text:
15 November 2004, Volume 7, Number 42
INSIDE IRAQIRAQ DECLARES STATE OF EMERGENCY. The interim Iraqi government declared a state of emergency on 7 November, international media reported. Tha'ir al-Naqib, a spokesman for Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, announced the decision, effective immediately, during an internationally broadcast 7 November news conference. The state of emergency will be in place for 60 days and applies to the whole of Iraq except the northern region of Kurdistan. The interim government reserved the right to declare a state of emergency when it introduced the National Safety Law on 7 July. Under the National Safety Law, a state of emergency can only be declared for a period of 60 days, but may be renewed with the approval of the interim cabinet and presidential council. The declaration of a state of emergency was expected as the interim government takes steps to establish security ahead of the January elections. Iraqi media reported in recent days that the elections have been scheduled for the last week in January. Prime Minister Allawi gave details on the state of emergency during an 8 November press briefing. (Kathleen Ridolfo)
MILITANTS MAINTAIN FOCUS ON IRAQI POLICE. Militants continued to target Iraqi police forces in several cities last week. Gunmen attacked three Iraqi police checkpoints in Kirkuk on 12 November, Al-Sharqiyah television reported. Kirkuk Police Director Colonel Arkan Hamad said that unidentified militants ambushed the checkpoints, which are regularly used by U.S. forces. Hamad said that the militants seized weapons and escaped in two police vehicles.
Kirkuk Governor Abd al-Rahman Mustafa escaped an apparent assassination attempt on 11 November KurdSat television reported. The incident occurred when Mustafa's convoy was the target of a car bomb on the Shahidan Bridge in the city. Fourteen people were killed in that incident, including six of the governor's bodyguards. The body of a Kurd who worked as a translator for U.S. forces was found in a bag in the city, MENA reported on 6 November. A note written on the bag said that the same fate will befall everyone who "dares to cooperate with [Israeli] Mossad or the occupation forces," MENA reported.
Mosul remained an insurgency hotbed (see "RFE/RL Iraq Report," 5 November 2004) as militants attacked and raided six police stations, setting three ablaze, RFE/RL's Radio Free Iraq (RFI) reported on 11 November. An RFI correspondent in the city said that militants could be seen roaming the streets, which were deserted. The Ninawah governor imposed a curfew on the city on 10 November, Reuters reported.
AP reported on 12 November that the interim government fired Mosul Police Chief Brigadier General Muhammad Khayri Barhawi after reports that some Iraqi police abandoned their positions and in some cases cooperated with militants during the 11 November attacks.
U.S. Central Command issued a press release on 11 November that said U.S. forces had been called into the city after "anti-Iraqi forces exceeded the capabilities of the police on site" in clashes on 10-11 November. Four Iraqi National Guard units have also been dispatched to the city from their bases near the Syrian border, Ninawah Deputy Governor Khisro Goran said. The units are mainly comprised of Kurds who are former peshmerga forces that were incorporated into the National Guard. Militants also attempted to storm a food-distribution center in Mosul, in an attempt to destroy election-registration cards held there, Goran said, AP reported on 12 November. Brigadier General Muwaffaq Muhammad Dahham, the head of Mosul's anticrime unit, was also killed by militants near his home, and his home was then burned down, police sources said.
Militants attacked three Iraqi police stations in Ba'qubah on 9 November, international media reported. Reuters reported that there were conflicting reports coming from the city on the number of dead and wounded. Ahmad Fuad, the official in charge of the city's main morgue, told Reuters that 45 bodies were received following the attacks, adding that 32 people were wounded. He later retracted the figures, denying that any deceased victims of the attacks had been brought to the morgue. Diyala Governorate police chief Walid Abd al-Salam told Reuters that four policemen and four civilians were wounded in the attacks. Reuters cited Abd al-Salam as telling Al-Jazeera that seven militants were killed and four wounded in the clashes.
Reuters reported that a statement attributed to Tanzim Qa'idat Al-Jihad fi Bilad Al-Rafidayn was posted on the Internet on 9 November claiming attacks on three police stations in Ba'qubah that killed more than 45 policemen. Meanwhile, Arab satellite television channels reported on 9 November that gunmen control the cities of Hit and Al-Ramadi. Those reports were not confirmed.
Militants attacked three police stations in the Al-Anbar Governorate towns of Hadithah, Al-Haqlaniyah, and Al-Barwanah, Al-Jazeera reported on 7 November. The attacks left 23 policemen dead, Reuters reported. Twenty-one policemen were captured in the Hadithah fighting, taken to the nearby K-3 oil-pumping station, and killed execution-style. A policeman in Hadithah told AFP that the militants also confiscated weapons and 15 police vehicles.
Twelve national guardsmen were killed execution-style on a riverbank in Al-Latifiyah after militants disguised as policemen stopped their vehicle on 6 November, Voice of the Mujahedin Radio reported. The guardsmen were on their way home to Al-Najaf after attending a training program in Baghdad. The militants reportedly spared the life of the guardsmen's driver, and sent him to get ransom money in exchange for their handing over the bodies for burial.
Curfew was imposed in Samarra on 7 November after four car bombs targeted police stations in the city a day earlier, killing 34 and wounding 49 people, mostly policemen. Two car bombs detonated in Baghdad on 6 November, one on the Baghdad airport road and the other near the home of Finance Minister Adil Abd al-Mahdi.
The Iraqi Police Service graduated some 2,500 officers from basic training courses this week, U.S. Central Command said in an 11 November press release. The recruits were graduated from training programs located in Sulaymaniyah, the Baghdad Public Safety Academy, and from the Jordan International Police Training Center in Amman, Jordan. Nearly 80 women graduated from the Baghdad training program. The recruits were trained on the basics of policing skills and techniques and the ideals of law enforcement in a free society, the press release stated. The graduates will be immediately assigned to duty at stations throughout Iraq. (Kathleen Ridolfo)
SALAFI CLERIC ARRESTED AFTER THREATENING CALL TO WAR. U.S. forces stormed the Ibn Taymiyah Mosque in Baghdad on 11 November, Al-Jazeera television reported. Troops arrested Sheikh Mahdi al-Sumaydi'i, secretary-general of the Da'wah and Guidance Commission.
The Karbala News Network reported on 11 November that al-Sumaydi'i, a Salafi leader, had accused Prime Minister Allawi of "launching a war on the Sunnis." Al-Sumaydi'i also criticized Shi'ite Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani for remaining silent about the U.S.-led incursion on Al-Fallujah. The website quoted al-Sumaydi'i as accusing Shi'ite forces of "seeking and instigating the option of war against Al-Fallujah and other Sunni groups."
He said the Shura Council of the Ahl Al-Jama'ah wa Al-Sunnah has decided that it will support the people of Al-Fallujah through military means, adding that practical steps would be taken in the coming days. Al-Sumaydi'i stressed "the right of Arab elements to come to Iraq and stand alongside its people in the resistance." (Kathleen Ridolfo)
KIDNAPPERS SEIZE MEMBERS OF IRAQI PREMIER'S FAMILY, DEMAND END TO AL-FALLUJAH SIEGE. Three members of interim Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi's family were reportedly abducted by armed gunmen as they left their Baghdad home late on 9 November, RFE/RL's Radio Free Iraq reported the next day. The broadcaster quoted a member of Allawi's Iraqi National Accord party, Muna Ali, as saying the three were a cousin of the prime minister, Ghazi Allawi, his wife, and daughter-in-law. The Islamist group Ansar Al-Jihad reportedly claimed responsibility for the kidnapping through a statement on the Internet, adding that it will kill them unless the assault on Al-Fallujah is halted and prisoners are released.
Relatives of the daughter-in-law, identified as Wasna Muhammad Ja'far Husayni, said in a videotaped message aired on LBC satellite television on 11 November that the woman was in her last month of pregnancy and begged for her release, Reuters reported the same day. (Andy Heil, Kathleen Ridolfo)
SUNNI LEADERS VOW SUPPORT FOR MILITANTS. Muslim Scholars Association Secretary-General Harith al-Dari told Al-Jazeera in an 8 November interview that the "resistance" in Iraq has a legitimate right to fight and that his association supports that right. "Resistance has been legitimate since its first days.... The Iraqis carry out jihad out of their right to defend their country," he said. Al-Dari added that his association has called on Iraqi national guardsmen not to fight alongside multinational forces. "We issued a statement in which we appealed to the National Guard forces to be genuine Iraqi forces to defend the homeland and its sons, and not to fight alongside the enemies. We appealed to them not to obey the orders of the occupation forces." In an apparent threat, he added that if the National Guard "became partners to the occupiers, then it will certainly be considered part of them," implying that he will consider the National Guard a legitimate target of insurgents. (Kathleen Ridolfo)
IRAQI ISLAMIC PARTY WITHDRAWS FROM GOVERNMENT. The Iraqi Islamic Party withdrew from participation in the interim government on 8 November to protest the incursion on Al-Fallujah, Al-Jazeera television reported. The party issued a statement obtained by Al-Jazeera that accuses the government of collusion with multinational forces in shedding the blood of the Iraqi people.
Iraqi Islamic Party spokesman Farid Sadri confirmed the decision in an 8 November interview with Al-Jazeera, saying, "The party leadership says that there is nothing now that justifies our presence in this government." He added: "As a political party, we recognize the legitimacy of resisting occupation. We believed we could do something to stop the aggression of the U.S. government through political means. So far, our attempts have failed."
Senior party member Muhsin Abd al-Hamid resigned from the interim National Assembly after the party's announcement, Reuters reported on 9 November. Meanwhile, party member and Industry and Minerals Minister Hazim al-Hassani said he will not resign. "I believe that the fate of Iraq is more important than that of a political party, and I will stay with the government," he told Reuters, adding, "I will withdraw from the Iraqi Islamic Party." (Kathleen Ridolfo)
AL-ZARQAWI'S GROUP CALLS FOR RELEASE OF CARE WORKER. A number of jihadist websites on 5 November carried a statement attributed to Tanzim Al-Qa'idat fi Bilad Al-Rafidayn, which is affiliated with fugitive Jordanian militant Abu Mus'ab al-Zarqawi, calling for the release of Care International country director Margaret Hassan, who was kidnapped in Baghdad on 19 October. Her captors threatened in a videotaped message sent to Al-Jazeera on 2 November that they would hand her over to al-Zarqawi if British troops fail to withdraw from Iraq within 48 hours.
Al-Zarqawi's group said in the 5 November statement that it will release Hassan if she is handed over, because the Prophet Muhammad banned the killing of women and children. "We do not target women unless they fight or fall under the category of people whom the Shari'a [Islamic law] permits us to target, including those who take part in plotting" against Muslims. The statement said that Hassan's captors should either prove that she has acted as an agent for the enemy or release her.
A prominent member of the Al-Dulaymi tribe has established contact and initiated a dialogue with the kidnappers in an effort to secure Hassan's release, London's "Sunday Telegraph" reported on 7 November. (Kathleen Ridolfo)
VIDEOTAPE OF ARRESTED MILITANTS AIRED. The interim government released a videotape of 19 detainees it claims are foreign fighters, Al-Arabiyah reported on 8 November. Five of the detainees are Syrian, five Saudi, four Jordanian, two Egyptian, two Iranian, and one is Palestinian. The government said that the men were among 167 people arrested in recent operations, adding that the detainees intended to bomb Iraqi cities. Meanwhile, police launched a bold attack on militants in Al-Latifiyah on 7 November, AP reported on 8 November. An unidentified policeman with the Babil Governorate's police force said that some 60 police officers dressed in civilian clothing ambushed the militants in Al-Latifiyah, killing 25 militants during several hours of fighting. (Kathleen Ridolfo)
EXPATRIATES TO VOTE IN IRAQ'S JANUARY ELECTIONS. The Iraqi Election Commission has announced that Iraqi expatriates will be allowed to vote in January elections, nytimes.com reported on 5 November. "We've decided to allow Iraqis abroad to vote, and the mechanism will be worked out in the coming days," Adil al-Lami, a supervisor for the Election Commission told the website. "The voting will take place in those countries with a large number of Iraqis," he added.
The United Nations has said that allowing expatriate voting is not feasible in such a short period of time. "We've told them from point one that it's a very risky business," said Carlos Valenzuela, who heads the UN elections advisory team in Baghdad. "People don't realize the potential implications of this. They're huge -- practical, logistical, political. And all this has to be done in the time frame allotted." Commission spokesman Farid Ayyar told AFP that the commission will work to determine in which countries expatriate voting will take place. Iraqis will vote abroad using their passports or identity documents, he said. Some 2 million-4 million Iraqis are living abroad, particularly in the United States, United Kingdom, Jordan, and Iran. (Kathleen Ridolfo)
REGIONAL NEWSSYRIA REPORTEDLY TAKING CONCRETE STEPS TO SEAL BORDER. Syria is reportedly taking concrete steps to secure its border with Iraq, according to media reports in recent days. Reuters reported on 7 November that Syria and Iraq reached an agreement on border cooperation that day.
Syrian Foreign Minister Faruq al-Shara was quoted as saying that the agreement "will soon be put into force." Al-Jazeera reported the same day that Syria had beefed up security measures at the Abu Kamal (Al-Qa'im) border-crossing point, setting up sand barriers to close the crossing. An unnamed Syrian security official told Al-Jazeera that U.S. and Iraqi troops closed the crossing on the Iraqi side of the border. Baghdad's "Al-Ittihad" on 6 November cited a Syrian customs official as saying on 4 November that Iraq had closed the Al-Walid (Al-Tanf) crossing.
London's "Al-Hayat" cited growing Syrian concerns that the violence in Iraq might spill over onto Syrian soil in an 8 November report. The report contends that Syria had wanted to secure the borders earlier but did not have the resources or political ability to do so. Syrian officials said that with the passing of UN Security Council Resolution 1546 on 8 June that removed the term "occupation" from "multinational forces," Damascus became politically capable of dealing with Iraqi institutions, "Al-Hayat" reported. Baghdad's Al-Sharqiyah television on 8 November cited Foreign Minister Hoshyar al-Zebari as saying that Syrian has agreed to resume full diplomatic relations with Iraq.
In a separate report issued on 8 November, "Al-Hayat" reported that Jordanian officials are also concerned about Al-Qaeda elements that have infiltrated Jordan's borders. The newspaper said that Al-Qaeda-affiliated groups have carried out a number of operations within Jordan's borders over the past three years, adding that most of those operations were unsuccessful. The report cited an unnamed Jordanian official as saying that controlling the Iraq-Jordan border represents one of the biggest challenges facing Jordanian security services. (Kathleen Ridolfo)
IRAN TRAINING KURDS FOR COUNTERINSURGENCY. The pro-PKK/Kongra-Gel "Ozgur Politika" and "Ortadugu," an Istanbul daily that supports the right-wing Nationalist Action Party, reported on 6 November that the Iranian government intends to use Kurdish tribesmen as militiamen. Iranian officials are quoted as having told their Turkish counterparts that they will train, arm, and pay the Kurds. "Ozgur Politika" added that these forces are cooperating with Iran's Intelligence and Security Ministry, they will be used against Kurdish insurgents, and this is part of an earlier Iran-Turkey joint security operation (see "RFE/RL Iran Report," 12, 19, 26 July, and 9 August 2004).
