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Off-Campus Study
In the Office of Off-Campus Study (OCS) we believe that academic opportunities to discover, familiarize, and engage with other citizens and cultures challenge our students to rethink the way they look at the world. Through academic coursework and internships both in the U.S. and abroad, off-campus study can enhance a student's ability to cultivate respect and understanding of self and of others, while learning the skills necessary to become global leaders.
The Office of Off-Campus Study serves Claremont McKenna College through:
- Managing a portfolio of domestic and worldwide academic programs
- Working directly with students in both group and individual settings to ensure student academic, professional and personal goals can be accomplished through the selected off-campus study program
- Supporting students through the off-campus study process of applying, preparing, arriving, adjusting, concluding and returning to Claremont
The Off-Campus Study Office is located in Heggblade Center. Office hours are 8:00a.m.-12:00p.m. and 1:00-5:00p.m. Please telephone or visit our office to make an appointment.
Links to Off-Campus Programs
The Office Staff
Kristen Mallory
Skype Name: kristenjmallory
Mary Beth Haselfeld
Assistant Director
Skype Name: mbhaselfeld
Barbara Nanning
Program Coordinator
Skype Name: barbara.nanning1
Cheryl Smith
Administrative Assistant
We Skype! Please email your skype name and request to set up a skype appointment.
NOTE: Claremont McKenna College may be obliged to alter or eliminate programs and policies without prior notice.
Off-Campus Study Peer Ambassadors
Name: Derek Ko '15
Major: Economics
Hometown: Chino, CA
Off-campus study: Middlebury School in Beijing, China (Fall 2012)
Talk to me about: Sites to visit in China/Taiwan/Hong Kong, study-abroad programs for advanced Mandarin learners, living with a foreign roommate, resolution of visa issues, seeking professional counseling abroad, homesickness, traveling in Asia, moon cakes (!), tea, Chinese cuisine, Mandarin pop music, karaoke, flea-market bargaining, Chinese slang.
Office hours: Thursdays, 1:00 - 4:00 pm
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Name: Richard Ahne '15
Major: Government and International Relations (Dual); Leadership Studies Sequence
Hometown: Yorba Linda, CA
Off-campus study: The Washington Program (Fall 2013); SIT: Multiculturalism & Human Rights in Cape Town, South Africa (Spring 2014)
Talk to me about: ALL THINGS TO DO IN DC!, finding housing in DC, finding internships in DC, balancing a full-time internship with classes, being off-campus for two semesters, U.S. politics, ALL THINGS SOUTH AFRICA!, experiential-based programs, independent study projects, living with multiple host families (urban, suburban and rural), Living independently in a foreign country, ALL THINGS TO DO IN CAPE TOWN!, balancing travel with work, issues with multiculturalism in South Africa.
Office hours: Fridays, 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Email: email@example.com
Name: Maya Sandalow '15
Major: Spanish; Human Rights Sequence
Hometown: Washington, DC
Off-campus study: Middlebury Program in Montevideo, Uruguay (Spring 2014)
Talk to me about: Study abroad programs in South America, living with a host family, language immersion, taking all classes abroad in Spanish, taking all classes at a local university with local students (direct enrollment), volunteering at a health clinic, cultural adjustment, reverse culture shock, budget traveling, sites to visit and cultural differences in Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, and Peru.
Office hours: Mondays, 2:00 - 5:00 pm
Email: email@example.com


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July 6, 2015
Back to AI '08 Kristy Lee Cook
Kristy early promo face
TV Squad Hot Topics
Most Popular Articles
From Our Partners
- 'Penny Dreadful' Season 2 Finale Recap: Vanessa Faces Evelyn for the Final Time
- 'True Detective' Recap: Is Velcoro Alive or Dead?
- 'Big Brother 17' Recap: 2 Female HoHs and 2 Female Targets
- The 3 Biggest Differences Between 'True Detective' Season 1 and Season 2
- 'Big Brother 17' Spoilers: Where Does Everyone Stand in Week 2?
- More From BuddyTV
- Penny Dreadful Season Finale Recap: Blood, Threat and Tears
- Food Network Star Recap: A Thin Line Between Love and Hate
- True Detective Recap: Faking It
- Fall TV: Good Wife vs. Don Johnson, and Sunday's Other DVR Dilemmas
- Quotes of the Week From Teen Wolf, Complications, Rookie Blue and More!
- More From TVLine

subset: commoncrawl


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Rockwell: Are you interested in entering the Powder Puff Derby but are not sure where to get started or how to design a car? At this workshop you will learn about the origin of the derby, the rules and regulations to follow, and how to design a car. We will also learn about how much fun good sportsmanship is and the joy of being a Powder Puff Derby participant. For girls in grades K-1, see page 26 in our Program Book for details.
Girl Cost: $5
Adult Cost: FREE
Max: 50 girls / 20 adults
Registration Close:12/21/12
Contact Office: Mason City


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SLU community members, including family and friends, can experience the one-of-a-kind Hotel Ignacio during the holidays for a greatly reduced rate.
Book a room between Monday, Nov. 21, and Wednesday, Nov. 30, and receive 50 percent of the rate.
To receive the discount, all reservations must be made over the phone. Call the front desk at 314-977-4411 and ask for the special SLU 2011 Holiday Rate.
Learn more about Hotel Ignacio by visiting www.hotelignaciostl.com.


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Furniture is more than just function. Tables, chairs, and lamps can and should also act as decor. For example, an Egyptian-themed room might look nice with a few statues, an Egyptian urn, and Egyptian-themed paintings but include a sculptural glass-topped table and the room goes from being impressive to simply stunning. The same goes for tables with a Gothic touch. The following are three other reasons for buying Gothic-themed tables:
- They add a regal touch to the dining room: Furniture like the Lord Raffle's Grand Hall Lion Leg Coffee Table is modeled after antique tables that were used by Victorian era English nobles. The rich colors, quality, and durable nature of this solid Mahogany table make it an heirloom piece that will last for generations while the carved motifs and lion paw legs turn it into fine, functional decor.
- Gothic furniture combines stunning beauty with function: Given its refined beauty, quality Gothic furniture could easily be used as decor and nothing more. However, our Gothic and Medieval tables were built to last and also be used for elegant dinner parties, as a gorgeous addition to the library, or as impressive private office furniture.
- They are on sale: One of the other main reasons why it's worth it to order these and other fine tables today is because you will get 20% off the regular price!
Save 20% on fine Gothic furniture, garden statuary, and everything from the Design Toscano site when ordering today until March 31st.
This sale cannot be combined with other offers.


text: Description The ASA5500-SSL-25= is a license upgrade for Cisco ASA 5500 or 5500-X Series security appliances to support up to 25 concurrent Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) VPN sessions and other premium capabilities. This donation includes an AnyConnect Premium 25-user license for a single security appliance. Licenses are not stackable, meaning only one license can be applied to any one security appliance. Note that this license pack does not increase the maximum number of concurrent VPN sessions a security appliance supports. Benefits for Organizations If you have an applicable security appliance, you can use this license upgrade to: Reduce travel by extending network resources to virtually any remote user with access to the Internet and a web browser Maintain security by customizing access for individuals in your organization's network according to their roles, such as teleworkers, contractors, and partners Product Specifications The AnyConnect Premium license supports the following: Clientless SSL VPN Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility and client connectivity Cisco Secure Desktop (Host Scan and Vault) Full tunneling access to enterprise applications if needed More information about this product is available on the Cisco website. Support Cisco will provide five years of hardware and software service and support ("SMARTnet") for this product. Obtaining Your Licenses TechSoup might request additional information to verify that your organization matches the Cisco philanthropy guidelines. When your request has been approved, you will receive a product authorization key (PAK) through standard mail within eight weeks. You will be directed to enter this key and your router serial number on the Cisco website, which will provide you with an activation key. Entering this key through your router's command-line interface will activate your licenses. Choose Carefully The administrative fee for this product is not refundable, and the product cannot be exchanged.


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Saturday, June 21 @ 10:30am
Looking forward to vacation, time at the beach, and the fun times that come with summer, but dreading those increased utility bills? Did you know? 40% of your energy bill is just from heating and cooling. Join us Saturday, June 21st for this free 1-hour workshop to learn how to prepare your home or apartment for this summer's heat wave and save money on your utilities! The workshop also highlights the tools and resources available in the Home Energy & Water Evaluation Backpack kits that are available for checkout anytime at the branch. Register for the event here- GreenTeamProjectRegister
Saturday, June 21 @ 2pm
Magician Mark Alan deals with a serious topic in a fun manner using comedy, magic, ventriloquism, musical routines, and lots of interaction to help give kids the tools to take a stand against bullying. This 45-minute program is intended for elementary-age children, but is fun for all. Sponsored by the Friends of the Southeast Branch Library.


