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Predictably, government officials in Pakistan and Iran have come out against honouring the "blaspheming" "apostate" Rushdie. It's a brand of foaming at the mouth that we're all too familiar with at this point; in a sense, the hostile fundamentalist reaction validates the strong secularist stance that Rushdie has taken since his reemergence from Fatwa-induced semi-seclusion in 1998. (If these people are burning your effigy, you must be doing something right.)
But actually, there's another issue I wanted to mention that isn't getting talked about much in the coverage of Rushdie's knighthood, which is the fact that Rushdie wasn't always a "safe" figure for British government officials. In the early 1980s in particular, and throughout the Margaret Thatcher era, Rushdie was known mainly as a critic of the British establishment, not a member. The main issue for Rushdie then was British racism, and he did not mince words in condemning it as well as the people who tolerated it.
This morning I was briefly looking over some of Rushdie's essays from the 1980s. Some of the strongest work excoriated the policies of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and indicted the pervasiveness of "institutionalized racism" in British society. Two essays in particular stand out, "The New Empire Within Britain," and "Home Front." Both are published in Imaginary Homelands: Essays and Criticism, 1981-1991. (Another great essay from that collection is "Outside the Whale" -- required reading, though on a slightly different topic. And see this NYT review of the collection as a whole from 1991.)
Here is a long quote from "The New Empire Within Britain" (1982):
[L]et me quote from Margaret Thatcher's speech at Cheltneham on the third of July, her famous victory address: 'We have learned something about ourselves, a lesson we desperately need to learn. When we started out, there were the waverers and the fainthears . . . The people who thought we could no longer do the great things which we once did . . . that we could never again be what we were. Ther were those who would not admit it . . . but--in their heart of hearts--they too had their secret fears that it was true: that Britain was no longer the nation that had built an Empire and ruled a quarter of the world. Well, they were wrong.'
There are several interesting aspects to this speech. Remember that it was made by a triumphant Prime Minister at the peak of her popuolarity; a Prime Minister who could claim with complete credibility to be speaking for an overwhelming majority of the elctorate, and who, as even her detractors must admit, has a considerable gift for assessing the national mood. Now if such a leader at such a time felt able to invoke the spirit of imperialism, it was because she knew how central that spirit is to the self-image of white Britons of all classes. I say white Britons because it's clear that Mrs Thatcher wasn't addressing the two million or so blacks, who don't feel quite like that about the Empire. So even her use of the word 'we' was an act of racial exclusion, like her other well-known speech about the fear of being 'swamped' by immigrants. With such leaders, it's not surprising that the British are slow to learn the real lessons of their past.
Let me repeat what I said at the beginning: Britain isn't Nazi Germany. The British Empire isn't the Third Reich. But in Germany, after the fall of Hitler, heroic attempts were made by many people to purify German though and the German language of the pollution of Nazism. Such acts of cleansing are occasionally necessary in every society. But British thought, British society, has never been cleansed of the filth of imperialism. It's still there, breeding lice and vermin, waiting for unscrupulous people to exploit it for their own ends. (Read the whole thing)
That was Rushdie in 1982: "British society has never been cleansed of the filth of imperialism." And it's by no means the only strong statement he makes about racism and imperialism in "The New Empire Within Britain"; he also goes after the legal system, the police, and the clearly racist quotas the British had enacted in the immigration policy to reduce the number of black and brown immigrants coming to Britain from former colonies.
If we compare Rushdie in 1982 to Rushdie today, it's clear that the man has changed quite a bit -- but it also has to be acknowledged that British society has itself been transformed, perhaps even more radically. Organizations like the National Front are nowhere near as influential as they were in the early 1980s, and a decade of the Labour Party and Tony Blair have changed the political picture for good. But more than anything, what seems different is the way racialized difference (Blacks and Asians vs. the white majority) has been displaced by the religious difference as the most contentious issue of the day. One you move the debate from race to religion, the parameters for who gets seen as an "outsider" and who becomes an "insider" look quite different.


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Saturday, May 29, 2010
My Iris Garden
But since irises usually do not bloom for a year once transplanted, I did not get to enjoy any blooms when the Spring of 2009 came around. So I waited patiently for another year to go by, and now finally, three seasons later, I finally have blooms! I had forgotten just how beautiful the blue-purple color of these flowers were.
4 comments:
These pics are absolutely amazing, daughter.... you are turning into a Fantastic Photographer... really, you should think about going Free-lance and selling some of these photos and more! Very proud of you... this site has taken a lot of time for you!
- June 7, 2010 at 7:15 PM
- Anonymous said...
Hey Jen, what beautiful iris. Brought back memories. You take after your Mother with your green thumb, she use to love to have flowers in hr yard. I think she may of gotten her starts from our Mother. You need to publish a gardening book. Love You !
Aunt aren
- June 9, 2010 at 2:15 PM
- Jennifer Kirby said...
That's what mom said to me last night. You never know, maybe when I get more photos, that just might happen. :)
- June 9, 2010 at 3:41 PM
- OutdoorMama.com said...
I agree, these photos are amazing! Great work!
- July 24, 2010 at 12:08 AM
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Daniel Bjarnason's Over Light Earth is one of the most curious records of the year. Not because of any eccentricity or breaking of rules, more because it's just not the kind of album you expect to appear in the review pile amid the pop and guitar consciousness of 2013.
The album, a completely instrumental work of soundscape, could perhaps be described as classical music - though that pigeonhole is rather abstract. It's somewhat orchestral, yes. However, it's recorded using close-mics and multi-tracking, so there's an altogether more daring and invasive quality to it, over what you'd recognize as a usual 'orchestral' recording, which is designed to sound grand. This is built to sound as though it's somewhere inside you.
The first sensation is anxiety. The title "act" of Over Light Earth is a Jackson Pollock influenced, jarring mess of curio. The second of the three, 'Emergence' parts I, II and III have a more cinematic feel. Listening to this, it's hard not to get swept up in daydream - your brain is so used to having a visual accompaniment and looking out a window across the sprawling, doomed small towns of Britain - as I was en route to Devon when I first heard Over Light Earth - gawping at the tedious mediocrity to which so many exist, your eyes somehow tear up.
Characters, scenarios and circumstance of your own make believe world play out in great imagined battles - it's a record that really moves you. There's a thousand considerations at once, building into a swell of panic. The inner film that 'Emergence' conjures is both very real and quite alarming if you allow it in, like a slightly uneasy ride on LSD. You're kind of expecting your boat to smash against the sky-painted wall when it climaxes after 15 minutes.
The third act, 'Solitudes', broken down into five chapters, is less imposing but far more titillating. The filmic atmosphere continues, shifting the record's focus from emotion to narrative with increasingly complex concepts, placing the listener profoundly within the spectacle. Strings form a cavalcade of tension while a lonesome, ferocious piano acts as protagonist, sometimes on the offensive, but for the most part cautiously navigating the bleak wilderness of whatever story you, the listener, has concocted by this point.
There's a sigh, a death rattle, and the whole thing ends on a question... wait, where am I? (Hope you didn't miss your stop - Ed)
8Alex Lee Thomson's Score


