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Converting from TaskPaper to Emacs Org-ModePosted: March 30, 2010 Filed under: Emacs, Mac, OSX | Tags: Emacs, GTD, howto, Mac, OSX, Ruby, script, tool 14 Comments
TaskPaper is a simple and elegant task management software for the OSX platform. It combines the simplicity of a text micro-format to mark the tasks, and the elegance of a Mac UI. It also provides a quick launch time and a nice system-wide quick entry window that is accessible with a single shortcut key.
I have been a heavy user of Emacs' Org-Mode for some years now, and love the power and flexibility it offers for tracking not just outlines and tasks, but any text based item, including notes and calendar entries. In fact Org-Mode has become one of the primary software that I use regularly, every day.
So where does the link between TaskPaper and Org-Mode come in? Both are text based, and have their own light-weight formats to define outlines and tasks. The underlying files are plain text with the meaning readable even when not viewed by the appropriate software. Org-Mode is obviously much more feature rich than TaskPaper, which by design keeps things simple.
However, there is one big difference that has led me to looking at integration: Org-Mode is Emacs based and hence takes ages to launch. TaskPaper on the other hand launches in under a second, and also offers a nice quick entry form that is available system-wide via a a global short-cut key.
Emacs aficionados will protest now – after all – Emacs is meant to be launched and never shutdown! This is true, but in my usage patterns, Emacs does get closed once in a while and having to launch it just to make a few quick Org-Mode entries (even with the excellent remember mode) becomes a pain.
My usage has now become more of the following:
- Use TaskPaper as an initial capture mechanism (sort of as a pre-Inbox store). I make heavy use of the quick entry window here
- Use a script to collect the TaskPaper entries and reformat them into a Org-Mode compatible file
- Append the converted entries into my primary Org-Mode Inbox whenever I have Emacs open
This (for me) provides best of both worlds – quick and ubiquitous data capture, and the power and flexibility of Org-Mode.
The Ruby Conversion Script
Without further ado, the script to convert from TaskPaper to Org-mode is:
#!/usr/bin/env ruby # # Converts Taskpaper files to Emacs org-mode files. # # Author: Anupam Sengupta, 2010 # # Distributed under the BSD license (http://www.opensource.org/licenses/bsd-license.php) # # Usage: From the command line, enter the command: # # ./tpaper2org.rb <taskpaperfilename> # # The output is on STDOUT, which can be redirected to an Org-mode file. # Whether the generated org-mode file should use odd-level prefix stars # See http://orgmode.org/manual/Clean-view.html for details. ORG_USES_ODD_LEVELS = false LINE_PATTERN = /^(\t*) # Leading tabs - # Followed by a dash (the taskpaper task identifier) (.*?) # The task description ((@\w+\s*)*) # The tags, if any $/x all_tags = Hash.new(0) Shiftlvl = ORG_USES_ODD_LEVELS ? 2 : 1 # Determine the number of stars to use in Org-mode entries while (line = gets()): line.chomp! md = LINE_PATTERN.match(line) # Match and extract each line if md then # ................ A Task line tags = md[3].split(/ +/).reject {|tag| "@done" == tag } # get the tags, except @done tags tags = ['', tags, ''].flatten unless tags.empty? puts '*' * (1 + Shiftlvl * (md[1].length + 1)) + (line =~ /@done/ ? " DONE" : " TODO") + md[2] + tags.join(':') tags.each { |tag| all_tags[tag] += 1} if tags # Keep a list of all tags elsif line =~/:$/ # ................ A project line print "* " puts line.chomp(":") else # ................ Any other line puts line end end # Lets do a summary of the tags used. puts <<END # The tags used till now. #+TAGS:#{all_tags.keys.sort.join(' ')} END
Note that Org-mode supports multiple prefix styles with '*'. In particular, the odd-levels versus the odd-even levels is interesting and useful. The script has a 'ORG_USES_ODD_LEVELS' global variable that can be set to true if this is the desired export format.
In addition, the script also adds the tags used in the TaskPaper file as a '#+TAGS' entry in the exported org-mode file. You can comment this if this is not required.
The TaskPaper format
The TaskPaper format is simple, and the file (which by default ends with the extension '.taskpaper') is essentially a plain text file that can be opened and edited in any text editor.
The format can be summarized as (from the TaskPaper User's Guide):
A project is a line ending with a colon:
A Project:
A task is a line starting with a dash followed by a space:
- My First Task
A Note is any line that is NOT a project or a task (i.e., does not start with a dash or end with a colon):
Notes for a task
A tag is any word prefixed with the @ symbol. The tag can optionally have a value in parentheses after the tag name:
- My First Task @atag @another_tag(1)
Outlining is done by indenting the tasks with tabs:
- My First Task @atag - My sub-level task
Using the script is simple. Assuming that TaskPaper's file is named tasks.taskpaper, from the OS X terminal, run the following command:
$ tpaper2org.rb tasks.taskpaper >> tinbox.org
Where tinbox.org is the destination org-mode file.
This shell command can be put into a cron job or invoked from within Emacs to pull in the tasks as required. You may also want to delete the TaskPaper file (or empty its contents) after this is done, to prevent duplicate entries being imported the next time the Ruby Script is run.
taskpaper.el is an Emacs mode for emulating the TaskPaper interface with support for projects and tasks. The tags support seems to be missing.
Discussion on the Org-Mode mailing list about Taskpaper and Org-Mode.
Importing contacts from OSX Addressbook to Emacs BBDBPosted: August 16, 2009 Filed under: Emacs, OSX | Tags: address, Emacs, export, howto, OSX, Ruby, script 9 Comments
A major aspect of using Emacs is that it is more than a text editor – it is more of an application platform – some would call it an Operating System – that allows a host of applications to run within the same context and session – and vastly enrich the user experience. This is in fact a primary reason why many Emacs users spend their entire computer interaction via Emacs.
This unique aspect of Emacs is made possible by the availability of Emacs Lisp as a first class scripting/programming interface for the editor – and has made possible application packages such as W3 (a web browser), Gnus (the NNTP and mail reader), Eshell (a lisp based shell), Wanderlust (a very capable email client), and the Insidious Big Brother Database – aka BBDB – which is a contact manager and the subject of this post.
(BTW, the list of application is only a very small fraction of what is actually available on Emacs – see www.emacswiki.org for a ton of other packages).
As EmacsWiki points out, BBDB is:
"A complete address book for nearly every email and news client written for Emacs, and its functionality supports (by default) making entries in the address book automatically when reading email or posts by people, and easy lookup of addresses while composing messages."
In essence, it is an always available address book that works with other packages such as mail, Gnus and org-mode to provide a easy to access repository of contact information. The repository itself is a plain text lisp file which by default is stored as ~/.bbdb.
However, as with any contact manager, the problems are usually with:
- Initial data import, and
- Synchronization with other repositories and devices
For my platform (Apple OSX), the first problem above translates to data import from my primary OS level address book – the AddressBook.app. The second problem is not much of an issue for me since I use AddressBook.app as the primary contact list elsewhere and sync my devices to that. For keeping BBDB in sync, I have a cron job to automate the scripts below.
The contacts import to BBDB requires a data conversion of the address from custom format in which AddressBook.app stores the contacts to the BBDB lisp format. The steps required are as follows:
- Extract the records from AddressBook.app
- Parse and reformat the relevant fields that BBDB requires, and
- Output the reformatted records in the BBDB lisp format
Luckily, for step # 1, an open source command line utility already exists – appropriately called contacts. It is available from http://gnufoo.org/contacts/ and is a svelte 194KB download. This utility allows querying of the OSX Address book and extraction of specific fields and records. The output is a simple CSV text file.
For step # 2 and #3, additional scripting is required. I have written a simple Ruby script called contacts2bbdb.rb to run the contacts utility and output the BBDB repository file:
#!/usr/bin/env ruby -w # # Filename: contacts2bbdb.rb # Description: Converts addresses from OSX Addressbook.app to BBDB format # Author: Anupam Sengupta (anupamsg ... A-T ... G - M - A - I - L ) # Maintainer: Anupam Sengupta # # (c) 2007-2016 Anupam Sengupta. # # Created: Fri May 25 15:53:22 2007 # Version: 1.0 # Last-Updated: # By: Anupam Sengupta # Update #: 733 # URL: https://slashusr.wordpress.com # Keywords: `BBDB', 'OSX', 'contacts', 'convert' # Compatibility: GNU Emacs 21 and above # #-------------------------------------------------------------------- # # Commentary: # # Converts the addresses and contacts from Apple OSX's system addressbook # format (Addressbook.app) to Emacs' BBDB format. # # Requires the following additional software: # # 1. Ruby V1.8 and above (http://www.ruby-lang.org/) # 2. Big Brother Database (BBDB) package for Emacs (http://bbdb.sourceforge.net/) # 3. The 'contacts' program to read Addressbook's contacts # (http://gnufoo.org/contacts/) # # Usage: # # 1. Install Ruby, BBDB and contacts, if not already present # 2. Backup the OSX Address book (export the addresses as addressbook archive) # 3. Run this Ruby script to generate the converted records in BBDB format in the STDOUT # 4. Save the STDOUT output of this script to bbdb.new # # $ ruby contacts2bbdb.rb > bbdb.new # # 5. Replace your .bbdb file with bbdb.new # #-------------------------------------------------------------------- # # Change log: # # #-------------------------------------------------------------------- # # License: GNU GPL V2. # # This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or # modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as # published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2, or # (at your option) any later version. # # This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, # but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of # MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU # General Public License for more details. # # You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License # along with this program; see the file COPYING. If not, write to # the Free Software Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth # Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301, USA. #-------------------------------------------------------------------- # Delim = "\t" # Default delimiter ContactsProg = '/usr/bin/env contacts' # The contacts program # ContactsProgParams = '-H -l' # # A map between the LDIF field names and the actual field name ContactFields = { :fn => 'firstName', :ln => 'lastName', :c => 'company', :nn => 'nickName', :he => 'homeEmail', :we => 'workEmail', : oe => 'otherEmail', :hp => 'Home', :mp => 'Mobile', :Mp => 'Main', :wp => 'Work', } # ContactFormatOpts = ContactFields.keys # Options to pass to the contacts program ContactsProgFormat = "'%" + ContactFormatOpts.inject { |s, f| s.to_s + "#{Delim}%#{f.to_s}" } + "'" ContactsFullExec = "#{ContactsProg} #{ContactsProgParams} -f #{ContactsProgFormat}" # output = `#{ContactsFullExec}`.split(/\n/) # Read the output of contacts program # # Start parsing the contacts output records = output.map do |line| record = Hash.new(nil) line.chomp.split(Delim).each_with_index { |f, i| record[ContactFields[ContactFormatOpts[i]]] = f.strip unless f =~ /^\s*$/ } record end # # Start outputing the details to STDOUT puts <<END ;; -*-coding: utf-8-emacs;-*- ;;; file-version: 6 END # for r in records do r['nickName'] = nil # No need for the nick names. outs = %w{ firstName lastName nickName company }.inject("[") { |s, f| s + (r[f] ? "\"#{r[f]}\" " : "nil ") } outs = %w{ Home Main Mobile Work}.inject(outs + "(") { |s, f| r[f] ? s + "[\"#{f}\" \"#{r[f].strip}\"] " : s } + ") " outs = %w{ homeEmail workEmail otherEmail }.inject(outs + " nil (") { |s, f| r[f] ? s + "\"#{r[f]}\" " : s } + ") " outs += "((creation-date . \"2009-02-08\") (timestamp . \"2009-02-08\")) nil]" puts outs end # End of contacts2bbdb.rb script
A companion shell script to automate the execution of the Ruby program and also backup the previous BBDB file is also provided. Before usage, please edit the BBDB folder and file names:
#!/bin/sh # # Filename: contacts2bbdb.sh # Description: Converts addresses from OSX Addressbook.app to BBDB format # Author: Anupam Sengupta (firstname.lastname@example.com) # Maintainer: Anupam Sengupta # # (c) 2007-2016 Anupam Sengupta. # # Created: Fri May 25 15:53:22 2007 # Version: 1.0 # Last-Updated: # By: Anupam Sengupta # Update #: 740 # URL: https://slashusr.wordpress.com # Keywords: `BBDB', 'OSX', 'contacts', 'convert' # Compatibility: GNU Emacs 21 and above # #-------------------------------------------------------------------- # # Commentary: # # Runs the export of OS X Address Book contacts to the Emacs BBDB file. # # Requires: # 1. The contacts2bbdb.rb Ruby script # (https://slashusr.wordpress.com/) # 2. The Ruby interpreter (Version 1.8 and above) # (http://www.ruby-lang.org/) # 3. The Big Brother Database (BBDB) Emacs Package # (http://bbdb.sourceforge.net/) # 4. The contacts command line program to extract the records # (http://gnufoo.org/contacts/) # # Usage: # 1. Backup the Addressbook.app's addresses # 2. Install BBDB and 'contacts', if not already present # 3. Edit the BBDBDIR and RUBYPROG variables below # 4. Open Terminal.app and run this script # 5. The script will also create a backup of the previous bbdb file # # # # TODO: Edit these variables to match the file locations BBDBDIR=$HOME/.emacs.d/data # Edit this to match location of the bbdb file BBDBFILE=bbdb # Edit this to match your bbdb file name RUBYPROG=$HOME/bin/contacts2bbdb.rb # Name and loction of the Ruby Script # ####################################### Do not edit beyond this point ! # RUBYEXEC=`which ruby` # if [ -x ${RUBYEXEC} ]; then cp ${BBDBDIR}/$BBDBFILE ${BBDBDIR}/bbdb.bak ${RUBYEXEC} ${RUBYPROG} > $BBDBDIR/$BBDBFILE fi echo "BBDB Export and conversion completed." # # End of contacts2bbdb.sh
Do remember to take a backup of your existing BBDB file as well as a backup of the OSX address-book before running the scripts!
Update [17th Aug 2009]: Emacs-fu has a nice bbdb tutorial at emacs-fu: managing e-mail addresses with bbdb


