text:
- Nafata Bamaguje
- January 06, 2010
- 0 Comments
"O believers make war on the infidels (non-Muslims) who dwell around you, let them find harshness in you" - Quran 9:123
"When the sacred months are over, kill the unbelievers wherever you find them" – Quran 9:5
"Fight against Christians and Jews that believe neither in Allah nor in the last day…and do not embrace the true faith" - Q 9:29
"Fighting is obligatory for you (Muslims), even if you dislike it" - Q 2:216
"Do you think you would enter Paradise before Allah knows the men who fought hard and steadfast?" – Q 3:142
"Believers take neither Jews nor Christians for friends or helpers" - Q 5:51
"Let not the believers take for friends or helpers Unbelievers rather than believers." - Q 3:28.
"Our Prophet (Mohammed), ordered us to fight you (non-Muslims) till you worship Allah alone or pay us Jizyah (extortion) in submission…Whoever amongst us is killed as a martyr shall go to Paradise…and whoever survives shall become your master" – Sahih Bukhari 4:53:386
"Fight in the name of Allah and in the way of Allah. Fight against those who disbelieve in Allah. Make a holy war…" - Sahih Muslim 19:4294
These violent injunctions in Islamic scriptures (Quran and Hadith) clearly promote aggression and hostility towards non-Muslims, and largely explain Muslim proclivity to religious violence as evident from the incessant terrorist attacks – over 13,000 since 9/11 and counting.
The violent injunctions can be traced to Islam's violent origins. Unlike the founders of other major religions who mostly relied on non-violent persuasion to win converts, Islam's founder "prophet" Mohammed used violence to forcibly impose his intolerant creed on Arabia:
"I (Mohammed) have been commanded (by Allah) to fight against people till they testify that there is no god but Allah, and believe that I am the Messenger and in all (Islam) that I have brought. Whoever says this will save his property and life from me." – Sahih Bukhari 9:84:5, Sahih Muslim1:31
This Hadith in which Mohammed clearly admits the motivation of his violence was to forcefully impose Islam, is contrary to the Taqiyya (deception) spin Muslim propagandists would have we infidels believe – that Mohammed and early Muslims only fought in self defense. Another Hadith drives home the same point of unprovoked Muslim aggression:
"Our Prophet (Mohammed), ordered us (Muslims) to fight you (non-Muslims) till you worship Allah alone or pay us Jizyah (extortion) in submission…Whoever amongst us is killed as a martyr shall go to Paradise…and whoever survives shall become your master" – Bukhari 4:53:386
The Quran particularly Surah Tauba provides further evidence that Muslims were the clear aggressors:
"When the sacred months are over, kill the unbelievers wherever you find them" – Quran 9:5
"O believers make war on the infidels (non-Muslims) who dwell around you, let them find harshness in you" - Quran 9:123
"Fight against Christians and Jews that do not believe in Allah or in the last day…and do not embrace the true faith (Islam)" - Quran 9:29
"Prophet (Mohammed), make war on unbelievers and hypocrites, and deal ruthlessly with them" - Quran 66:9
No amount of Taqiyya spin can misrepresent the aforementioned violent Quranic injunctions as self defense. They clearly enjoin unprovoked warfare against non-Muslims. The violent injunctions in Surah Al-Tawba (Quran Chapter 9) are particularly important because this was the last portion of the Quran dictated by Mohammed.
Under the Islamic concept of abrogation (Nasikh), these violent "sword verses" (Ayat al-Sayf) in Surah 9 supersede any earlier seemingly peaceful verse. To facilitate unrestrained violence against non-Muslims, Mohammed begins the Surah by unilaterally annulling all treaties:
"Freedom from obligation (is proclaimed) from Allah and His messenger toward the infidels with whom you have made treaties" – Quran 9:1
Mo's violent doctrine was at variance with the prevailing culture of religious tolerance among pre-Islamic Arabs, hence early Muslims were initially reluctant to fight until Mo' coerced and threatened them:
"Believers, what is the matter with you, that when you are asked to fight in Allah's cause you linger and cling to this life?...If you do not fight, Allah will punish you sternly..." - Quran 9:38
"Fighting is obligatory for you (Muslims), even if you dislike it" - Quran 2:216
Mo' further threatened that only Muslims who fought will make it to the Islamic heaven:
"Do you think you (Muslims) would enter Paradise before Allah knows the men who fought hard and steadfast?" – Quran 3:142
"Allah's Apostle (Mohammed) said, "Know that Paradise is under the shades of swords" – Sahih Bukhari 4:52:73
The initial reluctance of early Muslims to fight is further evidence they weren't being attacked. If they were, Mo' wouldn't have needed to coerce and threaten them to defend themselves. Or entice them to violence with promises of heavenly rewards (Quran 4.99, 9:111).
Prior to Mohammed's Islam; pagans, Christians, Jews, Magians, Sabeans and other religious groups lived harmoniously in Arabia, and there were no religious wars. The Sirat Rasul Allah (Islam's official biography of Mohammed) informs us there were even Christian images of Jesus and Mary in the pagan Kaaba, which Mo' later expropriated for his new religion.
The pre-Islamic Arabs offered Mohammed the same tolerant religious accommodation if he would reciprocate and respect their ancestral religious traditions. Initially Mo' agreed, culminating in the "revelation" of the infamous satanic verses in which the Quran endorsed pagan Arab deities – Al-Lat, Uzza, and Manat. He later reneged on the agreement as the narcissist megalomanic prophet wannabe could not share the religious limelight with over 300 Arab deities and other pre-existing religious groups.
Subsequently Mo' introduced religious violence to Arabia when in Medina he embarked on forced Islamization after 12 frustrating years of almost fruitless preaching in Mecca, during which he only gathered a handful of mostly disaffected lowlifes as followers.
In Mecca, Mo' constituted himself into a societal nuisance by repeatedly insulting and denigrating pagan Arab traditions. The Meccan Arabs tolerated these insults while Mo's rich influential sugar mummy wife and uncle were alive, but later responded with an economic boycott of Mo' and his cult members. This pauperized them compelling Mo' and his followers to migrate to Medina.
Herein lies the so-called "expulsion" of early Muslims by supposedly intolerant pagan Arabs, which Muslim propagandists deliberately misrepresent as pagan Arabs forcibly evicting Muslims from Mecca.
There was no forced ejection; on the contrary some of the pagan Meccans opposed the migration of their relatives who were Muslims. In spite of the alleged "oppression", many of Mo's converts were reluctant to leave Mecca, and the "prophet" had to threaten Muslims who didn't want to migrate with hellfire:
"Hell shall be their home, an evil fate; except the helpless men women and children who have no strength or means to migrate" – Quran 4:97-98
Elsewhere in the Quran, Mohammed sought to ostracize those of his followers who refused to migrate with him to Medina:
"Those (Muslims) who believed but did not migrate from their homes, you (Hejira Muslims) owe them no obligation until they migrate" - Quran 8.72
The prophet wannabe even ordered killing of Muslims who refused to migrate, as he feared they might have abandoned Islam:
"Do not befriend them until they migrate from their homes for the cause of Allah. If they turn renegades, seize them and kill them" - Q 4:89
Herein lies the Quranic basis for the Islamic death penalty for apostasy. These aforementioned Quranic verses clearly indicate that the Hejira migration was voluntary, hence some of the early Muslims chose not to migrate. Islamic historical traditions (Sirat, Hadith) inform us that the migration to Medina was prompted by Mo's offer to mediate between two warring Medinan tribes - Aws and Khazraj.
Thus the cock & bull yarn about a spider spinning web across the entrance of cave in which Mo' hid from pursuing Meccans, is utter falsehood intended to glorify the "prophet" with an escape miracle, and demonize the Meccan pagans as violently intolerant in order to justify Mohammed's subsequent violent aggression.
Even today Muslims deploy similar bogus propaganda when they falsely claim Jews drove out Palestinians to establish Israel. Palestinians left voluntarily on orders of neighbouring Arabs so that the invading Arab armies would have a clear killing field for exterminating Jews without hurting their fellow Arabs in Palestine.
See: http://www.palwatch.org/main.aspx?fi=157&doc_id=1102
After leaving Mecca in frustration, Mo' and his followers relocated to Medina where he had no means of livelihood but attack and rob trade caravans. It was this banditry that provoked the first battle of Islam (Badr) when the pagan Meccans dispatched a military contingent to protect one of their trade caravans.
Islamic scriptures and historical traditions document over 70 battles during Mohammed prophetic career. Most of these were Ghazawa (raids) on non-Muslim communities. Only about 2 or 3 of these, notably the battles of Uhud and Khandaq could be described as defensive. Even these limited attacks by pagan Arabs were in response to incessant Muslim raids, just as the much vilified Crusades were a response to Muslim aggression in the Christian holy land.
Raids are of course offensive, not defensive military actions:
The Messenger of Allah (Mohammed) raided the Banu Mustaliq (pagan Arab tribe) while they were unaware and their cattle were having a drink at the water. He killed those who fought and imprisoned others... - Sahih Muslim 019:4292; Bukhari 3:717.
The apostle of Allah sent a military expedition to Awtas on the raid of Hunain…They defeated them and took them captives - Sunan Abu Dawud 2:2150; Sahih Muslim 8:3432
The Messenger of Allah besieged the people of Taif, but did not achieve victory – Sahih Muslim 19:4393
Allah's apostle (Mohammed) reached Khaibar at night. It was his habit, that whenever he reached an enemy at night, he would not attack them till it was morning. When morning came, the Jews came out with their spades and basket (farm implements). When they saw the prophet, they were surprised and said, "O God! It's Mohammed and his army". The prophet shouted, "Allahu Akbar! Khaibar is destroyed…" – Sahih Bukhari 5:59:510
Note the expression - It was his habit - in the last quoted Hadith (Bukhari 5:59:510) describing Mo's sneak cowardly attack on defenceless Khaibar Jews who were going to farm. Mohammed and his murderous gang were in the habit of mounting surprise attacks on defenceless non-Muslims. The surprise attack on the Banu Mustaliq pagan Arabs was similarly unprovoked and cowardly (Sahih Muslim 19:4292; Bukhari 3:717).
During such raids the defeated non-Muslim men were killed, with the women and children taken captive:
"The people of Khaibar came out fleeing on the roads. The Prophet had their men killed, their children and woman taken as captives" - Sahih Bukhari 5:59:512
Captured women were then raped:
"Those (Muslims) who restrain their sexual desire except with their wives and female captives/ slaves are free from blame" – Quran 70:29-30
Successful are believers…who restrain their sexual desire except with their wives and female captives / slaves, for these are lawful to them – Quran 23:1-6.
Forbidden, to you (Muslim men) are married women, except your female captives / slaves – Quran 4:24
Other captives were sold into slavery:
"Allah's apostle (Mohammed) sent Sad Zayd Al-Ansari with some captive women to Najd. He sold them for horses and weapons" - Sahih Muslim 19:4345
The wealth of the defeated non-Muslims was looted:
"Enjoy the good and lawful booty you (Muslims) have taken in battle. Fear Allah, he is forgiving and merciful." - Quran 8:69
If the loot was "lawful", why do Muslims need forgiveness? "Allah made booty lawful for believers." - Tabari VII:81
Like thieves elsewhere, the Muslim brigands sometimes quarreled over sharing of booty, prompting Mo's alter ego, Allah to proclaim:
Say, the loot belongs to Allah and his apostle (Mohammed). Therefore end your disputes and have fear of Allah – Quran 8:1
If the Muslim wars in the early formative stages of Islam were in self defence, why did the aggression continue after defeating the pagan Meccans and Mo' passed on?
Under the leadership of the four "rightly guided Caliphs" who were Mo's close associates and clearly understood his hegemonic agenda, aggressive jihadist expansion continued. Muslim Arabs later invaded and occupied North Africa, Southern Europe, Indian subcontinent and other parts of the Middle East including Palestine, thereby sowing the seed of the current intractable Arab-Israeli conflict which is their favorite excuse for terrorism.
Not surprisingly, most of what we now know as the Muslim world was Islamized by violence, including here in Northern Nigeria.
Today Islam is the only religion that enforces or attempts to enforce its laws by violence – public floggings, limb amputations, stoning to death etc. It prescribes death penalty for Muslims who leave Islam and for Muslims who don't join congregational prayer:
The Prophet (Mohammed) said, 'If a Muslim changes his religion, kill him' – Sahih Bukhari 4:52:260
The Prophet (Mohammed) said, "burn all those who do not leave their houses for prayer, burn them alive inside their homes." – Sahih Bukhari 1:11:626
Islam's numerous violent injunctions brutalize Muslim mentality such that Muslims are quite comfortable with violence that we infidels find revolting. Hence terrorism, honor killing, stoning to death, forced conversion, killing or threatening of ex-Muslims who leave Islam…all thrive in Dar ul Islam (Islamic world). Not to forget the incessant religious violence here in Nigeria's Islamic north.
From the foregoing historical and scriptural analysis of Islamic violence, it is obvious that Bin Laden, Al-Qaeda and other Islamic terrorists are indeed true Muslims. The so-called moderate Muslims are those who are either not aware of the vicious dark side of their bloodthirsty hate cult; or whose innate good conscience and humanity has not been overwhelmed by the Islamic imperative to murderous violence.
Other "moderate" Muslims are silent Islamist sympathizers who lack the courage or means to indulge in jihadist terror. Many of our compatriots up here in Nigeria's Islamic North fall into this category as evident from the popularity of Bin Laden car stickers, posters and almanacs, as well as the recent Pew study revealing most Nigerian Muslims (54%) support Osama bin Laden.
The figure would be much higher among northern Muslims. It will be recalled that some northern Muslims even jubilated publicly after 9/11. So we can expect more Umar Farouk AbdulMuattallabs!!
See: http://pewglobal.org/database/?indicator=20&mode=chart
Nafata Bamaguje
Join the conversation through disqus comments or via our forum. Click on any of the tabs below to select your desired option. Please engage decently.
- Disqus Comments
- Forum Discussion
Re: Why Some Muslims Are Violent
Overdryv posted on 01-07-2010, 13:26:11 PM
Good one again Nafat. All this has been discussed more times than I could recall. But it is never enough to reiterate the danger Islam poses to the world. Here you have it in black and white in their "holy" book but they would say you quoted the Quran out of context.
Most of the quotes in your article are the major reason, Islam and Christianity can never coexist in peace. The "moderate" muslims in a country like Nigeria are those who are engaged in mindless looting with their southern counterparts in government. They promote Sharia and at the same time fix their gaze permanently on southern oil.
The problem muslims have now is what to do with the Quran. Christians circumscribed the drachonian rules in the Old Testament by writing the New Testament. I'd not be surprised if a muslim body like OIC meet to edite out violent parts of the Quran or come up with a new "revelation".
What has always been a thing of wonderment to me is the zeal with which radical muslims profess the religion. But there is no doubt they are under the influence of some demonic powers. Could it be linked to the slate water they drank as kids under the tutelage of Alphas?
Re: Why Some Muslims Are Violent
Mark Lar posted on 01-07-2010, 13:32:19 PM
Thank you, Nafata. A well researched write up. Be careful the jihadist dont get you or you will be another kafiri nama in their statistics.
Re: Why Some Muslims Are Violent
Eire posted on 01-07-2010, 14:55:56 PM
Well Done, brilliant write-up
I bet our NVS Islamic fundamentalist sympathisers are working round the clock on what comments to make after they have exhausted stuff like "quoted out of context" "Christian crusades" "Islam is misunderstood", "and those people are bad Muslims"
I am sure they are working on the new lies to tell us!
Re: Why Some Muslims Are Violent
Mathelize posted on 01-07-2010, 15:44:01 PM
Well done again Bamaguje. Northern jihadists, please comment. Show me a technologically advanced islamic state.
Re: Why Some Muslims Are Violent
Kabikala posted on 01-07-2010, 15:53:41 PM
Welldone Bamaguje.
I have a feeling this article will attract a fatwa declaration from authentic Muslims.
Islam is anything but a religion of peace!
Re: Why Some Muslims Are Violent
Anonimi posted on 01-07-2010, 17:01:44 PM
did u say authentic muslims and islam not a religion of peace
i thought i have always heard from the authentic muslims that the religion is of peace no matter what the holy book says
Re: Why Some Muslims Are Violent
First-lady posted on 01-07-2010, 18:51:15 PM
A prophet is not recognized amongst his own.
Didn't I say these things in 2008 and some people here wanted to stone me to death with their korans and Gideon's bible.
The deceivers tell you "Islam is peace" but forget to add that the "peace" is only after the world has been conquered and delivered to allah.
Re: Why Some Muslims Are Violent
Draftman posted on 01-07-2010, 21:27:31 PM
When are Nigerians going to stop taking sides, north, south, muslim, xtians. We as ppl will never go anywhere, we will be divided forever, and I believe is by design. Insulting others will never change ppls heart or make peace in our land. Anyone can find all kind of bad judgement in all these religious books, i.e eye 4 eye, stone adulterer-thou shall not kill-but ppl kill, thou shall not steal-well, all these in the these "holy" book. These always two sides to a coin. Talking about violent, the bomber in Oklahoma was a xtian, so is olympic bomber. The enslaver/apatheid planners are xtians. So you hv good and bad in every religion. Lets keep our eyes on the price of being a good citizen of our country.
We need to get to a point of coexistence. This is 2010, with all the bad press, we need to close rank and be tolerant of other faith, afterall in my judgement all these religion are foreign to us. We've been divided enough, by ethnic, language, and all these foreign faith were taught to believe. My religion is better than your mentality will further divide us.
All religion claimed to know what "god" want, I don't who to believe, All of them maybe wrong. Remember, believe is an absent of fact.
Re: Why Some Muslims Are Violent
Bob posted on 01-08-2010, 05:39:17 AM
it is not a matter of :
my religion is better than yours
rather, it is :
your religion wants to kill me.
Re: Why Some Muslims Are Violent
Overdryv posted on 01-08-2010, 13:24:31 PM
You seem to have missed the message of this topic. It is not about having good and bad people on both sides. This particular moment, it is saying with undeniable facts, that muslims have decreed death for the Christians and Jews from their holy prophet Mohammed. Talk of unity is always sweet and dandy but you fail to provide one clue on how Nigerians would go about it.On a side note, just heard muslims are now destroying churches in Malaysia because the christians are using the word "Allah" to refer to God. The battle between Islam and Christianity continues.