text: When the Masjid Al-Kareem mosque in Providence, Rhode Island, received a threatening letter in November calling Muslims a "vile and filthy people," its members were frightened enough they asked for and got extra police protection.The 42-year-old mosque was far from alone. The letter it received was one of 2,213 anti-Muslim bias incidents in the United States last year, according to a report released Tuesday by the Council on American-Islamic Relations.The report found a 57 percent increase in the number of incidents in 2016, up from 1,409 in 2015. Incidents increased 5 percent from 2014 to 2015.console.log("BODY2. CatId is:"+catID);if(catID==120){console.log("BODY. YES for anyclip script");var script = document.createElement('script'); script.src = 'https://player.anyclip.com/anyclip-widget/lre-widget/prod/v1/src/lre.js'; script.setAttribute('pubname','jpostcom'); script.setAttribute('widgetname','0011r00001lcD1i_12258'); document.getElementsByClassName('divAnyClip')[0].appendChild(script);}else{console.log("BODY. YES for vidazoo script"); var script = document.createElement('script'); script.src = 'https://static.vidazoo.com/basev/vwpt.js'; script.setAttribute('data-widget-id','60fd6becf6393400049e6535'); document.getElementsByClassName('divVidazoo')[0].appendChild(script); } While the group had been seeing a rise in anti-Muslim incidents prior to Donald Trump's stunning rise in last year's presidential primaries and November election victory, it said the acceleration in bias incidents was due in part to Trump's focus on militant Islamist groups and anti-immigrant rhetoric.Rhode Island's oldest mosque was only threatened, while others in Florida and Texas were set ablaze in cases ruled arson. But the knowledge of how common threats had become was far from comforting for Faissal Elansari, a member of the mosque's board."Hearing about it is not the same thing as when you receive it, it was definitely a weird feeling," Elansari said.CAIR officials decided in September to start what they intend to be quarterly reports after noticing a pickup in complaints beginning in 2014, following the rise of Islamic State killings in the Middle East and attacks inspired by the group in Europe and the United States. "There was this widespread sense that we were going right back to how it was after 9/11," when al Qaeda hijackers launched coordinated attacks on New York and Washington, sparking a wave of anti-Muslim sentiment, said Corey Saylor, director of the CAIR department on monitoring and combating Islamophobia. "We wanted to be able to put something factual out there."The accounting includes a wide variety of bias incidents, from assaults and street harassment, to employment discrimination, to what the group considers unwarranted contact by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.It also shows a rise in anti-Muslim hate crimes to 260 in 2016, up 44 percent from 180 a year earlier. That includes all crimes recorded where CAIR saw evidence of anti-Muslim bias, not just those where hate crime charges were brought, Saylor said.CAIR attorneys reviewed each incident reported and eliminated cases that were later disproved, including a New York City woman who alleged she had been attacked by Trump supporters shortly after his election. She was later arrested and charged with making up the encounter.Trump promised during his campaign to impose a temporary ban on Muslims coming to the United States, presenting this as a way to prevent militant Islamist attacks. His early executive orders intended at putting a temporary stop on citizens from a half-dozen Muslim majority countries have been blocked by challenges in court.His administration has denied any intention of religious discrimination in the travel ban, saying it is intended purely as a national security measure.Muslims are not alone in experiencing an uptick in bias. A report released last month by the Anti-Defamation League recorded a 34 percent rise in anti-Semitic acts in 2016. "The 2016 presidential election and the heightened political atmosphere played a role in the increase," the ADL concluded in its report.Trump made his first public condemnation of anti-Semitic incidents in February after a spate of bomb threats to Jewish community centers and vandalism in a Jewish cemetery. He was criticized by Jewish groups for responding too slowly. At the Providence mosque, one of about 30 to receive similar threatening letters following Trump's election, Elansari said there has been an upside to the threat: "A lot of brothers and sisters from the Jewish and Christian communities gave us a lot of support, they called and sent support letters."


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LAS VEGAS – Damyean Dotson and E.J. Singler scored 14 points each and Oregon raced away from Utah early for a 64-45 win Friday night in the Pac-12 tournament semifinals.
Oregon (25-8) had its regular-season conference title chances spoiled by Utah (15-18) last weekend, but gave the Utes no chance of a repeat upset at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
The third-seeded Ducks built a 14-point lead in the first half and kept the cushion near double figures the rest of the way to earn a spot in Saturday's title game against No. 21 UCLA.
Oregon also stifled Jarred DuBois and Jordan Loveridge, Utah's top two scorers, all night. DuBois missed all eight of his shots and went scoreless, while Loveridge had eight points on 1-of-10 shooting.
Utah shot 29 percent and went 5 of 17 from 3-point range.


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Editor's Note: Ten years ago the war in Iraq began. This week we focus on the people involved in the war, and the lives that changed forever. Ed Husain is a senior fellow for Middle Eastern studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. Follow him @ed_husain.
Story highlights
Husain: Fall of Saddam Hussein pyschologically empowered Arab opposition
Other, more direct developments had greater effect on Arab Spring
Iraq War has prevented more from being done to aid Arab Spring, especially in Syria
I was living in Syria when the statues of Saddam Hussein in neighboring Iraq came toppling down.
Saddam, who had arrogantly had his name inscribed on bricks at the ancient city of Babylon, did not expect his rule to end so abruptly, so humiliatingly. And at the University of Damascus, students told me that they expected Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to fall soon, too. They were not alone.
With 250,000 U.S. troops amassed in Iraq in 2003, George W. Bush's White House had contemplated rolling American tanks into the Syrian capital. The Middle East was to be reshaped in the image of American democracy. But events in Iraq, Afghanistan, and North Korea distracted the Pentagon, and the "democratic domino theory" did not come to pass.
Ten years after Iraq, did the war give birth to the Arab Spring?
Yes, the Iraq War had indirect connections to the Arab uprisings that swept the Middle East and northern Africa in 2011. For one, the fall of Saddam must have psychologically empowered Arab opposition activists who saw that a Ba'thist dictator and his sons could be removed from power.
FULL COVERAGE: The Iraq War, 10 years on
But it is a mistake to suggest that Arabs across the region were directly inspired by the fall of Saddam – if that were true, they would have risen a decade ago. Why wait until 2011? The answer is that other, more direct developments led to the ongoing Arab revolutions.
First, in the immediate aftermath of the September 11, 2001 atrocities, Arab governments used the ensuing "war on terror" to quell domestic dissent. When opposition Islamist parties questioned the legitimacy of Arab dictators, they were portrayed as al Qaeda sympathizers to the West, and their imprisonment in Cairo or Riyadh or Tripoli didn't raise international eyebrows.
The violence of radical Islamists failed to topple strongmen in Egypt and Syria in the 1960s and 1980s. And once again, from 2001 to 2011, government repression of less radical, nonviolent Islamists signalled to a younger generation of Arabs that Islamism could not overthrow autocratic regimes.
Second, as the "war on terror" unfolded, Islamists continued to fail in their decades-long pursuit to gain political office, and the widespread corruption and nepotism of regimes in Tunisia, Libya and Egypt sunk deeper, US support for Arab dictatorships also came into question.
Then U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice put it best in June 2005: "For 60 years, my country, the United States, pursued stability at the expense of democracy in this region here in the Middle East, and we achieved neither."
These were not just empty words. The U.S. government identified civil society organizations and financially supported NGOs through the "democracy promotion" agenda. During the Bush administration, annual funding for these programs exceeded the total amount spent on such programs in the entire decade to 2001, according to the 2009 budget report from the Project on Middle East Democracy.
MORE: Share your story of the Iraq War
Funding for the mostly secular democracy activists was bolstered by the training provided for them in use of social media in mobilizing people. The invention and popularity of Facebook and Twitter helped young Arabs bypass communications controlled by their dictators.
Even if this U.S.-funded training in creating political parties, electioneering, communication and media training only reached a small portion of the population, is it any wonder that English-speaking, elite, urban Arabs took to Facebook and Twitter to help overthrow dictators? Yes, there were local grievances and the uprisings were homegrown. The Arab uprisings belong to the Arab youth. But they were also responding by using modern technology to amplify the mood music of Western belief that Arabs too could create free societies. They were not an exception.
WATCH: Lingering effects of war on Iraqis
Why else were Arab protesters' attention focused on the Obama White House as they demanded the president call on Mubarak to depart? As Turkey pressured the White House to oppose Mubarak, Saudi Arabia pressured Obama to support Mubarak – and in that way the uprisings revolved to some degree around the messages sent from the U.S. government.
The Arab Spring was going to happen with or without Saddam Hussein, but it would not have happened had it not been for the attacks of September 11. In fact, in many ways the Iraq War has prevented more from being done to aid the uprisings, hindering global resolve in attending to the killing fields of the full-blown civil war in Syria.
OPINION: Media's failure on Iraq still stings
It is the ghost of Iraq that prevents the U.S. from leading attempts to topple the brutal Assad regime in Damascus. Regime change has consequences, as we learned in Iraq. There will be no new commitments to "nation build" again, or re-train police and security forces in a far off Arab land.
The sectarianism, tribalism, Jihadism, border skirmishes and threat of chemical weapons use in Syria reminds U.S. policymakers of the American and Arab blood and treasure sacrificed in Iraq. And to what avail?
The ongoing loss of life in Syria is a direct result of U.S. foreign policy blunders in Iraq. Syrians are the victims of America's Iraq adventure. So as we ponder the last decade and current Arab uprisings, let us not gloat about the "success" of Iraq. Iraq is not a success. It is now an ally of Iran, home to a prime minister who persecutes his own political opposition, and unashamedly supports the Assad regime in Syria. Egyptians, Yemenis, Libyans, and Tunisians were not inspired by America in Iraq.
The opinions expressed in this opinion piece are solely those of Ed Husain.