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A Member of the University of Maryland Medical System | In Partnership with the University of Maryland School of Medicine
Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Archive
Below are Dr. Rosenthal's
answers to Pediatric Cardiac Surgery questions
received through the Ask the Expert feature.
This content is provided for informational purposes
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Physician Referral: 1.800.373.4111


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about HBO
Home Box Office, Inc. (HBO) is recognized throughout the world as a leader in premium television programming services. Viewers everywhere turn to HBO for the biggest Hollywood blockbusters, award-winning original productions and series, exclusive events and films from virtually every genre and category. Timeless classics, cutting edge film festival winners, top European and international hits and the biggest stars – HBO has them all.
In the US, where it launched in 1972, HBO is the premium television programming subsidiary of Time Warner Inc. and provides two 24-hour pay television services – HBO® and Cinemax® – to more than 41 million subscribers. These two services also offer the most popular subscription video on demand products in the US – HBO On Demand® and Cinemax On DemandSM as well as HBO GOSM, HD feeds, and multiplex channels. Building on its strong position in the US, Home Box Office, Inc. has become a major player in the expanding international market, bringing its renowned programming to worldwide audiences for nearly two decades.
By increasing global initiatives, HBO® has consolidated its identity and appeal through HBO branded networks, the launch of digital platforms including HBO On Demand® and HBO Mobile®, the licensing and distribution of HBO programming and DVD sales via HBO Home Entertainment®.
Internationally, HBO's branded television networks, along with the subscription video on demand products HBO On Demand® and HBO Mobile®, bring HBO services to over 50 countries and reach over 37 million subscribers. In addition, there are approximately 2 million subscribers to HBO's international subscription video on demand offerings and mobile services. Currently, HBO International has interests in HBO services in Latin America, Asia and Europe. HBO programming is sold into over 150 countries and video products are distributed in over 70 countries worldwide.
HBO Europe - owned by Home Box Office, Inc. – provides basic and premium channels to fifteen countries in the European region including Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, the most recent addition being the Netherlands, in a joint venture with Ziggo, the leading Dutch cable provider.
HBO Europe offers five high quality movie channels (HBO, HBO2, HBO Comedy, Cinemax and Cinemax2); subscribers can also choose high definition channels (HBO HD, HBO2 HD, HBO3 HD, HBO Comedy HD, Cinemax HD and Cinemax2 HD).
HBO Europe also offers the latest on demand services with HBO On Demand, the subscription video-on-demand service, and HBO GO, the broadband subscription service that gives the subscriber unparalleled flexibility and program choice.
HBO Europe is headquartered in Budapest, Hungary.
welcome to HBO Europe
Since the beginning of operations we have continued to bring the best in premium television to this dynamic region.
Our mix of top Hollywood and international films, acclaimed series and award-winning original productions already reaches millions of subscribers across the region.
Exciting new channels, technical innovation and a dedication to customer service are also part of our success story. We lead the way in providing multiplexes, channels and services that are targeted to the region's digital future, and we are pleased to be working with many regional distribution platforms in testing new technologies and services. HBO Comedy launched across the region as our first genre-based channel. We have also introduced a Subscription Video on Demand (SVOD) service, HBO On Demand.
HD versions of all HBO and Cinemax channels are now available, giving subscribers the opportunity to watch programs in high definition.
We have also launched the first broadband subscription video on demand service in the region, HBO GO.
We are proud to be making a significant economic contribution in the countries where we broadcast, employing hundreds of talented employees, including specialists in business, media and technical operations. We are also proud to have played the leading role in the evolution of premium television in central and eastern Europe, and we are confident that our greatest growth is still to come.
I would like to thank all of our customers, business partners and employees who contribute to the ongoing success of HBO Europe.
Linda Jensen, Chief Executive Officer - HBO Europe
our mission
At HBO Europe, our aim is to achieve excellence in everything we do, driven by the same strategic focus that defines HBO around the world.
We ensure that our channels offer top film and programming packages and we continue to develop new services to bring added value to subscribers and business partners.
HBO Europe: History
technical operations
HBO Europe's Technical & Operational facility, located in Budapest, has gone through considerable transformation in terms of technology and expansion since operations began in September 1991.
Today, the HBO Network Operations & Engineering team continues to find innovative ways to support and expand the HBO brand in new areas of technology and media convergence and also provides support to its affiliates, helping them to successfully meet their technical challenges.
HBO began satellite transmission and digital broadcasting in 1997. With the rapid growth and expansion of the HBO business since then, our technical facility and engineering expertise has developed dramatically, enabling new forms of media delivery and distribution, such as:
- In addition to satellite delivery, HBO delivers its channels via secure international high quality digital leased private circuits.
- The successful launch of HBO subscription video on demand and broadband SVOD services, giving subscribers HBO programming on demand.
- HBO Europe launched high definition TV services, to coincide with the increasing level of digitalization and growing sales of flat panel televisions.
- HBO Europe also provides broadcast services for third party broadcasters across Central and Eastern Europe.
- The launch of HBO GO in December 2010 in Poland, rolling out across the region, offering existing HBO subscribers on demand access to programs via their home broadband connection.


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©2004 Wall Street Radio, Inc.
Boulder, COLORADO
Phone: 303-442-6075
Wall Street Radio, Inc. and Winning on Wall Street are not registered investment advisorsand do not manage money.
Phone calls and e-mails to the Wiz are for Educational purposes to illustrate the WOWS System onlyand should not be considered investment advise.
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Top Searches:
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July 22, 2013
Links: Australian Glass and the Pacific Northwest at Museum of Glass
Wsu Master Gardeners of Pierce County at Master Gardener of Pierce County
The Shape of Things by Neil Labute at Dukesbay Theater
All events for today »
Submit an event | All events
SciFi/Fantasy, Romance
On the brink of winning a seat in the U.S. Senate, ambitious politician David Norris meets beautiful contemporary ballet dancer Elise Sellas--a woman like none he's ever known. But just as he realizes he's falling for her, mysterious men conspire to keep the two apart. David learns he is up against the agents of Fate itself--the men of The Adjustment Bureau--who will do everything in their considerable power to prevent David and Elise from being together. In the face of overwhelming odds, he must either let her go and accept a predetermined path...or risk everything to defy Fate and be with her.
Rated PG-13 for brief strong language, some sexuality and a violent image.
Visit the official site
Cast: Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Anthony Mackie, Terence Stamp, John Slattery
Produced by:
Directed by: George Nolfi
Running time: 1hr 46min
Opens: Mar 04, 2011 Nationwide


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I am getting some traction with Tech Support team; they have agreed to forward the KUID issue to the engineering department. Once the engineers get back from holiday break, I think the only solution would be if engineering can offer an updated executable (readytivod) with support for Premiere/Elite.
Skywalker, you are our only hope.


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Vauxhall reveals the Cascada cabrio
It's a four-seat Vaux' convertible that's longer than an Audi A5. Quite stiff, too…
Posted: 17 Oct 2012
Europoppers, rejoice! Vauxhall has just revealed its full-size, four-seat convertible 'Cascada' model. And it's bigger than an Audi A5 convertible.
Well, longer actually. At 4.7m in length, it dwarfs the A5 cabrio by a full 71mm! This size puts the Vauxhall into a market which, it says, it hasn't competed in since the 1930s.
Looks wise, it's basically an Astra GTC on steroids - no bad thing considering the GTC's rather handsome looks. And this isn't bad either. The design team was headed up by Brit Mark Adams, with a brief to build something that harked back to the golden age of grand tourers.
Underneath, Vauxhall tells us the chassis is 43 per cent stiffer and 10 per cent more resistant to bending forces than the old Astra TwinTop, with steel bars and strengthened rocker panels underneath, that contribute to both underbody reinforcement and a reduction in noise, vibration and harshness.
Vauxhall has also popped in its rather handy HiPerStrut front suspension system, as seen in the Insignia and Astra VXR, as standard across the Cascada range. This system, don't forget, helps reduce torque steer.
This points to a hot model somewhere down the Cascada's life, hopefully. For now, you'll have the option of a 136bhp 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol, a 160bhp 2.0-litre diesel, or a brand new 1.6-litre Ecotec petrol, the first from Vauxhall's 'Mid Size Gasoline Engine' family. It produces 166bhp and 206lb ft of torque, mated to a new six-speed auto.
There are many electronic nannies preventing you from steering into a tree, such as lane departure warning, traffic sign recognition, a front camera, following distance indication, forward collision alert and even a heated steering wheel. Short of actually driving the thing for you, the Cascada seems to have all bases covered. Quite bossy, really.
It gets an Insignia interior, together with high-quality stitching and 'handcrafted' interior modules. The seats are available in many leathers, while the boot offers 280 litres with the roof down, or 350 with it loaded. Oh, and that roof - it's available in three colours and comes with a polyester fleece between the outer and inner linings, to help reduce noise and stay warm. It's like a blankie!
Prices will be confirmed in due course, and Vauxhall refuses to confirm whether or not it will unveil the Vauxhall 'Eiffel 65' or special edition '2 Unlimited'. What say ye, good folk of Top Gear's internet - like it?


