text:
Tunisia's Jasmine Revolution is not over yet
IT IS clear that Tunisia's Jasmine Revolution is not over yet, even though its people succeeded in very quickly removing dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, whose tyranny had become more oppressive with each passing year and who systematically exploited the country.
Ever since his overthrow in January 2011, the heart of the nation has been torn between two forms of government - almost between two different codes of ethics that cause a deep rift among the people.
After a short period of anarchy following the first uprising in the Arab Spring, the Islamist organisation Ennahda (Renaissance) managed to expel all of Mr Ben Ali's former ministers from the Tunisian legislature.
Nevertheless, Ennahda was forced to work together with other parties, as it was unable to form a government on its own either on a parliamentary or a political level in general.
The result was a three-way compromise with a prime minister, Hamadi Jebali, from the Islamist party, combined with a president of the Republic and a head of the Assembly from 'secular' parties.
However, just over a year later, the failure of this form of government needs to be recognised. This is why, given the growing unrest, Mr Jebali and his mentor, Rachid Ghannouchi, head of the Islamist party and the true strong man of Tunisia, have been forced to announce that they will fall back on a form of government made up of non-partisan technocrats.
In the end it was Ali Larayedh, considered as a moderate within Ennahda, who succeeded Mr Jebali in February 2013. He immediately declared that he wanted to fight 'the attacks on women, artists and culture'. Pious hopes, to say the least.
However, there was an urgent need to spend the beginning of 2013 adopting a new constitution, followed by, in theory, new legislative and presidential elections in June and July. In the end, the constitution is expected to be completed in May or June, with elections postponed until the autumn.
The Islamists have perhaps overstepped themselves; the origins of the Tunisian revolution were first and foremost economic, and it is on this problem that they need to focus their attention.
The economic situation has deteriorated since 2010, unemployment has exploded and tourism has declined drastically. Tourism could ultimately cause the Islamists' downfall, as it represents the main business sector in the country today, and it is hard to imagine how it can thrive in a rigid society in which women are veiled from head to toe, adulterers are stoned to death and young girls subjected to circumcision.
The cities and towns on the coast, in particular, having enjoyed the manna of tourism, are not ready to return to the Islamist Middle Ages.
As a still relatively young country, Tunisia is searching for a direction, one that could resemble that of Morocco, minus the monarchy, and as a bridge between Africa and an Arab world still lacking in the ways of democracy, and the West, whose values do not attract it.
It still has a strong agro-food industry in place, a booming construction sector and a large insurance company, all of these alongside its goose laying the golden eggs - tourism.
Choosing fundamentalist Islam today would signify the death of tourism. It is certain that the majority of the population does not want it, because of economic opportunism as well as adherence to the values of liberty and confirmed secularism.
However, political leaders in the opposition must also find a way to counteract the social influence of Islam spreading with support from the lowest levels of society, who have been abandoned to their fate.


text:
Books Published
, with Wendy Watriss. University of Texas Press, 1998.
FotoFest 1992, a major festival of international photography in Houston, brought Latin American photography into focus for a wide public audience. Offering a diverse selection of photographers, countries, artistic movements, and subject matter, the shows revealed a photographic tradition rich in both history and creativity. In its review of the exhibits, the New York Times said, "The photographic record is like some vast national subconscious made visible and waiting to be fathomed. Whatever is spurring the Latin American re-examination of the self it has seen through the viewfinder, it is worth paying attention to."
Drawing from the more than 1,000 images exhibited by FotoFest, this book documents the work of fifty photographers from ten countries. The photographs range from the opening of the Brazillian frontier in the 1880s to documentary images from El Salvador's 1980-1992 civil war to works of specifically aesthetic and experimental intent. Many of the photographs appear here in print for the first time.
Wendy Watriss's opening essay provides the curatorial overview for the book. In her essay, Lois Parkinson Zamora examines some of the roots of visual imagery in Latin American cultures. An essay by Boris Kossoy addresses the history of Latin American photography in the nineteenth century, delving into the social iconography that evolved from the mingling of indigenous and European traditions. Fernando Castro covers the contemporary scene and the debate over "artistic" versus documentary work. An extensive bibliography by Marta Sanchez Philippe and artist biographies conclude the book.
Image and Memory is one of the broadest overviews of Latin American photography ever published. With its compelling images and English-Spanish text, this book will serve as a benchmark for future studies.
Wendy Watriss is the artistic director of FotoFest. Lois Parkinson Zamora is Professor of English at the University of Houston and a specialist in Latin American literature and culture.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Vote for favorite fishing town
Published: Thursday, May 3, 2012 at 10:31 a.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, May 3, 2012 at 10:31 a.m.
Voting opened Tuesday for The World Fishing Network's Ultimate Fishing Town 2012 contest. Several local spots have been nominated, including Houma, Grand Isle and Cocodrie. Vote through May 31 at www.wfnfishingtown.com.
The winning town will receive a $25,000 donation for fishing-related causes, the title of Ultimate Fishing Town 2012, and a feature show on the World Fishing Network.
Reader comments posted to this article may be published in our print edition. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged.


text: Our new "drop in" invitation is super fun from the spooky spider to the polka dot "BOO!" and it's perfect for a Halloween block party or open house. We have not only the table runner and treat bags shown, but also dessert plates, beverage napkins, pumpkin paper lanters and more. Holiday supplies are limited so don't delay. You'll be haunted if you miss out! {giggle}


text:
As Prepared
Good afternoon, Chairman Royce and members of the subcommittee. I would like to thank you for your continued support and interest in the U.S. Department of State's rewards programs. Currently, the Department manages three rewards programs—the Rewards Program for Information on Terrorism, better known as "Rewards for Justice," which is administered by the Bureau of Diplomatic Security; the Narcotics Rewards Program, administered by the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement; and the War Crimes Rewards Program, administered by the Office of Global Criminal Justice. I will make a brief statement on the Bureau of Diplomatic Security's Rewards for Justice program.
The Rewards for Justice program, or RFJ, is the Department of State's counterterrorism rewards program. The Department considers RFJ to be one of the U.S. Government's most valuable assets in the fight against international terrorism. The mission of the program is to prevent terrorist acts, to disrupt terrorist planning, and to bring terrorists to justice in a court of law, U.S. or foreign. The secondary goals of the program are also important: to deter terrorist operations, to decrease geographic safe havens for terrorists, and to restrict terrorists' freedom of movement.
Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, RFJ has taken on a prominent role, as the program represents the public face of U.S. efforts to prevent acts of international terrorism and to bring to justice those responsible for acts of terror. I would like to share with you today some background on the program, its history, and some of its success stories.
History of the RFJ Program
The RFJ program was established by the 1984 Act to Combat International Terrorism. RFJ has since developed into a global interagency effort, led and administered by the Department of State's Bureau of Diplomatic Security. Since the program's inception, RFJ has paid over $100 million to more than 70 individuals who have provided vital information that has prevented or favorably resolved acts of international terrorism against U.S. interests and brought to justice some of the world's most notorious terrorists.
The legal authority for the program, Section 2708 of Title 22 of the U.S. Code, provides the legislative framework under which rewards can be offered and for which reward payments can be made. Under these statutory requirements, the State Department or other U.S. agencies may propose that a reward be offered for information on particular acts of terrorism or those who perpetrate them. These reward proposals are carefully vetted by the Interagency Rewards Committee and ultimately approved by the Secretary of State.
If a reward for information on an individual terrorist is approved by the Secretary of State, the terrorist is placed on RFJ's Most Wanted List. The Most Wanted List is one of the most visible representations of the U.S. Government's efforts to combat international terrorism. RFJ's reward offers are broadcast first and foremost via its Website, www.rewardsforjustice.net, and its toll-free phone number, 1-800 US REWARDS. At the RFJ Website, visitors can access information about reward offers in 28 languages, and tipsters can submit tips anonymously. As part of its advertising efforts, RFJ works closely with U.S. embassies and consulates around the world, other U.S. Government agencies, and foreign governments to ensure that our reward offers receive wide dissemination. Advertising campaigns use paid ads in newspaper, radio, and television in international media, social media engagement, billboards, flyers, leaflets, and miscellaneous advertising materials such as matchboxes, posters, and pens. RFJ has held advertising campaigns in such countries as Afghanistan, Colombia, Madagascar, Ethiopia, Iraq, Kenya, Pakistan, and the Philippines.
A reward may be paid to an individual who provides information leading to the arrest or conviction of those conspiring, attempting, or committing an act of international terrorism against U.S. persons or property or those aiding or abetting in the commission of such acts. A reward may also be paid for information that prevents such acts from occurring in the first place; for information identifying or locating those holding key leadership positions in a terrorist organization; and for the disruption of the financial mechanisms of a foreign terrorist organization.
The Interagency Rewards Committee acts as an advisory board and carefully considers all nominations for reward payments. The Committee, in turn, makes recommendations to the Secretary of State regarding the suitability of reward payments. All rewards are made ultimately at the discretion of the Secretary. The Attorney General also must concur with the decision to pay a reward in any case where the Department of Justice has jurisdiction. Because of the program's sensitive nature, RFJ protects the identity of anyone providing information and receiving reward payments. The Secretary of State also has the authority to take appropriate measures to ensure the protection of informants and the informant's family. Congress is notified within 30 days of the disbursement of payment.
Success Stories
The RFJ program is credited with successes that have demonstrated global results. Sources have provided information that has prevented or favorably resolved acts of international terrorism against U.S. interests and brought to justice some of the world's most notorious terrorists. These efforts have saved countless innocent lives. Although the RFJ program's efforts are often classified for the safety of its participants, RFJ can share some of its landmark cases today.
RFJ paid a $2 million reward to a source who provided information to Diplomatic Security special agents in Pakistan for the location of Ramzi Yousef, mastermind of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. In 1995, Pakistani authorities, assisted by Diplomatic Security Agents, arrested Yousef in Pakistan and extradited him to the United States. He is currently in prison in Colorado. In 2003, RFJ paid multiple sources a combined reward of $900,000 for information that led to the location of FARC commander Edgar Navarro in Colombia, who then died in a shootout with the Colombian Army.
RFJ also paid a $30 million reward to one person for information on the location of Uday and Qusay Hussein, the sons of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. In that instance, an RFJ campaign was initiated on July 3, 2003, and on July 23, 2003, information provided by a source led to the location of Uday and Qusay Hussein.
With the assistance from the 101st Airborne Division, Task Force 20 conducted an operation to capture these individuals. A four hour firefight ensued, which resulted in the deaths of Uday and Qusay Hussein. In this instance, an RFJ campaign was initiated and in 18 days, the source came forward – the fastest result in RFJ history.
In 2007, the program paid a $10 million reward to courageous Filipino citizens who provided information on the locations of Abu Sayyaf Group leaders Khadaffy Janjalani and Abu Solaiman. These two notorious high-ranking leaders of the Abu Sayyaf Group were killed by the Armed Forces of the Philippines as a result of information provided by the Filipino sources.
Last year, RFJ generated four new reward offers. These offers were for the following individuals: Harakat-ul-Jihad al-Islami leader Ilyas Kashmiri; North Caucasus-based Caucasus Emirate senior leader and military commander Doku Umarov; al-Qaida-in-Iraq leader Abu Du'a; and Yasin al-Suri, a senior al-Qaida facilitator and financier based in Iran. RFJ's $10 million reward offer for al-Suri was the first made for a terrorist financier.
RFJ is in the vanguard of the U.S. Government's counterterrorism efforts and continues to seek new and dynamic approaches to accomplish its mission. Highly focused advertising campaigns, as well as social media engagement, are hallmarks of this effort. RFJ also stands as a model for increased interagency cooperation, collaboration, and partnership in the post-9/11 era.
The Rewards for Justice program is and will remain a valuable asset to the U.S. government in its fight against international terrorism. RFJ's mission to prevent terrorist acts, disrupt terrorist financing, and bring terrorists to justice remains paramount. RFJ is engaging new media, new partners, and developing new practices in its effort to meet the challenging security situation we face in this ever-changing world. RFJ will continue to work tirelessly to bring terrorists to justice. Mr. Chairman, thank you for the opportunity to appear before you.