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To Whom Does Sri Lanka Belong? To The Few,Many or All?
By Dayan Jayatilleka
[Full text of the 12th Bakeer Markar Memorial lecture on 'Challenges to Strengthening Sri Lankan Identity', delivered on Nov 17, 2009 by Dr Dayan Jayatilleka, former Ambassador/Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations at Geneva].
When Imthiaz extended this invitation to me, it was impossible for me to refuse for three reasons. Firstly, Bakeer Markar was one of those unforgettable Speakers who could command the respect of the House; a legend in his time. Secondly, Imthiaz and I had known each other from the time we were school boys. He captained the debating team at Ananda College while I captained the debating team at St. Joseph's College — we met in those circumstances and have been friends since. Thirdly, one of the grandsons of the late Mr. Bakeer Markar, one of the sons of Imthiaz, Fadhil, a very bright young man who was the President of the LSE students' union, worked with me as a volunteer intern at our Mission in Geneva when I served as Sri Lanka's Permanent Representative.
Those personal reasons apart, the political scientist in me found the topic irresistible because this topic is the key, the most crucial problem that Sri Lanka has to face today. It is indeed the topic, the issue, the problem which framed our development and our discontents, our wars and our periods of peace, our crisis and our construction since Independence. It is the issue that we have not yet resolved. It is the question to which we have not provided a satisfactory answer, though we have triumphed over the main obstacle to the strengthening of a Sri Lankan identity – the deadly, protracted armed challenge posed by the separatist terrorist LTTE. That military triumph, historic as it is, is only a pre-condition, a pre-requisite for the construction of a Sri Lankan identity. We have removed an obstacle, but we have not yet reached our destination. So this is indeed the topic that all politicians, all intellectuals, artists, and concerned citizens must address their minds to. Obviously I cannot exhaust this topic or even do justice to it in the time available to me. I hope to speak in our link language, in English and if time permits I will switch to Sinhala for a few minutes in order to summarize my views. But what I do want to achieve is to shed light on some aspects of this problem; to disturb you in some way and catalyze a process of thinking.
Now, when we talk about Sri Lankan identity, what do we really mean? What does it mean to be a Sri Lankan? We may put it even more basically or crudely: To whom does Sri Lanka belong? This is the crucial question. Let us face it squarely. I submit that there are broadly speaking, three perspectives on this. These may not be explicit, though some have been explicitly stated — but in many cases, they are perspectives that are and have been the implicit co-ordinates of policy. What are these three views?
One is that Sri Lanka belongs to the few. The other is that Sri Lanka belongs to the many and the third perspective, which I hold and which I hope to urge on this audience, is that Sri Lanka belongs equally to all its citizens. What do I mean when I say that there are those who hold that Sri Lanka belongs to the few? If we look back at what is seen, more or less accurately, as the golden age of Sri Lankan or Ceylonese identity — the first decade after independence — I would submit that there was something seriously flawed in the social contract of that time. If that were not the case, how does one explain the election results of 1947 where the parties of the Left did so well that they would have formed the first government of independent Ceylon if they had agreed to a coalition between themselves and the progressive independents?
How do we explain the mass protest, the 'Hartal' of 1953 and the turning point or 'rupture' of 1956?
These are explicable only because, there was a sense among the masses, that to be "Ceylonese" was something restricted to an unrepresentative elite. There was a notion that a few, a certain class of people, ethnically diverse but socially integrated, were the real owners of Ceylon. This perspective or perception is an obstacle, a challenge to the formation of a true Sri Lankan identity because the country cannot belong to just a few, policy cannot benefit only a few and if it does or if it is perceived as so doing, there will be a majoritarian backlash of one sort or the other, i.e. on class or cultural lines or a combination. This view that Sri Lanka belonged to the privileged few, be they domestic or foreign, or that those at the top held such a covert conviction and acted upon it, was one of the well springs of the second insurrection of the JVP and even of certain parliamentary electoral outcomes such as 1970 and 2004.
The second perspective is that Sri Lanka belongs to the many, to the majority. Now on the surface this seems justifiable, but I would say that it is a very dangerous view. The "many" can be described and have been described by political formations in Sri Lanka in two senses. One is socio economic. Those on the Sri Lankan radical left, quite different from the radical left elsewhere in the Asia and in the rest of the world, have defined the many not only in socio economic terms, that is as the poor or the working people, but as the many of the many, the working people minus the Tamil and Muslim poor; the Sinhala underprivileged.
This is the ideology of Sinhala Only combined with the doctrine of class struggle (and the practice of class/caste struggle). The Sinhalese are felt to be an underprivileged nation, oppressed, discriminated against and marginalized by an imperialist-backed cosmopolitan elite or a minority dominated compact. But whether you describe it in strictly socio economic i.e. ethnicity blind/neutral class terms or in more loaded ethno religious or ethno cultural terms, that is a way of excluding vital segments of our citizens be they the entrepreneurial classes, the professionals, the middle classes, the urban dwellers or the ethnic, religious or linguistic minorities. These segments are seen as somehow non-national, alien, and reactionary.
The notion that Sri Lanka belongs to the Sinhala Buddhists while the minorities are somehow guests or visitors, has directly or indirectly caused the conflicts that have devoured almost a quarter million citizens of this country in the 60 odd years since Independence. One may ask why I put together those who have died in two Southern insurrections which were ideologically based or class-based, and those who have died in successive wars in the North and the East which were ethnicity based. The reason is this: The failure to construct an inclusionary, stable, successful Sri Lankan identity not only alienated the minorities, but also blocked the path to sustainable economic development in the country as a whole and therefore was responsible at least in part for the stagnation that led to unemployment, poverty, inequality and the resultant youth insurrections in the South. This is a constructive critique of Sri Lanka that was made most cogently, consistently and with the greatest authority by Singapore's Lee Kwan Yew. Thus, the unresolved question of identity, the idea that Sri Lanka is a country that belongs and must be "ruled by" an ethno-religious or ethno-lingual majority, is something that will have to be transcended if we are to heal and progress as a country and a people.
The third perspective, which I believe is the only pathway to build a successful Sri Lankan identity is the idea that Sri Lanka belongs equally to all of its citizens irrespective of whether they happen to the members of an ethnic or linguistic or religious majority or minority. The idea of the equality of citizenship, that Sri Lanka is a country that belongs equally to all Sri Lankans, is something that we shall have to fight for. That is a relatively simple idea, surely. We live on a little island. Either we can consider and conduct ourselves as members of a single extended family, with members/relatives who, naturally, are different from each other — or we can continue to consider and conduct ourselves warring tribes which will continue to fight each other for hegemony or a segmented, separate sovereign space on this small island. If we opt for the latter course, we continue to waste more time, more resources, more lives and blight our future while failing completely to fulfill the magnificent potential that we have as a country. This is the moment, now is the moment to make this decision, because we are in the aftermath of a Thirty Years War.
We have almost experienced a Second Independence. It is a second chance that few countries get, and we must be proud of having wrested this chance. We must be proud of being able to achieve this victory over a very formidable and internationally notorious terrorist army, not just a terrorist group, not just an organization, but a movement and militia. Our people have shown that they have the psychological and spiritual resources to fight and win, not to succumb to terrorism. Now, we must go on to demonstrate that we have the wisdom, the sagacity, the generosity to build a united nation, Sri Lanka, which is not a synonym or disguise for the dominance of this or that community.
If Sri Lanka is only another name for a Sinhala Country or 'Sinhala Rata', then once again you will have the constituent peoples of this island drifting apart from each other. That drift may not take the form of a violent insurgency. I am not really worried about the renewal of the LTTE's military campaign because I think we have a splendid army which is perfectly capable of crushing any such resurgent violence at the first sign of its appearance— but I am worried about the gulf between our peoples which prevent us from pooling our talents, capabilities and resources and flourishing as a society, a nation, a country.
We have to face the question of whom Sri Lanka belongs to — the few, the many or all – together with certain allied and ancillary questions. For instance, is diversity a danger or a resource? We have, as Sir Arthur C Clarke said, perhaps the greatest biological diversity and cultural diversity compressed in a smallest possible space— which makes for richness and beauty, but also for conflict because we have not been able to reconcile these diversities. Societies as different as the United States of America and Singapore, diversity is regarded as a rich resource. It is like the colors of a palette: the more colors that are available to you, the better it is for the artist. But diversity is seen with apprehension in some quarters in Sri Lanka. This is the mindset that we have to overcome, because diversity provides opportunity.
