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First: thanks for asking. Seriously. Click through to read my answer.
This question isn't as easy to answer as it might seem. I haven't written a single overarching series to which there is a clear starting point, nor do I write what I call the "episodic series" (like mysteries) in which each individual book is structured so it can stand alone. Note: I think the episodic series is a fabulous form. I just don't write it.
My series are set in different worlds. Each has a different feel and tone, and while certain similarities of theme and structure may crop up due to them all being written by me, I've discovered that some readers have clear preferences between them. I think of it as the old "which member of that boy band do you have a crush on?" test, meant to define your own personality. Do you like the funny one? The cute one? The smart one? The shy one?
My new short fiction collection THE VERY BEST OF KATE ELLIOTT can offer a good window into my fiction. It's true I think of the novel, or even the trilogy, as my "natural length" rather than short fiction because my brain doesn't really create snappy plot within a frame of 8000 words. But as a taste of my world building, my characterization, and my desire to examine the lives of people in multiple contexts, it can serve as a starting point. The volume also includes five essays, one original to the collection.
Note: Despite what you may have read, not all of the stories have female narrators. Of the twelve stories, three are told from the point of view of a male. My novels also include multiple male narrators in addition to women.
Bear in mind that my goal as a writer has always been to immerse readers in the worlds and the characters. I'm the kind of writer who hopes you expostulate angrily, out loud, on the subway while you're reading because you're so aghast at something a character did. I want you to cry when XXX dies, or write to me to beg that YYY meets the harsh justice they deserve because of their many horrible acts. I love the re-readers who find all the clues I've scattered through the text that set up the twists and reversals, or reveal the true heart of a person whose actions and words you may have misinterpreted all this time. If you like details and deeply immersive settings, my work is definitely a place you can find them.
Mostly, I seek to entertain. If I don't entertain my readers they will stop reading. If I can keep you to the end, that's the first step. If you come back for more of my work, that's the second.
So where DO you start with my novels?
Disclaimer: My series are all multi-volume novels, meant to be read as a single story although I try to make each volume have a sense of temporary closure. While on occasion a reader has written that they accidentally started with (say) Cold Fire or The Burning Stone, and managed okay, overall I recommend starting with volume one of each series and continuing sequentially through the story that way. The characterization, world-building, and story function best when read as a single long narrative.
The latest is BLACK WOLVES, my new epic fantasy. I poured all my love for epic fantasy into this story, and wrote the kind of story I want to read with a huge range of human experience, politics, magic, war, adventure, love, and loss. I wrote plenty of male characters of course but just as many women whose actions and choices drive the plot. I wanted to write a protagonist who is a snarky older woman (Dannarah) who has had enough of your shit. I wanted to write a young woman (Sarai) who uses her intelligence to forge a path for herself in a situation where most women would be portrayed as passive. I wanted to show that women can be central in epic fantasy in a range of roles, not just in traditionally "male" roles.
Readers have called "a murder mystery at the heart of a political thriller wrapped up in an epic fantasy tapestry" and "Jane Austen's Persuasion meets Dragon Age played as a family saga." A reviewer calls it "the epic fantasy for someone who loves ladies, politics, the word 'cock', and dudes constantly embarrassed by ladies." Also, the guy on the cover? He's totally badass, and while we first meet him when he is thirty years old, most of the book takes place when he is an even more super badass 73.
Just when you think you know where this one is going, it will twist and upend your expectations. Also: giant eagles, demons, and a grouchy sidekick dog.
My next newest book is also my debut YA fantasy, COURT OF FIVES: In a world of magic and peril, four sisters try to make a difficult transition to adulthood in a society suffocated by rules of class and privilege. Fierce, determined Jes wants nothing more than to make her mark in the most popular game in the country, but disaster is about to strike her family, one that will bring her into stunning contact with her long-buried heritage.
I call this this "Little Women meet American Ninja Warrior in a setting inspired by Greco-Roman Egypt" while the publisher has pitched it as "Little Women meets Game of Thrones meets The Hunger Games." It's fast-paced (it has to be, because it's YA) and my most streamlined world building without, I hope, losing any of the depth and complexity I try to convey. As a woman who started participating in athletics as a girl, I wanted to write a love letter to female athletes and their competitiveness and drive, and I have adored the idea of competitive obstacle courses long before American Ninja Warrior or Tough Mudders and Spartan Runs came on the scene. This trilogy is my way of tossing my love for epic fantasy, sports, and girls in central roles all into one swirling story of intrigue, action, and a touch of romance.
My most recently completed series is the Spiritwalker Trilogy (1: COLD MAGIC, 2: COLD FIRE, 3: COLD STEEL). It is the first novel sequence I wrote in first person, and if you like the distinctive voice of the narrator, Cat Barahal, then it's likely you'll enjoy the book. Cat is loyal and impulsive and rash and stubborn and has a tendency to leap before she looks. This is definitely my funniest series, due largely to Cat's unique way of telling her story and her colorful and often sardonic observations of other people.
Cat Barahal, as drawn by Julie Dillon:
I love writing interplay between characters and this trilogy definitely contains some of my best bantering exchanges. It's a story with female friendship at the center (and what I'm told is a memorable love interest), as well as a fantasia of a gaslamp-era alternate history whose ramifications I'm rather proud of. I call the setting Afro-Celtic post-Roman icepunk fantasy adventure, with Phoenician spies, revolution, and lawyer dinosaurs. It starts a little slow as I set up the world but on the other hand I suspect "starting a little slow" is typical of my work on the whole.
The Crossroads Trilogy (1: SPIRIT GATE, 2: SHADOW GATE, 3: TRAITORS' GATE) contains a fairly packed plot (it's more tightly written than the sprawling Crown of Stars, see below) and features many characters in three volumes of multiple third person points of view. Of my current series I find this one the hardest to encapsulate, but basically it is a study of power. That sounds so dry, though, doesn't it? How about: This is the book in which I wanted to examine some of the typical fantasy tropes about how disruptive and grim war and societies built and maintained by war are, and do so by exploring the lives of people who are most often deployed in narratives only as voice-less victims.
If that still sounds too dry, I wanted to write an epic fantasy series with the complex and dense interpersonal relationships I was watching (at the time of writing) in great tv shows like The Wire. Also: giant justice eagles (eagles the size of Cessnas from which reeves–like sheriffs–dangle hang-glider style in order to patrol the countryside). This trilogy contains a rare example of a character I fell in love with while writing to the extent I changed a major plot point solely for their sake and, by doing so, created what I think is a more powerful and effective ending than the one I had planned. Okay, let's not be coy. I nailed the ending of this trilogy (and this is an ending that frustrates about 25% of the people who read the trilogy, as I knew it would). To get the full effect you have to read the whole thing, in order.
That's another element of my novels: the convergence of setting, story, and character interaction piles up over the course of multiple volumes so the impact of decisions late in the story becomes increasingly intense.
Crown of Stars (1: King's Dragon, 2: Prince of Dogs, 3: The Burning Stone, 4: Child of Flame, 5: The Gathering Storm, 6: In the Ruins, 7: Crown of Stars):
Step right up for your seven volume, cast of thousands, everything including the kitchen sink, Big Ticket epic fantasy. This is my "need to get my beloved Tolkien out of my system while commenting on and arguing with the things I think Tolkien didn't do well or left out" series. The plot is nothing like anything in Tolkien, no Dark Lord, no ring, no fellowship on a quest. I just wanted to write a really really BIG epic fantasy, and wow did I ever. This one takes patience and will keep you busy for a good long while. It is slower paced and has tons of details, numerous interwoven plots, the best and worst of humanity . . . oh wait, I'll just quote from this description of the book by medievalpoc because I think it sums up the story perfectly:
"If you need your fix of secret enclaves of sorcerers attempting to turn the world into its puppet, Mesoamerican elves and their time-traveling ghosts, Woman of Color protagonist with bookish habits and complex motives, political intrigue of the best and worst sort, White-farm boy-who-might-have-a-destiny protagonist, Non-human yet oddly relatable protagonist, Noble Knight Man of Color protagonist with simple desires and complicated loyalties, enormous cast of interesting and terrible people, the beauty of war, the horrors of love, heresy and power-mad Clergyfolk, Matriarchs who abuse their power and those that lead revolutions from prisons, Hack-N-Bash Knights in Full Plate and Kings who go forth in the land, Prophecies, Curses, Magic Cities that Aren't There, and spoiled child empresses who like to get dirt on their gowns, welcome to staying up WAY past your bedtime for the foreseeable future."
The Novels of the Jaran (1: Jaran, 2: An Earthly Crown, 3: His Conquering Sword, 4: The Law of Becoming) are science fiction with elements of planetary romance and space opera blended into my long time interest in anthropology and the study of how empires rise, sustain themselves, and fall. I flippantly call the first book Jane Austen meets Genghis Khan, in a society that is not a matriarchy but in which women have real authority, both public and private, within their specific spheres of influence. The later books become deeply involved with conquest, politics, and family dynamics both in the less technological cultures of the planet Rhui and in a larger systems-spanning empire in space. Some readers have complained that the first volume is too much like a romance. Hmmm. But don't worry, there are major battles as well. Hope that helps.
The Highroad Trilogy (1: A Passage of Stars, 2: Revolution's Shore, 3: The Price of Ransom): Space opera, set in a future history in which Earth sends out its unwanted to colonize a distant region. My first true kick-ass heroine because she is an actual martial artist. My early interests in revolution, inequality, and deconstructing the romantic hero trope can all be found in this story. Also a robot who communicates through Bach, as one does.
THE LABYRINTH GATE, my first published novel, is fantasy of the early industrial age in which magic and technology are intertwined, a portal novel in which newlyweds from our world find themselves in an alternate world, and a study in four different relationships and how they play out. Strangely there are a lot of women characters in this book; it's like its some kind of harbinger of the future. Who knew?
THE GOLDEN KEY (with Melanie Rawn and Jennifer Roberson)(published after the Jaran books and before King's Dragon): We had so much fun with this collaboration set in a fantasy country inspired by late medieval/early modern Spain and following the fortunes of a family of magical painters and the trouble caused by a scion of the house whose ambition overtops his morals. Bonus: The amazing Michael Whelan cover painting depicts the villain, and Whelan used himself as the model. Also every object in the cover painting has meaning within the plot. Read the book, then study the cover!
Now here's the rundown, boy band style:
Spiritwalker: Funny, sexy, a great dancer, a bit of a flirt and yet definitely the loyal one.
Crossroads: Dark and brooding, intense. Has a secret that can't be told.
Crown of Stars: Can sing, dance, act, write, model, host, design, and do everything. Really. Everything.
The Novels of the Jaran: The smart, fearless one. Has traveled a lot and has ambitions to do another solo project.
Highroad: A little old-fashioned, maybe a bit problematic, but still a favorite for dashing, electric physicality.
The Labyrinth Gate: The first member might be showing a bit of age but still has some good moves.
TWO NEW MEMBERS have joined the crew:
Court of Fives: Fierce, smart, strong, determined, ambitious, and definitely competitive. Black Wolves: Experienced, smart, no nonsense, and right in your face.
To those who haven't read anything by me yet and are interested: If you do pick up something, thank you!
To all my readers over the years, I can't say this strongly enough: I appreciate each and every one of you more than I can say.


