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DETROIT - GM has reimagined its small pickup truck to cater to outdoorsy folks who haul smelly wet dogs and kayaks. In other words, Subaru buyers.
The new Chevrolet Colorado, to be unveiled Wednesday at the Los Angeles Auto Show, has little in common with the old version, which was noisy with a cheap-looking hard plastic interior that didn't appeal to many buyers.
The 2015 model weighs 900 pounds less and is 16 inches shorter than its brawny cousin, the full-size Chevy Silverado. And it's equipped with bike racks and other accessories that GM hopes will lure Subaru customers - relatively affluent people that GM calls "lifestyle" buyers.
Article Photos
AUTO SHOW HIGHLIGHT — The 2015 Chevrolet Colorado is introduced at the Los Angeles Auto Show.
-- Associated Press
To do so, GM knows it must make in-roads in California, Colorado, New York and other places where such buyers are abundant.
Subaru's sales, led by the Forester small SUV, have grown more than 61 percent in the past two years. Subaru doesn't sell a pickup, but its all-wheel-drive hatchbacks are popular with people who spend a lot of time outdoors, particularly on the coasts.
GM wants to replicate that success with a U.S. brand.
"If there was a brand, a domestic brand, that could fill that space and really provide those types of things, we thought Chevy was a good place to do it," said Alan Batey, global Chevrolet chief, at a preview of the Colorado last week in Detroit where he spoke while standing beneath giant posters of people surfing, skiing and bicycling.
The Colorado, and its GMC sister, the Canyon, also will be aimed at another market: workers who need trucks, but not as big as the Silverado or the GMC Sierra. The smaller trucks, Batey said, do more than look good.
"We didn't want to just create a really pretty truck that's accessorized but can't do anything," he said.
In the late 1990s, the small-truck market in the U.S. was over a million vehicles, but as automakers like Ford and GM pulled out, it dwindled to less than 300,000 annually.
GM stopped making the old Colorado last year. In the past four years, sales never topped 39,000 nationwide.
The new version is due out next fall. It takes aim at the Toyota Tacoma, the most popular small truck in the U.S. with sales of over 141,000 in 2012.
Here are highlights of the Colorado:
r INSIDE: Touch-screen and multiple USB ports for iPods, phones and other devices. Still has knobs and big buttons for climate controls. Six standard air bags, standard rear-vision camera. Interior with far less hard plastic than the old Colorado.
r OUTSIDE: Rounded fenders, wheels and tires pushed wide for athletic stance. Low-slung windshield for aerodynamics and sportier looks. Door panels fit into roof line. Step built into rear bumper for easy climbing into bed. Cross members for racks that bolt into bed. Rack options for bicycles, kayaks, skis, etc. Cargo can be stowed beneath the racks.
r UNDER THE HOOD: Two aluminum-block engines in first year, a 193-horsepower, 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and a 3.6-liter V6 with an estimated 302 horsepower. In second year, a diesel engine will be available. Six-speed automatic transmissions; two- or four-wheel drive.
r GAS MILEAGE: Not released. Jeff Luke, chief truck engineer, says GM is expecting best-in-class mileage with the four-cylinder engine. A four-cylinder, manual transmission Toyota Tacoma gets up to 23 mpg in combined city and highway driving.
r CHEERS: Trucks look rugged and have great convenience features for people who want to haul bikes or kayaks. GM promises they'll be capable of towing and hauling heavy payloads.
r JEERS: GM has to pay for the capital cost of developing the new trucks. That could mean prices close to competitors' larger trucks. Pricing announced later. Also, trucks will be available only in versions with back seats. That could add to price.
Other highlights of the L.A. Auto Sho include:
BMW adds a convertible to its 4 Series line of two-door coupes, which debuted over the summer. The 4 Series replaced the 3 Series coupe; BMW is now reserving the 3 Series name for four-door sedans. The convertible, which goes on sale in the U.S. early next year, has a three-piece retractable hardtop that can be automatically lowered in 20 seconds at low speeds. To keep away the chill, the car has optional neck warmers in the driver and passenger seats. As in the 4 Series coupe, there are two engine choices: a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder with 240 horsepower in the 428i and a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline six-cylinder with 300 horsepower in the 435i. Both have an eight-speed automatic transmission. The 428i is offered as a rear-wheel-drive or an all-wheel-drive, while the 435i is only offered as a rear-wheel-drive. The 428i starts at $49,675, around $8,000 more than the starting price of the coupe. The 435i starts at $55,825.
Porsche is entering the fast-growing small SUV market with the Macan. The Macan - the name comes from the Indonesian word for "tiger" - is six inches shorter than its sibling, the Cayenne SUV, but features the same muscular look. It also uses some tricks to look more substantial, like a broad, wraparound hood that encompasses the headlights. Porsche designed two versions: The Macan S, with a new, 3.0-liter V6 engine that gets 340 horsepower and the Macan Turbo, with a new 3.6-liter V6 that gets 400 horsepower. Standard features include an off-road mode, which adjusts the torque, shifter and other functions for off-roading at the touch of a button. There's an optional air suspension chassis, which can set the vehicle's ground clearance at three different levels. Porsche says the feature is unique to the Macan among small SUVs. The Macan goes on sale this spring at a starting price of $50,895 for the Macan S and $73,295 for the Macan Turbo. Sales of small luxury SUVs are up 25 percent so far this year, making them the fastest-growing segment in the luxury market.
Ford says its Edge concept vehicle previews the design direction and technology of the company's future SUVs. The lines on the concept are sharper and more angled than the current Edge, and it adopts the trapezoidal grille shape and narrow headlights of Ford's newer products. Advanced safety features include an automated parking system that can find and park in a perpendicular space. The system can even be activated remotely, pulling the car out of a tight spot before the driver gets in. The Edge concept also will automatically steer away from obstacles and brake to avoid a collision. The Edge mid-size SUV has recently been overshadowed by Ford's newer SUVs, including the small Escape and larger Explorer. This will be the Edge's first full redesign since it was introduced in 2007. The new Edge will also target a global audience - it will be sold in Europe, China and South America for the first time. Ford isn't yet saying when the new Edge will go on sale, but it's likely to arrive sometime next year.
The F-Type convertible, which went on sale in the spring, was Jaguar's first two-seat sports car in 50 years. Now the company's adding a hardtop version. The 2015 F-Type coupe, which goes on sale this spring, starts at $65,000, or $4,000 less than the convertible. The base model of the all-aluminum coupe - made, in part, from recycled metal - has a 340-horsepower V6 engine and a top speed of 161 mph. For $77,000, buyers can upgrade to a V6 with 380 horsepower and a top speed of 171 mph. At the top of the lineup is the $99,000 F-Type R, which has a 550-horsepower V8 engine and goes from zero to 60 mph in four seconds. It has a top speed of 186 mph. All versions have an eight-speed transmission and a hidden rear spoiler that automatically rises at 70 mph and tucks back in at 50 mph or less. Jaguar's U.S. sales are up 36 percent so far this year, thanks to the F-Type convertible and the recently redesigned XF sedan.
The Vision Gran Turismo super sports car, with its wild and fluid lines and extreme proportions, will draw viewers to Mercedes' stand at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The Gran Turismo is pure fantasy, designed for the PlayStation racing game Gran Turismo 6. The virtual model (a scale model of the show car, complete with Mercedes' signature gull-wing doors) will be available for download next month. While a car like this won't ever be produced, look for some of the design elements - like the LED lights that replace louvers on the grille - on future super sports cars. The GLA45 AMG concept, a small SUV from Mercedes' AMG performance division, is closer to reality. Like Porsche and Lincoln, Mercedes is entering the fast-growing, compact luxury SUV market with its upcoming GLA series. The GLA45 concept has a 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 355 horsepower. No word on when it will hit the market.
Volkswagen announced that its first fully electric car, the e-Golf, will go on sale in the U.S. at the end of 2014. The e-Golf is based on the seventh-generation gasoline-powered Golf, which is headed to the U.S. this spring. VW says the new Golf was designed from the outset to house either a gas engine or an electric motor and battery. The e-Golf, which will be a five-door hatchback, has a 115-horsepower electric motor and a 264-cell lithium-ion battery that's tucked into the frame beneath the front and rear passenger seats. Both the motor and the battery were developed by Volkswagen in Germany. Volkswagen says the car can go 70 to 90 miles on a charge, depending in part on which of three modes (normal, eco or eco-plus) the driver selects. Among its energy saving features are a special pump that uses heat from the driving components - instead of the battery - to warm the cabin and Volkswagen's first standard LED headlights. VW says the e-Golf will be sold, at first, in states that have adopted zero-emission vehicle targets, including California, Connecticut, New York, Oregon and Maryland. Pricing hasn't been announced.


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I am not sure how to find out what all is included as curated data. For example, are the individual images of each of the 52 cards in a standard deck of playing cards included?
If not, is there a way to systematically access these from web images?
I am not sure how to find out what all is included as curated data. For example, are the individual images of each of the 52 cards in a standard deck of playing cards included?
If not, is there a way to systematically access these from web images?
You can get some nice vector playing cards from this site, licensed under GNU LGPL (read more here). Download this folder to your computer and then try the following:
You can then use this like any other curated data:
Random hand generator:
You can extend this further and also create a random hand generator using Mathematica as follows:
Use this to deal a hand as
Not super high quality, but this might do for some purposes:
In terms of your real question, namely "how to find out what all is included as curated data", I had no clue if playing card images were included or not. I simply asked Wolfram Alpha via a query like so:
Choosing "Subpod content" as shown, I learned that the command to access the image is
I couldn't figure out how to access the whole deck at once, but from here I was able to put the whole thing together programmatically.
It is not entirely clear to me whether the playing cards in your question are just an example of what you want to find or the actual target. Since the other answers already provide you with the latter I'll provide a way to explore
The following two lines of code will build a complete overview of what's hidden in there. Running it may take a bit of time as most of the data will have to be transfered from the Wolfram server to your local paclet store for the first time.
MacOs doesn't seem to like long
This adds another layer of
MacOS user MarkMcClure reports that
I don't know if this question is specifically asking about finding images in MMA's data, but if the end goal is to get playing card images, then using an online image and partition seems to work great. Link to image
Edit: The lack of a top outline over the third row of cards is an artifact of the
Finally, I suppose that the way I went about extracting the individual card images from the imported image could have been more elegant than what I did, but I don't think there's an issue with trial and error for finding the card dimensions if it's just as effective as whatever the more elegant code is.
Did you see Mathematica Package for Texas Hold'em from Sal Mangano. It's a Poker Simulation Library in Mathematica from http://www.mathematicacookbook.com. The code covers parsing cards, monte carlo simulation, a game engine as well as visual interface with cards. You can access also the images of cards from this link of same library.