text:
I live in Falcon Heights, just north of the State Fairgrounds. Roseville is a stone's throw away to the north. I take great pride in knowing my neighborhood. For one, it's my job. And two, I need to know all of the shortcuts and alternative routes during the traffic that comes with the Fair each year.
One morning, I discovered the Memorial Pet Cemetery in Roseville. Tucked away but shielded by trees on the north side of Minnesota 36, a couple of blocks west of Dale Street, it's well off the beaten path.
This discovery was truly a treasure from a photographer's point of view. I have heard about the place and caught glimpses of it while speeding by on the freeway, but I never paid much attention to it.
It's easy to poke fun at those who treat pets as if they were children. Or people who spend hundreds of dollars to buy cemetery plots and grave markers for their pets. But I know as well as any pet owner the special place they have in our hearts.
I had a cocker spaniel named Buff when I was a small boy. Buff sat by my side for an entire summer when I was laid up with a broken leg. Shortly after I had recovered, I saw my father carrying a blanket, accompanied by a lot of tears. Buff had been run over by a car and had died.
The next dog I owned, more than 45 years later, is my current dog Buddy. He is a mixed breed that, through an interesting turn of events, came from the parking lot of the Como Humane Society in St. Paul. The family that was trying to drop off the 8-week-old puppy did not have the money the organization requested to turn in a pet, which they had found abandoned in a trash bin a few days earlier.
We entered the building looking for a cat for my wife's birthday, and the family asked us if we wanted the puppy. And here he is, eight years later, lying at my side while I write, waiting patiently for a walk in the woods.
Here are the photographs I made with my cellphone camera earlier this month. I spent time smiling as I took these pictures and shed a tear or two.
Perhaps my fellow pet owners can relate. And perhaps some of these pet owners are themselves resting in nearby cemeteries or have joined their Buddy in the big dog park in the sky.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
June 2003: a remote jungle clearing outside Moshi, Tanzania. I am seventeen. It is sometime after midnight.
My skin is sticky with pesticide and sweat. In the treacle dark, my friend Rachael's face presses hot against my shoulder. The hiss of the jungle soars into the sky in a cacophonous, unbearable symphony.
I need to pee.
Read the rest of this entry »


text: Kurt Geiger has just launched the autumn/winter collection which is called 'Sweet Rebellion'. The range includes gorgeous clutch bags named after classic sweet shop items including 'Rhubarb Rock' (£250), 'Lollidrop' and 'Gobstopper' (£180). Creative Director Rebecca Farrar-Hockley explained the inspiration, "For me Kurt Geiger has always been like a grown up sweetie shop and even more so since launching accessories too!" The 'Sweet Rebellion' collection ranges from £100 to £270. You can shop pieces from Sweet Rebellion below.


