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Remember The Bravery? They did that song 'An Honest Mistake'? For those of you not thinking 'Hmm, oh yeahhhhhh...' they were going to be The Next Big Thing, a huge band who would follow in the perplexingly successful footsteps of The Killers by, er, sounding almost exactly like them. Like a crap Mystic Meg, NME predicted a similar wildly thriving career for these guys (citation needed, but it sounds like something they would say), with hit after hit soon to be belted out at 'indie' nights.
Now in the same vein as The Killers, their contemporaries The Kings of Leon have their own burgeoning Southern States soundalikes in Alabama Shakes. Earlier this year the band played three sold-out shows at London's The Boston Arms, the first of which was enthusiastically tweeted about by Russell Crowe - you know, from 30 Odd Foot of Grunts. I was there too, and I stood next to one of the not-famous ones from Oasis, who seemed happy if a bit bemused by it all. Soon after the endorsement of these musical luminaries the likes of NME and The Guardian were predicting that the release of the band's debut LP Boys & Girls would see Alabama Shakes take over the whole universe (and beyond!).
Admittedly my cynicism could easily be misplaced, as Alabama Shakes are rigidly adhering to the template for commercial and (brief) critical success. Singer Brittany Howard has a soulful, rasping voice that can do delicate on the likes of the album's title track and 'You Ain't Alone' and Robert Plant-esque fucked up rock on, er, most of the others.
Throughout the album there's an emotional theme of y'know, having feelings and being strong and stuff, and lead single 'Hold On' has some pretty damn catchy hooks along with one of the album's many riffs that sounds like something American Stars'n'Bars-era Neil Young - admittedly, the kind he could have farted out in a second. It's undeniably successful in a live setting, and V Festival crowds love that kind of shit but you might have guessed by now that I'm not overly enthusiastic about listening to it, at my desk, bashing these keys because none of the above means it actually translates into a good/great/life-changing/universe-winning-over record.
In the cold light of day the album feels flat and utterly predictable, Howard sounding less infused with the pained blues soul of Mavis Staples and more like someone shitting a hedgehog. When she sings "All I believe in is a dream" on 'Rise to the Sun' (they actually called a song that) or the 976th variant on that theme, only an idiot would be moved.
Those guitar hooks that had a crowd of drunken hipsters actually dancing up near Tufnell Park in London's glamourous 'North', on Boys & Girls sound pretty much the same, and it's strange that on repeat listens they somehow manage to grow less discernible from one another. Meanwhile, they might as well have left the microphone on in the studio to capture someone saying "crap it's near the end of the album: we need to shoehorn a couple of slow ones in here" just before title-track 'Boys & Girls' comes on. The nadir though is country horror 'Hang Loose', with a slide-guitar riff that sounds like it was aiming for 'Uncle Tupelo' until it slipped and hit The Eagles at their most cloying.
Without wanting to slip into NME/BBC/XFM/FFS Nostrodamus territory, Boys & Girls will probably be lavished with four-star ratings and shift a fair few copies, mostly to people who still buy CDs, in supermarkets, for £4.97. The band will probably even do a great set on Jools Holland's show for my parents to enjoy. But then for the music fan (read: the cynic who hears a hundred new bands a week on the internet) this is an album to tire of before it's even had the chance to permeate every pub you visit. No, indie guitar music isn't dead, but would someone please kill it?
5Dan Lucas's Score


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12320 N 32nd St, Ste 1
Phoenix, AZ 85032
Brett Dameron, D.D.S., in the Phoenix area accepts Cigna Dental® insurance. Our friendly team will be happy to file your insurance paperwork for you.
We know affordable dental treatment is important to you. At Dameron and Team, your long term oral health is our top concern.
Let highly regarded Phoenix area teeth whitening dentist Dr. Dameron help you reclaim your smile with the best professional tooth whitening methods for you. At Dameron and Team, our aim is to provide you with natural looking teeth so you can be proud of your smile.
It doesn't matter if your teeth are lightly stained from drinking coffee or tea, or if your tooth enamel is discolored. We'll provide you with a whiter, brighter smile.
At Dameron and Team, we specialize in second opinions. Phoenix area dentist Brett Dameron, D.D.S. encourages you to ask as many questions as you'd like about any aspect of a procedure that has been recommended to you by another dentist. Second opinions may even expand the number of options that may be available to you. Dr. Dameron serves the city of Phoenix and the surrounding area in Arizona.
If you want a gorgeous smile that turns heads, you may want to learn about the range of dental services offered at Dameron and Team. Phoenix area cosmetic dentist Dr. Brett Dameron is dedicated to producing quality results and beautiful smiles.
Dameron and Team is a trusted Phoenix area NTI-tss plus provider. Our highly-trained team fit you with a custom bite guard designed to relieve headaches and migraines caused by jaw clenching during sleep.
Each person is unique. Our experienced team will provide you with the individualized care you deserve for your situation.
222 South Summit Avenue Ste 2
Prescott, AZ 86303
If you suffer from dental anxiety in the Prescott area, Dr. Spurgeon can help. We offer several options that can make your dental treatments pleasant and stress-free. Our team at Prescott Dental Center is trained to help you feel comfortable. You'll be able to feel relaxed while receiving the friendly, professional oral care you deserve.
A negative self image can be detrimental to many facets of your life. Prescott area dentist Dr. James Spurgeon understands the positive life-changing power that a healthy and beautiful smile can bring to you. Here at Prescott Dental Center, we don't want you to be embarrassed any longer. Why not take your smile - and even your life - to a new level of self-confidence and beauty?
Don't let untreated dental problems get you down. Rebuild your confidence with a beautiful new smile. From simple treatments that make a big difference, to more extensive work, unveiling the smile you were meant to have can have profound life-changing effects. Serving the Prescott, AZ area and offering sedation dentistry, Dr. Spurgeon can help you develop an affordable treatment plan you'll feel good about.
Dr. James Spurgeon has a gentle touch and provides comfortable cleaning for a whiter smile. Offering sedation dentistry in the Prescott, Arizona area, Dr. Spurgeon assures you that a bright, healthy smile is the result of regular, preventative, professional dental cleanings.
Prescott Dental Center is a trusted Prescott area dental implants practice providing natural-looking, comfortable tooth replacement. We make it our mission to use a gentle touch during the process.
We hold ourselves to the highest standards to replace missing teeth and provide you with natural-looking results. Our goal is to restore your confidence and your bright, healthy smile.
Kuhns, Philip A D.D.S.
1227 Willow Creek Rd
Prescott, AZ, 86301-1427
Leon L Wachtel D.D.S. Pc
222 S Summit Ave Ste 4
Prescott, AZ, 86303
(928) 445-0582
Prescott Orthodontics
3150 Clearwater Dr
Prescott, AZ, 86305-7131
Mc Clain, Michael D.D.S.
1225 Willow Creek Rd
Prescott, AZ, 86301-1427
What do you want from your relationship with your dentist? Oftentimes, this question is answered when there is a dental problem or emergency requiring immediate attention. There is a different approach to your relationship with your dentist that relates to your own needs and dental health.
This approach is designed to help you create the kind of experiences you want with your dentist. You have a choice about this relationship and how it can support and assist you in your life. It begins with the simple question stated at the beginning of this article: What do you want from your relationship with your dentist?
The answer to this question can take many forms. For some people it may mean having a lot of information about their dental health and future. They seek facts to know they are making good, informed decisions. Others may want a friendly relationship in which openness and communication are valued.
They want information but, more importantly, they want to know they are important to the dentist and the dental team. Some individuals want minimal information and discussion -- just the facts and the solutions to take care of any problem.
We all have different wants in our relationships with health professionals such as dentists. Here are four tips to assist you in deciding what you want in your relationship with your dentist:
Each person looks for different things in their relationships. It is your responsibility to determine what you want and look for that in the relationship with your dentist. The answers to the questions above will tell you something about this.
The next step is communicating what you want so that you are understood. Only you know when someone else understands you. Here are four tips to assist you in this communication process:
Communicating what you want is important to your dentist for it is the best way for him or her to plan for the optimal dental health for you.
By Brian DesRoches, PhD
A. Your sedation dentist will administer just enough sedation so that you'll be completely unaware of the treatment, as if you were asleep.
A. At the end of the treatment, you'll have little or no memory of what was accomplished.
A. Most patients experience no discomfort whatsoever during treatment and feel surprisingly good afterwards.
A. Sedation dentists can generally do it all—implants, dentures, cosmetic dentistry treatments, crowns, even gum surgery.
A. Oral sedation dentistry protocols have been used safely for 30 years. Sedation dentists will review your medical history and monitor you closely while under sedation.
A. Almost all sedation dentists will review your coverage and, if necessary, make financial arrangements so you get the care you need.

