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Jason Momoa, best known as the heavily eye-shadowed Khal Drogo on Game of Thrones, is breaking into film with the new Conan the Barbarian (or CO-nin the Barbarian, as he seems to be known these days). But should you feel compelled to compare him to Arnold Schwarzenegger, know this: Momoa is better with a sword, and his sex scenes are sexier (sorry, Arnold). With that established, find out what we learned when we spoke with the six-foot-four actor about seducing, sparring, and writing for George R.R. Martin.
It's hard to resist pointing out the similarities between Drogo and Conan. And yet they are distinctly different.
I'm so glad you say that, because everyone else only sees the obvious overlaps: They're both shirtless, they don't speak a lot, they're both extremely aggressive. They're both considered barbarians, even though they're more civilized than the supposed "civilized" people who are manipulative and conniving and killing thousands of people. But Conan is nothing like Drogo. It was a lot of fun to play Drogo. There's a possibility you'll see me do him again.
Even though he's dead?
It's a fantasy world, sweetheart. I wrote some scenes and they might try to use them. George [R.R. Martin] can only write so much. Something could happen. Drogo could have a twin. You never know! [Laughs.]
Okay. But so far in the books — I've just finished A Dance With Dragons — there's no twin.
I've only read the first book. My wife [Lisa Bonet] let me spend four days straight reading it. And I loved him. He was the best guy. And I loved watching him fall in love. Of all the characters, he was the least backstabbing. He didn't say a lot, but his shit got handled.
How do you think your Game of Thrones sex scenes compare with the 3-D sex in Conan?
Well, you never quite know how a barbarian will do it, huh? [Laughs.] With Conan, my whole idea is that it doesn't have to be barbaric sex. We have enough crazy violence, so he doesn't need to do a Drogo rape. So one is more raw [Game of Thrones], at least at first, and one is more loving [Conan], which I think makes Conan a strong man, because he has love and compassion. It's a good choice. I mean, she's a nun. What's he going to do, start raping her and pounding her?
Weren't there sex scenes in the books to base it on? Don't you derive it from the original source material versus the Arnold Schwarzenegger movies?
Yeah, I didn't even watch the Arnold films prior to this, because it's not about them. It's about the Robert E. Howard stories. I'd read about three of those books prior to doing the film, and I'm a big comic-book fan. We took the wardrobe from the Dark Horse comics, so there are no Speedos. I like to think of it as an origin story, that we're rebooting Conan the way they rebooted Batman or Bond. You get to see how Conan was born on the battlefield, how he tasted his mother's blood instead of his mother's milk, how his father was murdered before his eyes, and you understand why he'd want to avenge his father's death. He's not just out to slay people randomly.
I've heard that you've already written a sequel to Conan?
I have. I've taken a stab at it. It's something special, because I'm a true fan. I know the source material, I know the world. It's a homage to the sorcery and magical elements, which we have a little of, with Rose McGowan's sorceress, but the sequel would have more, and it would get some mythological creatures. I don't want to say too much, because I don't want to ruin anything, but if it doesn't work out as the official script, I'll put it on the Internet.


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Letter of King James VII to the Scottish Convention, March 1, 1689
King James VII wrote this letter while he was aboard the St Michael on the way to Ireland. It was delivered to the Scottish Convention on March 16, 1689, by a certain Mr Craine. Before opening the letter, the Convention voted an act declaring itself a free and lawful meeting.
A printed version of the text can be found on pages 52-56 of Royal Tracts (Paris: Printed for Estienne Lucas, 1692) (Wing J384).
My Lords and Gentlemen,
Whereas we have been informed that you the peers and representatives of the shires and boroughs of that our Ancient Kingdom who are to meet together at our good town of Edinburgh some time in this instant March by the usurped authority of the Prince of Orange, we think fit to let you know that we have at all times relied upon the faithfulness and affection of your our Ancient People, so much that in our greatest misfortunes heretofore we had recourse to your assistance and that with good success to our affairs.
So now again we require of you to support our royal interest, expecting from you what becomes loyal and faithful subjects, generous and honest men, that will neither suffer yourselves to be cajoled nor frighted into any action misbecoming true-hearted Scotch-men. And that to support the honour of the nation, you will contemn the base examples of disloyal men and eternise your names by a loyalty suitable to the many professions you have to us. In doing whereof you will choose the safest part, since thereby you will evite the danger you must needs undergo, the infamy and disgrace you must bring upon yourselves in this world, and the condemnation due to the rebellious in the next, and you will likewise have the opportunity to secure to yourselves and your posterity, the gracious promises which we have so often made of securing your religion, laws, properties, and rights, which we are still resolved to perform as soon as it is possible for us to meet you safely in a Parliament of our Ancient Kingdom.
In the meantime, fear not to declare for us your lawful sovereign, who will not fail on our part to give you such speedy and powerful assistance as shall not only enable you to defend yourselves from any foreign attempt, but put you in a condition to assert our right against our enemies, who have depressed the same by the blackest of usurpations, the most unjust as well as most unnatural attempts, which the Almighty God may for a time permit and let the wicked prosper, yet then must bring confusion upon such workers of iniquity.
We further let you know, that we will pardon all such as shall return to their duty before the last day of this month inclusive; and that we will punish with the rigour of our laws all such as shall stand in rebellion against us or our authority. So not doubting that you will declare for us, and suppress whatever may oppose our interest, and that you will send some of your number to us with an account of your diligence, and the posture of our affairs; we bid you heartily farewell.
Given on board the St. Michael, March 1, 1689.
By His Majesty's Command, Melfort.
This page is maintained by Noel S. McFerran (firstname.lastname@example.com) and was last updated October 26, 2003.
© Noel S. McFerran 2003.

