text:
Peace, one and all…
'God and our conscience know our secrets. Let them correct us.'
St. Mark the Ascetic
26 Saturday Dec 2015
Posted God's Beautiful Names, Jesus son of Mary, Visionin
Peace, one and all…
'God and our conscience know our secrets. Let them correct us.'
St. Mark the Ascetic
21 Monday Dec 2015
Peace, one and all…
In Mevlevi tradition 17th December marks Seb-i Arus, or Mevlana's 'Wedding Night' feast, the evening on which he returned to God. Mevlevis celebrate it as a night of love and remembrance. This year I was blessed to celebrate Seb-i Arus with a few beautiful dervish friends. We performed a powerful zikr, had a deep spiritual conversation (sohbet), sang songs in praise of the Prophet (as), Mevlana and all the holy ones (awliya, erenler), and prayed together. This poor one was asked to lead the night prayer (Isha). During the second prayer cycle (rak'at) I felt moved to recite Surah al-Nas, (the Chapter of Humanity), the last chapter of the Quran and a powerful invocation of Divine protection against the whisperings of Satan, and the lower self. As I performed my recitation, I felt overwhelmed by God's deep overflowing love for us, as human beings. 'I am your Sustainer and Cherisher, I am your Ever-Watchful King, I am your Ever-Loving God. I will always protect you against those who seek to harm you. I am the power of that ignites the Sun, driving away all that is dark. Take your place within Me. I am enough. I always have been. I always will be' the Surah seemed to whisper within me.
His love and mercy is an ever-present reality, the living reality behind all realities. I felt a deep sense of humility at having been allowed to witness this moment, however partially and briefly. May it sustain this poor one in his struggle towards a true and living human being. May there be love.
And my last prayer is in praise of God, Sustainer of all the worlds.
Here is a beautiful recitation of this surah, offered in love.
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Abdur Rahman
24 Tuesday Mar 2015
Posted God's Beautiful Names, Lecturesin
18 Wednesday Mar 2015
Posted God's Beautiful Namesin
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.
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Abdur Rahman
25 Wednesday Jun 2014
Posted God's Beautiful Names, Love, Musicin
10 Wednesday Apr 2013
Peace, one and all…
A fascinating exploration of the opening chapter of the Quran.
Surah al-Fatihah (Sahih International translation)
In the name of Allah , the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
[All] praise is [due] to Allah , Lord of the worlds –
The Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful,
Sovereign of the Day of Recompense.
It is You we worship and You we ask for help.
Guide us to the straight path –
The path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor,
not of those who have evoked [Your] anger or of those who are astray.
22 Friday Mar 2013
Peace, one and all…
In his eighth counsel, Meister Eckhart explores the need for zeal.
Counsel 8: Of constant zeal for the highest growth
A man should never be so satisfied with what he does or accomplish it in such a way that he becomes so independent or overconfident in his works that his reason becomes idle or lulled to sleep. He ought always to lift himself up by the two powers of reason and will, and in this to grasp at what is best of all for him in the highest degree, and outwardly and inwardly to guard prudently against everything that could harm him. So in all things he will lack nothing, but he will grow constantly and mightily.
22 Friday Mar 2013
28 Friday Sep 2012
Posted Dervishood, Exploring Oneness, God's Beautiful Names, Lecturesin
23 Sunday Sep 2012
Posted al-Quran al-Karim, Being human, Dervishood, Evrad-i Serif, Exploring Oneness, God's Beautiful Names, Hazret-i Pir Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi, Meister Eckhart, Mevlana and the Meister, Mevlevi, Our Spiritual Heritage, Poverty, Servanthood, Shaykh Ibn Arabi, Shaykh Kabir Helminski, Shaykha Camille Helminski, The Limits of Intellectin
Peace, one and all…
In recent posts, our readings have begun to focus on the question of will (Kabir Dede on the Will; Meister Eckhart: Counsels on Discernment 3). This question is also brought to the fore in our current portion of the Evrad-i Serif.
Our readings are all drawn from the Quran, and although these verses explore the question of will in interesting and forceful ways, it is their particular arrangement that is especially noteworthy.
Our present portion opens thus:
'Had We sent down this Quran on a mountain, truly, you would have seen it humble itself and break apart out of awe of God. Such are the parables We offer to human beings, so that they might reflect.
God is He other than whom there is no god; the One who knows what is hidden and what is manifest, as well as all that can be witnessed by a creature's senses or mind: Hu, the Infinitely Compassionate, the Infinitely Merciful.
God is He other than whom there is no deity: the Supreme Sovereign, the Holy One, the Source of Peace, the Inspirer of Faith, the Preserver of Security, the Exalted in Might, the One who subdues wrong and restores right, the One to whom all greatness belongs! Utterly remote is God, in limitless glory, from anything to which people may ascribe a share in His divinity!
Hu is God, the Creator, the Evolver, the Bestower of form! To Hu belong the Most Beautiful Names. All that is in the heavens and on earth declares His praises and glory: for He is the Exalted in Might, the All-Wise!
(Surah al-Hashr 59:21-24. You can listen to a beautiful recitation of these verses below)
These verses declare the infinite and incomparable majesty of God, in forceful and evocative terms. All power, authority, knowledge and beauty belong solely to Him: anything we possess is given to us by Him, and is effectively on loan to us. Even though we may possess beauty or knowledge or power, it is always and in each instance His. Thus, our will to power, to learn and to perceive beauty are really His. In a strange, paradoxical way the more we understand our abilities as belonging to Him, the more fully 'ours' they become. Or, perhaps, the more clearly we understand His absolute ownership, the more authentically we can enter into our own partial occupancy, our own derivative ownership. The more we fully we realise our own weakness, the more fully we can enter into His strength. The more we are able to take back our own projections, and the more fully we are able to let Him be God, the more human we are able to be.
Ibn Arabi makes this clear throughout his writings. This example is particularly instructive:
'Your attributes are His. Without doubt, your appearance is His appearance. What is in you is in Him. Your before is His Before; your after is His After; your essence is His essence – without Him entering into you or you entering in Him, for 'Everything is perishing but His Face' (Surah al-Qasas 28:88)' (Ibn Arabi, Kitab al-Ahadiyyah)
The Evrad then explores this strange paradox by offering these subsequent verses:
'And to everyone who is conscious of God, God always prepares a way of emergence,
and provides for him/her in ways he/she could never imagine; and for everyone who places trust in God, God is sufficient. For God will surely accomplish His purpose: truly, for all things God has appointed an appropriate measure'
(Surah al-Talaq 65:2-3)
'And so, be patient, even though they who are bent on denying the Truth would all but kill you with their eyes whenever they hear this reminder, and though they say, 'See, most surely he is a madman!'
For this is nothing less than a reminder to all the worlds.'
(Surah al-Qalam 68:51-52)
'…to everyone who will to walk a straight way.
But you cannot will it unless God, the Sustainer of all the Worlds, wills it'
(Surah al-Takwir 81:28-29)
To be truly conscious of God is to realise that all things are His; at best, we are merely guests, even in the depths of 'our' own being. Understanding that our will is already encompassed in His will is both deeply humbling and deeply liberating, freeing us from the urge to control life. This awareness is a deeper 'way of emergence', a deeper liberation from the limitations of our workaday egos.
Striving to live this way is also important because it demonstrates that we live in a magical universe, in a realm of unlimited possibilities and of infinite potentiality. We are provided for in ways we could never imagine, both within and beyond ourselves. Living in a world of infinite potentiality requires that we strive to trust in God, and realise that the Divine is absolute beneficence, and absolute sufficiency.
'…for all things has God appointed an appropriate measure' is an interesting phrase. It reminds me that that 'my' will has a limit, beyond which lies His will. It also reminds me that the trials and tribulations of my own life are measured out for me: I am challenged, but never overwhelmed, stretched but never obliterated. Moreover, this 'I' within me that demands and urges is itself limited. There are deeper levels of being within me, beyond this passing ego; there are hidden depths below the shallow waters of conventional reality.
'And so, be patient…'. Wait in patient readiness for all that Hu might work within and beyond us. Wait in calm alertness for His unfolding will. 'For this is nothing less than a reminder to all the worlds'. It is a reminder to the universe around me. It is a reminder to the universe within.
'And to everyone one of you who wills to walk a straight way. But you cannot will it unless God, the Sustainer of all the worlds, wills it'. It is His will that is primary. Our will only becomes a reality when it harmonises with His. This underlines the need for harmonisation, with God, with myself and everything around me. And, as Meister Eckhart makes clear in his counsels, this involves an inner emptying, a giving-over of ourselves to Him, in Him. In Counsel 20, Meister Eckhart says this:
'And therefore, if you wish to receive your God worthily, be sure that your superior powers are directed toward your God and that your will is seeking His will, that you are intending Him, and that your trust is based on Him' (Counsels on Discernment, 20)
Merciful One! Join our wills to Yours. Help us to will for ourselves what You will for us. Help us to accept life in all its diversity. Help us to see that all things come from You, for our betterment.
Related Posts
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Abdur Rahman
19 Thursday Jul 2012
Posted God's Beautiful Names, Lectures, Ramadan 2012in
06 Wednesday Jun 2012
Peace, one and all…
In a recent post, we explored Rahma and its place within the conceptual universe of Islam. We saw that rahma can be thought of as embodied love, as love made manifest. The sayings of the Prophet (alaihi al-salatu wa al-salam) contain instructions on how to invoke God's mercy, how to make Divine love tangible. Ibn Umar relates the following saying:
'The All-Merciful (al-Rahman) – exalted be He – shall bestow His mercy (rahma) upon those who show mercy. Be merciful to those on earth and He who is in Heaven shall bestow His mercy upon you' (al-Hakim)
Show loving-kindness to those on earth, and God will pour out His love upon you. Show love to those on earth, and they too shall reflect God's own love back to us. A second hadith relates the following words (related by Abu Usama):
'Indeed, God possesses an angel dedicated to those who supplicate by saying 'O Most Merciful of the merciful (Arham al-Rahimin).' To whomever repeats this three times in his supplication the angel says, 'Indeed, the Most Merciful of the merciful is before you, therefore ask!' (al-Hakim)
This phrase invokes God's mercy in an intensive, superlative form. It is a reminder that God alone is the Source of all mercy, of all love. As this awareness begins to penetrate our inner beings, our hearts begin to reflect this quality of compassionate love. A'isha relates the following words of the Prophet (alaihi al-salatu wa al-salam):
'Indeed, God the Exalted loves kindness in everything' (al-Bukhari)
Hz. Ali relates a very similar statement:
'Indeed, God is kind (rifqa) and He loves kindness: He accords to it that which can never be attained through the use of force' (Ahmad ibn Hanbal)
Elsewhere, the Prophet (alaihi al-salatu wa al-salam) said:
'The best deed after belief in God is benevolent love (tawaddud) towards people' (al-Tabarani)
The word tawaddud is derived from the same root as the Divine Name al-Wadud (the Ever-Loving). The more compassionate we are, the more love we generate, to the point where we can reflect God's pure light. In a commentary on the first hadith cited above, we read these words:
'Divine mercy (rahma) must radiate within man and be offered to others in the form of generosity, forbearance, and forgiveness' (Spiritual Teachings of the Prophet, page 9)
Our hearts are transformed by His love into a pure mirror, as these words related by Anas ibn Malik make clear:
'The Faithful (al-Mu'min) is the mirror of the faithful (al-Mu'min)' (al-Tirmidhi)
May the Beloved Friend of All sweep the dust from the mirror of our hearts. May His cleansing love, His tender mercy, transform us.
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Abdur Rahman
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:
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Abdur Rahman
26 Saturday May 2012
Peace, one and all…
I recently came across an excellent series of video lectures by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani, of Seekers Hub, exploring the Divine Names of God. As such, I wanted to share these videos here. May they be of benefit.
This lecture explores three Divine Names connected with creation: al-Khaliq, al-Bari and al-Musawwir. One of the principal Quranic passages in which we encounter these Names is this one:
'He is God, the Creator, the Evolver, the Bestower of Forms (or Colours). To Him belong the Most Beautiful Names: whatever is in the heavens and on earth, doth declare His Praises and Glory: and He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise' (59:24)
God willing, I also hope to share some of the insights from the wonderful Physicians of the Heart on these Names. The authors of the book have also produced a very helpful website: Physicians of the Heart.
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Abdur Rahman
03 Friday Feb 2012
Peace, one and all…
'Know, O seeker of the mysteries of Reality! What is intended by the blessed olive tree is 'knowledge', and by the oil thereof, 'knowledge of God', which is obtained through the perfection of knowledge, just as the oil is acquired from the olive tree'
(Isma`il Anqarawi, The Lamp of Mysteries, referring to 24:35)
Truly, 'the beginning of knowledge draws to a close in the art of relationship'
24 Tuesday Jan 2012
14 Saturday Jan 2012
Posted al-Quran al-Karim, Being human, Challenging Injustice, Charities, Chivalry, Compassion and Mercy, Exploring Oneness, Friendship and Relationship, God's Beautiful Names, gratitude and patience, Justice, Love, Mevlevi, Moments from My Life, Our Spiritual Heritage, Returning Home, Servanthood, The Words of Muhammad (alaihi al-salatu wa al-salam)in
Peace, one and all…
In a beautiful passage, the Quran speaks of the collection and distribution of the compulsory alms-tax (the zakat):
'Alms are only for the poor and for the needy and for those employed to collect and for bringing hearts together and for freeing captives and for those in debt and for the cause of God and for the traveler – an obligation [imposed] by God. And God is Knowing and Wise' (9:60)
This verse has long been understood as being the basis of an organised collection system, by which that alms-tax is collected. Whilst this is certainly true, a closer examination draws out a number of deeper connections.
Although this compulsory alms tax is most often described as zakat (from a root meaning 'purification'), in this verse a different term is used. If we look a little closer at this verse, we can draw this out more clearly. The word used here is sadaqat, literally meaning 'charity'. Significantly, this word derives from a root denoting truth and truthfulness. Thus, we can say that charity is a practical means of engaging with truth, of manifesting truth in everyday life. To engage in regular charity is thus a means of visualising and actualising truth. Moreover, given that this verse refers to the compulsory zakat, it forcefully underlines two further points: all that we own comes to us from God, of ourselves we own nothing. Secondly, a just and equitable, organised tax system is a collective means of manifesting this truth. Religion is not merely a matter of private observance, it is also concerned with social justice.
'Sadaqa is only for … bringing hearts together and for freeing captives and for those in debt and for the cause of God and for the wayfarer…'
Charity is thus a means of bringing peoples together, and for the cause of God, which is here tied to freeing humanity from captivity and debt.
Sadaqa is thus connected with love, with truth, in a spiritual, personal and collective sense. It is therefore an aspect of justice, particularly in the social realm. To give charity to others, in an arranged, socially accepted manner, is to do justice – and to do justice is to manifest the equilibrium of love. Indeed, the more we realise this, the more deeply we are able to access truth, to plumb the depths of sadaqa. Charity is thus a means of approaching Truth.
Charity is a function of our humanity, and is a means of enhancing relationships with others. This is why the Prophet (alaihi al-salatu wa al-salam) speaks of sadaqa in terms of its social utility, as in the following examples:
'Charity given to one's relatives twice multiplies its reward' (al-Tabarani)
'A kind word is charity' (al-Bukhari and Muslim)
'God has never dignified anyone due to his ignorance, nor humiliated anyone due to his knowledge. And wealth is never diminished as a result of charity' (al-Daylami)
'Two qualities are never coupled in a believer: miserlinenss and immorality' (al-Bukhari)
This verse also points towards a deeper, existential truth: we are utterly dependent upon God in every aspect of our lives, in each new moment and place. This becomes clear when we look again at this verse:
'Sadaqat is only for al-fuqara' and al-masakin…'
Fuqara' means those who are absolutely poor, without any other means, whilst masakin means those who are destitute, and therefore weak. Elsewhere, the Quran describes this poverty and weakness in interesting terms:
'O mankind! You are those in need of God (literally, 'you are the fuqara'), and God is the Free of Need (al-Ghani), the Praiseworthy (al-Hamid)' 35:15
In other words, poverty and utter dependence are the hallmarks of the human relationship with God. Not only does God give us all that we need, we are also dependent upon God in each new moment. That the verse before us should come in Surah Tawba, or the Chapter of Repentance, is also significant – especially when it is remembered that classical Sufism understood tawba as the first stage of the spiritual journey.
Our poverty and God's overflowing grace forms a relationship, and our breath is a living moment by moment transcription of this reality. That is, we can experience this now, in our very breath. Mevlevi tradition uses breathing techniques in its formal zikr, especially connected to the testimony of faith (the shahadah) – la ilaha illa Allah. With each exhalaltion, the practice is to breathe la ilaha ('there is no god…') as a means of letting go of every limitation, of realising our utter contingency. Each inhalation is accompanied by illa Allah ('except God') – in which our chest fills with God-given breath, with an organic awareness of Divine presence. This verse alludes to this process: we acknowledge our dependence on God, we literally breathe it by emptying and we receive a new in-breath, from the Infinite Tresuries of God, al-Ghani al-Hamid.
May God help us become open handed! May God help us realise the truth of our dependence upon Him, in each new new moment and circumstance.
Wa akhiru da`wana an il hamdu lillahi rabbil alameen.
Ma'as salama,
Abdur Rahman
06 Friday Jan 2012
Peace, one and all…
In this beautiful and profound tradition, the Messenger of God (alaihi al-salatu wa al-salam) relates the following words of God:
'O My servants, I have forbidden oppression for Myself and have made it forbidden amongst you, so do not oppress one another. O My servants, all of you are astray except for those I have guided, so seek guidance of Me and I shall guide you. O My servants, all of you are hungry except for those I have fed, so seek food of Me and I shall feed you. O My servants, all of you are naked except for those I hav eclothed, so seek clothing of Me and I shall clothe you. O My servants, you sin by night and by day, and I forgive all sins, so seek forgiveness of Me and I shall forgive you.
O My servants, you will not attain harming Me so as to harm Me, and you will not attain benefiting Me so as to benefit Me. O my servants, were the first of you and the last of you, the human of you and the jinn of you to become as pious as the most pious heart of any one man of you, that would not increase My kingdom in anything.
O My servants, were the first of you and the last of you, the human of you and the jinn of you to be as wicked as the most wicked heart of any one man of you, that would not decrease My kingdom in anything. O My servants, were the first of you and the last of you, the human of you and the jinn of you to rise up in one place and make a request of Me, and were I to give everyone what he requested, that would not decrease what I have, any more than a needle decreases the sea if put into it. O My servants, it is but your deeds that I reckon up for you and then recompense you for, so let him who finds good praise Allah, and let him who finds other than that blame no one but himself'.
Reported in Muslim, on the authority of Hz Abu Dharr.
05 Thursday Jan 2012
26 Monday Dec 2011
Peace, one and all…
'Indeed, God is the Knower of the Unseen of the heavens and the earth. Indeed, He has full knowledge of all that is in (humankind's) hearts' (Quran 35:38)
19 Monday Dec 2011
Peace, one and all…
Listen, O drop, give yourself up without regret,
and in exchange gain the Ocean.
Listen, O drop, bestow upon yourself this honour,
and in the arms of the Sea be secure.
Who indeed should be so fortunate?
An Ocean wooing a drop!
In God's name, in God's name, sell and buy at once!
Give a drop, and take this Sea full of pearls'
Masnavi 4.2619-2622
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
11 Wednesday May 2011
Peace, one and all…
We live in interesting times, it seems. Patterns are shifting and changing, and the world moves towards a great turning point. As we draw nearer to this moment of decision, we all feel the strain. I know that I do. But, as I travelled to work this morning, a calming truth emerged from deep within.
If the light were truly gone, then the end of all things would already have come. If the light had truly gone, then no one on earth would speak of love and truth and mercy; no one would strive to swim against the tides of our times. No, the light does not fade, nor is it ever diminished. It is we who turn away and we who close our own eyes.
Allah says in the Quran:
'Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves' (13:11)
There is hope in these words. There is life in these words. A change in our attitudes, orientations and priorities can only come from within. We are called in these days of ours to look inside ourselves with Truth, bi al-Haqq, that a way forward might be shown therein.
May every eye and every heart open. May a new dawn emerge. Ya Nur!
Ma'as salama,
Abdur Rahman
10 Tuesday May 2011
Peace, one and all…
We are always travelling, from place to place and from state to state. 'Die before you die', says beloved Mustafa (alaihi al-salatu wa al-salam): travel to that place of stillness before a greater ending overtakes you. But, death is not an end, nor is stillness truly without movement. For when we die, we merge once more into the totality of all things and when are are stilled, deeper spaces open out before us.
'Be in this world as though you were a traveller or a wayfarer', says Habib Allah (alaihi al-salatu wa al-salam). In all truth, this is what we are, travellers forever returning home, atoms of dust forever swirling around the Sun of All Being.
And praise be to God, Who maketh it so…
Ma'as salama,
Abdur Rahman
02 Monday May 2011
Peace, one and all..
'Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the alternation of the night and the day are signs for those of understanding' (3:190)
One of the most pleasurable aspects of Spring is being able to pray in my garden. After zuhr prayer this afternoon, I sat on the lawn (such as it is), taking pleasure in just sitting there amidst the peace and stillness. I was simply breathing, not thinking of anything in particular – a rare thing in itself.
As I sat there, I found my eyes drawn to a small plant, swaying gently in the breeze, with shadows dancing playfully on the tiny green leaves. I gradually became aware of a thought bubbling up from somewhere deep inside: the constant dance of light and shade is slowly nurturing this fragile plant. If there were too much sunlight, the plant would be exhausted before it had had a chance to fully mature. If there were too much shade, the plant would never grown forth from its seed. As I sat there, I suddenly realised that both light and shade are each, in their turn, an expression of mercy. Indeed, it is precisely this subtle balancing of energies that expresses this mercy most completely.
Interestingly, the following Quranic verses came to mind as these thoughts whirled around in my head:
'He has raised up the sky. He has set the balance so that you may not exceed in the balance: weigh with justice and do not fall short in the balance' (Surah al-Rahman, or the Chapter of the All-Merciful, 55:7-9; translated by M A S Abdel Haleem)
The balance (al-Mizan in Arabic) is thus established through and maintained by, justice (the word used in this context is qist). The root from which qist is derived conveys notions of equity, fairness, justice, fair distribution, correctness, balance and scale (source), all of which seem particularly relevant.
More broadly, the Islamic tradition understands justice as the ability to put things in their proper place, in the correct proportions, at the proper time. The balance of justice, which upholds all things, is thus exquisitely proportioned Divine mercy. It is God's rahma ('mercy') that bestows the necessary energies for growth and transformation – in just the right amount, at just the right moment. That these verses should form a part of Surah al-Rahman is no coincidence it seems. Firstly, the entire chapter calls us to reflect deeply on the natural world, and the Divine Reality (Haqq) upholding it.
Secondly, the central refrain of this chapter runs thus: 'Which, then, of your Lord's blessings do you both deny?' (first occurring in 55:13, and then throughout). In other words, we are called to respond to the natural world, and the One sustaining it. And, the appropriate response to this finely balanced mercy can only be gratitude. Thankfulness (shukr in Arabic) is the essential key by which these meanings are unlocked. Moreover, if we cannot deny this deeply embedded balance and appropriateness, we should therefore strive to embody it, to become it. Reflecting on the natural world is thus to reflect on God's own 'adab', so to speak. We are thus taught, albeit implicitly, to model this divine adab, to let it fill us and become us, all the while realising that it is God's own action within us that makes such human balance possible.
al-Rahman, meaning approximately 'the All-Merciful', or 'the Compassionate', is one of the most important Divine Names. Interestingly, the surah begins with the proportion inherent in our own creation:
'al-Rahman, taught the Quran, created man, and taught him eloquence' (55:1-4)
The anfas al-Rahman (or 'Breath of the All-Merciful') is the life-giving spirit which causes all things to exist. The Prophet (alaihi al-salatu wa al-salam) said: 'Do not curse the wind, for it derives from the Breath of the All-Merciful' (quoted in William Chittick's The Sufi Path of Knowledge, p.127).
If this is so in the physical world, it is also true in the spiritual world. Light and shade, 'good' and 'bad', are for our own inward growth, so that the rose-bush of the soul might also become like this small leaf. In the past, I imagined the darkness as a subversion of the universal order, but now I see that both are necessary. Both light and shadow are God-given; perhaps this is because duality is a necessary part of the physical universe. But, as I am learning, this duality is only apparent: it is only our limited perception that sees this way, dividing what is in fact an indivisible whole. In reality, this duality is an expression of a deeper unity – light and shade, and every other pairing of opposites, come from God, and both are held in exquisite balance by overflowing, transcendent rahma. Perhaps this is why, at this weekend's retreat, as we spoke of the Divine Name al-Nur (the Light), I realised that this is not merely physical light, but the light of all things that shines in amidst the deepest 'night' of this world.
Here is a beautiful rendition of this wonderful surah, with accompanying text.
Surah al-Rahman, recited by al-Ghamdi
In closing, let me offer a beautiful quatrain of Mevlana, appropriately from this weekend's Threshold Society retreat.
'I am a mountain echoing the Friend.
I am a picture painted by the Beloved.
I am just a lock, but you hear His key turning.
Do you think any of these words are mine?'
(Quatrain 207, trans. Shaykh Kabir Helminski)
Adab Ya Rahman! Adab Ya Hu!
Update: 2krider's blog has a wonderful post entitled: Adl vs Qist in Quranic Terminology
Ma'as salama,
Abdur Rahman
12 Sunday Sep 2010
Posted God's Beautiful Names, Huuu..., Music, Our Spiritual Heritage, Qawwali, Zikr/Salawatin
Peace, one and all…
As is perhaps widely known, in the Islamic tradition God is said to possess 99 Names (or Attributes). It has long been a practice to recite these names as a kind of litany. Here is one such beautiful rendition, from Egypt.
And here is one of the most beautiful qawwals you will ever be blessed to hear (may God have mercy on you).
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan: Allah Hoo
And here is another beautiful song in praise of God.
Shaam: Il Habib Araftu
Follow these links for more on the Divine Names:
Ma'as salama,
Abdur Rahman
27 Tuesday Apr 2010
17 Saturday Apr 2010
Posted God's Beautiful Names, Huuu..., Zikr/Salawatin
30 Tuesday Mar 2010