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Date: 24/09/2010
Competition: League
Venue: Richmond Park
Rogers; Pender, Kenna, Lynch (Faherty 79), Bermingham; McAllister, Byrne (O'Connor 63), Mulcahy, Cash; Guy (Stewart 63), North.
Cherrie; Madden, Burns, Breen, Hatswell; Miller, Kearns (McGuigan 90), Bennett, Kuduzovic (Maher 74), Gaynor; Tipton.
Referee: Alan Kelly
Dundalk came out on top against ten-man St Pat's in a pulsating encounter at Richmond Park thanks to goals from Matthew Tipton and Ross Gaynor.
Tipton flicked in the opener for the visitors on 26 minutes after good work from Dean Bennett and Daniel Kearns.
Gaynor put Dundalk two ahead on 52 before Damien Lynch reduced the arrears on 65 minutes, but Pat's couldn't muster an equaliser.
St Pat's were reduced to ten men when Ian Bermingham was sent off on 29 minutes.
The game started in bitterly cold conditions with both sides having plenty of possession but neither initially fully dominating.
Pat's introduced a new feature into their game in the form of the short corner which saw Brian Cash square the ball for Bermingham who then swung it into the area.
However, this invariably resulted in the Pat's man with the final touch missing the target or Dundalk repelling the threat before the ball reached the box.
Dundalk had Gaynor booked on 25 minutes for diving in the penalty area but they then took the lead a minute later.
Bennett's ball found Kearns on the right and he in turn floated a perfect ball across the face of goal and the inrushing Tipton flicked in from close range past Pat's goalkeeper Gary Rogers.
The Pat's keeper dived well to save from Fahrudin Kuduzovic on 29 minutes and seconds later Pat's were down to ten men when referee Alan Kelly showed Bermingham a straight red after he took down Tom Miller.
Pat's tried their hardest to get back into the game before the break but Brian Cash rocketed their best chance wide of the target on 41 minutes.
The banished Bermingham watched the second half from the director's box and saw Kearns nearly net Dundalk's second of the night with a cracking low drive on 49 but Rogers was well placed to make the save.
However, Dundalk persisted and doubled their lead on 52 minutes.
Kuduzovic was denied by the tracking Stuart Byrne and then blocked by Rogers and Derek Pender, before the ball fell for Gaynor to shoot in from the edge of the six-yard-box.
Pat's were back in the game on 65 minutes.
Conor Kenna was fouled by Liam Burns as Lynch's free-kick came into the area and referee Kelly pointed to the spot, booking Burns in the process.
Lynch's penalty was blocked by Dundalk keeper Peter Cherrie but the Pat's captain raced onto the rebound and smashed the ball past the Dundalk net minder.
Pat's went on the offensive after that, introducing Vinny Faherty, Gareth O'Connor and Sean Stewart, but Dundalk held out for three vital points.
© rte.ie

subset: commoncrawl


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The new year has been a busy one of learning, growth, and reframing. It started with the Positive Education pilot retreat that I, along with 20 other colleagues, participated in over two days the 2nd week of January. It rekindled my interest in psychology, my first love, that I studied in college and for a time thought that would be my direction. Positive Education falls under the umbrella of Positive Psychology and is grounded in research and evidence on the effects and benefits of positive emotions on health, well-being, and relationships with others. In a nutshell, you can think of it as, "Others Matter". Intrigued? You can see my notes from the retreat in this Storify.
When I like something, I usually dive in and learn as much about it as I can either through books, workshops, or coursework. Coincidentally, and perhaps a bit of the stars aligning, there was a course from from University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill in Positive Psychology that was beginning the following week on Coursera. I enrolled and am moving right through it. What I am learning is that we are hard-wired with a negativity bias which was helpful to our early ancestors who needed to be attuned to dangers. Negative emotions "scream" at us whereas positive emotions are more subtle "like a whisper". The negativity bias makes it harder for us to recognize the positive experiences around us. "Positive experiences are actually more frequent than negative in people's lives but we need to train ourselves to see them and let those positive events become positive emotions" (Fredrickson).
In addition to the Positive Psychology course I have been reading Dave Burgess' Teach Like a PIRATE. What I love about this book is that he is blending his knowledge of marketing and his passion for magic and showmanship with his love of teaching. I recognize many of Burgess' hooks and ideas from two previous courses I took from Wharton through Coursera. TLAP encourages and reminds us as educators that we need to make our content relevant to the students and we need to find ways to make our classes unforgettable so that students want to come to class to learn. It is not enough to just show up and deliver our lessons, we need to find ways to incorporate our passions and our students' interests into each class so students are engaging with the content in meaningful, memorable ways.
You can read my current notes for both Positive Psychology and Teach Like a PIRATE here in this Storify.