subset: commoncrawl


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I am an Anglican
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.
Given the stormy seas of the Anglican Communion in recent years, I believe Anglicans the world over need to remind themselves of just why we are Anglicans, and why we should remain so in spite of our own discomfort or disagreements.
This article will provide many such reasons of my own, in hopes that others may share in them and build on them with their own. I have divided them into seven parts – an auspicious number, since it is the number of the Messiah, in Whose name and (hopefully) with Whose help I write these words.
I am an Anglican, and I ask you to read these words and join me in sharing our wonderful and glorious faith.
Part I: Expressions of koinonia and communion
I am an Anglican because I believe Anglicanism is the best hope in the world for providing a model for the unity of all Christians. If all the major denominations were to suddenly heed Christ's prayer that they all may be one, the result would look remarkably like our Anglican Communion, with the Bishop of Rome taking on a position analogous to our Archbishop of Canterbury, as a focus of communion but not the leader of it.
I am an Anglican because our Anglican Communion is the best living reflection of the dictum quoted by Pope John XXIII and usually attributed to Augustine of Hippo: In necessariis unitas, in dubiis libertas, in omnibus caritas – "in necessary things unity; in uncertain things freedom; in everything compassion."
I am an Anglican because our church is such a large tent. Where others see weakness, division, confusion, inconsistency, and disharmony, I see a great family united in its diversity. A jewel only reveals its beauty when it has many facets, and so it is with our Communion. Only in our Anglican Communion can one find such a wide range of theology and practice, and yet somehow we stay together, with God's help. Where there is dissent, we seek to resolve it through dialogue, not by threat of punishment; by communication, not excommunication.
I am an Anglican because we as a Communion can agree to disagree, such as on the issue of women's ordination. Some member churches practice it, some don't, some only partially, and there is no pressure from above to conform at an international level. Within some member churches, attempts to make careful provision for those who cannot in good faith accept women's ordination have been made. Regardless of the success or merits of these attempts, this is a step which goes to show what lengths we Anglicans are willing to pursue to preserve our unity, something which is practically impossible in other churches. Thus we show a way forward to a future where all Christians are united not just in our baptism, but in the communion of our churches as well.
Part II: Expressions of faith in worship
I am an Anglican because of the richness, poetry, and power of our liturgical tradition. Along with the works of Shakespeare and the King James Bible, the words of the Book of Common Prayer are one of the greatest pillars of the English language, sounding immediately familiar to anyone hearing them. No other English-language liturgy comes close. No adaptation of the Book of Common Prayer by other churches, be it the Book of Divine Worship, the Liturgy of St. Tikhon, or others, compares to the majesty of the original language in its entirety.
I am an Anglican because of our glorious musical heritage, from Anglican Chant to Elgar to Prichard to Wesley to Merbecke to Ellerton to Purcell to Byrd to Vaughan Williams. That tradition is second to none in the English-speaking world, perhaps even in the whole world.
Part III: Expressions of koinonia and communion in ecumenism
I am an Anglican because we welcome and engage in dialogue with other churches like no other. The Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral is a unique invitation to all Christians to transcend our differences and to come together as one Body of Christ based on four simple ideas. Similarly, the Bonn Agreement with the Old Catholics shows the way for true communion and fellowship in a model that is unique in its simplicity, forthrightness and mutual respect. The same goes for our agreements with the Philippine Independent Church, the Mar Thoma Church, and so on. And, of course, at a local level member Anglican churches are forging ahead in joining with other churches, such as the "Called to Common Mission" agreement between the ELCA and the Episcopal Church in the United States, or the Anglican-Methodist Covenant in Britain, or the Porvoo Agreement in northern Europe, or the Churches of North and South India.
I am an Anglican because we do not declare other churches or Christians are deficient, invalid, or substandard. Instead we invite them in love to share our faith and to find common ground in humility and charity.
I am an Anglican because we invite all baptized Christians to join us at the table for Holy Communion. As Our Lord Jesus Christ said, "Judge not, that ye be not judged; for with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again" (Matt 7:1). It is not our place, nor the place of any institution on Earth, to judge others and decide for them whether they are worthy to receive the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament.
Part IV: Continuity and reason
I am an Anglican because on the one hand, we have an unbroken continuity going all the way back to St. Augustine of Canterbury and the Irish Church, and through them to the Apostles themselves and thus to Our Lord Jesus Christ, while not being suffocated under the rule of a single leader or Magisterium or endless statements and confessions of faith.
I am an Anglican because we do not presume to speak in God's name infallibly on our own. Instead, we walk together the path of Christ to find and follow God's Will, wherever that path may lead.
I am an Anglican because our church does not try to explain the unexplainable, as in the case of transubstantiation or consubstantiation, preferring as Richard Hooker did to simply accept that sacraments are mysteries and let God do the rest.
I am an Anglican because our church does not presume to second guess science. Instead, Reason is one of the three pillars of our faith, along with Scripture and Tradition, and Church and science live together in harmony, not as rivals, but as complementary pieces of the Truth. Indeed, the motto of the Anglican Communion is the words of Our Lord Jesus, written in Greek in the windrose that symbolizes our Communion: ἡ ἀλήθεια ἐλευθερώσει ὑμᾶς ("the Truth shall set you free," John 8:32b).
I am an Anglican because I am proud and delighted to be in communion with scientists like Isaac Newton, Robert Boyle, Francis Bacon, Robert Hooke, Lord Kelvin, and Sir John Polkinghorne, as well as with the members of the Society of Ordained Scientists or the Episcopal Church Network for Science, Technology and Faith in the USA.
Part V: Communion of saints
I am an Anglican because we adopt and honor Christians of all denominations as our saints. It is hard to imagine any other church having Martin Luther King (Baptist), Dietrich Bonhoeffer (Lutheran), Óscar Romero (Roman Catholic), and Elizabeth Romanova (Russian Orthodox) commemorated together as statues on the walls one of its most significant churches, as we do on Westminster Abbey, together with "our" modern saints like Manche Masemola and Bishop Janani Luwum.
I am Anglican because we choose to honor certain saints even when it means admitting and highlighting mistakes of the past made in our church's name, such as Thomas More, John Fisher, and Charles King and Martyr.
I am an Anglican because we join with all the saints in a great communion transcending death each time we celebrate the Eucharist, while not sliding into plain superstition or cults that divert from Christ Himself.
Part VI: Manifestation of the Church Catholic
I am an Anglican because I believe the Anglican Communion is a full and complete reflection of the ideals of Our Lord Jesus Christ and the Church Fathers. It contains the full essence of the koinonia, the community of the early Church, in its episcopal governance in apostolic succession and with territorial jurisdictions, with bishops acting together as equals. The Church has no head but Christ Himself, and in His name the leadership is shared by all bishops together. All bishops, not just the Bishop of Rome, are the true successors of Peter.
I am an Anglican because as Hippolytus of Rome wrote in his Apostolic Traditions, our bishops are commonly "chosen by all the people," not appointed from above by a distant prelate with little or no consultation of the full body of believers. In this way truly all the parts of the Body of Christ play equally important roles in its vitality and continuity, regardless of whether one is clergy or lay. By this, the Holy Spirit works through each and every one of us to our fullest potential, and it also has the virtue of preventing any one individual from taking the Church in a way it was never intended to go.
I am an Anglican because our priesthood and bishops are closest to the descriptions we find in the Epistles, especially when it comes to having families: In the letter to Titus, bishops are described not as celibate or monastic, but being "the husband of one wife". The Church Fathers clearly believed all Apostles except John were married and had families, which is supported in numerous parts of the New Testament (e.g. Mark 1:29-31, Matthew 8:14-15, Luke 4:38-39, 1 Timothy 3:2+12). One example is in 1 Corinthians 9:5, where it says: "Do we not have the right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas?" Even the so-called "first Pope", Peter, was himself married, as mentioned in the Gospel of Luke, and at least one Pope, Anastasius I, was succeeded by his own son, Innocent I. Even as late as Pope Honorius (died 1287), there were Popes who were married and had children. Therefore there is no logical reason on the basis of Scripture or Tradition that married people should be excluded from Holy Orders at any level.
I am an Anglican not because Anglicanism is a "Catholic alternative" to Rome, but because it is a true living manifestation of the Church Catholic: a priesthood of all believers where all are one in Christ. As it says in Paul's epistle to the Romans, "For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved", and in Galatians, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus". Thus the whole body of Christ takes part in all decisions in its synods of all believers, rather than being beholden to the decisions of one man or a tiny elite.
I am an Anglican not because it is "Catholic and reformed" or "reformed Catholic", but because as a local church celebrating the sacraments, in particular the Eucharist, the Anglican Communion is a full expression of the Church Catholic without excluding other churches from being the same. So too are we a full manifestation of the Church just as each person of the Trinity is a full manifestation of God. These are the central aspects of how the Church Fathers describe the polity of the Church (cf. Leuenberg Documents 11, p. 93), therefore from the view of the Church Fathers' ecclesiology, we are not "reformed" Catholic, nor are we "part" of the Church Catholic, we are Catholic.
I am an Anglican because our Catholicity is reflected most clearly in the fact we celebrated the sacraments in the vernacular centuries before it became common practice in the Roman church, allowing all to participate fully in the sacramental life of the Church. This has sadly been forgotten in other churches, which continue to uphold dead languages as a gold standard, so that few even understand what is being said, whether it is Latin, Old Church Slavonic, Greek or Aramaic. The irony is that the Latin Mass, today so bitterly defended by Western traditionalists versus the vernacular, was instituted originally because the people of Rome didn't speak Greek, which at the time was the only language used. Latin was the vernacular at the time, so for the same reason the old Roman church celebrated in Latin, we celebrate in our own languages without question or controversy.
Part VII: Homeward bound
I am an Anglican because I searched for years for a church to call home in a place where all churches seem to be slowly dying, with widespread church closures and empty pews, and where committed Christians are now in the minority. In no other church outside our communion partners did I find the same Catholic essence, such as the emphasis on the Blessed Sacrament of Communion or the historic episcopate, combined with the comprehensiveness that is so integral to what it means to be Anglican. In no other church do I clearly see the past in unbroken tradition, the present in being accessible and relevant to the people of today, and the future in its supple institutions and vibrant activity so finely balanced. Once I found a place to live as an Anglican again within our communion, I came home, and that is where I shall stay.
I am an Anglican. I am home, and I hope you come home, too. +
John Grantham
25 November 2011
Hannover, Germany


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Poison ivy is famously known to cause rashes on the skin. Add blisters, too. A lot of people have already experienced the difficulties of coping with rashes and blisters and no one can sincerely say it has been the best time of his/her life.
Coping with the condition is hard enough. But what about getting poison ivy in eye as well? That should definitely one of the most horrible of experiences in the world! In fact, it has been said as "one of the worst, most torturous feelings imaginable".
Well, just imagining it already hurts.
Can You Get Poison Ivy in Your Eye?
Generally, one can get poison ivy near eye or poison ivy rash around eyes. Poison ivy rash on eyelid is not unusual for those who have experienced extreme reactions to the plant. However, if poison ivy can get into the respiratory system, then getting it in the eye would not be impossible. Unfortunately.
It could be poison oak in eye or poison sumac in eye. It would be the same banana. The important questions are, (1) How do you prevent something like this from happening? (2) And how do you treat poison ivy in your eye?
DONT GET POISON IVY ON YOUR EYES pic.twitter.com/yy9oOf2sHM
— Laur (@lauren_petrozza) June 13, 2016
Poison Ivy Prevention
Prevention for the eyes is not unlike the way one prevents poison ivy from getting in contact with the body. What one should keep in mind are the basics:
- If one lives where poison ivy, poison oak, and/or poison sumac are/is abundant, always be careful.
- Better yet, stay clear of those areas.
- Familiarize oneself with what those poisonous plants look like in order to better avoid them when outside.
- Wear protective clothing and gear (like boots/shoes), including a cap/hat or scarf that may protect the eyes.
- Don't let kids and pets be able to reach problem areas or they'll bring back the toxic oil — urushiol — in the plants and spread it to other members of the family. Build fences if necessary to keep them away from the plants.
- Be ready with first-aid treatment when out hiking/trekking and camping in the great outdoors. There are ointments or creams that either nip rashes in the bud or treat those rashes in only a matter of hours. It is also recommended to bring poison ivy wash or cleansers like Tecnu Original or Zanfel to remove the oil toxin from the skin.
- Bring prescription antihistamines if one has a history of extreme allergic reactions to poison ivy.
- If itchiness starts, refrain from touching parts of the body, especially the eyes, after scratching. Make sure to clean the hands well after scratching. Make sure to clean the back of the nails where urushiol could be "hiding".
Poison Ivy Treatment
- Whether one is sure or suspects possible exposure to any of the plants, make sure to thoroughly wash affected areas immediately with mild soap and cold water.
- When hiking/trekking/camping and poison ivy "attacks", take a dip on a nearby body of water, if there is any. The cold will treat or prevent inflammations as rashes thrive in warm conditions.
- Wash clothes exposed to poison ivy immediately so as not to spread the toxin. Don't skip cleaning outdoor gear that came in contact with poison ivy.
- Take a cold bath. One can opt for an oatmeal bath or a baking soda bath.
- Apply over-the-counter anti-rashes creams/lotions/ointments. Calamine is a popular and effective ingredient.
- Should the eyes be already infected:
- Apply non-steroidal anti-inflammatory eye drops.
- Do cold compresses on the eyelids.
- Keep the head above the heart to reduce swelling.
- If treatment is applied on the eyelid, be careful not to get it in the eyes.
Those are really basic pieces of advice. However, the best advice to give is to seek medical attention once poison ivy on face and eyes manifest through swelling. Once it gets in the eyes, apply first aid but do not wait any longer. The eyes are sensitive, vital organs that no one wants to damage. Go to the doctor immediately!