subset: commoncrawl


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This is an archived article. For the latest news, go to the Advance Homepage
For more archives, go to the Advance Archive/Search Page.
The following grants were received through the Office for Sponsored Programs in June. The list represents only new proposals awarded, and excludes continuations. The list of grants is supplied to the Advance each month by the Office for Sponsored Programs and is printed in one or more issues, depending on space available.


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Woodentots Montessori Nursery
6 Rochester RoadLondonNW1 9JH
020 7485 0053
Woodsome Road Residents Association
The objectives of the association is to support the interests of residents on environmental, planning, traffic and any other local issues as they arise. Members will also represent the views of the association to Camden Council and other local bodies.
07813 916681
Work Experience (Camden Council)
London Borough of Camden5 Pancras Squarec/o Town Hall, Judd StreetLondonWC1H 9JE
Workers Educational Association London Region
(WEA London Region)
Organise adult education courses, including English for speakers of other languages, workplace learning and community education. 30 Courses held in Camden. (The details shown here were taken from the organisation's website).
020 7426 1950
Workforce Development and Volunteering (Camden Council)
London Borough of Camden5 Pancras Squarec/o Town Hall, Judd StreetLondonWC1H 9JE
020 7974 2984 020 7974 2968
Workplace Options (Camden Council)
(Provide the Employee Assistance Programme Camden Council)
Service for all Camden employees giving free confidential telephone-based counselling services, face-to-face counselling sessions, online support and access to information resources through the website, as well as regular updates relating to employee health and well-being.
0800 243 458 Fax: 020 8987 6550 Textphone/Minicom: 020 8987 6574
World Development Movement North and East London Group
Campaigns to help achieve justice for the world's poor.
Wu Shu Kwan Chinese Kickboxing Bloomsbury
WembleyHA0 3ZP
07835 244398 (Mobile)
Y Touring Theatre Company
120 Cromer StreetLondonWC1H 8BS
020 7520 3090 Fax: 020 7520 3099
Y-Active at Central YMCA After School Activities
Central YMCA112 Great Russell StreetLondonWC1B 3NQ
020 7343 1701 Fax: 020 7631 5101


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Blake Shelton Cuts Up About His Christmas CD, Marriage and Christina Aguilera on 'Chelsea Lately'
Blake Shelton returned to the couch of E!'s 'Chelsea Lately' Tuesday night (Aug. 7) to promote his upcoming holiday album, 'Cheers, It's Christmas,' set to hit store in October. In true Chelsea Handler style, the host gave Shelton a fair share of ribbing, making sure he knew that Christmas was still a few months off.
"Listen, you don't ever have me on the show… I've got to take what I can get," Shelton dished back to the feisty blonde.
The comical stars kept the jokes and the one-liners popping back and forth during the interview, which landed on several topics, including the singer's success hosting NBC's 'The Voice.' Handler poked fun at Shelton's fellow coach, Christina Aguilera, and her occasional poor choice in outfits on the show, such as fishnet stockings, heels and "hard, leather underwear."
"I like it," Shelton laughed when asked if he found it offensive. The 'Over' hitmaker shied away from talking about Aguilera as he squirmed in his seat. When asked if he actually hangs out with the pop singer offstage, Shelton quipped, "Are you trying to get me killed? Doesn't she own this town?"
Handler also asked about Shelton's newlywed status, inquiring if Miranda Lambert was pregnant yet. "No, not to my knowledge," Shelton said with a grin, adding quickly, "I appear to be; that's from the drinking."
Shelton did get serious — even if it was for a split second — when talking about his loving wife and marriage, which is going strong a year in. "It's going really good," he said. "It's not easy. She's gone on the road, and I'm here [in Los Angeles taping 'The Voice']. When I'm not here, I'm on the road."
Luckily for the couple, they have been able to spend a good amount of time in southern California together between tour stops. Once Shelton finishes taping Season 3 of 'The Voice,' he will set sail with some of his famous singing pals for the Blake Shelton & Friends Cruise. Information on the cruise, as well as Shelton's future tour dates, can been found on his official website by clicking here.
Watch Blake Shelton on 'Chelsea Lately'