"The Boston Globe" on 7 November cited PUK officials who charged that Iran is aiding members of the Kurdish Ansar Al-Islam group and Abu Mus'ab al-Zarqawi's group in Iraq.
A firefight erupted between Iranian soldiers and eight men with the PKK/Kongra Gel, the Baztab website reported on 9 November, and one soldier was wounded. The incident occurred in the Dalman region near the West Azerbaijan Province city of Urumiyeh. According to Baztab, PKK splinter groups sometimes infiltrate to extort food or money from villagers.
Tehran's imputed actions could be linked with a report in the 28 June issue of "The New Yorker" suggesting that Israeli military and intelligence specialists are training Kurdish commandos and have penetrated Iranian territory to install devices that target suspected Iranian nuclear facilities. Iran's arming of villagers in the northwest and forming them into civil-defense units could have another explanation. An identical development took place along the eastern borders several years ago (see "RFE/RL Iran Report," 18 September and 30 October 2000), and the creation of such units is a common counterinsurgency tool. (Bill Samii)
EUROPE, THE U.S., AND IRAQCOALITION MAY DWINDLE AFTER IRAQI ELECTIONS. A number of coalition member states are considering or have already decided that their forces will begin withdrawing from Iraq after national elections in January. This could affect the ability of multinational forces to rein in militants if the militants misinterpret this development as a sign of reduced international support for the coalition.
A possible redeployment of Polish forces from Iraq would represent a significant loss for the coalition. Poland currently has some 2,500 troops located in south-central Iraq, with thousands of multinational forces under its command. But the government remains divided over the presence of Polish troops in Iraq. According to the "International Herald Tribune" of 5 October, some 80 percent of Poles want their troops to return home. Defense Minister Jerzy Szmajdzinski said in early October that Polish troops should depart Iraq when UN Security Council Resolution 1546 (8 June 2004) expires at the end of 2005. That resolution endorsed the transfer of power from the Coalition Provisional Authority to the Iraqi interim government and set a timetable for national elections and the drafting by 31 December 2005 of a permanent Iraqi constitution.
Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski confirmed the possible redeployment on 4 October (see "RFE/RL Iraq Report," 8 October 2004) saying that it could begin as early as January and be completed by year-end. He told PAP news agency in an interview published on 8 November that Iraq's national elections are "for us a very important point of entry into a new stage." Kwasniewski hinted that his government might be open to the possibility of recommitting troops to Iraq via an agreement reached with the future elected government and the United Nations.
Polish Prime Minister Marek Belka has been opposed to any troop redeployment. He told the Warsaw daily "Rzeczpospolita" in an interview published on 5 October that Polish troops will remain in Iraq. Belka said on 5 November that the withdrawal of troops from Iraq "would be irresponsible," PAP reported the same day. Belka did concede in a 7 November interview with "Polska Zbrojna" that the status of Polish forces in Iraq would have to change when Resolution 1546 expires. "Reducing the size of our contingent, and in the longer-term perspective ending the mission, is above all not a goal in and of itself. We are in Iraq, after all, in order to achieve certain interests, both international ones as well as our own, national ones," he said, adding that Poland should be "flexible" about its presence in Iraq.
The Hungarian government announced on 4 November that it will withdraw its 300 troops from Iraq within five months but the pullout could begin as early as year-end. Hungary's mandate in Iraq expires on 31 December. The government proposed a three-month extension of the mandate through 31 March, but the proposal has yet to receive parliamentary support from opposition members.
Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany spoke about the possible pullout in a 9 November interview with state radio. "We mustn't run away from Iraq, but return home with honor," Gyurcsany said. "But to do so, it is necessary to carry out what we have undertaken, notably to be there during the time of the democratic election that is considered to be the most important condition of a democratic settlement [in Iraq]." Polls show 60 percent of Hungarians want their troops home, AP reported on 5 November.
Portugal announced on 7 November that it would extend its mission, due to expire next week, for another 90 days in order to provide support during January's elections, AFP reported. Portugal deployed 128 national guardsmen to Al-Nasiriyah in November 2003.
Bulgaria appears to remain committed to keeping its forces in Iraq, but will likely reduce them from 483 to 430, according to media reports. Bulgarian troops on 8 November completed a relocation of its forces from Karbala to Al-Diwaniyah. The government announced that it has allocated 40 million levs (about $26.6 million) in support for its battalion in Iraq in 2005, novinite.com reported on 7 November.
Singapore also intends to reduce its forces from 191 to 32, while Moldova will reduce its troop commitment from 42 to 12, nytimes.com reported on 4 November.
Slovakian Defense Ministry spokesman Zenon Mikle said that Slovak troops would remain in Iraq and that the government is not considering withdrawing its forces "for the time being," sme.sk reported on 5 November. Mikle said that the situation could change depending upon the situation following January elections. Slovakia's 102 soldiers in Iraq are carrying out humanitarian tasks including mine clearing.
The Czech Republic extended its mandate in Iraq on 4 November by two months in order to help provide security during elections. The mandate was scheduled to end on 31 December. The Czech Republic has some 100 military policemen in Iraq. Czech Defense Minister Karel Kuehnl said in October that the country will propose a training program inside the Czech Republic for future Iraqi officers (see "RFE/RL Iraq Report," 15 October 2004). The military may also contribute surplus military equipment to the Iraqi armed forces. Recent media reports also indicate that Czech doctors will remain in Iraq.
Dutch officials have said that they will withdraw their forces by 15 March. Some 1,300 Dutch troops are serving under British command in southern Iraq, AFP reported on 1 November.
Georgia appears to be the only coalition member set on significantly increasing its deployment to Iraq. The government announced on 6 November that it will increase its force from 159 to 850 soldiers, AP reported. Those troops will mainly be tasked with providing protection for United Nations facilities and personnel ahead of January elections.
Fiji will send some 174 soldiers to Iraq next week to help provide security for UN officials and facilities in Iraq (see "RFE/RL Iraq Report," 22 October 2004).
The United Kingdom, Australia, and Italy -- the staunchest supporters of the coalition -- appear committed to maintaining their current troop levels. Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said in a 7 November interview that troops may pull out of Iraq by December 2005, but added that any redeployment would hinge on a number of factors related to security issues inside Iraq, news.com.au reported on 8 November. The United Kingdom has some 12,000 troops in Iraq, while Italy has about 3,100 soldiers there.
Spain, the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Honduras, the Philippines, Thailand, Norway, and New Zealand have all withdrawn or plan on withdrawing their troops from Iraq by year-end -- a total loss of about 2,800 troops.
The pullout of coalition members may affect security conditions in Iraq, but more importantly may be misinterpreted by militants in Iraq as an sign that the redeployments as a lessening of international support for the U.S.-led coalition. That perception can be overcome if the government elected in January takes immediate steps to seek a new UN mandate in support of multinational forces, possibly even months ahead of the current resolution's expiry. Regardless of the countless statements by some Iraqi officials that call for a withdrawal of multinational forces from Iraq, the reality is that Iraq's security forces remain small in number, inexperienced, and vulnerable to desertion. If Iraq is to drive the insurgency outside its borders and rebuild its infrastructure, it will need the help of the U.S.-led coalition for many months to come. (Kathleen Ridolfo)
IRAQI LEADER IN BRUSSELS FOR EU SUMMIT. Prime Minister Allawi met with European Union leaders at the EU summit in Brussels on 5 November, international media reported. The summit addressed the details of a 31.5 million-euro ($41.8 million) package to support elections in Iraq, the EU's website reported on 4 November (http://www.europe.eu.int). The European Commission has also pledged to fund a number of additional programs to support the election process in Iraq, including a collaborative program with the United Nations and the Iraqi Election Commission to train Iraqi election observers. The website noted that the new pledges bring the commission's total 2003-04 contribution to Iraq to nearly 320 million euros. Proposals for a 2005 aid package to Iraq currently sets the aid figure at about 200 million euros.
Allawi drew sharp criticism from EU leaders on 4 November after labeling some of them "spectators" for not taking a more active role in the U.S.-led coalition supporting Iraq, international media reported the same day. Allawi told reporters during a 4 November press conference in Rome: "From this podium, I call on the countries which took a spectator role with regard to the Iraqi issue to cooperate with us to build a better Iraq and a better future. Iraq is determined to return to the international community, and it is also determined to make the international community return to it."
The EU's Dutch presidency commented on Allawi's remarks before the opening session of the summit in Brussels. "That has angered some in Paris, and I think that the language used was not the most felicitous one, and we will certainly say something about it tonight," Dutch Foreign Minister Bernard Bot told reporters, AFP reported on 4 November. "But what matters is that we strike a positive note and that we discuss with Mr. Allawi the future and not look back too much," he added. (Kathleen Ridolfo)
By Kathleen Ridolfo
Prime Minister Iyad Allawi kept his word after weeks of warning and authorized U.S. and Iraqi forces to launch a large-scale incursion into the volatile city of Al-Fallujah on 8 November.
Allawi spokesman Tha'ir al-Naqib announced on 7 November that the interim government's negotiations with Al-Fallujah representatives had failed to reach a peaceful solution, Al-Sharqiyah television reported on 7 November. Al-Naqib said that the door would remain open for talks, even if a major incursion was launched, leaving no doubt that an offensive attack was imminent.
Some 350 British soldiers of the Black Watch regiment moved to secure the east bank of the Euphrates River in an effort to block militants from moving north from Baghdad, London's Sky News reported on 7 November. British forces also took up positions in the desert west of Baghdad, Sky News reported.
Prime Minister Allawi's office announced on 8 November that it was imposing a number of security measures on the city, including a curfew; the closure of roads, except for emergency cases; the closure of public institutions, aside from hospitals, fire departments, and other pubic-service departments; and a ban on weapons. Allawi also ordered the Baghdad International Airport, located just east of Al-Fallujah, closed to civilian flights for 48 hours. The interim government also closed the country's borders with Syria and Jordan except for essential travel and the transport of foodstuffs.
The first objective of U.S.-led forces was to secure a hospital on the western outskirts of the city on 8 November; two key bridges over the Euphrates River were also secured in the early morning hours, AP reported. About 10,000 U.S. forces and 2,000 Iraqi forces launched a full-scale assault on an estimated 3,000 militants in the city after sundown on 8 November.
U.S. Lieutenant General Thomas Metz told an 8 November press briefing at the Pentagon that suspected Al-Qaeda-linked Jordanian terrorist Abu Mus'ab al-Zarqawi was probably not in the city of Al-Fallujah, RFE/RL reported.
CNN cited U.S. military officials on 9 November as saying that militants in the city were not as coordinated as expected. Tank-company commander Captain Robert Bodisch told Reuters, however, that insurgents were "putting up a strong fight," the agency reported on 9 November. Al-Arabiyah also reported heavy street fighting in the city, with its correspondent reporting that he saw four U.S. tanks burning. He claimed that U.S. forces bombed a medical center in the city, killing "scores" of doctors, medical staff, and patients. Doctors at Al-Fallujah Hospital said there are no surgeons on duty in the city, adding that at least 15 civilians were killed in fighting on 8 November, Reuters reported. Iraqi State Minister for National Security Affairs Qasim Dawud told Al-Arabiyah in an 8 November interview that the operation was code-named Operation Walfajr, or Daybreak.
Foreign Minister Hoshyar al-Zebari told AP on 9 November that military operations in Al-Fallujah will not last long, adding that restoring security to the city was crucial for the January election. "This is the only way for us to [achieve] any credibility to hold general elections throughout the country. All of Iraq should be conducive to such voting, and no area should be outside the government," al-Zebari said.
By the fourth day of fighting on 12 November, U.S. military officials at the Pentagon said they believed they had control of 80 percent of the city. U.S. forces had trapped militants in the southern section of the city, Reuters cited U.S. Marine officials as saying on 12 November; AP cited military officials as saying that some 600 militants were killed in four days of fighting. Eighteen U.S. and five Iraqi troops were also killed; some 178 U.S. and 34 Iraqi soldiers have been wounded in the offensive, according to casualty figures released on 11 November. By day-end, the Pentagon said that 22 U.S. soldiers had died over the past week in Al-Fallujah.
"They can't go north because that's where we are. They can't go west because of the Euphrates River, and they can't go east because we have a huge presence there. So they are cornered in the south," Marine Master Sergeant Roy Meek told Reuters. U.S. forces destroyed the Hajj Husayn Mosque in the city in overnight bombing, Reuters reported, citing a U.S. military source as saying that mosques are considered legitimate targets if militants use them for military purposes. The commander of the U.S. 1st Marine Division, Major General Richard Natonski, said troops have found arms caches in "almost every single mosque" in Al-Fallujah, AP reported. Allawi spokesman Tha'ir al-Naqib said that some 150 militants had surrendered to U.S. forces. Al-Naqib said that the government will announce a general amnesty that will include the militants. Al-Diyar television cited al-Naqib as saying that the men did not commit crimes against the people of Iraq. That report has not been independently confirmed.
U.S. Marines discovered what appeared to be a "slaughterhouse" in the northern Julan district of Al-Fallujah where hostages are thought to have been held and even killed by militants, AP reported on 12 November. Major General Natonski went to the site, telling reporters about a small room with no windows and one door. He said he saw two thin mattresses, straw mats covered in blood, and a wheelchair that was apparently used to transport captives, AP reported.
The news agency also cited a Fox News report that said another Marine battalion found five bodies in a locked house in northwest Al-Fallujah on 10 November. The victims had been shot in the back of the head. Their identities were not known, but they appeared to be civilians, AP reported. U.S. Marines also found the Syrian driver taken hostage with two French reporters in late August in an undisclosed location in Al-Fallujah on 11 November, AP reported. The Syrian reportedly told military officials that he was separated from the reporters about a month ago.


