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On this day in 1951, novelist Charlaine Harris, creator of the best-selling Sookie Stackhouse series, about a telepathic barmaid and a group of vampires and other supernatural creatures in small-town Louisiana, is born in Mississippi.
Harris, who was raised in Tunica, Mississippi, graduated from Rhodes College in Tennessee in 1973 with a degree in English. Afterward, she worked various jobs as a typesetter before publishing her first novel, "Sweet and Deadly," in 1981. The book, a traditional mystery set in a small Southern town, was a modest commercial success, as were the two series of novels Harris went on to launch: Aurora Teagarden, about a spunky, crime-solving librarian, and Lily Bard, about a cleaning lady with a complicated past who investigates murders.
Harris's breakout success—the Sookie Stackhouse novels (also known as the Southern Vampire series)—came when she grew tired of writing conventional mysteries and moved into the paranormal world. Following multiple rejections from publishers, she sold her first Stackhouse book, "Dead Until Dark," which debuted in 2001. "Dead Until Dark," along with the other novels in the series, is narrated by the mind-reading Stackhouse and set in Bon Temps, Louisiana, a fictional rural town populated by humans, vampires (who drink synthetic blood), shape-shifters and witches, among others. The Arkansas-based Harris has published more than 10 Stackhouse novels, all of which combine elements of the mystery, fantasy and romance genres, and have "Dead" in the title, including "Club Dead," (2003) "From Dead to Worse," (2008) and "Dead in the Family" (2010). The books inspired HBO's popular "True Blood" TV series, which premiered in 2008.
In 2005, Harris debuted a new mystery series about a young woman named Harper Connelly who as a result of being struck by lightning can locate dead people and hear their final thoughts. Harris' varied cast of characters has earned her a widespread following, and in May 2011 she became the fourth author ever to sell 1 million e-books for the Amazon Kindle e-reader, after Steig Larsson, James Patterson and Nora Roberts.
Also on This Day
- Lead Story
- Mousetrap opens in London, 1952
- American Revolution
- Last British soldiers leave New York, 1783
- Automotive
- Lacey V. Murrow Memorial Bridge sinks to the bottom of Lake Washington, 1990
- Civil War
- Yankees rout Rebels at the Battle of Missionary Ridge, 1863
- Cold War
- London Council of Foreign Ministers meeting begins, 1947
- Crime
- International day to eliminate violence against women, 1999
- Disaster
- Storm of the century hits eastern U.S., 1950
- General Interest
- Last British soldiers leave New York, 1783
- JFK buried at Arlington National Cemetery, 1963
- Mishima commits ritual suicide, 1970
- Iran-Contra connection revealed, 1986
- Hollywood
- Agatha Christie's long-running play The Mousetrap opens, 1952
- Literary
- Nathanael West flunks out of Tufts, 1921
- Charlaine Harris, author of Sookie Stackhouse books, is born, 1951
- Music
- Singer-songwriter Nick Drake dies, 1974
- Old West
- U.S. Army retaliates for the Little Bighorn massacre, 1876
- Presidential
- Kennedy laid to rest at Arlington, 1963
- Sports
- Sugar Ray takes his title back, 1980
- Vietnam War
- Catholic official reports support provided to North Vietnam, 1967
- Communist activity increases along Cambodian border, 1969
- World War I
- German commander in East Africa surrenders , 1918
- World War II
- A "war warning" is sent to commanders in the Pacific, 1941
Nov 25, 1951:
Charlaine Harris, author of Sookie Stackhouse books, is born
Fact Check We strive for accuracy and fairness. But if you see something that doesn't look right, contact us!
This Week in History, Nov 25 - Dec 1
- Nov 25, 1921
- Nathanael West flunks out of Tufts
- Nov 25, 1951
- Charlaine Harris, author of Sookie Stackhouse books, is born
- Nov 26, 1862
- Alice in Wonderland manuscript is sent as a Christmas present
- Nov 27, 1786
- Robert Burns postpones emigration to Jamaica
- Nov 28, 1582
- William Shakespeare marries Anne Hathaway
- Nov 29, 1943
- Sue Miller is born
- Nov 30, 1835
- Mark Twain is born
- Dec 01, 1830
- Due date for Victor Hugo
What Happened on Your Birthday?
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On This Day
Read about notable birthdays and celebrity deaths at On This Day.


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Anyone tried it? I think the flavor and aroma of Lychee would go really well with a mead. Need to get on the ball about it before lychee season is officially over here in S. Florida. Looking for some tips on quantity and wether to de-nut the fruit before using.
hmmm. Sounds interesting... I have no advice other than that!
Just from the fruit itself I can imagine that you would need a lot of lychees to get the flavour, especially in the secondary. I could imagine lychee going well with lavender if the lavender wasn't too overpowering. Might want to try searching for a recipe on gotmead.com.
Never done it, but it sounds like it would be good. One of my favorite bars does infused rums and one of them is actually honey-lychee, dee-lish, a semi-sweet lychee melomel would probably be just as wonderful, with the added advantage of being able to consume more of it before getting too buzzed to enjoy it. I would probably peel the fruit and remove the seeds, then dice them and freeze and thaw before adding. I don't know what sort of volume you would want though, likely a sizeable amount. Good luck! Keep us posted!
If you use fresh lychee remove the seed. I think lychee taste too good to be used to flavor mead. But the more I think about it the more I think it could be a good mix of flavors. I think I'll buy some canned lychee and mix some of the syrup in a glass of mead.
- from Half Asleep in Frog Pajamas
I wouldn't want to have to peel all those lychees myself...
I made a one gallon batch. I peeled the fruit and took out the seed. It tastes kind of like perfume. It isn't bad, but I'll never make it again. There's much better recipes I'd rather make.

subset: commoncrawl


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The "Pleasantville Effect"
The other day I was doing some editing for fun and I decided to isolate a single color to make the scene look a little more...dramatic and artsy. However, I kind of forgot how to do it! I learned it awhile back and hadn't really needed to use that particular effect in anything I've done recently so it slipped my mind. I went searching with Google and found a VERY helpful article. I remembered that I needed to use the color-correction 3-way tool but I couldn't recall what needed to be done after that. So the article about creating the "Pleasantville Effect" served as a reminder! Google is an incredible tool! Never be afraid to use it!
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a social networking site like
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Ma.gnolia. That would be awesome, thanks!


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So apparently it's not all bad for Khloe. She may be losing a husband, but a new report claims that she will NOT be giving up her massive engagement ring.
Khloe Kardashian's split from Lamar Odom may be "torture to her soul" but hey, at least it won't be hurting her bank account. In fact Khloe, who filed for divorce from Lamar on Dec 13, is reportedly walking away with more money — in the form of her super-sized sparkler.
Khloe Kardashian Will Keep Her $850,000 Engagement Ring
Khloe and Lamar signed an iron-clad prenup before their 2009 wedding that kept their assets totally separate, so they wouldn't have to fight over their finances if a situation like this arose. But Khloe still made some special requests.
As we explained when we broke down Khloe's divorce documents, the reality star asked the courts to protect her jewelry that she had received as gifts from Lamar, and her request was granted, according to Us Weekly! Khloe is going to manage to hang onto all of her bling — including the 12.5 carat radiant-cut engagement ring that Lamar gave her when he proposed.
We sure don't blame Khloe for fighting for her rocks. And considering what Lamar put her through with his alleged drug use and infidelities, we think it's only right she get to hang onto her diamonds.
So HollywoodLifers, now that Khloe has won control of her engagement rock, what do you think she should do with it? Should she hang onto it, sell it, or just throw it away? Let us know!