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New Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge ConstructionAdd to Cart Add to Lightbox Download
East Tower and Cast-in-place Hollow Box Girder, New Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge under Construction at New Haven Harbor Crossing, Connectictut. CONNDOT Contract B, Project #92-618. When complete the alternately named Quinnipiac River Bridge will be first Extradosed Engineered & Designed Bridge in the United States.
- Filename
- 110616-136-New-Haven-Harbor-Extradosed-Bridge-Construction.JPG
- Copyright
- James R Anderson
- Image Size
- 4852x3211 / 4.8MB
- www.photog.com/copyright
- www.photog.com
95 Approach Boom Bridge Cast-in-place Chronology Concrete CONNDOT Connecticut Construction Contract B Contractor Corridor Crossing CT-DOT Deck Extradosed Form Harbor Highway Hollow Box I-95 Interstate Joint Venture Lines Low-tower NB New Haven Northbound PCL Pearl Pier Prestressed Progress Project Project 92-618 Q Bridge Quinnipiac Ramp River Roadway Route Span Structure System Transmission Transportation Turnpike Walsh Walsh-PCL
- Contained in galleries
- 2011 06-16 New Pearl Harbor Memorial "Q" Bridge | Contract B Construction Progress | New Haven CT


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Have Beauty Questions? Get Your Answers Here
The tips will help you with what you need to choose a beauty regimen that is right for you. Put some moisturizer in a small sample jar or an empty lip gloss pot. Use a dab of moisturizer to freshen up when your skin is getting dry. Wear sunscreen to keep your skin look better and protect it from the sun. When choosing your sunscreen, look for one with additional skin-friendly ingredients. You can keep your skin looking younger and nourished with the right rich protecting ingredients. Try rubbing Vaseline onto the nail cuticles every week. This is a great way to help to keep your nails get longer. It will also make your cuticles looking great. You will see a very quick improvement after the first time your try this because it almost immediately makes your nails look better. You can find beauty everywhere.Maybe you feel the trees in your yard are beautiful, or even your spouse or partner. When you look for beauty, you'll find you feel more beautiful yourself. Instead of purchasing an


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Crime at the US-Mexico border goes corporate
When a regional manager for the Mexican Gulf cartel moved his operation to a more lucrative territory on the border, he took along not only his armored trucks and personal army, but also his department heads and a team of accountants.
In the grotesque violence that has enveloped Mexico it's easy to lose sight of the fact that, ultimately, these criminal organizations are complex businesses that rely on careful accounting as much as assault rifles. The structures underlying the most successful criminal organizations are stable in a way that means capturing or killing the man at the top may only be a temporary setback and pinching one revenue stream will only drive a search for others.
Rafael Cardenas Vela, a Gulf cartel member who ran three important "plazas," or territories, testified this week about the organization's structure and operations in such detail that it could compose a short course _ Narco 101, perhaps.
When prosecutors asked Cardenas to walk jurors through a decade of moves in the cartel's command and control structure, he turned to a giant organizational chart that would be recognizable to anyone in the corporate world except for spaces at the bottom for those "arrested" and "deceased."
Cardenas explained that in his plaza he had managers in charge of each revenue stream, including marijuana, cocaine and "cuota," or extortion payments demanded of legal and illegal businesses. Each department had an accountant. An additional accountant tracked the "piso," or tax that was charged on any drug loads moving through his territory. Another accountant supervised them all.
"I can't do everything myself," Cardenas said. "That's why we have someone in charge of every department."
That structure means simply removing the head is often not enough.
"You have to keep attacking the command and control elements again and again," said Will Glaspy, who oversees the Drug Enforcement Administration's operations in Texas' Rio Grande Valley, across the border from Gulf cartel territory.
Since Osiel Cardenas Guillen, Rafael Cardenas' uncle, was extradited to the U.S. in 2007, the cases have been building on themselves.
The man who took over for Osiel Cardenas was captured this month. Osiel Cardenas' brother was killed by Mexican marines in 2010. Most recently, a third brother was arrested in Mexico this month. Juan Roberto Rincon-Rincon, the plaza boss convicted Friday in Brownsville, is one of three Gulf cartel plaza bosses arrested in the U.S. last year. And Mexican authorities captured another alleged boss this week.
"It's the government of Mexico that has had such tremendous success targeting the Gulf cartel over the last five or six years," Glaspy said. "They're the ones who have continued to attack and focus on the command and control of the Gulf cartel."
"(The Gulf cartel's) corporate structure doesn't exactly look like a Fortune 500 company, but it's probably not far off," he said.
The structure reflects diversified interests. The cartel is still known primarily as a drug-trafficking organization, but it receives important revenue from smuggling immigrants and its extortion rackets.
The U.S. Border Patrol sector that covers much of the Gulf cartel's territory seized just over 1 million pounds of marijuana in 2011 and apprehended nearly 60,000 illegal immigrants. The cartel receives a cut for every kilogram of drugs and every illegal immigrant that passes through its territory.
Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera, chairwoman of the government department at the University of Texas-Brownsville, credits Osiel Cardenas with leading the cartel's structural evolution. She said his nephew's testimony revealed the similarities between today's drug-trafficking organization and a legitimate corporation with transnational networks and diversified interests.
Osiel Cardenas' biggest move was creating the Zetas, former special forces troops, as a new department to handle the cartel's security and enforcement, she said.
"When (Osiel Cardenas) introduced the Zetas he changed the whole panorama of drug trafficking and organized crime in the hemisphere," she said. Their expansion into other criminal enterprises beyond drug trafficking served as a lesson for their longtime patrons and other criminal organizations. The Zetas split from the cartel in 2010 and became an independent criminal organization.
Without the critical smuggling corridors controlled by the Gulf cartel or its supply lines, the Zetas initially couldn't count on drug-trafficking revenue so they diversified to piracy and extortion, Glaspy said.
"It's all about the money, and if they're not making the money from drugs they will seek out other criminal activity to reinforce or find other revenue streams," he said.
The younger Cardenas testified that it cost him about $1 million a month when he ran the Rio Bravo plaza to cover payroll, rent, vehicles and bribes. He had to recruit, train and equip his own gunmen. When they were killed, he continued paying their salaries to their families.
He pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess and distribute cocaine and marijuana and is cooperating with U.S. authorities in other cartel cases with the hope of receiving a shorter sentence.
Bribes went to every level of law enforcement, the press, members of the military and corrupted U.S. officials, he said.
"In order to have your plaza well, all organized, you have to pay all the police agencies," Cardenas said. Paying off the local police in Rio Bravo alone cost $20,000 per week, he said.
And when the Gulf cartel began going head to head with the Zetas in early 2010, he said, costs rose to the point where they were just breaking even.
Cardenas worked for nearly a decade as a plaza boss. Each of his plazas was within an hour's drive of the Texas border.
"All of the plazas that have river on the border are better," he said. More drugs and immigrants crossing, as well as border businesses such as pharmacies popular with American tourists. "More money."


