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|The caliphate under Abu Bakr at its greatest extent
|573, Mecca, Saudi Arabia
|23 August 634, Medina, Saudi Arabia
|8 June 632–23 August 634
|Al-Sadiq, Sadiq al Akber, Khalifa Rasul
|Al-Masjid al-Nabawi
|[edit ]
Abū Bakr (c. 573 CE – 23 August 634/13 AH) was an early convert to Islam and a senior companion (Sahaba) of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Throughout his life, Abu Bakr remained a friend and confidante of Muhammad. Upon Muhammad's death he became the first Muslim ruler (632–634), regarded in Sunni Islam as the first of the Rashidun (righteously guided Caliphs). His caliphate lasted two years and three months, during which time he consolidated the Muslim state. Upon the death of Muhammad, some tribes rebelled, and in return he fought the Ridda wars against these Arab tribes to establish Islamic rule over all of Arabia. He also conquered the lands of Syria and Iraq.
He was a man with fair skin, thin, emaciated, with a sparse beard, a slightly hunched frame, sunken eyes and protruding forehead, and the bases of his fingers were hairless.
By most reports he was very handsome, citation needed and for his beauty he earned the nickname of Atiq. He was born in a rich family. He spent his early childhood like other Arab children of the time among the Bedouins who called themselves Ahl-i-Ba'eer- the people of the camel, he developed a particular fondness for camels.
In his early years he played with the camel foals and goats, and his love for camels earned him the nickname of Abu Bakr, the father of the foal of the camel. It is said that he didn't worship idols since his youth. When Abu Bakr was 10 years old he went to Syria along with his father with the merchants' caravan. Muhammad who was 12 years old at the time, was also with the caravan. Like other children of the rich Meccan merchant families, he was literate and developed a fondness for poetry. He used to attend the annual fair at Ukaz, and participate in poetical symposia. He had a very good memory. In 591 at the age of 18, Abu Bakr went into trade and adopted the profession of a cloth merchant which was the family's business. In the coming years Abu Bakr traveled extensively with caravans. Business trips took him to Yemen, Syria, and elsewhere. These travels brought him wealth and added to his experience. His business flourished and he rose in the scale of social importance. Though his father Uthman Abu Qahafa was still alive, he came to be recognized as chief of his tribe. Abu Bakr was assigned the office of awarding blood money in cases of murder. His office was something like the office of an honorary magistrate. Abu Bakr was an expert in genealogical lore and he knew intimately who was who in Mecca, and what his ancestry was.
As neighbors, Muhammad and Abu Bakr came in contact with each other. Both of them were of the same age, traders and good managers.
On his return from a business trip from Yemen, he was informed by some of his friends that in his absence Muhammad had declared himself as the Messenger of God, and proclaimed a new religion. Abu Bakr converted to Islam becoming the second person to accept Muhammad's Prophethood. Also he was the first person outside the family of Muhammad to become a Muslim.
Abu Bakr's dawah brought many people to Islam. He persuaded his intimate friends to convert to Islam. He presented Islam to others in such a way that many of his friends opted for Islam. Those who converted to Islam at the instance of Abu Bakr were:
Abu Bakr's acceptance proved to be a milestone in Muhammad's mission. Slavery was common in Mecca, and many slaves accepted Islam. When an ordinary free man accepted Islam, despite opposition, he would enjoy the protection of his tribe. For slaves however, there was no such protection, and were subjected to persecution. Abu Bakr felt for these slaves, so he purchased them and set them free. Abu Bakr purchased the freedom of eight slaves, four men and four women.
The men were:
The women were:
Most of the slaves liberated by Abu Bakr were either women or old and frail men. The father of Abu Bakr asked him to for why doesn't he liberate strong and young slaves who could be a source of strength for him, Abu Bakr replied that he was freeing the slaves for the sake of Allah, and not for his own sake. According to Sunni tradition the following verses of the Qur'an were revealed due to this:
He who gives in charity and fears Allah And in all sincerity testifies to the Truth; We shall indeed make smooth for him the path of Bliss {92:5-7}.
Those who spend their wealth for increase in self-purification; And have in their minds no favor from any one For which a reward is expected in return, But only the desire to seek the Countenance, Of their Lord, Most High; And soon they shall attain complete satisfaction {92:8-21}.
If ye help not (your Leader) (it is no matter): for Allah did indeed help him; when the unbelievers drove him out: he had no more than one companion: they two were in the cave, and he said to his companion "Have no Fear, for Allah is with us": then Allah sent down His peace upon him, and strengthened him with forces which ye saw not, and humbled to the depths the word of the Unbelievers. But the word of Allah is exalted to the heights: for Allah is Exalted in might, Wise.
After staying at the cave for three days and three nights, Abu Bakr and Muhammad proceed to Medina, staying for some time at Quba, a suburb of Medina.
Khaarij ah bin Zaid Ansari used to live at Sukh, a suburb of Medina, and Abu Bakr also settled there. After Abu Bakr's family arrived in Medina he bought another house near Muhammad's.
The climate of Mecca was dry, but the climate of Medina was damp and this adversely affected the health of the immigrants, so that on arrival most of them fell sick. Abu Bakr also suffered from fever for several days and during this time he was attended to by Khaarijah and his family. At Mecca, Abu Bakr was a trader in cloth and he started the same business in Medina. He was a wholesaler, and had his store at Sukh, and from there cloth was supplied to the market at Medina. Soon his business flourished at Medina. Early in 623, Abu Bakr's daughter Aisha, who was already engaged to Muhammad, was handed over to Muhammad in a simple marriage ceremony, and this further strengthen the relation between Abu Bakr and Muhammad.
In 624 Abu Bakr participated in the first battle between the Muslims and the Quraysh of Mecca known as the Battle of Badr. In 625 he participated in the Battle of Uhud. Before the battle begun, Abu Bakr's son 'Abd ar-Rahman ibn Abi Bakr who was still non-Muslim and was fighting from the side of the Quraysh, came forward and threw down a challenge for a duel. Abu Bakr accepted the challenge but was stopped by Muhammad. His son later converted to Islam and gained fame during the Muslim conquest of Syria as a fierce warrior. In the second phase of the battle, Khalid ibn al-Walid's cavalry attacked the Muslims from behind, changing a Muslim victory to defeat. Many Muslim warriors were routed from the battle field but Abu Bakr remained, guarding Muhammad from the attacks of the Quraysh soldiers. During one such attack, two discs from Muhammad's shield penetrated into Abu Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrah's cheeks. Abu Bakr went forward with the intention of extracting these discs but Abu Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrah requested he leave the matter to him, losing his two incisors during the process. Subsequently, Abu Bakr, along with other companions, led Muhammad to a place of safety. Later in the year Abu Bakr was a part of campaign again the Jewish tribe of Banu Nadir.
Later, in 627 he participated in the Battle of the Trench and also in the Battle of Banu Qurayza..In 628 he participated in Treaty of Hudaybiyyah and was made one of the witness over the pact.
In the year 628 he was a part of the Muslim campaign to Khaybar. In 629 Muhammad sent 'Amr ibn al-'As to Zaat-ul-Sallasal from where he called for reinforcements and Muhammad sent Abu Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrah. Commanding an army under him were Abu Bakr and Umar and they attacked and defeated the enemy..
In 630 when Muslim armies rushed for the Conquest of Mecca, Abu Bakr was a part of the army. Before the conquest of Mecca his father Uthman Abu Qahafa converted to Islam. In 630 he was part of Battle of Hunayn and Siege of Ta'if. He was part of the Muslim army in the campaign of Tabuk under Muhammad's command and he was reported to have given all his wealth for the preparation of this expedition.
In 631, Muhammad sent from Medina a delegation of three hundred Muslims to perform the Hajj according to the new Islamic way. Abu Bakr was appointed as the leader of the delegates. Abu Bakr had thus the honor of being the first Amir-ul-Haj in the history of Islam. In the year 632 Abu Bakr followed Muhammad to Mecca for the farewell Hajj.
Whoever amongst you worshipped Muhammad — Muhammad is dead. But whoever worshipped Allah — Allah is alive and will never die.
After the meeting at saqifah, the Muslims who were not present were asked to submit to Abu Bakr, to give their pledge of allegiance. Most accounts agree that Ali(Muhammad's beloved companion, cousin and son-in-law) and his supporters initially refused to submit. After a period of time, the duration of which is disputed, the dissidents gave their bay'ah. Whether or not the process involved violence and intimidation, and whether or not Ali willingly swore allegiance to Abu Bakr have remained enduring controversies.
I have been given the authority over you, and I am not the best of you. If I do well, help me; and if I do wrong, set me right. Sincere regard for truth is loyalty and disregard for truth is treachery. The weak amongst you shall be strong with me until I have secured his rights, if God will; and the strong amongst you shall be weak with me until I have wrested from him the rights of others, if God will. Obey me so long as I obey God and His Messenger. But if I disobey God and His Messenger, ye owe me no obedience. Arise for your prayer, God have mercy upon you.
Abu Bakr's Caliphate lasted for 27 months, during which he crushed the rebellion of the Arab tribes throughout Arabia in the successful campaign against Apostasy. He launched campaigns against the Sassanid Empire and the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantine Empire) and thus set in motion a historical trajectory that in just a few short decades would lead to one of the largest empires in history. He had little time to pay attention to the administration of state, though state affairs remained stable during his Caliphate. On the advice of Umar and Abu Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrah he agreed to have a salary from state treasury and abolish his cloth trade.
This was the start of the Ridda wars (Arabic for the Wars of Apostasy). The apostasy of central Arabia was led by self-proclaimed prophet Musaylimah of in al-Yamama, while the other centers were to the south and east in Bahrain, Oman, Mahra region and Yemen. Abu Bakr planned his strategy accordingly and formed the Muslim army into 11 corps. The strongest corps, and this was the main punch of the Muslim army, was that of Khalid ibn al-Walid and was used to fight the most powerful of the rebel forces. Other corps were given areas of secondary importance in which to bring the less dangerous apostate tribes. Abu Bakr's plan was first to clear the area of west and central Arabia (the area nearest Medina), then tackle Malik ibn Nuwayrah, and finally concentrate against the most dangerous enemy Musaylimah. After series of successful campaigns, Khalid ibn al-Walid finally defeated Musaylimah and his tribe, the Banu Hanifa, in the Battle of Yamama. The Campaign of the Apostasy was fought and completed during the eleventh year of the Hijri. The year 12 Hijri dawned, on March 18, 633, with Arabia united under the central authority of the Caliph at Medina.
This phenomenon was later regarded as primarily a religious movement by Arabic historians. However, the early sources indicate that in reality it was mainly political. After all, the revolting Arabs only refused to pay taxes, but they did not refuse to perform the salah. Bernard Lewis states that the fact that Islamic Historians have regarded this as a primarily religious movement was due to a later interpretation of events in terms of a theological world-view. The opponents of the Muslim armies were not only apostates, but also - if not most of them - tribes which were largely or even completely independent from the Muslim community. However, these revolts also had a religious aspect: Medina had become the centre of a social and political system, of which religion was an integral part; consequently it was inevitable that any reaction against this system should have a religious aspect.
Prior to his death, Abu Bakr gave this authorized copy of the Qur'an to Umar - his successor. It remained with him throughout his tenure as Caliph (10 years). Prior to his death, Umar gave this Book to his daughter Hafsa bint Umar, who was one of the wives of Muhammad. Umar did not nominate his successor on his deathbed, and thus preferred to leave this copy with Hafsa so as not to indicate his personal preference of who would be the next caliph. Later on, it became the basis of Uthman Ibn Affan's definitive text of the Qur'an which was published far and wide merely 18 years after the death of the Prophet. Later historians give Uthman Ibn Affan the principal credit for re-verification and publishing the Qur'an. Shi'as reject the idea that Abu Bakr or Umar were instrumental in the collection or preservation of the Qur'an.
Abu Bakr started with the invasion of Iraq. The problems faced by Abu Bakr were that the Arabs feared the Persians with a deep, unreasoning fear which ran in the tribal consciousness as a racial complex and was the result of centuries of Persian power and glory. In return the Persian regarded the Arab with contempt. It was important not to suffer a defeat, for that would confirm and strengthen this instinctive fear. To make certain of victory, Abu Bakr decided on two measures; that the invading army would consist entirely of volunteers; and he put in command of the army his best general Khalid ibn al-Walid. After defeating the self-proclaimed prophet Musaylimah in the Battle of Yamama, Khalid was still at Al-Yamama when Abu Bakr sent him orders to invade the Sassanid Empire. Making Al-Hirah the objective of Khalid, Abu Bakr sent reinforcements and ordered the tribal chiefs of north eastern Arabia, Misnah ibn Haris, Mazhur bin Adi, Harmala and Sulma to operate under the command of Khalid along with there men. In about third week of March 633 (first week of Muharram 12th Hijrah) Khalid set out from Al-Yamama with an army of 10,000. The tribal chiefs, with 2,000 warriors each, joined Khalid; Thus Khalid entered the Persian Empire with 18,000 troops.
After entering Iraq (Mesopotamia) with his army of 18,000, Khalid won decisive victories in four consecutive battles: the Battle of Chains, fought in April 633 CE; the Battle of River, fought in the 3rd week of April 633 CE; the Battle of Walaja, fought in May 633 CE (where he successfully used a double envelopment maneuver), and the Battle of Ullais, fought in the mid of May, 633 CE. By now the Persian Empire was struggling and in the last week of May 633 CE, the capital city of Iraq, Al-Hirah, fell to the Muslims after resistance in the Battle of Hira. Thereafter the Siege of Al-Anbar during June-July 633 resulted in surrender of the city after strong resistance. Khalid then moved towards the south, and conquered the city of Ein ul Tamr after the Battle of ein-ul-tamr in the last week of July, 633 CE.
By now, almost the whole of Iraq was under Islamic control. Khalid got a call of help from northern Arabia at daumat-ul-jandal, where another Muslim Arab general, Ayaz bin Ghanam, was trapped among the rebel tribes. Khalid went to Daumat-ul-jandal and defeated the rebels in the Battle of Daumat-ul-jandal in the last week of August, 633 CE. Returning from Arabia, he got news of the assembling of a large Persian army. Within a few weeks, he decided to defeat them all separately to avoid the risk of defeat to a large unified Persian army. Four divisions of Persian and Christian Arab auxiliaries were present at Hanafiz, Zumiel, Sanni and Muzieh. Khalid divided his army in three units, and decided to attack these auxiliaries one by one from three different sides at night, starting from the Battle of Muzayyah, then the Battle of Saniyy, and finally the Battle of Zumail In November 633 CE, Khalid defeated those armies in his series of three sided attacks at night. These devastating defeats ended Persian control over Iraq. In December 633 CE, Khalid reached the border city of Firaz, where he defeated the combined forces of the Sassanid Persians, Byzantine Romans and Christian Arabs in the Battle of Firaz.
This was the last battle in his conquest of Iraq.
After only one day, Khalid set out for the conquest of Syria.
He reached the town of Sawa, and defiant forces present there resisted but later in the evening surrendered the city and agreed to pay tribute. He moved to the city of Aarak in the same day, and this city too surrendered and agreed to pay tribute. The next day Khalid moved to the city of Tarmad, which surrendered as well. He moved further and cities of Sakhna and Qadma also surrendered and agree to pay tribute. The next day the cities of Qarteen and Hawwareen were captured after the Battle of Qarteen and the Battle of Hawareen. After dealing with all these cities, Khalid moved towards Damascus, after three days journey he reached a mountain pass, 20 miles from Damascus which is now known as Sanita-al-Uqab (Uqab pass) after the name of Khalid's army standard. From here he moved away from Damascus towards the rest of the Islamic armies which were still near the Syrian-Arabia border. At Maraj-al-Rahab, Khalid defeated a Ghassanid army of Christian Arabs in a short Battle of Marj-al-Rahit. By now he was moving away from Damascus, the stronghold of Byzantines, and towards the city of Basra. Khalid reached Basra after three days at a time when Sharjeel bin Hassana's 4,000 army was fighting the 12,000 Roman army.
As soon as Khalid reached there with his 9,000 warriors, the Roman army retreated and fortified themselves in the castle. After few days they came out and were defeated in the Battle of Bassorah and again retreated to castle and surrendered the city. 130 Muslims died, and by now it was almost mid of July 634. The Muslims soon heard of the gathering of a Roman army at Ajnadayn said to be 90,000 strong, after which all the divisions of the Muslim army joined Khalid at Ajnadayn on 24 July 634, and the Muslim army became 32,000 in number. Khalid defeated the Romans on 30 July 634 at the Battle of Ajnadayn. After one week Khalid moved to Damascus, and on his way there he defeated another Roman army in the Battle of Yakosa in mid-August 634. Tomur, the son-in-law of Emperor Heraclius, sent another army to stop Khalid but they too were defeated in the battle of Maraj-al-Safar on 19 August 634. The next day Khalid finally reached Damascus and besieged the city for 30 days, having defeated the reinforcements sent by the Roman Emperor Heraclius at the Battle of Sanita-al-Uqab 20 miles from Damascus. Khalid's forces withstood three Roman attacks that tried to break the siege, and finally attacked and conquered the city on 18 September 634 after Conquest of Damascus.
The Byzantine army was given a deadline of three days to go as far as they could, with their families and treasure, or simply agree to stay in Damascus and pay tribute. After the three days deadline was over, the Muslim cavalry under Khalid's command attacked the Roman army, catching up to them using an unknown shortcut, at the Battle of Maraj-al-Debaj. Abu Bakr died during the siege of Damascus and Umar became the new Caliph. He dismissed his cousin Khalid ibn al-Walid from the command and appointed Abu Ubaidah ibn al-Jarrah the new commander in chief of Islamic army in Syria. Abu Ubaidah got the letter of his appointment and Khalid's disposal during the siege, but he delayed the announcement until the city was conquered.
Abu Bakr developed high fever, and was confined to bed. His illness was prolonged, and when his condition worsened, he felt that his end was near.
Realizing that his end was drawing near, Abu Bakr felt that he should nominate his successor so that the issue should not be a cause of dissension among the Muslims after his death, though there was already controversy over Ali not having been appointed.
He appointed Umar as his successor after discussing with some companions. Some of them favored the nomination and others disliked it, due to the tough nature of Umar.
Abu Bakr thus dictated the testament to Uthman Ibn Affan in the following terms:
In the name of Most Merciful God. This is the last will and testament of Abu Bakr bin Abu Qahafa, when he is in the last hour of the world, and the first of the next; an hour in which the infidel must believe, the wicked be convinced of their evil ways, I nominate Umar bin al Khattab as my successor. Therefore, hear to him and obey him. If he acts right, confirm his actions. My intentions are good, but I cannot see the future results. However, those who do ill shall render themselves liable to severe account hereafter. Fare you well. May you be ever attended by the Divine favor of blessing.
Abu Bakr next asked Aisha as to how many pieces of cloth were used for Muhammad's shroud. Aisha said that three pieces had been used. Abu Bakr thereupon desired the same number for his own shroud. On Monday 23 August 634 Abu Bakr died. The funeral prayer was led by Umar. He was buried the same night by the side of Muhammad's grave in AISHAH HOUSE NEAR OF Al-Masjid al-Nabawi
In history name of his only one brother is mention which is Quafah ibn Uthman.
Today, there are so many families which are believed to be descents of Abu Bakr. Most of them are known by the name Siddiqi which was a title given to Abu Bakr by Muhammad. But they are also known by some other names in different localities. For example, In East Ethiopia, Siddiqis are usually called Qallu which is to mean people of the religion, as they are the first to bring Islam to this area. In Somalia, they are commonly known as Sheekhaal and they are highly celebrated by other Somali clans.
Abu Bakr had the distinction of being the first Caliph in the history of Islam. He was the first Caliph to nominate a successor. He was the only Caliph in the history of Islam who refunded to the state treasury at the time of his death the entire amount of the allowance that he had drawn during the period of his caliphate.
He was the first Muslim ruler to establish Bayt al-mal. He was the first Muslim ruler to establish crown pasture. He was the first Muslim ruler to establish 'Ijtihad'.
He has the distinction of purchasing the land for Al-Masjid al-Nabawi. According to Sunni Muslims, in the matter of virtue, Abu Bakr excelled all other Sahaba.
Both Abu Bakr and Uthman ibn Affan had relinquished drinking wine even in the time before Islam. He was the foremost genealogist of the Quraysh and the best of them at interpreting dreams after Muhammad according to Ibn Sirin.
The famous scholar Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal stated that he is the best of all companions (sahaba) of the Prophet. He is also best remembered by Ahlus-Sunnah Wal Jama'ah and the world history, for his famous speech upon the death of Muhammad which he delivered at the Mosque of the Prophet:
O' men, if anyone worships Muhammad, Muhammad is dead. And if anyone worships God, God is Alive, Immortal. He then recited the verse from the Qur'an: "Muhammad is no more than an Apostle. Many were the Apostles that passed away before him. If he died or were slain, will ye then turn back on your heels ? If any did turn back on his heels, not the least harm will he do to God. But God (on the other hand) will swiftly reward those who (serve him) with gratitude."
Sunnis also consider the narrations about Abu Bakr and his family by the Shi'a to be spurious.
The Shi'a have a very unfavorable view of Abu Bakr. They believe that he was a usurper who snatched the Caliphate when it should have gone to Ali, who was part of Banu Hashim and Mohammad's bloodline. They also believe he and Umar conspired to take over power in the Muslim nation after Muhammad's death, in a coup d'état against Ali. The Shia do not view Abu Bakr's being with Muhammad in the cave as a meritorious act. The Shi'a criticize Abu Bakr for an apparent dispute between him and Muhammad's daughter, Fatimah, that ended with her becoming angry with Abu Bakr and refusing to talk with him for the rest of her life, she died six months later. Abu Bakr had refused to grant her a piece of land which Muhammad had left. (see Fadak)
The Shi'a believe that Abu Bakr sent Khalid ibn Walid to crush those who were in favour of Ali's caliphate. The Shi'a strongly refute the idea that Abu Bakr or Umar were instrumental in the collection or preservation of the Qur'an, claiming that they should have accepted the copy of the holy book in the possession of Ali
The moderation, and the veracity of Abu Bakr confirmed the new religion, and furnished an example for invitation.
William Muir states that:
Abu Bakr's judgment was sound and impartial; his conversation agreeable and his demeanor affable and much sought after by the Quraysh and he was popular throughout the city.... The faith of Abu Bakr was the greatest guarantee of Muhammad's sincerity in the beginning of his career, and indeed, in a modified sense, throughout his life. To have such a person as a staunch adherent of his claim, was for Muhammad a most important step.
William Montgomery Watt writes:
From 622 to 632 he (Abu Bakr) was Mohammed's chief adviser, but had no prominent public functions except that he conducted the pilgrimage to Mecca in 631, and led the public prayers in Medina during Mohammed's last illness."