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By Shaikh Abdullah Faisal
01.08.2013 (Night Dars)
NOTES typed by AT7
Edited and Formatted by AT38 and AT7
وعن أبي هريرة - رضي الله عنه - قال: قال رسول الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم: «طهور إناء أحدكم إذا ولغ فيه الكلب أن يغسله سبع مرات, أولاهن بالتراب». أخرجه مسلم. وفي لفظ له: «فليرقه». وللترمذي: «أخراهن, أو أولاهن بالتراب».
12. Abu Hurairah (RAA), narrated that the Prophet (SAW) said, "If a dog laps the water from the utensil of anyone, purify it (the vessel) by washing it seven times, using earth for the first washing." Reported by Muslim, with the addition: "He must spill it." Imam at-Tirmidhi also related it with the addition: "The first or the last (washing)."
This hadeeth has lessons for us
-the dog's saliva transmits round worms
-it is a dirty animal
-and if it licks water, that water becomes impure
-and if it licks your utensils, you should wash it 7 times
-and use dirt for the first washing
-and modern day science found out that dirt contains fluorine
-and this kills the rabies virus in the dog's saliva
The round worms are intestinal parasites and they cause:
1. Coughing
2. Leptospirosis
3. Fever
4. Headache
5. Salmonellosis
6. E.coli virus infection
Contracting rabies from a rabid dog is also popular in the West
-because they live with dogs
These behaviours of dogs is called the canine behaviour
-and dogs eat from rubbish and feces
-they eat feces of human beings and other dogs
-the pigs also eat feces of other animals and so it is also najasa
The dogs lick the bottom of each other also
-but all these behaviours are considered normal because it is part of the canine behaviour
The Hanafis said you may not use dirt to wash the utensils
-and that you can wash the utensil only 3 times
-they claim Abu Huraira (r.a) passed the fatwa of washing 3 times
-but we say to them that the scholars said whenever there is a clash
-between the fatwa of a sahabi and that of a hadeeth
-you go along with the evidence of hadeeth
Home dogs are properly fed by their masters
-and so they are more hygienic than the stray dogs
-the stray dog's saliva is far more lethal than the home dog
-but yet still the hadith of the prophet (saw) is general and so all dogs are the same
The correct opinion is that all dog's saliva is najash
-and this is the opinion of the jamhoor
People at times develop septicemia
-If a dog should lick something liquid, you should pour all of it
-but if it is solid, you are allowed to scrape away the part it licked
-and use the rest
If a rat should drop into a bucket of butter which is solid
-you are allowed to scrape away that part and use the rest
-but if it is liquid, then you should throw the entire content
According to Imam Shafi'i, the whole of the dog is najash even its hair
-and requires washing
-because the sweat of the dog is najash just like its saliva
According to the jamhoor, it is only the tongue of the dog that is najash
-and that the dog does not sweat
All the ruling mentioned above of the dog applies to the pig
-this is by way of qiyas
-because even though the hadith did not mention the pig
-they used analogy to include the pig
-so we have our Islamic rulings from qiyas also
The same impurities found in the saliva of the dog like round worms and E. coli
-are in the saliva of the pig
If a dog should lap the swimming pool or a huge amount of water
-you don't need to throw away all the water and condemn the water
-because the water is more than 270L
-and the prophet (saw) said whenever the water is above this volume, it purifies itself
-and can't be contaminated by impurities
Umar was travelling between Makkah and Madina
-and someone asked the owner of the water whether carnivals do dwell in the water
Narrated Yahya ibn Abd ar-Rahman ibn Hatib that Umar ibn al-Khattab set out on one occasion with a party of riders, one of whom was Amr ibn al-As. They came to a watering place and Amr ibn al-As asked the man who owned it whether wild beasts drank from it. Umar ibn al-Khattab told the owner of the watering place not to answer, since the people drank after the wild beasts and the wild beasts drank after them. [Muwatta Malik (1/26) No. 55]
It was narrated from Abu Sa'eed al-Khudri that the Prophet (SAW) was asked about the water basins located between Makkah and al-Madina, which were visited by wild animals, dogs and donkeys, and about using them for means of purification. He said, "Whatever they (the animals) have carried in their bellies is for them, and whatever is left over is for us, and is pure." [Sunan Ibn Majah (1/326) No. 519]
We quoted these ahadeeth to prove what we said above
It is haram to keep dogs as pets
-because you lose 2 mountains of good deeds each time you keep a pet dog in your home
Narrated By Abu Huraira: the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said, ""Whoever keeps a dog, a qiraat from his good deeds will be deducted every day, except a dog for farming or herding livestock." [Sahih Bukhari (4/130) No. 3324]
Abu Hurayrah (RA) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: "Whoever keeps a dog that is not a dog for hunting, herding livestock or farming, two qiraats will be deducted from his reward each day." [Sahih Muslim (3/1203) No. 1575]
-The prophet (saw) said that dogs are allowed to be kept in only 3 situations
1. The hunting dog
2. The farming dogs
3. The livestock dogs
'Abdullah ibn 'Umar (RA) that the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: "Whoever keeps a dog, except a dog for herding livestock or a dog for hunting, a qiraat will be deducted from his good deeds each day." 'Abdullah said: Abu Hurayrah said: Or a dog for farming. [Sahih Muslim (3/1202) No. 1574]
On the authority of Abu Malik al-Harith bin al-Harith al-Asharee (RA) who said: The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said, "Purity is half of emaan (faith)... [Sahih Muslim (1/203) No. 223]
For example you go hunting for a particular animal and the dog is trained to catch the game
-it brings the animal to you and you say Bismillah and slaughter it
-however if the game should die before you are able to slaughter it,
-but you said Bismillah before shooting, the meat is still halal
So you are allowed to have guard dogs to protect against thieves
-and also hunting dogs
-Allah said:
They ask you (O Muhammad SAW) what is lawful for them (as food). Say: "Lawful unto you are At¬Tayyibāt [all kind of Halāl (lawful¬good) foods which Allāh has made lawful (meat of slaughtered eatable animals, milk products, fats, vegetables and fruits, etc.)]. And those beasts and birds of prey which you have trained as hounds, training and teaching them (to catch) in the manner as directed to you by Allāh; so eat of what they catch for you, but pronounce the Name of Allāh over it, and fear Allāh. Verily, Allāh is Swift in reckoning." (Al-Ma'idah 5:4)
Before you send out the hunting dogs, you have to say Bismillah
-just like you should say Bismillah before shooting
You are allowed to have 2,3 etc. dogs to protect the sheep against the wolves
-the jamhoor said it is haram to sell dogs
-and the person have to give you back your money, if a man sells it to you
Abu Mas'ud al-Badri (RA) said: "The Messenger of Allah (SAW) prohibited the price of a dog, the earning of a prostitute, and the money given to a soothsayer." [al-Bukhari (2237) and Muslim (1567)]
-Ibn Hazim said if you need a guarding dog and you were forced to buy it,
-the sin is on the seller
Ibn Hazm (rh) said: It is not permissible to sell a dog at all, whether it is a hunting dog or a herding dog, or any other kind. If a person is forced to buy a dog and cannot find someone to give him one, then he may buy it, and it is halaal for the buyer and haraam for the seller and the buyer may take back his money whenever he is able. This is like a bribe in order to ward off oppression and ransoms for freeing prisoners and appeasing an oppressor. There is no difference. [al-Muhalla (7/493) No. 1514]
Abu Hanifa said it is halal to sell useful dogs e.g. a guard dog
-the correct opinion is that of Abu Hanifa
-because it is costly to train these guard dogs
-so you are allowed to breed dogs as guard dogs
The only dog that is haram to sell therefore is the dog that is haraam to keep
وعن أبي قتادة - رضي الله عنه - أن رسول الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم - قال في الهرة: «إنها ليست بنجس, إنما هي من الطوافين عليكم». أخرجه الأربعة, وصححه الترمذي. وابن خزيمة
13. Abu Qatadah (RAA), narrated that Allah's Messenger (SAW) said concerning cats, "It is not impure (Najis), it is one of those who live among you." Related by the four Imams. At-Tirmidhi and Ibn Khuzaimah graded it as Sahih.
Kabshah bint Ka'b ibn Maalik, who said that Abu Qutaadah (her husband's father) entered upon her and she poured water for him to do wudoo', and a cat came to drink from it, so he tipped the vessel for it to drink. Kabshah said: "He saw me looking at him and said, "Do you find it strange, O daughter of my brother?' I said, 'Yes.' He said, 'The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said, "They (cats) are not naajis, rather they are of those who go around amongst you." [Sunan Tirmidhi (1/153-154) No. 92, Sunan al-Nasa'i (1/55) No. 68, Sunan Abu Dawud (1/19) No. 75, Sunan Ibn Majah (1/239) No. 367, Sunan al-Darime (1/203) No. 736, Musnad Ahmad (5/303) No. 22633, Muwatta Malik (1/25) No. 54]
So the cat is not considered impure by the Rasool (saw)
-Imam Malik considers the saliva of cat to be pure
-but if the prophet (saw) had said the saliva of cat is impure,
-this would have been a burden on us
-this is the argument of some scholars
-but the text of the hadith is clear and there is no need for ijtihad
The Malikis went further and said since the saliva of cats that mix with us is pure
-then the saliva of the dogs that mix with us is also pure
Rats also live with us, so are we supposed to consider their left overs as pure?
-no because rats give us leptospirosis
The jamhoor said to the Malikis that they are not allowed to do qiyas when the text is clear
-so they can't use qiyas to say the saliva of dogs that live with us is pure
Is the hadith authentic of using left over water for ghusl coming from a person who has given you the evil eye?
Sahl ibn Haneef narrated that the Prophet (SAW) came out and traveled with him towards Makkah, until they were in the mountain pass of al-Kharaar in al-Jahfah. There Sahl ibn Haneef did ghusl, and he was a handsome white-skinned man with beautiful skin. 'Aamir ibn Rabee'ah, one of Banu 'Adiyy ibn Ka'b looked at him whilst he was doing ghusl and said: "I have never seen such beautiful skin as this, not even the skin of a virgin," and Sahl fell to the ground. They went to Messenger of Allah (SAW) came and said, "O Messenger of Allah, can you do anything for Sahl, because by Allah he cannot raise his head." He said, "Do you accuse anyone with regard to him?" They said, "'Aamir ibn Rabee'ah looked at him." So the Messenger of Allah (SAW) called 'Aamir and rebuked him strongly. He said, "Why would one of you kill his brother? If you see something that you like, then pray for blessing for him." Then he said to him, "Wash yourself for him." So he washed his face, hands, forearms, knees and the sides of his feet, and inside his izaar (lower garment) in the vessel. Then that water was poured over him, and a man poured it over his head and back from behind. He did that to him, then Sahl got up and joined the people and there was nothing wrong with him. [Musnad Ahmad (3/486) No. 16023, Muwatta Malik (2/117) No. 1973, Sahih Ibn Hibban (13/470) No. 6106]
'A'ishah (RA) said: The person who had put the evil eye on another would be ordered to do wudoo', then the person who had been afflicted would wash himself (with that water). [Sunan Abu Dawud (4/9) No. 3880]
The left over water from the man who gave the evil eye
-was used by the person affected to wash himself
-this is the cure
-so the judge has to make the man who gave the evil eye to make wudu
Shaikh, if a man makes wudu in a public restroom, and has to stand to relieve himself, can he use the water to wipe over his pants and that would be sufficient?
A Muslim is supposed to sit and urinate not to stand
-and if you splash urine on your trousers you can't pray on them
-unless you sprinkle water there and wash it
Can you please shed some light about ijmaa? Which ulama do we look for ijmaa; sahabah or Tabi'een?
The word ijmaa means agreement
-we derive the Shari'ah from Qur'an, Sunnah, ijmaa, qiyas and qaul sahabah
Allah said give the slave girl 50 lashes for zina
-but didn't mention for the slave boy
-so the scholars said the same is given for the boy from qiyas
Qiyas is used to establish Shari'ah
-and another source is mafhoom which is the implicit meaning
-e.g. the prophet said removing a harmful thing from the road is a branch of emaan
-and gives you barakah
-the mafhoom is if you deliberately put something harmful on the road
-you earn the wrath of Allah
Abu Hurayra reported that the Prophet (SAW) said, "I saw a man going about in the Garden who was there on account of cutting down a tree in the middle of the road which had been a nuisance to the Muslims." [Sahih Muslim (4/2021) No. 1914]
One variant has, "A man passed by a fallen branch in the middle of the road and said, 'By Allah, I will remove this from the path of the Muslims so that it does not inconvenience them' and he was admitted into the Garden."
In a variant of the two, "If a man who is walking along on a road finds a thorny branch in the road and removes it, Allah thanks him for doing it and forgives him."
On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (RA) who said: The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said, "Every joint of a person must perform a charity each day that the sun rises: to judge justly between two people is a charity. To help a man with his mount, lifting him onto it or hoisting up his belongings onto it, is a charity. And the good word is a charity. And every step that you take towards the prayer is a charity, and removing a harmful object from the road is a charity." It was related by al-Bukhari and Muslim.
There are 3 types of ijmaa:
1. That of the sahabah
-e.g. it says if you don't pray you are a kaafir
Abdullah ibn Shaqiq Uqayli (RA) reported, saying "The companions of Muhummad (SAW) did not regard neglect of any of the deeds as disbelief as they did (neglect) of Salah." [Sunan Tirmidhi (5/14) No. 2622 and Mustadrak al-Haakim (1/48) No. 12 who said it met the conditions of al-Bukhari and Muslim]
Jabir (RA) reported that Allah's Messenger (SAW) said, "Between a man (Muslim) and shirk and disbelief lies neglect of salah." [Sahih Muslim (1/88) No. 82, Sunan Tirmidhi (5/13) No. 2620, Sunan Abu Dawud (4/219) No. 4678, Sunan Ibn Majah (2/181) No. 1078, Sunan An-Nasa'i (1/232) No. 463, Musnad Ahmad (3/370) No. 15021]
2. That of the 4 great imams
-e.g. it says it is haram to marry the aunt and niece and live with them at the same time
3. That of the Muslims
-and Allah (swt) warned about this ijmaa
-not to go against it
And whoever contradicts and opposes the Messenger (Muhammad SAW) after the right path has been shown clearly to him, and follows other than the believers' way. We shall keep him in the path he has chosen, and burn him in Hell - what an evil destination. (An-Nisa 4:115)
-their ijmaa is that Muhammad (saw) is the last prophet
-going against the ijmaa of the Muslims make you a kaafir
Ibn Kathir (rh) said: "So Whosoever abandons the wise Shariah which was revealed upon Muhammad ibn Abdullah, the seal of the prophets, and goes to other abrogated Shariah for judgment, he becomes a Kaafir. So how about the one who goes to al-Yaasiq (man-made law) for judgment and gives it precedence (over the Shariah of Muhammad (SAW). Whosoever does this has become a Kaafir by the Ijma of the Muslims." [Al-Bidayah Wan-Nihayah, (Vol. 13, p119)]
Ibn Taymiyyah (rh) said: "And it is known from the religion (of Islam) by necessity and by the consensus of all Muslims that whoever legalizes to follow other than the religion of Islam or a Shariah other than the Shariah of Muhammad (SAW), he is a Kaafir. And his kufr is similar to that of the one who believes in some part of the book (Quran) and reject some of it." [Majmua al-Fataawa (28/524)]
The ijmaa of the sahabah is that Muhammad (saw) is dead
-the ijmaa of the Muslims is that gold is haram for men
Reported by 'Ali (RA) the Prophet (SAW) took some silk in his right hand and some gold in his left hand and then he said, "These two are haram for the males among my followers." [Abu Dawud (4/50) No. 4057, An-Nasa'i (8/160) 5144, Ibn Majah (4/594) No. 3595), Ahmad (1/115) No. 935]
How do we distinguish between the rulings of darul-Islam, darul-kufr, and darul-harb? How do we know if some rulings are general or if they are specific?
-the world is divided into 3 daars
-all 3 existed during the lifetime of the prophet (saw)
-Makkah was darul harb
-therefore any country that kills or incarcerates innocent muslims is darul harb
...And Al-Fitnah is worse than killing... (Al-Baqarah 2:191)
-therefore UK is darul harb because they are killing Muslims in Afghanistan
-and also incarcerating innocent Muslims
-India, Burma, Russia, USA are all darul harb
On the authority of Jarir bin 'Abdullah that the Messenger of Allah (SAW) sent a military expedition to Khath'am. So some people (living there) sought safety by prostrating, but they were met quickly and killed. News of this reached the Prophet (SAW) upon which he commanded that they be given half of the 'Aql (blood money). And he said: "I am free from every Muslim that lives among the idolaters." They said: "O Messenger of Allah: How is that?" He said: "They should not see each other's campfires." [Sunan Tirmidhi (4/155) No. 1604 and Sunan Abu Dawud (3/45) No. 2645]
It was narrated from Samurah that the Prophet (SAW) said: "Do not live among the mushrikeen and do not mix with them, for whoever lives among them or mixes with them is not one of us." [al-Sunan al-Kubra al-Bayhaqi (9/240) No. 18420 and Mustadrak al-Haakim (2/154) No. 2627. adh-Dhahabi graded this on the conditions of Bukhari and Muslim]
Shaykh 'Abdul Lateef ibn 'Abdur-Rahmaan (rh) said, "And the best thing to draw one nearer to Allah is the aggression towards His enemies, the Mushrikeen, while hating them and having enmity towards them and waging Jihad against them. And with this, the slave is saved from having allegiance with them as opposed to the believers. And if he does not do so, then he has formed his allegiance with them, based upon what he failed to fulfill from that and abandoned from that. So beware, (again) beware, that which destroys Islam and uproots it." [Ad-Durar as-Saniyyah, Volume of Jihad, pg. 681]
Ibn al-Arabi (rh) said, "It is obligatory to leave a place where forbidden practices are rife since it is mandatory for Muslims to demand observance of the Law." [Ibn al-Arabi, Ahkaam al-Qur'an (1/484-485)]
Shaykh ul Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (rh) said, "The state of a place reflects the state of a person. It is possible to be sometimes a Muslim and at other times a disbeliever; sometimes sincere and at other times hypocritical; sometimes good and pious and at other times rotten and corrupt. Thus, a person becomes like the place of his abode. The migration of a person from a land of disbelief and profanity to one of faith and probity is an expression of repentance and of his turning away from disobedience and perversion to belief and obedience. This is so until the Day of Resurrection." [Majmu'al-Fatawa, (18/284)]
-some people love living in darul harb chasing the Benjamin
-and if you read the fatawa of the scholars regarding darul harb
-you wonder if you are a Muslim or hypocrite
Darul kufr was Ethiopia
-it is any kaafir country that does not fight Islam
-it does not kill or incarcerate Muslims
-but Ethiopia today is darul harb
-e.g. of darul kufr are Brazil, Venezuela
Darul Islam was Madina
-this is any country that rules with the law of Allah
-e.g. Northern Mali
According to Imam Shafi'i the original relationship between us and the kuffaar is all out war
-fight them until there is no more fitna
-but the jamhoor said our relationship is peaceful co-existence
-and their evidence is:
And fight them until there is no more Fitnah (disbelief and polytheism: i.e. worshipping others besides Allah) and the religion (worship) will all be for Allah Alone [in the whole of the world[]]. But if they cease (worshipping others besides Allah), then certainly, Allah is All-Seer of what they do. (Al-Anfal 8:39)
Narrated By Salim Abu An-Nadr: (The freed slave of 'Umar bin 'Ubaidullah) I was Umar's clerk. Once Abdullah bin Abi Aufa wrote a letter to 'Umar when he proceeded to Al-Haruriya. I read in it that Allah's Apostle in one of his military expeditions against the enemy, waited till the sun declined and then he got up amongst the people saying, "O people! Do not wish to meet the enemy, and ask Allah for safety, but when you face the enemy, be patient, and remember that Paradise is under the shades of swords." Then he said, "O Allah, the Revealer of the Holy Book, and the Mover of the clouds and the Defeater of the clans, defeat them, and grant us victory over them." [Sahih Bukhari, Vol 4, Book 52, Hadith #266A]
The correct opinion is that of the jamhoor
-if your neighbour is not plotting against you, you are not allowed to fight him
Narrated By Ibn Aun: "I wrote a letter to Nafi and Nafi wrote in reply to my letter that the Prophet had suddenly attacked Bani Mustaliq without warning while they were heedless and their cattle were being watered at the places of water. Their fighting men were killed and their women and children were taken as captives; the Prophet got Juwairiya on that day. Nafi said that Ibn 'Umar had told him the above narration and that Ibn 'Umar was in that army." [al-Bukhari (2541) and Muslim (1730)]
-the prophet (saw) attacked Banu Mustaliq because he had heard evidence
-that they were plotting against Madina
Do the jinns have animals that are najash?
The jinn have animals and there is no doubt about that
-because of the hadith
"Every bone on which the name of Allah is recited is your provision. The time it will fall in your hand it would be covered with flesh, and (you can have) all the droppings as food for your animals." The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, "So do not use (these things) for cleaning yourselves (after relieving oneself), for they are the food and provision of your brothers (Jinn)." (Reported by Muslim)
-do they have animals that are najash?
-if the human beings have animals that are najash and we are superior to them
-then some of their animals are najash too
-and the droppings of our animals is the food for their animals