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Aggravated assault is an attempt to cause serious bodily harm to an individual with disregard for human life. Factors that raise an assault to the aggravated level typically include the use of a weapon, the status of the victim, the intent of the perpetrator, and the degree of injury caused.
States classify certain assaults as aggravated under their criminal codes. They may also use more specific names such as assault with a deadly weapon. Often, aggravated assaults qualify as felonies, while simple assaults can be misdemeanors. Many states have multiple degrees of criminal charges for aggravated assault.
Assault With a Deadly Weapon
Use of a deadly weapon during an assault constitutes aggravated assault. This applies whether or not the weapon causes physical injury to anyone. Basic assault does not require physical harm, but rather that the perpetrator behaves in a way intended to put someone in reasonable fear for their safety. Someone who does this by threatening the person with a deadly weapon commits aggravated assault because the fear involved is fear of more grievous injury.
Weapons classified as deadly weapons typically include things which could cause death or serious injury. Some weapons fit this bill including guns. Whether or not other objects constitute deadly weapons depends on the manner in which they are used in the assault. For example, a pocket knife is generally not considered a lethal weapon, but if held to a victims neck, it could be deadly.
The Identity of the Victim
Some assaults become aggravated depending on the status of the victim. For example, many states punish assault on police officers, fire fighters and even teachers as aggravated assault. Typically, for such an assault to rise to the level of aggravated, the victim must have been performing his or her duty when assaulted and the perpetrator must have known of the victims status.
In addition to possible punishment for aggravated assault, assaults on members of certain protected classes can constitute hate crimes. These can include assaults based on race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, or disability of the victim.
Intent of the Perpetrator
The mental state of the perpetrator can also push an assault from simple assault to aggravated. If he or she acted with the intent to cause severe harm or fear of severe harm, an assault can become aggravated. Depending on the state, reckless behavior can also constitute aggravated assault for example when someone acts with reckless indifference to human life, but without the specific intent to injure any particular person. If a dangerous or deadly weapon is involved, an assault may become aggravated even without any specific intent to injure.
Degree of Injury to the Victim
More serious injuries to the victim can cause an assault to become an aggravated level. In most states, assaults causing serious bodily injury qualify as aggravated assaults. The seriousness of an injury will vary greatly from case to case. Injuries threatening death will qualify as a serious injury, as will those which maim or disfigure the victim. Some states specify by statute particular injuries that qualify as serious. If a method of assault which would normally cause death only causes more minor physical injury, some states will still punish it as aggravated assault (or even attempted homicide).
Sexual assaults usually qualify as their own type of assault, but depending on the state, could be charged as assault/battery, sexual assault, aggravated assault or rape.
Get Professional Legal Help With Your Aggravated Assault Charges
Since aggravated assault covers such a wide range of circumstances, a detailed examination of the facts of your case is critical to developing a successful defense. A knowledgeable local attorney can help explain the details of local assault statutes and examine the facts of your case for potential defenses. To speak with the best criminal defense attorney near you click HERE and get some peace of mind.