More Khloe Kardashian & Lamar Odom Divorce News:
- Khloe Kardashian Divorcing Lamar Odom? — Divorce Papers To Be Filed
- Khloe Kardashian & Lamar Odom Divorce — She Realized Their Marriage Was A Lie
- Khloe Kardashian Filing For Divorce Now Because She Wants To Be A Mom
View Comment
Posted at 12:06 AM on December 24, 2013
Posted at 12:05 AM on December 24, 2013
Hate whores
Posted at 3:19 AM on December 20, 2013
Remember khloe and mama dearest are the ones who threw lamar under the bus first of all and now she wants to collect for damages so sad. Khloe always had knowledge of lamar's issues the whole time, while being married to him so funny now looking back on how she attacked kris Humphries, khloe is a fraud. How?, well think about it her paradise marriage was not at all a paradise marriage ok, khloe lied about about everything on national tv on their reality show. Bashing kris Humphries on the reality show (god has exposed her for who she is and the truth only truth will set a person free. Now she is trying to be this saint which she is not at all, believe me there is so much more that went on behind closed doors with khloe and lamar the world will never know ok. lamar just got tired of it and wanted out but was stuck in an situation he could not get out he distant himself from his children so sad for sake of being with khloe and her low esteem of being jealous of his children mother how sad. Lamar was locked in a contract for so many years(only an opinion),and became depressed but never at one time did he ever throw khloe under the bus at all. Lamar is aware of all the SECRETS of what goes on in this wicked evil family and never has ever attacked any of them up until he decided to do the one video. No one really knows the truth about what went on behind closed doors but lamar and khloe/kardashian clan ok. Khloe never loved lamar all like that it was all for the reality show and to stay revelent it was a marriage contract with a heavy prenup attached which all will be aired on the reality show (disgusting). I still find it so strange how khloe still thinks she is the innocent one in this wicked evil drama, she and kris jenner, went on national tv (Kris talk show which was a WRAP big time)and exploited how she/they faked orgasims with her husband/husbands. Now tell me what other celeb wife/wives would put their husbands on blast like that so sick right. America could careless but what was more disturbing was khloe younger sisters were sitting with guest and the expressions on their faces said it all. DISGUSTING. Think out of the box. Khloe is not having heart ache, she is counting her billions she is going to try to collect off of lamar how cold is that to have 10 million life policy on lamar (crazy is all about money). khloe wants to stay revelent to keep her money flow coming in nothing more. So soon filing paper and news she is banging other men is no news at all I am quite sure khloe has been quite busy for a long time with her side kicks. Khloe has always stated that she was a freak in the bedroom all I could say WOW. Disgusting.Oh well it is what it is her business.Sorry for the long comment,and no I do not have to much time on my hands,remember it is only an opinion nothing more. I do wish the BEST to Lamar and Khloe.


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If there's one thing the Formula One paddock loves, its a challenge, and the inaugural India race is set to be one of the biggest challenges of the season. Newly built, the Buddh International Circuit is a real unknown quantity. And while all will have studied the circuit map and sampled it on a simulator, they are yet to experience the New Delhi track for real. The drivers and team personnel reveal their preparations...
Fernando Alonso, Ferrari
I am very excited to be here, a new circuit is a new challenge from a drivers point of view. This circuit looks very interesting, especially the last sector, which is very different and quick, allowing for good flowing speed to be used. Normally, with a new track, we find the real thing is better than the simulator. I hope we get a good first impression in tomorrows practice. It is also my first time in India and it is always nice to discover a new country and to see Formula One in a new culture for a new audience. Hopefully, we can put on a good show for them on Sunday.
Felipe Massa, Ferrari
In the preparation for the Grand Prix of India, I spent a day on the simulator to get a general impression of the track and Ive also got the latest version of the 2011 Formula One computer game that features this circuit, which means I at least have a feel for it and know where the corners are. First impressions are that it is a nice track and it has some similarities to the last venue in Yeongam, in that it has a long straight and many different types of corner from very fast to very slow hairpins with several changes of gradient too. However, thats where comparisons to Korea end as it should be much hotter this weekend and also because we will run the soft and hard tyres from Pirelli, historically not the ideal choice for the 150° Italia. I hope that we have made some progress in this area and that we can get a good result. Like I said, it will be my first time in India and I love discovering new places, so I am convinced it will be a very interesting week. The Indian people love sport and I am sure there will be a lot of local interest in the Grand Prix, in Formula One and in racing in general. I have enjoyed spending a few days here in Sao Paolo with my family, relaxing and training, but now I am keen to get going again, to discover a new circuit and to see if I can secure a good result with just three races left to go this year.
Charlie Whiting, FIA race director
Its new territory here, so to a great extent we dont know what to expect, which makes things exciting. Having said that, we do know that the circuit will be fast and that its been built to the very highest standards. It looks like being an excellent race and we have two DRS zones, with two activation points on the circuit, which should make it quite interesting. Were also confident that everything is well under control with regard to marshalling. The marshals here have had a period of intensive training for the last year and this year there will be between 160-170 marshals from the Bahrain GP who will be fulfilling their usual tasks as well as providing a mentoring role for the local marshals. The clerk of the course is also a Bahraini and he will have an Indian deputy, who we hope next year will be clerk of the course proper. The training and support will continue over the next two years with the aim of the local marshals being completely self-sufficient in time for the third Indian GP. Access to the race should be helped by the motorway access road that should be open in time for the race.
Bruno Senna, Renault
India will be a complete voyage into the unknown, as no one has ever raced there before. We do not yet know how the car is likely to perform, though looking at the track layout it should suit us quite well, and we can expect to be up amongst the mix in the top 10; although we need to remain careful at this stage. From the maps I have seen, it looks to be a fast, flowing track that suits my style of driving so I am looking forward to racing there. It will be a test of who learns fastest. I think that whichever teams can extract the maximum from their cars in the short period of time that we are there will benefit most.
(Indias) a country that loves its sport, and we have seen new sports events take place there recently such as the Commonwealth Games; Ive no doubt it will be an interesting Grand Prix, with a completely different culture from anything I have seen before and I think Karun Chandhok is going to show me around - its always good to have a local as your guide so Im enthusiastic to get out there.
Vitaly Petrov, Renault
It will be quite challenging for the teams and drivers because it is a new track where no-one has raced before. That was the same story in Korea two years ago so I know its quite a tricky scenario. I have prepared in many ways and racing in India will be a refreshing challenge. As a new circuit, it is a level playing field for everyone.
It is a good challenge for drivers as you never know what to expect. Sometimes the car will be very good straight out of the box, sometimes not, so its difficult to know what will happen until you complete your first laps. When I saw the layout of the circuit I said it would be quite difficult, but for the last two races we have shown good performance even if we didnt always achieve the results we were capable of.
We will arrive a little earlier than we would for a circuit we already know. Regrettably, I am starting with a five position penalty, due to the incident with Michael (Schumacher) in Korea, so I will have to be right at the top of my game.
Eric Boullier, Renault team principal
With an Indian Formula One team and an Indian driver - in Karun Chandhok - in the sport, a race was always the next logical step. It is a big country; a promising, powerful nation that is at the forefront of a lot of global activity. India is also a country that loves its sport. It is definitely a good thing to have a Formula One race in a new, emerging world economy, and for this sport to consider itself global it is important to bring the show to new territories. Taking F1 to India is a positive step for both the sport and the country. Im thoroughly looking forward to taking the team racing there.
We, the team principals, have been updated regularly about the facilities by Bernie (Ecclestone) himself. It is always difficult to judge by pictures alone, but it appears to be a very promising facility with a strong, suitable infrastructure and Im sure we will have a great event there. I, for one, am excited about it as it will be deviating from the F1 norm, and Ive little doubt it will be a great experience all round. Lets hope we can take a good result from the weekend too.
James Allison, Renault technical director
There are lots of tasks that can be well simulated prior to arriving at a brand new circuit. Conventional lap simulation can give us a good idea of items such as: optimal gear ratio selection, which rear wing to fit, what springs and ride heights to fit, fuel consumption, cooling levels, DRS effectiveness etc. Although much preparatory work has been done, there will remain several areas where the team can only really react once we start running in anger. For example: grip level of the tarmac, effect of track bumpiness on the optimal suspension setup, tyre degradation etc. To give you an example, a three-percent variation in the asphalt grip would lead to one-second difference on the lap time.
The track is a conventional downforce circuit with a decent array of cornering speeds and a sensible length main straight. At one level all tracks are sort of the same, with similar straights and corners. However, the real character of a track only really unfolds once you start to run on it. This track looks like it offers a range of challenges to the drivers and I am sure it will prove to be popular.
Adrian Sutil, Force India
Ive been with this team since the beginning and seen the progress we have made together, so its a proud moment to be starting the Indian Grand Prix with the only Indian team. Im sure sitting on the grid will feel a bit different and I will always remember this race. I think based on our recent performances we go to Delhi believing we can score points, and we need to do that to strengthen our position in the championship. We can dream of a podium, but we also have to be realistic. There should be massive support for the team and it would be the icing on the cake if we can give everybody a special result to celebrate.
Paul Di Resta, Force India
Obviously this is a massive race for us in a very special place. Its the first race for India, taking Formula One to a new culture, and a great opportunity for us to put on a great show for the fans. When you consider what Dr. Mallya has already done by creating an Indian team, this is the next step to really put Formula One on the map in India. We did a simulator session last week, but because its a brand new track there are still a lot of unknowns and question marks about the characteristics of the track. The layout looks interesting and the good thing for me is that its a new track for everyone to learn. Getting up to speed will be key and the grip will build up throughout the weekend, but as long as we find a good balance by Saturday we should be okay. We will go there and do our maximum. Obviously each race is important because the same number of points are on offer, but theres no denying that a strong result in the teams home race would feel special for all of us. So there will be a lot of attention on us, but we will go there ready to fight and grab some more points.