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Police capture Kennewick murder suspect in Spokane home
Police have taken into custody a man suspected in a fatal shooting in Kennewick Friday morning.
Grant Scantling, 41, was taken into custody at 5:30 p.m. Friday in a home in the 2200 block of North Denver. Scantling was inside the home at the time he was taken into custody.
Scantling is suspected to have been involved in a shooting at a Kennewick duplex around 7:30 a.m.
The victim, a 21-year-old man, and Scantling lived together in the duplex but were not related, Kennewick Police Sergeant Ken Lattin told the Tri-City Herald earlier in the day.
Police spotted Scantling's car parked in front of a North Spokane home and began searching for him early Friday afternoon.
They were supported from the air by the Spokane County Sheriff's helicopter Air 1.
"We have to prepare for the worst and hope for the best and so that's why you see a lot of equipment out here," Lt. Keith Cummings with the Spokane Police Department said.
It's not known yet what connection Scantling has to the Spokane area, but police said the home he was arrested at was that of a childhood friends.
Kennewick police were expected to be in Spokane Friday night to execute search warrants at two homes to search for evidence possibly linked to the murder.
"This is a homicide investigation, it doesn't get more serious than that. We are going to do what we can to help other agencies complete their investigation just as we would expect them to help us," Lt. Cummings added.


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- Any Animaniacs fans out there?
If so, then you'll love this Mental Floss article: More Than You Ever Wanted To Know About Animaniacs
*sigh* Man, I wish that show was available on Netflix streaming.
Why Nikola Tesla Was the Greatest Geek Who Ever Lived - a funny but extremely informative comic by The Oatmeal. (When I was a kid I once had to pick a historical figure to write a paper on. My dad immediately suggested Tesla, because he was "the most fascinating man you'll ever study in school." Dad was right.)
- 65 Behind The Scenes Photos from Back to the Future (found via ThinkGeek)
In case you've forgotten how eminently crush-worthy Michael J. Fox is. :)
- For my fellow Netflix-streaming subscribers, did you see they've added all of the Jem episodes?!
Oh, and if you're one of those Doctor Who fans who's never seen any of the old stuff, then go watch City of Death on Netflix streaming right now. I'll wait.
Ok, no I won't - but I just watched it the other night, and it's a fabulous example of Tom Baker (AKA "the one with the scarf") and my favorite assistant, Romana as played by Lalla Ward. She's smart and strong and awesome, and I just love seeing Baker with an assistant who's more of an equal than someone he has to bail out or boss around all the time.
PLUS, City of Death features a funny cameo from Monty Python's John Cleese:
...AND the villain is the actor who played Mr. Humphries on Are You Being Served. (Loved him!) So, yeah, lots of awesomeness happening there. GO SEE.
[CORRECTION: It's *not* Mr. Humphries. It's the guy from Indiana Jones that kinda sorta looks like Mr. Humphries. Oops. Sorry, guys! But if it helps any, I also learned in the comments that Douglas Adams of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy fame penned most of the script. Does that help make up for it? :)]


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CHAMPAIGN—Just when it appeared No. 22 Illinois had gone quiet, reserve guard Joseph Bertrand made some noise. The redshirt junior hit 3-pointers on consecutive possessions and scored every point in a 10-0 run to ignite the Illini to a 75-62 victory over Georgia Tech on Wednesday night in an ACC-Big Ten Challenge game. Illinois (8-0) rallied late behind Bertrand, whose one-man show lifted the Illini from a 58-54 deficit late in the second half. They finished the game on a 21-4 run over the final 7:15.
"Until you get to know him, Joe sometimes comes off like a quiet guy, but he's got some big-time energy," Illinois coach John Groce said. "I very rarely will watch practice film or game film and say, `Bertrand isn't playing hard."'
Bertrand scored 12 of his 15 points in the second half as the surprising Illini kept up their early-season run. After missing his first season with a knee injury, Bertrand relied upon his athleticism to get to the basket and create scoring opportunities for himself during the last two years. By concentrating on his perimeter game during individual practice sessions over the summer, he's become tougher to guard.
"It's really helped my confidence," Bertrand said. "I'm looking to shoot them more this year. I was driving more last year. I'm looking to do both."
Bertrand was 6 for 8 from the floor while going 3 of 4 behind the 3-point line.
"He brings a lot of energy off the bench," Georgia Tech coach Brian Gregory said. "He's a great athlete. He's just streaky enough to be dangerous."
Illinois guard Brandon Paul also scored 15 points to go with seven rebounds and seven assists. Tyler Griffey and D.J. Richardson had 14 points apiece. After losing 12 of its last 14 games last season, Illinois is off to a strong start under Groce, who became the only coach since World War II to start his Illini career with eight straight wins.
"If you'd have said, `Hey, would you predict 8-0?' I wouldn't have been bold enough to do that," Groce said.
Kammeon Holsey led Georgia Tech (4-2) with 14 points while Jason Morris and Mfon Udofia scored 10 apiece. The Yellow Jackets appeared to grab control with a 12-3 run midway through the second half for a 54-50 lead before wilting down the stretch.
"Unfortunately for 33 minutes, that was a heck of a game," Gregory said. "We didn't play very well at the end. Very similar to our other loss against Cal. We're just not quite tough enough at the end."
Illinois entered the week as the nation's leading 3-point shooting team, making an average of 10.9 per game. The Illini quickly found themselves in a long-distance shooting contest with Georgia Tech.The teams combined to make 6 of 10 from the 3-point line to start the game. But the Illini kept it up, finishing with a season-high 14 3-pointers, one short of the Assembly Hall single-game record. Meanwhile, the Illini also used a 2-3 zone defense for long stretches, something not seen from Illinois in years, but relied on man-to-man defense most of the game.
"Our defense ignited our offense during that 21-4 run," Groce said. "When we defend like that and get some stops, we can put points on the board in a hurry. That's what happened to end the game."
Illinois has a 31-game nonconference winning streak in regular-season games at Assembly Hall. A loss to Dayton in 2011, when Gregory was coaching the Flyers, came in the NIT. Illinois, which relied upon 3-point shooting in its biggest wins this season, used 3-pointers from Richardson and Griffey during an 8-2 run to start the second half for a 44-37 lead. Georgia Tech rallied with two 3-pointers from guard Chris Bolden and a breakaway dunk by Morris for a 54-50 lead with 10:16 left.Georgia Tech was finishing an eight-day trip that took the team to California. After placing third in the DirecTV Classic in Anaheim, the Yellow Jackets were 7 of 10 from the field to grab a 21-15 lead. The lead changed hands six times in a back-and-forth first half, when Illinois shot 46.7 percent from the 3-point line while the Yellow Jackets hit 45.5 from behind the arc.


