text:
Shengren – Chapter 1.1 – Philosophers and Sages
"Any sage can do philosophy, but not every philosopher is a sage"
Frage: Wie ist – in unserer westlichen Zivilisation, die vom Griechentum wie vom Christentum geprägt ist -, wie ist eine nicht-christliche Philosophie möglich? Diese Frage ist unbeantwortbar; oder vielmehr: die Antwort muß lauten: Nein, eine nicht-christliche Philosophie ist nicht möglich, es gibt keine.[1] [Question: How is – in our Western civilization which is dominated by the Greek tradition (Hellenism) and Christianity –, how is a non-Christian philosophy possible? This question is unanswerable; or rather, the answer must be: No, a non-Christian philosophy is not possible, there is none.]
– Josef Pieper, Alle Philosophie ist christlich
Philosophy is concerned with fundamental problems regarding existence, values, mind, language, etc., by a critical, systematic approach that relies on logical argument and reason. There are, of course, other approaches to thinking that rely more on persuasion, intuition, compromise, memorization, story-telling, religion, or mythology. There are even approaches to thinking that rely on logical argument and reason that are not considered philosophy, for example scientific thinking. Other approaches to thinking are less systematic and more spontaneous or creative, like poetry, music, and the fine arts. Learning is thinking, too. Learning is not philosophy. Some forms of thinking are systematic but do not require an argument, for example strategic thinking. Other forms of thinking are irrational or untruthful, yet they are just this: more thinking. Illogical or non-conclusive arguments are not considered philosophy, yet they are the products of thinking, too. And last, academic philosophy is distinguished from the activity philosophizing by a pre-set of technical terms and pre-existing concepts, curriculum, and methodology that take years of study to internalize.
The following community text (in a democracy, it is important what the public thinks) is a good definition of what is considered philosophy as far as some encyclopedianists are concerned:
Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing fundamental questions (such as mysticism or mythology) or the arts by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on reasoned argument.[2]
There we read it, again: The philosophical approach to thinking ideally leads to system building. Besides, only the creators of the most memorable philosophical systems – Immanuel Kant, David Hume, Georg W. F. Hegel, Karl Marx, for example – are remembered as great philosophers. Yet, none of the great philosophers' great philosophical systems – all purely intellectual inventions (we say: Vorstellungen or representations), no doubt – seemed to have passed the test of time.
New philosophical systems come and go, and – as a rule – the most easily impressionable students who take any of them too serious and as a matter-of-fact run into the dangers of growing up as pungent and intolerant followers of another man's intellectual fantasies.
In his essay思想家与哲学家 (Thinkers and Philosophers), the linguistic sage Ji Xianlin compared philosophers to other great scholars, "thinkers", and observed the following:[3]
一旦他们想把自己的理论捏成一个完整的体系的时候–一般哲学家都是有这种野心的–便显露出捉襟见肘,削足适履的窘态. [Once they (the philosophers) bring all their theories together and try to build them into a universal system – generally all philosophers have this ambition – cracks will appear and flaws will be revealed, and the project will literally end in an embarrassment.]
我心目中的思想家,却不是这个样子。他们对我在上面谈到的那些问题也可能会有自己的看法. 但是,他们决不硬搞什么体系,决不搞那一套烦琐的分析。记得有一副旧对联:"世事洞明皆学问,人情练达即文章. "我觉得,思想家就是洞明世事,练达人情的人。他们不发玄妙莫测的议论,不写恍兮惚兮的文章,更不幻想捏成什么哲学体系. 他们说的话都是中正平和的,人人能懂的。可是让人看了以后,眼睛立即明亮,心头涣然冰释,觉得确实是那么一回事. [Thinkers I have in mind are not like that. They may have their own views on the things I just mentioned. However, they would never engage in any system-building nor engage in its cumbersome analysis. I remember an old Chinese couplet [from the Dream of the Red Chamber, 红楼梦]: "A thorough insight into worldly matters arises from learning; a clear perception of human natures emanates from literary lore." I believe that "thinkers" do just that, they cave for insights into worldly matters, they are sophisticated human beings. They do not talk about the mysterious and unpredictable. Nor do they write obscure texts, and much less do they dream up a philosophical system. What they write down is moderate and peaceful (unpretending), and everyone understands (their thought). After reading it, our eyes shine bright and blister, our minds are clear and free of confusion, and we realize: Yes, this is how things truly are.]
A sage does think, too. A sage can do philosophy, but not every philosopher is a sage. A sage practices sagehood, which is linked to self-cultivation and the striving for balance, harmoniousness, and human perfection. A sage's thinking is concerned with the relationship of himself with other human beings, and the relationship of human beings with the greater order of all things. Here is a striking definition given by Robert C. Neville:
Sages understand memories and expectations, guilt and frustrations, joys and sorrows, suffering, pain, triumph, ecstasy, nobility, depravity, honor, degradation, sincerity, mendacity, stress and release. They understand the combinations and ambiguities of these in the lives of persons and in the affairs of peoples, and their understanding allow them so to follow the trail of what is important through the underbrush of triviality that they cleave to what is essential. Sages are those who understand people. What people? Anyone. […] Sages must live from long experience, not from intuitive encounters.[4]
Definitions can be elaborated or concise, yet the most fundamental difference between a philosopher and a sage, I believe, is the following:
|A philosopheris a wise man distinguished for wisdom and sound judgment.A sage is a wise man distinguished for wisdom and from experience.[5]
According to the definition above, philosophers and sages both are wise man. Wisdom is a very broad term, and we shall later see that the sage's wisdom is more based on sagacity, while the philosopher's wisdom is more based on knowledge. But what is meant by "sound judgment" here? "Sound" means logical and coherent, the drawing of the right conclusions from the given premises. "Judgment", according to Immanuel Kant, the father of German rationality, is subjective universality.[6] It means: "being indifferent to the existence of the object". As a result of that indifference, the philosopher's judgments will be (ideally) "free from interest and inclinations".[7] A philosopher does not need to connect to anything or anyone, nor does he have to be good (that was for the saints) or prove himself a worthy member of the community, as sages do. Not the philosopher's person or moral character is idolized; his merits rest solely on the novelty and challenge of the argument he presented.
The ancient Greeks thought of a philosopher as an eternal seeker of wisdom: someone who always searches the truth, comes close to it, but ultimately cannot attain perfect wisdom. That was reserved for the gods. As opposed to a philosopher, the sage (or "sophos") in ancient Greece was considered the bearer of wisdom: someone who already possessed wisdom and only needed to self-actualize himself.
Plato was proud to be a philosopher. He argued that a sage or "sophos" by definition was impartial to the joys of truth seeking, because a sophos claimed he already possessed that wisdom. In Plato's understanding, only a "philo-sophos", a "lover-of-wisdom", fully realizes that a) perfect wisdom was un-attainable yet b) that one nevertheless must always seek new knowledge that would lead ever closer to the light. Sages were light, and Plato could not take light. He preferred the law. Only the eternal condemnation to searching the truth was true love. Consequently, Greek philosophers developed an aversion to sages and their perceived hypocrisies, their sagacity. Neville, again, gives the following useful definition of sagacity:
Sagacity first requires that one understands people. At the heart of this is the understanding of how people perceive, think, and act. Most people are aware of what they perceive, think, and do, but usually not of the texture of their perceiving, thinking, and acting as such. These three activities constitute a person's most basic orientation toward the world".[8]
Plato and his disciples condemned the sage's character and called into doubt his sagely motivations. In The Sophist (c. 360 BC) and The Republic (c. 380 BC), he described the sophos as having a false sense of divine inspiration and suffering from a delusion about their own mythical status. Plato further ascribed to the sage a highly manipulative character and an erroneous belief in human supernatural and esoteric powers. From the philosopher's point of view, the sages did not seek nor did they really care much about the truth; all the sages thought and cared about was, allegedly, their status, power, and influence. Like a false prophet who seeks an elevated place from where he could air his false views and propagate his erroneous teachings. Unsurprisingly, Plato's criticism of the sages was originally targeted at Athenian politicians as well as quack doctors, charlatans, and the competitors to his (philosophy's) academy. Over the course of Western history, however, Ancient Greece's dislike for spiritual beings has been universally acknowledged and continued in Western culture.
More than two thousand years have passed in Europe since Plato and the triumph of the philosophers over the sages. Not even Jesus Christ himself dared to call himself a sage; he could not! Highest wisdom was now with God. In the New Testament, The Book of James 3:17-18, we read: "Contrasting the false wisdom is true wisdom – Wisdom from God. God's wisdom is pure, peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial, and sincere."[9] False wisdom, on the other hand, is that of the mere people, human wisdom. Finally, the Western Enlightenment and all rational academy schooled sagacity out of the European minds, and made the sages become obsolete and a relic of the past.
Today, philosophy in Germany has become a highly thought-after occupation and the single most important approach to thinking – besides the scientific one – in all academic disciplines. Academic philosophy is well paid and becoming a philosopher in terms of one's writing is highly respected in Europe. Becoming a sage is not.
Graduate students in Germany study for the "PhD" degree, the Doctor of Philosophy. The country certainly has no degrees on offer in sagehood. In fact, the very English word "sagehood" has no meaningful German translation at all, and "sagacity" lacks any acceptable German rendering as well.
Talking about Eastern nations, China on the other hand always had reliable concepts for sages and sagehood; India, Japan, Korea all always had concepts for sages and sagehood too. As a matter of fact, those countries not only had sage cultures but were also living sage cultures, just as Germany today had a living culture of philosophers. Having said that Germany was a living culture for philosophers but no living sage culture, a couple of questions about the history that let to those shortcomings need to be addressed: What had happened since the Greeks and during the rise of Christianity in Europe that caused the exodus of sage culture in the west? The Germans do not call no thinker "einen Weisen" for no reason. That name has fallen into disgrace not by coincidence, as we shall see.
Next, why did Eastern societies cultivate sages by the hundreds and thousands, while Germany has yet to produce (officially) a single one? Moreover, what were the advantages and disadvantages of fully developed sage cultures over no-sage cultures? Surely, much has been reported about the advantages and disadvantages of the Western philosophical traditions and the lack thereof in the East. On the other hand, especially the advantages of sagacious traditions of the East were still under-reported or outright dismissed in Europe. Given the cultural survival and economical rise of so many Eastern nations, what will be the most obvious consequences (and benefits, depending) of not having developed a concept for sages and sagehood in Germany for the future?
Sages – or sophists, as they were called originally – did not have a good reputation in the ancient Greek tradition after the rise of the philosophers. The school of philosophers instead became the driving forces and ford-makers of Western history of thought and the development of European civilization. Sages were still present after Greece's demographic and spiritual dominance in Europe had faded, but were few in numbers and not organized; this contrasted with the Far East where the Confucian sages founded Confucianism and the Taoist sages founded Taoism, for example. Over the time sages and sagehood in Europe irreversibly became more distant, more remote and unsound ideas, and by the time, say at the beginning of the European enlightenment, sagehood had already become extinct. If it wanted to be seen and felt again, it could only be re-discovered by studying Greek antiquity or – as a welcomed substitute – the ever-archaic, exotic and mythical Orient as it slowly unfolded before in the eyes of the mesmerized European orientalists.
In the Eastern hemisphere of the world the sages and all their teachings flourished. Oriental sages were known and are still known in (foreign) terms such as shengren, gurus, arhats, Brahmans, shi (masters), and many more. This is not to say that all of the above are the same – they are not. An Indian rishis or Buddhist bodhisattva is very different from a Chinese shengren; just as India is very different from China: calling Confucius a Buddha or bodhisattva is as wrong as calling the Hindu-god Krishna a shengren. A German rationalist and a French idealist or English empiricist is not the same either: calling a rationalist an idealist is as wrong as calling an idealist an empiricist. Yet one calls the latter ones collectively "the philosophers" because they bore out of the (Western) philosophical tradition, just as one called the former ones collectively "the sages" because they bore of the (Eastern) sagacious tradition.