Dr Vijay Mallya, Force India chairman and team principal
I have been involved in motor racing for over 30 years and its one of my greatest passions. I brought the first Formula One car over to India in the 1980s and it was always a dream of mine to one day see this great nation host a Grand Prix. So this weekend is a very significant moment and Im extremely proud. Its a major step forward for Indian motorsport and for sport in general in our country. We are all looking forward to it immensely. This is a very important weekend for Force India and we are all determined to be as competitive as possible. I want to savour every moment of what will surely be one of the most spectacular events of the season and the start of a great Formula One tradition in India.
Heikki Kovalainen, Lotus
I think India is going to be a fascinating race, for us and F1 in general. I suspect we are going to be given an incredible welcome, and to be able to race on a brand new circuit is always an interesting challenge, so whatever happens in the race I think it will be a great week for the whole sport. After Singapore I went back to Europe to do a day in the simulator to get used to the track, and it looks cool. Theres the obvious overtaking zone at the end of the long straight and then a few pretty standard medium speed corners but I think the main challenge for us is going to be finding a balance that suits the demands of Turns 10 to T13, which is quick, and the haripins at Turn Three, Turn Four and Turn 16. We wont know anything about tyre degradation until we get out there, but whatever happens its going to be hot, probably a bit mad, but seriously good. I cant wait!
Jarno Trulli, Lotus
Ive obviously been to a lot of new circuits throughout my F1 career but Im looking forward to India more than most. Ill do my usual cycle around the track on Thursday and have a close look at the circuit, and when I get in the car Im usually up to speed within four or five laps. Well run similar downforce levels to the Korea / Suzuka spec and as we were genuinely competitive in the races at both those tracks I think well be ok in India. Im sure it will be another good race for us, and I think the whole weekend will be fascinating, for us and for the fans.
Karun Chandhok
I am very excited about driving at the new Buddh International Circuit in FP1 in front of my home crowd and while I am obviously disappointed that I wont have the chance to race on Sunday, I accept the teams decision to opt for the experience and talent they have at their disposal with Jarno and Heikki. This is a team that is still young, still growing, and I know that they have to do their best to secure their future in the sport - sometimes the hard decisions have to be made, and in this case it must have been a very difficult choice, but I understand that this isnt about me. Its about the team and everything the 254 people on track and back at the factory are doing to build for the future. For me, I believe that I have grown as a driver in and out of the car this year with my role in the Friday practice sessions and Im looking forward to playing my part in helping the team have another strong weekend on track.
Mike Gascoyne, Lotus chief technical officer
From a technical perspective the track looks like quite a few of the modern era F1 circuits, with a mix of high and medium speed corners and a long straight with a tight turn at the end at Turn Four, which I am sure will create decent overtaking opportunities. It looks like there will be multiple lines for the drivers to take into that corner, as well as into Turn Three leading onto the straight, so I think we will see a lot of action onto and out of that section. Turns 10, 11 and 12 also look like they present the drivers with a bit of a challenge - they combine to make a long right that will be hard on the front left tyre and in layout it is akin to Turn Eight in Turkey, but instead of being flat throughout it will need the drivers to go in hard on the throttle, come off the power into the first apex and then get back on through the middle section and out onto the run to Turn 13. The next couple of turns are a little fiddly, but we might also see some overtaking into the final corner, Turn 16, as it is a tight right leading onto the start finish straight after a pretty quick Turn 15 which leads straight into Turn 16. The tyres have probably been the single most important factor in upping the entertainment factor this season, but we will not know until Friday practice is completed just how they will perform in India. New tracks obviously lack basic grip until any meaningful running has been completed on them, and I am sure the Buddh circuit will be the same. Everyone up and down the pit lane will be in the same situation, so we will all be working hard on Friday to gather as much data as we can and give ourselves as good a shot at qualifying as we can, and at maintaining the race pace we showed in the last two Grands Prix. Whatever happens I am sure it will be a great weekend and one that will show the world just how well India can put on a global sporting spectacle.
Tony Fernandes, Lotus team principal
"I am very excited about the Indian Grand Prix and I would like to congratulate The Jaypee Group and everyone involved at the circuit for their hard work in creating what I am sure will be an incredible event. From the team perspective the key goal for us this weekend is to maintain the performance levels we saw in the last two races and while I am sure there will be fans in India who want to see Karun race for us on Sunday we had to make the best decision for the future of the team. While all the emotional reasons for him driving were right we were conscious that the limited running he has had in the car this season, largely due to the weather conditions that have hit most of his FP1 sessions, has not given him the best preparation for this race, so we have taken the very difficult decision not to run him in the race this weekend. It is absolutely vital that we secure tenth place in 2011 to give us the platform to keep growing and despite the fact that Karuns performance levels have continued to improve every time he has driven for us in 2011, it was considered too much pressure to put on Karun to drive in his first home race, deal with all the attention he would have had and be able to perform at the same level as either of our regular race drivers over the whole weekend. For that reason we had to take the pragmatic decision to put our faith in the experience and pace we have in Jarno and Heikki, and are confident they will continue to perform at the level they have over the last two years with us. While this is obviously not the decision Karun wanted us to take he understands that we have to take the long-term view and do so in the best interests of the team. He also understands that his relationship with our team is not about just one race, it is about growing together and while this is an historic event, there will be many opportunities to race in India in the future, and he is in the best possible place with us to take advantage of those chances in seasons to come.
Rubens Barrichello, Williams
"I have never been to India and as the circuit is new I have been preparing by playing my home simulator to get to know the track. I am very much looking forward to this race as it will be different to other weekends in terms of culture. I have always wanted to go to India, so this is a great opportunity for me to get to know the country as well as do what I love at the same time: drive a Formula One car."
Pastor Maldonado, Williams
"I think India will be really interesting for everyone. I haven't been before so I can't wait to get there. Going somewhere new and experiencing new things is always exciting. That's one of the great benefits of Formula One - it takes you to places you may never have visited before! The circuit itself looks good and it will be new for all the drivers. For once we will all be starting from scratch! I was at the factory last week working with my engineers in the simulator so I feel as ready as I can be."
Mark Gillan, Williams chief operations engineer
"The whole team is looking forward to heading out to the Buddh International Circuit for the first time this week. The simulations of the new track indicate a high downforce and medium braking severity track, which should also be reasonably hard on the tyres. Despite our preparations there are still a few uncertainties, such as what the actual tyre grip will be and how the track will evolve throughout the weekend. We should see over a one second lap time delta between the two tyre choices for this race, namely the soft and hard tyres, with the soft being quicker. We are also expecting dry weather throughout the weekend, with ambient temperatures in the mid-20s Celsius to low 30s and track temperatures up in the low 40s."
Timo Glock, Virgin
"I always enjoy the challenge of a new circuit and this is certainly true of India, which promises to be a very exciting racing and cultural experience - a real journey into the unknown. A new race is always a big challenge for the whole team but at the same time it's always very exciting to get to know a new country and drive at a new track. There are always some big unknowns but this time it's the same for everyone, so what we have to do is focus hard on finding the right set-up for the weekend.
"I'm really looking forward to discovering this new circuit - it looks like an exciting one, as it will have one of the highest average speeds in Formula One and there are a couple of challenging corners and good overtaking opportunities.
"We are getting to the end of the season and we continue to push to get the most out of the car and to take forward valuable lessons and information for next year."
Jerome D'Ambrosio, Virgin
"As a rookie this year I have had to compete at tracks that other drivers already knew very well, but this time we all arrive in India with none of us having driven here yet, so it will equal things a bit for me. This is going to be my first time in India and I'm really looking forward to it. It's a very different cultural experience which I've always wanted to sample, so I'm really excited about the race weekend ahead.
"What is also good about this is that the track is going to be a new one for everyone - it will equal things a bit. I have also had time to see the new layout and it looks really exciting! I hope to get to grips with the track quickly and, as always, I will aim for a positive result for myself and the team here in India."
John Booth, Virgin team principal
"We are all incredibly excited to be heading to New Delhi for the first Indian Grand Prix. We always welcome a new addition to the calendar, taking Formula One into exciting new territories and broadening its reach and accessibility. The fans there have some great racing to look forward to.
"I think we have a very interesting weekend ahead of us and I'm sure India is going to present some surprises that even the best preparation cannot cater for. It's the first time here for everyone and a level playing field is always most welcome. The track is provides an undulating lap with a combination of slow turns and high-speed straights, with many elevation changes that will make it a real challenge for the drivers. We can't wait to experience it for ourselves during the first Free Practice session on Friday, but from our data and simulations the circuit looks quite interesting.
"The season is coming to an end very quickly - it's unbelievable how the time has flown by! Reliability has been our watchword this season, so we hope to continue like this until the end of the season and aim for a positive result at the first ever Indian Grand Prix."
