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The Review of Religions, February 1994
Unlike the Old and the New Testaments, the Quran has been preserved in its entirety. The Quranic revelations were memorised and recorded immediately and simultaneously upon their revelation. The Quran was revealed by God to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) over a period of about 23 years. The revelations were conveyed to the Prophet in small segment by the angel Gabriel who made the Prophet recite the revealed verses in his presence.
From the very outset, the Prophet employed two independent but mutually complementary methods for preserving the revelations. The two methods used for this purpose were memorisation and inscription. Besides ensuring independently the transmission of the revelation, the two methods also served as internal checks, thus ensuring its accurate preservation.
Islamic traditions record that the Prophet employed four principal teachers whom he personally instructed in memorising the revelations. By this method, even the correct pronunciation of the message was preserved. These teaches would then help others in their memorisation of the revealed verses. Moreover, as the revelations were received, they were also recited in the five daily prayers. Thus, the main mode of preservation and transmission of the Quranic revelations was through memorisation. Interestingly, the Quran was literally preserved by being written on the hearts of people, as prophesied in the Bible:
But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days says the Lord: "I will put my law within them, and I will write it upon their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people." [1]
Thus, the memorisation process proved to be the single, most effective method for preserving Quranic revelation. Moreover, the style in which the Quran was revealed is also in total conformity with Isaiah's prophecy about the new law being revealed as:
For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept, Line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little. Nay, but by men of strange lips and with an alien tongue, the Lord will speak to His people to whom He has said, [2]
Alternately, the revelation was also recorded in written form, soon after its receipt. Islamic tradition records that fifteen scribes were employed by the Prophet for preserving the revelations in writing from the Prophet's dictation. This method of preservation was to serve as a backup.
Once a year during the month of Ramadan (the Muslim month of fasting), the angel Gabriel would recite the entire revelation, revealed up to that time with the Prophet. During the last Ramadan, after the revelations had been completed, the angel recited the entire Quranic revelation to the Prophet twice.[3] This regular annual recitation was also meant to arrange the revelations in their present order.
At the time of the Prophet's death, the number of people who had memorised the entire Quran exceeded one hundred thousand.[4] The process of new converts accepting Islam continued as did the process of memorising the entire Quran. The Quran propagated through the process of memorisation ensured its survival in its pristine purity. During the Caliphate of Abu Bakr (the first Caliph after the Prophet's death), over 500 people who knew the entire Quran by heart, were killed in a battle. This tragic event served as the catalyst to accelerate the process of preserving the written Quranic revelation as an alternative method of safeguarding God's message. Thereupon, the Caliph Abu Bakr appointed a commission and charged it with the task of compiling the Quranic revelations into one volume. The commission assembled the scribes employed by the Prophet for recording the revelations and compiled the recorded texts into one volume. The accuracy of the text of this volume was checked by the Prophet's disciples who had committed the entire Quran to their memory as well as from the written scripts. This one volume compilation was completed within two years of the Prophet's death.
The third Caliph, Uthman, had the same commission prepare seven additional copies of the Quran. After being thoroughly checked for accuracy, these copies were distributed throughout the Muslim world. Some of these copies still survive. One such copy is preserved in a Turkish Museum, which has been used by leading authorities to compare the current Quranic text. After additional copies of the Quran were compiled and distributed throughout the Muslim world, the third Caliph Uthman considered it essential that the original recording be destroyed, due to the following reasons:
- Because of their uniqueness, they might be revered by people to the point of worship, thus potentially defeating the essence of Islam.
- They might be desecrated and also serve as a tool for blackmail if they fell into enemy hands.
Contrasting the compilation of the Old and New Testaments with that of the Quran, Divine designs become more evident. Muslims can claim that the Quran around the world is uniform, even in its minutest detail. It is exactly the same as was originally revealed to the Holy Prophet and which was assembled in one volume by the first Caliph, Abu Bakr. The Encyclopaedia Britannica, among other independent sources, testifies to this fact[5] and concedes this point to the Muslims. The authenticity of the Quran is beyond the slightest shadow of doubt. It had to be so because God Himself has promised to safeguard the integrity of His Word.[6]
Verily, it is WE Who have sent down this Exhortation, and most surely WE are its Guardians
The Quran has the additional unique distinction among all other scriptures of being an entirely verbal revelation. That, in itself, is a guarantee that it would not be perverted or twisted. All non-Muslim scholars who have researched into the integrity of the text of the Holy Quran agree that it is an exact and accurate version of the verbal revelation that Muhammad, the Prophet of Islam (sa), claimed that God had vouchsafed to him. This Divine guarantee of safeguarding the Quran is not confined to preserving the integrity of the text alone. It extends to all factors that bear upon the preservation of the Quran as the perfect source of Divine guidance for the whole of mankind, for all times. For instance, it is guaranteed that the language in which it was revealed, namely Arabic, would always continue to be a living language in current use, so that no difficulty might be met with in determining and comprehending the meaning of the Quran. Arabic is today spoken and written over a much greater area of the earth and by many hundred times the number of people than was the case when Quran was revealed. Besides, the Holy Prophet predicted that at the beginning of every century, God Almighty would raise someone, from among his followers, who would set forth from the Quran the guidance that may be needed by mankind from time to time. In the case of no other scriptures has the integrity of its text, its language and its guidance been maintained.
That Divine Challenge put forth almost 1400 years ago is still valid today. The very fact that no other versions of the Quran exists is overwhelming evidence of its Divine protection. M. Bucaille in his book The Bible, The Quran and Science testifies to the above facts and some excerpts from his book follow:
If we now examine the teachings of Muslim exegetes, we shall see that they present the Qur'an in quite a different manner. About fourteen centuries ago at a meditation retreat near Mecca, Muhammad received the first message through the Archangel Gabriel. After a long period of silence, the first message was followed by successive revelations spanning a period of some twenty years. They were not only transcribed while the Prophet was still alive, but also recited by heart by his early followers and later by the many believers who had gathered around him. After his death (i~ 632 A.D.), the various elements were brought together in a book, henceforth known as The Qur'an. It contains the Word of God to the exclusion of any human addition. The manuscripts we possess from the first century of Islam authenticate today's text.[7]Islam has its equivalent of the Gospels in the Ahadiths. These are the collected sayings of Muhammad and the story of his deeds. The Gospels are nothing other than this for Jesus. The first collections of Ahadiths were written decades after the death of Muhammad, just as the Gospels were written decades after Jesus. In both cases they bear human witness to events in the past.[8]
There are no scientific errors in the Quran [9]
In conclusion then, the Pentateuch (Torah), as we know it today, is not exactly the same as it was revealed to Moses. The later books of Old Testament have also undergone many revisions and modifications for many words and phrases found in the older versions have been changed in subsequent revisions. It may be coincidental that many of the changed words, or sections are those which the Muslims have used in support of their view point. In spite of the inconsistencies among the various versions, the Old Testament still foretells the promulgation of a new law from God to guide future generations.
The absolute accuracy of the Bible can be best described by quoting from the preface of the Revised Standard Version, which describes it as the most probable reconstruction of events based on the best judgement of competent scholars.[10]
The Quran, on the other hand, stands alone in its absolute authenticity. Its accuracy is beyond the slightest shadow of a doubt. This fact has been corroborated by many independent researchers and can also be verified today through comparison with on of the first written copies.
- Jeremiah 31:33
- Isaiah 28:10-12 Revised Standard Version Pub: Wm Collins & Sons, For British and Foreign Bible Soc. 1952
- Bukhari: Faza'il Quran
- From Amir sb
- Encyclopaedia Britannica, under Koran, p. 455
- The Holy Quran 15:10
- Bucaille, M. The Bible, The Quran, and Science, Pub. Seghers, Paris
- Ibid
- Ibid
- The Holy Bible, RSV Catholic Edition, Catholic Biblical Association of Great Britain, Pub. London Catholic Truth Society.


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Orange, CA
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Our services are highly scalable which means that we can attend to your car shipping needs not matter how extensive or complex it may be. If you are looking to move your trusted sedan or you need to ship your vintage Ford Mustang, our team can actually provide you with services you need. If you plan to mass move your fleet of cars for a massive expansion of business or you simply want to relocate in Orange, you can also count on our pool of experienced and expert truck drivers.
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We make a difference in the business by coming up with highly scalable vehicle shipping services offered by our team of experienced drivers from around the country. Tell us your needs and target destinations and surely we have a team that can bring your car safely and on time. Our team can come up with car storage solution and can help provide protection for your car for a period of time. Our team is also expert and experienced when it comes to different options in vehicle shipping including terminal to terminal vehicle shipping and enclosed shipping. We can also provide you with auto shipping insurance to help you relax when your car is being moved from one city to another. From large shipping tasks to small ones, you can count on Nationwide Auto Transportation to do the work for you. Call us at (714)481-0650 so we can provide you with auto shipping quotes and a customized shipping experience.

subset: commoncrawl


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ST. LOUIS -- St. Louis Rams running Steven Jackson can void the final year of his contract after this season in a compromise after talks fell through on a long-term extension.
The running back confirmed terms of the deal to the Associated Press on Friday.
"It's part of the business," Jackson told reporters. "I've said that from the beginning that, even in 2004, I wanted to retire here. This organization gave me the opportunity to live out a dream.
"In 2008 they extended me and at the end of the season we'll see what happens with me. But something is happening here and I want to be a part of it."
The three-time Pro Bowl player is the franchise's career leading rusher and the senior Ram after getting drafted in the first round in 2004. The Rams signed two other core players, defensive end Chris Long and middle linebacker James Laurinaitis, to long-term extensions earlier this summer.
Jackson has seven straight 1,000-yard seasons, the longest active streak in the NFL. He's making $7 million this season and would make $7 million in 2013, too, and must notify the team by early February if he wants to void the deal.
"We want to have Jack back," coach Jeff Fisher said. "We want him to be a part of our future. Jack is one of the major faces of this franchise and we'd like to give him an opportunity to finish his career here."
Jackson has been slowed by a groin injury much of this season but took a heavier load in Thursday night's victory over the Cardinals with a season-best 76 yards on 18 carries for a 4.3-yard average. He leads the Rams with 271 yards rushing and a 3.5-yard average.