The sages shared and personified the sage's traits, practiced the sagacious approach to wisdom and tried to achieve "sagehood" through self-cultivation and personal experience. There were just as many forms of sagehood in the East, as there were philosophical schools in Europe; and today when we enlists some great sages of history, of the Eastern sages there are so many while of the Western sages there are only a few, ancient Greek ones: The Ancient sages of Greek: Solon of Athens, Chilon of Sparta, Thales of Miletus, Bias of Priene, Cleobulus of Lindos, Pittacus of Mitylene, and Periander of Corinth; the Wise Men of Egypt; the Ancient sages of China: the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove (ch: 竹林七賢 [Zhúlín Qī Xián]: Ruan Ji, Xi Kang, Liu Ling, Shan Tao, Ruan Xian, Xiang Xiu, Wang Rong); the Vedic Seven Sages [Saptarshis] of India: Agastya, the Vedic Siddhar, etc.; the Sages of Talmudic (of the Jewish tradition); the Navaratnas (Hindu tradition): Śākyamuni; the Buddhist bodhisattvas and The Buddha; the Zen Patriarchs: Ananda, Nagarjuna, Asvaghosa, etc.; the Chinese sages: Confucius, Lao Zi, Mencius, Zhuang Zi, Hui Neng, Mo Zi, etc.: the Twelve Sages of Qilu (now Shandong); the Japanese sages: Honen, Shinran, etc.; the Ten Sikh Gurus: Guru Nanak, Guru Gobind Singh etc., the Hindu sages (in the West sometimes erroneous called the "Hindu saints"): the Raghavendra Swami, Jagadguru Mahaprabhu Shri Vallabhacharya, etc.; the modern sages like Paramahansa Yogananda, Sri Ramana Maharshi, Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, Shirdi Sai Baba, Ji Xianlin, Ren Jiyu, Thích Nhất Hạnh, Swami Sivandanda Saraswati, Gandhi, Ikeda Daisaku, or the Dalai Lama, etc. The list goes long.
A common Western misconception about sages and sagehood is that they require a religion. Sagehood does not rely on religion at all. Confucianism is not a religion in any Western sense of the word. Buddhism is not a religion either, but a way of life. Sages first and foremost are great humanists. They share a compassion for their fellow human beings, and they always possess some of the following sagely traits:
Sages are spiritual beings, who pursue the course of the Mean and a high level of human perfection. They personify the ideal personality. Sages mostly share a love for learning and are respectful, gentile, and kind. The embrace the way (the One) or in any other way are aware of oneness, thus they prefer ordering and harmonizing the world. They are at peace with others, do not content nor boast, while never losing sight of the humanity that unites them with all other members of society. As spiritual teachers they are modest, conspicuous and never consider themselves right. They often practice propriety, self-cultivation, filial piety, ancestor worship and many other rituals (such as meditation, mind-body practices) and are thus a role model for society.[10]
Since Western societies were indoctrinated by Christianity and philosophy, Western missionaries in the 16th and 17th centuries to China did not know how to categorize non-Christian and un-philosophical Chinese traditions. Confucianism and Buddhism were thus "religions", but of course inferior. Their commentators were "philosophers", but substandard. Choosing familiar names for the unfamiliar does a lot of damage culture-wise, like calling Chinese 饺子jiaozi (dumplings) "Knödel" or Japanese 寿司sushi "Fisch". In both cases, the food of Chinese and Japanese origin has been devalued. Germany originally had nothing like it; but now, worse, it looked like China and Japan had weird Knödel and Fisch. Naming food stuff may be trifling, christening Chinese and Japanese traditions it not.
The missionaries did not know any better than either calling Chinese sages (biblical) "saints" or (Greek) "philosophers", albeit carefully reminding us that it was not really "religion" or "philosophy" in the Western sense of those words. Biblical vocabulary in particular was very convenient. It was used generously and as a result few Chinese terms survived. The Buddhist disciples – in Chinese: heshang – were called "monks"; the Chinese great masters – in Chinese: dashi – were called "priests", etc. The various Chinese schools of thought – in Chinese: jiao – were called "philosophies". Buddhists mystical texts or slokas – in Chinese: jing – were called (biblical) "holy texts". And Confucius, the greatest shengren of all, was called just that: "a philosopher". This practice, as said before, against all the textual evidence that not a single instance in the Chinese Classics or indeed Chinese scholarship in over two thousand years had ever mentioned a philosopher.
Cultural exchange always worked both ways, however imbalanced: Chinese and Japanese scholars, inexperienced with Western concepts and based on their sage tradition, understandably called Jesus Christ and Plato shengren. To this day in China and Japan, the allusive "Four Great Sages" (ch: sheng; jp: shisei 四聖) refers to Buddha, Jesus Christ, Confucius, and Socrates. A philosophical version of the Four Sages exists, too: In the Tetsugakudō-kōen, the 'Philosopher Park' in Tokyo, Inoue Enryō created his own "Four Wise Men" set of sculptures by replacing the image of Jesus Christ with a sculpture of Immanuel Kant. Calling the philosopher Kant a "sage" places him above other (mere) philosophers – an honor that he would have liked. In German culture, however, Immanuel Kant always stayed a philosopher. The Germans preferred their own terminologies just as much as they loathed foreign ones.
During the 19th and 20th centuries of intense Western preoccupation with Asia – after all it was the European age of imperialism, colonialism, and orientalism – the Anglo-Saxon world had learned and thoroughly understood that shengren were not (biblical) holy men in any Western sense of that word in the same way that Buddhist spiritual beings were not holy men but arhats, bodhisattvas, or buddhas. English-language scholarship had learned that China always had and still has a long and continuous tradition of sages (sheng) and sagehood, as rooted and manifested in the Chinese spirit and way of life just as Greek philosophy and Christianity were rooted and manifested in the European spirit and way of life. Unfortunately, English speakers did not domesticate the Chinese loanword "shengren" which would have been most appropriate and reasonable, but instead, because the English society was familiar to terms like "sages", "sagacity" and "sagehood", called Confucius, Mencius, Laozi and all the shengren just that: "sages". "Sage", that word, was Middle English, from Old French and Latin sapientia, meaning wise through reflection and experience or distinguished for wisdom. The term "sage" in the English language does not bear any religious connotation and it that was an acceptable synonym for shengren, if shengren was to mean a man of highest wisdom, but – of course – could not substitute the Chinese original loanword entirely because shengren in addition to a man of highest wisdom (智 zhi) meant so much more to Chinese culture: highest virtues (德 de), proper conduct (礼 li), the striving for human perfection, the middle way, etc. Still, wisdom or better sagacity and the personification of highest wisdom are rendered elegantly and truthfully by terms like "sageness" and "the sages". And that was that for the Anglo-American way to deal with the concept of shengren.
Things were different and a lot more complicated, however, for the Germans. Germany had no concept of sages and sagehood, and Latin sapientia discontinued its original meaning, sagacity, in the German vocabulary. Instead the word "Sage" [with a capital S] in German now referred to a legend or folk tale. The only way to convey the English meaning of the sage in the German language is by translating it as "der Weise" (the wise man [note the gender: die Weise {feminine} meant "manner, mode, and fashion"].
That said, Wiseman (or "Weiser") is so much less powerful a concept than "sages". But for German standards, at least the word "Weisen" conveyed the idea of "Weisheit" or wisdom. Had it been used as standard translation for shengren, it would have corresponded neatly with the English sages. Besides, "Weiser" was the only proper translation of English "sage". But the Germans – as a general rule – did not do that, they did not call the shengren "die Weisen" but instead continued to call sages "die Heiligen" (the saints or holy men), or else re-invented the Chinese sheng-tradition however it pleased them. Among the many illustrious German translations for shengren – if it was translated at all – were: Göttliche (god-like men, demigods), Berufene (appointees), Kulturheroen (cultural heroes), Genies (genius), Philosophen, and many more [see Chapter 4]. Some German missionaries such as Karl Gützlaff and Richard Wilhelm were evidently Christian fundamentalists and wanted to evangelize China and the Chinese people at all cost. Translating sheng as "heilig" and sheng(ren) as "Heilige" (and tian as Heaven or God, of course) was a superior strategy of the Church to convert the common Chinaman. Not all the German missionaries were incurable Christian fundamentalists like Karl Gützlaff, yet many other translators of Confucius' The Analects, for example Wilhelm Grube, Wilhelm Schott, and Franz Xaver Biallas never correctly translate sheng(ren) either. Many German orientalists and philosophers had no religious agenda whatsoever; nevertheless they all felt irritated – if they felt anything at all since most of them never heard the original name – by the sheng and the concepts of sages and sagehood in general. German textbooks often read something along the lines of: A philosopher, but unlike philosophers; a holy man, but unlike holy men.[11] Describing Chinese Confucius as a Western "philosopher" or "saint" was to describe a paradox. But Confucius is not at all paradoxical, he is a shengren. German scholarship did not get it right for hundreds of years – that was the sad truth.
Not having any "Weisen" (sages) was one problem; not calling other countries' sages "die Weisen" was another. Every culture has a range of names that have been robbed of their magic by the imperial forces of history. One striking example is the German world for a leader: Führer. Tragic history has made the term Führer unusable. In fact, the English word leader is now used in politics and business. "Der Weise" is not a taboo like "der Führer", and there is no semantic connection between those words – nevertheless the idea of a pejorative arises: "Der Weise" (the sage) has lost much of its magic (if it had any) in terms of the integrity and reality of the person describes. The following is a list of the "Weise"-term used in German tradition (discussed in more detail in Chapter 3); all of these items are either pejorative in nature or archaic and reserved for mythology, legend, and fantastic literature:
1. Sophos, the wise man (Socrates) – archaic
2. The Stoic sage (The sophists of Greek antiquity) – archaic and pejorative
3. Three wise men (Oriental sage) – un-European
4. Nathan the Wise (Lessing) – un-European
5. Die weise alte Frau, der weise alte Mann (Fairy Tales) – folkloric
6. Referred to a melody "Weise" meant "elevated", "archaic" – outdated
7. The Wise man as archetype (Grimm/Jung) – mythic, folkloric
8. Wise persons in fiction (Fantasy literature) – fantastic
German scholars found it irritating to (re-)use the archaic and folkloric term Weise – that had served well the tales of the Brothers Grimm. But now applying it to China's greatest thinkers? Besides, "der Weise" was not a name for any dead or living German thinker, ever! All Germans had proper occupations and titles; a "Weiser" was not among them. Germans were called "Dichter", "Philosophen" or, generously: "Denker", as in the epigram "Dichter und Denker", but never were they called "die Weisen" (the sages). "Der Weise" (plural: "die Weisen") often evoked mythical or Oriental ideas. If applied to a modern thinker, "Weise" bore the negative connotations of being outdated and un-scientific, and, in the rare case of a pensioned and chain-smoking politician like Helmut Schmidt, the former German Chancellor, it could be a friendly yet caricatured gesture that was essentially that: patronizing. In this case, "der Weise" was more related to the rare instances of high morals and integrity – of a politician, alas – than of wisdom or sagacity. People want to be called by their professions, or by names like poets or writers or philosophers, not to be ridiculed with strange names. Moreover, Western culture had come to value youth over old age, knowledge over wisdom and judgment over experience. Germany society in particular was through and through rationalized, with academic philosophy and its proper titles. Sages and sagehood was schooled out of their minds. And with the belief that humankind was created by God the Almighty, no one wanted to step out of proportions and call himself a Wiseman. Gert Scobel in his book Weisheit(2008) thus asked the right question: "Warum fehlt uns Weisheit?" [Why do we lack wisdom?]. The answer was: Germany could do well without.
[1] Pieper, 2008
[2] Wikipedia, Philosophy, last access 02/2011
[3] Ji Xianlin, 2009
[4] Neville, 1978, p. 54
[5] Webster Dictionary, 2010
[6] Kant, 1987, p. 54
[7] Bruno, 2010, p. 70
[8] Neville, 1978, p. 55
[9] New Testament, Book of James, 3:17-18
[10] A summary of sagely attributes taken from quotes in this text by Confucius, Mencius, Laozi, Mozi, Tu, Gu, Taylor, and Schwarz
[11] Wilhlem, 1925, p. 64