Paul Hembery, Pirellis motorsport director
Weve opted for a deliberately conservative nomination in selecting the hard tyre alongside the soft, simply because on a brand new circuit you are never quite sure of the exact race conditions you will encounter. But weve structured the allocation in such a way that we think the teams will run more on the softer tyres, particularly because we are bringing an extra set of soft compound tyres for Friday. This will help us to make some decisions about our strategy for next year, particularly after we saw the excellent durability of the softer compounds. Its too early to talk about the number of pit stops we expect this weekend, but we anticipate a reasonably significant lap time difference between the two compounds.
Narain Karthikeyan, HRT
Driving in front of the home crowd cheering on is going to be a surreal experience. A once in a lifetime experience and I feel extremely fortunate. There is a huge buzz around the Grand Prix already and Im sure that itll be a resounding success that will motivate more youngsters towards the sport and give us the future F1 drivers. Making it into F1 at the time I did was a seriously uphill task and the thought of being able to compete in the inaugural Indian GP was non-existent. But it is finally here and Ill be on the grid. It is going to be one of the most challenging circuits on the calendar. There are points at which, if youre in an F1 car, you will see nothing but the sky. The layout itself is going to put tremendous energy through the tyres and the strategy will play a key role in the final result. For sure Ill race hard and try to get a good result for myself and the team. I would like to express my gratitude towards Tata Group and the rest of sponsors for their continued support and belief throughout my career.
Daniel Ricciardo, HRT
I havent seen the circuit yet but Ive tried it out on Red Bulls simulator. Ive heard it looks quite good from Mark (Webber) and Sebastian (Vettel) and if they say that then usually their judgment is pretty good. Its always nice to go to a new place and circuit. I think every driver is excited to see what it is like. I like Indian food but its a little bit heavy, perhaps not the best for the diet, I will be quite careful leading up to the weekend but maybe on Sunday night I will enjoy a good curry. I did a show run in India a couple of weeks ago and there were loads of people, Ive heard its already sold out so there should be quite a good turnout for the race. We had a good performance in Korea and I hope we can keep on improving in India.
Colin Kolles, HRT team principal
Finally the time has come and we are heading to India for the first ever Formula One Grand Prix in its history. Going to new countries and race tracks gives all teams and sponsors a new platform and opens new opportunities that can be highly beneficial to the sport. Despite not being the most popular sport in India, the excitement around the Grand Prix and the effort that everybody is doing, makes us think that it will be an extremely popular event. And for HRT, it is even more special. Having Narain Karthikeyan, the first Indian driver in F1 history, and Tata with us makes it feel like a home race. Narain is a talented driver and we are proud to be going down this path with him. For this single event, Narain will be driving alongside Daniel Ricciardo. I have asked Tonio Liuzzi to step aside for the Indian GP in order to allow driving programs with Ricciardo and Karthikeyan to be completed. I have to thank Tonio for his professional approach and attitude. After the positive performance the team had in Korea, I hope that we will keep on that line in India. Although Narain has already driven around the track and given us a positive feedback, we really don't know what to expect but we are looking forward to it.
Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull
By the time we race in India, Ill have done several laps of the track on the simulator. What I know so far is that the track is 5.14-km and in the industrial town of Noida, about 50 minutes by car from New Delhi. The track is a combination of slow corners and high-speed straights which flow into each other. The altitude difference is extreme, rather like in Spa or Turkey, which will give the driving an additional element. Incidentally, were expecting the track to have the second highest average speed of the season after Monza. That means that well be completing a lap at an average speed of 235 km/h, so there should be plenty of good opportunities to overtake. Im really looking forward to India; I always do when we drive on a new track.
Mark Webber, Red Bull
We have completed some good simulator work, but in terms of the kerbs and other subtle final details, these will obviously come into place right at the end, so Id say we have an 85 percent understanding of what the track is going to be like. Its always nice to drive at a new venue and in the simulator it looks like quite a quick flowing track, very rewarding. Its going to be pretty warm, which is going to be a challenge for the tyres. Ive never been to India before. There are some amazing cricket players from India - its their number one sport and Id love to watch Australia play cricket there someday. Im looking forward to the weekend.
Kamui Kobayashi, Sauber
It will be my first time in India and Im very curious to discover a bit about the country. Everybody is telling us to be careful with the food. In a way Im a bit worried about my stomach, but at the same time butter chicken curry is my favourite food and I would love to have it where it comes from. Obviously I dont know the track yet. Maybe I will walk it, although generally I dont regard track walking as being really very useful. The speed you have when you are on the circuit with the F1 car is so different it changes everything. I certainly want to get a good result for the team, as well as for myself at the inaugural Indian Grand Prix. I also hope there will be huge interest from the people, as this is always a crucial question for debut races, and excited fans do create a good atmosphere.
Sergio Perez, Sauber
I am looking forward to this new track in India. It is another unknown circuit for me, but this time it will be new for everybody, so it wont only be me who has to start from zero. On Monday before the race I will actually get to know a bit more about the circuit when I will be testing in the Ferrari simulator. I think the first Indian Grand Prix will be a very exciting event. I have some Indian friends and they keep telling me how emotional everybody is there about it. In any case, it is my goal to make the most out of that race weekend and score points again.
James Key, Sauber technical director
After our performance in Korea was clearly below our own expectations, we analysed all the data carefully and came to the conclusion that we underestimated the limitation on the front axle and front tyres. As a result we suffered from too much understeer, which resulted in over loading the front tyres. Concerning the Grand Prix in India, we are obviously very much looking forward to going to a new venue in a country which is new to Formula One. Obviously the track itself is fairly much unknown to everyone, apart from using the simulation, and the other preparation work you can do with the information you have.
You never really know what to expect until you are there. Like Korea last year, at a brand new track we expect that things like the evolution of grip will be quite significant over the weekend. This will influence the balance of the car, and you will possibly have to change the downforce level. The track itself looks pretty interesting, as it has one long straight and a fairly high downforce requirement in some of the winding bits at the back. The track is not unlike other new circuits. There seem to be some overtaking opportunities, but the drivers need to learn where that works and how effective the DRS is.
The downforce level is most likely similar to recent events. We will have the soft and the hard tyre compound there. Its quite some time since we ran the hard compound, so well have to see how that goes. A lot depends on track temperatures, but given the nature of the track with several highly loaded corners, it could be that the hard tyre will warm up okay and last. Maybe the soft will struggle, but you never really know until youre there. On the car we will have some small modifications to the rear wings and some small updates on the front wing.
Lewis Hamilton, McLaren
Ive been a few times before - weve done a few Vodafone promotional days there. The last time was just crazy - just after Singapore, we did a demo run in Bangalore and were expecting 5,000 people to turn up. On the day, there were around 40,000 fans - it was just incredible. You cant believe how many people are aware of Formula One and how many are looking forward to the race next week. Theres already a great deal of knowledge about the sport - I think its going to be a big deal. Indias a sport-mad nation - mostly, its about cricket, which is understandable because theyre a very successful cricketing country, but I really think the people of India are going to take Formula One to their hearts. The reception weve had in the last few years has been greater than I could ever have predicted and I think the whole country is ready for something new and something exciting. I really hope India will get turned on to Formula One in a big way - it would be amazing to have an entire continent supporting you - and I really hope we can put on a fantastic race! Its too early to say, but I think were set to be competitive at all of the final three races. We were quick at Singapore, Japan and Korea - and I think the pattern at the front has sort of settled down now as we reach the end of the season. I think we have a car that can be quick anywhere, so Id like to think wed be in the hunt again next weekend.
Jenson Button, McLaren
The first time you run on a new circuit is a strange experience because youre piecing together an incredibly diverse and vivid set of data in your mind. Thats quite an intense experience. Youre quickly gathering everything together - constantly assessing the grip-level, watching for unexpected bumps, checking the kerb-height, run-off areas, pit-lane entry and exit, gradient. And that all happens at about 170mph! But the track itself has quite a nice mix of corners - the start of the lap is pretty stop-start, there are a couple of long straights mixed with tight hairpins, but its the end of the lap thats more interesting: there are some pretty high-speed changes of direction through the esses and some gradient change. One of the things that looks really interesting is the double-apex banked corner at the back of the circuit - thats pretty unusual. Its sort of a mix between Turn 13 at China and Koreas Turn 11. I always look forward to the next Grand Prix. The word is that people in India are really excited about Formula One and the event - its important for the sport that we make a good first impression and I really hope we have a fantastic race. Our car's been pretty competitive recently and we'd like to win more races before the end of the season.
Martin Whitmarsh, McLaren team principal
Every new venue we visit is important to the sport of Formula One and to our partners, many of whom have a considerable presence in India, and who are delighted by the prospect of the inaugural Indian Grand Prix. I think its important that the world championship is fully represented on the worlds stage - and a Grand Prix in India is certainly a very positive step. For Formula One, the most important thing is to educate, nurture and cultivate our audience - I firmly believe that Formula One is the greatest sport in the world and I want us to spread that word across the whole Indian subcontinent. Secondly, we want to take Formula One to the people. I know that our partners such as Vodafone are already very actively engaged in this activity in India, but I think weve done the right thing by establishing the circuit close to New Delhi.
