text:
vcrpy 1.7.4
Automatically mock your HTTP interactions to simplify and speed up testing
This is a Python version of Ruby's VCR library.
What it does
VCR.py simplifies and speeds up tests that make HTTP requests. The first time you run code that is inside a VCR.py context manager or decorated function, VCR.py records all HTTP interactions that take place through the libraries it supports and serializes and writes them to a flat file (in yaml format by default). This flat file is called a cassette. When the relevant peice of code is executed again, VCR.py will read the serialized requests and responses from the aforementioned cassette file, and intercept any HTTP requests that it recognizes from the original test run and return the responses that corresponded to those requests. This means that the requests will not actually result in HTTP traffic, which confers several benefits including:
- The ability to work offline
- Completely deterministic tests
- Increased test execution speed
If the server you are testing against ever changes its API, all you need to do is delete your existing cassette files, and run your tests again. VCR.py will detect the absence of a cassette file and once again record all HTTP interactions, which will update them to correspond to the new API.
Compatibility Notes
VCR.py supports Python 2.6 and 2.7, 3.3, 3.4, and pypy.
The following http libraries are supported:
- urllib2
- urllib3
- http.client (python3)
- requests (both 1.x and 2.x versions)
- httplib2
- boto
- Tornado's AsyncHTTPClient
import vcr import urllib2 with vcr.use_cassette('fixtures/vcr_cassettes/synopsis.yaml'): response = urllib2.urlopen('http://www.iana.org/domains/reserved').read() assert 'Example domains' in response
Run this test once, and VCR.py will record the HTTP request to fixtures/vcr_cassettes/synopsis.yml. Run it again, and VCR.py will replay the response from iana.org when the http request is made. This test is now fast (no real HTTP requests are made anymore), deterministic (the test will continue to pass, even if you are offline, or iana.org goes down for maintenance) and accurate (the response will contain the same headers and body you get from a real request).
You can also use VCR.py as a decorator. The same request above would look like this:
@vcr.use_cassette('fixtures/vcr_cassettes/synopsis.yaml') def test_iana(): response = urllib2.urlopen('http://www.iana.org/domains/reserved').read() assert 'Example domains' in response
When using the decorator version of use_cassette, it is possible to omit the path to the cassette file.
@vcr.use_cassette() def test_iana(): response = urllib2.urlopen('http://www.iana.org/domains/reserved').read() assert 'Example domains' in response
In this case, the cassette file will be given the same name as the test function, and it will be placed in the same directory as the file in which the test is defined. See the Automatic Test Naming section below for more details.
If you don't like VCR's defaults, you can set options by instantiating a VCR class and setting the options on it.
import vcr my_vcr = vcr.VCR( serializer='json', cassette_library_dir='fixtures/cassettes', record_mode='once', match_on=['uri', 'method'], ) with my_vcr.use_cassette('test.json'): # your http code here
Otherwise, you can override options each time you use a cassette.
with vcr.use_cassette('test.yml', serializer='json', record_mode='once'): # your http code here
Note: Per-cassette overrides take precedence over the global config.
Request matching
Request matching is configurable and allows you to change which requests VCR considers identical. The default behavior is ['method', 'scheme', 'host', 'port', 'path', 'query'] which means that requests with both the same URL and method (ie POST or GET) are considered identical.
This can be configured by changing the match_on setting.
The following options are available :
method (for example, POST or GET)
uri (the full URI.)
host (the hostname of the server receiving the request)
port (the port of the server receiving the request)
path (the path of the request)
query (the query string of the request)
raw_body (the entire request body as is)
body (the entire request body unmarshalled by content-type i.e. xmlrpc, json, form-urlencoded, falling back on raw_body)
headers (the headers of the request)
Backwards compatible matchers:
url (the uri alias)
If these options don't work for you, you can also register your own request matcher. This is described in the Advanced section of this README.
Record Modes
VCR supports 4 record modes (with the same behavior as Ruby's VCR):
- Replay previously recorded interactions.
- Record new interactions if there is no cassette file.
- Cause an error to be raised for new requests if there is a cassette file.
It is similar to the new_episodes record mode, but will prevent new, unexpected requests from being made (i.e. because the request URI changed).
once is the default record mode, used when you do not set one.
- Record new interactions.
- Replay previously recorded interactions. It is similar to the once record mode, but will always record new interactions, even if you have an existing recorded one that is similar, but not identical.
This was the default behavior in versions < 0.3.0
- Replay previously recorded interactions.
- Cause an error to be raised for any new requests. This is useful when your code makes potentially dangerous HTTP requests. The none record mode guarantees that no new HTTP requests will be made.
- Record new interactions.
- Never replay previously recorded interactions. This can be temporarily used to force VCR to re-record a cassette (i.e. to ensure the responses are not out of date) or can be used when you simply want to log all HTTP requests.
Advanced Features
If you want, VCR.py can return information about the cassette it is using to record your requests and responses. This will let you record your requests and responses and make assertions on them, to make sure that your code under test is generating the expected requests and responses. This feature is not present in Ruby's VCR, but I think it is a nice addition. Here's an example:
import vcr import urllib2 with vcr.use_cassette('fixtures/vcr_cassettes/synopsis.yaml') as cass: response = urllib2.urlopen('http://www.zombo.com/').read() # cass should have 1 request inside it assert len(cass) == 1 # the request uri should have been http://www.zombo.com/ assert cass.requests[0].uri == 'http://www.zombo.com/'
The Cassette object exposes the following properties which I consider part of the API. The fields are as follows:
- requests: A list of vcr.Request objects corresponding to the http requests that were made during the recording of the cassette. The requests appear in the order that they were originally processed.
- responses: A list of the responses made.
- play_count: The number of times this cassette has played back a response.
- all_played: A boolean indicating whether all the responses have been played back.
- responses_of(request): Access the responses that match a given request
The Request object has the following properties:
- uri: The full uri of the request. Example: "https://google.com/?q=vcrpy"
- scheme: The scheme used to make the request (http or https)
- host: The host of the request, for example "www.google.com"
- port: The port the request was made on
- path: The path of the request. For example "/" or "/home.html"
- query: The parsed query string of the request. Sorted list of name, value pairs.
- method : The method used to make the request, for example "GET" or "POST"
- body: The body of the request, usually empty except for POST / PUT / etc
Backwards compatible properties:
- url: The uri alias
- protocol: The scheme alias
Register your own serializer
Don't like JSON or YAML? That's OK, VCR.py can serialize to any format you would like. Create your own module or class instance with 2 methods:
- def deserialize(cassette_string)
- def serialize(cassette_dict)
Finally, register your class with VCR to use your new serializer.
import vcr class BogoSerializer(object): """ Must implement serialize() and deserialize() methods """ pass my_vcr = vcr.VCR() my_vcr.register_serializer('bogo', BogoSerializer()) with my_vcr.use_cassette('test.bogo', serializer='bogo'): # your http here # After you register, you can set the default serializer to your new serializer my_vcr.serializer = 'bogo' with my_vcr.use_cassette('test.bogo'): # your http here
Register your own request matcher
Create your own method with the following signature
def my_matcher(r1, r2):
Your method receives the two requests and must return True if they match, False if they don't.
Finally, register your method with VCR to use your new request matcher.
import vcr def jurassic_matcher(r1, r2): return r1.uri == r2.uri and 'JURASSIC PARK' in r1.body my_vcr = vcr.VCR() my_vcr.register_matcher('jurassic', jurassic_matcher) with my_vcr.use_cassette('test.yml', match_on=['jurassic']): # your http here # After you register, you can set the default match_on to use your new matcher my_vcr.match_on = ['jurassic'] with my_vcr.use_cassette('test.yml'): # your http here
Filter sensitive data from the request
If you are checking your cassettes into source control, and are using some form of authentication in your tests, you can filter out that information so it won't appear in your cassette files. There are a few ways to do this:
Filter information from HTTP Headers
Use the filter_headers configuration option with a list of headers to filter.
with my_vcr.use_cassette('test.yml', filter_headers=['authorization']): # sensitive HTTP request goes here
Filter information from HTTP querystring
Use the filter_query_parameters configuration option with a list of query parameters to filter.
with my_vcr.use_cassette('test.yml', filter_query_parameters=['api_key']): requests.get('http://api.com/getdata?api_key=secretstring')
Filter information from HTTP post data
Use the filter_post_data_parameters configuration option with a list of post data parameters to filter.
with my_vcr.use_cassette('test.yml', filter_post_data_parameters=['client_secret']): requests.post('http://api.com/postdata', data={'api_key': 'secretstring'})
Custom Request filtering
If none of these covers your request filtering needs, you can register a callback that will manipulate the HTTP request before adding it to the cassette. Use the before_record configuration option to so this. Here is an example that will never record requests to the /login endpoint.
def before_record_cb(request): if request.path != '/login': return request my_vcr = vcr.VCR( before_record = before_record_cb, ) with my_vcr.use_cassette('test.yml'): # your http code here
You can also mutate the response using this callback. For example, you could remove all query parameters from any requests to the '/login' path.
def scrub_login_request(request): if request.path == '/login': request.uri, _ = urllib.splitquery(response.uri) return request my_vcr = vcr.VCR( before_record=scrub_login_request, ) with my_vcr.use_cassette('test.yml'): # your http code here
Custom Response Filtering
VCR.py also suports response filtering with the before_record_response keyword argument. It's usage is similar to that of before_record:
def scrub_string(string, replacement=''): def before_record_response(response): response['body']['string'] = response['body']['string'].replace(string, replacement) return response return before_record_response my_vcr = vcr.VCR( before_record_response=scrub_string(settings.USERNAME, 'username'), ) with my_vcr.use_cassette('test.yml'): # your http code here
Ignore requests
If you would like to completely ignore certain requests, you can do it in a few ways:
- Set the ignore_localhost option equal to True. This will not record any requests sent to (or responses from) localhost, 127.0.0.1, or 0.0.0.0.
- Set the ignore_hosts configuration option to a list of hosts to ignore
- Add a before_record callback that returns None for requests you want to ignore
Requests that are ignored by VCR will not be saved in a cassette, nor played back from a cassette. VCR will completely ignore those requests as if it didn't notice them at all, and they will continue to hit the server as if VCR were not there.
Custom Patches
If you use a custom HTTPConnection class, or otherwise make http requests in a way that requires additional patching, you can use the custom_patches keyword argument of the VCR and Cassette objects to patch those objects whenever a cassette's context is entered. To patch a custom version of HTTPConnection you can do something like this:
import where_the_custom_https_connection_lives from vcr.stubs import VCRHTTPSConnection my_vcr = config.VCR(custom_patches=((where_the_custom_https_connection_lives, 'CustomHTTPSConnection', VCRHTTPSConnection),)) @my_vcr.use_cassette(...)
Automatic Cassette Naming
VCR.py now allows the omission of the path argument to the use_cassette function. Both of the following are now legal/should work
@my_vcr.use_cassette def my_test_function(): ...
@my_vcr.use_cassette() def my_test_function(): ...
In both cases, VCR.py will use a path that is generated from the provided test function's name. If no cassette_library_dir has been set, the cassette will be in a file with the name of the test function in directory of the file in which the test function is declared. If a cassette_library_dir has been set, the cassette will appear in that directory in a file with the name of the decorated function.
It is possible to control the path produced by the automatic naming machinery by customizing the path_transformer and func_path_generator vcr variables. To add an extension to all cassette names, use VCR.ensure_suffix as follows:
my_vcr = VCR(path_transformer=VCR.ensure_suffix('.yaml')) @my_vcr.use_cassette def my_test_function():
VCR.py is a package on PyPI, so you can pip install vcrpy (first you may need to brew install libyaml [Homebrew])
Ruby VCR compatibility
VCR.py does not aim to match the format of the Ruby VCR YAML files. Cassettes generated by Ruby's VCR are not compatible with VCR.py.
Running VCR's test suite
The tests are all run automatically on Travis CI, but you can also run them yourself using py.test and Tox. Tox will automatically run them in all environments VCR.py supports. The test suite is pretty big and slow, but you can tell tox to only run specific tests like this:
tox -e py27requests -- -v -k "'test_status_code or test_gzip'"
This will run only tests that look like test_status_code or test_gzip in the test suite, and only in the python 2.7 environment that has requests installed.
Also, in order for the boto tests to run, you will need an AWS key. Refer to the boto documentation for how to set this up. I have marked the boto tests as optional in Travis so you don't have to worry about them failing if you submit a pull request.
VCR.py has a few log messages you can turn on to help you figure out if HTTP requests are hitting a real server or not. You can turn them on like this:
import vcr import requests import logging logging.basicConfig() # you need to initialize logging, otherwise you will not see anything from vcrpy vcr_log = logging.getLogger("vcr") vcr_log.setLevel(logging.INFO) with vcr.use_cassette('headers.yml'): requests.get('http://httpbin.org/headers')
The first time you run this, you will see:
INFO:vcr.stubs:<Request (GET) http://httpbin.org/headers> not in cassette, sending to real server
The second time, you will see:
INFO:vcr.stubs:Playing response for <Request (GET) http://httpbin.org/headers> from cassette
If you set the loglevel to DEBUG, you will also get information about which matchers didn't match. This can help you with debugging custom matchers.
VCR.py runs about 10x faster when pyyaml can use the libyaml extensions. However, just installing libyaml (Mac) or libyaml-dev (Linux) is not enough, as pyyaml needs to be rebuild with the proper flag. Note that this flag is cached by pip, so clear the cache first.
Are you using libyaml already? This should work:
python -c 'from yaml import CLoader'
If not:
pip uninstall pyyaml pip --no-cache-dir install pyyaml
New Cassette Format
The cassette format has changed in VCR.py 1.x, the VCR.py 0.x cassettes cannot be used with VCR.py 1.x. The easiest way to upgrade is to simply delete your cassettes and re-record all of them. VCR.py also provides a migration script that attempts to upgrade your 0.x cassettes to the new 1.x format. To use it, run the following command:
python -m vcr.migration PATH
The PATH can be either a path to the directory with cassettes or the path to a single cassette.
Note: Back up your cassettes files before migration. The migration should only modify cassettes using the old 0.x format.
New serializer / deserializer API
If you made a custom serializer, you will need to update it to match the new API in version 1.0.x
- Serializers now take dicts and return strings.
- Deserializers take strings and return dicts (instead of requests, responses pair)
- 1.7.4 [#217] Make use_cassette decorated functions actually return a value (thanks @bcen). [#199] Fix path transfromation defaults. Better headers dictionary management.
- 1.7.3 [#188] additional_matchers kwarg on use_cassette. [#191] Actually support passing multiple before_record_request functions (thanks @agriffis).
- 1.7.2 [#186] Get effective_url in tornado (thanks @mvschaik), [#187] Set request_time on Response object in tornado (thanks @abhinav).
- 1.7.1 [#183] Patch fetch_impl instead of the entire HTTPClient class for Tornado (thanks @abhinav).
- 1.7.0 [#177] Properly support coroutine/generator decoration. [#178] Support distribute (thanks @graingert). [#163] Make compatibility between python2 and python3 recorded cassettes more robust (thanks @gward).
- 1.6.1 [#169] Support conditional requirements in old versions of pip, Fix RST parse errors generated by pandoc, [Tornado] Fix unsupported features exception not being raised, [#166] content-aware body matcher.
- 1.6.0 [#120] Tornado support (thanks @abhinav), [#147] packaging fixes (thanks @graingert), [#158] allow filtering post params in requests (thanks @MrJohz), [#140] add xmlrpclib support (thanks @Diaoul).
- 1.5.2 Fix crash when cassette path contains cassette library directory (thanks @gazpachoking).
- 1.5.0 Automatic cassette naming and 'application/json' post data filtering (thanks @marco-santamaria).
- 1.4.2 Fix a bug caused by requests 2.7 and chunked transfer encoding
- 1.4.1 Include README, tests, LICENSE in package. Thanks @ralphbean.
- 1.4.0 Filter post data parameters (thanks @eadmundo), support for posting files through requests, inject_cassette kwarg to access cassette from use_cassette decorated function, with_current_defaults actually works (thanks @samstav).
- 1.3.0 Fix/add support for urllib3 (thanks @aisch), fix default port for https (thanks @abhinav).
- 1.2.0 Add custom_patches argument to VCR/Cassette objects to allow users to stub custom classes when cassettes become active.
- 1.1.4 Add force reset around calls to actual connection from stubs, to ensure compatibility with the version of httplib/urlib2 in python 2.7.9.
- 1.1.3 Fix python3 headers field (thanks @rtaboada), fix boto test (thanks @telaviv), fix new_episodes record mode (thanks @jashugan), fix Windows connectionpool stub bug (thanks @gazpachoking), add support for requests 2.5
- 1.1.2 Add urllib==1.7.1 support. Make json serialize error handling correct Improve logging of match failures.
- 1.1.1 Use function signature preserving wrapt.decorator to write the decorator version of use_cassette in order to ensure compatibility with py.test fixtures and python 2. Move all request filtering into the before_record_callable.
- 1.1.0 Add before_record_response. Fix several bugs related to the context management of cassettes.
- 1.0.3: Fix an issue with requests 2.4 and make sure case sensitivity is consistent across python versions
- 1.0.2: Fix an issue with requests 2.3
- 1.0.1: Fix a bug with the new ignore requests feature and the once record mode
- 1.0.0: BACKWARDS INCOMPATIBLE: Please see the 'upgrade' section in the README. Take a look at the matcher section as well, you might want to update your match_on settings. Add support for filtering sensitive data from requests, matching query strings after the order changes and improving the built-in matchers, (thanks to @mshytikov), support for ignoring requests to certain hosts, bump supported Python3 version to 3.4, fix some bugs with Boto support (thanks @marusich), fix error with URL field capitalization in README (thanks @simon-weber), added some log messages to help with debugging, added all_played property on cassette (thanks @mshytikov)
- 0.7.0: VCR.py now supports Python 3! (thanks @asundg) Also I refactored the stub connections quite a bit to add support for the putrequest and putheader calls. This version also adds support for httplib2 (thanks @nilp0inter). I have added a couple tests for boto since it is an http client in its own right. Finally, this version includes a fix for a bug where requests wasn't being patched properly (thanks @msabramo).
- 0.6.0: Store response headers as a list since a HTTP response can have the same header twice (happens with set-cookie sometimes). This has the added benefit of preserving the order of headers. Thanks @smallcode for the bug report leading to this change. I have made an effort to ensure backwards compatibility with the old cassettes' header storage mechanism, but if you want to upgrade to the new header storage, you should delete your cassettes and re-record them. Also this release adds better error messages (thanks @msabramo) and adds support for using VCR as a decorator (thanks @smallcode for the motivation)
- 0.5.0: Change the response_of method to responses_of since cassettes can now contain more than one response for a request. Since this changes the API, I'm bumping the version. Also includes 2 bugfixes: a better error message when attempting to overwrite a cassette file, and a fix for a bug with requests sessions (thanks @msabramo)
- 0.4.0: Change default request recording behavior for multiple requests. If you make the same request multiple times to the same URL, the response might be different each time (maybe the response has a timestamp in it or something), so this will make the same request multiple times and save them all. Then, when you are replaying the cassette, the responses will be played back in the same order in which they were received. If you were making multiple requests to the same URL in a cassette before version 0.4.0, you might need to regenerate your cassette files. Also, removes support for the cassette.play_count counter API, since individual requests aren't unique anymore. A cassette might contain the same request several times. Also removes secure overwrite feature since that was breaking overwriting files in Windows, and fixes a bug preventing request's automatic body decompression from working.
- 0.3.5: Fix compatibility with requests 2.x
- 0.3.4: Bugfix: close file before renaming it. This fixes an issue on Windows. Thanks @smallcode for the fix.
- 0.3.3: Bugfix for error message when an unreigstered custom matcher was used
- 0.3.2: Fix issue with new config syntax and the match_on parameter. Thanks, @chromy!
- 0.3.1: Fix issue causing full paths to be sent on the HTTP request line.
- 0.3.0: Backwards incompatible release - Added support for record modes, and changed the default recording behavior to the "once" record mode. Please see the documentation on record modes for more. Added support for custom request matching, and changed the default request matching behavior to match only on the URL and method. Also, improved the httplib mocking to add support for the HTTPConnection.send() method. This means that requests won't actually be sent until the response is read, since I need to record the entire request in order to match up the appropriate response. I don't think this should cause any issues unless you are sending requests without ever loading the response (which none of the standard httplib wrappers do, as far as I know. Thanks to @fatuhoku for some of the ideas and the motivation behind this release.
- 0.2.1: Fixed missing modules in setup.py
- 0.2.0: Added configuration API, which lets you configure some settings on VCR (see the README). Also, VCR no longer saves cassettes if they haven't changed at all and supports JSON as well as YAML (thanks @sirpengi). Added amazing new skeumorphic logo, thanks @hairarrow.
- 0.1.0: backwards incompatible release - delete your old cassette files: This release adds the ability to access the cassette to make assertions on it, as well as a major code refactor thanks to @dlecocq. It also fixes a couple longstanding bugs with redirects and HTTPS. [#3 and #4]
- 0.0.4: If you have libyaml installed, vcrpy will use the c bindings instead. Speed up your tests! Thanks @dlecocq
- 0.0.3: Add support for requests 1.2.3. Support for older versions of requests dropped (thanks @vitormazzi and @bryanhelmig)
- 0.0.2: Add support for requests / urllib3
- 0.0.1: Initial Release
This library uses the MIT license. See LICENSE.txt for more details
|Py Version
|Uploaded on
|vcrpy-1.7.4.tar.gz (md5)
- Author: Kevin McCarthy
- Home Page: https://github.com/kevin1024/vcrpy
- License: MIT
- Categories
- Package Index Owner: kevin1024, imalison
- DOAP record: vcrpy-1.7.4.xml