text:
Due Impartiality, Due Accuracy and Undue Prominence of Views & Opinions
Key Points
In News Programmes
- News, in whatever form, must be reported with due accuracy and presented with due impartiality. Presenting a story or item with "due impartiality" means presenting it in an appropriately balanced and fair way.
- Significant mistakes in news should normally be acknowledged and corrected on air quickly. Corrections should be appropriately scheduled.
- Politicians must not be used as newsreaders, interviewers or reporters in news programmes unless, exceptionally, it is editorially justified, in which case that person's political allegiance must be made clear to viewers.
In Non-News Programmes
- Programmes dealing with matters of political or industrial controversy or matters relating to current public policy must be duly impartial. Whilst in most cases individual programmes should be duly impartial in themselves, impartiality can be achieved over a series of programmes taken as a whole. However, wherever impartiality is to be achieved over two or more programmes, this should be made clear to viewers, for example by an on-air announcement immediately prior to each programme. In addition, views and facts must not be misrepresented and should be presented with due weight over appropriate timeframes.
- Any personal interest of a reporter or presenter, which would call into question the due impartiality of the programme, must be made clear to the audience.
- Presenters and reporters (or a chair in a discussion programme) can express their own views on matters of political or industrial controversy or matters relating to current public policy as long as alternative viewpoints are represented and due impartiality is achieved either within the programme itself or within a series of programmes taken as a whole.
- "Personal view" or "authored" programmes, which present a particular view or perspective, must be clearly signalled to viewers as being so at the outset. Producers must seek advice from the programme lawyer at an early stage.
- Major matters. In addition to the above rules, in relation to major matters of political or industrial controversy and major matters relating to current public policy, for example matters of national or international importance, a programme or clearly linked programmes must include and give due weight to an appropriately wide range of significant views. Views and facts must not be misrepresented.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Donate Books
We accept the following types of book donations:
- Used Books – You can give a new life to the books you don't need anymore!
- Please only recent/high quality, elementary school books.
- Please no workbooks, or books that are worn or have been marked in.
- No adult books or young adult books.
- We'd rather have fewer, higher quality books than a larger number that includes low interest/old books.
- Please no religious books.
- We generally have more need for books for younger readers, grades K-2.
- Graphic novels are very popular. Bilingual books in Spanish are welcome.
Examples of popular titles: Dog Man (and other Dav Pilkey), Elephant & Piggie (and other Mo Willems), Geronimo Stilton, Fly Guy, Dork Diaries, Pete the Cat, Splat the Cat, I Survived, Babymouse, Hilo, Narwhal, Dragonbreath, and more
- New Books – of course we love receiving new books! You can purchase books in the following ways:
- Our Amazon Wishlist: https://tinyurl.com/abbawish (Please note that this wishlist generally shows the hardcover version of book titles, which we prefer for library use. Choose the paperback version – paperbacks are great for book drives, cheaper and the books will go to our little lending libraries!)
- Another option is to make your own shorter wishlist, of books your child likes, and share that for people to browse/buy from
- Donors can purchase books locally at Linden Tree or Books Inc.
$$ Donations – If you give money, we can then use it to buy books for children in need.
Thank you!
Contact Us to Arrange a Donation
Please email firstname.lastname@example.com to arrange a donation date and drop off location.