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SustainableBusiness.com`s role includes finding consulting work, the green job of a lifetime or experienced employees that are committed to sustainability. Green Dream Jobs is our very popular job service that connects people with business skills with environmentally conscious nonprofits, government agencies and businesses.
Accommodating Green
based in Toronto, ONTARIO (CANADA)
Accommodating Green has extensive experience in working with a variety of stakeholders on tourism and environmental issues to develop sustainability solutions. We work with communities and businesses to develop innovative strategies to integrate sustainability into practices.
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based in OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA (USA)
Green Translations is a full-service language consulting agency using its language skills to help with the problem of Global Warming. Our more than 200 language professionals are experts in at least one field of translation, are furnished with credentials and diplomas, and always natives of the country they work on. The agency has been in business for more than 11 years ...
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text:
Edit Article
How to Make a Teepee in Your Backyard
Need a teepee for the backyard? This makes a great place to play or hang out.
This article has been tagged as a stub.
That means it's off to a good start, but still has room to grow into a more helpful resource. Until the article reaches its full potential, it will be hidden from search results. Can you help it flourish? If you think the article offers complete and accurate instructions, feel free to remove this tag.
1Choose a narrow, but sturdy deciduous tree.
2Gather several long, straight sticks that are about ten feet in length.
3Place the sticks vertically against the tree. Using a step ladder, tie the top of the sticks to the tree with a strong rope. This will be the frame.
4Fan out the bottom of the sticks around the tree and push them into the ground to ensure stability.
5Gather large blankets and pin them together with safety pins.
6Wrap the blankets around the frame and secure them with safety pins. Leave an opening for a door.
7Have a sleepover. Add flashlights, sleeping bags, pillows and games.
8Hang out. Read or do crafts while having a favorite snack.
Community Q&A
Ask a Question
Things You'll Need
- Several long, straight sticks (ten feet in length)
- Large blankets
- Step ladder
- Strong rope
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Categories: Stub | Outdoor Shelters | Tents
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text:
I bet it would look even better with black tires and hoods. The red accents are good, but at some point they quit being accents and look gawdy. For me it's past that point.
"Today me will live in the moment, unless it's unpleasant, then me will eat cookie." -Cookie Monster
I put black hoods and a carbon toupe saddle on for you. Personally, I think the black hoods, black cages , black saddle, black seatpost and the 3t stem combo looks best.
Last edited by bianchi10; 10-20-13 at 09:09 AM.
My Instagram feed
I'm with bianchi.
Glad to help
still think the black hoods look better, but.....It's not my bike
My Instagram feed
^Um, ok. Care to elaborate?
, I have been thinking about a bar change. I like them, but Thought about a more shallow drop with less ergo. I really like the zipp contour SS bar, but would have a tough time having enve wheels with Ritchey stem and seatpost and zipp bars.. The Red hubs is what came on the wheels I bought from the wheel builder. It was a newer demo set and she gave me a great deal. The saddle....eh, its not the best looking saddle, but its the first one to fit me well.
Last edited by bianchi10; 10-20-13 at 05:00 PM.
My Instagram feed
http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state_parks/fal.shtml when the Back Bay http://www.fws.gov/refuges/profiles/index.cfm?id=51510 roads are closed.
Felt FC
Thanks man. I love my bike, but there are a couple things I would like to change if I had the money.
I have thought about a red crank bolt set. I might. I have also thought about a new bar shape. Not sure what I would go with, but if I did a new bar, I would probably go with an "ultralight" stem to save even more weight.
Last edited by bianchi10; 10-20-13 at 08:08 PM.
My Instagram feed