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Message board »Message Board home »Sign-in or register to get startedOnline now: 0 members ; 42 anonymous
Discussion: The Villages
|Feb. 12, 2014
13 posts
|The Villages
I will be visting in The Villages 4/18 thru 4/23 or 4/24 and was hoping to get some BP in and was hoping someone could point me in the right direction. If there are any "Villagers" on this board that I could connect with to get some swings in I would greatly appreciate it.
|Feb. 13, 2014
73 posts
|Hi George-The winter season ends on 4/11, then they close the fields for maintenance until the summer season starts in May. There are a couple of fields outside of the Villages that can be used for practice. There are two batting cages right out side the Villages on Rolling Acres Road and SR 466. There is a field nearby where you will find some open practices going on. It is about a quarter of a mile north of Rolling Acres rd. and 466, on rolling Acres. It's called Harry Sachs field and is pretty well kept. The outfield fence is 250 ft. Hope this info helps. Bud
|Feb. 13, 2014
13 posts
|Hi Bud..as they say "timing is everything"..I appreciate your response and BP options during my stay.
|April 12, 2014
13 posts
|thought I would try again..will be in The Villages visiting family Thursday 4/18-4/23 and was hoping to catch on with any senior batting practices or pick up games within the Villages during my stay. I am from Boston, new to Senior ball and have several new senior bats I am looking to hit with outside in "normal " temps (-:. Thanks..George
|April 14, 2014
410 posts
I have the same question. I rented a place there for 2 weeks after the winter nationals in Ft. Meyers later this year. I have a guy working on this and will post if I hear anything.
|April 14, 2014
73 posts
|Hi George and Gary-The Villages fields are closed from April 12th until april 26th for maintenance. During the season there are open practices all day Sunday. You might find an open field to practice on in the afternoons during the week We are in our Fall season during the Winter nationals in Nov., so you will be able to find an open practice without any problem.
|April 14, 2014
73 posts
|Hi Gary-Our Fall season ends in December so you will have no problem finding open practices in the month of November. Where are you staying in The Villages? Bud

