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LFD Home Furnishings in Brownsville, TX carries the following products. Select a manufacturer below to view the lines and collections carried by this store:
Sealy produces a broad range of innerspring and specialty mattresses and foundations through the Sealy, Sealy Posturepedic and Optimum brands ... See Sealy models »
Have you shopped for a mattress at LFD Home Furnishings? Write a Review!
LFD Home Furnishings is a home furnishings retailer based in Mcallen, TX offering an array of mattresses alongside its other merchandise. LFD Home Furnishings carries a variety of mattresses in its stores, including models from Sealy. LFD Home Furnishings has store locations in Texas serving the metro area(s) of Brownsville-Harlingen-San Benito, TX; Laredo, TX and McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX.
View the LFD Home Furnishings profile →
LFD Home Furnishings is a general furniture store in the Brownsville-Harlingen-San Benito, TX area. As a furniture retailer featuring a broad selection of mattresses, LFD Home Furnishings carries mattress models from Sealy.
Brownsville-Harlingen-San Benito, TX
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White roses can mean many things to many different people. They can symbolize new beginnings, or be a sign of farewell. They can convey feelings of love, friendship, respect and hope. Underlying all of these messages is the impression of innocence and purity with which white roses are now synonymous. Keller & Guerin have depicted the true beauty of the wonderful white rose by making it the whole focal point of this plate. They have used soft green, grays and blues to form the petals giving each one a three dimensional look. They have added leaves of greens, grays and blues around this huge blossom. The rose has been surrounded by a background of deep grays, blues and greens that soften as it recedes away for the flower. A gold rim completes this beautiful piece. There are no hairlines or cracks; manufacturing anomalies do exist, the occasional tiny iron speck, dust 'bump' in the glaze, etc.
Backstamp: K& G Luneville Depose France
Measures: 8 1/4"
Please visit Timber Hills Shop on Ruby Lane for different and unique items. Items added on a regular basis!!!
Beautiful "Fine Living" items for your home. Welcome to our Home. Welcome to Timber Hills Antiques.
50% OFF special items! Enter 50% OFF in search box. Shop now during our BIG 3-day sale! FREE shipping-USA.
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subset: commoncrawl


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The Loach Forum Archives (1)
Red 5 (standing by...)
Posted By: Steve Burton <email@example.com> In Response To: Re: Are you thinking what I think you're thinking? (BB)
Date: Friday, 24 September 1999, at 5:06 a.m.
In Response To: Re: Are you thinking what I think you're thinking? (BB)
I'm pretty sure you're right about the pressure issue - if we were to induce the pressures associated with deep diving (I don't know a great deal about diving, so I'm putting on asbestos suit) of 100m, that's 10 atmospheres worth of pressure - is it 1 atmos. per 10m depth? I'd put money on the bag bursting before we can start thinking of the pressures necessary to create those effects. Is the fish bagged and oxygen bubbled thru the water, or is the gas used to just inflate the bag, and let the fish help itself? Fish are certainly not adapted to breathing pure O2, so maybe it just overwhelms them. Is the haemorraging effect immediate upon release into its new home, or does it occur after a period (I can't remember)
Maybe the fish just don't like it, and this is their way of showing their displeasure!
Steves $.02
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|Text and Pixels
Read client's kudos for Text and Pixels:
Global HealthShare Initiative
Text and Pixels' founder, Dena Rosko, wrote a communication strategy for multi-modal channels and outreach options to help GHS share their vision, find new members and partners, and show the world their contribution to health reform:
Dena has proven herself to be self-motivated, eager to apply herself to the causes she is passionate about... she has shown a continued dedication as a volunteer of the GHS team... Her project at GHS was to prepare a communication strategy for multiple channels and outreach and she did an excellent job to articulate that in written format... Dena has established herself as an independent thinker, I read some of the narrative she authored and it looks impressive. Her ability to understand and assess complex issues in public health, with a focus on addressing health disparities, demonstrates her intellectual strength and ongoing awareness of current developments in the field. All of these attributes are indicative of her sustained interest in communications and public health at the global level...
~ Drs. Raymond Rodriguez & Somen Nandi, Director and Managing Director, The NCMHD Center of Excellence for Nutritional Genomics & GHS Members
Citizens to Re-elect Greg Taylor
Text and Pixels' founder, Dena Rosko, provided event photography and support, and consulted CRGT on communication strategy, event planning, social media, speech editing, web content writing, inquiry protocols, and shared interests in leadership and public health for Councilmember Taylor's political re-election campaign. Councilmember Taylor won with 71.24% votes and now represents his area in Renton, or a city with a growing diverse population of over 90,000 people:
I felt encouraged by our shared passion to improve health outcomes and quality of life in part through engaging diverse and underrepresented groups in the civic process. I recognize Dena as a unique individual who is passionate about effectively and creatively utilizing multi-modes of communication to deliver best outcomes to those who employ her services.
~ Councilmember Greg Taylor, Position #4
The Franciscan Place at St. Joseph Family Center
Text and Pixels' founder, Dena Rosko, designed a blog community profile to support SJFC's mission to serve people via the healing arts. Dena Rosko also produced a video with interviews and photographs, and photographed SJFC for their marketing purposes:
Dena enthusiastically created a video for The Franciscan Place at St. Joseph Family Center. Her photography captured the beauty and serenity we wanted to convey without any pointers from us. She is a collaborator, creative, has an eye for beauty and is willing to share her talents. Her work will be utilized in a variety of ways to market our center.
~ Sr. Celeste Crine, OSF, Coordinator of Spirituality & Healing Arts
Vision House
Text and Pixels' founder, Dena Rosko, conducted a communication audit report of internal and external communication via participant-observation, interviews, a survey questionnaire, and artifact observation to support VH's vision, mission, core values, and team design, and photographed VH (here and here) for their marketing purposes:
Dena has a good grasp of sorting through what is being said to get to the heart of the issue identifying emerging themes. She is very thorough in her investigation, has excellent follow through, and is very respectful of an organization's needs and limitations.
~ Melissa Gehrig, Human Resources and Office Manager
Multnomah University
Text and Pixels' founder, Dena Rosko, provided photographs of MU's 60th anniversary and founder's day celebration for their marketing use:
Dena Rosko is a capable photographer and writer who communicates well and works at a reasonable price.
~ Robert Leary, Director of Promotions & Communications
Renton Public Library
Text and Pixels' founder, Dena Rosko, photographed RPL for their marketing use:
[Working with Dena Rosko] has been a rewarding experience... The selection of possibilities was focused which allowed us to make a good selection of images. Your photographs are works of art that indicate to me a high level of technical skill.
~ Clark H. Peterson, then Library Director
Haddaway Hall Preservation Foundation
Text and Pixels' founder, Dena Rosko, photographed HHPF for their marketing and insurance use:
Dena Rosko conducted herself in a professional and congenial manner, she was gracious to have on-site, and... provided prompt services... She comes with the highest of recommendations.
~ Beth Webley, then Foundation Director


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First Listen: Havana Brown's New Single "Warrior"
Havana Brown's ready to rock.
Fresh off her smash hit "We Run The Night" featuring Pitbull that raked in more than 31 million views on YouTube and skyrocketed to No. 1 on the Billboard dance chart, the DJ-turned-songstress is releasing her soon-to-be next chart-topper.
And she's giving Celebuzz a sneak peek performance of her new single "Warrior."
"'Warrior' is about fighting for what you want even if the odds are against you," the Aussie newcomer told CB! "Pushing forward when others who fear you are trying to bring you down."
Fans will get to hear more of the 28-year-old's new sound when her album, "Flashing Lights," comes out in early 2014.
Listen to Brown's soon-to-be-released dance track "Warrior" in the CB! video above.


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Retired Navy officer and author of the popular military science fiction novels Stark's War, Stark's Command, and Stark's Crusade, John G. Hemry begins a markedly more cerebral series with A Just Determination.
Ensign Paul Sinclair is fresh out of the Naval Academy and assigned to the USS Michaelson as the ship's lone legal officer. The warship's mission is to patrol a very large volume of space, enforcing the U.S. claim on valuable transit routes and mineral rich asteroids.
When a South Asian Alliance ship trespasses into U.S. territory and runs from the Michaelson when approached, Captain Pete Wakeman decides to try and catch the intruding vessel before it leaves U.S. space. Wakeman's attempts at communication with the mysterious ship go unanswered, and when he fires a warning shot across the ship's bow, the ship changes its course and begins heading right for the Michaelson. Although the Alliance ship has no visible weapons, Wakeman takes no chances and fires on the ship, destroying it and everyone aboard.
When the Michaelson is ordered to return to port and the captain is court-martialed, young Sinclair must decide whether to keep quiet like everyone else or stand up for what he believes in -- a decision that could ruin his career as well as Wakeman's.
Like other popular military science fiction veterans such as David Drake and John Ringo, Hemry knows what he is talking about. This author has the right stuff -- top-notch military sci fi. Paul Goat Allen


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It was even better the visit came this past weekend, which was the one before Dickerson goes to see his brother, Cameron Dickerson, play in Northwestern's spring game.
Garrett Dickerson's first trip to 'The Farm' gave him plenty to think about, including how the Cardinal envision using the 6-foot-4, 240-pounder.
"They're about 60-40 of outside linebacker (in the 3-4 defense) to tight end right now, and I'm ok with that," Dickerson said. "I sat in outside linebacker meetings and watched them doing practice, and it was really all things that I have done before. So I am ok with them wanting me to play that position."
The trip also enabled Dickerson to meet and talk in-depth with the coaching staff face-to-face for the first time, and he enjoyed that aspect.
"The staff was great," Dickerson said. "I really got and chance to talk just about all of the staff and meet them and see what type of people they are. Their main message was how interested in me they were and how they were really happy I got a chance to get out there and hope I can again."
Academics are big in Dickerson's family, and few schools in the nation can match what Stanford can bring to the equation when it comes to the prestige of a degree.
"It's a great place academically," he said. "We got to sit in on a class and kind of see what it's like to be a student there. It was good. I enjoyed sitting there and paying attention. I can definitely see myself there when it comes to making my decision."
Another key aspect of the trip was the ability to meet the players. Dickerson spent most of his time with linebacker Blake Martinez, but he was also able to interact with plenty of other Cardinal players.
"They were great guys and I really enjoyed spending time with the players and getting their view on how they like Stanford," Dickerson said. "I thought the campus was great. It's beautiful out there. What stood out most was how big it is it took me by surprise."