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There was an elbow-to-elbow crowd on hand in the George R. White Opera Studio at Pittsburgh Opera Headquarters last night for the Pennsylvania premiere of As One, including the composer, Laura Kaminsky, and co-librettists, Mark Campbell and Kimberly Reed. They must have been pleased with the reception their work received, for it was a favorable one, and hopefully the performers realized that a large share of the enthusiasm was for them, as well, because the two singers delivered trying music quite excellently, as did the string quartet conducted by James Lesniak (a name we're used to seeing on the programs as "coach or pianist," but last night in his first conducting assignment). The audience was as diversified as could be imagined, which somehow, considering the topic of the chamber opera before them, offered encouragement and hope for a sense of peace and unity in these days of bombastic division.
In less skilled hands, the subject matter of the emotional struggles and inner turmoil of a transgender person trying to find peace and a sense of being in a vast, confusing and sometimes hostile universe offers every opportunity to go awry. But the librettists manage to remain focused on providing just enough every day, "real" experiences in the life of Hannah, from her youth, to college years, to "finding herself" in young adulthood, to make her seem like a real, plausible character, and, along with Kaminsky's effective and appropriately shaded score, charged with drama, empathy, and, when needed, a touch of humor, makes no attempt to demand sympathy and acceptance from the audience. It simply and quite effectively tells the story of a portion of one person's life – a person who happens to be transgender.
While the characters are nominally identified as "Hannah Before" and "Hannah After," for the most part they are on stage together. Through a series of sung pieces, they either individually narrate the story or interact with each other as separate parts of a yet inseparable "whole," and the concept works. As might be expected, there are parts that are emotionally harrowing, such as when Hannah writes a letter full of excuses for why she won't be coming home from college for Christmas this year, and the episode in which she relates her narrow escape from an attacker who demands "What the fuck are you!?" The piece leaves the impression that the action takes place in the not so distant past, as there are references to yellowing library card catalogs, pen-to-paper letter writing, and looking things up "online."
Historically, operas that rely principally on "psychological" drama tend to have a tough go of things. But since As One was premiered in 2014, it has been performed in the better part of a dozen venues, with at least one more to come next month. Whether it will endure due to its musical and artistic merits, rather than as a timely curiosity, only the future will tell.
A string quartet serves as a perfect accompaniment to the story – much more would be excessive for the complex yet sometimes simple psychological drama taking place on the stage. James Lesniak did an excellent job of maintaining a proper sense of balance, proportion, and volume, and the players, Charles Stegeman (Concertmaster and Violin I), Rachel Stegeman (Assistant Concertmaster and Violin II), Jennifer Gerhard (Principal Viola) and Kathleen Melucci (Principal 'Cello) never wavered in their playing of the score, sometimes intricate and prominent, sometimes an appropriate whisper.
As far as a vehicle for the display of the vocal talents of two members of the Pittsburgh Opera's Resident Artist Program is concerned, a better choice than As One can hardly be imagined. It seems as if had the standard pairing of a tenor and soprano been chosen by the composer, the work would have lost some of its effectiveness. The unusual opportunity of hearing such sustained singing by a baritone and mezzo-soprano was not only a rare treat, but the voice types more effectively add to and color the drama of the story.
Brian Vu, as "Hannah Before," was given the opportunity to display his vocal abilities here as never before. That he had a baritone voice of quality in its lower register was already well known from his appearances in various smaller roles this season and last, but the strength and brilliance of his upper register came as a revelation. He sang the difficult music of the part with a ringing resonance that thrilled throughout, and he acted the role with an engaging sprightliness and a fine sense of pathos by turns.
He was partnered perfectly by Taylor Raven as "Hannah After." Her mezzo-soprano voice is of a lovely timbre and wide range, and she, too, acted the part appropriately and with a varied assortment of moods and emotions. The role is not new to her, as she has sung it with Seattle Opera, but it was clear that she and Mr. Vu had spent many hours working together to achieve optimal results with "Hannah," and their work paid off well. "I have come to really connect with the character of Hannah," Ms. Raven shared with me a few days ago. "I'm inspired by her honesty and bravery and I feel very honored to tell her story." Vocally and dramatically, she tells it very well, indeed.
The opera will be repeated on February 21, 24 and 26. For tickets, performance times, a complete synopsis, and much more, visit Pittsburgh Opera. It's highly recommended that those wishing to hear the work not waste time in securing tickets, as seating is limited and they are moving at a brisk pace.
Special thanks to Pittsburgh Opera for the two complimentary press admissions.
The "Artistic Team" for As One –
Conductor, James Lesniak; Stage Director, Frances Rabalais; Set Designer, Chen-Wei Liao; Lighting Designer, Todd Nonn; Head of Music, Glenn Lewis; Director of Musical Studies, Mark Trawka; Stage Manager, Attitra Lelahuta.
Photography: David Bachman
Categories: Archived Reviews


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Who Was Bar Kochba? Jewish Biography as History Lecture by Dr. Henry Abramson
Thank you so much for this series. I am not Jewish, but have a curiosity about Jewish history. It is so good to hear this history from the Jewish point of view instead of being filtered through Christian culture. I hope you will continue doing this for a long time.
I'm glad that you made this video lecture. Not only does it support my assertion that the Third Jewish revolt led to a greater loss of life and dispersion of Judeans, but also it led to a worldwide persecution of Jews throughout the Roman world.
Thank you again for your educational series. History is the biography of the human race.
My dear friend Dr Henry,
I'm touched that you'd take the time to reply to an autodidact like myself. All I have and all I know comes from intellectuals like yourself. I think that you are a man of integrity and have the unique ability to think outside the box that were often shoved into. I believe that knowledge of history can help us avoid the mistakes of history and to gain insight into the current events as well as the future. It has been said that, "The Jewish mindset is paranoia confirmed by history." I believe that to be a true saying and we need to strive to teach history truthfully and I feel that you do!
May the One God bless and keep you, may His strong arm always be around you as a hedge of protection and may you always teach the Truth.
Your friend and student,
Hi. I love the lecture and have heard all of them. Only issue i have is that on your video we, more often then not, cannot see the actual PowerPoint text. On torahcafe.com only a few of your classes go up and I do miss the text. Anyway you could upload somewhere the text?
Thanks, Naomi from Belgium
Hello Naomi from Belgium! Thanks for the suggestion. I'm not able to easily upload the earlier lectures which used PowerPoint and Keynote, but based on your suggestion I've made the Prezi lectures available. Please visithttp://prezi.com/user/HenryAbramson/ to find the lectures you're looking for. Thank you for watching! HMA
Thank you so much. I have just listened again to both Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai and Babatha lectures, while following the prezi presentation. Everything was better! It was as if i was in your Miami Beach shul!
By the way, you say you are moving to New York – will you at least carry on giving lectures on YouTube if not in front of a live audience? It would be a great personal loss to me (and countless Latvians) should you terminate this great project!
Don't give up!!!
Thank you, Naomi–I laughed out loud with your reference to the Latvian audience! Yes, I'm planning to move to NY in the summer of 2015 (here's the press release from Touro College, I'm proud of it: http://www.touro.edu/news/press-releases/las-abramson-appointment-81814.php). We'll have to figure out which community we want to live in, and then I'll think about giving the weekly lectures again. Glad you found the Prezi helpful, and thanks for the suggestion! HMA
I very much enjoyed this lecture and stumbled upon it while looking for more information on Bar Kochba and R. Akiva. I will now listen to the remaining lectures as you are able to transmit large amounts of information with great facility and wit. But to my question. I have thought for some time that too little is made of the great tragedy brought on by Bar Kochba and in some measure by his most prominent supporter R. Akiva. As Jews we prefer to see the heroism in the revolt, yet the course of Jewish history changed here much for the worse. We cannot bring ourselves to bestow blame on a scholar like R. Akiva, but I think he is let off lightly. Now that I have retired from the world of work I am determined to better understand this upheaval and would be pleased for any reading materials you might suggest.
Hello Mr. Metzger! Thanks for the kind words. For this lecture I relied heavily on Gedalia Alon's _The Jews in their Land in the Talmudic Age_. HMA
good lecture. Would have liked for you to discuss more about Bar Kochba, personally, as that is what I Expected given the title of the video: Who Was Bar Kochba?. Instead you discussed more about the revolt, so it was more about the Kochba Revolt and not about him, personally. More ways you could have touched upon him are: Who his parents were, did he marry, how old was he when he revolted. Did he spend his time in Yeshiva or in the woods. His physical features. How did he die…things like that.
second: why would Babatha take her Guardians to a Roman court if at that time, during the Kochba rebellion, Romans were considered inferior acc to the Israelites…is it possible she litigated before the revolt started?
email me, thanks