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NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Participating in sports such as basketball or wrestling appears to increase the bleeding risk in boys with a rare blood clotting disorder, but the overall risk remains small, according to new research from Australia.
"This study provides the first estimates of the risk involved in various sports activities and will enable children with hemophilia and their parents to make more informed decisions regarding sports participation," Dr. Carolyn Broderick of the University of New South Wales in Sydney told Reuters Health by email.
About 18,000 people in the U.S. have hemophilia, according to the National Institutes of Health, putting them at risk for serious bleeding that would have stopped quickly in people without the disorder.
Broderick and her colleagues followed 104 children and teens at three hemophilia centers for one year on average, interviewing them or their parents each time they had a bleeding episode.
According to findings in the Journal of the American Medical Association, there were 336 distinct bleeds, most commonly from knees, ankles and elbows.
Contact and collision sports such as rugby and wrestling were linked to a four-fold increase in risk compared with being inactive, whereas the risk was about three times greater for sports with less contact, such as soccer and basketball.
"Sport and physical activity is beneficial for children with hemophilia but the benefits must be balanced against the increased risk of bleeding episodes, particularly bleeding into muscles and joints," Broderick said.
Still, the overall bleeding risk from sports was relatively small, the researchers found.
For instance, a kid who bleeds five times a year and participates twice weekly in basketball and once weekly in wrestling, only one of the bleeds would be associated with those sports.
The researchers say their findings are relevant whether or not children take medication to help their blood clot.
"For children who do not receive prophylactic clotting factor, however, the implications may be different," they said in an emailed statement. "Physical activity may not greatly increase their risk of bleeding, but when bleeds do occur they may be more severe and the consequences of even small numbers of severe bleeds may be undesirable."
In an editorial, Dr. Marilyn Manco-Johnson of the University of Colorado calls for guidelines on full-contact sports participation for children with hemophilia.
SOURCE: bit.ly/MvXYT6 Journal of the American Medical Association, online October 9, 2012.


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Google Voice gives you one number for all your phones -- a phone number that is tied to you, not to a device or a location. Use Google Voice to simplify the way you use phones, make using voicemail as easy as email, customize your callers' experience, and more.
Google Voice isn't a phone service, but it lets you manage all of your phones. Google Voice works with mobile phones, desk phones, work phones, and VoIP lines. There's nothing to download, upload, or install, and you don't have to make or take calls using a computer.
Google Voice will let you define which phones ring, based on who's calling, and even let you ListenInTM on voicemail before answering the call. We use smart technology to route your calls. So, if you're already on a Google Voice call, we'll recognize it and use call waiting to reach you on the phone you're on.
Note: At this time Google Voice is only available in the U.S.
What you'll need to set up Google Voice:
You'll need an existing or a new Google Account to get started.
Then, you'll just need a touch-tone phone, and these requirements on your computer:
- Operating system: Windows XP, Vista, Mac, Linux
- Web browser: IE6 & above, Firefox 3 & above, Safari 3 & above, Google Chrome
- Flash 8 and above required: Visit the About Adobe Flash Player page to find your version of Flash or confirm that you've already downloaded it.
Acceptable phone types: When setting up which numbers you want calls to your Google number to be forwarded to, you'll need to select the types of phones you're associating with Google Voice. You can choose one of these three:
- Mobile. Text messages will only be sent to phones listed as Mobile.
- Work
- Home
Google Voice is only supported in the United States and a mobile phone with a U.S. number is required in order to use it. Users outside of the U.S. can use Call Phone in Gmail to make international calls at our affordable rates.


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California Sage and Olive Meatloaf
From: California Olive Board
Quick Facts
Servings: 6
Prep Time: 20 min.
Cook Time: 60 min.
Total: 1 hr. 20 min.
For comfort food, nothing beats this savory and spicy meatloaf.
- 3/4 lb ground pork
- 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) diced yellow onion (1/4-inch)
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1/3 cup ketchup
- 1/2 cup dried breadcrumbs
- 2 Tbs Dijon mustard
- 1 Tbs minced garlic
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 cup sliced olives
- 1/2 cup reduced-fat milk
- 2 1/2 Tbs chopped sage
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 tsp chopped thyme
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 1/4 lbs ground beef
- 1/2 cup (2 ounces) diced celery (1/4-inch)
- Heat olive oil in a medium-sized sauté pan. Add onions and celery and cook for 4-5 minutes until tender. Stir in garlic, sage and thyme and continue cooking for 1 minute, then remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly. In a small mixing bowl combine breadcrumbs and milk. Set aside for 2-3 minutes.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix together ground beef and pork with onion and breadcrumb mixtures. Stir in egg, olives, mustard, salt and pepper. Form into a 10-inch by 5-inch loaf shape on a lightly greased baking sheet. In a small bowl, mix together ketchup and Worcestershire sauce. Brush the top of the meatloaf with ketchup mixture and bake in a 350 degree oven for 55-60 minutes until firm and lightly browned. Allow to rest for 5-10 minutes then slice into six servings.
Nutrition Facts
Calories 460
Calories from Fat 263 (57%)
(45%)Total Fat 29g
(47%)Saturated Fat 9g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g
Monounsaturated Fat 11g
(48%)Cholesterol 144mg
(35%)Sodium 844mg
(18%)Potassium 636mg
Total Carbohydrate 16g
(10%)Dietary Fiber 2g
Sugars 5g
Sugar Alcohols 0g
(66%)Protein 33g
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Nutrition facts are calculated by a food expert using nutritional values provided by the USDA for common products used as recipe ingredients. Actual nutritional values may differ depending on the amounts or products used and can be affected by cooking methods.
Copyright © 2019 Healthnotes, Inc. All rights reserved. www.healthnotes.com
Read our healthy recipe definitions.
Learn more about Healthnotes, the company.
The information presented here is for informational purposes only and was created by a team of US–registered dietitians and food experts. Consult your doctor, practitioner, and/or pharmacist for any health problem and before using any supplements, making dietary changes, or before making any changes in prescribed medications. Information expires December 2019.


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Huge product rangeOver 140,000 books & equipment products
Rapid shippingUK & Worldwide
Pay in £, € or U.S.$By card, cheque, transfer, draft
Exceptional customer serviceGet specialist help and advice
This handbook is a comprehensive guide to the federal Endangered Species Act, the primary U.S. law aimed at protecting species of animals and plants from human threats to their survival. The Act protects not only threatened and endangered animals and plants, but their habitats as well, from direct and indirect threats such as hunting and development. Enacted in 1973 without opposition, the Act has over the past 27 years become a focal point for controversy, as efforts to protect species have clashed with traditional views of economic progress. Despite the often heated debate, the Act enters the 21st century essentially unchanged. This handbook, intended for lawyers, government agency employees, students, community activists, businesspeople, and anyone else who needs to understand the Endangered Species Act, guides the reader through the Act's provisions, including the procedures for listing species and designating their critical habitats, the requirements the Act places on federal agencies, and the scope of protections afforded to listed species. It contains a discussion of the modern extinction crisis and a brief history of endangered species protection in the United States. The handbook also explains how the Act and its implementing regulations have been interpreted by courts over the years. It provides valuable tips for citizens who wish to become involved in application and enforcement of the Act. The handbook includes the text of the Act, as well as a bibliography of related legislative materials, case law, and legal scholarship.


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I have tried to create a system to determine the Hamilton cycles in a graph, Paste 371394. Unfortunately, when I set the starting point to "Berlin" I the proper route that visits all cities, but it is not returned as a list of lists (containing the cities), but rather as a list of lists of lists of list... you get the idea. I'm using PLT and tried to find my error via the debugger but so far, I have failed to find my problem.
Thanks in advance!