subset: commoncrawl


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Three offers new BlackBerry PAYG option
Three has announced that BlackBerry Pay As You Go is now available on its network, providing fans of RIM an opportunity to get some of their favourite devices on a more casual basis.
If you want to go PAYG you'll have to start off with the BlackBerry Curve 9300 3G, which will be available on Three's recently announced All in One plan; offering up a deal for £10 - 3000 texts, 100 minutes and 500MB data: £219.99 including £20 top-up in 3 stores and £209.99 including £10 top-up on-line. Pay As You Go subscription to BlackBerry services then costs £5 and lasts for 30 days.
Other BlackBerry devices will be available in Q4.
The BlackBerry Torch 9800, which features a touchscreen with a QWERTY slider and BlackBerry's new OS v6.0, will also be made available through the operator. As Sylvia Chind, head of branded devices at Three said: "When paired with Three's high speed network, the BlackBerry Torch really comes into its own, allowing users to access their favourite web pages and social networking sites with ease" - so there you go.
The BlackBerry Torch 9800 is available in black with Three on contract for £35 a month on The One Plan - 2000 any network minutes, 5000 Three-to-Three minutes, 5000 texts and 1GB data - and a £249 handset charge.
For more details click through to the Three website.


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Way back in 2005, Jesper Johannson and I wrote Protect Your Windows Network. It's still available, and although its product set is now somewhat dated (Windows XP and Server 2003), much of the practical advice about security policies, social engineering, security dependencies, and how to think about security remains relevant. That's because we strove to write something more lasting than a simple configuration guide.
On the CD-ROM accompanying the book we included a tool called Passgen. In the book, we recommended that you maintain separate passwords on every local administrator and service account in your enterprise. This is, of course, almost impossible to manage without something to automate it for you. That's what Passgen does. The tool generates unique passwords based on known input (an identifier and passphrase you define), sets those passwords remotely, and allows you to retrieve them later.
For a while Jesper maintained a web site for the book, running on a server in his house. His ISP changed policies and made it impractical to continue running the site. But because the tool is still so useful, I've put a copy in my SkyDrive—look in the "Passgen" folder.
Also, note that I've put a new section in the right-side column, "Resources for you." Here's where I'll keep links to bits and pieces that many of you will find relevant and interesting.
Update. A few readers have informed me that the SHA-1 hash printed in the README.DOC doesn't match the actual hash of passgen.exe. Jesper made a few changes and recompiled the tool. The correct hash is now:
I've updated the README file with the new hash. Also, passgen.exe has a digital signature, and you can check its details if you'd like.
Thanks for putting your power point slides up on skydrive :)
The SHA-1 hash doesn't match the one in the Readme doc. The hash that I get is fa19722348e9e0603f24c0ef9fc715010403bcfa
Jack, that's the same hash I'm getting. Steve, is this the right file?
I get the same hash. It's the latest version of the tool from Jesper. I'll follow up with him to see what changes he made after we wrote the appendix for 1.1.
Yes, Jesper made some changes, that's why the hash you see is different than the one in the readme. The .exe also has a digital signature, too. I'll update the blog posting to reflect the changes.
Occasionally, I see a security incident where one of the things that went wrong was that all of the customer's
My favorite passgen is a random kick on keyboard :). Please add Visual Interface to the program if you have some spare time.
Yeah, but what if you ever need to retrieve the password for some reason? ... I doubt Jesper will make further modifications to the tool, he's very much a command-line junkie :)
Over the last few days I blogged several times about Conficker and some of the posts caught quite some
Hi All, We're seeing an increasing trend globally in the number of infections of the Conficker.B worm.
Until now there is still no ultimate cure for the Conficker.B worm. Any suggestions ?
Letzte Woche habe ich mit Entfernen von Conficker.B eine Kurzanleitung gepostet, wie man Conficker.B
Archie-- we have some guidance on removing Conficker.B.
The Microsoft Malware Protection Center describes the worm's infection vectors and mentions that they've added removal capabilities to the Malicious Software Removal Tool:
The Knowledge Base has an article that describes how to manually clean an infected computer:
How secure is the transmission of the new password, when setting it for a remote machine (passgen -s * -c username -m computername)? I see that it's not transmitted in clear text, but am curious as to the likelihood of someone who successfully captured the traffic eventually decrypting it.
Thanks for a great tool.


