from the Qur'an on the basis of their own personal interpretations and opinions. The most appropriate thing to do for people seeking answers on these subjects is to make use of the catechisms collected by Ahl al-Sunnah scholars.
34- The Qur'an and the sunnah of the Prophet (saas) are the sole guide for believers.
The Qur'an is the only guide a believer will have recourse to throughout his life. In a verse of the Qur'an where Allah addressed the wives of the Prophet (saas), He commanded them to "remember the Signs of Allah and the wise words which are recited in their homes…" (Surat al-Ahzab, 34), and urged all believers to recite the Qur'an. As this verse makes clear, the believers read the scriptures in their homes and remember their verses. However, more important is reading and then fully practicing and diligently carrying out the Qur'an's injunctions.
The best reference source to see how the Qur'an has been put into practice is the life and actions of our Prophet (saas), in other words, his Sunnah.
35- The Qur'an addresses every age.
Allah sent down the Qur'an as a guide for all worlds and all times:
This is a clear explanation for all mankind, and guidance and admonition for those who fear Allah. (Surat Al-Imran, 138)
Allah gives examples in the Qur'an based on past events so that people who live throughout the ages may take warning and not repeat the same mistakes. One may commonly encounter events similar to those recounted in the Qur'an even today.
36- The verses of the Qur'an have been preserved by Allah until today without any change.
The Qur'an is protected by Allah and has come down to our day without any change for the past 1400 years. Allah informs us of this truth:
It is We Who have sent down the Reminder (the Qur'an) and We Who will preserve it. (Surat al-Hijr, 9)
The Words of your Lord are perfect in truthfulness and justice. No one can change His Words. He is the All-Hearing, and the All-Knowing. (Surat al-An'am, 115)
These promises of Allah are sufficient for those who believe. Yet, Allah has shown us that the Qur'an is the book of truth by including certain scientific and numerical miracles in it.
37- What are the scientific miracles of the Qur'an?
Although the Qur'an was revealed 1400 years ago, it includes many scientific facts which were absolutely unknown at that time and have been discovered only in our day by the help of the latest scientific and technological means. These attributes of the Qur'an clearly demonstrate that it originated in Allah. The following are some of these miracles.
The constant expansion of the universe is one of the greatest discoveries of the 20th century. Yet Allah proclaimed this truth to us 1400 years ago in the 47th verse of Surat adh-Dhariyat:
It is We who have built the universe with (Our creative) power, and, truly, it is We who are steadily expanding it. (Surat adh-Dhariyat, 47)
The movement of heavenly bodies in unchanging orbits was proclaimed centuries ago in the Qur'an:
It is He Who created night and day and the sun and moon, each one moving in its own orbit. (Surat al-Anbiya, 33)
Interesting properties are revealed when the Arabic wording of the verses that make mention of the sun and the moon is examined. In these verses, the words siraj (lamp) and wahhaj (brightly-burning) are used for the sun. For the moon, the word «munir» (enlightening, shiny) is used. Indeed, while the sun produces an enormous amount of heat and light as a result of the nuclear reactions inside, the moon merely reflects the light it receives from the sun. This distinction is made as follows:
Do you not see how God has created seven heavens in full harmony with one another, and has made the moon a light therein, and made the sun a (radiant) lamp? (Surah Nuh, 15-16)
In the Qur'an, the 22nd verse of Surat al-Hijr refers to the "fertilizing" property of the winds:
And We send the fertilizing winds, then cause water to descend from the sky, therewith providing you with water (in abundance). (Surat al-Hijr, 22)
In Arabic, the word "fertilizing" refers to the effect on both plants and clouds. Modern science for its part has shown that the winds do indeed have both of these functions.
Another miracle of the Qur'an is emphasized in the following verse:
He has created the Heavens and the Earth for the sake of Truth. He wraps the night up in the day, and wraps the day up in the night… (Surat az-Zumar, 5)
In this verse, the day's and the night's wrapping each other up is described by the word "tekvir". In English, this means «to make one thing lap over another, folded up like a garment that is laid away». In Arabic dictionaries this word is explained as the action of wrapping one thing around another, in the way that a turban is put on. Implicit in this verse, therefore, is accurate information about the shape of the world. The expression used can be truly apt only if the earth is round. This means that in the Qur'an, which was revealed in the 7th century, the roundness of the world was hinted at.