text:
Diverse blooms color gardener's piece of heaven
Dianne Morgan's garden overflows with a diverse collection of colorful bloomsApril 19, 2013
Photo: Eric Kayne
Generously filled beds of welcoming blooms and a red front door are cheery clues to gardener Dianne Morgan's love of color. Full proof lies in her back garden where April flowers saturate her "little piece of heaven" with warm hues.
To continue reading this story, you will need to be a digital subscriber to HoustonChronicle.com.
By logging in, you agree to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.


text:
All Docs
Getting Started: Trusts
Getting Started: Delegated OUs
Getting Started: Windows Domains
Architecture Guide
MI Backlog
MI Service Blog
Manage UW NetID Resources
UW NetID Support Tool
UW Groups Service
UW NetID Accounts and Passwords
IT Administrators
This document describes how IT support personnel can view and manage UWWI users.
The UW NetID service has recently added a new IT Support Org
functionality to help support new UWWI user delegation features. This
new functionality allows IT support groups to designate a UW NetID as an
IT Support Org, associate Computing Support Staff with this IT Support
Org, invite relevant UW NetIDs to be supported by them, and then view
and manage UW NetIDs which have accepted the invitation to be supported.
This new IT Support Org functionality has lots of room to grow, with
known limitations like no programmatic access, but it does move us
Note that the
UWWI User Limitations document describes limitations that this new
functionality does not override.
Note that there are some
workarounds to setting some UWWI user attributes which may be
Go to the UW
NetID Support Dashboard and login with your personal UW NetID (*NOT*
your admin UW NetID). Only your personal UW NetID is capable of
performing 2 factor authentication, which some of the features of this
tool will require.
Note: you should see your UWWI
delegated OU listed on this page. If you don't see it listed, then the
process of setting up the computing support group is incomplete, and you
should contact the UW-IT Help Desk again.
You can edit the OU admins, GP admins,
and Computer Joiners associated with your delegated OU from this page,
instead of sending change requests to UWWI Engineering.
Choose the edit link to the right of your Support Org name. Add the UW
NetIDs of Computing Support Staff who should be authorized to view and
manage the UW NetIDs that accept your invitation. These UW NetIDs will
need 2 factor authentication, so if you add any UW NetID which doesn't
currently have this ability, you should start the process of getting it.
Only add personal UW NetIDs, not admin UW NetIDs.
Note that on this edit page you can also permit non-employee UW NetIDs
to be eligible to get an admin UW NetID.
Send an email to all the people you consider supported by your Computing
support organization. This email should include a link with a specially
crafted URL in it. The URL you send is:
where supportOrgName is your Computing Support Org name.
At the UW
NetID Support Dashboard, you should see all the UW NetIDs which
accepted your invitation on the
Supported UW
NetIDs link.
From the Supported UW NetIDs page, if you select any of the UW NetIDs,
you'll see the basic settings associated with this UW NetID, just like
the user would see if they went the
UW NetID Manage
If you then select the
UWWI Settings
link, you can see the UWWI user attributes associated with this UW
And finally, if you choose the edit link from the UWWI Settings page,
you can edit that UW NetID's UWWI user attributes.
Note that on the Update UWWI Settings page, you can quickly change from
one UW NetID to another by using the 'Support UW NetID' menu in the
upper right corner.
There are a limited number of UWWI user
attributes displayed via this interface. The
UWWI user attributes in this interface were
chosen because they represented the highest
perceived value for the effort required. We are
certainly open to extending the UWWI user
attributes that are available.
The writable UWWI user attributes available via this interface currently
The read-only UWWI user attributes available via this interface currently are:
If you'd like to access additional UWWI user attributes via this
interface, please let us know.


text:
Week of December 18, 2011 thru December 24, 2011
Japan Govt Drafts FY2012 Budget Worth Y90.3 Trln
TOKYO (MNI) - Japan's government on Saturday said it has drafted a budget for fiscal 2012 totalling Y90.334 trillion, slightly smaller than Y92.412 trillion for the initial fiscal 2011 budget.
According to the plan, general-account spending, excluding debt-servicing costs, will total Y68.390 trillion, down slightly from Y70.863 trillion for this fiscal year.
New government bond issues will be Y44.244 trillion, down slightly from Y44.298 trillion this year.
These figures are within the government's targets. The fiscal framework endorsed by the cabinet has called for capping general-account spending at Y71 trillion and limiting new-bond issuance to Y44 trillion in the fiscal 2012 budget.
Japan Govt To Sell Y149.7 Trln Of Bonds In Market in FY 2012
TOKYO (MNI) - Japan's Ministry of Finance said Saturday that it plans to sell Y149.7 trillion worth of government bonds in the market in the fiscal year beginning April 1, 2012, higher than the Y144.9 trillion initially slated for the current fiscal year.
The so-called calendar base debt sales, or the amount of government bonds that the finance ministry sells directly to the market through auctions, would increase for a fourth consecutive year.
Apart from JGBs to be sold to refinance maturing bonds, the MOF will sell Y44.244 trillion of new bonds to fund the government's fiscal 2012 budget, down from this year's initial plan (which does not account for supplemental budgets) of Y44.298 trillion, the ministry said.
US News Events Calendar
--Meetings & Events of Interest to Subscribers
07-Jan 2300/1800 St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank President James Bullard speaks to the Korean American Economic Assoc.
US IRS: 2-Mos Tax-Cut Extension Adds Tax for High Incomes
WASHINGTON (MNI) - The IRS Friday told high-income taxpayers they will owe 2% more on wages in excess of $18,350 -- an annual rate of $80,100 --earned during the two months the payroll tax cut has been extended:
Payroll Tax Cut Temporarily Extended into 2012 IR-2011-124, Dec. 23, 2011
Nearly 160 million workers will benefit from the extension of the reduced payroll tax rate that has been in effect for 2011. The Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Continuation Act of 2011 temporarily extends the two percentage point payroll tax cut for employees, continuing the reduction of their Social Security tax withholding rate from 6.2 percent to 4.2 percent of wages paid through Feb. 29, 2012.
Fed Extends Volcker Rule Comment Period Til Feb 13
WASHINGTON (MNI) - The following was issed by the Federal Reserve Friday afternoon:
Agencies Extend Comment Period on Volcker Rule Proposal
Four federal agencies on Friday extended until February 13, 2012, the comment period on a proposal to implement the so-called Volcker Rule of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.
The Dodd-Frank Act requires regulators to implement certain prohibitions and restrictions on the ability of a banking entity and nonbank financial company to engage in proprietary trading and have certain interests in, or relationships with, a hedge fund or private equity fund.
TheFXSpot: 'Risk-Off' Unwinds Lift Stks, Commods; Dlr Mixed
NEW YORK, Dec 23 (MNI) - Another bout of "risk-off" position unwinds, seen ahead of year-end, served to underpin stock and commodity prices, at the expense of U.S. Treasuries Friday, traders said,
Analysis: Canada Housing Mkt Thrives While Prices Surge
OTTAWA (MNI) - Canada's housing market continues to perform strongly, though its high sales and prices are a mixed blessing because they help underpin the domestic economy but give rise to concerns about growing household indebtedness.
Mark Carney, the governor of the Bank of Canada, terms Canadian household debt the country's biggest domestic economic risk, but says the danger is not imminent and pales behind the foremost risk to Canada's economy, contagion from Europe.
The largest contributor to Canadian household debt also is the largest single contributor to the consumer spending that has been Canada's economic mainstay during the 2008-2009 recession and to the present: the C$1.079 trillion residential housing sector.
US Swaptions: Vol Steady Amid Lt Flow, Downside Skew Softer
CHICAGO, Dec 23 (MNI) - After some early weakness at points along the surface, over-the-counter swaption premiums turned largely steady on Friday's shortened pre-Christmas holiday session.
US$ CREDIT SUPPLY PIPELINE - December 23, 2011
Investment-grade $250M+ Deals Announced/Launched(#)/Priced(*)/Pass(X)
Date $MM Issuer/CR/Descr Mat Yield Lead(s) 12/22 X - Freddie Mac Reference Note 12/19 650 *ILFC (B1/BBB-) 10 8.625% C/DB/GS/MS T+681.5
COMING SOON Fannie Mae to annouce Benchmark Note Wed, 1/4/12 Freddie Mac to announce Reference Note, Wed, 1/11/12 FHLB to announce Global, Wed, 1/18/12
>>Scroll Down for More More Muni & Agency Supply/Calendars
Rumored/Pipeline PMC=Pending Market Conditions, TALK=Market Chatter, NOTE=Reported Potential Deal RDS=Roadshow to Start, RDE=Roadshow Ended, SHF=Shelf Filing
Sovereigns Date $MM Issuer/CR/Descr Mat Lead(s) NOTE Brazil (Baa2/BBB) 10? NOTE Brazil (Baa2/BBB)
Credit Default Swaps:IG17 2-1/2 Wk Tight As Risk Mkts Improve
CHICAGO, Dec 23 (MNI) - The benchmark investment-grade indexes on U.S. credit default swaps narrowed to a 2-1/2 week tight Friday, in line with higher stocks and improvement in other sister markets.
The U.S. IG17 narrowed by 0.75 basis points to 120.75-122.25 bps, its best level since December 7. This compared to the all time series wide of 149.75 bps set on Oct 3 and the 1-3/4-month tight of 119 bps set on Dec 7.
The IG17 reacted to better U.S. stocks as the Dow Jones Industrials added 74 points to 12,243. Meanwhile, volatility as measured the Chicago Board of Options VIX was last -0.15 at 21.01.
Sources said stocks were aided by the U.S. House of Representatives passage of a two-month payroll tax cut extension.