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Facebook Impressions for Pages – Give Your Fans What They Want
Facebook page admins may have noticed something new under their posts lately. Facebook Insights launched a new feature for page admins, so that they can see impressions and feedback on each post. This new feature officially launched in June, 2010, and was only offered to pages that had more than 10,000 fans. But now all page admins will have access to this feature.
The number of impressions can be seen directly under the post for a quick look. For a more detailed understanding of the impressions on your posts, you can view it by going into Insights, and clicking on Interactions. See screenshot below.
What's So Good About It?
The great thing about this feature is that it lets you see which posts are getting across to your fans. Interaction among your fans is most likely one of your biggest goals as a social media user - so why not please your fans all the time by posting things that will get the most interactions.
Page admins can use Facebook impressions as a way to tailor their posts so they get more interaction among their fans. By looking at the Feedback percentage, admins can see which posts get the most interactions. Facebook takes the number of impressions (how many times the posts has showed up on a Facebook users' feeds, and on the page itself), and puts whatever feedback (comments and likes) there were from that post into a percentage.
For example, Search Engine People displayed a post on The 10 Most Incredible Google Bombs. If you read this post it probably gave you a good chuckle. This post had 3 likes, and two comments. Facebook concluded that this post had 683 impressions - not bad! And from that the percentage of feedback based on those 3 likes and 2 comments was 0.73%. Again - not bad.
From that we can compare this entertaining and insightful post with a completely different post to see which genre of posts our fans prefer and enjoy commenting on.
Keep Your Fans Where They Belong - On Your Page
This feature could be a great tool for keeping fans, and catering to them properly. If you track the feedback, you may be able to spot trends on what type of posts your fans like best. If you keep them satisfied with their preferred style, then you could have a healthy, active Facebook page.
What's Missing?
Unique impressions haven't made their way into this feature yet - but knowing the fast pace of Facebook, you will likely see it soon. Another thing I have noticed is that it only allows you to look at the most recent posts. However, impressions - even sans unique counts, and older posts - are still beneficial to Facebook page admins. I see it being most useful for those who want to keep their fans entertained and active on their page.
Can you think of any other uses for this feature?
39 Responses to "Facebook Impressions for Pages – Give Your Fans What They Want"
Thanks for explaining this new feature for the FB fan pages. I'd like to know, as the other commenter suggested, where these impressions are coming from. Are these people that scrolled past the post in their news feed, or actually saw it on the page, or some combo of both.
Is there any way we can derive an 'empirical relationship'between the No. of fans and the Impressions?
does anyone know if the administrator's page veiws affect the number of impressions? for instance, i'm the admistrator of my company's page…if i'm logged in and visit the company page, does it count me as an impression as well ('cause i visit the page a lot, and wondering if i'm influencing the numbers myself…)
Since the beginning of 2011, I have quit receiving impressions. I follow those number closely. Has something changed?
Thanks so much for explaining this as I am new to facebook. I too, was wondering if the admin's views effect the number and also are these numbers updated instantly or daily?
Thank you very much for your helpful explanation of impressions…I'm new to Facebook and am finding my way around.
Can you please explain me what "Unique Impressions", "Unique Clicks" and "Unique CTR" is? They are present in our reports for facebook adds, but I am unable to find exactly what they mean. I would really appreciate it!
Hi there! I have a question about impressions also. Call me crazy, but when you post something on your wall, shouldn't the MINIMUM number of impressions equal the number of people who have "Liked" your page? After all, my post should be showing up in their feeds, right?
The reason why I ask is because I often get an impression rate that's lower than the number of people who have "Liked" my page and I would like to know why that is so. What's preventing the appearance of my wall post in everybody's feeds from counting as impressions?
The reason impressions don't equal total number of fans is that in order for it to show up as an impression one of your fans has to have that post open on their newsfeed for it to count. Not everyone checks their FB everyday, or every few times a day, so if they miss that post in their feed, it doesn't count as an impression.
Notice the next time you open FB how many posts it loads at first. If that's all people look at and don't load more, then the rest of the posts they don't load don't get counted as an impression for that person.
I've suddenly lost the "impressions" figure on my business page (as of 1/20/11). I find this feature very useful and don't want to lose it! Can you help me?
Thanks for the information :-)! This is great.
@Niki – Even I cannot see the impressions on our "Fan" page. I was able to get a short report by looking for the detailed report on interactions option. Here is the route to get the information; Edit page – insights – interactions – details. Hope this helps!
Thanks, Minal, I certainly appreciate your response to my problem. Your directions were perfect and I found the impressions information I was looking for. I'm still wondering why the impressions info no longer appears on my wall, though. I sure liked it being there.
To the "managers" of Facebook: PLEASE put the "impressions" info BACK on our walls – or at least provide an explanation as to why this info has disappeared!
I pride myself in knowing all I need to know but sometimes, you need help. You provided it today. Many thanks for this clarification. I'd noticed the "impressions" change on the largest page I admin but was unclear. I'm sure FB notified me of the change at some point.
Thanks again,
Sherman Mohr
.-= Sherman Mohr recently posted: =-.
Hey there! Great article on something that's been fairly confusing! Quick question – I've noticed a drastic decrease in the number of impressions received this past week. From hundreds to single digits. The same has happened to other friends as well. Do you know of any official changes that have been made? Otherwise I'm developing a complex;)
I like the impressions feature, but today it's gone. What's up with that?
Like Teresa, I benefited from the impressions feature. Why has it disappeared? And will it come again? Hope so….
My impression disappeared from my fan page too. I hope it comes back!
Now im a new FB user
If I post something on my business page does it only go to my friends or is it live on the system for anyone to read?
Ive had 7000 post views so is this 7000 people?
I am a new administator to our FB page and am currently trying to learn all I can. I loved the impressions feature, but noticed that it hasn't been present since Tuesday (2/2/11). Could I have accidentally turned it off, or are there still bugs going on with the feature? It's not on my wall, and I tried Minal's suggestion, but don't get any info past Tuesday…
On the fan pages I administrate, many posts record impressions significantly larger than there are fans of each individual page (e.g. 1,200 fans, but 1,600 impressions for a post). Can you tell me what this means? Are there that many Facebook users who are not fans of the pages visiting the walls? It doesn't happen for every post – many register impressions equal to the number of fans, or sometimes noticeably fewer – but I am finding it curious. Thanks for all the info you're offering!
I have also a question about impressions. In my page it is showing different result of impressions. It is normal that impressions should increase, but in my case it decrease and then increase again, then the next time I open it decreased again. Whats happening. I suspected that my browser is not updating so I tried to refresh and even deleted my temp files but the same result. I also noticed that the number of fan upon reaching a count of 350 it stopped counting and also decreasing. But when I check my fans, I see new names. I didn't bother to count them. It's weird.
I just recently created a page for my band/group, and Iv tried suggesting the page to my friends for promotion, but no one is receiving the page suggestions, why is that? Thanks.
I've put together a page for my band as well, and also would like to know the answer to Oi's question above. I have to login to my account, then choose account settings, use "Facebook as Page" feature, and then "switch" over to my band site. I'm just trying to get some traffic. I am getting impression counts, so others must be seeing it. Thanks for your help on explaining impressions. Jim P.
I'm wondering if anyone can tell me what the feedback percentage means? I don't have any likes so I don't know where that percentage comes from?
Thanks for any help you may be able to provide!
I am getting a lot more impressions then I have likes on my page. Does that mean that other people are seeing it?
Hi Mary, I just asked about the same thing, since I'm wondering how people see the page, but then saw your question. Did you ever get an answer?
If anyone finds out why the Impressions feature disappears, please post your response. I lost it 3 days ago and so far it has not come back. Has anyone who lost it got it back? Please let me know.
i used to see the impressions on my page and now i can, how can i set it back up? where do i go to be able to see them again?
I'm seeing it like this. An impression is knowing how many people you are reaching. Or, just how you can reach your audience. Professionally placed as a level marketing tool. Good! Thank you facebook for the feature of impressions. I am determined to build graciously from it. MY IMPRESSION TODAY = Right now, I want thank you for your impression. If, you are reading this… Also, join-in on this particular fb impression blog. As a fellow administrator. I to would like to learn more about this. Because, I love my fans. Doing my present best for the just and true. A special thank you to Caitlin Melvin. May your life and intensive cheerleader club competitions be blessed. Sincerely, Sharlette "LetteLove" Bates OXOX =)
I am still in the "building" stage of our company FB page and have not "published" it yet. Every time I return to the the page, I see that the posts I have added to our wall (links to articles, a questionnaire, etc.) have more "impressions". Since I am the only one who can see this page (?) can I assume that the impressions are my own visits/views?
I have Mikell's same question, by checking my fan page, do i affect the impressions count? i have to check it several times a day due to the nature of my business, does someone know?
I recently set up a FB page for my book (short story collection) and it only has 6 likes, and yet I got 74 impressions for one post, and 57 for another. Where are all these impressions coming from do you think? WThe posts wouldn't show up on anyone's wall, I don't think.
Hi i have recently lost my impressions, Could anyone help out as i find this extremely useful. I have tried Edit page – insights – interactions – details but this does not help as there is nothing there. It did however have lots of impressions a week or two ago.