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Small Medallion
(50cm X 50cm)
Azure Cushion
Crafted from Small Medallion, a favourite Blithfield fabric, this cushion features a Peggy Angus moon and star motif in a beautiful blue with a contrasting yellow trim. This timeless design is a playful yet elegant addition to your living space, it looks great as a matching pair or next to other Small Medallion cushions in a variety of colours.
This cushion is also available in Berry, Green and Tangerine.
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This cushion measures 50 cm x 50 cm and is filled with an oversized down insert to ensure maximum comfort. It has an invisible zip in the bottom seam and is handcrafted in the U.K. and comes with a custom hand block printed dust bag.
This cushion is made from screen printed fabric. In the screen printing, skilled craftsmen transfer a design onto screens retaining all of the original elements of the artwork. The printing process entails printing each colour separately by applying colour through separate screens resembling different parts of the final design. The screen acts as a stencil so the ink is only transfered to select areas of the fabric. Traditionally, the process was called silkscreen printing because silk was used in the process prior to the invention of polyester mesh. Some of our original block print designs have been reinterpreted into screen prints.
This cushion features Small Medallion, a Blithfield fabric.
Front & Back: 100% Linen
Piping: 100% Cotton
Insert: Feather & Down
Dry Clean Only
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My colleagues Phyllis Chesler and Diana West have just written two important, complementary assessments which eviscerate journalist Deborah Scroggins' recently published, Wanted Women: Faith, Lies and the War on Terror: The Lives of Ayaan Hirsi Ali and Aafia Siddiqui. Chesler and West mince no words in their discussions of Scroggins' oeuvre, appropriately highlighting the book's intellectually and morally cretinous argumentation. Ms. Scroggins diatribe cum "analysis" excoriates the intrepid former Dutch Parliamentarian and Muslim freethinker, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, while providing a Leftist claptrap "blame the West," sympathetic portrayal of the Sharia-compliant, pious Muslim jihadist, Siddiqui.
As revealed by Chesler and West, Scroggins' work epitomizes disturbing trends I examine in my forthcoming Sharia Versus Freedom—The Legacy of Islamic Totalitarianism: Western self-loathing, accompanied by thoroughly uninformed, treacly apologetics on Islam and its quintessential, totalitarian religio-political code, Sharia. For example, Diana West points out how Scroggins chastises Ayaan Hirsi Ali's "simplistic" views on Islam for ignoring two ostensible avatars of "Islamic modernism"—the late Pakistani Prime Minister Benazhir Bhutto, and Sudanese religious "reformer," Mahmoud Muhammad Taha. But Scroggins ignorant attack simply confirms the author's willful blindness and hostility to the mea-culpa based, wrenching reforms of Islam Ayaan and other true modernists from Muslim backgrounds are rightfully insistent upon. Taha was at best a dishonest tinkerer; Bhutto far worse.
Taha's defining work, "The Second Message of Islam" is readily available in an English translation by his fawning acolyte, and Islamic Sharia-promoting apologist, Abdullah an-Naim. Taha proclaims these bowdlerized pieties (in "The Second Message of Islam") on Islam's violent Medinan emergence as a polity:
Islam used persuasion for thirteen years in propagating its clearly valid message…When the addressees failed to discharge properly the[ir] duties…the Prophet was appointed as their guardian…once they embraced the new religion [i.e., by coercion]…the sword was suspended…and [they] were penalized according to new laws. Hence the development of Islamic Shari'a law…
And Taha further had the temerity to compare the jihad-genocide waging historical "sword of Islam" to a surgeon's scalpel—an unconscionable immoral equivalence to this physician:
In justifying the use of the sword, we may describe it as a surgeon's lancet, and not a butcher's knife…We [the Muslims] have enacted fighting with the sword in order to curtail the freedom of those who abuse it, so the sword brings them to their senses, thereby allowing them to earn their freedom and benefit from their life [note: "freedom as perfect slavery to Allah", the Sufi notion of Ibn Arabi, perhaps?]
But Taha's true sentiments towards non-Muslim infidels are in the end, not concealed from anyone who cares to look. He in fact justifies—consistent with mainstream Islamic jurisprudence—their historical subjugation by violent jihad:
Suffering death by the sword in this life is really an aspect of suffering hell in the next life, since both are punishments for disbelief…for the disbelievers the law of war, and hardship of iron.
Ashok Pandit's moving documentary "And the World Remained Silent", chronicles in gory detail the brutal ethnic cleansing of some 350,000 indigenous Hindus from Kashmir during early 1990, orchestrated by Pakistan and it's "moderate" Prime Minister, Benazir Bhutto. Focus on the time period 2:30 to 4:30 minutes, and witness the jihadist speech of the late, much ballyhooed "modernist reformer" Ms. Bhutto. Moreover as noted by jihad terrorism expert Yossef Bodansky (in his prescient 1999 biography of Osama Bin Laden), Bhutto's return to power in the fall of 1993, despite her "façade of pro-Western and pro-democracy rhetoric," coincided, not surprisingly, with,
Pakistan's growing involvement in both the escalation of the war by proxy in Kashmir and the rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan, two movements that still provide shelter to bin Laden [written in 1999, and alas still true today!]…Bhutto's rise to power, especially in view of her pro-democracy rhetoric, would relax the Western guard so that at least for a while Pakistan would be able to acquire the necessary items…including spare parts for U.S.-made weapons…before a tightening embargo was reimposed….Despite her rhetoric, Bhutto seemed genuinely convinced that the future of Pakistan lay with the Iranian-led Islamic bloc and its activist anti-US posture. By the end of 1993, after her round of visits to Beijing, Pyongyang, and Tehran, Bhutto clearly demonstrated her determination to implement these policies and realize this strategic posture as soon as possible. Markedly increasing Paksitan's participation in the Islamist international terrorist system was an integral part of Bhutto's new strategy.
Benazir Bhutto was a jihadist, plain and simple; the head of what remains a jihadist state, Pakistan.
Phyllis Chesler highlights the following salient, irrefragable details about Aafia Siddiqui whom Scroggins views with completely undeserved sympathy:
Siddiqui, "Lady Al Qaeda,"…is now in prison for attempting to kill American soldiers in Afghanistan for al-Qaeda. In 2003, the FBI "named her as the only known female operative of al-Qaeda." In 2010, Siddiqui, a devout Muslim and a Brandeis-educated Pakistani, was sentenced to 86 years in jail.
And Chesler concludes with apposite trenchancy:
Scroggins does not care as much about the lethal sexism that Hirsi Ali decries as she does about the Muslim right to colonize the West, face-veil its women, censor, sue, even murder Muslim and ex-Muslim dissidents, and convert infidels by the sword.
The final section of Sharia Versus Freedom is entitled, "How Do You Solve A Problem Like Sharia?", and it includes extensive discussion of genuine Islamic reformers—intellectually honest and courageous souls like Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Wafa Sultan, and Ibn Warraq. My discussion of Ayaan, relative to other "popular" Western Muslim pseudo-reformers—which illustrates how her unapologetic approach identified the problem of Sharia-based Muslim abuse of women in the Netherlands, leading to concrete efforts to address this scourge—is reproduced below:
Hirsi Ali: The Empowered Apostate
(Annotated and edited version of an essay originally published in The American Thinker, May 27, 2005)
Leaving Islam can be hazardous. Apostasy is a capital crime in a number of Islamic countries. But even in elite conservative circles in the United States, there is a tendency to dismiss or at least ignore some important former Muslims who have a lot to teach us about their former faith, as we face an era in which religious war on the West has been declared by radical Islam.
Two years ago, following a modest Washington, DC area reception celebrating the release of Leaving Islam,1 a compilation of Ibn Warraq's own brilliant essays, and poignant, harrowing testimonials from other ex-Muslim "apostates," I received a disturbing communication from a former admirer and supporter of Warraq's work (particularly the seminal, Why I Am Not A Muslim 2) who attended the same event. This individual dismissed Warraq's unique and important collection on apostasy in Islam, because Warraq (and by extension, all Muslim apostates) was (were), "…no longer in the game." It was astonishing to hear such a glib assessment from a conservative intellectual and self-appointed doyen (subsequently, government-appointed) examining Islamic terrorism. The pernicious effect of this mindset—apparently quite pervasive among the lemming-like denizens of the most influential Washington, DC area conservative "think tanks"—was reinforced during Warraq's dismissive small audience (composed entirely of self-important, self-appointed doyens) at perhaps the pre-eminent Institute of this ilk. Ayaan Hirsi Ali's rise to prominence as an openly avowed Muslim apostate Parliamentarian in the Netherlands—both before, and most decidedly after the murder 3 of her colleague, Dutch filmmaker Theo Van Gogh—demonstrates that it is completely misguided to dismiss the profound intellectual and sociopolitical contributions courageous apostates can make to both the public discourse, and specific policy initiatives, regarding Islam.
Four recently published interviews 4 of Somalia-born Ayaan Hirsi Ali provide an informative overview of her evolution—from a teenage Islamic school—educated supporter of the jihadist Muslim Brotherhood, to an asylum—seeking refugee in the Netherlands in her early 20s (in 1992), and now, a courageous Dutch Parliamentarian (since January 2003) dedicated to the defense of the core Western values (i.e., such as true freedom of conscience) embodied in modern human rights constructs.
Shortly after completing her studies in political science at Leiden University, Hirsi Ali was hired as a researcher for the Dutch Labor Party, and assigned to write a brief on immigration. She stunned her Labor colleagues by making blunt recommendations that were a frontal assault on established multicultural taboos: shut down all 41 Islamic schools; curb immigration; and radically alter Article 23 of the Dutch constitution (which embraced the multicultural orthodoxy by sanctioning the creation of separate schools and cultural institutions for distinct religious groups).
Disillusioned with the Dutch left, Hirsi Ali joined the opposition VVD party in 2002, and by September 2002, also publicly "apostasized" from Islam—an action which precipitated death threats against her. Ibn Warraq's unique compilation and analysis of apostate testimonies highlights the courage of such a public declaration: 5
…for a free discussion of Islam remains rare and dangerous, certainly in the Islamic world, and even in our politically correct times in the West…Apostasy is still punishable by long prison sentences and even death in many Islamic countries such as Pakistan and Iran…
The fact that Hirsi Ali's declaration elicited murderous threats in the Netherlands—in the heart of Western Europe—where, as Warraq notes, 6 "…one talks of being a "lapsed Catholic" or "nonpracticing Christian" rather than an 'apostate.' [and] There are certainly no penal sanctions for converting from Christianity to any…superstitious flavor of the month, from New Ageism to Islam…." underscores the serious erosion of Europe's core values under its new Islamized Eurabian 7 sociopolitical ethos.
Combining lucid intellectual and experience-based understanding with rare valor, uncompromised by politically correct apologetics, Hirsi Ali has made explicit the threat that orthodox Islam (as she stated, "The problem is the Prophet and the Koran" 8)—not "Islamism"—poses to the Western civilization she has come to cherish, and staunchly defend. She identifies the core Muslim texts—Koran, hadith, sira—their codification into Islamic Law (i.e., Shari'a), and the orthodox interpretation of this sacralized literature by seminal Muslim jurists—noting Ibn Taymiyya's "pure" Islamic exegesis, 9 specifically—as being responsible for the incompatibility between Islamic and Western values. In particular, the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 10 versus the Shari'a-based Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Islam 11 (Cairo, 1990).
The Cairo Declaration of Human Rights in Islam included the triumphal statement that the Shari'a has primacy over the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the specific proclamation that God has made the umma (Islamic community) the best nation [citing Koran 3:110], whose role is to "guide" humanity. 12 This formulation captures the indelible influence of the uniquely Islamic institutions of jihad and dhimmitude 13 on the Shari'a, rendering sacred and permanent the notion of inequality between the community of Allah, and the infidels—reiterated in the Cairo Declaration.
Hirsi Ali's response to the standard non-sequitur apologetic about the putative existence of, "different Islams", is unequivocal: 14
No that is an erroneous idea. If one defines Islam as the religion founded by Muhammad and explained by the Koran and later by hadiths, there is only one Islam that dictates the moral framework.
Finally, she concludes that true reform of Islam, to render it compatible with modern human rights standards, must include criticism of both its core sacred text, and founder: 15
You cannot liberalize Islam without criticizing the Prophet and the Koran…You cannot redecorate a house without entering inside.
As a VVD Parliamentarian since 2002, Hirsi Ali's major legislative focus has been on women's issues: drawing up legislation, which was subsequently enacted, to improve enforcement of the statute against female genital mutilation [a practice sanctioned by hadith 16]; working to assure better enforcement of laws protecting women from "honor killings'," a particular problem among Turkish Muslim immigrants in Europe 17; and drafting a position paper about the economic integration of women. Her outspoken positions on matters apart from women's issues include: urging intensive oversight of new Muslim schools before they are accredited; supporting the US-lead coalition's invasion of Iraq; and raising sober concerns about Turkey's candidacy for EU membership (which she characterizes as a "big gamble" for Europeans). 18
It is quite illuminating to juxtapose Hirsi Ali's unapologetic arguments, and her concrete legislative agenda based upon those principles, with the views and "achievements" of "moderate" Muslims championed by U.S. media and policymaking elites, across the political spectrum. Four prominent examples will suffice.
Conservative elites have promoted, most notably, Suleyman Ahmad Stephen Schwartz [SASS] and Khaleel Muhammad [KM], while liberal elites have embraced Irshad Manji [IM] and Khaled Abou El Fadl [KAEF]. Despite certain disagreements between them, what these individuals unfortunately share is a persistent avoidance or absolute denial of the need to challenge and alter institutions intrinsic to Islam—to the Shari'a. Instead, they blame so—called 'distorted' interpretations of a theological—juridical system they deem completely compatible with modern human rights constructs, and normal international and inter—communal relations. The logical conclusion of their arguments is the absurd notion that jihad war, and its corollary institution, dhimmitude (which only IM of the four 'moderates' even acknowledges, albeit fleetingly) are 'distortions' of basic Islamic dogma.
Below, I have summarized a series of their specific views on critical issues. The dismaying opinions range from denying altogether, to ignoring or trivializing: 19
- · Jihad war— denied (KAEF); ignored/trivialized (SASS, KM); trivialized (IM)
- · Dhimmitude— denied (KAEF, SASS, KM); trivialized (IM)
- · Acknowledgement of specific Judenhass motifs in Islam, i.e., from Koranic and other sacred text sources, and/or Islamic Law: denied (KAEF, SASS, KM); ignored (IM)
- · Incompatibility of the Shari'a with modern human rights constructs: denied by KAEF who endorses the Shari'a as a model under which all human beings should live!; ignored (SASS, KM, IM)
- · Views on Europe's Islamization, and the "Eurabia" phenomenon: All four imply or state explicitly that the mere discussion of this matter is tantamount to 'racism.' IM favors continued mass Muslim immigration into Europe and blames their lack of assimilation on European xenophobia. She completely ignores the role of irredentist Islamic precepts—promoted in many of these Muslim immigrant communities—which direct believers not to assimilate within societies outside the jurisdiction of Sharia law.
Moreover, while constantly engaged in self-promotional activities, the four enlightened moderate Muslim "reformers" conspicuously avoided involving themselves in any substantive way with these noble efforts:
- The broad coalition to raise awareness of, and opposition to, the jihad genocide and mass enslavement of black South Sudanese Christians and animists, by the Muslim Arab Khartoum government, from 1983—2002.
- Opposition to the 1990 Cairo Declaration (i.e, The Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Islam), particularly, its threat to article 18 of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, protecting freedom of conscience.
- Opposition to the establishment of Shari'a courts in Canada
In stark contrast, despite repeated death threats which mandate 24-hour protection, clandestine living arrangements, and a virtually non—existent social life, Hirsi Ali remains, as described aptly by journalist Christopher Caldwell, 20
…a democracy campaigner for whom the role of an ordinary democratic citizen is off limits…Hers is a big heroic life that moves her fellow citizens but now gets lived mostly in locked rooms and bulletproof cars.
Hirsi Ali, condemned Muslim 'apostate', and intrepid politician committed to maintaining the democratic vitality of her adopted Dutch society, epitomizes the powerful, effective voice Ibn Warraq foresaw in Leaving Islam. 21 Recalling The God that Failed, 22 a collection of testimonial essays by ex-Communist intellectuals and their warnings about the all—encompassing oppression of body and spirit intrinsic to Soviet-style Communism, Warraq noted that the accounts of these ex-Communist "Cassandras" appeared eerily similar to the ex-Muslim apostates whose testimonies he had compiled. Warraq concluded, 23
Communism has been defeated, at least for the moment…unless a reformed, tolerant, liberal kind of Islam emerges soon, perhaps the final battle will be between Islam and Western democracy. And these ex-Muslims…on the side of Western Democracy, are the only ones who know what it is all about, and we would do well to listen to their Cassandra cries.
Hirsi Ali's practical efforts in the Netherlands mirror the strategies outlined by Warraq in a thoughtful essay about reform (somewhat ironically) of Middle Eastern Muslim societies. She clearly shares the unapologetic views about the obstacles to such reform presented by Islam itself, which Warraq characterized as follows: 24
There are some (I believe, misguided) liberal Muslims who deny any such transformation is necessary, that Islam need not be marginalized for liberty to flourish. These liberals often argue that the real Islam is compatible with liberal democracy, that the real Islam is feminist, that the real Islam is egalitarian, that the real Islam tolerates other religions and beliefs, and so on. They then proceed to some truly creative re—interpretation of the embarrassing, intolerant and misogynist verses of the Koran. But intellectual honesty demands that we reject just such dishonest tinkering with the Koran's text, which, while it may be open to some re—interpretation, is not infinitely elastic. The truth is there is no real difference between Islam and Islamic fundamentalism — at most there is a difference of degree, but not of kind. There are moderate Muslims, but Islam itself is not moderate. All the tenets of so—called Islamic fundamentalism are derived from the Koran, the Sunna, and the Hadith — the defining texts of Islam — and elaborated in intimate detail by the classical Muslim jurists from all four schools of Sunni Islamic jurisprudence, as well as by Shi'ite jurists. The only solution is to bring the questions of human rights out of the religious sphere and into the sphere of the civil state, in other words to separate religion from the state and promote a secular state where Islam is relegated to the personal. Here, Islam would continue to provide consolation, comfort, and meaning, as it has to millions of individuals for centuries, yet it would not decree the mundane affairs of state.
It is also apparent from her own statements and actions that Hirsi Ali agrees with Warraq's assessment, summarized below, about the crucial need to encourage scholarly criticism of the Koran, in particular, and more generally, to promote secular education emphasizing critical thought: 25
First, we who live in the free West and enjoy freedom of expression and scientific inquiry should encourage a rational look at Islam, should encourage Koranic criticism. Only Koranic criticism can help Muslims to look at their Holy Scripture in a more rational and objective way, and prevent young Muslims from being fanaticized by the Koran's less tolerant verses. It does not make sense to lament the lack of a reformation in Islam, and at the same time boycott books like Why I am Not A Muslim nor to cry "Islamophobia" (or "fatwah!") every time a critique of Islam is offered. Instead, political leaders, journalists and even scholars are bent on protecting the tender sensibilities of the Muslims. We are not doing Islam any favors by protecting it from Enlightenment values. … We can encourage rationality by secular education. This will mean the closing of religious madrassas where young children from poor families learn only the Koran by heart, learn the doctrine of Jihad — learn , in short, to be fanatics… What kind of education? My priority would be the wholesale rewriting of school texts, which at present preach intolerance of non-Muslims, particularly Jews. One hopes that education will encourage critical thinking and rationality. Again to encourage pluralism, I should like to see the glories of pre-Islamic history taught to all children.
Finally, we should consider this insightful warning from another Muslim secularist, Professor Reza Afshari, the preeminent historian of the human rights tragedy engendered by Iran's return to its theocratic roots, 26 after a 50-year hiatus, in 1979: 27
What we have from liberal Muslims today are only ideological claims punctuated by expressed good intentions. A sector of the traditional custodians of religion, the ulema, politicizing Islam did come to power[in Iran]; therefore it is logical to assume what we faced in the 1980s and 1990s was the result of Shiite Islam (at least an authentic version of it) injecting itself into the politics of a contemporary state. They created a record of what the `culturally authentic' rulers did…The issue is not Islam as a private faith of individuals. It is about what state officials claiming Islamic authority might have to say about the state's treatment of citizens.
1. Ibn Warraq. Leaving Islam, Amherst, NY, 2003.
2. Ibn Warraq. Why I Am Not a Muslim, Amherst, NY, 1995.
3. Emerson Vermaat. "Terror on Trial", FrontPageMagazine.com, December 12, 2005
4. Christopher Caldwell. "Daughter of the Enlightenment", The New York Times Magazine, April 3, 2005
"We Must Declare War on Islamist Propaganda" Spiegel Online, May 14, 2005
{ http://www.spiegel.de/international/spiegel/0,1518,356485,00.html }
Alexander Linklater. "Danger Woman", The Guardian, May16, 2005 {http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2005/may/17/religion.immigration};
Jean-Michel Demetz. "Le problème, c'est le Prophète et le Coran", L'Express.Fr, May 16,2005
5. Warraq, Leaving Islam, p. 11.
6. Ibn Warraq. "Apostasy and Human Rights" From the text presented by Ibn Warraq at a panel discussion entitled, "Apostasy, Human Rights, Religion and Belief," held at the 60th Session of the UN Commission on Human Rights in Geneva, April 7, 2004. { http://www.iheu.org/node/1541 }
7. Andrew G. Bostom. "The Islamization of Europe", FrontPageMagazine.com, December 31, 2004
8. "Le problème, c'est le Prophète et le Coran"
9. Andrew Bostom. "Suf Jihad?", The American Thinker, May 15, 2005
{ http://www.americanthinker.com/2005/05/sufi_jihad.html }
10. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights { http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/ }
11. The Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam
{ http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/instree/cairodeclaration.html }
12. Ibid.
13. Bat Ye'or and Andrew G. Bostom. "Jihad and Dhimmitude: Victimless Islamic Institutions?", FrontPageMagazine.com, December 03, 2002
{ http://archive.frontpagemag.com/readArticle.aspx?ARTID=20902 }
14. "Le problème, c'est le Prophète et le Coran",
15. Ibid.
16. For example, see the hadith, Abu-Dawud Book 41, No. 5251: Narrated Umm Atiyyah al-Ansariyyah: A woman used to perform circumcision in Medina. The prophet (peace be upon him) said to her: "Do not cut severely as that is better for a woman and more desirable for a husband." Another version of this tradition is, "…Do not exaggerate in [performing the circumcision] because [performing the circumcision in this way] is liked by the wife and loved by the husband… Leave something protruding and do not go to extremes in cutting. That makes her face more radiant and is more pleasing to her husband." [cited in B. Chernitsky, "The Egyptian Controversy Over Circumcising Girls", The Middle East Media Research Institute, Inquiry & Analysis Series Report No.152, November 7, 2003 { http://www.memri.org/report/en/0/0/0/0/0/0/989.htm#_edn13 }]
The influential Sunni theologian Al-Qaradawi advocates partial circumcision for women as a moderate, just, and reasonable practice, although leaving the ultimate decision to the girl's parents. He wrote a Fatwa on this matter, stating wrote, "Anyone who thinks that circumcision is the best way to protect his daughters should do it… I support this, particularly in the period in which we live. [However], anyone who does not [circumcise girls] is not thought to have sinned, because this is nothing more than merit for girls, as stated by religious scholars and by one of the Hadiths…" Y. Al-Qaradawi, Modern Fatwas, Beirut: Al-Maktab Al-Islami, 2000, p. 468; also cited in B. Chernitsky, "The Egyptian Controversy Over Circumcising Girls"
However, regardless of the so-called "controversy" over female genital mutilation/circumcision, as I observed
{ https://www.andrewbostom.org/blog/2011/01/30/three-more-sobering-observations-about-egypt%E2%80%99s-elites-and-masses/ } January 30, 2011:
Historian David Littman reported { http://vladtepesblog.com/?p=21222} to the UN Human Rights Commission on April 23, 2010, "The FGM (female genital mutilation) figure for Egypt… remains today a deadly 97%." This barbaric practice is sanctioned by the Shafiite school of Sunni Islamic Law that predominates in Egypt. The predictable medical complications of this barbarity—acute ("severe pain, shock, infection, bleeding, acute urinary infection, tetanus, and death") and chronic ("chronic pain, difficulties with micturition and menstruation, pelvic infection leading to infertility, and prolonged and obstructed labor during childbirth")—are described in a 1993 British Medical Journal report. (Ladjali M, Rattray TW, Walder RJ. Female genital mutilation. BMJ. 1993 Aug 21;307(6902):460. PubMed PMID: 8400925)
17. Jody K. Biehl. "The Death of a Muslim Woman—'The Whore Lived Like a German' ", Spiegel Online, March 2, 2005, { http://www.spiegel.de/international/0,1518,344374,00.html }
18. Caldwell, "Daughter of the Enlightenment"; Linklater, "Danger Woman"; Demetz, "Le problème, c'est le Prophète et le Coran"; and "We Must Declare War on Islamist Propaganda"
19. See Khaled Abu El Fadl, Khaled Abou El Fadl, "The Place of Tolerance in Islam" title essay, pp. 3-23, in The Place of Tolerance in Islam, Boston, MA, 2002, and my "Khaled Abou El Fadl: Reformer or Revisionist?" Institute for the Secularisation of Islamic Society, April 9, 2003 {available online at: http://www.campus-watch.org/article/id/684 }, and "Sharia at Harvard?", FrontPageMagazine.com, March 18, 2008, {http://archive.frontpagemag.com/readArticle.aspx?ARTID=30192};
Stephen (Sulayman Ahmad) Schwartz, The Two Faces of Islam, New York, 2002, and "The Good & the Bad—Stephen Schwartz on Islam and Wahhabism", National Review Online, November 18, 2002,
{ http://old.nationalreview.com/interrogatory/interrogatory111802.asp }, Schwartz's statement regarding his conversion to Islam { http://www.naqshbandi.org/events/articles/conversion_schwartz.htm }, "Stephen Schwartz Recites Fatiha at the Grave of Bosnian President Alija Izetbegovic," Sarajevo, 2004,
{ http://www.islamicpluralism.org/about/ } and my "Sufi Jihad", The American Thinker, May 15, 2005,
{ http://www.americanthinker.com/2005/05/sufi_jihad.html }, and "Our Kosovo Folly: More Fulfillment of Izetbegovic's 'Moderate' Vision?", www.AndrewBostom.org, February 22, 2008,
{ https://www.andrewbostom.org/blog/2008/02/22/our-kosovo-folly-more-fulfillment-of-izetbegovic%E2%80%99s-%E2%80%9Cmoderate%E2%80%9D-vision/ };
Daniel Patterson, Khaleel Muhammad, Muhammad: Prophet of God, Grand Rapids, MI, 2001/2007, and "Symposium: The Koran and Anti-Semitism", FrontPageMagazine.com, June 25, 2004,
{ http://archive.frontpagemag.com/readArticle.aspx?ARTID=12471 }
{ http://archive.frontpagemag.com/readArticle.aspx?ARTID=12472 };
and Irshad Manji, The Trouble with Islam Today: A Muslim's Call for Reform in Her Faith, New York, 2003
20. Caldwell, "Daughter of the Enlightenment"
21. Warraq, Leaving Islam
22. Richard Crossman. (editor), The God That Failed, New York, NY, 1950/1965
23. Warraq, Leaving Islam, p. 136
24. Ibn Warraq. "A True Islamic Reformation", FrontPageMagazine.com, May 19, 2003
{ http://archive.frontpagemag.com/readArticle.aspx?ARTID=18138 }
25. Ibid.
26. Andrew G. Bostom. "The Ayatollahs' Final Solution?", FrontPageMagazine.com, July 5, 2004
{ http://archive.frontpagemag.com/readArticle.aspx?ARTID=12363 }
27. Reza Afshari. Human Rights in Iran—The Abuse of Cultural Relativism, Philadelphia, PA, 2001, p. xvi