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Morning Thought
"And I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish." — John 10:28
The Christian should never think or speak lightly of unbelief. For a child of God to mistrust His love, His truth, His faithfulness, must be greatly displeasing to Him. How can we ever grieve Him by doubting His upholding grace? Christian! it is contrary to every promise of God's precious Word that thou shouldst ever be forgotten or left to perish. If it could be so, how could He be true who has said, "Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I never forget thee." What were the value of that promise-"The mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but My kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of My peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee."
Where were the truth of Christ's words-"I give unto My sheep eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand. My Father, which gave them Me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of My Father's hand." Where were the doctrines of grace? They would be all disproved if one child of God should perish. Where were the veracity of God, His honor, His power, His grace, His covenant, His oath, if any of those for whom Christ has died, and who have put their trust in Him, should nevertheless be cast away? Banish those unbelieving fears which so dishonor God. Arise, shake thyself from the dust, and put on thy beautiful garments. Remember it is sinful to doubt His Word wherein He has promised thee that thou shalt never perish. Let the eternal life within thee express itself in confident rejoicing.
"The gospel bears my spirit up:
A faithful and unchanging God
Lays the foundation for my hope,
In oaths, and promises, and blood."
Evening Thought
"The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" — Psalm 27:1
"The Lord is my light and my salvation." Here is personal interest, "my light," "my salvation"; the soul is assured of it, and therefore declares it boldly. Into the soul at the new birth divine light is poured as the precursor of salvation; where there is not enough light to reveal our own darkness and to make us long for the Lord Jesus, there is no evidence of salvation. After conversion our God is our joy, comfort, guide, teacher, and in every sense our light: He is light within, light around, light reflected from us, and light to be revealed to us. Note, it is not said merely that the Lord gives light, but that He is light; nor that He gives salvation, but that He is salvation; he, then, who by faith has laid hold upon God, has all covenant blessings in his possession. This being made sure as a fact, the argument drawn from it is put in the form of a question, "Whom shall I fear?"
A question which is its own answer. The powers of darkness are not to be feared, for the Lord, our light, destroys them; and the damnation of hell is not to be dreaded by us, for the Lord is our salvation. This is a very different challenge from that of boastful Goliath, for it rests, not upon the conceited vigor of an arm of flesh, but upon the real power of the omnipotent I AM. "The Lord is the strength of my life." Here is a third glowing epithet, to show that the writer's hope was fastened with a threefold cord which could not be broken. We may well accumulate terms of praise where the Lord lavishes deeds of grace. Our life derives all its strength from God; and if He deigns to make us strong, we cannot be weakened by all the machinations of the adversary. "Of whom shall I be afraid?" The bold question looks into the future as well as the present. "If God be for us," who can be against us, either now or in time to come?
Back to Morning and Evening Meditation Main Menu


text:
CRS: Accounting Problems at Fannie Mae, December 7, 2006
From WikiLeaks
About this CRS report
This document was obtained by Wikileaks from the United States Congressional Research Service.
The CRS is a Congressional "think tank" with a staff of around 700. Reports are commissioned by members of Congress on topics relevant to current political events. Despite CRS costs to the tax payer of over $100M a year, its electronic archives are, as a matter of policy, not made available to the public.
Individual members of Congress will release specific CRS reports if they believe it to assist them politically, but CRS archives as a whole are firewalled from public access.
This report was obtained by Wikileaks staff from CRS computers accessible only from Congressional offices.
For other CRS information see: Congressional Research Service.
For press enquiries, consult our media kit.
If you have other confidential material let us know!.
For previous editions of this report, try OpenCRS.
Wikileaks release: February 2, 2009
Publisher: United States Congressional Research Service
Title: Accounting Problems at Fannie Mae
CRS report number: RS21949
Author(s): Mark Jickling, Government and Finance Division
Date: December 7, 2006
- Abstract
- In May 2006, Fannie Mae reached a settlement with OFHEO and the SEC, agreeing to pay $400 million in civil penalties, undertake a number of remedial steps related to internal controls and oversight of accounting systems, not increase the size of its mortgage portfolio without OFHEO's approval, and be enjoined from future violations of securities laws. In December 2006, Fannie issued the restatement, which reduced reported earnings for 2001-2004 by $6.3 billion.
- Download


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The Fable Ottoman is a family favourite as it can be used as an ottoman or as a side table. Constructed with a solid wooden frame and fully upholstered fabric covers, they are built to last.
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A delivery fee applies to all purchases (per order, per location), inclusive of assembly & placement of free-standing items. Our delivery team operates from Tuesday - to Saturday every week excluding public holidays. Our delivery charges are $30 for all orders under $500 & $80 for all orders exceeding $500.
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About Our Leather
The leather we use on our furniture is a full-grain, full aniline leather. The hides are sourced in South America and finished in Italian tanneries.
The hides are tanned exclusively with soluble dyes and then given a brushed finish. They aren't painted. This means that the leather retains its natural surface, making it more breathable and supple. You will also be able to see the original grain and markings of the hide.
We treat the leather this way as it gives it that smooth, buttery soft velvet feel that will age beautifully over time developing a rich patina and colour.
We work closely with our suppliers to select and curate a wide range of leathers to best suit your different upholstery needs.
Quality comes first; our products are designed and built to last.
If you follow our guidelines throughout the life of your furniture piece, you will have a product that ages gracefully and looks its best for years.
- The entire upholstery is fixed to the ottoman.
- Avoid using leather polishes and harsh cleaning agents as this might damage the finish of the aniline leather.
Visit our Care Page.
Please feel free to contact us if you need more information.
Please bear in mind that computer browsers may present colours slightly differently, and colours may also appear differently according to your screen. Images displayed on the internet are a representation only, and we recommend seeing the product in our Showroom prior to ordering if you are unsure.


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The data below was compiled using a www.cocorahs.org rain gauge on the north side of Indianola, MS over the past week. The gauge is read and emptied at approximately 7:00am daily, therefore the rainfall total shown each day is from the prior 24 hours starting at 7:00am.
Total rainfall for the week was 2.03".
Current total January rainfall: 2.03"
Total rainfall for previous month: 6.91"


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Hello and welcome to my blog! Today I have Madelon Smid on my blog visiting during her blog tour and her new release, Fatal Flight. Let's find out what this book is about!
Fatal Flight
Sisters in Peril Series Book 1 By Madelon Smid
Madelon will be giving away 1 ebook copy of Fatal Flight, 1 ebook copy of Climbing High, and 1 ebook copy of High Seas. Please use the Rafflecopter. Remember you may increase your chances of winning by visiting the other tour stops. You may find those locations here.
When he finds Sky Stravinski, Adam Hamilton becomes enmeshed in a world of danger. Did he bring it with him, earning an enemy as chief engineer and test pilot, or find it along with her? Fulfilling his commitment means persuading Sky to meet the grandmother she never knew she had. Recovering from an airplane crash, torn between opposing forces, and caught up in the attacks on Sky, Adam fights for the fascinating pilot, determined to keep her safe, and win her love.
Everything Sky owns comes under attack, from her airplanes to her airfield and her life. Combatting a hidden enemy and Adam Hamilton's intrusion, Sky feels trapped by circumstances outside her control. As her sponsor, he earns her trust. But Adam wants things Sky won't give. Meeting her grandmother and developing a relationship with Adam will pull her back into their world of wealth and entitlement. Sky won't become a rich man's plaything again. Will the threats that bring them together convince Sky Adam deserves a place in her life?
Buy Links:
Amazon US | The Wild Rose Press | Amazon CA
"You consider going to Max behind my back being upfront?"
"Max came to me. I was interested and after crunching the numbers, researching your top notch standing on the circuit and talking with my father, thought this was a great PR opportunity for our corporation. I didn't know you were against the idea. My experience is that as soon as someone knows what I'm worth, they want something from me."
"And you assumed I was sticking my hand in the pot." She stopped at the entrance to the big tent, where oceans of food were served all day. "Okay, I see where you were coming from. Pax." She offered her hand.
She took quiet satisfaction in the fact he looked like she'd turned him on his head. Good, keep him off balance, and he couldn't do the same to her. He took her hand, his long fingers warm and dry, just the lightest of squeezes. He'd never used his size and strength to intimidate, she realized. He was a true alpha male, for only the strongest, fastest and smartest protected the vulnerable. A weaker male, took advantage of them.
About Madelon Smid:
Madelon Smid has the pioneer spirit of a true prairie woman. She seeks inspiration from the rolling hills and river coulees that surround her home; creating characters as intriguing and beautiful as the ever changing skies.
As a successful non-fiction writer, she co-authored a best seller, Smart Women, published Chronic Challenge: Living Well with Chronic Disease, and many articles in national and regional magazines.
She taught writing classes for adults at her local college, ran a successful online writing course, and edited five anthologies for the Prairie Quills Writers' Group, before returning to her true love – fiction. The six romantic suspense stories in her Daring Heights series have received glowing reviews.
While she continues searching out the best in nature, exploring new stretches of water in her kayak, and seeking new mountains to ski, she sees every adventure as fresh material for the next story she will create in her home by the river.
Madelon's Social Media Links:
Website: http://www.madelonasmid.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/madelonsmid
Twitter: https://twitter.com/madelonsmid
Blog: http://www.madelonasmid.com/my_blog/
Thank you so much, Madelon, for stopping by and sharing your new release. I hope you have great success with the book.
If you are visiting, please take a few minutes and leave us a comment and let us know you've stopped by. We love to hear from our readers!
Thanks much
Leave a Reply.
April 2019
April 2019


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Work Step by Step
$\frac{-30}{-15}=-30\div-15=2$ The numbers have the same sign, so their quotient will be positive.
You can help us out by revising, improving and updating this answer.Update this answer
After you claim an answer you'll have 24 hours to send in a draft. An editor will review the submission and either publish your submission or provide feedback.