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FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. —
Flagler County parents fed up with their daughter's behavior allegedly forced her to hold a sign advertising what she did at a busy intersection.
Flagler County teenager, Jasmine, stood on the corner of a very busy, very public street corner in Palm Coast holding a sign as punishment Wednesday.
"We're trying to stop this before the courts have to do it themselves," said father Mike.
WESH 2 News is not revealing the family's last name, but Mike and Melinda say the 15-year-old has been lying, drinking, sneaking out and overnight, she sneaked a boy in.
Jasmine's sign reads, "I sneak boys in at 3 a.m. and disrespect my parents and grandparents."
"This is all about love. I took my day off of work. I missed out on $300 or $400 today to do this. You know what I mean, to come and do this. I love this kid," said Mike.
"I've taken all her toys or her electronics away; her phone, no privileges on the TV or computer and still she just laughs about it," said Melinda.
Passing motorists seemed to approve of this tough love including honking and giving the thumbs up.
"They need to learn a lesson and that's not abuse," said one passerby. "She did something, she's paying for it. You need consequences."
One man actually stopped because he's worried about the consequences of the lesson.


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FLL World Festival, Day 1
FLL World Festival, Day 2
PS- Can anybody find Joe Meno in one of these? And if you've not seen or browsed BrickJournal, feel free to look over some of the amazing back issues you can find at the link above.
Brian Davis
OMG, that's so wonderful!
All these promising young people from all over the world just having fun together while using their brains are lighting a candle in our world (nay, a firehouse), in a manner of speaking (and LEGO made that happen).
Dear me, with having watched these images I do even more regret not having been able to attend.
I'm with you there Matthias! It is the greatest thing to see happen. I was at the Texas FFL finals and I was blown away by the feeling the atmosphere gave me.
one word....Goosebumps.
THere were some great things that happened in Atlanta - while this was a competition, there was no real team spirit that was against any other team, if you get what I mean.
There are two things that come to mind that reflect this:
1. At the end of the first day, the kids all went to an ice cream social, and had a show where teams did skits or songs or performances. While many were of songs (lotta raps), one of the best performances was of a team that did a song to the tune of the Brady Bunch and at the end, pulled up signs that said good luck to all the teams, in their native language - I managed to get a blurry pic, but it was too important to delete!
2. I was on the stage when two teams running perfect scores competed. Both had two perfect scores so far, and both were ready to do it a third time. I took pics of one group during the heat, and they indeed did a perfect score, as did the other. And as they were going out - the teams met each other and not only congratualted each other, but had pictures taken together - that's onthe video with them waving the four fingers!
It's moments like that and all the kids in thier native costumes walking around that make this a special event. I regain a lot of hope in our future there.
Thanks for the comments!
Wow, that looks like an amazing event, I wish I could have gone when I was in Lego League, but alas we never made it past the Minnesota State Competition. Maybe sometime in the future I can go watch one at least. :)
THANK YOU for taking and posting these incredible photos. I served as an FLL judge at the event, and even though I've been involved at the state level in FLL, this event just blew me and my DH away. These students, their coaches, mentors and parents are just wonderful. It was so uplifting to be immersed in this event for 3 days. And, it's so terrific to be able to come visit all of the teams we met and saw at the event.


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Hy-Vee announced it is discontinuing the Hy-Vee Triathlon events, which included timed competitions for elite athletes, amateurs and kids. The company will shift its efforts to create a new event series promoting health and wellness in children. The new series will be aimed at increasing accessibility to children at all fitness levels with a focus on non-competitive participation and helping others. Final details of the new series are still in the planning stages, but Hy-Vee officials anticipate a formal announcement by mid-March.
For more information, please read the press release.


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Offers & Packages
Offers & Packages
For more information please contact us or call us on
+44 (0)1202 298 350.
Bournemouth hotel, a dream location
The perfect hotel for those who still enjoy the traditional British holiday in a boutique "style" hotel. The only purpose built Art Deco Hotel dating back to the 1930's, this Bournemouth hotel is still full of character with many of its original features and new contemporary twists. Voted Best Large Hotel in Bournemouth.
Our mission statement
"Located on the seafront overlooking Bournemouth Bay, The Cumberland Hotel is a modern resort style hotel that has achieved one of Bournemouth's highest AA 3 Star hotel ratings. We offer good quality, comfortable, 3 star hotel rooms." Read our mission statement.
Explore the Hotel
For all reservation enquiries or bookings call 01202 298 35001202 298 350 or
GDS Access Codes: Sabre HO133777, Amadeus HOBOHCHB, Galileo HO47920, Worldspan HO08489
For all other hotel enquiries call +44(0)1202 290722+44(0)1202 290722.


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Population: About 1,100,748
Climate: Varanasi ensures that its pilgrims have a hard time at least by way of the weather. Hot and humid summers make you swelter at 45°C. the monsoons offer some respite but not much at 37°C. Winters are the best, with temperatures at 30°C.
Main Language(s): Hindi and English
Time Zone: GMT + 05:30
Phone Area Code: 0542
Best Time To Visit: Other then the peak of summer from May to June and the monsoons from July to August, plan a trip anytime.
Airport Distance from City Center: 25 kms
Taxi Rates from Airport to City: Private taxi service available at Rs. 300 to city centre
The Ghats
Many a story has been told of the Ghats of Varanasi. Quite an amazing experience as you either walk along or brave the waters. This is the real Varanasi, with its godmen in saffron, the echoes of the shlokas, bathing pilgrims with prayers on their chilled and stuttering lips, the shoreline with flames lapping up towards the sky where the dead are sent to heaven - a thousand sights and smells assault and overwhelm you. The more famous of the Ghats are the Dasashwamedha, Manikarnika, Assi, Panch Ganga and Harishchandra Ghats.
Vishwanath Temple
With the only constraint being that only Hindus are allowed inside the temple, the Vishwanath Temple was built in 1777, by Ahilya Bai Holkar of Indore. Aurangzeb's destruction of the temple and the rebuilding of it on the same site gives its history value and the temple has been the principal Shiva Temple in Varanasi for more than a thousand years. Known as the 'Golden Temple', because of the 800 kgs of gold, which adorns its shikharas, the roof was gold-plated by the blessing of Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1835. In the inner sanctum, the shivling is enshrined atop a golden altar.
Bharat Mata Temple
Dedicated to India, this temple was inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi. Inside, there is a marble relief map of India and other related memorabilia. The symmetry of design and scale of the map catches your attention.
Gyan Kup
Said to date back to well before the birth of the Ganges, Gyan Kup literally translates into the 'Well of Knowledge and Wisdom'. The kup is conveniently situated next to the main temple and the water from the well is believed to "indicate the highest spiritual illumination".
Gyanvapi Mosque
In an act that was typical of its eccentric and destructive builder Aurangzeb, this great mosque was built with materials salvaged from plundered Hindu temples. The monument is an architectural wonder, with minarets, which are 71 m in height. It is only the rear portions of the mosque that give away its Hindu origins.
Benares Hindu University
The BHU, as it is popularly known, was founded in 1917 by well-known nationalist Pt Malviya. The largest residential university in India, it houses an excellent Sanskrit School as also a museum within its campus, the Bharat Kala Bhavan Museum. The Museum has an amazing collection of old manuscripts, ancient sculptures and paintings.
Ramnagar Fort and Museum
The ancestral home of the former Maharaja of Varanasi, this 17th century fort-palace was built by Maharaj Balwant Singh and is situated across the river to the south of the city. The fort has a temple and a museum within the grounds, the temple being dedicated to Veda Vyasa, the author of the Mahabharata, who stayed briefly at the Ramnagar Fort. An interesting array of ornate palanquins, gold-plated howdahs and weapons are some of the artefacts on display.
One would be justified in visiting Varanasi for the paan (betel leaf) alone. Made in several ways, all of them a treat, the Benaras paan is famous and sought after all over India. The local must try food items of the place include its sweet dishes rabri, malpua and khaja. Also try the sweet drink thandai, which will not only quench your thirst but will have you leave a fresh and lingering taste. The tangy paapri-chat layered with cool yoghurt and ginger-tamarind chutney is another treat that you will not want to miss. Apart from that, Varanasi has many restaurants offering Indian, Continental and East Asian cuisine.
Ganga Fiji
Vishwanath Temple
Havelli Restaurant Hotel Ideal Tops
The Mall, Cantt.
Bread of Life Bakery
Sonarpur Road
Ayyar's Cafè South Indian
Old city, Godaulia
Palm Springs Indian cuisine
Cantonment area
El Parador
Railway station area & Lahurabir area
© Jet Airways (India) Ltd.


