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Introducing the Caravals of The Wildcat Sanctuary. Each animal is profiled on his/her own page. Also if you would like to learn more about each of the species, you can read about them on the "Species" page.
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Blues at the Crossroads 2: Muddy & The Wolf Caps Segerstrom Center's 2012-13 Jazz Season
Segerstrom Center for the Arts presents Blues at the Crossroads 2: Muddy & The Wolf on March 13 in the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall. The performance celebrates the music of two legends and friendly rivals - Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf - both revered as the "father of modern Chicago blues." The Fabulous Thunderbirds anchors this musical tribute, backing such greats as James Cotton, Jody Williams, Bob Margolin and JJ Grey. Each musician brings his own distinctive talent, producing a timeless mix of blues, rock and R&B.

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Bisons battle Oral Roberts to scoreless tie in double OT
Sept. 9, 2006
The Lipscomb Bisons soccer team played its second overtime game of the tournament, and fourth of the season, as they tied Oral Roberts 0-0 in double overtime Saturday evening at the Centenary Invitational in Shreveport, La.
The Bisons beat host Centenary 4-3 in overtime as Kezi Lara scored the hat trick, including the game winner in the first game of the tournament.
Freshman goalkeeper Danny Prichard was in the net for the shutout, turning back four shots, including two in the first overtime.
The Bisons managed only two shots on goal, both by Kevin Terry, who also led the team with three shots overall.
The Bisons are 2-3-1 this season. Oral Roberts fell to 1-3-2.


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NEW YORK (AP) — Jazz harmonica virtuoso Toots Thielemans quipped that his legs don't work but his mouth does after he was pushed onstage in a wheelchair to a standing ovation during the first of two Jazz at Lincoln Center concerts this weekend celebrating his 90 years. And once he put his harmonica to his lips, he more than lived up to his words.
Thielemans, who has been in poor health, had only played once this year at a summer jazz festival in his native Belgium and had canceled all his other U.S. dates. JALC programming director Jason Olaine said that up to the last minute, the producers were not sure whether Thielemans would even be able to play at the tribute concerts.
But energized by an enthusiastic audience and his musical friends, Thielemans rose to the occasion. Among those paying tribute were American jazz pianists Herbie Hancock and Kenny Werner, and three Brazilian stars, guitarist-vocalist Dori Caymmi, pianist-vocalist Eliane Elias and guitarist Oscar Castro-Neves — all of whom appeared on Thielemans' two "Brasil Project" CDs in the early 1990s.
Thielemans, who turned 90 in April, was the first musician to create full-fledged jazz improvisations on the harmonica. But he's also made his mark in pop culture — as the whistler on the Old Spice commercials; playing harmonica on the themes for "Sesame Street" and the film "Midnight Cowboy;" and in performances with Paul Simon and Billy Joel. He was ennobled by Belgium's king as a baron in 2001 and received the National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters award in 2009, the highest U.S. jazz honor.
Werner opened Friday night's concert at the Rose Theater by playing two ballads — Michel Legrand's "You Must Believe in Spring" and Bill Evans' "Very Early," which were on his 2001 duets album with Thielemans. Then Caymmi and Castro-Neves joined the band to play two Brazilian standards, including "Aquarela do Brasil," the title track of a 1969 recording Thielemans made with bossa nova singer Elis Regina that made him a hero to Brazilian musicians.
"When I heard Toots Thielemans for the first time, I'd like to tell you I was a baby," Caymmi said. "I was impressed like I was by Gil Evans, John Coltrane and Wes Montgomery."
Thielemans made his first appearance of the evening to play Caymmi's composition "Obsession" with the band; a Gershwin medley of "I Love You Porgy/Summertime" and Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Chega de Saudade," considered the first bossa nova song, with Werner; and Jacques Brel's "Ne me quitte pas" with Elias.
Hancock opened the second half by recalling that he first heard Thielemans when he was 14 years old with the George Shearing Quintet, a group he said greatly influenced him when he first became interested in jazz. He later played with Thielemans on records with Quincy Jones and others.
Hancock dedicated a spontaneously improvised piece — with lots of classical influences — to his Belgian friend, and then Thielemans joined him for a playful free-form duet loosely derived from Miles Davis' "Blue and Green." Thielemans stayed on stage to play a Sinatra medley ("All the Way/My Way") duet with Werner and joined with Elias to play her ballad "Moments," 'which he played on her first CD for Blue Note Records.
After Elias and Castro-Neves played several Brazilian tunes to give Thielemans a break, he returned one more time. He dedicated his composition "For My Lady" to his wife, Huguette.
"In this world I wouldn't certainly be here if it were not for my lady. She pays all the dues I should be paying," Thielemans said, addressing his wife in the audience before playing the tune with Werner and Castro-Neves.
All the musicians returned to the stage to play Thielemans' best known composition, "Bluesette," possibly the first swinging jazz waltz that was composed 50 years ago. Hancock and Elias engaged in some playful four-handed piano playing as the audience sang and clapped along with the musicians.
For an encore, Thielemans thanked everyone by caressingly playing "What a Wonderful World" — a dedication to Louis Armstrong. He exited the stage standing proudly, supported by his fellow musicians, as the audience serenaded him with "Happy Birthday."


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Maureen O'Connell, a registered nurse, has been the Nassau County clerk since 2005. She was re-elected in 2009 and 2013, and has amassed a long list of accomplishments in the clerk's office.
The Herald endorses O'Connell, a Republican, for another term because we believe she has the experience to continue to ensure that the office operates effectively. In the past 12 years, she and her staff have processed more than a million backlogged records, while implementing an electronic filing process that converts paper land records to a digital format. This is an important step in ensuring that constituents' records remain safe for years to come.
As data breaches continue to occur, records need to be protected now more than ever, and O'Connell and her staff frequently implement security measures to protect residents from deed scams and identify theft.
We believe that O'Connell is well equipped to continue to provide constituents with first-rate service, including a mobile office that travels around the county to meet with folks — like seniors and veterans — who may not be able to leave their homes. She has extended office hours and coordinated outreach programs to fill constituents in on the myriad services the clerk's office provides.
We do like her opponent, Democrat Dean Bennett. A longtime Baldwin resident, Bennett is the president and CEO of a management consulting firm. His public service experience is impressive: He has been the director of Equal Employment Opportunity and deputy director of the county's Office of Minority Affairs. We like his stance on diversity, and we admire his mission to diversify county political offices. He has a strong understanding of issues that worry constituents, including corruption and lack of transparency. We encourage Bennett to run for a seat in the County Legislature in the next election cycle.
But we see no reason to unseat an veffective incumbent. Re-elect O'Connell county clerk on Tuesday.