38- What are the numerical miracles in the Qur'an?
The Qur'an also has numerical miracles like the insertion of the number "19" in the verses in a coded way and the numbers of repetitions of certain words.
Word repetitions in the Qur'an: Some related words are repeated the same number of times in the Qur'an. For instance:
1. The phrase the "seven heavens" is repeated 7 times.
2. The words, "world " and "hereafter" are each repeated 115 times.
3. The word "day" is repeated 365 times while the word "moon" is repeated 12 times.
4. The word "faith" (iman) (without genitive) is repeated 25 times throughout the Qur'an, as is also the word "infidelity" or the phrase "covering over the truth." (kufr).
5. When we count the word "say", we come up with the result of 332. We arrive at the same figure when we count the number of times the phrase: "they said" is used.
6. The word "shaytan" is used 88 times. The word "angel" is also repeated 88 times.
The miracle of 19 in the Qur'an:
The number 19 is pointed out in the Qur'an in a statement about Hell: "It is guarded by nineteen keepers." (Surat al-Muddaththir, 30) This number is also encoded in certain other verses of the Qur'an. For instance:
"In the Name of God, The Compassionate, the Merciful." This formula, which is found at the beginning of every surah, has 19 letters.
The Qur'an consists of 114 surahs; 114 is a multiple of 19, being equal to 6 times 19.
There are many other such multiples:
The total count of the word "Allah" in the Qur'an is 2698 (19 x 142);
The total count of the word "Merciful" in the Qur'an is 114 (19 x 6);
When we add up all numbers in the Qur'an (without taking repetitions into account), we get the number 162, 146 that is, 19 x 8534;
The first Surah that was revealed had 19 verses. There are innumerable other examples.
39- How do we know of the existence of the hereafter?
Allah currently causes people to live in a world, whose original they do not know and whose perceptions are what they can ever have experience of. Allah, Who created this world,—such a perfect and magnificent creation with three dimensional images that have depth, and are full of colour and light—surely has the power to create that which is far more beautiful.
Just as Allah forms an image of the world in man's brain, so will He transfer him to another dimension after his death and will show him the image of a different environment. That dimension, to which man will be introduced, will be the hereafter.
40- What does reincarnation mean?
Reincarnation is a baseless superstition. It was produced as a result of the concern felt by certain irreligious people in their subconscious about "disappearing after death" or the fear that grips people with poor religious faith when they think about going to the hereafter after death. For either group, it is an attractive prospect, in their own eyes, to come back to the world once again after death.
However, in many verses of the Qur'an, it is stated that there is only one life in this world where man is tested. It is also stated that there is no return to the world after death. That man will die only once is emphasized in the following verse:
They will not taste any death there – except for the first one. Your Lord will through His mercy safeguard them from the punishment of the Blazing Fire. (Surat ad-Dukhan, 56)


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|Stevenson Ranch, Calif.
|High School:
|West Ranch
Personal Bests:
Vault: 9.55 (3/24/2012)
Bars: 9.775 (1/22/2012)
Beam: 9.825 (2/26/2012)
Floor: 9.65 (3/16/2012)
All-Around: 38.6 (2/26/2012)
2012: Given an Outstanding Contribution Award for her performance ... Competed all-around at every meet for the Bulldogs ... Started off the season with second place finishes on bars and in the all-around and a third place finish on beam against Springfield and Brockport State ... Placed third on beam, floor and in the all-around at the Bulldog Invitational ... Won beam and the all-around and placed second on bars against SCSU ... Won beam, placed fifth on bars and was third all-around at the Ivy Classic with season-best 38.6 all-around total and a 9.825 on beam, the sixth-highest beam score in Yale gymnastics history ... Placed second on beam and won the all-around at George Washington ... Had a season-high 9.55 on vault at the ECAC Championships ... Named the ECAC gymnastics Rookie of the Year and named ECAC Rookie of the Week for three consecutive weeks during the season.