subset: commoncrawl


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Approved Planning Policies
Shortcut to this page : www.birmingham.gov.uk/planningpolicy/approved
We have a large number of adopted planning policy and guidance documents which help us shape the future of the city.
A number of these are Area Based Policies, ie designed to direct different land uses and development within a defined boundary.
Others are subject based City Wide Policies, ie those designed to advise on specific types of development.
The statutory policies are contained in the Local Development Framework, whilst the guidance documents are there to help explain in detail some of the aspirations for the areas.
The status of each document is given at the bottom of each page.
Policy documents are constantly changing as development takes place and newer documents supersede the older ones. However, our Revoked Policy Documents page holds documents that have been revoked, for reference.
Last Updated : 2nd September 2013


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Are you a LGBTSTGNC Immigrant who's fluent in English and another language? Are you a LGBTSTGNC person of color who's fluent in English and another language and wants to support immigrant rights work? Interested in gaining interpretation skills AND learning about interpreting for social justice? One of our natural resources is that many of us are multilingual and have been interpreting for friends, family, neighbors and coworkers. The Interpreter Training Project seeks to provide opportunities for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Two Spirit, Trans and Gender Non-Conforming immigrants of color who are already informal community interpreters to:
What are the next steps?
Links:[1] http://alp.org/interpreter
[2] http://www.nsvrc.org/states-territories/new-york
[3] http://www.nsvrc.org/event-type/trainings


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You are currently viewing the beta version of the new AMM site.
Click here
to return to the current site.
Sorry, we are experiencing some technical problems with the page you requested.
Please click here to return the homepage.
Will China be granted market economy status at the end of this year? This would allow China to enjoy the same market status as the United States and European Union when it comes to anti-dumping investigations before the World Trade Organization.


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There are many facts about integer gcds which can be proved by appealing to unique prime factorization (up to sign). for example $\gcd(a^2,b^2)=\gcd(a,b)^2$. One way to get the machinery (if that is not too strong a word) about primes and unique factorization is to start with the fact that for all integers $a,b$ there are is a linear combination $d=as+bt$ which divides both $a$ and $b$. That is, to show that the integers are a Bezout Domain and then follow the familiar series of results we all learned and perhaps forget (but then relearned when we taught it). An important tool is that the cofactors $s,t$ can be computed via the Euclidean Algorithm. There are other domains with an integer norm where the same path can be followed: $\mathbb{Z}[\sqrt{k}]$ for certain $k$ such as $2$ and $-1$ for example. However, many of the facts about divisibility can be derived without all that machinery. In a recent answer I pointed out that $as+bt=1$ implies after cubing and simplifying that $a^2(as+3bt)s^2+b^2(3as+bt)t^2=1$ so that $\gcd(a,b)=1$ implies $\gcd(a^2,b^2)=1$. That can be fixed up to a proof that $\gcd(a^2,b^2)=\gcd(a,b)^2$. My question is how far one can get assuming only that a commutative ring (with 1) is a Bezout Domain? Lest I be accused of not having a question I'll ask the following (but feel free to tell more).
Is there any nice treatment of the facts about divisibility which follow only from the assumption that we are in a Bezout Domain? And are there any nice Bezout Domains which show some facts which don't follow?
I suppose all the premises would be equations as would the conclusions. Can we say anything about the increase in complexity? In the equation $a^2(as+3bt)s^2+b^2(3as+bt)t^2=1$ we can use $as+bt=1$ to replace $as+3bt$ with $2bt+1$ or $as+bt+2$ although this is still the same value. Must the cofactors for $s',t'$ for $a^2s'+b^2t'=1$ be at least quartic in $a,b,s,t$ or is there a nicer equation? Over the integers the $s'$ and $t'$ I mention are usually much bigger than they need to be. For example $a,b=11,18$ gives $as+bt=11\cdot 5+18\cdot (-3)=1$ which yields $11^2\cdot (-2675)+18^2\cdot 999=1$ But we prefer $11^2\cdot (-83)+18^2\cdot 31=1$ or at least $11^2\cdot 241+18^2\cdot (-90)=1$.


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The Wake Forest School of Medicine - Section of Hematology and Oncology is seeking a physician with a focus on hematologic malignancies in both the clinical and translational research areas. Special focus on Leukemia.
To apply for this position, please click on the "Apply Now" button on this page. You must complete the application process and then submit your application by clicking on the "Submit" button located at the bottom of the page titled "Submit Online Application". You will receive the following message once you hit the submit button: "You have successfully submitted your job application".
Computers are available for applying within the lobby of the Human Resources Department located at 1920 West First Street, (on the corner of Miller and First Street) Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27104. You may also call our office for assistance at (336) 716-7580. Office hours are Monday-Friday, 8:00am-5:00pm.
If you are an individual with a disability and need reasonable accommodation to participate in the application process, please contact our Director for the Office of Physician & Faculty Recruitment by phone (336) 716-7580 or email at email@example.com.
It is the policy of Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center to administer all educational and employment activities without discrimination because of race, sex, age, religion, national origin, disability, sexual orientation or veteran status (except where sex is a bona fide occupational qualification or a statutory requirement) in accordance with all local, state, national laws, executive orders, regulations, and guidelines.
Phone 336-716-7580Fax 336-716-1206
Disclaimer: The information on this website is for general informational purposes only and SHOULD NOT be relied upon as a substitute for sound professional medical advice, evaluation or care from your physician or other qualified health care provider.


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Today i was writing a bash script that should manage some input arguments, and so i studied
getopt, this is a convenient and elegant way to manage input parameters in a bash script. With it you can define switch (present or not) or parameters with an option, thus making your simple bash script much more professional.
Let's see how to use this command and its options.
Please note that on Linux there are two different ways of parsing command line arguments. There is an utility called
getopt (man 1 getopt). This utility is available in all shells. Then in bash, there is another built-in tool for parsing arguments called
getopts (it's a built-in, so it doesn't have it's own man-page — try help getopts). In this article I'll talk of the first one, after some problems with script not working in dash i prefer to use external small programs rather than bash built-in commands.


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City for Ransom (Mass Market Paperback)
Welcome to Chicago, 1893 -- where new wonders are being unveiled . . . and a monster feeds on the unsuspecting.
Tens of thousands are flocking to a bustling, wind-swept metropolis in the middle of America for the great Exposition of 1893 -- to see the future and to ride Mr. Ferris's remarkable wheel. A city of hope and hardship has caught the attention of the world -- and a maniacal killer has made it his hunting ground.
Inspector Alastair Ransom carries the burden of the dead on his shoulders. But a demon far worse than Ransom's own is loose -- a bloodthirsty killer who preys on Chicago's most vulnerable citizens, his grisly handiwork masked by the glitter and frenzy of the World's Fair. But a haunted detective doesn't realize how desperate his search has become -- for each passing hour brings the slayer closer to his next intended victim: Alastair Ransom.
About the Author
Robert W. Walker, a graduate of Northwestern University, is the author of thirty-six novels, including the acclaimed PSI Blue featuring FBI Psychic Rae Hiyakawa, the Instinct Series with FBI Medical Examiner Dr. Jessica Coran, and the Edge Series featuring Texas Cherokee Detective Lucas Stonecoat and psychiatrist Meredyth Sanger. He has also recently published the serialized thriller set in India entitled Fleshwar on Amazon.com\shorts. Robert was born in Corinth, Mississippi; grew up in Chicago, Illinois; and currently resides in Chicago and Charleston, West Virginia. In between teaching, lecturing, and book touring, Rob is busy tackling his next two novels, City of the Absent and Deja Blue.


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ANDERSON, S.C. – After playing six complete down just one run, a six-run seventh put of the game out of reach as Anderson University baseball was unable to keep up with nationally-ranked Nova Southeastern, falling 9-2 Thursday afternoon at Anderson Memorial Stadium.
With the setback, the Trojans falter to 3-9 for the season, while NSU, which entered the game as the ninth-ranked team in the country according to the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Poll, improve to an impressive 11-1 mark.
Starting pitcher, right-hander David Thompson, tossed six complete innings and struck out seven Sharks, but walked six and gave up his only run of the contest in the fourth inning. The six innings was Thompson's longest outing of this two-year career, after making just three appearances in relief a season ago.
Thompson was outdueled by Nova Southeastern starter Roberto Baroniel, as he completed seven innings and posted five strikeouts. To begin the game, Baroniel took a line drive to his back off the bat of Anderson middle infielder Kyle Bailey, but remained in the game to face 27 Trojans on the afternoon. The win improves the right-hander's record to 4-0 on the year.
AU, which failed to record any extra base hits for the game, recorded nine hits for the day, as Bailey finished 2-for-4 with a walk. Bailey returns to the hit category after failing to notch a hit against GRU Augusta on Tuesday, snapping a four-game hitting streak.
Continuing his hitting streak for the season was left fielder Nathan Galliford, as the senior posted a 2-for-3 performance. With his two hits for the game, Galliford has now begun a streak of three consecutive games with exactly two hits. For the season, the outfielder is hitting .342, ranking him 22nd in the South Atlantic Conference.
Senior catcher Jonathan Zalud was the final Trojan to pound out two hits, going 2-for-4 with a run scored in the ninth inning. The multi-hit game was Zalud's first of the season as he improved his average to .250.
Nova Southeastern was led by catcher Yandy Viera, finishing 4-for-4 with two doubles, three RBI and three runs scored. Batting in front of Viera in the lineup, outfielder Alex Fernandez went 3-for-5 with three runs scored and an RBI as the duo combined for seven of the Sharks' 14 hits. Second baseman Andrew Liberty added NSU's third multi-hit game for the day, going 2-for-3 with a run scored.
"(Nova Southeastern) is a good ball club," Anderson head coach Joe Miller said. "I give credit to Baroniel who was hit on a line drive and then tossed seven innings. That really shows their toughness."
The rare Sunshine State Conference and SAC matchup was the first time ever AU has hosted a team from the SSC. Despite it being an unlikely matchup for Anderson, Nova Southeastern has wins over SAC opponents Catawba and Tusculum this season.
Anderson returns to the diamond on Friday when it begins a three-game series at Peach Belt Conference member North Georgia. First pitch on Friday is set for 3 p.m.


text: Hey everyone. I'm back again with yet another video game tutorial and I really think you're going to like this one. I'm going to show you how to draw Dovahkiin from one of the most awesome games out there, The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim. This is one of my favorite games, but then again, i enjoy most of the games that Bethesda Soft has put out in the last few years. So sit back and get ready to draw and I'll show you how to draw this epic character.