text:
It's no fun thinking about how Life Café, a.k.a. Jonathan Larson's inspiration for Rent, is closed forever. Now we hear the venue will be chopped into two — as its space actually sits in two different buildings, with two different landlords — before it's re-rented. [EV Grieve]
Former Life Café to Be Split in Half
Two spaces for 'Rent.'


text:
'When he depicts Arthur's search for some sort of moral framework within the anarchy of modern society, he speaks for all of us, poetically and passionately, as truly now as he did almost half-a-century ago.' (From the foreword by Alan Plater)
Sid Chaplin's powerful novel of disaffection in 1960s Newcastle, The Day of the Sardine charts a young man's uneasy passage into adulthood. Harsh and at times comic, Arthur Haggerston's story takes place against the background of a young workforce absorbed into tedious, repressive employment where the only outlets come through street violence and gang warfare. Arthur's battle through this reality provides a striking contrast to his internal struggle, outlined in his involvement with two very different women: one experienced and older, the other an idealistic Christian of his own age. Although set in a physical environment that has in many ways been lost to the past, the essence of Sid Chaplin's novel is easily recognisable in the urban tensions of Britain today.
'Chaplin's prose is wonderfully alive, and his novel is itself an overlooked but untarnished gem'
'This is a welcome return to print for the early-60s chronicle of Geordie man-child Arthur Haggerston as he negotiates the the void between a failed education system and a stagnant labour market.
The Guardian
Chaplin's other novel set in Newcastle, The Watchers and the Watched, has also been republished by Flambard. Both were reviewed enthusiastically by DJ Taylor in The Guardian.
The Day of the Sardine costs £8.99 and was published in October 2004.
Sid Chaplin was born on 20 September 1916 in Shildon, Co. Durham. In 1930 he commenced work in a bakery, but by 1931 was working at the Dean and Chapter Colliery in Ferryhill and became an apprentice to a colliery blacksmith in 1932.
In 1939 Sid won a scholarship to the Fircroft Working Men's College, Birmingham, but with the commencement of the Second World War, he returned to mining, working down the pit as a miner at the coal face. He married in 1941 to Irene Rutherford, living in Co. Durham until Sid was offered a post as feature writer on the National Coal Board's publication Coal, when they moved to Essex. In 1957 he was offered a new post as Public Relations Officer for the Coal Board, based in Newcastle upon Tyne where he lived until his death, having retired in 1972 to concentrate on his writing career. In 1975 he had a heart by-pass operation at Shotley Bridge Hospital, Co. Durham from which he recovered sufficiently to resume his writing and produced two more published volumes of short stories before his untimely death in January 1986.
Initially Sid Chaplin wrote between mining shifts and would often write through the night to create the perfect piece of writing. By May 1941 this had paid off with the publication of A Widow Wept in Penguin New Writing, edited by John Lehmann. More poems and stories were published in contemporary literary magazines, leading to a compilation of short stories, The Leaping Lad (1946), published by Phoenix House, which won the Atlantic Award in Literature in 1946. Novels, short stories and articles followed and he was a contributor to local and national newspapers and other publications throughout his life.
He received an Honorary Master of Arts from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, 1978, an Honorary Fellowship from Sunderland Polytechnic (now Sunderland University), 1977 and an OBE in 1977 for his services to the arts and especially for his work at Northern Arts.
Sid Chaplin (1916-86) influenced a generation of writers including David Storey, Stan Barstow and Keith Waterhouse, and his novels and stories enjoyed a popular readership in the 1960s and 1970s. Drawing on his working-class upbringing and employment in the North-East of England, Chaplin's social observation, humane characters, evocative writing style and authentic dialogue are as fresh and relevant today as when he was alive.
The text of D.T. Taylor's lecture on Writing from the margins: the English regional novel from Sid Chaplin to Julia Darling, which was given at Newcastle's Literary and Philosophical Society on 28th October 2004, is now on their website.
Largely based on information on the Newcastle University website and used with permission and thanks.
Web site design by Cornwell Internet. Page last updated on 26th September 2012.
Flambard Press Ltd is a non-commercial, not-for-profit limited company registered in England and Wales. Registered number: 05983763.
Registered office: Stable Cottage, East Fourstones, Hexham, Northumberland NE47 5DX.


text:
Santa Monica has worked hard to protect the natural ecosystems that make life possible. It is time for these sustainability goals to be legal, enforceable obligations and not just voluntary intentions.
Immigration Lawyers Clarify DHS's Prosecutorial Discretion Announcement
Brewer Countersues Feds
The Separation of Church and State Is Rooted in American Christianity
Johann Neem: Some Americans today believe that the separation of church and state is a threat to Christianity. But historian Johann Neem argues that Americans in the era of the Revolution promoted the idea of separation of church and state as a way to protect Christianity. They supported separation precisely because they were Christians.
Does Protecting Our Children Mean Political Action For Them And For Us?
Paul Loeb: Particularly in these difficult times, we often use our children as reasons to avoid getting involved in critical issues. We've got all we can handle holding on to our jobs and spending a little time with them. We fear political commitments will make their lives more insecure. Especially when they're young, it may be all we can do just to go to work, come home, pay attention to their needs, and catch a few scarce hours of sleep. Yet when we do find ways to get engaged, our children can give us powerful reasons to act.


text:
Thanks to vadi4 for pointing out Blokt, an Adobe AIR-based game with an emphasis on problem-solving. You can try the game online, or purchase a stand-alone version for $4.99 US.
This entry was posted
on Thursday, February 12th, 2009 at 7:10 pm and is filed under News.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.
You must be logged in to post a comment.


text:
Sixteen teenage apprentices
were merchants, hucksters and other denizens of Ephesus'
marketplace.And some real magic was added to the works
by Ken Sonkin – not only a wonderfully talented actor,
but also a professional magician.
Ken played both of the Dromios and his post-intermission
magic act, when Dromio of Syracuse found a basket
left by the town's resident snake charmer which contained
all sorts of mysterious devices, was a highlight of
the show.
Unfortunately, some of the
critics didn't realize that Ken Sonkin played both
of the Dromios and Paul Sulzman both of the Antipholi.
We realized (too late) that the fake names inserted
in the playbill were perhaps not the best idea, and
that perhaps the production had succeeded too well
in its overly playful exaggeration of mistaken identities.
From the Playbill:
"We are delighted to bring you Shakespeare's only
true farce, the wacky, wonderful, riotous celebration
of buffoonery and confusion, The Comedy of Errors. This production marks the realization of one of our
original goals: the creation of a summer apprentice
program for emerging theatre artists….In addition
to our apprentice program, Marin Shakespeare Company
offers several other special events and outreach programs.
This summer we will present four free pre-show conversations
with scholars and company artists. In September we
offer two special performances for high school students.
New programs this year include a Young Audience Access
Program and a signed performance for the hearing impaired.
The revels of The Feast of Good Will, our outdoor
Elizabethan banquet in celebration of Opening Night
have never been better….So get set for a madcap romp
with some of Shakespeare's most outrageous and loveable
characters as you enjoy "The Comedy of Errors."


text:
16 members27 Comments 1 Favorite
997 members2875 Comments 20 Favorites
304 members829 Comments 7 Favorites
2204 members
96 members85 Comments 1 Favorite
Started Jan 27, 2010 0 Replies 0 Favorites
Hello all! I am new to the blogging community, as well as the pr/giveaway community. I have only been blogging for about 2 months and just started reviews within the last few weeks. I have several…Continue
Tags: books, organization, comment, critque, blog
Started Jan 17, 2010 0 Replies 0 Favorites
Does anyone who deals with Google Analytics know where to put the code on a blogger type of blog?
Katrina B Smith has not received any gifts yet


text:
Technology Resources
- Glogster: Create your own interactive posters
- TumbleBooks: Animated Talking Picture Books (scroll down to last icon)
- Elementary Powerpoint Presentations: All subject areas
- Powerpoint Game Templates (Jeopardy, Millionaire, Wheel of Fortune, etc.)
- Animoto: Create your own slideshows and movies
- Wordle: Create images and word clouds with selected text
Differentiated Instruction Templates: Click here for DI templates
Differentiated Instruction Sites
- Dare to Differentiate: Planning DI Unit
- DI Sample Lesson Plans
- Integrated Matrix Examples
- A Different Place: DI Lessons
- Internet 4 Classrooms (DI Units)
- Teacher Vision: Lesson Plans
- Teach-nology: How to teach using differentiated instruction
- MCAS Mentor: Performance based assessment and rubrics
- Online Learning Style Inventory
- Find Your Strengths (learning style)
- CAST: Differentiated Instruction Information
Assessment Sites
- RubricMaker: Construct a rubric using a template on the web
- Discovery School: Kathy Schrock's guide to assessment
- Elementary School Rubrics: K-2 writing rubrics
- Rubistar: Create rubrics for your project-based learning activiities.
- Tech4Learning's Rubric Maker
Teacher Resources
- Leveled Reading Books Data Base
- Online Reference Site
- The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
- Harcourt School
- The Busy Teacher Cafe
Unit Ideas
- Teacher Resources
- IDEAS: Link to lesson plans sorted by WI standards, grade level, or subject
- Apple Learning Exchange: A museum of online exhibits created by educators for educators all with media-based resources.
- Marco Polo: Internet content for the classroom.
- Sites for Teachers: A list of the best teacher's resource and educational sites on the net ranked by popularity.
- Technology Integration Ideas: A thorough collection of technology integration ideas.
- UBD Template: Use this template to complete the Understanding by Design Lesson Template.
- Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators: Access this categorized list of sites useful for enhancing curriculum and professional growth.
- Wired Learning
- ABC Teach
- Teacher Planet
- Sites for Teachers
- Teacher Resources
- NCLB No Child Left Behind: Connect to US Department of Education.
- PowerPoint Templates: Getting tired of the same old PowerPoint templates? Click here to add a wide variety of interesting templates for your presentations.
- DPI: Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction


text: I'm helping develop an app that address this whole Yelp issue. Basically, the app collects all the friends you already have on Facebook, Foursquare, etc., and shows you THEIR likes. Not just restaurants, but anyplace. You can essentially discover new places (recommended by your actual friends), "save" places (with your personal notes) for yourself, or actually share your brief reviews with your friends. Makes a hell of a lot more sense than banking on the reviews of total strangers. The app should be done by end of March or early April. I don't wanna spam, so I won't drop the name here unless someone asks.