High School: Was the 2011 state champion on bars and beam and claimed the beam title at regionals … Won the all-around at the 2011 National Invitational Tournament (NIT) … Received the 2011 So Cal Super Senior Award for achievement in athletics and academics … Trained at West Coast Elite Gymnastics with Fernando Villa.
Personal: Started gymnastics at age five after watching Shannon Miller in the 1996 Olympics … Passionate about reading and music … Hopes to become fluent in at least three languages … Lives with mother (Pamela), father (Paul), and sisters (Kacie and Samantha) … Why Yale? "The first time I visited Yale I knew I wanted to come here because of the remarkable kindness and generosity of the people, the unparalleled academics, and the overall atmosphere of the campus. Since I was born and raised in California, I thought the East Coast atmosphere—and weather—would be a refreshing change."


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SciCafe: Mapping the Evolution and Spread of Languages main content.
by AMNH on
Human languages first appeared between 30,000 and 100,000 years ago, but the question of how languages spread and evolve is still under investigation. In this podcast from a recent SciCafe, join Museum curators Peter Whiteley and Ward Wheeler as they discuss how techniques used in genetic analysis are being applied to anthropology, language shifts, and key patterns in social evolution.
The SciCafe, "Mapping the Evolution and Spread of Languages," took place at the museum on December 5, 2012.


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The government is so big and there are so many things happening that you really have to have your eyes on every ball all at once. And you might drop one. —Dana Perino
WASHINGTON — Burned by the failed rollout of his health care law, President Barack Obama is seeking to build a team for the final years of his administration where management expertise may trump keen political or legislative skills.
Gone from the White House are nearly all of the high-profile political gurus who ran Obama's two presidential campaigns. In their place are mostly lesser-known figures who have spent years in government, often in the type of policy implementation jobs that only make the news when something goes wrong.
The shift is in part an indication of the White House's low expectations for passing new legislation in a second term, even if Democrats manage to keep control of the Senate in the midterm elections. It also shows recognition by the White House that a repeat of the management failures and policy implementation problems that plagued the health care rollout could have dire consequences for the president.
"There's no question that one of the lessons of health care is the need for greater focus on implementation," said Dan Pfeiffer, Obama's senior adviser. "We want to structure the White House in a way that allows that best to happen."
That nuts-and-bolts approach may be a long way from the days when Obama campaigned as the champion of hope and change and urged Washington to do big things. But it comes as the White House faces another deepening political problem that raises questions about administration management, this time at the Veterans Affairs Department.
Republicans and Democrats alike have voiced anger over troubling allegations of preventable deaths and treatment delays at VA hospitals around the country. While Obama is so far standing by VA Secretary Eric Shinseki, officials say there is urgency in getting the matter under control.
As it seeks to shore up its response, the White House is turning to the same playbook it used during the health care enrollment debacle, when Obama dispatched longtime aide Jeffrey Zients to the Health and Human Services Department to oversee efforts to fix the woeful HealthCare.gov website.
Obama made a similar move last week, temporarily assigning deputy chief of staff Rob Nabors to the VA to lead an internal review of agency policies.
While Nabors and Zients are relatively unknown outside of Washington, both are seen as strong managers who also have the president's trust. While it's too early to know the results of Nabors' efforts at the VA, Zients' stint at HHS was largely deemed a success, with the website becoming operational ahead of key enrollment deadlines and sign-ups ultimately exceeding expectations.
Obama's advisers are also seeking to apply that rapid response mentality to daily operations at the White House.
That effort got underway earlier this year when Obama brought on John Podesta, former chief of staff to President Bill Clinton, as a senior counselor. Podesta is charged specifically with overseeing the implementation of Obama's sweeping executive action plans for tackling climate change, an effort officials say rivals the complexity of the health law's implementation.
And on Friday, the White House promoted Kristie Canegallo, who has held multiple behind-the-scenes policy posts at the White House and Pentagon, to deputy chief of staff. She's been given a broad mandate that includes overseeing the continued implementation of the health care law, as well as management oversight of education policies and the drawdown of the Afghanistan war.