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KnitBits Preview: Favorite Designs of 2012
It's hard to believe another year is almost over. For Berroco, one of the highlights of 2012 was launching our newly redesigned website!
I can't wait to see what exciting changes 2013 will bring. At the very least, I can promise it will include new yarns and more beautiful patterns to knit and crochet!
But before you bust out the champagne and start counting down to midnight, we hope you'll help us celebrate some of our favorite designs from 2012. Be sure to read tomorrow's KnitBits to see which of this year's free and booklet patterns the Berroco Design Team liked best. We're curious to see if you agree with our picks!
In addition to our list, we're ending 2012 with a gorgeous free scarf pattern that will keep you warm and fashionable for years to come! Make sure you're signed up for KnitBits so you don't miss out!
From all of us at Berroco, Happy New Year!
Barbara Zamcheck #
I love knitbits and all that I have learned over the yrs from Berrocco. Thank you for your weekly
free patterns, your mini on line classes and your beautiful yarns,. I look forward to another year
of opening my computer on Friday and finding something new and and interesting from knitbits.
Happy New Year to your wonderful staff at Knitbits.December 30, 2012


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The idea of being focused on what I'm doing right now from Pomodoro technique.
And the idea of mindfulness from Buddhism looks very similar to me.
1.Can mindfulness training from Buddhism helps to be more organized and productive ?
2.What is the best way/book and easiest way to start practicing and training mindfulness ?
The idea of being focused on what I'm doing right now from Pomodoro technique.
And the idea of mindfulness from Buddhism looks very similar to me.
So first off - I think the best answer is to get the book 'Zen to done' . Other good books generally about meditation include 'teach us to sit still'
And it's also an interesting question - let's break it down a little bit.
First of all I think it's important to separate out the Buddhism bit - the way mindfulness is generally understood in the west doesn't related that well to the way it's rooted (In exactly the same way that the food served in my local Indian restaurant is unrecognisable to my Indian neighbour)
So just thinking about mindfulness (ironic, eh?) I think the answer is that it certainly wouldn't make you less productive (For example If I meditate for ten minutes I'm less likely to be distracted by trivial things for the next little while - so that's more productive) but the two are effectively different frames of reference.
If you are being mindful about your life you are taking a particular paradigm of viewing the world - if you are a trying to be more productive - you may well be taking a different one (breaking stuff into projects, tasks, ect all the time)
Final word is that people who are more mindful probably get more done - that's more or less the point of http://zenhabits.net/ (and Leo writes some good stuff over there) but I suspect that there more a correlation than a causation. I.e - people who have the discipline, and clarity of thought to be really productive, are also the same people who have the discipline and clarity of thought to get a lot out of mindfulness and meditation.


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What are some examples of compact Kaehler manifolds (or smooth complex projective varieties) that are not isomorphic as complex manifolds (or as varieties), but are isomorphic as symplectic manifolds (with the symplectic structure induced from the Kaehler structure)? Elliptic curves should be an example, but I can't think of any others. I'm sure there should be lots...
In the other direction, if I have two compact Kaehler manifolds (or smooth complex projective varieties) that are isomorphic as complex manifolds (or as varieties), then are they necessarily isomorphic as symplectic manifolds?
And one last question that just came to mind: If two smooth complex (projective, if need be) varieties are isomorphic as complex manifolds, then they are isomorphic as varieties?
Compact Kaehler manifolds that are isomorphic as symplectic manifolds but not as complex manifolds (and vice-versa)
Re 3: If you say projective, then yes. GAGA tells you that an analytic isomorphism is also an algebraic one.
If you don't say projective, then no. See the appendix to Hartshorne for a family of nonisomorphic algebraic structures on C^2/Z^2.
So here are some examples: When X has no continuous families of automorphisms (H^0(X, TX)=0), complex deformations of X to first order are given by H^1(X, TX). For compact Calabi-Yaus this is H^{(n-1, 1)} and moreover by Bogomolov-Tian-Todorov the deformations are unobstructed.
Symplectic deformations as Ben noted are controlled by H^2(X, R) by Moser's trick. If we want to deform while staying Kahler, then in H^{(1,1)}(X, R). In mirror symmetry (where this discussion is stolen from) one allows a B-field and correspondingly a complexified space of deformations H^{(1,1)}. Then for mirror manifolds these two spaces of deformations are switched.
This is discussed in Denis Auroux's notes on mirror symmetry (http://math.mit.edu/~auroux/18.969/, any misinterpretation is my fault).
Mirror symmetry is cool and all, but if we just stay on the same Calabi-Yau the deformation spaces for symplectic and complex structures can have different dimensions - with either one bigger, giving examples for both 1 and 2.
In case anybody is curious, there are still examples of (1) even if one replaces the requirement that the complex manifolds be nonisomorphic with the requirement that they be not even deformation equivalent. In fact in arXiv:0608110 Catanese showed that Manetti's examples of general type surfaces which are diffeomorphic but not deformation equivalent are symplectomorphic (with respect to their canonical Kahler forms).
If $M \to X$ is smooth and proper, and $M$ is K\"ahler, then the fibers are all symplectomorphic. (Proof: the Levi-Civita connection generates symplectomorphisms.) The family of elliptic curves was already mentioned, but another interesting one has every general fiber being $F_0$ and the special fiber $F_2$ (Hirzebruch surfaces).
A curious example is the family $\{ xy = t \}$ of hypersurfaces in ${\mathbb C}^2$ as $t$ varies (away from $0$). There, the fibers are all holomorphic, and symplectomorphic, but not by the same diffeomorphism (their unique closed geodesics are of varying length).


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On Sunday, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said, "I love the players" in an interview with a Winnipeg newspaper.
But it continues to be an unrequited love as another NHL player, the Florida Panthers' Kris Versteeg, used a radio interview to say Bettman and deputy commissioner Bill Daly are cancers.
He said it was time for both of them to leave the game.
MORE: What Bettman told the Winnipeg paper
While Bettman uses a threat of a $1 million fine to keep owners and team executives from saying anything inflammatory during the negotiations, players have regularly criticized him throughout negotiations to reach agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement.
"I'm really frustrated," Versteeg said on TSN 1050 Monday afternoon. "It's not good. You do try to look at the best-case scenarios moving forward once the CBA does get done, and you've gotta look for the cancers and you've gotta cut out the cancers and I think that when you look at Bill Daly and Bettman, they've been polluting this game for far too long."
His attack came a few days after Detroit Red Wings defenseman Ian White said he believed Bettman was an idiot.
Bettman has taken the high road over the verbal shots he has taken from the players. He has said essentially that harsh rhetoric often happens in labor negotiations. His professed love for the players came in response to a question about the criticism he is receiving.
"By the way, I love the players," Bettman said. "Nobody should think for a moment that I don't."
But there are team officials around the NHL who have privately expressed disappointment about players directing personal attacks toward Bettman.
Just as players rallied around Donald Fehr after an anonymous NHL figure accused the union leaders of not telling the entire story to his players, some league and team personnel say the attacks toward Bettman have also unified owners.
The most widespread reaction to the players' attacks from all corners is usually simply to ask: How does this help the situation?
"It's getting a little personal," Vancouver Canucks goalie Cory Schneider told Sportsnet. "We'd like to think we are adults and can handle this in an appropriate way.
"It's easy to direct your anger toward one person because he represents the owners and the owners aren't allowed to speak. I don't think we condone that but at the same time, it's a heat-of-the-moment mistake and I don't think anyone takes it personally."
MORE: Where the sides stand
At the very least, Versteeg is guilty of bad timing as his blast occurred hours before Bettman and Fehr and others are going behind closed doors at 7 p.m. ET in New York in an effort to bring peace to the hostile negotiations that threaten the 2012-13 NHL season. The lockout is now in its 65th day.
One of the greatest sources of criticism toward Bettman centers on a decision he made that has benefited players. Fans seem to like to grumble about Bettman's decision to expand from 26 to 30 NHL teams. Had he not done that, there would be 92 fewer players mad at him today.


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Now showing items 1-10 of 23
Eight days in September : the removal of Thabo Mbeki
(Taylor and Francis, 2013-01-21)
Social dynamics of suicide in South Africa : a theoretical perspective
Suicide rates in South Africa are on the increase, particularly amongst the youth. What are the complexities of modern life which are driving the increase? The suicidal act of self-destruction signals society's failure to ...
Sharing our Stories : using an online encyclopaedia as the basis for a general education module on local history, creative writing and social justice
Conventional wisdom suggests that the best way of equipping first-year university students with the skills to cope with the rigorous demands of discipline-specific discourse is through an "academic literacies" approach. ...
Blended learning as a response to change in a merged technikon: an account of three modes of delivery in a web-based Communication Skills semester course designed for Engineering students at DIT
The degree to which people are facing revolutionary technological changes in the near future is matched only by the degree of inertia evinced by educational institutions, particularly tertiary institutions. Even when such ...
Effective integration of ICT in blended learning programmes : a morphogenetic approach
Currently criteria for evaluating mixed-mode courses do not go much beyond the paradigmatic level, which poses problems if the evaluator's preferred paradigm of knowledge construction is not congruent with the course ...
The Springfield College Shakespeare Productions
Pornographic objectification of women through Kwaito lyrics
(Routledge, 2012-10-29)
This Profile discusses the portrayal of women through Kwaito music and their frequent pornographic objectification in the popular township music genre. It considers the apparent shift away of Kwaito from its roots in the ...
Apartheid, crime, and interracial violence in Black Boy
(Sage Publications, 2013-03-25)
This article critically interrogates the interplay of compatibility among crime, violence, and racial discrimination in Wright's biographical novel Black Boy (BB). It exploits parallels between selected postcolonial and ...
(Alternation. International Journal for the Study of Southern African Literature and Languages, 2002)
Humanities Computing is a new discipline unfamiliar to the South African literary community. This special number of Alternation is intended to bring some perspective to the practice of humanities computing in South Africa ...
Mirage of us. A reflection on the role of the Web in widening access to references on Southern African arts, culture and heritage
(Tydskrif Vir Letterkunde, 2010)
This article outlines the broad aims of the Encyclopaedia of South African Arts, Culture and Heritage (ESAACH) Project then goes on to consider the ESAACH Website as a networked resource that speaks to the project's vision ...