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Two hits – that's it.
That's all the Mississippi State Bulldogs could muster in Sunday's series finale with the No. 22 Ole Miss Rebels.
The good news for the Bulldogs is the two hits were more than enough to clinch the series with a 4-2 victory.
"If you would have asked me before the game if I would like to lose this game with 15 hits or win this game with two, I would take what we got," said MSU head coach John Cohen. "It is no secret that we are not a great offensive club right now, but our kids are doing what it takes."
The Bulldogs improved to 27-17 overall and 10-11 in league play and in a three-way tie with the Rebels who fell to 28-16 and 10-11 in the league.
It was the first conference start of the season for Louis Pollorena (3-0) and all he did was match a season high with 5.1 innings of work where he delivered a new career-high seven strikeouts.
"I was shagging fly balls in the outfield when I found out I was going to get the start," Pollorena said. "I just wanted to come in and help the team any way I could. This was a big win for us."
MSU once again struggled at the plate batting .143 for the series with just 12 hits. However on Sunday the Bulldogs made up for it by being patient at the plate and talking what Ole Miss was giving them, free passes and hit by pitches.
"If a pitcher can move you off the plate then he is going to win the battle because it opens up the outside half of the plate," said Cohen. "It has nothing to do with getting hit by the pitch. It has to do with controlling the strike zone.
"Our kids are good at it, thank goodness, because if we didn't have that club in our bag right now, we would be able to put runs on the board."
State plated their four runs in the first inning when Ole Miss opened in rather rough fashion with a pair of walks, a single and a hit-by-pitch by starter Tanner Bailey (1-1).
Bailey failed to record an out and gave way to Dylan Chavez who promptly got a strike and the hit back-to-back batters to give MSU a 3-0 lead. Wes Rea then capped the Bulldog scoring with an RBI sacrifice fly giving his team the early 4-0 advantage.
The four-run lead was all that State needed thanks to stellar defense and quality pitching from Pollorena and closer Caleb Reed.
Pollorena allowed no runs on just four hits while striking out seven before giving the ball to Reed to close the game by bending but not breaking.
"It wasn't the prettiest save in the world, giving up two runs during it," said Reed, who allowed two runs on four hits. "I made some good pitches and I made some bad pitches, they just made me pay for the bad ones. We'll take the series win and get out of here with two out of three."
Helping the pitching staff was Hunter Renfroe who flashed the leather in fourth inning with a leaping grab of a ball that easily cleared the center field fence.
"Off the bat, I got a good read on it," Renfroe said. "I knew I was close to the fence when I felt the warning track and I just tried to jump. I guess I timed it pretty good and I caught it."
Ole Miss attempted to make things interesting with a runs in the eighth and ninth innings, but Reed closed the door picking up his 20th career save.
State will be off in the midweek before traveling to Tuscaloosa, Ala. for a three-game series with the Crimson Tide. First pitch is set for 6:35 p.m. on Friday evening with Chris Stratton slated to take the mound.View more articles in:


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Police Blotter
August 2010
|Medical - South I 08/28/10 09:15 AM
|After stepping in water, an individual slipped and twisted her lower left back and right foot. The patient refused medical treatment. Maintenance was notified of the situation. Closed - C.
|Medical - South I 08/27/10 04:00 PM
|An individual became dizzy and faint while standing on line. The patient stated that she had not eaten and has a history of diabetes. The patient was treated at the scene and after feeling better was transported home by a family member. Closed - C.
|Arrest - College Drive East 08/25/10 10:42 AM
|An individual was taken into custody after it was determined that there was a warrant out for his arrest. Closed - A.
|Verbal Dispute - Library 08/21/10 03:05 PM
|A member of the community wanted to have on record an incident that occurred on Facebook back in May with a former friend and colleague. According to the complainant, while the two women were once friends, the relationship had since deteriorated to the point where the former friend threatened to "sweep the floor" with her. The complainant reported that there has been no contact between the two ladies since that time. Closed - C.
|Verbal Dispute - South I 08/19/10 04:50 PM
|An individual became upset when he was not able to speak with a supervisor who, at the time, was unavailable. Arrangements were made for the two to meet. The individual then left without further incident. Closed - C.
|Disruptive Behavior - Chambers Hall 08/19/10 02:27 PM
|An individual became loud and disruptive while waiting in Chambers Hall believing he was skipped over while on line. The issue was resolved and the individual left without further incident. Closed - C.
|Fire Alarm - L'Hommedieu Hall 08/17/10 03:45 AM
|An officer was dispatched to LH Room 156 for an activated smoke detector. There was no indication of fire. The Fire Department tried unsuccessfully to reset the alarm. The matter was referred to the Maintenance Department. Closed - C.
|Suspicious Activity - 08/17/10 07:45 PM
|An individual reported that when he left campus on 8/16/10, he believed that someone followed him off campus onto Woodbridge Avenue to I-95 at which point the suspicious driver pulled away. UPDATE 8/17/2010: Upon further investigation, it was determined that the suspicious driver happened to travel the same route as the complainant while exiting campus. No further suspicious activity has been reported. Closed - C.
|Motor Vehicle Stop - Woodbridge Avenue 08/15/10 05:52 AM
|A vehicle was detected traveling at a high rate of speed. A motor vehicle stop was conducted and it was determined that the vehicle was unregistered. The vehicle was towed and the driver issued summonses for careless driving and operating an unregistered vehicle. Closed - C.
|Misc. Assist - Library 08/11/10 12:40 AM
|Officers responded to an individual who was stuck in the elevator in the Library. A power outage had caused the elevator to malfunction. Closed - C.
|Soliciting - College Center 08/11/10 02:36 PM
|Juveniles were found to be soliciting in front of College Center and the Performing Arts Center. The adult in charge of the group was advised that soliciting on the college campus was not allowed without the proper authorizations. The group left without further incident. Closed - C.
|Theft - South I 08/10/10 03:00 PM
|An individual reported losing his wallet at approximately 12:30 pm; at 12:43 the wallet was recovered. The victim reported that a sum of money was missing from the wallet. Open Case.
|Missing/Lost Property - South I 08/10/10 08:55 AM
|An individual reported losing his Alien Registration Card in South I at approximately 6:00 pm on 8/5/2010. Closed - C.
|Spill - Parking Lot #6 08/09/10 12:07 PM
|A vehicle parked in Lot 6 was dripping gasoline from the undercarriage. The Fire Department arrived at the site, speedy dry absorbent material was placed on the spill and the vehicle was towed from the scene. Closed - C.
|Motor Vehicle Stop - Woodbridge Avenue and College Dr. East 08/08/10 01:03 AM
|A vehicle was observed making an illegal U turn on Woodbridge Avenue. Upon initiating a motor vehicle stop, two open containers of alcohol were found. The driver was charged accordingly. Closed - C.
|Criminal Mischief - Technical Service Center 08/06/10 12:03 AM
|Someone defiled the men's restroom located on the first floor of TSC. There are no known suspects at this time. Open Case.
|Burglary - East Hall 08/06/10 10:51 AM
|A staff member reported that her clock radio was missing from her office and presumed taken sometime between July 12 and August 4, 2010. There are no known witnesses at this time. UPDATE: On Sept 1, 2010 the staff member called to report that the clock radio was recovered in another location within the building. Open Case.
|Theft - Blue Colt Bookstore 08/05/10 04:00 PM
|While shopping at the Bookstore, a individual left his backpack in the store's lobby. Upon returning to the lobby, he noticed that his backpack was missing. Among items in the backpack were pens, pencils, a dissecting kit, electric translator, calculator, binder, tape recorder and lab manual. Open Case.
|Medical - PE Center 08/04/10 05:24 PM
|After swimming, an individual became light-headed and felt as though he was going to pass out. EMS treated the individual at the scene. Closed - C.
|Trespassing - Instructional Resource Center 08/04/10 04:02 AM
|A student was found in the IRC after the building was closed. The student stated that she was unaware that the building had been closed. She was advised of the College's trespassing policy. The individual was escorted off campus without further incident. Closed - C.
|Fire Alarm - Physical Education Center 08/03/10 04:17 PM
|Subsequent to a fire alarm being activated in the P.E. Center, the building was evacuated. The Fire Department arrived on site. It was determined that a toaster oven set off the alarm, though there were no signs of fire. The alarm was reset and occupants were allowed back in the Center. Closed - C.