text:
MIAMI (AP) — Another member of the "Cuban Five" spy ring is getting his release from a U.S. prison after spending more than 15 years behind bars.
Bureau of Prisons records show 50-year-old Fernando Gonzalez — known to U.S. authorities as Ruben Campa — will finish his sentence Thursday at an Arizona prison. Miami federal prosecutors say Gonzalez will be deported to Cuba.
Gonzalez and four others were convicted in 2001 of spying on U.S. military installations in South Florida, Cuban exile groups and politicians opposed to Cuba's communist government. They're considered heroes in Cuba.
Cuban Five member Rene Gonzalez was released in 2011 and is now back in Cuba. The others have longer sentences, including one serving a life term for involvement in the 1996 shootdown of "Brothers to the Rescue" planes.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Recent Forum Posts
View More
Recent Comments
- 1 year ago About time Sent from the iMore App
- 2 years ago Working well, keep up the good work guys Sent from the iMore App
- 3 years ago We love free stuff :)
- 3 years ago Blue ipod touch would be awesome
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- 3 years ago I would be over the moon if i won it! Im stuck with a 3GS which is a great phone but its getting old :( quite frankly i...
- 3 years ago Working great for me
- Member for
- 3 years 9 months


text:
May 30, 2016
AUSTIN, TX (KXAN) - A school bus wreck in North Austin had EMS crews treating two people at the crash, though they didn't take anyone to the hospital.
The wreck happened with another car in the 6300 block of Cameron Road. That's just south of U.S. Highway 290.
Click Here to access the online Public Inspection File
Viewers with disabilities can get assistance accessing this station's FCC Public Inspection File by contacting the station with the information listed below. Questions or concerns relating to the accessibility of the FCC's online public file system should be directed to the FCC at 888-225-5322, 888-835-5322 (TTY), or firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
Make you next meeting memorable, at Historic Spanish Point.
The meeting and lecture facilities are suitable for clubs, community organizations and businesses. Two meeting rooms are located in the Visitors Center, which is housed in the restored 1927 Osprey School. Listed below are the current room rental rates. If you have questions or would like to book a space for your next meeting or event, call Tracey Viviano at (941) 966-5214, ext. 2850 or email firstname.lastname@example.com.
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text:
Re: Student Loan Rehabilita
tion And The Effect On Tradelines
Aug 10th (for Sept 1 payment): 9th payment in rehab.
Aug 10th: Called DOE Collections and they deleted their tradeline. FICO jumped 40 points Still have the OC tradeline showing default.
Oct 3rd: Made 10th payment to DOE Collections Dept. No one knows the time frame for loans to come back.
Oct 25th: Called DOE and they told me the loan was being picked up by FedLoan Servicing as of 18OCT12.
Oct 25th: Went to FedLoan Servicing Website. They have me listed in the system but no details are available at "this time".
Oct 25th: Disputed TL with EQ ant TU. EX would not let me disupte on-line because I already disputed before.
Oct 29th: Called FedLoan Servicing and they did not have me in the system.
Oct 30th: Received email from FedLoan saying "congratulations blah. blah, blah".
Nov 1st: Called DOE about deleting trade. They transferred me to DOE Collections. She told me that DOE will delete TL and FEdLoan will report separate, new TL.
Nov 1st: Made 1st payment to FedLoan.
Nov 7th: NSLDS Website shows my loans as active and NOT in default.
Nov 7th: Checked Experian CR. Still shows SL in default. FedLoan TL is not listed. Checked with Score Watch. No alerts yet.
I am anxious to get this TL removed. I am expecting another 40 point rise. The new TL will not help because I have installment loans reporting. I am hoping that they report "paid as agreed" from the initial loan opening. If they report "new", my AOA will drop because I will have 3 "new accounts".
I have a power utility reporting on EQ. I had this open for 22 years. This raised my AOA to about 8 years. My TU AOA is only 4 years because Power Utility does not report to TU. This costs me 7 points by the way. So I am expecting to lose another 10 points (net gain 30 points) on TU due to AOA dropping.


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hay guys its my first thread so plz stay calm in casse of any mistake and do let me know
overview of asp
ASP stands for Active Server Pages. ASP is a server side technology which is used to display dynamic content on the web pages. ASP is becoming popular day by day as the favorite server side technology. ASP in itself isn't a language actually, instead it uses VBScript or JScript to display dynamic content. ASP is more of a technology used by VBScript / JScript on the server side. So if you know VBScript or JScript you can start creating .ASP pages right now.
I will assume here that you are not familiar with VBScript, the language of choice for creating ASP pages. So I will also give you a little insight into VBScript too. But a general understanding of HTML is required.
You must be wondering what is required to run an ASP page ? well if you are running windows then you can download Personal Web Server ( for Win95 & Win98 ) or Internet Information Server ( for WinNT ) from www.microsoft.com. If you are running Windows 2000 then you have got IIS 5 already, you just need to install it. Just go to the 'control panel' and click the 'Add/Remove Programs' icon. Then on the left click the 'Add/Remove Windows Components' button, a window will appear offering you a lot of choices. Just check where 'Internet Information Services' is written and click 'Next', your IIS 5 will be installed. For those of you who are running other operating systems please take a look at www.chilisoft.com. They offer ASP solution for those of us not running Microsoft Windows. Please note that Chilisoft products are not free but you can download PWS or IIS free of cost from Microsoft's web site above.
Installing Personal Web Server
If you are running Windows 95/98 then you will most probably be needing PWS to run .asp pages. Just in case if you don't know what PWS stands for, PWS stands for Personal Web Server. If you have got Windows CD with yourself then you can install PWS from there. Or if you want then you can download the latest version of Personal Web Server from www.microsoft.com. Installation is all very easy. Just run the setup file and PWS will install just as any other application is installed on your system. I will advise you to accept the defaults when it comes to giving the location as to where the 'inetpub' and 'wwwroot' directories should be installed. Once the setup finishes you will most probably be ready to run the PWS.
After the installation of PWS, you will find a PWS icon on your desktop and probably a PWS small icon in the tray on the right lower corner of your desktop too. Double click any of them to bring up the PWS control window. If the PWS is already running then you will see an option 'Stop PWS'. But if PWS has been stopped and is not running then you will see the option to 'Start PWS'. Since we want to check that PWS has installed successfully and everything is running optimally, you should start the PWS if it is not already running. If it has started on its own then don't do anything.
Ok, now we want to check if PWS is running correctly and Active Server Pages are running or can be run. Open your Internet browser e.g. Microsoft Internet Explorer. In the URL box enter http://127.0.0.1 and press enter. If all is well then you will see a default page generated by PWS. When you install PWS it also sort of builds a default web site on your system, and that is what we tested here. If you can see some page then PWS is running correctly and we are done. But if PWS is running and you cannot see any page by entering the above URL then you might need to restart your computer and then start PWS again and then open your browser and enter the URL as given above. Hopefully everything will be alright now. Installation of PWS is very eay and most of times everything is done without any problems.
Note that to see .asp pages you cannot see them just be opening them in browser without the 'http' protocol. You have to append http://127.0.0.1/ before the page name and address to see it running on your own local computer. More on that later. For now you have successfully installed PWS and now we are ready to create some simple Active Server Pages.
Your first ASP page
Open you favorite text editor ( notepad ). ASP pages may be developed using expensive editors like Microsoft Visual Interdev but that is out of scope as far as this tutorial is concerned. So notepad is all we need.
Here we will be using VBScript for writing .asp pages. Note that you can also use JScript or PerlScript to write Active Server Pages. Write down the following in your notepad :
Well this is simple HTML and has no ASP code. Don't worry we'll be adding our ASP code on it. Now add the following line at the top of your <html> tag ( see above ) in your notepad.
<% @ Language=VBScript %>
Yes thats our first ASP code. This line tells the ASP code parser that we will be using VBScript to write code in this .asp page. If you would later want to use JScript or PerlScript then you might add JScript or PerlScript as the case may be in place of VBScript. But for now we will stick to VBScript. Ok, done that ? now add the following code between the <body> and </body> tags.
<% Response.Write "Hello World!" %>
Now save the page as 'helloworld.asp' in your c:/inetpub/wwwroot directory or where your wwwroot directory exists. Open your browser and type http://127.0.0.1/helloworld.asp in the URL box and hit enter. You will see an empty white page with Hello World written on top left. Well congratulations you just built your own first Active Server Page. If you see the code ( view -> source ( in your browser ) ) you will come to know that only the output Hello World! is there with the HTML tags and no <%, %>, Response.Write or Language ASP code is there . That is because ASP is a server side scripting language and all the code which we wrote is executed on the server and only the output generated is shown to the browser.
<% and %> tags
Our ASP script resides between the <% %> tags. Any script between the <% %> tags is executed on the server while the rest of the HTML tags or script in an .asp page is not parsed and is sent to the client browser as it is. There can be any number of <% %> tags as we want. After executing the code between the <% %> tags, the output which is generated is sent to the client and never ever the ASP code itself.
Understanding ASP Objects
As I stated earlier there are six built-in ASP Objects available to you as an ASP developer. But what is an object ? Well an object is an instance of a Component which has methods and properties. I am not going to indulge into what Components are except that they are a compiled piece of code built in any programming language which offer you the ability to just create an instance of them ( create an object ) and start using their methods. ASP is so much powerful that not only it uses these six built-in Objects but can also call other applications or components like ADO to access databases and CDO for messaging applications. You can even build your own custom COM components and then call their methods from within ASP. This is ASP COM integration which gives ASP is so much power that no other server side scripting language can match.
Six Built-in ASP Objects
Following are the six Objects which are available to you without needing to create an instance of them and that's why they are called built-in Objects :
ASPError Object is new and is available only in Windows 2000. By clicking the above ASP Objects you can see the collections, properties, events and methods which are made available by each of these.
Object.method() Syntax
To start using them following is the syntax you should use :
For example, recall that how we used Response.Write to output Hello World! to the client browser. In that case, Response was the name of the Object and Write was the name of the method that generated the output to the client browser.
<% Response.Write "Hello World!" %>
So you can use the methods and properties of the Objects by writing the Object name and then a dot and then appending the method or property name. Dot . is what separates the Object from the method or property. You must be wondering where have the opening and closing brackets ( ) gone in the Write method of Response Object, well in VBScript we don't type brackets in front of method name except in some cases. So that is why we just used Response.Write, that's why I say that VBScript is much more natural way of writing ASP pages and is the easiest of all languages.
Hay guys i think thats enough well u can atleast start with asp now so u r now a jack of trade of asp cool na
bye for now