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14985 Old St Augustine Rd, Jacksonville, Florida 32258, USA
(904) 300-0070(904) 300-0070
Formerly known as Rebounderz Jacksonville, BRAVOZ lets you choose from over 10 unique attractions perfect for any age! Elevate your excitement with Jacksonville's hot, new emerging games.
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Birthday Parties, Group Events, and Sensory Friendly nights are available. Visit our website for more information!
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Bill Fenwick Plumbing has been providing the city of Jacksonville with Golden Plunger Service since 1969. We are a family owned and operated business with a reputation for quality work at competitive prices.
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Play Bay & Bee is a locally owned eco-friendly indoor play space and shop inspired by Montessori and Waldorf educational principles to create a wonderful play environment. Our unique play space nourishes community and focuses on child-led play. Monthly membership allows for unlimited and flexible play, so that you can…
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Private School PreK3 – 6th Grade: We help your child to realize her or his full potential. Our whole-child education approach allows your son or daughter to embrace his or her unique talents and gifts in a safe, nurturing, and family-centered environment. We focus on character education and social-emotional development, as well as…
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Girly-Girl Partea's specializes in themed birthday party and event planning in North Florida and Southern Georgia. We offer a wide variety of services including fully customized birthday party packages for children of all ages, complete with decor, catering and hosted activities. Every party is designed specifically with our client's vision…
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All About Blinds and Shutters is Jacksonville's full-service blind and shutter source. We have been manufacturing, selling, and installing window treatments since 1979. Please visit us at our 38,000 square foot facility. Our Showroom is open 6 days a week and offers a large collection of window treatment displays and…
171 Canal Boulevard, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, United States 7.72 mi
Collage Day School is an academically challenging, independent day school designed to educate children from three months old through fifth grade. Collage accommodates students at all levels on the educational spectrum of learning, offering individualized and innovative instruction that is based on each student's individual needs.That means your child will…
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Cara Prier, MD was born in Austin, Texas but grew up in South Florida. She attended Florida State University for medical school, completed her residency for internal medicine and was chief resident at Mayo Clinic Florida. She believes patients come first and building relationships is crucial to a healthy doctor/patient…
7400 San Jose Blvd, Jacksonville, FL 32217 9.39 mi
Private College Preparatory School Pre-K – Grade 12: An independent college preparatory and boarding school, The Bolles School holds a longstanding reputation for providing a well-rounded educational experience for students in Pre-K through Grade 12. Its four area campuses – Bolles Lower School Whitehurst, Lower School Ponte Vedra Beach, Middle School Bartram, and Upper School…
45 Executive Way, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082, United States 9.77 mi
For nearly 30 years, The Goddard School® has been a trusted name among parents and families. Their classrooms are safe, nurturing environments for children twelve months to six years, offering age-appropriate opportunities to explore and discover. Whether nurturing your toddler or engaging your preschooler, The Goddard School® located in Ponte Vedra Beach can make a positive difference in your…
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Pump it Up is THE place to celebrate your child's special birthday! The dedicated staff ensures a safe, easy and fully customizable experience. Parties are 100% private, ensuring that Pump It Up is the safest choice for your child's party. Each party has a dedicated staff member that sets up,…
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Since 1973, Snyder Heating & Air Conditioning has been the industry leader for all of your air conditioning products and services. We offer an array of comfort management services, including installation, service, and maintenance. Expect a Snyder employee to arrive at your doorstep in uniform, on time, and ready to…
102 South 15th Street, Jacksonville Beach, Florida 32250, United States 11.99 mi
Non-Profit, Independent Montessori and International Baccalaureate School, Toddler – 8th grade: The Discovery School is a diverse and inclusive learning environment for students aged 18 months through 8th grade, that encourages knowledge, independent thinking, global awareness, creativity, and mutual respect in a safe, nurturing environment where every child's voice is valued. Discovery…
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text: Oakland, CA – March 5, 2012 – Last week, three of our comrades from Occupy Oakland were charged with robbery and "hate crimes" against someone for allegedly making hateful remarks about her (perceived) sexuality. Our perspective is this: police frequently lie, and we have no reason to believe them now. We have worked with and alongside these three people with solidarity and love for months. These are people we've cooked with, cleaned with, cracked jokes with, and danced with, at Occupy Oakland encampment, and at countless events. We will be … Continued


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The Certificate-Mapping API consists of data structures and functions used to manage certificate mapping.
When a user authenticates to the Web Server by sending a client certificate, the server uses information in the certificate to search the user directory for the user's entry.
You can configure some parts of this process by editing the certmap.conf file. This file specifies the following:
Instructs the server searches the directory for the user's entry.
Determines whether the server goes through an additional step of verifying that the user's certificate matches the certificate presented to the server.
For more information about certmap.conf, see the Sun Java System Web Server 7.0 Update 3 Administrator's Configuration File Reference.
You can also modify this process programmatically. Web Server includes a set of API functions, the Certificate-Mapping API functions that enable you to control this process. You can write your own functions to customize how certificate subject entries are found in the directory.
To use this API, you must have a copy of the Directory SDK. You can download a copy of this SDK from http://developers.sun.com/index.html.


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|Biosequences .. Software .. Molbio soft .. Network News .. FTP
I was surprised when you said that propidium iodide (PI) does not stain nuclei of S2 cells at all. do you treat your cells (on coverslips) with 10 mg/ml of RNaseA for 30 min at room temperature before counterstaining the nuclei with PI? Otherwise, use methyl green. If you are using S2 cells for immunostaining, please email me and I will be very glad to send you the protocol. good luck Hassan Bousbaa Toby Lieber <liebert at rockvax.rockefeller.edu> escreveu no artigo <liebert-1706981520400001 at x.rockefeller.edu>... > Hi, > > I have been trying to counterstain nuclei of Drosophila S2 cells that have > been fixed in paraformaldehyde. As we don't have a confocal with a UV > laser the stain has to be either red or green. I have tried propidium > iodide, which does not stain at all, and SYTOX Green which does stain but > is very unstable in S2 cell nuclei and does not last over night. Does > anyone have any suggestions? > > Thanks, > Toby > > PS please cc me. >