Dana Perino, who served as press secretary in George W. Bush's second term, welcomed the Obama team's effort to shore up its implementation, casting it as a challenge that every White House grapples with.
"The government is so big and there are so many things happening that you really have to have your eyes on every ball all at once," Perino said. "And you might drop one."
Of course, the legislative landscape in Washington is driving the White House's focus on implementation as much as anything else.
Faced with steady opposition from the Republican-led House, Obama has struggled to pass even routine legislation through Congress. Sweeping measures like an immigration overhaul are a long shot between now and the November elections. And with Washington already turning quickly to the 2016 elections, the prospects for immigration or other big legislation may be no better after the midterms.
Chris Lehane, a Democratic strategist who served in the Clinton White House, said Obama is now at the phase of his presidency where his focus will be by necessity "more about maintaining policies in place and managing programs rather than developing big ideas and creating new policies."
The White House insists that while its legislative pathways have indeed narrowed in a second term, Obama hasn't given up on Congress.
"The first team was financial crisis-oriented, legislative-oriented," said Pfeiffer, the only member of Obama's original political team still working in the White House. "This team is more executive action, implementation-oriented while still looking for ways to pass legislation."
Follow Julie Pace at http://twitter.com/jpaceDC


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Egypt delays early vote on constitution
Cairo --
Egypt postponed early voting on a contentious draft constitution, and aides to President Mohammed Morsi floated the possibility of canceling the whole referendum in the first signs Friday that the Islamic leader is finally yielding to days of protests and deadly street clashes.
Tens of thousands marched on the presidential palace after pushing past barbed wire fences installed by the army and calling for Morsi to step down. Thousands also camped out in Tahrir Square, birthplace of the uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak in 2011.
A spokesman for Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood urged the group's supporters to practice "self-restraint" after hundreds gathered in front of a mosque near the presidential palace. He appealed for them not to march to the palace and to avoid confrontation.
The announcement by the election committee head Ismail Hamdi to delay early voting on the charter came as a surprise, and it was difficult to predict whether it will lead to a breakthrough in the political crisis.
The president's aides said the move would ease some pressure and would provide room for negotiations with the opposition.
But Morsi's opponents have rejected talks, saying he must first cancel the referendum and meet other demands. Late Friday, an opposition umbrella group called for an open-ended sit-in in front of the presidential palace.
The crisis began Nov. 22, when Morsi issued a decree that gave him absolute powers and immunity from judicial oversight. It deepened when he called for a Dec. 15 national referendum on the draft constitution hurriedly produced by the Islamist-led constituent assembly. The draft was infused with articles that liberals fear would pave the way for Islamizing Egypt.
Legal Affairs Minister Mohammed Mahsoub said the administration was weighing several proposals - including calling off the referendum and returning it to the constituent assembly for changes. Another possibility was disbanding the constituent assembly and forming a new one, either by direct vote or an agreement among the political forces.
Since the Arab Spring uprising that toppled Mubarak, Egypt has been split between Islamists and mostly secular and liberal protesters. Each side depicts the conflict as an all-out fight for Egypt's future and identity.


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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: Haley ChittyDirector of Communications(202) firstname.lastname@example.com
March 19, 2012 -- What's better than getting money back from Uncle Sam for your qualified education expenses? Having two extra days to file your 2011 taxes!
The National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) has released a new, free Tax Benefits Guide designed to help students and families navigate the sometimes thorny task of determining which higher education tax benefits you qualify to receive—and which will secure you the maximum return on April 17.
The federal government provides roughly $15 billion in tax savings to more than 10 million students and families every year. On average, these tax benefits help qualified families save $1,329 annually. These incentives come in a couple of forms:
"NASFAA's Tax Benefits Guide is intended to ensure that no family leaves money on the table for qualified educational expenses this tax season," said NASFAA President Justin Draeger. "Financial aid administrators partner with families—every day, in every institution of higher education, as we help students achieve their educational goals and make the best fiscal decisions."
If you attended college in 2011, you may qualify for more than one of these incentives, but there are some restrictions. It's a good idea to calculate your taxes multiple ways to find the maximum benefits available to you.