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Drake's New Video Upsets Jamaican Tourism Official
Young Money rapper Drake chose Jamaica as the setting for his 'Find Your Love' video and second official single from his upcoming album 'Thank Me Later.' The video has become a viral hit since it premiered on May 11, but its violent undertones have raised some concerns about Jamaica's image in the media.
Jamaica's minister of tourism, Edmund Bartlett, was none too thrilled with the storyline of the video, which employs dancehall artist, Mavado, as a local gangster named 'Puffy.' After seeing the video, Bartlett issued a statement to Jamaica's Gleaner News, warning local artists to be careful with the way they portray Jamaica in their work. "We just have to say that care has to be taken by all, including our creative artistes, in portraying images of our destination and people," Bartlett said.
The video follows Drake as he becomes romantically involved with Puffy's (Mavado's) girlfriend, despite being warned against it. Surely enough, when 'Puffy' gets word of Drake's transgression, he orders his men to kidnap the foreign rapper. The video ends with Drake bound in a room, facing Puffy, at which point his romantic interest is directed to hold him at gunpoint. Although the video ends before the violence gets graphic, three gunshots can be heard closing out the video, which likely triggered Bartlett's response. "Gun culture, while not unique to Jamaica, is not enhancing [the island's image]," Bartlett said.
Mavado's manager Julian Jones-Griffith responded to Bartlett's statement, by pointing fingers at Drake's creative team for the premise of the video. "The concept that they came up with, where did they come up with that? If Mavado did not do it, another Jamaican actor would have done it," Jones-Griffith said. "There are a broad range of issues which need addressing if people from California want to portray a love story like this."
Check out the video for Drake's 'Find Your Love' after the jump.


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This article is an open-access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/).
Arenaviruses comprise a diverse family of enveloped negative-strand RNA viruses that are endemic to specific rodent hosts worldwide. Several arenaviruses cause severe hemorrhagic fevers in humans, including Junín and Machupo viruses in South America and Lassa fever virus in western Africa. Arenavirus entry into the host cell is mediated by the envelope glycoprotein complex, GPC. The virion is endocytosed on binding to a cell-surface receptor, and membrane fusion is initiated in response to physiological acidification of the endosome. As with other class I virus fusion proteins, GPC-mediated membrane fusion is promoted through a regulated sequence of conformational changes leading to formation of the classical postfusion trimer-of-hairpins structure. GPC is, however, unique among the class I fusion proteins in that the mature complex retains a stable signal peptide (SSP) as a third subunit, in addition to the canonical receptor-binding and fusion proteins. We will review the curious properties of the tripartite GPC complex and describe evidence that SSP interacts with the fusion subunit to modulate pH-induced activation of membrane fusion. This unusual solution to maintaining the metastable prefusion state of GPC on the virion and activating the class I fusion cascade at acidic pH provides novel targets for antiviral intervention.
Arenaviruses constitute a diverse family of enveloped negative-strand RNA viruses with worldwide distribution. At least 29 arenavirus species are currently recognized [
Phylogenetic relationships between arenaviruses. The Old World (OW) virus lineage is depicted in red, and New World (NW) lineages are subdivided into clades: A (green), B (blue), C (gray) and a recombinant A-B lineage (purple). This phylogenetic tree is based on amino-acid comparisons of the GPC. Red stars that follow virus names indicate the ability to infect humans: ** denote lethal hemorrhagic fever viruses and lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV), and * identifies infections with few or no clinical manifestations [
Infection by the hemorrhagic fever arenaviruses is accompanied by high morbidity and mortality, with significant sequelae in survivors [
At present, there are no FDA-licensed vaccines to protect against arenavirus infection and disease. This status likely reflects historical priorities rather than biological impediments. The attenuated Candid#1 strain of JUNV has been shown to provide safe and effective prophylaxis against Argentine hemorrhagic fever, and has been used in more than 200,000 persons in Argentina, but remains unlicensed in the United States [
The arenaviruses are enveloped viruses with a bisegmented negative-strand RNA genome that encodes the expression of four proteins using an ambisense coding strategy [
The arenavirus envelope glycoprotein GPC is expressed as a single precursor polypeptide and directed to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane by its signal peptide (
In contrast to other virus envelope glycoproteins, GPC is unique in that it retains its cleaved signal peptide as a third and essential subunit in the mature complex. The stable signal peptide (SSP) gives rise to a novel tripartite architecture (
Schematic representation of GPC open-reading frame, stable signal peptide (SSP) sequence alignment and the tripartite GPC protein complex. (
Arenavirus entry is initiated by G1 binding to an appropriate cell-surface receptor protein. In the case of the pathogenic NW viruses, G1 recognizes human transferrin receptor-1 (TfR1) [
Interestingly, the genetic and structural analysis of TfR1 binding also reveals the molecular basis for co-evolution of arenavirus species with their respective rodent hosts, and for infection in humans. Phylogenetic analysis divides the arenavirus genus into OW and NW species, and the NW viruses into three clades [
Upon binding to TfR1, the virion is endocytosed and GPC-mediated fusion of the viral and endosomal membranes is activated in response to acidification of the maturing endosome [
In contrast to clade B viruses, entry by the OW and NW clade C species is dependent on G1 binding to α-dystroglycan (αDG) [
On exposure to acidic pH in the maturing endosome, the prefusion GPC complex is activated to undergo a series of conformational changes leading to membrane fusion [
Virus fusion proteins can be subdivided into three classes (I, II and III) based in part on the structure of the postfusion product [
Further evidence for six-helix bundle formation in GPC was derived from biochemical and biophysical studies performed by Eschli and colleagues [
To investigate the functional significance of the presumptive six-helix bundle in GPC, we applied alanine-scanning mutagenesis at predicted interhelical residues throughout the N- and C-HRs of JUNV (
In the current model of membrane fusion, the envelope glycoprotein forms a transient intermediate structure in which the fusion peptide is inserted into the target-cell membrane to bridge the two membranes. The hydrophobic fusion peptide of class I envelope glycoproteins is generated through proteolytic cleavage of the glycoprotein precursor, and generally comprises 15–25 amino acids at or near the N terminus of the fusion subunit. By contrast, the fusion peptides of class II proteins (e.g., flavivirus E and alphavirus E1) and class III proteins (e.g., vesicular stomatitis virus G and herpes simplex virus gB) are located internally and include one or two disulfide-bonded loop regions [
Although the structural changes associated with formation of the postfusion six-helix bundle in GPC may be analogous to those of other Class I fusion proteins, the molecular basis for pH-induced activation of membrane fusion is no doubt distinct, owing to the involvement of the unique SSP subunit.
The first indications that SSP might be more than a conventional signal peptide arose from studies at the University of Marburg [
Another unusual property of the GPC signal peptide noted by Dobberstein and colleagues is that SSP is extraordinarily long-lived in the cell (
In further contrast to conventional signal peptides, SSP is myristoylated at a conserved N-terminal myristoylation motif [
Early studies revealed that SSP association was required for proteolytic maturation of the G1G2 precursor [
The presence of two hydrophobic sequences in SSP raises the question of how SSP is positioned in the membrane. While several topologies have been suggested based on biochemical studies [
Initial alanine-scanning mutagenesis revealed that among the four residues in the nominal C‑terminal cytoplasmic domain of JUNV SSP, only C57 was essential for GPC assembly, transport, processing and membrane-fusion activity [
NMR structure of the zinc-binding domain in the cytoplasmic tail of G2. (
The first indication that SSP was directly involved in GPC-mediated membrane fusion came from our observation that an alanine substitution at the conserved K33 position in the short ectodomain loop of SSP specifically ablated pH-dependent membrane fusion while sparing GPC biosynthesis, assembly, processing and transport to the cell surface [
K33 in SSP modulates pH-induced activation of membrane fusion. (
As the lysine sidechain at position 33 is not itself affected by low pH, we reasoned that the ectodomain loop of SSP might interact with the membrane-proximal ectodomain for G2 to control pH‑induced activation. Indeed, scanning mutagenesis of conserved charged residues in this region of G2 identified several positions (D400, E410, R414 and K417) that, when mutated to alanine, rescued the pH-dependent defect in the K33Q mutant [
Evidence for the critical role of SSP-G2 interactions in maintaining the prefusion state of GPC and responding to acidic pH can also be deduced from the study of small-molecule arenavirus-specific fusion inhibitors. High-throughput screening programs at SIGA Technologies, Inc. (Corvallis, OR, USA) and the Scripps Research Institute (La Jolla, CA, USA) have discovered at least six chemically distinct classes of compounds that inhibit GPC-mediated membrane fusion [
Despite the chemical differences among the inhibitors, genetic and now biochemical evidence suggests that all the classes share a common binding site on GPC. Cross-resistance among the classes is common [
In sharing a common binding site, the inhibitors likely share a mechanism of action. Genetic studies of inhibitor sensitivity point to some of the same residues that are thought to mediate pH-dependent interactions between SSP and G2, including K33 [
Chemically distinct classes of arenavirus-specific fusion inhibitors. Compounds from SIGA Technologies are indicated with the ST prefix [
While much as been learned about the unusual arenavirus envelope glycoprotein in the past decade, many fundamental questions remain unanswered. (1) How is the tripartite GPC monomer organized, and how are the monomers related in the trimeric complex? (2) What are the structural features that: (i) establish fusion competency on proteolytic maturation of the GPC precursor, (ii) maintain the mature metastable prefusion state at neutral pH, and (iii) promote the transition to membrane fusion at low pH? What are the molecular and atomic requirements for effective interference by small-molecule fusion inhibitors? (3) How do interactions among the nine transmembrane domains of the trimer affect pH-sensing and pH-induced activation by the GPC ectodomain? (4) How does SSP myristoylation and formation of the zinc-binding domain in the cytoplasmic domain of GPC affect intracellular transport, virion assembly and membrane-fusion activity. These questions can now be addressed in the context of virus infection by using the robust reverse-genetics systems developed over past years [
High-resolution structural analysis of transmembrane envelope glycoproteins is extremely challenging, and crystallographic studies to date have been limited to soluble fragments. Moreover, the intrinsic metastability of the trimeric envelope glycoprotein complex has frustrated efforts to isolate the prefusion form of the protein. Recent studies in our laboratory have shown the transmembrane GPC complex of JUNV to be exceptionally stable to solubilization and purification as a trimeric complex, and to reconstitution in artificial lipid membranes [
We thank NIH/NIAID for their support of studies in our laboratory: AI059355, AI074818, and AI065357 (Rocky Mountain Regional Center of Excellence for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Disease Research). We are grateful to Sudhakar S. Agnihothram, Klara Briknarová and Celestine J. Thomas for their contributions to the story, and to Min Lu (PHRI, UMDNJ) and Meg Trahey for continued discussions and astute editing. We also are grateful to Victor Romanowski (Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Argentina), James Meegan (NIH), and Tové Bolken, Sean Amberg and Dennis Hruby (SIGA Technologies, Corvallis, OR, USA) who have all made important contributions to our studies. Several years ago, after one of my early talks on arenaviruses, someone asked playfully if I knew who had named the genus. I do now. I want to acknowledge the contributions of all those researchers who established the foundations for arenavirus biology, before it was sexy. I apologize to those whose primary research is only indirectly cited in the referenced reviews.