text:
San Diego Mayor Bob Filner has hired the county's former top administrator as a consultant to guide him on good government practices.
Walt Ekard, who resigned as San Diego County's chief administrative officer after 13 years on Dec. 1, has been working at City Hall for "a week or so" and has a three-month contract, Filner said.
"He's consulting with me for improved governance and administrative procedures," Filner said in an interview. "You know his background is the best in San Diego. He turned the county into a very efficient and responsive government thing. He's advising me on how to do that in San Diego."
Ekard has been widely praised for his fiscal discipline while leading the county, using tightfisted budgeting and multiyear spending plans to largely avoid fiscal turmoil gripping governments across the country.
The U-T San Diego inquired about Ekard's status Tuesday after a reporter saw him on City Hall's 11th floor where the Mayor's Office resides. Ekard said he was "helping out around here" when asked why he was there.
Craig Gustafson • U-T


text:
What we do?
WE MANUFACTURE..... Ice cream plant, Water Plant, chemical storage tank, chemical transportation tanks, Petroleum transportation tanks, petroleum storage tanks, syrup and juice storage tanks, chador Cheese Plant, S.S. Road Milk Tanker (All Capacities) S.S. Milk Storage Tank (Different capacities), S.S. Milk Chillers (Different Capacities) S.S. Dump Tank Insulated. S.S. Butter Churns, S.S. Butter Pads Machines, S.S milk packing machine, Electric and hand operated cream separators machine, And every type of Dairy Accessories.


text:
Academic Affairs, cont'd
Release of Information
In accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), the Office of Admissions and Records at Montana State University Billings may disclose directory information from the educational records of a student who is in attendance at the University. If the student wishes to have all directory information excluded as public information, the student must notify the Office of Admissions and Records, McMullen Hall first floor west, within the first two weeks of the current academic year. This notice is good for the remainder of the current academic year. A new form for nondisclosure must be completed each academic year.
A complete copy of the MSU Billings' FERPA policy is available upon request at the Office of Admissions and Records.
NEXT: Academic Support


text:
- Nov 1:
- Curtain call for Rockies
- Oct 31:
- Fans pay tribute to Rockies
- Oct 29:
- Nothing can erase joy of Rockies' amazing ride
- Game 4: Bests, worsts & more
- Rockies feel the pain, but not the shame
- Baseball 101: Rockies' hitting woes
- Cook's performance earns accolades
- Magic elements missing
- Oct 30:
- Stewart's role hinges on Matsui's status
- Oct 29:
- Home run king Aaron lauds baseball's Prince
- Two titles four years apart impossible to compare
- Lester's long journey reaches goal
- Bosox no longer lovable losers
At a midday rally today, the city of Denver will pay tribute to the Colorado Rockies.
Mayor John Hickenlooper said Tuesday that what he, the city and Rockies fans will honor is the "never-quit attitude" of a young team that won the National League pennant.
"I think it is not just that they won the pennant but how they won the pennant - playing as a team, never quitting playing, putting all their heart in every game," Hickenlooper said.
"To say we won the (National League) pennant, that's a blissful moment. This is a way for the community to show how much we appreciate their effort," the mayor said.
Shortly after the city announced the 11:45 "appreciation rally" at Skyline Park in downtown Denver, the Rockies said they were honored by the gesture.
"We are humbled that the city and our fans are excited and want to honor us in any fashion or form, and this is certainly a great way to do it," said Jay Alves, spokesman for the Rockies.
"We are very excited about it and are looking forward to it," he said.
Some of the team's biggest stars will be at the rally, including Matt Holliday, Jeff Francis and Garrett Atkins. Coach Clint Hurdle will definitely be there, Alves said.
Many Rockies supporters are thrilled that a rally is being held to show appreciation for the Rockies' 21-1 streak that catapulted them into the World Series.
Alexa Davis, a sophomore at the University of Colorado, spent part of Tuesday figuring out how she'd drive into downtown Denver and where to park.
"The team needs to be honored for how well they did," Davis said. "They're awesome and I'm a huge fan.
"The whole team is amazing, and they should be proud of how far they got. They have extreme talent and they had magic this season!"
Also at the rally will be Gov. Bill Ritter and the voices of the Rockies including Drew Goodman - who calls the games on FSN Rocky Mountain - and radio broadcasters Jeff Kingery and Jack Corrigan.
Sarah McClean, spokeswoman for the Downtown Denver Partnership, said there was a groundswell among partnership members and the public for such an event.
"This team has done a lot for the city and it is our chance - regardless of the outcome of the World Series - to really show them we are appreciative," she said.
Hickenlooper, an avid baseball fan, said he believes the team has a bright future.
"I think we'll have a great team. I think we'll win 91 games and win the Western division," he said.
Howard Pankratz: 303-954-1939 or email@example.com


text:
Rupee edges higher; oil buying likely to limit gains
Feb 27 2013 , Mumbai
Month-end dollar demand from oil firms is likely to limit a very sharp fall.
Asian shares rebounded as U.S. equities rose on solid data and the Federal Reserve's affirmation of its commitment to monetary stimulus, but investors remained wary of political gridlock in Italy reigniting the euro zone financial crisis.
Most Asian currencies are also trading stronger compared with the dollar.
The pair is seen moving in a 53.85 to 54.15 range during the session.


text:
Every weekend I'm going to post some of the youtube clips that I come across that I especially love -- those that give me goosebumps, touch my heart or make me laugh.
In search of another subject, I stumbled upon this clip of Marlon Brando on "The Dick Cavett Show." Fascinating. Was the the last time Brando looked so terrific?
Thoughts? Share them in the "Comments" section of this blog.And be the first to know by following me on Twitter at http://www.Twitter.com/ShowRiz.


text:
Nex 7 remote setting changes??
Started Apr 26, 2012 | Discussions thread
Shop cameras & lenses ▾
DLutzer • Regular Member • Posts: 148
Nex 7 remote setting changes??
Does anyone know if it is possible to remotely change settings such as shutter speed on a nex 7?
DLutzer's gear list:DLutzer's gear list
Sony Alpha NEX-7 Tamron SP AF 90mm F/2.8 Di Macro Sony Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* E 24mm F1.8 ZA Sony E 55-210mm F4.5-6.3 OSS Sony E 10-18mm F4 OSS +16 more
Sony Alpha NEX-7
If you believe there are incorrect tags, please send us this post using our feedback form.
Reply to thread Reply with quote Complain
|Post ( )
|Posted by
|Apr 26, 2012
Keyboard shortcuts:
FForum PPrevious NNext WNext unread UUpvote SSubscribe RReply QQuote BBookmark MMy threads
Color scheme? Blue / Yellow


text:
IV Vitamin Therapy
(IV Therapy) Intravenous Infusion of Vitamins, Minerals, and Healing Remedies
Intravenous (IV) therapy is the introduction of substances through a needle directly into the vein. These substances are then exposed to the cells and tissues directly. Using this method, vitamins, minerals, homeopathics, herbs, and other healing substances are delivered in far greater amounts than can be achieved via inhalation, orally, or through the skin-and with far greater effect.
Oral intake of vitamins or food delivers only about 10-25% of the available nutrients to the cells, while IV therapy delivers 100% of the infused therapies nutrients directly to these cells. It is particularly important for people suffering from chronic illness and/or a compromised gastrointestinal system (e.g. lack of enzymes or poor gut lining integrity).
Common Questions
- What is the immune system?
The body's immune system, often called our "defense system," is designed to ward off and eliminate "invaders" such as toxins, bacteria, fungus, viruses, parasites, microbes and pathogens of all kinds. The immune system works at different levels to find "invaders," and provide immediate response or memory for future response.
In order to do an effective job of defending our bodies, the immune system must be healthy. To keep the immune system in top fighting condition, we need to provide it with the proper nutrition and supplementation, fortifying it with vitamins, minerals and amino acids. We must also detoxify our bodies to minimize toxins, wastes and heavy metals, which weaken and overburden the immune system. It is also important to minimize overall stress in our lives, as well as eliminating specific major issues of stress as they occur (bad relationships, unhappiness in a job, etc.). Stress, be it physical or emotional, weakens our immune system and contributes to illness. Eventually, this leads to a high susceptibility to illness. Decreasing stress in our lives lessens our chances of becoming ill.
If we do what is necessary to make our immune system as healthy as possible, and maintain a good balance in our daily lives, our immune system will function at peak operating condition for our given genetic potential and render our bodies better able to avert most disease.
Key Benefits
- Combats fatigue
- Combats infection
- Combats heart disease and strokes (chelation) by removing vessel blockages
- Enhances the immune system
- Helps detoxify the body (heavy metal chelation)
- Enhances nutrition (for people with good or poor gastrointestinal function)
- Helps slow or reverse aging
- Energizes the body and mind by enhancing energy production pathways
Schedule an Appointment
To arrange for IV therapy, or learn more about its many benefits, contact Natural Horizons Wellness Centers at 1-877-292-1571.


text:
We're sorry!
We couldn't find any events matching Dakota Valley Symphony Grieg Meets Verdi Requiem (February 10, 2013).
You can try searching a different combination of words for that performer, show, or team.
If you still don't find what you're looking for, tickets probably aren't available right now.
Here are some other popular events you might be interested in:


text:
Beside lighting, what else is needed for plants?
As some of you may know, I have a 125 gal. I'm currently in the process of cycling my tank. I would like to add plantas to the tank, but I'm not exactly sure where to go with it, and what they need. Ive been reading about the lighting, and I am well informed of that portion, but is there anything else aquatic plants need or that I will need to get them set up?
Posted via Mobile Device
Also, is it not as simple as adding the plant and its correct lighting and letting them go on their own?
Posted via Mobile Device
In a low tech setup up, it's almost as simple as that. Although you'll want to use a weekly fertalizer like flourish comprehensive.
I'd read over this four part guide, tells you everything you need to know and then some: http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/a...um-part-34861/
|All times are GMT -5. The time now is 09:31 AM.
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.7.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2016, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Search Engine Friendly URLs by vBSEO 3.6.0 PL2


text:
Red Breasted Acara
Can you post pics of your Red Breasted Acaras for me? I have been looking for one for some time and have been unable to locate one. I'd love to see pics of them in the meantime.
|All times are GMT -5. The time now is 04:03 AM.
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.7.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2016, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Search Engine Friendly URLs by vBSEO 3.6.0 PL2


