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Now began the building of Middlesborough, the name which [my employer, Mr. Alexander A. Arthur] had proposed for the town having been adopted. Men of all trades and callings were entering Yellow Creek Valley, most of them having come by train as far as Pineville, ten miles away, whence they advanced by wagon, hack, horse, or mule.
Apparently every city and town in Kentucky, and almost every state, was represented in these various migrants. Although the constituent parts of a few portable houses had been brought in and set up, tents were employed almost altogether for both living and business purposes, and by mid-autumn of 1889 the Valley looked, at a distance, as if it were occupied by an army.
The huge labor of straightening the meanders of Yellow Creek, which bisected the Valley, was initiated under the supervision of the late Colonel George E. Waring, of New York, engineering expert.
Ploughs and dirt-scoops without number were employed in preparing foundations for business buildings, breaking ground for mill and factory, opening streets, and leveling knolls. The rasping of saws and the continuous tattoo of innumerable hammers resounded far and wide. The spectacle was inspiring.
Common laborers by the hundreds were changing the face of a passive but nevertheless stubborn earth, and skilled workmen refining and artificializing it with structures, to the end that man might possess himself of another of the world's waste places.
The conditions were of a pattern in many respects with those of an incipient frontier town or gold-rush settlement in the Far West. The fashion in dress was slouch hats, boots, and negligee shirts. Pistols were carried openly by large numbers, while the native, according to immemorial habit, seldom went abroad unaccompanied by his rifle.
Killings were common, and not infrequently several men would fall in a single fight. Not always were the victims feudists; sometimes they were other mountaineers or "Yellow Creekers;"sometimes from the ranks of the newcomers, among whom was the usual ratio of brawlers, criminals, and shady characters. The drinking-places were numerous, and more often than not the trouble occurred in or near one of them. Many were the hard drinkers among all classes, and almost everybody drank to some extent.
My tent-mate, a middle-aged real estate dealer from the central part of the State, regularly imbibed something like a pint of whiskey before breakfast. On frozen nights–with snow aground and the wind churlishly beating the flaps of the tent, humming through its cordage and sieving up between its cracks of the plank floor-we slept under four or five covers that were as thick as horse-blankets.
In such weather his "night-cap" became a busby–a tall one and straight. He would wake about daybreak, lean out from his cot, light the oil heater, and then reach under the cot for the "inner heater"–the quart bottle of Bourbon which he invariably placed there on going to bed.
There was a tart pop as he pulled the cork and a familiar gurgle as the fiery liquid surged to the neck of the vessel. The process was repeated at intervals until at length he got up and drew on his boots. He was now primed for breakfast.
The establishment where we ate and lodged was called the "Hotel encampment." The messhouse, of pine timbers with the bark on, which stood between double rows of tents, was manned by darky cooks and waiters from Knoxville, the chief of the latter of whom was Laughing John, a jolly negro, who proudly wore in his shirt bosom a faceted glass "diamond" as big as a black walnut.
The meals in this rude victualing-place would not, ordinarily, have gladdened a gastronome, but now and then we sat down to some especially toothsome viand.
Once this was provided through the occurrence of an unusual incident: A deer wounded by hunters in the mountains had fled, baffled and desperate, into the Valley and was swimming Yellow Creek, then in flood, when a man plunged in to his armpits and dispatched it with a knife. We had venison for several days.
Because of the rigors and the inconveniences and general rough existence, no women or children had yet appeared. Finally, one day, a woman was observed walking along Cumberland Avenue. Her apparition was an event of the first order and made a flurry; men paused and gazed as at some curiosity. She had the distinction of being Middlesborough's first female inhabitant.
A host of Englishmen, and some Scotch, had followed in Mr. Arthur's wake–hostlers, artisans, clerks, merchants, and members of various professions.
There were also "remittance men"–idle and more or less irresponsible scions of prominent families in England who were probably content, and perhaps relieved, to have them at a distance. These, having no occupation, neither toiled nor spun, but passed the time in riding and in hunting wild deer, turkey, and fox, and in pretty heavy drinking.
In a different category were young chaps of wealthy upper middle-class derivation who were there solely for adventure and a fling of "roughing it."
Twice yearly Mr. Arthur went to London to render in person his semi-annual formal report to the board of directors, and it was on one of these trips with him, as his secretary, that I first met the young men when they called at the Hotel Metropole.
There they were in silk hats, spats, and morning-coats, not to mention monocles and walking-sticks. They made known their intention of going out to his development in the States to engage in dairying for an uncertain period.
One brother arrived in Middlesborough some weeks ahead of the other and bought a farm about a mile from town, and for a time he and I shared quarters in a small, portable house.
When the other brother came, he repaired to the farm. They did their own milking, or assisted employees in doing so, and one drove the milk-wagon, making deliveries to customers.
The spectacle of these young fellows, fashionables at home in London, here milking cows, and one of them ringing his bell before houses, drawing the creamy liquid and pouring it into housewives' pitchers, was amusing.
History Of Bell County Volume II, by Henry Harvey Fuson, New York: Hobson Book Press, 1947


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This study is provided by ICPSR. ICPSR provides leadership and training in data access, curation, and methods of analysis for a diverse and expanding social science research community.
World Values Survey, 1981-1984 and 1990-1993 (ICPSR 6160)
Principal Investigator(s): World Values Study Group
This data collection has been superseded by a new data collection that integrates all four waves of the European and World Values Surveys. For a description and for information on how to access the new data collection see: [ICPSR4531] EUROPEAN AND WORLD VALUES SURVEYS FOUR-WAVE INTEGRATED DATA FILE, 1981-2004.
Access Notes
This data collection has been deaccessioned; it is no longer distributed by ICPSR. Additional information may be available in Data Collection Notes.
2011-03-14 This data resource description has been deaccessioned and is no longer available.
Study Description
Persistent URL: https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR06160.v1
Export Citation:
- RIS (generic format for RefWorks, EndNote, etc.)
- EndNote XML (EndNote X4.0.1 or higher)
Scope of Study
Subject Terms: beliefs, citizen attitudes, class identity, crosscultural perceptions, ethnic identity, family life, friendships, happiness, intolerance, leisure, memberships, morality, participation, political attitudes, religious attitudes, sexual attitudes, social attitudes, social issues, trust in government, values, work attitudes, world problems, worldview
Geographic Coverage: Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, North America, South America
2011-03-14 This data resource description has been deaccessioned and is no longer available.
Original ICPSR Release: 1994-10-19

subset: commoncrawl


text:
24" to 25" Already Assembled Coffee Tables
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Yesterday this landed on me in the garden (close to forest and heath):
That's skin it's walking on, so it was pretty small (3-4mm?). Its colour was more metallic than the photo suggests. Pretty, but nameless to me. Any ideas? Thanks!
I guess this could be a Lythraria salicariae (family Chrysomelidae, or Leaf Beetles). This is a small beetle (1.8 - 2.3 mm) that lives in damp places. Here are some other photos to compare. It lives on Lysimachia.
I hope this helps.
Hello Florin,
Thanks for your suggestion! I doubt that it's L. salicariae (a bit too big, not particularly damp enviro and no Lysimachia noticed) but that option brought me to this forum post where L. salicariae is corrected to Aphthona cyparissiae. That seems a better match, at least the genus: cyparissiae is supposed to be 'light brown' but my specimen was orange/gold/yellow. Maybe a different species, maybe just colour variation?
I read that Apthona are called 'flea beetles' because of their hind legs, and that makes sense: with the bug gone and looking at the photo, for a moment I did think that it looked confusingly flea-like.
I'm sure you are right. Well, at least I've got the family right :-)
Thanks for the photo and for the research.
Yours truly,


text: http://youtu.be/HQs5jHgWXWM very nice frame. Great upgrade from the BioM 3.0 IMO. if you guys want to give me some pointers or comments on my technique, please do so on this thread in the tips/instruction section... http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?t=445854&referrerid=59371 The new M 3.0 is a bit more powerful than prior models and feels crisper. The sweetspot feels good when you nail it and you know it when you miss. Great control and you can swing away without fear if hitting long. Its got a nice balance of control and power. Firmer feeling than past models as well. Good touch and feel on volleys and dropers. Racquet seems heavy enough stock but would benefit from a little added lead tape. I also tried the F 3.0, but definitely preferred the M due to it's livelier feel and more open pattern. Not sure why TW gave the M such mediocre reviews? If you are interested in this frame definitely check it out yourself. The TW review doesn't do it justice IMO.


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text:
Mother's grief as Daniel farewelled
Daniel Morcombe's parents were adamant their son's funeral should not be mired in sadness, but in the end there was no containing a mother's grief.
Denise Morcombe held her composure for most of the 90-minute service, but at the close, which she always said would be the most difficult part of the service, that composure abandoned her.
She let the tears flow as pallbearers lifted her son's coffin and carried it at waist height from the church, flanked by hundreds in a guard of honour.
Tellingly, the six did not need to bear the weight of the white coffin on their shoulders as they carried it to the waiting hearse.
The remains of the beloved son they contained were precious few.
Earlier, Daniel's father delivered a eulogy typical of the grace he's shown since Daniel was taken from a nearby bus stop, while on a trip to buy his family Christmas presents.
"A moment in time that will live with us all forever occurred nine years ago today," Mr Morcombe told about 800 mourners inside the church, and hundreds gathered outside.
"I appeal to you all, please do not be sad.
"Appreciate that the evil act which took Daniel happened a long time ago.
"Today is about embracing his return to family."