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Reviewed By: Edward Reid on 7/8/14
This mirror is very attractive, but will not work with a helmet visor. The attachment is high on the edge of the helmet and is intended to grip the lower edge of the foam -- which it does well as long as it can be placed that high. In addition, there is no up/down angular adjustment of the mirror at the end of the wire, so the entire unit must be tipped to adjust the angle, which compromises the grip. So the fit is far from universal, and this is not explained in the description. I give it a point for being attractive but take away the rest of the points for the lack of adjustment and inadequate description. (Who cares if the tour director likes it if it doesn't fit my helmet?)


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6 Lies About the Human Body You Learned in Kindergarten
When we reach the age of 2, we start to have a few questions about our bodies. At first they're simple. "Will that toy fit into the wet hole in the middle of my face?" But as we mature, the questions become more complex and too numerous for any reasonable human being to answer. It's no coincidence that around this time, our parents ship us off to school, where someone is paid to give us answers.
Unfortunately, many of the answers you get there are lies that seem specifically designed to make the world around you seem boring. Because how else are they going to get you to stop asking so many damn questions? For instance, you probably still believe ...
Note: The human body is like a used car -- from the moment we first get inside one, we're constantly told lies that make it sound like a magical machine, when really it's just a wad of flesh and bone held that's just barely keeping itself together (especially if you drive a Kia). Because when we're not cramming things inside it or using it to do just terrible, terrible things, we're spreading lies and rumors about its basic functionality. So enjoy this Cracked Classic, and remember, don't buy a Kia. -Cracked.
#6. You Only Have Five Senses
Sight, smell, touch, taste, hearing. Them there's your five senses. Since kindergarten, you've probably been told that anyone who thinks she has a sixth sense is either a television psychic or M. Night Shyamalan. This original classification is widely attributed to Aristotle, so if you try to argue that there are more than five, you're basically arguing with the guy who invented being smart.
And wannabe intellectuals have rocked the comb forward/beard combo ever since.
The Truth:
Scientists still aren't quite sure of exactly how many senses you have, or what even constitutes a sense, but you'd be hard-pressed to find one who believes you have five. Depending on how they count them, they usually wind up with something like 14 to 20. The five you learned about in school were just the five most evident senses, aka the boring ones you could have figured out for your own damn self. The rest are far more interesting.
Pictured: #19, smision.
The Harvard School of Medicine lists six extra ones that are pretty hard to argue against. Close your eyes, then touch your nose with your index finger. How did you know which one was your index finger without looking at it? How did you know where your nose was? Did you smell your finger to your nose? Did your sense of touch somehow tell you what the air molecules you encounter along the way to your nose feel like? Nah, that's proprioception, your body's awareness of where it is in relation to itself.
Oh, yeah. We just dropped the H-bomb on you.
Maybe the most interesting one they left out is your sense of timing, which might seem like it's only a sense in the way that fashion is a sense. But leading neurologists like David Eagleman think it's the most important of all the senses, since it's the thread that ties the rest of them together. An apple is just a series of different sensations without your sense of time telling you they're all happening at the same moment. Still not convinced? Try staring at a white wall in a totally silent room. Your sense of time tells you how much of your life has been wasted because you didn't take us at our word.
Good on you, fella.
It's also worth noting that this sense your kindergarten teacher failed to mention can operate like a freaking superpower. For instance, if you're walking in the woods and a bear growls in the bushes behind you and to your left, the bear's growl hits your left ear a millionth of a second before it hits your right. Your sense of time is able to pick up on that infinitesimal difference and allows you to perfectly triangulate the bear's location behind you.
If you were only relying on your sense of hearing, you would only know that the bear is somewhere on the left side of your body. Your ears don't swivel around like a dog's, so you would have to turn and use your eyes to pinpoint the bear. A blur of brown and black fur would be the last sight you ever saw.
Two members of our PR team died getting this photograph. Honor their sacrifice by chuckling dutifully.


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Let $\mathcal{L}$ = {x$\in$ $N^n$ : ||x||$_1$ $\leq$ m} denote the set of integer points in the positive orthant of the $\ell_1$ ball of radius $m$, where $m < n$. For each $x \in \mathcal{L}$, let w : $\mathcal{L}$ $\rightarrow$ $\mathcal{R}^+$ denote an efficiently computable weighting function. Let $\mathcal{D}$ define a probability distribution over $\mathcal{L}$ that selects each element from $\mathcal{L}$ with probability proportional to its weight: $$\Pr_\mathcal{D}[x] = \frac{w(x)}{\sum_{y\in\mathcal{L}}w(y)}$$
I would like to (approximately) sample from this distribution efficiently, where efficiently means in time polynomial in n, the dimension of the space. The algorithm may query the weight function $w$ a polynomial number of times. In general, this is hard, but I know two additional facts about the weighting function that I suspect make the problem tractable.
1) The weight function is convex: in particular, for any C, the set of points with weight at least C lies inside some convex polytope.
2) The weight function is Lipschitz: for any $x,y \in \mathcal{L} : ||x-y||_1 \leq 1$, $|w(x) - w(y)| \leq$ poly(n).
Is there a known method that would allow efficient sampling from this distribution?


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When people ask me about what to look for in MFA (Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing) programs, I often draw a blank. Many programs like to flaunt their "celebrity" staff writers and the success of their graduates, but I don't believe these are reliable indicators of a quality program. What should prospective enrollees look for when examining a program's offerings?
A good reputation amongst actual recent alumni is the most telling factor, I've found. Most universities' published ratings can be a bit outdated and/or based on criteria that looks more impressive on paper than in the actual classroom.
That said, a program's worth is often subjective, relative to what the student is looking to gain. Some programs have a heavy academic bent, while others focus on industry connections etc etc. So I suppose one way to begin to answer your question is to decide what you're looking for yourself...(Do you primarily want to learn a lot about the theories of writing? Or do you mainly want tips and tricks towards becoming published? etc.) Start with that, and you'll help yourself narrow the field a fair amount. (And then you can go about researching what recent alumni have to say...)
Perhaps the two most important criteria are
If you're already wealthy, you can skip #2.
You can start by searching universities, rankings for MFA programs, and in general, advice from experienced people on how to choose programs (Google is your best friend here). In the end, I think you will have to settle on your own criteria after considering what the others have to say.
The Creative Writing MFA Handbook has a lot of useful tips for students interested in a creative writing MFA, including what to look for in, and how to pick, MFA programs.
If they require that you have a book that is published they have some faith in the competence of the staff AND the students they select. If they have a list of the students who have graduated and their published works and where they are currently employed even better.
If they can't point at a majority of students who have been successful then I suggest you keep looking. The object is to improve your skill set and have a career- not to make the school richer.


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Originally Posted by neo_vi"And the fact that the Trojan was managed by one group through its history and maintained for nearly three years is also very unusual" Its not my words. See this link
So sometimes it rarely happens. But if u know the normal operation of a computer u'll definitely come to know the trojan combined operation (most of the time). Now a days anti vruses have become so powerful , with advanced heuristics it can trace any trojan. So no need to worry about a system unless it is a webserver or something that contains valuable informations.
So, I don't trust anti-viruses much, but believe in my ways to handle.
Precaution is better than cure.


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My 3.5 year old son is obsessed with Spiderman comics, games and movies and he thinks he is spiderman, he even has a 'girlfriend' in school who he calls Mary Jane . Is this normal? Or should I be concerned?
My son is the same, as was I. It's pretty normal. So normal that when I showed up to daycare with my mouth duct taped shut (because Spider-man doesn't have a mouth), the social workers understood. The teachers still had to call them in- probably some kind of policy regarding duct tape on children's mouths- but it was more hilarious than anything else, apparently.
This role playing is normal, common, and essential for skills building. In imaginative role play children get to practice dialog, politeness, meanness, being the authority (parent), and all sort of other social interactions they have been exposed to. They also will seek out and gain knowledge on the subject of their role play to enable it to be more fun and accurate.
Spiderman is pretty famous around our house as well. My son and nephews frequently play as Spiderman.
If you feel he is too obsessive, if his focus on Spiderman causes disruptions or inappropriate behavior, start by coaching him on when he is free to play Spiderman and when he shouldn't. If it persists as a problem after this, find local help to advise you; a teacher, or doctor, or counselor, etc. But remember not to stigmatize the play. Keep a positive tone about the play and have negative comments about inappropriate times. An example from another context: "I love your singing son, you are so good, but let's not sing at dinnertime."
Some resources:


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The Reebok Prospect Low MRT Baseball Cleats are lightweight and breathable so your feet stay cool and comfortable. A die-cut EVA sockliner gives you lightweight cushioning without weighing you down. The aggressive molded rubber outsole provides superior comfort and traction for the plays you need it most.
- Lightweight support so your shoes don't slow you down and superior cushioning for long-term wear.
- A comfortable rubber outsole with great traction.