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Verizon Wireless Delivering Temporary Cell Towers To Joplin, Missouri
KANSAS CITY, MO — To aid customers and recovery efforts in the aftermath of Sunday's devastating tornado, Verizon Wireless is sending three temporary cell towers to provide emergency wireless calling capacity and coverage in and around Joplin, Mo.
The temporary towers will provide network coverage to Verizon Wireless customers in some of the hardest hit areas in and around Joplin so that they can contact family, friends and loved ones.
The Verizon Wireless Network team is working with local emergency management personnel to determine the best locations for the temporary cell towers. Additional temporary resources, including a mobile charging station and a temporary store, are being sent to the Joplin area.
For Verizon Wireless Updates on Twitter Stay in the know about Verizon Wireless news in Missouri by following @VZWBrenda on Twitter at http://twitter.com/vzwbrenda. For the latest network-related news, information and upgrades, follow @VZWNetwork on Twitter at http://twitter.com/VZWNetwork.
About Verizon Wireless Verizon Wireless operates the nation's fastest, most advanced 4G network and largest, most reliable 3G network. The company serves 104 million total wireless connections, including more than 88 million retail customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 85,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE, NASDAQ: VZ) and Vodafone (LSE, NASDAQ: VOD). For more information, visit www.verizonwireless.com. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.


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Zack Snyder
Patrick Wilson, Jackie Earle Haley, Malin Akerman, Billy Crudup, Matthew Goode, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Stephen McHattie, Matt Frewer, Carla Gugino
(Warner Brothers)
US theatrical: 6 Mar 2009 (General release)
UK theatrical: 6 Mar 2009 (General release)
"Watchmen" may be the most eagerly awaited movie of 2009 - the film of the Alan Moore/Dave Gibbons graphic novel has been the object of breathless Internet anticipation for years.
But before the hype for the movie, opening Friday, reached its fever pitch, there was that first day, that first moment, with actors, old colleagues, in odd costumes about to perform in a comic-book movie.
"Patrick Wilson and I were on the set, in full garb. He's Nite Owl, in a cape and goggles, and I'm Rorschach, in a mask," Jackie Earle Haley recalls. "We kinda look at each other and just start laughing, thinking that there's no WAY that two years ago we could have guessed we'd be standing there, dressed like this in a comic-book movie."
Two years ago, Haley, 47, was "the comeback kid." He and Wilson were co-stars in the acclaimed drama "Little Children." Haley gave an Oscar-nominated performance as a child molester who likes to put on his swim gear and leer at children in a pool.
"Two years ago, I was the guy in the goggles!"
With "Watchmen," Haley's comeback can be called complete. Internet fans pushed for his selection as Rorschach, and one of them, Clint Morris of Moviehole.net, calls him "a standout as the sociopath of the hero troupe." As "Walter Kovacs (a k a Rorschach) ... Haley is the best thing in 'Watchmen.'"
"Internet fans of the books got me to start looking into it," Haley recalls. "The more I looked into it the more excited I got. I fell in love with the book and the character; such an intricate, complex and iconic character. I talked to my agents and asking them to look into it. The problem was, it kind of looked like they were going down the 'movie star' road. That ruled me out. At one point, my agent said, 'Dude, get over it. It's gone.' And then a month later he calls and says 'It looks like things are shifting a bit over there. Why don't you do an audition tape and send it to (director) Zack (Snyder) and those guys?'"
Haley landed the part, the one member of a group of retired "costumed vigilantes" who suspects that somebody is murdering the members of their elite club and hunts for clues about the crimes. But Rorschach, hidden behind an ever-changing mask, is a brutal, deeply disturbed and ruthless man not above using torture and risking "collateral damage" in his search for a villain.
"This guy's definitely a bit further out there than most of the characters I've played. Damaged? He's really damaged. But his absolute black-and-white sense of justice is what I love about him. For him to even survive in this world, he had to embrace that absolutism, no compromising. When you start looking at his childhood, how his mother was a prostitute, raging alcoholic, how he was victimized, the beatings, you can see how he'd invent this world for himself, this identity. He fell through society's cracks and needed a black-and-white world, a simpler view of things - good, evil, life, death."
The trickiest thing about playing the character was getting across Rorschach's personality and giving a performance behind a mask. It's one of the tougher things acting students learn to do - "mask class."
"Dude, I missed those classes!" Haley chortles. "That would've helped! I mean, come on. It was daunting. You think, 'I've gotten another incredible break, a part in this awesome flick.' And then you think, 'My God, I've got a SOCK on my head for the whole movie!'
"A face is an actor's main way of getting across feeling and meaning, our main point of conveyance. To cover that up, to not have that, is just plain scary. But on the other hand, to don the Rorschach outfit is incredibly liberating and motivating. I had to embrace it and do the work, the internal work of an actor, and hope that the externals take care of themselves. I admit I did sneak a peak at the monitor to see how a take registered, see if I needed to do more or less. Sometimes, what I was doing just wouldn't read, so I'd have to animate the outfit a little bit, play it a bit bigger."
It's another big break for a former child actor who lived through decades in the movie wilderness, substance-abuse problems and multiple marriages, only to re-emerge in "All the King's Men" and "Little Children" in 2007. One thing the onetime "Bad News Bears" star learned from the experience is to pay attention to the Internet, where the fanboys and fangirls have embraced him as one of their own. Their latest lobbying effort? Cast Haley as the new Freddy Krueger in a remake of "A Nightmare on Elm Street," which starts filming at the end of April.
"I just heard about it, so I don't know what I think about that," Haley says, laughing. "Nobody's called yet. It'd be another mask role, wouldn't it?"
Pretty heady stuff for any actor, fans lobbying for your next job. And his next film after "Watchmen" has a pretty serious pedigree. "Shutter Island" is based on a Dennis Lehane novel, was directed by Martin Scorsese and stars Leonardo DiCaprio.
"When you've been where I've been, to cut to all these years later and I've gotten to play Rorschach, and I'm standing across from Leo, doing a scene for Marty. And I'm calling him Marty! Man, It doesn't get any better than this!"
Legendary Shack Shakers "After You've Gone" (audio) (premiere) // Music
Brad Peterson "What the Open Heart Allows" (audio) (premiere) // Music
Arcade Fire "Creature Comfort" (Singles Going Steady) // Music
'Caltiki': The Creeping Blob!
// Short Ends and Leader
"Even at its most creaky in between the hair-raising scenes of queasy ickiness, this movie appeals to style mavens, auteur watchers, and horror historians.READ the article