Additional detail on eligibility requirements is included in NASFAA's Tax Benefits Guide for students and families.
The National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) is a nonprofit membership organization that represents nearly 20,000 financial aid professionals at 2,800 colleges, universities, and career schools across the country. Each year, financial aid professionals help more than 16 million students receive funding for post secondary education. Based in Washington, D.C., NASFAA is the only national association with a primary focus on student aid legislation, regulatory analysis, and training for financial aid administrators. For more information, visit www.nasfaa.org.


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Posts Tagged 'Bethia'
Saturday Night Genealogy Fun – My Most Unique Ancestral Name
The following challenge comes from Randy Seaver of http://www.geneamusings.com/
Hey, genealogy fans – it's Saturday Night – time for more Genealogy Fun!
In honor of Surname Saturday (the new, official genealogy blogging prompt for Saturdays), let's consider this, assuming you accept the challenge to play along (is it Mission Impossible?):
1) What is the most unique, strangest or funniest combination of given name and last name in your ancestry? Not in your database – in your ancestry.
2) Tell us about this person in a blog post, in a comment to this blog post, or in a comment on Facebook.
3) Okay, if you don't have a really good one – how about a sibling of your direct ancestors?
by Sherry Stocking Kline
October 24, 2009
Because Most folks laugh when I tell them my maiden name, Stocking, I picked an ancestor from that side of the family.
When folks asked me how to spell my maiden name, I'd say "Just like you wear, just like it sounds." When my brother was in high school, his friends nicknamed him "Sox" a name that stuck with him, and after he graduated and I entered high school a few years later, my friends called me "Sox" as well.
The ancestor's name that I've been curious about ever since I read it in the family history book, was Deacon Samuel Stocking, son of George and Anna Stocking who immigrated from Suffolk, England on the ship Griffith in the 1630's, and traveled to Hartford, Connecticut with Thomas Hooker's party. George became one of Hartford's founders.
According to family records, Deacon Samuel married Bethiah Hopkins on May 27th, 1652. A quick Google search brought his will to light in several places on the internet. Awesome, considering 10 years ago, it was only available in one place.
My question has been, was Deacon Samuel his name, or was Deacon his church title? And I realized when I re-read the wills, one after the other, (for what was NOT the first time) that George's will refers to his son Samuel, not his son, Deacon Samuel.
So surely Samuel's "Deacon" is a church title. On the other hand, Deacon Samuel's will does refer to him as Deacon Samuel, sen.
So, while I think the question is answered tonight, I'd be happy to hear comments from those with more experience.
A Digest of the Early Connecticut Probate Records: Hartford district, 1635-1700
By Charles William Manwaring
Page 136.
Stocking, George. He died 25 May, 1683. Invt. £257-09-00. Taken by Nath. Willett, Tho. Bunce, John Easton. Invt. in Middletown taken 8 June, 1683, by Nath: White & John Warner.
Court Record, Page 73—6 September, 1683: An Inventory of the Estate of George Stocking was exhibited in Court. Adms. to Samuel Stocking.
Page 78—18 December, 1683: This Court haveing viewed that presented as the Last Will & Testament of George Stocking in the circumstances of it, together with what George Stocking hath declared to George Stocking & Capt. Allyn, & his declaration of his will in part contradicting, doe Judge that the will presented is of no value, & therefore the Court distribute the Estate as followeth: To Samuel Stocking, £100; to Hannah Benton's children, £41; to the wife of John Richards, £41; to the wife of Samuel Olcott, £41; & to John Stocking, who hath lived with George Stocking, his grandfather, for some years, the remainder of the Estate, being £34, we distributed to John Stocking; and desire & appoint Marshall George Grave & Thomas Bunce to make this Distribution. (See Will, Vol. III.)
Page 168-9.
Stocking, Deacon Samuel sen., Middletown. Died 30 December, 1683. Invt. £648-08-08. Taken by Giles Hamlin, William Ward. The children: Samuel 27 years of age, John 23, George 19, Ebenezer 17, Steven 10, Daniel 6 years old, Bethia Stow 25, Lydia Stocking 21 years. Will dated 13 November, 1683.