text:
Tag: LLNL
Fusion science, which seeks to recreate the energy of the stars for use on Earth, has long been the holy grail of energy researchers. A recent experiment at Lawrence Livermore's National Ignition Facility puts fusion energy one step closer.
The eighth-ranked Blue Gene/Q Vulcan system at Lawrence Livermore National Lab has opened its doors for business–at least to companies reliant on advanced modeling and simulation. The 5-petaflop super has already been used in a number of incubator projects but now that they are extending the focus of….
Chalk up another win for Sequoia and high-performance computing. The IBM Blue Gene breaks two more records.
LLNL researchers have successfully harnessed all 1,572,864 of Sequoia's cores for one impressive simulation.
The 20 petaflop, third-generation IBM BlueGene system, Sequoia, may be the number two supercomputer according to the latest TOP500 rankings, but when it comes to max core usage, Sequoia has apparently set a new record. A team of Stanford engineers harnessed one million of Sequoia's nearly 1.6 CPUs in parallel to solve a sophisticated fluid dynamics problem.
The national labs at Oak Ridge, Argonne and Lawrence Livermore are banding together for their next refresh of supercomputers. In late 2016 or early 2017, all three Department of Energy (DOE) centers are looking to deploy their first 100-plus petaflop systems, which will serve as precursors to their exascale machine further down the line. The labs will issue a request for proposal (RFP) later this year with the goal of awarding the work to two prime subcontractors.
Lawrence Livermore machine sets new record for sustained application performance.
The world's fastest computer has created the fastest computer simulation of the human heart. The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's Sequoia supercomputer, a TOP500 chart topper, was built to handle top secret nuclear weapons simulations, but before it goes behind the classified curtain, it is generating sophisticated cardiac simulations.
One by one, US government HPC labs are getting into the industry partnership business. The latest is Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), who this week announced it was teaming with IBM to form "Deep Computing Solutions," a collaboration that is being folded into LLNL's new High Performance Computing Innovation Center,
NetApp flexed its newly acquired supercomputing muscles this week when it announced it would be supplying one of the largest Lustre storage system in the world for the Sequoia supercomputer to be installed at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory next year. NetApp's E-Series storage, which they inherited when the company purchased LSI's Engenio business, will be used to provide 55 petabytes of disk arrays for the 20-petaflop Sequoia machine.