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Juanes, Fher Olvera, and Tom Morello
The 36th Annual Kennedy Center Honors --Opera singer Martina Arroyo, pianist, keyboardist, bandleader and composer Herbie Hancock, pianist, singer and songwriter Billy Joel, actress Shirley MacLaine and musician and songwriter Carlos Santana will receive honors for 2013 on THE 36TH ANNUAL KENNEDY CENTER HONORS, to be broadcast Sunday, Dec. 29 (9:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Pictured L-R: Juanes, Fher Olvera, and Tom Morello. Photo: Jeffrey R. Staab/CBS ©2013 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved


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Source: ohdeedoh.com via Sara on Pinterest
This is my inspiration for the dollhouse playroom. These photos have been all over the web, and caught my eye the first time I saw them on ohdeedoh. You can see the original post here at Under the Sycamore.
The playroom did not turn out as cute as Ashley's original room. But my girl liked it and has since expanded on the ideas and filled the room with many more rugs and pillows and toys and furniture :)
The mirror (from the dollar store) turns into a full-length size for dolls.
We did not go out and buy anything..but I do have my eye out for some tiny paper lanterns...here I just used little tissue paper pom poms and fans and globes made from book pages.
You can see we started in on the red + white polka dot bathroom....it's all a construction zone! The dolls are taking cover in the closet...
Ok- so if you look at the very top photo, the inspiration photo, you will see the day bed made from a palette. I wracked my brain to figure out doll house version. This is what I came up with: a bench made from a yard stick hacked (sawed) in six 6" pieces and 2 blocks. I glue-gunned them together....closer look:
See what I mean by hack job? I am not good with a saw, but we sanded the rough edges, so all is good.
AND, I really wanted some tiny wheels at the bottom...I begged my boys for some lego wheels, and even offered to pay- in the end the wheels they had didn't work :(
Tiny pillows
Burlap rug, and a-b-c art made from stickers.
Happy playing, dolls! Hope you are happy with our makeover.
I have gone back and forth about painting this room a pale peach/pink...with wide stripes painted on the floor. What do you think? Leave it white or paint?
How is the summer going for you? Are you keeping up with your Bible reading? It was tough on vacation- and now I am getting back into a good routine again. God has still been working on me in the contentment area!
I will not be content until I get this book mentioned in the video...;)
"Greener Grass Conspiracy" Trailer - Stephen Altrogge from Crossway on Vimeo.


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Tomorrow, October 22, is the Southern Urban Homestead's first blogiversary. Thank you, gentle readers, for a fun and inspiring year!
After months of relentless rain and even some snow, last spring dried up, and once again we have endured a long bout of drought. These periods seem to be coming more frequently in the past few years, along with increasing public awareness for the need to conserve water (and, rightfully, bans and crackdowns on outdoor watering). Even though it's mostly still permissible to water a food garden from a faucet, rainwater recapture just makes more sense, environmentally and economically. So a few years ago I started accumulating rain barrels.
My first one — purchased during one of those desperate dry periods maybe six years back — had had a previous life as a shipping container for olives, and it arrived actually smelling like olive oil (yum). I set it up to catch flow from my garden shed downspout and waited. When it finally did rain, the 55-gallon barrel filled up quickly, so I bought another one and set it up to catch the overflow from the first one. And then a friend gave me a third one, which I added to the chain. And then last year, another friend gave me a fourth one (that last one is my favorite — it was actually painted by a local artist and auctioned off as a fundraiser for a community nonprofit, which is how I ended up with it.)
A rain barrel is a nifty thing. You fill them up by draining water off of a roof when it rains. A screen covers the barrel top to keep debris and leaves from getting inside and hatched mosquito larvae from getting out. Then you draw the water from a tap toward the base. I recently visited the water exhibit at Fernbank Museum and took this photo of a rainwater jar from Sri Lanka. It holds several thousand liters. A girl can dream, right?
I originally installed all of mine myself, up on stacks of bricks and cinderblocks with downspout extensions feeding into them. But I didn't do a very good job. I had put all of them back next to my small garden shed because that's the highest place on my lot, which I'd hoped would help generate enough pressure for my harvested rainwater to flow out of hoses. But sometimes they would topple over, too heavy for their supports. My rickety perches weren't high enough, either, so that when I tried to run a hose from a barrel to a nearby bed that happened to be slightly up slope, gravity was not working in my favor.
Then I found Ben. As in Barrels By Ben. Ben reclaims used barrels (whiskey barrels from Tennessee, recycled food-grade barrels, and recycled 275-gallon totes) and installs them in commercial and residential rainwater harvesting systems. I called him up, and together we put together a new and improved plan for my four barrels.
I have what is most practically described as a moat around the back of my house. It's a small drainage ditch that is level with the top of the house's foundation, so that the house sits slightly nestled into the grade of the surprisingly steep hill of my property. The problem is that the earth next to my house, because it is held up by a wall of stacked bricks and not much else, isn't firm enough to support the weight of 165 gallons of water in three barrels — another reason I installed my barrels on the shed downspouts. The rainwater off my roof was a wasted precious resource.
Ben's solution was to build a little deck of sweet-smelling, durable cedar off the back of my house next to a valley in my roof that would redistribute the weight of the barrels so that the ground wouldn't collapse beneath them. And so that's what we did. See how they are nice and high? I'll get enough pressure going to run soaker hoses into the Squirrel-Proof Net Tent and water all day long. He also re-installed one on the garden shed downspout on a very high, very stable perch.
Now. If only some rain would slide down my rain barrel . . .


text: January 5, 2017 in Mentor membership, Superhuman system Chelation Therapy This content is for members only. Become a member now by purchasing Mentorship Membership to get access to this and other awesome members-only content. Share: Christian Thomson "I am a body transformation coach that specialises in neurological and psychological techniques to create powerful pain free bodies." world champion & mentor for body core Previous post All posts Next post


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A docent is a volunteer who can lead guided tours at the museum. This year's featured themes were developed by Dr. Lara Kuykendall's AHS 450 Museum Theory and Practice students in partnership with DOMA for the DOMA Project App (available for free download from GooglePlay or iTunes for your smart device).
Docent's Choice Tours are available most Saturdays during the academic year at 2:30 pm.
A museum host and docent will also be available for the hour beforehand to welcome visitors and answer questions.
Meet in Sculpture Court. This is a free event.
Spring 2018 Topics:


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Testimony of Deputy Commissioner Lockhart Before the House Committee on Government Reform, Subcommittee on Government Efficiency, Financial Management and Intergovernmental Relations on
"Computer Security: How the Agencies Rate"
November 19, 2002
Mr. Chairman and Members of the Subcommittee:
Thank you for inviting me here today in my first appearance before this subcommittee to discuss computer security at the Social Security Administration (SSA). Commissioner Barnhart and I appreciate your interest in systems security, which is a critical issue. She has made service and stewardship key elements of our strategy to effectively administer our programs; systems security is a key stewardship element and it requires continuous improvement, a "24 x 7" mentality.
SSA has always recognized the importance of protecting the privacy of the people we serve and ensuring the integrity and accuracy of the records we keep and the payments we make. The Social Security Board's first regulation, published in 1937, dealt with the confidentiality of SSA records. For more than 65 years, SSA has honored its commitment to the American people to maintain the confidentiality of our records. A natural outgrowth of our emphasis on privacy is a strong commitment to computer security.
We at SSA clearly recognize that the information technology environment is one of constant change due to rapid progress in systems technology and systems security issues that are generated as a result. We continue to be proactive and forward looking in meeting the challenges of this ever-changing environment. We routinely interface with other government agencies and with private and public information technology specialists, to ensure that we stay ahead of developments in this rapidly expanding field.
Building on this strong foundation, I believe we have made significant strides this year in putting in place additional safeguards that will strengthen the security of the information SSA processes and maintains. Today I would like to discuss those safeguards.
Security is a Management Function, Not a Technical Issue
We recognize that creating an effective security program is a management function, and not simply an issue of technical implementation. It demands the attention of our top management. During the course of the last year, Commissioner Barnhart has taken steps to ensure that information security is receiving this level of attention in order to emphasize the importance of making this a priority for every Agency employee. Information security has been made a routine agenda item for the executive staff and has been incorporated into other processes that routinely receive executive-level attention.
Most importantly, information security responsibilities have been realigned to bring the Chief Security Officer under the auspices of SSA's Chief Information Officer (CIO). The Chief Security Officer is responsible for setting Agency policy for information security and for leading and coordinating information technology (IT) physical security policy. The IT budget has also been moved directly under the CIO.
Earlier this month, Commissioner Barnhart announced the appointment of Thomas Hughes as the new CIO for the Agency. Mr. Hughes has an extensive background as a business technology executive and has worked in both the public and private sector including Pricewaterhouse Coopers, and General Dynamics. I am sure he will be a valuable addition to our security team and an excellent CIO.
The Deputy Commissioner of Systems, who also directly reports to us, has 3,000 employees with a total budget of $280 million as well as outside contractor support funded by SSA's IT budget. Another important group, the Office of the Deputy Commissioner for Finance, Assessment and Management, oversees physical and operational systems security.
Systems Challenges
Information technology is intrinsic to our business. The systems challenges at Social Security are large, as we represent a quarter of the federal budget and pay benefits to over 50 million Americans. In a typical workday we interact with almost 500,000 people through our field offices, telephone network and Internet service.
The computing environment at SSA is considerable. SSA relies primarily on seven mainframe processors located in our headquarters' based National Computer Center and a combination of 100,000 plus Microsoft windows NT desktops and UNIX computers for its core information processing. These computers process over 35 million transactions per day and have access to over eleven terabytes of electronic storage. The Agency maintains a global network of communications services that electronically exchanges client information between more than 1500 remote locations and the SSA central processing site.
Externally, the telecommunications environment interfaces with other Government agencies, United States embassies, and State agencies. In addition, SSA has a connection to the Internet to service both internal and external clients.
Improved Security is an Ongoing Process
Systems security is not a new issue to Social Security. We have been safeguarding our records since we began, long before the advent of computers and the technology age. The Agency's policies and procedures have had security integrated into the systems development lifecycle for more than 15 years. However, in the last year SSA has begun implementation of a number of improvements and performance measures in this area to ensure that the security program remains responsive to evolving technologies, conditions, and vulnerabilities.
Our development of systems security is a process geared towards continuous improvements in each facet of the program. We begin by planning for the security needed for each new system and determining how to implement the process. We test the new program thoroughly to determine if it is functioning effectively and providing the required security. We analyze these test results and, if adjustments are needed, make refinements until the system functions as planned. We repeat these steps as our systems are changed and refined.
To make sure that our safeguards are adequate, SSA uses a variety of proactive measures plus independent testing and evaluation of security controls to detect attempted intrusions and prevent them from being successful. We conduct a number of continuous monitoring activities-and I am confident you will understand my reluctance to discuss our specific processes in a public forum. However, we do undergo rigorous evaluation of these processes.
SSA contracts annually to have independent security evaluations completed. In FY 2002, the telecommunications and network infrastructure, all sensitive systems applications, and SSA's web systems received testing in addition to the annual network and systems testing and evaluation performed by SSA's Inspector General with the support from outside experts.
Modern computer security requires the implementation of sophisticated software and control of access to the system. SSA uses state-of-the-art software that carefully restricts any user access to data. Using this software, only persons with a "need to know" to perform a particular job function are approved and granted access to specific kinds of data. Our systems controls not only register and record access, but also determine what functions a person can do once access is authorized. SSA security personnel assign a computer-generated personal identification number and an initial password to persons who are approved for access (the person must change the password every 30 days). This allows SSA to audit and monitor the actions individual employees take when using the system. These same systems provide a means to investigate allegations of misuse and have been crucial in prosecuting employees who misuse their authority.
Additionally, we have implemented processes to scan, at least once a month, every SSA workstation (over 100,000), every telephone, and every systems platform for compliance with Agency standards. I believe that the scope of this program cannot be matched, and our track record in preventing intrusions demonstrates our success in implementing an Enterprise-wide security program that is second to none.
SSA's approach to system security must be forward-looking even as we focus on day-to-day continuous improvement. As an example, four years ago, our auditor listed 4 reportable conditions. Last year we were down to one. In our just completed FY 2002 audit and the auditor indicated that SSA had made notable progress in strengthening its security controls by implementing an effective entity-wide security framework supported by policies and procedures. As recommended, we will continue to implement standard security configurations on our automated platforms and monitor those settings for compliance, using automated techniques where possible. We plan to emphasize our monitoring and reporting program in the coming year. The auditor also noted that contingency planning could be better coordinated among various SSA components; we will improve the level of coordination in the coming year. Over the past several years, SSA has made significant progress in strengthening its security program and will continue to do so. The Agency's Executive Internal Control Committee will monitor progress until all elements of the reportable condition have been addressed and will ensure that resources are made available to support the improvement efforts.
Nurturing a Security Conscious Culture
Of course, SSA's commitment to information security does not stop with top management. While we nurture a security-conscious culture through executive-level attention, we have networks of full-time staff devoted to systems security stationed throughout the Agency. These front-line employees provide day to day oversight and control over our computer software in headquarters and centers for security and integrity in each SSA region.
SSA provides information and reminders to all employees to contact the agency-wide help desk hot line immediately when a virus or intrusion is suspected. This help desk has procedures for quickly contacting the "First Response Group." This group has senior management members on call in addition to specially trained technical members of the Systems Response team. The Chief Security Officer and a representative of the Office of the Deputy Commissioner for Communications are members of the First Response Group and provide the ability to rapidly mobilize the appropriate resources.
We have tried to put in place the authorities, the personnel, and the software controls to prevent penetration of our systems and to address systems security issues as they surface.
Developing and Implementing Performance Measures
The CIO is required to report to the Commissioner and executive level staff annually on the state of security in SSA, but in reality it is a regular agenda item at executive staff meetings and the Executive Internal Control Committee, which I chair. And the way we measure the effectiveness of our security is through performance measures that provide quantitative feedback. These measures allow us to identify and focus on areas that most need attention. For example, the CIO performance measure for FY 03 is that no more than 200 workstations, out of over 100,000 workstations would be adversely affected by any security incident, such as a virus. In FY 04, the measure is for no more than 100 workstations affected.
In addition, we have made President Bush's Management Agenda initiatives, including e-government, performance measures in the Performance Plan for all members of the Senior Executive Service. We also have a specific measure to: "Safeguard[s] the workforce, infrastructure, and workplace to prepare for and mitigate negative consequences."
SSA has established specific measures of performance to ensure that program officials have assessed the risk to operations and assets, assigned the appropriate level of security to protect such operations, and maintain up-to-date security plans. To ensure this happens, all sensitive systems are reviewed and recertified on an annual basis by the System Managers and an inter-component Sensitive System Review Board. We have established other performance measures to ensure that security controls and techniques are tested and evaluated, and monitor whether the performance measures have been met.
Deputy Commissioners are responsible for ensuring that each sensitive system has an up- to-date security certification. A risk analysis and recertification that each sensitive system has adequate safeguards is required annually.
Critical Infrastructure Protection Process
Mr. Chairman, the tragic events of last September 11 stand as an unforgettable reminder that we need to be prepared for catastrophic events that may threaten not only our systems security but our physical security and our ability to conduct our business with the public.
SSA has in place a strong management control program to assure Agency business processes function as intended. The Critical Infrastructure Protection Process (CIP) creates a comprehensive Agency-wide approach addressing physical security, continuity of operations, and information systems security. The CIP process systematically identifies critical functions and the assets that support those functions.
The program includes recurring reviews, audits, risk assessments, remediation plans, related training and awareness, and other checks and balances designed to protect SSA's normal business processes in even the most extraordinary circumstances. Using Project Matrix, 7 of 8 critical assets Step 1 reviews have been completed. By the end of this year we expect to complete the remaining Step 1 review and half of the Step 2 reviews.
Congress Has Helped
Congress has helped to raise the level of awareness of the importance of information security with the enactment of the Computer Security Act of 1987, which directed all Federal agencies to establish a designated Agency-level security official and laid the framework for development of formal security programs.
The Government Information Security Reform Act of 2000 (GISRA) furthered the agenda of systems security by providing for an assessment and reporting mechanism that ensures that security programs continue to improve.
SSA completed its annual security self-assessment for FY 2002, as required by GISRA, this September. We also engaged a major technology consulting firm to conduct interviews and documentation reviews and independently determine the validity of our assessment. I am pleased to report that they concurred with the self-rating of SSA staff and were impressed with the administrative quality, organizational integration, and technical strength of SSA's security program. Also, SSA's Inspector General reviews the annual security self-assessment using our external auditing firm. Their report stated that we met the GISRA requirements, and made improvements since last year. However, as they stated, and as external consultants have said, there are always areas for improvement.
Finally, I would like to thank you, Mr. Chairman for your work over the years in improving awareness of the importance of not only systems security but also a wide range of program stewardship issues such as financial accounting and reporting, debt collection, and Y2K. Your work and the work of all the members of the subcommittee helps assure the American people that they can continue to rely on SSA's stewardship of our programs and that our systems maintain the privacy of the information we hold.
In conclusion, Mr. Chairman, Commissioner Barnhart and I, and all other employees of the Social Security Administration, recognize that systems security is not a one-time task to be accomplished, but an ongoing mission. It is a critical component of providing service and stewardship to the American people. We know we cannot rest on past practice, but must be vigilant in every way we can to assure that these personal records remain secure, taxpayer dollars are protected, and public confidence in Social Security is maintained.
I can assure you that we will continue to work with the Subcommittee to assure the American people that we are doing all we can to maintain the security of our computer operations. I will be happy to answer any questions you may have.