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Associated Press//October 24, 2011
//October 24, 2011
According to her dads, life is good for Carrigan Starling-Littlefield, a spunky 5-year-old being raised by two gay men in South Carolina, which doesn't recognize their out-of-state marriage.
"We've found that being a family has created a lot of common ground with other families. We've not had many issues at all," said Tommy Starling, a partner in a food brokerage.
Yet he and his husband, Jeff Littlefield, who became parents through a California-based surrogacy program, remain wary as they contemplate Carrigan growing older and confronting challenges beyond their supportive community in Pawley's Island, S.C.
"We're cautious about where we go, because we don't want our daughter to see any negativity," said Starling, 39. "We have some longer-term apprehensions that she'll face issues as she gets older, and we're trying to prepare her for that … I feel she's the type of person who will stand up for her family."
Carrigan is among a growing multitude of American children — possibly more than 1.2 million of them — being raised by gay and lesbian parents, often without all the legal protections afforded to mom-and-dad households.
Increasingly, the welfare of these children will be a core part of gay-rights strategies, as evidenced by a comprehensive report being released Tuesday. Compiled by an alliance of advocacy and child-welfare groups, it summarizes how laws and social stigma create distinctive challenges for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender families.
"There are myriad ways that our families are discounted by government at all levels, and children are hurt the most," said Jennifer Chrisler of the Family Equality Council, one of the three groups authoring the report.
The other groups are the liberal Center for American Progress and the Movement Advancement Project, a gay-rights think tank. Among other participants in the project were the National Association of Social Workers and the Child Welfare League of America.
The U.S. census does not attempt to count the number of children being raised by gays and lesbians. Demographer Gary Gates of the UCLA School of Law's Williams Institute, who has been a consultant to the Census Bureau, estimates the number at 1.2 million, while the new report uses the figure of 2 million, including children with bisexual and transgender parents.
Whatever their numbers, the families are striking for their diversity — encompassing many low-income and minority households, and spread across about 96 percent of America's counties, according to data compiled by Gates and others.
Among the barriers and inequities they face, as detailed in the report:
—Many government safety net programs use definitions of family tied to marital status which may exclude same-sex partners.
—Because of lack of legal recognition for their unions, gay and lesbian parents can face heavier tax burdens, higher costs for health insurance, and diminished financial protections in the event of death or disability.
—When same-sex parents separate, one parent may lose custody or visitation rights, even in cases where he or she had been a child's primary caregiver.
Overshadowing all these problems is pervasive social stigma, according to the report.
"Many of the challenges LGBT families face stem from a society that assumes that everyone is heterosexual and comes from a family with two married heterosexual parents," it says.
For opponents of same-sex marriage, the issue of children can prompt nuanced responses.
"Certainly children in any household arrangement need to be protected — need full support and love," said Mary Ellen Russell, executive director of the Catholic Conference of Maryland. But she said such protections should be provided without redefining the traditional concept of marriage as between a man and woman.
Many of the obstacles and inequities outlined in the new report would be addressed if same-sex marriage — now legal in six states and Washington, D.C. — were legalized nationwide and recognized by the federal government. However, the report includes numerous recommendations for less sweeping changes that would benefit children with gay parents, such as:
—Broadening the definition of "family" to allow LGBT families to benefit fully from government safety-net programs, and revise the tax code to provide equitable treatment for these families. At present, even legally married same-sex couples who can file joint state tax returns must file separate federal returns.
—Enacting state-level parental recognition laws that would allow joint adoption by LGBT parents. Even with about 110,000 children in foster care who are eligible for adoption, some states and agencies refuse to place children with same-sex couples.
—Ensuring that LGBT families have access to health insurance on equal terms with heterosexual families, and eliminate inequitable taxation of these benefits.
—Ensuring that hospital visitation and medical decision-making policies are inclusive of LGBT families.
—Expanding education and training about LGBT families for social workers, health care providers and other professionals.
Jeff Krehely, director of the Center for American Progress's LGBT research and communications project, said the report is part of an effort to counter arguments that same-sex marriage is a threat to children.
"People who oppose marriage equality have used and exploited children in a very scare-mongering way," said Krehely, who hopes the report will increase public understanding and empathy.
The report, titled "All Children Matter: How Legal and Social Inequalities Hurt LGBT Families," is being presented Tuesday at event in Washington drawing some high-level government officials.
Bryan Samuels, commissioner of the federal Administration on Children, Youth and Families, is scheduled to be part of a panel discussion, and the opening speech will be given by Maryland Attorney General Douglas Gansler, a staunch gay-rights supporter in a state where lawmakers will be considering a bill to legalize same-sex marriage next year.
"Same-sex marriage is a pro-family measure," Gansler said in a telephone interview.
Lisa Polyak, chair of the statewide gay-rights group Equality Maryland, says there will be a concerted effort during the legislative debate to highlight the challenges facing children of gays and lesbians.
"If you care about children, you should care that the parents don't have the legal tools to take the best care of them," she said.
Polyak and her partner of 30 years, Gita Deane, were married earlier this year in Washington. They have two daughters, Devi, 12, and Maya, 15, who testified before lawmakers last year in support of same-sex marriage in Maryland.
"The root of my activism is denial of equal treatment of my children," said Polyak, citing instances where her daughters had been hurt by other people's comments.
"One child told my daughter she was not allowed to come over to our house because we weren't really a family," Polyak said. "For them, it's a constant source of sadness and hurtfulness."


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Carlo Rossi Burgundy
Carlo Rossi Burgundy Red Wine delivers fruit-forward notes of black cherry along with hints of dark chocolate and spice. This big, bold California wine pairs perfectly with pasta dishes or spicy foods. An unpretentious wine, this full bodied Burgundy is perfect for dinner parties or large social gatherings. Because of its screw top lid, this Carlo Rossi wine bottle allows for easy opening and secure storage.


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Evercore has formed a European debt advisory business led by Swag Ganguly, who has joined the firm as a senior managing director from Rothschild in London. Ganguly will be supported by Mark Craig, who joins as a managing director from Lloyds Bank in London.
Press Release
Evercore (NYSE:EVR) announced today that it is expanding its investment banking capabilities in London through the formation of a new European dedicated debt advisory business. The business will be led by Swag Ganguly who joins the firm as a Senior Managing Director from Rothschild in London; he will be supported by Mark Craig who joins as a Managing Director from Lloyds Bank in London. This new business expands the services that Evercore can provide to existing and new clients in Europe and will form a core part of our offering in conjunction with strategic and mergers and acquisitions advice. The new team further strengthens our market-leading restructuring and debt advisory group which has over 30 professionals in New York and London. They will work closely with our already established restructuring team in London and our debt advisory team in the US.
"The addition of a dedicated debt advisory capability in London is an important and natural extension of our investment banking advisory business globally," said Ralph Schlosstein, President and Chief Executive Officer of Evercore. "We now have 115 investment banking professionals in Europe who have been involved in some of the largest and most complicated transactions announced in recent years. Debt advisory is becoming an integral component of mergers and acquisitions advice and also is increasingly valuable to our clients seeking debt financing. We are delighted to welcome such highly experienced individuals in Swag and Mark to build this business for us in London."
"Capital advisory business in its various forms has been an important source of growth for Evercore in Europe over recent years," said Andrew Sibbald, Chief Executive of European Investment Banking at Evercore. "With the arrival of Swag and Mark, we will be able to serve our clients more effectively with a dedicated debt advisory capability to complement our existing restructuring, public and private equity advisory activities."
About Swag Ganguly
Mr. Ganguly most recently was a Managing Director and Head of Structured Finance in Rothschild's debt advisory business where he has worked since 2000. Mr. Ganguly has advised corporates, private equity, infrastructure funds and governments on over $100 billion of financings in his 15 years in the industry. Mr. Ganguly has recently advised Arqiva on a £4 billion bank, bond and private placement financing, Opengrid Europe on its €2.7 billion bank and euro-bond financing, Global Container Terminals on its $1 billion bank and debt private placement, Canary Wharf Group on credit ratings strategy and Welcome Break on its £350 million senior and mezzanine refinancing. Mr. Ganguly has a M.A. in Economics from Cambridge University. He will join Evercore in October.
About Mark Craig
Mr. Craig was most recently Head of Sponsor Coverage for Lloyds Bank. Prior to that, he was a Managing Director and Head of Large Deal Origination in the bank's leveraged finance unit where he led the team originating and executing some of the largest leveraged facilities that Lloyds has committed to. Mr. Craig has worked on over $75 billion of financings including transactions for Carlyle, CVC, Expro, Hellman & Friedman, KCA Deutag, KKR, Terra Firma, First Reserve, Pamplona and Bridgepoint. Mr. Craig has led staple financings, underwritten leveraged transactions, club financings, super senior / uni-tranche transactions, super senior / high yield transactions and large fund level facilities for private equity, infrastructure and debt funds. Mr. Craig has a M.A. in Geography from Cambridge University. He will join Evercore in October.
About Evercore
Evercore is a leading independent investment banking advisory firm. Evercore's Investment Banking business advises its clients on mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, restructurings, financings, public offerings, private placements and other strategic transactions and also provides institutional investors with high quality equity research, sales and trading execution that is free of the conflicts created by proprietary activities. Evercore's Investment Management business comprises wealth management, institutional asset management and private equity investing. Evercore serves a diverse set of clients around the world from 20 offices in North America, Europe, South America and Asia. More information about Evercore can be found on the Company's website at www.evercore.com.
About Evercore Europe
Evercore Europe serves clients from offices in London, Madrid and Aberdeen with dedicated teams covering M&A, energy, financial institutions, healthcare, metals and mining, private capital, restructuring, technology, transportation and utilities & infrastructure. Evercore has recently advised AstraZeneca on the unsolicited $124 billion bid from Pfizer, Shire on the $55 billion recommended combination with AbbVie, OAO Severstal on the $2.3 billion sale of its US steel holdings, ZIM Integrated Shipping Services on the $3.4 billion restructuring of its liabilities, OEG Offshore on its sale to KKR, Silverfleet Capital on the acquisition of AGR Group in Oslo and Dr B. R. Shetty on the acquisition of Travelex.