text:
i was reading some papers on turbo jets/props, and my question is...
1) how does the turbo work in the engine?
2) does the turbo kick in after a certain RPM/speed like in a car?
3) and everything in between
Please check your spelling (press "Check Spelling" above)
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South Royalton family welcomes first baby of new yearStaff Report | January 03,2013
RANDOLPH - Sara Bowen and fiancé Shawn Sedor of South Royalton were the first to welcome a baby in the new year at Gifford Medical Center in Randolph.
Bowen gave birth to daughter, Kaydence Sedor, on Jan. 2 at 10:29 p.m. A gorgeous and healthy Kaydence weighed in at 7 pounds 12 ounces and is 20 ½ inches long.
She is the couple's second child. Two-year-old Cassidy Sedor was also born at Gifford.
The family was excited to have the first baby of the new year. "It's really cool, actually," said Bowen.
But they were more excited with the newest member of their family, regardless of her birth date.
"I'm lost for words. I love my kids. They're amazing. (There's) nothing better than to have kids," said Bowen, who was originally due to give birth on Dec. 28.
"I'm just glad that she's healthy. We are lucky to have this blessing in our life," Sedor said.MORE IN This Just InWASHINGTON Many of Americas young adults appear to be in no hurry to move out of their old... Full StoryBENSON The town will not return to the days of having a reputation of being the wild west of... Full StoryMIDDLEBURY Commuters are advised of nighttime road closures tonight and Thursday. Full Story
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text:
Alternative Titles
English: Fullmetal Alchemist
Synonyms: Hagane no Renkinjutsushi, FMA, Full Metal Alchemist
Japanese: 鋼の錬金術師
Type: TV
Episodes: 51
Status: Finished Airing
Aired: Oct 4, 2003 to Oct 2, 2004
Premiered: Fall 2003
Broadcast: Saturdays at 18:00 (JST)
Producers: Aniplex, Dentsu, Square Enix, Mainichi Broadcasting
Licensors: FUNimation Entertainment
Studios: Bones
Source: Manga
Duration: 25 min. per ep.
Rating: PG-13 - Teens 13 or older
Score: 8.341 (scored by 351,234 users)
1 indicates a weighted score. Please note that 'Not yet aired' titles are excluded.
Ranked: #1862
2 based on the top anime page. Please note that 'Not yet aired' and 'R18+' titles are excluded.
Popularity: #13
Members: 536,992
Favorites: 18,251