"Initial impressions suggest the track will be a good one, with particular regard paid to close and exciting racing. And Im also told that the prospect of the Grand Prix is causing a great deal of excitement within the city and the country as a whole. So I think were doing everything right - and I sincerely hope we can walk away on Sunday evening having done a great job for the country and for Formula One. We go racing to win, and, as Ive said before, thats the firm intention we take with us to all remaining races on the calendar. Weve made some good progress recently with the 2011 car and we feel we have a car that can challenge for victory at all the remaining Grands Prix. While were winding down the development of the 26 and ramping up development of MP4-27, we still have a few more opportunities to track-test components and developments that can be carried over to next year. And we take plenty of positives away from the last two races: I think Jensons win in Japan and Lewiss drive in Korea were two of the best performances of their respective careers. Both drivers are motivated to win and want to lead the team through these final few races and into the winter. Theres a lot of positive energy back at MTC, and youre seeing that at the racetrack, too.
Michael Schumacher, Mercedes
"For the next race, we are heading to India for the first time; a country which a lot of people tell me is fascinating. I'm looking forward to experiencing this new culture and seeing the track for the first time. I am sure we will be impressed with what has been done there. There has been a lot of interest in the build-up to the event, and therefore hopefully we will entertain a lot of new fans in India. I've always been happy to welcome new tracks on the calendar and enjoy the challenge of adapting to them. The outcome of the last race in Korea was unlucky for us, therefore I am extra-motivated to score some points next weekend, and reward the good work of the team."
Nico Rosberg, Mercedes
"This will be my first visit to India, and it will be very exciting for me to discover the new culture. I am planning to spend a few days in the country and looking forward to doing some sightseeing, particularly making a visit to the Taj Mahal. I hope the first race in India will be a great show for all motorsport fans there, and a big success. I enjoy going to new tracks for the first time as I tend to learn them quickly, and it will be very interesting to set the car up as there will be so many unknown points. I hope to be able to fight in amongst the top six cars again, like during the last race in Korea, but this time hopefully I will be able to stay ahead of one of them until the end of the race."
Ross Brawn, Mercedes team principal
"The Indian Grand Prix will be a new adventure for Formula One, and we are all looking forward to experiencing the country and the Buddh International Circuit for the first time next week. A tremendous amount of work has gone into the new venue and the preparations for this inaugural event, and the interest in India seems to be growing daily. In the second most populous country in the world, this can only be good for Formula One as we continue to expand our fan base by taking the sport to new markets The circuit itself looks to be an interesting challenge and we have been preparing back at the factory with circuit maps, simulations and models. You can do a great deal of work beforehand but nothing replicates the feedback from the drivers on their first laps out on the new circuit on Friday. With just three races remaining, we will be aiming to finish the season on a high and pushing hard to score good points at each one."
Norbert Haug, Vice-President, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport
"Mercedes GP Petronas is pleased and proud to be part of Formula One's visit to India and its inaugural Grand Prix at the Buddh International Circuit. India is a country with a rich cultural heritage which is admired and respected across the world, and it is also a country of the future: there is a vibrant, growing economy and, for Mercedes-Benz, a rapidly accelerating market for our cars. The Buddh International Circuit promises to deliver the excellent facilities we are used to at the most modern Formula One venues. It presents a complete challenge to the cars with a range of faster and slower corners, as well as long straights that may make the compromise between downforce and straightline speed delicate to find. On the operational side, a new circuit levels the playing field somewhat between the teams and all of us must start from zero; however, it does provide an opportunity for our race team's operational excellence to pay dividends. We saw some signs of promising potential in the early stages of the last race in Korea, although this did not ultimately translate into the final results. But we will be aiming to build on this potential in India, and our team will keep pushing at every race this year to extract the maximum from our current technical package."
For tickets and travel to 2011 Formula One races, click here.
For Formula One and F1 team merchandise, click here.


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Mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase-mediated signalling to the nucleus is an important event in the conversion of extracellular signals into a cellular response. However, the existence of multiple MAP kinases which phosphorylate similar phosphoacceptor motifs poses a problem in maintaining substrate specificity and hence the correct biological response. Both the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) subfamilies of MAP kinases use a second specificity determinant and require docking to their transcription factor substrates to achieve maximal substrate activation. In this study, we demonstrate that among the different MAP kinases, the MADS-box transcription factors MEF2A and MEF2C are preferentially phosphorylated and activated by the p38 subfamily members p38alpha and p38beta2. The efficiency of phosphorylation in vitro and transcriptional activation in vivo of MEF2A and MEF2C by these p38 subtypes requires the presence of a kinase docking domain (D-domain). Furthermore, the D-domain from MEF2A is sufficient to confer p38 responsiveness on different transcription factors, and reciprocal effects are observed upon the introduction of alternative D-domains into MEF2A. These results therefore contribute to our understanding of signalling to MEF2 transcription factors and demonstrate that the requirement for substrate binding by MAP kinases is an important facet of three different subclasses of MAP kinases (ERK, JNK, and p38).
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - View original article
Part of a series on |
Jehovah's Witnesses |
Overview |
Organizational structure |
History |
Demographics |
Literature |
Teaching programs |
People |
Watch Tower presidents |
Formative influences |
Notable former members |
Opposition |
Jehovah's Witnesses believe that the Bible prohibits ingesting blood and that Christians should therefore not accept blood transfusions or donate or store their own blood for transfusion.[1] The belief is based on an interpretation of scripture that differs from that of mainstream Christian denominations.[2] It is one of the doctrines for which Jehovah's Witnesses are most well known.[3]
Watch Tower Society publications teach that the Witnesses' refusal of transfusions of whole blood or its four primary components—red cells, white cells, platelets and plasma—is a non-negotiable religious stand and that those who respect life as a gift from God do not try to sustain life by taking in blood,[4][5] even in an emergency.[6] Witnesses are taught that the use of fractions such as albumin, immunoglobulins and hemophiliac preparations are "not absolutely prohibited" and a matter of personal choice.[5]
The doctrine was introduced in 1945, and has undergone some changes since then. Members of the religion who voluntarily accept a transfusion are regarded as having disassociated themselves from the religion by abandoning its doctrines[7][8][9] and are subsequently shunned by members of the organization.[10] Although accepted by the majority of Jehovah's Witnesses, a minority does not endorse this doctrine.[11][12]
The Watch Tower Society has established Hospital Information Services to provide education and facilitate bloodless surgery. This service also maintains Hospital Liaison Committees, whose function is to provide support to adherents.