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NEAREST TOWN: Edited at request of witness.
NEAREST ROAD: Edited at request of witness.
OBSERVED: I [work] in Jasper County, Texas. On Thursday August 4, 2005, [in the early evening] I was walking [outdoors on company property surrounded by the Big Thicket]. There was some rustling in the underbrush about thirty yards off to the left side of the dirt road which I was travelling down. Shortly after hearing the rustling I began to smell what seemed like a mixture of a skunk and strong coffee mixed with kind of like a dead fish smell. At first I thought that it might have been some wild hogs bedding down for the evening, so I stopped to listen for anything that might have indicated piglets since wild sows are dangerous if they are protecting their young. After about thirty to forty-five seconds, the rustling around stopped. I couldn't see into the brush, but I felt like whatever was in there was watching me. Not wanting to be the focus of a hog charge, I hollered in hopes that I would scare off whatever it was in the brush. After not getting any response, I figured that whatever it was had left, so I resumed [what I was doing]. I had to go down to a gate and turn around. When I passed the spot where I had my encounter, I heard a whoo--whoo--whooping sound coming from behind me. It was quiet at first then it got louder as I got farther away. I was puzzled as to what could make that sound. I am an experienced deerhunter, and I have never heard that sound before. It sounded kind of like a howler monkey. In fact that's what I would have thought that it was if I didn't know any better. About two and a half hours later [at a different location] I smelled the same smell. I have smelled that smell there several times after dark. I would like for my specifics to be kept confidential, as well as my job title.
ALSO NOTICED: I've seen broken limbs on the ground, and places where mud was scraped up.
OTHER WITNESSES: Only me there.
OTHER STORIES: Nobody speaks about these incidents. They are like the big pink elephant that stays in the corner of the room.
TIME AND CONDITIONS: See above
ENVIRONMENT: Deep woods with heavy underbrush. No houses. Borders [private organization], but the area is owned by ********** where hunting is prohibited. There is [plenty of water] and lots of wildlife.
Follow-up investigation report:
When I spoke to the witness about his experience, he was adamant that what he heard sounded "just like a monkey." He wrote of "whoops" in his report, and in talking directly with the witness, he was a bit more descriptive. The whoops occurred three times while he was in the area, and were described as being like a "howler monkey" or "gibbon" in a zoo. The witness was quite startled by the sounds; he had never heard anything like them in his experiences in the outdoors of North America.
The smell was quite pungent and quite unusual, although the witness thought he had smelled it before. When the witness first smelled the odor, he considered it to be of hog origin, having no other frame of reference from which to draw. After he heard the vocalizations, the witness's perspective of what he was encountering began to change. It was then that he contemplated the possibility that he might be actually encountering something outside the parameters of known taxonomy.
At the witness's request, I have edited his report so that any and all personal data remains totally confidential. All changes made by me appear in his report enclosed in [ ], and are only indicative of information that would compromise the identity, occupation and location of the witness.