Daniel's older brother Dean spoke of a little brother who loved motocross riding, and who would have been so proud of his parents.
"Daniel was my riding buddy. We would encourage each other to go that bit harder and faster. He was tough," Dean said.
Before the service, the Morcombes laid Christmas presents on their son's coffin - the ones he never got to open in 2003.
Among the 2000 mourners were Daniel's former classmates and dozens of State Emergency Service (SES) volunteers who helped unearth Daniel's remains.
Some had travelled hundreds of kilometres to attend.
For some of those volunteers, the funeral marked the end of a nine-year journey which began when Daniel went missing.
Students from his former school, many who'd never known him but had been touched deeply by his story, formed a solemn guard of honour flanking the path from the church to the hearse.
Their numbers were bolstered by SES volunteers, while hundreds of people crammed behind them to share in Daniel's final public farewell.
Mourners broke into applause as Daniel's coffin and his family left the church grounds, under police escort, bound for his final resting place.
A private ceremony followed at Woombye Cemetery, a few hundred metres from his childhood home.
A committal hearing for Brett Peter Cowan, the man accused of murdering Daniel, is due to resume in February.
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© 2008 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. All rights reserved.
Brewers' offer more than reported
Clauses, options could have increased take-home pay
By Adam McCalvy / MLB.com
LAS VEGAS -- The Brewers' initial offer to free agent CC Sabathia was sweeter than previously reported, a club source said Wednesday.
Brewers general manager Doug Melvin confirmed that the Brewers' Nov. 1 offer to Sabathia guaranteed just more than $100 million over five years, but another club source revealed that it also included some unique clauses to maximize Sabathia's post-tax paycheck, plus two club options that could have pushed it to a seven-year contract.
"This wasn't just eyewash for the fans," the source said.
The Brewers were poised to guarantee the sixth season in their offer but never got the chance. Sabathia agreed in the wee hours of Wednesday morning to a seven-year contract with the Yankees, pending a physical, that reportedly will pay $161 million. It will make him the richest pitcher in baseball history.
Before New York increased its offer from six years and $140 million, Milwaukee officials were hoping to pitch Sabathia on a number of tax advantages to playing in Wisconsin versus New York. With those factors, post-tax difference in average annual value between the two offers would have been in the neighborhood of $1.5 million, according to the source.
The Yankees stepped up their offer before other clubs could jump into the bidding. As of Wednesday night, Brewers officials were not aware of Sabathia receiving any concrete offers outside of Milwaukee and New York.
Adam McCalvy is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Climate Change
Princeton professor lays out broad strategy on greenhouse emissions
As the debate heats up over climate change and greenhouse gas emissions, experts from around the world met recently to discuss "Clean Energy for Development" at the World Bank's 2006 Energy Week. During today's E&ETV Event Coverage, Princeton University Professor Robert Socolow presents an innovative approach to reducing greenhouse gas emissions at the World Bank conference. Professor Socolow explains a broad blueprint to deal with global warming, his "wedge technology" theory and why he is so optimistic about the potential for carbon sequestration.


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It was exceptionally dreary as we made our way through the fog on our daily pre-dawn commute to school. The weather was grey, the morning was hectic, and I felt like someone was missing in the car, the way you do when you overachieve at miscarriage. The more we stopped and started, inching forward behind miles of tiny red taillights, the bluer I became.
It's the holidays, Man. A tough season for anyone over the age of 11. And honestly, it seems the more most wonderful times of the year you've chalked up through the decades, the further down you can find yourself in the weeks leading up to the happiest season of all. This is all coming from someone who's obnoxiously Glass Half Full!…This time of year can be brutal. Sure it brings out the best in us, and also the worst. You don't have to get many feet from your driveway to figure that out. And we were miles from home.
So I turned up the Holly station and challenged Harry to a contest to see who could sing the loudest. (He won. He screams.) And by the time we pulled into his school lot, I had veered back into the direction of normal. We parted ways, and I moved into the day.
But first, I had to stop for coffee.
This is what's rough about getting out of the house in the sixes. Time is of the essence, and I excel at not making enough time to get it together to prepare the necessary to-go cup before going. So I stopped in at the giant chain up the street and stood in line. The line is always the feature in this place, it's the main thing going on, and it winds around every table in the room…tables that no one in her right mind would even attempt to sit in because of all the crappy line people standing over your head in the line. It also creates the perfect environment for eavesdropping.
So I was standing in line, eavesdropping, over this mom and her four-year-old daughter who had crammed themselves around one of these tables. The mother was beautiful, in a seemingly and annoyingly no-effort kind of way, and she was dressed in the area's mom uniform…fancy workout clothes. The ringlet child next to her was wearing some kind of pink and red fancy dress. It was 8 a.m. They didn't have any food or beverage on their tiny table. They were just sitting there, waiting for something maybe, and the daughter was begging for a cookie. The mom said, "Sweetheart, no, no cookies, you don't want cookies. You need to lose some weight."
And then I stopped breathing.
I didn't hear anything after that because my senses were no longer working as a team. My body was taken over by that punch-gut feeling you get when the boy you love breaks up with you. I went through all five stages of grief in 27 seconds.
Then I pulled out my phone. In a desperate attempt to remind myself I wasn't in some kind of weird dream sequence, I did a version of "OH MY GOD DID YOU JUST HEAR THAT?" to the only other people around, the pixelated people on the electronic device in my hand…
I still wasn't thinking clearly. I was typing this on Twitter and trying to breathe. I went through all the grief stages again and added on a few more just for fun. And then it was my turn to order. My ears were still numb and I was frankly still a little dazed when I stepped up and ordered a tiny hot chocolate with extra whipping cream. No. Make that two. No. Make that three.
As I waited for the beverages to be properly frothed and for my name to be called, I suddenly sobered up. Crap. Seriously. What the hell was I doing? I was taking eavesdropping to a new and inappropriate level of butting into someone's life and parenting issues.
But then I realized this wasn't about them.
It was about me. And my ears. And my blue mood that suddenly went exploding red hot with the utterance of six words. This was about me on about six levels. And it was about all of us…as girls, as mothers, as daughters, as people. Enough. We don't even realize what we're doing to each other. We don't realize what we have. And we don't realize how fragile, how resilient, and how powerful we all are.
I'd never expect a tiny hot chocolate to fix that. But that's what I had at my disposal.
I collected my offering and walked over to the tiny table. I told the mom that 'seeing such a beautiful mother and daughter out this morning made my day. Because it's so great to see them together out during the holiday season. And what a wonderful thing to get to start the day with such a beautiful little girl. I came in for coffee, but I decided to treat myself to a hot chocolate and I wanted to buy them one too and say Happy Holidays!' And my God as I'm typing this now, it just sounds crazy. But in that surreal moment of weirdo dreamland perfectionville nonsense, it all somehow made sense.
And then the mom took the chocolate. It seemed she didn't know exactly what to say. But then she started to tear up a tiny bit. And she thanked me.
I don't think she'd had hot chocolate in a very long time.
And her reaction made me remember something. We all have our things. And we're all missing things. And we should all be easier on ourselves and each other.
Let your heart be light. Just let it be.
Soundtrack: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.