text:
First Look at OpenOffice.org 3.0
Writer, Calc, and Impress
The Notes feature in previous versions of OpenOffice.org was woefully inadequate and not very user-friendly (Figure 3). In-line notes in a text document were displayed as tiny yellow rectangles, which were difficult to use and easy to miss.
If you use notes to comment and collaborate on Writer documents, you'll be pleased to learn that OpenOffice.org 3.0 comes with a completely redesigned Notes feature (Figure 2). Notes are now displayed on a side of the document, and each note has an arrow that points to the exact insertion point in the text. Notes created by different users are displayed in different colors, and each note contains a time stamp as well as the name of the user who added the note. All this makes it easier to keep tabs on notes and use them as an efficient tool for document collaboration.
OpenOffice.org 2.4 introduced the ability to apply different language settings to text segments in a document easily – a feature that comes in particularly handy when dealing with multilingual documents. OpenOffice.org 3.0 adds a small but important improvement to this feature. Spelling dictionaries in OpenOffice.org 3.0 are treated as extensions, and the Tools | Language | More Dictionaries Online command points you to the spell-checking extensions in OpenOffice.org's extension repository. Here, you can download the spell-checking dictionaries you want and install them using the Extension Manager.
The Extension Manager module has also been thoroughly reworked to make it more user-friendly. The new manager offers a better overview of the installed extensions and displays detailed information about the extension (provided that the extension's developer has included the info in the package). Extension developers will also appreciate the ability to integrate the extension's help into the On-line Help module.
The Writer application sports another minor yet useful improvement: You can use the slider at the bottom toolbar to zoom in and out of the document as well as switch between different viewing modes. This feature provides a more efficient way to view and browse long documents than the Preview button in version 2.x.x (Figure 4). The Calc spreadsheet application has a few new features, too (Figure 5). The most notable one is the Solver component, which is designed to solve optimization problems in which the optimum value of a particular cell is calculated based on constraints provided in other cells.
Another new – and less esoteric – feature is the ability to share spreadsheets with other users. In the current version of OpenOffice.org, when the user opens a Writer, Calc, or Impress document, the system locks it so other users can't modify it. The Share feature in Calc gives other users access to the document and provides a simple conflict-resolution mechanism. When you enable the sharing feature using the Tools | Share Document command, other users can open and edit the shared spreadsheet. The changes to the spreadsheet are merged when the users save them. When they do that, the system notifies you about the modifications and highlights them in the shared spreadsheet. If two users modify the same cell, the system displays the Resolve Conflicts dialog box, which provides different options for solving the listed conflicts.
The Charts module in the new version of OpenOffice.org introduces support for error bars and regression equations. Now it's possible to draw error bars based on error ranges provided in spreadsheet cells. Additionally, it is possible to display regression equations as well as correlation coefficients.
The Impress presentation application now comes with native support for inserting tables into presentations (Figure 6). In the previous versions of OpenOffice.org, you could insert tables only as embedded Calc objects, which was both cumbersome and limiting.
The new version of Impress sports native support for tables, and the application provides all the essential tools for manipulating and formatting tables. When you insert a table using the Insert | Table command, you can use the Table toolbar to add and remove rows and columns, merge and split cells, and tweak the table's properties. The Table Design tab in the Tasks pane also provides a few predefined table styles that you can use to spice up the overall look of the table.
With a robust extension architecture in place, integrating features directly into OpenOffice.org is no longer the only way to add functionality to the suite, as the Sun Report Builder extension [2] shows. Instead of replacing the outdated report feature in OpenOffice.org Base, Sun released a new reporting engine as an extension. This trend continues with Open-Office.org 3.0, in which several new "features" are released as separate extensions. The most notable examples are the Sun PDF Import [3] and Sun Presenter Console [4] extensions. As the names suggest, the former allows you to import PDF files into OpenOffice.org, whereas the latter provides more control over a slide show presentation.
Sun PDF Import is a boon for users who need a lightweight tool for editing and commenting PDF documents. The extension allows you to import a PDF file into the Draw application, and you can use all the available tools to tweak and comment the document. Then, you can then save the modified file back to the PDF format using the File | Export as PDF command.
Although PDF Import does a good job of opening PDF files, it won't replace a dedicated PDF editor because of several important limitations. For example, the extension imports each line of text from the PDF file as a separate text block. This means that you can't copy a text fragment and paste it as text into a Writer document, which limits the ability to extract text from PDF files. Also, exporting the edited file as PDF doesn't preserve the existing bookmarks of the original PDF file. Thus, the PDF Import feature is useful for occasional lightweight editing, but it won't replace a dedicated PDF editing application. That said, you should keep in mind that the PDF Import extension is not designed to be a full-blown PDF editing tool.
Giving presentations created with Impress is now much easier, thanks to the Sun Presenter Console. This extension lets you see the upcoming slide, the slide notes, and a presentation timer. This information is available only to you and the presenter, whereas the audience sees only the current slide.
Although the idea of extending functionality via extensions makes a lot of sense – after all, Firefox has been doing this for ages – there are a few downsides to this approach. For example, this means that after you've installed version 3.0, you still have to download and install several extensions to add some of the most interesting and useful – and some would say essential – features. Also, some users might find it slightly confusing that the PDF export feature is built into OpenOffice.org, but if you want to be able to import PDF files, you need to install an additional component.
Final Word
Steady improvement and a rather conservative approach to adding new features have always been the major traits of the OpenOffice.org project, and the upcoming version of the productivity suite is no exception. OpenOffice.org 3.0 is by no means a revolutionary release, but it does offer enough improvements and a few new features to make it a solid and desirable upgrade for most users.
- OpenOffice.org 3.0 Beta download: http://download.openoffice.org/3.0beta/
- Sun Report Builder: http://extensions.services.openoffice.org/project/reportdesign
- Sun PDF Import: http://extensions.services.openoffice.org/project/pdfimport
- Sun Presenter Console: http://extensions.services.openoffice.org/project/presenter-screen
« Previous 1 2
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Visit Our Shop
Direct Download
Read full article as PDF:OpenOffice.org_3.0_Review.pdf (518.58 kB)
Qemu Flaw Lets the Guest Escape
Xen project announces a privilege escalation problem for Qemu host systems
Android Bug Threatens Millions of Users
Attackers can compromise an Android phone just by sending a text message
Lenovo and Canonical Announce Laptop Deal
PC vendor will pre-install Ubuntu on portables in India.
Mozilla Firefox Blocks Flash
More embarrassment for Adobe's embattled multimedia tool
Security Problem in Firefox's NoScript Add-On
Mozilla's script blocker add-on could be putting malware sites on the whitelist.
RIP SSLv3
The Internet community officially banishes the notoriously unsafe Secure Sockets Layer protocol.
Mate 1.1 Arrives
Popular desktop environment continues the Gnome 2 legacy – with new support for the Gnome 3 toolkit.
US Government Requires HTTPS
The Obama White House has issued a memorandum telling all US government agencies they must use HTTPS for all websites and web communication.
Mozilla Signs Firefox Add-Ons
New program will dial up security for the Firefox browser.
Fedora 22 Arrives
Red Hat's community distro embraces the cloud.


text:
I have looked at a few books that address the subject of knitting socks two at a time. Has anyone read any of these and can anyone make a recommendation as to the best one? Or, are there other sources where I can learn to knit two socks at at time?
I like to knit socks on 2 circular s at same time. Socks come out the same length without counting rows. I have not had a problem with gauge.
I agree with Kev. I learned to knit socks in this fashion and it's the only way I'll do them. I have never had any difficulty with gauge/tension and when one is completed, both are completed. It's brilliant! I learned in a class so I only have the instructor's instructions.
two socks on two circular needles...
did it, following my Neenah Galati DVD...
...they turned out beautifully...
but I prefer using DP's
Sometimes I'll knit two at a time---but not on the same needle! I'll just have two going and work on one for awhile and then work on the other one! It makes the end product appear to arrive sooner than completing one sock at a time!
Uh, . . . . Don't do it. You're gauge will not be transferable to the second sock and you'll end up with two socks of different sizes.
Trust me. Sounds like a great innovative idea, but it's not.
~Mike in Tampa
Yahoo Id: stickywarp2001
Imagination is Everything.
It is the preview of Life's coming attractions.


text:
Viewers: in countries Watching now:
Join Adobe InDesign and publishing expert Mike Rankin as he explains how to use InDesign to design a wide range of digital documents, including interactive PDFs and apps for the iPad. This course provides a tour of digital publishing trends and shows how to bring these trends to bear in various projects, such as a slide presentation, a PDF form, and an interactive portfolio. Mike also introduces the Adobe Digital Publishing Suite and shows how to publish dynamic interactive documents to the iPad and other mobile devices.
When you're creating a PDF form an important consideration is the tab order. Setting a logical tab order will increase the usability of your form and help people fill it out quicker. Tab order is also important as an accessibility feature of your PDFs. Screen readers and other assistive devices can use the tab order to help someone who's visually impaired navigate through the form. To set the tab order you might expect there to be some kind of control in the Buttons and Forms panel. But it's not there. In fact, there are two ways to set tab order.
The traditional way is by choosing Object > Interactive > Set Tab Order. And here you'll quickly see one reason why it's important to give your form objects descriptive names when you create them. There's no feature to navigate to the form object or highlight it in any way in here, and since it's a dialog box, you can't select any objects in the layout to check which items correspond to these. These are also the names of the form objects that will be read by a screen reader. Once you've given your form objects useful names, setting the tab order is fairly easy.
Just select which item you want to move and click the Move Up or Move Down buttons until you have everything in the order that you want it. So I could move City up or down, and so forth. When you're done, click OK. CS6 adds a new way to set tab order that's more flexible than using the dialog box, and that is to use the Articles panel. The Articles panel is often used to determine the structure and order of content in an EPUB exported from InDesign. It also lets you determine the reading order of content in a PDF and the tab order as well.
You can open the Articles panel by choosing Window > Articles. To create tab order for your form object, you drag and drop them one by one into the Articles panel. So I'll just start with first name, and I can give it a name, and I'll select Include When Exporting, I'll drop in last name, date of birth, and Address.
Note that each form field is a separate article. I don't want to include them all in the same article or I won't be able to set the order correctly. Then to change the tab order I just need to drag articles inside the panel. So if I want to move Address above date of birth, I can do that. So now in the tab order it will come after Last Name and before date of birth. When I'm done setting the order, I'll go to the Articles Panel menu and choose Use Reading Order in Tagged PDF. Now let's export this document to interactive PDF and test our tab order.
I'll save it as Tab on the Desktop, and then in the dialog box I'll specify Tagged PDF, Create Tag PDF, Use Structure for Tab Order, and click OK. Now let's test our tab order. I'll put my cursor in First Name, I'll press tab, I go to Last Name, tab to Address, and then tab to Date of Birth. Creating logical tab order is important for making your PDFs usable and accessible and with CS6 setting the tab order is easier than ever thanks to the Articles panel!
Find answers to the most frequently asked questions about InDesign CS6: Interactive Documents .
Here are the FAQs that matched your search "" :
Sorry, there are no matches for your search "" —to search again, type in another word or phrase and click search.
Access exercise files from a button right under the course name.
Search within course videos and transcripts, and jump right to the results.
Remove icons showing you already watched videos if you want to start over.
Make the video wide, narrow, full-screen, or pop the player out of the page into its own window.
Click on text in the transcript to jump to that spot in the video. As the video plays, the relevant spot in the transcript will be highlighted.