text:
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text:
This section contains 934 words
(approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page)
Critical Review by John Barkham
SOURCE: "Where It's the Biggest and Bestest," in The New York Times Book Review, September 28, 1952, pp. 4-5.
In the following favorable review of Giant, Barkham argues that the novel presents a scathing view of Texas, one that Texans will probably resent.
If you haven't read Edna Ferber's name on any new novel lately, it isn't (as you might have suspected) because she was relaxing on the royalties from Show Boat, Cimarron, Saratoga Trunk and other movie masterpieces made from her books. On the contrary, it was because Miss Ferber was brewing the biggest witch's broth of a book to hit the great Commonwealth of Texas since the revered Spindle blew its top. Miss Ferber makes it very clear that she doesn't like the Texas she writes about, and it's a cinch that when Texans read what she has written about them they won't like Miss Ferber either. Almost everyone else is going to revel in these pages.
For unsophisticated Easterners, Giant is going to be a guided tour to an incredible land unlike any they have ever seen before. (Texans, of course, have diligently fostered such a legend for years.) It outdoes anything our material culture has ever produced. Miss Ferber's Texas is the apotheosis of the grandiose, the culmination of that biggest-and-bestest cult peculiar to this side of the Atlantic. Whether it is recognizable to anyone inside of Texas is something else again. But Giant makes marvelous reading—wealth piled on wealth, wonder on wonder in a stunning, splendiferous pyramid of ostentation.
Her Texas was not altogether a surprise to this reviewer. Although he has not recently dallied at the Shamrock or shopped at Neiman-Marcus, he has run across oil aristocrats in the royal suites at the Savoy in London, the Grand in Stockholm and elsewhere, and has been suitably awed. And wasn't it Bob Ruark who recently told us in Esquire that in Texas even the midgets stood six feet high, and that you never met anybody there but rich millionaires and poor millionaires.
This is the Texas Miss Ferber has put into her bitter, brilliant, corrosive, excoriating novel. She refuses to genuflect to the lords of the oil wells or the barons of the ranches. Her Texas is a state where the skies are clamorous with four-engined DC-6's carrying alligator jewel cases and overbred furs, "where a mere Cadillac makes a fellow no better than a Mexican." An exaggeration? Perhaps, but one which Texans have put over.
It requires courage to take all this apart as scathingly as Miss Ferber has done; and in the process of so doing she paints a memorable portrait of that new American, Texicanus vulgaris, which is all warts and wampum.
She does this by marrying her heroine, Leslie, an elegant Virginian, to Jordan Benedict 3d, head of the Reata Ranch, whose frontiers stretch into the middle of tomorrow. When "Bick" brings his lovely, naïve bride into his cattle empire, he also takes with him a host of curious readers whose prying eyes are to be dazzled by what they see. It's world of its own, "all noise and heat, big men and bourbon, and elegantly dressed, shrill-voiced women who needed only three plumes to be presented as they stood at the court of St. James." Gradually Leslie becomes familiar with the gradations of Texas wealth: as cotton once snooted at the cattle rich, so now the cattle rich sneer at the oil rich—with Miss Ferber sneering at all of them.
For our author believes passionately that this glorification of wealth is a massive and dangerous symptom in our body politic. She makes Leslie say things like: "Here in Texas we have very high buildings on very broad prairies, but very little high thinking or broad concepts." Most of all she resents the treatment of the Mexican-American in his native Texas. To the monolithic men in cream-colored Stetsons and tooled boots whose daughters cost a heifer a day to keep in Swiss finishing schools, the Mexican is a sub-human to be used as a vaquero or ranchhand but kept out of public places meant for white folks. To point her moral she makes one of the Benedict children marry a Mexican, and subjects one of them to a supreme insult at a four-motor party.
Admittedly, this novel presents the Texan larger and more chromatic than life, but life-size is large enough. And it's true that people in big empty places like to behave as the gods did on Olympus. As for bigness, says Miss Ferber militantly, it's time Texans stopped confusing it with greatness. "Are sunflowers necessarily better than violets?"
It's easy to spend hours debating the rights and wrongs of this red-hot novel. It all depends where you come from and what you think of Cadillac-cum-Dallas culture. But no one can deny the explosive impact of this story. For all the slickness of its writing (and Miss Ferber is a past mistress of best seller style), Giant carries the kind of message that seldom finds expression in such chromium-plated prose. What's more, Miss Ferber states it with a conviction that carries the ring of sincerity. All this may make it impossible for her to revisit the great Commonwealth without the law at her hip, but at least she has written a book that sets the seal on her career.
It is possible, if other novelists rush in where Miss Ferber has not feared to tread, that the Houston-Dallas axis may replace Park Avenue-Bel Air as the symbol of opulence in our fiction. In that event, Giant—an October Book-of-the-Month choice—will become known as the first of our A. S. (After Spindletop) classics.
This section contains 934 words
(approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page)


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CHAOTIC thinking is rarely a recipe for success, but evidence is emerging that operating at the edge of chaos may drive our brain's astonishing capabilities.
Neuroscientists have long suspected that the network of neurons in our brains might be connected in such a way that they achieve a state of "self-organised criticality" (SOC), in which they are neither ordered nor random, but somewhere in between. In such a state, even a minor change can prompt a large reaction: for example, forest fires, earthquakes and avalanches tend to propagate under SOC.
In 2003, neuroscientists showed that the propagation of electrical signals in a slice of brain tissue from a rat followed patterns expected for a state of SOC (The Journal of Neuroscience, vol 23, p 11167). To see whether this was also true in people, Ed Bullmore of the University of Cambridge and his colleagues mapped ...
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Spiritual Movie Night: "The Help"
Friday, June 29 at 7:00pm in the Chapel
Starring Emma Stone, Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer, The Help is about an aspiring author during the civil rights movement of the 1960s who decides to write a book detailing the African-American maids' point of view on the white families for which they work, and the hardships they go through on a daily basis.
Join our Pastoral Interns for this Academy Award-winning film. Rated PG-13. Love offering.
2 Responses »
Where is the movie held tomorrow night, and what is the cost? Thanks.
It's in the Chapel, and it's for a love offering. Thank you.
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RTMNU Result 2014 Summer & Winter B.E BA BSc BCom BEd BCA BBA MA MBA MSc MCom- rtmnuresults.org:
Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University has been announced the RTMNU Results 2014 for B.A, B.Sc, B.Com, B.Ed, M.Sc, M.A, M.Com, M.Ed, M.Phil, BBA, BCA, MBA, MCA Degree Semester & Annual Examination at the Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University official website (www.rtmnuresults.org).
This time, Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University was conducted their Semester Exam and annual examinations on March & April and November/ December 2014 and students who took the RTMNU examinations 2014 can download their result from here itself.
Also for the Admission into the various courses offered by them which are categorized into regular private and professional courses, the Private Form, Back paper Examination form have been disclosed. The relative details about the Private Form, Back paper Exam form of B.A, B.Sc, B.Com, B.Ed, M.A, M.Sc, M.Com, M.Ed, BBA, MCA, MBA and various other degree courses.
Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University is expected to display RTMNU Results 2014 as soon as possible. Students need to select your name of the course and enter the Roll number or Registration number to see the marks by name wise and roll no wise from the listed below links.
For RTMNU Result 2014 :
Students having any questions, then send it to us through the comment box or through our official Facebook page.


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Pause Organic T-shirt
In our busy lives we can all forget to take a moment out. We've forgotten to be present in the now and be grateful for the things we do have. We hope this t-shirt will remind you and others around you to press that pause button every now and again. To take time to reframe your thoughts, to guide you to make the right choices and to just be in the now!
Why like this T-shirt?
- 100% Certified Organic T-shirt
- Organic Cotton processed and woven in a wind powered and Fairwear Foundation audited factory
- Low carbon footprint
- Hand finished and screen printed in UK with phthalate-free ink
- Delivery in eco-friendly, reusable and bio-degradable packaging
- 2% of profits go to charity
- Your very own Mr Cool for your washing machine (coming soon)
Traceability Map – Crop to Top Journey
Please click on the video and the map below, which shows you the journey from crop to top for our organic T-shirts.
[leadplayer_vid id="5171005436477"]


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Mountain View, CA (PRWEB) July 31, 2014
As organizations seek to balance business innovation with the bottom line, IT teams need to optimize both their integration total cost of ownership (TCO) and platform return on investment (ROI). A new WSO2 white paper discusses how enterprise IT teams can reduce costs up to 88% by adopting a cloud-native multi-tenant deployment topology and offering middleware as a service based on the WSO2 platform.
Optimizing Infrastructure Cost and Agility with the WSO2 Platform
The white paper, "WSO2 Reduces Infrastructure Cost and Improves Agility," was written by Chris Haddad, WSO2's vice president of platform evangelism. It begins by explaining how WSO2's yearly product support subscription and pricing models directly correlate production spend to delivered business value.
The white paper next discusses how the WSO2 platform:
The paper then explores how a team can achieve low integration TCO; shared container, high multi-tenant platform ROI; and highly efficient multi-tenant, shared container platform-as-a-service (PaaS) TCO. Additionally, it reviews effective business case drivers, including how to define goals and identify resources necessary to create and drive an infrastructure transformation roadmap. The paper concludes by discussing best practices for creative experimentation and innovation using the WSO2 platform.
The white paper can be downloaded at http://wso2.com/whitepapers/reduces-infrastructure-cost-and-improves-agility.
About the Author
Chris Haddad, WSO2 vice president of platform evangelism, works closely with developers, architects, and C-level executives to increase adoption of WSO2 open source technology, improve the middleware platform, and maximize customer value. He also works with WSO2's engineering team to define the product roadmaps for WSO2's Carbon and Stratos platforms. Prior to joining WSO2, Chris led research teams as a research vice president at the Burton Group and Gartner advising Fortune 500 enterprise organizations and technology infrastructure vendors.
About WSO2
WSO2 delivers on the promise of the connected business with the only completely integrated enterprise platform that enables businesses to build, integrate and manage their APIs, applications, and Web services on-premises, in the cloud, and on mobile devices. Leading enterprise customers worldwide rely on WSO2's award-winning 100% open source platform and its robust governance and DevOps functionality for their mission-critical applications. Today, these businesses represent nearly every sector: health, financial, retail, logistics, manufacturing, travel, technology, telecom and more. Visit http://wso2.com to learn more, or check out the WSO2 community on the WSO2 Blog, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.
Trademarks and registered trademarks are the properties of their respective owners.