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PHANTOM OF THE OPERA and More Highlight Pacific Symphony's 2012 Summer Festival
It's time to pack a picnic and enjoy five summer evenings of beautiful music under the stars with Pacific Symphony at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Irvine.
The Symphony's 24th Summer Festival, presented by Hoag Hospital, offers an exciting variety of music, beginning with a celebratory July 4th extravaganza tonight, featuring the iconic music of The Eagles and culminating in a dazzling fireworks display. Enjoy an evening of Broadway magic that combines the cachet of "The Phantom of the Opera" with three extraordinary performers, and a night of Ludwig van Beethoven's greatest hits. Then, get a bang out of summer at the annual, all-new program for "Tchaikovsky Spectacular," with cannons and fireworks! The series concludes with Disney Live in Concert, featuring the Symphony performing the soundtrack to "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl"-as it is shown on the big screen.
Subscriptions range from $95-$465. Single tickets are $25-$99. Luxury season packages are also available. Gates open at 6 p.m. for picnicking at all concerts. For more information or to purchase tickets, call (714) 755-5799 or visit www.PacificSymphony.org.
The Symphony's summer season kicks off with a July 4 celebration tonight, led by Kaufman and spotlighting the music of one of the most successful musical acts of the 1970s-The Eagles. Having gained astounding recognition over the years, the music of The Eagles has garnered five number-one singles, six Grammys, five American Music Awards and six number-one albums. Windborne's "Music of the Eagles" headlines this tribute to an iconic American rock band that got its start in California, playing mega-hits like "Take it Easy" and "Hotel California." Taking place Wednesday, July 4, at 8 p.m., this holiday concert includes patriotic favorites, a traditional salute to the U.S. armed forces and a fireworks finale.
Softly, deftly, music shall caress you…hear it, feel it secretly possess you-on Saturday, July 21, at 8 p.m., when "The Three Phantoms-Broadway's Biggest Hits!" takes the stage. Led by Maestro Kaufman, this concert stars three extraordinary performers with powerhouse voices, who have played the title role of The Phantom-Craig Schulman, Gary Mauer and Mark Jacoby-as they join the orchestra for a night of soaring melodies from Andrew Lloyd Webber's phenomenon and blockbusters from "Les Miserables," "Ragtime," "Showboat" and much, much more.


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Terminal de Aviación General
Now with 4 daily flights to Los Roques, thanks to an agreement signed with the CONVIASA airline, jointly with the Tourism Corporation of the Territorio Insular. Cotizar Vuelo..
The company formed by a group of tour operators, will have exclusive commercialization for these air operations to Los Roques.
The airline flagship of Venezuela now operates with the New aircraft Cessna 208-B Grand Caravan thus helping to implement the supply of air passages to the Archipelago of Los Roques which in recent months had decreased significantly..
Flight Timetable:
Maiquetia Terminal de Aviación General - Los Roques: 7:00 am - 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
Los Roques - Terminal de Aviación General: 8:00 am - 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
Important notes:
Only 15 kilos per passenger is allowed. The excess weight will be calculated at USD $1 per kilo, baggage exceeding 15 kilos weight could be sent on the first available flight.
Flights will depart from Terminal B Aviacion General (Terminal de Aviación General) in Maiquetia 50 meters from the Auxiliary Terminal (900 meters from the International Airport) and will be operated by the airline Con Viasa.
It is recommended to present at check-In 1 hour before flight departure.
Cancellation policy is considered accepted upon receipt of this email:
Cancellation or changes 30 days prior to departure: 100% Refund
Cancellation or changes from 30 days to 7 days prior to departure: 50% refund
Cancellation or changes from 7 days until the day of departure: will be considered NO SHOW and nothing will be refunded.


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I became quite obsessed with windows and fresh laundry in Italy.
This is the color version of my current banner...Another thing that I've become obsessed with...constantly changing my banner.
Happy Monday folks!
And...congratulations to Valerie from one of my favorite places,
Being Red, who won my one year blogoversary giveaway! Valerie, please head over to my shop and choose any print that is not in a limited edition:) Congratulations and thanks for participating, dear. And, thanks to all of you who signed up.
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|feedback | low graphics version
|You are in: Group 3
Saturday, 4 November, 2000, 13:50 GMT
Dumas keeps the faith
French coach Gilles Dumas has retained the 17 players who beat Tonga in his squad to face South Africa in Albi on Sunday.
Dumas has made just one change to the starting line-up with prop Frederic Teixido preferred to Jason Sands who will come off the bench.
The French, after beating Tonga 28-8 on Wednesday, need a win by two points or more to guarantee they advance in the tournament.
Les Bleus lost their opening fixture to Papua New Guinea to cast doubt on their chances of making the quarter-finals.
Tonga need to beat Papua New Guinea in Perpginan if they hope to reach the knockout stage.
South Africa, winless so far, have made one change to their starting XIII with hooker Justin Jennings replacing Chris Hurter who moves to the bench while Jaco Webb and Richard Louw get their first call-ups to the substitutes.
France: Banquet, Garcia, Cassin, Dulac, Sirvent, Devechi (cap), Rinaldi, Hechiche, Wulf, Teixido, Guisset, Tallec, Jampy. Subs: Despin, Carrasco, Sort, Sands.
South Africa: Best, Noble, Barnard, Johnson, Dames, Van Wyk, Bloem (cap), Booysen, Jennings, Powell, de Villiers, Rutgerson, Erasmus. Subs: Hurter, Webb, Mulder, Louw.
Internet links:
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Other top Group 3 stories:
Links to top Group 3 stories are at the foot of the page.
Links to other Group 3 stories
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The Chair: Rethinking Body, Culture and Design
This is the authoritative work on why and how the chair is a flawed part of civilization. Dr. Cranz takes a fresh and provocative look at where the chair came from, how it effects the body, the pschycological and cultural perspectives on furniture and body, and which positions are more conducive to physical comfort and well being. Dr. Cranz' background in architecture and park design coupled with her training in the Alexander Technique and other mind/body healing modalities provides a long overdue statement about exactly WHY the chair is "bad".
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The secret for getting in shape is quite simple. Burn more calories than you consume and find a fitness program you enjoy.
Women all across America are turning to a Quickfit Circuit method of complete exercise. Beginning May 13, the women of Waynedale can check out this safe, fast, effective way to feel better about themselves. Just make a visit to Curves for Women's newest location at Wayne Plaza on Bluffton Road and check it out for yourself.
The Quickfit System is an exercise circuit that combines strength and cardio training. The circuit alternates hydraulic resistance strength training machines with aerobic recovery stations. You work out on a machine for 35 seconds and then move to the next station. Here you run, walk, jump, or jog in place for another 35 seconds. You check your heart rate every 8 minutes.
Find your age on a wall chart indicating your desired target heart rate.
This whole process takes only 30 minutes. In just half an hour, you will have burned up to 500 calories and safely performed all aspects of a total fitness program. The strength training machines act much like aquatic exercise, only the movement is more controlled. You push, then pull, rather than lift and lower weights. This means that the potential for injury and soreness are greatly reduced. The machines have been especially designed just for women. When you first join, the instructors always make sure that you are operating the machines correctly until you get the hang of it.
Curves for Women also offers a weight loss program designed around exercise. You learn how to go from a food-burning machine to that of a fat burning machine. The specially trained staff members show you how it works.
It was just over a year ago when I saw an ad in the Waynedale News announcing the Curves for Women's Grand Opening on Getz Road. I checked it out and signed up. Linda Sweet -Blanzy, the owner and former Waynedale resident, taught me how to work the machines.
Linda attended Kekionga Junior High and Elmhurst High School. She graduated from Ivy Tech and then spent 5 years managing her own massage therapy business in Auburn, IN. She observed many of her clients, who were also members of Curves, showing noticeable improvement. That was the beginning of Linda's interest in Curves for Women. Ever since she opened her place on Getz Road a little over a year ago, Linda has had a dream to open another Curves for Women in Waynedale. Fortunately for us, her dream has come true. Linda has a special place in her heart for our fine community. She is very excited to be able to share this great fitness program with the women in our area.
When I found out that Curves for Women was opening in Wayne Plaza, I told Linda I wanted to write a story and tell others about what a fun place it was to work out. I thought about the Waynedale News and hoped they would agree to run such a story.
I asked some of my friends at Curves to tell me some of the reasons why they liked this place. Here are some of the most frequent responses I heard. The social part keeps many of them coming back week after week. It's comfortable to work out with just other women. You can visit with each other and before you know it your workout is finished. It makes you feel good, both inside and out. For others, it gives them more flexibility and is a great stress reliever. You don't have to worry how you look or wait around for machines to open up for use.
As for myself, I love the energy it gives me after completing the workout. The staff is a group of very caring and sincere women. It has become a very healthy habit, which I actually enjoy. Check out Curves for Women yourself. I think you will see an opportunity to acquire a habit of exercise that is not only fun but makes a real difference in your life.
Welcome to Waynedale, Curves for Women and welcome home Linda Sweet- Blanzy!
The Waynedale News Staff
> Read More Information About Us
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- PAINT FIRE HYDRANTS FOR SAFETY AND PROFIT - July 21, 2017
- July 21, 2017 – WORSHIP IN WAYNEDALE - July 21, 2017
- July 21, 2017 – CLASSIFIEDS - July 21, 2017