text:
These instructions are the same regardless of what OS you're connecting from:
1. Open a browser to https://access.mtsu.edu/ using Internet Explorer, Firefox, or Safari.
2. Enter your FSA username and password and click OK.
3. A bar may appear at the top of the browser requesting that you install a plug in from Juniper Networks. Go ahead and click the bar and select "Install This Add-on for All Users on This Computer…". Click "Install" on the next box that pops up.
4. Once the web page refreshes, click "Start" beside "Network Connect".
5. Click "Always" in the "Setup Control – Warning" box that pops up. If a "Windows Security Alert" box pops up, click on "Unblock".
7. When you have finished, right click on the Network Connect icon (it looks like a circuit board) in the task tray and select "Exit". The icon will look like a gear with two boxes above it.
8. Close the "Secure Access SSL VPN" web page if it is still open.


text:
10 Most Memorable Women in Spider-Man's Love Life
Top Deadliest And Most Intimidating DC Villains of All Time
The Best DC Heroes Ever
Is Jenelle Evans' Boyfriend Harming Her Health?
Kaley Cuoco Shows Off Her Tennis Skills
See The Best Cosplays From SDCC 2014
The Horror Games You Have to Play This Year
New "Limitless Pill" Takes Internet by Storm
First Look At Leaked Warcraft Movie Trailer
9 Biggest Success Stories From American Idol
6 TV Finales That Failed Spectacularly
Why Is Rosie Perez Leaving The View?
Will The Hulk Come Back?
The Amazing Benefits Of Eating Chia Seeds
Shannon Beador Drops Another Affair Truth Bomb
Summer Movie Trailers With Director Rob Cohen on Most Craved
Is Kaitlyn Bristowe's Engagement Already Over?
Grant Gustin Teases 'Big Twist' at End of The Flash's First Season
See the First Appearance of Marvel's Female Thor!
Eli Roth to Direct Prehistoric Shark Movie "Meg"
Most Craved: Comic-Con Sometimes Sucks
Donald Glover Finally Gets To Be Spider-Man
Fox Considers Comebacks For '24,' 'The X-Files' & 'Prison Break'
Why "Listen To Me Marlon" Is Worth Checking Out
How Shameless' Mickey and Ian Became TV's Wildest (and Sweetest) Couple
13 Giant Monsters Who Deserve A Comeback
Liam Neeson To Continue The Usual In Next Film
Marvel Studios Announces New Dates and Titles
10 Female Superhero Movies You Want
14 Movie Heroes Who Should Fight Each Other


text:
What '90s Pop Star Is Rocking the Glitter Cleavage? (PHOTO)
Her fame might have peaked in the late '90s, but she's still working it! This singer, dancer, and media personality strutted down a red carpet last night in this golden disco ball of a dress, turning all kinds of heads.
It's not like this lady has been out of the spotlight for even a minute, though; the mother of three has been a host and a judge on various TV shows, and she even had her own reality show!


text:
|Knights Inn Arlington hotels are listed below. Search for cheap and discount Knights Inn hotel prices in Arlington, VA for your family, individual or group travels. We list the best Knights Inn Arlington hotels/lodging so you can review the Arlington Knights Inn hotel list below to find the perfect place.
Our booking engine will also list Arlington, VA hotels + motels that have similar star quality of Knights Inn.
Need a group/meeting discount? Get quotes from hotels in Arlington VA
All Knights Inn in or near Arlington
More Knights Inn properties for Arlington
Hotels like Knights Inn
Next: Show All Available Comparable Hotels with Pricing >


text:
Welcome toTransgender Scotland
This web site is a directory for the Transgender Groups and other meetings for trans people in the country.
Simply click on the required city or area on the button bar to the left of this screen.
Follow this link for information about theNational Transition Support Service:
Follow this link for the NHS ScotlandGender Reassignment Protocol
If you would like to add a group to this site please see the contacts page
[Transgender Scotland] [Lanarkshire] [Glasgow] [Edinburgh] [Tayside] [Aberdeen] [Highlands] [Forth Valley] [Dumfries and Galloway] [Links] [Contact us]


text:
SACRAMENTO, CA -Gas prices should be going down in the weeks ahead.
Tom Kloza, chief analyst at the Oil Price Information Service told CNNthere are a number of factors that are likely to lower gas prices fairly soon.
Kloza said the damage from Hurricane Isaacwas not believed to be serious, which should allow work to resume quickly at refineries along the Gulf Coast.
The end of the summer blend of gasoline on Sept. 15 could bring prices down 20 cents a gallon over the next month or so, Kloza says. However, that is not factored into California's prices becausethe statedoes notuse a winter blend.
The White House is considering releasing some U.S. strategic oil reserves to bring down the price of gas and put pressure on Iran.
The average price in California is$4.13 a gallon. The national average is at $3.79. That's the highest on record for Labor Day weekend.
Just this past weekend alone, the nation saw a 29-cent jump.
However, Kloza thinks that $3.25 a gallon gasoline byDecember is possible.


text:
Another Year, Another Setback for the Croton Water Filtration Plant
January 1, 2014 at 11:59 AM
by Hayley Camacho
Although start-up and testing recently began in one part of the Croton Water Filtration Plant, it will not be until next April when the rest of the plant begins testing as well, with a solid operational date nowhere in sight.
The news has outraged Bronxites who looked forward to the re-opening of the fenced-off jogging path hugging Jerome Park Reservoir, where part of the plant exists. This also comes amid concerns the plant buried underneath the Mosholu Golf Course is marred with shoddy work relating to the plant's fire alarm system, according to information received by the Croton Filtration Monitoring Committee (CFMC).
Members met last month, pressing officials with the city Department of Environmental Protection over the lack of a working fire alarm system for the massive project. The DEP has long overseen the project, with construction manager Bernard Daly at the helm for years. He told an audience that work on the "fire alarm system is ongoing" but has not been completed because the plant is still under construction.
Testing of water from the recently filled Jerome Park Reservoir's north basin began on Dec. 9, Daly reported. The reservoir had been empty since construction on the filtration plant began in 2008. Once the plant is operational, about 30 percent of the city's water supply will be filtered by the plant.
Delays and Fire Safety Questions
The federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is in talks with city DEP to determine a new completion date for the project, but would not confirm if a supplement to the court-issued consent decree is being negotiated. The current consent decree has a completion date of October 2011.
"The format of that has not been finalized as of yet," said Doug McKenna, chief of the water compliance branch for EPA Region 2. "It's not limited to the fire suppression. There were other delays. We know they're working through it."
There is no temporary fire alarm for workers at the plant. Fire safety is managed through an emergency evacuation plan that involves several measures such as fire watching patrols.
In most cases, a worker holds a fire extinguisher next to any hot work being performed, said Daly at the meeting. A spokesman for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) said the agency monitors private contractor projects, not public ones such as the Croton
Water Filtration Plant. Crews have spent nearly 10 years building the plant deep underneath the Mosholu Golf Course in Van Cortlandt Park.
The project is nearly $2 billion over budget and nearly two years behind schedule. The EPA has fined the city $5 million for delays on the project for the past several years.
Sketchy Safety Track Record
But this is not the first time the plant's been accused of safety hazards. Nearly a year ago, the Manhattan District Attorney's office reached a $10 million settlement with Siemens Electrical for violating city contracts that required the company to hire minority or women-owned construction
firms. Siemens was also found guilty of submitting false documents that it employed a licensed master electrician at the site.
After the DA's office announced the settlement, CFMC chair Robert Fanuzzi wrote to DEP Commissioner Carter Strickland seeking assurances that safety conditions at the plant had not been compromised by the defective workmanship uncovered by DEP's on-site integrity monitor.
In May, Strickland wrote to the CFMC saying that "at no time was the health and safety of the workers or public at risk at the plant." Strickland noted that despite Siemens' false representation of a master electrician, the quality of the electrical work was not impacted.
He wrote that the construction manager's oversight of electrical work uncovered that a type of connector in use wasn't approved for use on the project. Siemens was directed to remove and replace the faulty connectors with approved materials at no cost to the city.
To date, Strickland said this replacement was the only work performed by the company that the DEP found to be deficient. However, additional allegations of code violations have surfaced since Strickland's response and brought before the latest meeting, including a letter drafted by Robert Solomon, a former Siemens construction manager alleging dangerous conditions at the plant.
Daly assured members that the safety issues were remedied after Siemens report thousands of feet of non-conduit and wire. "We find problems every day but they're fixed," Daly said. "That's why we're there."
Daly told the committee that Solomon left the project in 2007 and had visited once since then. He added that he and his staff had "reviewed technical parts of the letter and they are all wrong."
Bronx Talk TV host Gary Axelbank and long-time Croton watchdog wants an independent review. "There is no way to verify anything that Daly claims and what the letter claims," he said. "We should have an independent body. That should be who inspects it rather than just say ok."
Fanuzzi is again looking for clarification. "Within the last two years there have been shifting deadlines," he said. "A letter explaining about the progress of these consent decrees for these extensions, reasons for the delays and expectations for completion would really satisfy the committee."
3 Responses to "Another Year, Another Setback for the Croton Water Filtration Plant"
Jim Buckley on
January 2nd, 2014 11:50 am
The Norwood News has just published another troubling article about the cost and time overruns at the filtration plant. Another Year, Another Setback for the Croton Water Filtration Plant is an unwelcome reminder about the link between the affordability crisis in the Bronx and rising operating costs – especially the cost of water.
While people are trying to figure out how to deal with affordability issues in New York City, the cost of water has been a major factor in rising operating costs. The first UNHP affordable housing renovation project was underwritten with estimated water costs of $85 per apartment per year. Currently, the capped water rate for apartment buildings that qualify for the Multifamily Conservation Program is $977 per apartment per year.
The cost of water is impacted by construction cost overruns and delays in water construction projects like the Croton Water Filtration Plant. The article says the project is $2 billion over budget and the conditions mentioned in the article strongly suggest that this number will rise.
Since all water costs must be absorbed by ratepayers, the cost of water is affecting property owners and renters alike—owners paying the higher rates directly, renters via higher lease increases approved by the Rent Guidelines Board. The next rate increase will be determined by the Water Board (the members of which are appointed by the Mayor) in the spring and will go into effect on July 1, 2014.
Thank you to The Norwood News for following the filtration plant story since its beginnings; tracking local and widespread opposition, contractor fraud, budget overruns and political regret. UNHP has also been active since 1988 in our fight to reform water and sewer rates due to their impact on housing affordability. In addition to our work to fight ever increasing water and sewer rate increases, UNHP provides assistance to homeowners who are at risk of losing their homes due to unpaid water bills. Homeowners can contact UNHP at (718) 933-2539 to schedule an appointment with a foreclosure prevention counselor. If you are interested in learning more about how to fight rising water and sewer costs contact us at email@example.com
James Buckley
Executive Director
University Neighborhood Housing Program (UNHP)
admin on
January 2nd, 2014 3:34 pm
It's an unfortunate story that keeps on giving. But we will continue monitoring the story–David Cruz, Editor-in-Chief of the Norwood News
mike on
January 26th, 2014 5:48 am
The croton filtration project reaks of corruption by our politicians and unions.
The water supply now sucks, the water is like slim and its loaded with drug residue. We go through soap like crazy and its impossible to rinse the soap off. Its becoming a joke of lies and evil agenda of our politicians and their lobbyist. Im fed up, the public must take action now or this b$%#*&! will last for another 4 years.
Got something to say?