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May Highlights:
1. We took a week's staycation, which included an afternoon in the mountains, as seen in the photo above.
2. On May 30, our visit to Immanuel Kanazawa Church ended up being online rather than in person. This meant pre-recording our music and message last week and sending the video to the pastor there. It was a lot of work to get it all together in time, but we're thankful God could use us in this way, even while the church is not meeting. Being the week after Pentecost, we encouraged the church to pray and seek God for a spiritual revival and awakening in Japan.
3. We are continuing to make good progress moving ahead with Drawbridge Creations, as we work with four different artists to produce stories for our first online manga series… which we've finally chosen a name for! Introducing…
June Prayer Points:
1. Please pray that God will give us the wisdom and strength we need as we continue to work toward launching this online ministry platform.
2. Please pray for God to supply our Drawbridge Creations start-up fund (more info here).
3. Pray for us as we take part in the Global Partners Asia-Pacific online conference, June 17-18.
4. Please pray, too, for revival in the Japanese Church, and for an awakening to the Gospel in Japan.
Thank you as always for your partnership and prayers!


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Kitazawa Seed Co.
Chrysanthemum Greens Seeds - Oasis
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Chrysanthemum Greens Seeds - Oasis. Heirloom, Non-GMO. Glebionis coronaria. 40-50 days. Cool season annual. Edible chrysanthemum green is a traditional vegetable of Japan also known as shungiku. Oasis has small, deeply serrated, dark-green aromatic leaves and is more productive, vigorous, and branched than many other varieties. This easy to grow plant can also be used for sprouting and baby greens. ~ 14,300 seeds per oz.