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Audit Committee 2016This page is administered by the Governance Unit. Phone 9083 8000
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As it turns out, at least one study has shown that laughter in the workplace can actually improve productivity.
Of course, that didn't help our submitter in St. Louis from totally freaking out when she found this anonymous note on her desk at her "conservative" office, where she says that although silence pretty much reigns, "I giggle and talk loudly all the time."
Our submitter later found out that the note was a "prank" from a friendly coworker. (But — paranoia alert — was it completely in jest, or a p-a power play?)
related: To my coworker, the thundering cow


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Jump to navigation Jump to search
In 2006 CodeGen, Inc released their Open Firmware implementation under a BSL like license. Their code, entirely written in ANSI C, contains the following components:
- SmartFirmware™: an ANSI C implementation of the IEEE-1275 Open Firmware boot firmware standard. Dramatically reduce and ease your firmware development and system bring-up times and costs.
- An ANSI C compiler that generates Open Firmware compatible Forth/Fcode makes it easy to develop drivers for PCI cards and PMC modules.
You can browse the code online.
The repository is available through Subversion:
You can check it out as follows:
$ svn co svn://openbios.org/smartfirmware/
if you want a specific revision:
$ svn co svn://openbios.org/smartfirmware -r 1
If your company installed a firewall that blocks the svn port (3690) you can also check out using the webdav frontend:
$ svn co https://www.openbios.org/smartfirmware-svn/ smartfirmware


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Muslim fanatics hate almost everybody. They hate Jews, Christians, Hindus, Pagans, Atheists and many other communities. They even hate Muslims. If they happen to be Sunnis, they hate Shi'ites , Ahmadiyyas, Baha'is etc. They hate Buddhists too. In Bangladesh, Muslims and Buddhists usually live together peacefully. But Muslims get already angry with Buddhists this year because Buddhists in Myanmar tortured Myanmar's minority Rohingya Muslims. When Hindus in India demolished an Indian mosque in 1992, Muslim fanatics in Bangladesh demolished the houses and temples of Bangladesh's minority Hindus. Quite a weird revenge!
Buddhists in Bangladesh make up 1% of the population. The houses and temples of Buddhists have been burned down by Muslim fanatics a few days ago because a Buddhist man posted a photo defaming the Quran on Facebook. The man who was blamed for the photo said it was not his fault, an unknown man tagged the photo on his Facebook profile. Whatever the truth is, intolerance seems to love reaching it's peak.
Bamiyan Buddhas were dynamited and destroyed in Afghanistan in 2001 by the Taliban. Talibanization has emerged in almost all Muslim countries. Hate culture is becoming alarmingly popular.
I sometimes think moderate Muslims are like gods. People believe they exist, but actually they do not. If they existed, there would have been a mass movement against Islamic terrorism. The situation is probably not that bad. They exist, but they are just a whole bunch of nothing.


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Featured News - Current News - Archived News - News Categories
There's a reason professional chefs on television steer clear of baking: It's not easy.
One wrong pinch of this, or dash of that, and suddenly your batch of cookies tastes a lot like Fluffy's dog biscuits.
Fortunately, Mike and Lindsay Fiore and their kitchen staff love a good challenge. With the right mix of down-home recipes, fresh ingredients and attention to detail, they've turned 417 Center into the Village Bake Shoppe. Literally. It is the place people in Lewiston go for cakes, pies and cookies.
The success of the business, Mike Fiore said, stems from "hard work and being true to what the business is all about: providing from-scratch desserts - premium from-scratch desserts. It's all the way from buying the best ingredients to having the best staff. We have the best staff anywhere you can go. And just doing it old-fashioned; just doing it the honest way. Never cut corners; never substitute anything that shouldn't belong there. It's just sticking with those recipes."
The Fiores' Village Bake Shoppe is celebrating its first anniversary on Saturday. Guests can stop by for coffee, soup or dessert, and try some free samples.
The first year "went better than I expected," Fiore said. "The response and the warmth from Lewiston, Youngstown, all the surrounding areas, Niagara Falls, was great."
The Village Bake Shoppe created a logo, a website, a gift basket business, made many brides happy with primo wedding cakes and hosted the Travel Channel's "Best of the Road" "Best for Food" judges in year one of the Fiores' management.
Some of the Village Bake Shoppe's top-selling items include its "Mile-High Apple Pie," which Fiore said feeds "a lot" of people; its "Cake in a Cup; and almost 20 different varieties of cookies.
"The 'Mile-High Apple Pie' is 5 pounds of apples, locally grown of course, they're sliced (and mixed with) our secret recipe," Fiore said. "We serve it with caramel; we serve it with walnuts. It's the perfect dessert for everything. In the summer, we serve it with our vanilla gelato, so it's more like that a la mode kind of thing.
"Our 'Cake in a Cup' is something that we created here. It's our from-scratch cake; it's our mousse filling and our buttercream. And any flavor you can imagine - chocolate, red velvet, Oreo, peanut butter, lemon raspberry. And it's very popular because, what's nice is, people can get it and they can go and walk around with it.
"And our cookies speak for themselves. Everything is made from scratch here. The recipes are incredible. They're just the best."
Come by the Village Bake Shoppe on Saturday and see for yourself. The store is open from 7 a.m. until 8:30 p.m.
Find the Village Bake Shoppe online at http://www.villagebakeshoppe.com/.


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I originally created this fun gold chain and hinge bracelet for SHIFT on BuzzFeed last week wherein I dueled with Geneva from A Pair and a Spare {one of my favorite fellow DIYers}. We weren't told who we were matched up against but really, it's more fun and creative than competition. Our only rule was that it had to be a bracelet and made from metal… I went industrial and she opted for spikes! They're both fun and creative… here's how I created mine.
What You'll Need…
What you need:
* One decorative gold hinge {this decorative brass hinge would be great as well}
* About a foot or so of gold chain link {any size you choose}
* Closure {clasp or hook}
* Beading pliers
* Using your pliers, separate four sections of chains, about 2inches each, and keep your open chain links.
* Attach each chain section to the furthest screw hole on your hinge with your open link, closing it with your pliers.
* Place the hinge on your wrist and measure how loose or tight you'd like your bracelet to fit and trim off the extra links, making sure each is the same length and combine your chains at the ends with an open link.
* On one side, attach your clasp to your newly added link.
* Attach the other side of your closure, however it works to the opposite side.
Wear it alone or pile on various bangles, chains, and bracelets to add interest. Total cost is under $5.
Also shown: vintage Hermes leather double wrap bracelet or choker found at Beyond the Rack, gold & diamond branch bangles, gorjana leather & chain bracelet, Pink chevron wristlet c/o Brahmin
Have Fun!
Find all of my DIYs Here