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text: Summary for those who want a quick fix conclusion: I installed a Akropovic full titanium exhaust system, a BMC re-usable high-flow air filter, and DynoJet's Power Commander (PCV) and Autotune products on my 2012 R1200GS and went to the dyno room. The results: 1) I did three stock runs and the best was 104 rear wheel HP ("rwhp") and 82 ft-lbs of torque (the other two were 103 and change rwhp). The best post-mod run was 111 rwhp and 86 ft-lbs of torque (with a number of 110's). There was one run that actually hit 112 rwhp but it was spikey above 7,000 rpm (unlike the other runs which were more or less smooth), so we eliminated it as an anomaly. These readings, and all the readings below, are "corrected" to a reference external temperature and humidity baseline for consistency. 2) Of the 7 rwhp gain, about half was due to the Akropovic exhaust and the other half due to the Power Commander. 3) The high-flow BMC air filter provided no performance gains to the subject motorcycle. In fact, of the 20+ runs we did, only two were with the stock filter and it was one of these runs where the bike achieved 111 rwhp. If you're buying the filter for its reusability and wet weather utility improvements over the OEM paper filter, then you're buying it for the right reasons. If you've drank the Kool-Aid and are buying it to give you increased power, you've been suckered. 4) The airbox snorkel appears to be an integral part of the air intake design. Out of curiosity, we removed the snorkel, thinking it may restrict air flow through the already quite small air filter. We did two runs and both were in the 105 rwhp range, down 5-6 rwhp from our high run. 5) Removing the db-killer (baffle) from the Akrapovic slip-on had no discernible impact on performance. 6) 95% of GS/GSA owners - and I put myself in this category - would be satisfied going with just the Booster Plug or a similar ECU "fooling" mechanism. Only those that want that post-6000 rpm "turbo boost" effect need bother with the PC-V. That being said, a PCV without the Autotune can be gotten for $300 street price, and this is really all you need providing you can find a map that matches your motorcycle configuration. 7) The boxer engine was very temperature sensitive - the best readings we achieved in the "high four bar" temperature range. Runs in the three and five bar temperature ranges consistently turned in sub-par results. The Long Story Two things bothered me about the mechanical performance of my new R1200GS - the low speed lurching and decel popping, and the inherent vibration that kicks in at at 4200 rpm. "Bother" might be a strong term because both issues were more minor irritants rather than game breakers, but they were two issues I wanted to address. I had no urge to make this bike a track demon, so high-rpm horsepower gains weren't overly influential in my decision. I previously had a Moto Guzzi Stelvio that had similar engine performance issues caused by leaning fueling, and people raved about how the PC-V gave the bike a completely new character, so I knew that was a (expensive) solution to the first problem of low-RPM performance. However, through this forum I also because of the Booster Plug, which at $150 was a much more cost effective solution to the same problem, but did not address the 4200 rpm vibration issue. I had no urge to make this bike a track demon, so high-rpm horsepower gains weren't overly influential in my decision. Having time on my hands, I decided to splurge for the Power Commander in the hopes of adding additional power in the mid-range to hopefully drop the rpms below 4200 at my highway cruising speed of 120 kmh. I paid $520 for the R1200GS PC-V and AT-300 dual-channel Autotune device from Revzilla after a price match. The AT-300 has two O2 sensors so I could tune each cylinder independent of the other. The other advantage of the Power COmmander is that it enables you to have two maps, so I can set one map for every-day use (towards the power side in the non-cruise range) and second, leaner map to improve fuel economy on longer highway journeys. Creating the second map would be a snap with the Autotune. I will also add that I swapped the stock header and slip-on for Akropovic's full titanium exhaust system and added a BMC re-usable high-flow air filter. The logic behind the air filter mod was that if I was opening up the back end, I don't want the engine to be choked by the filter. The Akropovic exhaust was $1,150 from Revzilla and the BMC air filter was something like $40 from a Texas sportsbike shop. The Akro titanium exhaust system is amazingly light and eliminates the catalytic converter. Based on my crude kitchen scale measuring methodology, the 13 lb titanium system cut about 9 lbs off the stock exhaust system. As an added benefit, the catalytic converter will no longer be boiling my gear box oil. Total performance improvement outlay rings in at $1,700 (ouch!). Given I couldn't find any before-and-after comparisons on the 'net, I decided to suck it up and spend money for the extra dyno time to dyno the bike before I did my mods. I was also determined to quantify the impact of the BMC high-flow air filter. It cost me an extra $200 in dyno time, so donations are welcome (haha - just joking - but feel free to make donations to the running of this forum). Motorcycle: 2012 R1200GS Mileage: 5,000 kms (3,000 miles) Engine oil: Some cheap value brand 5W-30, topped up with about a litre of Castrol GTX 10-W30 (all dino oil) Gearbox and final drive oil: Redline 75W-90 synthetic Dyno manufacturer: Mustang Dyno owner: Lentech Automotive Performance (changing name to be Richmond Motorsports) I went to Lentech Automotive Performance on August 31 with my stock R1200GS and did three initial dyno runs for the sole purpose of benchmarking the performance attributes of the mods I was going to make, namely the upgrade to the Akropovic titanium full exhaust and a high-flow after market air filter (I went with BMC, but actually had both to choose from). Lentech typically does sportbike dynoing because that is where the demand is, although they have done a few cruisers. My bike was the first dual sport to show up at the doorstep, and upon my return trip, it as the first bike caked in mud that showed up at their doorstep. We did three pulls and all three were fairly consistent - 103, 104, and 103 rwhp, respectively, with all runs generating over 80 ft-lbs of torque. The two dyno operators were shocked at the level of torque the motor put out. They see very few bikes hit that mark, the last one being a souped up litre bike that put out 194 rwhp and just cracked the 80 mark. Off I rode home to add my mods. The titanium full Akro system is pretty sweet. Installation was quite simple and I love the sound. It isn't much louder than stock, but has a lower grumble to it. I then installed the Power Commander and Autotune. This was a little more challenging as the there are six wires from each of the Bosch oxygen sensors to connect, as well as the Autotune/map switch. To compound matters, I have my Adventure Designs tool kit and FuzeBlock under the seat, so I had to innovatively jam the PCV/Autotune against the throttle linkage box under the tank. This entail taking body parts off and the big bolt on the left hand side that secures the tank to the bike. Note to readers: if you have to take this bolt out, make sure you don't have a full tank of gas! The PCV comes with a map for the stock GS. Fortunately DynoJet had a map on its website for a US bike with a full Akro system and stock air filter, so I grabbed that. Turns out it was almost a perfect map for my bike. After the installation of the mods was complete, I took the bike for a spin. My Fat Ass dyno certainly noticed the power pick-up as soon as it hit 6,000 rpm. The first time I cracked it wide open throttle, the bike nearly ripped the handlebars from my grip. It is literally like somebody threw the nitro switch at the engine crested 6,000 rpm. What an amazing feeling! I went back to the dyno today, September 12. I was intending to do the following runs to determine the performance attribution of each mod: 1) Akro exhaust with BMC filter, PCV disconnected 2) Akro exhaust with BMC filter, PCV engaged and custom map 3) Setup as in 2) but with the OEM air filter We did two runs for setup #1 and hit 107 rwhp, up about 3 from stock. I forgot to get the graph so I don't have the exact number or the torque number. With setup #2 we did two at 107, two or three runs at 110 and another at 112 rwp. The 112 run was quite spikey from 6,000 to redline, looking like a Bart Simpson haircut. Because of this we decided to disregard the results. The dyno operators again expressed admiration at the amount of torque the engine put out. This is about when we first noticed that the performance of the boxer engine was highly temperature dependent. The best runs came when the engine was in the "high four bar" range, meaning just before the oil temperature gauge moved to five bars. Runs at three bars were consistently about 10-12 rwhp low (i.e. in the high 90's). Runs at five bars were typically around 4-5 rwhp low of the highs. The optimum readings all came during runs when the engine had been in the four bar range for a bit, and typically in the second or third run (we typically did three runs whenever we made a change to ensure we eliminated any abnormalities.) At this point we determined that the max HP was 110. We then spend some time attempting to modify the torque curve in the mid-range from 4600 rpm to 6200 rpm (see the dyno chart below). We tweaked the fueling a few times but could only manage to slightly reduce dip. We then surmised that the the dip was caused by one of two factors, or a combination of the two: 1) ignition timing; and/or 2) actuation of the flapper valve by the ECU. Dynojet has a module you can buy to tinker with the timing, but I didn't want to go there. With respect to the flapper valve, it could have been replaced by a straight pipe (Wunderlich makes one) or we could have disabled it in the "open" position. I was a bit curious as to the impact of the high-flow BMC re-usable air filter over stock. I had read in a number of forums that there was no meaningful impact, but never saw any facts supporting this position. So we decided to pull the BMC and put in the OEM filter and did three runs. We did 108 and 109 rwhp runs, and followed these up with a 111 rwhp run, which became the new high of the day! One caveat here - when we did the runs after the filter swap, we didn't replace the fairing. This allowed the cooling fans to blow directly up the snorkel, possibly providing a "ram air" effect. I found this pretty conclusive evidence that "high-flow" air filters from K&N and BMC have little to no performance impact, but may still be worth buying as the re-usability factor will save you big bucks in the longterm. They are also beneficial as they allegedly continue to function when wet whereas paper filters break down. On the other hand, there are many posts in forums indicating that these high-flow filters are not recommended if you're doing significant dusty off-road riding because they tend to pass a lot of dust compared to the OEM paper filters We then began discussing the size of the filter and the narrow snorkel. The dyno operators noted that the GS air filter was the smallest they've ever seen, and also found that the long, narrow-entrance snorkel may compound the problem of the engine being air-starved. So we removed the snorkel completely, and just had the BMC filter sitting in the airbox (again, with the fans blowing into the air filter). We did two runs, both hitting 105 rwhp. We then surmised that snorkel design was an integral part of the engine design and not to be messed with! And with that my dyno session ended. I got my charts and rode home $350 broker. Here's the dyno chart of my best stock run contrasting against the best run with the mods (the one with the stock air filter).


text:
Read the full story here Web Link posted Sunday, August 4, 2013, 4:11 PM
Town Square
What will Palo Alto look like when Baby Boomers turn 80?
Original post made on Aug 2, 2013
Read the full story here Web Link posted Sunday, August 4, 2013, 4:11 PM
Comments (24)
a resident of Barron Park
on Aug 3, 2013 at 1:03 am
I am glad Chris Kenkricks addresses these important concerns. It seems current builders/city planners are not considering "parents' who may have to move in with grown kids. Three story town homes are not "senior friendly". Its critical to think about the aging population in all aspects of city planning. The senior concerns overlap with the safety concerns for children, but are just a bit different. Homes and streets need to consider the 65-80 year old who can no longer use stairs and can no longer drive safely. Its not like seniors will give up stairs and driving as Palo Alto planners provide few reasonable options for seniors.
It would be great if aging issues became a concern of the city in their planning. City planners should work on keep seniors in their homes or in the homes of their family members,when possible. City seems to want seniors to live in small, tiny apartments away from their longtime residences, away from family. Planners should address ways to make senior access easy in new residences and planned communities.
I do not quite understand Chris' comment about seniors having "incomes of $50,000". Does that include savings or is this income based on investments and social security.
also any info on price of new Palo Alto commons senior apartments?
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Aug 3, 2013 at 8:26 am
If this is really something we want to look at, then we should start thinking about the issue of "granny flats" or "in law quarters" being allowed on many of the homes in town. In my extended family, this has worked well. At times the senior still lives in the same property but has part of the ground floor for sole use and someone else lives in the majority of the house, even with a separate entrance. In another case, a separate studio has been built on the side and the two groups share the same living/family room but a small bedroom/bath and kitchenette are built to accommodate.