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Whitman College tennis player Christoph Fuchs has been named to the men's At-Large Team in the College Division of Academic All-America honors announced by ESPN The Magazine.
The La Center High School gradaute, a four-year mainstay in the Whitman tennis lineup, graduated magna cum laude in late May with honors in his biology major.
He travels to Houston, Texas, later this summer to begin medical school studies at the Baylor College of Medicine, which is part of the Texas Medical Center, the largest such center in the world.
The Academic All-America first, second and third teams are selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
Fuchs, who was part of three Northwest Conference title teams at Whitman, is one of 17 student athletes voted to the men's At-Large Team in the College Division.
The At-Large Team represents a number of sports, including tennis, swimming and golf, while the College Division includes all schools affiliated with NCAA Divisions II and III and the NAIA.
McDaniel wins 800, relay at NWAACCs
Spokane Community College freshman middle distance runner Rachel McDaniel won the 800 meters and helped the Bigfoot to victory in the 1,600 relay at the recent Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges track and field championships.
The Battle Ground High School graduate won the 800 in a personal-best time of 2 minutes, 15.46 seconds — about 90 minutes after placing third in the 1,500. The relay time was 3:55.96. Spokane CC won a seventh consecutive team title.
WWU honors Porter
Western Washington distance runner Sarah Porter was voted Most Valuable athlete of the women's outdoor track and field season by her Vikings teammates. The Hockinson High School graduate shared the award last year.
Porter, an NCAA Division II All-American in cross country, indoor track and outdoor track for the second consecutive season, was previously named WWU's female Athlete of the Year for all sports. She placed second at the NCAA Division II national championships in both cross country and the 10,000 meters in outdoor track.
Clark's Weldon, Eloff sign with UGF
Clark College distance runners Shane Weldon and Brandi Eloff have signed to compete for the University of Great Falls in cross country and track and field.
Weldon is a Heritage High School graduate. Eloff is from Ephrata. UGF is in Great Falls, Mont., and is a member of the NAIA Frontier Conference.
College Notebook will return in the fall


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Robert Edward Morrow
Position: B
Height: 6-0 Weight: 222 lbs.
Born: May 5, 1918 in Madison, WI
Died: July 9, 2003 in Stuart, FL
High School: Bloom
College: Illinois Wesleyan
Drafted by the Chicago Bears in the 12th round (108th overall) of the 1941 NFL Draft.
Weighted Career AV (100-95-...): 0 (15060th overall since 1950)


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Last Activity: 20th April 2015 12:36 PM
Contact Info
- Home Page
- http://www.iliask.com
- This Page
- http://forum.xda-developers.com/member.php?u=302631
Most Thanked
Post Summary
Hi, This is my first real Windows Mobile application. Website: Mwunderground on SourceForge Description: This is a weather application. It uses data from Weather Underground to show current weather conditions, forecast and weather alerts. Feat...
Thanks, The problem is not with the Cyrillic font - all those characters display fine - but some Latin letters are missing totally (the Č č and Đ ), and on those spaces on my keyboard there's an square ( ) displayed With More...
Hi Dave, I think there are a couple issues here. One is, and probably the main reason, that this is a non-touch device and the user interface for this app is designed for a touch device. The second is that the app is written for Windows Mobile 6....
Bad app..Full of bags Thanks. =D Instead, you should try to be a little more descriptive about the "bags" you are seeing so that they can be fixed...
Well it was a nice idea but I guess it's dead. :-( Not dead but on-hold. Need to find work that makes me some money and then will resume...


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From Our Editors
Motivation is the name of the game at Reston's YMCA. When you're out and about in the area, you'll love that this gym has a restaurant to take care of any last minute hunger. This gym welcomes kids, too, so you can feel good about bringing the whole family. Indulge in a total body workout with one of these kickboxing classes and leave feeling and looking your best.
Parking is plentiful, so visitors can feel free to bring their vehicles.


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Big Dig update: Short week of work for Luck Bros.July 01,2013
For the week of July 1-3 you may see some small items being attended to on Main Street. We will not be working on July 4 or 5. Some of the tasks remaining include pavement marking touch-ups, pedestrian crossing pole alterations, and traffic signal adjustments.
Please continue to pay attention to traffic signs, advanced warning signs, uniformed traffic officers, and flaggers who may be posted at strategic locations for traffic control. There is still the possibility of a minor delay from time to time. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the Barre "Big Dig" you can contact me by cell at (518)-578-9629 or by email to firstname.lastname@example.com. The office number is (802)-479-5775.
Luck Brothers wishes a happy and safe Fourth of July to all. Travelers use caution on this very busy holiday.
— Beth LeClair, Luck Brothers Inc.MORE IN This Just InWESTMINSTER Vermont State Police say a passenger has died in an off-road vehicle crash in... Full StoryPOMFRET More than 1,000 trees and shrubs have been planted along three rivers in New Hampshire... Full StoryWATERBURY Vermont State Police are investigating a weekend burglary at the Snowfire Auto... Full Story
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Show Feed
Paul Pabst@ricor1808 I didn't forget. Know it well. I was talking about the social aspect of this holiday weekend.1 hour ago
Fan Feed
®oxy"Universities have devalued education." –@dpshow Perfectly said.5 mins ago
Thin Blue LineRandy Galloway say Art Briles has history of turning back on character issues https://t.co/R4c2GVYWhW via @dpshow10 mins ago
Fox Sports FM 987Randy Galloway: Art Briles could face criminal investigation https://t.co/R0wQF5zfCK via @dpshow12 mins ago
Scott HatfieldListening to Arcade Fire close out the @dpshow every Friday gets me pumped for the weekend. Wish I could be in Indy for the 500 #LetsGoRacin14 mins ago
MattHave a great weekend boyos!!! @dpshow @HiMyNameIsSeton @andrewperloff @brooklynfritzy @PaulPabst24 mins ago


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HourlyLess than 30 hrs/week
Hello all,
I have couple of Drupal 7 websites and need expert level Developer to fix them and also assist us with the SEO of those websites across different domains
Developer should have extensive experience in:
-- Developing and bug fixing Drupal Custom Modules
-- Drupal Commerce
-- Video and rich media content
Details will be shared with the selected candidate only..!!
P.S. Additional experience in Cake PHP, MySQL is an added advantage.
Client Activity on this Job
Last Viewed: 3 years ago
Hired: 1
About the Client
Mumbai 08:43 PM
Jobs Posted
50% Hire Rate, 1 Open Job
Total Spent
3 Hires, 1 Active
Avg Hourly Rate Paid
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text:
Drinking Far Too Much, Copulating Too Little
The soldier, especially the conscript, suffers so deeply from contempt and damage to his selfhood, from absurdity and boredom and chickenshit, that some anodyne is necessary. In Vietnam drugs served the purpose. In the Second World War the recourse was to drunkenness. In its alcoholic culture, this war was very different from its 1914-18 predecessor, at least as that earlier one was experienced by Americans. Although then drink was much sought after, the wartime atmosphere was gathering to the thunderhead that would burst into the Volstead Act. Cantonments and bivouacs, and even places fairly near the front lines in France, were frequented by thousands of do-gooders, Christers, and snoopers--YMCA secretaries, teetotal lecturers, anti-saloon-league zealots, and similar temperance fanatics who kept the troops under close surveillance and who were quick to note and repress signs of excess, or more often even indulgence. No drink, not even 3.2 beer, was available in army camps. These vocal hordes opposed to drink in any form are easily forgotten because few survived the repeal of the Eighteenth Amendment in 1933, and by the time of the Second World War, the notion that everyone has a perfect, even a Constitutional, right to a binge was thoroughly established in the United States.
In Britain that understanding had never gone underground. In one demoralized and unruly British unit in North Africa, we are told, "In a large marquee . . . a wet canteen was opened and Battalion Orders bore the amazing instruction that all ranks might get drunk provided they stayed within camp lines."1 Although in the States the song "Rum and Coca-Cola" was popular, nothing there went so far in brassy alcoholic