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On Friday, President Obama asked Congress for greater power to do something.
Before you talk about hell freezing over, consider that his request adheres to Republicans' "smaller government" talking point. Seeking to streamline the government, save money and eliminate duplicative services, the president wants to merge six federal departments and agencies into one. But instead of restructuring items usually on the GOP hit list, like education, Medicare and social safety net programs, he wants to consolidate agencies that handle trade and commerce.
The organizations in question are the Commerce Department, the Small Business Administration, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, the Export-Import Bank, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation and the Trade and Development Agency.
Obama's proposal is the first in a series of mergers he wants to enact. "There are five different entities dealing with housing; more than a dozen agencies involved in food safety," he said in remarks from the White House describing bureaucracy across the federal government. "My favorite example, which I mentioned in last year's State of the Union Address, as it turns out, the Interior Department is in charge of salmon in fresh water, but the Commerce Department handles them in saltwater."
U.S. presidents used to wield power to reorganize the executive branch of government — for 52 years — until Congress stopped authorizing it under President Reagan in 1984. If Congress heeds Obama's request to reinstate it, he would be allowed to present lawmakers with his specific proposals, followed by up-or-down votes within 90 days.
On Friday he outlined his first proposal, which came from discussions with hundreds of business leaders, to consolidate the government's six trade and business operations. According to the president, small-business owners complained to the administration that overlapping departments and programs were confusing, leaving them unsure of where to turn when they needed help. "With the authority I am requesting today, we could consolidate them all into one department with one website, one phone number and one mission," Obama said, "helping American businesses succeed."
The president's parting thought was that his idea can draw bipartisan support. "Making our government more responsive, strategic and leaner should not be a partisan issue," he said. But will it?
Christian Dorsey, director of external and government affairs for the Economic Policy Institute, says that Congress won't grant Obama consolidation authority without a high price. "In an election year, a Republican Congress is not likely to advance the initiatives of a Democratic president without at least trying to exact something in return," he told The Root. "This is going to be political; it's not going to be about the merits of the proposal."
One area in which the president may be vulnerable is the federal workers who would stand to lose their jobs as a result of this reorganization. According to White House officials, 1,000 to 2,000 jobs would be cut through attrition — phasing out the positions as people routinely leave over time. "The real impact, then, will likely be having fewer jobs available for the existing labor force that's underutilized," said Dorsey. "But with 2,000 being the number, that's not going to have a huge effect on the larger economy."
Since Republicans often argue that government gets in the way of business owners, a merger to make government assistance more efficient seems like a positive step. But we'll see, when congressional leadership responds, whether it will be so simple.
Cynthia Gordy is The Root's Washington reporter.


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Will Cindy Stumpo have celebrity neighbors?
Cindy Stumpo, of C. Stumpo Development, wasn't thinking about Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen when she bought a luxury property on Yarmouth Road in Brookline. She just liked the place and believed she could turn it into something beautiful. Of course, when it turned out that the home was just down the street from the property that's rumored to be owned by Brady and Bundchen, Stumpo figured she could quickly flip the property for millions if she wanted to. (Pats owner Robert Kraft also lives in the neighborhood.) Stumpo, known for starring in "Tough as Nails" on HGTV, said she received three offers on the home as soon as word got out that our famous quarterback and his supermodel wife might be moving down the street. Stumpo rejected those offers ("I'm not a flipper, I'm a builder," she said), and is now preparing for a tear-down that will result in a limestone luxury manor worth between $5 million and $6 million, which is about average for Stumpo's custom home projects. Stumpo was so passionate about the rebuild that we had to ask her whether she really plans to get rid of the property or live there herself. "I'm emotionally attached to this property," she hinted. "I've never been emotionally attached to this property before. Never in 25 years." As for her television show, which had one successful season, Stumpo said she does plan to film more of her business. She won't, however, return to HGTV. Stumpo says "Tough as Nails" looked for drama where there wasn't any, and that she's more interested in a straightforward show that teaches people about the business.


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We are an independent studio operating since 1999.
Members: Christine Griggs Melinda Nelson Alysia Robinette
Officially sold out of Apprentice Vol. 1! Reprint coming soon!
Obligatory booth photo
We are all set up with our special convention issue! Come see Alysia's scars!
Anime Central is two weeks away and we are pleased to make two announcements for the con. First, we were lucky enough to win the table lottery again this year. You may find us at table E25. Second, Fuu has been approved to bring back her Copyright 101 panel and she will be presenting on Saturday at 6:00pm in Panel Room 5 at the Stevenson Convention Center. ... See more
AAAANNNNDDD WE'RE BACK! The cast if off and physical therapy is nearly done. We're starting our post-surgery con schedule small at the Barrington Area Library Comic Con. Alysia will be painting the cover for the third Apprentice collected edition live at table to prove she's back in the game. Please stop by! ... See more
Calling all Avengers, Jedi, Trekkies, Whovians, and the like! Mark your calendars-- BALibrary Comic Con® is back! All ages are invited to celebrate your favorite fandoms with cool programs, amazing artists, and plenty of cosplay fun. We'll keep adding details here as events are confirmed, but you can plan on three hours of non-stop action, including: a packed Artist's Alley, "the art of airbrushing" from body artist Mariji Filipovic, an "Iron Artist" drawing competition, epic photo op with Rapunzel from "Tangled," crafts, gaming, and of course, the cosplay contest! It's free, it's open to all - help us out by registering at balibrary.org/library-events.html. Comic Con is a registered trademark of San Diego Comic Convention. ... See more
Apprentice Volume 3 Cover Painting, Part 2 More work on the third collected volume cover. Covering space, along with cat cameos. Lots and lots of rocks and trees and some novel tools.
Norman Rockwell, Prom Dress, 1949 Related: Norman Rockwell's Proto-photorealism at the McNay The works of Norman Rockwell, the go-to artist of the American Dream, are...
Apprentice Volume 3 update! Apprentice 3 is still on track to be completed this year. The 10th Anniversary party launch party may end up being a winter thing, due to some unavoidable consequences of surgery. (So pizza rather than barbecue.) All that needs to be completed for the book are the illustrations for issue 12, which are in progress, and the cover painting. Both of these will be completed in the next 2 months. Keep an eye out for work-in-progress updates. After that, the book will be put together and printed, and we will release more info about the party. In October, Alysia… ... See more


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Like many other dorky kids of my microgeneration, I was first introduced to pico de gallo by the song "Pico de Gallo" on "Trout Fishing in America"s Big Trouble," the best children"s music album of the early 1990s and also possibly of all time. I was tempted, in lieu of an introduction to this week"s recipe, to just reprint the lyrics to the entire song, but I"ll restrain myself and offer you just the chorus:
Pico de gallo
You ought to give it a try-o
Even if you"re from Ohio
It"ll get you by-o
Don"t get it in your eye-o
Unless you want to cry-o
So come on, don"t be shy-o
Eat some pico de gallo
There are also two glorious verses, and without spoiling anything, I"ll tell you that one of them takes place by a bayou on Cinco de Mayo.
But the best time to make pico de gallo is not Cinco de Mayo, but late summer, when tomatoes are ripe and abundant in most parts of this country. It is pure folly to buy jarred tomato salsa this time of year — homemade pico de gallo is fresher tasting, can be tailored to your palate, and is done in 10 minutes flat. All it takes is some chopping and a bare minimum of stirring (more like halfhearted folding, really).
The first thing you chop should be your onion, so you can give the onion pieces a chance to soak in room-temperature water while you"re chopping the other vegetables. Unsoaked onions have a tendency to make everything in their vicinity taste like burning; soaking pulls away much of their acridity, leaving only a mild allium flavor behind. While the onion is soaking, chop your tomatoes, cilantro and jalapeqos.
Here"s where you can tailor according to your palate: If you first separate the relatively mild jalapeqo flesh from the spicy seeds and pith, you can then customize the heat level of your salsa: Add back none of the seeds for mild salsa, half of them for medium, and all of them for hot. Here"s the easiest way I"ve found to seed jalapeqos:
Most raw tomato dishes you want to eat right away and never refrigerate, but with pico de gallo you have a little leeway. The citric acid in the lime juice has preservative properties, so you can keep this in the fridge for a few days without ill effects.
Pico de Gallo
(Makes about 4 cups, or 16 to 20 servings)
Time: About 10 minutes
½ medium white or yellow onion, chopped
1½ lb.s ripe tomatoes, chopped
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 medium fresh jalapeqos, seeded if desired and minced
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and black pepper
Steps: Put the onion in a small bowl and add enough water to cover. Let the onion sit for 5 minutes, then drain and pat dry with a paper towel.
Put the onion, tomatoes, cilantro, jalapeqos, and lime juice in large bowl; season with salt and pepper and stir to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning, and serve. (Store leftover pico de gallo in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a few days.)