text:
Email Mary at: email@example.com
Mary has given many talks to aspiring and experienced writers at Orange County Chapter of RWA, San Diego Chapter of RWA and the National RWA Conference and on Barbara De Marco Barrett's Writers on Writing that airs on KUCI-FM. She also loves to meet readers at bookstores, libraries and on Skype. They even allowed her to participate on panels for the Newport Beach Public Library Foundation, the East Los Angeles Public Library, West Hollywood Book Fair and the National Hispanic Women's Conference. Mary is happy to talk about self publishing, the writing process and public relations and marketing for authors. To book Mary for your writer's group - in person or via Skype or conference call - please email: firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
UEPI Open House
Free food and a garden tour at the UEP Institute and Department Open House.
Meet professors and staff, learn about the Urban & Environmental Policy Institute, and the UEP major. The UEPI is located up the hill from Newcomb and Erdman across from the Greek Bowl. Please RSVP to Sylvia Chico at email@example.com.
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Screening of Michael Moore's 'SiCKO'
Presented by the Politics Department as part of the weekly film series for Politics 101.
The words "health care" and "comedy" aren't usually found in the same sentence, but in Academy Award-winning filmmaker Michael Moore's new movie 'SiCKO,' they go together hand in (rubber) glove.
While 'SiCKO' follows the trailblazing path of previous hit films such as Oscar-winning 'Bowling for Columbine' and all-time box-office documentary champ 'Fahrenheit 9/11,' it is also something very different for Michael Moore. 'SiCKO' is a straight-from-the-heart portrait of the crazy and sometimes cruel U.S. health care system, told from the vantage of everyday people faced with extraordinary and bizarre challenges in their quest for basic health coverage.
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Talk with Peter Bibring
The Politics Department invites the college community to attend a talk by Peter Bibring, Deputy Legal Director and Senior Staff Attorney of the ACLU Southern California.
Peter Bibring joined the ACLU of Southern California as a staff attorney in 2006 before becoming a senior staff attorney in 2011. Prior to joining the ACLU, Peter worke at Bahan and Associates, a Pasadena-based law firm specializing in civil rights cases and employment litigation on behalf of low wage workers.
Peter graduated with a B.A. in physics from Harvard University magna cum laude, and received his J.D. from New York University Law School, where he was editor-in-chief of the NYU Review of Law and Social Change.
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
The Occidental College Alumni Association and the Alumni Board of Governors present the annual First-Year Ice Cream Social. Join your classmates for some delicious free ice cream. You must bring your student ID.
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
The Career Development Center presents Alumni Fireside Chats
The first in our Fireside Chats bi-monthly series featuring Ben Burnett '11
Come to the first of our bi-monthly Alumni Fireside Chats where alumni come to discuss their career paths and answer all your questions in an open and inviting setting. Join us as we sit down with Ben Burnett '11 who has been working at DineEquity as a Senior Financial Analyst since graduating Occidental. He'll be helping us kick off a series of events focused on the Business sectors this month.
We'll be in the Fiji Room (Living Room) of the Samuelson Alumni Center.
Thursday, September 12, 2013
First Meeting of the Occidental Undergraduate Law Review
Are you interested in writing, editing, law, social justice, politics, or philosophy?
If so, the Occidental Undergraduate Law Review may be for you. Come to the first meeting to learn more. If you are interested but cannot make the time, please e-mail Professor Thalia Gonzales at email@example.com.
Thursday, September 12, 2013
Here's your first major chance to see what clubs have planned for the year. Whether you're looking to join a group or just network your club with others, the Involvement Fair is a great place to do that.


text:
DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — Tricia Liston scored 17 points to help No. 5 Duke beat Virginia Tech 67-45 on Wednesday night.
Chelsea Gray added 15 points as the Blue Devils (22-3) improved to 13-0 in Atlantic Coast Conference play for the fifth time in program history.
Liston made two 3-pointers and a steal during a 14-2 run in the second half as Duke pulled away for its 29th consecutive home win against conference foes.
Elizabeth Williams added 12 points and Haley Peters had 11 for the Blue Devils.
Aerial Wilson scored 15 of her 19 points in the first half to lead Virginia Tech (7-19, 3-10). The Hokies suffered their 10th loss in the last 11 games and their 17th consecutive defeat against Duke.
Virginia Tech went scoreless for the final 5:30 of the game as the Blue Devils closed with an 11-0 run.


text:
Things to see and do - Oud-Loosdrecht
Leaving for the Netherlands
Modify the search
Why book on MICHELIN Travel?
More than 200,000 hotels worldwide
Cancel on the same day without charges*
Book without fees*
Real-time availability
Location-based search
*according to the hotel terms and conditions
Hotels Oud-Loosdrecht
Results 1 to 2 on 2
Sort by :
- distance
- price
- rating
1 Hotel Café Restaurant Heineke
Oudloosdrechtsedijk 166 NL - 1231 NE Loosdrecht
Prix from : 60 EUR
On one of the most beautiful places in the Netherlands between Amsterdam and Utrecht lies the Loosdrechtse plassen. The area has developed itself into the water sports centre of the Netherlands and is well known abroad. It is an old village with many..
2 Princess Hotel Loosdrecht/Amsterdam
Oud Loosdrechtsedijk 253 NL - 1231 LZ Loosdrecht
Prix from : 74 EUR
At a unique location, directly at the Loosdrecht Lakes you will find the pleasant four-star hotel Princess Hotel Loosdrecht/Amsterdam. The perfect starting point for various day trips. The hotel's on site Restaurant Smaakmakers offers culinary treat..