At present, with the time it takes for things to be done in Palo Alto, to do something like this takes so long that it is impossible to do this work in a hurry. An older person may have already got beyond the stage of needing it before the necessary work can be done.
This type of arrangement needs to be done quickly to meet the needs of families. A two year schedule is not realistic when it comes to seniors' living needs. A fall or some other diagnosis may mean that changes in living arrangements have to be made very quickly. The Palo Alto process is too slow for this to happen.
a resident of Community Center
on Aug 3, 2013 at 10:57 pm
My uncle and aunt have lived here for many years. Now in their 80's. Both active and 'with it'. They are hounded by realtors who "cold call', inquiring if and when they may be moving to a senior retirement facility. Who wants to live in a one bedroom tiny apartment, with elevator or walk up after years in their own home? Even with help, it's cheaper to stay. For whom are all these proposed senior apartments destined? Are they only for Palo Alto residents? Those from other counties coming to be near their own children? Are there restrictions on who can live in PAHA senior housing? - or any designated senior housing, What is the entrance minimum age limit? Must they be American citizens? And before anyone corks off re: my comments, just think about it. FOR WHOM are we supposed to build this housing? And what are the entrance requirements? That's a fair enough question.
a resident of Barron Park
on Aug 4, 2013 at 12:59 pm
granny flat idea sound very useful. I would hope planners thinking about the future would be discussing this and sharing information, instead of these "apartment options" for seniors. Developers should be required to have plans that accommodate future 'senior" issues.
The really nice apartment options for seniors are soooo expensive. For my parents ( as long as health permits) the best option will be for us to become an "extended" family. House will have to be redone in some manner for this. We are planning this now, before its needed.
I believe for healthy seniors options of being near family is very important. Mainly because they really need to limit driving in the busy Palo Alto area. Giving up driving is a primary concern I have for seniors as young drivers do not realize they are 'sharing the road".
I cannot imagine driving challenges improving for seniors in Palo Alto.
Seniors need to be near family who can casually limit seniors' time on the road. Of course improved "shuttles' would be great, but for many seniors walking is a risk. Shuttles need to be almost door to door.
Hope city council /planners take on project that keep seniors in their homes or in the homes of family members.
a resident of another community
on Aug 4, 2013 at 4:42 pm
Ah we come to the aging question and what to do in 10, 20, 30 or 40 years time. Seniors should not be forced, cold called or even taxed out. In fact staying in ones home is healthy but that home will end up costing in time and upkeep. Major life change that could be anything from death of loved one to stroke.
Remember senior friendly housing is needed along with care homes and nursing homes.
a resident of Midtown
on Aug 4, 2013 at 4:48 pm
I'm not sure if door-to-door shuttles is something that the city can or should be involved with, other than enabling private taxi services within the city.
One thing the city can do is encourage neighborhood services (like grocery stores and restaurants) that are easily accessible either on foot or via quiet roads (not Alma or El Camino).
Also, the city needs to more strictly enforce the speed limits on 25mph residential roads so that seniors are not scared out of their own neighborhoods (eg Middlefield or Arastradero).
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Aug 4, 2013 at 8:50 pm
> One thing the city can do is encourage neighborhood
> services (like grocery stores and restaurants)
We've just gone thru an example of a neighborhood market (MIKIs) failing --in large part because of a lack of customers. Most markets need more than 20K square feet for the store, and fairly large parking areas. Where in the world, in Palo Alto, does this poster believe that anyone can plop down these kinds of commercial activites within walking distances of Palo Alto's seniors?
Anyone thinking that plopping retails stores deep in our residential neighborhoods (like on Cowper, in Midtown) is a good idea is not thinking very clearly.
a resident of Community Center
on Aug 4, 2013 at 10:08 pm
Santa Clara County has a great door-to-door service called Outreach. I am signing up my aunt and uncle in case they need it. Avenidas does a great job but limited by the volunteers to do the driving. Kudos to Trader Joe's - great with helping seniors with walkers and enabling them to shop. Can't manage a walker and a cart at the same time. It's finding reasonably priced repairmen/women, reliable housekeeping help, and in home care which can cost $50.00 an HOUR. There are the ones who do take advantage, money-wise - of the elderly ESPECIALLY IF THEY LIVE IN PALO ALTO. So be careful.
a resident of Crescent Park
on Aug 5, 2013 at 12:09 am
Many Palo Altans are trapped in their homes by taxes. If you've lived here for many years, you have low property taxes and a big capital gain. If you sell, you'll have to pay capital gains taxes and you may face higher property taxes for a smaller place. But if you stay where you are and your estate is under the $5.25 million exclusion, no capital gains taxes will ever be paid, and your children may also enjoy your advantageous property tax bill. Prop. 30 exacerbated this. The best answer is to cut the property tax rates, but that won't happen in this political climate. So the local real estate market will be tight, and the population will have huge incentives"age in place."
a resident of another community
on Aug 5, 2013 at 7:54 am
How about seniors pay no property tax and allow them to sell with little or no capital gains. This would allow them to buy smaller units and give them much needed money for future health needs.
Long term health care.
a resident of Fairmeadow
on Aug 5, 2013 at 8:25 am
> How about seniors pay no property tax
California allows something like this now, via Prop.60 and Prop.90--
Web Link
If you or your spouse who resides with you is age 55 or older, you may buy or construct a new home of equal or lesser value than your existing home and transfer the trended base value to your new property.
This is a one-time only benefit. You must buy or complete construction of your replacement home within two years of the sale of the original property. Both the original home and the new home must be your principal place of residence.
In other words, you can transfer your current property tax assessment to another property, if you want to downsize.
With home prices above a million dollars, and the need for a significant "nest egg" for a comfortable retirement, it pays to have a comprehensive asset management program in place before you retire. Prop.13 also has provisions for transferring one's property to a child at the same base assessment.
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Aug 5, 2013 at 9:33 am
It would help if the city planners took older people and their needs into account. Many can't ride bicycles, so all this forcing people to ride bikes or walk isn't helpful. Taking away parking close to stores isn't helpful. Even if a person has someone drive them, they still can't walk long distances just to get to the store entrance. Tiny narrow parking spaces (like those at Miki's) don't work, because they can't get the door open wide enough.
a resident of Leland Manor/Garland Drive
on Aug 5, 2013 at 9:47 am
I agree that multistory, high density apartments are not convenient for seniors. Palo Alto should allow seniors the choice to build an annex to their current dwelling. They could move into the annex, rent out the the original house for extra income ( considering that many of them do not have sufficient income) or have their children move into the house. As a result, they will have people nearby to check on their welfare on a daily basis. An added benefit will be avoidance of traffic congestion around the high density housing alternatives.Disproportionate burden on communities like Maybell will be avoided. The city and the citizens should consider this approach to demonstrate that all communities are treated in a fair and equitable manner.
a resident of Mountain View
on Aug 5, 2013 at 11:26 am
"I agree that multistory, high density apartments are not convenient for seniors." Subhash
That's not true at all. Many seniors trade in single family homes for smaller dwellings that are easier to take care of. With an elevator, being multi-floor is not a problem. My grandmother sold her house and bought a 2Bdr/2Bath condo in a building with an elevator and it was perfect for her after my grandfather died.
No one is stating that seniors have to move out of their homes, however. That's a personal choice influenced by economics and their capabilities. To offer more dense housing options aimed at seniors does not mean that the city or anyone else is trying to force them from their homes.
As for driving vs walking, most people are capable of walking safely long after they cannot drive safely. I see rather frail elderly seniors walking slowly to the grocery and getting on the bus in my neighborhood all the time. One gentleman takes his mobility scooter right down the street. I'm glad they don't need to set up rides to take them everywhere. A walkable neighborhood keeps them independent, saves them money and keeps everyone safer on the street.
a resident of Midtown
on Aug 5, 2013 at 12:04 pm
I agree that many seniors prefer high-density housing. A big house with a big yard is too much work for people that no longer have children living at home and hiring maintenance people is too expensive and open to fraud.
However, please include wide safe sidewalks to these high-density homes. Narrow sidewalks close to speeding cars and blind driveways are very intimidating.
Another benefit of high-density housing is that it allows community services like grocery stores and restaurants to be close to many homes. A grocery store may not make much sense in a sparse neighborhood where few people live within walking distance, but it is perfect when hundreds of households live less than a block away.
a resident of Duveneck/St. Francis
on Aug 5, 2013 at 2:01 pm
The comment above by Wayne Martin about property tax solutions are correct, yet there are "gotchas". If we want to relocate to San Francisco, so we can take advantage of their wonderful transit and purchase a condo with an elevator, we can't use neither prop 60 or 90 because counties get to choose if they wish to participate.
So we "could" purchase a condo but the state of public transportation in Palo Alto is abysmal. It really does hurt those that either don't want to or can't drive anymore.
And while being downtown helps, what if one needs to go to Kaiser or wants to go a cultural event? As another poster commented, many seniors find it hard to walk any distance nor are bikes a solution.
a resident of Mountain View
on Aug 5, 2013 at 2:19 pm
EmptyNestors, have you taken the bus on El Camino before? It's far from abysmal. The buses run every 15 minutes or so, even on a Sunday morning. They are air-conditioned, clean and lower themselves for passengers who need extra help boarding. I was pleasantly surprised.
Caltrain is faster, which is one reason ridership went up 10% last year. People with disabilities that keep them from walking or climbing stairs can be lifted aboard as well. I use Caltrain to go to work every day and see how it works for the blind, those in wheelchairs and those with mental disabilities.