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There are many ways to learn the English language but some of these methods lack real comprehension about the language and may turn into a waste of time. Nobuna Listening Exercises offers a useful way to improve your English vocabulary by practicing simple exercises that won't take you much time. Available as a free download for Android devices, you can learn English as a second language with practical uses with your mobile device anytime and improve your grammar, vocabulary and speaking skills.
Listening to real examples of how people talk and use idioms and all kind of expressions within a context lead the user to understand the concept quickly
This app aims at those users that have a basic knowledge of the language and want to improve their grammar with real life exercises. The variety of videos you will have to complete spans from movie trailers to interviews with football players and celebrities. In this sense, Nobuna Listening Exercises app provides the real variety and scope of the English language, all in the palm of your hand.
The good thing about the application's method is that requires almost no time to acquire some enhancement of your vocabulary and understanding of the use of the language. Listening to real examples of how people talk and using idioms and all kinds of expressions within a context will lead the user to understand the concept quickly. Use these sentences in your speaking exercises, using real spoken English examples.
How to use
The methodology of this app to increase your language level is really easy to apply. Access the Nobuna service and you will be immediately directed to one of more than 800 online videos available, in order to start the exercises. You must pay attention to the speakers in the videos since you need to fill in the gaps in the text below with their exact words. If you can't complete the blanks in the first try, you can watch the video as many times you need. It is not a matter of how much time it takes to complete but instead, of accuracy.
Nobuna Listening Exercises is a fine way to increase your vocabulary in context making the learning process easier for the student. This way you can pass English tests such as TOEFL or TOEIC thanks to Nobuna's help to learn about the real use of the language which is a far cry from text books and boring learning methods. Choose the right words from the section below the text, but be careful since the options provided are phonetically similar. Stay sharp and choose the correct option.
Although the application may seem simple, the variety of the videos increases the vocabulary used for fitting any social situation. Nobuna Listening Exercises includes a leaderboard with the score of the exercises you complete in case you want some extra motivation. The download of this app in your mobile device will enhance your second language level in no time.
Nobuna Listening Exercises 1.0 Features
Check out the main features of Nobuna Listening Exercises:
- Improve your English level with speaking examples from online videos or podcasts of any kind
- Test your listening skills and fill in the blanks of the texts below and obtain points
- Increase the variety of your vocabulary with real life examples and learn how to sound like a native speaker
- Complete the quizzes especially selected for those users that want to enhance their grammar and language skills
- Learn and use the English language with an entertaining method instead of boring books
- Get used to different speakers' accents, everyday expressions and even learn about some slang words with the different recordings
To check about the mobile app, feel free to visit the website of its developer to learn about the app to download.
System Requirements
Check the requirements for the English learning app:
- OS: Android 4.0 version or later
- Size: 3.7MB free space
- Internet connection enabled for playing videos
Advance your English language by downloading and using the Nobuna Listening Exercise
By Jackson Mbindyo
On Monday, June 15, 2015
. English is one of the world most used language and in some countries and organizations one has to pass an English proficiency test to be employed or allowed to be a citizen. To all that taking such test or in need of some English lessons the Nobuna Listening Exercise will be of much help to them. It helps users learn English language by practicing some easy practices on their android phones
With wonderful English teaching methods including the use of movie and literary excerpts, adding conversations, and almost all media possible Nobuna Listening Exercise offers a wonderful platform for all people interested in sharpening their English . Besides helping users better their conversational English Nobuna Listening Exercise will help users improve their English writing skills
With hundreds of live interviews with good English speakers including celebrities and soccer stars, users will within short durations of time get acquainted with immense wealth as far as English is concerned. The profile section will serve as a bench mark to how users have progressed in their quest for better English Language understanding.
- - A lot of videos available to make one know English better
- - The profile section to help users know their progress
- - Requires very minimal space to install and use
- - Only compatible with a few devices
- - Only teaches English language alone
Comprehensive Online Mobile English Tutor Suited For All Learning Levels
By Kyle Daniels
On Wednesday, January 28, 2015
This may be a cliché but it should be reiterated for it is true: learning should not stop once you leave the school premises. It does not work only for those technical subjects like Mathematics and Science; English is also included. Our language rusts with time.
Whether it is an international English language examination takers need to sharpen their language skill to be ready, student who wants to improve his/her grades, or just an enthusiast, this program fits all.
This program, Nobuna Listening Exercises, combines all means of English communication to train you. It includes putting movie and literary excerpts, adding conversations, and almost all media possible. Conversational English will not be the sole target of this program. It also aims to hone your English writing skills.
Here, the learning curve of the person is the focus. The program will not shove the lessons down the learner's throat. Learning will happen one step at a time and in a smooth manner.
Learning English will never be the same again. Thanks to Nobuna Listening Exercises, every activity is something you'll ask for more!
- It can be installed in a desktop computer or in a mobile device
- It is not fast paced so learner will have time to grasp the lesson
- Computer or mobile device should always be connected to the Internet
Nobuna Listening excercises software user review for PHPnuke by James Meyette
By James Meyette
On Friday, August 22, 2014
Nobuna is freeware that allows users to listen to recordings of real people rather than a machine such as using Google translate or another translation software to try to increase your skill of using the English language. For a lot of people this is the best way for them to learn to speak english as you are hearing the words and terms being used from a real person, making the sounds more fluid thus increasing the ability to pick it up faster.
If you have been looking to learn English as a secondary language then this is the optimal software choice for you, being that it is freeware it is highly accessible to anyone even if you don't have any money to spend just for learning another language due to it being free.
Whether it be a need or a desire to learn the English language this is an amazing free tool.
- Easy to use program that helps foreign users to learn the English Language
- Has recordings of real people speaking the English Language
- Would be amazing if it offered more languages than just English


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My story starts from the beginning of my first pregnancy, I gave birth to our first born, Ryan at 35 weeks. Thankfully,Ryan came out a healthy size of 6lbs 2 oz. He was put on a ventilator for 12 hours and stayed in the newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU) for 4 days.Overall, we were lucky with Ryan's eerily delivery and today he is doing Awesome! I was due to deliver our second baby on December 5th, 2007. At about 16weeks gestation, I started to have complications with my pregnancy. at 26 weeks my water ruptured and our second son, Aden, was born. He needed respiratory support and was incubated in the NICU for about 4 days. He progressed rapidly and was ready to come home after spending 83 long days in the NICU. It was definitely a struggle for us to leave him in the hospital- what kept us positive was knowing he needed to be there in order to grow stronger. While at home,Aden was on oxygen support and his breathing came around very quickly. Today he is doing wonderfully and I call him my gift from God! Dear friends, I hope that you can support me in my fight for this cause that I am so excited to be able to contribute to. Donations will be hugely appreciated, and if you want to donate but aren't able at the moment, try to remember to do so when you can and/or just forward the link to this page to potential donors. Spreading the word is just as valuable. The March of Dimes is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality. Thank You, From My Grateful Heart, For Your Ongoing Love, Prayers and Emotional Support. The March of Dimes AND Their Never-Ending Research, Is the Reason We Are Blessed.. Please Pass This On to Anybody Who You Think Might be Interested. Thanks, Jinae The mission of March of Dimes is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality. My personal web page address for donations is ... www.marchforbabies.org/jinaenae
Comments (4)
Posted 01/09/2009
i'm doing this too...although i haven't set my page up yet. i know another mother on here who talked about starting a team up. It's exciting to see people take the step to raise money for an orginization that has done a lot in research on prematurity.
mommynaenae · Original Poster
Posted 01/09/2009
Is so cool, I love doing it! I staredt eraly with my page in hopes to make more $$$ this time!
Last edited 09/01/2014
This is a not so good day for me. My baby has the PDA ligation surgery on Wed. He still very small. Just over a lb. Please keep Brandon in your prayers. Born at 22 weeks gestation. His gestation is now 28 weeks
Posted 09/01/2014
My 24 weeker also had a PDA Ligation. He also had to have lazer surgery for retinopathy. It was always 1 step forward and 2 steps back during our NICU stay..but just have faith and continue to pray. We will say a prayer for you as well!
Our 24 weeker is a healthy 10 year old now!
Our 24 weeker is a healthy 10 year old now!
Mommy to DS Jayden 8/5/2004<3 & DS Jaxon 1/19/2013<3 #3 Due 11/22/2014<3 (Thinking Pink)


text:
Wow Kris!! What great, inspiring news!
1 Tue, 15 Jan 2013 16:20:37
Re: MY CT SCAN RESULTS!!!!!! (17 replies, posted in Good News / What's Working)
2 Wed, 09 Jan 2013 15:18:28
Re: GTX (9 replies, posted in Chemotherapy)
Hi Tiffany,
I just started GTX and your post is inspiring! Hope you are doing well. Just finished second round. The steroids are keeping me 'up' for now! I find I am craving carbs which is completely different than my last chemo when I couldn't eat anything!
I truly wish for your good health.
Positive Attitude
3 Wed, 09 Jan 2013 15:14:08
Re: gemzar/taxotere/xeloda (3 replies, posted in General Discussion)
Thanks for the quick response!!
My best Tiffany and your family. I will look at posting now.
Positive A.
4 Wed, 09 Jan 2013 15:06:44
Re: Back from NIH checkup - good news!! (16 replies, posted in Good News / What's Working)
Such good news!!
5 Wed, 09 Jan 2013 15:03:33
Re: 3-year scan results!! (22 replies, posted in Good News / What's Working)
Mazel! Such good news for all of us. Thank your for sharing!!!
6 Wed, 09 Jan 2013 14:57:31
Topic: gemzar/taxotere/xeloda (3 replies, posted in General Discussion)
Hi everyone!
Sending you all warm and positive thoughts.
I was diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma, with mets to lungs two years ago. Thank G-d for today I am doing very well.
I started out on Cisplatin/gemzar and was taken off after six months as I was told it could not stay on it too long then went to Carbolatin/gemzar. When that was not effective, I went on to FOLFIRINOX which worked for a year until my tumor started to grow. I was nauseous (silver lining - lost weight!) on FOLFIRINOX but no hair loss.
Now I am on GTX. I was told I would lose hair because of Taxotere but still OK on day 12. Side effects are chills and craving carbs. Is anyone else on this regimen?
Hope the best of health for all.
Pos. Att.
7 Tue, 13 Dec 2011 23:00:21
Re: folfirinox (2 replies, posted in Chemotherapy)
I was just told by my doctor that I will start treatment with FOLRINOX for a tumor in the bile duct that spread to the lungs. I was diagnosed a little over a year ago, and was treated with gemzar/cisplatin, then gemzar/carboplatin and the tumors in lungs started growing so I will now start with FOLFIRINOX. I am also interested in any others being treated with this protocol.
mary's son -- how is your mom doing?
8 Tue, 15 Nov 2011 08:01:41
Re: Supposed to be Dead by now (14 replies, posted in Good News / What's Working)
Hi everyone --
I was diagnosed a year ago, at 56, and thankfully doing well on Carboplatin and Gemzar, two weeks on and on off. Was originally on Cisplatin. I have an inoperable tumor met. to the lungs. Although tumor may not go away, I can live normally as long as it stable. I have not come across anyone in my area (northern Westchester, NY) with bile duct cancer - so I appreciate this Web site. I am looking forward to many more birthdays and hope the same for all of you!!!
9 Tue, 21 Dec 2010 09:03:36
Re: anniversary gift (10 replies, posted in Good News / What's Working)
Bob - You give hope to all of us!!
10 Tue, 21 Dec 2010 09:00:59
Re: Update on my Dad (10 replies, posted in Good News / What's Working)
Great news Cinnamin -- wishing your Dad continued success!!
11 Thu, 16 Dec 2010 14:33:41
Re: My story, in case it helps... (48 replies, posted in Good News / What's Working)
Andy -- I am new to this site and am thrilled with your story! It really is inspiring!
12 Tue, 14 Dec 2010 15:42:15
Re: Clinical Trial Sorafenib/Erlotinib (17 replies, posted in Good News / What's Working)
Great news!!! I am newly diagosed and determined to survive many, many years.
Best wishes.