text:
Friday, October 29, 2010
22 comments:
- Lindsay Chipman said...
after the rough day I had I needed the smile this picture brought. Thanks for letting me follow you through your journey.
Lindsay Chipman
- October 29, 2010 at 10:45 PM
- Noelle Reese said...
I love you and will never even get to meet you! I think Davy is cute as can be and your humor thrown into her recovery is AWESOME! I hope you scrapbook because that will make a FAB layout!
- October 29, 2010 at 10:48 PM
- Melinda said...
Too funny, that is awesome! I think all of you should walk around with tape mustaches, as a sign of support! haha I feel like doing one myself!
- October 29, 2010 at 11:03 PM
- Emily Rosell said...
So awesome. Davy rocking the stash.
- October 29, 2010 at 11:17 PM
- Seamonkey said...
Ok You just made my month! I love it and know you will treasure this picture forever :D
- October 30, 2010 at 4:57 AM
- Asha said...
I love it!!!! And she looks so happy!!!
- October 30, 2010 at 7:53 AM
- Jessica Crozier said...
new costume ideas come to mind! Is she not the cutest thing ever!
- October 30, 2010 at 9:28 AM
- Amy C said...
I came across your blog on C Jane, your daughter is adorable! I am so happy for y'all! And the moustache is classic! Also, thank your husband for me...Yo Gabba helps keep me sane with twins..they are mesmerized :-)
- October 30, 2010 at 1:18 PM
- Marianne said...
HA HA HA!! That is TOO cute!
I'm sure you hear this a hundred times a day, but that little girl of yours is SO gorgeous!! What a beautiful child.
- October 30, 2010 at 1:24 PM
- Duh Despains said...
:) Some of the best ideas come late in the game!
- October 30, 2010 at 2:08 PM
- Georgia said...
This is EXACTLY what I needed to see today Ruth. OH MY GOSH.....its the cutest picture to date. She is ADORABLE.
- October 30, 2010 at 2:47 PM
- Kirsty said...
- October 30, 2010 at 3:59 PM
- Barb said...
Davy is so stinkin cute, I love following your blog!!!
- October 30, 2010 at 5:37 PM
- Dava_Hudson said...
What a bright little soul. I think we should all wear tape mustaches like people wear "live strong" bracelets. Maybe you have started a trend here Davy!
- October 30, 2010 at 8:20 PM
- drudgemom5 said...
Your daughter was beautiful before the surgery and she is just as beautiful now. I love the picture of the tape mustache. I don't think I have smiled so much at any picture before. I also love the monthly pictures with the numbers. I started doing that with my baby because it was such a fun idea. God bless you and your wonderful family.
- October 30, 2010 at 8:57 PM
- Heather said...
thats amazing! I love it
- October 30, 2010 at 10:13 PM
- kimmomofnine said...
That made my morning! Thank you.
p.s. Davy looks like she is totally in tune with how awesome the moostachio is. just saying.
- October 31, 2010 at 7:11 AM
- Beth said...
Love it!!
- October 31, 2010 at 3:35 PM
- Mrs Mason said...
Now that made me laugh out loud! thanks. What a cutie! xx
- November 1, 2010 at 6:22 AM
- Damaris @Kitchen Corners said...
oh your attitude! Package some up and send it to me in a jar please. I'll eat it right up.
- November 1, 2010 at 4:11 PM
- MLS said...
she's a living doll...
- November 2, 2010 at 1:12 PM
- danielle said...
seriously, LOVE.
hope your precious davy girl is doing good!
- November 3, 2010 at 7:11 PM