text:
Serves 4; Cals per portion: 545
Ingredients: 225g (8oz) short-crust pastry; 30ml (2 tbsp) finely grated parmesan cheese; 175mg (6oz) Parma ham; 4 large plum tomatoes; 50g (2oz) pine nuts; 45m (3 tblsp) olive oil.
- On a lightly floured surface roll out the pastry thinly and sprinkle the Parmesan Cheese over the top. Roll over the pastry with a rolling pin to press the cheese into the pastry. Use the pastry to line a 23cm (9in) fluted flan tin then prick all over with a fork.
- Line the pastry case with greaseproof paper and fill with baking beans (or dried pulses). Bake blind at 200oC, 400oF, Gas 6 for 20 mins. Remove the lining and the beans and bake for a further 5-10 mins until the pastry case is crisp and golden. Leave to cool.
- Fill the cooled pastry case with the strips of Parma ham, tomato wedges and pine nuts. Drizzle with 30ml (2tblsp) of the olive oil and place under a pre-heated moderate grill for 5-10 mins until the tomatoes begin to soften slightly.


text:
Seeking a secluded island to live out your Robinson Crusoe fantasy?
Look no further than Pom Pom Island, once featured (together with Mataking) in Expedition Robinson, the Swedish version of hit reality TV show Survivor.
The island takes pride in itself for being a tropical paradise where there is 'never a dull moment'. Hop aboard a Pom Pom-bound speedboat for a once-in-a-lifetime experience and let your swashbuckling adventure begin today!
Accommodation & day tours
► Pom Pom, Timba-Timba & Mataking day trip – Book today >>
There are two resorts but no villages on the island. With minimal human impact and pollution, Pulau Pom Pom is one of the most exciting dive destinations around Semporna.
1. Pom Pom Island Resort
The dreamy atmosphere of Pom Pom Island Resort is perfect for couples desiring a romantic getaway or beach wedding.
Equipped with rustic-chic, resort-style accommodation, visitors can look forward to recuperating in air-conditioned rooms after a hot, sunny day at the beach or booking a pampering spa or massage session for the ultimate tropical island experience.
Unlimited jetty/house reef diving
► Check pricing for Pom Pom Island Resort on: Agoda | Expedia
2. Celebes Beach Resort
Celebes Beach Resort is a newly revamped resort with diving facilities located near an idyllic and secluded stretch of sandy beach with coconut palms lining its fringe.
Unlimited jetty/house reef diving
► Check pricing for Celebes Beach Resort on Agoda.com
Things to do
Tropical Research and Conservation Center (TRACC)
TRACC organizes marine conservation projects for volunteers including reef restoration, coral planting and turtle conservation in and around Pulau Pom Pom.
Tun Sakaran Marine Park
A visit to Bohey Dulang Island in Tun Sakaran Marine Park is recommended as Pulau Pom Pom is located just 15-20 minutes away.
Turtle nesting/hatching
The island is surrounded by a beautiful white sand coral beach, a significant nesting site for the endangered green and hawksbill turtles.
Guests who stay during the turtle nesting season (April – November) often get to witness first hand the hatching and releasing of baby turtles into the ocean, a unique and memorable experience.
Snorkeling & scuba diving
As one of Semporna's top dive sites, scuba diving and snorkeling aficionados often choose to spend the day underwater fawning over the vivid and unique marine life found in the area.
Getting here
Pom Pom is ±40 minutes by speedboat from the town of Semporna, and 15-20 minutes away from both Mataking and Tun Sakaran Marine Park.
More info
Pulau Pom Pom is a small, low-lying coral reef island 2.3 km in circumference at the high tide line with a fringing coral reef 4 km long and a maximum elevation of less than 2m above the high tide line.
The reef flat is about 50-75m wide towards the west and several hundred metres wide around most parts of the island.
The island itself is densely wooded with small trees especially from the pandanus family.


text:
Dr. Nyerges is a microbiologist interested in all things microbes. Her research with undergraduate students focuses on antibiotic resistance in environmental samples, such as soil and water.
Sarah Sillin is an assistant professor of English at Central Washington University. Her research on feeling and foreign relations in 19th-century US literature appears in The African American Review, The Journal of American Studies, J19, and Early American Literature.
Adrian Villicana is an assistant professor of social psychology within the Fairhaven College of Interdisciplinary Studies at Western Washington University. Adrian's research examines how our social categories influence how we perceive and interact with each other. Keywords that would describe Adrian's expertise and scholarship: identity, stereotypes, discrimination, LGBT, perceptions, disclosure, intersectionality, quantitative methods.
Assistant Professor, Department of Philosophy
Assistant Professor, Department of Physics
Professor, Department of Physics
Dean, College of Mines and Earth Sciences
Professor, Department of Metallurgical Engineering
Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry
Director of Undergraduate Research
Chair, Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences
Associate Professor, Department of Psychology
Associate Professor, Department of Political Science
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology
Professor, Department of Psychology
Assistant Professor, Department of Biological Sciences
Associate Professor, Department of Mathematics
Associate Professor, Department of Psychology
Professor, Department of Chemistry
Vice Provost for Undergraduate Studies
Associate Professor, Department of Sociology
Associate Professor, Department of Economics
Assistant Professor, Department of Anthropology and Sociology
Assistant Professor, Department of English
Elizabeth E. Tavares, PhD, (she/her) is an interdisciplinary scholar of Medieval and Renaissance literature and performance. She is currently at work on her first book manuscript, The Repertory System Before Shakespeare: Playing the Stock Market, which traces the development of the repertory system and the ways in which it conditioned the 1580s and '90s English theatre industry to argue that it was repetition, revision, and collaboration, rather than novelty, that produced the diverse, solvent marketplace in which William Shakespeare and his contemporaries would come to train.
Tavares's scholarship and reviews have appeared in or are forthcoming from Shakespeare Studies, Shakespeare Bulletin, Notes & Queries, Shakespeare, Scene, The Journal of Dramatic Theory & Criticism, and The Map of Early Modern London, among others. She has been the recipient of numerous fellowships and grants, including from the NEH, Mellon Foundation, Early Modern Conversions, Folger Library, Huntington Library, Newberry Library, and Society for Theatre Research. This research has been recognized with prizes from the Medieval & Renaissance Drama Society and Illinois Program for Research in the Humanities.
Professor, Department of Biology Associate Editor, Western North American Naturalist
Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry
Associate ProfessorGeological Sciences and Science Education
User Experience and Assessment Librarian