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Oklahoma City RedHawks: Rain nixes RedHawks' season opener at Memphis
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Oklahoma City RedHawks' season-opening baseball game Thursday against the Memphis Redbirds was rained out. The Pacific Coast League teams are scheduled to play two seven-inning games on Friday. The first game is scheduled to begin at 5:05 p.m. at AutoZone Park. Oklahoma City's first home game is 7:05 p.m. Friday, April 12, at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark.


text: Where Do We Go From Here? Osama bin Laden's death. Libya. Birtherism. The 2012 election is shaping up to be one explosive contest. The National Interest May 5, 2011 Tweet TNI editor Justine Rosenthal sits down with Ross Douthat of the New York Times op-ed page and Joe Klein from TIME to discuss the death of Osama bin Laden and what that means for 2012, nationalism and the war in Afghanistan. Tweet View the discussion thread.


text: I have a chance to buy a Motobecane Super Mirage but we don't know what it's worth. The only other stuff written on the bike is: " built with 2040 High-resiliency tubing"; gears are "suntour V-GT LUXE";tires are "Panaracer Tour Guard Aramid 27 x 11 1/4" Other than Made in France, there is no other information. Can anyone tell us what it's worth?? Can anyone guess how old it is? 'Thanks


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Warm hands, warm hearts
MCBA, School No. 29 team up to provide students with new hats, mittens
The smiles on the faces of the elementary school children receiving hats and mittens Tuesday brought extra warmth to the hearts of the distributors. As part of its joint project with the Adlai E. Stevenson School No. 29, members of the Monroe County Bar Association went to the Kirkland Road School on Tuesday morning to hand ...