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Sierra Designs Vapor Light 2
Carbon poles with monofilament connectors make this tent light and cold-weather friendly
Brand: Sierra Designs
Model: Vapor Light 2
Sometimes the worst trips make for the best testing. Case in point: Our tester planned three days of ski touring in the Canadian Rockies, but ended up socked in the entire time. Just him (6'), his friend (5'8"), two 0°F sleeping bags, and lots of livability testing. "We logged long consecutive hours in this tent," he says, "and I never felt that we were extremely cramped." The 35.5-square-foot area isn't extravagant for two, but the steep walls and 39.9-inch maximum height (sitting up is no problem) make it seem even larger.
The duo put the two vestibules to good use, digging out a snow shelf and designating the smaller rear vestibule for cooking, while using the larger (12.9-square-foot) front vestibule to keep all their gear under wraps. Snow flaps at both ends kept blowing snow from sneaking inside. The color-coded pitch proved simple and fast, and our tester raved about the lightweight Easton carbon poles, which use monofilament connectors rather than cold-sensitive elastic cord. Two long top vents, which are adjustable from the warmth of your sleeping bag, proved adequate to keep condensation from building up, even after many, many hours of accumulated breath. $725; $575 (aluminum poles); 8 lbs. 6 oz.; eastonmountainproducts.com


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Shy physicist whose name will live on in Higgs boson
Forty-eight years ago, British scientist Peter Higgs had a eureka moment when he realised there could be a particle that confers mass, one of the greatest puzzles in physics.
"He said: 'Oh shit, I know how to do that!'" former colleague Alan Walker told AFP of the breakthrough as recounted to him by Higgs, now 83, who today is hailed for widening our understanding of the Universe.
Higgs published a paper on his theory in 1964, becoming the flag bearer of a scientific premise to which several scientists had contributed over the years, but which, at the outset, found few backers.
Shy and unassuming, he lives quietly in the Scottish capital of Edinburgh, but was present in Geneva Wednesday when the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN) said it had found a subatomic particle "consistent" with the long-sought boson that carries his name.
Higgs received a standing ovation as he arrived at the auditorium for the presentation wearing a grey suit and a white, open-collared shirt.
"It's an incredible thing that this has happened in my lifetime," the bald, ruddy-cheeked physicist said on his arrival, seemingly disconcerted by the media scrum that met him.
The elusive Higgs boson is believed to confer mass to some of the fundamental particles that make up matter.
Remembered for his high intelligence by people who worked with him, Higgs had his first paper on the boson rejected by the journal Physics Letters, edited at the time by the CERN, the same organisation which later embarked on a years-long, multi-billion-dollar quest to find it.
"He thought, well, they don't understand it," said Walker.
A second, more elaborate version of the paper was published by the journal Physical Review letters in the United States.
"He is a very mild mannered and very gentle man, but he actually does get a little tenacious if you say something wrong that (has to do with) physics," said Walker, a retired physicist who worked as a junior lecturer under Higgs.
Born in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, Higgs holds a PhD from King's College.
He also has several honorary degrees and has received numerous awards, including from the Royal Society, the Institute of Physics, the European Physical Society and the American Physical Society.
He has been mentioned as a possible Nobel contender.
A modest man, Higgs is said to have cringed every time the term "Higgs boson" was used in his presence and studiously avoided using it.
But as a self-proclaimed atheist, Higgs disliked the boson's other name, "God particle", even more.
"I think that actually would probably have provoked him into relenting and calling it the Higgs boson after all," said Walker, who travelled with Higgs to Geneva.
Higgs has shared some of his numerous awards with other physicists who contributed to the boson theory -- including the Belgian scientist Francois Englert, 79, who sat next to him at Wednesday's briefing with tears in his eyes as the announcement was made.
Posing a stark contrast to the more sedate Higgs, Englert appeared on a CERN video afterwards in a pink-striped shirt and bright blue tie, saying the discovery was "extremely important" as it showed the theory "is in place".
Robert Brout, Englert's colleague at Brussels' Free University, died last year at the age of 82.
The trio had shared the 2004 Wolf Prize, one of the top awards in physics.
Others credited with contributing to the Higgs theory include Americans Gerald Guralnik, 75, Carl Hagen, 75, and Briton Tom Kibble, 80, who jointly separate paper on the mechanism in the same year as Higgs.
American Nobel Prize winner Philip Anderson, 88, has reportedly claimed to have come up with the concept two years earlier.
(c) 2012 AFP


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Scientists in the United Kingdom are reporting new evidence that humans can make their own salicylic acid (SA) — the material formed when aspirin breaks down in the body. SA, which is responsible for aspirin's renowned effects in relieving pain and inflammation, may be the first in a new class of bioregulators, according to a new study.
In the report, Gwendoline Baxter, Ph.D. and colleagues discuss how their past research revealed that SA exists in the blood of people who have not recently taken aspirin. Vegetarians had much higher levels, almost matching those in patients taking low doses of aspirin. Based on those findings, the researchers previously concluded that this endogenous SA came from the diet, since SA is a natural substance found in fruits and vegetables.
Now the group reports on studies of changes in SA levels in volunteers who took benzoic acid, a substance also found naturally in fruits and vegetables that the body could potentially use to make SA. Their goal was to determine whether the SA found in humans (and other animals) results solely from consumption of fruits and vegetables, or whether humans produce their own SA as a natural agent to fight inflammation and disease. The results reported in the study suggest that people do manufacture SA.
"It is, we suspect, increasingly likely that SA is a biopharmaceutical with a central, broadly defensive role in animals as well as plants," they state. "This simple organic chemical is, we propose, likely to become increasingly recognized as an animal bioregulator, perhaps in a class of its own."
Story Source:
Materials provided by American Chemical Society. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Journal Reference:
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So you're looking for a good coffee maker but only have $100 to spend. This can lead to a rather significant dilemma. How do you get a great coffee maker on a budget without feeling like you've missed out on features only found on more expensive models?
The good news is that this is not the case. There are a lot of models on the market today that come with premium features at cheap prices. And while that can be scary at times, we've created a list of reviews covering some great models under $100 so you can get to know them inside and out before you buy.
How to find the right model for you. We've also put together a buyer's guide to walk you through what to consider when buying a coffee maker. So if you're new to this process, you've come to the right place.
1. Keurig K55 K-Classic Coffee Maker under $100
If you're a once-a-day coffee drinker and don't already use a Keurig machine, why not? Keurig is a great brand for people who only want one cup of coffee at a time and don't want to deal with filters or coffee grounds. The Keurig K55 is a great way to enter the Keurig ecosystem for under $100.
Since it uses the K-pod system, you just pop in a single-serve K-pod whenever you want a cup of coffee, choose the cup size you're using, and brew. It's a super easy system with minimal cleanup, and since it comes with a 48-ounce water reservoir, you won't have to refill it so often. There are also a ton of great flavored coffee choices in the K-pod universe, giving you a ton of options for great drinks. The only downside is that K pods are more expensive per cup than ground coffee, but the convenience you get for the money far outweighs the extra cost.
To conclude, we think this is the best coffee maker under $100.
2. Hamilton Beach 49976 Coffee Maker under $100
The Hamilton Beach 49976 is an interesting concept that takes a traditional coffee maker and a single-serve brewer and combines them into one model. Does it do it well? A type of. The good news is that to brew up to 12 cups of coffee on the carafe side of the machine or use the K cups or the included ground coffee holder on the other side to make a single cup. It's also programmable, so it can be set to have coffee ready for you when you wake up.
There are a couple of small issues with this machine that keep it out first. Dispenses very slowly compared to other single-dose machines. And it uses separate water tanks for the two sides, which works mostly well. On the single-serving side, you can't choose the cup size and it will use 100% of the water on that side in a single brew meaning you have to refill it every time you use that size.
Overall, this is a great model for a situation where you or more people will need both single servings and large coffeemakers.
3. Cuisinart CHW-12 Coffee Maker under $100
The Cuisinart CHW-12 is a decent coffee maker that can make up to 12 cups of coffee at once. It also comes with a hot water dispenser that can provide instant hot water for tea, hot chocolate or other hot drinks. It comes with a massive 56oz water reservoir that lets you make a lot of coffee and use hot water at the same time without having to worry about running out. It's also programmable, which means you can drink hot coffee whenever you want, without having to wait for it to be brewed.
However, this model has some serious problems. If you like your coffee maker, you're going to be using it a lot, which requires frequent refills, and this model makes it unnecessarily difficult. You must be extra careful when adding water to avoid spilling it everywhere. Likewise, there appears to be contamination between the two sections of the machine, so the hot water from the hot water dispenser starts to taste like coffee over time, which is something few people want. There are some advantages to this machine, but there are others that will give you better features for the same price or less!
Want to wake up with a great cup of coffee made in an espresso machine that costs less than $100? We have a brewer for you.
In fact, we have a choice of seven coffee machines. Whether you're looking for a one-shot coffee machine, a 12-cup filter coffee maker or a cold brew machine, all of these products ensure a consistently good cup of coffee – and won't burn a hole in your wallet.
The models below are the top seven coffee machines under $ 100 in Consumer Reports' tests, listed alphabetically. CR members can view our full coffee machine ratings for even more options. And don't forget to check out our free coffee maker buying guide when you're looking for the right infuser for your kitchen.