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Birthstone Ring For Mothers With 2 Baby Feet
For a first mom or first-time grandmother, A One stone Personalized Mothers Birthstone Ring is the perfect way to celebrate their new little one. Please enjoy this beautiful ring in celebration of your child's birth or loved one's child's birth. A perfect gift to friends and family. Treat yourself to this meaningful One stone Personalized Mothers Birthstone Ring.
Birthstone rings are a beautiful way to display family bonding. Engrave the name of the person who is special to you on this mothers ring and add a birthstone. Give your loved ones the gift they deserve. All rings are handmade from sterling silver and feature a cubic zirconia stone.
Who Can Wear This Family Birthstone Ring With One Stone?
This one stone mother's ring is perfect for the extraordinary woman in your life, including your spouse, aunts, nieces, cousins, mother, girlfriend, sister, and daughter, as well as the rest of your family members. Lists can go on for days. It's a great gift for grandmothers. Don't forget to buy one for yourself, as well. Moms of all ages deserve a ring, too.
Which Occasions Do You Give Someone A One Stone Birthstone ring?
It doesn't matter what day of the year it is; you can give a customized ring at any time. There is no need to set a special day aside to express your appreciation. It is a beautiful gift to give to a mother. Your choice of this gift shows your thoughtfulness. Make mom or that special lady in your life proud with a custom family ring right now.
How To Place An Order?
From the drop-down menu, select your loved ones' birthstone, and enter their name. Your custom ring can be engraved with a maximum of nine characters per name.
When To Expect Your Order?
Our master jewelers meticulously handcraft the One Stone Birthstone ring by hand to create the most beautiful birthstone ring possible. Our master artisans will take about ten business days to complete this process, so we appreciate your patience. A custom ring should take about 12 business days from the date you place your order to the day it is delivered to you. The process may take a little longer, but you will love your one Stone Birthstone ring.
At Bellanic.com, we are committed to ensuring you are satisfied with your One Stone Birthstone ring, so every item we offer comes with a satisfaction guarantee. We will issue a full refund if you receive your custom jewelry in an unsatisfactory condition due to our fault. However, please be advised that all personalized jewelry is final sale, so we ask you to ensure the information you enter is correct before submitting it. All returns are accepted within 30 days of delivery.


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Police presence when filming on the move
Have you ever had to film a moving vehicle via a remote camera arm? Or if you're on a low budget production, from the boot of a car? If the answer is yes then you might require the presence of the police during the shoot.
Who decides this is The Metropolitan Police Service Film Unit (the MPS Film Unit for short) who annually provide officers for around 600 filming days.
They have put together a handy guide advising what types of on the move filming in London require police presence.
So whether you plan on filming something with a camera mounted on the bonnet of a car or from a motorbike, it's worth casting your eyes over what they have to say.
The types of 'on the move' filming covered in the guide are:
- A Frame
- Bonnet and/or side mounted cameras
- Front or side platforms
- Low loaders – cars / motorcycles
- Motorcycle tracking
- Quad bike tracking
- Remote camera arm
- Russian arm
- Tail gates
- Tracking vehicles – small / normal / jib arm / telescopic crane arm
The following document outlines each area in more detail, explaining clearly what level of police presence is required and how to go about asking for permission and support from the MPS Film Unit.
The MPS Film Unit manages filming across London and provides officers for location shooting.
Planning on filming without moving vehicles? Then check out the MPS Film Unit's guide to filming on the streets of London.


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Cutting-horse trainer Kory Pounds shares six strategies that ensure your youngster develops cow sense and confidence from the start.
The computer age may be in full swing, but cutting-horse trainer Kory Pounds doesn't use any kind of programming when training a cow horse. He believes that the wrong approach makes horses robotic when working cattle, tending to rely on cues from the rider rather than reading and reacting to the cow with
"Some guys don't challenge their horse to learn," Pounds says. "It's more like they're programming him to where they put a foot on him and he jumps to the right, and put another foot on him and he jumps to the left. They're teaching him how to be active, but not teaching him how to work the cow."
Having earned nearly $1 million in NCHA competition, Pounds' training approach apparently works. He credits much of his success and training philosophy to lessons learned while working for five-time NCHA Futurity champion Buster Welch.
"He always used to say, 'If you work a cow good, then your horse will work a cow good,' " Pounds says. "It boils down to getting a horse in time with a cow."
When the cow stops, the horse must stop, landing in a position that keeps the cow engaged. Pounds doesn't want the cow to relax when stopped, and he wants the horse to remain hooked and in position for the cow's next move.
As cattle can be quick and unpredictable, it's best for the horse to respond to the cow's moves rather than wait for direction from the rider. But teaching that takes time.
"If the cow means more to them than the training, then they'll always come back to the cow," Pounds says. "There's no substitute for experience. I don't care how smart or cowy a horse is. It takes two years to train a contest cutting horse. And, really, we're simply getting them to work a cow good."
Here, Pounds shares six pointers on training a young cow horse to read and rate with confidence.
"All I want is control of their feet," he says. "They need to be broke enough to where you can stop and turn them. When I sit down and take the slack out of the reins, I want their feet to come to a stop. I'm not asking them to hit a sliding stop. And whenever they get stopped, I want them to stand there on a loose rein. That's about 60 days of good, consistent riding.
"When I take slack out to back them, I want their feet to come right then. If they bend at the poll too much, put their chin against their chest and their feet don't come, then I can't ever get them in time with the cow."
Pounds believes some horses are so thoroughly trained that it's difficult for them to focus on the cow. He prefers to introduce his horses to cattle earlier so that their movements are related to the cow, not to the rider.
"A young horse just needs to be shown the cow," Pounds says. "Maybe 90 days down the road you can start incorporating more training or mechanics. But by doing that too early, you teach them how to argue instead of how to learn."
If at some point he has to address a basic issue, such as a failure to yield to the bit or move off his leg, Pounds makes sure he clearly steps away from the cow before correcting the horse.
"If you're having trouble, quit working the cow and fix your problem," he says. "You don't want a horse to relate discipline to working the cow."
Pounds' training philosophy echoes the slow and steady process that many horsemen advocate. He's learned to be satisfied with slow progress and to stay unalarmed by backward steps.
Pounds begins cow work by simply teaching the horse to follow a single, slow cow in a round pen. Once the horse is confident with that, Pounds brings a small herd into the middle of the pen, cuts a cow out and works it around the perimeter. He spends months on this lesson, teaching the horse to track by walking and trotting in circles, and stopping and changing direction on his hindquarters toward the cow.
Pounds doesn't allow the action to overwhelm his horse. Also, he would much rather the horse learn to do its job at a slow pace, rather than fast.
"Speed is not good for a young horse," he says. "I'd rather my horse try to outsmart a cow than outrun it. You can teach your horse to be a running-off idiot in about 15 minutes. But it takes two years to get them to work a cow using their head and their agility. A horse can't do that if they're only thinking about running."
If the cow wants to run too hard, Pounds stops his horse and gets another cow.
"If the horse ever starts trying to overachieve, I pull up because he'll scare himself," Pounds says. "Horses these days are strong and athletic, and you sure don't want one to hurt himself because he got in a bind trying to do right."
Despite his patient approach and slow-paced training sessions, Pounds' horses aren't bored. His goal is to keep the horse's mind busy at work.
"If you don't challenge him, he won't ever learn," Pounds says. "He'll get bored with it really quick. When you start a young horse on a cow, you want to put enough pressure on the cow to get it to move, then let your horse feel that. Step to that cow nice and easy, and let your horse pick his ears up and learn to adjust to what the cow is going to do.
"I don't teach a horse that big, 180 degree turn. And the only time I want him to make a 180 is when the cow pulls him that 180. It's easy to ride your horse so far to one side of the cow that it finally goes the other way, and then just whoop the horse all the way back to the other side of the cow. But all you're teaching him is to go right and left. You're not teaching your horse to work a cow. A lot of horses get resentful about that."
Pounds wants his horses to learn the basics: moving toward the cow's hip drives it forward, and stepping to its head makes it stop and change directions. Some cows require more pressure before they move, but Pounds still doesn't want his horses to take any unnecessary steps.
"You don't ever want to be more active than the cow is," he says. "The way to keep a horse mentally challenged is to take your time, step your horse to the cow and let him learn where it's going to go. If you step to a cow's hip, the horse needs to be ready to pick himself up and go with it. And when he steps to its head, he needs to know that it will stop and he needs to be ready to turn back. You shouldn't have to be telling him that."
As the horse advances in its training, it begins to sense a cow's pressure points. Some cows are more sensitive than others, and some horses project more pressure than do others. Pounds wants his horses to learn where to position themselves to keep the cow engaged and on the move.
A horse engages and controls the cow by positioning itself behind or even with the cow to drive it, or slightly ahead to turn it. The horse's distance from the cow also affects the movement.
"I'm riding a 2-year-old mare that's still searching for the right position on a cow," Pounds says. "It's where she can travel to a spot so the cow can stop, but still have momentum. So when the cow is stopped, the mare has ahold of it. And if it starts to turn, she's in position [to turn with it]."
When working a cow in a round pen, the horse can work close to a slow cow on the perimeter of the pen, or move to the inside and farther away from a faster cow, all the while staying even with it. Pounds wants his horses to figure out how close to be, depending on the cow and the horse's ability.
Pounds says that it's common for riders to allow their horse to fade away from the cow. They may be even with the cow, but their horse and the cow aren't engaged, and that affects the cow's energy level and momentum.
"When the horse quits cowing, the cow feels that," Pounds says. "They feel the pressure, or the lack of. The horse doesn't need to crowd the cow and create his own difficulty, but he needs to keep momentum and rate."
In the midst of so much action, Pounds always allows the horse time to stop and read the cow. Those breaks in the action, no matter how brief, are the most crucial aspect to his training program.
"Buster used to always say, 'You've got to give a young horse thinking time,' " Pounds says. "If the horse is loping around and the cow is loping around, the horse isn't thinking. He's reacting. He's reacting to the cow or to you driving him. But when that cow stops and you stop with it, that's his thinking time.
"I ride my horse to a place to make the cow stop. The cow is probably going to stay there a second. When the horse stops and gets his feet set, man, I just sit there."
This allows the horse to regroup and pay closer attention to the cow. Pounds stops for thinking time every time the cow stops, reverses direction or fades away from the horse.
"Anytime the cow takes pressure off me, I stop and give my horse thinking time," he says. "It might be for only a split second. And if my horse stops out of position, I give him a split second of thinking time. Then I get him in the right position and give [thinking time] right back to him. You can't run it all together."
Pounds says it's obvious when the horse is focused on the cow.
"I look at a horse's ears a lot," he says. "I'm training a mare now that's fine when you're walking or trotting around in the round pen. But when you stop, she gets rigid and cocks her ears at me, like she's ready for something to happen. When I work her on a cow, I do not quit until every time she stops, she's got her ears pricked, hunting that cow. I feel her soften her body and soften her neck. There'll be a day when she won't brace up, and all her focus will be on that cow."
The end result, as Pounds described earlier, is that the horse will "work a cow good." For a horse to stay in sync with a cow, it must be able to both read and rate the cow's every step.
"Rating is key," Pounds says. "Horses have to rate a cow to a stop, rate a cow through the turn and rate a cow out of [the turn]. A cow is sometimes going to try you in the middle of a turn, so a horse has got to rate."
Pounds added that riders shouldn't be eager to cue their horse into the next gait when tracking a cow.
"Transitions are so important for a young horse to learn," he says. "When you start him on a cow, he needs to walk, trot, extend at the trot, and then lope. If he should be trotting, but he's loping, the cow will outstop him every time. So the horse needs to come back to a trot before he stops. A young horse is just not strong enough, physically or mentally, to handle coming from a high lope to a big, sliding stop.
"Also, if that cow takes off, the horse had better trot for his life before he breaks into a lope because he's very vulnerable in that transition. So that cow had better be in front of him a tick when he breaks into that lope, because he's going to catch up real quick. A horse's stride is a lot longer than a cow's."
THE BASIS OF POUNDS' TRAINING requires that horses have some level of cow sense and a desire to hook onto one. But even those that are minimally drawn to cattle can develop into savvy cow horses.
"If they're lacking a little cow, then you just have to feed them a little more cow," he says. "Keep stepping them to that cow, and when it moves, go with it. But let the cow do the training, instead of you."
Ross Hecox is a Western Horseman editor. Send comments on this story to [email protected].