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As game changing goes, Turkeys latest move is striking. The government announced in September a three-year economic programme which aims to get a grip on public finances while steering the economy out of recession and back to growth.
But in doing so, Turkish authorities have at once thrown down the gauntlet to the IMF on the terms for a possible loan, while sending a strong signal to markets that the government believes it can manage its debt just fine.
In an interview with Emerging Markets, Ali Babacan, Turkeys deputy prime minister in charge of the economy, is unambiguous in his message on economic reform: make no mistake about it, were doing it our way.
Its a political choice at the end of the day, says Babacan. This is the choice of our government; this is the way we want to go; and others should probably make their calculations according to what we have declared.
The reforms envisaged are largely in line with IMF thinking: the plans hinge on a commitment to tighten fiscal policy, to help rein in a soaring budget deficit made worse by the economic crisis.
Turkey has lacked an external anchor for economic policy since its IMF standby agreement expired last year. When it failed to release a fiscal plan as expected in the spring, and negotiations with the IMF dragged on inconclusively, fears grew that the government didnt have a plan to turn the fiscal woes around.
But now, says Babacan, Turkey has provided the clearest evidence yet that its economy is on the road to recovery and that an IMF loan is not vital.
We are declaring a predictable but gradual return to fiscal discipline, but we are not doing this too fast to choke growth, he says. We are going to be one of the few countries which has explicitly and openly declared its exit strategy.
Every government has to try and time its exit strategy correctly from its fiscal stimulus programme. If its premature, it can derail growth. If its too late, it can lead to fiscal or inflationary concerns. The medium-term economic programme is our exit strategy.
The government expects the economy to contract by 6% this year, with growth probably beginning in the fourth quarter, and then GDP growth of 3.5% in 2010, 4% in 2011 and 5% in 2012, according to Babacan.
But things dont always go to plan. Having initially believed the global economic crisis had bypassed Turkey, in the words of prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the government was forced to open up the public coffers this March when it became clear that Turkeys economy had been hard hit and it spent $10 billion on infrastructure and tax cuts.
The measures were a response to the rapid contraction of the economy in the first quarter, which shrank by 13.8% year-on-year, as exports plummeted by 30% and domestic demand also fell sharply. Turkey was one of the worst hit economies by the credit crunch in the first quarter, according to GDP figures, says Mahmut Kaya, chief economist at Garanti Securities.
The stimulus, and the fall in tax revenues from lower economic growth, led to a 6% budget deficit not as big as some of Turkeys peers in central and eastern Europe, but still galling for a government that prides itself on its fiscal prudence and on the fact that in 2007 it became the first Turkish government to achieve a budget surplus in 23 years.
It took a lot of effort to bring down the debt over the last five years from the high levels of the beginning of the decade. Now, some investors are worried we are going back to the bad old days, says Kaya.
But Babacan says the stimulus is being withdrawn and that there are no plans to increase government spending. We are taking back all the stimulus plans we have enacted, he says. There is a limit to fiscal expansion. I believe we have reached that limit. The government says it will not increase government spending up to 2011, when it faces a general election, and will then begin reducing public debt in 2012. It also says it will reduce the budget deficit to the Maastricht criteria of 3% by 2012. When we looked at the overall fiscal picture, we found that it is good enough to hit our targets, says Babacan.
Turkey will also for the first time introduce a fiscal rule in 2011, which will define the level of available spending according to the deficit level. Its the first time in our history we have used such a rule, which will bring long-term predictability to our fiscal framework and reduce risk premiums, says Babacan.
He says he will not provide explicit debt to GDP targets under a fiscal rule The deficit target will imply a public debt to GDP ratio for the long term.
But the essence here is that if we are too far away from our target then the annual fiscal targets will be higher. If we are closer to the target, the adjustments will be smaller.
Similarly, the fiscal rule will also allow higher deficits in years when growth is below the long-term average, and conversely, lower deficits when growth exceeds expectations, he says. In good times we are planning to save for bad times this is the essence of the fiscal rule, Babacan says.
Market reaction to the medium-term programme has been mixed so far. Standard & Poors and Moodys both raised the countrys outlook to stable, while Turkish bond and stock prices were mainly carried along by the broader emerging market rally.
Most investors have a wait-and-see attitude to Turkey at the moment, says Tevfik Aksoy, economist at Morgan Stanley in London. The government has a very gradual fiscal adjustment plan, which envisages a slow recovery 3.5% growth next year is not much at all for a country with such a fast-growing population.
But some observers are concerned that a delay to 2011 in spending cuts is inviting trouble, as a fiscal rule wont take effect in time to keep a lid on pre-election spending. Moreover, the government has little room to manoeuvre if growth disappoints again.
We welcome the fiscal rule, but perhaps the government could introduce it sooner than 2011, says Aksoy. What worries me is there is no contingency plan if the global recovery is slower than expected.
Independent Turkish economist Murat Ucer is more bearish: The government has lost control on the expenditure side. Primary budget expenditures started to grow very fast even before the crisis they have grown from 17% to 22% in the last two years, mainly on healthcare and municipal spending. There are no signs the government will make cuts; just more efficiencies.
Babacan wont be drawn on what spending cuts will be made, or when. There are savings we can definitely make, but we have to be very careful on the savings side that we dont do things that can influence growth in a negative way. We are looking at the sensitivities of expenditure and revenues.
He says that tax revenues will be the main source for shrinking the budget deficit: When we return to positive growth next year, automatically our tax revenues will start to increase.
There are signs the governments tax policy is already paying dividends. One of the reasons the economic crisis has not been worse in Turkey, despite the high level of foreign debt of the private sector and the declining risk appetite of foreign lenders, is the $18 billion in unaccounted foreign capital that has entered the country since the start of the year.
Morgan Stanleys Aksoy says: No one is sure where this money came from, but our view is its Turkish corporates offshore funds, which they brought back into the country following the governments announcement at the beginning of the year of a tax amnesty for offshore funds. If it hadnt been for those inflows, the crisis would have been a lot worse.
While the credit crunch clearly had a sizeable impact on Turkey, there is cause for cheer. For a start, the economic slowdown has helped bring down the inflation rate to around 7.5% its lowest level in 40 years compared to 45% when the AKP party came to power in 2002.
Kaya of Garanti Securities says: Its a phenomenal achievement. The decline in inflation is one of the few bright spots in an otherwise gloomy picture. Perhaps Turkey needed a crisis to bring down inflation from the low teens to single digits.
The disinflation caused by the economic slowdown has allowed the central bank to cut rates aggressively governor Durmus Yilmaz has eased policy by a total of 9.5% since November 2008. The central bank cut rates again, to a record low of 7.25%, in September, saying the easing bias would continue for some time.
Yilmaz maintains the central banks first priority is still targeting inflation: There are some people saying that we have put the growth concerns before inflation; it is not so. Economic activity is important, but our first and main concern is price stability, he tells Emerging Markets in an interview. Our domestic economy is recovering, but because of the international environment and its impact on exports, economic activity is not as good as we expect.
Yilmaz says the unemployment rate is increasing to around 13% and will probably edge up further before the end of the year. This is impacting domestic demand conditions, he says.
To offset this, the central bank is cutting rates and has increased credit market activities to ease consumer access to credit. The credit markets have somewhat softened but not by as much as we would like, he says.
If Turkey is hoping for a domestic-led recovery, one bright spot is the continued resilience of its banking system, which was radically overhauled after the 2001 banking crisis, and is now well capitalized and well placed to increase corporate and retail lending.
No Turkish bank has so far been downgraded since the crisis began, according to rating agency Fitch. And banks net income has been boosted by the declining rate environment.
Babacan says: Our most important strength is our banking system. Were one of the few countries in the OECD, if not the only country, that didnt have to provide any state support to the bank sector, not even deposit insurance. In this sense, the prime minister was right to say the crisis has bypassed Turkey.
Mehmet Sami, executive board member of Ata Invest, one of Turkeys largest brokerages, says: Turkish banks have a capital adequacy ratio of around 17%, and a non-performing loan ratio of around 5%. They are making huge profits on their Treasury bill portfolios. We expect banks earnings growth to be 40% this year.
But whats good for the banking sector is not necessarily good for the economy. The banks are making such strong profits in T-bills that they have no forceful incentive to expand their lending to the private sector.
We need to reduce the budget deficit so that the Treasury does not dominate the debt markets, says Babacan. The rollover of Treasury bills on the domestic markets is more than 100%. Resources are scarce, and the private sector needs funding. It is no longer appropriate for the Treasury to crowd out the markets. As we withdraw, there will gradually be more and more capacity for private companies.
But the key word may be gradually. If the Turkish government agreed on a loan with the IMF, then it would reduce its need to borrow either domestically and internationally, immediately creating more breathing space for private companies.
According to a recent research note by Barclays Capital: With external demand providing limited support, Turkeys potential strength would be a domestic growth-led recovery helped by its comparatively unleveraged consumers, relatively healthy banks and historically low interest rates.
But the bank points out that, without an IMF programme, the government will be forced to continue to roll over debt at greater than 100% rates, leaving less room for private-sector lending and possibly raising the risk premium on Turkish assets. This leaves the domestic demand channel less effective than it otherwise could be, the bank says.
Babacan counters: With the measures we have taken and the fiscal targets we have declared, the rollover rates will come down gradually.
When we consider that the total assets of our banking system are continuously growing, and with a decreasing public-sector borrowing requirement, there will be less and less pressure of public-sector borrowing on the banks. That is how our medium-term programme is designed.
Nevertheless, prospects for an IMF deal appear to be receding by the day. Prime minister Erdogan seems set against opening another IMF programme, partly to assert Turkeys new financial maturity, and partly to protect government spending from cuts before the 2011 elections.
The IMFs Turkey mission chief Rachel van Elkan has welcomed the medium-term programme. But while applauding its aims in particular the planned adoption of a fiscal rule she has also mentioned a need for supporting measures and structural reforms, including policies to address key spending pressures.
IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn was quoted more recently as saying that he sees no need for now for Turkey to agree on a loan deal with the international lender.
Babacan says that if ongoing discussions are successful then we would prefer to have a standby agreement with the Fund... but this is, of course, conditional on whether we can actually agree. If we cant agree, I dont think this is going to be the end of the world.Yet as both Babacan and his boss know, the AKP government faces a bumpy ride in the coming years one in which IMF support cannot be ruled out.
Gazi Ercel, the former central bank governor, says: By 2011, per capita income will be down by 20%; GDP will not be higher than it was in 2008; unemployment is going to hit record levels; and even inflation of 5% means public-sector salaries will go down. The government was lucky from 2002 to 2007. It needs its luck to come back.