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The Ahl Al-Sunnah's Schools
Schools of Theology
In terms of theology, there are two schools:
1. The Maturidi school, founded by Imam Maturidi
2. The Ash`ariyyah school, founded by Imam Ash`ari
These two schools are essentially one. However, they differ in terms of about forty matters. These differences, however, consist only matters of detail.
The Maturidi School
The founder of the Maturidi school is Abu Mansur Muhammad ibn Mahmud al-Maturidi, who is commonly known as Imam Maturidi. He was born in Samarkand in 238 AH.
He was of Turkish origin and was taught by students of al-Imam al-Azam Abu Hanifah. He established a fine link between reason and communication in his works and erected an immovable wall against heretical ideas by training students who were highly devoted to the Ahl al-Sunnah's beliefs. He made a considerable contribution to transmitting the Ahl al-Sunnah's convictions to subsequent generations.
Imam Maturidi is the teacher on matters of faith to all Hanafi Muslims. His school is recognized by many Muslims, especially the Turks. Some of his books have survived to the present day, among them his Kitab al-Tawhid and Ta'wilat al-Qur'an.
Some of the basic tenets that constitute the essence of the Ahl al-Sunnah's belief are:
- Allah's (swt) existence and oneness: We are responsible for having faith in Allah (swt), Whose work is one with His Being. Allah (swt) has attributes that are part of His Divine essence. Allah's attribute of Kalam exists together with His Being.
- Faith consists of confessing belief verbally and accepting in one's heart. Nobody who confesses verbally but rejects this faith in his heart can be considered a believer. The place of faith is the heart, and no one can overcome it once it is fully established therein.
- Just as it is not right to say that someone who has faith is not a Muslim, it is equally improper and impermissible to say that anyone who fulfils all of Islam's tenets is not a believer. Deeds are not part of faith.
- When a person decides to do something, Allah (swt) creates the power for it to be carried out. This created power accompanies the action. The resulting action causes the person to become worthy of receiving a reward or a punishment, depending on the underlying intention.
- Such serious sins as adultery, murder, or drinking alcohol do not remove a Muslim from the fold of Islam. Whoever commits such sins will be forgiven if he repents.
- Our Prophet (saas) will intercede for those people who belong to his community, even for those who have committed serious sins. This is a grace from Allah (swt).
The Ash`Ariyyah School
Abu al-Hasan al-Ash`ari, the founder of this school, was born in Basra in 260 AH. He studied with Abu `Ali al-Jubba'i, a Mu'tazili scholar, until he was forty years old.
Imam al-Ash'ari wrote several books aimed at Mu'tazilah, who were Ahl al-Bid`ah (people of [un-Islamic] innovation), philosophers, naturalists, atheists, Jews, and Christians. The first two of his works that come to mind are the Risalat al-Iman and the Maqalat al-Islamiyyin. Some twenty of his works have come down to us. It is said that he performed the morning prayer for twenty years while in the same state of ablution with which he had performed the night prayer. He died in Baghdad in 324 AH.
Some members of the Shafi`i and Maliki schools of thought are linked to the Ash`ariyyah in terms of creed. The Ash'ariyyah school is widely accepted, especially in Iraq, Syria, and Egypt.
The views of Imam al-Ash`ari are very important in forming the Ahl al-Sunnah's creed. Apart from the subject of free will, there was no great difference of opinion with al-Maturidi. Some of al-Ash`ari's tenets are as follows:
- The reckoning in the grave (adhab al-qadr), the gathering of humanity on the Day of Resurrection (hashr), and as-sirat (bridge) and al-mizan (just balance) are true. The Qur'an is a miracle in terms of its literary style. No one can compose an equivalent document.
- It is essential that a prophet perform miracles. The Awliya' can also exhibit wonders (karamah). Prophets perform their miracles to prove their prophethood. A wali, on the other hand, must not attain superiority and must conceal his karamah.
- Anyone who received Allah's (swt) revelation through an angel and performs miracles that seem to violate the laws of nature is a nabi.
- By the will of Allah (swt), the Prophet (saas) will intercede on the believers' behalf. Also, it is permissible for believers to see Allah (swt), the One and Incomparable, in the Hereafter. He sends good and evil to humanity, creates the deeds that they perform, and bestows upon people the necessary power to perform an action.
The Schools of Fiqh
The Ahl al-Sunnah contains four schools of fiqh:
1) The Hanafi school, founded by Imam Abu Hanifah
2) The Shafi`i school, founded by Imam al-Shafi`i
3) The Hanbali school, founded by Imam Hanbal
4) The Maliki school, founded by Imam Malik
This section shall concentrate on these four imams and their views.
The Hanafi School and Al-Imam Al-A`zam Abu Hanifah
Al-Imam al-A`zam Abu Hanifah was born in Kufa in 80 AH. His given name was an-Nu`man ibn Thabit. Some historical accounts say that he was of Turkish origin. His father, a wealthy merchant, had presented himself to Ali ibn Abi Talib (ra), who gave him his blessing and prayed for his offspring.
Abu Hanifah memorized the Qur'an at an early age and taught himself Arabic language and literature, jurisprudence (fiqh), the hadiths, and theology (kalam). He debated people in the region who held heretical views and persuaded most of them. As a result, his reputation began to spread.
His knowledge, intelligence, virtue, and taqwa were very great. Nobility in his teaching and the ease and perfection in his school have met with the favor of all Muslims.
Back then there was a huge need for knowledge concerning fiqh, so al-Imam al-A`zam abandoned commerce and devoted himself to studying jurisprudential matters. At the same time, he continued his study of the Qur'an and the Sunnah and began deriving rulings from them. He also began researching the hadiths and examining those matters over which the Companions disagreed.
During his thirty years in the madrassah, he taught more than 4,000 students, among them such future mujtahids (a scholar who derives legal rulings) as Abu Yusuf, Muhammad ibn al-Hasan, and Hasan ibn Ziyad.
He told his students that their knowledge would be based on solid foundations as long as they adhered to the following basic tenets:
1) Attend a knowledge circle and assembly, whenever one is held, and understand its general line.
2) Spend time with people of knowledge and have contact with all of the intellectual movements of the age.
3) Stay with the teacher instructing in important matters.
After spending time with several Islamic scholars, he attached himself to Hammad ibn Abi Sulayman, one of the greatest scholars of that time. Following his death, all eyes turned in Abu Hanifah's direction.
The governor of Iraq, Yazid ibn Amr, offered him the post of qadi (religious judge) to sever his influence over the public. When Abu Hanifah rejected this proposition, he was tortured for days and then imprisoned. However, he was soon released due to the government's fear of the public's reaction.
Abu Hanifah lived for many years in the Hijaz, and returned to Kufa after the Abbasids came to power. However, little changed under Abbasid rule. His response to Caliph al-Mansur's request that he become qadi of Baghdad was: "If I am threatened with drowning in the River Euphrates in the event that I decline this proposal, then I prefer to drown. There are many around you who stand in need." At this, al-Mansur had him tortured for several days. This event ruined his health, and he died in Baghdad in 150 AH. Hundreds of thousands of Muslims still visit his tomb every year.
Following al-Imam al-A`zam's death, his students produced books by collecting his fatwas and the hadiths he had related, and presenting them in a systematic form. Deriving new rulings in the light of their teacher's views, they spread his ideas throughout the Islamic world. As a result, his teachings gradually became the Hanafi school, which still has many active followers in Turkey, the Balkans, the Caucasus, Siberia, China, Pakistan, Albania, Egypt, Palestine, Syria and Iraq.
Some of al-Imam al-A`zam's works that have come down to the present day are Al-Fiqh al-Akbar, 'Alim wa al-Muta'allim, Al-Risalah, five al-Hashiyyah books, al-Qasidat an-Nu'maniyyah, and Marifat al-Mazahib.
Some noteworthy extracts from his works are given below:
"Show people as much love as you can. Greet everyone, even the very lowly. If you gather with others in an assembly and discuss various problems, during which someone expresses an idea to which you are opposed, do not oppose them. If they ask you, give your opinion, speak what is in your heart, and say that there are such and such opinions on this subject and the proof is as follows. Thus, they will listen to you and understand the degree of your knowledge.
Give knowledge to all who approach you and let each one learn something from you. Give them important things, not trivial ones. Be like a friend to them, even make witty remarks by way of jokes, because friendship and sincerity ensure the continuation of knowledge.
Treat them gently and be tolerant. Show no boredom or weariness to anyone. Comport yourself as like one of them.
Trust no one's friendship until it has been proven. Do not be friends with anyone low or vulgar. Be virtuous, generous, and deep of heart. Your clothes should be clean and new. Have a good horse to ride. Use pleasant scents. Be generous when you give people food to eat and satisfy everyone. Whenever you hear of any strife or corruption, hasten to resolve it. Visit those who visit you and those who do not. Always do good, whether others wish you good or ill. Forgive and turn a blind eye to some things. Abandon those things that distress you and try to do what is right. Visit those of your companions who fall ill, and ask after those you do not see. Take an interest in those who do not come to you." (From Abu Hanifah's bequest to his student Abu Yusuf.)
"Know that deeds go along with knowledge, just as the limbs move thanks to the vision of the eyes. A few good deeds with knowledge are better than much labor with ignorance. This resembles the following proverb: even if a man has little food with him, he will be saved if he knows the right path. That man is still in a better position than someone who has much food but does not know the way. As Allah (swt) tells us: 'Are they the same – those who know and those who do not know? It is only people of intelligence who pay heed.'" (Osman Keskio¤lu, Abu Hanifah, M. Abu Zehra, p. 177)
Some of al-Imam al-A`zam's advice to Abu Yusuf appears in Ibrahim Haqqi of Erzurum's Ma'rifatname, from which the following extracts have been taken:
"Wish good on other people and give them advice. Go and converse with people when they see and approve of your behavior and wish to talk with you, so that you can discuss knowledge in their circles.
May each student consider him your son. Let labor directed toward [acquiring] knowledge increase every day. Do not chat with those who do not listen to you and people in the markets. Have no fear of speaking the truth to anyone. Perform more, not fewer, religious observances than the masses. Do not sit and talk with deniers and Ahl al-Bid`ah, but invite them to the religion when the circumstances are appropriate. I bequeath these things to you and to everyone. May you follow this path and lead the people to the true path."
The Shafi`i School and Imam Al-Shafi`i
Imam al-Shafi`i was born in Gaza in 150 AH. Islamic scholars have considered it significant that he was born in the same year that Abu Hanifah died. Imam al-Shafi`i lost his father at an early age and spent much of his childhood in poverty.
He moved to Makkah and began studying the hadiths. In addition, he memorized the Qur'an at an early age and subsequently attached himself to Imam Malik. From this point on, after this ground in Islamic learning, he devoted himself to the study of fiqh.
At the age of 34 he was unjustly accused of spreading Shiite propaganda by the governor of Yemen and imprisoned. Nine people affiliated to al-Shafi'i were killed – the man himself was only spared after last-gasp interventions of a number of powerful supporters.
After two years studying and researching in Makkah he returned to Baghdad. By this time al-Shafi'i's fame had begun spreading throughout the Islamic world. He began looking for a more comfortable environment and chose Egypt as his adopted home.
The governor and people of Egypt welcomed al-Shafi'i's arrival. He was protected by the governor until the end of his lifetime and a share set aside for the line of the Prophet (saas) was given to him.
Imam al-Shafi'i spent his life on the path of Islam, left many works for the subsequent generations and was responsible for training a great number of students as a legacy. In addition, he struggled relentlessly against such heretical sects as the Mu'tazila and other deviant organizations. He passed away in 204 AH in Egypt.
He left behind himself such invaluable works as the Ahqam al-Qur'an, As-Sunan, Kitab al-Umm and Musnad ash-Shafi'i. Many Muslims in Iraq, Eastern Anatolia, India, Palestine, the Hijaz, the Philippines, Yemen, Egypt and Syria act according to the Shafi'i school and his influence and contribution to Islamic learning and understanding is still felt in the Muslim world today.