Every community brings something to the table that is Sri Lanka. It is obvious that this is the only country in the world in which the Sinhala language is spoken and it should be indubitable that the Sinhalese must have a country, this country for their own. I believe that if we had lost the war, no Sinhalese anywhere in the world would have been able to walk with his or her head held high. But when we correctly say that "Sri Lanka is the country of the Sinhalese", as we must, it does not mean that Sri Lanka must be regarded as the country only of the Sinhalese while the others are "visitors" or "guests", " tenants" or "lodgers". Sri Lanka is the only country for the Sinhalese and of the Sinhalese but it does not belong only to the Sinhalese and cannot be "ruled" only by the Sinhalese. Sri Lanka belongs to the Sinhalese, to the Tamils, to the Muslims, to the Malays, to the Burghers, to the men and the women, all of whom are citizens of Sri Lanka. And it does so equally.
The diversity of the Sri Lanka population is a most precious "natural" resource because the minorities not only enrich our cultural mix, but also provide the connecting link between Sri Lanka and the world. This is not understood. As I said, Sinhalese is spoken by a large collectivity only on this island. Theravada Buddhism does not have any echo in the sub-continent— you have to look further afield to South East Asia for co-religionists. Ceylon or the Island of Sri Lanka as a receptacle or Theravada Buddhism is a very important and unalterable structural factor of our civilization, arguably constituting, in overlap or amalgam with the Sinhala language, its central and specific or defining core.
Now, the very fact that the Sinhalese and the Buddhists or the Sinhala Buddhists are an overwhelming majority of the country should provide a sense of security because this is not a demographic that will be altered. Centuries of colonialism and millennia of invasions have not altered this fact. While of course everything is subject to change in the long term, there is no need to be apprehensive about the erosion or extinction of what is a solid, demographic and civilizational majority. That automatically guarantees certain preponderance in terms of civilization, culture and ethos.
But what it does not require — and this is the mistake we have made — is the translation and transposition of a natural demographic and cultural preponderance into political and constitutional primacy, pre-eminence and hegemony, because once you do that, you depart from the principle of equality of citizenship, of equal rights and the principle of merit based on open competition. Thus the minorities become second class citizens whether you intend it or not.
I do not see why, when you go into a police station, you have to enter your ethnicity and your religion. We may say, "Okay, you have to enter your ethnicity because there was civil war which was drawn for the most part from a particular community". That is now over. I really do not see why you have to enter your religion— but this is what happens in Sri Lanka today. These are the anomalies that have to be addressed and eliminated. Diversity, as I said, has to be understood as a rich resource because whether it is the Hindus, the Muslims or the Christians, these are the communities that have some kind of links, some overlaps with the world outside.
So together, and enjoying equal rights as citizens, the Sinhala Buddhists and the minorities can have the best of both worlds; can strengthen Sri Lankan identity with one functioning almost as a citadel or a castle, and the others functioning as the bridges between the cultural "core" or "heartland" and the rest of the world.
Instead what you have today is an absence of comprehension and communication. For quite some time now, we have had a dominant discourse which can be understood only within the boundaries of the Sinhala Buddhist heartland and is lost in translation when it travels, moves. The moment you try to address the Tamil people, the Muslim people, the Christians or the world, it does not sound right because there is no sensitivity to other ways of thinking, other cultures, other civilizations and other outlooks even on this small island!
We must also decide whether a Sri Lanka identity can be constructed by looking exclusively inwards or exclusively outwards, or by a two directional approach. I would say that we need an inner–outer approach; indeed a multi-vector, multidirectional approach, looking within while simultaneously reaching out to all corners of the world. For too long we have had a kind of a cultural involution and narcissism where we are not only justifiably proud of our country and our civilization achievements, but tend to exalt them to the point that we lose all perspective. There is no appreciation or achievement of other cultures.
There is the repeated incantation that we are the best; everything good flowed from us; we do not need to learn anything from outside and should resist "outside influences". We are self referential, and refuse to subscribe to, evaluate ourselves by or be evaluated by universal values, norms and standards. The sad thing is nobody believes our claims, except ourselves; nobody buys into our logic or plays our game.
The world cannot understand us and we cannot understand the world. We neither care about being understood by the world nor that we are ourselves unable to understand the world. It is a dialogue of the deaf: the outside world cannot comprehend what we are saying and we cannot comprehend what it –including our neighbors and allies– is trying to say to us. For instance we have not de-coded – as if there were anything esoteric to "de-code"—the dynamics of the Obama visit to China or the Manmohan Singh visit to the USA and the implications for us of both. We have not registered the growing congruency (rightly or wrongly) of the positions of Obama's USA, and Russia and China, on Iran's nuclear program.
When communication breaks down we yell from the rooftops about international conspiracies! It is not that there aren't international moves against us – not every criticism or adversarial move is a conspiracy—but these 'conspiracies' must be understood within the overall crisis of our external relations, and that crisis is primarily one of cross-cultural comprehension, communication, and representation.
We see this in the field of human rights which I am especially acquainted with, due to my last job. We have this strange discourse: "how dare you criticize us on human rights issues because we grow up worshiping our parents from the time we were little and you do not; instead you call your parents by their first name. So how dare you accuse us culturally superior and therefore ethically superior beings, of human rights violations?" This is some notion of intrinsic cultural superiority which nobody in the world will grant us. Human rights are universal because the human condition, the fact of our common, shared humanity, is universal! We are all human beings before we are Sinhalese, Buddhists or Sri Lankans! That must be grasped.
So, the invocation of our 2,500 year old culture, civilization and history and our "homegrown" version of human rights simply will not do. I am glad that I never took that kind of stand in Geneva. If we did, Sri Lanka would not have got a 29-12 majority in its favor. No wonder we lost 63-0 in the European parliamentary vote in Brussels and had a 421-1 vote when Resolution 711, critical of us on the IDP issue, was moved in the US House of Representatives in early November! This blinkered or blind self-exaltation is not going to help us advance as a unified Lanka, into the 21st Century.
We must look at ourselves and the outside world. When we look at our own culture, our own traditions, we must learn to discern and discard that which is no longer appropriate and retain that which is valuable. Not everything about tradition is appropriate. Caste is not appropriate. Certain attitudes are not appropriate. Are we to embrace them simply because at one time they were part of our tradition? We must be able to critically sift out that which is relevant, that which is appropriate, that which is precious, that which is essential, and those aspects which are not. We must be able to blend our culture with the best of other cultures — and this is in fact is how our Sri Lanka evolved! There is nothing within Sri Lankan culture that has not been influenced or impinged upon by other cultures, whether they were and are Indian, Tamil or Arabic or European.
This is all the more so today in the era of the internet. All you have to do is to turn on your television set and you will find that culture is not something static. It is not something that belongs to the museum. Culture evolves; culture has a future and is to do with the future just as much as the past. In the construction of a Sri Lankan identity should we look to the past or the future? I think we must rediscover, reflect on and revaluate the past, but not stay mired in it as we tend to do. We must look to the future. We are not only what we have been. We are not only what we were. We are what we can make of ourselves.
I say all of these because of personal experience, and also because of a strategic reason which I will get to. The personal reasons are these: I belong to a majority and a minority. I am a member of the majority in so far as I am a Sinhalese. I belong to a minority in so far as I am a Christian, a non-practicing or not quite practicing Catholic. So I am able to see the issue of a Sri Lankan identity through the eyes of the majority as well as of the minorities. Therefore, I believe I am able to see a bigger picture, a fuller picture, rather than if I were either only a member of the minority or only a member of the majority. Now the second personal reason is how I was brought up, the foundational formation of my own identity.