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If you did not watch The ESPY Awards, then you probably had a better night than most people. But, there were some highlights. One of them was seeing Tracy Morgan in the Morgan Freeman role of Nelson Mandela in Invictus. After watching the audition, I think Tracy would have been brilliant.
If you have ever thought Ferris was a figment of Cameron's imagination, then you need to see this. Or if you are a fan of Fight Club. I know. Bizarre combination. But great.


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3/4" Steel Shackle Mount - $95
For serious off-roaders, our shackle mounts offer additional towing points on your vehicle and a great place to attach a winch cable back to the bumper when using a snatch block (pulley). These are ¾" CNC plasma cut steel tabs welded on to the pipe base with 1" holes to accommodate any of our heavy duty ¾" shackles.
Traditional Shackle Hooks -
$39 $16
Our traditional ¾" galvanized shackle hooks can be bolted to the shackle mounts and are great for hooking your tow strap or snatch block to when trying to get out of a tight spot. Rated at 10,000 lbs, they are strong enough for most any off-road enthusiast.
Heavy Duty Twisted Quick Release Shackle Hook- $78
Heavier Duty than our traditional shackle hook, these twisted quick relaese mounts are heat-treated and built to withstand a working load of 16,000 lbs. The usable length is 3" and the pin diameter is 3/4" while the clevis body diameter is almost 1" thick. They are powdercoated black to blend in with the bumper and have a yellow zinc dichromate plated pin to deter rust.
Heavy Duty Shackle Hook - $68
Heavier duty than our traditional shackle hooks but still have the same shape. These hooks are also bolt on and utilize a thicker diameter pin at almost 1". The usable length is 3" and the clevis body diameter is 7/8". The working load is 13,000 lbs. and the pin is coated with rust preventive zinc dichromate.
Universal Winch Box - $190 (Winch box can also be custom built for specific winches at no additional charge)
This CNC plasma cut winch box is unique from other winch boxes in that it allows your winch to remain exposed for ease of use, so that you can keep your cable from balling up as well as reach necessary levers and switches on your winch, especially if you have a Warn Power Plant. It is fabricated from heavy ⅜" plate and accommodates most winches on the market. Compatible winches are Mile Marker (please specify if you have a Mile Marker winch), Warn, and Ramsey up to a Warn 16.5k. The dimensions of this box are 29" wide x 9" deep with an 8" tall face plate unless built for a specific winch.
Front Bumper 2" Protruding Receiver - $85
There are a few main reasons one would need a receiver on the front of a truck. 1. It allows for the use of a removable winch plate as seen here. 2. It allows for the use of a tow hook as seen below. 3. It allows for the use of many other after-market accessories such as an upright mount to hold extra long PVC pipe or extension ladder that you might have attached to an over-the-cab bed rack.
Front Bumper Flush Mounted Receiver
Same uses as above...**NOTE: The shank of your accessory must be pinned from the back of the pipe, accessed from the bottom of the bumper, and requires at least 5¼" of unobstructed shank from pin hole to ball mount platform or any gussets. This is to allow it to pass through the 4" pipe base and be pinned on the back side of the pipe base.
Bird Bars - $95
These 'bird bars' redefine full front protection. These 3/8" solid steel rods are necessary for many of our northern customers who live in pheasant country. They are fully welded to the inner vertical upright steel support and the outer headlight loop. Only available on the Deluxe Front Replacement and Outlaw Premium Winch Mount.
2" Heavy Duty Tow Hook - $95
Some customers need more than just access to their factory tow hooks, they need a convenient, instantly available place to hook a chain or tow strap with heavy duty capabilities. Here's the solution. This tow hook is forged from a solid piece of steel, NOT hollowed out like some others. It has a tow rating of 12,000 lbs, weighs almost 9 lbs. and is powdercoated black.
Welded Steel Light Tab - $55 (per 2-4)
Welded to the cross bars as an optional accessory, the light tabs are perfect for off road enthusiasts who want to mount large running lights to the front bumper.
Custom Fog Light Sleeve to fit factory fog lamps - $165
So that you can keep the factory fog lights on your truck, a plasma cut hole is made and a hand formed steel tube is welded in its place. Custom fabricated brackets are welded to the diamond plated steel to hold the lights as if they were mounted in the factory. This keeps your lights protected and gives you that clean sleeve look. Our secure mounts show how we take the extra steps to give your new bumper a truly custom look for your factory lights. We also now offer custom sleeves for Rigid Industries 4" and 6" LED lights, which are by far the highest quality light on the market today.
Expanded Metal Grille Protection - $85
Our Expanded Metal Grill will protect your truck's front grill and radiator from debris, sticks, and branches. It is made from a ¾" #9 flat expanded metal sheet and is welded into the grill section of your bumper during manufacturing
Please call (855) 286-7379 or send us an e-mail if you have a question. If the lines are busy please leave a message and we will call you back.
www.peacemakerbumpers.com is owned by Peacemaker Truck Accessories, LLC
The Chevrolet logo is a registered trademark of General Motors Corporation.


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Welcome to our Auctions
page. We just run auction to test the market and
products at this point. We were using EBAY.com for presenting our carpets in the past. We are hoping to be
able to run eternal Auctions on our site in near future.
At this page we display some of the previous rugs and carpets that we sold in ebay or other channels.
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(I'm not sure what I'm more horrified by: that someone would pay £35 for a shellsuit jacket, or that it's old enough to be vintage)
God, shell suits. What a horrible fashion idea that was. I'm a child of the 80s, I had a shell suit, and I shall be forever cursed for ever wearing one.
I'm horrified by the fact that he is wearing a shirt under it. Talk about fashion faux pas! Buy string vest or something, dude.
Also anyone know if Zazzle or Cafepress do custom shellsuits?
Here at RPS we enjoy both style and teamwork, to achieve both order your new uniform today! Vanu be with you!
What was your opinion on the colour schemes I posted, btw? Was that what you meant by a redish purple?
Attachment 3217Attachment 3218
Double green rings stands out far more.
What is your opinion of having:
-White spots (spots stand out more)
-Deep purple colouring (matches one of the default youtube purples, and looks awesome.
The purple I was thinking of was closer to the purple on that shell suit than the one Pauly produced.
I'm not far off suggesting we use that shell suit as a reference palette...
the one I have posted about liking before, going for the shell suit colours would make the inner circle more cyan, which would cater to my wishes.
Forgive me for chipping in, bearing in mind I haven't even actually joined the outfit yet (or even introduced myself...I'm Luthor, by the way - Mr Eclectic sent me here a day or two ago to have a look around and the outfit looks like fun, so was hoping to join in next few days when I'm free to join in on A Call to Arms).
When I saw this thread I thought the VS logo is actually almost a giraffe anyway and was surprised that this "take" on a logo hadn't been drafted.
My skills in AI are sorely lacking so I have just drawn this up using word to explain what I mean.
Hopefully I'm not treading on any toes as obviously some work has been put into the logo already and this might not be the direction you wanted. (If so, just tell me to bugger off and mind my own business).
I'd originally drawn it with goofy eyes as the emphasis here does seem to be about having fun, but then thought of the Vanu helmets. I am aware it has an air of "K-9 / Womble" about it. :)
Feel free to ridicule or tell me to mind my own bloody business.
There have been other attempts at fusing the VS logo with a giraffe:
Attachment 3221 http://i.imgur.com/zwBWDJz.png Attachment 3222 http://oi40.tinypic.com/241o6l2.jpg
I'm pretty sure that we have already decided on the final shape of the logo, but all the other suggestions, including yours, might find a use in the future nonetheless.
Excellent! I approve.
Camel cigarettes (called Giraffes, obvs).
So awesome.