Imam al-Shafi'i describes the essence of the school he established in these terms: "Not everyone may know the hadiths of the Prophet. If I propose any idea or put forward any tenet without knowing that these are in contravention of the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah, then it is the word of the Messenger by which people must abide. That is my school. If I relate a hadith from the Messenger of Allah but do not act in its light, what earth will bear me and what sky will give me shade? The hadith of the Prophet is of sublime importance to me."
Some of Imam Al-Shafi'i's Sayings:
"If one of you wishes to content all the people, he cannot. The servant must be careful to have moral sincerity. Every good work he performs must remain between him and Allah."
"The pursuit of knowledge is better than supererogatory prayer. Because supererogatory prayer benefits only the individual, whereas knowledge benefits the entire community."
"If anyone gives secret advice to his brother in faith, he will have engaged in good counseling and adorned him with good manners. If he seeks to give advice openly in public it will have no effect. He will, in a sense, have condemned the other party, and thus shamed him."
"Let he who desires the bliss of the Hereafter have sincerity in knowledge."
"Whoever tries to give advice through his deeds is also a guidance."
"The following three conditions are signs of the genuine nature of one's love for his brother in religion:
1) To tolerate a few small errors without reproaching the other party, and accept that person for what he is.
2) To cover up any unbecoming actions performed openly.
3) To forgive any wrong directed towards oneself."
The Maliki School and Imam Malik
According to the most reliable accounts, Imam Malik ibn Anas was born in Madinah in 93 AH. As the son of a family steeped in the study of hadiths, he made considerable progress in this field in a very short space of time. He was placed at the side of the famous scholar Ibn Hurmuz at a young age and remained with him for the next 13 years. He began teaching at the age of 17, and the interest that onlookers shown in him actually proved to be greater than the interest his own teachers aroused. Despite being 13 years older, Abu Hanifah knelt before him and received instruction from him.
The works written about Imam Malik generally refer to his superior memory and intelligence and describe his patience, forbearance, sincerity, foresight, and grandeur as exemplary. This is what Imam Malik is renowned for. He occupies a critical position in the science of the hadiths and was well-respected for how scrupulous he was when determining the authenticity of the traditions. He carefully researched those reporting traditions and only accepted those which were completely reliable.
Imam Malik never acted in haste when issuing fatwas. When consulted about a problem he would say, "Go now and let me investigate this problem." Asked why he behaved in this way, he would respond, "I shall have to account for fatwas. Because I have a sincere fear of the Day of Judgment."
Like Imam Abu Hanifah, Imam Malik too attracted the wrath of Caliph al-Mansur, and was tortured in prisons for days on end. Years later, however, al-Mansur realized the error of his ways and apologized to Imam Malik. Imam Malik spent the final years of his life in sickness, dying in the blessed city of Madinah in 179 AH.
Members of his school can today be found in Tripoli, Libya, Tunisia, Morocco, the Hijaz, Egypt, Algeria and along the African coast. Imam Malik's most important work, which he spent 40 years writing, is al-Muwatta'. As the result of his study of more than 100,000 traditions, he used 1,720 of these in his book. Bediüzzaman Said Nursi praised Imam Malik and his great work al-Muwatta' in his own collection.
The Hanbali School and Imam Ahmad İbn Hanbal
Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal was born in Baghdad in 164 AH. His life coincided with the most illustrious period of the Abbasid state. Despite losing his father at an early age, he enjoyed an excellent education in the study of religion. He received instruction from several well-known scholars, but was most influenced by Imam al-Shafi'i. For that reason, he began studying the hadiths; this was a difficult sphere of knowledge to pursue, requiring much travel from one country to another as it did, and especially at an early age.
He had the greatest respect for the teachers who instructed him. During their lifetime he never gave any personal opinion regarding the hadiths, and issued no fatwa on any subject until reaching the age of 40, the age of maturity. This demonstrates his humility – it shows that he did not wish to give major opinions on matters until he felt mature enough to handle this kind of serious intellectual responsibility. With his knowledge and modesty, he quickly became a renowned and respected scholar.
His discourses generally directed his audiences' attention to three subjects. Seriousness, modesty and spiritual peace dominated his conversation. He did not like to mock anybody and was naturally very respectful of people with whom he conversed.
He would only relate hadiths when requested to do so. In order not to make a mistake he would read the hadiths from their sources rather than relying on memory. Again, this shows his meticulousness and his commitment to the truthful relaying of the sayings of the Prophet (saas).
He made special requests that the hadiths he related to his students should be written down. He also demanded that the fatwas he issued should be described in writing lest they might be misunderstood.
He struggled against heretical movements right up to the end of his life. That resulted in him having serious problems with the ruler of the time, Caliph al-Mutasim. He was arrested and imprisoned in Baghdad. The difficulties he endured elevated him even further in the public eye. The oppression continued even after his release. He was forbidden to hold discourses, and permission was even denied for him to go to the mosque to perform the prayer. One after another his students were cast into prison. His feet were shackled and he began the journey from Baghdad to Tarsus to be brought into the presence of the Caliph, and died on the road in 128 AH.
His school was prevented from spreading because the Hanafi, Maliki and Shafi'i schools had already spread in Islamic lands during the emergence of the Hanbali school. For that reason, his school has found its feet mainly in Saudi Arabia.
Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal's most important work is al-Musnad.
He specialized in knowledge of the hadiths. It is reported that he had memorized a million hadith al-sharif. He narrated 30,000 hadiths in al-Musnad. According to the great scholar Kohistani, he narrated 50,700 traditions. His piety, taqwa, and high morality were above all praise.
Subjects Imagined To Represent Sources of Disagreement among the Schools Are Actually Sources of Mercy for the Muslims
Differences among the schools of the Ahl al-Sunnah wal Jama'ah are actually of enormous benefit to the Islamic world, rather than being damaging to it. Each imam of the four legal schools taught his own ijtihad, but they never attempted to eradicate one another out of mutual hostility. As stated in the hadiths, it is clear that a disagreement based on mutual respect will be a mercy, and history confirms that this is indeed the case. The way that a member of one school is able to imitate another school when necessary is the clearest indication of this.
Indeed, Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz says this on the subject:
"I would be unwilling for the community of the Messenger of Allah not to disagree over matters of fiqh, because it would be difficult for people if they all agreed on a similar view. If someone abided by the words of one of them, that would be the Sunnah for him." (Muhammad Abu Zahra, Tareekh al-Madhahib al-Islamiyyah)
It is a known fact in the belief system of the Ahl al-Sunnah that all sincere ideas, ijtihad and interpretation in the field of implementation facilitated the spread of Islam to different environments and lands.
The most important factor in preparing the ground for these different interpretations of the Companions is the different interpretation of the hadiths. After the Qur'an, the Sunnah, in other words the hadiths, is the most important point of reference in Islam. The imams of the schools have stressed the importance of holding fast to the Sunnah and stated that whoever abandons the Sunnah will be among the losers.
They emphasized the importance of abiding by the Sunnah of the Messenger (saas) as follows.
Al-Imam al-A'zam:
"People have been saved as long as there have been those among them who have occupied themselves with the hadiths. Whenever they seek knowledge outside the hadiths, then corruption arises. Avoid issuing commandments on the basis of your own personal opinions on any matter regarding the religion of Allah, but follow the Sunnah. Anyone who abandons the Sunnah will fall into deviation." (ash-Sharani, al-Mizan 1: 51)
Imam al-Shafi'i:
"If I arrive at a different commandment having related a hadith of the Messenger of Allah, what sky will shade me, what earth will bear me?"
Imam Malik:
"The Sunnah is like the ark of Nuh (as). Whoever boards that ark will be saved, but whoever does not will drown."
Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal:
"Many bid'ahs have arisen. Whoever is ignorant of the hadiths will fall into those bid'ahs."
There is no disagreement among the imams of the schools of the Ahl al-Sunnah with regard to the virtues of the Sunnah. Some differences have, however, emerged regarding the understanding of these hadiths. The fact that the imams of the schools possessed different or more or less knowledge of the hadiths compared to one another led to various different rulings being issued. The school imams would first turn to the Qur'an whenever an issue was brought to them. In the absence of any relevant provision on the subject in the Qur'an, they would then consider the Sunnah of the Prophet (saas). If they couldn't find it in the Sunnah, then they would look into how the Companions behaved. In the event that no definitive conclusion could be drawn from this either, a decision was taken on the basis of ijtihad. Since ijtihads could differ, some differences arose between the schools.
Ultimately, it is impossible for any one person to have a complete mastery of the hadiths. This always needs to be remembered. Indeed, as Imam al-Shafi'i stated:
"I know of nobody who knows all of the Sunnah, or all of the hadiths. Only if the knowledge of all the scholars of the hadiths were collected together could all the Sunnah be known. Since the hadiths of scholars are widely dispersed, there will of course be hadiths unknown to a particular scholar. The hadiths one scholar does not know will be known by another."
Some have considered deeds performed by the Prophet (saas) at various times as compulsory observances, while others have interpreted them as supererogatory. There are several instances of this in the schools of the Ahl al-Sunnah. In addition, the inability to fully understand an action taken by the Prophet (saas) or else an action of his being witnessed only in its second half also led to the emergence of various differences.
The Companions' words are another reason for the differences between the schools of thought. For example, the Hanafis and Malikis prefer the Companions' words to analogical reasoning (qiyas), while in some circumstances the Shafi`is do not accept a Companion's report. This has led to different fatwas being issued. In addition, different climates, geographical features, traditions, and customs have also given rise to this phenomenon.
The imams of the schools have kept disputes outside the sphere of personal passions and sought only to gain Allah's (swt) approval. They have never claimed that only their own views represented the truth; rather, they have said that their approach could be more suitable.
Indeed, Imam al-A`zam Abu Hanifah has said: "Our thoughts consist of an opinion and are the best opinion we have. If someone else proposes a better opinion, then that one should be followed, rather than ours." (Muhammad Abu Zahra, Tareekh al-Madhahib al-Islamiyah)
When one examines the imams' lives, one sees that rather than mutual accusations, there were always bonds of mutual respect among them. In his Catechism, Omer Nasuhi Bilmen reports that this respect is a sign of the Ahl al-Sunnah:
"The adherents of each of the four schools of these four mujtahids all believe that their own school is better, more accurate, and more efficacious and proper in terms of the Sunnah. Otherwise, there would be no meaning in their choosing that particular school. But they never even think of denigrating the other schools. They respect all four schools. That respect is a sign of the Ahl al-Sunnah." (Omer Nasuhi Bilmen, The Great Islamic Catechism, p. 42)
The schools' disagreements were constructive, rather than destructive. This also does not contradict Allah's (swt) command that Muslims should avoid disputes with one another, for such differences have actually always been a mercy for the believers.