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This product is currently sold out.
You can obtain status and/or reserve this item by contacting us. We can also be reached by calling toll free 1-866-326-9377 (Dialing from outside the US +01 314 772 3566) between 10AM and 6PM CST (-6 GMT).
The Scandinavian Underwear Leader, Frank Dandy, strives to bring the best fit, the highest quality, and the unexpected with each underwear collection. The Frank Dandy Jaguar Long Johns feature an all-over jaguar spot print with a complimenting microfiber waistband. The unique graphic pattern paired with soft combed cotton and the double layered supportive pouch makes for an unbeatable combination. Frank Dandy underwear allows you to choose style without having to forfeit comfort and fit.
Inseam: Small- 29"; Medium- 30", Large- 31"; X-Large- 32"
95% Cotton, 5% Elastane.
Machine wash cold. Non-chlorine bleach only when needed. Tumble dry low, cool iron if needed. Wash dark colors separately.
|28-30 in 71-76 cm
|29 in 74 cm
|30-32 in 76-81 cm
|30 in 76 cm
|34-36 in 86-91 cm
|31 in 79 cm
|Extra Large
|38-40 in 97-102 cm
|32 in 81 cm


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In the Name of Allâh, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful
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Ramadan Kareem
The Month of Forgiveness
Recommended: The Present Rulers and Islam
A great deal of confusion has arisen, either by accident or by design, in the course of discussions about the rulers of the Muslim world and their regimes. When is obedience to them required? When is it forbidden? When is patience enjoined and when is revolt obligatory? A large section of those who claim to be knowlegeable have inclined towards the rulers of our times, concealing what they know of the truth and distorting discussion out of a desire for this fleeting world and its wretched ephemeracy.
Enjoy Your Life
This is an exquisite collection of incidents from the life of the Prophet (S), stories from our Islamic Heritage, and thought-provoking anecdotes from the life of the author. The aim of the book is to train the reader to enjoy living his life by practicing various self-development and inter-personal skills. What is so compelling and inspiring about this book is that, in order to highlight the benefit of using social skills, the author draws from the lives of the Prophet (S) and his Companions.
The Life of Muhammed
This set of lectures is the third and last part of The Life of Muhammad (saaws). This set covers the last five years of the life of the Messenger of Allah, Muhammad (saaws) from the fifth year of Hijra to the tenth. It includes the important events of the truce of Hudaybiyyah, the battle of Khaibar, the battle of Mutah, the conquest of Makkah, the battle of Hunain, the battle of Tabuk and finally the passing away of the seal of the Prophets.
The Story Of The Bull
By Imam Anwar Al-Awlaki. Umar ibn Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) asked Ubbay ibn Kaab (may Allah be pleased with him), What is the meaning of Taqwa? Ubbay ibn Kaab said, O Amir ul Muminin, have you walked on a field that had a lot of thorny plants? Umar said, Yes Ubbay ibn Kaab said, So what did you do? Umar replied, I lifted up my clothes and I was very careful, Ubbay ibn Kaab said, That is Taqwa.
In The Shade of The Qur'an
In The Shade Of The Qur'an has been universally recognized as an outstanding contribution to Islamic thought and scholarship, to which students and scholars, as well as contemporary Islamic revivalist movements all over the world, owe a great deal. Now that it is available in English, it will continue to enlighten and inspire millions more. It will take its rightful place as an indispensable work of reference for a proper understanding of contemporary Islamic thinking.
Lion of the Desert (Umar al Mukhtar)
We go back in history to 1862 where a young boy of a poor household was born in a town controlled by the Uthmany Khilafa. This young man was brought under the care and tutelage of one of the Shuyookh in his home town when he was at the ripe age of 16 after the death of his father. He eventually developed a lifestyle of not sleeping more than 3 hours every night in order to get up to pray to Allah at the last third of the night and recite Qur'an until fajr. He memorized the Qur'an (as all knowledgeable people begin their lives) eventually, and was known to have finished his revisions in its entirety every seven days, regardless of the sufferings he encountered in his life.
Recitation of the Noble Quran (Arabic-English)
Translated by: Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din Al-Hilali. For the first time the Noble Qur'an, and the translation of its meaning in the English language by Dr Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din Al-Hilali and Dr Muhammad Muhsin Khan, are being presented on audio CDs. The beautiful recitation of the Noble Qur'an is done by Sheikh Nadir Al-Qallawi, and the translation is read by Mr. Phelps (Bilal Abdul-Karim) from USA.
Gaza Through Our Eyes
Shaykh Zahir details the epic Viva Palestina journey from Britain to Gaza. He describes the highs, lows, ebbs and flows of the journey, the immense love and emotion displayed by the general public and the obstacles created by some of the worlds most notorious police states. The lecture ends with an emotional description of the suffering of the Gazans, witnessed first hand by the members of the convoy.
Dua Qunoot - Mishari Rashid al-Afasy
al-Fatihah - An In-Depth Study
Shaykh Jamaaluddin Zarabozo
Description of Paradise by Imaam Ibn al-Qayyim
Ibn al-Qayyim said, in regards to the description of the Paradise and the delights that it contains:
"And if you ask about its ground and its soil, then it is of musk and saffron.
And if you ask about its roof, then it is the Throne of the Most Merciful.
And if you ask about its rocks, then they are pearls and jewels.
And if you ask about its buildings, then they are made of bricks of gold and silver.
And if you ask about its trees, then it does not contain a single tree except that its trunk is made of gold and silver.
And if you ask about its fruits, then they are softer than butter and sweeter than honey.
A party in Paradise, A party in Hellfire
The Companions of our Prophet Muhammed (SAW) used to gather to remember death so that they would benefit their souls by increasing in fear of Allaah and strive to gain His pleasure. If this was the case of the Sahaabah and they were the best of generations, the most pious and God-fearing of this ummah, then what about us? Surely, it means that we need to engage in the remembrance of Allaah(SWT) even more. After all, we are in far more need of this act of worship than they were....
In Pursuit of Allahs Pleasure
By Dr.Naaha Ibrahim, Asim Abdul Maajid & Essam-ud-Deen Darbaalah.
In this book the authors outlined a complete methodology for Islamic work in this day. From Aqeedah to Dawah to Jihad to Khilafah and Taqwa to Sabr, they have explained how all of these parts come together for the sole objective of every Muslim to seek the pleasure of Allah.


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I have been fiddling with DazStudio/Bryce/Hexagon for a few months now and am hitting problems where Bryce will not let me pose characters from DS without passing the characters in every change. Nor will DS bring Bryce scenes in with all the detail I have beforehand.
Is Carrara an additional add in to the suite or a bundled package? Is it supposed to be able to do all the things the other packages do in one place then?
I see the advertising hype about what results it can produce but not enough to convince me to buy it (yet). Will it replace the above mentioned three packages or is it another package to do more?
Thank you everyone for any feedback. I guess a lot of other people out there would also like to know why they should look at C too.