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Media Contact: TPWD News, email@example.com, 512-389-8030
July 22, 2009
Native Plant Restoration Set for July 25 at Lake Conroe
Revegetation Part of Statewide Effort to Benefit Fisheries, Water, People
CONROE, Texas — This Saturday morning, July 25 on Lake Conroe, state fisheries biologists and volunteers will plant about 150 native plants in protective cages, part of a statewide effort to restore lake vegetation that improves water quality, prevents erosion, and provides high quality habitat (food and shelter) for fish and other wildlife.
The event is sponsored by the Lake Conroe Seven Coves Bass Club (a BASS affiliate) under the direction of Ron Gunter. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), The San Jacinto River Authority (SJRA), and the U.S Army Corps of Engineers Lewisville Aquatic Ecosystem Research Facility (LAERF) are cooperators and supporters of the project.
The replanting team will meet at Stow-a-way Marina (http://tpwd.texas.gov/fishboat/fish/recreational/lakes/conroe/access.phtml#pointc) at about 7:45 a.m. Saturday and plan to get on the water by 8:00 a.m. Work should wind down around noon. Volunteers are welcome, just plan to get wet!
This is the first vegetation planting by the Seven Coves Bass Club for 2009 but at least two more planting days are anticipated during this summer.
The team will be planting a mixture of water willow, pickerel weed, bullrush, spike rush, and water lily. The cages for most plants will be tray cages (which look like an upside down basket made of vinyl-coated fence material), with ring cages (six-foot tall, seven-foot in diameter rings made out of vinyl coated wire) used to protect the water lilies.
Although all the plants will be grass carp-resistant (plants grass carp don't like to eat) the cages are still needed to keep fish and other animals from disturbing the plants until they are well established.
TPWD, SJRA, and LAERF, with assistance from BASS, have been developing methods for establishing native vegetation in reservoirs since 1995. The techniques developed are known as the founder colony approach, where strong mature native plants are planted in protective enclosures (cages) in the best conditions possible in a reservoir, then allowed to expand on their own from these "founder colonies." In this way, the plants can spread themselves through seed, fragments, and other reproductive structures far faster and more economically than we can actually plant them. From 1996 through 2007 this approach established more than 1,000 acres of native aquatic vegetation from about a quarter-acre of founder colonies at Lake Conroe.
Because of rapidly expanding hydrilla in Lake Conroe over 100,000 grass carp were stocked in 2007 and 2008. The result was the hydrilla has been eliminated but the native plant coverage has also been reduced to about 150 acres.
As part of the overall vegetation management plan at Lake Conroe the Seven Coves Bass Club applied for and received a conservation grant for about $45,000 from BASS and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to build a native plant nursery on property provided by SJRA below the Lake Conroe Dam in order to produce grass carp resistant native plant species to re-vegetate Lake Conroe. TPWD provided additional funding ($25,000) for equipment needed to help the nursery operate and SJRA provided $25,000 to purchase appropriate native plants from LAERF as nursery brood stock to grow plants for current and future plantings.
The Seven Coves Bass Club produced and planted over 1,200 native plants last year and hope to plant even more this year. The Seven Coves Lake Conroe Plant Nursery is capable of producing about 1,600 plants every six weeks during the growing season.
The Lake Conroe project is part of a larger, statewide effort to restore native vegetation at reservoirs. There have been revegetation plantings in recent years at Lake Waco, Lake Grapevine, Choke Canyon, Jacksonville, Coleman, and other water bodies. TPWD continues to seek additional funding and volunteer support to expand the program. Any interested parties should contact Mark Webb at email@example.com or (979) 822-5067.
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Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banks have become the latest lenders to announce mortgage rate rises, affecting 30,000 customers.
The banks' standard variable rates (SVRs) will rise from 4.59 per cent to 4.95 per cent from May 1, meaning repayments will typically go up by less than £30 a month.
The rises mean someone on a £100,000 capital repayment 25-year mortgage will pay £581.68 a month, a monthly increase of £20.73 or nearly £250 a year.
This is the first change to the banks' SVR in more than three years and reflects the increased cost of funding mortgages, the pair said.
Lenders have made a wave of mortgage rise announcements over the last week, affecting more than a million borrowers in total, blaming higher funding costs and the weak economy.
RBS-NatWest confirmed on Saturday that it is pushing up rates on two of its products - the Offset and The One Account - by 0.25 per cent, taking them to a rate of 4 per cent, affecting around 200,000 customers.
On Sunday, Halifax announced that some 850,000 borrowers will see their mortgage costs increase as the SVR rate rises from 3.5 per cent to 3.99 per cent from May 1.
The Bank of Ireland also announced this week that it is increasing its SVR rates, affecting 100,000 UK customers. It will raise the SVR on its mortgages to 4.49 per cent from 2.99 per cent in two stages.
SVR customers tend to have already made some progress in paying down their mortgages as borrowers revert to paying SVR rates when fixed deals come to an end.
A statement from Clydesdale and Yorkshire Banks, which are part of National Australia Bank, said exit administration fees will be waived until July 31 if customers want to switch their provider.
Steve Reid, the banks' retail director, said: "While our SVR will continue to remain competitively below a number of other UK mortgage providers, the market and costs associated with providing mortgages have changed significantly in the three years since the rate last moved."
He continued: "This change will help enable us to continue to support savers and maintain the competitiveness of our deposit rates.
"Our commitment to the mortgage market, including strong support for first-time buyers as one of only a handful of lenders who have consistently offered 95 per cent LTV mortgages, remains as strong as ever."
The hikes come despite the Bank of England maintaining the base rate at a historic 0.5 per cent low and have previously been branded "shocking" by the Consumer Action Group.
Analysts have warned that lenders are expected to tighten up on borrowing this year amid the weak economic conditions.


text:
- Quick Links
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Contact Information
Ruth Sullivan
Learning Resources
Tel: 401-825-2488
Jeanne Mullaney
Assessment Coordinator
Tel: 401-333-7222
For further information about this project contact the persons listed above.
About the Wabash Study 2010
CCRI has the distinction of being the only community college among the thirty colleges and universities selected to join the Wasbash Study 2010. The study will last three years, ending in the fall of 2013 . The goal is for institutions to use evidence to identify an area of student learning or experience that they wish to improve, and then to create, implement, and assess changes designed to improve those areas. The study is designed to create a deliberative process for using evidence that an institution can build on for improvements in student learning. This includes building institutional capacity and infrastructure that can support successful assessment efforts after the study is completed. While each institution will focus on improving areas that are relevant to that institution, faculty, staff, and administrators from these institutions will collaborate during the course of the study as a community of practice, sharing information, approaches, problem-solving strategies, and lessons learned.
The Wabash Study is a three-year project designed to assess the following:
1. Evaluate the results of quantitative and qualitative assessment evidence;
2. Use that evidence to identify specific institutional, course, and program elements they would like to strengthen;
3. Develop, implement, and assess responses that are designed to strengthen these institutional elements.
Inputs – the attitudes and values that students bring into college
Experiences – the experiences that impact students once they are in college
Outcomes – the impact that college has on student ability and knowledge
Each Wabash Study institution will build an Assessment Portfolio that consolidates an institution's evidence about inputs, experiences, and outcomes. This portfolio will form a "knowledge base" from which institutions will work during the course of the study. Although the specific forms of evidence in each institution's portfolio will vary, institutions are required to include evidence on the qualities, values, and skills that students bring to colleges, measures of what they experience in and out of the classroom during college, and measures of student learning. In addition, can include any other program, department, or institutional assessment evidence they deem important in their Wabash Study Assessment Portfolios.
Having good assessment evidence is only a first step toward making sense of and using that evidence to inform changes that improve student learning. The new version of the Wabash Study is designed to shift the emphasis from gathering evidence to working through a structured "change curriculum" that is designed to help campus constituencies.
Although the Wabash Study includes tests and surveys that will help an institution meet accountability standards, the study focuses on the formative use of evidence to promote institutional changes. We will accomplish this through a series of structured site visits, meetings, and workshops that we developed in the first iteration of the Wabash Study. These activities are staffed by the Director and Associate Director of the Center of Inquiry and Teagle Assessment Scholars. Teagle Scholars include faculty and administrators from institutions across the country with expertise in assessment and institutional improvement.
Copyright © 2009, by the Center of Inquiry in the Liberal Arts at Wabash College . All rights reserved.
410 West Wabash Avenue • Crawfordsville, Indiana 47933


text:
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€640.01International price: €528.93
Vass is a world renowned brand of handwelted shoes, located in the capital of Hungary, Budapest. The trademark of the high-quality design and the excellent craftsmanship of their workshop is represented by László Vass, the founder and leader of the shop and workshop, who belongs to a generation of shoemakers who were brave and energetic enough to go back to the roots of their craft and revive a rich, old tradition, giving the art of shoemaking new impetus in a new age.
The Stock Service Collection is a carefully curated collection by Mr. Vass himself, shoes that he finds represent the Vass brand best. Shoes from this collection require a production time of 8 to 10 weeks.
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Model: Vass Austerity Brogue 5275
Last: K Last
Leather: Bordeaux Calf
Welt: Hand Welted
Sole: Single leather J. Rendenbach
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Soon the gun he's shoving in her mouth will be replaced by his dick! This is the kind of porn where violent actions speak louder than words, and a few screams never hurt either! This is for people who like a little ferociousness in their fun and are willing to go to extremes to actually get it!
When you click here you'll always come back for more. There is nothing like this anywhere on the web and so you'll always return here to fulfill your needs! Brutalporno.com is just that; brutal porno. It's the porno that goes more than a few steps beyond the norm and traverses into a realm where brutality and base behavior is celebrated, not discouraged!


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There is no mention of a fine. I guess the reasons given above are good enough to persuade us not to keep snakes as pets.
I have mentioned earlier that it is important to be able to identify snake species that occur naturally in Singapore, so that we can make better judgements when we encounter a snake. However, alien species escaped or released into the wild can complicate matters. Someone might mistake an exotic venomous snake for a similar-looking native non-venomous snake. Although it is unwise to handle snakes of any kind, I believe that people will still be taking chances (sometimes with goodwill). One unpleasant accident can cause the public to lose confidence in their own ability to identify snakes. This may prevent the "Ask questions first, kill later" spirit from spreading among the public.