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A hunter, a dead elk, and a photo-bombin' creep cougar with laser eyes. That's what we gave you this week and in return you gave us comedy. Some dick pics, sure. But mostly comedy.
This week's winner ascended to glory by pointing out a crucial error made by the poor, unfortunate sportsman in the photo.


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I love a good DIY, and i've done a few for my new place that I am hoping to post on here sometime soon. I will admit that I came to the realization while making my Ikea Hack nightstand (coming soon), that you don't always save money. After buying all the supplies, and spending the time doing the work, I realized that I really could have just bought a finished piece at Ikea for the same price. That being said, I really enjoyed the process and the challenge of saying that I can make something, having a vision of how it will turn out and then actually doing it and being proud of the results. It's thrilling to me, but I know it's not for everyone. Plus with a DIY, you then have something unique, that you can't find in a store or anyone else's home. I don't know, it really depends how much time you have on your hands and how much importance you put on making things by hand, but personally I know that even if it's hard work, I am going to keep DIYing because I find it so rewarding and fun!
How do you feel about DIYing? As I mentioned earlier, sometimes it ends up costing more, but is it always about the money or is it about the challenge and fun? I found this article on Huffington post that says to use a flowchart when trying to decide on whether to DIY it or Buy it. Could be a helpful way to decide! Check it out here.
Tatyana Druz: The Point of No Return
I came across this photo the other day and my heart actually skipped a beat. The photo was taken by amateur photographer Tatyana Druz. I couldn't find much information on her except that she is from Hadera, Israel. You can find her on Facebook and check out her website here.
This photograph captures so many emotions; trust, love, passion, fear, adventure… You have no idea where they are, or how high up they are. The way the woman is wrapped around the man leads me to believe that she trusts him completely with what is about the happen, she may feel fear but she is safe in his arms. The man's back is turned to what lies ahead but he has a sense of adventure and is taking a leap of faith, bringing her along for the ride. He looks relaxed and in full control of the situation about to unfold, which is unknown to him. The composition and imagery of this photograph is stunning.
Art is so subjective, so I am curious, what do you get from this image? What emotions does it provoke in you?