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Why in a Hausdorff sequentially compact space the size of the closure of a countable subset is less or equal than $c$ ? I can see why this is true when the space if first countable but we are not assuming so.
The statement is consistently false.
In vaughn's article "Countably compact and sequentially compact spaces" in the Handbook of Set-Theoretic Topology, he gives the following equivalences for an infinite cardinal $\kappa$:
Thus if we are in a universe where $\omega<\omega_1=\kappa<\mathfrak{s}\leq\mathfrak{c}<2^\kappa$ then the space $\{0,1\}^{\omega_1}$ gives a separable space which is sequentially compact but has cardinality greater than $\mathfrak{c}$.
Added: including the forcing construction to get such a model (from van Douwen's article):
Start with ground model $M\models(\mathfrak{c}=\omega_2 \wedge 2^{\omega_1}=\omega_3)$ then obtain an iterated ccc extension $\langle M_\eta : \eta\in\omega_2\rangle$ by adding $X_\eta\in[\omega]^\omega$ at stage $\eta\in\omega_2$ s.t. $\forall Y\in M\cap[\omega]^\omega$ either $X_\eta\subseteq^* Y$ or $X_\eta\subseteq^* (\omega\setminus Y)$. Then in $M_{\omega_2}$ we have $\mathfrak{c}=\omega_2<2^{\omega_1}$, $\mathfrak{t}=\omega_1$, $\mathfrak{s}=\omega_2$, exactly as desired. (Details are left as an exercise).
Here is some progress in the positive direction.
Theorem. In any Hausdorff space, the closure of a countable set has size at most $2^{\mathfrak{c}}$, where $\mathfrak{c}$ is the continuum.
Proof. Suppose that $X$ is a Hausdorff topological space with a countable set $D$. For any point $a$ in the closure $\bar D$, we may consider the collection of open sets containing $a$, and their trace on $D$. That is, consider $F_a=\{U\cap D\mid a\in U\text{ open }\}$. Since there are only continuum many subsets of $D$, there are therefore at most $2^{\mathfrak{c}}$ many possible such families.
If the closure $\bar D$ had size larger than $2^{\mathfrak{c}}$, then there would be at least two (in fact many) distinct points $a$ and $b$ in $\bar D$ for which $F_a=F_b$. Let $U$ and $V$ be disjoint neighborhoods of $a$ and $b$. Let $U_1$ be another neighborhood of $a$ such that $U_1\cap D=V\cap D$, which must exist since $F_a=F_b$. Thus, $U\cap U_1$ is a neighborhood of $a$ that is disjoint from $D$, contradicting $a\in\bar D$. QED
The bound is sharp, even for compact Hausdorff spaces, in the sense that the Stone–Čech compactification $\beta\mathbb{N}$ is a Hausdorff topological space of size $2^c$ with a countable dense set. But $\beta\mathbb{N}$ is not sequentially compact, so this is not actually a counterexample to your question.
What the argument actually shows is that if $a$ and $b$ are in the closure of the countable set $D$, then $F_b$ is not a subset of $F_a$. If it were, we could find disjoint neighborhoods $U$ and $V$ of $a$ and $b$, respectively, and then $V\cap D\in F_b$, and so there is a neighborhood $U_1$ of $a$ with $U_1\cap D=V\cap D$, making $U\cap U_1$ a neighborhood of $a$ having no points from $D$, a contradiction. By symmetry, we conclude $F_a$ and $F_b$ are incomparable with respect to $\subset$ for all $a,b\in\bar D$.
I suspect that such a line of reasoning could be improved when there is sequential compactness, perhaps by using a cardinal characteristic, such as the splitting number.
It seems like you don't need all the conditions, so maybe I am missing something. There are only continuum many sequences of points from a countable set. So the limit points are at most continuum many.


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Posted on
February 25, 2011 07:57
by Suzanne Young
In Rhodes v. AIG Domestic Claims, Inc., the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court recently granted plaintiff's petition for further appellate review of a case in which the trial court and the Appeals Court accepted the defendant insurer's argument that the judgment in an underlying tort case against the insured's policyholder should not be the basis for doubling or trebling to determine the punitive damages under M.G.L. c. 93A.
Though the statutory language deems the actual damages for the purpose of multiplying as the "judgment on the same an underlying transaction or occurrence," the trial judge, Judge Gants, (now an Associate Justice on the SJC) found the actual damages caused by bad faith to be the delay in the payment of the judgment, which he calculated to be $500,000. He also found that there was no injury in the delay in the pre-verdict offer, because plaintiffs testified they never would have accepted an offer that he found was reasonable, and there was no causal nexus between the post-verdict bad faith refusal to settle and the damages reflected in the judgment on the underlying motor vehicle injury case. Though Judge Gants did not explicitly reach the constitutional issue, he implicitly recognized that if the underlying judgment of $12 million were multiplied, the statutory punitive damages would be 24 or 36 times the compensatory damages and would fail to meet the constitutional due process standard.
Rhodes Decision.pdf (3.68 mb)
Rhodes App. Ct. Decision.pdf (208.87 kb)
Categories: Court of Appeals
Posted on
February 4, 2011 02:37
by Suzanne Young
Plaintiffs' lawyers in the BP litigation are embroiled in a battle over whether to rein in Kenneth Feinberg, who manages BP's $20 billion oil-spill victims' compensation fund. According to the Insurance Journal, the 17-member plaintiffs' steering committee wants a judge to oversee Feinberg and order him to modify the release form claimants must sign before accepting a final payment from the fund to notify victims of their option to sue. Another group of plaintiffs' lawyers contend that monitoring Feinberg will interfere with settlement negotiations and slow claims payments. This group of plaintiffs' lawyers recently moved to redirect dozens of its clients to make claims to the $20 billion fund. This move, as discussed in the Wall Street Journal, will benefit BP by saving it money on attorneys' fees and allowing it to settle claims quietly outside the public arena.
If U.S. District Court Judge Carl Barbier decides to monitor Feinberg and order him to modify the release form, BP's defense will be enormously impacted. A modified release informing victims of their option to sue will likely increase the number of people bringing suit, which consequently results in BP expending more resources in defending lawsuits and negotiating settlements through the litigation process. Judicial involvement will also impact how Feinberg and BP run the fund, resulting in greater time and financial resources spent on apprising the judicial system of developments in claims to the fund. Some of BP's primary reasons for establishing the fund were to avoid litigating victims' claims and save time and money in settling claims. Judicial involvement will undermine this purpose. A decision to monitor the fund will also impact companies' handling of the aftermath of inevitable future disasters. Companies will be on the defensive – thinking twice before establishing a fund, being more conservative in deciding the amount of money to set aside in the fund, and determining how to handle claims to the fund.
Posted on
November 4, 2010 02:34
by Suzanne Young
In Moltner v. Starbucks Coffee Co., the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit dismissed 78-year-old Rachel Moltner's $3 million lawsuit against Starbucks Coffee Company. This is a significant victory for the defense bar. As this article from the Insurance Journal mentions, several restaurants and coffee retailers have faced lawsuits over hot beverages, most notably the 1994 case in which a jury ordered McDonald's Corporation to pay $2.86 million to Stella Liebeck, who claimed she scalded herself with McDonald's coffee. Liebeck eventually settled, but her victory paved the way for other customers to bring lawsuits against restaurants serving hot beverages. Restaurants and coffee retailers have incurred significant costs in legal fees, litigation expenses, and settlements over the past two decades defending against similar suits.
This dismissal certainly bolsters the defense of restaurant and coffee retailers facing lawsuits by customers spilling hot beverages, and may deter some customers from bringing claims. In existing cases, defense counsel can use this decision in support of dismissal or to negotiate a lower settlement. Additionally, counsel can advise their clients that the Second Circuit indicates that the method of "double-cupping" is "well known in the industry as a way of preventing a cup of hot tea from burning one's hand" and is an acceptable preventative measure for burns. Consumer demand for hot coffee is definitely here to stay, but if the Second Circuit is any harbinger of the future of hot beverage litigation, plaintiffs' victories are not.
Categories: Court of Appeals | Product Liability