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Mauer Has 2 Hits, Scores Twice As Twins Beat O's
FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — As news spread that Joe Mauer and his wife are expecting twins in August, the All-Star catcher had two hits with an RBI, a walk and two runs scored to lead the Minnesota Twins over the Baltimore Orioles 7-1 on Thursday.
Mauer said he and his family have known for a while about his impending fatherhood. He used the word "blessing" several times in describing his emotions to the media.
"It was unbelievable," said Mauer, who wants to wait until his children are born to discover what sex they are. "What a blessing. I'm just really excited and happy. I couldn't really believe it at first. It's still kind of a shock. It's kind of hitting me now that we're starting to tell people. We found out around the holidays. It's kind of been a blur. There's been so much excitement, telling family and friends."
Mauer said the twins are expected at the end of August. By then, Mauer's team could be much improved from last season's 66-96 finish should the Twins extend their hot spring training starts into the regular season.
First baseman Justin Morneau, who rarely played on back-to-back days last spring while recovering from post-concussion symptoms, played for the fifth consecutive game Thursday and went 2 for 3 with a two-run double. Morneau plans on representing Canada in the World Baseball Classic.
"I usually don't worry too much about what I do during spring training, but it's so nice to be able to go out there and play and not worrying about restrictions or limits," said Morneau, who hit .267 with 19 home runs and 77 RBIs last season.
"My body feels good. I've had a pretty good routine going. I've been able to do everything I've wanted to do. It's pretty refreshing and nice to come in here and not worry about not being able to do certain things."
Josh Willingham boosted his spring average to .727 with a pair of hits for the Twins. Willingham also drove in a run, drew a walk and scored twice. Willingham hit a career-best 35 home runs last season, his first as a Twin and his first hitting during most games between Mauer and Morneau in the lineup.
"Joe's always on base," Willingham said. "So that's always a good thing. It's always good to have people on base. And with Morneau hitting behind me, that gives me good protection. So I like that spot. I like that spot for me."
Willingham said he wasn't thinking too much about his hot start. The 34-year-old said he has had a variety of spring performances over the years.
"Sometimes really good," he said. "Sometimes really bad. Sometimes in the middle. You never know. I don't really put a whole lot of stock into it. But it's always really good to see the ball well, especially this early."
Darin Mastroianni, competing for the starting center field job with the Twins, went 2 for 3 with a run scored.
Orioles starter Jair Jurrjens, a non-roster invitee, gave up three walks, three runs — two earned — on two hits in one inning.
"My timing today was way off," Jurrjens said. "I wasn't finishing the ball, it was starting a ball and then finishing a ball. It wasn't looking like a strike and then finishing a ball.
"I think having been in bad habits for a couple of years. I just got to figure out how to get the good habits back, the good timing. Get that feel back."
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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NEW YORK -- Union leader Domonique Foxworth says NFL players don't trust Commissioner Roger Goodell because of the Saints bounty case, in particular.
The NFLPA president added he wouldn't be able to persuade players to have faith in the league even if he wanted to.
Speaking on a conference call Tuesday, days before union representatives meet with NFL officials at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Foxworth returned to a theme he stressed at the NFLPA's pre-Super Bowl news conference.
"It's pretty obvious that there's a gap in what would be a reasonable amount of trust ..." Foxworth said. "There've been a number of events to lead players to believe they cannot trust the league.
"There was a bridge beginning to be built and then there were some recent events that kind of broke that bridge again."
Foxworth said the players are seeking checks and balances such as a neutral arbitrator to improve relations between the union and league. He cited the bounties and how former Commissioner Paul Tagliabue was not "unbiased."
Yet Tagliabue made the final decision that tossed out the suspensions of four players.
NFL spokesman Greg Aiello insisted that the union has not looked ahead since a new collective bargaining agreement with the league was reached a year and a half ago.
"Since 2011 the union has spent most of its time backing away from its commitments," Aiello said in an email to The Associated Press. "Whether on old litigation, HGH, or commissioner discipline, the NFLPA has consistently looked backwards.
"Trust is a two-way street. If the union wants to work together to build a better, safer and even more popular game, we extend our hand in partnership and respect. If the union wants to stir up old grievances and create mistrust, we will simply have to do the best we can to serve the interests on the fans, players and the game."
Key issues Foxworth and other union officials will discuss with the NFL's competition committee in Indianapolis involve player safety, including the league's plan to make hip and thigh pads mandatory next season.
Many players have spoken out against such a requirement, saying using the pads should be optional. The NFL believes the pads will substantially reduce injuries or wear and tear on players.
Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press