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I know how Brogden feels, says Kernot
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Cheryl Kernot says her own bitter experience of politics and the Australian media has made her sympathetic to the plight of former NSW Liberal leader John Brogden.
In a candid interview today, the former Democrats leader and Labor MP - who has made a new life in London - attacked the media for the way it treated her.
And she said she had no intention of returning to Australia.
Mr Brogden is recovering from a suicide attempt after being forced to quit this month following a boozy night when he called former premier Bob Carr's wife a mail-order bride and made inappropriate advances to two female journalists.
Ms Kernot said she understood how Mr Brogden felt, but she had never contemplated suicide in her own darkest hours.
"I know how he feels in his heart and in the core of his soul where you think, 'am I a really, really disgusting, wicked person?' and he's not," she told the Seven Network.
"And he needs to know he's not.
"I never got suicidal because I really believed that I understood the forces that had acted against me to get me where I was.
"You do start to wonder about what on earth it would take for me to get up and keep going, and you just think - can you do that?"
Ms Kernot defected to Labor from the Democrats but eventually lost her Brisbane seat of Dickson.
Liberal backbencher Don Randall denounced her as having "the morals of an alley cat" when she switched parties.
But it was her affair with former Labor foreign minister Gareth Evans which attracted the most attention, although the relationship was a major omission from a supposedly tell-all autobiography.
Ms Kernot, now the director of learning at the School for Social Entrepreneurs in London, said that getting closer to Mr Evans was not a factor in her decision to leave the Democrats.
"It was not instrumental in my decision to leave the Democrats, although men seem to find that hard to believe," she said.
"But I had outgrown that sitting in judgment role as a third party, never being able to run your own agenda, only being asked by the media at the end of the story will you vote for this or will you block it, and I found that a straightjacket in the end."
Ms Kernot remains bitter about the media's treatment of the affair.
"I think that's something about the Australian media but I don't think it's the Australian people," she said.
"I do think that there's something about women in politics and in public life where you're either a madonna or a whore.
"There seems to be something about punishing women, you know, there seems to be something about fallen women - men don't fall, women do, apparently.
"It's not a very attractive part of Australia and I tell you, it doesn't happen in the UK."
She has no plans to return to Australia.
"The fire's in the belly but I can't see a way back," she said.
"I think I'd like to be remembered for believing that politics didn't have to be as dirty as it is, and I'd like to think that it could be different. I still do."
The Opposition Leader, Kim Beazley, would not be drawn on Ms Kernot's criticisms.
"That's so long ago now, Cheryl's interlude in Labor politics and indeed in federal politics," he told reporters.
"She seems to have made something of her life in difficult circumstances after her political career and I admire that and I wish her well in that regard.
"But I'm not going to get myself into the business of commenting on anything she might be saying now."
However, Mr Beazley agreed that women had a tough time in politics.
"Yes, it is tough for women in politics, there's no doubt about that," he said.
"But I would draw a contrast between the front bench of the Labor Party and the front bench of our opponents.
"I think were we to be elected to office two years from now, it would be one of the pleasant surprises for the Australian people to see a government actually reflecting the Australian community and see women in the senior portfolios that they deserve to be in."
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ezW2 software gives CA businesses peace of mind when efiling W2 and 1099 MISC forms.
San Diego, CA (PRWEB) March 03, 2014
EzW22013 tax preparation software from Halfpricesoft.com has just been released and gives California business owners a quicker and easier way to efile forms for 2014 tax season. Small to mid sized business owners avoid the typical hassles associated with efiling forms and beat the deadline when utilizing this innovative application.
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ezW2 software can print W2 and 1099-misc recipient copies on white paper to reduce the cost on pre-printed forms. EzW2 can also print recipient copies in PDF format files for companies who prefer to go green by emailing the tax forms. EzW2 can help employers fill out IRS copy A on red-ink forms or generate the efile documents.
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Sunday Services 10:00 am
Our Services are held Sundays at 10AM at the Jewish Community of Sedona and the Verde Valley. The JCSVV is located at 100 Meadowlark Drive in Sedona, Arizona. (East off Rt. 179 between the Chapel Rd and Back-O-Beyond roundabouts, then one block on north side of Meadowlark.)
We're now officially a Welcoming Congregation! Comment on our Facebook page.
Time for our 2016/17 Pledge drive! See our Fundraising page.
Coming Services At A Glance
Childcare is available during the Sunday service
Our next Sunday Service is our Water Ingathering on September 10th, 2017.
There are NO SUUF Sunday Services in June, July, or September during our Summer pause.
Our Fellowship is a place to grow in mind and spirit. We promote a loving, just and sustainable world through service, learning and action. We support the principles of the Unitarian Universalist Association. In the spirit of universal fellowship and individual freedom of belief, our Fellowship welcomes everyone without regard to race, color or sexual orientation.
Administrative Mailing address: 1865 West SR 89A, Ste. C, (c/o Sterling Financial) Sedona, AZ 86336
SUUF Welcomes You! Click the flag for details.


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Field Station Lake
Woodward, OK 73801
Field Station Lake in Woodward offers one of the most laid-back experiences in town. Stocked with plenty of fish,...Learn More
Field Station Lake in Woodward offers one of the most laid-back experiences in town. Stocked with plenty of fish,...Learn More
The Woodward Municipal Golf Course, also known as the Crystal Beach Park Golf Course, is a popular course offering nine...Learn More
The Crystal Beach Aquatics Center features a large enclosed water slide, large open water slide and plenty of lap lanes....Learn More
The Washita Battlefield National Historic Site marks the location of Lt. Col. George A. Custer's November 27, 1868...Learn More
JW's Nursery & Landscaping in Woodward sets customers up for success. Besides offering a diverse assortment of...Learn More
Six museums with varied interests are located on the Cheyenne City Park grounds. The Pioneer Museum Building is a walk...Learn More
The Scoreboard Sports Grill in Woodward is a fun place to hang out and have a beer while cheering your favorite team on...Learn More
Experience life as it was 100 years ago at the Briggs Family Private Museum in Cheyenne. Guests are invited to tour a...Learn More
The 5,500 acre Ellington Ranch is a working cattle ranch and is operated as the Hackamore headquarters. The guest house...Learn More
Rut n Strut Guide Service in Cheyenne makes it their goal and responsibility to take care of you and make sure your hunt...Learn More


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The toddler swept hundreds of metres down a storm water drain in Gordon on Saturday was frightened and crying when he was plucked from the water, witnesses involved in his rescue have said.
"He looked frightened at first and then he started crying," local resident, Michael Chandler, told media.
Mr Chandler's flatmate, Ali, had jumped into the flooded drain after the pair spotted what they initially thought was a football.
"Luckily she didn't have to go in far because the boy tried to swim to the ramp edge," he said.
Onlookers said the boy kept himself afloat by using strokes he had recently learnt at swim school.
The boy had been reported missing by his family and neighbours and friends were looking for him when he was spotted. It has been reported that the two-year-old suffers from autism and is attracted to water.
Emergency services arrived at Stace Place, near where he was rescued, shortly after the rescue and he was taken to hospital suffering hypothermia, scratches and bruising.
ACT ambulance officer Chris Barry said the boy had been swept over three ledges before coming to rest in a holding pool.
"He didn't realise the danger he was in; it would appear he was able to swim and to save himself."
Royal Life Saving of Australia ACT executive director, Cherry O'Connor, has renewed calls for community education about the dangers of Canberra's urban waterways.
"Stormwater drains have been integrated as features in some of our suburbs so they attract children rather than deter them," she said.