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CIHAT GUNDOĞDU: Tonight our guest is from England, from the United Kingdom, Sir Iqbal Sacranie and his nephew Uzair.
ADNAN OKTAR: Uzair, Masha'Allah.
CIHAT GUNDOĞDU: Sir Iqbal Sacranie has served as Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain. And he has been knighted by the Queen and acknowledged as the leader of the Muslims in England, insha'Allah. He has been honored with an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) medal in 1999 by Tony Blair.
ADNAN OKTAR: He was honored with an Officer of the Order of the British Empire medal by Tony Blair. Yes; Tony Blair is a nice person, he is very good natured.
CIHAT GUNDOĞDU: And he was knighted by the Queen in 2005 because of the services he rendered for the society. He has been elected as one of the ten most influential Muslims in England. He served as a consultant for the British government in the Ministry of Internal Affairs. He served as the Chairman of Muslim Aid that is active in more than seventy countries. He is the Vice Chairman of the Muslim Aid. He is also a member of the International Advisory Panel at World Islamic Economic Forum. And he has been honored with many national and international awards.
ADNAN OKTAR: Masha'Allah. Masha'Allah. Welcome, Masha'Allah.
SIR IQBAL SACRANIE: Thank you.
ADNAN OKTAR: May God increase your enthusiasm and your radiance. May God grant you even more beautiful tasks. May God give enthusiasm, radiance and fervor to all Muslims. May God grant all Muslims the thrill of striving on the Path of God like that of yours.
What do you think about our activities in Turkey?
SIR IQBAL SACRANIE: Well, I think you are going through a very challenging time at the moment in Turkey. The pressures are coming from different angles. But I think there is some very positive work taking place as well.
ADNAN OKTAR: Masha'Allah, Masha'Allah. What does our blessed guest think about the struggle we are giving worldwide against Darwinism and materialism?
SIR IQBAL SACRANIE: I think it is a very effective work that is taking place. And this is one work, Alhamdulillah, through Dr. Adnan's work has become known worldwide in a very effective and very powerful way to fight against this rather menace to the humanity.
ADNAN OKTAR: Masha'Allah, Masha'Allah. What are your recommendations for us?
SIR IQBAL SACRANIE: Well, I think Alhamdulillah the literature which we have caught in various publications in different languages in English, in Arabic, in Turkish has been very very useful. But I think it is important that this publication should now be directed at the younger generation, at the younger children in primary schools in a very simplified way. Like the book which Alhamdulillah has been prepared but again we need to start educating at a young age, rather than at a late age. Because in a secular society the whole issue of this evolution and Darwinism is spelling out at a very young age. So we need to make sure that our view point is heard at a very early age.
ADNAN OKTAR: Masha'Allah, masha'Allah. We have a Turkish saying that goes "... as the twig is bent, so is the tree inclined." Masha'Allah, what you have just said is very important and very to the point. Especially using a plain language that people can easily understand.
SIR IQBAL SACRANIE: Indeed, indeed. The publication Alhamdulillah is very good, for us, for people like this. When my children when I passed onto them, they were very very impressed. And I've heard of course Harun Yahya's name is worldwide now Alhamdulillah. You have a very balanced way, Alhamdulillah a very balanced, very understanding, very dignified, very respectable way.
ADNAN OKTAR: Alhamdulillah, Masha'Allah. They really have formed a retaining point, a base to rely upon. I am well aware of that. Praise be to God, by the creation of God: All power belongs to God.
SIR IQBAL SACRANIE: Indeed, yes.. Yes.. It is a weight that can make a change in the whole world.
ADNAN OKTAR: Yes. Masha'Allah, Alhamdulillah. Does he have any orders for us?
SIR IQBAL SACRANIE: Order in what way? We are here at his disposal. He orders us, insha'Allah we will do as he orders.
ADNAN OKTAR: Astagfirullah, astagfirullah. We are at your disposal. May God give plentitude to your life. May He increase your radiance. Let us take the views of our brother as well. What does he have to say about these points?
Mr. UZAIR: Alhamdulillah, what I have heard from my uncle, what I have heard is your work is very good, very influential. Insha'Allah will spread all over the world.
ADNAN OKTAR: Masha'Allah. Alhamdulillah. This is the time of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh). We will, insha'Allah, see Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) and the Prophet Jesus Messiah (pbuh). I am a follower of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh). I am his doorman, his servitor. I am the doorman, the servitor of Jesus Messiah (pbuh). Insha'Allah, we will see them both.
SIR IQBAL SACRANIE: And Insha'Allah do you think it is now a very near time? In our life time? You think it will now it is coming very near. We were discussing earlier about the timing…
ADNAN OKTAR: Actually there is no further time left. The Last Day is imminent. This is the last period, there is no other time. The system of the Mahdi is the reason why the internet and television have been created anyway. God created them all for spreading the message of Islam, not for the fun of it.
SIR IQBAL SACRANIE: Yes, indeed. Of course, all this technology that we see coming in is to God's will. Insha'Allah is a good purpose.
ADNAN OKTAR: The Messenger of God (saas) says, "They will keep saying that there is no Mahdi until the end." He says, "They will say he won't come. Just in that environment Muhammad Mahdi (pbuh) will appear with his limited number of students."
Bediuzzaman says, "When Mahdi (pbuh) comes, even he wouldn't realize himself, but he will be recognized through the light of faith."
And he says the same for Jesus Messiah (pbuh) as well. He says, "His close students and his elect scholars will recognize him through the light of faith. Or else people will not recognize him openly in the beginning when he first appears."
Bediuzzaman also says that he (Jesus Messiah) will lead the Christian world and enable them to become Muslims. In the Qur'an, I seek refuge with God from the satan, God explicitly says, "There is not one of the People of the Book who will not believe in him before he dies…"
In another verse God says, " Those who believe and (constantly) guard against evil;-" meaning Christians and Muslims, "I will make them prevail in the world," in the Qur'an. In another verse God says, "He (Jesus Messiah, Ibn Maryam) is a Sign of the Hour." He says so for the coming of Jesus (Surat Az-Zukhruf; 61). The Messenger of God (saas) foretold the coming of Jesus Messiah with reliable hadiths in Bukhari, Muslim, Ibn Maja, Sunan an-Nasih, Sunan Dawud collections. The coming of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) has also been stated in reliable hadiths in six reliable hadith collections.
"However at the time Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) appears, there will be no more talk of him," he (our Prophet (saas)) says. People will refrain from talking about Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh). "Scholars, hodjas will stop talking about the Mahdi (pbuh) and the antichrist on pulpits and in mosques," he says. Our Prophet (saas) says, "When you see this, understand that the Mahdi (pbuh) has arrived." We will understand the signs of his coming from that; from the scholars refraining to talk about this. Our Prophet (saas) says, "When people start saying 'do not talk about the Mahdi (pbuh), do not talk about the antichrist, do not get into these matters', you should know that he arrived."
Our Prophet says, "a scholar in Istanbul," he actually says in Medina, our Prophet (saas) says Medina for Istanbul. They ask our Prophet (saas) which medina he means and he says, "Istanbul". "The scholar in Istanbul, a bearded scholar with a shaved head will say, "This man has ruined our religion!" about the Mahdi (pbuh). Meaning people will say, "…this person is an apostate, he abandoned religion, he has nothing to do with Islam, do not abide by him," about the Mahdi (pbuh). Our Prophet (saas) openly says this.
Furthermore our Prophet (saas) says "Seventy thousand radicals will appear and they too will have beards and shaved heads and they will struggle against the Mahdi (pbuh). Seventy thousand followers of the antichrist will step up in the name of Islam and will give a struggle against the Mahdi."
Our Prophet (saas) says, "Mahdi's (pbuh) task will be a difficult one. I have stepped up with the Qur'an and gave a struggle with the Qur'an but people will struggle against him with the Qur'an." So he says, 'Those people will confront him by changing the Qur'an so his task will be even more difficult'. So they will stand against him by changing the commands of the Qur'an and by make additions to the Qur'an, he says. By making additions, by making deletions from the Qur'an, they will struggle against him. Our Prophet (saas) says, "Mahdi (pbuh) will be from my line." He is a Sayyid. He says; " He will have a magnificent appearance". He will be solemn and magnificent.
For Jesus Messiah (pbuh) our Prophet says, "He will have a small nose and grey eyes." "His fingers will be long and slim and his face, his hands, his feet will be freckled." Actually all his body will be freckled but our Prophet (saas) only mentions those parts he saw. All the skin he saw, his hands, his feet, his nose are freckled. So he has the utmost cuteness. His hair will be a mixture of blond and red and it will be long and wavy. "His hair will look wet even when untouched by water," his hair has such a special quality. These are mentioned in Bukhari and Muslim. "He has a medium stature," says our Prophet (saas). He has a thin waist and is called Messiah because of that thin waist of his. He has a thin waist and athletic body. Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) is not like that. Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) has a wide stomach, wide shoulders, his whole body is wide from end to end. Our Prophet (saas) gives a lot of details for him to be recognized. "His thighs are wide," he says. "His feet point outward as he walks. He has a wide forehead, a small nose and he has a mole on his cheek." So he says, "recognize him by these features when you see him." Our Prophet (saas) says, "Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) is also of medium stature. He looks like Jesus Messiah (pbuh) when standing side by side their faces are very much alike," he says. "Because they will be from the same line, they will both be from the line of the Prophet David (pbuh). And because both of them are from the line of the Prophet David (pbuh) there will be similarities between them. Our Prophet (saas) says, "There will be a mole on the back of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh), right about where his heart is." He says that there will be a mole as big as a pigeon's egg right about where his heart is. This is a small mole, like that of Our Prophet (saas). Aldulqadir Jilani had one of those as well. That is inherited genetically. Our Prophet (saas) says that there will a sizable mole on his right leg and that there will be a mark on the right side of his chest in the size of a leaf, in the size of a hand. It is as big as a leaf of a tree. Our Prophet (saas) foretold those in great details. It is said that Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) will have a natural brow furrow line in the form of a single line, not two. That will be seen like a dip, a single dip. There will be a small mark, a scar on his forehead. His hair will be black, says our Prophet (saas). The eyes of the Jesus Messiah and Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) will look very much alike. Jesus Messiah will have grey eyes and Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) will have green eyes. A'IUN AL-KHADHRA., says our Prophet(saas) in Arabic. The word "Khidr" as in Hazrat Khidr (pbuh) which means 'green' originates from that as you know.
Our Prophet (saas) says that Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) will have a beard. He says that Hazrat Mahdi(pbuh) will have a beard. His beard will be MACTHUM (HAVING A BEARD SHAPE THAT IS SMOOTHED, LONGER DOWNWARDS COMPARED TO SIDES) -meaning it is given a special form- KAWSAJ (SPARSELY BEARDED) at the sides." Kawsaj meaning sparsely, thin at sides. This is how it is related in the hadith in Arabic. I will give that book to you, those hadith collections so that you can see them there, insha'Allah.
"His eyebrows are curved, his face is bright. There is a slight protrusion on his nose," says our Prophet (saas). He says that he is telling all these details for us to recognize him. But of course Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) will not step up and say, "I am Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh), I have all these features." Scholars, people will recognize him and make him their leader, their caliph in an environment which they will be obliged to do so. Actually they will say, "You have all these signs, these are the names of your mother and your father, we see that you have these signs, you are Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)!" to the Mahdi (pbuh). Our Prophet (saas) says that he will never accept that. That will be repeated three times. Actually some Muslims will threaten him with death and say, "If you do not take the lead the Islamic world will be ruined. The Islamic world is devastated, there will be turmoil if you do not take the lead; we will kill you if you do not take the lead." Our Prophet says that he will be made to take the lead by force under these conditions. Of course Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) will not do this out of fear but because he will see the situation and realize the severity of the situation he will accept it.
For instance this book of Barzanji, this yellow book is a translation of a very old book. The majority of these hadiths are in this book. Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) is the first sign of the Last Day. He is the big sign. And the incidents will take place one after the other after his appearance. Very big events will take place in the world, in the years, months to come. Our Prophet (saas) says, "one will start just as the previous ends." They will follow one another like the beads of a rosary, he says.
After the appearance of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh), our Prophet (saas) says that there will be plentitude and abundance. The whole world will become prosperous and everywhere will be made beautiful. The conflicts, anarchy and bloodshed will come to an absolute end. Violence will completely be erased from the face of this world. That is why we are at the times that the satan will struggle most desperately. This is the reason behind the incidents that are taking place right now; I mean this all stems from the dread satan is experiencing right now. The time of death has come for the satan. The antichrist used to be able to fool people very easily with Darwinism and materialism. Right now it is cornered. The antichrist made ninety nine percent of the whole world irreligious with Darwinism and materialism but now we are at the final period of this. Our Prophet (saas) says that "Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) will personally kill the satan under his feet." There are hundreds, thousands of hadiths, both in Shia sources and in Sunni sources. The Iranian constitution is valid only until the appearance of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh). This is the first article of their constitutional law, their basic law. There is an army of a million soldiers waiting as the army of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) in Iran. That army is not used for anything, they are maintained just to stand under the command of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh). However Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) will not shed blood, so he won't need that army. Actually our Prophet (saas) calls Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) as "Mahdi Adh-Dam," as the Mahdi who will stop the bloodshed.
SIR IQBAL SACRANIE: I see… Because I thought that Mahdi will be fighting the Dajjal (antichrist). Isn't he? He will fight the dajjal.
ADNAN OKTAR: Bediuzzaman says, "Even a microbe, a flu can kill the person of the antichrist. Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) will kill him intellectually." He explains this explicitly in the Treatise of Light.
Bediuzzaman Said Nursi says that Hazrat Mahdi will appear in Istanbul. He wrote these in his works seventy years, eighty years ago. He says that Mahdi will appear in Istanbul with a small group of followers. He says that some scholars say that he will appear in Basra, Kufa or in Damascus because all these cities used to be the capital. The capital city changed over time. Our Prophet (saas) said that, "...he will appear in the capital city." So the scholars claimed that he will appear in Basra when the capital was Basra, Kufa when Kufa was the capital and Damascus when the capital was Damascus." He says that this is the reason why the hadith changed constantly and that the original hadith states that he will appear in the capital city.
The Treatise of Light is a great work; Bediuzzaman Said Nursi is a scholar who left his mark on Turkey, on the whole Middle East. All great religious communities are influenced by Treatise of Light. They have adopted it almost exactly the same as a method, as a style. Except for the Naqshbandi and Qadiri orders, even the Qadiris resemble them. For instance, the style adopted by Haydar Baş is actually the style of the Treatise of Light the way they dress, the model of their moustaches and all, their way of explaining are the same of that of Treatise of Light. The same is valid for the followers of Suleyman Hilmi Tunahan; the way they dress, the shape of their moustaches, their way of talking, their logic, their protecting the state, their stand against anarchy and terror. Their positive movements are alike. The Fethullah Gulen movement is actually a movement that is influenced directly by Bediuzzaman.
However the Mahmut Efendi Community, the Menzil Community act according to the classical Orthodox understanding of Islam.
Look, in the Treatise of Light, Bediuzzaman says, "Christianity and Islam when acting separately have a tendency of being defeated but they will have the tendency of being victorious when acting together. They will unite and annihilate the system of the Antichrist from the face of this world." These are all statements based on hadiths. Bediuzzaman bases all these explanations on the hadiths. Bediuzzaman knew the whole Six Books by heart. He knew the Qur'an by heart. He didn't keep any books around him. He was in prison all alone but he kept writing on and on, Masha'Allah. They kept him inside a wood shed in minus ten, minus fifteen degrees cold, he wrote the Treatise of Light even there on paper bags. For instance, he found a box of food that came to the prison, he found paper on that box and made use of that. Paper bags came to the prison and he used to empty those bags and use them. Even the boxes of Turkish delight, he used to use the packaging paper inside the boxes of Turkish delight.
Bediuzzaman says that Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) will appear in the 1980. He says that his students will be very influential in 1990 to 2000 and the 2010's; especially in the 2010's his students will be highly influential. He comes up with these dates with abjad calculations of the verses of the Qur'an. He says; " … if each of the letters "mim" and "lam" bearing the gemination mark are counted twice, the people who will dissolve the oppressions a century later may be disciples of Hazrat Mahdi." And gives the date 2010. "… if each of the letters "mim" and "lam" bearing the gemination mark are counted twice, the people who will dissolve the oppressions a century later…" he says these in 1910. "A century later", he says, Hazrat Mahdi and the disciples of Hazrat Mahdi will dissolve the system of the antichrist. So he says that Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) will be very influential in 2010 and that he will finish the task by 2020's. That is from the Rays page 605.
Look here he says, "...if that person (Hazrat Mahdi) who is truly awaited and will come in a century's time…" and he says this again in 1910. In Damascus, in Umayyad Mosque he says that Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) will appear in 1980. He says this in Damascus, in the Great Umayyad Mosque.
He says, "This blessed person who will come later will disseminate and implement the Treatise of Light as a program…" So he says that Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) will make explanations from the Treatise of Light as well. He says, '...he will make use of my books and make explanations from the Treatise of Light'. "…at the time of the greatest corruption at the end of time…" at the time of greatest turmoil,".. Almighty Allah will send a luminous person as both the mujdahid (reviver), and mujaddid (great scholars and leaders who deduce decrees from the verses and hadiths), and ruler, and the Mahdi, and Murshid (guide), Qutb al-A'zam (the greatest leader of the time), and that person will be from Ahl al-Bayt, from the Family of the Prophet (saas)." He says that Mahdi will be a sayyid. He will send that luminous person, Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh). He says that the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) is in the Sight of God right now with his body and his soul. He says; "He will descend from the Sight of God to the Earth just when Christianity and Islam tend to unite" "Jesus (pbuh) will descend among a Christian community and make that Christian community a Muslim community. " He says that Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) will annihilate Darwinism and materialism. He, himself, didn't say even a word against Darwinism. He says that Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) will be the one to put an end to it. He says, "He will have a small group of students. That small group of students will act with him and prepare books. He will prepare books by making use of foreign works and he will thus perform that task." Bediuzzaman also says, " No matter how few in number, they are regarded as being as powerful and valuable as a spiritual army." He says all these 80 years ago. This is not something new. I will present you the original copies of these books. There are also English translations of these, I will send them to you by underlining the related portions. This is really amazing but scholars, the majority of them all over the world, do not talk about the system of the Mahdi anymore. A miracle of our Prophet (saas) has been realized. It is hard to believe but has almost been prohibited. That is a miracle, nothing of this sort has ever happened for 1300 or1400 years, this is the first time.
SIR IQBAL SACRANIE: That is right. Hardly we hear anyone talking about this. Very true.
ADNAN OKTAR: They feel terrified when this subject matter is discussed. They keep saying, "Beware!" Talking about any other subject matter is allowed. Politics or whatever else comes to mind, even talking about communism is allowed but they are all terrified when you talk about Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh). That is an amazing miracle of our Prophet (saas). He says that when he comes scholars will fiercely stand against the system of the Mahdi and they will say, "he won't come!" and they will not let this be talked about. He won't be talked about in the sermons, he won't be talked about in mosques, it will be forbidden. It will not be possible to talk about Hazrat Mahdi and the Antichrist. Look, it says explicitly here. The Words, page 318, Bediuzzaman says that Mahdi will come 1,400 years later. He says; "I believe that I am a servant of that wondrous person… " he calls him that wondrous person… "… who will come in the future and a rear guard to set background for him and a pioneering soldier of that great Commander." Barla Addendum, 28th Letter, page 250.
He calls Hazrat Mahdi "the real owner of the Treatise of Light." He says, "Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) and his students are the real owners." In Kastamonu Addendum, page 72.
He says, "I am not Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) because I am not a sayyid." And he explains it as well. He says, "He will be sayyid." He says, "He (Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)) will have three great tasks. First one is to overthrow Darwinism and materialism. The others are to unite Muslim world and to establish the Islamic Union." Yes.. He also says, "But while doing so he will forge an alliance with Christian spirituals." He says, "The Mahdis who came before could only perform only one part, one aspect of one of those three tasks." Meaning they could only perform one part of one of those tasks. "Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) will perform all three of those three tasks to the fullest," he says.
"He won't have time personally, Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)'s time will be very limited," he says. I mean he says that his time and his situation would not allow him to personally conduct book studies. But he says that 80 years ago.
He says that anarchy will start in 1971. He deduces these dates from the Qur'an with abjad calculations, but of course God knows what his real source is. He said that anarchy would start in 1971 and it happened exactly as he said it would. He said that his grave will be destroyed and it happened exactly as he said it would. He even stated the date he will die and it happened exactly as he said. He said that Adnan Menderes would be hung and what he said had been realized. He said that communism will collapse in Russia; that was proved to be true as well. For instance he had a student, Sayyid Salih Ozcan. We talked to him, we've also had a conversation here. He told him, "You will never be arrested as long as I am alive." Indeed all his students have been arrested but he hasn't been arrested (during the lifetime of Bediuzzaman).
There are hundreds of such events that he foretold and that had been realized exactly as he said it would. Everything he said happened exactly as he said it would. He says that "Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)'s time and situation would not let him perform this task personally. He will make use of long researches and detailed investigations of that crew…" meaning foreign research on paleontology and biology. "… he will make use of their works and take them as a ready program for himself. With those he would fulfill his task of collapsing Darwinism and materialism." "Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh)'s students…" this small group of students, "…will have three features," he says; "sincerity, loyalty and solidarity." Bediuzzaman says; "No matter how few in number, they are regarded as being as powerful and valuable as a spiritual army." He says that Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) will save humanity from material and spiritual dangers and the Last Day Meaning, by the leave of God, he will protect them from anarchy and terror and prevent the Last Day from breaking loose.
Our Prophet (saas) says in his hadiths; "Even if there is one day left for the Last Day to break lose, God will prolong that single day and send Muhammad Mahdi (pbuh), from my sons." This is stated in Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi, Ibn Maje, Sunan an-Nasih, Sunan Dawud, Bayhaki and all. This is also mentioned in the book of Ibn-Hajar Baqqi's work named Al-Kawl al Muhtasar fiy Alamat al-Mehdiyyul Muntazar and in the works of Suyuti. "That person with the spiritual aid of all people of faith, with the solidarity of all scholars and saints, especially with the adhesion of millions of self-sacrificing millions strong and abundant sayyids from the line of Ahl al-Bayt , will perform that task."
I will show you the sources of the Treatise of Light on the Internet so that you can look them up from there. If we could show the links you can very easily go online and see the sources on the system of the Mahdi. There are English versions, Arabic versions and all.
SIR IQBAL SACRANIE: I've read the excerpts but I haven't come across the entire book.
ADNAN OKTAR: Yes. It would be good to examine the main sources this time, insha'Allah. Let us keep it at that for today, insha'Allah, if it is also appropriate for you. We will, insha'Allah, see each other again if God wills insha'Allah. May God be pleased with you. You've graced us, you've honored us.
SIR IQBAL SACRANIE: Insha'Allah. We will be thrilled to be in touch. We pray to Subhanallahu Teala all the time that May God give us the guidance according to the teachings of the Qur'an and the messenger of God(saas). That is the success for us, for all of us. And the message that is given by Mr. Adnan is very very powerful massage that we must be alert now, we must be aware. Time is very near. So I think the closer we are to the Qur'an, the closer we are to the Sunnah of the Messenger of God insha'Allah God will grant success insha'Allah.
ADNAN OKTAR: In the 55th verse of Surat An-Nur God says, "I will make you prevail in the world if you are sincere."
SIR IQBAL SACRANIE: God's word is guaranteed to be correct. No question mark. It is going to come true.
ADNAN OKTAR: Masha'Allah. In Surat An-Nur, God promises; "God has promised, to those among you who believe and work righteous deeds…" Surat An-Nur, look, "to those among you who believe…" to whom? Only to those who believe, "… and work righteous deeds…" God talks about Muslims, look God talks about a special group among Muslims. Look; God says, "… among you…" among Muslims, "God has promised to those among you who believe and work righteous deeds."
"…that He will most certainly make them rulers in the earth as He made rulers those before them…" Where do we see those before them? We see them from the Qur'an. Who are those? There is Solomon (pbuh), there is Dhul'Qarnayn (pbuh). That is because the Qur'an is the source. See that God refers to the Qur'an; "… as He made rulers those before them…" How do we understand that God made rulers those before them in the verses of the Qur'an? When we look at the story of Dhul'Qarnayn, God says in the verses that he has been made ruler. God also says "We've made him ruler" for Solomon (pbuh) as well. God also says that He made Dhul'Qarnayn (pbuh) "...a ruler in the earth…" "…that He will most certainly make them rulers in the earth as He made rulers those before them… " Look, what does being ruler mean? They will be made a political, social power from all aspects. " He will most certainly make them rulers."
"…and that He will most certainly establish for them their religion which He has chosen for them," meaning Islam, "establish for them their religion…" He will make it a well-established system," meaning he will make it unbreakable. "… and that He will most certainly, after their fear, give them security in exchange;" meaning after anarchy, terror, violence and troubles, "… give them security in exchange." Muslims are being oppressed everywhere in the world right now. God says, "this will be changed." Almighty God explains the characteristics of Muslims, "… They will worship Me…" they will not be idolaters, "… and not associate any one with Me." Meaning they will not make additions or deletions from the Qur'an. "But those who disbelieve after this will be reprobates." (Surat An-Nur, 55)
I seek refuge with God from the satan; "God has promised, to those among you who believe and work righteous deeds.." (Surat An-Nur, 55) the abjad calculation of this verse gives the date 2019.
SIR IQBAL SACRANIE: As the final date? As a final date?
ADNAN OKTAR: No, the date 2019 refers to the time in which Islam will shine and show progress, insha'Allah. This is what Bediuzzaman says. This is also what is compliant with the hadiths. It is in agreement with the hadiths. Our Prophet (saas) refers to the lifespan of his ummah. Our Prophet (saas) says; "The lifespan of this world is seven thousand years. And five thousand six hundred years of this has already passed." If we subtract five thousand and six hundred from seven thousand, we get one thousand and four hundred. Everything will be done with between one thousand and four hundred and one thousand and five hundred. So this is the End Times. These hadiths are from Suyuti, there are seven hadiths. There is a special section about this in Suyuti's collection. And these are from the Treatise of Light, from the works of Bediuzzaman. These are thirteen, fourteen volumes of books.
SIR IQBAL SACRANIE: MaşaAllah.
ADNAN OKTAR: He has written almost all of these in prison. Here, in this page, he writes that he (Hazrat Mahdi) will destroy Darwinism and materialism, in page 246.
Masha'Allah. May God prolong your life. We will be expecting you again. Insha'Allah, pray for us. May God increase the level of our alliance. May God make Muslims love one another. May Almighty God make us loving and uniting instead of being opponents.
May Almighty God make us brothers in the Heaven. May God make us students of Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh), of the Prophet Jesus Messiah (pbuh). May God protect us from becoming haughty, from egocentricity, from pride. May God make us not forget that we are His humble servants. May God increase our knowledge. May God protect us from the wrong path. May God grant us the blessing of seeing the Islamic Union. May God make the Muslims of the whole world love each other. May God rescue us from the very brink of the pit of Fire. May God join our hearts together so that we become brothers by His blessing. Insha'Allah, may God bring abundance to your life. May God be pleased with you.
SIR IQBAL SACRANIE: It's been a great pleasure hearing from you. May Allahu Teala give us guidance. It is really a wonderful occasion to meet with you brother Oktar.
ADNAN OKTAR: Alhamdulillah, Insha'Allah, we can have such conversations in the Gardens of Heaven as well, insha'Allah.
2014-07-20 07:52:32