I Samuel Stocking of Middletown do leave this my last Will & Testament : I give unto my loveing wife Bethia Stocking my whole Homestead lying on the both sides of the Highway with all ye Buildings thereon thereunto belonging, with my whole Lott in the Long Meadow, with my Lott at Pistol Poynt, & half of my Meadow lying on the other side of the Brook, that part of it that lyeth next to the Great River, with all my Meadow Lands at Wongunk, together with all my Stock & Moveables; these I give my wife during her Widowhood, and upon marrying again I Will to her £4 yearly to be raised out of that Estate which I have agreed to my son Daniel Stocking.
I give to my son Samuel Stocking my whole Allottment upon the Hill between the Land of Lt. White and Israel Willcox, only excepting 6 acres adjoining to the Land of Lt. White, which I give to my daughter Bethia. Moreover I give to my son Samuel the remaining half of the Meadow over the Brook, with 10 acres of the Swamp adjoining to it. I give him my whole Allottment at the Cold Spring on the west side of the Way to Hartford. I give to him, sd. son Samuel, the whole of my Lott at Pipe Stave Swamp, with the half of my Allottment next unto Wethersfield Bounds, with the halfe of my Lott at Pistol Poynt, upon his Mother's decease.
I give unto my son John Stocking the whole of the Land and Buildings at my Father Stocking's decease bequeathed me by his last Will, within the Bounds of Hartford. I give unto my daughter Lydia my Lott lying next unto Thomas Ranny's, and butting upon ye Commons West and Dead Swamp East, with a good Milk Cow, to be delivered her within 12 months after my decease.
I give to my sons George & Ebenezer all my Lands on the East side of the Great River, to be equally divided between them, excepting the y2 of my Great Lott next unto Haddam Bounds.
I give to my son Steven my whole Lott upon the Hill, bounded upon ye Lands of Thomas Rannie North, the Commons East, West & South, with my whole Allottment in Boggy Meadow, with all my Meadow & Upland in the farther Neck, giving the Improvement of the Boggy Meadow unto my son Samuel till the abovesd. child is of age to inherit.
I give to my son Samuell (Daniel, see original paper on File) my whole Homestead lying on both sides of the Highway, with my Lott in the Long Meadow, with half my Lott at Pistoll poynt, with ^ of my Lott lying on the West side of the way as you goe to Hartford, adjoining to the Land of Anthony Martin on the North, the Land of Thomas Ranny South, the Highway & Commons West.
This I say I give to my son Daniel, that is to say, the West end of it, the other halfe of sd. Lott to be to my son Samuel. These aforementioned parcells of Land as specified I give to him my sd. son Daniel & his heirs forever, with the other halfe of my Lott next Weathersfield Bounds.
I give to our Pastor, Rev. Nathaniel Collins, £3, my son Samuel to be sole Executor.
After the decease or marriage of my wife, my Estate to be equally divided amongst my children. I desire Mr. Nath. White & John Savage sen. to be Overseers. Witness: Nath: White, Samuel Stocking Sen.
John Savage sen.
A Codicil, without Change of the above, signed 25 December, 1683.
Court Record, Page 85—6 March, 1684: Will proven.


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Feature Articles
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A Quick Flash Premer
SSD Drives - The Next Big Speed Boost
These days, upgrading to a new processor or adding more memory than required doesn't quite give you the same tangible feeling you once had when upgrading from a Celeron to a Pentium III. Platforms have progressed so much that the next big bottleneck in performance in a non gaming and non compute intensive context happens to be your storage drive. You get a much bigger perceived performance boost by upgrading your hard drive than upgrading from a dual-core to a quad-core processor.
Remember the speed boosts that you got from moving from a lowly 5400rpm drive to the 7200rpm drives, and in more recent times with the 10,000rpm drives? If those sound good, prepare to get a far bigger boost when you take the leap to solid state drives (SSD). Read on for our assessment of some of the fastest SSD drives money can buy and our findings. But just before that, we give you a primer on the state of SSD drives.