On the basis of various biblical texts, including Genesis 9:4, Leviticus 17:10, and Acts 15:29, Jehovah's Witnesses believe:
Certain medical procedures involving blood are specifically prohibited by Jehovah's Witnesses' blood doctrine. This includes the use of red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets and blood plasma. Other fractions derived from blood are not prohibited. Watch Tower publications state that some products derived from one of the four primary components may be so similar to the function of the whole component and carry on such a life-sustaining role in the body that "most Christians would find them objectionable".[20] For procedures where there is no specific doctrinal prohibition, individuals are to obtain details from medical personnel and then make a personal decision.[21]
The following medical procedures are prohibited:
The following procedures and products are not prohibited, and are left to the decision of individual members:[24]
A variety of bloodless surgical techniques have been developed for use on patients who refuse blood transfusions for reasons that include concern about AIDS, hepatitis, and other blood-borne infections, or immune system reactions.[28] Thousands of physicians throughout the world have expressed a willingness to respect patients' preferences and provide bloodless treatment[29][need quotation to verify] and about 200 hospitals offer bloodless medicine and surgery programs for adult and pediatric patients who wish to avoid or limit blood transfusions, or to avoid treatment contrary to Jehovah's Witnesses' blood doctrine.[29] Bloodless surgery has been successfully performed in such invasive operations as open-heart surgery and total hip replacements.[30] However bloodless medical and surgical techniques have limitations, and surgeons say the use of various allogeneic blood products and/or pre-operative autologous blood transfusion is the standard of care for some patient presentations.[31][32]
In cases of certain medical emergencies when bloodless medicine is not available, blood transfusions may seem to be the only available way to save a life. Watch Tower publications suggest that in such instances, Jehovah's Witnesses request that doctors provide the best alternative care possible under the circumstances, with respect for their personal conviction.[33] The Watch Tower Society has acknowledged that some members have died after refusing blood.[34]
In some countries, including Canada and the UK, a parent or guardian's decision can be legally overruled by medical staff. In this case, medical staff may act without consent, by obtaining a court order in a non-emergency situation, or without such an order in an emergency.[35][36] In Japan, a doctor must respect the wish of an adult but can override the wishes of a child and its parents if the child is under 15. If a child is aged 15 to 17, a doctor will not perform a transfusion if the parents and the child refuse the transfusion. If a child aged from 15 to 17 objects to a transfusion but the parents demand the transfusion, then a doctor can override the child's wish.[citation needed] In the United States, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that in cases of "an imminent threat to a child's life", physicians in some cases may "intervene over parental objections".[37]
In 1988, the Watch Tower Society formed Hospital Information Services, a department to help locate doctors or surgical teams who are willing to perform medical procedures on Witnesses without blood transfusions.[38] The department was given oversight of each branch office's Hospital Information Desk,[39][40][41] and of one hundred Hospital Liaison Committees established throughout the United States.[42][43] As of 2003, about 200 hospitals worldwide provide bloodless medical programs.[29] As of 2006, there are 1,535 Hospital Liaison Committees worldwide coordinating communication between 110,000 physicians.[43][44]
Hospital Information Services researches medical journals to locate information on the availability and effectiveness of bloodless surgery methods.[45] It disseminates information about treatment options to local Hospital Liaison Committees, and to doctors and hospitals.[44]
Annually since 2004, Jehovah's Witnesses in the United States have been informed that "with your consent, the law allows for the elders to learn of your admission [to hospital] and provide spiritual encouragement",[46] but that "elders serving on a Patient Visitation Group [could] have access to your name" only if patients made their wishes known according to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).[47]
Jehovah's Witnesses' branch offices communicate directly with congregations regarding "ways to benefit from the activities of the Hospital Liaison Committee (HLC) and the Patient Visitation Group (PVG)."[48] A Jehovah's Witnesses publication in 2000 reported that Argentina had fewer than a hundred HLC committeemen "giving vital information to the medical community", adding that "their work is complemented by hundreds of other self-sacrificing elders who make up Patient Visitation Groups that call on Witness patients to help and encourage them".[49] Each branch office appoints PVG committeemen, who serve as volunteers.[50][51]
Since the elaboration of the blood doctrine to the point of prohibiting transfusion, the majority of Jehovah's Witnesses have adopted the organization's position.[52][53][54] Those Jehovah's Witnesses who accept the blood doctrine typically hold strongly to their conviction.[55] In the August 1998 issue of Academic Emergency Medicine, Donald Ridley, a Jehovah's Witness and organization staff attorney, argued that carrying an up-to-date Medical Directive card issued by the organization indicates that an individual personally agrees with the established religious position of Jehovah's Witness.[56]
In 1958, The Watchtower reported on a particular member of Jehovah's Witnesses who voluntarily accepted blood transfusion, contrary to Watchtower doctrine.[57] The organization confirms that members have accepted blood transfusions, despite the imposition in 1961 of a communal shunning policy for willful acceptance.[58][59]
In 1982, a peer-reviewed case study of a congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses was undertaken by Drs. Larry J. Findley and Paul M. Redstone to evaluate individual belief in respect to blood among Jehovah's Witnesses. The study showed that 12% were willing to accept transfusion therapy forbidden by Jehovah's Witness doctrine.[52] One peer-reviewed study examining medical records indicated a similar percentage of Jehovah's Witnesses willing to accept blood transfusions for their children. Young adults also showed a willingness to accept blood transfusions.[60] In another study, Jehovah's Witness patients presented for labor and delivery showed a willingness to accept some form of blood or blood products. Of these patients, 10 percent accepted whole blood transfusion.[54]
Watch Tower publications have noted that within religions, the personal beliefs of members often differ from official doctrine.[61] Regarding Jehovah's Witnesses acceptance of the organization's official position on blood, Drs Cynthia Gyamfi and Richard Berkowitz state, "It is naïve to assume that all people in any religious group share the exact same beliefs, regardless of doctrine. It is well known that Muslims, Jews and Christians have significant individual variations in their beliefs. Why should that not also be true of Jehovah's Witnesses?"[62]
Ambivalence and rejection of the blood doctrine dates back to at least the 1940s. After the Watch Tower Society established the doctrine, teaching that blood should not be eaten (circa 1927-31), Margaret Buber, who was never a member of the religion, offered a firsthand eyewitness account of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Nazi Ravensbrück concentration camp. She relates that an overwhelming majority were willing to eat blood sausage despite having alternate food to choose from, and specifically after considering biblical statements regarding blood.[63]
From 1931, when the name "Jehovah's witnesses" was adopted, Watch Tower Society publications maintained the view of Society founder Charles Taze Russell that the reference to abstaining from the eating of blood in the Apostolic Decree of Acts 15:19-29 was a "suggestion" to be given to Gentile converts.[64][65] Watch Tower publications during the presidency of Joseph Franklin Rutherford commended the commercial and emergency uses of blood.[66][67] A 1925 issue of The Golden Age commended a man for donating blood 45 times without payment.[68] In 1927, The Watchtower noted, without elaboration, that in Genesis 9, God decreed that Noah and his offspring "must not eat the blood, because the life is in the blood".[69] In 1940 Consolation magazine reported on a woman who accidentally shot herself with a revolver in her heart and survived a major surgical procedure during which an attending physician donated a quart of his own blood for transfusion.[70]
In 1944, with the Watch Tower Society under the administration of president Nathan Homer Knorr, The Watchtower asserted that the decrees contained in Genesis 9:4 and Leviticus 17:10-14 forbade the eating or drinking of blood in biblical times "whether by transfusion or by the mouth" and that this applied "in a spiritual way to the consecrated persons of good-will today, otherwise known as 'Jonadabs' of the Lord's 'other sheep'."[71]
In September 1945, representatives of the Watch Tower Society in the Netherlands commented on blood transfusion in the Dutch edition of Consolation. A translation of their comments into English reads:
When we lose our life because we refuse inoculations, that does not bear witness as a justification of Jehovah's name. God never issued regulations which prohibit the use of drugs, inoculations or blood transfusions. It is an invention of people, who, like the Pharisees, leave Jehovah's mercy and love aside.[72]
According to sociologist Richard Singelenbreg the statement appearing in the Dutch edition of Consolation may have been published without knowledge of the doctrinal position published in the English July 1945 issue of Consolation by the Watch Tower Society's headquarters in the United States.[73]
In 1945, the application of the doctrine on blood was expanded to prohibit blood transfusions of whole blood, whether allogeneic or autologous.[74] The prohibition did not specify any punitive measures for accepting a transfusion, but by January 1961—in what was later described as an application of "increased strictness"[75]—it was ruled that it was a disfellowshipping offense to conscientiously accept a blood transfusion.[76] Watch Tower publications warned that accepting a blood transfusion could prevent Witnesses from living eternally in God's new world, the hope held by members: "It may result in the immediate and very temporary prolongation of life, but that at the cost of eternal life for a dedicated Christian."[77]
In September 1956, Awake! stated, "certain blood fractions ... also come under the Scriptural ban".[78] A position against "the various blood fractions" was reiterated in September 1961.[79] In November of the same year, the doctrine was modified to allow individual members to decide whether they could conscientiously accept fractions used from blood for purposes such as vaccination.[80] This position has been expanded on since; the pre-formatted Durable Power of Attorney form provided by the Watch Tower Society includes an option for Jehovah's Witnesses to "accept all fractions derived from any primary component of blood."[81]
In 1964, Jehovah's Witnesses were prohibited from obtaining transfusions for pets, from using fertilizer containing blood, and were even advised (if their conscience troubled them) to write to dog food manufacturers to verify that their products were blood-free.[82] Later that year, it was stated that doctors or nurses who are Jehovah's Witness would not administer blood transfusions to fellow dedicated members. As to administering transfusions to non-members, The Watchtower stated that such a decision is "left to the Christian doctor's own conscience."[83]
In 1982, a Watchtower article declared that it would be wrong for a Witness to allow a leech to feed on his/her blood as part of a medical procedure, due to the sacredness of blood.[84]
In 1989 The Watchtower stated, "Each individual must decide" whether to accept hemodilution and autologous blood salvage (cell saver) procedures.[85] In 1990, a brochure entitled How Can Blood Save Your Life? was released, outlining Jehovah's Witnesses' general doctrine on blood.