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Originally published Monday, December 26, 2011 at 8:00 PM
520 bridge tolling ready to roll
What experts call the most complex tolling project in North America — mixing busy stretches of roadway with stringent demands for tracking and accounting — is about to start.
Seattle Times transportation reporter
Taking its tollThere will be eight rates to cross the Highway 520 floating bridge, averaging around $2.60. Some comparisons:
Seattle and Eastside, Highway 520: Each-way rates vary by time of day, such as $1.60 late-night, $2.20 weekend afternoons, or $3.50 weekday peak, for Good to Go pass holders. Extra $1.50 surcharge for bill-by-mail.
Tacoma Narrows: Round-trip toll $2.75 for Good to Go pass holders, $4 cash, $5.50 bill by mail, collected entering Tacoma.
Vancouver, B.C., area, Golden Ears Bridge: Each-way flat-rate toll $2.90 for QuickPass holders, or $4.10 bill-by-mail.
Vancouver, B.C., area, Port Mann Bridge (2013): Each-way flat-rate toll proposed at $3 for QuickPass holders.
Oakland/San Francisco, Bay Bridge: Round-trip toll $6 weekday peak, $4 midday and $5 weekends, collected entering San Francisco. Six other Bay Area bridges charge $5 round trip.
New Jersey/New York (two tunnels, four bridges): Round-trip toll $9.50 peak, $7.50 off-peak with EZpass, or $12 cash, collected entering New York City.
Getting a toll passGood to Go passes work for the Highway 520 bridge, the Tacoma Narrows Bridge and Highway 167 HOT lanes. Buy and activate passes, make account payments or ask questions at walk-in centers, online or on the phone:
University District, Seattle: 4554 Ninth Ave. N.E., Suite 100, open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekends — but closed New Year's Day. Extended hours: Office will open at 5 a.m. Thursday, next Tuesday and Jan. 4.
Bellevue: 13107 N.E. 20th St., Suite 4, open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekends — but closed New Year's Day. Extended hours: Office will open at 5 a.m. Thursday, next Tuesday and Jan. 4.
Gig Harbor: 3212 50th St. Court N.W., Suite 200, off Olympic Drive. Open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays. Extended hours: Office will open at 5 a.m. Thursday, next Tuesday and Jan. 4.
Online: goodtogo.org
Phone: 866-936-8246. Customer-service representatives are at the hotline Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday (but not New Year's Day) from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Thousands of Seattle-area commuters will participate in an ambitious experiment when all-electronic tolling begins Thursday on the Highway 520 floating bridge.
This is the most complex tolling project in North America, experts say, because it combines one of the busiest stretches of roadway with the most stringent demands for tracking and accounting.
With each bridge crossing, most drivers will pay via a windshield-mounted pass that works like a debit card, at a variable rate of up to $3.50 at peak times. Or their license plate will be photographed, and they will receive a bill in the mail for the toll plus a $1.50 surcharge.
The technical reliability, the effects good or ill on regional traffic, and the sacrifices forced on individual drivers can be guessed, but not known, until we take the plunge.
Tolls, which will be in effect for at least 40 years, are expected to collect half the $4.65 billion to deliver a new, six-lane bridge and roadway from Interstate 405 to I-5, with the rest from gas taxes and yet-unplanned sources.
About one-fourth of tolls charged will be spent to operate the toll system, pay insurance and credit-card fees or go uncollected. Many drivers are paranoid — with some basis in reality — that the government's game plan is to let traffic clog nearby I-90, as people seek to avoid the 520 tolls, as a justification for tolling on that bridge, too.
Technical problems delayed the start of tolling for more than a year, depriving the state of about $1 million a week in expected revenue.
As for accounting challenges, the sheer intensity of traffic — nearly 30,000 cars per lane per weekday now — sets the 520 bridge in a league by itself. But the system has passed recent tests.
"If it can be made to work satisfactorily there, it can be made to work anywhere," said Peter Samuels, editor of Toll Roads News.
Indeed, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is attempting a move to cashless tolling, after Seattle shows the way.
Almost certainly, there will be hiccups, said J.J. Eden, a former North Carolina Turnpike chief who led an expert panel to examine and fix this year's 520 toll difficulties.
"I've never seen a system come alive without something," he said. "They're very high-tech computerized systems." Whether problems are major is relative. Certainly it's "major" for the fraction of drivers who receive an incorrect toll bill, he said.
This can happen. Mistaken citations for $52 were mailed last spring to more than 4,000 people who had crossed the Tacoma Narrows during a transition between tolling firms.
So buckle up for a potentially bumpy ride.
The possible benefit of so-called early tolling of the old bridge is smoother traveling for those willing and able to pay.
When tolls are high at rush hour, people drive less or change schedules, an idea known as "congestion pricing." To help subsidize the experiment, the federal government provided $123 million for toll equipment and transit.
A peak-time drive across the 520 bridge is projected to be 20 mph faster, said Craig Stone, tolling director for the state Department of Transportation (DOT). But he's the first to admit that traffic predictions can go wildly wrong.
This rosy scenario relies on a gamble — that Seattle's already-stressed road network can withstand people driving farther to avoid paying tolls.
"You are going to have whole new congestion patterns," said Mark Hallenbeck, director of the Washington State Transportation Center at the University of Washington. Some drivers will take the free I-90 bridge, or Highway 522 through Kenmore and Lake City.
Traffic could even increase as drivers backtrack on central I-5 between the University District and Beacon Hill.
If this leads to backups at Portage Bay, it would cancel the speed gains for toll payers. "We'll be watching very closely how 520 merges to I-5," Stone said.
Hallenbeck and other experts believe it will take six months for travelers to try different times, bridges and toll rates until traffic settles.
Puget Sound governments' official transportation plan calls for less congestion in 2030, despite adding 1.1 million people — an impossible feat without widespread pricing of highways, Seattle analyst John Niles says.
Of course, the state needs continued use of the 520 bridge to support bonds to build the new bridge. A finance report says travel could drop by nearly half in 2012, then increase steadily, and the state still could support at least the $500 million in bonds sold this fall and three more large bond sales.
The tolling system for the 520 bridge is supposed to track as many as one vehicle per second at the busiest times, a daunting challenge.
Startups have run into trouble elsewhere. Florida filed a $2.6 million claim, saying its contractor didn't activate equipment on time. In Illinois, millions of dollars in violation notices went out late because of back-office issues.
Louisiana and a tolling firm traded accusations related to system errors and shifting specifications, then settled those. Other states, notably Texas, had smoother experiences.
Only recently have a few other states installed cameras that can read a license plate at freeway speed when drivers lack a computer chip in the windshield.
The 520 bridge is outfitted with magnetic loops in the pavement to count axles; aerial cameras to snap two photos in front and one in the rear (using purplish flash lights to avoid distracting the salmon); overhead scanners to read the Good to Go transponders that most drivers will have; and lasers to confirm the space between each car.
Washington state plates can be read automatically, but photos of out-of-state plates, maybe 2,000 a day, will be checked manually by control-center employees.
Eden, who led the expert panel, said plates can be obscured by fog, drizzle and spray from rear tires. DOT's front-plate photos are meant to reduce that problem, as well as rear plates covered by bicycles.
Stone says the strongest feature is 99.9 percent accuracy of Good to Go readings, which have proved themselves at Tacoma Narrows and the Highway 167 HOT (high-occupancy or toll) lanes in Kent. One risk, he said, is that wet weather, vibrations and bridge motion could shake toll readers and require recalibrations.
The main toll contractor, Texas-based Electronic Transaction Consultants (ETC), has ramped up this month by employing 200 people in the Seattle area to take phone calls, help with online accounts and process toll bills. ETC has a $23 million, five-year contract to operate three Washington toll roads.
State managers assure the system is ready, but they've been overly optimistic this year.
A spring ad campaign starring Bill Nye the Science Guy fizzled when the state missed its announced April startup. A backlog of violation notices then piled up in Tacoma, after assurances by DOT Secretary Paula Hammond that drivers would see a seamless transition.
On the other hand, Hammond struck a cautious note in her certification letter for the new 520 toll system: "I acknowledge that adjustments may be necessary during system stabilization."
Are tolls a good deal?
The state likes to say its 35-cent floating-bridge toll in 1970 cost the same as a gallon of gas then, while its $3.50 peak toll in 2012 is similar to gas prices now.
But the tradition everywhere else is not to toll until drivers see a benefit.
British Columbia did not place tolls on the old 1964 Port Mann Bridge to fund the new 2013 bridge. Hampton Roads, Va., charges tolls on old bridges, but mainly to contain toll diversion on new crossings, said Robert Poole, transportation-policy director for the Reason Foundation.
Dick Ford, chairman of the Washington State Transportation Commission, says drivers are saving money through "early tolling" because the state won't have to pay tens of millions of dollars for "interest on the interest" while the replacement bridge is built.
Bridge tolls in Seattle will be similar in price to those in San Francisco and Vancouver, B.C.
Hallenbeck says the tolls are a good deal for bridge drivers — if they aren't snared at I-5. Time is valuable, and traffic on 520 has been slow since the 1980s, with few remedies available.
But for those who must go at peak times, the new toll means a $1,600 yearly hit. And it's not like Highway 167, where someone can opt for free general lanes.
Delivery trucks, carpenters on house calls, taxi drivers, even food banks won't get a break. Poole says it's critical to add transit options, which King County Metro is doing with help from federal grants.
Tolls are scheduled to increase 2.5 percent a year until 2016, then by 15 percent in 2017.
Another drawback is the cost to collect a toll, compared to the negligible cost to collect gas taxes. State reports say 21 cents on every toll dollar will go to pay for toll operations and costs such as credit-card fees, based on experience at Tacoma Narrows. An additional 5 percent to 8 percent or more will be uncollected.
Stone hopes to improve efficiency and benefit from the so-called economy of scale as the Highway 99 tunnel is completed in 2016 and other toll routes are added.
Drivers can do their tiny part. Stone says the cost to collect a toll by mail is near $1.50 (hence a $1.50 surcharge), a cash toll at Tacoma costs 80 cents to collect, and Good to Go trips 30 cents. The more transponders, the better the system runs.
"As a resident," Eden said, "you should get one, to lower the costs."
Mike Lindblom: 206-515-5631
On Twitter @mikelindblom


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A Carlsbad woman facing murder in connection with her husband's death had collected passports, birth certificates and important papers in a backpack according to prosecutors.
The new information came to light at a pretrial hearing to discuss the bail amount for Julie Harper, the former real estate agent who faces murder in the death of Carlsbad High School math teacher Jason Harper.
During a search by investigators at Julie Harper's father's home in Scripps Ranch, where she was arrested, investigators said they found a backpack with passports and her children's birth certificates, which prosecutors argued shows the defendant had planned to flee.
Defense attorney Paul Pfingst argued it's common for someone who had just filed for divorce to have those items on hand.
Jason Harper, 39, was found dead from a gunshot wound inside the couple's home on August 7 just days after his wife had filed for divorce.
The couple's three children were home at the time their father was shot. One child told investigators they heard their father yell and then a thump.
Julie Harper told the children their father fell off a chair prosecutors allege.
Then she took the kids to the La Costa Coffee Roasting for coffee and sandwiches, tried to set up a playdate with a neighbor, stopped at a children's activity center and then arranged for her sister to watch the kids during the afternoon before surrendering herself to police at her father's home in Scripps Ranch.
The divorce filing accused Jason Harper of abuse and an entry in a Carlsbad police log detailed a call for help made from the Harpers' home on November 22, 2011.
In court Tuesday, Pfingst presented his client's journals that he says shows Julie Harper was psychologically abused by her husband over many years.
Former co-workers of Jason Harper said they do not believe the allegations of abuse made about the 6'9" man they called a "gentle giant."
"I talked with him on a daily basis and he was always kind and gentle. He was a good guy," co-worker Vicki Crossman told NBC 7 at a previous court appearance.
Harper's bail was not changed and stands at $2 million.
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You may not think much about fashion if you work hard everyday. Others pay attention to your clothing, though. This is why you have to pay some attention to your house. Are you unsure about what to wear? Keep reading to learn what you can about fashion to help you at any time.
Black and white combinations are always a classic combination that is popular again this season. You can see many outfits using this combination on the professional runway. There are many different style combinations you can wear with this combination.
Don't have oodles of makeup in your beauty kit. Choose things that you really love with a selection of the season. Think about what you need for your day versus night. Makeup will not last forever once you begin using it. Germs can grow in the cosmetics if it is just sitting there.
If you have frizzy hair, avoid vigorously rubbing it with a towel after a shower. This can damage the hair and cause more episodes of frizzing. You are just going to want to cover it with a towel and press on it to get moisture off. When you're happy with the results, take off the towel and comb your hair.
Do not strive for perfection in your quest for fashion. Also, if you attempt perfection, you may look uptight. Some of the runways that have flaws with their look.
Many are under the impression that fashion only about clothing. What some don't realize is that lackluster hair style can hinder an otherwise great ensemble.
This will make your body look wider. Instead, go for vertical stripes, which will draw attention to height rather than girth.
Do not trust a size on the label. Always try your new clothing on clothes before buying them. Sizes aren't just based on set measurements. They vary a lot between brands. If you are purchasing items online, be sure to locate the sizing chart. Also look for if you can be returned.
You may not care that much about how you look, but others do. Use these tips to boost your wardrobe and look great. When you have a good sense of style, your wardrobe will reflect it.