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- Michael Roland
- London
- United Kingdom
This conversation is closed.
Is neural activity truly the basis for thoughts, feelings, and perceptions?
"Neural activity is the physical basis, or so neuroscientists think, for thoughts, feelings, and perceptions."
In this qstatement, is Dr Seung implying that this is up for debate?
Monte Delion
Jan 9 2012: The real question is one of cause and effect. Is the presence/occurrence of structures/phenomena that we observe the cause or result of related , less tangible phenomena? Popular logic would say that based on our basic observations, occurrences in our world-like synaptic firing and neurotransmitter activity-are the cause of cognition, sensation, awareness, ect. However, the most modern quantum researchers speak of the subjectivity of physical phenomena and their reliance upon observation. Too much scientific data points at the likelihood of what we deem solid immutable matter existing in wave-states that don't actually "solidify" or settle upon an assumed form until someone observes a process. That being the case, what is the potential that exists before observable phenomena and why would such wave-particle ambiguity not extend to our neurological realm? If cause and effect condense from potential to actual, might not emotion and consciousness have a different phase existence of their own that is actual causal in relation to our delayed observation? What if we, in our intellectual/observational arrogance ( and subsequent presumption) have the whole process backwards?
- +10
E Pines
Jan 9 2012: Monte Delion's point above is both a very interesting and real possibility.
- +8
As I recall, the mathematician/physicist Roger Penrose of Oxford University, took very seriously the possibility of such quantum-interference interaction between the sensory system, thought, and perception of consciousness itself. It was some years after his original consideration of this already back around 1990, that an expert came in on the biolodical end, I believe, and even helped establish the possibility of microtubule bringing the small-size, and global distribution required to make such a possibility real. Of course, the matter remains shrouded in scientific debate.
Now whether this is true or not, consider the (also controversial) theory that the sympathetic feelings that one has are based upon a sympathetic neurons that make one sense the actions/pain of another as though they were our own. [Supposedly, the autistic spectrum demonstrates a diminishment of this, ergo their much diminished sense of body language queues.] If anything like this is true, then we see that what is normally taken fro altruism would be merely a wired feeling of pain or pleasure based on certain visual queues from another, or the memory thereof. The implication is that what is normally taken as altruism, may be merely another form of selfish taking of pleasure or avoidance of pain, not at all connected with the other person.
We might come to a very interesting conclusion here then:
1 - The well and woe of others may really represent a deep real interconnection with our own well and woe.
2 - Whether so or not, what is taken as altruism to others, may actually be a limited pleasure/pain mapping in ourselves of only the immediate sensory or conceptual perception of the actual needs.
Thus we may find that altruism is a vital nutrient for us, but our direct sense of it is only candy. One has a sense that, especially as the globe gets smaller, we desperately need to develop real mutual concern, love.
Jan 19 2012: Hi, E Pines !
I can't agree more :
"we desperately need to develop real mutual concern, love."
It's stunning how simple is that, how basic !
We do have to care about each other and Jesus was right !Jan 19 2012: Hi, Monte !
You said :"...why would such wave-particle ambiguity not extend to our neurological realm?"
In a way it should. And quantum wave is 'time free', in timeless space continuum the 'cause and effect ' question does not exist . This implies that creation, observation and neurological reaction to the observed or experienced is happening at once, at one moment which is not even a moment in usual sense. let's put it in another way : through observation we react to what is , exists, but what if it does not exist until observed ? My belief is simply this " The seer is the seen " For me it is easier to' understand' this hard-to-verbalize complexity through mystic metaphor due to its holistic quality as opposed to the typically liner quality of logic . Frankly, i don't know, it's just 'gut' feeling :)
Monte Delion
Jan 19 2012: It's a "gut-feeling" sentiment echoed in many "mystical" (man I hate that word!) teachings. I hate the word because it carries this stigma of impracticality. However, practicality-or the lack thereof-depends upon the willingness to exert in a thing towards its realization. Nowadays, the answers to these ontological issues requires a different exertion than in the past because the place that such feelings are revealed, the general field of human consciousness, was not as fissured by self-interest as it is today.
- +2
To those with the inclination to ponder and know these matters, the exertion carries its own merit. However, because evolution is a general impetus, even those without the inclination will have to contemplate mending our fracture connections because of coarser stimulus, i.e.-economic, political, and environmental crisis.
By this attention to consciousness itself and its 2 dipoles, egoism and altruism, and how to balance these to forces, we will eventually reveal in actual fact whether or not our gut feelings hold water, we will bypass the subjectivity that all our current "scientific" methods of observation can't and reveal the forces that manage our reality. And for those that could give-a-hoot-less about these lofty matters, a new fuel and fulfillment stands to reveal as the answer to the emptiness all our political and commercial maneuvering have failed horribly to sate and actually only exacerbate.
The inexorable push of nature demands that we focus not only on what we do, but also why we do it. If we approach science and society from this new vector, we stand to understand what all the social and scientific paradoxes have been steering us toward all along.
Jan 20 2012: Hi, Monte !
"mystical" (man I hate that word!)
I don't ! :) For me it carries no stigma ! What is the main massage of quantum mechanics ? - ' Interconnectedness ' ! Isn't it precisely what mysticism as a teaching is about alongside with all sacred teachings? It helps to balance egoism and altruism: " What goes around comes around" ,"Dethrone yourself from your world, put another there and you'll evolve " Don't do to others..."
We all know that, maybe it's time to live it... Am I preaching ? Sorry, I didn't mean to :)
Thank you for your response !
Have a nice day !
Tim Petersen
Jan 28 2012: It has been explained to me that the neural may be the infrastructure to transport and retrieve, but the owners of this metaphysical warehouse is much deeper in the universe. It is a collective association of intellect, emotion, and comprehension. All of them directly influenced by imprints of the past and/or the future, the present "being" is the sum manifestation. It has also been explained to me, in this same thought, that DNA is better defined by: Decendant Now Ancestor, if you can follow that. It is these sacred mysteries that bend me at the knees and raise my arms to the sky. Thank you for the provocative inquiry.Jan 27 2012: I think Dr. Seung is allowing that neuroscience is just a view. And there are other views available. When you have the freedom to pick and choose views to look at something from and switch freely between them without trying to reconcile them to one another, you can really get closer to experiencing or knowing something.
- +2
The trap we fall into (maybe this is the age we are in, or this is a Western problem) is to conflate a useful view or model of something with the idea that that view or model represents how it ~really~ is. To the child with a hammer, everything looks like a nail. To the neuroscientist, the brain looks like a neuroscience-based machine.
So to answer the question you've asked directly: I choose not to champion that view in most cases, as that gives very little room for humanity. Although the brain as described in neuroscience is a learning and adaptable machine (and a wondrous one), it's still beholden to ideas of brain electrochemistry.
If I were having some kind of issue with my brain, however, I'd certainly consult with someone who had tremendous facility with the neuroscience view.
Sodi Suri
Jan 24 2012: I am not a scientist, but here is my thinking on this question:
- +2
Neural activity is like microchip/ CPU, the human brain wiring& chemicals for processing information (learning, analysing, imagining, perceiving etc)
From when you are born, you learn from your surroundings/ circumstances (parents, siblings, friends, school, books, tv, surroundings etc). Based on what the norm is in your upbringing (thieving, working hard, life of luxury, religion , culture etc) your sense of self is formed . Your brains wiring starts to become "hard wired" biased towards curtain deep/ inert feelings, which become your personal filters. These filters will influence your thoughts and perceptions towards others.
If your are born from a hard working, honest family, with a happy (& tough times) up bringing then you are likely to see the world in a balanced way. If your upbringing was biased towards hardship or extreme luxury, then your feelings/ thoughts and perceptions will be filtered and biased in an imbalanced view point...
In summary in my laymans / non scientific opinion, neural activity is brains capability to process information/ learn and evolve. It is your learnings from your surroundings that form your inner thoughts, feelings and perceptions.Jan 23 2012: It's curious to see that the question ("Is neural activity truly the basis for thoughts, feelings, and perceptions?") evokes comments related to a constellation of religious axioms -- and only one among many religious ideologies, specifically monotheism. Essentially, concepts like "God", "soul", "spirit", "revelation(s)" -- which have no common logical core are agglutinated -- when the question is raised. I have no problem with hypotheses, but when several 'pile on' and masquerade as fact, I wonder about the motives and interior life of those doing the agglutination.... (Yes, I know: faith. But that's just a word.) I find it quite liberating to admit that we simply don't understand much about the bases of our thoughts, feelings and perceptions -- and I find it quite stultifying to posit allegations while the mystery is still unsolved (and may well remain so!). Why do some folks jump all over other folks who say, "Beats me!" or "I don't know!" Why the desire to 'kill the wonder' with an Answer (or Answers)? I much prefer to follow the ins and outs of neuroscience, speculation, theoretical constructs -- not necessarily because they are 'proven' but simply because the search for answers (note lower case!) is fun.
Monte Delion
Jan 21 2012: natasha nikulina 20+TED Translator
- +2
18 hours ago: Hi, Monte !
"mystical" (man I hate that word!) I don't ! :) For me it carries no stigma ! What is the main massage of quantum mechanics ? - ' Interconnectedness ' ! Isn't it precisely what mysticism as a teaching is about alongside with all sacred teachings? It helps to balance egoism and altruism: " What goes around comes around" ,"Dethrone yourself from your world, put another there and you'll evolve " Don't do to others..."We all know that, maybe it's time to live it... Am I preaching ? Sorry, I didn't mean to :)