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Lot 622 View Catalog
Two Chinese Export Famille Rose Porcelain Teapots, 19th c., the first with figural decoration, domed finialed cover with foliate rim, base with Henry Stern Antiques label, height 5 7/8 in., width 8 1/4 in.; the second with floral decoration, domed finialed cover, height 5 1/2 in., width 8 1/2 in Provenance: The Irving and Bettie Redler Collection, New Orleans, LA.
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The Beginning Of Its Perfection
09 Monday Mar 2015
09 Monday Mar 2015
29 Thursday Jan 2015
Peace, one and all…
'And assuredly you possess a magnificent character' (68:4)
'Truly anger and harshness come from the servant's dependence on his own strength (quwwa). However, when he gives up relying on his own strength, weakness will take up residence in his soul, and this will generate mercy and benevolence in him, which is to take on the charateristics of the Lord, may His majesty be magnified'.
Sahl ibn Abdullah al-Tustari, Tafsir al-Tustari
06 Tuesday Jan 2015
Peace, one and all…
Calligraphy opens the eyes of the heart to an essential aspect of beauty, that all things are the manifestation of a single divine source. Calligraphy allows us to see that, in essence, creation is part of an ever-unfolding story, that we are all letters, words, sentences and paragraphs in His wondrous tale.
I really love this piece. In the centre of the image we find the name of Muhammad (as). Above this, we find the Name of God, Allah, the Source of All. The alif of Allah is written in the very centre of the word, suggesting to me that the humanity and power of each of these beloved ones is a divine gift, that what makes each of them beloved is God's own love.
Surrounding the name of Muhammad (as), we find the names of the other great axial messengers of Islamic tradition (as). In the top right hand corner we find the first human being, Adam (as), the one formed by God's own hands. In the top left hand corner stands the name of Noah (or Nuh in Arabic, as), God's appointed messenger in ancient times. In the bottom right hand corner, we find the name of Ibrahim (Abraham, as), the first chevalier (fata). In the bottom left hand corner we read the name of Moses (Musa, as), the one to whom God spoke directly. At the bottom of the image we find the name of beloved Jesus (Isa, as), God's word and a spirit from Him.
We can read these names theologically, as a profound statement of Islam's understanding of unfolding revelation. We can also read them sociologically, so to speak, as an assertion of the Islamic tradition's understanding of the union of prophetic teaching. That is, all that these prophets taught (as) exists as part of a greater whole, of an over-arching oneness. I also see it as an expression of a profound idea: at a deep level, Islam includes the entirety of the Divine's relationship with humanity, in all its manifest diversity. Nor do I see this as some self-aggrandising act of conquest, of spiritual appropriation. Rather, I see this as stating a profound truth. God alone is the ultimate source of the world's many faiths and traditions, and the whole of humanity is united in that profound, living oneness.
We can also read these names more inwardly. That is, Islamic esoteric tradition holds that the prophets (as) live within the heart of each human being, and represent particular spiritual qualities and energies. As such, each particular quality can be accessed, and can be used in providing deep, inner healing. In light of this notion, I see this piece as reminding us that in order to reach completion, to be truly transformed, all of these diverse energies must be brought into balanced harmony. This can only truly be done once we realise fully that it is God, alone, who provides this transformational ability. More deeply, it is only God that truly acts.
Subhana Rabbika,
Rabb al-`Izzati amma yas'ifuun
wa salamun ala al-mursalin,
wa al-hamdu lillahi rabb al-`alamin.
Ask olsun!
21 Monday Jul 2014
12 Saturday Jul 2014
09 Wednesday Jul 2014
05 Saturday Jul 2014
Peace, one and all…
I wasn't able to post yesterday's reading from Ibn Ata'illah. So, here it is today.
Only the contemplation of His Attribute
can dislodge you from your attribute.
Hikam, 241
Humility is realising our weakness, our poverty, in the face of His strength, His infinite richness and profundity. We can, and should, strive to be humble, to realise our own human frailty, and yet this always seems to lead us back to Him, as if we were naught but a mirror to reflect His face. Understanding that every attribute I possess is, in deep reality, His is helpful and liberating. I experience it as a kind of folding, in which my poverty and His strength move and shift and dance, like waves in the ocean. Contemplating in this way is very beautiful.
Ask olsun,
Abdur Rahman
30 Saturday Nov 2013
30 Saturday Nov 2013
16 Monday Sep 2013
06 Wednesday Jun 2012
Peace, one and all…
'On the paths of feeling, imagination, understanding and will, the Lover searched for his Beloved. On those paths the Lover endured perils and griefs for his Beloved's sake, so he might raise his will and understanding to the Beloved. For the Beloved wills that His lovers may comprehend and love Him deeply'
Ramon Lull, The Book of the Lover and the Beloved, 314.
Related Post:
05 Tuesday Jun 2012
Peace, one and all…
In a beautiful and oft-quoted verse, the Quran states:
'Those who believe (in the Qur'an), and those who follow the Jewish (scriptures), and the Christians and the Sabians, – any who believe in Allah and the Last Day, and work righteousness, shall have their reward with their Lord; on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve' (2:62; see also 5:69).
I have always seen a remarkable openness in this verse, a reaching out beyond narrow human boundaries. Indeed, it has always been one of the most impressive verses in the entire Quran, especially in the way it extends the promise of redemption and salvation to all who believe. I also find the same spirit of openness in the following passage:
'Invite (all) to the Way of your Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching' (16:125, trans. Ali, with slight adaptation)
In this beautiful passage, Muslims are encouraged to share their faith in a gentle, and open-handed way. And, even though Muslims have sometimes strayed from such spiritual generosity, the ideal remains and continues to inspire real, human dialogue.
As I grow older, I begin to see ever more clearly that true dialogue can only occur through the development of human relationships. Indeed, when such relationships exist, communication moves beyond mere surface 'dialogue', to a place where our differences cease to be something that divides us; they become the 'spice' that makes conversation enriching. In other words, true dialogue is a means of soul-sharing.
The Sufi tradition places great emphasis on such relationships – describing them by the prophetic term suhbah (or sohbet in Turkish, and related languages). Sohbet is a means of both spiritual companionship and spiritual conversation – a way of being with our companions that moves beyond these surface differences. It is in this spirit that I wish to offer a personal exploration of some key aspects of the worldview of Islam – as a means of sharing, beyond sectarian and religious labels, from one human being to all those who happen to read these words.
In talking to others, I have occasionally encountered those who feel that the Islamic tradition has little to say of love. According to this view, although the Quran and prophetic traditions spend a great deal of time extolling the power, might and majesty of God, they say almost nothing of Divine love. Although the Quran contains numerous references to God's kindness and compassion, as well as to His maintenance of the Universe, it presents these as attributes of a distant, cosmic ruler – Who is so exalted as to make any real relationship impossible. On reflection, I think this idea comes from a misunderstanding of the conceptual universe of Islam. In particular, it arises from a misunderstanding of how Islam conceptualises compassion, mercy and love.
A brief example might help to illustrate my point more clearly. In Surah al-Dhariyat, we find the following verse:
'And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me' (51:56)
Without understanding the full range of meanings behind the key term 'worship' (`ibadah), it is easy to misunderstand this verse. Indeed, it has often been seen as a command for mere robotic service, as though God requires human automata. When the semantic range of ibadah is explored, it then becomes possible to have a much fuller understanding of the Quran's vision of life's pupose (this is something I hope to do soon, insha Allah). Furthermore, even those verses that refer to Divine Immanence, are sometimes believed to paint a picture of God as an angry watcher.
Personally, this has not been how I have experienced God, as a Muslim. Indeed, this picture is not one most Muslims would recognise I suspect. So, where, then, does this idea come from? Whilst, in part, this may derive from older visions of Islam as a dry, law-bound faith, I also think this misunderstanding comes from a lack of familiarity with the conceptual universe of Islam, as broadly conceived. So, with these things in mind, I'd like to explore a key aspect of Islam's picture of the Divine – namely, Rahma.
Arabic words are based on trilateral roots, which give the basic meaning of the term. The root of rahma, ra ha ma, has the following basic meanings:
'the womb, blood relatives; mercy, kindness, compassion, pity, sympathy, to show mercy, to show compassion, to let off, to be kind, forgiveness, bounty, good fortune, blessing' (Badawi and Haleem, Arabic-English Dictionary of Quranic Usage, p.354)
Forms derived from this root occur some 342 times throughout the Quran. As we can see, therefore, it is an important concept. Indeed, every chapter but one opens with the phrase Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim (In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful). As we can see, there are two basic senses: family ties and relationships (expressed in Quranic parlance as the 'ties of the womb') and compassion.
This connection between mercy and the ties of kinship is made explicit in an interesting tradition, related on the authority of Abdullah ibn Abu Awfa:
'The Prophet (alaihi al-salatu wa al-salam) said, 'Mercy is not conferred on people when there is someone among them who severs ties of kinship' (Adab al-Mufrad no. 63)
Those who deliberately weaken the bonds of family love are thus deprived of mercy in their own lives, leading to a further hardening of the heart. Conversely, as this statement attributed to Ibn Umar makes clear, maintaining the 'ties of the womb' encourage the outpouring of divine grace and mercy:
'Ibn Umar said: 'If someone fears his Lord and maintains his ties of kinship, his term of life will be prolonged, he will have abundant wealth and his people will love him' (Adab al-Mufrad no. 58)
Here, rahma is decisively linked with love. Indeed, this mercy is the intimate, personalised and life-enhancing outpouring of God's love. Strengthening the bonds of family strengthens love, and loving-kindness allows the development of deep, spiritual bonds. It is only through rahma that one can acquire love; it is only through love (or perhaps we might say manifested mercy) that true spiritual companionship (suhbah) can emerge. Perhaps this is why religious communities are often depicted as being spiritual families, as the context in which rahma and love can grow beyond their primary genetic roots.
Islamic ideas of mercy contain love – indeed, we might say that they point to the embodiment of love in all its fullness. Compassion is presented as the embodiment of love…testifying to a greater love beyond. In a number of significant hadith, the relationship between rahma and parental love is given further nuance. In one such tradition, Anas ibn Malik relates the following story:
'A woman came to Aisha (God be pleased with her) and Aisha gave her three dates. She gave each of her children a date and kept one date for herself. The children ate the two dates and then looked at their mother. She took the date and split it and gave each child half a date. The Prophet (alaihi al-salatu wa al-salam) came and Aisha told him about it. He said, 'Are you amazed at that? Allah has granted her mercy because of her mercy towards her children' (Adab al-Mufrad no. 89)
This mother's tender concern for her children's well-being is here underlined as the very embodiment of rahma. In the English-speaking world, we would use the word 'love' to refer to the quality that drives a mother's compassion. Abu Hurayra relates another interesting hadith:
'I heard Allah's Apostle saying, Allah divided mercy into one-hundred parts and He kept ninety-nine parts with Him and sent down one part upon the earth, and because of that, this one single part, His creaures are merciful to each other, so that even the mare lifts up its hoofs away from its baby animal, lest it should trample on it. (Bukhari, Book 73, 29).
This hadith adds to our understanding of rahma, which is again connected to parental love. In this case, the way a mare cares for its foal is also described as mercy. That is, compassion is an innate quality given to all living creatures – in a sense, mercy is the default setting of creation. We are then told that this universal mercy is merely one small aspect of God's compassion for creation. Again, what the Islamic tradition describes as rahma, the English-speaking world would understand as love.
It is this compassion, this loving-kindness, that should form the basis of every action. Qurra ibn Iyas relates the following hadith:
'A man said, 'Messenger of Allah, whenever I slaughter a sheep, I show mercy to it (by using a sharp knife to ensure the least suffering)' – or the man said, 'I show mercy to the sheep when I slaughter it.' He said twice, 'If you showed mercy towards the sheep, Allah will show mercy to you' (Adab al-Mufrad no. 373)