In 2000, the Watch Tower Society's stand on blood fractions was clearly stated.[86] Members were instructed to personally decide if accepting a fraction would violate the doctrine on blood. In a later article, members were reminded that Jehovah's Witnesses do not donate blood or store their own blood prior to surgery.[87]
In May 2001, the Watch Tower Society revised its medical directives and identity cards addressing its doctrinal position on blood; the revised materials were distributed from May 3, 2001.[88] These revised documents specified that "allogeneic blood transfusions" were unacceptable whereas the former document (dated 1999) stated that "blood transfusions" were unacceptable. The revised 2001 documents were active until December 20, 2001. The Watch Tower Society then rescinded the revised document, stating, "After further review, it has been determined that the cards dated "md-E 6/01" and "ic-E 6/01" should not be used. Please destroy these items and make sure that they are not distributed to the publishers." Elders were instructed to revert to the older 1999 edition of the medical directives and identity cards.[89]
Watch Tower Society publications frequently claim negative consequences of blood transfusions:
Opposition to the Watch Tower doctrines on blood transfusions has come from both inside and outside the religion. A group of dissident Witnesses known as Associated Jehovah's Witnesses for Reform on Blood (AJWRB) states that there is no biblical basis for the prohibition of blood transfusions and seeks to have some policies changed.[96] In a series of articles in the Journal of Medical Ethics American neurologist Osamu Muramoto, who is a medical adviser to the AJWRB, has raised issues including what he claims is coercion to refuse transfusions, doctrinal inconsistency, selective use of information by the Watch Tower Society to exaggerate the dangers of transfusions and the use of outdated medical beliefs.
Dissident Witnesses say the Society's use of Leviticus 17:12 to support its opposition to blood transfusions[97][98] conflicts with its own teachings that Christians are not under the Mosaic law.[99][100] Theologian Anthony Hoekema claims the blood prohibited in Levitical laws was not human, but animal. He cites other authors[101] who support his view that the direction at Acts 15 to abstain from blood was intended not as an everlasting covenant but a means of maintaining a peaceful relationship between Jewish and Gentile Christians. He has described as "absurd literalism" the Witnesses' use of a scriptural prohibition on eating blood to prohibit the medical transfusion of human blood.[102]
Osamu Muramoto has argued that the refusal by Jehovah's Witnesses of "life-saving" blood treatment[103] creates serious bio-medical ethical issues. He has criticized the "controlling intervention" of the Watch Tower Society by means of what he claims is information control and its policy of penalising members who accept blood transfusions or advocate freedom to choose blood-based treatment.[100][103] He says the threat of being classified as a disassociated Witness and subsequently shunned by friends and relatives who are members coerces Jehovah's Witnesses to accept and obey the prohibition on blood transfusions.[8][100][104] In one particular case involving a Russian district court decision, however, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) found nothing in the judgments to suggest that any form of improper pressure or undue influence was applied. It noted: "On the contrary, it appears that many Jehovah's Witnesses have made a deliberate choice to refuse blood transfusions in advance, free from time constraints of an emergency situation." The court said: "The freedom to accept or refuse specific medical treatment, or to select an alternative form of treatment, is vital to the principles of self-determination and personal autonomy. A competent adult patient is free to decide ... not to have a blood transfusion. However, for this freedom to be meaningful, patients must have the right to make choices that accord with their own views and values, regardless of how irrational, unwise or imprudent such choices may appear to others."[105]
Muramoto has claimed the intervention of Hospital Liaison Committees can add to "organisational pressure" applied by family members, friends and congregation members on Witness patients to refuse blood-based treatment. He notes that while HLC members, who are church elders, "may give the patient 'moral support', the influence of their presence on the patient is known to be tremendous. Case reports reveal JW patients have changed their earlier decision to accept blood treatment after a visit from the elders." He claims such organizational pressure compromises the autonomy of Witness patients and interferes with their privacy and confidentiality. He has advocated a policy in which the Watch Tower organization and congregation elders would not question patients on the details of their medical care and patients would not disclose such information. He says the Society adopted such a policy in 1983 regarding details of sexual activity between married couples.[106][107][108]
Watch Tower spokesman Donald T. Ridley says neither elders nor HLC members are instructed or encouraged to probe into the health care decisions of Witness patients and do not involve themselves in patient hospitalisations unless patients request their assistance. Yet Watchtower HLC representative David Malyon says he would respond to "sin" of Witnesses he is privy to by effectively saying "Are you going to tell them or shall I!"[109] Nevertheless Ridley says Muramoto's suggestion that Witnesses should be free to disregard Watch Tower scriptural teachings and standards is preposterous. He says loving God means obeying commandments, not disobeying them and hiding one's disobedience from others.[108][110]
Muramoto recommends doctors have a private meeting with patients to discuss their wishes, and that church elders and family members not be present, enabling patients to feel free of church pressure. He suggests doctors question patients on (a) whether they have considered that the Watch Tower Society might soon approve some medical practices they currently find objectionable, in the same manner that it has previously abandoned its opposition to vaccination and organ transplants; (b) whether Witness patients know which blood components are allowed and which are prohibited, and whether they acknowledge that those rulings are organizational policy rather than biblical teachings; and (c) whether they realize that although some Bible scriptures proscribe the eating of blood, eating and transfusing blood have entirely different effects on the body.[111] English HLC representative David Malyon has responded that Muramoto's suggested questions are an affront to coerce Jehovah's Witnesses with "complicated philosophical inquisition" and, if used by doctors, would be "an abusive transformation of the medical role of succour and care into that of devil's advocate and trickster".[109]
Muramoto has claimed many Watch Tower Society publications employ exaggeration and emotionalism to emphasize the dangers of transfusions and the advantages of alternative treatments, but presents a distorted picture by failing to report any benefits of blood-based treatment. Nor do its publications acknowledge that in some situations, including rapid and massive haemorrhage, there are no alternatives to blood transfusions.[100][112] He claims Watch Tower Society publications often discuss the risk of death as a result of refusing blood transfusions, but give little consideration to the prolonged suffering and disability, producing an added burden on family and society, that can result from refusal.[113] Attorney and former Witness Kerry Louderback-Wood[114] also claims that Witness publications exaggerate the medical risks of taking blood and the efficiency of non-blood medical therapies in critical situations.[115]
Douglas E. Cowan, an academic in the sociology of religion, has claimed that members of the Christian countercult movement who criticize the Watch Tower Society, make selective use of information themselves. For example, Christian apologist Richard Abanes wrote that their ban on blood transfusions, "has led to countless Witness deaths over the years, including many children."[116] Cowan wrote: "When the careful reader checks [Abanes' footnote], however, looking perhaps for some statistical substantiation, he or she finds only a statistical conjecture based on 1980 Red Cross blood use figures." Cowan also says Abanes omits "critical issues" in an attempt to "present the most negative face possible." Cowan wrote that "the reader is left with the impression that the Watchtower Society knowingly presides over a substantial number of preventable deaths each year."[117]
Osamu Muramoto says the Watch Tower Society relies on discarded, centuries-old medical beliefs to support its assertion that blood transfusions are the same as eating blood.[118] A 1990 Watch Tower brochure on blood quoted a 17th-century anatomist to support its view.[119] Muramoto says the view that blood is nourishment—still espoused in Watch Tower publications[120]—was abandoned by modern medicine many decades ago.[100] He has criticized an analogy commonly used by the Society[121] in which it states: "Consider a man who is told by the doctor that he must abstain from alcohol. Would he be obedient if he quit drinking alcohol but had it put directly into his veins?"[118] Muramoto says the analogy is false, explaining: "Orally ingested alcohol is absorbed as alcohol and circulated as such in the blood, whereas orally eaten blood is digested and does not enter the circulation as blood. Blood introduced directly into the veins circulates and functions as blood, not as nutrition. Hence, blood transfusion is a form of cellular organ transplantation. And ... organ transplants are now permitted by the WTS."[100] He says the objection to blood transfusions on the basis of biblical proscriptions against eating blood is similar to the refusal of a heart transplant on the basis that a doctor warned a patient to abstain from eating meat because of his high cholesterol level.[122]
David Malyon, chairman of the English Hospital Liaison Committee in Luton, England, has claimed that Muramoto's discussion of the differences between consuming blood and alcohol is pedantic and says blood laws in the Bible are based upon the reverence for life and its association with blood, and that laws should be kept in the spirit as much as in the letter.[109]
Muramoto has described as peculiar and inconsistent the Watch Tower policy of acceptance of all the individual components of blood plasma as long as they are not taken at the same time.[100] He says the Society offers no biblical explanation for differentiating between prohibited treatments and those considered a "matter of conscience", explaining the distinction is based entirely on arbitrary decisions of the Governing Body, to which Witnesses must adhere strictly of the premise of them being Bible-based "truth".[100] He has questioned why white blood cells (1 per cent of blood volume) and platelets (0.17 per cent) are forbidden, yet albumin (2.2 per cent of blood volume) is permitted.[100] He has questioned why donating blood and storing blood for autologous transfusion is deemed wrong, but the Watch Tower Society permits the use of blood components that must be donated and stored before Witnesses use them.[123] He has questioned why Witnesses, although viewing blood as sacred and symbolizing life, are prepared to let a person die by placing more importance on the symbol than the reality it symbolizes.[112]
Kerry Louderback-Wood alleges that by labeling the currently acceptable blood fractions as "minute" in relation to whole blood, the Watch Tower organization causes followers to misunderstand the scope and extent of allowed fractions.[115]
Witnesses respond that the real issue is not of the fluid per se, but of respect and obedience to God.[124][125] They say their principle of abstaining from blood as a display of respect is demonstrated by the fact that members are allowed to eat meat that still contains some blood. As soon as blood is drained from an animal, the respect has been shown to God, and then a person can eat the meat even though it may contain a small amount of blood.[126] Jehovah's Witnesses' view of meat and blood is different from that of kosher Jewish adherents, who go to great lengths to remove minor traces of blood.[127][128]


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Jasper, Indiana Bed and Breakfasts
Home > Find a B&B > By City > Jasper, Indiana
German heritage, arts and architecture, a thriving downtown, and outdoor recreation await you in Jasper, a charming city of 14,000 located in the rolling hills of southern Indiana in Dubois County. Celebrate Jasper's German pride at the Strassenfest and Schnitzelbank Restaurant, tour historic St. Joseph Church, and visit distinct shops in Jasper's downtown business district. Relax to a performance at Jasper Arts Center/Krempp Gallery or enjoy a day outdoors at Sultan's Run Golf Course or the Jasper Riverwalk, a 2.1 mile paved path along the Patoka River in the heart of Jasper. Geography puts Jasper in the center, only minutes away from Patoka Lake, French Lick Casino, Huntingburg Historic Fourth Street, Monastery Immaculate Conception, and Kapp Winery.