text:
The head boy of his chorus back in civilization, Jack becomes the leader of the hunters on the island. Jack loves power. Laws and rules interest him only because they give him the chance to punish the other boys and express his dominance over them. He loves to hunt and kill because it gives him a chance to dominate nature. Jack gets angry whenever he doesn't get his way: he believes a proper leader issues orders and is obeyed. By the end of the novel he becomes exactly that sort of leader, wielding power only for his own whim and benefit. Jack symbolizes the human love of dominance and power.
Jack Quotes in Lord of the Flies
The Lord of the Flies quotes below are all either spoken by Jack or refer to Jack. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:).
Chapter 4 Quotes
"Kill the pig! Cut her throat! Spill her blood!"
Related Characters: Jack (speaker)
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
His mind was crowded with memories; memories of the knowledge that had come to them when they closed in on the struggling pig, knowledge that they had outwitted a living thing, imposed their will upon it, taken away its life like a long satisfying drink.
Related Characters: Jack
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 8 Quotes
The spear moved forward inch by inch and the terrified squealing became a high-pitched scream. Then Jack found the throat and the hot blood spouted over his hands. The sow collapsed under them and they were heavy and fulfilled upon her.
Related Characters: Jack
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Jack Character Timeline in Lord of the Flies
The timeline below shows where the character Jack appears in Lord of the Flies. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 1
...of the older boys are members of a choir, dressed in black. Their leader is Jack, a redhead who tries to take control of the meeting. One of the boys in... (full context)
The boys decide to vote for a leader. Everyone in the choir votes for Jack, but all the other boys vote for Ralph because he blew the conch. To keep... (full context)
Ralph decides the boys must explore their island. He and Jack will both go, of course. Ralph ignores Piggy's whining pleas to be included, and picks... (full context)
...mountain to the beach. On the way, they spot a wild pig caught in vines. Jack pulls out his pocket knife, but pauses before striking, and the pig escapes. Jack vows... (full context)
Chapter 2
...blows the conch to call another meeting. Ralph announces that they're on an uninhabited island. Jack interrupts to say that they still need an army in order to hunt pigs. (full context)
Jack, excited, shouts out that they can make more rules and punish whoever breaks them. (full context)
...older boys dismiss this "beastie" as just a nightmare, but the younger boys seem scared. Jack grabs the conch and says there's no snake-thing. If there is, he adds, his hunters... (full context)
...of dead wood on the mountain. They can't figure out how start the fire until Jack grabs the glasses off Piggy's face. Ralph uses the glasses to focus the sun's rays... (full context)
...burns out because the wood is so dry. Piggy starts to criticize the boys, but Jack shouts him down. Simon points out that Piggy's glasses made the fire possible. (full context)
Ralph says they have to keep the fire burning every day without fail. Jack volunteers himself and his hunters to do the job. (full context)
Chapter 3
It's weeks later. In the deep silence of the jungle, Jack tracks a pig and hurls his spear at it. As usual, he misses. Jack returns... (full context)
...he and Simon are working on the huts, which are falling apart. He complains to Jack that everyone else is off playing or hunting. (full context)
Ralph's complaint offends Jack. Ralph points out that all the hunters except Jack came back hours ago, and are... (full context)
...as if the island is bad, not the good island Ralph described in Chapter 2. Jack agrees. While hunting in the jungle, he says, he often feels like he's the one... (full context)
Ralph puts the focus of the conversation back on getting rescued. He mentions Jack and the hunter's responsibility for the fire, which causes another argument. Jack claims hunting is... (full context)
Chapter 4
Jack emerges from the forest and calls to Roger, telling him to follow. In the jungle,... (full context)
...the pig. Cut her throat. Spill her blood." The hunters come up to the mountaintop. Jack, not realizing what's happened, is triumphant after killing the pig. Furious, Ralph tells Jack about... (full context)
Piggy and even some of the hunters start yelling at Jack. Jack, humiliated and angry, hits Piggy. Piggy's glasses fly off, breaking a lens. Jack mocks... (full context)
Eventually Jack apologizes for letting the fire die. Ralph asks Piggy's permission to use his glasses to... (full context)
Chapter 5
...He doesn't know why, but he thinks they should discuss their fear to overcome it. Jack takes the conch. He calls the littleun's crybabies. He says he's been all over the... (full context)
...boys if they're humans or savages? He mentions the hunters letting the fire go out. Jack furiously rips the conch from him. (full context)
Ralph accuses Jack of breaking the rules. Jack questions Ralph's leadership. He says he doesn't care about the... (full context)
...down as chief, but Piggy protests. He says everything would descend into chaos, and then Jack would target Piggy. (full context)
Chapter 6
Ralph calls a meeting that quickly becomes heated. Jack questions Ralph's decisions and leadership, mocks Piggy, and claims the conch no longer matters. For... (full context)
...the littleuns. At the far tip of the island, the biguns find a rock formation Jack calls the "castle." The rock is accessible only by a piece of stone forty feet... (full context)
The boys find no beast, but Jack is excited because the rock protects a cave and would make a terrific fort. It... (full context)
Chapter 7
...they need to use a real pig next time, so they can really kill it. Jack suggests they use a littleun. All the other boys laugh. (full context)
Jack mocks Ralph's concern for Piggy. Ralph asks Jack why he hates him. The question makes... (full context)
At the base of the mountain, the boys stop for the night. But Jack questions Ralph's courage, and so Ralph agrees to climb right then. Only Roger agrees to... (full context)
Chapter 8
Jack says his hunters could kill the beast. Ralph says they're just boys with sticks. Infuriated,... (full context)
Next Jack accuses Ralph of belittling the hunters. He says Ralph is like Piggy and isn't a... (full context)
Jack storms off, humiliated and crying. He vows to form a new group, and says anyone... (full context)
...that all the biguns but Samneric and Piggy have disappeared. Most have gone to join Jack. (full context)
Elsewhere in the jungle, Jack declares himself chief of the boys who have joined him. As chief, he says he's... (full context)
The boys track, corner, and kill a big sow (a female pig). Jack cuts off its head. He decides they'll raid Ralph's camp fore fire to cook the... (full context)
Jack emerges from the forest into Ralph's camp. As his followers steal fire from the signal... (full context)
...have fun on this island!" The beast warns Simon that if he tries to interfere Jack, Roger, Maurice, Robert, Bill, Piggy, and Ralph will "do" him. (full context)
Chapter 9
Meanwhile, everyone but a few littleuns and Ralph and Piggy have gone to Jack's feast. Ralph mocks the feast as a bunch of boys "pretending" to act like a... (full context)
When Ralph arrives, Jack asks the gathered boys who will join his tribe. Ralph says that he's still chief... (full context)
It starts to rain, and Ralph laughs that Jack's tribe had no foresight to build shelters. In response, Jack whips the group into "their... (full context)
Chapter 10
...next morning, Piggy and Ralph discover that every bigun except them and Samneric has joined Jack's tribe. Ralph tells Piggy that the "beast" that came out of the forest was Simon,... (full context)
Jack says they'll go hunting tomorrow and have a feast. To cook the meat, they'll raid... (full context)
Chapter 11
...an assembly. He does. They decide to go to Castle Rock. Piggy plans to ask Jack to give back his glasses because "what's right's right." Ralph, Sam, and Eric decide to... (full context)
Jack appears from the forest behind Ralph's group, followed by hunters carrying a pig on a... (full context)
Ralph demands that Jack return Piggy's glasses. He mentions again the importance of the signal fire. Jack's tribe has... (full context)
Ralph and Jack start to fight again, but Piggy asks to speak and Ralph relents. Piggy raises the... (full context)
Stunned silence descends over the tribe. But suddenly Jack screams and throws his spear at Ralph, aiming to kill. Ralph runs into the jungle,... (full context)
The tribe brings Samneric into the fort. Jack prods them with his spear to terrorize them into joining his tribe. Roger brushes past... (full context)
Chapter 12
...a hiding place in the forest. He thinks the boys have become savages and knows Jack will try to kill him. (full context)
...on Castle Rock. Samneric are guarding the gates. He sneaks up to them. Frightened of Jack and Roger, Samneric beg Ralph to leave. But first they give him meat and tell... (full context)
...of the forest behind Ralph. The officer asks who's in charge. Ralph says he is. Jack is quiet. Percival Wemys Madison tries and fails to say his own name. (full context)


text:
City Attractions
Cotabato city's historical sites are the Takumi Butai Shrine, Kutawato Cave, Shariff Kabunsuan marker, Old Capitol Building at PC Hill, City Hall, and Immaculate Conception Church at Tamontaka, Rio Grande de Mindanao, Maguindanao Motif, PC Hill and Timako Hill.
Kuta-Wato Caves
These Caves are the source of the city's present name for "KUTA" means FORT and "WATO" means STONE hence the name "Stone Fort" which later on became Cotabato.
The Kutawato Caves is a network of caves and tunnels found at the foot of Tantawan. These caves are located right in the heart of the city with four major entrances offering various natural attractions like rock formations, salt water ponds, and underground river.
Its walls of white, beige and brownish shade glitters in the dark and echoes a colorful past dating back to the days when no foreign foot yet trampled upon its land.
The caves had given sanctuary to the natives when
the Spaniards tried to convert them into the Castillan Faith and
has served the purpose when the Filipino guerillas fought the invading
force of the Japanese Imperial Army during the Second World War.
Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto
The Church of Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto Tamantoka is historically linked to the Jesuits in 1871 during the conversion days. The Church is a living witness to the harmony that exists among Muslims and Christians. The statue of the Lady of Lourdes Grotto is a replica of the original in France.
The compound is equipped with ideal retreat house for recollection and seminars, it also includes a mini zoo and a children's park.
Immaculate Conception Church at Tamontaka
Built in 1872 of Spanish architecture and design. It is the oldest church in the city , a relic of the living past.
Old Cotabato City Hall
Located at the center of the City, just in front of the City Plaza is the century old Cotabato City Hall which formerly houses almost all of the city government offices. It showcases a unique and antique architectural design depicting the Muslim Art.
ARMM - Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao
This spectacular building houses the Office of ARMM Regional Governor, Regional Legislative Assembly, Shariff Kabunsuan Cultural Center, the Regional Museum and almost all Regional Offices of Region XII and ARMM. The buildings in the compound showcase unique blend of modern and Muslim architecture.


text:
is sponsored but all
opinions are my own
I have encountered all sorts of weddings and brides from traditional to corky and one thing we all have in common is we want our day to be uniquely ours. Basic Invite can make just about anything from your wedding invitation down to your save the dates feel uniquely yours with their almost unlimited color palate. They are one of the few websites that allow customers so many color options. What's even better is you are allowed instant previews online to see right away if you want to make any changes. Once you select a design you can change the color of each element on the card to over 180 different color options. So you can make sure the card is exactly how you want it right down to the littlest detail. We all know it's all about the details, right? I'll share some examples below.
Oh, and did I mention Basic Invite is one of the few websites that allows you the ability to order a printed sample of your actual invitation so you can see exactly how it will print? This also gives you the opportunity to check out the paper quality before you place your final order. I found this to be one of the best things about the site, to be honest. I'm the kind of girl who likes to physically see and feel in person versus only online.
Ok so here is something interesting I'll like to share with you. Someone once told me that the wedding invitations envelopes were just as important as the invite itself. They expressed it was actually the first thing people will see setting the tone for your big day. Before then I hadn't even thought about the envolope but it makes perfect sense. I'm a sucker for great packaging so this would be similar right? Well, Basic Invite has over forty different colors of envelopes! They are just as colorful with their envelopes as they are with their invitations. With the option to pick from over forty different colors your invitations will stand out before they are even opened. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention all of their envelopes are peel and seal so the envelopes can be quickly and securely closed.
Basic Invite has over 900 wedding invitation sets so you are for sure going to find something that's uniquely you. Each of their wedding invitations is actually part of a set. You can find everything from save the dates to wedding invitations and enclosure cards, wedding menus, wedding programs and even matching thank you cards! I call it the one stop wedding shop! They help make everything so much fun and stress-free.
They are also making things stress free with their free address collection service. You can request your addresses with just three simple steps.
1. Share a link
2. Collect addresses
3. Get free envelope printing
It's that simple and did I mention FREE
Now I want to share with you guys their newest collection. The Seal & Send Wedding Invitations. They are an all-in-one wedding invitation with a tear-off RSVP postcard included! They currently offer them in over 30 designs including their popular foil options. Like all of their other products these too can be customizable. What's extra special about the Seal & Sends is that guest's addresses are printed on the front of each invitation which means no envelope necessary! To send is easy. All you have to do is
1. share a link
2. collect guest addresses
3. upload them onto your design, instantly.
Once you receive your order all you have to do is add postage, fold your invites, and secure them with a sticker! This way is simple, easy, and super trendy.
I highly suggest heading over to BasicInvites.com and checking them out. While you are their take a peek at the wedding coasters. You can choose from over 90 professionally designed looks. Each design can be personalized instantly to match your wedding colors. There are no color limitations which means you are free to make as many changes as you would like at no additional cost. Each coaster is printed using the latest print technology and on a premium 200lb matte cardstock. Thanks to this technology your coasters will have crisp, clean letters, photos, and graphics. Click the link below to check them out.
photo coasters wedding
Oh my! I almost forgot to mention their free wedding websites! It's all-new and you've guessed it, it can be completely customizable just like their wedding invitations! These wedding websites are mobile friendly and super easy to use. Two very important things, right? You can instantly upload all of your wedding details along with images and a map with directions which is super convenient for your guests. You can choose from 180 custom colors and you can even choose a design to match your wedding invitation suite!
Social Media Links: @basicinvite