Downtown Palo Alto is a very good location for people who want to use transit and will only get better in the future. How much better depends on how much old-timers block changes like BRT because they can't imagine how useful transit can be.
a resident of Old Palo Alto
on Aug 5, 2013 at 5:29 pm
There are only 4 counties left in California where a person 55 and older can sell their home and take their low property taxes with them. San Mateo County and Santa Clara County are two of these counties.
A family is smart to wait until one spouse dies before selling the family house. That way the family can take advantage of the
"stepped up" value basis. The house is appraised upon the death of one spouse. Then, when the other spouse sells the house, the capital gains on the sale of the house are based on the new, higher stepped up appraisal rate. Realtors conveniently don't let seniors know about this tax law.
a resident of Adobe-Meadow
on Aug 5, 2013 at 5:45 pm
We do have a 'cottage' next to our house. It was actually built first and lived in while the main house was built. When our 2-story big house is too big we plan to rent it out, or have family live there, and we'll live in the cottage. It should work for us for a long time.
a resident of Community Center
on Aug 5, 2013 at 8:14 pm
[Post removed.]
a resident of another community
on Aug 6, 2013 at 9:16 am
This is why the Maybell Project (and others like it) are needed.
a resident of Escondido School
on Aug 6, 2013 at 10:16 am
Senior citizens have no obligation to remain in their large homes in Palo Alto; they are free to sell these homes and move to condos in SF or anywhere else. They would just need to pay their fair share of property taxes, rather than the Prop-13 rates from when they purchased their homes decades ago. With the millions of dollars of (yes, partially taxed) profit they'd obtain from selling their larger homes, this is still very doable.
a resident of Midtown
on Aug 7, 2013 at 9:06 pm
I noticed that no one seems to be talking about "community." Seniors are a part of a community and any city planning should consider the entire spectrum of age. As the article points out, we have increases at both ends of the age groups. Yes, the middle is paying for it, but that's what we've always had in society. And the middle will grow into the aged and expect some payoff from supporting the others.
Self-interests change with age. The planners face an especially tough job in an upscale place like Palo Alto.
How do we keep a sense of community here? Certainly not by continually adding condos and high rises. Certainly not by ignoring traffic and parking needs. Certainly not by allowing giant downtown office developments. And probably not by a bad city government that's screwed up library building and school building projects.
We can't build a sense of community with a sense of responsibility ... and I don't mean the malarkey of such BS as the meaningless statement, "I take full responsibility."
Our city council MUST take charge of keeping us a community rather than destroying it for special interests.
Solutions anyone?
a resident of Woodside
on Aug 8, 2013 at 11:54 pm
"A family is smart to wait until one spouse dies before selling the family house. That way the family can take advantage of the
"stepped up" value basis. The house is appraised upon the death of one spouse. Then, when the other spouse sells the house, the capital gains on the sale of the house are based on the new, higher stepped up appraisal rate. Realtors conveniently don't let seniors know about this tax law."
It doesn't quite work that nicely. Talk to an Enrolled Agent or a CPA that specializes in individual taxation.
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The Board and the Cloud: White Paper Can Help
For credit unions that are looking to leverage cloud computing now or in the future, a recently released educational white paper may help boards of directors align their cloud computing plans with business objectives and risk tolerance.
The Information Systems Audit and Control Association, a non-profit, independent organization based in Rolling Meadows, Ill., produced the free white paper.
Although cloud computing can help credit unions become more efficient, agile, innovative and flexible, achieving these benefits depends on a number of factors including the involvement of the board of directors, according to ISACA.
"Board members need a clear understanding of cloud computing benefits and how to maximize them through effective governance practices," said Marc Vael, an ISACA board member. "This requires the board to see cloud computing not as an IT project, but rather as a business strategy."
According to ISACA's white paper, Cloud Governance: Questions Boards of Directors Need to Ask, boards should address the following five questions to determine the strategic value that cloud services are expected to provide and the impact that the cloud may have on resources and controls:
- Do management teams have a plan for cloud computing, including the evaluation of the value and opportunity costs?
- How do current cloud plans support the credit union's mission?
- Have executive teams systematically evaluated the organizational readiness for cloud computing processes?
- Have management teams considered what existing investments might be lost in their cloud planning?
- Do management teams have strategies for measuring and tracking the value of cloud return vs. risk?
"The answers to these questions will help determine the enterprise's readiness to adopt cloud computing and also help ensure that the necessary governance is in place," said Vael. "The COBIT 5 framework for governance and management of IT can also help enterprises manage investments such as cloud services. COBIT 5 helps ensure consistent practices to maximize value and manage risk."
ISACA's white paper is available as a free download at www.isaca.org/cloud-governance. The COBIT 5 framework also is available as a free download at


text:
Jodi Arias is standing trial for killing her ex-boyfriend Travis Alexander. On Tuesday, she hung her head and cried as a tape of a sexually charged phone call was played in court. Her younger brother left the courtroom while the recording played, but he's been there for other graphic testimony.
Is his presence a part of the defense strategy? Clinical psychologist Michelle Golland talks about the impact the trial is having on Arias' family.
Watch Raising America every week day at 12 p.m. ET on HLN . And be sure to tweet @ KyraHLN with the # RaisingAmerica hashtag or leave your thoughts on Facebook.com .


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|IslamiCity Forum - Islamic Discussion Forum : General : Science & Technology
|Topic: Medical Benefits of Salat
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| Topic: Medical Benefits of Salat
Posted: 15 February 2009 at 10:35pm
Here is an interesting research I found on the physical benefits of Salat.
Check it out:
The pattern of the salat prayer performed by Muslims is similar all over the world. In our study, the motion of joints during salat was measured by a goniometer commonly used by clinicians. We examined the active range of motions for each of the joints that were involved during salat. A goniometer has two arms with full-circled scales marked in degrees. It was placed on the joints at different postures of salat, and joint angles were measured precisely. Zero degrees were regarded as starting points and motions were recorded as deviation from zero degrees.
Standing for Prayers
Worshippers have to stand and concentrate their minds on praying. A reactive depression is common in geriatric and disabled persons. The determination to pray has a remedial action on depression, and standing helps to develop balance. When people stand comfortably, the center of pressure is usually midway between the instep of the two feet. In a standing position, they raise their hands up to the ear lobe and bring them down one after another by holding the left wrist with the right hand on the abdomen, above the navel, or on the chest. During voluntary clenching of the right hand, blood flow is increased in the hand area of the left motor cortex, and the corresponding sensory areas in the post-central gyrus. What happens to the involved muscles and joints are described in the Table 1.
Worshippers utter some verses from Quran which is written in Arabic. Like any other language, various muscles are exercised during speech. There is a bilateral increase in blood flow in the face, tongue, mouth sensory and motor areas, and the upper premotor cortex in the brain during speech . During creative speech, there is also an increase in blood flow in Brocas and Wernickes areas of speech in the brain. Blood flow in the brain can be measured by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and positron emission tomography (PET.)
After standing and uttering some verses from the Quran, bowing is done by forward movement of the vertebral column , especially at the lumbar joint, and supported by two straight hands grasping the two hyperextended knees. After a few seconds, the worshipper gradually reverts to the previous state until the vertebral column is vertical. The joints and muscles affected in bowing are shown in Table 2.
The act of prostration is the substance of salat. It is done from the standing position to kneeling, putting the head down and touching the ground with the forehead, with the palms remaining parallel to the ears, and touching the ground with the flexed elbows for a few seconds. The various motions have a great impact on blood flow in the human brain. Because of variations in arterial mean pressure in the body, prostration helps in improving cerebral circulation and avoiding ischemic brain disease.
Postural reflex, and tonic labyrinthine reflex are initiated by the force of gravity on the receptors of otolithic organs in the utricle of the inner ear, and are effected via the vestibulospinal tracts. Maximal effect occurs in the supine position and minimal effect occurs when the head is down 60 degrees below the horizontal plane in the prone position. The tonic labyrinthine reflex is responsible for the contraction of the limb extensor muscles. Thus, the various positions of salat from the vertical natural position to prostration helps in the maintenance of steadiness of postural equilibrium. During salat, Muslims usually keep their eyes fixed on the site of prostration. This visual fixation together with proprioceptive systems, vestibular systems, and the various postures provide a complex positional sense in the brain stem and cerebellum. The joints and muscles involved during prostration are described in Table 3.
Sitting and Finishing Salat
After standing and bowing, and proceeding to prostration, sitting is done on the left leg knee flexed with the inverted dorsi flexed ankle and flexed right knee and metatansophalangeal joint for a couple of minutes. After that, salat is concluded by looking over ones right and left shoulder wishing peace for mankind. Involving joints and muscles are described in the Table 4.
It can be seen from the above discussion that salat prayer has psychological, musculoskeletal and cerebral effects on improving the muscular functions of geriatric, disabled and dementic patient in a rehabilitation program. The physiotherapist of the rehabilitation center who assists the patient to restore and preserve joint range of motion through mobilization techniques and exercise may take this prayer system as a model for restoring the residual strength of the patient. Elderly people and disabled person can gain significant health benefits with a mild to moderate amount of physical activity, like the performance of salat, preferably daily.
Salat has special characteristics in that it is a short duration mild-to-moderate psychological, physical and brain activity. Scientific evidence also supports the notion that even moderate intensity activities, when performed daily, can have some long-term health benefits (American Heart Association). Salat is like a free hand exercise. It can be performed in groups or individually without any equipment. Thus, a person in a rehabilitation program can practice the activity in their room with ease and comfort, even when sitting in a wheelchair or in bed. During the performance of salat, most of the muscles and joints of the body are involved. This activity is convenient for all kinds of patients, including children, the elderly and physically handicapped, for strengthening their muscles as well as the mind.