Many people in this audience knew my father, the late Mervyn de Silva, the famous journalist and respected editor, not to be confused at any time with another person of the same name whom I would never call a gentleman! Though he had a Sinhala Buddhist upbringing and family background, Mervyn never referred to himself or our family members as Sinhalese, nor did we say, "We were not Sinhalese". We never disowned the Sinhala identity but it never figured consciously or explicitly, and if anyone, such as Mervyn's good friend the late Gamani Jayasuriya, founder of the Sinhala Arakshaka Sanvidhanaya (SAS), were to bring it up, my father would brush it aside. I cannot remember in all my years of growing up that there was any reference to us as Sinhalese or any time my parents said "as Sinhalese" we must think such and such, or do such and such or be this way and not that. No, our standards were international, universal; I was brought up to behave according to and adhere to standards which were the same anywhere in the world, which is, I suppose, why I was able to function with ease and success at the UN in Geneva. We were "Ceylonese", "Sri Lankan"— and "Asian" (my mother Lakshmi was particularly conscious of our Asian identity, while Mervyn was more "international").
Our identity was one of citizenship, of being citizens of the country and of belonging to the continent as a whole; there was no narrow ethnic or ethno religious identity or what Lakshman Kadirgamar used to decry as "tribalism". If you look at Mervyn de Silva's writings, he would refer to himself as "a journalist", as "a literary critic who became a student of international relations". So the aspect of personal identity that was most important to him was not what he was by accident of birth, but what he had made of himself through free choice. That is true of our country as well. To be Sri Lankan does not necessarily only mean this or that version of what we were or where we are coming from. It also means what we make of ourselves in the future. We have the free choice to do that.
Lakshman Kadirgamar gives us the formula for being truly Sri Lankan, exemplifying and articulating what a Sri Lankan identity is: "I am first and foremost a citizen of Sri Lanka. I don't carry labels of race or religion or any other label. I would say quite simply that I have grown up with the philosophy that I am probably, kind of a citizen of the world. I don't subscribe to any particular philosophy; I have no fanaticism: I have no communalism. I believe that there should be a united Sri Lanka. I believe that all our peoples can live together, they did live together. I think they must in the future learn to live together after this trauma is over. We have four major religions in the country. Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, Christianity. All these religions exist very peacefully. They get on very well. I see no reason why the major races in the country, the Tamils and Sinhalese cannot again build a relationship of trust and confidence. That is my belief. That is what I wish for and in working for that I will not be deterred by having some labels pinned on me." (Interview with Japanese National Television, NHK, 2004)
Quoting this on the occasion of the Kadirgamar commemoration this year, Mrs. Suganthi Kadirgamar correctly said that it "encapsulates Lakshman's vision, idealism and aspiration for a united Sri Lanka devoid of conflict".
Now the hypocrisy of our dominant social ideology is this: many Sinhalese would applaud this but not say the same themselves! They applaud these sentiments coming from a Tamil, but are not willing to adopt the same stand, defining themselves "first and foremost as a citizen of Sri Lanka", eschewing "labels of race or religion". So it is a good thing when a Tamil or Muslim eschews "labels of race or religion" and affirms their Sri Lankan identity, but it is perfectly in order for Sinhala Buddhists to assert their own "race and religion"!
Who and where is the Sinhala Lakshman Kadirgamar? Friedrich Nietzsche, my favorite philosopher said that "there was only one Christian — and he died on the Cross". Similarly we could perhaps say that there was only one Sri Lankan and he is dead. It is no accident that this pioneer and practitioner of a Lankan identity and consciousness, this prototype of being a Sri Lankan, was murdered in the name of liberation no less, by ultra-nationalists or hyper-nationalists, the Tamil extremist LTTE. He is dead precisely because he was a Sri Lankan!
Many of our ultra nationalists, mainly the Sinhalese ultra-nationalists say that the views expressed here are all Western values, which we can and must reject because we are part of Asia — but let me tell you that their attitude is not part of Asia at all! It is not only alien to contemporary Asia; it was certainly not the attitude and perspective of the Asia of Zhou En Lai and Nehru! India, which has over 80 per cent Hindus, has a secular State. It had a President who was a Muslim. It has a Prime Minister who was a Sikh, despite the fact that there was Sikh secessionist insurgency in the 1980s and Indira Gandhi's assassins were Sikhs.
The leader of the major party which was re-elected happens to be of Italian origin. If you take Singapore, 9 per cent of the people are of South Asian origin, but many in the top ranks of the Government happen to be South Asian or Indian or Tamil. It is an integrated society based on merit. Indonesia has a population over 90% of which is of the Islamic faith but the state is defined as secular, while Bangladesh which has a Muslim majority and elements of a Buddhist heritage is also a secular state. So, while we talk about Asia we are not really part of today's Asia at all.
We must not remain out of step with the new Asian consensus and must adopt our own version of the 21st century Asian model, which is one of meritocracy, multi-ethnicity and multiculturalism. We are really displaying an island mentality which is rather like that of the proverbial frog in the well or as a friend of mine once said it is more like a frog in a coconut shell in the well. We have to get with Asia, and it is important that we do so because this century is the century of Asia, of the Asian resurgence, the shift of economic power to Asia and we only have to hook up. It is our region, our extended family, where we belong.
Our identity as Sri Lankans must include a strong commitment to equity and social fair-play, but do we want to level upwards or do we want to continue leveling downward as we did with Sinhala Only and later with media and district wise 'standardization'? In the name of Sri Lankan identity, do we want to lower our standards and adopt the lowest common denominator with the excuse that we are compensating for colonial privilege? Or do we want to excel in Asia and the world once again, because there was a time we did (the first post WW 2 or post Independence decade), by raising our standards to the level of excellence and making ourselves competitive with the rest of the world?
All this may seem less than patriotic in the traditional or conventional sense of the word. However on the basis of our experience in the battles we fought and won in Geneva, I can assure you that it is very patriotic in the strategic sense. Those were not battles on our soil; it was a struggle on alien territory, even enemy territory. Ours was a small beleaguered mission. We were out there in hostile territory in the middle of Europe with very experienced western foreign Ministries campaigning against us, with their capitals just a few hours away by plane.
Yes, we prevailed, but I also saw at first hand — because we were the "breakwater" — the massive demonstrations of pro-Tiger, pro-Tamil Eelam youngsters and the tragic self-immolation of a 21-year old boy who had come from London.
So, as I have said elsewhere, "The war is over, but the struggle is not", because there is another generation of young Tamils, born and educated in the West, who are deeply alienated from Sri Lanka. How is that challenge going to be met? It cannot be met with fire power because that is not a military challenge. It has to be met through the generation and projection of "soft power" and "smart power"; brains, education, economics, diplomacy, communication. It is a struggle in the Western-dominated international media, in the corridors of power, in Washington, in London, in Brussels. Are we ready to win this "peaceful competition"? It is not a battle that Sri Lanka is geared for. It is a battle we will lose if we do not revise our notions of what it is to be Sri Lankan. If we do not construct a broadly inclusionary Sri Lankan identity based on equality and merit, we will find it difficult to win the battle.
However, we can win it because there are many young Sri Lankans, Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims, men and women, who do not believe in separatism (like Imthiaz's son at the LSE, a boy we can proud of). But how are we going to attract and enlist young people like that including young Western educated and/or westernized Sinhalese, while remaining in the grip of a closed minded cultural conservatism and traditionalism, even overseas, in the Diaspora and the state's interactions with it? I went on some of the Sinhalese community radios in Australia and said "you are going lose your kids if the Sri Lankan culture they are getting are songs that are 30 to 50 years old! They will come for 'Sri Lankan events' with their parents till they are 12, 13 and 14 and then you are not going to see them!" So we have to change that.
There is a lot going on in Sri Lanka on our television screens, on FM radio. There is a modern Sri Lanka. There is a post-modern Sri Lanka. There is a Sri Lanka of the 21st century that has already begun to emerge. We do not reflect that officially. Our State does not reflect it. The official or dominant discourse does not reflect it. It is that Sri Lanka that is already in formation, a Sri Lanka and Lankan identity that is a fusion because among young people you already have that fusion. There is an open mindedness in that fusion, which is taking place not only between the communities here, but also between Sri Lanka and the world. If only we are able to open our minds and our hearts, use our brains and modernize and democratize our notion of Sri Lankan identity; it is only if we are able to break the chains that enslave our minds, that we will be able to achieve the defeat of renewed attempts of secessionism which are based overseas and hope to leverage powerful countries outside the region against us.
It is only then that we will be able to fulfill our potential as a country and as a nation. It is only then that we will be able to move confidently, reaping the benefits of our splendid military victories, arriving in the 21st century to compete and win. Thank you.