text:
BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 CALSCALE:GREGORIAN PRODID:iCalendar-Ruby VERSION:2.0 BEGIN:VEVENT DESCRIPTION:
Learn about the Ramayana through modern romance in this witt y\, animated interpretation of the Indian epic. In the epic\, Sita is a god dess separated from her beloved husband Rama. In the film\, Nina is an anim ator whose husband moves to India\, then dumps her by e-mail. Three hilario us shadow puppets narrate this tale of ancient tragedy and modern comedy. p> DTEND:20090625T210000 DTSTAMP:20160529T043859 DTSTART:20090625T190000 GEO:34.062177;-118.3555702 LOCATION:Craft and Folk Art Museum\,5814 Wilshire Blvd. \nLos Angeles\, CA 90036 SEQUENCE:0 SUMMARY:Film Screening: Sita Sings the Blues UID:56928 END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR


text:
Lightning Digital AV Adapter
Lightning Digital AV Adapter
Use the Lightning Digital AV Adapter with your iPhone, iPad or iPod with Lightning connector. The Lightning Digital AV Adapter supports mirroring of what is displayed on your device screen — including apps, presentations, websites, slideshows and more — to your HDMI-equipped TV, display, projector or other compatible display in up to 1080p HD.
It also outputs video content — movies, TV shows, captured video — to your big screen in up to 1080p HD. Simply attach the Lightning Digital AV Adapter to the Lightning connector on your device and then to your TV or projector via an HDMI cable (sold separately).
What's in the Box
Lightning Digital AV Adapter
System Requirements
Requires an HDMI cable (sold separately) for connection to your TV or projector. Supports both video and audio output.
Get help buying.Call 0800-692-7753or
iPhone Models
- iPhone 5
- iPhone 5c
- iPhone 5s
- iPhone SE
- iPhone 6
- iPhone 6 Plus
- iPhone 6s
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iPad Models
- iPad with Retina display
- iPad mini
- iPad mini 2
- iPad Air
- iPad Air 2
- iPad mini 3
- iPad mini 4
- iPad Pro (9.7-inch)
- iPad Pro (12.9-inch)
iPod Models
- iPod touch 5th Generation 32GB/64GB
- iPod touch 5th Generation 16GB
- iPod touch 6th Generation
Answers from the community
Can I use an HDMI to lightening cord to play PS4 displayed on iPad mini? So the PS4 would be in place of a tv
- Asked by Stacie P from Avondale
- on 14/04/2016
No, it's only a "Lightning to HDMI" cable, and not the other way around. It lets you display the con No, it's only a "Lightning to HDMI" cable, and not the other way around. It lets you display the conents of the screen of an iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch that has a Lightning connector, on an HDMI-connected display, such as an HDMI TV. It does not allow you to use an iOS device as a display monitor.
- Written by Daniel R from Madison
- on 24/04/2016
My Acura mdx 2015 has hdmi. Will this cable work to use my iPad mini to display movies? What about the sound? Thanks.
- Asked by Aleksandr L from Portland
- on 14/05/2016
I forgot to mention that the hdmi cable transfers both audio and video with just the one cable
- Written by Christopher N. S from Northfield
- on 15/05/2016
Does lighting 8 pin cable digital AV adapter work on ipad4
- Asked by Ian R from Wokingham
- on 14/04/2016
Can use this adaptar for my MacBook Air macbookpro 13.3/2.9GHZ/8GB/512GB to TV ? Tx
- Asked by JOSE A from SUNRISE
- on 14/04/2016
What resolution does it support with iPad Pro? Do you get full 1920x1080?
- Asked by Dennis A from Duvall
- on 13/04/2016
I recently purchased the 12.9" iPad Pro. It supports full 1920x1080 output for both video playback, I recently purchased the 12.9" iPad Pro. It supports full 1920x1080 output for both video playback, such as movies from iTunes, and second screen content. Unfortunately, in my initial tests, there is a slight lag, which is most notable with second screen output. This could be a problem for gaming and other second screen realtime output. I've seen other reports that the lag is much less noticeable, or even nonexistent on the iPad pro (as compared to the iPhone 6 plus) but I haven't been able to reproduce this.
- Written by Scott A from Orlando
- on 23/04/2016
Can I watch my BT sports app on my television using my lightning digital AV adaptor
- Asked by Paul F from Edinburgh
- on 13/04/2016


text:
- 214Promote
Canvas Print
Peace Outby Skye Zambrana
Fine art print on bright white, fine poly-cotton blend, matte canvas using latest generation Epson archival inks. Individually trimmed and hand stretched museum wrap over 1-1/2" deep wood stretcher bars. Includes wall hanging hardware.
Love this!
Oh I ♥LOVE♥ this too!!!
Thanks Biff!! My sunset got photo-bombed :)
Oh yeah, that's great!
Thank you Andre and Brandy!! xoxox
Peace! ;D
Nice work Skye
Thank you Calvin and Hugo! :)
Very cool, Skye!
makes me miss the summer even more. beautiful.
me gusta!!!
love it!
Thank you all so much my friends!!
Exquisite sweetheART it 's a 5***** fave ;~} Valz
love it!
iconic...love it 8)
so awesome!
Thank you so very much everyone!! xoxox
adore this and the colors.
Thank you Laura! :D
really love this...
I love this!
Nice shot skye!!!! I love the sun in the background and how the fingers stand out!!! good job!
have you been following me around? haha. this is rad
Thank you so much everyone!! @Thomas is that you?! lol xoxox
your pictures are absolutely fantastic. i love them all!
Wow! Thank you Tor!!
this is awesome ^_^
Thank you Gbret!
Excellent. Very creative.
Thanks Kim!! My son is a ham and just had to be in the picture :)
Wow! Beautiful!
Thank you Ariela! :)
top notch style and content Skye - beautiful!
Thank you so much J.Medbury! :)
great picture Skye!
Thanks so much Angelo!!
very nice
Great concept.
Really makes me want to go surfing!
just wonderful!
Thank you Krzysztof, Ally, Octane and Helene!! :)
✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ 👍 !!!
great! love this
Thank you armine12n!!
Thank you catspaws!!
wonderful Skye!!!
See More Comments