text: Brantley County dates to 1920 when the state legislature sliced and then combined parts of Charlton, Pierce and Wayne counties. Historians speculate that the county owes its name to either prominent landowner, Benjamin Daniel Brantley, or his son and U.S. congressman, William Gordon Brantley. Nahunta, the county seat, is not an Indian name, as one might guess. It was a timber stop on the railroad labeled N. A. Hunter Siding. The railroad men dubbed it "Nahunta."


text: With a massive 37 percent increase in stiffness over standard .080 wall pushrods, Hi-Tech 210° Radius Pushrods with a .135 wall offer maximum strength and durability. The expanded radius is perfect for rocker arms that feature cup type adjusters and applications that demand pushrods with more load bearing surface. The Hi-Tech 210° Radius .135 Wall Pushrods also have the same diameter oil holes as standard Pushrods to ensure correct oil flow. They are OD ground for consistency and black-oxide finished with length and part number laser etched onto the surface for easy identification.


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Undergraduate Admissions
Transfer Student Admission Standards
General Requirements
Prospective transfer students should contact the Office of Admissions, Western Illinois University, for application forms or obtain an application from their community college counseling office or transfer center. An electronic application may be accessed at admissions.wiu.edu/application.
Transfer students at select two-year institutions may choose from three program options when transferring to Western Illinois University. Students may participate in the Dual Admissions (2+2) program, the Dual Enrollment Transfer Program, or the Traditional Transfer Program. Please speak with your advisor for specific details on each program, and for assistance to identify which program may be best to meet your needs.
Transcripts from each college and university attended must be sent directly from the institution(s) attended to the admissions office at Western Illinois University. Recommended application deadline for students applying for fall semester is August 1st and December 1st for spring semester. Failure to report any previous college work may result in dismissal from the University. Transcripts received from other colleges and universities are utilized for admission purposes only and will not be released to a third party.
Students with 24 or more semester hours earned prior to applying to WIU:
Applicants who have earned 24 or more semester hours (36 or more quarter hours) of college work will be considered for admission on the basis of college performance only. A combined C average for all hours attempted from all institutions attended and good standing at the last college/university attended are required for admission.
Students with fewer than 24 semester hours earned prior to applying WIU:
Applicants who have earned fewer than 24 semester hours (36 quarter hours) of college work must meet the freshman admission standards, have a combined C average for all hours attempted from all institutions attended, and be in good standing at the last college/ university attended. In addition, transfer students with fewer than 24 semester hours (36 quarter hours) who graduated from high school in 1993 or afterwards must meet the high school course-specific requirements.
Additional information regarding transfer program options and transfer credit can be found in the Undergraduate Catalog.
Contact Info
Undergraduate Admissions
Sherman Hall 115
1 University Circle
Macomb, IL 61455
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Phone: (309) 298-3157
Toll-Free: 877-PICK-WIU
Questions? Confused?
Admissions counselors are available to help answer your questions. Macomb campus transfer students should contact the Undergraduate Admissions Office at 877/PICK WIU or email firstname.lastname@example.com .
Quad Cities campus transfers should contact WIU-QC Admissions at (309)762-9481 or email firstname.lastname@example.com .


text:
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Symantec Mail Security for Microsoft Exchange combines Symantec antimalware technology with advanced heuristics to provide real-time email protection against viruses, spyware, phishing, and other malicious attacks while enforcing content filtering policies on Microsoft Exchange Server 2007, 2010, and 2013. In addition, Mail Security leverages Symantec Premium AntiSpam, powered by Brightmail technology, to stop 99 percent of incoming spam with less than one in 1 million false positives. It supports Hosted, Microsoft Hyper-V, or VMware virtualized Exchange server environments. Symantec Mail Security for Microsoft Exchange complements other layers of protection by preventing the spread of email-borne threats and enforcing data loss prevention policies.