subset: commoncrawl


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I have studiously avoided blogging about "The U.S. government planned 9/11" conspiracy theories because, frankly, they strain credulity*; it seems unlikely to the extreme that the government could keep a secret like that from leaking. But Time magazine has a good explanation of why 36% of people polled lend credence to these claims: We need grand theories to make sense of grand events, or the world just seems too random.
*Editor's note: I originally had written "...frankly, they're crap; no government could keep a secret like that from leaking." But as anything is theoretically possible, I decided to soften my statement.
... There are psychological explanations for why conspiracy theories are so seductive. Academics who study them argue that they meet a basic human need: to have the magnitude of any given effect be balanced by the magnitude of the cause behind it. A world in which tiny causes can have huge consequences feels scary and unreliable. Therefore a grand disaster like Sept. 11 needs a grand conspiracy behind it. "We tend to associate major events—a President or princess dying—with major causes," says Patrick Leman, a lecturer in psychology at Royal Holloway University of London, who has conducted studies on conspiracy belief. "If we think big events like a President being assassinated can happen at the hands of a minor individual, that points to the unpredictability and randomness of life and unsettles us." In that sense, the idea that there is a malevolent controlling force orchestrating global events is, in a perverse way, comforting.


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RBS Morgans has increased its share-price target for ChemGenex by 20¢ to $1.51 a share after the biopharmaceutical development company signed an exclusive agreement with Hospira to license, develop and commercialise its lead product in Europe, the Middle East and parts of Africa.
Under the agreement, Hospira will make an initial payment of €11.1 million ($17.8 million), with the potential for performance milestone payments up to an additional €74.1 million ($A119.4 million) based on the successful development and commercialisation of omacetaxine, which is used to treat patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML).
Hospira will also pay ChemGenex a royalty on product sales in those markets but gave no financial details. RBS estimates this is a 20 per cent royalty and said that the deal metrics were better than expected.
ChemGenex will use the cash to commercialise the drug in the US, with a target launch date in the second half of the 2010 calendar year. RBS now believes the company will not need to undertake a second capital raising.
The broker has made a number of changes to its model, including increasing the probability of success from 85 per cent to 90 per cent, updating its currency forecasts and introducing milestone payments from 2012.
"The next catalyst is US product approval, expected in March 2010. The key risk is delays in product approval from the [US Food and Drug Administration] and European regulatory authorities," the broker says. It retains its "buy" recommendation on the stock.
Shares in Chemgenex finished 3.1 per cent higher on Tuesday at $1.00.
The Australian Financial Review


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The 11th Division was alarmed in its rearward quarters, and hurried forward to the support of the 12th.
Frontward was the small lake's grey water, rearward an avenue of limes.
The French position about Sedan was covered to rearward by the fortress.
Then twelve of them were as it were our Vanguard, other twelve, our rearward.
The British literally blasted their way through the German front and rearward positions.
The 12th Division was encamped at Fontenay and rearward as far as Chtenay.
On the bare summit the rider turns once more in his saddle, and the rearward glance becomes a steady eye-sweep.
So Hartzell and I resumed our rearward plodding or staggering.
The point shut out any rearward view of the black motor boat and they saw no more of it.
They fled to another mountain, rearward of their first position.


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A few days ago we were treated to the sight of two soccer 'prima donnas' refusing to shake hands on TV prior to the start of a match.
That set me thinking; why not have, in all sporting arenas: soccer, rugby, tennis, cricket, or any sports field where spectators number in their thousands, a boxing square outlined in white or other appropriate colour, in the center of the field. When there is a dispute or, some other event resulting in a few punches between players, instead of sending them to the 'sin-bin' as in rugby, put them in the painted square and, either bare knuckle or gloved, let them fight it out for three, one minute rounds to the huge additional benefit of the spectators and simultaneously, getting rid of the 'bad blood' between the players?
After three minutes, it's over. Job done. No more 'prima donna' girly tantrums. I forecast that if this is adopted, spectator numbers will increase like nobodies business. Just imagine - captain of a team humps someone's wife or girl friend, or, a player gets hacked down in the penalty area, big grudge arises, punch-up ensues, everyone is hugely entertained and the culprit gets his comeuppance. Everyone's a winner !
We could even have 'place-your-bets' here booths with odds quoted. Or, better still, you can go into the ring only if you are prepared to back your fighting ability with a small purse of say, £500 per antagonist. The winner collects all and the total prize money is donated to the charity of choice.
Let's raise a petition to the Sports Minister.
John Green
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» Department of Music - Bud Caputo
Dr. Charles Caputo
DMA, Catholic University of America
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Dr. Bud Caputo
Dr. Caputo is the trombone and euphonium instructor at Florida Atlantic University. He continues his free-lance trombone playing in the south Florida area. Prior to this, he instructed elementary string students for the Fairfax County Public Schools in Northern Virginia and was former adjunct advisor in Music Education at The Catholic University of America, in Washington, D. C. His most recent publications include music for strings ; FJH (
The Star Spangled Banner
, spring-2002), Alfred (
A Festival Of Lights-2007, Manassas Memories
–spring 2005,
Blues for Dee
, 2002), and Carl Fisher (
Chanukah Oh Chanukah and Fun Tunes for Strings
–2003). Other publications, including music for jazz strings, may be found on this web site. In addition, he has formed a two professional jazz string orchestras, and the New York Jazz All-Star Swingin' Strings. He has recently presented workshops at the Florida Music Educators Association, Maryland Music Educators Conference, MENC Eastern Division, The Mid-West Clinic, The American String Teachers Association, and Virginia Music Educators In-Service Conference.
He has been an adjunct professor on the campus of Montgomery College in Rockville, Maryland, where he conducted the college community band, brass band, and jazz ensemble, served as the trombone studio teacher, and taught Music Fundamentals to non-music majors. He has taught graduate music education courses and the jazz ensemble at The Catholic University of America. He is a frequent guest conductor having conducted all-county jazz and concert bands for Carroll, Ann Arundel, and Charles Counties in Maryland. His work in the public schools spans elementary to high school where he has taught band, orchestra, jazz ensembles, as well as theory, music history and literature, electronic music, and guitar. He was the music supervisor for the Montgomery County Public Schools in Rockville, Maryland, from 1983 through May, 1999.
While in Washington, D.C., he performed for Natalie Cole and a variety of artists and Broadway shows at the National Theater, Warner Theater, and Wolf Trap. He was a member of the Beethoven Pops and Washington Civic Opera Orchestras. He toured with Larry Elgart and the Frankie Carle orchestra and served with the U. S. Army Band of Ft. Meyer, VA from 1967-70. He is a regular adjudicator at concert and jazz band festivals throughout the state of Maryland and at major theme parks on the east coast. He has served as vice-president of the Maryland Chapter of the International Association of Jazz Educators from 1984-1995.
Dr. Caputo has earned degrees from The Catholic University of America, the Manhattan School of Music, and the State University College, Potsdam, NY. His trombone studies were with Edward Herman, of the New York Philharmonic; Roger Smith, of the Metropolitan Opera, and John Marcellus, of the National Symphony Orchestra. He has studied arranging with Hank Levy, Towson State University, and Dr. Sandy Feldstein, past president of Carl Fisher of NY.
Last Modified 11/8/16


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Effects of Arabinoxylan-Oligosaccharides Compared to Other Prebiotics in Healthy Subjects
This study has been completed.
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
Information provided by:
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
First received: February 25, 2009
Last updated: February 26, 2009
Last verified: February 2009
- Full Text View
- Tabular View
- No Study Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
No Study Results Posted on ClinicalTrials.gov for this Study
|Study Status:
|This study has been completed.
|Study Completion Date:
|September 2007
|Primary Completion Date:
|No date given


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Для получения актуальных цен по гостинице Tahona Garden, пожалуйста, укажите интересующие вас даты и выполните поиск.
The Tahona Gardens are located in a central location within easy reach of all resort facilities.
Safety deposit box availble for rent. The complex has a large swimming pool, and a childrens section to the pool, and a snack bar and terrace where you can relax and soak up the sun. Evenings are ideal for relaxing in the bar and meeting new friends while enjoying the hospitality of the Tahona Gardens. There is also a laundry service within the complex- payable locally.
Этажей: 2
Номеров: 110
|This is a traditional building.
|This accommodation has a medium lobby.
|Описание номеров
|It is a family run complex and has various room types, from 1 bedroom, 2 bedroomed, suites and twin rooms. The twin rooms have no lounge area or kitchen/fridge,All rooms have Satellite TV.
|Бары и рестораны
|You will find a free buffet restaurant with daily breakfast and dinner. Enjoy every sort of drinks in our Bar Salon situated next to the restaurant. At our Pool Bar you can hava a lunch and assorted snacks.


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Night Ranger
Hey I have been playing D2 LoD for about 8 months and have a very good lvl 90 hdin with all the best items that guides advise. I can Mf anywhere in Hell and Nm with ease. If you could help me in deciding where I should Mf with the best profit for the amount of time I put into it. Please post your thoughts and opinions to help me decide.


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Financial Assistance
UTEP's graduate students can finance their education by working and/or by taking advantage of the University's available financial assistance awards and programs.
Financial aid is divided into the following types: merit-based, need-based, and employment. Merit-based awards are granted on the basis of the student's previous academic performance. Need-based aid is awarded according to the level of the student's financial need, with some consideration of the student's past academic performance. Employment includes jobs, both on and off campus.
The majority of these opportunities are either through, or with, the coordination of the Student Financial Aid and Scholarships offices. A booklet on Financial Aid and Graduate Students is available from the Graduate School and the Office of Financial Aid.
Effective January 1, 1998, a student subject to selective service registration will be required to file a statement that the student has registered or is exempt from selective service registration in order to be eligible to receive financial assistance funded by State revenue - H.B. 2061.
The University of Texas at El Paso
Developed by the UTEP Web Development Team
Revised: April 07, 1999