...I don't hate the word actually, I hate that with it comes such a disdain that those that claim objectivity and scientific rationale won't even look toward any set of data that their esteemed colleagues might turn their nose up at. It's a shame because there exists methodologies that elaborate extensively upon the concepts being addressed in this thread and even propose experiments one can implement toward the observation of said concepts. We are using modern wordage for millenia-old concepts and much of what's being expounded upon and revealed in exotic and quantum physics and even advanced psychology and neurology is old news in the oft-mocked spiritual circles. The Penroses, and Hawkings of today once walked the earth and were called sages and they are telling us today the same things they told us long ago. Ask the practitioner, the pursuant of enlightenment, and they will express hopeful amusement and patience at what looks like the sleepy start of some catch-upage on the part of modern science. Case in point, check out this TED video on connectomes http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/sebastian_seung.html (specifically the 4min 32sec mark ) -and this is but the tip of the iceberg of scientific/spiritual corresponding!
Jan 21 2012: Hi, Monte !
You are right , this '4min 32sec ' part is mind blowing ! I was amazed with beauty and complexity of 'I am " :)
I like the way how science changes its attitude towards 'empty' space, it seems to be in the focus of attention all over the genre. For how many years we've known that the atoms which make up solid matter are over 99.99 per cent empty space ? About 80 years, I guess, but somehow science has absorbed this without letting it alter its attitude. But time has come and 'empty' space is viewed as full and fertile and the womb of All. Science and sacred teachings seem to be on the way to reconciliation ! New age is called the age of reason , maybe it's true ? :)
Thank you very much for attracting my attention to this piece, I'll watch it once/twice... more !Jan 20 2012: If the brain informs the body, and it does...the body informs the brain, and it does. There are lots of strings of big words we could use here...and we have in this conversation. my answer is yes...neural activity is the basis for thoughts, feelings and perceptions...however the real question in my opinion is ...what informs neurons? Environment? Habit? Genetics? Does the pathway change from within as well as from without? It's a two way street, right? So there are how many unknowns? I believe in a moment that changes everything...that pulls it together. A moment that we can not yet explain with this science.
Jan 20 2012: Mary,
Agree, and agree ... yes ... yes ... two way street of course... But my question is this. Are there no motor nerves and no receptor nerves?..... Is there is only one sense apparatus that is the transmitter of sense impressions. consciousness is not "only" in the brain?..did you say that or are those my words. Can there be consciousness in the fingers of a violinist? Is science now saying that neural activity seems to be flowing in all directions and simultaneously throughout the body? In the very same moment.
And not only "within" our own body .. but in "other" bodies as well...?? Excuse me if I seem to be carrying this too far... but I do have a point here... Ever heard of mirror neurons? If not, go and read a little bit about it. Neural activity in another person ... such as a pinched finger of pain or the sweetness of a candy in pleasure, .. mirror neurons give me the impression of what you are experiencing. At least to a small degree.
This is science. Not just my own wild theory.Jan 19 2012: This really is true in the same way our computers and the internetnet is the physical base for our conversation.
Jan 19 2012: Hi, Frans !!!
Thanks for a 'hot' metaphor ! I agree, it's something like this :)
Jan 20 2012: Hi Natasha,
If we draw the line further the electronic web will become one superbrain of the human species. Maybe then we all share the same mind, who knows?
Jan 20 2012: Yes, some call it ' God '... only names , words are different, but our human intuition leads us to the same image :)
daniel hehir
Jan 19 2012: .....Did I hear the man say "Know thy self" .... Seems like I've been down this way before...
- +2
Will it ... in the end.....finally boil down to "I am" the "I am"
Jan 19 2012: Hi, Daniel !
If you can answer the old age question " Who am I ?" it means you've grasped everything !
At least I truly believe so, but don't know how it is humanly possible :)
Jan 19 2012: Hi Natasha and Daniel:>)
I think/feel it is possible to say and believe I know who I am in this moment, and as I am continually open to explore who and what "I am", I discover that my knowledge of my "self" and others is constantly changing:>)
Dear Helen,
I cannot connect a response to your comment below within a reasonable distance, so I'll do it here. Communications "get scattered" because that is how the reply system works...when we're responding on the 3rd level, there is no place else to go!
I don't believe neurons "act on their own" either. I believe neurons are made of material substances, just like the rest of the body? In my perception, the energy that powers the rest of the body, powers the neurons as well. When the energy that powers the body leaves at the time of death, the neurons die, the same as the rest of the material body.
Helen Hupe
Jan 21 2012: Hi.....I think that it is awful that our communications get so scattered. Thank you for your suggestions. I shall read or watch them. It just does not appear to me that neurons act on their own, without input from some kind of force. Again thank you.
- +1
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Jan 19 2012: The neurons are a part of the body/mind, are they not?Jan 20 2012: Hi, Adriaan !
Of course you are right, but the very act of dividing "I am" into 'body' and 'soul', 'matter' and 'spirit' prevents us from understanding how it all works .
There must be the realm where they are one. My point is, that the matter in its deep root level is 'spirit'... Bizarre idea, but here I try to give my intuition a voice :)
Thank you !Jan 20 2012: Hi Adriaan, and Colleen and Natasha,
Just wanted to say one last word before I'm off to bed.
Thanks for the message Adriaan, have to agree with you there.
I see the human being as a being of a threefold nature. Body, soul, and spirit... or as you might also rather consider ... thinking, feeling and willing. Three separate yet distinct parts each interpenetrating the other to different degrees. The thinking element having its seat or center in the head, the feeling having its center in the heart region and the will having its center in the limb system ...Jan 20 2012: Natasha,
Have you answered your own question with your comment above?
You say..."the very act of dividing...prevents us from understanding how it all works".
You have said, in your other comments that "getting to understand the change is in a way shaping fixing it, isolating it from the flow". You have also suggested that you feel "trapped"? Is "trapped" a form of isolation?
I believe there is a "realm where they are one", and we simply need to percieve that as a possibility. It seems like it may be difficult to percieve everything as one and connected, if we are also percieving the process as having "isolated" functions? The "realm where they are one", may be our perception?
Helen Hupe
Jan 21 2012: Hi Colleen............Do neurons control us or do we control neurons ?
- +1
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Jan 20 2012: Hi Adriaan,
I know you have presented this concept before, and it apparently is your truth. However, I don't agree that the "mind is a separate, distinct level of existence above the physical brain level" unless you have a definition for "mind" that is different than the usual?
the element or complex of elements in an individual that feels, perceives, thinks, wills, and esp. reasons; the conscious mental events and capabilities in an organism; the organized conscious and unconscious adaptive mental activity of an organism; the normal or healthy condition of the mental faculties; intellectual ability...etc."
Perhaps those functions happen for you Adriaan, in a "seperate distinct level of existence above the physical brain level", but I think/feel that for most humans, those functions are part of being human, and happen within the "organism" which is the human body/mind. It is, as you say Adriaan..."we certainly need our brain and all its components and chemicals to connect and control our body and so to communicate with this physical world".
It serves no useful purpose, in my perception, to seperate the processes. My "mind" is right here with me in the body, on this earth, it is not "on the other side":>) My character IS part of the chemical composition and neuron connections because everything is connected...in my humble perception:>) That is one very important thing I learned with the NDE/OBE.
Comment deleted
Jan 20 2012: Adriaan,
Please do not answer for me, or try to put words in my mouth...I've asked you this before. My statements are clear, and if they are not clear to you, I'm glad to clarify.
I respect your beliefs Adriaan, as your beliefs. I have expressed my thoughts, feelings, ideas, opinions and beliefs regarding the NDE/OBE on many TED sites when that was the topic. It is not the topic here, and I do not wish to pursue it here unless the facilitator wants to bring it into the discussion. The topic question is....."Is neural activity truly the basis for thoughts, feelings, and perceptions?" I have shared my perceptions regarding the topic.Jan 20 2012: Hi Natasha and Colleen,
I've been trying to keep up on the thread here best I can. Lots of interesting and exciting comments here.
What Natasha says about being trapped within the body is very interesting. There is a video out there somewhere on the vast eithernet ... believe it was you tube I saw it a while back. Where a young girl born severely handicapped without language of any sort. Later on in life as a teen she was helped through the language barrier with a computer that helped her to communicate. She was banging her head often. As her language developed in time, her communicating faculties also developed to the point of which she could describe how it felt for her to be so handicapped. She then told of how she was always trying to "get into my body" Those are her exact words...
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Jan 21 2012: Hi Adriaan !
There is no disagreement between us, simply slight difference in image :) You didn't forget to mention :
"... that the most rewarding and uplifting aspect of this approach (to see the two realms as different) is that those that die, it is 'only' their body that dies. Not they themselves. It makes it possible to meet again in that very different, spiritual realm."
Maybe you are more comfortable with two dimensional image and I prefer to see it three dimensionally. I don't see the line which divide reality into two realms: 'spiritual' and 'physical', but as a spiral, like the basic structure of the gene: the double helical format of DNA. There is no problem with 'eternal' life here, it gives the impression of everlasting always changing stillness, dynamic world within a world..OK,.I guess non of these pictures is true though, it's the realm of our imagination, which creates perception and we are free to choose.
Thanks for your concern Andriaan, but I am not SO trapped:) I've got the impression that we don't quite understand each other. What I am trying to do is to use both : rational mind and intuitive mind, actually they both reside in my brain " between two ears" :) So I don't need to go anywhere to be outside the box .We can't even in theory separate the mind that sees from the thing that is seen. What is mind if it has the awesome power to create the world ? In even attempting to answer this question in a sensible way I am at once tired down by the limitation of language. (that's what I meant saying "I feel trapped" :)
Anyway, thank you for sharing and your kind concern !Jan 20 2012: Natasha,
I think this is something that develops within us..... over many lifetimes.
We are all on the path towards being "Christ-like" We are all moving forward at our own speed.