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An experimental vaccine being developed by U.S. government scientists to prevent the painful mosquito-borne viral disease chikungunya has shown promise in its first human trials but remains years away from approval for widespread use.
In a study published on Thursday in the Lancet medical journal, National Institutes of Health scientists said the vaccine elicited an impressive immune response in all 25 adult volunteers who took part and caused no worrisome side effects.
"We believe it is a highly promising vaccine given how well tolerated it was and how robust the immune responses were," said the leader of the study, Dr. Julie Ledgerwood of the NIH's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
Infection with the virus, spread by two mosquito species, typically is not fatal but can cause debilitating symptoms including fever, headache and severe joint pain lasting weeks or months. There is no current treatment and no licensed vaccine to prevent it.
It showed up for the first time in the Americas late last year. In the United States, locally transmitted infections - as opposed to infections in Americans traveling abroad - have been reported for the first time this year.
The early-stage clinical trial involved 25 healthy American volunteers ages 18 to 50 years old who were given one of three dosage levels of the vaccine in three injections over a 20-week period.
The volunteers were not exposed to the chikungunya virus, but their immune response was measured in the form of neutralizing antibodies - proteins produced by a special type of white blood cell that defends a person from an invading virus.
An immune response was seen in most of the volunteers after the first vaccination. Following the second, all exhibited high levels of antibodies. There also was a significant increase in antibodies after the third injection.
The antibodies lasted a long time and were present in all of the volunteers six months following their final shot.
This was a so-called Phase I trial testing the safety of a vaccine and looking at dosage ranges. Before securing regulatory approval, the vaccine would need to go through a Phase II trial using a larger group of people to test potential effectiveness and further evaluate safety. Next would be a Phase III trial with large numbers of people to confirm effectiveness and safety.
The vaccine already was shown to protect rhesus monkeys from chikungunya.
"A Phase II trial likely would take several more years, both for the production of vaccine as well as development and completion of the trial," Ledgerwood said.
Ledgerwood said the NIH needs to work with private organizations or industry partners to move forward.
"At least one such potential partner is interested," she added without saying who it was. "For most vaccines, development takes decades. We don't think it should take that long for this vaccine."
Vaccines often are made from killed viruses or weakened live viruses. This one is different. It is a virus-like particle (VLP) vaccine similar to the type used against human papillomavirus (HPV).


text: Yes…there are books, audiotapes, videos on YouTube, seminars, webinars and every other 'nar' you can possibly think of that offer up information on how YOU can be a millionaire using nothing but your own home computer. Of course, if wealth were that easy, no one would be clogging the highways on Monday morning. They would be home in their robe enjoying the day and counting their oodles and oodles of cash. Not to mention, you would think if wealth online was a plan that worked there would be far more doing just that, considering literally everyone is spending at least three hours on their computers each and every day for personal time and are staring at their cell phone screens 24/7.


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In the South Pacific, south of Late Island along the Tofua volcanic arc in Tonga, a new volcanic island Home Reef is being re-born. The island is thought to have emerged after a volcanic eruption in mid-August that has also spewed large amounts of floating pumice into Tongan waters and sweeping across to Fiji about 350 km (220 miles) to the west of where the new island has formed. In 2004 a similar eruption created an ephemeral island about 0.5 by 1.5 km (0.3 by 0.9 miles) in size; it was no longer visible in an ASTER image acquired November 2005. This simulated natural color image shows the vegetation-covered stratovolcanic island of Late in the upper right. Home Reef is found in the lower left. The two bluish plumes are hot seawater that is laden with volcanic ash and chemicals; the larger one can be traced for more than 14 km (8.4 miles) to the east. The image was acquired October 10, 2006 and covers an area of 24.3 by 30.2 km. It is located at 18.9 degrees South latitude, 174.7 degrees west longitude.
With its 14 spectral bands from the visible to the thermal infrared wavelength region, and its high spatial resolution of 15 to 90 meters (about 50 to 300 feet), ASTER images Earth to map and monitor the changing surface of our planet.
ASTER is one of five Earth-observing instruments launched December 18, 1999, on NASA's Terra satellite. The instrument was built by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. A joint U.S./Japan science team is responsible for validation and calibration of the instrument and the data products.
The broad spectral coverage and high spectral resolution of ASTER provides scientists in numerous disciplines with critical information for surface mapping, and monitoring of dynamic conditions and temporal change. Example applications are: monitoring glacial advances and retreats; monitoring potentially active volcanoes; identifying crop stress; determining cloud morphology and physical properties; wetlands evaluation; thermal pollution monitoring; coral reef degradation; surface temperature mapping of soils and geology; and measuring surface heat balance.
The U.S. science team is located at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. The Terra mission is part of NASA's Science Mission Directorate.
Size: 24.3 by 30.2 kilometers (15 by 18.6 miles) Location: 18.9 degrees South latitude, 174.7 degrees West longitude Orientation: North at top Image Data: ASTER bands 3, 2, and 1 Original Data Resolution: 15 meters (49.2 feet) Dates Acquired: October 4, 2006


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Rockers MGMT have become the latest act to end a gig early because of a missile attack - drummer WILL BERMAN stormed offstage at the band's Manchester, England show on Sunday night (26Sep10) after he was hit in the torso by a glass of urine.
The group was midway through hit song The Handshake towards the end of its set at the Manchester Apollo when the incident happened, prompting angry Berman to stop drumming and walk off.
Even his bandmates were unaware of what had happened. They had to ask fans, "Where's Will gone?"
The group was forced to end their show without a drummer. They did not return for an encore.
Guns N' Roses and Kings of Leon both halted shows this summer (10) after being hit by missiles - Guns N' Roses were bottled offstage during a show in Dublin, Ireland and Kings of Leon had to end a show in St. Louis, Missouri in July after they became targets for pooping pigeons.