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A macabre taste of prisons past
Bangkok is so big, we've split it up into areas, select one of the below for detailed accommodation and food listings in that area. Sights and general overviews for Bangkok as a whole can be found via the icons above. Don't know where to start? Read an overview of Bangkok's different areas.
No Thai holiday would be complete without white sandy beaches, glittering temples and … jail cells? Occupying a former prison in an old city location, Bangkok's Corrections Museum offers an unnerving yet fascinating journey through the history of Thai prisons and the many forms of torture once carried out in them. Beware — this is not for the faint of heart.
This former maximum security prison was built in 1890 by decree of King Rama V, who apparently modelled it after the British-run prisons then found in Singapore. After a relatively brief but brutal period of operation, the inmates were gradually shifted to the now-notorious Bang Khwang maximum security prison in Nonthaburi, affectionately known as the "Bangkok Hilton".
Most of the former prison site was reborn in the 1990s as Romaneenat Park, a tranquil slice of inner-city green where joggers and mothers pushing strollers have replaced horrendous forms of torture. On the park's eastern fringe, however, one of the original cell blocks, the prison wall with watchtowers at either end, and two buildings that once housed prison offices have all been preserved. In them you'll find a disturbingly well-put-together and elaborate collection of penal-related relics and exhibits.
When we arrived, an actual Thai police officer emerged from his post and motioned us to follow him. His hard, unsmiling face, direct voice and dark green military-style uniform with big black boots and a red arm band made us feel like we'd wandered into a working prison. This sentiment was magnified when he pulled out a heavy ring of keys and unlocked the enormous padlocks that keep the museum's wax prisoners from escaping.
Each of the dark, cramped cells contains an exhibit in which dumbfounded-looking wax prisoners — or just their wax heads — display how different forms of torture were carried out before Rama V abolished them in 1908, two years before his death. In this gruesome era that stretches back to the Ayutthaya period and beyond, the Thai penal system — along with those of countless other nations — was based solely on punishment through extreme pain and suffering.
One exhibit displays a rattan ball that's barely big enough to fit a prisoner inside and is outfitted with long, sharp steel nails protruding inwards. With the unlucky subject bound firmly by the wrists and ankles inside, this bloody "man-ball" was kicked around by a team of elephants in a ghoulish round of soccer. Other nightmare-inducing torture tools include a long and narrow coffin-like box that was fitted with a prisoner and then left to bake in the sun, and a "Temple Pressing Tool", which requires no further explanation.
Less dreadful exhibits include old prison guard uniforms, crude knives and other weapons used by prisoners during escape attempts, and examples of actual narcotics that have been confiscated in more recent times. The museum contains prison memorabilia from throughout the kingdom, past and present.
Once we finished gawking at the last cell and our not-so-friendly guard/guide slammed and locked the bars behind us, we breathed a sigh of relief and thought that our terrifying foray had come to an end. But just before we could escape, he led us down a long corridor and into one of the cream-coloured heritage buildings where the prison's original guards — who once saw to the efficiency of these punishments — would have enjoyed their lunch breaks.
Upon setting foot on the building's original teak wood floors, visitors are treated to one of the more macabre art galleries we've come across. About two dozen paintings display unthinkably terrible forms of torture in full, graphic colour. If you're visiting with kids, skip this part.
On the other hand, those who soothe themselves to sleep by watching The Texas Chainsaw Massacre will be delighted by detailed artistic renderings of gory scenes accompanied by cold, straightforward English explanations. Included among these are, "Cut the flesh as strips from neck to waist, and waist to ankles then let the skin fall down as sarong" and "Cut off the flesh by pieces then fried and eaten by his own". You get the picture.
Passing a real human skeleton encased in glass, visitors then climb a stairwell to the museum's final three showrooms. While one of them displays exquisite furniture made by prisoners, the other two are dedicated to the Thai "art" of execution. You'll see how a lone machine gunner executed prisoners from 1934 to 2003, when Thailand finally switched to lethal injection. Prior to '34, execution was an elaborate ceremony of flowers, swords and spirits, and this is the eerily compelling subject of the final room.
A still life display shows two wax executioners, curved swords in hand, performing the theatrical dance that was apparently meant to calm the prisoners' minds before their moment of truth. A phuong malai flower garland is perched atop the blindfolded prisoner's feet, and between his palms are three lotus flowers. A spirit shrine stands nearby with offerings, including a pig's head, given by the prisoner's family in the hopes of bartering for a fortunate rebirth. The display depicts the tense moment just before one of the executioners unleashes their lethal blow.
How to get there
The Corrections Museum is located on Mahachai Road, in the western part of Romaneenart Park, and a half-kilometre southeast of Wat Suthat. A taxi or tuk tuk from the Grand Palace should cost around 60 baht.
A selection of some of our favourite sights and activities around Bangkok.
Browse our independent reviews of places to stay in and around Bangkok.
Check prices, availability & reviews on Agoda or Booking
Check out our listings of other things to do in and around Bangkok.
Read up on how to get to Bangkok, or book your transport online with 12Go Asia.
Do you have travel insurance yet? If not, find out why you need it.
Planning on riding a scooter in Bangkok? Please read this.
Browse tours in Thailand with Tourradar.
By David Luekens.
Last updated on 18th July, 2017.
The Travelfish newsletter is sent out every Monday and is jammed full of free advice for travel in Southeast Asia. You can see past issues here.


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Would you like to save as your currency permanently or for this visit only?
No praise would be high enough for Strand House. Ernestine & Kate two special ladies. Rooms, food and hospitality were 5 star. It would be impossible to find better anywhere. Thank you for a wonderful stay.
Breakfast was excellent
Very welcoming, excellent facilities (dvd player and small dvd collection), lots of home made food, advice on where to get dinner and go for walks and very quiet.
my friend stayed here and could not hae been treated any better,, throughly enjoyd the short time in strand house
Warm, friendly, excellent service, wonderful room, spotlessly clean, great location. no
We would like to say many thanks for the kind hospitality received. The food, the rooms and the attention was wonderfull so we had a fantastic weekend at Northern Ireland. If one day we come back for sure that we will stay at the strand house so we recommend that hotel 100%. No.
Welcoming - home from Home - very friendly - helpful - relaxing - would go again - N/A
Welcome cuppa and homemade scones on arrival. Spacious room with adjustable heating and great facilities. Sofa and footstool......excellent. Lounges to relax, library and daily papers provided. None
An absolutely outstanding Guest House Hotel. Tom and Ernestine were excellent hosts; warm, friendly, considerate, helpful. Accommodation was exceptional in its provision of every conceivable comfort. The breakfasts were amazing ! Fresh fruit, beautifully prepared, wide variety of cereals and dried fruit, sumptuous cooked breakfast - full Irish. Tremendous personal attention and service.
Everything at Strand House was excellent. It is furnished to a very high level, with comfortable beds. My wife really enjoyed the whirlpool bath. A lot of thought and care went into the breakfast - the freshly squeezed orange juice and fruit salad, and the best bacon I can remember.


text: Video: NORAD tracks Santa's global journey Add to ... AP Video Published Saturday, Dec. 24, 2011 11:10AM EST Last updated Saturday, Dec. 24, 2011 11:31AM EST Santa already is piling up big numbers on social networking sites this season, so the volunteer Santa-trackers at NORAD are bracing for tens of thousands of calls and emails when their operations center goes live on Christmas Eve. Watch More Video: How parents and kids can make the most out of the holiday break Suprisingly calm Christmas Eve for shoppers Would you eat 70-year-old fruitcake? Sydney Zoo animals receive Christmas presents Raw Video: Christmas Tree made from recycled water bottles Tourists fall for Santa's magic in Lapland Video: National menorah lit in Washington Holiday music faceoff Old and new holiday-themed DVDs Blogger hunts for tacky Christmas displays Illinois child's toy drive dream lives on UK boys choir releases Christmas album What will Kate's first Christmas be like? Holiday makeup that dazzles Skating rink opens in the Eiffel Tower Last-minute gift ideas Tips for great holiday photos Giving the gift of wine Donors surprise strangers by paying off layaway Bethlehem, Nazareth light trees Comments Share via email Share on facebook Share on twitter Share on LinkedIn Print


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O*Net Training for Career Exploration (10/15/2013)
Harper College @ Workforce and Economic Development
Tuesday, October 15, 2013 from 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM (CDT)
Who's Going
San Francisco, California
London, United Kingdom
Florence, Italy
Event Details
O*Net Training for Career Exploration
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
1:30 pm - 3:30 pm
Create and save a personal profile about your interests in a hands-on, guided online session using the O*Net Interest Profiler, Work Importance Locator, Skills Assessment and Occupation Sort. Learn how to research State of Illinois databases for up-to-date information on wages, current employment and future job Outlook, and use this with your profile results for a better career match. Basic ability to use the Internet required.
Due to limited resources, participants may only register and take this workshop once!
This workshop will be held at:
Arlington Heights WorkNet Center
723 W. Algonquin Rd., Arlington Heights, IL 60005
Registration: http://harpercollege-at-wed-division.eventbrite.com
This session is a no cost to the participant. Registration is required. No onsite registration. Registration closes on Monday, October 14 at 5:00 pm.
If you have event questions email firstname.lastname@example.com.
When & Where
Arlington Heights WorkNet Center
723 West Algonquin Road
Arlington Heights,
Tuesday, October 15, 2013 from 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM (CDT)
Add to my calendar


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Legends of Dawn - Kickstarter Launched
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December 20th, 2012, 15:35
I need to see a small sample of all the pieces working together before I support. The video mostly showed combat, which is the least interesting part of crpgs for me. I dislike oversized weapons and garish armor too, so that's a negative. My first question when looking at armor is "Does it look like it would serve its purpose or is it an artist's drawing?" The helm were especially bad, blocking all peripheral vision, etc.
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fusionbrands Iceorb - Vertical Ice Tray Makes, Chills, Serves & Stores
I admit I haven't used this yet, but i looks like a stroke of genius to me... the inner tub can either hold ice or be used to hold foods that need to be chilled. fill the other tub with liquid, insert the inner tub and freeze... and voila! Ice cubes!
I think these glasses will look much snazzier than my usual get up of a piece of white bread hanging out of my mouth as I chop.Added 8 Years Ago from Utilitieshome
one fluid motion and you can slice your apple into one beautiful spiral with this handy tool.Added 8 Years Ago from Uncommon Goods