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Tax Strategy
1 Introduction
This document sets out the strategic tax objectives for Shaftesbury PLC and its subsidiaries ("the Group"). This strategy applies to Shaftesbury PLC and its subsidiary companies. In making it publically available, we are fulfilling our responsibilities under Schedule 19 of the Finance Act 2016 for the accounting period ending 30 September 2019.
It is not designed to be an operational manual with detailed instructions on the execution of the processes. The processes and controls, which support the delivery of the strategic tax objectives, are regularly reviewed.
1.1 Scope
The tax strategy and strategic objectives are intended to apply to Shaftesbury PLC and its subsidiaries.
The strategy applies to UK Taxation as defined within the UK tax strategy legislation (see para 15, Sch 19 FA16).
1.2 Ownership and approval
The tax strategy is prepared and updated by the Finance Director, in conjunction with the finance team and is approved by the Board. Overall execution of the strategy is the responsibility of the Board, with day-to-day responsibility delegated to the Finance Director.
The strategy applies to all Shaftesbury staff that have a responsibility for tax. It is communicated to relevant stakeholders in the business.
It is reviewed and updated, as necessary, on an annual basis, taking into account changes to our structure or how we do business.
2 Tax strategy and strategic objectives
2.1 Strategy principles
The group invests in real estate (held for long term investment for rental return and capital appreciation) in London's West End. The group comprehensively manages its assets with a view to long-term sustainable rental growth and value creation. Tax is a consequence of the activities the group undertakes. The group pays its taxes within due dates.
2.2 Tax strategy and risk appetite
The group's tax strategy is compliance-based; its strategy is to account for tax on an accurate and timely basis.
The group's appetite for tax risk is low and we only structure our affairs based on sound commercial principles. We do not engage in planning schemes or arrangements that we consider could be perceived as being aggressive or artificial in nature. We maintain an open dialogue with HMRC with a view to identifying and solving issues promptly. Following a review by HMRC in 2016, Shaftesbury was designated a "Low Risk" taxpayer. It is our objective to maintain our "Low Risk" status with HMRC.
3 Governance/resources
The Group's governance and risk management framework, including the Board's appetite for risk, is set out in our Annual Report. Our tax operating model forms part of this framework and is delivered by the people we employ in the business that have responsibility for tax compliance. It is underpinned by accounting routines and a summary of our key tax risks with associated mitigating controls, which we monitor to ensure we remain tax-compliant.
Our compliance manual, which is given to all staff, compiles the Group's compliance policies, procedures and controls to ensure that we comply with the statutory and regulatory rules applicable to us. It includes our tax strategy.
3.1 Roles and responsibilities
The Finance Director has overall responsibility for the execution of the strategy. The Finance Director acts as Senior Accounting Officer (SAO) and as part of this role must submit an annual certificate to HMRC stating that the group has appropriate tax accounting arrangements.
On a day-to-day basis, preparation of information and returns, and payments of tax are dealt with by the finance team.
3.2 Risk identification and reporting
Tax risks are documented in a risk register.
Risk and internal controls are reviewed regularly and are reported as part of overall reporting on risk and controls to the Audit Committee and the Board. Tax risks are included in the risk register.
Items to be reported to the Board by the Finance Director:
- Significant tax risks
- Changes in legislation which are likely to have a material impact on the Group
- Significant transactions which are undertaken to support the commercial activity and have a significant tax impact. In the main, this relates to acquisitions, developments and disposals where there is already a formal reporting process to the Board by the surveyor responsible for the property in question, which includes input on tax matters from the Finance Director.
3.3 Training
The members of the finance team responsible for accounting for tax are encouraged to undertake relevant training.
3.4 Use of professional advisors
To the extent required, appropriate professional advice is sought in respect of day to day compliance and, inter alia, the items noted in 3.2 above.
3.5 Change management
Changes to tax legislation which affect the group are discussed with the group's tax advisors on an ongoing basis. These are then considered in the risks review noted in 3.2 above.
3.6 Document retention
Records and documents used to prepare tax returns will be retained for at least the period required by the Finance Act (generally 6 years from the end of the accounting period).
Date: 22 November 2018


text: Juniors will be meeting with Mrs. Kohler today 6th period in Mrs. Beal's room. Please bring a pencil with you.Tickets for the musical Oklahoma are on sale, for the Thursday, March 7th and Saturday, March 9th performances. Tickets are $6 for adults and $5 for students. The musical will only be presented these two nights. Tickets for the boys' tournament game this Friday, March 8th are on sale for $6 in the office during school hours. Tickets will be $7 at the door.Applications are now available for pickup for Juniors and Seniors to apply to be a camp counselor for the 6th grade Camp Willson field trip. Applications can be picked up in Mrs. Kipker's room, Mrs. Meyer's room or the main office. The sign-ups for interviews can be found in the office with Ms. Tussing. Camp dates are April 29th- May 1st. Applications are due on Friday, March 15th. See Mrs. Meyer or Mrs. Kipker with any questions.The registration deadline for the April 13th ACT test is Friday, March 8th. Registration material can be found on the bulletin board outside of Mr. Reese's office.


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I found this project that I am putting under frames, but in the end the association of frames creates actually modules of rooms.
The architects worked with the idea of creating a project that could be compostional, openly designed, avoiding them monotony and that the addition of modules could create a shelter for living. The architects have focused on this compostional flexibility, to be easy to build and that it requires low maintenance.
In order to achieve so they have designed a module of concrete rings of 5*3*1 and 15cm thickness of material. These modules allow the user to assemble them according to the needs that they have and providing a compositional flexibility. The module allows yo house up to 7 people with 2 heights. In order to do so special modules of staircase have been created (its therefore a kind of plug in structure)
I found very appealing this project because it aims to break the monotony that often shelters create when implemented on site, but it is clearly a definitive solution since the project does not have a recycling strategy whatsoever so it from that point of view its not at all a good project.
jueves, 11 de abril de 2013
A house in Luanda
1 comentario:
In fact, I agree with you that this is a modular system instead of frame system (I have changed the labels ;)ResponderEliminar
The concept is quite interesting anyway because of its flexibility. Nowadays is quite difficult to find examples like this made out of concrete. It is more usual to build them with steel or timber because they are lighter materials and they allow a reversible way of assembly.
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You can call me gullible, but I can understand how the TV contestants on Space Cadets feel. I fell foul of a similar scam in the Finnish resort of Ruka last winter.
It was exciting enough, being in the vast silent snowscape of the remote Kuusamo region, where peace and ice undulate into the white distance towards the Arctic Circle for thousands of miles beneath streaky, neon sunlight. But when I was informed that I could take a late-night snowmobiling journey to Russia, I could barely contain myself.
We were to depart after sundown, and a long line of us, each with our own clunky, noisy, ozone-ravaging vehicle, would rev and rumble across eerie snowfields for three hours to reach the border, where we would face passport control. Anticipation hung icily in the sub-zero air as we straddled our rides, luminous balaclavas pulled down, helmets on, ski-suits zipped, and thoughts of 'how the hell do you drive these things?' in our minds.
The environment was instilled with Narnia-esque magic; stars spread out above us in unfamiliar other-worldly abundance, flat white landscape, dotted only with the shadowy figures of trees, stretched into blackness. Eki, our guide, had a knife in his pocket to fend off wolves who were feeling a bit peckish.
Travel had never been so thrilling. Zipping and curving like pinballs down narrow tree-lined paths, I imagined the eyes of bears on my back and clenched my fists against frostbite. In the open we raced to hit the maximum 60mph, then looped around a field thick with deep snow, where my weakling arms couldn't hold the machine at the correct angle and I sank into the depths, requiring a team of four burly blokes to pull me back to the flats.
Finally, a tall fence came lurching out of the dark, and we pulled up in front of a small cabin. I felt nervous. According to the snowmobile guide, the border guards could be difficult; sometimes you had to bribe them, or you might be refused entry because they felt like it. Some of the group had brought cash and packets of fags as persuaders. Frowning and muttering, a fierce guard in army uniform marched over to the group and started rifling through our passports. He didn't look happy, and yelled at our guides who had supposedly arranged our visas. There was a problem, they translated - they might not let us all through. To reiterate the point, Sergeant Nasty started poking one of our group with his Kalashnikov, screeching and gesticulating wildly. Another three-hour ride back to Ruka seemed harrowingly likely, but our guides instigated an attitude U-turn and we were let through. The joy! We were in Russia! Not that you could really tell; the landscape was as flat and snowy as Finland, and the cosy wilderness lodge where we were to spend the evening was just as gorgeous and atmospheric as the luxurious log cabins in Ruka.
A fantastic traditional evening ensued, with a restorative dinner of traditional Russian borsht (beetroot soup), many shots of proper Russian vodka and hours spent in the outdoor saunas, where we heated up to such high temperatures we actually believed rolling naked in the snow was fun. I love Russia! To end the night in a traditional Russian manner, our guides made a speech.
'I hope you all have had a great time,' they said, 'and I have something to tell you. You're not really in Russia, you're still in Finland!'
Ha-ha-ha! I'd been had. The loopy driving around fields had been planned to confuse us - we had driven in circles, Sergeant Nasty was an actor, and the borsht was probably from Sainsbury's. To be duped so completely is a weird feeling. Oddly thrilling, but slightly deflating, and also annoying when I considered the hour I'd spent interviewing the staff about border-control policies.
I had unwittingly tested tour operator Inghams' new 'Russian Border Experience', and while normal tourists would book the activity knowing full well they weren't really going to Russia, the guides had felt it appropriate to con a gullible journalist who hadn't read the brochure.
But I couldn't feel disappointed for long. The pretty little ski resort of Ruka, a new destination for the winter holiday market, has a huge variety of snow-based activities and is a magical cosy village in a stunning wilderness.
The skiing and snowboarding is very varied for a small, low-altitude resort, and although advanced skiers won't find anything wildly challenging, there is some fun off-piste through the trees and plenty of powder when the snow is good, which, being so far north, it typically is.
The instructors are of supreme quality too, being fluent English-speakers with a wicked sense of humour. Apparently.
Snowshoeing here is better than in the Alps due to the lack of avalanche risk, which means it is largely unregulated so you are free to bounce and flump anywhere you please after taking a chairlift up to the upper mounds of the marshmallow hills.
One day I went on a husky dog-sledding trip on a nearby farm in Holtinniemi. Attempting to control the ferocious, dribbling beasts I paired up with another girl and we took turns to lie like a baby in a padded stretcher-like sleigh while the other stood behind, balancing on the break pedal, which neither of us was heavy enough to operate. Tearing across frozen lakes in this ancient mode of transport was truly exhilarating, and although I have a childish phobia of dogs, I even felt fond of the smelly fellas by the time we returned.
Reindeer-powered sledge rides to Santa were also available, but I preferred my Rudolph on a plate. In this remote part of the world, little survives, and what does must be eaten. Devoted zoologists could have done field work in my intestines, there was such a Noah's Ark of wildlife partying in there: grouse, ptarmigan, hare and 'squeaky cheese' with cream and cloudberry jam featured heavily. But reindeer was dish of the day more often than sausage and mash in gastro pubs: reindeer burgers, soups, hearts, minced reindeer, sauteed, steak ... it's only a matter of time before they introduce reindeer smoothies.
To burn off the calories every night we headed to Zone bar, which strongly encourages dancing on tables, to the extent that there are steadying bars drilled into the ceiling for you to hold on to. Karaoke is hugely popular too, but is run with military discipline. Each group is only allowed one turn an hour, and when we tried to fiddle the system by masquerading as Ruskies for a rendition of Rasputin - in Russian - we were promptly banned from the stage.
It wouldn't have happened in Russia. Not that I'd know.
Gemma Bowes travelled to Ruka with Inghams (020 8780 4433; www.inghams.co.uk) and stayed in the self-catering Ruka Log Cabins for four, from £296pp per week including flights to Kuusamo via Helsinki, and transfers. Husky safaris cost from £27 for adults. Snowmobiling is from £37 per adult.
This article contains affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission if a reader clicks through and makes a purchase. All our journalism is independent and is in no way influenced by any advertiser or commercial initiative. By clicking on an affiliate link, you accept that third-party cookies will be set. More information.