Performing each action from a state of loving-kindness brings a greater, deeper love from God. A number of ahadith underline this reciprocity:
Abu Hurayra said: 'The Messenger of God (as) kissed al-Hasan ibn Ali while al-Aqra' ibn Habis al-Tamimi was sitting with him. Al-Aqra' said, 'I have ten children and I have never kissed any of them.' The Messenger of Allah (as) looked at him and said, 'Whoever does not show mercy will not be shown mercy' (Adab al-Mufrad no. 91).
Abu Hurayra said: 'The Prophet (as) said, 'Anyone who does not show mercy to our children nor acknowledge the right of our old people is not one of us' (Adab al-Mufrad no. 353)
A'isha, may Allah be pleased with her, said: 'A bedouin came to the Prophet (as) and said, 'Do you kiss you children? We do not kiss them.' The Prophet (as) said, 'Can I put mercy in your hearts after Allah has removed it?' (Adab al-Mufrad no. 90)
The connection between rahma and love is again given in this early commentary on a Quranic verse:
Urwa commented on the verse, 'Lower the wing of humility to them out of mercy' (17:24) (It means): 'Do not refuse them anything they love' (Adab al-Mufrad no. 9, Ath 5)
Drawing these things together, we can see that rahma denotes loving-kindness, a mercy that flows directly from love. Perhaps we might go so far as to describe rahma as embodied love, as love made manifest, the word made flesh. Understanding the earthly operation of rahma also provides us a semantic context within which to approach more metaphysical expressions. One report has this to say:
'Abu al-Harith al-Kirmani said: 'A man said to Abu Raja, 'I greet you and I ask Allah to join us both of us together in the abiding Abode of His mercy (rahma)'. Abu Raja said, 'Is anyone capable of that? What is the abiding abode of His mercy?' The man said, 'The Garden'. He said, 'That is not correct'. The man said, 'Then what is the abiding abode of His mercy?' He said, 'The Lord of the Worlds'.
In other words, the true abode of divine mercy is God Himself. The true Source of Rahma is al-Rahman. This makes for a very interesting reading ofSurah al-Rahman, the 55th chapter of the Quran:
'The Most Merciful (al-Rahman), taught the Quran, created Man, [And] taught him eloquence' (55:1-4).
Ahmad ibn Ajiba (d. 1809), in his spiritual commentary on these verses, has this to say:
'The mercy thus comprised by the Name of al-Rahman has two aspects. One is Essential, inseparable from the Divine Essence, and the other Attributive, by which the sustenance of creation comes about and God shows mercy to those He will … Since the Quran is among God's greatest gifts, He relates the act of its teaching to His very Essence. Indeed, the Quran is itself a theophany of of the Attributes of the Divine Essence, of Its mysteries and Its acts, and it unveils these spiritual realities to anyone whose inner vision God Most High has opened' (The Immense Ocean, trans. M A Aresmouk & M A Fitzgerald, 2009, page 11).
Elsewhere in the Quran we read the following verse:
'Say, 'Call upon Allah or call upon the Most Merciful (al-Rahman). Whichever [nam] you call to Him belong the Names Most Beautiful' (17:110)
In this verse, al-Rahman is set beside the Name Allah, the All-comprehensive Name (Ism al-Jami`). In other words, compassion, mercy and love flow from the very Essence of God – suggesting that Creation itself represents the manifestation of loving-kindness, of embodied love. In this regard, it is worth closing with the following profound hadith qudsi (or sacred tradition):
'Indeed My mercy and compassion (rahma) prevail over My anger' (Ibn Arabi, Mishkat al-Anwar, 47)
Beloved, gather us all within the folds of Your mercy. Enliven every heart with Your overflowing love!
Related Post:
Ask olsun,
Abdur Rahman
28 Monday May 2012
Peace, one and all…
Shaykh Fadlalla Haeri offers a wonderful exploration of the cosmology of the human self in these video lectures (source). Enjoy, and may all who pass by be blessed.
Part 0
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8
Part 9
Part 10
Part 11
Part 12
28 Wednesday Mar 2012
Posted Abu Sa`id ibn Abi al-Khayr, Love, Qawwali, Ruba'iyyat, Understanding the Heartin
07 Wednesday Mar 2012
14 Tuesday Feb 2012
Peace, one and all…
'The heart is a city which encompasses whatever the Real (may He be praised and exalted) created from the heavenly throne downward, be it large or small, and there are two rulers in this city: one is godly (rahmani), the other is satanic. The godly ruler is called intellect (aql), his regent is faith and his superintendent is poverty.
On the right flap of the heart there are seven castles. In charge of each castle the Real (may He be praised and exalted) placed a constable (dizdar) and the names of these constables are known one by one:
The name of the first constable is knowledge.
The name of the second constable is munificence.
The name of the third constable is reserve.
The name of the fourth constable is patience.
The name of the fifth constable is abstinence.
The name of the sixth constable is trepidation.
The name of the seventh constable is good manners.
Each constable has one hundred thousand communities, and each community has one hundred thousand soldiers and there are all protectors of faith'.
(Hz. Haji Bektash Veli, Quddus Allahi sirruhu)
31 Tuesday Jan 2012
Peace, one and all…
Imam Musa al-Kazim (God sanctify his noble soul) is reported to have said:
'Verily a seed grows in soft ground and does not grow on stone,
in the same way that wisdom thrives in the heart of the humble and does not thrive in the heart of the proud and haughty, because God has made humbleness the instrument of the intellect'
The Scale of Wisdom, 1719
28 Saturday Jan 2012
Posted Adab, Ali ibn Abi Talib, Chivalry, Understanding the Heartin
25 Wednesday Jan 2012
Peace, one and all…
Imam Ja`far al-Sadiq (may God sanctify his soul) said:
'The heart is the sanctuary of God, so do not lodge other than God in God's sanctuary'
The Scale of Wisdom, 1323
Related post:
17 Tuesday Jan 2012
Posted Breath, Life & Death, Love, Sultan Bahu, Understanding the Heartin
Peace, one and all…
'Whose place is in the breast?' The guide made us understand
these words.
This very breath that comes and goes – there is nothing besides it.
They call this the Greatest Name; this is the divine mystery.
This is the living death, Bahu, this is the divine secret.
(Sultan Bahu, trans. Jamal Elias)
18 Sunday Dec 2011
Posted Being human, Compassion and Mercy, Exploring Oneness, Friendship and Relationship, God's Beautiful Names, gratitude and patience, Jesus son of Mary, Kindred Spirituality, Love, Our Spiritual Heritage, Reflections, Servanthood, the Search, Understanding the Heart, Unity and diversityin
Peace, one and all…
'And Jesus answered him, 'The first of all commandments is, hear O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord; And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and all thy soul, and with all thy understanding, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second commandment is like, namely this, thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is no other commandment greater than these' (Mark 12:29-31)
This is a truly beautiful passage from the Gospel of Mark. In it Jesus (alaihi al-salam) responds to a learned Rabbi's earnest question: 'Of all the commandments, which is the most important?' Our beloved master's response, that love is the greatest commandment, is beautiful and profound.
I came across this passage once again, recently, and was struck not only by its beauty, but by its deeply evocative description of love as arising in life-giving oneness. Of course, Islam understands God's nature differently than Christianity, but the oneness I refer to is not primarily theological in that sense. Rather, as I read this passage, I am struck by how it calls us to see the Divine as being behind, and yet mysteriously within, all things. I was also struck by the way in which it bids humankind to respond with everything to God's call.
However, before proceeding any further, it is worth pointing out that I do not intend to explain these verses, as though 'I' know what they 'really' mean. This is for two reasons. Firstly, although, as a human being, humanity's collective spiritual heritage is mine to draw on, I do not intend to interpret this Christian scripture to anyone, much less the worldwide Christian tradition. Secondly, what do I know anyway? No, my purpose here is simply to respond, to explore the profound beauty of these wonderful verses. Anything right or true, comes from God. Only the mistakes are mine.
Our verse begins with the Shema, the quintessential expression of Jewish monotheism: 'Hear O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord' (Deuteronomy 6:4-5). Love arises first in the Divine, a Unity unto Itself. The world comes into being, and is sustained moment by moment by that love. To 'love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and all thy soul, and with all thy understanding, and with all thy strength' is thus to come into harmony with that overflowing Divine love. It is also to use our every faculty in pursuit of that aim. Our hearts, our souls/personalities, understandings and strengths, must all be dedicated towards the One, the Source of All.
It is, therefore, surely noteworthy that Jesus (as) begins with the heart, long perceived as the intellectual and spiritual centre of the human being. Sufi tradition understands the heart as a kind of meeting-place, in which the physical and subtle energy centres of a human being meet. The heart is also the primary entry-point of spirit, the divinely gifted source of life. Our capacity to love thus arises in the heart, and is itself a gift from God. In other words, our ability to love is given to us by the Divine; we are given everything we need to respond fully to that call.
If the heart is the centre, the 'soul' is the place in which our everyday notions of ourselves arise. Sufi tradition understands, broadly, that the 'soul' (or nafs in Arabic) is born from a kind of union between spirit (ruh) and our bodies. By soul, I am also referring to our psychological constitutions, our personalities, and our egos. This verse shows me that I can and indeed must love God in the very depths of my soul. Moreover, we are here told that our egos are capable of loving God, of becoming an active participant in our transformations. I find this profound, because it echoes the deepest registers of Sufi thought, and also because it offers a healing truth: our individualities, our workaday selves are valuable and part of a deep and noble purpose.
'And with all thy understanding'. That Jesus (as) should mention understanding after both the heart and the soul is interesting. It is interesting because it suggests that in truth the intellect is the servant of the heart and soul. It is also interesting because it suggests that mere intellection has its own limits, when not grounded in the heart's spiritual reality. Moreover, it contradicts the idea that spiritual growth is somehow against learning and knowledge per se. Perhaps the real point being alluded to here is that intellect must also serve. It must not master us.
'And with all thy strength'. Not only do we possess strength, we also possess weakness – which is to say that our strength has its limitations. If, however, we can open ourselves to Divine love, we can partake of the heart's strength, which arises in the infinite love of God. That is, if we serve in love's cause, 'our' strength is enfolded by His strength. An Arabic phrase expresses this beautifully: la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah ('there is no power or might except in God').
'And the second commandment is like, namely this, thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is no other commandment greater than these'. By these words, Jesus (as) again draws on the deep roots of Judaism, being a re-iteration of Leviticus 19:18. Once we come into harmony with love, our path takes us beyond ourselves, out into the world. The perfection of love lies in service to others – with the understanding that service to God's creatures is service to God Himself. To love our neighbour as ourselves means many things – ethical treatment, justice, respect, and beyond all of these a deep love for those around us, that runs beyond mere superficiality, beyond sentimentality. Moreover, from the perspective of oneness, it is God's love that brings these relationships into existence. We are faced with the Divine regardless of the direction we look. The Quran expresses this most beautifully:
'And to God belongs the east and the west. So wherever you turn, there is the Face of God. Indeed, God is All-Encompassing, All-Knowing' (2:115)
May the Divine Beloved open our hearts, our souls, our minds, our bodies, and every relationship we partake of, to His overflowing grace, mercy and love.
May all that you do this day be blessed.
Wa akhiru da`wana an il hamdu lillahi rabbil alameen.
Ma'as salama,
Abdur Rahman
07 Wednesday Dec 2011
23 Wednesday Nov 2011
Posted Understanding the Heartin
Peace, one and all…
'From the spirit the heart took subtlety and from the earth gravity. It came to be praised by both sides and was well pleasing to both. It became the locus for the vision of the unseen. The heart is neither spirit nor bodily frame. It is both spirit and bodily frame. If it is spirit, where does this embodiment come from? And if it is a bodily frame, why does it have subtlety? It is neither that nor this. But it is both that and this'.
(Ahmad Sam`ani)
24 Monday Oct 2011
Peace, one and all…
I wanted to share a series of fascinating lectures, held at Emory University, on the topic of Happiness.
Syed Hosein Nasr
Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks
Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori
Venerable Matthieu Ricard
Patrick Allitt, Cahoon Family Professor of American History at Emory
17 Monday Oct 2011