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I found some flowers on today's bike ride. Enjoy.
Series: Bike Ride PhotosThe entire series: Down by the river; Bike ride birds; The ex-garden and the weir; Snapshots of a ride; Across Town; Blackbird; North Hill campus; Lilacs and country roads; A pop of colour; Back lane flowers; More Brenizers; The river is high; A bird and a reflection; Rideau Park; Writing Retreat 2020, Day 7; Writing Retreat 2020: The Numbers; Storm damage, sunflowers; Eleanor Kidd gardens; Scenes from today's ride; All right, autumn can be pretty; Bike ride, April 10, 2021; Bike ride wildlife; Bike ride, May 16, 2021; Some flowers for you; Lilacs; Under the bridge; A fence, a tree, and the sky; Turtle Crossing; Cemetery critters; On Reflection; Weekend rides; Upon Reflection; Deer and paparazzi; September Bike Ride; Corn & Sunset; On Reflection: Oct. 1st; Autumn Trees; A bit of graffiti; November bike ride; Geese; Day 30; Quack quack; Skinny deer; Monday bike ride; Saturday snaps; Deer + Flowers; Bike Ride — July 17, 2022; The meadow; It seems to be autumn; Portal fantasy; Slava Ukraini; Writing Retreat 2023: Thursday bike ride.
Interested in prints of my photos? Let me know, and we can work something out.


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Even You Can Make Thai Pad Kra Prao
My favorite Thai dish is also the most popular one in Thailand. Thai people say that if they don't know what they feel like eating or cooking, they automatically turn to pad kra prao—hot basil stirfry. I order pad kra prao almost every time I'm at a Thai restaurant and for almost every lunch and dinner when I'm in(…)


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Photo Contest
From PortlandWiki
Revision as of 16:13, 8 June 2011 by Kotra (Talk | contribs) (added both numbers to Matthew/Julie to hopefully clarify that this is two people organized as one person with 94 total photos)
- Tag your uploads with Category:Photo Contest 2011
Contest is now over, but join us on Wednesday, June 8th @ the Mezz coffee shop above Wholefoods Pearl for awards! The contest has ended, as well as the deadline for uploaded photos. We are moving through the photos with an eye toward the most artistic and difficult shots.
Photos Uploaded
Please fix if my calculations are in error! -kotra
| 47
| 248
great photos!
- Add your photo creativity to the semantic web Join PortlandWiki.org in its first annual Photo Contest!
- The Portland Wiki Photo Contest is a one day event for contributors and visitors of PortlandWiki.org to take snapshots and photographs that can be used as support imagery for a page or topic on the wiki. The goal is to inspire civic activism and artistic expression by challenging participants to capture personal and/or original photography for use at PortlandWiki. Due to the size and depth of knowledge that this wiki strives to fill, there is always a need for image and photographic support PortlandWiki's vibrancy and unique contributions!
- Your photos will help us make PortlandWiki a vibrant site for information all about Portland. Your contributions on this public spot will also provide visibility for your creativity. Plus, as we like to say: "Let's make the web be more local. Let's keep Portland Wiki!"
- * Saturday, June 4th, 2011, from 9am-5pm.
- * Photos qualifying for contest prizes must be taken between 9am-5pm on June 4th and must be uploaded by 12:01am Monday, June 6th.
- We will scour the city of Portland to capture photographically the latest and greatest it has to offer. From pictures of streets, to favorite local cocktails, help us show what our city can do.
- We'll kick start this event Saturday, June 4th with a 10am-10:30am meet up at The Mezz Espresso Bar, NW 12th/Burnside (inside Whole Foods). We'll pass out PortlandWiki.org press badges and share details about photo uploading and prizes.
- If you'd like to get started on your own that's good, too! Just follow the instructions below under "HOW."
- Anyone is welcome to participate! We encourage participants who live in or near Portland to contribute their amateur or professional talent. Anyone with a cellphone or camera can take a photo to share. Together, there are no limits to how many photos and topics we can generate! Minors should have permission from a parent or guardian to participate. (FYI: The scavenger hunt idea has been scrapped.)
- First, register as a competitor by emailing us at firstname.lastname@example.com with your name and phone number, or register at the Saturday morning kick off. This will let is know from who we may expect to see uploaded contest photos on the wiki. It'll also allow us to follow up with you on information about the contest and prizes.
- Second, check out some of the pages on PortlandWiki for ideas and topics that could use some photo or imagery links. If you've got other ideas on cool Portland images, you could create a new wiki page on a topic of your choosing. We also encourage you to add new or updated information to wiki pages. It's easy to do and we're here to help!
- Third, for contest eligibility, take photos across Portland on Saturday, June 4th from 9am-5pm. At the end of the day for anyone who is interested, we'll get together for a drink and photo sharing stories, location TBA. Note: If you are not interested in the contest for prizes but want to contribute your photos to PortlandWiki, we welcome those at anytime, too!
- Fourth, for contest eligibility,upload images to PortlandWiki by Monday, June 6th by 12:01am. To upload images to PortlandWiki, you will need to login or create an account. Once you are logged in, an "Upload File" and an "Upload multiple files" link will appear on the left navigation bar. Click and follow the upload file instructions. If you remember to, please add [[Category:Photo Contest 2011]] in the summary field! We'll take care of the rest.
- Images may be submitted in the following formats: png, gif, jpg, jpeg, svg.
- Files can be no larger than 7MB.
- Licensing: PortlandWiki operates under Creative Commons licensing. If you wish to change the use of your images on PortlandWiki, see MediaWiki License options. See weblog post: http://bit.ly/CommunityWikiPhotos
- Duplicate postings: It is possible that two or more photographers may upload similar images for use on the same wiki page. While there is no limit in the wiki world to how many images may be posted on a page, we encourage your creativity in posting diverse images on any page and across the site.
- Contest help: If you run into any difficulties along the way, we can help. Contact Kotra (talk), Matthew (talk) or MarkDilley (talk).
- Contest winners will receive downloadable winner badges for bragging rights on your blog, Facebook page or Twitter profile! Plus a PortlandWiki.org front page banner and a standing ovation video of your "best of show" work! Yeah, baby!
- Award announcements will take place at WikiWednesday on June 8th at 6:30pm at The Mezz Espresso Bar, NW 12th/Burnside (inside Whole Foods).