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Of course I need some Chrissy tags this year and I thought it would be fun to join in the challenge at Avery Elle AEI(heart)U where I was inspired by Karolyn Loncon's gorgeous card (thanks so much) and so I would like to also include this card in Tracey McNeely's 25 Days of Christmas Tags. You should check out the link up, there is some incredible inspiration there! So without further ado here is today's tag and it's a bright and cheery little number.
Thanks so much for stopping by, I'll be back tomorrow with not one, but two posts to share (including a video), so look forward to seeing you then!
Other Supplies: Prismacolor Pencils – Canary Yellow, Yellowed Orange, Orange, Spanish Orange. Light Cerulean Blue. Kaisercraft Pearls – Teal. Black Twine.


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Davidson, NC Once in a lifetime opportunity to purchase acreage in Davidson, NC for your private estate, equestrian center, winery, farm, or family compound.
One of a kind Property in Davidson, NC. An idyllic 135 Acre Home location for the discriminating buyer interested in privacy, exceptional vistas, plentiful wildlife (turkey, ducks, birds and deer), beautiful flora, fauna and old-growth forests (88 acres), geological rock formations unique to this NC Tri-county corner (1805 Iredell – Mecklenburg – Cabarrus Monument provides a property corner), Rocky River frontage with 3 tributary streams / 4 springs and road frontage bordering 500+ Acres of County and City Parkland; property is bordered by family-owned tracts. Access to the property is provided at 3 sites and if desired, subdividable into 3 homesites.
The conservation easement provides for artisanal and commercial farming, winery, equestrian operations and more. An early American county road and Indian Trading path traverse the property along with historical building sites. Minutes to historic downtown Davidson with its restaurants, boutiques, farmers market and Davidson College.
Listed at $6.5 million
Please contact Clark Goff with Allen Tate Realtors in Davidson, NC for a private showing. 704 996-0948


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NOTE: There's a good chance these instructions will get outdated as we improve our data ingestion process! The fundamental principles will stay roughly the same - syncing data from your local machine to S3, creating json for each SQL table and a manifest row for each raw file, and creating a Cleaner. If you run into any problems ask a data team member in our Slack community via the Join Slack link on the Code for DC homepage, specifically the
housing-insights-data channel, for help.
For some background orientation, it is useful to first check out our ingestion code structure flowchart
Follow the instructions to configure Docker on your machine. Every time you work with your local copy of the database (adding sources, testing, analysis), you'll need to use the 'Regular Use' instructions there.
We recommend that if you are going to be someone adding new data sources, you should first download all the raw data files. Downloading all the data locally helps us all keep a consistent folder structure; you'll also need much of this data to recreate a local copy of the database.
Follow the instructions under Get the latest data. If you use the virtual environment from above, you will already have the awscli installed.
As of 3/23/2017, this will download approximately 2.7Gb, so make sure you have both bandwidth and space (i.e. don't do this at a hacknight).
At this time, we have identified a series of datasets, the priority of Housing Insights shareholders for respective datasets, and how far along contributors are in preparing one.
Save yourself duplicate effort and maximize your effectiveness by reviewing the Requsted Data Status spreadsheet on Google Docs.
Familiarizing yourself now will help, because you will need to update this spreadsheet later.
Store the raw data file on your local hard drive.
For historical data that is broken into sections by when it was collected (like census data), you can make a folder corresponding to the data's timeframe:
If the data version is tied to when it was collected, be sure to put it into a data-stamped folder. For example, we can take a snapshot of the Preservation Catalog at any point in time and it could include small changes to the previous snapshot, so we store it like this:
table_info.json (renaming in progress - previously
If this is a new data source that can't go into an existing table in SQL, you'll need to add a new table so our code knows where to put it.
housing-insights/python/housinginsights/ingestion/make_draft_json.py and edit the file to link to the file you want to load, and the SQL table you want to put it in. If making a new table, be sure to follow good SQL conventions (no spaces, capitalization, etc.).
cd path/to/housinginsights/python/housinginsights/ingestion to navigate to the folder that contains make_draft_json.py
dir (windows) or
ls (mac) and make sure you see make_draft_json.py in the list.
python make_draft_json.py single to make draft json for that file. This will be output to
Copy the updated json into table_info.json. Be sure to watch out for proper use of nested { } and commas. The updated table_info.json should look like this:
"tablename": {
"cleaner": "MyCleanerName",
"replace_table": false, //or true
"fields": [ blah blah blah]
"othertable": {
"cleaner": "MyCleanerName",
"replace_table": false,
"fields": [ blah blah blah]
Note that the { } for the last object doesn't have a comma but the earlier ones do.
Note, we previously called this
meta.json and so many parts of the code refer to it this way (meta). But 'meta' and 'manifest' were getting confused a lot so we have renamed it.
Every file that gets added to the database needs to be in
manifest.csv. Add a row. The keyword 'use' under include_flag means the data will be used; any other value can be used to indicate some other status and the file will not be loaded the next time the database is recreated.
Make a custom class in /ingestion/Cleaners.py. It should inherit from the CleanerBase and implement any changes needed to the data before it arrives in our database - replacing null, parsing dates, parsing boolean, and handling weird values. See examples there.
Be sure that the name of this class matches the name associated with this table in table_info.json - the class name is used to load the correct cleaner.
Make sure you have a local Postgres database up and running, and a valid connect string in the section 'local_database' in secrets.json. Although it takes longer to build, until you're fully familiar with the code we recommend using the 'rebuild' option to dump your existing database first. You can change the value of 'use' in the manifest.csv to something else (like "skip_while_testing") to focus only on the table you're working on. You'll probably need to iterate a few times to get your Cleaner object working correctly.
Be sure to test joining the table to whatever appropriate other tables the data would need to get connected to. These might be zip code, census tract, or ward. If geographical data has latitude/longitude, this can be used directly without a SQL join; but, other data might need to be joined to an intermediate table using things like the Master Address Repository table using SSL (square suffix lot) or block, to connect it to DC geography. Make sure you know how the data will be connected to our other data. If there are naming discrepancies (e.g. "Census Tract 20.1" vs "Tract 20.1") you can resolve this in the cleaner.
Every file should have a page located at
housinginsights/docs/data. Use the
example.md as a model. Name the file
table_name.md. If possible, test your site using Jekyll. With Jekyll installed, navigate to
housinginsights/docs from the command line and enter the command
jekyll serve. You can then visit the local URL provided (typically
http://localhost:8080 or something similar) and check for errors in your markdown. The files named
filename.md will be converted to
filename.html in the website url.
To help us better understand what is needed and to coordinate with the different functional teams, update the Requested Data Status spreadsheet.
topic_to_pg_table: the table in the database where the data will reside
pg_table_to_raw_dataset: The path to the directory in
raw/ and file which will be saved in the
manifest table for in application tracking
status: Change this from
Checked to
Loaded once research and evaluation is complete and finished the ingestion scripts
raw_dataset_checklist sheet to indicate the necessary requirements for your ingestion scripts are met. Mark
Y if defined and
N for not.
raw_dataset: the path to the directory and file used for ingestion (see
pg_table_to_raw_dataset above)
nhilc_normalized: the National Low Income Housing Coalition ID, normalized to properly join across tables (if you do not know, ask)
ward_normalized: the DC Ward normalized to the proper numeric format to join across tables
tract_normalized: the DC tract ID normalized for the proper format to join across tables
filters sheet to indicate if your dataset and your ingestion scripts handle the appropriate filters
Follow the instructions under the heading "If you add or update any data files." Note that this will only upload any new data files - it will not remove any files you have deleted locally. If you have moved or renamed a folder since the last time it was synced, ask for help on deleting existing files to avoid breaking our data archive. Be sure to use
--dryrun and make sure your commands will do what you think they should.
Before doing any coding related work, you'll want to make a new feature branch in Git - as you go through the steps above you should be committing your changes to that branch. When you've finished everything, be sure to do a final push and open a 'pull request' on Github.


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Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Summer Camp "Fresh"
I totally forgot about Summer Camp, what a silly mistake since they are great. I hope I can do better at remembering things like this in the future. Please don't hit me.
Labels: music videos, summer camp
Summer Camp "Fresh"
music videos|summer camp|