text:
Posted at: 04/16/2013 5:44 PM
Updated at: 09/21/2013 11:49 AM
By: Robin De Wind
Rush-Henrietta senior Chauncey Scissum credits his mom and dad for his good work ethic.
Chauncey Scissum, Rush Henrietta Scholar Athlete, said, "At a young age, you get your education, that's what will carry you. My mom being an educator had the upper hand to know I needed to do what I needed to do in the classroom."
Scissum enjoys science, social studies and hopes to pursue a career in sports medicine. Chauncey received a full scholarship to play football at Syracuse University.
Scissum said, "A lot of kids say you're signing your life away, but I look at it as an opportunity. SU is a prestigious school and I feel my future is very bright."
Chauncey's high school football career is filled with accomplishments and awards, but it doesn't end there. He is also a Section V triple jump champion and standout lacrosse player.
Scissum said, "I'm competitive even though its not my main sport track and lacrosse as well."
He is captain for football and track and says sports has been just another way for him to succeed.
Scissum said, "It instills a lot of things winning hating to lose and dealing with adversity in your life."
Despite his busy schedule, Chauncey also works weekends. He says he's ready for college and ready to embrace his next chapter.
Scissum said, "I'm excited to get up there. I saw what I was getting myself into. I'm more excited than anything."


text:
Hulk Hogan has not signed with TNA after all. Previous reports had claimed that Hogan had signed a new contract after WWE offered him less money than TNA. He has NOT yet signed a TNA contract.
That means that Hogan is still a free agent at the moment but the two sides are still negotiating.


text:
Below is the poem entitled Lee Ramage-Our random plea which was written by poet
The Rogue Rhymer. Please feel free to comment on this poem. However, please remember, PoetrySoup is a place of encouragement and growth.
Read Poems by
The Rogue Rhymer
Natalie The Rogue Rhymer
My Dearest Lee…How we miss thee!
Please come back…here is our plea…
If you'd come back, we agree…
To eat cold Brussels sprouts and a pea
To swim across the Yellow sea
To take you on a shopping spree
To suck the stinger from a bee
To take you to Vail and let you ski
To shine your name on a marquee
To rig you kids' spelling bee
To let you race in the Grand Prix
To arrange with the queen, afternoon tea
To kick Chris and Frank in the knee
To give up our glass of Chablis
To let you win every game of yahtzee
To run around naked, like a banshee
Lee, please come back and hear our plea
Then we will all be yellin' "YIPPEE"
*Now Lee…we would never really kick Chris and Frank in the knee b/c we love them dearly but the rest is true :) We really miss your style of poetry…your message pieces…your unique way of telling a story. Please come back to us my dear.
By: Natalie The Rogue Rhymer :)


text:
Status: Out of Stock
weight: 2.83 lbs
in inches: 14.6875 x 10.75 x 2.375
Find at a Retailer Near You
Play at an Event Near You
PodcastsThe Game Kennel
Listen Now!
Family Night: Influencing Others
Product Info
- Ages: 10+
- Players: 3-4
- Playing Time: 60 minutes
- Designers: Leo Colovini, Guiseppe Bau
- Art: Michael Menzel
- Made in: Germany
The Dutch Golden Age™
Around 1600, a Golden Age started in the Northern provinces of the Low Countries. In 1602, the United East-Indian Company (VOC) was founded, the first ever company with shares. A maritime trade and transport network to the Far East was established, with fortified trade posts along the way.
The Low Countries developed steadily in many areas. The Seven Provinces were led to glory by Johan de Witt, an astute statesman who built an effective, modern navy led by superior admirals. Rich entrepreneurs were influential from many European ports to the Far East and the West Indies. William of Orange, murdered in 1584, lived on in the hearts of his people as the Father of the Fatherland. Meanwhile, success also loomed in other fields. In science, the philologist Lipsius, the naturalist Leeuwenhoek, the philosopher Spinoza and, last but not least,the father of the law of nationsť, Hugo Grotius all advanced their expertise considerably. In arts, the Flemish Schoolť with Rubens and Van Dyck and the Dutch Schoolť with Frans Hals, Jan Steen, Vermeer, and Rembrandt became famous.
In The Dutch Golden Age the players try to amass victory points in a variety of fields (culture, trade, arts etc.). The first player who accumulates 33 points is the overall winner.
- 1 large game board
- 110 playing cards (27 culture, 22 arts, 21 investment, 21 spices, 19 colony)
- 20 movement tokens in four colors
- 24 influence markers
- 1 king pawn
- 60 guilders coins in three denominations
- 2 dice
- 1 rulebook
Look for other games in these categories:
Educational Resources: Auction/Bidding, Business Management, Economics, Geography, Resource Management, Strategic Thinking, Trading/Negotiation
Other Recomended Titles:
Sutter's Mill


text:
Sent Successfully
Sending failed. It's possible that the address you are trying to mail is unsubscribed from EWN mailers.
Plans to finalise a new constitution came to a halt when Egypt president opposition rejected changes.
CAIRO - An Islamist-led assembly was expected to finalise a new constitution on Friday aimed at transforming Egypt and paving the way for an end to a crisis which erupted when President Mohamed Morsi gave himself sweeping new powers last week.
Morsi said his decree halting court challenges to his decisions, which provoked protests and violence from Egyptians fearing a new dictator was emerging less than two years after they ousted Hosni Mubarak, was "for an exceptional stage".
"It will end as soon as the people vote on a constitution," he told state television on Thursday night. "There is no place for dictatorship."
The assembly was expected to finish approving the draft constitution on Friday, allowing a referendum to be held as soon as mid-December on a text the Islamists say reflects Egypt's new freedoms.
Morsi's critics argue it is an attempt to rush through a draft they say has been hijacked by the Muslim Brotherhood, which backed Morsi for president in June elections, and its allies.
Two people have been killed and hundreds injured in the protests since last Thursday's decree, which deepened the divide between the newly-empowered Islamists and their opponents.
Setting the stage for more tension, the Muslim Brotherhood and its Islamist allies have called for pro-Morsi rallies on Saturday. But officials from the Brotherhood's party changed the venue and said they would avoid Tahrir Square, where a sit-in by the president's opponents entered an eighth day on Friday.
Seeking to calm protesters, Morsi said he welcomed opposition but it should not divide Egyptians and there was no place for violence. "I am very happy that Egypt has real political opposition," he said.
He stressed the need to attract investors and tourists to Egypt, where the crisis threatens to derail some early signs of an economic recovery after two years of turmoil. Egypt's benchmark stock index fell on Thursday to a 20-week-month low.
Leave your commentYou need to be logged in to Like or Post comments


text:
Posted at: 10/30/2012 5:14 PM
By: Steve Mieczkowski, KOB.com
Photo: Guadalupe Murillo
A former Walmart employee has been sentenced to eight years behind bars for stabbing a customer at work.
Guadalupe Murillo, 32, was working at a Walmart in Clovis in May 2010 when police said he got into a fight with a man at the store.
Murillo stabbed the man in the chest. Another man was also stabbed.
Police said after the stabbings, Murillo went back to work in the area of the store. Murillo was arrested soon after.