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Over the last 25 years, actor Jim Carrey has amassed an impressive body of work that spans not only decades, but also mediums and genres. And most of the characters he portrays are so vivid and inventive it's as if Carrey created them himself.
Today marks the opening day for his latest film The Incredible Burt Wonderstone, and in honor of that and in celebration of a man who has tirelessly worked for a quarter of a century to make us laugh and think with his work, we've put together a list of Jim Carrey's nine best film roles.
Read on below, in no particular order, about the nine best of Jim Carrey's roles in film.
9. Liar, Liar as Fletcher Reede
It's a far-fetched and over simplistic plot, sure. A kid makes a birthday wish, and all of a sudden his father is actually physically not able to lie anymore? But it's not really the plot that makes this movie so fun to watch. It's watching Carrey taking what happened to his character to such insane extremes. Even in the clip below, which is Hulu's highest rated clip from this movie among its users, he takes the concept of something as simple as being able to just write down a lie and he takes it to such an absurdly grandiose level of humor that you can't help but laugh and feel sorry for his character. Had this movie come out after Kill Bill, the Blue Pen scene would have been seen as a wacky, hilarious parody of Uma Thurman's "wiggle your big toe" scene.
8. The Cable Guy as the Cable Guy
The genius of Carrey's portrayal of the Cable Guy lies in his ability to make viewers both pity and loathe the character. Carrey's a sensitive enough actor to show the Cable Guy's vulnerabilities, especially his loneliness. But at the same time, much like he did with the Lloyd Christmas character in Dumb and Dumber, he was able to slowly let a more sinister, vindictive side of the Cable Guy character to come out.
6. Batman Forever as Dr. Edward Nygma/the Riddler
Here's a character you're supposed to hate. He does evolve into the Riddler after all. But Carrey's performance as Dr. Edward Nygma, the person that will later become the Riddler, a notorious villian in the Batman universe, is nuanced. Yes, he shows that Nygma has stalker-like obsessive tendencies when it comes to Bruce Wayne. But Carrey also portrays a sense of loneliness and a desperation to be accepted by the one person Nygma admires most. When watching Carrey's performance it is no wonder that his work in this movie is often cited as one of the highlights of a Batman movie that otherwise got mixed reviews.
You can watch a clip of that Inside The Actors' Studio interview with Jim Carrey below.
4. The Mask as Stanley Ipkiss/The Mask
Unlike the milquetoast Stanley Ipkiss that he portrays, Jim Carrey doesn't need a mask to engage in loud, obnoxious, cartoonish slapstick behavior. Carrey's known for his slapstick humor and outlandish characters, but his work in The Mask is probably his best in that category. What's more impressive is that that Carrey was able to switch back and forth between such diametrically opposed personalities seamlessly and still produce two very different characters.
Check out Carrey's ever-present portrayal of delusional optimism is in this funny scene between Lloyd and Mary:
Though the movie definitely has its humorous moments, moments in which a comedic actor like Carrey can really shine, it's the more understated ones, where Carrey has to portray Burbank's more serious demeanor and sadder emotions that really make an impression on audiences of this movie. In the clip below, Carrey deftly mixes a small amount of wacky humor within a much more wry scene to let Burbank's showrunners know that he's aware of the reality show's existence and his role in it. It's so well done, you can't help but wonder halfway through it if, Burbank has just lost his marbles or if he's still joking around.
© 2015 Paste Media Group. All Rights Reserved


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A special production like The Sound of Music calls for very special props. Learn more about the custom-made bikes from Chicago's own Heritage Bicycles that were especially designed for the von Trapp children and Rolf!
When Lyric starts to gather the props for a grand-scale new production of The Sound of Music, our expert production team tries to find as many authentic and unique sources as possible. Set designer Michael Yeargan's plans for the show included bicycles for the von Trapp children and Rolf—which meant finding some period-appropriate bikes. It was also important to both Michael and director Marc Bruni that the bikes look new, because the von Trapp family was wealthy, making vintage bikes out of the question.
How do you solve a problem like these bicycles? The answer was right here in Chicago! Heritage Bicycles General Store is owned by Michael and Melissa Salvatore, who pride themselves on manufacturing every custom bicycle they make completely in Chicago. Located just south of Lincoln and Belmont in the Lakeview neighborhood, Heritage Bicycles is a general store where you can try out a bike, buy a new helmet, or just get a great latte!
Owner Michael Salvatore gave us some insight into how they make each bike and his family's connection to Lyric Opera! Michael is a Chicago native who, oddly enough, went to Hardey Prep—the same grade school as our own Captain von Trapp, Billy Zane.
How long does it take for you to manufacture each bicycle?
We generally have two steps. First, we run a production of a frame and size. Ideally, we make 40 at a time of any one type/size. This generally takes up to 3 weeks to complete. This gives us the raw frame. Second, we meet with customers to customize their bike. This can take 3 to 5 weeks depending on the upgrades. Custom paint will take 14 to 21 days and, depending on components and ordering, the finished product may take another week or so.
Are the bikes one of your regular styles or custom for the show? Did you have to make specific modification to make sure they were appropriate for the late 1930s, when the show is set?
Well, on the specific instance of The Sound of Music, we had just completed making our first run of step-through Dutch-inspired bicycles. When you gave us the call and we dug into the story and props a little more, it was obvious to me that "The Jane" was the bike that would be a fit for the musical. We just had to make some slight adjustments to customize specifically for this production.
Have you made bikes for any other theater productions, films, or TV shows?
Back in 2012 we sent a couple bikes out for a movie called Chinese Puzzle. It was being filmed in New York City. We have also sent bikes to The Steve Harvey Show. Last year, we made bikes for Lollapalooza and Pitchfork.
Out of the many accomplishments Heritage Bicycles General Store has had over the past couple years, I have never heard my parents be as excited as they were when they heard we were making the bikes for Lyric Opera. They have been subscribers for 25+ years, and I am sure the moment they see our bikes on stage their heads are going to blow! So thanks for giving me some parental points.
You can see the custom craftsmanship of Michael and his team on stage at Lyric from April 25 to May 25!
Photo credit
4/16/2014 04:41 pm
2015 © Lyric Opera of Chicago


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The contest is over & Gary's new little orange kitten has a name!
By Gary Bogue
Tuesday, November 11th, 2008 at 6:24 am in Cats, Jasmine, Kittens.
Meet my new little friend, Jasmine
It gives me great pleasure to announce that :"Jasmine," with the nickname "Jazz," is the new name of my little orange kitten.
My wife Lois and I spent most of Sunday afternoon and evening going through the unbelievable 1,165 entries in my Name Gary's New Little Orange Kitten Contest. I have never seen so many different cat names in one place in my life!
Jasmine REALLY fits this little doll. I knew it as soon as I saw the name and so did Lois. After we first found her in our backyard tomato patch, she spent a lot of time hiding in the tangle of our huge jasmine plant while I was trying to tame her down. She's also full of jazz. One hip little kitty!
Thanks to all of you who entered my contest. Interacting with you is what makes this job so much fun. You are the greatest readers in the world!
Two people entered the name "Jasmine," but they did it a week apart. So the winner of this contest and the first one to enter the name "Jasmine" in the contest is:
Susan Zahn of Oakley, California.
I'll be getting in touch with Susan to make arrangements to deliver her prize, an autographed collection of five of my books.
As I also printed in my daily newspaper column, here is a list of the 12 most popular names you entered in the contest and the number of times they were entered:
1. Pumpkin (100) … 2. Marmalade (79) … 3. Punkin (32) … 4. POOF! (27) … 5. Ginger (27) … 6. Lucy (26) … 7. Autumn (21) … 8. Tang (17) … 9. Tangerine (17) … 10. Poppy (14) … 11. Cheddar (12) … 12. Clementine (10).
Needless to say, that leaves a LOT of other names that were entered. Here are a few of the more fascinating names:
Jackie O'Lantern … Nacho … Conundrum … Gotcha … Newman's Nightmare … Purrsius … Poo … Richard Parker … Caltrans … Zip-purr … Cheeto … Butterscotch … Cosmo … Hazel Mae … Mrs. Bigglesworth … October … Purrcilla … heirloom … Popsicle … Peachy Queen …
As you can see from these photographs, this is a neat little kitty.
Thanks for being a part of all this fun. /Gary
[You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.]


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Hi. Yes, I did frame them myself. Frames from Target - Mats from Hobby Lobby. Yes, just the matchbook covers. Good luck!! erika
This morning I poured curdled milk into my coffee. The fridge is still broken... and I guess the "dorm room fridge" that we are using in the interim is not cutting it. I thought my coffee tasted weird yesterday, it must have been the curdled milk. Are you gagging? I was. I drank my coffee bl...
Thank you LeeAnne!! Headed to the hospital here in a few minutes. Going to ahead with the induction!! Hopefully we'll meet our daughter tomorrow. Please keep me in your prayers! I'm rather nervous!! sent from my iPhone On Sep 8, 2009, at 3:18 PM, email@example.com wrote:
photo from March/April 2009 Southern Accents; photographer: Tria Giovan; designers: Jenny Peters and Rachel Mbiango
Agree with you - LOVE the Sharpie pen!
The Sharpie Pen caught me by surprise strolling down the aisle at Wal-Mart, and being the Pen Addict that I am, I just had to pick up a two-pack of black and a two-pack of blue. If you are familiar at all with the Pilot V Razor Point pens, then you have a good reference point for this pen. ...
It looks delightful and I imagine it smells delightful too!!
Today's SouleMama Sponsor is Nanty's Naturals Handmade Soaps. Nanty's specializes in natural, handcrafted soaps, pure and simple. Soapmaker Tracey started making soap to help with her daughter's sensitive skin. Named for the river that inspires her - the Nantahala River, nicknamed "t...