Come and enjoy our Jasper Bed and Breakfasts.
Powers Inn Bed & BreakfastPhone: 812-482-3018The newly renovated Powers Inn is located just a few blocks from Jasper Indiana's historic Courthouse Square. Once the site of a local log cabin Inn, the Inn offers original wood floors, a mansard roof and a pleasant mix of antiques throughout. Jasper, Indiana View Listing Website |


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The Indiana Department Environmental Management facilitated and oversaw the cleanup of an open dump near the Blue River north of Edinburgh, Johnson County.
In 2004, Tim Hotz, an IDEM Agricultural and Solid Waste Compliance Inspector was notified about an open dump. He investigated and found railroad ties, household trash, junk vehicles, construction/demolition waste, waste tires and thousands of pallets spread over 40 acres at a former recreation area.
Several fires occurred at the site, which consumed large quantities of pallets and railroad ties and destroyed three cabins.
Although IDEM's inspector was unable to locate the source of solid waste dumped at the site, he did identify and then inform the property owners about their responsibility to clean up the open dump. It was determined there were limited financial resources to conduct a cleanup.
Due to Republic Services of Indiana's previous experience to successfully clean up open dumps under IDEM's oversight, Tim Hotz and Janet Arnold, also of the agency contacted Kenny Depass and Steve Clark of the company about handling a similar cleanup at the open dump in Edinburgh. They agreed to undertake the cleanup as a gratis community service.
Cleanup actions included grinding up pallets and hauling household trash, waste tires and burned debris to a state permitted landfill for proper disposal. Approximately 109 tons of solid waste and 2.3 tons of waste tires were collected and disposed of during the cleanup. Junk vehicles and other scrap metal were taken to a salvage yard. Edinburgh Fire Department Chief, Allen Smith, provided firefighters to conduct a controlled burn of the abandoned structures at the site. The Town of Edinburgh and Atterbury Correctional Facility also assisted with the cleanup.
Under Tim Hotz's oversight, the cleanup was completed to IDEM's satisfaction in December 2006.
This cleanup spotlights the cooperative efforts among a business and public agencies to work as a team to clean up an open dump and solve environmental concerns in a community. IDEM welcomes similar participation by other businesses and agencies.
IDEM works with federal, state and local agencies and businesses to facilitate the proper disposal of solid waste in Indiana. Open dumps and waste tires stored outdoors make an ideal breeding site for disease-carrying mosquitoes, other insects and rodents. Fires at these sites often are dangerous, difficult to extinguish and can cause a substantial amount of air pollution, which may contaminate nearby land and water.
Tim Hotz
(317) 308-3054
thotz at idem.IN.gov
Charles Grady
Section Chief
(317) 232-7201
cgrady at idem.IN.gov


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The Amelia Branch Book Fair is fast approaching. November 5th-12th you can stop in during library hours and find some amazing things!
I can't stress how important it is to us here at the library that all books find good homes. But we know not every book destined to stay in it original form. In addition to great finds, like-new titles and family favorites there are number of books waiting to be taken home and ripped apart.
Swing by the library to pick up a copy of The Repurposed Library: 33 Craft Projects That Give Old Books New Life by Lisa Occhipinti and learn how to turn your book fair finds into amazing art creations and beautiful everyday objects. Full of detailed pictures and amazing instructions you can learn to make everything from wreaths and vases to lamps and even a Kindle "keeper" (Did you hear you can now get books on your Kindle through the Ohio eBook Project!?)
Once you get your feet wet recycling and repurposing you can stop in to get these other great titles to get a jump on your holiday gift making.
Try Alter This! Radical Ideas for Turning Books into Art by Alena Hennessy, New Directions in Altered Books by Gabe Cyr and many more at your local branch.


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Silence of Things, The
Story Summary
An answer to "The Key Challenge" (see details within). An unusual perspective that surveys several decades of Gondor's history and culminates in the answer to the question: "What does that third key open?" A short story.
Chapter List
Ch# | Title | Words | Updated |
1 | The Silence of Things | 1,119 | 25 Jun 04 |
Appx. Word Count | 1,119 |
Challenge Entries by Dwimordene
Does not include placeholders or non-viewable stories.


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PA Industrial Zones: Cementing Statehood or Occupation?
The Palestinian Authority (PA) began to establish export-oriented industrial zones when it was created some two decades ago, partly in response to donor recommendations and partly in line with the neoliberal policies it was introducing. Thus, Palestinians have been hearing for years about Turkish-German, Japanese and French industrial parks in Jenin, Jericho and Bethlehem, respectively, but, tellingly, they have rarely heard these described as Palestinian.
The debate about the zones, also known as parks, is polarized. The PA, its international sponsors, and the PA-dependent private sector see the industrial zones as a pillar of the state-building effort that will bolster the Palestinian economy and achieve sustainable development.
The zones' critics argue that they reinforce and legitimize the occupation by making the Palestinians even more subservient to Israel given that the PA has to rely on the occupiers' good will for access, movement and for transfer of tax revenues. In addition, the zones give Israeli companies a legal way to penetrate the Palestinian economy.
Moreover, the zones distort the Palestinian economy by ignoring its natural advantages, such as tourism and its related industries, as Sam Bahour describes in a compelling piece. They also override the imperative of resisting the occupation to win self-determination, freedom, justice, and equality. This imperative requires an entirely different kind of economic policy, one that is less vulnerable to Israeli control by being based on small-scale agriculture and industry targeted primarily at the local market and by fostering economic steadfastness rather than export-led growth. Al-Shabaka has argued for this approach in pieces on farming, growth, the resistance economy, and alternative approaches to aid, among others.
The Jericho Agro-Industrial Park (JAIP) initiated in 2006 and supported by the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to the tune of $47.7 million is a stark illustration of the problems with industrial zones. A full discussion of the issues is set out in a study published by the Bisan Center for Research and Development in September 2012, as well as in a position paper by this author published by Bisan in December 2012. This commentary, which draws on the fuller study, takes forward two themes, the lack of public accountability and the role of donor-driven aid.
The Palestinian Industrial Estate and Free Zone Authority (PIEFZA) sets out the official purpose of the JAIP project. It is to "enhance the philosophy of steadfastness and defiance" based on a simple economic philosophy of attracting foreign investment, exporting manufactured products, creating local job opportunities, and improving the GDP.1
However, these official claims paper over several issues that cry out for public accountability. For example, there are major problems with the feasibility studies which have been criticized by many sources, including PIEFZA project managers, and which include inaccurate and exaggerated numbers and no clear and transparent financial reports or budgets.2
According to the official view, JAIP differs from other Oslo-designed projects because it is located deep inside Palestinian land rather than on the border with Israel, as was the case, for example, with the now defunct Erez Industrial Zone. But this is naive, to say the least. How can one refer to something as being deep inside Palestinian territory when Israel controls Palestinian borders and is, furthermore, rapidly colonizing the Jordan Valley?
Much more problematically, a report by Stop the Wall quoted a preliminary JICA document that appeared to propose providing direct support to and benefiting from the Israeli settlements in the Jordan Valley – euphemistically described as "Israeli migrant firms" – despite the flagrant illegality of Israel's settlement enterprise. The JICA project did not even comply with the Oslo Accords, Paris Protocol, and Agreement on Movement and Access – bad as these agreements were for the Palestinian people – according to the Negotiations Support Unit advising the Palestine Liberation Organization, which opposed the project, according to the Palestine Papers.
The Guardian describes the Japanese purpose in launching their "corridor for peace and prosperity" in the Jordan Valley as to encourage cooperation between Israel, the PA, and Jordan.