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Happy Tuesday my loves; hope you're all doing great! I am so excited to be getting a new laptop this weekend and get back to regular blogging cos I have a few pictures and posts that I need to get out.
But back to today's post; I am still on my health & fitness grind; I have been gyming but I decided to attend a salsa class tonight as it is a great way to meet people and stay fit.


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Welcome To AK Comics
I also buy Hotwheels and other toys. Action figures, etc.
Hi, my name is David, and I own AK Comics. The "AK" stands for my kids first names, and yes, it does annoy them when friends at school ask them about their "dad's store". :) I started my store because I'm a huge comics and toy geek. They say you should try to sell what you know, and I know comics. No, I'm not the type of person who has encyclopedic knowledge in my head on the history of comics. But I do know a couple things.
First off, this year is my 15th Anniversary!!! WHOO-HOO!!!!
So, it's been awhile since I've updated this. I've been sooo busy, I just haven't had a chance. (yeah, that's a lie, I'm lazy and haven't felt like it) What amazes me is how many people have commented to me that they've actually read my ramblings. Trust me, no one is more surprised than I am. J I can't even get my kids to listen to me for this long.
I've also had some people (well "some" is more like "a few", ok, ok, ONE person, one, stop nagging me!!) tell me that I also needed to update my movie reviews. So without further ado, we have to start this off why a journey to a galaxy far, far away….(btw, there WILL be spoilers)
Star Wars, Rogue One. I really enjoyed this movie, but why no opening scroll?? Hmmm. Anywho…I liked the antagonistic attitude of K-2SO, and thought it was pretty funny when he smacked Cassian. Wasn't too thrilled with Saw Gerrera. Usually a big fan of Forest Whitaker, but I wasn't a fan of this character.
My daughter and I have an agreement that we can't see a Star Wars movie the
first time unless we see it together (my son betrayed me when Force Awakens
came out and saw it first with friends, he's now disowned…thinking of changing
the name to K Comics) So I had to wait to see it. I would have people come in
asking me "What if someone comes in and spoils the movie for you?" Well, since
I've known how the movie ends since the opening scroll of A New Hope, not much
to be "spoiled".
Guardians of the Galaxy vol 2. I think I liked this movie more than the first, and I loved the first. JYup, baby Groot was adorable, but Drax was hilarious. (paraphrasing) "You're hideously ugly. But that's good. When someone likes an ugly person, you know they like you"…and during the tribute for Yondu.."it's beautiful"…"So are you…on the inside" HA! jerk. CGI young Kurt Russell was amazing looking.
Spiderman, Homecoming. Finally, a Spiderman movie where Peter is still in high school, and is next to clueless as to what he's doing. I really enjoyed Karen, but I thought the costume gave him a little too much. I had no problem with Ned (leeds?) not being a skinny white guy, and I didn't care that Zendaya wanted to be called M.J. at the end. Really enjoyed Michael Keaton as the Vulture. I hope they emphasize Pete's intelligence a bit more as the genius he is in the comics. And of course Aunt May. Reading the comics for years (and years, cause I'm old as hell) I never understood why she was supposed to be so old. Isn't she Pete's dad's sister? Biggest gripe…why does the bad guy ALWAYS figure out who Spiderman is? "You're voice is familiar…Wait, you weren't in the elevator with everyone else?? HOLY CRAP!! You must be Spiderman!!!" Give me a break. Just like in the first one with Tobey McGuire. "A bike messenger ran into you and you cut your arm? Wait a minute, I just threw a sharp piece of metal at Spiderman, so YOU MUST BE SPIDERMAN!!!!"
Logan. This movie was great. I know that Marvel wants the rights to the Xmen franchise back, but this is the exact reason they don't need it. Just like Deadpool last year, there is NO WAY Disney would have made this movie right. Loved the father-son dynamic of Logan and Charles. Dafne Keen, aka Laura/ X-23, was amazing. That's a little girl I would NOT want pissed at me. It would be awesome if they gave her own movie. But they need to move quickly before a pesky little thing like growing up gets in the way.
WONDER WOMAN!!! Yup, all in caps because this movie was freaking amazing. Loved, loved this movie. The little girl that was a young Diana was adorable. Sad that Steve died, but it was for the greater good. Gal Gadot, yes, just, yes. J
Now we're just waiting for Thor. The gladiator scene when meets up with Hulk was dang funny. I have no doubt this will be another hit for Marvel.
Justice League….ahhhh….more D.C. goodness. C'mon guys, let's get another hit. Sucks that Snyder had a personal tragedy and dropped out, but I've never been a big fan of his, let's call it, super hero movie "vision". I've liked everything I've seen in the first few previews (see my preview rant above), so fingers crossed.
So some non-super hero movies.
John Wick..still really liking Keanu in this role. Waiting for part 3.
Atomic Blonde. Next to Wonder Woman, some of the best fight scenes of the year. They fight their asses off, they're pooped, they can both barely stand. Nice J
Deadpool 2…oops, I mean Hitman's Bodyguard. C'mon, when else are you going to see Deadpool and Nick Fury in a movie together? But I enjoyed this movie. Sometimes it's nice just to watch a mindless, fun, let's blow crap up for no reason movie. And Selma Hayek was pretty bad-ass in her (small) role.
It Comes At Night…SUCKED!!! Nothing came at night!!! NOTHING!!
On the opposite end of that, Get Out was frickin awesome. Perfect blend of drama, horror and humor.
Transformers, Last Knight…? I think was the title. I'm done with Transformers. When the previews for this one came out, I couldn't even remember what happened in the last one. When that happens, why would I see the newest? Pass
It is out this weekend. This movie looks spooky as hell.
Btw, to ALL of you people who think that Greedo shot first, again, you're WRONG. I saw the movie in the theatre when it was new (yes, I'm old as hell), Han shot first. Deal with it and move on.Let's all take a moment to thank George Lucas for selling LucasFilm and Star Wars to a company that actually made the franchise fun again. THANKS GEORGE!!!! Now, let's also ask George to take his FOUR BILLION DOLLARS and STFU. Quit your whining. No, Disney did not use your ideas. Guess what happened because of that decision. Disney made a movie that was fun again. A movie that the fans actually wanted to see, over and over again. Yes, George, you created this fantastic universe where so many of us grew up in and got to play in. Thank you. :) now shhh
Now let's talk about TV. I'm loving the Walking Dead. But Fear the Walking Dead?? Very few likeable characters on that show. It seems to me that most people in CA are stupid, and the underlying message of the show is this...if you go to Mexico, you lose your freakin shit. Everyone lost their damn mind. And why are they spending so much time on the damn drug addict dude??
Still enjoying Gotham, but just barely. Bruce is already going to be a masked vigilante? Really? C'mon
Supergirl and Flash are still a couple of my favorite shows.
Legends of Tomorrow, I want to drop this show, but I keep getting sucked back into it.
Agents of Shield, kind of the same.. Keep watching just to keep watching.
Yeah, it's nice that you might be able to save a couple bucks by buying through an online store, good for you. But you know when you come in looking for a comic book, one that you didn't order through them, or a certain Magic card or a couple of boosters? You see how convenient it is to have a local store? Well, this local store won't be here for much longer if you people don't stop supporting the economy in other neighborhoods instead of this neighborhood.
Putting soapbox away
At AK Comics, I carry a wide selection of new & old comics, from DC, Marvel, Image, IDW, Top Cow, Aspen, Boom, DE & many others. I have a minimum of 10 boxes of quarter comics at any time, and lots of back issues from the last few years. I buy comic collections from the 1970's & earlier, but any collection will be looked at.
All new comics & books are 10% off. I have a subscription service available. All subscribers get 15% off their books. There is no service fee for ordering out of stock items that are still available.
Everybody always gets a free comic book.
Role Playing
ALL roleplaying game books are ordered on request. I usually get them within a week. These are also 10% off.
I have a large selection of carded Super-hero Action figures, Star Wars figures & vehicles from the early 90's to Now. I carry Hotwheels, Treasure Hunts, and I have a small selection of vintage Star Wars figures.
Magic: The Gathering
I have held weekly Magic tournaments in the past. Unfortunately, over the last couple years weekly tournament attendance has evaporated. I'm open to holding sanctioned and non-sanctioned tournaments. If interested, just contact me and we can arrange something.


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Chrysler's high performance SRT brand has unveiled an all-new Viper supercar at the 2012 New York Motor Show. Powered by an 8.4-litre V10 producing 470kW and 814Nm of torque, the SRT Viper is an American legend reborn.
You can clearly see the resemblance to previous Vipers - but the new car is harder, sharper and lighter, too, with carbon fibre body panels and an all-new structure.
SRT hasn't yet revealed any official performance figures, but has said the new Viper will now hit top speed at the peak of sixth gear. This suggests a refreshing distain for fuel economy in the pursuit of outright performance.
New toys include launch control for consistent 0-100km/h times, two-stage adjustable damping and four-stage ESP. SRT has even gone so far as to specify different rubber compounds for the enormous front and rear tyres.
Finally, at the end of the press conference, SRT surprised everyone by driving a racing version of the Viper on to the stage. A hugely successful racing car in the past, the new Viper is taking up the challenge again in the 2012 American Le Mans series.


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Athletic Training
The Semper Fit Athletic Training Facility provides expertise and the resources for injury prevention, first aid, clinical evaluation, and rehabilitation.
Camp Wilson Gym
The Camp Wilson Fitness Center offers cardio and functional fitness equipment.
Community Center Gym
The Community Center Gym has a state-of-art Fitness Center. The Fitness Center is available to patrons 18 years and older. There are rowing machines, elliptical machines, exercise bikes and a treadmill.
East Gym
Play racquetball, relax in the co-ed sauna, and work out with the latest in cardiovascular equipment, cable machines and free weights in a bright atmosphere. Utilize the indoor turf facility or take advantage of our outdoor training areas.
West Gym
The West Gym offers great amenities for anyone's workout including: sauna, steam room, a gymnasium, rock climbing cave, hypoxic training chamber, Pneumex vibration platform, and two cardio rooms.


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|Policy status:
|In Force
|Date Effective:
|Date Amended:
|Policy Type:
|Regulatory Instruments>Codes and standards
|Policy Target:
|Buildings>Building Code, Buildings>Building Type>Residential
|Legal References:
|Federal Statistical Office (FS5, R1 [2002–2009], FS5 R1-Z2006); Prognos AG model; techem AG 2009; ZUB (Centre for Environmentally Conscious Construction) 2006; Prognos/IER (Institute of Energy Management and Rational Energy Use) 2004; IWU (Institute of Housing and the Environment)/ifeu (Institute of Energy and Environmental Research) 2005
The Energy Saving Ordinance (EnEV) came into force in 2002. It replaced the Thermal insulation Ordinance (1995) and the Heating Systems Ordinance (1998).
It also regulates the issuing and the display of energy performance certificates as well as their content. The certificates serve as an information about the energy performance of a building and they are supposed to give the possibility to compare buildings in terms of the energy performance (for further information see lines 1194 ff.). In 2009 the minimum energy requirements were tightened up by an average of 30%.
With the most recent amendment in 2013 the minimum energy requirements were further increased by an average of 25%. The EnEV 2013 will enter into force on 1 May 2014. The increase of the minimum energy requirements will apply as of 1 January 2016.
The legal basis for the EnEV is the Energy Savings Act (EnEG) of 1976, last amended in 2013.
The first amendment was introduced in 2007. With the EnEV 2007, the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) 2002/91/EC was transposed into national law. The main point was the introduction of energy performance certificates (see lines 1194 ff.) In 2009 the EnEV was amended another time. The requirements were strenghtened by 30 % on average. The most recent amendment was introduced in 2013. This amendment aimed at transposing the recast of the EPBD into national law as well as implementing the Federal Government's decision concerning the "Energiewende" and the "Energiekonzept" of September 2010 and June 2011.
|25 Energy Efficiency Recommendations Applied:
|Buildings, Mandatory building codes and MEPS, Buildings, Improved energy efficiency in existing buildings, Buildings, Energy performance of building components and systems , Buildings
Last modified: Mon, 22 Jun 2015 12:20:34 CEST


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Following the assassination on 2 March 2011, of the Pakistan Minority Affairs Minister Shahbaz Bhatti who was the first Christian to be a member of the Pakistani President's Cabinet, church leaders and spokespeople have condemned the killing.
The Archbishops of Canterbury and York, Rowan Williams and John Sentamu issued a joint statement saying: "It is with the greatest shock and sorrow that we have heard of the assassination of Mr Shahbaz Bhatti."
"This further instance of sectarian bigotry and violence will increase anxiety worldwide about the security of Christians and other religious minorities in Pakistan, and we urge that the Government of Pakistan will do all in its power to bring to justice those guilty of such crimes and to give adequate protection to minorities."
Dr. Geoff Tunnicliffe, international director of the World Evangelical Alliance, said he found it hard to express in words his response to the murder, especially as it came just a day after he had received an "upbeat email" from Bhatti.
"Shahbaz Bhatti had become a good friend and was a great hero of the faith," he said in an email to colleagues.
The Vatican said the assassination reinforces what Pope Benedict XVI had been calling for – the need to protect Christians against violence.
"The assassination of … Bhatti ... is another terrible episode of violence. It shows how right the Pope is in his persistent remarks concerning violence against Christians and against religious freedom in general," the Vatican stated.
"Our prayers for the victim, our condemnation for this unspeakable act of violence, our closeness to Pakistani Christians who suffer hatred, are accompanied by an appeal that everyone many become aware of the urgent importance of defending both religious freedom and Christians who are subject to violence and persecution."
Christine Elliott, Secretary for External Relationships for the Methodist Church in Britain, said: "The killing of Shahbaz Bhatti is deeply shocking. He is known to have understood the potential consequences for his stand on the interpretation of Pakistan's blasphemy law, but as minister for minorities he was clear that it was his obligation to promote tolerance, acceptance and justice for Pakistani citizens regardless of their religious affiliation."
Bhatti, a Roman Catholic, had spoken out against Pakistan's blasphemy laws, which he said were being abused to persecute religious minorities, including the tiny population of Christians. He was seeking reform, specifically an amendment, so that the law would not be used "as a tool of victimisation," he told the international new channel France 24, earlier this year.
He also had defended a Christian woman, Asia Bibi, after she was sentenced to death in November for allegedly insulting the prophet Muhammad.
His position angered extremists who issued death threats against him. Fliers left at the scene of the killing were signed by two Islamist militant groups – al-Qaida and the Punjabi Taliban – described Bhatti as an "infidel" and warned others who oppose the country's blasphemy laws that the same fate awaits them. Though well aware of the threats, Bhatti was committed to standing up for religious minorities and for human rights.
He is the second high-profile figure calling for reform to be killed this year. Salman Taseer, the governor of Pakistan's Punjab province, who denounced Pakistan's blasphemy laws and promoted tolerance, was shot dead in January.