It was the Christ that said those words "I am the I am" Now put that together with what consciousness is... yours.... mine ... everyone's.. We are all individuals yet we share a reality that is both "within" our being and "without" ... or better said "outside of" our being. When we sleep, we are outside of our wakeful being, we are disengaged from the flow of time. We, upon waking, our eyes open, we sit up in our bed and we are again "incarnated" Our "I" has been to another place, another place in time..? ....maybe.... Another place spacially...?.. well maybe that too.
But to feel "trapped" as you say is not such a surprise as we are, in a certain way all trapped her... but only for the time being...Colleen can tell you an incredible story of how it is to be truly free from the bounds of the physical world.. she has had a NDE .... so don't let anyone tell you that the physical is all there is, that we are no more than a product of our neural activity or our connectomes . The deeper truth is that we are much much more. We are spiritual beings walking around in these forms of flesh and blood and bone. ... And your thinking is your tool on the stage of your consciousness. It will lead you through the darkness towards the light.... as Bob Dylan sang "were gonna get all the way from here to there, even if we've gotta walk a million miles by candle light".
Jan 21 2012: Daniel!
This conversation was quite slow until your "I am " comment :)
Generally, we understand/ hear/see something when we are tuned to it. When i saw your comment I was properly tuned ,being in "Who am I " state of mind and asked you whether it was humanly possible to grasp "I am" complexity. Now I've got the answer: Yes,"...being Christ-like" I came up with it too and it's quite recent and only dimly visible to me, but it highlights a lot already !
We shall not cease from exploration
and the end of all our exploring
will be to arive where we started
and know the place for the first time.
Thank you for being here !Jan 19 2012: Hi, Colleen !
Generally i agree with you ... but... 'moment' is everlasting and encompasses all changes, getting to understand the change is in a way shaping fixing it, isolating it from the flow, it makes it real, but not quite true. It's how we think about ourselves, but we are much bigger than that. And how I've understood Daniel's "I am " and what the topic of the conversation suggests it is about that ' bigger', deeper, quintessentially human spiritual/physical part. How does all this works? ! That's what i think totally incomprehensible for human mind, for it is trapped in Time. Of course I could be wrong here :)
Jan 19 2012: I agree that if we are considering the "moment" as flowing, then it is indeed everlasting and encompasses all changes. I don't percieve this process as "isolating" it from the flow, but rather becoming part of the flow. Just as a river, for a time, may be seperated from the main body of water, and eventually, flows into it? For me, the bigger, deeper spiritual or physical parts of being human are all connected, rather than seperated. I don't think/feel you are "wrong" with your conclusions, and perhaps you are limiting yourself? I don't feel that anything is "trapped in time". It is our perception that may become trapped?
Jan 20 2012: Colleen !
You said :
"I don't perceive this process as "isolating" it from the flow, but rather becoming part of the flow. Just as a river, for a time, may be separated from the main body of water, and eventually, flows into it ? "
It's a beautiful description of what we can experience and true to me too. I can experience it, ,but only momentarily, usually i am in a 'normal' self conscious state or as you put it in a "for a time separated from the main body of water " state and try to figure out how it all works ... and can't. Can you answer this question:
"Is neural activity truly the basis for thoughts, feelings, and perceptions?"
I guess you feel as well as I do almost certainty that the answer is 'NO', but it is not enough. Can you shape in words how it works ? All this complexity boils down to the 'simple' question "Who am I" And we can't give any plausible explanation for this phenomenon either, because we shape our thoughts in words, and language by its nature is Time, for it is based on sequence, on 'before-now-after' concept, and here we are trapped because 'I am' is timeless and only can be understood from this realm, but our mind doesn't work in this realm! Or...does it ? I am highly open to suggestions! :)
Thank you !Jan 20 2012: "Time is an ocean, but it ends at the shore" ...... Bob Dylan said that tooJan 20 2012: Dear Natasha,
Please remember that I am a simple person...not a scientist:>)
With that in mind, I do not believe that neurons are the "basis" for thoughts, feelings, and perceptions. I believe the "neural activity" however, is very much part of the process.
If we look at the definition of neuron...
Any of the impulse-conducting cells that constitute the brain, spinal column, and nerves, consisting of a nucleated cell body with one or more dendrites and a single axon. Also called nerve cell".
I believe neurons to be the conductor,conduits.channels, or carriers, if you will, for the energies that contribute to thoughts, feelings and perceptions. As I said in the pervious comment, I percieve everything to be connected and flowing, so it is all part of the process. In my humble perception, the energy flows through the neurons, and I do not seperate and/or label which "part" does what. It is only as "complex" as we want to make it Natasha.
Think about electricity, for example. The electricity alone is not intelligent, correct? However, it facilitates a connection to the internet, where there is an abundance of information...correct? I percieve neurons, and/or neural activity in a similar way. The neurons/nerve cells in our body/mind carry and organize the information. I percieve our mind/body connections to be very much like a computer.
You have said a couple times now..."we are trapped", and I don't understand why you feel "trapped". You also say "our mind doesn't work in this realm". Mine does, so I don't understand that statement either. It feels like you are trying to seperate the "parts" and functions, and I don't understand why you want to do that.
Jan 21 2012: Colleen!
Thanks for the response! Again, generally i agree with what you've said in all your comments bellow and above ! And we are on the same page here, but... but :)
You said:
"Think about electricity, for example. The electricity alone is not intelligent, correct? "
Actually nobody knows what electricity is, ( the experts included), the same way we don't know what consciousness is.
Don't you think that it is unidentifiable through mind; hence language? We can give our understanding through image, which can be reinforced with another image or metaphor.
And it's OK with me, but curious mind keeps asking questions... To cut the story short, I am one/many who wants to know what the electricity/consciousness is :)
What I came up with, it's quite recent, that our consciousness should evolve to another state, from self consciousness to 'Christ' consciousness to grasp the mystery of ' I am '
Maybe you are already somewhere there ? :)Jan 21 2012: Hi Natasha,
Ok...perhaps my use of electricity was not a good example. I was simply trying to answer your question in a way that I am capable of......I think! If you believe electricity has an intelligent componant, so be it:>)
I believe that consciousness is energy, and the energy carries information, which also moves through the neurons, and is part of the process that creates neural activity. We can experience consciousness, information and neural activity on many different levels. Within the catagory of information and neural activity, we have language and language use, images, our perception of images, and metaphors.
I believe the electricity/consciousness is energy, and science recognizes that we have energy moving through the body and mind.....it's not really very complicated, nor is it much of a mystery anymore:>)
Again, I believe the body/mind is much like a computer, capable of programming, and capable of running different programs at the same time, or "disabling" certain programs while others are running. Our receptors (the senses and neurons) take in information by way of the energy, process and organize it.
If you believe that your "consciousness should evolve to another state", then it will evolve as you make different choices regarding what information you accept and how you use it. As I said, I believe there are many levels of consciousness, and yes, I experience several levels. "I am" does not have to be a "mystery" when we live mindfully aware in each and every moment:>)
BTW, It was suggested that you were not thinking outside the box. (Adriaan's statement..."Hi Natasha, I think you will remain feeling trapped as long as you cannot think outside the box (between your ears")
My perception of you Natasha, is that you are always thinking, feeling and exploring outside the box:>)Jan 28 2012: It is, and it is not up to debate. it is a fact.
Of course your neural activity depends on the input you get (through your senses and food)Jan 21 2012: We aren't controlled by neurons. We ARE neurons. "You" are a pattern of neural cells, which are made of proteins and other molecules, which are made of atoms, which are made of protons, electrons, and neutrons, which are in turn made of quarks and other subatomic particles. That's what your mind is made of, just like a book is made of chapters,paragraphs, sentences, words, letters. There's just no scientific basis to claim there is anything "more". There's no room left in science for a non-corporeal soul and this debate is pointless.
Jan 21 2012: Zanker,
Your analogy of the book was an excellent example! Chapter, paragraphs, words, letters... and I guess you can even continue endlessly down to the amount of pixels in each individual letter on the page. But in the final end, the letters and symbols are meaningless.... if the idea is not conveyed. The words and letters mean no more than small black squiggly lines. They really are nothing more. But when the logical mind of the person reading the words that are represented by those funny little squiggly lines is engaged "then" meaning arises... of course the "meaning" is all in your head...Jan 21 2012: Zanker !
"There's no room left in science for a non-corporeal soul ..."
May I take the liberty to remind you that there is no scientific theory that can explain /describe how particles get their masses? What is matter we are made of ?
The whole Pyramid of 'matter' from its bottom down to the top rests on the ghost-like particle, heavily chased, but not yet caught: Higgs Boson, which has been called 'God' particle for a good reason, because presumably it 'gives' particles their masses, hence create matter.
So, i can't agree with you that there is no room left. Modern physics faces the limits of the scientific method, it raises questions it cannot answer. This is not a failure of science, just a recognition that measurement is not the only source of meaning.
Jan 21 2012: Sorry, but you're wrong.
Science raises questions it can't yet answer for a good reason - to answer them. The current physical theory (that includes the Higgs' Boson) makes perfect sense, and is likely correct, regardless of our having seen the thing yet. And the only reason it's called the "God particle" is media hype. Its original (provisional) designation was "that god-damn particle", but the publishers wouldn't go with that for some reason.
Also, regardless of whether we know precisely why there's mass, we have a pretty good idea of how neurons work, and the human brain is nothing but a hundred billion neurons working. And a human person is nothing but the brain, sustained by the rest of the body. Even if everything we think we know about quantum physics is wrong, that's still the case.
Jan 21 2012: Zanker !
I don't claim for truth :)