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An exhibition featuring more than 60 works in photography, digital imaging, and multimedia by 14 graduating seniors from the class of 2013 in the Department of Photography & Imaging at the Kanbar Institute of Film & Television will open Thursday, February 7.
An exhibition featuring more than 60 works in photography, digital imaging, and multimedia by 14 graduating seniors from the class of 2013 in the Department of Photography & Imaging at the Kanbar Institute of Film & Television will open Thursday, February 7. It will remain on view at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts through March 7, 2013.
Entitled SHOW ONE, the exhibition is the first in a series of four that will eventually showcase the work of the entire graduating class in a BFA exhibition. It is installed in the Gulf + Western Gallery (1st floor rear lobby) and the 8th Floor Gallery at 721 Broadway (at Waverly Place). Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays, and noon to 5 p.m. Saturdays. Admission is free. Photo identification is required for access to the building. For more information, visit www.photo.tisch.nyu.edu or call 212.998.1930.
In this exhibition: Samantha Adler photographs at night and explores how our perception transforms in the dark; Alexander Arbuckle explores life in Haiti three years after the January 2010 earthquake; Brittney Bell's Golden Youth is a series of portraits and landscapes depicting the fun, wild, and beautiful view of Southern California and its youth culture; Naomi Chassé transforms and updates select iconic images from Cindy Sherman's Untitled Film Stills series to explore her own understanding of femininity; Ki Chung explores the nature of memories through the context of his own past and recollections, and through the layering of images considers the different aspects--the real, the imaginary, and the time-traveling self; Shalea Harris documents the dialectic and segmented culture of Morocco as seen through its growing hip-hop scene, exemplifying the youth culture's simultaneous rebuttal and convergence with the country's age-old traditions; Ruoyi Jiang's The Burden of Proof is a collection of portraits that tell the all too familiar yet suppressed story of water contamination in the United States and its victims, who have not been helped by the legal system; and Michelle Peralta's Inter Nos is an exploration of intimacy as seen through a complex long-distance relationship among three close friends, ultimately speaking to the flexible and unconventional nature of realized affection in both a romantic and platonic setting.
Also in the exhibition: Jackie Russo's Where Do I Stand in This Light? is a study on the environment of Los Angeles and surrounding areas as seen from a distant and elevated vantage point, emphasizing Southern California's unique ability to melt into the sky beneath layers of its famous dreamlike haze; William Savinar's Cold, Alone, and Terrible is a mixed-media piece of imagery, music, and dialogue set inside the cranium of Willy Perified, a man driven insane by himself and by the godless, thoughtless world around him; Laura Stephenson's photographs of her family's land in upstate New York alternate in focus between the people and the property, exploring how the shared land holds and divides them; Rosemary Vega's work portrays her exploration and reconciliation of what and where "home" is for her; Daniel Wang's The Couch is a low-budget, improvisational video series in the tradition of underground filmmaking, consisting of multiple quick scenes and situations and resulting in a larger, non-linear narrative; and Emily Wheeler's series of photographs document ad-hoc music venues in order to explore ever-shifting spaces and constructed environments.
The Department of Photography and Imaging at the Tisch School of the Arts is a four-year B.F.A. program centered on the making and understanding of images. Students explore photo-based imagery as personal and cultural expression. Situated within New York University, the program offers students both the intensive focus of an arts curriculum and a serious and broad grounding in the liberal arts.


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Checking the Battery Level
You can check the battery level in two different ways when the headset is powering on.
LED Indicator
When the headset is powering on, the red LED flashes rapidly indicating the battery level.
4 flashes = High, 70 ~ 100%
3 flashes = Medium, 30 ~ 70%
2 flashes = Low, 0 ~ 30%
Voice Prompt Indicator
When you power on the headset, keep pressing the Phone Button and the Jog Dial simultaneously for about 3 seconds until you hear three, high toned beeps. Then you will hear a voice prompt indicating the battery level. However, if you release the buttons as soon as the headset turns on, you will not hear a voice prompt for the battery level indication.
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By Reuters
Oct 13 (Reuters) – Iran's oil exports have remained steady in recent months, Iran's OPEC governor said on Saturday, denying a report from the International Energy Agency (IEA) that Iran is struggling to arrest a decline in its oil sales.
In a report on Friday, the IEA estimated Iran's exports falling to a new low of 860,000 barrels per day (bpd) in September, a huge plunge from 2.2 million bpd at the end of 2011.
The drop in Iranian supply is supporting oil prices and hurting Tehran's revenues, deepening hardship for a population deprived of basic imports and adding to pressure on the government over its nuclear programme.
But Mohammad Ali Khatibi, Iran's OPEC governor, said the IEA's data was faulty and ran counter to data provided to OPEC by Iran.
"Iran's oil exports are the same as previous months and the situation is stable," Khatibi was quoted as saying by the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA) on Saturday.
Khatibi also denied that the only buyers of Iranian oil were China, India, South Korea, Japan, and Turkey.
"The market for Iranian oil is beyond the mentioned countries…We are always exploring new markets but we don't publicise them much because it may be detrimental," Khatibi said without elaborating.
The United States and its allies are pressing Tehran to give up its disputed nuclear programme by choking off oil revenues, which provide the vast majority of Iran's hard currency earnings. Iran says the programme is for peaceful purposes.
The European Union banned Iranian crude from July 1 and other countries have cut purchases in response to tighter U.S. sanctions. The EU ban prevents EU insurance firms from covering Iran's exports, hindering imports by some non-EU buyers.
On Friday, the European Union provisionally approved new sanctions against Iran over its nuclear programme, with senior diplomats giving their backing to measures against Tehran's banking sector and industry.
The Iran Project is not responsible for the content of quoted articles.