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Live At Pitcher, Duesseldorf, Germany 05-12-2013
01. Black Sun
02. Doomsday Machine
03. Living In Your Head
04. All Our Thoughts
05. The Eye of the Storm
06. Broken Wing
07. Come Back Life
08. Purple Sage
09. Forgotten Past
10. Creature of the Demon
11. Goddess of Dawn
Christoph Lupus Lindemann • Guitar/vocals
christoph Tiger Bartelt • Drums
Simon Dragon Bouteloup • Bass Guitar
Recorded/filmed by SweetLeaf
This is Sweetleaf recording 009 (CD-R compatible audio version)
Audience recording
Equipment: Zoom Q3HD
Recording mode: 16bit 96kHz (audio), 16:9 HD PAL (video)
.mov files > zoom handy share > HDD (.wav 96kHz) > audacity (volume, tracks split, 44.1kHz) > tlh (fixing SBEs, md5 checksum) > flac (level 6)
video details:
Codec: H264 - MPEG-4 AVC (part 10)(avc1)
Resolution: 1920x1080px
Framerate: 29,970029 f/sec.
Audio Codec: DVD LPCM Audio (lpcm)
running time: 70:47
This was the second show that I recorded/filmed with my Zoom Q3HD, and the best sounding so far, I think.
This was also the third time I saw/recorded Kadavar (the other two were filmed with my old Panasonic HM-TA1 and of inferior quality)
My position was directly in front of the stage, first row. The result is loud yet not distorted. I did not change/EQ anything except for the overall volume.
I did not cut any audience noise or banter between the songs. There is no encore break - Kadavar didn't play encores back then.
Artwork included.
I also included a few screenshots of the video version as a preview.
Any comments welcome.
I hope you enjoy this show as much as I did!
Download: 489,5 MB


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Tezuka Quotes about Manga and Comic
Manga is virtual. Manga is sentiment. Manga is resistance. Manga is bizarre. Manga is pathos. Manga is destruction. Manga is arrogance. Manga is love. Manga is kitsch. Manga is sense of wonder. Manga is … there is no conclusion yet.
Comics are an international language, they can cross boundaries and generations. Comics are a bridge between all cultures.
I don't consider them pictures… In reality I'm not drawing. I'm writing a story with a unique type of symbol.
Now we are living in the age of comics as air.
Tezuka Quotes about Human Life
Coincidence doesn't happen a third time.
Where there is ignorance, sickness will thrive.
By nature, it's impossible to describe enlightenment! How do you plan on sharing your enlightenment? Hahaha, that's impossible. Wake up! That'll be the end of the world if you ever succeed!
Human beings wear clothing and walk upright, but when you take that away, we're nothing but monkeys.
A life must be saved as long as it can be no matter whose it is.
I can cheat fear today – but won't it return tomorrow? Rather, I must embrace this fear… and find peace in its bosom.


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Archive for May 2010
Cow shark
Posted May 19, 2010on:
Above the Cow shark
1. There are just four species of cow shark and they are Sharpnose seven-gill shark, Bluntnose sixgill shark, Bigeye sixgill shark and Broadnose sevengill shark
2. The Cow shark grow up to 1.4 meters (4.6 ft) to over 5.5 meters (18 ft) in length.
3. Unlike most shark the cow shark and it's family have 7 or 6 gill slits on both side.
4. The Cow shark skeleton resemble that of the ancient extinct shark with few modern adaptations.
5. The Cow sharks are ovoviviparous with the mother retaining the egg-cases in her body until they hatch.
6. They feed on relatively large fish of all kinds, including other sharks, as well as on crustaceans and carrion.
All of this info is from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cow_shark
Blacktip shark
Posted May 19, 2010on:
Above the Blacktip shark
1. The black tip shark is found worldwide in the tropical and subtropical waters. In the Atlantic and Indian Ocean, the western Pacific ocean. Most blacktip sharks are found in water less than 30 m (100 ft) deep. It may dive to 64 m (210 ft). The Favored habitats are muddy bays, island lagoons, and the drop-offs near coral reefs. Although an individual may be found some distance offshore, blacktip sharks are not found in oceans waters.
2. The blacktip shark has a robust, streamlined body with a long, pointed snout and relatively small eyes. They have five gill slits but are longer than a normal size shark. The jaw has 15 rows or both sides. They are gray to brown above and white below. With a white stripe running along the sides. They have a blacktip only on one fin. The maximum known length of 2.8 m (9.0 ft), though 1.5 m (4.9 ft) is more typical, and a maximum known weight of 123 kg (271 lb).
3. Juveniles. In Terra Ceia Bay, Florida, a nursery area for this species, juvenile blacktips form aggregations during the day and disperse at night. They aggregate most strongly in the early summer when the sharks are youngest, suggesting that they are seeking refuge from predators.
4. Like the spinner shark, the blacktip shark is known to leap out of the water and spin three to four times about its axis before landing.
5. Fish make up some 90% of the blacktip shark's diet. A wide variety of fishes have been recorded as prey for this species: sardines, herring, anchovies, ladyfish, sea catfish, cornetfish, flatfish, threadfins, mullet, mackerel, jacks, groupers, snook, porgies, mojarras, emperors, grunts, butterfish, tilapia, triggerfish, boxfish and porcupinefish. They also feed on rays and skates, as well as smaller sharks such as smoothhounds and sharpnose sharks. Crustaceans and cephalopods are occasionally taken. They hunt at dawn and dusk. They also have been known to have a feeding frenzies when large quantities of food are suddenly available.
6. Likes most shark the blacktip is a viviparity and gives birth to 4-7 pups every other year. Making use of shallow coastal nurseries that offer plentiful food and fewer predators.
Mating occurs from spring to early summer, and the young are born at around the same time the following year after a gestation period of 10–12 months. The age at maturation is 4–5 years for males and 7–8 years for females. The lifespan is at least 12 years.
7. There are reports of blacktip sharks showing curiosity towards divers, but remaining at a safe distance. it is not regarded as highly dangerous to humans. However, they may become aggressive in the presence of food, and their size and speed invite respect. As of 2008 there have been 28 unprovoked attacks and one fatal and 13 provoked attacks by this species.
All of this info is from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blacktip_shark
Thresher shark
Posted May 13, 2010on:
Above the Thresher shark
1. There are three types thresher shark they are Pelagic thresher, Bigeye thresher, Common thresher.
2. Although occasionally sighted in shallow, inshore waters, thresher sharks they prefer the open ocean and will not go no deeper than 500 meters (1,600 ft). Common threshers tend to be more common in coastal waters over continental shelves. In the North Pacific, common thresher sharks are found along the continental shelves of North America and Asia. They are rare in the Central and Western Pacific. In the warmer waters of the Central & Western Pacific, bigeye and pelagic thresher sharks are more common.
3. The Common thresher which may reach a length of 6.1 meters (20 ft) and a weight of over 500 kilograms (1,100 lb). The Bigeye thresher can grow to a length of 4.9 m (16 ft). And the Pelagic thresher is the smallest at 3 m (10 ft) long.
4. The thresher shark eats fish(such as bluefish, juvenile tuna and mackerel, squid and cuttlefish are the primary food items of the thresher sharks. They are known to follow large schools of fish into shallow waters. Crustaceans and the odd seabird are also taken.
5. Thresher sharks are solitary creatures which keep to themselves. In the Indian ocean they are separated by depth and space according to gender. When hunting fish the thresher sharks are known to "slap" the water, herding and stunning prey. Thresher sharks are one of the few shark species known to jump fully out of the water making turns like dolphins, this behaviour is called breaching.
6. Fertilization and embryonic development occur internally this ovoviviparous or live-bearing mode of reproduction results in a small litter (usually 2 to 4) of large well-developed pups, up to 150 cm at birth in thintail threshers. The young fish exhaust their yolk sacs while still inside the mother, at which time they begin feeding on the mother's unfertilized eggs this is known as oophagy. Thresher sharks are slow to mature, males reaching sexual maturity between 7 and 13 years of age and females between 8 and 14 years in bigeye threshers. They may live for 20 years or more.
All of this info is from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thresher_shark
Spinner shark
Posted May 2, 2010on:
Above the Spinner shark
1. People mistake the black tip shark for the spinner shark. They live in the western Atlantic ocean and the eastern Atlantic. And pass throw the Indian Ocean. They can be found at a depth of 100 m (330 ft) or at the surface at less than 30 m (100 ft) deep. It prefers shallow water. In the spring and the summer they are found in warm inshore water. and in the winter they move south into deeper water.
2. The average spinner shark is 2 m (6.4 ft) long and weighs 56 kg (123 lbs). The maximum known length and weight of 3 m (10 ft) and 90 kg (198 lbs). Indo-Pacific sharks are generally larger than those from the northwest Atlantic. This species has a slim body. The eyes are small and circular. The tooth rows number 15–18 in each half of the upper jaw and 14–17 in each half of the lower jaw. The teeth have long and narrow central cusps and are finely serrated in the upper jaw and smooth in the lower jaw. The five pairs of gill slits are long. The first dorsal fin is relatively small. There is no ridge between the first and second dorsal fins. The pectoral fins are moderately short, narrow, and falcate (sickle-shaped). Young individuals have no black tip on its fin.
And on one of the fin it has a black band on both sides of the fin. But not all over the fin.
3. The spinner shark is a fast swimmer that sometimes forms large schools. Young individuals prefer cooler water temperatures than adults. Off South Africa, females are found close to shore year-round while males only appear during the summer. Smaller spinner sharks may be preyed upon by larger sharks.
4. Spinner sharks feed on small bony fishes including tenpounders, sardines, herring, anchovies, sea catfish, lizardfish, mullets, bluefish, tunas, bonito, croakers, jacks, mojarras, and tongue-soles. They have also been known to eat stingrays, cuttlefish, squid, and octopus.
5. The spinner shark is viviparous. Adult females have a single functional ovary and two functional uteruses each uterus is divided into compartments one for each embryo. The embryos are initially sustained by a yolk sac. When the embryo grows to around 19 cm (7.5 in) long the supply of yolk has been exhausted and the empty yolk sac develops into a placental connection through which the mother provides nutrients for the remainder of gestation. This species has the smallest ova relative to the fully developed embryo of any viviparous shark known. Females give birth to 3–20 (usually 7–11) pups every other year after a gestation period of 11–15 months. Mating occurs from early spring to summer and parturition in August off North Africa from April to May off South Africa, and from March to April in the northwestern Atlantic. Young are birthed in coastal nursery areas such as bays, beaches and high-salinity estuaries in water deeper than 5 m (20 ft).The length at birth is 66–77 cm (26–30 in) in the northwestern Atlantic, 61–69 cm (24–27 in) off Tunisia and 60 cm (24 in) off South Africa. Males mature at 1.8 m (5.9 ft) and females at 2.1 m (6.9 ft). Spinner sharks generally do not reproduce until they are 12–14 years old. The maximum lifespan has been estimated at 15–20 years or more.
6. As of 2008 there has been 16 unprovoked attacks and 1 provoked attack attributable to the spinner shark and none of them fatal.
All of this info is from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spinner_shark