text:
I would like to use a brighter lamp for the high beams. I need extra light at night on the dark rural roads I travel on. The problem is the lamps are in series with a resister to run them at a lower voltage. I have not measured the voltage. My guess it is 6 volts. Is there a work arround for this or a bulb that would work ? I installed HID lamps. They work for the high beam only. The DRL feature does not work because of the way they are wired as DRL. I found a fix on the net that disables the DRL . The problem it also disables the auto lock. There was not any info on how to do it as well. Looking at the wireing diagram in Alldata they put a switch on the wire from the drive selector to choose between park and drive. I would like to retain the DRL feature as well as lights that would work either way. My question is there a way to do this? Can I use a powerful lamp like a halogen or maybe a LED?
Is it possible to change the high beam/DRL to a halogen or a similar high output on 1998 Buick LeSabre
by webbF in Caldwell, NJ on September 28, 2011
Get Your Car Fixed at a RepairPal Certified Shop.
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1 answer 1 comment
ANSWER by patrick mannion , September 28, 2011
high beam are 9005 bulbs, low are 9006 there are many upgraded bulbs available that give brighter lights without having to modify the wiring try asking your local parts store or go online and look for better bulbs.
COMMENT by webbF , October 02, 2011
I wanted to know what would be the best choice for a white bulb. Any bulb that has a filimant will burn at half voltage. Any HID bulb with a tranformer will not work. There are so many to choose from I am overwhelmed . Any guidenece would be appreciated. I purchashed a pair of white halogen bulbs. They work but are not white. I need help to find the right ones.


text:
IBM Unveils Enterprise Social Computing Tools at Connect 2014
IBM has introduced a cloud-based software offering designed to combine email and social networking features at the IBM Connect annual technology event, CMSWire reported Friday. Tom Petrocell... Read more
Report: Army Contracting Command Benefits from Social Medias
According to the Fort Leavenworth Lamp, the U.S. Army Contracting Command is embracing social media to help its public relations strategy. Hundreds of millions of people use social networkin... Read more
IBM Adds Social Net Tools Ahead of Mobile Rush in Office
The "Bring Your Own Device" trend is all the rage at workplaces across the country and IBM unveiled new social networking and collaboration applications Wednesday to help employe... Read more
Agencies Hopping on Google Plus Bandwagon
NASA led the way in joining Google Plus, and now more federal agencies are quickly following. The U.S. Navy, the U.S. Marine Corps, and the National Nuclear Security Administration, among ot... Read more
NASA First Agency to Join Google Plus
Once selected as the most innovative federal agency by the Partnership for Public Service, NASA is on the forefront yet again as it is apparently the first agency to join Google Plus. The sp... Read more
Yahoo Testing 'Six Degrees of Separation' Theory on Facebook
Yahoo Research launched an online study this week to test the well-known social theory that says any two people can be linked through six degrees of separation. To pull off the Small World E... Read more
DISA Adds Social Networking to Forge.mil
The Defense Information Systems Agency has added a new element to its Forge.mil family of services: social networking. Forge.mil Community will help users connect, collaborate, share informa... Read more
NIST Seeks Input on Overhauled Catalog for Federal Information Systems
The National Institute of Standards and Technology is seeking comments from the public on its biennial update of the catalog of security controls for the federal government, which provides a... Read more
Survey: Security Pros 'Stretched Thin' Due to Higher Tech Adoption
The growing number of technologies implemented by businesses is posing a challenge to information security executives and their staffs, potentially jeopardizing the security of government ag... Read more
Report: Passwords Are, Like, So Not Cool
Gone are the days of teens keeping their diaries under lock and key: Now, their deepest, darkest thoughts are for the world to see, according to new findings indicating that less than half o... Read more
Report: Cyber-Crime Victims Often Blame Themselves
A Symantec report has found that a majority of cyber-crime victims blame themselves for the web attack, experiencing a sense of powerlessness and lack of justice. More than 7,000 adults from... Read more
FBI Warns of Online Scams, Predators, Social-Networking Ploys
In testimony before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security on Wednesday, FBI's Assistant Director Gordon M. Snow highlighted how yesterday's con me... Read more
Cyber Criminals Utilize Social Networks to Control Bots
Researchers at RSA FraudAction Research Lab have recently discovered a banking Trojan being hosted by a public social networking site. Any site which allows users to upload any type of conte... Read more
Facebook Message Saying Robbed and Stranded? Don't Fall For It, Says FBI
FBI's cyber-crime complaint center IC3 continues to receive reports of email or social-networking accounts being compromised and used in a social-engineering scam to swindle consumers... Read more
DoD Releases Policy on Internet Use, Social Media
The Department of Defense has released its new policy on the safe and effective use of Internet technologies, including social networking and other Web 2.0 technology. The outline of the pol... Read more


text:
Email addressVerified
Phone number(▒▒▒) ▒▒▒- ▒▒ 28
650 Friends
Reviewed180 Reviews
- School
- University of Michigan, University of Florida
- Languages
- Deutsch, English, Español
- David & Sindy's Airbnb Symbol
Hey, I'm David & Sindy!
My name is Dave and I'm originally from Cleveland, Ohio, but grew up in South Florida and have lived here for 24 years. I consider myself easy-going and I love to travel and meet new people. I am currently working on creating a travel website about European culture and this is what I spend all of my free time doing. I'm interested in the arts (music, art, architecture, history, religion, science, psychology, etc.) and enjoy a good conversation. I stay healthy and enjoy the outdoors as well. My favorite movie is Amelie, my favorite place to travel is Europe, and my favorite hobby is currently learning about wine. I don't watch too much T.V. besides the news and non-fictional programs. As for music, I enjoy all types of music and I am a musician, playing the trumpet and the piano. I reside with my wife Sindy who is originally from Germany.


text:
10 Steps to Pick the Right Doctor
Whether you need a primary care doctor or a specialist, these 10 steps will ensure you find the right doctor for you. View Slideshow
Dr. Caillouette's Experience
- Orthopedic Surgery
- Adult Reconstructive Orthopedic Surgery
- Joint Replacement & Reconstruction Orthopedics
Board Certifications
- Orthopedic Surgery
- Fracture Care
- Hip Replacement
- Hip Replacement Revision
- Joint Drainage
- Knee Arthroscopy
- Knee Replacement
- Knee Replacement Revision
- Knee Surgery
- Steroid Injection
- Viscosupplementation With Hyaluronate
- Hip Arthritis
- Knee Arthritis
- Osteoarthritis
- Osteoarthritis of Hip
- Osteoarthritis of Hip and Thigh
- Osteoarthritis of Knee
Background Check for Dr. Caillouette
0 Malpractice Claims
- No malpractice history found for California.
- No sanctions history found for the years that Healthgrades collects data.
0 Board Actions
- No board actions found for the years that Healthgrades collects data.
Awards & Recognitions
Education & Training
Medical School
- Keck School Of Medicine Of The Univ Of Southern California
- Graduated in 1983
Internship Hospital
- University Of California, Irvine
- Complete in 1989
Residency Hospital
- University Of California, Irvine
- Complete in 1988
Memberships & Professional Affiliations
Professional Affiliations
- California Orthopaedic Association , Member
- The California Orthopaedic Association is the largest statewide association representing orthopaedic surgeons in California. Orthopaedic surgeons evaluate and treat all types of musculoskeletal injuries and conditions. This includes surgical and non-surgical treatment of the spine, hip, knee, ankle, foot, shoulder, elbow and hand. The Association assists our members by providing continuing medical education and other resources that enhance their ability to provide high value quality health care.
Languages Spoken by Dr. Caillouette & Staff
- English