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Hotel Inn at Henderson's Wharf
- Terms and facilities
- Useful information
- Location
- Opinions
Located in Baltimore (Fells Point), Inn at Henderson's Wharf, an Ascend Hotel Collection Member is minutes from Robert Long House and Fell's Point Visitor Center. This hotel is within close proximity of Vagabond Players and Frederick Douglass - Isaac Myers Maritime Park. Pamper yourself with onsite massages or enjoy recreation amenities such as a 24-hour fitness center. This hotel also features complimentary wireless Internet access, wedding services, and tour/ticket assistance. Getting to nearby attractions is a breeze with the complimentary area shuttle. Featured amenities include a business center, a computer station, and complimentary newspapers in the lobby. This hotel has 2 meeting rooms available for events. Self parking (subject to charges) is available onsite. Make yourself at home in one of the 38 air-conditioned rooms featuring refrigerators and minibars (stocked with some free items). Your room comes with a pillowtop bed. Wired and wireless Internet access is complimentary, while 32-inch LCD televisions with satellite programming provide entertainment. Private bathrooms with shower/tub combinations feature designer toiletries and complimentary toiletries.
Choose your room
Share it
Services and terms: Hotel Inn at Henderson's Wharf
- WiFi
- Internet
- Car park
- Non-smoker Rooms
- Pets not allowed
Useful information: Hotel Inn at Henderson's Wharf
Other names for Hotel Inn at Henderson's Wharf:
Inn At Henderson S Wharf An Ascend Collection Member
An Ascend Collection Member The Inn At Henderson S Wharf
Location: Hotel Inn at Henderson's Wharf
Located in Baltimore (Inner Harbor - Downtown Baltimore), Inn at Henderson's Wharf, an Ascend Hotel Collection Member is close to Robert Long House, National Aquarium in Baltimore, and American Visionary Art Museum. Also nearby are USS Constellation and Fort McHenry. 32 kms to the airport (baltimore/washington international thurgood marshall airport) 68 kms to the airport (ronald reagan washington national airport)


text: More enterprises are paying attention to the business-building potential of open APIs, and it's not hard to figure out why. When companies like Expedia tell ReadWriteWeb that APIs (check out the Expedia API) contribute about 90 percent of its $2 billion a year, you can bet CFOs and CEOs will take notice. The problem is, not every API should be open and, in some situations, an open API might jeopardize your API business strategy.


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Just under a quarter of residents of the Bundesrepublik have foreign roots, up 4.4 percent year-on-year, government statistics show. The figures released by destatis on Wednesday show that roughly 19.3 million of Germany's population had a migrant background in 2017. The number was a record high. Source: The Local
GEFIRA provides in-depth and comprehensive analysis of and valuable insight into current events that investors, financial planners and politicians need to know to anticipate the world of tomorrow; it is intended for professional and non-professional readers.
Yearly subscription: 10 issues for €225/$250
Renewal: €160/$175
The Gefira bulletin is available in ENGLISH, GERMAN and SPANISH.
The U.S. will send hundreds of additional troops and a dozen fighter jets to the Middle East in the coming weeks to counter what the Pentagon said is an escalating campaign by Iran to plan attacks against the U.S. and its interests in the region. And for the first time, Pentagon officials on Friday publicly blamed Iran and its proxies for recent tanker bombings near United Arab Emirates and a rocket attack in Iraq. Source: Associated Press
A Maltese armed forces patrol boat picked up 216 economic migrants in the Mediterranean and was bringing them to Malta on Saturday, a spokesman said. One pregnant woman and a couple of children were believed to be among the 200 men. Source: Euronews
The record influx of asylum seekers has overwhelmed border detention facilities and shelters, forcing U.S. immigration authorities to bus migrants to nearby cities and even fly them to California.
Las Cruces, New Mexico, has received over 6,000 migrants since April 12. Deming, population 14,183, gets 300 to 500 a day, according to City Administrator Aaron Sera. Source: Reuters


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Editor's Note: This is the fourth in a series of excepts from the book ``Fort Wayne Sports History.
August 21, 2007
Street & Smith's Sports Business Journal named Fort Wayne the No. 1 minor-league sports city in America.
One of Fort Wayne's most noticeable traits is that nothing seems to change. For once, that's was major advantage.
Street & Smith's Sports Business Journal named Fort Wayne the No. 1 minor-league sports city in America in its Aug. 21, 2007, issue. Fort Wayne was ranked No. 7 the first time the magazine compiled the listing two years ago, and one of the major reasons for the jump up is because ... well, stability.
"They didn't improve on a whole lot of things, but just stayed consistent," the magazine's research director David Broughton said from his Charlotte, N.C., office. "The main strengths were consistency and tenure. I'd say it was Fort Wayne's stability that really made it go from No. 7 to No. 1."
That's no small feat, considering the constantly changing landscape of minor-league sports, where teams change as often as uniform styles. In fact, 71 cities in the survey lost at least one team. None of Fort Wayne's teams folded, attendance went up a little and no owner tried to hold the city hostage by threatening to move. It also didn't hurt that other cities in the upper Midwest around Fort Wayne are struggling to keep their sports franchises, and the next three cities behind Fort Wayne in the rankings each lost at least one team since the last ranking.
The magazine studied 242 markets covering 572 teams in 48 leagues. Cities were judged on tenure, attendance and economic rank. Tenure, or franchise stability, counted for 66 percent of a market's score. Attendance counted for 20 percent of the score and was based on average, percent capacity and percentage of overall population. The economic factors included fluctuations in unemployment, population and total personal income (TPI) average. Cities received a bonus for new facilities.
Fort Wayne fell to No. 2 in the 2009 rankings and to No.19 in 2011.


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Study: Millions of People Suffering From Hearing Loss Go Untreated
Only one in seven older Americans with hearing loss actually use a hearing aid, according to a new study from John Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Medicine.
Approximately 26.7 million Americans age 50 and older have hearing loss, but the report released Monday found about 23 million are not being treated.
"Understanding current rates of hearing loss treatment is important, as evidence is beginning to surface that hearing loss is associated with poorer cognitive functioning and the risk of dementia," said senior study investigator Frank Lin.
Lin, along with co-researcher Wade Chien, pulled data from the 1999 to 2006 cycles of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a research program that has periodically collected health information from American since the 1970s.
Results showed that 14 percent — one in seven — of individuals age 50 or older use hearing aids. Hearing aid use increases with age, ranging from 4.3 percent in individuals 50 to 59 years old to 22.1 percent in those 80 and older.
Still, an additional 23 million could possibly benefit from using hearing aids, Lin said.
Lin said people don't seek hearing loss treatment because many insurance companies do not cover the entire cost of hearing treatment and those that do seek treatment sometimes don't know how to properly use hearing devices. He said many also just assume hearing loss is another part of aging and not a major health concern.
"There is still a perception among the public and many medical professionals that hearing loss is an inconsequential part of the aging process and you can't do anything about it," Lin said. "We want to turn that idea."
In addition to an increased risk of cognitive impairment, hearing loss has been associated with increased social isolation, depression and irritability.
Results of the study are published in the current online issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.


text: Hi guys, I noticed some time ago that Fedora 16 Perfect Server has never been done, and now Fedora 17. I used F15 tutorial to setup F16, and it worked well at some point, few services were not launched at boot because the new systemctl modifications. This was not blocking, because I don't reboot my server all the time. now it more complicated with F17. Any adaptation of the old tutorials with F17 will be much appreciated.


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So I ran into an interesting issue last week. A customer couldn't alter a table. Non-Exclusive access. Sounds pretty normal right? I mean after all it's not like a DBA doesn't see this fairly often.
The Normal routine is for a DBA to run the following:
- Figure out the partnum for the table being altered, best way is to run the following SQL from the DB the table is in:
select hex(partnum) from systables where tabname="<tabname>"
Where <tabname> is whatever the table name is you are altering.
- using onstat -k |grep <partnum you got above> , find out who is holding the locks.
- contact user about locks, or if you are under a rush, just kill the offending user/session
However what happens when you still get non-exclusive access after doing the above?
You need to have two considerations then. #1, check for referential integrity issues, and #2 look for open cursors?
RI can be checked using dbaccess, or dbschema, but how do you check open cursors?
The easiest way is with
onstat -g opn
In the situation I wan into, we had several open cursors with transactions running against the child table holding RI.
This allowed us to identify where applications were forgetting to close the cursors. As soon as those cursors were closed, the alter table was successful.
From a development standpoint, this brings up a salient point to always remember, close your cursors.
For more info on onstat -g opn


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February 10, 2014
The Board of Directors of the Indianapolis Association of Wabash Men honored Wabash Trustee Ted Grossnickle '73 as their Man of the Year. The award was presented as part of the IAWM's Winter Bash celebration on February 8, 2014.
Ted's many accomplishments were cited by Hugh Vandivier '91, seen above reading the award citation. Ted's superb performance as a Vice President and then Acting President at Franklin College was credited with saving the institution during one of its toughest times. Ted went on to start Johnson Grossnickle & Associates (JGA), a professional fundraising organization. JGA served Wabash as campaign counsel during the very successful Campaign for Leadership in the early 2000s.
Before the presentation, Wabash's 16th President, Dr. Gregory Hess, gave an insider's view to his first seven months in office as he outlined his first initiatives to create a stronger, more vibrant Wabash.
Representing the College, in addition to President Hess, was Dean of Students Mike Raters '85.
Many thanks to Steve Badger '87, the current IAWM president, for serving as the evening's emcee and to Dustin DeNeal '04 of the IAWM for setting up the entire evening. A good time was had by all!
Top - Hugh Vandivier '91 reads the award citation for Ted Grossnickle
Middle - President Gregory Hess addresses the group
Bottom - Ted Grossnickle '73 accepts the award
For more photos of the evening, click here.