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State Bank of India Central Recruitment and Promotion Department invites application for 7440 Posts of clerks in its Associate Banks. You can apply online till 13th August, 2012. Acceptance of application is already started from 30th July, 2012. This is an excellent chance for graduates to get a clerical job in a leading public sector Bank in India. The Large Number of vacancies boosts the chance of being selected.
The Total Number of 7440 vacancies includes 1400 posts in State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur, 1880 vacancies in State Bank of Hyderabad, 800 Vacancies in State Bank of Mysore, 1160 Vacancies in State Bank of Patiala and 2500 vacancies in State Bank of Travancore.
Scale of Pay: Rs.7200-400/3-8400-500/3-9900-
500/4-12300-700/7-17200-1300/ 1-18500-800/1-19300
and the total starting emoluments of around Rs.14200 per month for graduates in
metro cities.
The candidate must have passed 12th Standard or equivalent with a minimum aggregate 60% Marks or Degree from a recognized university. Minimum 55% marks required for SC/ST/PWD/XS candidates. Candidate must be able to write and speak English fluently and knowledge of any local language is an added advantage.
Those who are born on or between 02nd August, 1984 and 01st August, 1194 must be applied. For the relaxation of age please read the guidelines in the official website of State Bank of India.
Last date of paying application fee offline is 17th August, 2012 and online is 13th August, 2012. Application can register online till 13th August, 2012.
Date of written test is on 07th and 14th October, 2012.
We repeat that this is a golden chance to the candidates those who seek a clerical job in a nationalized bank.
Those who wish to apply for the clerical post in the Associate Banks of State Bank of India may apply online and read the detailed advertisement in Hindi or English from the Website of State Bank of India
Related Posts


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By Byron Mutingwende
HARARE – The Embassy of Sweden has partnered Transparency International Zimbabwe (TIZ) in an effort to capacitate state institutions like Parliament to rid society of the scourge of corruption that has become a huge problem in the country.
Speaking during the signing ceremony of the commissioning of a US$2 million three-year grantby the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) to TIZ at Cresta Lodge in the capital Thursday, Swedish Embassy deputy head of mission to Zimbabwe, Maria Selin said the support would go a long way in tackling corruption.
"Corruption is a global phenomenon, affecting both developed and developing countries, Sweden included. But in Zimbabwe it constitutes a fundamental problem that needs to be tackled on all fronts.
"Always prevent, never accept, always inform, always act sums up SIDA's attitude towards corruption. We are serious about fighting corruption – and our support TIZ now shows that," Selin said.
The grant would be channeled towards TIZ's work in the areas of research, awareness raising, advocacy, legislative reforms, capacity building, capacity building and strategic partnerships among others.
Accepting the grant, TIZ board chairperson Loughty Dube said the event marked the continuity of a strong relationship between the two institutions that dates back to 2009.
"I take pride in the fact that TIZ's strong relationship with the Swedish Embassy has been highlighted by key development results highlighted in the SIDA commissioned Evaluation Report of 2014 and the new grant which we are here to witness its signing.
"SIDA has made it clear to us that they fund results and TIZ is ever committed to bring about key results to the anti-corruption value chain. Certainly one of the key results of this strong partnership between TIZ and SIDA is the capacitation of strong institutions such as Parliament," Dube said.
He said Parliament has the constitutional mandate to oversee government and hold it accountable for its actions and decisions as it also plays a key role in promoting horizontal accountability amplifying the voices of citizens – through such mechanisms as constituency outreach, public hearings, and parliamentary commissions.
It was noted that when Parliamentarians represent their constituencies in the fight against corruption, the state's commitment and willingness to fight corruption by promoting the domestication of regional and international conventions would be strengthened.
Selin said the poor and vulnerable citizens are the ones who bear the worst brunt of corruption by failing to access basic services like education, health, water, accommodation and food. She said regardless of whoever perpetuates corruption, everyone would eventually pay the price hence the need for eradicating it in all facets of life.
The diplomat urged the government to strive to meet its national and international anti-corruption commitments under various treaties and craft enabling legislation as well as supporting a fully-fledged and well-resourced anti-corruption commission.
TIZ legal officer Themba Mahleka weighed in by saying that there was need for the capacitation of the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) so that it would effectively execute its mandate and called for the alignment of the existing legislation to the new constitution. He added that there was need for the civil society organisations to play the roles of convener, mobilizer, whistle-blower, capacity-builder and advocate in the fight against corruption.
Chairperson of the African Parliamentary Network Against Corruption (APNAC), Willias Madzimure said there was need to harmonise the fragmented laws dealing with corruption in order to effectively curtail the spread of the scourge in the country and on the continent.
Economic governance policy advisor for the African Forum and Network on Debt and Development (AFRODAD), Tafadzwa Chikumbu said there was need to address illicit financial flows – a form of corruption, by Zimbabwe and many other African governments in order for them to improve their domestic resource mobilization efforts.
He added that such illicit flows derive from proceeds of tax evasion and laundered commercial transactions; proceeds of criminal activities; andproceeds of theft of public resources, bribery and other forms of corruption.


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The exposition hall at the annual Help Desk Institute Conference - taking place in Orlando - officially opens two weeks from today!
Netop representatives will be onsite to discuss how our secure remote access and live chat solutions can be used to improve service desk efficiencies.
While there, be sure to stop by booth 723 and ask us about:
- Remotely supporting Samsung smartphones and tablets with our new Android app.
- Integrating real-time chat into an iOS or Android App with our Live Guide SDK.
- Connecting to retail controllers running Toshiba's 4690 operating system.
- And using SecureM2M to secure gain access to unattended devices without the need for VPN connections.
We look forward to seeing you in the Sunshine State a few weeks from now!


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Latest News
Cel mai recent documentar din seria Wild Carpathia a fost lansat acum câteva zile în România. Realizatorul filmelor, jurnalistul britanic Charlie Ottley, a muncit mai bine de un an pentru ultimul episod. Spune că îl dedică generației actuale și că l-a realizat cu scopul de promovare și protejare a patrimoniului natural al României.Read more
Help the wild forest
Please help us raise the remaining funds to produce the fourth and final instalment of hit series Wild Carpathia. Romania has had further negative press in the UK media following the broadcast of The Romanians Are Coming on Channel 4 earlier this year.
There is no better time than now to complete the most famous series ever made on Romania and once again show the world its beauty, its culture and the charm, generosity and sophistication of its people. We also want another chance to inspire the Romanian people themselves to care more about what's happening in their country before foreign companies eager to exploit their natural resources reduce Europe's last great wilderness to an ecological disaster zone, with no hope of a sustainable income for future generations.
My co-producer Alasdair Grant and I paid for Episode 1 of Wild Carpathia, helped by the European Nature Trust. The Romanian Government paid for episodes 2 and 3, all of which have been seen by millions of people across the globe. Now we need you to help us complete the series by match funding what we have already been given by NGO's and foreign donations. This will enable us to produce White Carpathia - a unique portrait of the Romanian Wilderness over the course of a winter, starting with the autumn fall and finishing with the melting of the snows and the first wild flowers appearing in Spring.
We want to show the beauty and cultural traditions of winter and see how rural areas endure through the freezing temperatures and Siberian conditions. The programme will portray a very different side of Romania, while proving there are still many reasons to visit during the colder part of the year. It will also feature more wildlife than previous episodes. Our aim is to capture bears as they prepare to hibernate and wolves as they hunt for food in the snowy mountains. We will get an insight into the life of villagers as they bring in the wood and the hay for their animals and celebrate winter traditions such as the dance of the bears in the villages of Moldavia.
There will be a strong touristic element - we will look at activities and attractions for visitors to Romania during these months such as cross country skiing, sleigh riding, caving in the Apuseni mountains plus many other cultural events that accompany this time of year. Once again there will also be underlying environmental themes. In this case it will be the importance of preserving traditional architecture and preventing insensitive development in the countryís most beautiful rural areas plus the continuation of illegal logging throughout the year.
The show will commence filming in October to ensure we capture the changing colours of autumn and the first falls of snow that transform the landscape. The filming will be completed by May 2015 and be delivered ready for broadcast shortly thereafter. We will be using the same camera crew as with all the previous episodes, as well as researchers and help from friends in and around Romania.
The documentary will be filmed in chunks covering October, November, Christmas, March, Easter and the first week of May. We will be shooting once again in Transylvania, Maramures, Bucovina and Moldavia. The finished programme will be broadcast first on Romanian Television before being shown around the world and online via youtube and our network of Wild Carpathia related sites.