text:
- Coronary heart disease —Loss of blood to areas of the heart
- Stroke —Loss of blood to areas of the brain
- Peripheral vascular disease —Loss of blood to the extremities
|Copyright © Nucleus Medical Media, Inc.
Risk Factors
- Family history of the disease
- High cholesterol —Especially low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol
- High blood pressure
- Poor diet
- Cigarette smoking
- Diabetes type 1 and type 2
- Overweight and obesity
- Lack of physical activity
Metabolic syndrome
—A combination of 3 out of the following 5 findings:
- Low HDL-cholesterol—Also called good cholesterol
- High triglycerides
- Elevated blood sugar
- Elevated blood pressure
- Increased waist circumference—greater than 40 inches in men and 35 inches in women
- Coronary arteries of the heart—May cause symptoms of heart disease, such as chest pain
- Arteries to the brain—May cause symptoms of a stroke such as weakness, vision problems, speech problems, or headache
- Arteries in the lower extremities—May cause pain in the legs or feet and trouble walking
- Angiography
- Cardiac catheterization
- Ultrasound
- Electrocardiogram (ECG)
- Interfere with the forming of blood clots
- Control blood pressure if elevated
- Lower cholesterol if elevated
- Improve the flow of blood through narrowed arteries
Catheter-based Procedures
- Balloon angioplasty —A balloon-tipped catheter is used to press plaque against the wall of the artery. This increases the amount of space for the blood to flow.
- Stenting—Usually done after angioplasty. A wire mesh tube is placed in a damaged artery. It will support the wall of the artery and keep it open.
- Atherectomy —Instruments are inserted via catheter. They are used to cut away and remove plaque so that blood can flow more easily. This procedure is not used as often.
- Endarterectomy —Removal of the lining of an artery obstructed with large plaques. This is often done in carotid arteries of the neck. These arteries bring blood to the brain.
- Arterioplasty— Repair of an aneurysm . It is usually done with synthetic tissue.
- Bypass —Creation of an alternate route for blood flow. The procedure uses a separate vessel for blood to flow.
- Eat a healthy diet. It should be low in saturated fat and cholesterol. It should also be rich in whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.
- Exercise regularly.
- Maintain a healthy weight. If you are overweight, lose weight.
- Don't smoke. If you smoke, talk to your doctor about ways to quit .
- Control any chronic conditions you may have, such as diabetes.
- If your doctor recommends it, take medication to reduce your risk factors. This may include medication for high blood pressure or high cholesterol.
- Talk to your doctor about screening tests for coronary artery disease if you have risk factors.
American Heart Association http://www.heart.org
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov
Canadian Cardiovascular Society http://www.ccs.ca
Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada http://www.heartandstroke.ca
Coronary artery disease. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: http://www.ebscohost.com/dynamed. Updated January 13, 2015. Accessed March 11, 2015.
Heart and stroke statistics. American Heart Association website. Available at: http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/General/Heart-and-Stroke-Association-Statistics%5FUCM%5F319064%5FSubHomePage.jsp. Accessed March 11, 2015.
Revision Information
- Reviewer: Michael J. Fucci, DO
- Review Date: 03/2015 -
- Update Date: 05/02/2014 -
This content is reviewed regularly and is updated when new and relevant evidence is made available. This information is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with questions regarding a medical condition.
Copyright © EBSCO Publishing
All rights reserved.
Quick Links
Find a Physician
Use our online search physicians by specialty, name, city, or zip code. find now
Call 972-566-7111 if you need help with a Physicians referral
Schedule an Appointment
Request a new patient appointment online
Join Our Team
Find job opportunities at Medical City
Medical City Children's Hospital
Built by Specialists, Loved by Kids


text:
Dr. Bryce Seliger serves as director of orchestral activities and music director/conductor of the Pacific University Orchestra. Also committed to her teaching, she instructs courses at Pacific in music history, conducting, and music theory. During the summer of 2006 she served as director of the Stringendo Summer Strings Camp at Pacific. From 2003-20055, Dr. Seliger served as director of orchestral studies and music director/conductor of the Florida Atlantic University Symphony Orchestra, as well as associate conductor of the Florida Youth Orchestra and conductor of The Wind Stars Chamber Ensemble. Prior to these positions, she taught at the University of South Carolina, Columbia College, and Claflin University.
Dr. Seliger's previous conducting appointments include serving as music director/conductor the University of South Carolina Repertoire Orchestra, assistant conductor of Butler University's Symphony Orchestra and Jordan Sinfonia Chamber Orchestra, assistant conductor of the Symphony Orchestra at the State University of New York — Fredonia, and conductor of the Richland County Youth Orchestras in South Carolina. Additionally, Dr. Seliger has guest conducted professional orchestras both in the United States and Europe, some of which include the Boca Raton Philharmonic Symphonia (former Florida Philharmonic), Academy Orchestra of the Aspen Music Festival, Sessione Senese per la Musica Symphony & Chamber Orchestras (Italy & Switzerland), Astoria Symphony, South Carolina Philharmonic, Columbia Chamber Players, and Orchestra of Colours (Greece). Moreover, she has guest conducted the Dallas Brass as well as a Piccolo Spoleto Opera Series.
An avid promoter of contemporary music, Dr. Seliger has conducted numerous world premieres, including a recent performance at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. She has received exceptional commendation and accolades from the composers themselves for her interpretations of their music that she conducted debut performances of. Furthermore, her area of expertise lies in performing many composers' works re-orchestrated by Gustav Mahler and works that were also modified by Mahler's contemporaries. Thus far, she has conducted the Florida and South Carolina premieres of the Bach-Mahler Suite for Orchestra, a work she is a foremost scholar on. She also recently conducted the Oregon premiere of Schubert's String Quartet in D Minor "Death in the Maiden" re-orchestrated for string orchestra by Mahler.
She was recently featured in articles in The Oregonian and Hillsboro Argus. A current article on Dr. Seliger was published in the magazine Palm Beach Illustrated, a piece in which she was heralded as an "exceptional performer." As the recipient of prestigious awards in music, Dr. Seliger has received grants, fellowships and scholarships from music festivals and universities across the U.S. as well as Europe. She holds a doctor of musical arts and master of music in orchestral conducting and a bachelor of music in flute performance. While pursuing her conducting studies, she trained with acclaimed American conductors David Zinman, Stanley DeRusha, Murry Sidlin, Donald Portnoy, Russell Mikkelson and Grant Cooper. Additionally, she participated in numerous masterclasses with Jorma Panula, Paul Vermel, Christopher Wilkins, Larry Rachleff, Kirk Trevor, Victoria Bond, Philip Greenberg, Gerhardt Samuel and James Smith.


text:
Culture is the Key to Success
Companies from across the region gathered to applaud the culture that is the root of their success at a major awards ceremony in Newcastle on Monday.
Service Network's Culture for Success Awards received a record number of applications from companies eager to demonstrate the vital role employees play in their success. Entrants, from across the North East, represented an array of sectors.
After weeks of consideration by a panel of judges, the overall winner was announced as Barclays Contact Centre, Sunderland. The judges felt the organisation is an outstanding example of an international brand that has allowed its local contact centre employees to personalise its procedures and service offering for the benefit of its staff and customers. The culture and values are lived and breathed from the top down with a real sense of community amongst the staff. Judges commented that the contact centre is the complete opposite to the stereotypical organisation in the call centre industry and their unique approach has paid dividends as the company has very low staff turnover, currently operating at a 98% retention rate.
The organisation is a large employer within the region and is keen to be part of its local community. Already this year the organisation has raised £118,000 for local charities and groups and also helped to educate local school, youth groups and prisoners about financial management.
Christine Allenson, Site President & Head of Customer Service at Barclays Contact Centre, Sunderland said:
"Winning this award is true recognition for the fantastic job that our people do day in day out in delivering the best possible service for our customers. Having this recognition from an external perspective fills the whole team here in Sunderland with immense pride and will motivate every single colleague to continue to create that culture that makes us successful."
Category winners recognised on the night were Calvert Trust Kielder, Dipsticks Research and Spark Response.
Calvert Trust, a charity based at Kielder, was the winner in the small category. Judges observed that they give their staff real empowerment to introduce new and innovative ideas to ensure their clients receive the best possible experience. Every member of staff has extensive knowledge of the aims and objectives of the organisation and they understand how their role contributes to achieving them.
Full service market research agency, Dipsticks Research, was awarded the medium category winner. The judges were impressed by the company's growth in an industry that is shrinking and their staff numbers have doubled in the last three years.
The winner in the large category was customer contact centre, e-commerce fulfilment and online retail organisation Spark Response. The company described its culture as being based on clear thinking, candour, dignity and respect - all of which were evident to the judges. They have a proactive management style and encourage and reward staff not only for going the extra mile but for contributing to innovation in the business.
Highly Commended by the judges were Exclusive, BL Hairdressing and TH_NK.
All entrants are judged against four key criteria: staff development, customer service, business growth, and contribution to the region; and are judged in categories according to their size.
Service Network introduced a Special Award this year to recognise where an organisation has excelled in a particular area within their application. The winner of this award was BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art for their fantastic contribution to the region over the past 12 months. Becoming the first non Tate gallery to host the Turner Prize is a fantastic accolade and it created a fantastic boost to the local economy. The organisation engaged with 1600 pupils in schools, attracted nearly 150,000 to Newcastle Quayside, many of whom had never visited the North East before, and worked in partnership with numerous local businesses.
Neil Warwick, Chair of Service Network said:
"The Culture for Success Awards are about the people who make companies work. The Awards recognise the impact that motivated engaged employees have on customer service and ultimately profitability. The companies shortlisted have demonstrated the key ingredients required for a successful culture and we should be extremely proud to have them on our doorstep."
Sponsors for this year's Awards were CCS Mobile, Cintra HR & Payroll, Spacecraft Events, NCFE and Gateshead College.
For further information about the Awards or the winners call 0191 244 4031 or e-mail email@example.com


text:
See definition in Oxford Advanced Learner's DictionaryLine breaks: single-handed
Pronunciation: /ˌsɪŋɡ(ə)lˈhandɪd/
Definition of single-handed in English:
adverb& adjective
1Done without help from anyone else: [as adverb]: sailing single-handed round the world [as adjective]: a single-handed crusade
More example sentences
- It was only when I was about 17 that I realised that all the books I had were about single-handed sailing.
- And since the late 1990s, she seems to have been pursuing a single-handed crusade to save the diva from extinction.
- They could not believe that any sane man would take on a multinational corporation almost single-handed, let alone succeed?
by oneself, alone, on one's own, solo, unaided, unassisted, without help, by one's own efforts, independently;
2Done or designed to be used with one hand: [as adverb]: the tool is easy to use single-handed [as adjective]: a single-handed axe
More example sentences
- Carrying it across the room, he opened the window single-handed (easier said then done).
- She still generates enormous force, but what is most attractive about her game is the subtly of stroke, particularly that classical single-handed backhand.
- But he was offered a job back at his old firm and gradually learnt how to use adaptive technologies such as single-handed keyboards, tracking balls and IBM's voice-recognition software.
- 1
- Example sentences
- So what Abbott did on the record, he could also do single-handedly in concert.
- The security officer single-handedly breaks into the circus to save the hostages, one of whom is, of course, his daughter.
- It was exactly right for the time and, almost single-handedly, it triggered a whole new generation of two-seaters.
Pronunciation: /ˌsɪŋɡ(ə)lˈhandɪdli/adverb
Definition of single-handed in:
- US English dictionary
- English synonyms
- US English synonyms
What do you find interesting about this word or phrase?
Comments that don't adhere to our Community Guidelines may be moderated or removed.
Get more from Oxford Dictionaries
Subscribe to remove adverts and access premium resources
= trending


text:
Now Playing
Connect with Us
KRWG.ORG-The Region's Home Page
6:28 pm
Sat December 29, 2012
Push Is On For Texas Spaceport
Backers of a proposal to build a commercial spaceport in the southernmost tip of Texas are looking for ways to attract the company with full knowledge that money will be tight in the upcoming legislative session.
The beachside location near the U.S.-Mexico border is in the running with Florida, Georgia and Puerto Rico for California-based SpaceX's new launch site.
The most immediate hurdle is an environmental assessment for the Federal Aviation Administration, but state lawmakers and local officials are trying to put together the most attractive package in the meantime.
Some concede Texas may not be able to match the dollars Florida's dedicated space agency could put up, but hope that a site all its own could draw SpaceX.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.