text:
Restructured Debt
Argentina – Sliding Down A Slippery SlopeSubmitted by Tyler Durden on 08/27/2014 13:40 -0400
Update: The official and black-market Peso has collapsed further today to new record lows.
It is actually quite sad to watch the continued downfall of Argentina's economy under the inept ministrations of its government. The only good thing that can possibly come from this is that it will set yet another example for others so they may avoid making similar mistakes. Unfortunately the example is being set on the backs of the country's citizens, who are seemingly forced to live from crisis to crisis. Politicians rarely pay the price for their atrocious policies, and we are quite sure Ms. Kirchner and her cronies have feathered their nests in ways the average citizen cannot even dream of (most recently, corruption allegations have caught up with Ms. Kirchner's vice president. Rampant government corruption has long been a hot topic in Argentina under Ms. Kirchner's rule). It is not as though Argentina didn't have great potential. If only politicians would leave its economy alone and stopped inflating the currency into oblivion, the country could easily and quickly regain its former prosperity.
Argentina Stuns Bondholders With Scorched-Earth "Cramdown" PlanSubmitted by Tyler Durden on 08/20/2014 17:03 -0400
With the impasse over the latest Argentina default going nowhere fast, late last night president Kirchner stunned its creditors when she announced what amounts to a cramdown plan for holdouts, in which all bonds would be stripped of their existing indentures and converted to local law bonds. Or, as some would call it, a "scorched earth" transaction that burns all bridges, and goodwill, with the international creditor community and likely leaves Argentina unable to access global capital markets for the foreseeable future.
Futures Push Higher Ahead Of Data Deluge, Yellen Capital StatementSubmitted by Tyler Durden on 07/30/2014 07:10 -0400
- Barclays
- Bond
- China
- Consumer Confidence
- Copper
- Corruption
- Creditors
- Crude
- default
- Eurozone
- fixed
- France
- Germany
- Gilts
- headlines
- Israel
- Japan
- Jim Reid
- Market Conditions
- Michigan
- Nikkei
- Obamacare
- Personal Consumption
- Price Action
- RANSquawk
- Recession
- recovery
- Restructured Debt
- Reuters
- Sovereigns
- University Of Michigan
- White House
This week's US data onslaught begins today, with the ADP private payroll report first on deck (Exp. 230K, down from 281K), followed by the number of the day, Q2 GDP, which after Q1's abysmal -2.9%, is expected to increase 3%. Anything less and in the first half the US economy will have contracted, something the purists could claim is equivalent to a recession. The whisper numbers are to the downside since consumption and trade never caught up and the only variable is inventory as well as Obamacare, whose impact was $40 billion "contribution" in Q1 was entirely eliminated and instead led to a deduction, something we expect will be reversed into Q2. Following the backward looking GDP (which will be ignored by the sellside penguins if it is bad and praised if good) at 2:00 pm Yellen Capital LLC comes out with a correction on her call to short social networking stocks, as well as admit once again that the "data-driven" Fed really has no idea what it is doing and how it will tighten, but that tightening is imminent and another $10 billion taper to QE will take place ahead of a full phase out in October. Joking aside, the Fed is expected not to do much if anything, which may be just the right time for Yellen to inject an aggressively hawkish note considering her inflation "noise" refuses to go away.
US Equities Flat While China Surges On More Stimulus And Bailout HopesSubmitted by Tyler Durden on 07/28/2014 07:15 -0400
- Barclays
- Bond
- Chicago PMI
- China
- Consumer Confidence
- Copper
- Creditors
- Crude
- Dallas Fed
- default
- Deutsche Bank
- Exxon
- Fisher
- fixed
- Germany
- goldman sachs
- Goldman Sachs
- Hong Kong
- Israel
- Jim Reid
- Markit
- Nikkei
- Price Action
- Restructured Debt
- Sovereign Debt
- Standard Chartered
- Time Warner
- Ukraine
- Unemployment
- US Dollar Index
There has been little in term of tier 1 data releases to drive the price action so far in the overnight session which means participants focused on the upcoming US related risk events including the Fed, Q2 GDP and July Payrolls. This, combined with WSJ article by Fed's Fisher who opined that the FOMC should consider tapering the reinvestment of maturing securities and begin shrinking the Fed's balance sheet (note that Fisher's opinion piece is written based on a speech he gave on July 16th) meant that USTs came under pressure overnight in Asia and in Europe this morning. There has been little notable equity futures action (for now: the USDJPY algo team gave it a good ramp attempt just before Europe open, and will repeat just around the US open despite Standard Chartered major cut to its USDJPY forecast from 110 to 106 overnight), although we expect that to change since today is the day when Tuesday frontrunning takes place with full force. We expect equities to completely ignore the ongoing deterioration in Ukraine and the imminent release of EU's own sanctions against Russia, as well as what is now shaping up as an Argentina default on July 30.
With 1 Week Left Until Argentina's 'D'efault-Day, Judge Blasts "Judgments Are Judgments"Submitted by Tyler Durden on 07/22/2014 12:44 -0400
Day after day, headlines from Argentina implore Judge Griesa to do the "fair, responsible" thing and lift his judgment that holdouts get paid before current bondholders receive their payments... and day after day Argentina's demands are met with silence or denials. Today, though, with 1 week left until Argentina must put up or shut up, Judge Griesa has come out swinging...
While CDS spreads have surged once again, bonds trade with default probabilities around only 50% which, according to Jefferies "are expensive on underestimating the risk of default."
With Two Weeks Left, Argentina Starts Taking (Bondholder) NamesSubmitted by Tyler Durden on 07/16/2014 20:05 -0400
The Argentina default battle is in its final fortnight, with a July 30 grace period expiration looming, one which would result in a second bankruptcy in 13 years to formally be written down in the history books, and which could spoil the serene glow all global capital markets have found themselves in thanks to the central bankers' soothing words. As a result, Argentina has resorted to a last ditch strategy to ferret out the full list of holdout creditors (the hedge funds led by Elliott, Aurelius and various other known and unknown bondholders) as well as get a full list of the restructured bondholders (those who are perfectly happy to clip whatever coupon Argentina will pay them instead of seeing their payment stop altogether if and when CFK announces an official default). The logic behind the ruse: to circumvent the court and pay the restructured debtholders in the 11th hour.
Argentine Default Looms; Refuses To Negotiate; Admits Next Bond Payment "Impossible"Submitted by Tyler Durden on 06/19/2014 09:27 -0400
Argentina's attempt to work around SCOTUS decision in favor of the 'holdouts' was rejected (under anti-evasion orders) last night leaving Argentina no alternative but to threaten to default on its debt. The government called it "impossible" to pay bond service due on June 30, because payment to holders of restructured bonds could not be made unless the 'holdouts' were paid $1.33 billion at the same time (and Argentina's economy minister argues could be up to $15 bn) which the distressed country clearly does not have. For the first time in 12 years, Argentina has agreed to negotiate with the 'holdouts' (has renegged on that negotiation) who refused to participate in two restructurings that followed Argentina's 2002 default but it seems increasingly likely that an even of default looms for Argentina. One good thing may come from the victory of the 'hold-outs': the government will find it difficult to rack up more debt.
Frontrunning: June 18Submitted by Tyler Durden on 06/18/2014 07:38 -0400
- Barack Obama
- Barclays
- Barrick Gold
- Bruce Rose
- China
- Citigroup
- Corruption
- Creditors
- Crude
- default
- Department of Justice
- Fail
- General Motors
- Germany
- Iraq
- Japan
- Keefe
- Market Share
- Merrill
- Morgan Stanley
- New York State
- Obama Administration
- People's Bank Of China
- Real estate
- Restructured Debt
- Reuters
- Saks
- Securities and Exchange Commission
- Ukraine
- Wall Street Journal
- Wells Fargo
- World Bank
- Yuan
- Levin Hearing Ups Volume in High-Frequency Call to Action (BBG)
- Ukrainian President Fires Central Bank Chief (BBG)
- Argentina Plans Debt Swap (WSJ)
- Fed Decision Day Guide From Dot Plots To Exit Strategy (BBG)
- World Bank Economist: China May Face US-Style Financial Crisis (WSJ)
- Premier Li says no hard landing for China, expects medium to high growth (Reuters)
- Putin Talks Peace With Ukraine Leader After Gas Pipe Fire (BBG)
- Poll Shows Erosion in President's Support (WSJ)
- U.S. mortgage applications plunge in latest week (Reuters)
- Ex-Goldman director goes to prison, still owes $13.9 million fine (Reuters)
Adding Insult To Injury, Argentina Is Downgraded By S&P: What Happens NextSubmitted by Tyler Durden on 06/17/2014 15:24 -0400
As reported yesterday, The SCOTUS dealt a major blow to Argentina hopes it would avoid making payments on its "holdout" bonds when it enforced a lower-court ruling that said Argentina can't make payments on its restructured debt unless it also pays holdout hedge funds headed by Elliott Management, best known for briefly seizing an Argentina ship in late 2012. The immediate result was a major rout in the country's sovereign bonds, which also sent Argentina CDS soaring. Sadly for Argentina, this would hardly be the end of it, and about an hour ago, Standard & Poor added insult to injury and lowered its long-term foreign currency rating on Argentina to CCC- from CCC+ citing a "higher risk of default on the country's foreign currency debt." As a result, yesterday's drop in bonds has continued, if at a more moderate pace, and the country's USD bond due 2024 hav continued to sink in intraday trading. So what is next for the cash-strapped Latin American country for which the road ahead is suddenly quite "challenging" and default appears increasing like the only way out? For the answer we go to Citi's Jeffrey Williams who has laid out the five most likely developments.
Supreme Court Ruling Sparks Argentine Bond RoutSubmitted by Tyler Durden on 06/16/2014 10:55 -0400
The years-long court battle over Argentina's sovereign debt default appears to have ended... badly for Argentina (and apparently well for Elliott Management). As WSJ reports, the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected Argentina's appeal (and mutually assured destruction threats that it "could trigger a renewed economic catastrophe with severe consequences for millions of ordinary Argentine citizens."; leaving in place a lower-court ruling that said Argentina can't make payments on its restructured debt unless it also pays holdout hedge funds that refused to accept the country's debt-restructuring offers. Argentine USD bonds are down 10 points on the news ahead of President Cristina Fernandez addressing the nation at 9pm local time.
Italy Public Debt Will Rise More Than Expected Next Year; Spain Debt Also Rises To RecordSubmitted by Tyler Durden on 09/16/2013 14:25 -0400
For all complaints about painful, unprecedented (f)austerity, the PIIGS (even those with restructured debt such as Greece) sure have no problems raking up debt at a record pace. Over the weekend, Spanish Expansion reported that Spanish official debt (ignoring the contingent liabilities) just hit a new record. "The debt of the whole general government reached 942.8 billion euros in the second quarter, representing an increase of 17.1% compared to the same period last year. Debt to GDP of 92.2% exceeds the limit set by the government for 2013..." Moments ago, it was Italy's turn to show that with employment still plunging, the only thing rising in Europe is total debt. From Reuters, which cites a draft Treasury document it just obtained: "Italy's public debt will rise next year to a new record of 132.2 percent of output, up from a previous forecast of 129.0 percent."
Frontrunning: April 3Submitted by Tyler Durden on 04/03/2013 07:24 -0400
- Australia
- Auto Sales
- Barclays
- Bond
- China
- Citigroup
- Credit Suisse
- Creditors
- Crude
- Exxon
- Germany
- Insurance Companies
- Italy
- Japan
- JC Penney
- Medicare
- Merrill
- Morgan Stanley
- national security
- Netherlands
- North Korea
- Raymond James
- Restructured Debt
- Reuters
- Royal Bank of Scotland
- Saudi Arabia
- Securities and Exchange Commission
- Six Flags
- Unemployment
- Verizon
- Wachovia
- Wall Street Journal
- Wells Fargo
- Yuan
- Cyprus leader invites family firm probe (FT)
- How the Fed fueled an explosion in subprime auto loans (Reuters)
- Wal-Mart Customers Complain Bare Shelves Are Widespread (BBG)
- JC Penney CEO gets no bonus, stock award after dismal year (Reuters)
- New Bird Flu Virus Kills 2 in China, Sparking WHO Probe (BBG)
- Algorithms Play Matchmaker to Fight 7.7% U.S. Unemployment (BBG)
- Fed hawk Lacker and dove Evans face off over inflation (Reuters)
- Infamous silver market "cornerer" WH Hunt Becomes Billionaire on Bakken Oil After Bankruptcy (BBG)
- Japan Auto Sales Fall on Subsidy End as Korea Extends Drop (BBG)
- Black Hawks Near North Korea Show Risk in U.S. Command Shift (BBG)
- SEC Embraces Social Media (WSJ)
- Tesla Touts 'True Out of Pocket' Financing for Model S (BBG)
- U.K. Banks Try to Dodge Bonus Caps by Defining Risk-Taker (BBG)
Argentina Rebels Against America's "Judicial Colonialism"Submitted by Tyler Durden on 11/26/2012 10:11 -0400
The ongoing debacle surrounding Argentina's holdout over holdouts appears to be escalating (in rhetoric at least) once again. As Reuters notes, negotiations or voluntary payment by Fernandez's government appear almost impossible. Economy Minister Hernan Lorenzino called Griesa's ruling "a kind of judicial colonialism". "The only thing left is for Griesa to order them to send in the (U.S. Navy's) Fifth Fleet," Lorenzino told reporters, outlining Argentina's plans to file an appeal against Griesa's ruling with the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals in New York on Monday. Many specialists think it unlikely that the appeals court will reinstate the stay. "It may be an issue of process, but Argentina will struggle to justify why it refuses to pay the $1.3 billion," Eurasia Group analyst Daniel Kerner wrote last week. "Argentina has the resources to meet the payment, so in the end it will be a political decision (and) there does not seem to be any political support for paying the holdouts at all." The Argentina case surely brings into clear view the murkiness of investing in sovereign debt and the increasing difference between ability-to-pay and willingness-to-pay.
Europe Wasn't Destroyed In A DaySubmitted by Tyler Durden on 05/07/2012 09:10 -0400
Just like Rome wasn't built in a day, the Eurozone won't be destroyed in a day, but it is on a path that leads to eventual dismantling. This week we will see everyone play nice. Conciliatory words will be spoken. Growth will become the topic de jour. The markets will fall all over themselves once again on news of bank bailouts. The headlines we get in the early part of this week will once again be overwhelmingly designed to encourage people and the markets. Europe will have a new spirit of co-operation and will welcome fresh insights into the process. Growth, growth pacts, plans to grow, infrastructure growth, etc., will be talked about. There will be talk, and maybe even action on the bank recapitalization efforts. Good banks and bad banks will abound. Governments will promise money to banks at rates so low no sane investor would even consider. Ultimately these plans will fail, and we will see fresh lows on the year for stocks, with the U.S. and Germany hit hardest as justifying further bailouts for the core will be nigh on impossible, growth is not easy to achieve, and the good-bank-bad-bank model is a loser from the start.
Daily US Opening News And Market Re-Cap: March 14Submitted by Tyler Durden on 03/14/2012 07:59 -0400
Going into the US open, European equity markets have carried across some risk appetite from last night's Wall Street news that 15 out of 19 major US banks had passed the Fed's stress test scenarios. This risk appetite is evident in Europe today with financials outperforming all other sectors, currently up over 2%. Data released so far today has been relatively uneventful, with Eurozone CPI coming in alongside expectations and Industrial Production just below the expected reading for January. Taking a look at the energy complex, WTI and Brent crude futures are seen on a slight downwards trajectory so far in session following some overnight comments from China, highlighting the imbalance in the Chinese property market, dampening future demand for oil. Looking ahead in the session, the DOE crude oil inventories will shed further light on the current standing of US energy inventories.


text:
Uncle Jim's Most Awaited Games of 2013
December 28th, 2012
List columns for your pleasure!
December 28th, 2012
List columns for your pleasure!
December 24th, 2012
And they suck. A lot.
December 19th, 2012
Spoilers, obviously.
December 18th, 2012
If you want to vote on the reversible cover, your time is running short.
December 13th, 2012
Well duh.
December 13th, 2012
He means 40 DLC packs worth. Wait, maybe not?!?
December 10th, 2012
All about marketing.
December 7th, 2012
We've made an accounting of all the new info we got for our hands-on time with BioShock: Infinite.
December 7th, 2012
More polishing is needed, according to Ken Levine and Rod Fergusson.
December 7th, 2012
BioShock Infinite is going to feel a whole lot like the original BioShock. That's a good thing.
November 26th, 2012
October 22nd, 2012
That Ultimate Edition comes with a Songbird statue, but it'll cost you.
October 22nd, 2012
You'll take on the role of one of two factions trying to take over the game's floating city of Columbia.
October 22nd, 2012
You might need to re-pre-order to get your code, though.
October 19th, 2012
Songbird statue: yes.
October 16th, 2012
September 13th, 2012
And it's getting a shiny hardcover version.
August 10th, 2012
That's an interesting move.
August 9th, 2012
This might not be a ruh roh moment, however.
July 30th, 2012
I don't know if Sony can top Smash Bros, but they're sure as hell trying.