Of course scientists will get new data and hopefully figure out what is going on there. Don't get me wrong, I am not against science, on the contrary, I highly value its achievements ! But maybe it is alien to your mindset, but "center is everywhere",and be certain that you know how 'neurons work' is a bit premature when you don't know what is the stuff where they operate in and what they are made of . My point is, nothing is certain, and I think, will never be, so all questions are always open and there is always room for 'soul'.
And could you elaborate on this "Its original (provisional) designation was "that god-damn particle"
Any link ? I am interested :)
Thank you !Jan 20 2012: Thanks Tim,
Glad to hear you can still take a little poke ;-) I just made a few comments on this most interesting discussion. it reminds me of the good old days of ... consciousness, merely a product of the physical brain discussion.
If neural activity is actually the basis .. then how do you explain what they call mirror neurons.
Got to get to bed now, catch you again tomorrow
Jan 23 2012: Yes Daniel. Those old days sure were good.
This concept of mirror neurons is a great example of the power of resonance. A radio receiver has within it a narrow band filter highly tuned to detect a carrier frequency. Likewise the brain is a giant filter. Programmed through evolution and life experience (both nature and nurture) to respond to outside stimuli. Seems only natural that observing another being having an experience would set it into oscillation.
That one was easy Daniel. But regardless of whether we are capable of coming up with a rational explanation for phenomena, the invention of aether, spirits or elan vital is generally counterproductive in our search for the truth.Jan 29 2012: Mirror neurons are simply the neuronal structures in the brain that connect between other neuronal structures that physically represent human movement external to self and our own physical actions.
How do these structures come to be? They form because there is association between our own body parts, the similarity of the body parts of others, the way our bodies feel and the representation we have of our own bodies - and the efficacy of the link between the similarity of the body parts of others and the way we feel about our own body parts.
It is something that is effective and reinforced by our environment (specifically as it relates to empathy and mimicry). As the neural structures are traversed frequently, specific links between external body movement representations and our internal body feeling are created and strengthened...
Resulting in the structures that we call 'mirror neurons'.Jan 15 2012: It should be up for debate... yes. Neural activity is only the footprint of the "real" activity that arises within the thinking, feeling and perceiving human consciousness. That which is not seen, weighed or measured. The question must always be pushed further and further behind the directly observable. In the complex system and determining factors of our shared human experience here on planet earth we cannot find satisfying answers to the mystery of mankind within the simple bounadries of the physical observation of neural activity. We must always go one step deeper to the immaterial ... the motivating factors of the human will. Without these things taken into perspective we are still looking only at the surface of things. Which is perhaps the biggest dilemma facing all aspects of science today.
Jan 20 2012: Hi Daniel. Nice to hear from you again.
It is fine to speculate on the possibility of forces at action that which we have not yet been able to fully analyze. But the idea that anything can be said about things that have no demonstrable influence merely opens us up to being controlled by charlatans.
Jan 21 2012: Not if you are a critical thinker.
Jan 21 2012: Hi Helen,
I cannot reply close to your question in another place in this thread...I can do it here:>)
Your question:
"Hi Colleen............Do neurons control us or do we control neurons ? "
I believe it is scientifically proven that we have some control with neural activity. There are some TED talks which address this topic...Chris deCharms & Ramachandrin (both neuroscientists) to name a couple.:>)Jan 10 2012: A model is never complete untill it is the same as the structure it is modelling. In this case, the limited models we have show that yes, the physical and 'spiritual' are the same thing. Plato's legacy lives on however..
ethan langer
Jan 7 2012: .The basis for thoughts, feelings and perceptions? No. The receptors and transmitters of said faculties? Yes,Jan 7 2012: no. I am living proof of that.Jan 29 2012: Hi Michael Roland,
- +1
A very interesting question and at first glance (at your Chinese medicine background) an equally interesting perspective on the question of consciousness and thought and sense and mind and "wisdom."
This is my first impulse at reacting to the question, but I would say immediately that both a "yes" and a "no" have to be acceptable in some sense. Just as we are more than a collection of cells (even trillions), our awareness is more than the firing patterns of neurons.
Neural activity is certainly an important field of study and this field should yield many answers to problems in medicine and well-being. However, to say that the basis of thoughts feelings and perceptions is completely contained in our neurons is ludicrous. Perseity is a dangerous trap in this question. (That is, nothing exists in-and-of-itself, or "per se.")
Ta da.
See you soon after more reflection and study...
MarkJan 29 2012: ...Or perhaps we should take it one step further. I am my propositional attitude...Jan 29 2012: This is something that can only ever be proven by scientific testing, it's not really open to ideological debate. Anyone can come up with some wild idea that sounds nice, like karmic imprints or race memory, but everything that's true can be proven. It'll take a long, long time before we can prove we're consciousness comes from, but it's absurd to think it's not achievable just because we don't know right now.Jan 27 2012: My only reply would be to remove the head and see what happens. However, I'm certain that religion has nothing to do with it. Do single celled organisms feel? They respond to stimuli so my guess is yes.Jan 26 2012: I dont know a word about Neurology but let me rely on what i see: and i hope someone can add something. Thoughts are some sort of energy that moves inside our brain. My doubt is if this thoughts originate randomly in the brain or is our "being" the one who generates this thoughts and uses the brain as an aid to circulate this pulses.Jan 24 2012: I wish I had the time to comment your topic... and so many other people comments in this topic.
Through out these last days there were made very interesting points here. Though no thumbs up or replies surely there are people like me that just read your comments.
Unfortunately no time to write my own...rotations...
Wish you all a fine day/night...Jan 23 2012: I'm kinda happy my mind is 'trapped' in my body.... I'd hate to have it wandering around tapping into everyone else's body! It would be weird trying to bicycle and seeing my next door neighbor go wheeling down the road while I just watched....Jan 23 2012: I do wonder why 'religious' people never seem able to answer precisely in the brain the 'soul' is linked to the neuronal networks. It would seem rather obvious if some organ in the brain were acting as 'antenna' for the emanations of the 'soul' since all kinds of neuronal activities would radiate from that point. (And be visible on fMRI scans). At least Rene Descartes had the courage to assign such a role to the pineal gland! (Unfortunately, as evidence accumulated, it became obvious the pineal gland was *not* the "principal seat of the soul" (cf: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pineal_gland#Metaphysics_and_philosophy )Jan 21 2012: Natasha,
Here is an interesting video about an autistic child who tells about the struggle with her body. Being trapped. A very interesting video that perhaps can tell us something about the true self trying to get through the physical body. It is not the first and only time this has happened. There is a book called "Miracles to believe in" by Barry Kaufman that tells the same story of his own child plus several others that were lead through serious autism to be fully functional.
If we can adapt an understanding of the true nature of the human being, we can also learn to understand such phenomena as what it will say to be autistic. The kernel of the human being is the "I" or ego that wants to get into the physical body and through it to gain knowledge and experience of the world around us and within our own soul life. The groundwork that they neural scientist are now laying is only the beginning of what help we can give these children.
But my main point is again, we have to realize that there is a spiritual element in or being that is trying to incarnate into and to flow through the physical body.
To presume that the neural activity "itself" is the initiator of human behavior is like the example that Adriaan gave about the TV set. Science today is saying to us.... look we see activity coming from the neural fabric of the brain here and here... there and there.... and of course they do! But the impulses coming from the conscious ego or "I" is the true impulse giver. Not the neural activity that starts the hand in motion ...no! The individual ego... the "I" that starts the neural activity first, then the hand moves..... It simply must be this way.
Jan 21 2012: Daniel!
Thank you for the link, it pushed me to thinking the way I've never thought before.It's like to watch the familiar movie backwards from the end to the beginning...
We try to 'map' the intuitive image through highly ordered, time-organised mind via language and as for me I am usually disappointed with the result for it's clumsy, pathetic or in the best case scenario a kind of chalk outline of a beautiful colourful, multi facets picture I had a glimpse of. But this autistic child is striving to order her 'intuitive ocean' to gain the bliss of control over her body... Her challenge humbles me a lot, now I appreciate the bliss of the balance ! It's a gift ! Body is sacred and mind is a beautifully made thing that allows the spirit inhabit it in the most harmonious way ! " We are not a body with spirit we are spirit that inhabits our body." And spirit must feel comfortable in it :)
Thank you !Jan 20 2012: Hi again Tim, It's been a long time yes! I've had longer break as you may have noticed... as we often seem to circle in on the same discussions.
It strikes me as strange that you can possibly be apposed to such a self evident phenomena as consciousness.
If I understand your comment correctly that is. Without a doubt you have a point that "we" meaning I suppose traditional science ... the A4 type has hardly begun to understand it. ...."Demonstrable influence",well Tim, you've kind of painted yourself into a corner on that one... unless you perhaps have another suggestion as to what it is that's really at the core of our being. We think, we are aware of pleasure and pain, colors, smells, and thousands upon thousands of impressions go into our ...... what .... what's the word.... if it not be consciousness.
But science is getting closer and closer every day. Have you heard the TED lecture on "connectomes" ? It's worth seeing if you haven't seen it. As you will see by the video that the "empty space" so to say ... the space in between all the neurons ... that are so incredibly small that it's almost like wandering into the universe... only it's turned inside out..... it's on the inside of our heads !! Take a close listen to what he says ... some very special words that come in towards the last few minutes of the lecture. The words are "know thyself" .. and what is "thyself"....? ....Tim.....?Jan 20 2012: "Is neural activity truly the basis for thoughts, feelings, and perceptions?"
Well I suppose you could say that this is the basic cartesian fallacy of the duality principle of mind vs. body when in truth the universe is one and any bifurcation of the whole into parts is merely an oversimplification of reality. But the model seems to work a lot better then a theory based on spirits and boogiemen.


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