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The Big Brake-Up!Written by on February 22, 2005 Part I: Installing a Five-Lug Rear Disc-Brake Conversion From Stainless Steel Brakes Corporation
Admittedly, the vast majority of classic truck ownersconvert to disc brakes in the rear for one reason and one reason only: to get rid of the unsightly drums and replace them with something that looks similar to the front when looking between the spokes. But have you ever thought about all of the other advantages there are to adding rear disc brakes to your truck?
Front brakes can only do so much. Most rear drums do very little for stopping power, which is usually why a set of rear shoes will last two to three times longer than the front pads. By adding rear disc brakes, you can add as much as 30 percent more brake force to your braking system. Disc brakes offer a number of advantages over drum brakes. The design of disc brakes dissipates heat much more quickly than drum brakes. Also, heat causes the disc to expand, which has no effect on braking ability, but when the drum expands, it increases the amount of travel required for the shoes to apply effective stopping force. When disc brakes become wet, the large majority of the water is spun off of the disc during rotation. In a drum brake setup, water can become trapped inside the drum and act as a lubricant between the drum and shoes, causing water-induced brake fade. Since disc brakes apply equal force through clamping, they are also much safer during straight-line braking. On a practical note, disc brakes are much easier to service than drum brakes and are lighterweight.
Stainless Steel Brakes Corporation has over 30 years of experience in brake system upgrades. Like in our case with Project Old School (which is rapidly becoming less and less old school), SSBC has several stages of conversion kits available for different vehicle models. We chose the Force 10 four-piston caliper and 13-inch rotor for the front, which we'll be telling you about next month. This month we focus on the rear where we used conversion kit A126-1 to convert our GM 12-bolt rearend. This is a kit that is designed to fit within any 15-inch wheel. Since this is technically a kit for '73-and-later trucks, we also needed to update the axles with five-lug units, which we picked up from Classic Performance Products. Follow along as Installation Jason (aka Jason Scudellari) helps us make the transformation. And stay tuned for next month when we tackle the frontend--give Old School a new look--and even do a little testing.
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Stainless Steel Brakes Corporation offers this rear brake conversion kit (PN A126-1) for '73-87 Chevy 1/2-tons, but it should also work on any of the earlier models with the same axle flange (assuming you're willing to convert to five-lug axles). The kit comes complete with 11 1/2-inch rotors, which we ordered with SSBC's optional Turbo Slotting and Xtra Life plating, calipers, powdercoated brackets, all the necessary hardware, and detailed instructions with special sections on torque specs and bleeding procedures.The SSBC rear caliper is a single-piston, cast-iron unit. The piston measures 45 mm, and it features a built-in parking brake. We ordered ours with a black powdercoated finish to match the fronts.Pad replacement is not an issue because these calipers are designed after units found on mid-'80s SVO Mustangs and were later used on Lincolns, so the part numbers are supplied and readily available. Of course, SSBC replacement pads and rotors are available as well.Once in the Primedia Tech Center, Jason raised Old School up on the lift and pulled the wheels. The first item to be removed was the stock drum.Next, we unbolted the diff cover and drained the fluid into a pan. Then Jason pulled the pinion shaft by removing the lock bolt.Jason then slid each axle out of the housing. These will be replaced on this truck for five-bolt units.
We also pried out the axle seals to inspect the bearings. They rolled smooth and had no visible wear, so we left them in place and covered them as we cleaned up the ends of the housing.Classic Performance Products offers these stout five-on-five axles for converting to the five-lug pattern. We also picked up the new seals and studs at this time.With the housing ends cleaned and painted, Jason pressed the new axle seals into place with a large socket of like diameter.The caliper mounting plates install over the end of the axle tube against the mounting flange. It looks crooked, but the correct position is with the plate tilted toward the front of the truck.With the four supplied bolts installed through the holes on the mounting plates, the splash guard slid into place with the open end pointing toward the rear of the truck and the lip pointing outwards.The caliper mounting straps were next. They're identical and one goes above and the other below the axle housing facing rearward and toward each other. The mounting bracket for the brake line also fits on the top rear bolt.
We forgot to include them in the product shot, but we also upgraded to steel-braided lines, which were installed on the calipers using banjo bolts and torqued to 20 lb-ft.
The SSBC rear kit definitely brings this old 12-bolt up to date. We can't wait 'til next month to show you the Force 10 system on the front and do a little testing. We recorded some 60-to-0 braking distances before installing the new booster/master combo, so we were really curious to see how many feet we could shave thanks to these improvements.


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Boudewijnsvolk was a name of the former Danzig Old Flemish congregation at Haarlem, Holland, named for their elder Pieter Boudewijns; they held their meetings in a house called Het Goud Grendeltje (the little gold lock) on the Smalle Graft.
|Nanne van der Zijpp
|Date Published
Cite This Article
MLA style
van der Zijpp, Nanne. "Boudewijnsvolk." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1953. Web. 28 May 2016. http://gameo.org/index.php?title=Boudewijnsvolk&oldid=75907.
APA style
van der Zijpp, Nanne. (1953). Boudewijnsvolk. Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 28 May 2016, from http://gameo.org/index.php?title=Boudewijnsvolk&oldid=75907.
Herald Press website.
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