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Posts: 4
|Posted: 15 February 2009 at 11:21pm
The Preventive and Healing Wonders of Ablution
By Lamya Tawfik
Nor does he say (aught) of (his own) Desire. It is no less than inspiration sent down to him (Chapter 53, Verse 3 & 4).
I have a confession to make. I never really took my time to make ablution the way I ought to. By ought to Im referring to the detailed care that was encouraged by our prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). However, when conducting the research for this article, I felt quite foolish, to say the least.
Not only was I squandering the chance to get more reward for perfecting ablution, but I was also wasting golden opportunities to enhance my health and general well being.
A Daily Ritual
Fourteen centuries ago, our Prophet, a walking encyclopedia if I may so describe him, gave us a prescription of 26 washing movements to be carried out 5 times a day, a total of 130 daily washing movements, to grant us optimum health.
O ye who believe! when ye prepare for prayer, wash your faces, and your hands (and arms) to the elbows; Rub your heads (with water); and (wash) your feet to the ankles. If ye are in a state of ceremonial impurity, bathe your whole body. But if ye are ill, or on a journey, or one of you cometh from offices of nature, or ye have been in contact with women, and ye find no water, then take for yourselves clean sand or earth, and rub therewith your faces and hands, Allah doth not wish to place you in a difficulty, but to make you clean, and to complete his favor to you, that ye may be grateful. (Chapter 5, Verse 6)
Before a Muslim performs his prayers, he carries out the ablution movements mentioned in the above verse as well as others, which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) has added.
Thus, the ablution comprises of washing the hands, arms right up to the elbow, face, mouth, nostrils, and feet up the ankle, all three times each. The inside and behind the ears, as well as the part of the head above the forehead is wiped once.
Done five times a day, it not only cleanses these vital parts of the body from dust and dirt but also "softens" and refreshes them.
Interestingly enough, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also encouraged doing ablution before going to bed. This same ritual is also encouraged by Yoga experts who say that washing important motor and sensory organs such as the hands, arms, eyes, legs, mouth and genitals before sleep using cool water relaxes the body preparing it for a deep sleep.
Stimulating the Biological Rhythms
In an article titled Muslims Rituals and their Effect on the Persons Health, Dr. Magomed Magomedov, assistant to the department of the Mans General Hygiene and Ecology in the Daghestan State Medical Academy, speaks about how ablution stimulates the biological rhythms of the body and specifically Biological Active Spots (BASes), very much like the idea behind Chinese reflexotherapy.
Presently we know that a man is a complex system of electromagnetic fields, meridians, biological rhythms and so on. Mans internal organs, in their turn, present a no less sophisticated bioenergetical whole; they all have indissoluble multi-channel bilateral connections with the skin, which hosts special spots, whose functions resemble those of buttons on control and recharge boards responsible for particular organs. These spots are called biologically active spots (BASes).
While pointing out to the similarities between ablution and the science of Chinese reflexology in his fascinating article, Dr. Magomedov also states the main different points. To become a doctor in reflexology, he says, one has to take a 15 to 20 year course of study, incomparable with the simple learning techniques of ablution.
In another comparison, reflexotherapy was primarily used to cure diseases and very rarely for prevention, while, as we shall see, ablution has many preventive benefits.
There was also a negative side to reflexotherapy, he says, one that is not found in ablution; a patient was exposed to traumas since doctors used cauterisation.
The majority of the most powerful BASes are being washed during the Muslim ritual. It is not the doctor, who had studied for many years, who does it, but every Muslim by himself. Besides, praying five times a day obliges a Muslim to take the preventive measures against diseases beforehand.
According to Dr. Magomedov, Chinese medicine says that there are more than 700 BASes, and sixty-six of them have quick reflex therapy effects and are named the drastic (or aggression or antique or prime-elements) spots.
Out of these sixty-six spots, sixty-one of them are located in zones required for ablution while the other five are located between the ankle and knee (an area which is desirable, according to prophetic traditions, to wash).
Thus, ablution becomes a kind of treatment complex, which includes the hydromassage of the BAS, their thermal and physical stimulation.
The BASes in the face (which are washed during ablution) recharge such organs as the intestines, stomach and bladder, in addition to having a positive effect on the nervous and reproductive systems, says Dr. Magomedov in his findings, adding that the BAS responsible for the osseous system, intestine, nervous system, lumbar area, stomach, pancreas, gall-bladder, thyroid gland, solar plexus and others are situated on the right leg, another area reached by ablution.
The left leg has the BAS responsible for the work of the pituitary gland, the brain organ that regulates the functioning of the endocrine glands and controls growing. In the ears cochlea are hundreds of BASes that harmonize the work of almost all organs, decrease high blood pressure and relieve tooth and throat pain. Ear ablution is considered Sunna (Prophetic tradition).
Another aspect that Dr. Magomedov stresses on is that Prophetic tradition emphasized the importance of massaging and applying pressure during ablution, which is something that has a scientifically-grounded explanation.
Dr. Magomedov said that his studies were triggered by his solemn belief that the five-time-a-day Muslim prayers were bound to have not only an indisputable spiritual effect but were also bound to have a purely physical healing effect as well.
Former research carried out in the Soviet Union regarding BAS was regarded unworthy because they believed that man was not supposed to have either soul or an energy body, because the opposite would contradict the materialistic (atheistic) ideology of those times, says Dr. Magomedov.
Preventive Cleansing
From a non-alternative medicine perspective, Mukhtar Salem, in his book titled Prayers: a Sport for the Body and Soul, speaks about the health benefits of every aspect of ablution.
He does not speak about the BASes in ones body, but nevertheless, he describes the preventive benefits of ablution.
Ablution, he says, helps prevent skin cancer. This is his explanation: the areas that are washed during ablution are the parts of the body that are most prone to be exposed to pollution, whether it is pollution from the internal secretions of the body on to the skin surface, such as sweat, or whether it is external. Ablution, removes this pollution five times a day, and hence maintains a clean outside layer of skin, which in turn helps the cells underneath to function properly.
Also, washing with water helps invigorate the ends of the blood vessels, as well as the nerves and glands that are near the skin surface, and hence helps them perform their functions efficiently.
Salem adds that research has proven that one of the main reasons behind skin cancer is that the skin is exposed to chemicals, especially petrochemicals, and that the best way to prevent skin cancer is by constantly removing these chemicals.
The obvious reason behind washing the mouth during ablution, Salem says, is to remove the food particles, which could cause teeth and gum problems. That is also the reason why siwak (brushing ones teeth) is also encouraged before ablution.
When washing ones nostrils, (a practice, which I myself find very hard, but will try to work on), one is also performing a preventive health measure as the germs trapped in the nostrils are removed and do not pass on to the respiratory system.
According to a study conducted by a team of doctors in Alexandria University, the Prophetic tradition, which urges the exaggeration of washing the nostrils by introducing the water in the nostril then blowing it out, positively affects the inner coating of the nostrils. Those who carried out the washing in the correct form had clean, shiny nostrils with no dust clinging to the small hair inside.
However, those who did not perform ablution had light colored, greasy nostrils and their nostril hairs fell off easily.
Repeated washing of the face invigorates the facial skin cells and helps prevent early wrinkles as well as having a cleansing effect on the inside of the eyes, which prevents eye infections, says Salem.
Washing the ear helps rid them from wax accumulation, which may cause ear infections as well as affecting the inner ear, which eventually causes body imbalances.
The Prophetic tradition of encouraging one to wash between the toes while washing the feet, is also extremely important, says Salem, as it prevents the foot, which in our modern times is trapped most of the day inside shoes, from acquiring athletes foot.
Over all, he adds, ablution also has an exercising effect on all the muscles involved in its movement, which are thus being stimulated five times a day or even more according to repetition.
Extinguishing the Fires of Anger
Prophetic tradition, with regards to ablution, is also ecologically friendly, as the Prophet repeatedly encouraged water conservation, even if abluting from a running river. Ibn Majah related that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, "There is a shaytan (devil) for ablution called 'walhan', meaning greedy, avoid the waste of water."
Muslims are encouraged to ablute not only before praying or going to bed, but also when entering the mosque, making the call to prayer, delivering a sermon, after visiting a graveyard, after touching or carrying a dead person and also before reading the Quran.
We are also encouraged to ablute while being in a state of anger for the cooling and refreshing effect of the water, as we are told that anger is from the devil who is made out of fire and can therefore be put off by water.
Finally, there is a moral to this article, besides understanding the benefits of ablution. One should never take things at face value, and must have strong faith that everything that Allah prescribes has a wisdom behind it that we may or may not know.
"And they say: We hear, and we obey: (We seek) Thy forgiveness, our Lord, and to Thee is the end of all journeys.'" (Chapter 2, Verse 285)
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|Posted: 15 February 2009 at 11:23pm
The Medical Benefits of Sajdah
By Dr. Muhammad Karim Beebani
Sajdah is a unique position or stance in the regular prayers, which a Muslim is supposed to offer at least five times a day. Although the basic purpose of obligatory prayers is not to provide an exercise for people yet it is being increasingly recognized that it has plenty of medical advantages for the human body. Here it is worth mentioning that Holy Prophet Muhammad has mentioned in a hadith in Ibn Majah that prayer is a cure for many diseases. The fact is that a person who offers his prayers regularly that too in the mosque is protected from many diseases which he many not even know.