text:
Apologies for the absence
I had hoped to blog a few items today, and respond to some comments, but a failed hard drive caused a day-long server outage which affected both my blog and my e-mail access. Let's just say today didn't break any traffic records. Hopefully, all is well again. I'll catch up with comments in due course.


text:
I'm waffling between a Tri-Star and an Aeronaut for a 3 week leisure trip to China. The Aeronaut just seems too big and I fear it will lead to overpacking and be too heavy for me. And I like the Tri-Star's organization better and ability to hold contents in place without everything in packing cubes. That said, I don't need a Tri-Star for my laptop or business. I don't travel for business. My husband and I share a netback; he usually carries it in his pack.
Sooo...what to do with the middle compartment? Does it open up fully like the front and back sections or do you have to access it more like a compartment of a traditional briefcase. Is there enough room for a couple pairs of shoes and some sundry items (toiletries, laundry stuff, or knitting (haven't checked if knitting needles are allowed)? How wide is it? Or would stuffing other things beside a laptop create bulge into the other compartments.
Interested in hearing if others use the bag without a laptop and how you've utilized the middle compartment.


text:
Welcome to Juneathon 2015! You've probably got the gist of what you need to do by now, but please read the full rules here.
Want to join in but don't want to blog? Fine, now you can microblog instead and post what you've been up to on Twitter (#juneathon) or on the Juneathon Facebook Page.
*Or do some other form of exercise
**Or tweet
***Um, no, it's harder than you think!


text:
EDFB 3348: Curriculum in Early Childhood
Analysis of theory and principles of curriculum development for children in early care and education settings through fourth grade classrooms. Application of theory in developing integrated curriculum using a variety of planning and teaching tools and strategies. Ten hours field experience required. Prerequisite: EDEC 3305, 3325, and admission into the School of Education.