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Antigua Travel Guide
Historic sites, tasty cuisine and a lively cultural scene can all be found on Antigua. But most often it's the beauty and versatility of the island's 365 beaches that draw travelers from afar. Do you like to party in the sand? Are you looking for safe, shallow waters where your kids can play? Would you be interested in exploring the ocean deep? Antigua's got you covered with one beach for every day ... continue» Read More
When to Visit Antigua
The best time to visit Antigua is from May to November, the island's off-season. Rates are cheapest at this time, and although there is a slight threat of hurricanes, the weather rarely escapes 80 degrees. You'll encounter less rain between December and April, but rates are expensive and crowds are abundant.Read More Best Times to Visit Antigua»
Temperature [+ enlarge]Precipitation [+ enlarge]
Getting Around Antigua
Antigua Neighborhoods
Antigua — part of the nation of Antigua and Barbuda — is the largest of the British Leeward Islands in the eastern part of the Caribbean Sea. The island is about 250 miles southeast of Puerto Rico and about 40 miles north of Guadeloupe, and it's divided into six different parishes: St. John, St. George, St. Peter, St. Philip, St. Paul and St. Mary.
St. John parish
Antigua's capital, St. John's, is located in St. John parish around the largest of the island's natural harbors and is home to most residents. St. John's is home to several historic sites like the Cathedral of St. John the Divine and the ruins at Fort Barrington and Fort James. You'll also find the Museum of Antigua and Barbuda, but most who visit forgo the history and culture for Dickenson Bay, one of Antigua's best beaches. Professional travelers warn that some St. John beaches are clothing optional.
St. George parish
Heading east from St. John parish is St. George parish, where V. C. Bird International Airport is located. Sitting on the edge of Fitches Creek Bay is St. George's Anglican Church, which was constructed in 1687 by British colonists.
St. Peter parish
The island's earliest British Settlement, Parham, can be found in St. Peter parish on the northeast coast. Parham is home to St. Peter's Church, whose distinct octagonal structure was built in 1840. Divers regularly venture to St. Peter parish for its offshore reefs around Maiden Island and Crabs Peninsula.
St. Philip parish
Keep heading east and you'll arrive at St. Philip parish where you'll find Half Moon Bay along with some of the island's most popular resorts. St. Philip is home to the Devil's Bridge, a limestone arch carved by the rough waves of the Atlantic Ocean. Snorkelers can spot marine life at the nearby Long Bay beach.
St. Paul parish
St. Paul parish is home to Antigua's historic district, English Harbour. There you'll find the 250-year-old restored ship repair station, Nelson's Dockyard. With a museum dedicated to the naval station's history and several shops and hotels nearby, the dockyard is a popular site for visitors to explore. When the sun sets over English Harbour, lively restaurants and bars make the area a worthwhile stop for nightlife seekers.
St. Mary parish
Head southwest of St. John's to the picturesque St. Mary Parish. Visitors can climb to Antigua's highest point atop Mount Obama (once called Boggy Peak but officially renamed in 2009 on the birthday of U.S. President Barack Obama). Jolly Harbour, on the western side of St. Mary, has a vibrant beach, commercial center and golf club.
Crime is relatively low on Antigua, but robberies targeting visitors do occur. Be sure to stay alert and exercise common sense. Your valuables should be kept in the hotel safe, not resting unattended on a beach blanket.
And speaking of the beach, writers suggest you take it easy on shore-time your first day on the island. The Caribbean sun can be sweltering, especially in summer, and there are not many beaches with lifeguards to assist you should you feel unwell. Drink plenty of water while outside, and apply sunscreen at regular intervals.
Don't attempt scuba diving until you've received proper training, and even then, never dive alone. Decompression sickness is a potential risk with deeper dives. Also known as "the bends," decompression sickness' symptoms include joint pain, itchy, swelling skin, loss of balance, and shortness of breath, all of which could occur from rising to the surface too quickly. To avoid illness, make sure to ascend at no more than 30 feet per minute. Should you feel ill, experts recommend that you seek immediate medical attention.
The best way to get around Antigua is by car or taxi. Having a car can save you money, especially on longer visits, but the island can be difficult to navigate due to bumpy dirt roads and hilly areas that flood easily. A handful of rental agencies have locations in the arrival hall of Antigua's V.C. Bird International Airport (ANU), located on the northern part of the island just outside of the town of Osbourn. Travel to neighboring islands by air on LIAT charter planes or by sea aboard a cruise or a ferry.Getting Around Antigua»


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After Dinner Games, Got One We Should Be Playing?
Love my silly games with my children, tonight with my youngest, it was to toss the wrapped mints into the plastic tub they came in. Best out of twenty. Spent an hour doing it. She being the competitor she is, wanted a play-off, I won fair and square. She is preparing for a re-match tomorrow after plenty of practise. We also love aiming rubberbands at objects and playing hangman on the kitchen chalk-board. I win again. Still, life is sweet. We have our fun. How about you? Are you having fun with self- invented after-dinner games? I want to hear about it.
Talk is closed, but that doesn't mean the conversations have to stop!
Check out this post for a more thorough explanation, and jump onto our Facebook page or our Twitter feed to keep the conversations going!


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by Morgana
I should have said no to that calling. That much is obvious in retrospect, but at the time, saying no didn't seem like an option.
How could it have? Every year since birth, I've heard someone from the pulpit give THAT talk. You know the one—where the guilt is laid thick if you happen to not totally, completely and superlatively (what's the word now? Let's say it all together) MAGNIFY your calling. Actually turning down an opportunity to serve the Lord is presented as abhorrent an act as robbing an orphan.
So when the Second Counselor extended to me the calling of CTR6 teacher, I accepted it, with serious reservations. I even jokingly questioned from which source the Bishop had received his inspiration. It was the third time in seven years that I would serve in Junior Primary, during which time I had also worked as a preschool teacher. I had three kids of my own at home to boot, including a special needs child and an active toddler. I was burned out.
I was also hiding a shameful little secret—well, shameful for a Striving-to-Be-Valiant Sister in Zion, anyway. I was coming to understand that I didn't really like other people's children. It was a slow and hard realization, but there it was.
But, I figured, the Lord wanted me in this calling at this time. There was something I could learn, or someone I could help by fulfilling it to the best of my ability. And fulfill it I did. I worked diligently on my lessons, created fun activities that invited the Spirit, and made cookies and a little card for each child's birthday. I prayed that I would learn to love the kids and to enjoy teaching them. I even fasted toward that end a couple of times.
I know it sounds ridiculous. They were just kids! For a mere two hours on Sunday! They were all cute and sweet, with the average amount of wiggles and giggles. Yes, one of them had Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) just like my son. But I should know how to handle that, right? Right??? (Hint: although it would seem like a natural fit, do not call parents who are dealing with a special needs child to be in charge of another child with those same needs. We are exhausted, and need the break.) In truth, my class overwhelmed me, and in spite of the prayers, every new Sunday would fill me with increasing dread.
And then one Sunday, it happened. I was in the library, requesting copies for my lesson. The white-haired librarian asked me how many I wanted, and I froze up. I could not answer. The librarian appeared a little alarmed. I began to hyperventilate, and then my husband walked in. He put an arm around my shoulder, and I began to sob.
It was before the second bell, so the library was full, as were the halls. People were staring. I was beyond mortified. Here I was, trying so hard to make this calling work, yet having a mental breakdown in front of my fellow ward members. To appear as anything less than competent, cheerful, and willing to serve is not the Mormon way.
The Primary President approached me. We had a long talk and she asked if I would like to be released from my calling. I said yes, but not without a lot of guilt. I could not figure out why the Lord would call me to something that would end in what felt like abject failure and humiliation.
I began to ponder if the calling had been inspired at all. Something the Primary President said didn't sit well with me: I had been called because I had known experience with kids and with PDD. It had been an intellectual decision, not a spiritual one. The Lord had had nothing to do with it. And with that realization, came another one: I could have said no.
Saying "no" in the Mormon culture is extremely difficult. Lessons, talks, special firesides all point to the wonderful blessings we'll receive if we do ALL that the Lord requires of us. Hell, the whole temple experience is a lesson in never saying no. We covenant with God (with angels as witnesses!) to give all of ourselves, even our very lives, to the building up of the Kingdom. Now that I'm out of that culture, it seems so bizarre—so obviously cult-like and disturbing. But when you're in it, the pressure is very real. It's no wonder that "no" is a word that's rarely heard.
But the reality is sometimes "no" is the best answer. We are never, ever taught that. It's particularly hard for Mormon women, who have been conditioned to believe their work is "the errand of angels." I've pinpointed three responses we Sisters make when the answer should be "no."
1) We say "yes." Then we take on the calling, stress out, fast and pray for strength, but end up exhausted and even sick. (See above story…)
2) We say "yes." Then we grumble and complain at the audacity of so-and-so to even ask that of us—because, you know, once asked we can't possibly refuse. That would be un-Christ like.
3) We actually say "no." Wait, that's not true. We say, "I'm so, so sorry, but I just can't." Then we launch into a fifteen minute explanation of how we'll be in flight to Timbuktu at the time to help our mother deliver her 14th baby, or at the hospital donating our kidneys; but if no one else can step in, then yes, please call us and we'll email the exquisitely cute RS birthday invitations from the airport, or create the origami representation of each temple from our hospital bed.
There are many problems with this inability to draw proper boundaries and learn to take care of ourselves. One problem is undue judgment of those who actually *gasp* say no. Another problem is undue judgment of those who say yes, but really and truly should have said no. I've been privy to the conversations: the criticisms that are heaped on women who appear to be performing less than their best can be frightful and cutting. I think this was another reason for my panic attack in the library, AND my subsequent shame.
Another problem, and this is widespread, is that if we are taught to never say no and to constantly give, give, give of ourselves, this bleeds over into other aspects of our lives.
On my mission, I had a district leader who was wild and rebellious. But he was charming and funny, too. I wanted him to approve of me, regardless of how much he flouted the rules and confused me by his utter lack of conviction. We became friends, and I never reprimanded or guilt-tripped him, something he came to confuse with acceptance of his behavior.
One day, he approached me about going to the beach with him—a topless beach. He would arrange a split for me so that I'd be companions for the day with a known rebellious sister missionary. I'm not sure this is what the Church has in mind when it asks us to follow our leaders.
I look back on the occasion and shake my head at my former prudish self, but at the time I was horrified. But I didn't say no. I rarely said no. That was not my M.O. I said yes, even when I was deeply uncomfortable with the proposition, and then internally panicked.
As it so happened, the mission president found out about the plan and put the kibosh on it. I considered it a blessing from God, but what it represented was a lost opportunity for me to learn to stand my ground.
I still have difficulty with that, but I'm learning. I'm learning to respect other people's boundaries as well, another thing rarely taught in our weekly lessons. And by rarely I mean never, which brings up an interesting observation: something that only struck me as obvious recently. When you get a group of ex-Mormons together, with many experimenting with newfound freedoms and most raised neither to say no nor to take no for an answer, it becomes a tinderbox waiting to catch fire. So fellow ex-Mormons, go easy on each other. Respect delineated boundaries! And remember: It's okay to say no!