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This website was a thriving brain development information database that has been destroyed by Dutch blogger Wim Dankbaar - the JFK assassination conspiracist who sells fraudulent material on the intenet claiming that James Files murdered President John F. Kennedy.В Read all about Dankbaar here and you may also visit Cybersoup for the truth about his crazy and harmful conspiracy against that company's investors, one of whom had previously been associated with this site. But even though that man has not been associated with this site for many years, Mr. Dankbaar has refused to remove his lies about Braintrackers from the internet. As you can read here and on Cybersoup, Mr. Dankbaar has a history of stalking, harassment, defamation and theft.
вЁIn late 2013, Dutchman Wim Dankbaar illegally acquired the diary of a 16 year old murder victimвs mother.В The diary contained the motherвs deepest feelings during her grieving process. And, without any thought to the harm he would be doing, Wim Dankbaar re-published it on the internet for the world to see, claiming it was all part of his вinvestigatingв the girlвs murder, even though he was not authorized in any legal capacity to do so.
A legal complaint was filed by the mother and the judge ruled that her diary is a copyrighted work and Dankbaar was ordered to remove from the internet all defamatory statements he made in the process along with any publicly broadcast pages of the diary. He was also ordered to pay a hefty fine for each day it remained on the internet. The motherвs lawyer saidВ publications вby these conspiracy theorists who just want to profit from the workв are particularly painful for herв.
Wim Dankbaar is, of course, the Dutch blogger who continues to sell known fraudulent materials related to the JFK assassination on his JFK murder website claiming that jailed inmate James Files is the sole assassin of President Kennedy.
Wim Dankbaar was back in Dutch court in February 2014 because he was continuing his usual course of business to defame, harass and stalk various people across the internet.
While he was what he called вinvestigatingв the 1999 murder of a 16-year-old Dutch girl, Dankbaar went on to defame the father of the dead girlвs friend, likening him to a NAZI collaborator. The two victims in this case claimed compensation for more than 1500 euros in total.
The prosecution demanded that Dankbaar be penalized with 80-hours community service and 4 weeks suspended prison sentence for libel and insult. Dankbaar was ordered to have hisВ slanderous text removed from the internet immediately and for every offense thereafter, Dankbaar was to spend a month in jail.
вЁDutchman Wim Dankbaar was arrested and jailed for conspiracy and email theft against famous Dutch Crime Reporter Peter R. DeVries. Granted this occurred in 2007, but it shows how doing business with Dankbaar can be risky business.
The JFK assassination conspiracist had his computers confiscated in a case of fraud, conspiracy, deception, invasion of privacy and theft against Peter R. DeVries that had police engaged in a two hour search of Dankbaar's home in the Netherlands where they came away with several computers, files and DVDs. вЁвЁDeVries was actually Dankbaar's business partner at the time and the two had been together in the United States collaborating on a film project about President Kennedyвs assassination which Mr. DeVries was to promote as a favor to Dankbaar.В Dankbaar returned the favor by stealing DeVries' email account password, reading his emails and then, believe it or not ... forwarding them to third parties, including a competing crime journalist.вЁвЁAnd Dankbaar admits the crime. Not only did he forward emails related to a murder case that DeVries was investigating for his popular crime show in the Netherlands, but Dankbaar invaded DeVries' private life by forwarding "SEX EMAILSв, also to third parties, that he discovered in DeVries' email account. Dankbaar fluffed it all off as interesting trivia to be ignored by everyone.
Around the same time, Dankbaar was also embroiled in a lawsuit against the daughter of CIA operative Chauncey Holt whose story he allegedly bought from her. He then claimed she was not allowed to even mention her own father's name.В вЁвЁ
In 2013, JFK assassination conspiracist, Wim Dankbaar, was ordered by a Dutch court to undergo a psychological examination after he repeatedly challenged the court hearing his case which involves Dankbaar's ongoing defamation and stalking of people who oppose his theories about a famous Dutch murder.
Dankbaar repeatedly tried to challenge the Court and after each attempt failed, the fed-up court finally ordered that the disturbed Dankbaar be examined for his aggressive public actions.
Dankbaar was in court because he defamed and stalked two men over the Internet in connection with the murder of a young girl in a famous case for which Dankbaar has strong opinions в which seem to be countered by every reasonable person who knows about it.вЁвЁThe victims of his massive stalking campaign won their cases against Dankbaar for defamation, libel and insult. вЁ
This is not the first time that Dankbaar has resorted to internet harassment, fraud and defamation.В He has an ongoing vendetta against the former owner of Cybersoup, American investigative reporter/consumer advocate Judd McIlvain and Dutch investigative reporter Peter R. DeVries. In November 2009, Wim Dankbaar even enlisted the aid of a mentally disturbed individual from Battle Creek, Michigan to help in his online defamation of individuals he hates while fashioning a slew of ludicrous trumpeted up charges against them.вЁвЁ
WIM DANKBAAR LABELED STALKER AND DEFAMER BY DUTCH COURTS; ORDERED TO CEASE AND DESIST LIBEL AGAINST DUTCH POLICEвЁвЁ
2010: Wim Dankbaar, the self-proclaimed JFK murder "expert" and well known conspiracy fanatic, was ordered by a court in the Netherlands to cease, desist and remove from all sources (including the internet) any defamation against police for their investigations in the Deventer murder case.ВВ This is a case that Wim Dankbaar's former buddy, Dutch investigative journalist PETER R. DEВ VRIES, reported on extensively
вЁвЁFollowing his customary behavior, Mr. Dankbaar posted numerous outrageous lies on his own website and harassed and threatened police officers and their families.В Additionally, as he has been known to do to many others, Dankbaar posted the private home telephone numbers and home addresses of three poliice officers involved in the investigation.В A restraining order was issued prohibiting him from approaching or contacting the police or their families.ВВDankbaar was fined 25,000 euros for each day that he ignored the court's ruling.вЁвЁ
For more information, please visit CYBERSOUP and JAMES FILES FRAUD