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A Blueprint For Continued SEO Success
Millions of people are talking about search engine optimization. Out of the many, only a few of them are gaining ground with true success.
Some are getting marginal assistance, but in the end, only those that follow through with a strategy that has been proven to work, are making things work for them.
If you are going to venture forth online and want to get noticed, you need to look at what works and what doesn't when it comes to the world of marketing.
It's with that in mind that you should consider the following blueprint for seo success. It could very well seem obvious for some, but for others, it will be the kick start that you need to gain market share throughout your site.
Content Diversity
The first thing that you need to work on is content. Whether you are going to do it all without any help or you are going to hire a professional to help you with this, make sure that you do not just rely on one type of content.
Updating pages with large text blocks, no headers, no images, or anything like that, you will lose out in the long term.
Making sure that your site has diverse content is a good thing, and will comply with search engine optimization protocol that will deliver traffic.
You can easily lose sight here, so make sure that you're taking the right elements and putting them in place for you. Without flooding your site with too much of the same thing, you can score major points.
Social Media Integration
Integrate your page with social media outbound and inbound links. Make sure that you are engaging your readers with this. You want to make sure that people share your content and link to the right pages.
Do so without fear of losing market share or ranking. You have to work with these pages if you want to get traffic at first, and over time, your links will mature within these pages and will create an incredible amount of market share.
Do not assume that this is something that you can go without. A great deal of companies have omitted the use of these pages, and they are losing a lot of the crowd that they need for ultimate success.
Professional Assistance
At one point or another, you have to call in a pro. It is just something that you will want to do if you want to succeed in the long term.
Without working on the relationship that you have with professionals and your own work, you will end up losing out straightway.
Professional seo companies abound today and they will be able to take on the goal of getting you traffic, links, and more.
If you can't build your own content, then let them do it for you, and seek out the help of those that have proven results. You'll see that there's a huge jump in quality by doing so.
Stay The Course
The number one tip that you can take away with you right now for seo success is to keep at it.
Most people want a quick fix, and they want traffic to flood their page within 24 hours. That's not how this works.
You can implement all the right elements, and you can gain a lot of backlinks, and still not see any sort of gains.
If you want to gain on competition, you have to stay the course for months on end. In some cases, you may have to implement these tips above for a year or more before you are a #1 ranked site online.
However, if you continue to work at it, and you do not give up, you will see amazing results with optimization and traffic, guaranteed.


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Some artwork (for any interested) the majority of these are characters, and will at some stage be featured on book covers. All of these I drew myself using Photoshop, they took a lot of time and effort, so I hope you enjoy. These are just my fave's though.
My full gallery (of really bad artwork) can be viewed by clicking the Deviantart link below.
Click the thumbnails to view the gallery of charaters:


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Halifax Seaport Beerfest
Atlantic Canada's largest gathering of Craft Beer, Imports & Cider! Breweries and agents representing over 110 producers will be on hand to sample and discuss over 300 unique products. Special pavilions from regions such as Maine, Ireland & - new for 2018 - Iceland highlight Craft Beer not normally found in NS. More than ever before, local brews will be on display with dozens of East Coast producers showing how great local can taste. Now in its 12th year, this is one of Halifax's top summer festivals and an event not to be missed.


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Do you need to whiten your teeth? People who drink a lot of coffee and tea, as well as smokers, often find that their teeth develop stains and discolorations. Whether you have stains to fight or just want an overall whiter smile, this article can give you handy advice and point you towards a whitening strategy that will work for you.
If you are looking for a natural way to whiten your teeth, use fresh lemons. Just rub a cut lemon on your teeth each day for a brighter smile in no time. This method of whitening teeth is fast, economical and easy. The lemon peel method is not only effective, but it lets you avoid the harsh chemicals that commercial whitening products contain.
You can go to your dentist to have laser tooth whitening done. This is one of the most rapid ways to achieve the look that you desire with minimal effort. A bleaching solution is brushed on your teeth, and they are hit with a laser beam. This treatment lightens teeth approximately six shades and very quickly at that.
You should always have dental repairs, such as cavities or gum disease treated before you embark on a tooth whitening treatment. When it comes to whitening your teeth, you must take extra care if you have dental problems. Consult your dentist before starting any whitening of the teeth program to make sure whitening your teeth is healthy and safe for you.
Natural Teeth
When you're thinking of whitening your teeth, remember that whitening only works for natural teeth. Artificial surfaces will not be affected by whitening teeth agents. In addition to dental crowns, you must consider implants, veneers and even some fillings. If you have artificial surfaces in your mouth and attempt teeth whitening, the natural teeth will whiten, while the other surfaces will not.
Fruit are also great teeth whiteners. For example, fresh oranges and strawberries can create a brighter smile. Make a paste of mashed strawberries and leave that paste on the teeth for about five minutes for whiter teeth. You can simply rub a orange peel on your teeth to whiten them.
Try to include natural foods, like vegetables and fruits, into your diet. Many fast food products and processed foods promote the growth of cavities and can actually discolor your teeth. These foods should be enjoyed only in moderation if you wish to keep a healthy smile. Snacking all the time can also cause problems with your teeth, so avoid it if possible.
While mouthwashes are effective for removing germs and food particles from your mouth, some formulations may actually stain your teeth. To avoid discoloration find a clear or light colored mouthwash that is mild in flavor.
10 Minutes
Use organic coconut oil for natural whitening teeth. For noticeably whiter teeth, try rinsing with coconut oil for at least 10 minutes every day. It takes around 10 minutes, you can then spit it out and brush like you normally would. It only takes three days or so to see results.
Avoid beverages that can leave stains on your teeth if you want them to be white and bright. Some of the drinks that fall into this category are soda pop, coffee and traditional tea. Alternately sipping water with these drinks is an effective way to reduce your risk.
Whether your teeth have discolorations or you are just hoping to lighten your teeth a few shades, this article is filled with valuable information that can help you reach your goals. Choose the tips that will make you smile.


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To Dauphin Island! | My new trip on Roadtrippers.com!
We are gearing up for another beach trip with the Airstream! The midwest is nice, but there is something that lifts your spirit at seeing the ocean. streamer_a is taking an official week off from work. I know Alfred is ready for some rolling in the sand. Happy Labor Day weekend to everyone!
– Julie, Pomona State Park, Vassar KS


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About Cartographica Neerlandica
are a firm of about 25 years old, specialising in maps from the second half of
the sixteenth century from the
We at Cartographica Neerlandica do not issue catalogues. Catalogues are very expensive to make, soon outdated when items from it are sold, and never as informative on the item that you are specifically interested in as you would wish it to be. If a catalogue has some photographs, they seldom show your item of interest. Our entire stock is on our website. All maps have a 200 word description in html. All maps also have a JPEG picture. All these maps are on medium resolution JPEG-photographs for quick downloading. We have now introduced "hires" images as well, which show more detail but take more time to download since they are typically 4 MB each.
Of most Ortelius maps we have multiple copies in stock. This means we offer a unique choice, catering for every individual taste concerning colour preference, quality and price.For comments or questions concerning this page, please send an email to email@example.com.