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Catholic News Service
WASHINGTON -- Health care is a matter of human life and dignity, a bishop wrote in a July 17 letter to Congress on behalf of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
"Health care is not just another issue for the church or for a healthy society," wrote Bishop William F. Murphy of Rockville Centre, N.Y., chairman of the bishops' Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development.
The letter outlined the bishops' health care reform priorities, namely respect for human life and universal, affordable access. A copy of the letter was released by the USCCB July 21.
Bishop Murphy warned against the inclusion of abortion coverage in any reform plan, saying that Americans should not be forced to pay for the destruction of human life through government funding or mandatory coverage.
Pro-life activists say that unless language to specifically exclude abortion coverage is part of any reform measure abortion will be covered.
The bishop also said it is imperative to maintain freedom of conscience for health care providers or insurers who refuse to provide or fund abortions or make referrals for abortions.
"Making the legislation 'abortion-neutral' in this sense will be essential for widely accepted reform," he said.
The letter also outlined specific ways to make coverage universal and affordable.
Congress should limit premiums and co-payments and increase eligibility levels, Bishop Murphy wrote. Families earning less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level should be exempt from monthly premiums, he said.
Even if health care reform is implemented, he noted that some people will still be without insurance and so the clinics and hospitals that are their safety nets for care must be guaranteed sufficient funding.
"We have a responsibility to ensure that no one is left without the ability to see a doctor when he or she is sick or get emergency care when his or her health is at risk," Bishop Murphy said.
He reiterated the bishops' appeal that lawmakers give legal immigrants equal access to health care by repealing the requirement that they be in this country for five years before they can have access to Medicaid and by ensuring that pregnant women who will give birth in the United States, as well as their unborn children, are eligible for health care regardless of their status.
He called for the repeal of "sponsor-deeming" as well. This is when an immigrant's Medicaid eligibility is determined by combining his or her income and a portion of his or her financial sponsor's income.
Bishop Murphy said the Catholic Church has a stake in the health care issue and is an authority on it because it "provides health care, purchases health care and picks up the pieces of a failing health care system."
"The Catholic community encounters and serves the sick and uninsured in our emergency rooms, shelters and on the doorsteps of our parishes," he said.
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Started by
twylyght, March 23, 2013
Posted March 23, 2013
The anti-hero is coming back
Posted March 24, 2013
Underrated series imo
Nothing spectacular but definitely enjoyed PB & Chronicles
Posted March 26, 2013
I really did like this series. Interested to see how they will pull of the next one. In PB, Riddick was more of a selfish dark character (you can say he changed towards the end). Chronicles, he had too much of a heart to me but maybe that came a long with the change from the first installment. I will definitely check it out either way.
Posted April 1, 2013
I won't lie I don't know all too much about the story outside of the movies, however at the end of Chronicles he was supposed to be the next leader of the Necromongers (sp?) .....is that still going to hold true or is this kinda like a reboot type deal
Posted April 8, 2013
I loved PB. The Riddick in that movie was all bad-ass sociopath and not some fine young maley alien race with a soft spot for some chick he rescued out of convenience bullshit. The whole Furion angle was only slightly less facepalm than the fact that the Highlander (and all of the other immortals) were aliens according to Highlander II.
Not holding out much hope for Riddick.
Started 1 hour ago
Started 10 hours ago
Started March 19
Jeremy Igo
Started 3 hours ago
Started July 20


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Things That Happened, Things To Do: Week of September 3
Summer is over and fall is here, at least according to the academic calendar. Also returning: Our regular recap of goings on at the College and a look ahead to events on the horizon. As always, we hope to call your attention to items that captured ours and alert you to events that you won't want to miss. If you have a news item that you think we'd be interested in, drop us a line at email@example.com.
- Glancing backward a few weeks, Language Schools graduates received sound advice from a former ambassador before heading out into the world; up on the mountain, BLSE grads rubbed elbows with a Pulitzer Prize winner.
- The Class of 2016 has arrived on campus, while out in California, the Monterey Institute of International Studies has welcomed the largest incoming class in its 50+ year history.
- Did you hear? There's a presidential election going on. What can we offer that the cable talking heads and chattering Twitterers can't? A non-partisan take on the state of the race.
- The seventh annual Kelly Brush Century Ride takes place here in Addison County on Saturday, September 8th.
- 51 Main will be hopping this weekend: Verbal Onslaught on Thursday, jazz on Friday, and a Vermont favorite—Split Tongue Crow—on Saturday.
- And while classes don't start until Monday the 10th, a host of Panther sports teams kick-off the fall season this weekend. You can find schedules for all of the teams here, or, if you can't make it back to campus, you can catch much of the action live and online, thanks to the College's new partnership with the Northeast Sports Network.


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She can't wait for everyone to see her new television project "People Are Talking," and Vanessa Lachey shared a sexy snap of herself and her post-baby body via Instagram as part of her celebrations.
It was a wonderful celebration of moms the world over, and yesterday (May 10) our favorite stars honored their mothers on Mother's Day via social Media.
"Like I Love You" crooner Justin Timberlake posted a photo of his mom and grandma along with the message, "#HappyMothersDay to ALL of the Mommies out there!! You DA REAL MVPs EVERY DAY!!" while Kate Hudson gave props to her mama Goldie Hawn.
They're one of the best-looking families around and it looks like Nick and Vanessa Lachey have their hands full with two adorable kiddos.
On Wednesday (April 29) the "Dads" dame posted the very first photograph that included her new baby daughter Brooklyn, to whom she gave birth on January 5th.
Making the most of their time overseas, Kim Kardashian did some cultural sightseeing around the town of Goght, Armenia on Thursday (April 9).
Family traditions can be quite fun and on Sunday (April 5) the Kardashian/Jenner clan piled into their luxury cars and drove off to church.
It's been a wonderful first year of fatherhood for Kevin Jonas, who, along with his wife Danielle, celebrated little Alena Rose's first birthday this past weekend.
Last year he divorced Kris Jenner after a prolonged separation, but Bruce Jenner is still all about taking care of his fatherly duties.
It's safe to say the Kardashian-Jenner clan rule the social medal realm and on Monday (January 19) there were several contributions from most of the famous sisters.
To start, Khloe Kardashian showed some love for her reclusive brother Rob by uploading a throwback pic along with the caption, "My ace from day 1." She previously tweeted, "one of the best things about my house is that my brother lives with me!"


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EMU Student Advances to Semifinals of National Country Music Competition
YPSILANTI – "You're No Good" was one of the songs Eastern Michigan University student Rachel Williams sang, but it didn't reflect the thinking of the judges or viewers.
Williams beat out 200 contestants on her way to winning the "Nashville Star" talent search competition Dec. 6 in Grand Rapids, Mich. She next will compete in the semifinals January 2004 in Philadelphia, Pa.
"Nashville Star," the country music equivalent of "American Idol," features live country music performances by 12 finalists who are judged by industry professionals and the television viewing audience. But unlike "American Idol," "Nashville Star" requires contestants to not only sing a song from an approved list, but to perform an original song they have written.
Williams performed her original songs "Kiss Me Like You're Coming Back" and the up-tempo "Death-Defying Love" at Grand Rapids. During the three rounds of state competition judging, contestants were narrowed from 200 to 70 in the second round and then to 35 finalists.In the next round, she will compete against the 34 regional winners to become one of 12 finalists. Those 12 finalists will appear on USA Network's "Nashville Star" in March 2004. The national winner will get a recording contract with Sony Music Nashville.
"It's been exhausting. And when you win, it's so emotional and exciting," said Williams.
Williams, 18, was the youngest of the Grand Rapids contestants. She is a freshman who is considering a major in music education.
She has been singing since she was 3 years old when her grandfather took her to the state fair to see the Judds perform. "She was dancing all around and singing," said her mother, Toni Williams. "Her grandfather then said, 'She's a country girl!' A few years later, in a middle school talent show, we heard her rendition of "Hero" and realized she could sing."
At 13, Williams received her first "trophy" for singing at the Belleville Strawberry Festival, said her mother. Williams asked the band at the festival if she could join them and sang Patsy Cline's "Crazy" a cappella. A vendor presented her with a red scented candle and proclaimed it her first award for singing.
She also sang the National Anthem at Ford Field in Detroit, performed at "Memphis Smoke" in Royal Oak and will appear with the Forbes Brothers Dec. 21 at Mr. B's in Troy.
Other groups Williams has opened for include Cledus T. Judd, Mark Chesnutt, Clay Walker, Emerson Drive, Trace Adkins, Ronnie Milsap and Tammy Cochran.
One of the most memorable highlights of her career, she said, was making her national television debut on The Queen Latifah Show where she won the Junior Vocalist title in 2001. That same year, Williams recorded her first demo in Nashville, Tenn., with Ron Harbin. "I wanted to do new things (after high school graduation). I auditioned for "Nashville Star" to gain more exposure since you get known on a national level without having to be Shania Twain or the Dixie Chicks," she said. "I just want to sing."
Williams lives in Belleville, Mich., with her parents, two sisters and a brother. She said she'll be writing additional songs for the January competition and, like other students, trying to hold down a job to pay the bills. Her goals include signing with a major label such as RCA and touring with her favorite singer, Wynonna Judd. She assures her fans that no matter what happens in the future she will be on at least the first two TV episodes of "Nashville Star" in March.
Visit www.rachelwilliams.org for more information on Rachel Williams and her local appearances.
Eastern Michigan University is a public, comprehensive university that offers programs in the arts, sciences and professions. EMU prepares students with the intellectual skills and practical experiences to succeed in their career and lives, and to be better citizens.
Editor's Note: Looking for an expert source for a story? Check out EMU's Eastern Experts online at www.emich.edu/univcomm/easternexperts.
EMU Home | University Communications Home


text: EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES--Sterilization of Microbiological Equipment In Reply Refer To: August 30, 1985 WGS-Mail Stop 412 QUALITY OF WATER BRANCH TECHNICAL MEMORANDUM NO. 85.18 Subject: EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES--Sterilization of Microbiological Equipment Recent Water-Quality program reviews have indicated a recurring problem in some Districts--the use of non-approved methods for sterilization of bacteriological filter assemblies; specifically, ultraviolet irradiation. The U.S. Geological Survey's approved method is described in section 7.3, page 37 of TWRI, Methods for collection and analysis of Aquatic Biological and Microbiological Samples. It requires autoclaving for 15 minutes at l2l degrees C at 15 psi. Incomplete combustion of methanol, to produce formaldehyde gas, is permitted for field sterilization, although autoclaving in the laboratory is preferred. The justification most often given for using UV irradiation instead of autoclaving is that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lists ultraviolet radiation, among other techniques, as a method of sterilization acceptable to them in Microbiological Methods for Monitoring the Environment; Water and Wastes, 1978. This manual however, is designed for use by trained microbiologists operating in a laboratory setting. And these alternative methods of sterilization are usually used as adjuncts to primary sterilization to maintain sterility in hoods and glove boxes. That UV irradiation does not guarantee sterility is shown in the EPA manual on pages 198 and 199. Quality control of UV Units requires frequent monitoring with a shortwave UV meter and at least quarterly measurement of effectivness on a coliform culture. The manual states, "UV-irradiated plates should show 99% reduction in the count of the control plate. If count reduction is less than 80%, replace lamp." Further, users of UV units should be aware of the safety hazards attendant to their use. The special media we use for culturing fecal coliform and fecal streptococci promote the growth of the microorganisms we are seeking and inhibit or kill all others. This is why we can get away with performing filtrations in the field under grossly unsanitary conditions. This tolerance of the media however, must not be abused. We must assure that our glassware and everything else that we can control, that comes in contact with the sample, is sterile--not almost sterile. If cost of multiple stainless steel filtration units is a problem, Districts can use the polycarbonate plastic units made by Nalgene and other companies. They can be autoclaved and sealed in kraft paper bags, used once at the field site, and returned to the laboratory for autoclaving. They are cheap enough that dozens can be taken on an extended field trip if necessary. The sampling and analytical methods described in our TWRI's are the methods currently approved for use in obtaining data that will be placed in WATSTORE. Our data users, both within and outside the Survey, have a right to expect that the methods we say we use in obtaining data are the methods we actually use. David A. Rickert Acting Chief, Quality of Water Branch Distribution: A, B, FO, PO This memorandum does not supersede any other memorandum