The position of Sajdah in which the forehead touches the earth is exclusively associated with the Muslim form of prayer. It is the climax of a Muslim's prayer and as mentioned in a Hadith a Muslim is nearest to Allah in this position.
Abu Huraira (radiAllahu anhu) reported that the messenger of Allah said:
"The nearest a servant comes to his Lord is when he is prostrating himself, so make supplication (in this state)"
[Sahih al-Bukhari]
A'ishah Siddiqa (radiAllahu anha) narrates that Holy Prophet used to prolong the prostration to such an extent that one could recite fifty verses (of the Qur'an) before he would lift his head
[Sahih al-Bukhari]
In another Hadith narrated by Anas bin Malik (radiAllahu anhu) the Holy Prophet advised Muslims to perform Ruku (bowing) and Sajdah properly.
In another Hadith he advised to perform Sajdah and Bowing calmly and to get up only when the body has come to ease.
In supplication for the victory, He also performed long bowing (Ruku) and Sajdah in the special prayers at the time of eclipse. Hence the first positive effect upon a person who prostrates or does Sajdah is that he comes nearest to Allah and hence in that condition he can supplicate. This is a great psychological advantage and it gives relief to the person concerned as life is full of worries and in this position he gets at least a transient refuge from the agonizing problems. When a person goes to the position of prostration Sajdah his whole body is in active motion. This position can be considered as a mini dive as the musalli (one who offers prayer) goes to rest his forehead on the ground while his hands are placed at the sides. This brings most of the body muscles if not all in active motion and serves to give them some exercise.
The hands are then specifically stretched out and thence the forearm as well as arm muscles are supposed to bear the weight in the Sajdah position. It gives good exercise to the muscles of the upper limb. Holy Prophet in a hadith advised not to put the forearms flatly on the ground but to keep them elevated above ground and this is better for the forearm and arm muscles.
Sajdah is a unique position as this is the only position in which brain (or head) becomes lower than the heart and hence for the first time the blood gushes towards the brain with full force whereas in all other positions (even when lying) brain is above the heart when it has to work against gravity to send blood to the brain.
In the position of Sajdah due to the increased blood supply the brain receive more nourishment and it has good effect upon memory, vision, hearing, concentration, psyche and all other cognitive abilities. People who offer their prayers regularly have more will power and can cope with the difficulties of life in a much better manner. They have less incidence of headaches, psychological problems and other defects of cognitive function.
In the unique position of Sajdah the neck muscles get best exercise. They have to bear the load when the forehead lies at the ground hence the neck muscles become stronger. One can note the tense pressure at the neck muscles in the position of Sajdah specially the active motion of the neck and the facial muscles when the head is being lifted. (e.g. one inch above the ground) and it will be noticed that they are in a very active motion.
More strong cervical muscles mean the cervical vertebra will be better protected. Strength of cervical muscles is important as the head rests upon cervical vertebra supported by cervical musculature.
Infact head performs rotator movements over the cervical vertebra. In any accident cervical neck examination is especially important to the physicians because of its extraordinary importance.
It is uncommon that a person who offers his prayers regularly will get the usual neck myalgias or cervical spondylosis as the neck muscles particularly become very strong due to the 34 sajdahs offered daily in five prayers.
Position of Sajdah is also said to be a good treatment for the retroversion of uterus, a disease of women.
Most of us do not know that the position of Sajdah is an excellent exercise for men (for manpower). It may be a good information to the Viagra dependents. While getting up from Sajdah the perinneal muscles are one of those muscles which have to pull the trunk back to sitting position and they contract actively. Similarly while standing up from Sajdah the perennial muscles are again actively mobilised and this gives much strength to the muscles important for manpower.
The unique position of Sajdah also has positive effects upon the back muscles as while going into Sajdah and getting up from it the back muscle contract actively and they become stronger. Probably it is because of this reason that a person who is regular in prayers will uncommonly get backache.
After performing Sajdah either the musalli stands up or he sits to pray Attahiyyat. In this position the person sits calmly while his hands rest at his thighs which are folded backwards. This is much similar to the relaxation position of Yoga and has soothing effect upon one's health and mentation.
Holy Prophet Muhammad used to elongate the position of Ruku (bending) and Sajdah positions and he advised to do so. In the light of the above facts it is appropriate to say that from medical point of view as well this advice is a golden rule for health.
Finally it must be reminded that prayer is not meant to be an exercise. However there are a lot of medical advantages associated with it.
Still the best blessing is the peace of mind, which a person derives by the accomplishment of his duty to Allah by fulfilling an obligation.
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|Posted: 15 February 2009 at 11:24pm
The Medical Benefits of Taraweeh Prayers
Muslims perform five daily contact prayers (Salat) and voluntary prayers (Sunnah, Nafl) throughout the year and Taraweeh prayers during the month of Ramadan. This results in moderate physical exercise particularly to every muscle in the body.
By Dr. Ibrahim B. Syed, Ph.D
Muslims derive therapeutic and spiritual benefits starting from the Wudu to the physical movements in the Salat - Takbir, Qiyam, Ruku, Sajda, Jalsa, and Tasleems. Muslims perform five daily contact prayers (Salat) and voluntary prayers (Sunnah, Nafl) throughout the year and Taraweeh prayers during the month of Ramadan. This results in moderate physical exercise particularly to every muscle in the body. Some muscles contract isometrically (same length) and some contract in approximation or isotonically (same tension). The energy needed for the muscle during exercise is met by a process known as glycogenolysis. The rate of muscle metabolism increases during the performance of Salat, resulting in a relative deficiency of oxygen and muscle nutrients. In turn this deficiency causes vasodilation - an increase in the calibre of blood vessels - thereby allowing blood to flow easily back to the heart. The temporarily increased load on the heart acts to strengthen the heart muscle and to improve the circulation within the heart muscle.
During the month of Ramadan, additional prayers are performed after salatul Ishaa, called Taraweeh prayers which vary from 8 rakat (unit of prayer) to 20 rakat with a few minutes break after every 4 rakat for chanting and extolling the Majesty of Allah. After Iftar (breaking of fast) the blood glucose level continues to rise from the food ingested. Just before the Iftar meals, the blood glucose and insulin levels are at their lowest level. After an hour or so after the Iftar meal, the blood glucose begins to rise and also plasma insulin. Liver and the muscles take up the circulating glucose. The blood sugar reaches high levels in an hour or two and the benefits of Taraweeh prayers come into effect. The circulating glucose is metabolised into carbon dioxide and water during the Taraweeh prayers.
Hence the Taraweeh prayers help in expending the extra calories and improve flexibility, coordination, reduce stress-related autonomic responses in healthy persons, and relieve anxiety and depression.
Physical and Emotional Well-Being
The gentle exercises performed in Taraweeh prayers improve physical fitness, emotional well-being and increase the longevity of the Namazi (one who performs the Salat or Namaz). When a little extra effort is made, as in performing the Taraweeh prayers, there will be a betterment in the endurance, stamina, in flexibility and strength. It was noted that the five daily prayers (Salat) produce the same physiological changes without any undesirable side effects as those produced by jogging or walking at about three miles per hour. Recent research studies performed on 17,000 Harvard alumni who entered college between 1916-1950 give strong evidence that only moderate aerobic exercise, equivalent to jogging about 3 miles a day, promotes good health and may actually add years to life. Men who expended about 2000 kcal of energy on a weekly basis (equal to a daily 30-minute walk, run, cycle, swim, etc.,) had one-quarter to one-third lower death rates than classmates who did little or no exercise. In addition to the health-boosting qualities of the Salat, the Namazi will be trained to be ever ready for any unexpected physical exertion such as sudden lifting of children, chairs, or catching a public transportation vehicle. The elderly will accomplish this more securely and efficiently. Hence this is an advantage for the elderly to maintain their physical fitness for a longer period of time. It has been observed that those who fast and perform the Taraweeh prayers report feeling much convalescing and robust.
The Elderly
As human beings grow older, their physiological activity diminishes, as a result their bones become thinner and if not taken care of will suffer from osteoporosis (which causes the fractures of the bones when they fall in the elderly due to a loss of bone mineral content and consequent sponginess of the bones. The bone then becomes structurally unstable, brittle and susceptible to fractures). Primary osteoporosis is most common among postmenopausal (due to reduction in oestrogen) women or those who have undergone a bilateral oophorectomy (both the ovaries removed). Women are six times more likely than men to develop Type I osteoporosis. The three major prevention strategies of osteoporosis are a high dietary intake of calcium and vitamin D, regular exercise and oestrogen replacement in postmenopausal women. The skin also becomes fragile and crinkled. The repair processes of the body become slower and immune responses are decreased. In the elderly their physical activity is reduced as a result they have lower levels of Insulin Growth Factor 1. Reserve functions of all vital organs decrease and the elderly are more susceptible to mishaps and ailments. Because of repeated and regular movements of the body during Salat the muscle strength, tendon power, joint flexibility and the cardiovascular reserve are improved. Hence Salat and Taraweeh prayers enable the elderly to enrich the quality of life and to meet with unforeseen difficulties such as falls which could injure their bodies. Therefore Taraweeh prayers will improve their endurance, self-respect and self-confidence in being self-reliant.