text:
- Download
Clarification on the Knowledge of the Sages on Matters of Wild and
Domesticated Animals
In which it
will be clarified that Chazal
were not experts about
animals, as they testified in Tractate Hulin 57a:
"From the
words of Bribi it is clear he is not an expert on chickens."
An observant
person should not attribute to the sages knowledge they would not
have known in their era, for all who thus claim
attribute error to the
Holy Spirit and the Shechinah,
as our sages said in
Tractate Brachot 4a:
your tongue to say 'I do not know,' lest you be proven a liar."
Kislev 5761
"These are the
animals that you may eat: the shor, the se kvasim, and
the se izim; the ayal, the tzvi, the yachmur,
the ako, the dishon, the tao, the zamer,
and any animal that has true hoofs which are cleft in two and brings
up the cud--such you may eat" (Deuteronomy 14:4).
From the plain meaning of the text
and from the words "and any animal that has true hoofs"
which the Scripture adds to the list of animals already specified, it
is clear that not only those specifically listed are the kosher
animals, but that there are more. It is also clear from the plain
text that if any of the additional animals have both signs of a
kosher animal, it would be permissible for eating. This is indeed the
opinion of Rav Acha the son of Jacob in Hulin 80a, "And maybe
the ayal and the tzvi are details, 'any other animal'
is the generalization. This is a detail and generalization, so we
follow the generalization, and there are many other additional
But the Gemara rejected his opinion
and determined the law based on R' Isaac's opinion: "The
Scripture detailed ten animals and no more." This is also
Rabbi's opinion in Hulin 63b: "Rabbi says, 'it is known to He
who spoke and the world came into being that there are more impure
beasts than pure beasts, and therefore the Scripture listed the pure
beasts." Pay attention, for R' Isaac's and Rabbi's words are
very important. You may learn from the words of Rabbi, the leader of
the Jewish people and the man who compiled the Mishnah, that in this
verse the Torah listed all the pure livestock and animals in the
world and that there are no other additional pure livestock or
animals. So we see that according to the Talmud there are no pure
livestock or animals other than those G-d listed in our Torah by
Based on these things Maimonides
ruled, in the Laws of Forbidden Foods, chapter one, halacha eight,
"There are no livestock or animals (behemah or chayah)
in the world which one is permitted to eat other than the ten listed
in the Torah. There are three kinds of behemah, and they are
the shor [ox], the se [sheep], and the ez
[goat], and seven kinds of chayah: the ayal, the tzvi,
the yachmur, the ako, the dishon, the tao,
and the zamer. They and their kind, such as the wild ox and
the fatted ox, which are of the same kind as the ox."
The chevrotain (mouse deer) is a ruminant which has
split hooves and is not listed amongst the ten pure animals in the
This is in contrast to the opinion of
Rabbeynu Tam on Hulin 59a, s.v. eylu hen: "For
there is a type of behema which is not found amongst us. It
has horns like an undomesticated animal." (The Tosfot rejected
his words.)
We come here to explain that our Sages and our rabbis did not know
and could not have known about livestock and animals which were found
after the discovery of new continents, like southern Africa, America,
and Australia. Before we say our piece, we will explain the way in
which the various livestock and animals are sorted into groups and we
see how this precise division reveals amazing things about the
livestock and animals listed in the Torah. The standard division is
Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species. The
domesticated and undomesticated animals with which we are dealing are
all Kingdom Animalia, Class Mammalia, Order Artiodactyla, Suborder
Ruminantia, and all are part of two of the nine families of this
suborder: the shor (ox), the keves (sheep), the ez
(goat), the tzvi (gazelle), the ako (mountain goat,
according to Onkelus), the dishon (ibex, according to
Onkelus), the tao (buffalo, according to Onkelus), and the
zamer (which seems to be the mountain sheep; only according to
Rabbi Saadiah Gaon is this last term to be translated as the giraffe,
but we have found no supporting opinions, nor have we ever heard that
anybody permitted eating the giraffe according to the law of the
Torah) -- all these are Family Bovidae. But there are many other
kosher animals in Family Bovidae. Family Bovidae is comprised of 45
genuses and some 110 species of animals. All of these also possess
both signs of kashrut.
Two of the animals listed in the
Torah, the deer and the roebuck, belong to Family Cervidae, which is
comprised of 17 genuses and 44 different species of animals. These,
too, have the signs of a kosher animal.
If so, based on Rabbi's view,
instead of ten types of pure behemah and chayah listed
in the Torah by He who spoke and the world came into being, there are
154 such species of domesticated and undomesticated animals in our
The view of Maimonides, who wrote,
"they and their kind" is odd. The Torah did not use this
method, for had it followed Maimonides's method, it would not have
separately listed the ox and the buffalo (the translation of tao
according to the Gemara in Hulin 80a) nor the goat and mountain goat,
which are of the same subfamily; it would have relied on the term
"their kind" as learned from the Torah, and would have
written only ox and goat, to which we would add the buffalo and the
mountain goat.
The okapi is a pure
animal found in Africa and which is not listed in
the Torah as a pure animal. This is proof that the Torah only listed
those animals found in the area of Israel.
But even if we follow Maimonides's method and say that all these
additional livestock and animals are the "kinds" of the
ten, we will not find peace.
For there are three whole other families which are not listed in the
Scriptures: Family Tragulidae, Family Giraffidae, and Family
Antilocapridae. They include genuses and species which certainly were
not listed in the Torah, neither on their own or as the "kinds"
of the animals listed in the Torah. These animals, which are
definitely kosher, include the chevrotain (a deer the size of a cat,
a ruminant with split hooves which lives on the Indonesian islands
and the Phillipines) and the okapi, a split hoofed ruminant of the
giraffe family. No opinion claims these animals are included in the
list given in the Torah, from which they are as far as the
distance between east and west, yet according to the signs of purity
they are kosher.
And you who loves truth, see how
reality demolishes Rabbi's determination and even Maimonides's
extensions. There aren't ten pure animals in the world, there are
some 150, and even if we add to those listed in the Torah all genuses
and species similar to them, there will still be additional pure
animals which neither those who wrote down the Torah, nor the great
men of the Talmud, nor even the first Rishonim knew existed.
Know that all the animals listed
in the Torah are animals found in the land of Israel and
its surroundings during the period in which the Scriptures were
written. One who wished to delve into this topic should read the
book "HaChai B'Ymei HaMikrah, HaMishnah, V'HaTalmud" by the
zoologist Menachem Dor.
The Strange Division
Between Chayah and Behemah
We will move on to another topic and
look at the Scriptural division between chayah and behemah,
which has halachic implications.
Chazal made the following halachic
distinctions between behemah and chayah:
"The tallow of a behemah
is forbidden and of a chayah is permitted" (Shulchan
Aruch Yoreh Deah 64:1).
"Covering the blood is customary
for a chayah and is not customary for a behemah"
(Shulchan Aruch Yoreh Deah 28).
"The Torah prohibition against
cooking meat with milk is practiced in regard to behemah and
not chayah" (Shulchan Aruch Yoreh Deah 87:2).
"The prohibition against
slaughtering a mother and offspring on the same day is practiced in
regards to behemah and not chayah" (Shulchan Aruch
Yoreh Deah 16:7).
"One brings a sacrifice of a
behemah and not of a chayah" (Zevachim 34a).
The sages were unsure whether Capra
Caucasica, which greatly resembles the mountain goat, is a chayah
or behemah, simply because of the addition of a name: "goat
of Karkuz."
But how do we know what is considered a behemah and what is
considered a chayah and what the differences are between them?
Chazal in Tractate Hulin 59b: "The
rabbis have taught that these are the signs of an chayah whose
tallow is permitted. Any animal which has horns…A goat has
horns and hooves and its tallow is forbidden…" The Gemara
concludes that if it has forked horns it is considered a chayah
and if the horns are not forked then they must be wrapped, ("layers
upon layers" like an ox's horns), notched and defective, and
sharp on top.
Since the commentaries on the signs of kashrut for animals have
multiplied so, we will not expand on this issue, but we will make one
point and say that according to any method, this division is quite
strange. Come and see: The goat is a behemah and the mountain
goat is a chayah, though they both are of the same sub-family
and amazingly resemble each other, and since the distinction between
behemah and chayah is not clear enough, Chazal in
Hulin 59b were divided on the matter of the "goat of [the place]
Karkuz." Shmuel said that is a chayah and Rav Acha said
it is a behemah. And Rashi explained: "This animal has
sharp and notched horns -- so should it be considered a chayah?
Or, perhaps, since it is called a goat, it should be considered a
behemah?" The question is odd. We find that an objective
examination of the form and structure of the animal is not the
determinant, but human language and what people call the animals is
that which determines the Torah's law about the division between
chayah and behemah. Similarly, in Tractate Hulin 80a,
the wild goat is said to be permissible for sacrifice (meaning that
it is a behemah), and Ameimar ruled that its tallow is
permissible (meaning that it is a sort of chayah)!
Know that the matter of names which
people made up caused Chazal to actually change the laws; see
Tractate Succah 13a, "A person fulfills his obligation on
Passover with marsh bitter herbs." They asked about this, for in
the Torah it is simply written "bitter herbs" and not
"marsh bitter herbs" and Rava explained, "Plain
'bitter herbs' is their name, and they are called 'marsh bitter
herbs' for they are common in the marsh." The Tosfot, s.v.
mishum d'shechichin wrote that this is the reason that
izei d'bala (wild goats) are permitted for sacrifice,
meaning that they are goats, only they dwell in the woods. (The
Tosfot disregarded the disagreement in the Gemara, Tractate Chulin
80a). This is also the case for the yonah (turtle-dove),
brought on the altar, Chulin 62b: "Rav Judah said: the
kuphshanei tzutzyanei are permissible on the altar, and
they are the turtle-doves of Rachba." And Rashi explained:
"kuphshanei is what turtle-doves are called in Aramaic,
and they are called tzutzyanei after their habitat." The
Gemara wanted to forbid their being brought on the altar because they
are not called simply yonah, but yonah tzutzyanei,
until Rava came and permitted them: "Rava said: the kuphshanei
tzutzyanei are simply called [turtle-doves] in their habitat."
So they are the same animal. Why were the Sages divided? Go out to
the field, look with your own eyes and see if it is the same plain
yonah of which the Torah wrote or not. The form and body
structure are those which determine, not the name it is called by
See for yourself: The cow is a type of behemah from the family
of the ox, but the Gemara in Hulin 80a questioned whether the buffalo
is a chayah or behemah! We find that there are types of
bovines which might be chayah. But what about the cattle we
now have (see the Encyclopedia Hebraica, entry bakar) such as
the Friesian cattle which come from Holland and which are raised in
Israel? What about the Africander and Brahman and their like,
crossbreeds of other cattle varieties? You should know that the cow
we have in Israel is the crossbreed of the Friesian with the Arabian,
Lebanese, and Damacus cows, and in the Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh Deah,
section 80, subsection 6, "A crossbreed of a kosher behemah
with a kosher chayah is called kvi. Its tallow is
forbidden and one should not cover its blood." The Rama, in
section 28, subsection 4, wrote: "There is a doubt whether
the buffalo -- the wild ox -- is a chayah, and therefore it is
best to cover its blood without a blessing." What the rule
for our cattle is, is unknown. They are all crossbreeds and might be
considered chayahs or might be considered kvi which may
be chayah and may be behemah, so we can not find our
way and we must fear they are all chayahs and cover their
blood and prohibit their tallow. And it is very puzzling that our
rabbis do not warn the observant public about this grave matter. Go
see the puzzlement of the Magid Mishneh on Maimonides, The Laws of
Forbidden Foods, chapter one, halacha eight, who counted the wild ox
with the behemah and yet it is the tao -- so that would
make four behemah and six chayah, and not as Maimonides
wrote, three behemah and seven chayah. There is no end
to confusion and embarrassment.
The Shach on Yoreh Deah section 80,
subsection 1, wrote: "And since we do not know now [the signs of
chayah] except for what we have received by tradition -- as
written below in section 82 concerning the signs of birds' purity --
I have abridged." The Pri Megadim wrote: "Since the
interpretations have multiplied, one should not eat tallow except in
accordance with tradition, for we are not expert on notched horns and
the other signs." From these words we see that about today's
cows, which are new breeds, we have no tradition; who can tell us
their status? The Chazon Ish on Yoreh Deah, The Laws of a
Behemah and Chayah, section 11, forbade us all the
chayahs and allowed us only sheep and cattle: "One should
not breach the customs of Israel and we have no need for that; it is
enough for us the sheep and the cattle on which we have tradition."
(And we have clearly shown that even concerning cattle we have no
The buffalo (bison) is
of the Bovidae family. Why is it doubtful if it is a hayah
whose blood must be covered while the ox, also of the Bovidae family,
is a behemah whose blood does not need covering?
And to conclude this issue we will show some of the confusion that
our rabbis experience on the whole topic of identifying the chayahs.
The Gemara in Hulin 59b: "The tzvi's [deer's] horns are
not split." About this Rashi wrote, "I do not know why they
wrote this; of course they are split and it seems to me that we call
a 'deer' they did not call a 'tzvi,' but they were referring
to a Steinbock [ibex in German], who has horns which are not
split." On Tractate Rosh Hashanah 26b Rashi wrote, "Yael
-- Steinbock." The Tosfot there brought in the name of
the Aruch that the yael is a small sheep. This fits perfectly:
according to Rashi the tzvi, the yael, and the
Steinbock are a single animal. But in the mishnah they are
referred to as separate animals with different names! In Mishnah
Shabbat chapter seven, mishnah two: "One who hunts the tzvi,"
while in Mishnah Rosh Hashana chapter three, mishnah three, "The
Rosh Hashanah shofar is made of the horn of a yael."
If they are the same animal, why are their names different? When is
it a tzvi and when a yael? Maybe in Tractate Avot
Yehuda the son of Teima actually meant, "Be bold as a leopard,
light as an eagle, swift as a yael." This requires study.
And the Taz wrote in Orach Chaim,
section 586, "The yachmur are the yaels [this is
contrary to what the Targum says, which translates the ako as
yaela!]…yachmor is one of the goats, as its name
-- Steinbock -- testifies about it, as Rashi commented. They
are like the goats whose males are called Bock. Why were they
called steinbok? Because they live amongst the rocks, which are
Stein." From his words it is clear that the Taz was
expert neither in the Talmud and the poskim nor in reality.
He went and made the yachmur into "a yael which is
a goat," and meanwhile forgot that the yachmor is a type
of chayah and the goat is a behemah. (And if you read
his words you will see that he even mixed up ayal, the buck,
and ayil, the ram, as Chacham Tzvi noted in his Responsa,
section 34.)
And if the Torah really makes a
distinction between chayah and behemah, it seems most
likely to be what Ibn Ezra said on Psalms 148:10, "The chayah
does not live with people, and all behemahs live with people,"
that is, behemahs are domesticated animals and chayahs
are undomesticated animals. There is a hint about this in Midrash
Vayikra Rabbah, parasha 27: "The Holy One, blessed
be He, said: I gave you ten animals. Three are in your possession and
seven are not in your possession. The three in your possession are
the ox, the sheep, and the goat; the seven that are not in your
possession are the ayal, the tzvi and the yachmur,
the ako and the dishon and the tao and the
zamer. I did not make it burdensome on you and I did not tell
you to go up to the hills and weary yourselves in the fields to bring
before Me a sacrifice which is not in your possession, but only from
what is in your possession, from that which grows in your mangers, an
ox or a sheep or a goat."
Now we will deal with
the impure animals which have a single sign of purity.
"But the following, which bring
up the cud or have true hoofs that are cleft through, you may not
eat: the camel, the hare, and the hyrax -- for although they bring up
the cud, they have no true hoofs -- they are unclean for you; also
the swine -- for although it has true hoofs, it does not bring up the
cud -- is unclean for you. You shall not eat of their flesh"
(Deuteronomy 14).
According to this count, there are
only four animals; Chazal added a fifth, the shesuah. "Rav
Chanan the son of Rava said: The shesuah is a distinct
creature which has two backs and two spinal columns. But was Moses a
hunter or trapper? This is a response to the one that says the Torah
is not from Heaven" (Hulin 60b).
On the matter of the shesuah,
an animal which never did exist, it is enough to mention the words of
Rav in Niddah 24a, "Rav said, 'there never was such a creature'"
and the halachic ruling of the Shach in Yoreh Deah, section 13,
subsection 21: "Since G-d taught Moses that the shesuah
is forbidden, it must mean a shesuah in its mother's womb, for
it would survive but an hour after it comes out to the light of the
That is, the shesuah is not a
certain animal species, but it is the term which denotes a rare
defect which would cause the death of a newborn animal; there is
no proof from this that the Torah is from the Heavens, only an
imaginary situation to captivate fools. (Though there is a great
deal more that can be said on this issue, we will leave it at this so
that you may see how Chazal took the Scripture out of its plain
context and distorted it, invented the shesuah and made it
into an animal unto itself, and even used this as proof that the
Torah is from the Heavens. What is the point of this? They create
animals with their words, bring them as proofs about the Divine
origin of the Torah and then contradict that.)
Now we will look at the issues
involved with the other four animals: (about the hyrax and the
hare, which are not ruminants, we have already written extensively in
3, and there we proved that the error did not originate with the
Shechinah which dictated the Torah, but with the transcriber). We
will begin with the camel:
"The camel, for it chews its cud and does not have true split
hoofs, is impure for you." Rashi on Leviticus 11:26: "'Which
split the hoof but is not cloven-footed' -- such as a camel, the hoof
of which is parted above but below it is joined." Rashi's words
are puzzling, for the camel's split hooves are parted above and below
(the camel is counted among the cloven-footed by zoological
classification). See the Daat Zekenim, one of the
authors of the Tosfot, on Leviticus 11:3, "Rashi maintains that
the camel's hooves are split above and joined below, and this
requires study, for if so, he should have removed the camel from the
class of the cloven hoofed and written 'its hooves are not cloven'"
(which the Torah did not write about the camel; it only wrote, 'and
does not have true split hoofs'), just as we said.
We find that according to Rashi
the camel is kosher, for it splits its hooves and has cloven hooves
above and below, and chews its cud. Therefore you should say that
the Torah did not call the camel "split hoofed" since it
walks on the pads of its feet and not on the edge of the split like
the goat and the sheep. But the factual truth is that the camel is
truly cloven hoofed.
One of the ways to identify
a ruminant is the lack of teeth in the upper jaw (we will preface our
remarks and state that there are four types of teeth: incisors,
canines, premolars, and molars. Most animals have these in their
upper and lower jaws, but most ruminants do not have incisors and do
not have canines in their upper jaws). Therefore Chazal determined a
rule in Hulin 59a, "If it has no teeth above, it is known to be
pure; otherwise it is known to be impure."
But Chazal, who noticed the difference with the camel, asked, "But
a camel is a ruminant and has no upper teeth, yet it is impure? The
camel has canines." Rashi explains: "Canines--it has two
teeth in its upper jaw, one on this side and one on that." We
learn from his words that the camel's upper jaw has two canines and
no incisors at all. It is clear that Rashi never saw a camel, for
he is in error. The camel has two incisors and two canines in the
upper jaw, for a total of four teeth. Another thing you should know
is that bucks generally have incisors in their upper jaw and they are
ruminants and have cloven hooves; they are kosher and pure. So
Chazal erred even in the matter of teeth, and their rule is no rule
at all.
Dental formulae for behemahs
and chayahs:
On that same matter the Gemara (59a) rules, "One who walks in a
desert and finds an animal whose hooves are cut should look at its
mouth: if it has incisors in its upper jaw – it is clear that
the animal is pure, and if they does not – it is clear that the
animal is impure, provided that one is familiar with the camel. But
does the camel have incisors? As long as he recognizes a young camel.
Yet is it possible that there is the young camel and there is also
another species which is like a young camel? No, this is implausible,
as R' Ishmael said: 'And the camel, for it is ruminant' (Leviticus
11:4) -- He who rules His world knows that there is no ruminant which
is impure aside from the camel."
One who walks and sees a
young llama or guanaco whose legs are cut off would permit it, for it
does not resemble a young camel. It seems that Chazal meant "one
who walks in the area of Israel."
Come see how many difficulties and mistakes are in this one short
passage. First, if one found a buck (and did not recognize it) and
saw it has teeth in the upper jaw, he would render it impure for no
reason, for it is pure.
Second, the camel is not unique in His world. There are other animals
which are ruminants and have teeth as does the camel: the llama, the
guanaco, the alpaca, and the vicuna. Therefore one must recognize the
young of these animals as well (and know that these animals do not
look, externally, like the camel).
One who is walking and
finds an aardvark whose legs are cut off would permit it, for it has
no teeth in its upper jaw. We see that He who rules His world only
knows the animals in the area of Israel.
Third, there are animals which do not have teeth in their upper jaws
and they are impure, like the aardvark which has cloven hooves and
has no incisors or canines at all. So a person walking in southern
Africa and seeing an aardvark with its hooves cut off would check the
upper jaw and see that there were no incisors or canines and would
permit it and eat what is forbidden.
From all of this you can learn something important: Chazal did
not check and did not understand at all that rumination stems from
the unique build of the animals' digestive system. Ruminants have
several stomachs. Cattle and sheep have four stomachs (the rumen,
reticulum, omasum and abomasum) and the camel has three (missing the
omasum). This is the absolute sign which characterizes all ruminants.
Since Chazal did not check the digestive tract, we see that they did
not know that there is a connection between the two, for according to
this sign we would not permit the ardvark nor forbid the buck.
Therefore we cannot rely on the signs which our Sages gave us
-- just as we find on the issue of signs of fish in the Tosfot on
Avodah Zara 40, s.v. amar Rabba, we should not rely on
signs about fish roe given by Chazal (that one side of the grain of
roe is round and the other pointed), and they even brought a passage
from the Yerushalmi that one should not rely upon this sign: "Nathan
the son of Rabba said before Samuel, 'I know to tell the difference
between the fetuses of impure fish and the fetuses of pure fish. The
fetuses of impure fish are round and the fetuses of pure fish are
long.' He showed him a fetus of a pure fish and asked 'What is this?'
He answered, 'impure.' He told him, 'It is bad enough you have called
something pure impure, but in the end you will call something impure
This is proof that Chazal themselves
felt one should not rely upon the signs they gave, and the same holds
true for us, who are expert about many animals and animal anatomy and
who find many contradictions in the words of Chazal. Therefore we
should not rely upon the signs, and the whole issue of one who is
walking in the desert falls by the wayside in any case. We have
already cited the words of the Chazon Ish on Yoreh Deah, "One
should not breach the customs of Israel and we have no need for that;
it is enough for us the sheep and the cattle on which we have a
tradition." When the system of signs falls by the wayside it is
best to take shelter in the small amount of certainty which is left.
About the pig:
"And the swine -- although it has true hoofs, with the hoofs
cleft through, it does not chew the cud; it is unclean for you"
(Leviticus 11:7).
The Gemara in Hulin 59a: "Rav
Hisda said: 'One who walks in a desert and finds an animal whose
mouth is damaged [so it is impossible to check whether it has upper
incisors and/or canines, which is the way to verify whether it brings
up its cud], should look at its hooves: if the hooves are split –
it is clear that the animal is pure, and if they are not – it
is clear that the animal is impure, provided that one is familiar
with the pig [whose hooves are split, yet it is impure]. Yet is it
possible that there is the pig and there is also another species
which is like the pig? No, this is implausible, as R' Ishmael said:
'And the swine--although it has true hoofs, with the hoofs cleft
The warthog, Infraorder
Suina, has split hooves and doesn't look like a pig at all. So Chazal
cause the downfall of one who walks and finds a warthog with a
damaged mouth, for he would permit it.
-- He who rules His world knows that
no other animal has cloven hooves and is impure aside from the pig,
and therefore the Scripture specifies 'it'." Know that the
Gemara was right to claim that there are other species of animals
which have cloven hooves and are not ruminants. In Infraorder Suina
there are many species which do not resemble pigs (just as the sheep
is a member of the bovine family and does not resemble a cow at all)
such as the peccary, the babirussa, the warthog and others. Here is a
picture of a warthog; you will see that it doesn't resemble a pig at
all. If one can recognize an ordinary pig, and he walks in a desert
and sees a warthog with a damaged mouth, he would deem it kosher.
(One who wishes to expand on this issue should read a book on
zoology, and see with intellectual honesty whether He who rules His
world really revealed the secrets of the animals to R' Ishmael).
And on matters of purity and
impurity come see something else strange: the sages say in the
Mishnah, in Tractate Bechorot 5b, "A pure animal which birthed a
sort of impure animal -- [the impure animal] is permissible for
eating," and on page 24a, "Rabbah the son of Bar Hana said
in the name of R' Judah: if you see a pig following a ewe, it is
exempt from the rituals of the first-born and forbidden for eating."
(It seems strange that Chazal considered that the ewe birthed the pig
(!) and so the ewe is exempt further from the rituals of the
first-born. On the question of whether the pig-born-of-a-ewe is
permissible for eating, they ruled according to the more stringent
Similarly, Maimonides ruled in the
Laws of Forbidden Foods, chapter one, halacha four: "A pure
animal who birthed a kind of impure animal, even if the latter does
not have cloven hooves and is not a ruminant but is just a sort of
horse or donkey, it is permissible for eating. This is said of a
situation where one witnessed the [pure] animal giving birth [to the
"kind of impure"], but if one leaves a pregnant cow in his
flock and then finds a kind of pig following it, even if it nurses
from the cow, it is a matter of doubt, and therefore [the newborn
"kind of pig"] is forbidden for eating, for perhaps it was
born of an impure mother [i.e. of a real pig] and just follows the
You see that Chazal did not check
reality at all, but went after their own imagination, that a cow
could become pregnant and give birth to an animal which resembles a
pig--one without even the digestive system of a ruminant--and it
would be permissible for eating. It is puzzling, for this animal
wouldn't be kosher at all, born without omasum and abomasum, and it
should be considered in the class of animals missing the omasum and
abomasum, as brought in the Tosfot on Hulin 42a, s.v. nikev.
And know that the Sages were divided on something which can and
should be checked using simple empiric checks, but this is their way,
to rule without checking. In Bechorot 7a we find: "R' Joshua the
son of Levi said: never is a pure animal impregnated by an impure
animal, nor an impure animal by a pure one; neither a large animal
[is impregnated] by a small, nor a small one by a large; neither a
domesticated animal by a wild one, nor a wild one by a domesticated,
aside from R' Eliezer and his school who said that a wild animal can
impregnate a domesticated animal." [R' Joshua the son of Levi
also erred on this matter, for a domesticated goat can be impregnated
by a wild mountain goat.] If truth in the Halacha were important to
them, why did they not try to breed a goat with a mountain goat to
see if it would be impregnated or not? They would have seen with
their own eyes that it can be impregnated. This is what we repeatedly
say, that our Sages did not take their information from facts but
from their imagination.
But if you want to know how far the
absurdity in the words of the Sages and rabbis about animals reaches,
merely go to the book Magen Avot by the Rashbatz on
Tractate Avot, chapter five, mishnah 23 (on the phrase "be bold
as a tiger"): "The tiger is bold because it is a bastard
like the mule [!], for it [the tiger] is a cross between a forest pig
and a lioness. When a lioness goes into heat she sticks her head into
the forest underbrush and growls and calls the male. The pig hears
her and mates her…and since he is a bastard he is bold."
What else can we say about this sort
of nonsense and what more is left to be spoken? It is obvious that
these people dictated laws and commandments, restrictions and orders,
both positive and negative, based on a lack of knowledge about nature
and the real world; and not only that, but they were also not
embarrassed to hang their rulings on the Divine Spirit which
supposedly rested upon them. But we know that the Divine Spirit
does not rest on nonsense, and therefore all that they said was based
only on their own knowledge. For one who seeks the truth, reality
will come and prove that.