text:
About the Book
This is the smaller 8 x 10 version of May and Robert's "Engaged" photo shoot.
Features & Details
- Category Wedding
Standard Landscape, 10×8 in, 25×20 cm
40 Pages
- Publish Date Nov 29, 2010
- Tags fine art photography, wedding photography, los angeles, photo journalistic, black and white, wedding, engagement, sepia, B&W
See More
About the Creator
Rudi Amedeus
SF Bay Area, Los Angeles, CA - NYC, NY - Paris, Milan, Brussels
Award winning artist living a life on the convergence of art and technology. My passion is to photography female beauty, my mission is to tell a story about the woman and all the women she can be .. Current medium is the digital camera but I still compose acoustic and electronic music for multi-media installations. Amedeus
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text:
Targeted Mailing Lists: Impact Your Business Today
Back in the day, the process of purchasing a mailing list was fairly straightforward. A lot of mailing list brokers essentially sat down with the telephone book and typed out all the names and addresses from it. Some of the higher end brokers actually printed out mailing labels for you, but that wasn't the norm. Many a long-suffering clerk or secretary laboriously typed out names and addresses from long lists, formatting them into address labels and filing them as "masters" that could be copied, cut and pasted onto envelopes every time the boss wanted to send out a new marketing letter.
Of course, tracking responses - which is the best way to refine your marketing and target it more effectively - still meant lots of manual entry work. But that intensive labor paid off because the database of addresses yielded all sorts of information and allowed you to pull out just the information you wanted. Databases and mail merge programs meant you could pull out a list of patients who hadn't booked a dental appointment since last year sometime and send out reminders to just those people - and it only took a few minutes instead of a few hours to find the right addressees.
Today, you can go online and find mailing list brokers that allow you to customize the marketing lists you buy from them in hundreds of ways. Need a mailing list of 32-year-old pediatricians whose first names start with J? Chances are good you can find a list broker who can put one together for you, and every address on it will be valid and good. When you start from purchased, targeted mailing lists for your marketing campaign and add variable printing technology, the sky's the limit for customizing the marketing messages you send out.
If you'd like to see what purchased mailing lists and customization can do for your business, contact a mailing list broker to discuss the possibilities for your business. You'll be amazed at the possibilities.
To learn more about subjects like mailing list brokers please visit the web site at: http://www.marketing-lists-direct.com
For more information and informative related articles and links about this subject matter and content, please visit Majon's Business | Industry | Economy directory: http://www.majon.com/directory/business-industry-economy.
About the Author
+Chris Robertson is a published author of Majon International. All Rights Reserved. Copyright 2014 (Mon Jun 27 2011) Majon International. Majon International is one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing and internet advertising companies on the web. Visit their main business resource internet marketing web site at: http://www.majon.com


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Best Awards 2008 Winners
Each year at our annual conference the SSA gives 'Best Awards' to our outstanding affiliate groups for the following achievements:
Best Service Project, Best Media Appearance, Best New Affiliate, Best Website, and Best Overall Affiliate.
The award comes with a cash prize of $300, and $500 for the winner of Best Overall Affiliate.
This years winners are as follows:
Best Service Project-University of Illinois Champaign Urbana -Atheists, Agnostics, and Freethinkers. Their project was to send 11 members of their group along with 19 members of the schools Campus Crusade For Christ group to New Orleans to carry out relief work. Their time in New Orleans was primarily dedicated to gutting damaged houses and building new ones. This included work such as putting up siding, painting exteriors & interiors, laying down flooring, erecting fences, running electrical wiring, installing sheetrock, landscaping, and finally removing moldy drywall and debris.
Chris Calvey of the group says of the trip: "We were able to spend a lot of time interacting with Christian students from all over the country. Many were happy, impressed, or even shocked to find out that we were atheists. After getting to know one another, it became apparent to both sides that it's possible to put aside our philosophical differences and work together for a greater good. The justifications we come up with for our motivations are irrelevant, what's important is that we all feel the same urge to help others in need. If we want to improve the image of atheism in this country, I can think of no better way to do it than by volunteering alongside those who might disagree with us the most. Complaining about the misconceptions, stereotyping, and discrimination of nonbelievers is one thing we do very well... actually working to dispel these is another story. I am confident that for everyone we met in New Orleans, our service project will have the effect of positively shaping their opinion about atheism for the rest of their lives."
Best Website-University of California Los Angeles -Bruin Alliance of Skeptics and Secularists. Check out their great site.
Roy Natian of the group said of the website:
"The guiding principle behind the site is this: Function, Function, Function. The site has to be easy to use and to update. In planning ahead for BASS's future, I wanted to make sure that we had a solid infrastructure. By making the site require minimal maintenance, I'm allowing future BASSiers to focus on more important facets of the running of BASS (such as planning educational events). An added benefit of having the site be easily updateable is that the site actually gets updated!"
Best Media Appearance-University of Guelph -Guelph Skeptics. They were in the campus newspaper once, then twice. They were in their local city paper, and most impressively, they are hosting their own radio show in Canada. They're working on getting the show syndicated so they can play is across North America (it already airs in Guelph, in Victoria, BC and Winnipeg, MB).
Katie Kish of the group says:
"With our own radio show we've had interviews with each of us on it, interviews with our speakers, coverage of our events. Hopefully it'll all be podcasted soon."
Best New Affiliate-University of Illinois at Chicago - Rationalists and Freethinkers. This group had fallen on hard times and really turned things around. After all but collapsing, they secured new leadership, changed their mission statement, got new officers, and are now an amazing group. This past year they hosted Austin Dacey, Hemant Mehta, and Dan Barker. They held an event titled "Does the Black Church really serve the Black Community" and invited the executive director of the African Americans for Humanism to present. They were mentioned in the CBS piece titled "The Atheist Next Door," they polled UIC students about their feelings on the presidential candidates and religion, and posted these videos and opinions on YouTube, and they held blood drives throughout the year including the "Give up blood for Lent" and the "Vampire Feast Blood Drive" in October.
Best Overall Affiliate- Tufts University - Tufts Secular Student Association. Over the last 9 months of the school year they've organized a debate with Daniel Dennett and D'Souza in conjunction with the Harvard University affiliate group, they filmed and put this entire debate on the web. They raised the most money of the Tufts students for the school's CAUSE dinner (raising $1616) and donated this money to low income families affected by the recent wildfires. They reached out to the community to invite professors from Harvard, Tufts, and UMass to come speak to the group on animal ethics, religion, animal testing, and evolution. The group hosted Rebecca Goldstein who spoke about Secularism and Spinoza, and hosted Dan Barker in the spring. Further involvement in their community included participating in Meetup events with "off-campus" humanist groups in the greater Boston area. They worked with the Harvard group again to arrange for the Pete Stark event . The Tufts SSA placed articles placed in the school paper, and the group's president, Pat Andriola, was interviewed in the paper. The group's former president Nina Lee was quoted in the Boston Globe. To understand the demographics of their own campus they conducted surveys of Tufts students and found that 30% of the students described themselves as "non-religious"; they used this to promote their group to students. SSA speakers bureau member Ellery Schempp presented to their group, and they organized a Coming Out as an atheist day on April 13th. With the other groups in the Boston area they co-hosted big Darwin Day event and participated in the Secular Student Activism discussion panel hosted by the Greater Worcester Humanists.


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Cisco Systems Inc. will drop Dell Computer Corp. as a reseller of its networking products effective Sept. 27, Dell representatives said Thursday.
Dell has been selling Cisco equipment through its direct online sales channel for several years. It currently offers all of Cisco's products for large enterprises and some of its products for small and medium-sized businesses. After Sept. 27, most Dell customers will not be able to purchase Cisco gear through the company. Exceptions will be made until Oct. 31 for some customers that are considered critical by either company, said Mary Fad, a spokeswoman for Dell, in Round Rock, Texas.
The move may reflect Cisco's new perception of Dell as a competitor. The San Jose, California, networking giant included Dell along with traditional rivals such as Nortel Networks Corp. and Juniper Networks Inc. on a list of competitors in a regulatory filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission dated July 27. Dell sells a growing lineup of its own network switches under the PowerConnect line.
Dell referred questions about the reason for the change to Cisco. Lang Tibbils, a Cisco spokesman, confirmed that the company will end its reseller arrangement with Dell on Sept. 27, but declined to comment further.
Cisco informed Dell of the decision in writing on Aug. 15, Fad said. There appears to be no outside channel through which Dell will be able to supply Cisco equipment after Oct. 31 if users request it, she said. However, Dell already has preferred provider relationships with three other network equipment makers -- Nortel, Extreme Networks Inc. and Enterasys Networks Inc. -- and sells gear from other makers as well, so it won't be hampered by the loss of Cisco's gear, according to Fad.
"Between the Dell PowerConnect switches and the switches from our preferred providers, there should be no problem for our customers to get what they want," she said.