text:
Martin Luther King Topics
Democracy Now! stories, posts and pages that relate to Martin Luther King
- The White House has announced it will posthumously award the highest civilian award in the United States, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, to the trailblazing civil rights activist Bayard Rustin. Obama will honor Rustin and 15 others, including President Bill Clinton, Oprah Winfrey and baseball great Ernie Banks, at the White House later this year. Rustin was a key adviser to Martin Luther King Jr. and introduced him to Mahatma...August 12, 2013 | Story
On 45th Anniversary of His Death, Martin Luther King Jr. on the Power of Media and the Horror of WarForty-five years ago today, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on the balcony of his hotel room at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. Dr. King was in Memphis to march with sanitation workers demanding a better wage. We air part of a speech he gave to the National Association of Radio Announcers the previous year in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. King spoke about the power of the media and the horrors of war in Vietnam. [includes rush...April 04, 2013 | Story
EXCLUSIVE: Rarely Seen Film "King: A Filmed Record" Traces MLK's Struggle from Montgomery to MemphisIn a Black History Month special, we air excerpts of a rarely seen Oscar-nominated documentary about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the rise of the civil rights movement. Produced by Ely Landau, "King: A Filmed Record...Montgomery to Memphis" is made from original newsreel footage and other original video footage shot of marches, rallies and church services. "King" was originally screened for one night only in 1970 in more...February 25, 2013 | Story
- Born on Feb. 4, 1913, today would have been Rosa Parks' 100th birthday. On Dec. 1, 1955, Parks refused to give up her seat to a white passenger on a city bus in Montgomery, Alabama. Her act of resistance led to a 13-month boycott of the Montgomery bus system that would help spark the civil rights movement. Today we spend the hour looking at Rosa Parks' life with historian Jeanne Theoharis, author of the new book, "The...February 04, 2013 | Story
- Monday, January 21, 2013 8:00am–1:00pm ETJanuary 21, 2013 | Special Broadcast
Tune in to Democracy Now! for our special 5-hour live broadcast of the presidential inauguration from 8am to 1pm EST on Monday, January 21. Democracy Now! will be on location in Washington, D.C., to take a look back at President Obama's first term in office, analyze prospects for the next four years, and provide live coverage of the inauguration proceedings.
During the program, Democracy Now!...
- The poet and activist Sonia Sanchez reads from her poem, "Morning Song and Evening Walk for Martin Luther King." Sanchez, a leading figure in the Black Arts movement, performed at the Peace Ball in Washington, D.C., honoring voices of hope and resistance. [includes rush transcript]January 21, 2013 | Story
- President Obama's inauguration comes on the federal holiday in honor of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech 50 years ago. We end our broadcast show with an excerpt from Dr. King's "Beyond Vietnam" address, given at New York City's Riverside Church on April 4, 1967, a year to the day before he was assassinated. "I am convinced that if we are to get on the right...January 21, 2013 | Story
- In part two of our interview with Tavis Smiley and Prof. Cornel West, they discuss growing up in working-class households. "I saw so much poverty growing up," says Smiley, who lived with 13 family members in a three-bedroom trailer and learned that even when he was not optimistic, he could be hopeful. "Hope needs help," Smiley notes. West recalls how he worked with the Black Panthers to organize a general strike while...April 24, 2012 | Story
- On the 44th anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., we look at his history of activism in Wisconsin, a state that has been central to the history of labor organizing, and beyond. Near the end of his life, King was helping to organize members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), which was founded in Wisconsin in 1932. King argued that labor rights were human rights and civil rights,...April 04, 2012 | Story
J. Edgar Hoover vs. Martin Luther King, Jr.: Book Exposes FBI's Targeting of the Civil Rights LeaderToday marks the 44th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., on April 4, 1968, at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. At the time, his every move was being tracked by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. We speak with journalist Tim Weiner, author of "Enemies: A History of the FBI," about the fanatical zeal with which the agency pursued the civil rights leader and peace activist. FBI Director J. Edgar...April 04, 2012 | Story
Show for Aug 04, 2015
Obama Unveils Plan to Cut Power Plant Emissions
Yemen: Brigade of UAE Ground Troops Arrive to Fight Houthis
Report: U.S.-Led Airstrikes Killed 459 Iraqi & Syrian Civilians
Republicans Jockey in Town Hall as Frontrunner Trump Refuses to Show
Polling Orgs. Protest Fox News' Plan to Pick Top 10 for First Debate
Republican Push to Defund Planned Parenthood Fails in Senate
Louisiana: Gov. Cuts Medicaid Contract with Planned Parenthood
Idaho: Judge Overturns "Ag Gag" Law, Citing Free Speech Rights
Colorado Movie Theater Shooter James Holmes Could Face Death Penalty
Ohio Coroner: Bottle in Sam DuBose's Car was Air Freshener, Not Gin
ACLU: Kentucky Officer Handcuffed 8- and 9-Year-old Schoolchildren
London: Wall Street Trader Sentenced to 14 Years for Rigging Libor
Report: Rio de Janeiro Police Killed 1,500 People in Last 5 Years


text:
Skip to Main Content
Theory To Practice
Business Update
Annual Report
> News Article
Vonnegut to speak at commencement
Photograph (C) 1982 Jill Krementz.
Kurt Vonnegut, the iconoclastic author who gained worldwide fame in the 1960s with such novels as
Cat's Cradle
Slaughterhouse Five
, will address the 1,200 graduates of Lehigh University's Class of 2004.
Lehigh's 136th commencement ceremony will take place at 10 a.m. Monday, May 24, in Lehigh's Goodman Stadium.
"The remarkable mix of wit and perspective on the universe that Vonnegut offers in his literature challenges the idea of causality and correlation," says Michael R. Schaefer, Lehigh senior class president. "Vonnegut is a wise man, and one who intellectually stimulates with his insight. Lehigh has had some amazing speakers in the past and Vonnegut's selection continues that tradition. I am thrilled to have him addressing the Class of 2004. "
Schaefer and his fellow class officers Christina Accardo, vice president, Melissa I. Klein, treasurer, Marshal Dee, secretary, and Jessica McCarthy, class gift chair, polled the senior class and had many discussions with classmates before bringing a list of possible candidates to the selection committee.
The committee, consisting of the senior class officers and a group of eight faculty and staff, narrowed the list down to 10 candidates. From there, Vonnegut was selected.
"I am very excited to meet him and I am very interested to see what he has to say, considering just how interesting his life has been," Schaefer says. "I read
Slaughterhouse Five
in high school and loved it, and I can't wait to meet the man behind the masterpiece."
'Poisoning minds with humanity'
"Kurt Vonnegut is a literary icon who has influenced generations of great writers, thinkers, and doers," says Gregory Farrington, president of Lehigh. "In the half century since the publication of his first novel, he has probed the foibles of humanity with a laser focus. His candid views on the issues of contemporary society are sure to get the Class of 2004 thinking as they head out into their future."
Vonnegut's concern for the effects of technology on humanity has led some critics to consider him a science fiction writer, but the author himself has rejected this label. During his lectures and speeches, Vonnegut has been known to discuss his own work in a whimsical manner, touch on current events, and offer his philosophy on everything from the state of the family and relationships to war, censorship, and thoughts about the future.
Slaughterhouse Five
, which became a best seller and was made into a film, made Vonnegut a literary celebrity. Several of his novels are now required reading at a number of universities.
Cat's Cradle
The Sirens of Titan
have sold nearly two hundred thousand copies each.
Very much in demand as a lecturer, Vonnegut has also established himself in the movie industry with his company, Sourdough Productions. He has mischievously described himself as "over six feet tall, rumpled and shaggy … [a] fourth generation German-American with a drooping moustache, a brow chevroned like a sergeant major's sleeve, and the eyes of a sacrificial altar-bound virgin caught in mid-shrug."
Vonnegut concedes that he has "worried some about why I write books when presidents and generals do not read them."
He concludes that the trick is to catch them at school, "before they become generals and senators and presidents and poison their minds with humanity." When asked what sort of writer he would most like to be known as, Vonnegut replies, "George Orwell."
`We grew up reading his books'
Schaefer believes the senior class is ready for Vonnegut.
"Judging from the polling of the class and talking to a lot of individuals, there was not an interest in having a politician. They were more interested in finding an individual who they could connect with," he says. "I feel that Kurt Vonnegut is a perfect match because we all grew up reading his books. I feel the class will like this commencement speaker selection and will truly be interested in what he has to say and appreciate any advice he can give on life."
Born of years of experience, Vonnegut's engaging insights, candid points of view, and provocative opinions will surely leave the Class of 2004 graduates, parents, families, and friends with a commencement address to remember.
The selection committee worked hard to come up with a list of speakers that they felt represented what it is to be connected to Lehigh.
"We were looking for people who excel in their fields of work. We looked for people committed to bettering the world," Schaefer says. "Whether it was through their actions, speech, or work, we looked for candidates who represented hope and dedication to others. When looking for a commencement speaker it was also very important for us to look at our generation and our past. Mr. Vonnegut is fully worthy of the distinguished honor of speaking at our university's commencement ceremony."
The works of Kurt Vonnegut
Player Piano (1951)
Sirens of Titan (1959)
Canary in a Cathouse (1961)
Mother Night (1962)
Cat's Cradle (1963)
God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater (1965)
Welcome to the Monkey House (1968)
Slaughterhouse Five (1969)
Happy Birthday Wanda June (1970)
Breakfast of Champions (1973)
Slapstick, or Lonesome No More (1976)
Deadeye Dick (1982)
Galapagos (1985)
Bluebeard (1987)
Hocus Pocus (1990)
Fates Worse Than Death (1991)
Timequake (1997)
--Andrew Stanten
Posted on Friday, March 05, 2004
share this story:
News Home
Latest News
Arts & Culture
Student Life
Expert Opinion
News Archives
Latest News
Arts & Culture
Student Life
Expert Opinion
News Archives