text: Naima Moreira-Laliberté and her new stallion, Sancerre, preparing for the FEI jog at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival. This exciting new pair, who achieved promising results throughout the 2016 Florida season -- including the Intermediare 1 Freestyle win at the final AGDF of 2016, with a 72.9% -- is already enjoying great success thanks to coaching by FEI trainer and coach Janine Little, who scouted the new mount for Moreira-Laliberté in Europe just before the start of the season. (Photo credit: Joann


text:
Faculty/Staff Accomplishments and Recognition
Bryan Michalowicz (Clinical Research Center) has been accepted as a Fellow of the 2008-09 ADEA Leadership Institute and will join 21 dental educators from across the country as part of the ADEA Leadership Institute's ninth class. Michalowicz was also a guest presenter at the New York Academy of Sciences' symposium "From Basic Sciences to Clinical Practice and Policy: A Medical-Dental Dialogue on the Relationship between Periodontal Disease and Systemic Health". The symposium was co-sponsored by the NY Academy of Sciences, Columbia University College of Dental Medicine, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and the National Periodontal Disease coalition on January 18, 2008.
Nelson Rhodus (Oral Medicine & Diagnosis) was selected by the American Academy of Oral Medicine to receive The Samuel Charles Miller Award. The award in recognition of his oral cancer research, is the highest given in the field for contributions to the field of oral medicine.
Sue Elm, Bonita Falkingham, Lisa Johnson, Sharon Jungbauer, Teresa Ludwig, and Craig Selden represented the School of Dentistry at the University's 2008 Quality Fair, held January 31 at the McNamara Center. Their presentation featured information about the school's new infection control protocols. (The SOD received a commendation for its infection control protocols during the 2007 ADA Commission on Dental Accreditation review.) The event, which drew almost 1,000 people in only its second year, is an opportunity for U campuses, departments, and units to share best practices, celebrate quality improvement projects, and showcase innovative ideas that they've come up with over the past 12 months and that support the U's goal of transforming itself into one of the top three public research universities in the world.