A Quick Flash Primer
The person who first coined the term 'flash memory' wanted to illustrate the speed of erasing the contents of the memory, which happens as quick as the 'flash' of a camera. Which is accurate, since flash memory involves manipulating voltages to change the internal state of the transistors within the memory cells and all that occurs on the scale of microseconds.
More than twenty years later, flash memory has moved from its initial use in ROM chips to becoming the future storage medium of choice for its speed and durability. As predicted by this article featuring its inventor, NAND flash has come to dominate the market and is now the latest trend in storage media.
While its cost has been prohibitive in the beginning, it has now dropped to a level that is acceptable to certain groups of users. Flash-based portable thumb drives are about as common as optical mice these days and solid state drives (SSD), the next frontier for flash memory storage has reached the consumer desktop in increasing numbers, especially in high-end notebooks.
The Reduced Cost of MLC
Besides the increased manufacturing capacity and advances in NAND flash technology, part of the reason for its falling cost is the entry of SSDs that use a different form of NAND flash technology, the Multi-Level Cell (MLC). This differs from the Single-Level Cell (SLC) design that can only hold 1-bit of information in each of its transistors. In MLC flash, the electrical charge applied is varied to create different states (there are four) and this results in 2-bits of information per cell, hence doubling the storage capacity.
The drawbacks however include having slower read and write performance, as due to the closer proximity between the voltages used to distinguish the states, more precautions need to be taken during read or write. However, the biggest difference between the two designs lie in something called memory wear. Basically, all NAND flash memory can only undergo a certain number of erase and write cycles before they wear out completely. For SLC NAND, this is around 100,000 cycles, but for MLC, it's an order of magnitude lower at 10,000. Hence, one usually finds enterprise class SSDs using SLC flash memory and the increasing number of consumer drives using MLC flash memory.
Although technologies like wear leveling ensures that all your memory cells are used as evenly as possible to lengthen the lifespan, it will be inevitable that one day, your SSD will not be able to work as usual. That doesn't mean that your data will be lost; it just means that one cannot write or erase the existing information on the drive. You can still read the drive. This will however take a long time, perhaps a time frame by which a typical hard drive might have either failed or would have been relegated to a lesser secondary role in the hands of the common DIY enthusiast.
It's a Brave New World
But just to illustrate the uncertainty surrounding such new technologies, recent issues emerged that showed Intel's X25-M SSD (which incidentally is part of our review today) slowed down after extensive use while SSDs like OCZ's Core that used JMicron's JMF602 controllers were prone to stuttering due to poor random write performance for small files. Intel has released firmware (which we've used as well) that appeared to have mostly resolved this issue while OCZ has changed tack with a new controller for its latest SSD.
Both the Intel and OCZ drives are in our roundup of some of the best SSDs available in the market now. We've asked almost all the common SSD vendors to send in their top 64GB SSD drives, but apparently for some strange reason only half of them were able to prepare review drives in time for our shootout; too bad for the rest of them. So for this article, we've drives from Kingston, OCZ, Mtron and Patriot, including the odd man out at 80GB from Intel.
While larger capacity drives have more memory channels and thus able to offer even faster read/write speeds, we opted to conduct the comparison for 64GB drives. Given the exorbitant price per gigabyte costs involved for SSD drives, we figured that 64GB is the probable sweet spot for enthusiasts to consider integrating these drives to their rigs for speedy system and application loading purposes. Let's face it, terabyte capacity drives are certainly the requirement for mainstream storage and SSDs won't get to such comfortable price points so soon.
With both SLC and MLC flash memory designs represented in this article, we hope to find out if the latest SSDs have finally shed themselves of teething problems and take up its position as the successor to mechanical hard drives (at least for certain usage scenarios). Here are the contenders with their crucial technical specifications:
|Flash Memory Type
|Onboard Cache
|Advertised Sequential Read/Write Speeds
|Intel X25-M 80GB
|Kingston SSDNow E-Series 64GB
|Mtron PRO 7500 64GB
|OCZ Vertex 60GB
|Indilinx 'Barefoot'
|Patriot Torqx 64GB
|Indilinx 'Barefoot'
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