text:
Goalkeeper PR Sreejesh starred in front of the goal to help India beat South Korea in the penalty shootout to enter the final of the fourth Asian Champions Trophy hockey tournament in Kuantan, Malaysia.
The thrilling win sets up a high-tension, high-stakes final with defending champions Pakistan on Sunday, who defeated hosts Malaysia in the other semi-final.
Folks, it's #INDvPAK at the 4th Men's #ACT2016 on 30 Oct, 6 PM IST! Watch all the action LIVE on Star Sports 4/HD4 & Hotstar.#IndiaKaGame pic.twitter.com/q3OAeg16DX— Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) October 30, 2016
Recovering from his ankle injury to play in today's semi-final at the Kuantan Hockey Stadium, Sreejesh saved the South Korea's last attempt to secure the hard-fought 5-4 win in the shootout after both the teams were locked 2-2 at the end of regulation time.
Sreejesh padded away the ball from the stick of Lee Dae-Yeol to clinch the victory and seal India's place in tomorrow's summit clash. This is India's third entry into the final of the Asian Champions Trophy, whose inaugural edition it won in 2011 and were runners up to Pakistan in 2012.
Top-ranked India found the young Koreans tough opponents, who bounced back after conceding the initial lead and were in the lead briefly before India got the equaliser in regulation period. Talwinder Singh gave India the initial lead with a field goal in the 15th minute, but the Koreans came back to score through Seo In-Woo's strike in open play in the 21st and then took the lead from a penalty stroke conversion by Yang Ji-Hun in the 53rd.
The match went to shootout after Ramandeep Singh scored made it 2-2 for India in the 55th minute. In the shootout, Sardar Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Rupinder Pal Singh and Akashdeep Singh duly scored the first four attempts before Birendra Lakra was obstructed and the resultant penalty stroke was converted by Rupinder to give India all five successful strikes in the shootout.
For South Korea, captain Jung Man-Jae, Kim Hyeong-Jin and Lee Jung-Jun faced no problem in converting their attempts. The fourth shot by Bae Jong-Suk was blocked by Sreejesh, but a penalty stroke was awarded for a stick-check by the Indian goalkeeper after Korea asked for a video referral and the resultant stroke was converted by Yang Ji-Hun.
It all came down to the last Korean shot and Sreejesh rose to the occasion to deny Lee Dae-Yeol to seal the affair. India's opponent for tomorrow's final will be decided after the second semi-final between defending champions Pakistan and hosts Malaysia later on Saturday. During the match, India launched the first attack in the seventh minute as Talwinder moved into the circle from the left and tried a reverse shot to the far post, but the ball was intercepted by a defender to avert the danger.
(All images sourced from Facebook | Hockey India)


text:
The Office for Information Technology (OIT) provides computing services and spaces to faculty, staff, and students at Williams College.
OIT staff are located in 2 buildings on campus. Visit our OIT Staff page to find out whose office is where.
Jesup Hall
Most of Client Services (including the Faculty/Staff Help Desk and Repair) as well as AIS, NetSys, the Office of the CIO and some of Academic Technology Services are located in Jesup.
Center for Educational Technology
26 Hopkins Hall Drive (2nd floor of Sawyer Library)
The Student Help Desk and most of Academic Technology Services are located in the CET.
OIT Teams
The Administrative Information Services group supports the effective use of information technology in the administration of the College. We work closely with business process owners to implement applications and maintain them to ensure ease of use, reliable operation and secure access. More
The Client Services Department of OIT provides, enables and facilitates the use of technology at Williams College. We support faculty, staff and students in their daily use of computers, productivity software, collaborative tools and electronic communication by providing a safe and supportive computing environment. We evaluate and implement new technologies to further the mission of the college along with striving to leverage technology in achieving the academic mission of the college. More
The Academic Technology group works to enhance the teaching, learning and scholarly work of the College through the creative and sustainable application of technology.
Networks and Systems is responsible for maintaining the overall health and security of the College's network (wired and wireless), telecommunications, central systems and enterprise storage. More
The Chief Information Officer (CIO) oversees the four teams within OIT to ensure that they are working together to promote our overall mission and the mission of the College. He is responsible for strategic planning and the OIT budget. The CIO works with the all-campus Information Technology Committee (ITC) to set policies and directions and works with the OIT Directors to plan future work and to establish procedures and internal policies. The Budget and Facilities Administrator maintains the budget and addresses building issues.
Mission Statement
The Williams College Office for Information Technology (OIT) supports the College's mission of offering the best liberal arts education by helping faculty and students to develop effective uses for technology in teaching, learning, and research. OIT provides comprehensive, accessible and reliable information systems to sustain both administrative and academic endeavors. OIT promotes the sense of community by facilitating communication among all members of the College. Through the commitment to maintaining the highest technical standards in our information infrastructure and the dedication to making available the best information technology resources as well as instruction in how to use them, OIT enriches the College's educational environment and helps to prepare students for life in the 21st century.
Student Support
As a preeminent liberal arts college, Williams must provide its students with information technology systems both as a tool for teaching in general and as a way to help students learn to think critically about information technology.
Faculty Support
For continued faculty excellence in research and in teaching, Williams must have an information infrastructure consistent with its liberal arts mission and stature. Williams information technology must support the faculty in communicating knowledge to students and to the community of scholars. It must support their research and scholarly communication on local, regional, national, and international scales.
Administrative Support
Administrative Information Services must provide the administrative community of Williams College with high quality, secure, accessible, and reliable information systems that enable the operational decision-making, planning, and analysis required to meet the institution's standard of excellence. These systems provide services that are essential to the college community, including the administration of human resources functions (payroll and benefits), finance functions (accounting, budgets, accounts, payable and receivable), and student functions (admissions, financial aid, records and billing). Students, faculty, and staff require the best possible training and support for learning about and using information technology. The Office for Information Technology plays a crucial role as a partner in supporting faculty, staff, and students in the use of technology in learning and teaching.


text:
Detroit artist Kino is back at it again with a new music video for his banger Everywhere I Go. The video directed by Clarkvisions is a full flex—shot in Miami and filled with expensive cars, jet skis and babes.
The song is off his debut project No Love Lost which was released in the beginning of summer 2018 on May 19th and features 13 tracks with top-notch production quality and versatile flows.
One of my personal favorites on the album is an upbeat r&b style song entitled Perfect Fit.
Finally, check out the new music video for Everywhere I Go:
Connect with Kino: Twitter | Instagram | Soundcloud


text:
My Best Parenting Advice: I'm Getting Big! by Baby Jake
Dear Mommy and Daddy,
Today is my two-month birthday! Are we going to have a party, maybe with extra milk?
I got scared this morning. I had to cry really loud to get you to come pick me up. I was worried when you didn't hear me whimper the first time, and I didn't understand where you were. You usually run right over the minute I make a tiny sound. I know when I want something, I need to make some noise and you'll help. I learned that all by myself… pretty smart, aren't I?
When you picked me up, you were talking about how tired you were and that it was still dark outside. You didn't even turn on any lights and said, "Please eat fast so we can go back to sleep." Are mommies and daddies supposed to be so tired when it's dark? I wasn't tired at all!
So I was a good boy and ate really fast. No talking just eating, and I was back in my cradle before I knew it. But then something didn't feel good, my tummy hurt. You were gone, and I had to cry again to get your attention. I wanted you to make me feel better. This time daddy picked me up. He put me on his shoulder and patted my back, and you guessed it…I let out a big burp. Boy did I feel better! Daddy, you sure know what to do, even with your eyes closed
Before I fell asleep I was thinking about the last two months. Everything is new and I like it. My last home was wet and dark and always the same. But not here, it is bright and sunny, it smells different each day, I look handsome in my onesies, (especially like the one that has a picture of a baby bottle on it and says, "I drink until I pass out!"), and I'm meeting lots of new people who always bring me presents. Oh, that reminds me, I heard you say that my favorites, Grandma and Grandpa, are coming over tonight to "babysit." Sure hope that doesn't mean they are going to sit on me.
I heard you talking about something called "date night". Not really sure what that is, but it must be good because you were kissing each other and smiling. Oh, I love you both so much. Can I go on 'date night,' too?
Another thing that makes me so happy is that I have two new best friends…Lucy and Desi. They are called dogs and look different from mommy and daddy. They are soft and furry and I am allowed to gently touch their back. But, mommy, you yelled at Desi when he licked my face! It tickles and I don't mind, but you do, and you're the boss! When I'm trying to sleep and they bark, you shush them. But it's OK. When I am tired I will still fall asleep. I am used to all the noise — that womb was not a quiet place!
Well, my tummy is starting to growl again. Time to eat! But I want to ask you for a favor before I eat. This bath thing… I haven't decided if I really like it or not. The fun part is when you sing to me, but the bad part is when you pour water on my head to wash my hair and it goes in my eyes and on my face. I always cry, even though I try really hard not to. Do you think you could wash my hair last and hold a dry washcloth over my eyes when you pour the water on my head? It would make it so much better, and then I wouldn't cry. But please don't forget to sing my songs!
Oh, and don't worry if I pee in the tub. I heard all babies do that…the warm water is so relaxing, it just happens. Ahhh!
I am so happy you're my mommy and daddy! You're really starting to get this baby thing almost perfect. I feel like the luckiest boy in the world!
Baby Jake