Adrenaline is secreted even by minor activity. The secretion outlasts the incitement. Even after the Taraweeh prayers are over the effects of adrenaline and noradrenaline are manifest. (Adrenaline also called epinephrine is produced by the adrenal glands. The middle part of these glands, the adrenal medulla, secretes the hormone, which is chemically almost identical to the transmitter substance noradrenaline produced at the ends of sympathetic nerves. Adrenaline secretion into the bloodstream in stress causes acceleration of the heart, constriction of arterioles, and dilation of the pupils. In addition, adrenaline produces a marked increase in metabolic rate thus preparing the body for emergency.) Even the thought or the intention of performing the Taraweeh prayers is sufficient to activate the sympathetic nervous system. Sympathetic nervous system (thoraco-lumbar nervous system) is one of the two division of the autonomic nervous system, which supplies motor nerves to the smooth muscles of internal organs and to the heart muscle. Sympathetic nerve fibres arise via spinal nerves in the thoracic and lumbar regions. Their endings release mainly adrenaline, which increases heart rate and breathing rate, raises blood pressure, and slows digestive processes, thereby preparing the body for "fight or flight" and antagonising the effects of the sympathetic nervous system. The adrenaline would redistribute the blood in the body to the active muscles, would mobilise liver glycogen if necessary in order to provide glucose for the active tissues, would diminish fatigue in skeletal muscles and would facilitate alveolar ventilation relaxing bronchiolar muscle, and would initiate cardiovascular changes. Exercise induces a more effective functioning of beta-adrenoreceptors located on cell membranes.
Beneficial effects of Gentle Exercise
The Taraweeh prayer is considered to be gentle exercise. The beneficial effects of gentle exercise on the body are many which are elaborated here.
Effects on Skeletal Muscle
Once muscles atrophy inspite of the availability of ample proteins. During the Salat and Taraweeh, every muscle in the body contracts isotnically and others isometrically. This gentle exercise also enhances endurance and diminishes tiredness. It helps the incapacitated to make the most of their remnant capabilities. The blood flow in strung muscle is low. During the prayers the blood flow is greatly increased to the muscles. Blood flow sometimes increases even before the start of Taraweeh prayers, with just the thought of performing the Taraweeh prayers. In addition to needing fats, proteins, and carbohydrates, the human body requires minerals such as Potassium for nerve and muscle activity. It is found in fruits, meats, seafood and milk. Potassium deficiency leads to muscular and neurologic disorders. Potassium is also important in the transmission of nerve impulses and is a major positive ion in intracellular fluids. Potassium is involved in cellular enzyme activities, and it helps regulate the chemical reactions by which carbohydrates is converted to energy and amino acids are converted to protein. Also Potassium ions cause vasodilation of arterioles. During the Taraweeh prayers, systolic Blood pressure may rise (the larger number in B.P.) a little and the diastolic Blood Pressure(the lower number in B.P.) may remain unchanged or even fall. However after the Taraweeh prayers are over, the B.P. may drop to just below normal levels which is a welcome sign. Taraweeh prayers improve respiratory efficiency; circulation in the capillaries surrounding the alveoli, or air sacs, is increased, and this brings about enhanced gas exchange and deeper breathing. The increase in the maximal consumption of oxygen is what makes the Namazi feel better. Those who perform the Taraweeh prayers, apart from the prescribed Salat, are more alert and active than those who do not perform the Taraweeh prayers, even after the age of retirement. Taraweeh prayers improve physical strength and joint stability and reduce the risk of injury to the tendons and connective tissues. After age 40, the bone mineral density falls with age. Taraweeh prayers increase bone mineral density in both menopausal and in elderly women and prevents osteoporosis and maintains normalcy in bone structures. Osteoporosis results in hip fractures in women after menopause and in elderly men. The risk of osteoporosis is substantially reduced by regular Salat and Taraweeh prayers. The prayers improve lubrication of joints, movement, and maintain flexibility. Deep vein thrombosis (the most common cause of ulceration of the legs in the elderly) is prevented by performing Salat and Taraweeh prayers.
Metabolic Effects
Salat improves body weight control and expend calories without proportionate increase in appetite. A combination of moderate dietary restriction, both at the Iftar and Sahur (early morning breakfast before the start of fast) meals, accompanied by the Taraweeh prayers, should achieve weight reduction. This will also reduce both fat and body weight, but fat-free weight will remain constant or may even increase slightly. Hence during Ramadan one should not overeat at the Sahur and Iftar meals and continue to perform Salat and Taraweeh prayers in order to lose some of the excess weight.
It is well known that exercise prevents coronary heart disease (CHD), increases high density lipo-proteins (HDL or healthy Cholesterol), increases maximum oxygen uptake, slows the heart, lowers the B.P. slightly, decreases ventricular ectopic activity, enlarges the lumen of the coronary arteries and increases cardiac output. Exercise also improves carbohydrate tolerance and improves late-onset diabetes, and helps cases of chronic respiratory diseases. Beneficial changes have been recorded in the lipid profile, B.P., clotting factors, weight reduction and insulin sensitivity of muscles and other tissues in persons who exercise regularly. Growth Hormone secretion is elevated by fasting and it is further elevated by Taraweeh prayers. As Growth Hormone is necessary for collagen formation, this may be an important factor as to why the skin of those who fast regularly during Ramadan and perform the Taraweeh prayers do not get wrinkled, even when they grow old.
Mental Health
It is a known fact that exercise improves mood, thought and behaviour. Exercise improves the quality of life, induces greater sense of well-being and energy, reduces anxiety and depression, influences mood favourably and contributes to self-esteem and an aura of confidence; improves memory in the elderly especially with constant repetition of the Ayaat (verses) from the Glorious Quran and other Ayaat which exalt His Glory. This constant repetition of the Quranic Ayaat would help to screen the mind from the incoming thoughts. It has been found by a Harvard University researcher, Dr. Herbert Benson that repetition of a prayer, Ayaat of the Quran or remembrance (Dhikr) of Allah or muscular activity coupled with passive disregard of intensive thoughts causes a "relaxation response" that leads to the lowering of Blood Pressure and decreases in oxygen consumption and a reduction in heart and respiratory rates. All these are combined in the Taraweeh prayer which is an ideal condition for "relaxation response." It combines repeated muscular activity with repetition of Salat, chanting of words of glorification of Allah and of supplications. The Taraweeh prayer puts the mind in a relaxed state. This calm state of the mind may be partly due to the release of encephalins, beta-endorphins (endogenous morphines) and others into the blood circulation. Endorphins are any one of the neuropeptides composed of many amino acids, elaborated by the pituitary gland and acting on the central and peripheral nervous systems to reduce pain. Endorphins are categorised as alpha-endorphin, beta-endorphin, and gamma-endorphin which produce pharmacologic effects similar to morphine. Beta-endorphin found in the brain and GI(gastro-intestinal) tract is the most potent of the endorphins and is a powerful analgesic(pain killer) in humans and animals. For example during childbirth many women release endorphins reducing a woman's sensation of pain. The release of endorphins is associated with an euphoria. During childbirth, women who give birth with little or no medication sometimes label this euphoria a "birth climax."
Islam is the only religion where physical movements of Salat and Taraweeh prayers are combined with spiritual exercise. When Salat and Taraweeh prayers are practised throughout a person's life, recurring every few hours or so, trains a person to undertake the difficult task of meditation during physical manoeuvres of Salat and Taraweeh prayers, so that the Namazi(one who performs the Salat) benefits both from spiritual as well as physical exercise. Salat and Taraweeh prayers are unique in that tension builds up in the muscles during physical manoeuvres on the one hand, while tension is relieved in the mind due to the spiritual ingredient, on the other hand. The following benefits have been noted among those who perform the Taraweeh prayers: burning off calories and losing weight, maintaining muscle tone and body composition, joint flexibility (stiff joints are often the result of disuse, not arthritis), increasing metabolic rate, improving circulation, improving heart and lung function and aerobic capacity, decreasing heart disease risk profile, increasing your sense of self-control, reducing your level of stress, increasing your ability to concentrate, improving your appearance, reducing depression and resistance to depression, helping you sleep better and suppressing your appetite. Evidence is also accumulating that those who perform regular Salat along with voluntary prayers can conserve and actually retard the loss of bone mass in the elderly, thus staving off the ravages of osteoporosis that afflicts both men and women. It is also possible to retard the aging process and confer some protection to health in later life. Those who have performed Salat (Fard and Wajib), Sunnah and Nafl and Taraweeh prayers throughout life get protection and a positive effect in terms of health and longevity. They reverse the life-shortening effects of cigarette smoking and excess body weight. Even people with high blood pressure (a primary heart disease risk) reduced their death rate by one-half and their risk of dying from any of the major diseases is reduced. They also counter genetic tendencies toward an early death.
Hence Salat (Fard, Wajib), Sunnah, Nafl and Taraweeh prayers are necessary for Muslims to preserve life and their desirable qualities into old age.
Edited by Topsoil - 15 February 2009 at 11:25pm
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|Posted: 17 February 2009 at 1:40am
Jazakallah Khair !
"O Lord, forgive me, my parents and Muslims in the Hereafter. O Lord, show mercy on them as they showed mercy to me when I was young."
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|Posted: 17 April 2009 at 10:04am
May Allah be pleased. Thanks for this information Topsoil
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|Posted: 17 April 2009 at 10:22am
i tried the link above, it's not working. Could you please send another link? Thanks
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|Posted: 15 October 2010 at 3:18am
Now just as a quick reminder, one thing I want to say is that these authors are talking only about the physical and mental benefits that we can get by performing the prayers. However, as Muslims we know that prayer is not just for deriving physical and mental benefits, but it is also done for spiritual benefits, for the good of our souls. So we shouldn't think of Salat as some kind of an excercise which will only help our bodies, but rather as an act of worship which will bring us closer to God, and also benefit us in the afterlife as we
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