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The party had a robot theme. I, being me, suggested we get into the swing of things and make some robot masks to wear. They, being them, decided we needed to add a touch of flair - a bunny robot, a three-horned unicorn robot and a horse robot. Neigh.
They're crackers, all three of them. Gloriously, beautifully, relentlessly, seriously crackers.


text: When you think of Florida you usually think of Orlando, Tampa, Miami and Fort Lauderdale. But the northern part of Florida, and Tallahassee in particular, has a number of reasons to visit with your dog. Tallahassee, with a population of about 160,000 is the Capital of Florida. There are many pet-friendly hotels in Tallahassee including the dog-friendly La Quinta Chain, a number of Best Westerns and hotels from most of the other chains as well. You can camp and hike in the Apalachicola National Forest nearby or at the Big Oak RV Park or the Tallahassee RV Park. You should not have trouble finding a pet-friendly accommodation in town.


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We're looking for straight-forward, extraordinary and super scalable business ideas. This competition is completely "closed doors". None of the ideas will be made public and any submissions not selected as a winner will be disposed of immediately.
The winner will be paid $3,000 cash. Winners can seek mentorship from our mentors.
This is a great opportunity for passionate founders and aspiring entrepreneurs to not only win a large sum of cash – but to work with a real company, see their idea get built, make real money, make mission critical decisions, earn a substantial equity position and learn a lot without taking on the debt, risk or stress involved in building a business from an idea alone.
Meet the panel of judges. Bootstrappers and serial entrepreneurs that have worked with some of the world's most amazing brands and have collectively exited multiple businesses for millions of dollars. They are brilliant individuals that will work with you and your ideas.
Your written proposal should be no more than 3 standard A4 pages (PDF) and should answer the questions below in the order outlined.
Don't worry about submitting a plan that only aims to become the next Google, Snapchat or Facebook.
Your idea also doesn't have to be "something that doesn't exist yet". Startups can be very successful quickly simply by competing in an existing space when there's a significant competitive advantage.
What's the business and how does it work? Is it a service based business, a web based business, web and/or mobile application, brick and mortar or physical product?
Explanation of problem being solved, need or desire fulfilled, or innovation taking place.
Explain what makes this unique or different from what already exists in the market. What's the competitive edge? Be specific.
What's the group or demographic being targeted? Be specific. What's the $$ size of the target market?
Describe your plan to reach the target market. Please be very specific.
How does your idea make money? (sales, subscription model, advertising, lead generation, etc.)
What are the expected profit margins? What do you expect it to cost to fulfill the product or service?
How will the business be scaled through strategic partners that already reach your target market in critical mass? Please explain and be specific.
Explain it's newsworthiness. Why is Fast Company or the local news going to cover the story? What will the story be about? A headline or two will suffice.
Any questions, email email@example.com
Applications must be in by August 30, 2016. If accepted, you will hear from us within 48 hours from the date of your application.
All submissions must be in by August 30, 2016.
One idea per entrant. Please do not submit multiple proposals.
As previously stated, don't worry about submitting a plan that only aims to become the next Google, Snapchat or Facebook. Your idea also doesn't have to be "something that doesn't exist yet". If you are competing in an existing space, that's fine. Make sure to explain the competitive advantage in your plan.
Entrecity Business Idea Competition will be 100% virtual and open game to anyone that wishes to apply. There will be no travel required. The final proposal should include a PDF file with no larger than 10 MB in size.
Proposals will be submitted privately and securely via a secure web form to be provided.
This competition is completely confidential. To help protect the privacy of your business idea, all members of the jury, advisors and entrecity staffs have signed a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA). We will not share your proposal with anyone outside of the Entrecity Startups incubator. Additionally, your ideas will not be publicized at any time during or after the competition. If you are not selected as a winner, your materials will be disposed of immediately.
One winner will be selected per competition. Winner will receive a check for $3,000 SGD, and possible additional funding towards the development of the idea.
The winner will be fully involved in the development, marketing and operation of their concept and be given opportunities to increase their equity stake along the way. The winner will be paid the cash prize of $3000 SGD even if they choose not to participate beyond the competition. Should the winner decide to bring it to the next step, EntreCity will incubate the idea and form a business equity of only 5% ownership. EntreCity may also increase its investment.
Either way, the winners will have an opportunity to work with a really amazing team – a group that has deep experience in building businesses and growing them – and will have access to funding when the business needs it most, without the traditional hassle.