text:
Note: Any objections to anything contained on the website should be addressed to and would be dealt with promptly.
Hotel Links India believes that customer who books or looks for any services at www.hotellinksindia.com or the sites marketed by HLI has the right to know about the privacy policy that is followed by us. For the trust the client has on US, we value the right to your privacy.
The idea of this policy is to educate the user as to what personal information is being captured by us and where the same is being used. It describes the principles and practices that apply to Personal Information (defined below) collected from users of our services ("you") on our Site, in telephone or e-mail communications
In short
We will not collect Personal Information without your knowledge and permission;
We will not knowingly disclose your Personal Information to third parties, except as provided in this Privacy Policy;
We will take reasonable steps to protect the security of the Personal Information we collect from you.
All sections within www.hotellinksindia.com domain or the sites marketed by HLI are developed and Maintained by Hotel Links India We are Travel Experts in organizing the travel requirements and it does not charge any booking charges for making reservations.
All information contained herein is verified by Hotel Links India personnel but Hotel Links India does not take any responsibility for any loss on account of information contained as the viewers are expected to take their own decisions and form their own judgments based on information available. When in doubt, before making a reservation the guests are expected to raise queries and clarify issues if any.
This page sets forth the terms and conditions under which Hotel Links India provides the information on this Website, as well as the terms and conditions governing your use of this site. By making use of this site, you agree to be bound by the terms and conditions we have outlined below. If you do not accept these terms and conditions, do not continue to use or access this site.
We will not be responsible for any damages your business may suffer. We make no warranties of any kind, expressed or implied for services we provide. We disclaim any warranty or merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.
This includes loss of data resulting from delays, non-deliveries, wrong delivery, and any and all service interruptions caused by our Web hosting service and our employees. We reserve the right to revise the policies at any time. All end-users, of us must adhere to the above policies. Failure to follow any term or condition will be grounds for immediate account deactivation
Hotel Links India retains the right to refuse any reservation request
Hotel Links India does not warrant or guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information provided on this Website. Under no circumstances will Hotel Links India be liable for any loss or direct, indirect, incidental, special or consequential damages caused by reliance on this information. The information on this Website may be changed or updated without notice. Hotel Links India may also make improvements and /or changes in the products, services and /or programs described on this site at any time without notice.
Hotel Links India has developed the website with a view to make convenient for its customers to make faster travel decisions.
Hotel Links India Web pages rank placements are entirely on account of algorithms employed by the respective search engines.
Webpages are developed with a view to give online access to Hotel brochures. However look and feel of the webpage does not intend to give impression of being the "official website" and Hotel Links India under no conditions should be assumed to be the Hotel / Resort.
Please Note that none of the information contained in this Website should be viewed as an offer to sell or as a solicitation to purchase any of our products or services. Rather, the information on our products and services is provided to you so that you can learn what products Hotel Links India generally offers. The products and service statements on this Website are for general description purposes only. Furthermore, not all the products or services are available in every state or country.
Hotel Links India does have Associate's in INDIA & ABOARD as mentioned in our contact us.
Security Warnings: It is up to you to take precautions to ensure that whatever you select for your use is free of such items as viruses, worms, trojan horses, malicious codes and other items of a destructive nature. IN NO EVENT WILL HOTEL LINKS INDIA BE LIABLE TO ANY PARTY FOR ANY LOSS OR DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES CAUSED BY USE OF THIS WEBSITE, OR ANY OTHER HYPERLINKED WEBSITE.
Hotel Links India specifically disclaims all warranties with respect to this Web site or your use thereof, express, implied, or otherwise, including without limitation, all warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. Hotel Links India shall not be liable for any damages resulting from the use or misuse of this site or the information on this site.
If you have any questions or suggestions please feel free to email email@example.com
Copyright Policies
You may cite or refer to the information on this site and make copies of the information for your own use.
Should any of these terms and conditions be held invalid, that invalid provision shall be construed to be consistent with the applicable law, and in manner so as to remain consistent with the original intent of Hotel Links India. Provisions not otherwise held invalid shall remain in force.
Changes to this Privacy Policy
We reserve the right to change this policy should we deem it advisable to do so.


text:
May 28, 2013
Graphics guy saying hi
Here's the initial timeline:
Weeks 1-2: Groundwork (such as a wrapper class to ease loading shaders), glow (including bloom, since it's very similar), and smoothed minimap
Weeks 3-4: Lighting, including rim lighting for the karts
Initial plan is to implement a light prepass system.
Weeks 5-6: MLAA, SSAO
Weeks 7-8: God rays, motion blur
Weeks 9-10: Water
This will include screen-space reflections, simulated caustics, and vertex
animation via scrolling textures.
Weeks 11-12: Grass, and wrapping up
If there's some part of STK that's been poking you in the eye, or some effect you absolutely must have, leave a comment - the plan's not set in stone.
After each period, I'll be posting some comparison shots, before and after, of that period's progress.
Signing out.
10 comments:
- AnonymousMay 29, 2013 at 12:21 AM
STK will look amazing after this summer!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousMay 29, 2013 at 3:55 AM
higher poly karts & players would be nice, but your schedule is tackling the more important areas.ReplyDelete
In short: looks good, happy to have you here, happy coding!
Hmm... Rain effect rendering is slow. You can see it in lower machines such as celeron 1,7 and integrated graphics card. Actually it is a ticket #892. I suppose it is a simple thing to change it.ReplyDelete
Also skidding effect was slow. I improved it (created two different emitors), but it looks poor :-P
Everything other is relatively good.
- AnonymousMay 29, 2013 at 9:52 AM
Lauri, rock dat thing.ReplyDelete
Just throwing it out there, but a slider to get the graphics your machine can handle would be great so that newer machines can crank out those pixels, while slower machines can crank out those frame rates.ReplyDelete
- Totoplus062May 29, 2013 at 4:42 PM
Nitro (blue and green) will need glow -> take a look at this http://forum.freegamedev.net/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=4127&p=42812&hilit=halo+for+nitro#p42812ReplyDelete
Then i made a temporary skidding particle but i think we will have to replace it by something like glow for this like in MK (skidding level 1: yellow/ level 2: green) -> http://www.hostingpics.net/viewer.php?id=217425skid.jpg
Some Dynamic Shadows too.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJune 15, 2013 at 3:04 PM
Looking forward to this! Will you be able to submit these changes upstream to the Irrlicht Engine?ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJune 16, 2013 at 12:12 PM
Anon, none of these changes would be in Irrlicht, they're entirely in the STK side.ReplyDelete
We do need a couple patches in Irr to use these features, all of them have already been posted 2-3 years ago. Irr people don't really review often ;)
Totoplus, glow for the objects is included in the first session.
Deve, I can confirm the slow rain, it's a fillrate killer currently.
Manico, there may not be enough time for shadows.
- AnonymousJuly 30, 2013 at 2:05 PM
When are you gonna post the comparison shots of your changes???ReplyDelete


text:
Romantic Wedding Getaways At The Queens Hotel Brighton
If you're planning on holding your wedding in Brighton, or simply considering whisking your loved one away on a romantic break by the sea, then why not use the Queens Hotel as your base!
One of the best Hotels Brighton seafront has to offer is the Queens Hotel. We have the perfect setting right on the spectacular Brighton seafront that makes for a lovely romantic backdrop for a weekend getaway or to celebrate a special occasion such as your wedding, anniversary or a very special milestone birthday.
Thinking of getting married in Brighton?
Lots of couples head to Brighton to get married each year. This isn't surprising because Brighton has a host of very unique locations for couples to tie the knot. From the lavish grandeur of the Royal Pavilion to the iconic Brighton Pier, you couldn't wish to find a more memorable place to hold your wedding.
Whether you are looking to celebrate your wedding with a fun and funky knees-up around town with your closest BFFs, or you want to hit some of the most fashionable hipster places offering the best food, wine and entertainment, then you can find nowhere better than Brighton!
One of the great things about planning a wedding in Brighton is that this city-by-the-sea offers a heady mix of fun and fashionable entertainment that you can only find in a city, but you also have easy access to a romantic windswept coastline with a pebble beach – plus acres of rolling green countryside mere minutes away.
Brighton is a small and compact city with a rich history and a very fashionable LGBT community that keeps the nightlife thriving and on its toes. With such a good range of potential wedding venues in Brighton, a couple looking to get married or form a civil partnership in Brighton will be spoilt for choice!
Whether you are looking for a traditional venue for your wedding, or for something a little more extravagant and memorable, you can look up a whole range of different wedding venues in Brighton to celebrate your big day. No matter where you choose to tie the knot, your Brighton venue will be sure to make your experience truly memorable.
Choose your Brighton wedding venue
With a city steeped in such a rich history, you really will be spoilt for choice when it comes to choosing your wedding venue. You can go lavish with a true 'wow-factor' inside the Royal Pavilion with its exotic décor and rich Eastern style.
You could go really quirky by choosing to hold your ceremony in the Duke of York's Picturehouse! The oldest continuously operating cinema in the country, yes – you can actually hire this historic cinema for your wedding, the perfect venue for film fans!
Or how about going public and open-air with a summer wedding on Brighton Bandstand. This historic Victorian bandstand is a favourite spot for an outdoor summer wedding and with the stunning beach and sea serving as your backdrop, your wedding will be truly memorable.
If you want something more traditional with the grace and finery of yesteryear, then how about Preston Manor? If you love the period feel of Downton Abbey, then you will feel right at home in this classic Edwardian manor house.
The Queens Hotel is perfect for your wedding guests
To make your wedding planning as easy as possible, why not use the Queens Hotel as your base. We are a large hotel right on the beautiful Brighton seafront with very comfortable rooms and can easily accommodate your wedding party, no matter how large or small the number of guests!
What could be better than to treat yourself and your closest wedding guests to a lovely pre-wedding pampering treatment in our hotel spa. Our spa is managed by Pretty People Ltd and can offer you and your guests a wide range of luxury spa treatments to make you all feel relaxed and look fantastic for your wedding day.
Our luxury hotel spa offer everything from a relaxing massage or an invigorating aromatherapy sea salt scrub to amazing nail treatments to make sure you are polished off from head to toe ready for your wedding photographs.
You can choose from the following spa treatments, but it would be wise to book early, especially if you have a large number of wedding guests that would like to enjoy a pampering session with you before your big day.
- Facials
- Hair Styling
- Hand and Foot Care
- Teeth Whitening
- Eye Care and Waxing
- Premium Massage
What is even better for your wedding planning is that by booking your hotel rooms directly on our website and get 10% OFF Spa Treatments Monday to Friday!
After experiencing a relaxing and unwinding spa treatment at the Queens Hotel, what could be better than to easily flop into a comfortable bed in your plush hotel room and enjoy a bit of room service.
If you choose one of our seafront hotel rooms you can wind your evening away looking out over Brighton beach and out to sea.
Take a look at our hotel room selection and check availability for your preferred dates. Do not hesitate to contact our friendly hotel reception staff should you need to speak with us in person about your stay with us at the Queens Hotel, Brighton. We are here to help!