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"Ahlul Bayt" literally means people of the house and it refers to the family or children of a person. In Islamic terminology, it refers to the family of the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.).
What is the basis of the importance given to the Ahlul Bayt of the Prophet? Is there anything about it in the Qur'an and the sayings of the Prophet? Or is this an old Arab tribal concept with no basis in Islamic sources? The Qur'an and the hadíth have a lot to say about the Ahlul Bayt. However, before we even go to the Qur'an, a clarification on the concept of Ahlul Bayt is necessary.
The term "family of the prophet" can be applied on three kinds of relationships:
• Those who are related to the prophet by blood or marriage ties only.
• Those who are related to the prophet by soul and spirit only.
• Those who are related to the prophet by blood or marriage ties as well as by soul and spirit.
When the Qur'an or the Prophet uses the term "Ahlul Bayt", it could not be the first or the second group.
The first group is only physically related to the Prophet but not spiritually, like the son of Prophet Nuh or the wife of Prophet Lut or Abu Lahab, the Prophet's uncle. Allah clearly says to Prophet Nuh about his son: "Innahu laysa min ahlik - He is not of your family." (11:45-46) That is, he is not one of your spiritual family; he is only physically related to you. Lut's wife and the Prophet's uncle, Abu Lahab, both are counted as people of the Hell-Fire.
The second category is considered "Ahlul Bayt" only in a metaphorical sense, not in the real meaning; for example, Salman al-Farsi about whom the Prophet said, "Salman is from us, the Ahlul Bayt." This leaves us with the third group.
Many people were related to the Prophet both by blood and marriage as well as by soul and spirit. But the term "Ahlul Bayt" as used by the Qur'an and the Prophet does not apply to all of them. We see that Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) clearly applied the Qur'anic term "Ahlul Bayt" to four people: Fatima, 'Ali, Hasan and Husayn (peace be upon them all).
The first verse (33:33) is of purification (tathír):
"Verily Allah intends to keep away the abomination from you, O the Ahlul Bayt, and purify you a thorough purification."
No Muslim would question the inclusion of Fatima, 'Ali, Hasan and Husayn in the "Ahlul Bayt". The disagreement arises in the inclusion of the wives and other Hashimite relatives of the Prophet among the "Ahlul Bayt". For example, during our time, a book has been published in Saudi Arabia entitled as 'Allimu Awladakum Hubb Al-i Bayti 'n-Nabi (Teach Your Children the Love of the Family of the Prophet) by Dr. Muhammad 'Abduh Yamani in 1991.1 The order in which Yamani talks about the Prophet's family is very interesting: he first talks about Khadija, then Fatima, 'Ali, Hasan, Husayn, Zaynu 'l-'Abidyn, and then ends with the other wives of the Prophet.
Wilfred Madelung makes the following observation on the verse of purification: "Who are the 'people of the house' here? The pronoun referring to them is in the masculine plural, while the preceding part of the verse is in the feminine plural. This change of gender has evidently contributed to the birth of various accounts of a legendary character, attaching the latter part of the verse to the five People of the Mantle (ahl al-kisa'): Muhammad, 'Ali, Fatima, Hasan and Husayn. In spite of the obvious Shí'ite significance, the great majority of the reports quoted by al-Tabari in his commentary on this verse support this interpretation."2
From the many reports that the Sunni sources narrated, here I am just quoting one as an example. Abu Sa'íd al-Khudari quotes Umm Salama, the wife of the Prophet in whose house the incident of Kisa' took place. She says: Jibra'íl came with the verse of purification; the Prophet called Hasan, Husayn, Fatima and 'Ali, and he gathered them together and covered them with the mantle. Then he said, "O Allah, these are my Ahlul Bayt, so 'keep away the abomination from the Ahlul Bayt, and purify them thoroughly.'" Umm Salama (may Allah be pleased with her) said, "Am I with them, O Apostle of Allah?" The Prophet said, "You stay in your place, and you are virtuous."3
Since this verse is situated right in the midst of the verses addressed to the wives of the Prophet, some Sunnis use its position to include the wives in the "Ahlul Bayt". But the problem with their interpretation is the difference in the pronouns: the sentences before and after the verse of purification have feminine plural pronouns whereas the statement itself has the masculine plural pronouns. This is internal evidence that the statement of purification was an independent verse that was revealed on its own in a different event unrelated to the wives.
In spite of the great majority of reports by Sunnis supporting the view that this part of the verse was a separate revelation that was later attached to the rest, Madelung has difficulty in accepting it as such. In his interpretation, he has tried to apply the term 'Ahlul Bayt' primarily to the Bani Hashim and then, in the second place, to the wives. But he has failed to explain the gender difference in the pronouns used in the whole passage.
The Shí'ite and Sunni reports clearly apply the term "Ahlul Bayt" in the statement of purification to the Ahlul Kisa', excluding the wives of the Prophet. And the gender difference in the pronouns was to show the contrast between the "Ahlul Bayt" and the wives. In words of Mirza Mahdi Puya, "While the address in the beginning of the verse is in the feminine gender - there is the transition here in the address from the feminine to the masculine gender.
While referring to the consorts of the Holy Prophet, the pronouns also are consistently feminine. For a mixed assembly of men and women, generally the masculine gender is used. This transition in the grammatical use of the language, makes it quite obvious that this clause is quite a different matter used for a different group other than the previous one, and has been suitably placed here to show a comparative position of the Ahlu 'l-bayt in contrast to the wives of the Holy Prophet."4
Another important verse of the Qur'an that talks about the Ahlul Bayt is 42:23 in which Allah, subhanahu wa ta'ala, says:
"(O Muhammad) Say, 'I do not ask for any reward for this (bringing of Allah's message) except the love for the near kinship".
The fact that this verse was revealed concerning the Ahlul Bayt, the family of the Prophet, is beyond any doubt. Imam Shafí'i, the founder of the Sunni Shafí'í school of law, has explained the meaning of this verse in a poem:
يا اهل بيت رسول الله حبكم
فرض من الله في القرآن انزله
من لم يصل عليكم لا صلاة له
كفاكم من عظيم القدر انكم
O Ahlul Bayt of the Messenger of Allah, your love,
Is a duty from Allah, mentioned in the Qur'an.
In your honour, it is sufficient that one's prayer,
Is incomplete without praying for blessings on you.5
The Sunni polemicists have tried to reject the Shí'a point of view by the following arguments: (1) This verse was revealed in Mecca when Hasan and Husayn were not yet born, so how could it be applied on the Ahlul Bayt in the sense of Ahlul Kisa'? (2) Since it was revealed in Mecca, it is addressing the Quraysh by asking them 'to love Muhammad because he is from their kinship.' (3) Some say that it refers to all the Hashimites, and not just the Ahlul Bayt in the Shí'i definition.
First of all, the commentators of the Qur'an overwhelmingly state that even though chaper 42 is a Meccan surah, its verses 23-25, 27 were revealed in Medina. This makes the first and second arguments mentioned above baseless.
Secondly, the commandment asking for "love of the kinship of the Prophet" cannot apply to all of his kin because there were good as well as evil people among them; and so one has to restrict the import of this verse to those who were physically as well as spiritually connected to the Prophet. And no one can argue that 'Ali, Fatimah, Hasan, and Husayn were not among those who were physically as well as spiritually related to the Prophet, even though he might extend this title to other members of Hashimite.
Finally, there are many reports in Sunni sources in which the Prophet applies this verse to the Ahlu 'l-Kisa'. For example, when this verse was revealed, the people asked the Prophet: "Who are these near kin of yours whose love is obligatory upon us?" He replied, "'Ali, Fatima, and their two sons." He repeated this three times.6
What I have stated above is not a new interpretation; I have just summarized the arguments of the Shí'a faith supported by reports from the Sunnis that have existed for centuries. And so I was surprised to see what the learned scholar had written about the concept of Ahlul Bayt:
"The shi'a took advantage of the intimate historical relationship of 'Ali with Muhammad and of the old Arab tribal concept of ahl al-bayt (people of the household)-the family from whom chiefs were chosen-and zealously supported the candidacy of the 'Alids..."7
It does not behove a person from Shí'ite background to say that the Shí'a took advantage "of the old Arab tribal concept of ahl al-bayt"! So now the concept of Ahlul Bayt becomes a concept of the pre-Islamic/jahiliyya era that was used by the Shí'as to forward their claim about the imamate of 'Ali and his descendants!
It is indeed sad that a scholar, from a Shí'í background, could not discuss the concept of Ahlul Bayt from the Qur'anic perspective but a non-Muslim scholar, Wilfred Madelung, has been able to discuss at length the importance that was given to the families of prophets before Islam and then deals with the Qur'anic verses specific to the Ahlul Bayt.8 Although we disagree with Madelung's broad definition of Ahlul Bayt we totally agree with his conclusion to that section in which he says, "The Qur'an advises the faithful to settle some matters by consultation, but not the succession to prophets. That, according to the Qur'an, is settled by divine election, and God usually chooses their successors, whether they become prophets or not, from their own kin."9
It seems the learned Shí'a scholar is echoing the views of Marshall Hodgson and Fazlur Rahman. Marshall Hodgson writes, "The Alids-especially those descending from Fatimah-came to be called Ahl al-Bayt, 'people of the house' (an old tribal term referring to the family from whom chiefs were chosen..."10
While commenting on the claim made by the Shí'as of Kufa that caliphate be restored in the family of 'Ali, Fazlur Rahman writes: "The motives that led to this curious legitimist claim on part of the Kufan Arabs are not very clear, except...the fact that the Prophet had been from the Banu Hashim came to be easily exploited."11 Fazlur Rahman implies that the concept of Ahlul Bayt (that is, 'Ali and the Prophet were from the Banu Hashim) was "exploited" by the Kufan Shí'as to promote their claim for the imamate of 'Ali's descendants.
'Ali was denied his rightful caliphate by the Quraysh on pretext of the supposed old Arab tradition that leadership goes to the older people and not to those who were relatively young. 'Ali, in comparison to Abu Bakr, was younger in age and therefore, on the basis of the old Arab tradition, was not suitable for leadership.12 So it was the Quraysh who relied on the "old Arab tribal" tradition to usurp the caliphate from 'Ali bin Abi Talib.
It was the Qurayshi group in Saqifa that exploited the fact that the Prophet was from their tribe, and, therefore, they had more right to the caliphate than their opponents from the Ansar (the inhabitants of Medina).13
When Imam 'Ali was informed about the debate between the Quraysh and the Ansar at Saqifa, he asked, "What did the Quraysh plead?"
People said, "They argued that they belong to the lineal tree of the Prophet."
'Ali commented by saying, "They argued by the tree but they destroyed its fruits."14 The tree refers to "the tribe of Quraysh" and the fruits refer to "the family of the Prophet".