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|Jepson Flora Project: Jepson Interchange
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Jepson Interchange (more information)
©Copyright 1993 by the Regents of the University of California
Annual, biennial, perennial herb (rarely shrub, tree), often from taproot
Stem often ± scapose, generally ribbed, hollow
Leaves basal and generally some cauline, generally alternate; stipules generally 0; petiole base generally sheathing stem; blade generally much dissected, sometimes compound
Inflorescence: umbel or head, simple or compound, generally peduncled; bracts present (in involucres) or not; bractlets generally present (in involucels)
Flowers many, small, generally bisexual (or some staminate), generally radial (or outer bilateral); calyx 0 or lobes 5, small, atop ovary; petals 5, free, generally ovate or spoon-shaped, generally incurved at tips, generally ± ephemeral; stamens 5; pistil 1, ovary inferior, 2-chambered, generally with a ± conic, persistent projection or platform on top subtending 2 free styles
Fruit: 2 dry, 1-seeded halves that separate from each other but generally remain attached for some time to a central axis; ribs on each half 5, 2 marginal and 3 on back; oil tubes 1several per interval between ribs
Genera in family: 300 genera, 3,000 species: ± worldwide, especially temp; many cultivated for food or spice (e.g., Carum, caraway; Daucus; Petroselinum); some highly toxic (e.g., Conium). Underground structures here called roots, but true nature remains problematic. Mature fruit generally critical in identification; shapes generally given in outline, followed by shape in X -section of 2 fruit halves together.
Annual, biennial, perennial herb, shrub, taprooted
Stem decumbent to erect, branched, generally glaucous
Leaves: basal petioled; cauline generally sessile, clasping or fused around stem at base; blades linear to ovate or obovate, simple, generally parallel-veined, margins entire or minutely serrate
Inflorescence: umbels compound; bracts generally present; bractlets generally wide, conspicuous; rays, pedicels fewmany, spreading
Flower: calyx lobes 0; petals narrow to wide, yellow or dark purple, tips narrowed
Fruit oblong to round, slightly compressed side-to-side; ribs subequal, thread-like to narrowly winged; oil tubes per rib-interval generally several; fruit axis divided to base
Seed: face ± flat
Species in genus: ± 100 species: Eurasia, s Africa, n North America, 1 reportedly naturalized in CA
Etymology: (Greek: ox rib)
Plant 0.55 dm, glaucous
Leaf: basal 310 cm, linear to oblong-lanceolate; cauline lanceolate to widely ovate, base fused around stem, margin scarious
Inflorescence: peduncles 18 cm; bracts 0; bractlets generally 5, > flowers and fruits, leaf-like, ovate to ± round, fused at base; rays 23
Flower: corolla yellow
Fruit 23 mm, ovate to round, roughened
Chromosomes: 2n=16
Ecology: May be naturalized in gardens
Elevation: generally < 1000 m.
Bioregional distribution: California
Distribution outside California: e US; native to Mediterranean
Flowering time: MayJun
Reported as B. subovatum Link.


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Small Kitchen Appliances
Everyone has favorite kitchen gadgets, but there are a few small electric appliances that should be in every home, whether you are new to cooking or practically a gourmet. These small kitchen appliances can make or break any meal, snack or dessert. Of course you can bake a proper cake without a mixer or quickly chop vegetables without a food processor, but it is so much easier when you have convenient appliances to help.
Blenders allow you to turn solids into liquids. They make soups, milkshakes and healthy juice drinks. Choose from our selection of classic blenders that offer a variety of speeds for even the toughest foods, including small, personal-sized options for making a quick drink on the go. At Williams-Sonoma, you will also find a selection of handheld immersion blenders that allow you to work in large pots or mixing bowls.
Juicers are essential for healthy living and adding more fruits and vegetables to your diet, but it is important to know which type is right for you. Centrifugal juicers work quickly and are better for harder vegetables like celery. They are also easier to store and take up less space. Masticating or slow juicers are larger and take more time to make juice, but they are less likely to expose your fruits to oxidation.
Food Processors
Food processors are ideal for chopping and shredding foods such as vegetables and meat. They come in sizes ranging from full to miniature, and many come with an assortment of blades and attachments to help get your food to just the right texture.
No matter how much time you spend mixing your batters by hand, they will never be as smooth as they are when you use a mixer attachment. A classic KitchenAid stand mixer is a must-have for any home chef. Like immersion blenders, hand mixers allow you to get right into your mixing bowl to smooth things out.
Toasters and Ovens
When it is time to actually bake, heat or cook the food you prepared with your other small kitchen appliances, convection ovens offer an alternative to your conventional oven. Convection ovens tend to cook faster and cook more evenly than conventional ovens. Because they are smaller, they heat up faster, which is great when you are in a hurry. It might even help you save a little on your energy bills. Convection ovens are great for toasting, dehydrating and browning food too.


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Tamara Ecclestone at the London Boat Show — Morning Eyegasm [PICTURES]
Tamara Ecclestone is no stranger to this website. We've stared at her for long periods of time on many occasions and feel she is one of the underrated beauties roaming the Earth at this moment.
Tamara Ecclestone was on hand to launch the 2012 London Boat Show and these pictures are really making us think about our own dinghys. A dinghy is a boat you pervs.


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Atiqa Odho does not seem to be in any hurry to relinquish the mantle of the uber Pakistani MILF anytime soon. The following caps are from her new show on Geo TV, "A Conversation With Atiqa" that aired on October 16th, 2008. Here she is interviewing the Pakistani rock band Strings, or so it would seem. But it is actually a ploy for Atiqa to showcase her tantalizing beauty and amazing tits. And you will hardly hear a murmur of displeasure, or dissent out there in the heartland.
Atiqa's hair is coiffed after the classic pinup hotties of the 50's and 60's. The Sophia Lorens, the Gina Lollobrigidas, and the Mae Wests.
Ladies who could rattle briefs and boxers late into their sunset years. Those big flashing eyes, large pouty lips, smooth unblemished skin of the cheek. All that and the nubile aura that she projects at her age is as rare and amazing as the legacy of those legendary sex symbols.
Notice when she crosses her hands, her elbows push her tits together to form a lovely, creamy cleavage. When her hands are at her sides, the pendulous tits fall into perfect tear-drop symmetry, held in check by a make-shift, flowery hammock that's tied behind her neck.
The contrast in color between the solid black dress and the supportive flowery bib, serves to emphasize the size and shape of the forbidden fruit. Around her neck she is wearing a dangling pendant. It swings back and forth over the cleavage, shaped like a tiny male appendage, marking the spot.
Atiqa's interviews are not meant to be hard-hitting numbers like Jasmin Manzoor's (Pulse on Business Plus), or Saima Mohsin's (Newseye on Dawn News). They are puff pieces, and not the kind with some pastry underneath, like Naeem Bukhari's (Apna Andaaz on Hum TV).
It's fluff and fawning, without much homework. Like, when she singled-out the band for being the first Pakistani band whose song had made it to the soundtrack of a major Hollywood blockbuster (Spiderman-2, 2004). Strings had to remind her that Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan had actually done that, ten years earlier (Natural Born Killers, 1994).
But really, who cares ?. There are enough fact-finding munshis with bad hairdos out there, madly polluting the air waves with vitriol. There is only one Atiqa Odho. She can sit there on a couch, wearing just a man's shirt, top three buttons undone, painting her toenails and it'll be a guaranteed hit show.
For Atiqa, the most paramount question for the band had little to do with the process of coming up with ideas for songs, melodies and compositions. It was about the band groupies. The single and often married women who follow the band around, calling them at home and making themselves 'available', away from home.
How has the band dealt with them ?. Do their wives mind all the attention ?. It sounded more like she was shopping for an audition, than looking for their position on the subject. The blushing band members, sputtering out the usual make-believe response, made their positions clear.
It would've been enough if Atiqa Odho was just another ravishing beauty. But she is that and an incredible actress. She may not like the band, care for their music, or been following their career. But with just enough empathy and faked sincerity, she seemed to care about them as people and they seemed satisfied with the attention.
And that's why it works most of the time, because Atiqa steals the show. It rarely matters who her guest is. People tune in to see Atiqa, in all her finery. I bet if you took a poll, Atiqa would be more popular among guys (both young and old), than gals.
Here's the much awaited video clip from the same show. Enjoy:


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I have two.
I've gotten my original blog, Genealogy By Ginger on blogger.com, up and running again. I have changed it's focus though: I've tweaked it into more of a genealogy journal, focusing on progress about ongoing projects. You will also see most of the stuff I post here on wordpress is also copied to this blog as a back up medium.
I haven't gotten either of these blogs perfected like I had hoped to do. But one has to start somewhere. I can only hope to become a fluid and avid geneablogger, like those that populate my google reader.
If you'd like to get a taste of what's going on in my other blog, feel free to check out the information I have posted on some Jackson County, Alabama SMITHs and some journals I've posted, projects I've started, and organizational quests I've undertaken.
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