text:
"Please allow Rama to protect me during those times when I am observing religious functions and trying to keep my concentration. O chief of mankind, a terrible fear has befallen me on account of this Rakshasa Maricha." (Vishvamitra speaking to Maharaja Dasharatha, Valmiki Ramayana, Aranya Kand, 38.4)
For protection in this world and the next, we don't need to seek out the help of anyone except God. Demigods, government leaders, and even family members cannot come close to offering the perfect and complete protection that God offers His devotees. God is one, even though He has many expansions. Some people mistakenly take shelter of the demigods, believing them to be equal to the Lord Himself. This has proved to be disastrous on many of occasion.
The Vedas tell us that God is one. His original form is that of Lord Shri Krishna, also known as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is the supreme and original person, adi purusham. He is the origin of Godhead, because God can take many forms. Krishna's direct expansions are known as vishnu-tattva, meaning they are equal to Him in potency. Whether one worships Lord Krishna, Rama, Narasimha, or Vishnu, they are still worshiping the same original God. This doesn't hold true with demigods though. A demigod, or devata, is an expansion of the Lord who interacts with material nature. We living entities are also expansions of the Lord, known as jiva-tattva. Jivas are spiritual in nature, but they also can interact with matter if they choose to. Material nature represents God's inferior energy. It is subordinate to His spiritual energy because God doesn't directly provide any protection to those who interact solely with matter. Jivas are technically described as belonging to God's marginal energy because they have a choice as to which energy they associate with.
Demigods are also living entities, but they are elevated in power and strength. To ere is human means that human beings are fallible. We have a tendency to cheat, to have imperfect senses, to be illusioned, and to commit mistakes. Demigods are also living entities who suffer through birth and death, but their duration of life is usually much longer. They also have extraordinary powers because they have been deputed by Krishna to manage various departments of the material creation. Because of their extraordinary powers, many people mistakenly take them to be equal to God. Demigods offer material boons, or rewards. If one wants a beautiful wife, a good grade on an exam, or plenty of food to eat, they worship various demigods through elaborate sacrifices and penances. Demigods, by rule, are required to bestow these boons to anyone who properly worships them, regardless of the underlying motives.
Wealth, fame, and power are very seductive to those who take material advancement to be the aim of life. Not really believing in God, gross materialists become enamored with procuring as much material opulence as they can. For this reason, many of them take to demigod worship. The demon Ravana was a great example of this. A Rakshasa by birth, he performed many great penances to please the demigods Brahma and Shiva. He took complete shelter of them. In return, the great demigods bestowed wonderful boons on Ravana. The demon was given ten heads and a tremendous fighting prowess. Ravana, not surprisingly, used these powers for evil. He immediately went on attack against other demigods, including his own brother. He quickly became feared around the world. Yet as powerful as he was, he was still subject to the laws of material nature, meaning he eventually had to die. He would meet death at the hands of Lord Rama, an incarnation of God. At the time of his death, no demigod was there to protect Ravana. In fact, the same demigods whom he had once pleased were now rooting for Rama. They had purposefully coordinated events in such a way that God Himself would come to earth in the form of human. Of course God can never associate with the material energy. For the living entity, there is a difference between matter and spirit, but for God, He is all spirit. Nevertheless, Rama appeared to have the body of a human being for the purpose of killing Ravana. When death came, all of Ravana's possessions, powers, and relationships went away. The kingdom he worked so hard to protect, was now turned over to his younger brother Vibhishana, who also was on Lord Rama's side.
The above referenced quote is from a conversation between the demon Maricha and Ravana, just prior to Ravana's kidnapping of Sita Devi, the wife of Lord Rama. At the time, Lord Rama had just defeated and killed 14,000 of Ravana's associates in the forest of Janasthana. Akampana, one of Ravana's fighters, informed him that there would be no way to defeat Rama in battle, but that he should rather devise a plan to steal Rama's wife. Heeding this advice, Ravana quickly went to his advisor Maricha for help coming up with a scheme. Maricha was no fool, for he knew that messing with Rama was not a great idea. To deter Ravana from going through with his plan, Maricha told him a story of events from a previous time.
Maricha and other Rakshasas had a favorite pastime; they used to haunt the sages living in the forest and disrupt their sacrifices. These events all took place during the Treta Yuga, the second time period of creation. Many great brahmanas had taken to forest life since it was more conducive to spiritual activity. The forests and countryside are considered to be in the mode of goodness. There isn't any hustle and bustle, and people are content to live a simple life, subsisting on whatever food is available. This means that the rest of the time is spent meditating on God and performing various sacrifices. These Rakshasas were atheists by nature, so they had a deep hatred for the suras, or devotees. One great brahmana of that time, Vishvamitra, was especially perturbed by these attacks of the Rakshasas. He approached the king of Ayodhya, Maharaja Dasharatha, and asked him to send his eldest son, Rama, to protect him.
Vishvamitra is considered one of the greatest sages in history, primarily due to his association with Rama. Vishvamitra didn't seek shelter of any demigod or any government leader. He knew that only God Himself was capable of providing Him complete protection. At the time, Rama was a young boy, who no one thought was ready to fight demons. Vishvamitra knew the truth about Rama, so he had no qualms about asking Dasharatha allow Rama to come with him.
For one who completely surrenders unto the Lord, deliverance from all calamities is guaranteed. The greatest calamity in life is the repeated cycle of birth and death, where one is constantly thrown into the ocean of nescience which is the material world. There can be no punishment greater than having to take birth again. Since only God can grant liberation, He is known as Mukunda.
Vishvamitra was a qualified brahmana, and more importantly, a pure devotee of God. For this reason, Dashratha acquiesced and allowed both Rama and His younger brother, Lakshmana, to accompany Vishvamitra. The lesson here is that we too should strive to be pure devotees. A pure devotee is one who only seeks the shelter of the Supreme Lord, without any personal motive for material power or fame. A person who has reached such a level of devotion becomes qualified to receive the Lord's mercy. For such devotees, the Lord guarantees His unflinching protection. Rama and Lakshmana would come through for Vishvamitra, protecting him from Maricha and countless other demons. If we constantly chant the Lord's names, "Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare", and stay connected with the spiritual energy, we too can live without fearing the attacks of demons.
Categories: maricha describing rama


text:
I have talked to potentially hundreds of potential bankruptcy clients by now, and with each new potential client I meet, it becomes more evident that many individuals have several misconceptions about the bankruptcy process and how filing for bankruptcy will affect them in the future. One of the most common misconceptions about the bankruptcy process is that it will ruin your credit and you will be financially "doomed" for the rest of your life. For most individuals, this is simply not true.
By the time most people even consider filing for bankruptcy, their credit score has already taken a beating due to the high amount of debt they are carrying (or their credit essentially being maxed out), late payments, missed payments, repossessions, foreclosures, etc. For many, their credit score has been lowered so much by the foregoing examples that it cannot get any lower, and thus, there essentially isn't any credit for the bankruptcy process to truly hurt. What many people do not realize is that for most people, there is a great chance that your credit score will actually go up after you file for bankruptcy and rid yourself of all of the debt burdens that have been dragging you down. As with everything in life, there are always exceptions. There are some individuals with excellent credit scores who file for bankruptcy as a "preemptive strike" before things happen to cause their score to weaken. For some of the individuals who fall within the foregoing category, filing for bankruptcy may lower their score slightly. But, the vast majority of people filing for bankruptcy fall within the first category, and see an increase in their score after filing.
Many are also bothered by the fact that the bankruptcy filing will stay on their credit report for seven to ten years, and mistakenly think that the mere fact that the bankruptcy filing appears on the credit report is what will prevent them from obtaining a car loan or a mortgage in the future. This, too, is a myth in part. Many creditors will be apprehensive or will refuse to lend credit to someone immediately after a bankruptcy filing. However, as more and more time passes from the time the bankruptcy case was discharged, the filing itself becomes less important and what you have done to rebuild your credit following the bankruptcy becomes a more important factor in determining whether to extend credit. For example, a creditor will be much more likely to extend credit to someone who has filed for bankruptcy, but who has been on-time with all the payments on their post-bankruptcy debts, versus an individual who has obtained and defaulted on post-bankruptcy debts. As such, the mere presence of the bankruptcy on a credit report is not necessarily the deciding factor in whether a creditor will extend credit to someone who has filed bankruptcy.
In sum, if you are feeling overwhelmed by accumulating debt and are feeling like you are in a hole that you cannot climb out of, filing for bankruptcy can provide you the financial relief that you need and give you the opportunity for a fresh financial start. Many people I meet with are relieved to know that filing for bankruptcy can be a relatively painless process that will help free them from the financial burdens they are currently experiencing and that their credit score will start going up once the process is completed. The opportunity to pay an attorney fee and filing fee (which is usually nominal in comparison to the amount of outstanding debts an individual may have) in order to discharge potentially thousands or hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt and to know that they will not be financially "doomed" for their life is an investment worth making for many people.
Contact us if you would like to discuss your circumstances to see if filing for bankruptcy can help you obtain a fresh start!


text:
Friday, October 30, 2009
Johnny's giant pumpkin seeds a hit with Pennsylvanian
Shelley Lipton grows gigantic pumpkins in her Sewickley Heights garden, and displays and decorates them, and also shares them with the school where her children are students. Lipton uses Johnny's Dill's Atlantic Giant seeds to grow massive pumpkins.
Photo by Joanne Braun/Tribune-Review News Service
Read story in Pittsburgh Tribune.
1 comment:
- Heidi said...
Wow! Nicely done.
- October 30, 2009 at 3:24 PM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)