text:
Video: Tags: climate change
A tag is a word or phrase that helps you find video clips with similar content. View all tags »
Displaying 1 to 4 of 4 results.
Market to Market (September 26, 2014) (#4005)
Full Program: The world's largest carbon emitting nations gather to fight global climate change. Drought stricken forests burn as the search for water causes land to collapse. Those who make a living with their... 27:46
Market to Market (August 1, 2014) (#3949)
Full Program: Supporters -- and critics -- weigh in on Obama Administration plans to fight climate change. An Iraq war veteran embarks on a new mission to fulfill his agricultural dream. Market analysis with... 24:45
Vilsack says farmers understand climate change better than anyone (#4128)
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack says the USDA is helping organize and share information with farmers about climate change so they can take advantage of opportunities and take whatever... 01:03
Senators Unveil American Power Act (#3537)
The Northeastern Senatorial duo of Democrat John Kerry and Independent Joseph Lieberman unveiled a long-awaited energy and climate bill this week. 05:14
Displaying 1 to 4 of 4 results.
Video Collections
Iowa Press
Each week Iowa Press explores the issues affecting the lives of Iowans. Newsmakers, policy makers and elected officials join political reporters in a weekly discussion.
Market to Market
MARKET TO MARKET will continue the tradition that's made it one of the longest-running series on public television and the longest-running agricultural program anywhere - solid reporting about the issues that challenge agriculture and...


text: I own a 14" HP Compaq NC600 notebook. It came with Windows XP pre-installed in that. I had formatted the system and installed my copy of Windows. After driver installation the infrared port is not working. I am having the driver cd of notebook and I installed everything from that. So to some extent the driver must not cause as it is the original one. I need some help here to find the right drivers for my laptop.


text:
New T Shirts, Tanks And Hoodies
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text:
Keith: At age 92 you will die from wounds delivered by a blender after trying to make your 16th Margarita of the day. And its at 3 p.m....shame on you.
Keith: At age 92 you will die from wounds delivered by a blender after trying to make your 16th Margarita of the day. And its at 3 p.m....shame on you.
duppy conqueror: At age 47 you will become involved in revolutionary activities in Ecuador, and be killed.
VIVA la revolution!!
This really sparks the imagination.Originally Posted by sweep242
Mes compaingnons cui j'amoie et cui j'aim,... Me di, chanson.
Mitch: At age 24 you will die fighting the Interplanetary War on Terrorism on Camp Harmony, Venus.Originally Posted by pyze-guy
Looks like we'll be fighting together
He will be sent with the Nth wave. From the sounds of it you're goin' sooner. You know Wars on Terrorism can go. Frustrating to know we'll be sending retirees off to fight. Unless the cyberpunk vision of enhanced aging is coming to fruition.
I'm envisioning more of a Heinlen, Troopers environment.
Mes compaingnons cui j'amoie et cui j'aim,... Me di, chanson.
If it happens, I'll be down like China town!Originally Posted by somnambulant
Hehehe, that is great, did you make it? Can I bring gears?
Yes and Yes and Yes. I guess people will have to come to a consensus about if they want to ride, and at what time. Evenings are always better for me, but I don't think that it should revolve around that. Still down for a romp on the spit?Originally Posted by jet sanchEz
I'll be on my new SS MTB beater for the messy stuff. And yes you may bring beers.
Holy tap-dancing Christ, Jet. Just looked at your GT on Velospace. What an amazingly bazonkerous ride that is. Love it!
What's that suppose to mean?Originally Posted by Sirrobinofcoxly
Heh, thanks, great word tooOriginally Posted by Sirrobinofcoxly
It is going to be a real winter blast apparently, maybe I should re-think the gears idea----nothing more fun than trying to unclog your rear derailleur of snow, salt and ice whilst drunk/light-headed.
What is this blast you speak of? I know there are some damned cold temps out west that might be heading here...'www.weathernet......"
*from the weather network"
From Sunday afternoon to Monday afternoon we expect : 10-15 cm of snow.
Feels about -9 with the winds apparently.. let that be lower for spits riding
read the posts, dingleberry. post #18113 is a good place to start.Originally Posted by TRaffic Jammer
Dingleberry? Wes..you wound. So mean...... six inches in a 24 hour period.
Should we call the army? So afternoon it should hit? How was yesterday?
/me has installed quick-release snowplough on iro...Originally Posted by TRaffic Jammer
oh man, warm weather please come back...
Lots of people came out but I had to work so I went to say hi and meet operator (who bailed) and then had to head back to work :-p Next ride fer shure. Nice meeting you all, albeit briefly.
Originally Posted by operator
Originally Posted by cavit8
Was nice to put names to faces. Nice ride as well. Class sucked. Well it's actually really good, but Sat classes, they suck.
When sadness fills my days
It's time to turn away
And then tomorrow's dreams
Become reality to me
bring on the snow.....yeeeeehaaawww!
picked up my activa booties yesterday, so i'm all set now.
edit @ 11:20...it's snowing outside my window!!!! wooohooo!!!
Last edited by TRaffic Jammer; 01-14-07 at 10:20 AM.
Yay, wet snowy road. Time to skid all the way to work!
SO what's it going to be? Ride tonight or Monday night? Looks like most of the snow will fall overnight, so monday might have the most leftover snow on the spit. I'll leave it up to you guys since I have to work until 5pm today. I'll follow your lead.
i'm better suited for tomorrow myself. Lets see how it comes down. *giddy* i might sneak out later anyway


text: The Lenoir County Sheriff's Office says an investigation turned up multiple images and video of known or suspected child pornography on a computer in the home of 37-year-old George Bartlett of Pauls Path in Kinston. He's charged with five counts of third degree exploitation of a minor. Bond was set at 15-thousand dollars. This investigation is a result of a joint investigation by the Sheriff's Office and the NCSBI Computer Crimes Division into the sharing, trading and downloading of known or suspected child pornography in Lenoir County.


text:
Friendship is Magic ~ The My Little Pony Fan Club
View Single Post
February 21st, 2013 (2:22 PM).
Still missing that hair
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: California
Age: 23
Gender: Male
Nature: Quirky
Posts: 7,612
I've got into an argument with some people questioning why bronies exist, and when I told them about how the show had good writing and broke the gender stereotype, they then said how important target demographics are and why they shouldn't be broken. Another group of people also said that the term "brony" was originally used to troll people on 4chan because it lost its original definition by the male fans of the show.
R.I.P. Serena's long hair (2013-2015)
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Maria Milagros
Update on Maria MilagrosMilagros is 30 years old, single, and does not have children. She has proven to be an independent and hard-working woman. Indeed, she has previously taken a loan with Edpyme Alternativa with the help of kiva to expand her business, demonstraing responsibility and punctuality. She now lives in her own house, which is located in the District of Tambogrande, Northern Peru. Milagros lives in the rural part of the district and does not receive basic services.
She sells cosmetics through catalogs. Milagros sells these products to her neighbors and friends. Every day she strives to attract more customers and generate more orders for her products so that she can earn a better income. This business helps her with covering her personal expenses and assisting her parents with the household finances. Indeed, thanks to the previous credit she is has has established a shop in her house and is now also selling beverages. Milagros wants to consolidate her business' new approach as a retail outlet for selling cosmetics out of her home. Hence, she is looking to take a loan of 3000 soles, to buy more cosmetics merchandise and bevarages.
Previous Loan DetailsMilagros is 29 years old, single, and does not have children. She lives at her parents' house which is located in the village of Wiracocha in the District of Tambogrande, Piura. Milagros lives in the rural part of the district and does not receive basic services. She sells cosmetics through... More from Maria Milagros's previous loan »
Additional Information
Concurrent and Successive Loans
Our Field Partners often work with borrowers over a series of loans as the borrowers build credit, take out bigger loans, and expand their businesses. In order to make it easier for our Field Partners to post loans for borrowers who have been listed on Kiva before, we allow them to post successive and concurrent loans for their Kiva borrowers. This means that our Field Partners are able to post a borrower's second, third, etc., loan on Kiva without having to re-enter all of the borrower's information.
This borrower has been listed on Kiva before, so you'll see an updated loan description, as well as excerpts of the original descriptions from earlier loans. Most borrowers take out loans consecutively, meaning that they receive a second loan after having repaid the first. However, sometimes our Field Partners give out concurrent loans, allowing borrowers to take out one primary loan and a secondary "add-on" loan along with it. These "add-on" loans are typically smaller than the borrower's primary loan and serve a different purpose. Because Field Partners can now post loans as successive and concurrent loans, you will be able to track borrower progress over time and see the various ways a borrower is working with our Field Partners through funds from Kiva's lenders.
About Peru
44View loans »
- Repayment Term
- 17 months (Additional Information)
- Repayment Schedule
- Monthly
- Pre-Disbursed:
- Jun 12, 2012
- Listed
- Jul 23, 2012
- Currency Exchange Loss:
- Possible
- Expired:
- Aug 22, 2012