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The New Al-Qaida MenaceIf the new, decentralized al-Qaeda is such a threat that 19 American embassies, consulates and other diplomatic posts have to be shuttered for a week, we have a decade of wrongheaded U.S. policy to blame.
If the new, decentralized al-Qaeda is such a threat that 19 American embassies, consulates and other diplomatic posts have to be shuttered for a week, we have a decade of wrongheaded U.S. policy to blame.
The Arab Spring contributed by creating power vacuums for militant anti-Western jihadists to exploit. But myopic decision-making in Washington clearly played a huge role — and, while I hope we're getting smarter, I have my doubts.
President Obama's decision to order the closure of U.S. outposts in much of the Muslim world drew rare bipartisan support on Capitol Hill, with lawmakers on the House and Senate intelligence committees underscoring the perceived gravity of the threat. Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., called it "the most serious threat that I've seen in the last several years." Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, said that "the administration's call to close these embassies … was actually a very smart call."
It's hard to argue with prudent caution. At the same time, though, it's hard to understand just how worried we should be. Osama bin Laden lies in a watery grave. His organization, once based in Afghanistan, is decimated. Regularly we hear news of someone described as an al-Qaeda lieutenant being blasted to his reward by a drone-fired missile. There is a disconnect between these successes and the need to close so many U.S. facilities — while issuing a general warning to travelers — in fear of another attack.
The truth is that U.S. foreign policy helped create the new decentralized al-Qaeda, a branch of which is believed to be trying to launch some kind of strike.
The most fateful choice, and the biggest strategic error, was the decision to invade Iraq. George W. Bush's epic misadventure diverted resources and attention from the war in Afghanistan, giving a reprieve to the Taliban. The Iraq War also provided new focal points for jihadist grievance — Abu Ghraib, for example — and gave new oxygen to the simmering intra-Muslim conflict between Sunni and Shiite.
Al-Qaeda put down roots in chaotic Iraq. It did the same in lawless Yemen — home to the al-Qaeda "branch" or "affiliate" responsible for the current alert. While the original al-Qaeda may be moribund, its surviving leaders hiding in Afghanistan or Pakistan, terrorist groups bearing the name are trying their best to continue the fight.
First Bush and then Obama discovered the expediency of remotely piloted drone aircraft as instruments of war. Obama has waged what amounts to a campaign of targeted assassination, decimating the ranks of the various al-Qaeda branches. This strategy has the obvious merit of not putting American lives at risk. But the inevitable collateral damage — deaths of civilians, destruction of infrastructure — helps recruit new al-Qaeda conscripts.
The Arab Spring created opportunity for jihadists throughout the region. There is now an active al-Qaeda branch in Libya, where militants attacked the U.S. consulate in Benghazi in 2012. There is a branch that briefly occupied northern Mali before being pushed out by a French intervention. There is a branch fighting against the regime of Bashar al-Assad in the Syrian civil war.
And if Egypt's military rulers follow through with their crackdown against the Muslim Brotherhood, it would not be surprising to see something like an al-Qaeda affiliate begin to emerge in the Arab world's most populous nation, perhaps establishing a refuge in the largely ungoverned tribal lands of the Sinai Peninsula.
With a few exceptions — Bahrain, Jordan, Saudi Arabia — the Obama administration has tried to support popular movements and push hard for democracy. For his trouble, Obama is learning that no good deed goes unpunished. In Egypt, for example, the two sides agree on hardly anything except that they both feel betrayed by the United States.
My argument with Obama's policies is not that the president has tried too hard to end the "war on terror," as hawks allege. It's that he hasn't tried hard enough to leave behind the "war" metaphor as ill-suited to a struggle that is fundamentally ideological.
We should think in terms of engagement, not intervention. We should spend more money projecting "soft power" and less projecting military force. We should recognize that the rest of the world will not necessarily shape itself to fit our wishes. And our goal should be to have fewer anti-American terrorists in the world, not more.
Al-Qaeda turns out to be like a pool of mercury. Hit it with a hammer and you end up with ten little blobs instead of one big one.
Eugene Robinson's e-mail address is eugenerobinson(at)washpost.com.
© 2013, Washington Post Writers GroupWait, before you go…
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Note From a Cop
Written By; Scott Wagner a Police Academy Commander and Professor at Columbus State Community College in Columbus Ohio, and Commander of the 727 Counter Terror Training Unit. A 29 year law enforcement veteran, and current Deputy Sheriff, he is the Precision Marksman for the Union County Sheriff's Office SRT Team.
The fear on the street is palpable. Ever since the election of Barack Obama as President of these United States in November 2008, coupled with the election of a democrat party majority in both the U.S. House and Senate, concern for the United States and personal safety has ignited like a fire in dry grass.
Sales of guns – black guns, rifles, shotguns and handguns (particularly 9mm) everywhere, have gone through the roof. AR15s have literally flown off of dealer shelves, and only now in the spring of 2009, have I seen the display samples of ARs begin to reappear on the wall of my favorite shooting emporium after the initial post election rush.
Manufacturers of ARs are still working to catch up and some of the major suppliers are as much as 150,000 guns behind. Not only that, ammo is in the shortest supply I have ever seen in the 43 years of my shooting life. Have you recently tried to get 5.56mm, 9mm or even 380 ammo?
Supplies of 5.56mm and 9mm ammo are in short supply due to the black gun buying craze; .380ACP because of the rise in people getting concealed carry permits and the resurgence of interest in convenient 380 handguns like the fine Ruger LCP. In fact, in doing a review of the Ruger LCP, my gun store only had a small supply of ONE .380 round on hand, the Winchesters 95-grain SXT, which they had just gotten in. Unfortunately, I had to do a 30-round review of that pistol. There was none other to be found.
What is odd about this new fear is that it is not coming from the average citizen gun owner out there, but it is coming from what to me is an almost shocking source: street cops.
Street cops and SWAT cops that I know from various agencies – rural, suburban and metro – in my area are scared. Cops that before November 2008 never gave much thought (that I knew of anyway) to politics or more
importantly to gun rights. For the most part, these are the guys that didn't generally have any interest in shooting or gun ownership beyond keeping track of where their duty gun is, and a few of them didn't even do that so well.
The guys I am talking about now are some of the same guys who used to not even carry off duty on a regular basis- but not anymore. They don't scare easily, defenders of the Constitution of this State and the United States (as our oath of office reads), have been buying ARs, survival gear, and all the ammo they can lay their hands on. All of them (or I should say "us") have been discussing and have been acquiring guns to provide a layered perimeter defense.
What are we suddenly so afraid of? Well in our discussions it seems to boil down to four areas.
First, fear of federal government intrusion into our lives. Every time I look at or listen to the news, there is something new and intrusive coming out of the Obama administration and this Congress. New tax schemes, government-run Canadian-style healthcare, a volunteer citizen defense force (whatever that is, what happened to the National Guard?) equipped with funding similar to our military, forced voluntary "service" after retirement, a lack of a southern border with hordes of illegal and criminal aliens pouring over our border, the swine flu scare as well as government forced closing of thousands of privately held Chrysler and GM dealerships, which will be the final nail in the coffin for these companies and the list goes on and on.
But these items in the news are just the tip of the iceberg. We can't see the full impact of these actions yet, but we don't know what was added into the thousand of pages of stimulus package bills in the dead of night yet. I predict however that when the plans contained in the stimulus packages go into effect, a lot of us are going to be surprised if not shocked by what has suddenly and sweepingly changed.
What also scares us is the second, well-founded fear that there is an assault weapons ban looming, one that would make the Clinton Ban appear like a look of disdain in comparison. I remember well the 1990s and the Clinton years: the rise of militia groups, the "black helicopter" rumors and paranoia, all of which was motivated by the Brady Law and the Assault Weapon's ban. What if a new ban comes requiring registration or confiscation and turn-in of banned weapons as what happened in Australia?
...I foresee much civil disobedience coming down the road. Americans are citizens, and not subjects like the British, Canadians or Australians. They just don't always obey the law blindly and not one officer or citizen that I spoke to said anything like "I hope I get to keep this gun for awhile before they are banned; They are fun to shoot, so I would hate to give it up." It isn't going to happen, so the cop on the street and the soldier on the base needs to think now what he will do if the orders come down. I think you all get what I am saying here.
Which leads me to the third fear, that there is a revolution coming, yes, a revolution on the scale of the original American Revolution. You can hear this topic discussed on many of the talk radio shows by even the big name hosts. The possibility of an armed revolution against the U.S. government being discussed, albeit very gingerly and fleetingly and as something to be avoided, which it is. I never heard this mentioned in the 90s. One of my quietest, low profile officer friends brought it up the other day.
He said that at some point in the near future, he felt there is going to be an armed revolt if things keep going the way they are. Something has got to give. I was shocked. Yes, I had heard this from some of my more radical
cop friends in the past, but to hear it from a guy like this was unprecedented. Now, these guys are not saying this will happen to foment revolution, preach sedition or to even participate. They just want to be ready if it happens, to at least defend their families, because number four on the fear list is general societal chaos.
Cops fear for their parents, wives, children or grandchildren more now than ever before. Most cops are encouraging their spouses and loved ones to get concealed carry permits. Not only that, but some of these same cops are buying gun mounts for their personal cars so they can carry an AR in the family ride at the ready all the time. They are also strapping on heavier forms of off-duty hardware. I have other friends that are issued ARs or subguns for tactical team use, who always have their gear with them and are planning on just commandeering these weapons for personal use in defending hearth and home.
Final Notes
This is pretty heady and maybe even dangerous stuff. Know fully that I am not advocating anything here. I am reflecting to you what I see and hear going on around me, and maybe saying things that haven't been said in the
open, until now. It is something to think about.
Written By; Scott Wagner is a Police Academy Commander and Professor at Columbus State Community College in Columbus Ohio, and Commander of the 727 Counter Terror Training Unit. A 29 year law enforcement veteran, and current Deputy Sheriff, he is the Precision Marksman for the Union County Sheriff's Office SRT Team.
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