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The web leaders hate typography (but not for long)
It probably started with HTML, and then Yahoo, of course. But eBay escalated the hatred and Google and Facebook have institutionalized it.
To have lame typography, to avoid opportunities to speak not just with what you say, but how the letters look—this is part of the web's engineering-first ethos.
Sergey Brin famously said that marketing is the cost you pay for lousy products, and apparently, typography is a variety of marketing.
Sergey's wrong about marketing, of course (great products are marketing), but doubly wrong about the benefits of typography.
Typography is what sets Apple, at first glance, apart from just about everyone at the mall. Typography is what makes a self-published book often look pale in comparison to a 'real' one. Typography (or the lack thereof) is a safety hazard on airplanes (who decided that all the safety labels should be in ALL CAPS)?
The choice of a typeface, the care given to kerning and to readability—it all sends a powerful signal. When your business card is nothing but Arial on a piece of cardboard, you've just told people how they ought to think about you… precisely the opposite of what you were trying to do when you made the card in the first place.
The irony here is clear. It was computer technology (particularly Apple) that put typography into the hands of all of us. And it's computer technology that is relentlessly picking it apart, devaluing expression in a misguided attempt to demonstrate that you're too busy coding to make anything look trustworthy or delightful. Typekit and other web solutions are trying to address this problem, and it's pretty clear that the next generation of sophisticated organizations online is going to look a lot better than this one does.
Great typography isn't as easy as lazy type, but it's worth way more than it costs—in fact, it's a world-class bargain. (some typography resources). And a neat tool via Swiss-Miss.


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The Secret Beyond Matter
A9 TV, 15 September 2012
Prayer is obligatory. Allah says in one verse; that the people of hell will be asked "'What caused you to enter Saqar (the scorching heat)?" Do you know what the first thing the people of hell say is? Look, the very first. They say that they did not used to pray. They say that en masse. Is that enough? Yes, it is. Prayer is in all faiths. Praying five times a day has been obligatory since the time of Hazrat Adam (pbuh). It has never changed. The bowing and prostrations are all the same.
A9 TV, 6 July 2012
(In regard to a viewer's mail asking ;"My dear Master, would a person go to hell just because he does not perform his prayers? Would his prayers to Allah with this reason be accepted?")
Anyone who says "La ilaha Illa Allah Mohammed Ar-Rasul Allah" is a Muslim anyway. But if he doesn't perform his religious obligations, if he slacks off, then he will be a sinner. It is not right to say, "Allah would not forgive a sinner." He would pray for it, and Allah might put him in His Heaven. But he should definitely perform his prayers nonetheless. Prayers five times a day, especially those that are a religious obligation should be performed. If you can't perform five times a day, perform four times a day. If you can't do that, pray three times. If not, pray twice, once in the morning, once in the evening. If you cannot do that, only perform your morning prayers. If you are not able to do that, perform your Friday prayers. If you are unable to do that either, perform your prayers in religious festivals [bairams], but in any case you are a Muslim. You are a radiant Muslim. A man might be performing his prayers, but he might also have malice in his heart, so none of his prayers might be valid or accepted- may Allah forbid. Allah says in the verse; [ I seek refuge with Allah from the satan]"When they get up to pray, they get up lazily, showing off to people.." There is a verse about this. Allah might not give him good deeds for that. That is why you should be performing your prayers at least once or twice every day. Do not make yourself called the one without prayers so that the angels will not say; "This one did not perform prayers."
If My servants ask you about Me, I am near. I answer the call of the caller when he calls on Me. They should therefore respond to Me and believe in Me so that hopefully they will be rightly guided. (Surat al-Baqara, 186)
There has to be a very rational connection in prayer to Allah. Prayer is an important observance that establishes a connection to Allah. Prayer must not be thought of as something just to be learned by rote; it has to be reflected on and performed sincerely. In complete submission, even in awe, as the verses describe it, with fear and love of Allah, and with a vibrant joy. It is an excellent thing if we do it with fear of Allah ruling our souls, optimistically, with good expectations and with awe. It is an incredibly important act of worship.
Prayer is very important. It is very important for Muslims to pray. It eases the heart. Allah makes special reference to prayer in the Qur'an. People are not that keen on prayer because they imagine they can gain nothing from it. But prayer is always heeded. Almighty Allah always accepts it as an act of worship. But Allah sometimes does not create a thing if it is not for the best. Only if it is for the best does He creates it. That is why we must place our trust in Allah. We must leave it entirely up to Allah.
People say they take medicines when they have a headache and it goes away. Not so. Medicine is an instrument. One must regard it as a prayer. They may say it will go if they put in a written request. No way. They must regard that as an instrument. Or if I pay money, they say. No. They are all instruments. They must know it is Allah Who creates all things, insha'Allah. In that way they are protected against hidden polytheism.
People may not grasp the importance of prayer. Prayer is a vital matter. Some people want things at once when they pray. Prayer is in any case heeded. It is accepted as an act of worship. But Allah may sometimes wisely delay acting on it. Sometimes He brings it about in a more auspicious way. That is why people sometimes fail to realize their prayers have been heeded. They must be aware that prayer is accepted as an act of worship. Every prayer is accepted. But Allah acts on it if it is for the best. If not, He will act on it in some other auspicious way. Someone says he wants to go abroad, for instance. Allah will not permit him if it is not for the best. Because he will be killed abroad. Allah prevents him. That is for the best. But prayer is always accepted as an act of worship
2012-10-31 14:39:14