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News Release (Back to Menu)
Nan Aron, President of Alliance for Justice, to Speak on "Student Activism in an Age of Right Wing Domination of the Courts"
Mary Beth Hogan '90 of Debevoise to receive Neisser Public Interest Award
November 03, 2006 –The Student Action Campaign comes to Rutgers School of Law–Newark on Wednesday, November 8, with a presentation by Nan Aron, founder and president of the Alliance for Justice, entitled "Student Activism in an Age of Right Wing Domination of the Courts: A Blueprint for the Rutgers Community." The program is sponsored by the law school's Eric R. Neisser Public Interest Program and the Constitutional Litigation Clinic.
Nan Aron is widely recognized for her expertise in public interest law, the federal judiciary, and citizen participation in public policy. She created the Student Action Campaign (formerly known as First Monday) as an annual initiative to engage campus communities around important social justice issues. The November 8 program will include the screening of "Quiet Revolution," described by the Alliance as a short documentary about an increasingly influential movement by ultra-conservative politicians, judges, professors, and activists to overturn popular laws protecting workers, consumers and public health, expand executive power at the expense of basic civil liberties, and impose a narrow social agenda on the country.
A reception after the program will honor Mary Beth Hogan, Class of 1990, as the recipient of the 2006 Eric R. Neisser Public Interest Award. Hogan is a litigation partner in Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, New York. The Neisser Award recognizes outstanding public service by a Rutgers Law School graduate who participated in the Constitutional Litigation Clinic.
Nan Aron, Alliance for Justice, "Student Activism in an Age of Right Wing Domination of the Courts: A Blueprint for the Rutgers Community"
|4 pm, Wednesday, November 8, 2006
|Rutgers School of Law–Newark (Alliance for Justice program will take place in the 1st floor Baker Trial Courtroom and the reception and presentation in the 2nd floor Atrium.)