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New Year
Thanks to everyone that has made 2017 an amazing and exciting year for JSEcoin. The project has grown to now having 48,000 users and our code is installed on over 10,000 publisher websites bringing in more than ten to fifteen million mining impressions each day. The continued growth in the user base is particularly encouraging…
Read more
JSE Admin January 1, 2018 0


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There is no such thing as a "typical" CERT class – but some classes are more atypical than others. The usual CERT program encompasses a wide range of demographics. It can include a variety of ages from 18 to 70-plus, an assortment of occupations from students to housewives to clergy and top level managers, and a wide range of physical abilities and disabilities. There are many individual reasons for wanting to learn about CERT, but everyone shares a common trait – they are voluntarily giving their free time to learn how to take care of themselves and other community members in the event an emergency overwhelms the first responders.
Teaching CERT to a group of Denver School of Nursing (DSN) students breaks new ground, however. DSN is an acclaimed private school of nursing advertising small class sizes and one-on-one teaching. In late 2011 the administration decided to add a mandatory disaster drill program to the leadership training curriculum and asked O.M.E.G.A. to teach CERT classes for the school's students. The first class was held in early spring and a second one was offered in late spring. Class participants would be sixth semester students nearing the end of their nursing education and needed the CERT course credit to graduate. This presented a challenge to the CERT teaching staff – how should the students be held accountable for their program performance? How should the instructors teach a classroom of students who don't necessarily want to be there? In a "standard" CERT environment, the participants voluntarily attend class and generally have high individual expectations for learning, and give their best effort in the classroom and practical exercise. With the DSN program, sitting through class and showing up at the exercise would earn the needed credits. Could the standard program successfully fit their needs?
Class room experience:
Early Spring Session:
The early spring program was an abbreviated course taught on two consecutive Saturdays in February, with the practical exercise taking place on Sunday, February 19. Student behavior during class room presentations confirmed fears of the teaching staff – minimal interest at best, and complete disinterest at worse. Observing the class from the back of the room found that many students surfed the web, completed homework for other subjects, texted on cell phones, or just slept. It appeared that the students wanted to be anywhere but in classroom! The lone exception was the unit on triage.
The CERT program contains two units on disaster medical and the typical instructor would think that nursing students should know as much as, or more than, the CERT curriculum. However, this class of students indicated a strong interest in field triage, as opposed to clinical or hospital triage. When told that emergency triage should take no more than two minutes, and could be done in as little as thirty seconds, they acted surprised. They realized that functioning in a disaster emergency without the benefit of a majority of supplies and equipment found in a hospital environment was completely outside their regular studies. Upon completion of class time, the students were anxious to begin the practical exercise.
Late Spring Session:
The late spring program was taught over a period of eight weeks with the practical exercise taking place on May 19. Although mandatory class attendance was again declared by DSN administration, a scheduling conflict with other required courses resulted in many of the students missing one or more units. Only six of the thirty-one students enrolled for the course attended every class. And, as previously mentioned, the spotty attendance was compounded by the lack of student accountability for learning the course material.
The lack of attendance created a dilemma for the program instructors as they attempted to comply with program regulations. The Department of Homeland Security, administrators of the national CERT program acting through the Citizens Corps, requires participants to have twenty-four hours of classroom instruction and a practical exercise. In addition, every slide of each PowerPoint presentation, one for each unit, must be viewed by all participants. These rules ensure that course material has been taught per program guidelines, limiting liability to instructors. To verify that participants read the course material, it was decided to review and test all participants who missed any class time. Ultimately, test scores confirmed the students understood the material well enough to pass with excellent scores. Once again, they looked forward to the practical exercise.
Practical exercise:
Early Spring Class-2012:
The O.M.E.G.A. training staff was skeptical of student's performance for the upcoming practical as they generally appeared disinterested in the classroom. To the contrary, however, the practical went very well – almost too well!
Exact numbers of role players and CERT student-responders are not available, but there appeared to be at least a 2-to-1 ratio of role players to responders. For lack of a better venue, the DSN building was chosen for the exercise site. The exercise planners noted that the building has an unusual floor plan, utilizing an isolated mezzanine layout and incorporating a mock-up of a hospital ward, and believed that the responders would struggle with the search-and-rescue aspects of the exercise. However, the student-responders pulled a surprise on the own.
Although they appeared to be lackadaisical in their approach to classroom learning, they had met the night before the exercise to develop a general plan for who would assume duties of division chiefs. Creation of their Incident Command structure was aided by a student volunteering to be the Incident Commander. The remainder of the command staff was in place and ready to proceed. A critical factor working in student-responders favor was an intimate knowledge of the building, including the building's unique floor plan and the location of unusual nooks and crannies. Rather than struggling with the building search, they excelled at finding the quickest routes and knew where to look for hidden victims. The superior performance of the search and rescue portion was balanced by near chaos in the medical area as the number of victims quickly overwhelmed the medical staff. Overall, their performance matched that of most graduating CERT classes – rough around the edges but basically well done.
With the student-responders knowledge of the building, and their planning the night before, the practical finished in less than two hours. Although the usual difficulties associated with practical exercises were encountered – not separating Incident Command from Operations and Medical, lack of properly identifying search areas and results, lack of communication and documentation in all areas – they located and extricated all victims. Due to the rapid conclusion of the first drill, the instructors decided to run another simulation but with a twist to challenge the student-responders. For the second drill, the two stairways onto the mezzanine were blocked off and screaming victims placed in full view. The blocked stairways were the only means of access to the mezzanine forcing the responders to devise alternative plans. Coming off a successful first drill and believing they could handle any situation, the student-responders were motivated to help the victims but were prevented by the blocked stairways. Within a fairly short time, however, they arrived at an "outside-the-box" solution using a construction ladder located at the back of the building and fabricating an escape route for the victims. Once again, all the victims were rescued.
Late Spring Class-2012:
Based on experience with the practical for the early spring program, the O.M.E.G.A. staff knew a change was needed for the late spring practical. Ideally, relocating the drill to another site would remove the student's advantage of familiarity with the building. However, numerous attempts to find an off-site location for the drill were unsuccessful. The DSN location would have to be used again, but fictional hazards would be placed throughout the building to counteract the student's knowledge of the floor plan. The hazards included flooded areas, small and large fires, live electrical wires, downed electrical wires that were not arcing, a bad smell to simulate gas leaks, and a leaking propane tank. In addition, the mezzanine stairways were partially blocked, the main stairways connecting all floors were also partially blocked to prevent unimpeded passage from basement to rooftop, and all electricity was ruled out of service. The result was a much more difficult structure in which to search!
Although fewer role players were used for this drill, a nearly 2-to-1 ratio of role player to responder was maintained. Total participant numbers for this drill were:
Role players – 56
CERT Responders – 31
OMEGA Staff – 6
Support Staff – 1
DSN Staff – 3
Total – 97
The large number of participants gave a realistic feel to the drill. Several role players were positioned in isolated areas, while others roamed the building looking for companions. In addition, a handful of media reporters were simulated by role players and were instructed to pester the student-responders at every opportunity. In addition, this drill utilized stuffed animals to simulate household pets. Three stuffed dogs and two stuffed cats were placed throughout the exercise site and were tagged with various scenarios for student-responders to consider.
Once the exercise began, it was apparent that this group of students did not communicate with each other as well as those in the early spring exercise. This group was not nearly as organized and did not work together as well. The Incident Commander was selected by O.M.E.G.A. staff and performed a credible job, although she had difficulty communicating with others and didn't exhibit superior leadership skills.
Search of the building was noticeably more difficult in this drill. The student-responders struggled at first with victim rescue due to blocked stairwells and strategically placed hazards. Eventually, however, they came together and performed well. In one case, a victim staged behind hazard boundaries was rescued by voice triage. By working together, a group of student-responders convinced her to crawl to a location where straps from a backpack could be used to pull the victim to safety – an excellent example of team work and thinking outside-the-box.
In appraising both practical exercises, the DSN students' performance generally mirrored those of standard CERT classes. Most fundamentals learned in the classroom are ignored when the pace of the exercise increases, but are usually recalled as the drill progresses. As with most practical exercises, communication between responders was spotty, but improved over time. Some aspects of CERT training, such as marking doorways to indicate search results, are seldom utilized and may require increased training to imprint. Although the DSN students are training professionally in a field of medicine, they were unprepared for the rudimentary level of medicine in a disaster drill. The CERT course demonstrates that disasters and emergencies can occur anytime and anyplace, outside the reach of modern medicine, and responders must be self-reliant to be most effective.
Training staff techniques require modification for future DSN programs or for any program where attendance is mandatory. Classroom planning should include greater engagement of the participants in either discussion groups or small group exercises. In addition, satisfactorily passing the program test should also be required.


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English Summer Reading Requirement 2014.english.summerreading
2014 English Summer Reading Requirements
High School Summer Math Requirements
Please click the links for the classes completed in the 2013-2014 school year: Algebra I 2014 Summer Math Completing Algebra 1 Algebra II 2014 Summer Math Completing Algebra 2 Geometry 2014 Summer Math Completing Geometry Please click the links for the classes entering in the 2014-2015 school year: Statistics 2014 Summer Math Entering Statistics College Math 2014 Summer Math […]
Middle School Daily – June 3, 2014
Tuesday – Exam Schedule – 11:30 Dismissal – Jeans Day Wednesday – Summer Begins Teachers please check lockers and make sure they are empty. Students will leave for their test at 8:10 Double check the lost and found today before you leave Eagles News and Events
Middle/High School November Lunch Menu
Attached is the lunch menu for November for high school and middle school. 2013.nov.menu
October Lunch Menu
Click here for the High School October Menu 2013.Oct.Lunchmenu
High School Weekly for 9/16/13
High School Weekly link 2013.weekly.9.13
September High School Lunch Menu
The menu is attached here 2013.Sept.lunchmenu
Mandatory Summer Math Enrichment for High School
Dear Parents, In efforts to encourage continued learning, and further develop mastery in various subject areas, we require students to complete a summer enrichment experience. Two examples of such experiences have been the summer reading assignment and summer math packets. This year we have made a few improvements to these assignments to ensure that students […]
Mandatory Summer Reading for High School
Please see the attached Summer Reading list for High School Summer Reading List, 2013 Click here for a PDF of the Odyssey Booklet Odyssey (10th Graders for the 2013.2014 School Year)
HS Exam Schedule
Exams are next week…make sure you are here and know where to report. Please click here for the Final Exam Schedule for June 2013 Have a safe, restful Summer!