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September 2007
Jennifer Johnson
Empowering Women
Have you noticed the bright pink cover of the September issue of Empowering Women displayed prominently at your local Barnes and Noble or Borders? With headlines like "Money Secrets You Should Know" and "Busy? Learn How to Make Time for Family and Fun!", I expected a magazine geared for working women on-the-go. I anticipated profiles of women leaders, inspirational essays on "doing it all" and makeup tips for the woman on the go. What I actually found was something much different.
Empowering Women is a magazine devoted to direct selling companies and, presumably, the women "empowered" by working in direct sales. Each issue features one company, telling readers why it's so great (empowering, even!) to sell their products. Now, there's nothing wrong with direct sales and I can certainly see how women can be empowered by the ability to work from home and make their own money -- no longer tied to the shackles of domesticity, or what not. Perhaps this was a more compelling story in 1977 rather than 2007, but I know that there are plenty of women out there who didn't go to college or got married and started a family before they ever held a job that could feel empowered by an opportunity like this. But, this isn't a magazine, it's a brochure and I didn't feel empowered after reading it, I felt mislead.
According to their website, every issue of Empowering Women is "packed with insightful editorial commentary and personal-development content from renowned experts, such as David Bach, Stephen Covey, Amanda Gore and Suze Orman." Well, if that were true this might actually be an interesting magazine. In reality, the issue I read was one long recruitment pitch for Cookie Lee, September's direct sales company du jour. Let's call a spade a spade, shall we?
The pitch starts soft, with a letter from the editor that describes the difficulty in finding the balance between family and career and a description of this month's featured company. It moves to a pitch for the direct sales industry in general with the article, "More Meaningful than Money." Here we learn, "a career in direct selling can light the path to financial security without demanding that business owners compromise on the things most important to them." Well, how nice. Isn't this starting to sound like one of those late night television commercials promising that you can work from home for just an hour a week and make millions? ("By working from home, I bought a home!") At the very least, a little red flag is waving in my head.
Quickly, the magazine shifts to this month's focus company, Cookie Lee. "The Art (And Science) Of Jewelry Design" describes the jewelry itself. Readers are assured that they won't be selling crap; they'll be selling art. I'm reassured by learning that "Cookie's designs manage to encompass the spectrum of women's hearts." That's some impressive jewelry! Even better: "Cookie's designs are what the fashion world calls 'accessible,' which means we can actually wear her pieces!" Well, that will certainly make it easier to sell!
Another article describes the fun of hosting home shows (like the "Tupperware party" of yesteryear, much of direct sales involves holding house parties where you feed your guests and they can buy your wares). Cookie Lee shows are described as "basically a girls' night out that just happens to have jewelry in it." Even more articles discuss Cookie Lee's charitable giving, give you tips for hosting your own party, reassure you that "you can trust that Cookie Lee jewelry will be on-trend, no matter where fashion is headed next!" and give a profile of Ms. Cookie Lee herself. It really just piles on.
The hard sell comes from the thirteen (yes, thirteen) Cookie Lee "success stories," sprinkled liberally throughout the magazine. Just when you may have begun to doubt your ability to create a successful career selling beaded jewelry, you can turn the page and learn about Connie Allred, the busy mother of five who sold $75,000 dollars worth of jewelry in her first 12 months. Or, Dianne Richens who overcame the "shyness that once plagued her" by becoming a Cookie Lee representative. Or, you can meet Katherine Chrisman who now earns monthly commission checks averaging $50,000. Holy crap, sign me up!
Now, to be fair there are a few articles that aren't about joining the Cookie Lee empire. (Has anyone else even heard of this company?) These are few and far between though: an excerpt from the book How Did I Get Here: Finding Your Way to Renewed Hope and Happiness When Life and Love Take Unexpected Turns by Barbara De Angelis, an excerpt from The Purpose-Driven Life by Rick Warren, an excerpt from The Savage Number: How Much Money Do You Need to Retire? by Terry Savage (are you noticing a trend here?) and a one page story on Jamaica (where you can go on vacation with all your direct sales money). Long story short, there are five feature articles (out of twenty-eight total) on topics other than direct sales, and three of them are book excerpts. You tell me, are the editors interested in "empowering women" or are they interested in convincing you to sell jewelry from home?
The bottom line: I can understand Cookie Lee, or whoever the flavor of the month is, sending a copy of this out free to prospective employees (and maybe they do), but I absolutely cannot imagine anyone paying $5.95 for a copy of this magazine. I couldn't even bring myself to do it, preferring to write this from a Barnes and Noble Café, rather than bring it into my home. What a piece of tripe.


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O'Brien Tree Service was exceptional! Their crew arrived and removed the tree from the side yard in no time at all. You could tell from watching them that they each knew their job. I highly recommend O'Brien Tree Service. They were fast, courteous and did a great...Read More
O'Brien Tree Service has been in business for over 50 years. It is a family operated business with strong ties to the community. We sponsor sports teams, corporate events and many charities and fund raisers. We are now into a third generation of family who work for the company. We have certified arborists as well as certified exterminators on staff.
Shop Address:
78 Vermilyea Rd.
Belleville, ON
Mailing Address:
Grp Box 109
Belleville, ON
Phone: 613.962.4230
Fax: 613.966.7327
email: firstname.lastname@example.com


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As the NBA draft nears, there is an overwhelming sense of doom among fans of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Judging draft talent is not the team's forte, as Patrick Reusse artfully pointed out yesterday.
Update 6:45 p.m. Minnesota's on the clock. Prayer beads getting a workout.
6:46 p.m. – Presuming the choice will be O.J. Mayo. I fear gleeful anchors announcing, "it was the Mayo Clinic at Target Center tonight," thinking it was the best lede ever written. MinnPost's David Brauer says if they take him and then don't trade him, we'll wake up to "Timberwolves hold the Mayo." It's a no-win situation here.
6:48 p.m. – Timberwolves select O.J. Mayo. Experts say he's the most NBA-ready player. He better be. "I'm going to bring some leadership, and determination," he tells ESPN. Plans to play point guard. Move over Randy Foye.
Update Friday 7:04 a.m. – Ugh. The Timberwolves did it again. They've traded Mayo to Memphis along with Marko Jaric and Antoine Walker and received Kevin Love (whom they considered drafting) in return. It appears to be another trade to get rid of high-priced players.)
With any luck at all, the team's new logo and uniforms won't be the highlight Timberwolves story of the day, but you never know.
The Minneapolis Business Journal analyzes the fashion:
The team's primary logo received a relatively modest facelift, including a splash of white on the wolf's face and sleeker trees. The word Timberwolves also gets a different font and converts from blue to white.
The Wolves first introduced that logo for the 1996-97 season.
The Timberwolves also unveiled a completely redesigned secondary logo that celebrates the team's 20th anniversary. The new logo features a wolf howling at the moon. The moon, however, is depicted as a basketball, paying homage to the team's original logo that featured a wolf's head in front of a ball.
"The secondary logo really throws us back to the logo we used initially and celebrates the history of the Timberwolves in this market," (TWolves marketing boss Chris ) Wright said.
The team is still selling merchandise with the old logo on its Web site. It's gear that screams Ndudi Ebi
(H/T: doodledee)


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When the business routine is no longer enough to move the organization toward its goals, support is available to proactively increase effectiveness and efficiency. For more comprehensive organizational change, unique combinations of the following services may also be developed.
Assessment: Understanding an organization and its current culture is necessary for effective development. A comprehensive assessment may be designed for your organization, using such varied approaches as documentation review, focus groups, interviews, onsite visits, and surveys, helping the client to pinpoint areas of strength as well as areas for improvement. The resulting report may also be formally presented to stakeholders for further discussion and reflection.
Meeting Facilitation: Meetings are an important and frequent activity in most organizations. However, executives and managers seldom have as much time as they would like to organize them. In addition, it's difficult to fully participate while simultaneously overseeing such events. We offer varied applications of facilitation services, including:
• Strategic planning
• Collaboration and team building
• Conference facilitation and planning
• Process improvement
• Focus groups
Simple, effective techniques can transform meetings into opportunities for effective collaboration.
Program Development: Not-for-profit organizations and public organizations in particular can benefit from this service. Clients may choose to begin with a targeted needs assessment. If a needs assessment is already available, the identified consumer needs and service gaps can be addressed through a systematic process of applying current knowledge and best practice. The desired programs can then be created through a combination of facilitation, planning and proposal writing. Program development can be a first step toward community development.
Project Planning and Management: We can assist you in oversight of your project, thereby helping the organization to meet its unique goals and objectives within existing constraints, and enhancing the ultimate return-on-investment of activities. From scheduling and staffing to evaluation of project deliverables, we will support your work from inception to completion.
Report Writing: A non-profit organization needs to submit an effective proposal to stay competitive. The corporate executive or NGO leader needs to clarify a position on market forces or public policy. An academic must "publish or perish". These are familiar scenarios; yet, organizations do not always have the the in-house expertise or the time necessary to complete this work. We can provide rapid turnaround for tight deadlines, leaving our clients free to focus more on the content than on the mechanics of writing.