text:
For years we have been coaxing and educating journalists – and the general public – to understand that the language used to describe studies – especially observational studies – is important. We have published a primer, "Does the Language Fit the Evidence? Association Versus Causation."
Well don't feel picked on any longer, journalists. Some journals are now coaxing and educating scientist-authors of papers to learn the same lesson – and act on it
Editors of the HEART Group journals (they're all listed on this statement of ethics from 4 years ago) issued a statement today that "inappropriate word choice to describe results can lead to scientific inaccuracy." And they give examples almost identical to those we've posted in our primer for years.
They say that that the language used to describe an observational study should only make claims such as:
And they say that it is incorrect to describe such studies with language such as "reduced risk" or "lowered risk" or "benefitted."
We applaud this move, don't know why it took so long, and don't know why other journals haven't done the same thing.
A Reuters Health story captures the essence of the statement and quotes me:
"But this is a serious matter, said Gary Schwitzer, the publisher of HealthNewsReview.org, which critiques reporting on health and medicine. The language journals use, said Schwitzer, can affect the way journalists cover these studies.
"It leaves many in the general public feeling as if they're watching a scientific and editorial ping-pong game," Schwitzer told Reuters Health. "One day, we're on this end, where coffee is protective against diabetes, and then the next week, we're at the other end of the spectrum, and coffee consumption raises the risk of stroke."
Schwitzer welcomed the journal editors' efforts. Research and journalism – two intertwined industries, he said – "had better be concerned about credibility and public perceptions of what's going on in the dissemination of information."
"We've got a public that is dying for well explained, balanced, navigable information that includes caveats and context," he said. "As somebody who looks at this every day, we've dug a very big hole that moves like this will help us start to crawl out of."
Addendum on December 2 See two other recent articles:
(Hat tip to Ivan Oransky for these.)
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We Welcome Comments. But please note: We will delete comments that include personal attacks, unfounded allegations, unverified facts, product pitches, profanity or any from anyone who doesn't list what appears to be an actual email address. We will also end any thread of repetitive comments. We don't give medical advice so we won't respond to questions asking for it. Please see more on our comments policy.
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text:
DAIRY BARN, pet-friendly luxury cottage in Kilmington near Mere Ref 23508
From $416 / week
Description from the manager
Description from the manager
Bedrooms: 1/
Bathrooms: 1/
Sleeps: 2/
Type: House
This semi-detached barn conversion in Kilmington near Mere sleeps two people in one bedroom. Dairy Barn is a quality cottage on the edge of Kilmington, a Wiltshire village close to Dorset and Somerset. The cottage has a king-size double bedroom, a bathroom, a kitchen with dining area and a sitting room with a couple of armchairs and a double sofa bed. Outside is off road parking for two cars, and an enclosed lawned garden with patio and furniture. Dairy Barn is ideally located for visiting Stourhead NT house and gardens, Longleat Safari Park, Stonehenge, Salisbury, Shaftesbury or Bath.
Amenities: Oil underfloor heating. Electric oven, gas hob, ...Read more
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Sykes Cottages
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Sykes Cottages
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Urban parks are less senior-friendly than you might think
May 23, 2016, 3:18 p.m. by Matt Hickman
Study finds that neighborhood parks in 25 cities are great for young boys, but not so much for their grandparents.
City bees don't eat processed sugar
May 21, 2016, 4:34 a.m. by Bryan Nelson
Urban honey bees might live in a world of temptation from human foods, but they stay away from the junk.
Seattle's hidden street art is only revealed after a good soaking rain
May 20, 2016, 3:22 p.m. by Matt Hickman
Rainworks latest rain-activated installation makes waiting for the bus a touch less tedious.
Weird things that have been banned (and why)
May 20, 2016, 12:55 p.m. by Starre Vartan
Looking at what's disallowed in other places gives a peek inside other cultures — and our own.
9 unforgettable urban waterfalls
May 19, 2016, 1:05 p.m. by Matt Hickman
These waterfalls, some of which changed U.S. history, are located smack dab in the middle of major cities.
10 mountain hikes for city-dwellers
May 19, 2016, 1:02 p.m. by Josh Lew
Here's a collection of urban peaks that are only a short drive or subway ride away from the hustle and bustle of downtown.
Brooklyn's Prospect Park enlists goats for weed-removal duties
May 19, 2016, 1 p.m. by Matt Hickman
The poison-ivy scarfing ruminants are on loan from an upstate farm.
Amsterdam to appoint world's first bike mayor
May 12, 2016, 11:43 a.m. by Matt Hickman
Naturally, the city's actual mayor is involved in the selection process.
Off limits since 1934, a secret nature sanctuary reopens in Central Park
May 11, 2016, 3:25 p.m. by Matt Hickman
Hallett Nature Sanctuary is a hidden urban oasis within a not-so-hidden urban oasis.
2,000 NYC pigeons to perform in spellbinding aerial light show
May 2, 2016, 8:42 p.m. by Matt Hickman
Pigeon-fancying provocateur Duke Riley's 'Fly By Night' is set to dazzle over the East River.
10 parks that have shaped American cities
April 25, 2016, 3:23 p.m. by Matt Hickman
PBS honors game-changing urban green spaces, old and new.
Cities have their own microbial signatures
April 22, 2016, 6 a.m. by Russell McLendon
Urban microbiomes are so distinct that scientists realize they can identify a city just by looking at bacteria from its office buildings.


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U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20590
Federal Highway Administration Research and Technology
Coordinating, Developing, and Delivering Highway Transportation Innovations
|This report is an archived publication and may contain dated technical, contact, and link information
To understand the structure of the database and the data items included, three documents are needed:
These three documents are in ASCII format and occupy 5 MB of space. To download the zip file (463 KB), click here.
Topics: research, infrastructure, pavements and materials
Keywords: research, infrastructure, pavements and materials
TRT Terms: Pavements, Asphalt--United States--Temperature, Pavements, Asphalt--Performance--United States, Long-Term Pavement Performance Program (U.S.), Adjustment factors, Asphalt pavements, Backcalculation
Updated: 03/08/2016


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Angry Dog
Meet George, a small, angry, prejudiced dog.
Soft Outer Crust
A very raw look at the lives of several teenagers. Hilarious and extreme!
Kermit Kombat
The series features the author, Rocky Pinnicle, fighting Kermit the Frog.
I love how people don't get that even for a parody, this crap just isn't funny.
Its not funny anymore.........
I love how people don't get that this is a joke, a satire. It laughs at all the strange things in Halo that don't make sense, but the fanboys keep defending. Okay, after the sixth fart joke, it wasn't funny anymore, but still. Good animation, voice-acting and choice of music.
not my cind of humor, but it dosent deserve somuch negativity. its a decent animation i guess, im sure people with different taste finds it more interesting. i personally found the lack of frames between motions that sometimes occurred a little "bad", my vocabulary is a little to low to make a decent explanation.
and to all the haters, i have seen my fair share of shitty flashes, you people need to check the "new movies" tab or even "under judgement". before saying stuff like: "my eyes are hurting after watching this shit". i am sure you will find a flash that actually makes your eyes hurt there.