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Boston remains among most expensive cities to build as construction growth stabilizes
According to JLL's latest Construction Outlook, the US construction market remained stable and growing last quarter, with key indicators such as construction spending, construction backlog and under construction pipeline showing solid progress alongside an expected uptick in costs. Though the rate of growth in the industry is slowing, construction spending continues to hit cyclical highs.
Key Trends
While many trends affect the construction industry on a daily basis, these themes
had the largest impact last quarter and will continue to be prevalent in the months to come.
- RISK: What does the future hold? Financiers, developers, and contractors alike, are now starting to take a more cautious look at new projects and their risk. As a result, new construction starts are likely to slow in line with demand and projects will be focused on markets with only the strongest fundamentals.
- LABOR: The challenges continue A lack of construction labor continues to be a challenge in all US markets. With both construction and overall US unemployment rates near record lows, and development volumes at cycle highs, labor costs will continue to rise over the next year.
- TECH: Making waves in construction Construction and development are historically slower to innovate but new design, productivity, and sharing tools are revolutionizing how work is done.
Most expensive cities to build
New York City, San Francisco, and San Jose, continue to be the most expensive cities to build in the US, topping the list once again, but Boston isn't too far behind, ranking as the 7th most expensive city to build, significantly above the national average.
What to expect
By the end of 2017, expect to see a softer construction industry across the US as demand and market saturations begin to level out across property types. A significant decline isn't expected, but the rate of growth in the industry will slow. Available jobs and work in the Northeast have already started to slow with flat growth of under construction volumes this quarter, as well as a decline in business workload for firms in the industry.
Download our complete Construction Outlook for more on these and other trends, and check out our New England construction portfolio for samples of our work and more on the services we provide.


text: Tsvangirai has vowed to rebuild Zimbabwe's economy and put an end to political violence [AFP] In video Zimbabwe cabinet nominee charged with treason He became treasurer of the MDC and was nominated by the party's head Morgan Tsvangirai for the post of deputy minister of agriculture. Surprise arrest Al Jazeera's Haru Mutasa, reporting from Harare, said: "We have been told by MDC officials that they fear he may be tortured in the police cell where he is in Mutare ... it could indicate or imply that maybe Zanu-PF isn't really as keen as they say they are to work with the MDC." Trust Maanda, Roy Bennett's lawyer, told Al Jazeera that Bennett was surprised by the arrest. "The arrest came as a surprise to Bennett, in the sense that he didn't know of any charges that were being presented against him ... so he came back from South Africa unsuspectingly to Zimbabwe. "He received assurances from the MDC government that he would not be arrested at all," he said. Police earlier fired live ammunition in the air to disperse MDC supporters who had surrounded the police station in Mutare in the east of Zimbabwe, the MDC said. While the MDC said Bennett must be immediately released unconditionally and unharmed, it did not threaten any action that could endanger the new unity government. Swearing-in ceremony Tsvangirai was sworn in on Thursday as prime minister as part of a power-sharing deal with Mugabe. Against the backdrop of Bennett's arrest, Mugabe swore into office 35 members of a new national unity government aimed at ending years of ruinous political and economic crises. The swearing-in had been held up by more than two hours as the MDC accused Mugabe of trying to bring 22 ministers into cabinet, although their agreement allowed Zanu-PF party only 15 seats. In video The hurdles facing Zimbabwe In the end, Mugabe swore in two extra ministers while the MDC took one more seat than expected. An MDC splinter group, MDC Mutambara, has three cabinet posts. Tsvangirai's party blamed in a statement the development on "backstage chaos and confusion" within Zanu-PF. Mugabe gave some of his party's staunchest hardliners the key posts of defence, home affairs and national security. Al Jazeera's Haru Mutasa said there was "nothing new" in the cabinet list as Mugabe had sworn in staunch supporters who have served in his government for decades. "It's still the old guard and if they come back with the same ideals, the same way of thinking, it will be very difficult for the new prime minister to actually work with them," she said. "How will he put two different theories, two different groups of people together, how will they come out with one united front to help Zimbabwe to actually find a solution to the humanitarian crisis they are facing? "Tsvangirai has a lot of work to do, a short time to do it in and people are saying it has to happen quickly or there is a danger that some of his supporters might lose patience with him." Joint responsibility Isabella Matambanadzo, Zimbabwe's programme director for the Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa, said: "It's really critical that this government comes together and delivers together. "We want to know that we can live in a Zimbabwe where we will not be tortured by our own security forces. We also want to live in a Zimbabwe where we have predictability in our economy." Control of the home affairs ministry, which oversees Zimbabwe's police forces, was one of the sticking points in power-sharing talks between Mugabe and Tsvangirai.Zanu-PF and the MDC will co-manage the ministry in the new government. Tsvangirai faces a series of challenges in his role – from tackling runaway inflation which has left millions of people reliant on food aid, to addressing a cholera epidemic that has left 3,400 dead since August. Hundreds of thousands of Zimbabweans have left the country, while only 20 per cent of children are going to school. SOURCE: Al Jazeera and agencies


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A chant sung about Kyle Lafferty.
Kyle lafferty you're a wee fud!
lafferty, you're a wee fud!
Votes: 96
Submitted by: aidan mcgeady on Tuesday 15 March 2011 at 22:56
Show only this chant Embed this chant in your page/ blog
Embed this chant in your page/ blog using the html below:


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Return Policy
Our goal is our customers' satisfaction. Since we stand behind our products, we want our customers to enjoy their shopping. In case you're not satisfied with an item, you can return it in its original condition within 7 days of receiving your order. To exchange or return merchandise, please email us at firstname.lastname@example.com. You will need to indicate the reason for return or exchange and the action to be taken such as exchange or refund. We will send you an authorized email for return confirmation. Merchandise returned without a valid or active RMA number will be refused and shipped back to the customer at their expense. Shipments that are refused by the customer are considered returns. Clearance products are considered as FINAL SALES. Therefore, NO REFUND OR EXCHANGES. After inspecting to ensure all items are in perfect condition, payment will be refunded. Online purchases cannot be returned without a receipt or proof of purchase.
To avoid having to return linens, please request a fabric swatch and review our size chart before placing your order. Special or Custom Made Bedding : The items with "Special" or "Custom Made Bedding" annotation are non-refundable and cannot be exchanged because they are made or ordered specially for you. These items are not shelved within our store or by the factory where they are made. If you are unsure of the colors, you can always request a fabric swatch. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us by email at firstname.lastname@example.com or by phone on 1-877-760-0073 .
Hygiene Issues : For hygienic reasons, we cannot accept returns on opened package which includes anything that has been washed or used. Also, for the same reasons, we do not accept returns on any duvets, pillows or featherbeds. No returns and refunds are allowed on custom orders, which include custom measurements, custom stitch colours and non-regular stock items.
All regular priced furniture items that are stocked in our warehouse are able to be returned within 7 days of receipt. Your refund will be reduced by a restocking fee equal to 15% of the purchase price. Shipping and Delivery fees are not refundable and customer is responsible for paying the shipping fees to have the item(s) returned to GNI. All clearance furniture and floor models are also final sale and are not eligible for return. All custom and special orders are non-cancellable and non-returnable.
Damaged Shipments We package all of our products well so they arrive on your doorstep snug, safe, and secure. However, if your items have arrived damaged, please send us pictures and a description of the damages, we send you replacements. To help us protect you and your merchandise and enable us to make a claim on your behalf if items are lost or arrive damaged due to transport, it is important that you inspect all merchandise carefully upon delivery before signing the "Proof of Delivery" receipt. Signing a Proof of Delivery receipt without indicating any damages will free the transporter of all responsibility regarding loss or damage to your goods and prevents us from filing damage claims on your behalf.
Shipping and handling charges are non-refundable. For orders that have Free Shipping, you will be reimbursed for the returned product value, less the cost of shipment of the original order. Also, the cost of shipping of any returned item will be paid by the customer. If you have any question regarding the above please email us at firstname.lastname@example.com
* * * * *


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So I've been looking for a different ways to help bring together some local triathletes and help facilitate some group workout or just some casual events to geek out over all things tri-related.
So I pulled out my full geekness and started poking around the web. I poked around this "create your own social network site" Ning.com which seemed good but not quite as focused on "in-person" meetups and I had hoped.
Coincidentally, I met up with fellow Wheelworks Multisport-er at a Clif Bar charity event last weekend who had exactly the same idea as me. – We loved the team for group rides/workouts, but sometimes (often) they just didn't match our training schedules.
So Jen, beating me out in internet geek-dom, started up this group on Meetup.com for just that purpose. There are tons of local folks already out there looking for local tri-studs and studettes to train with, unlike the scant few that have stopped by my Ning page. 😦 But this site does look pretty promising, so head on over there and check it out. Its free, just set up an account and RSVP to any events you care to jump in on.
The first meetup is a run along the esplanade on August 8. Hope to see any of you guys out there.
Technorati Tags:
Meetup.com, Boston Triathlon Meetup


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This lists, categorically, backgrounds and textures collections that I use or consider to be of some quality. When possible, I prefer listing collections where the backgrounds are made by the authors of the websites, rather than random, large, and anonymous collections of backgrounds that probably belong to someone else.
Remember, the people who go through the trouble of making backgrounds and then, God knows why, giving them away for free, deserve a little credit. So make sure, before you forget, to always link back to their pages whenever you use one of their backgrounds. I've personally made a sources page as a reminder to myself. It's an easy way to keep tabs on where you got everything from, should you ever want to go back and get some more. Also NEVER, NEVER make a background collection of your own using a background made by someone else. They can make their own archive of their work, thank you very much.
To use a background, save the image from the artist's webpage into YOUR OWN homepage directory, so that you can use it without draining on the artist's webserver.
Finally, if you're shopping for backgrounds, you might like some tips on Color and Images, which I have links to on my good html page. One site even has instructions for making seamless backgrounds.
Windy's Design Studio
I can only stand to have a link to ONE page where the backgrounds are especially cute or "feminine" or sweet, and this is the one. It's less disgustingly sugary than most, and by golly, Windy actually does make an effort to create high quality and palatable images.
Just 10 basics ought to do.
The logos are just for me to remember and use when I put their backgrounds on whatever page within my site. Yes, I am being lazy about aligning them.
Like the Pretty category, I can only stand to list ONE page with animations on it, because I think that animations are way over-used on the web anyway. Luree's Animations are cute, and her backgrounds are quite out-of-the-ordinary.
Actually, you know, any kind of textured background is a little bit 3D, if it gives you the impression of rough paper, bumpy rocks, carved designs, etc. I will try to place very 3D collections here.
Please note--"high contrast" usually means it's difficult to read text on top of it. Believe it or not, there ARE people (in fact, virtually everybody) whose computer monitors show colors quite differently from yours, or have strange brightness and contrast levels. This could seriously affect the way your page looks and reads.
However, since a lot of really cool images and backgrounds are too beautiful to resist, I will list these collections anyway and just advise you to use the HTML trick of putting your text within a table, with or without a border, and then defining an easily readable background color for each table cell; Infinite Fish has made a table background color example of this trick.
This background was made by me.
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