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Professional Community for Car Dealers, Marketing, Advertising and Sales Leaders
The ADM Professional Community was at the center of the storm a year ago when the retail auto industry joined together to both critique and reject the public facing TrueCar business model. Since that time, numerous changes have been made at TrueCar in multiple areas. I have previously published an article on ADM asking the industry to consider reevaluating TrueCar based on over a dozen significant changes to their business model which have each been designed to benefit car dealers and their customers.
One of the most striking of all changes at TrueCar has been the attitude, demeanor and statements made by Scott Painter relevant to the retail auto industry and car dealers. I spent over an hour of one on one time in Scott Painter's office last July and was struck by his candor, willingness to acknowledge the mistakes and miscalculations he had made in the past.
The following article was recently published by Forbes Magazine and offers some deep insights into the changes that have occurred within TrueCar and rare insights into the changes that have been made on a more personal level by Scott Painter:
Serial entrepreneur Scott Painter, founder of TrueCar.com, has spent much of his career trying to tell auto dealers how to run their business.
Written by Joann Muller, Forbes Staff
Over the past two decades, he has founded 37 companies, many of them auto-related, and has raised over $1.25 billion from investors who share his conviction that buying a car is a painful experience in need of an overhaul.
Few would argue with that assertion. But Painter's latest attempt to disrupt automotive retailing by sharing transaction data over the Internet stoked enmity among thousands of car dealers, who complained that TrueCar's marketing tactics had triggered a price war that was driving them out of business. Mike Jackson, chief executive of AutoNation, the country's largest dealer group, spoke for many when he blamed TrueCar for creating "a race to the bottom."
Even Painter now sees that his original business model was unsustainable. "If 10 to 15 percent of cars are sold at a loss, it threatens the survival of the ecosystem," he said. TrueCar's business model is based on the simple premise that car pricing will find its own equilibrium in a free market that is transparent. But the system tended to favor car buyers by promoting the lowest price on the block, giving them leverage to go find an even better price. By running roughshod over the interests of its own network of car dealers, whose cooperation is critical to his success, Painter ended up nearly destroying the company he had spent seven years and $126 million building.
"It's embarrassing," says a chastened Painter, blaming his own "arrogance" for TrueCar's near-collapse earlier this year, when one-third of its dealer network jumped ship, car sales plunged and it piled up $40 million in losses.
Now, after enlisting help from auto dealers, manufacturers and other industry leaders, Painter is relaunching TrueCar.com with a more conciliatory approach that he says balances the interests of dealers and consumers. A new dealer council provides ongoing advice, and new management with experience in both auto retailing and manufacturing were brought in to repair fractured relations with the industry.
In a new $8 million national advertising campaign, bricks-and-mortar car dealers are portrayed as TrueCar's "trusted partners" while the emphasis for consumers is getting a "fair price," not necessarily the lowest one.
The site still publishes data about recent transactions but it no longer shares what the dealer paid for the car nor does it promote the cheapest price as the benchmark for other dealers to beat. Instead, it gives both network dealers and consumers enough information to strike what it calls "a fair deal" by letting them know what others recently paid for similarly-equipped new cars in their geographic area. Dealers pay $299 for every customer lead that results in a car sale.
Other car-buying websites like Edmunds.com and kbb.com share recent pricing data with consumers, but Painter says TrueCar's figures are better because it shows actual transactions, rather than an average of recent sales. These transactions are posted on a bell curve, displaying the percentage of sales in four price ranges: below market, great, good, and above market. Both buyers and sellers then have the parameters to agree on a fair price, which Painter says typically settles in the lowest quartile of all transactions (the left side of the bell curve) compared to the lowest 6 percent of transactions before the change.
The ad campaign, which broke this week, marks a new beginning for TrueCar.com, which began in 2007 and grew quickly, doubling revenue every year. Although TrueCar.com is the public-facing business, about 80 percent of the company's revenue comes from managing car-buying programs behind the scenes for affiliates such as AAA, Consumer Reports, American Express and military credit union USAA.
By the end of 2011, revenues were $76 million, TrueCar.com had turned profitable and, with 5,600 dealers in its network, it was selling 30,000 vehicles a month (2 percent of U.S. sales) through its website and the websites of its affiliates.
But trouble arrived in late 2011 as some dealer groups and regulators began to question the legality of TrueCar.com's business model, suggesting it was acting as an illegal broker. Fearful of incurring fines, some dealers started bailing out of the TrueCar network. Others were angry about TrueCar's marketing tactics, including an ad campaign that told buyers how much they could undercut the dealer's price if they bought their car through TrueCar's website.
The impact was devastating: the dealer network shrunk by one-third in the first three months of 2012 and vehicles sales through its TrueCar.com network plunged 80 percent, from over 13,000 per month at the end of 2011 to just 2,000 a month in June. Revenues from its core auto-buying programs also fell by one-third. On the precipice of death, Painter obtained an emergency bridge loan from existing investors, which include Capricorn Investment Group, GRP Partners and an affiliate of Guthy-Renker.
Then he spun into disaster control mode. In January he launched a series of meetings with dealers around the country to listen to their concerns. That resulted in creation of a dealer council comprised of 20 members representing 24 states, 35 brands and 281 franchises. In February he hired Pat Watson, a 39-year veteran of the South Carolina Dealers Association to keep the dialogue going. He also hired Larry Dominique, a former Nissan executive, to be a liaison with manufacturers.
To address regulatory concerns, TrueCar also made important changes to the way dealers quote prices on its website. Instead of offering prices relative to "dealer invoice," they now promote guaranteed savings off the manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP). In a few states, TrueCar had to move to a subscription-based business model instead of the $299-fee system to satisfy regulators. TrueCar also gave dealers powerful analytic tools so they can adjust prices according to changing market conditions to ensure they remain in the competitive "sweet spot" while protecting their profit margins.
The changes are working, says Painter. Dealers are returning. Over the past eight months, TrueCar has replaced more than 1,000 of the dealers it lost earlier in the year, ending the third quarter with 5,200 dealers. Vehicle sales have rebounded too. It's back to selling 20,000 cars per month through TrueCar.com and the auto-buying program for affiliates is on track for record sales in the fourth quarter.
Remarkably, Painter is forecasting fiscal 2012 sales will be up 15 percent over 2011, and TrueCar.com will be cash flow positive again by the end of December.
Was it all a terrible dream? Sadly, no. It really did happen. But Painter no doubt learned a hard lesson about how difficult it is to force change in the auto industry.
About the Author:
Joann Muller, Forbes Staff
I write about the global auto industry
Source: www.Forbes.com
Views: 1595
/rant on
What I read that Scott Painter said recently, and which he and his company have done in the last six months, which changed my mind about TRUECar was not anything about remorse for some "Public Lynching". That simply didn't happen and I don't accept it. When you allow your employees to banter on this and other sites about how cars are commodities and treat good people here and elsewhere as stupid, all while not really explaining yourself except to be As Condescending as Possible (essentially trying to 'pat the widdle car dealers on their widdle heads'), AND when your employees buy anti-dealer profane domain names, AND when your lead investor couldn't stop chuckling here about how we didn't 'get' it . . . well, you get back what you put in. That's no lynching. That's just losing your perspective to your ego, and that wasn't our fault. Here or at any dealer or dealer group or state level.
Even this Forbes article points it out "Others were angry about TrueCar's marketing tactics, including an ad campaign that told buyers how much they could undercut the dealer's price if they bought their car through TrueCar's website." Okay, put your hand in the dealer's pocket for your fee and then present a 'free' service while aligning with the consumer AGAINST the dealer?
Scott Painter has owned up. I thank him for that, and for the work that Mike Timmons did to help correct TC's path. Scott Painter, however, hasn't asked for and doesn't need an apology from any of us. What he needs is to continue to revamp his company around his TRUECustomer (the paying dealer) and help us ALL modernize.
And we should follow his lead in that direction muy pronto and stop trying to say we did something wrong. He knows we didn't. He can't 'reform' his company to be right now if he was already right, right?
To wrap, I've offered to help TC (directly, Scott Painter) to continue down their current path with dealers any way that I can. I'm not going to apologize or feel bad for something I didn't do and don't believe WAS done--instead, I'm going to continue to help dealers and ANY company that helps dealers win their market.
Many thanks to Scott Painter and TRUECar for their changes. And a shout out to Mike Timmons, who understood it all.
/rant off
Jason, you are right about the various state regulatory agencies getting involved, and the way they forced TrueCar to change quite a few of the details around what they show the public and how they charge the dealers who use them. As for falling in love with TrueCar or anyone else for that matter, keep in mind that you are referring to a guy who has worked for both ADP and Reynolds and Reynolds... Who has sold Ford and Chevrolet... I am very objective and have never been shy about criticizing any supplier, including the companies I worked for, when appropriate and while I was working for them!
Never questioned your opinion of TrueCar. Just stating my own opinion with their past history. I don't see what happened a year ago to be trash talking. What TrueCar was doing in many states was illegal. Don't we have an obligation to call it out to protect our industry? What happened a year ago was about making a rogue company conduct business legally and make the industry aware of their "previous" goals to reduce salesmen in the showroom, reprice profit out of our inventory, and reduce the number of dealers in the United States. O.J. Simpson did some illegal things too and he wants back in the public eye, just like anyone else that makes a mistake. Is he coming back with growing popularity? Absolutely not. It's hard to recover from illegal activity. It is what it is. TrueCar's employees must know the hill they are climbing. I assume that if you spend more and more time with TrueCar that eventually you will fall in love with them completely. In fact, there are many people in regretful relationships after the honeymoon. I just don't want to ever fall in love with TrueCar...ever. I remember my first impressions and so do many other dealers. I don't ever have a problem with anyone who wants to carry a torch for them. I'm sure O.J. has his followers too. With the help of Forbes magazine, who are we on this tiny forum? The future is open to anyone. As for now, I just see TrueCar as a continued foe and not so much a friend. They were after dealer data and that is Fort Knox for dealers. It's where their greatest investment is after nearly 100 years.
Let me ask a question related to my previous comment and the comments made by a few others... Why is it that when we publicly trash a supplier company, everyone seems to get a kick out of it, and there is a tendency to pile on? Yet, when we try to "do the right thing" and suggest that a company may have been maligned beyond what is reasonable, people freely and publicly challenge the motivations of that person?
On a direct and personal basis, I know of many positive recommendations and endorsements that are bought and paid for... However, in this day and age of web based opinion drivers and a new found concern over reputation management, has it ever occurred to anyone that some people MAY have a vested financial interest in trashing a company with what they post online?
I ave personally witnessed and seen when employees of dealership A post bad reviews about dealership B, who they compete with... Why would we not question the motivations of those who make extreme statements to the negative about any person or company?
Jason, Brian and everyone else who questions my opinions on TrueCar;
First of all, I have never "endorsed" TrueCar as a company who supplies dealers, I have suggested that there have been enough changes made at TrueCar over the past year that it is well worth a dealer's time to reevaluate the services they provide, from a pure business development perspective. Here's the article: http://www.automotivedigitalmarketing.com/profiles/blogs/truecar-ti...
Secondly, TrueCar is not an individual (not even Scott Painter), there are well over 200 people working at this company. Besides car dealerships, where I have spent the better part of my adult life, if there is one particular type of company I feel confident in being an expert on... It is automotive suppliers serving dealers.
With that said, I will admit to having some feelings of guilt around the "Public Lynching" I participated in a year ago, where the company being hanged was TrueCar... Over the course of the past year I have spent time with dozens of TrueCar employees. Every single time I do, there is a part of me that recognizes the simple reality that these are intelligent, hard working people who endeavor to assist their dealer clients in selling more cars... So, yeah... I feel like I have something in common with these people.
I have also experienced what it is like to answer THEIR questions about what many TrueCar employees perceive as an unfair treatment of them and their company by the online automotive communities who roasted them a year ago. In the article that I referenced at the beginning of this comment, the reader will see that what REALLY convinced me to change my opinion about whether or not TrueCar should even be considered by a dealer, was when I started talking to dealers who have been using them the past 6 months or more... Realizing that these dealers WERE making a profit on their relationship with TrueCar and they are convinced that the affinity program delivers car buyers to them that their dealerships would otherwise not have an opportunity to sell a car to... So, how is it even logical, or could be considered reasonable and in good judgement to suggest that TrueCar should NOT be considered by any car dealer as a marketing services supplier?
Once you get past the schoolyard bullying mentality, or the high school cheerleader type of holding a grudge forever, with no consideration of a reevaluation, it makes no sense at all not to reevaluate whether or not a dealership should be doing business with TrueCar. This is about business, selling and servicing cars profitably... It should not be about holding grudges or refusing to reevaluate a supplier who has changed the offering they provide.
Oh yes, with the endorsement of the affinity partners comes significant credibility in influence and credibility.
As a constructive suggestion to truecars.com, legally, one cannot post on the internet or any other advertisement, 'BEST PRICE'. Suggest that Kevin derives an alternative venacular.
On a side note, the affinity partners that Truecar has aligned with, was a great execution. Myself, as a Dealer for 25 years, the pioneering in the early 90s with having exclusive affinity partners with numerous credit unions in our city, led to bountiful referrals.
What is to be gained by being positive about an operation that initially was so negative...? Perhaps Ralph has the integrity to research the issue, study the operation and conclude that many of the negative issues have been understood and corrected...? This idea that everyone is able to read Scott's mind, heart and motives it at best unfair to Scott and the hard working team that he leads. I hear dealers talk about how the industry has changed, and the customer experience has changed and that dealers have changed to meet the needs of new customers....but Scott is not allowed to....c'mon, at least the team deserves better....
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text:
Yesterday, hate radio host Rush Limbaugh controversially said that President Obama was going to try to use the devastating Haitian earthquake to boost his credibility with the "light-skinned and dark-skinned black community" in the United States. He also argued against government aid for the nation. Today, a woman named "April" from Paducah, KY called into Limbaugh's show and asked where he got the "cojones" to make such statements. Limbaugh insisted that he never meant to discourage private donations to Haiti, but stood by his remarks that Obama will try to exploit the disaster for political gain:
RUSH: No, I'm not evading it at all. If I said it I meant to say it, and I do believe that everything is political to this president. Everything this president sees is a political opportunity, including Haiti, and he will use it to burnish his credentials with minorities in this country and around the world, and to accuse Republicans of having no compassion. […]
CALLER: [A]re you implying that the Huffington Post as the one and only resource that I [read]? I even watch Fox News once in a while.
RUSH: No, no, no, no, no. I'm not implying that. … What I'm illustrating here is that you're a blockhead. What I'm illustrating here is that you're a closed-minded bigot who is ill-informed. … And if you had listened to this program for a modicum of time you would know it. But instead you're a blockhead. You're mind is totally closed. You have tampons in your ears. Nothing is getting through other than the biased crap that you read.
Limbaugh also pointed out that it took Obama "three days to go out and talk about the Christmas Day underwear bomber," but "less than 18 hours to get out there and start rallying people about this earthquake." Listen here:
In May, Limbaugh commented on former President Bill Clinton's appointment as special envoy to Haiti by saying, "I'm just gonna tell you, if I was named envoy to Haiti, I'd quit government. Envoy to Haiti? You can't even pick up a prostitute down there without genuine fear of AIDS. This is not Clinton's place."
RUSH: To Paducah, Kentucky. This is April. That is one of my all-time, top ten favorite female names. April, thank you for calling. Nice to have you with us. Hello.
CALLER: Thank you, Rush. I'm glad that you chose to have me on today.
RUSH: Yes?
CALLER: This is kind of belated, but I just have a question for you.
RUSH: Yes, ma'am? Yes, ma'am?
CALLER: Where in your right mind do you get the cojones to just completely — I don't know, I guess — dismiss a tragedy of possibly a hundred thousand people dead in Haiti? You're — you're going around discouraging people to send donations because we already donated to Haiti and it's called the US income tax; and Obama, the president of our United States — your president as well, whether you like it or not.
RUSH: Where did you…?
CALLER: — you're saying —
RUSH: Where did you hear that I discouraged donations to Haiti?
CALLER: Uh, I read it in, uh, a news thing called the Huffington Post, but that's not the point. I was going to finish my sentence if that's okay with you.
RUSH: Well, but what you just said is a lie. They reported a lie. I did not discourage donations to Haiti.
CALLER: Okay. Well, um, actually the point I was getting to, whether or not you said that — which actually I believe you did. But.
RUSH: No, it's not "whether or not." That matters. I mean you call here and ask, "Where do I get off suggesting that we don't donate to Haiti because we do in the income tax?" and I tell you I said that, but I also said private donations are going to be much better than a government donation. They're all going. Go to the Red Cross, do other things. Don't go through the government. It's just going to go through hands and bureaucracies and a dollar is going to end up being 30 cents by the time they get through with it. I did not say, "Don't make donations." That's not a "whether or not" thing. That's why you called.
CALLER: Calm down.
RUSH: Finish your sentence.
CALLER: Calm down. I planned on it, but actually I… Keep denying that, but what is this you were saying about our president of the United States trying to just basically establish credibility in the black community among white (sic) and dark-skinned African-Americans? And why do you, like… After saying that, why would you call yourself a patriot?
RUSH: All right. Now, this is funny. This was our Media Tweak of the Day yesterday, April. You know, what we do here on this program is, purposely, play the media like violin, like a Stradivarius. And I love tweaking them. I love irritating them, and I love upsetting them and all you do is take words uttered by liberals and apply them to current events. It was Harry Reid who looked at Obama and said he's a "light-skinned" guy that "doesn't speak in a Negro dialect."
CALLER: I'm not talking about Harry Reid.
RUSH: Well, I was.
CALLER: I'm talking about you.
RUSH: I was. You see, this is the point. You didn't listen to the program. You're reading people who take what I say out of context precisely to create this sense of outrage that you have.
CALLER: Okay.
RUSH: In fact, I want you to listen to something with me. Before I said all of this I made a prediction, because this was my Media Tweak of the Day — and it's getting too easy. I mean, you're illustrating how easy it is to outrage these people. I enjoy it. This is a great success. When people start squealing like pigs is when I know I've hit a home run. This is what I said yesterday.
RUSH ARCHIVE: Before this week is out, I will be the one who uttered the words "light-skinned" and "doesn't speak the Negro dialect when he doesn't want to." I'll be the one that said it. Before the week is out I'll be the one that said it, not Harry Reid, and they'll be asking, "Why have you not condemned Rush Limbaugh for what he said (in repeating what Harry Reid said)?" and Harry Reid will condemn me from the Senate floor!
RUSH: And then I proceeded to suggest that Obama is going to be giving aid to both light-skinned and dark-skinned Negroes in Haiti, just designed to get the reaction I got — and it worked. The people that listen to this program laugh and chuckle every day at this stuff, because we're just needling the media. They talk about me all the time and I can create it any time I want. It's made you mad, and you believe things they take out of context that don't completely say what I fully said, and you get mad.
CALLER: Okay, so you're basically evading the second part of my question. You're not going to tell me why you decided to go around saying something, like, a tragedy that's happened to hundreds of thousands of people, who are suffering.
RUSH: No, I'm not evading it at all. If I said it I meant to say it, and I do believe that everything is political to this president. Everything this president sees is a political opportunity, including Haiti, and he will use it to burnish his credentials with minorities in this country and around the world, and to accuse Republicans of having no compassion. I went further than that even. I'll have to tell you what else I said after the break if you want to hold on.BREAK TRANSCRIPT
RUSH: We go back now to April in Paducah. I had to interrupt you because we had a hard break and I couldn't miss it. What is it you were going to say?
CALLER: Well, if I remember correctly I was about to go say, like, I've been trying to get to you explain to me, at least 00 if not the entire country listening to your show right now — what…? Like what… Why…? It doesn't sound like the president is making this Haiti donation business a political thing. It sounds like you are. You're just… Uh, you brought up a completely inane, baseless point about establishing credibility in the light- and dark-skinned black communities, and, like, there's no reason for that. There's, like —
RUSH: Now, April, I must ask a serious question: Do you ever listen to my program or do you hear about it in places like the Huffington Post?
CALLER: Um… I… When I'm upstairs in the bedroom I'll have the radio on and I like to listen to some local stations. So, yes, I have heard your show.
RUSH: All right.
CALLER: And I've heard dozens and clips and quotes that you've said and most of the time I'm absolutely disgusted with you. I'll be perfectly honest with you.
RUSH: I see. Okay, now that we've established that you listen sometimes and you're absolutely disgusted. Let me ask you a question. Have you ever heard of the Democrat Party and President Obama politicizing a natural disaster?
CALLER: Have I ever heard of them politicizing…?
RUSH: Yeah, has that ever happened? Has Barack Obama and the Democrat Party ever politicized a natural disaster?
CALLER: Umm, well, this is the — at least if you're speaking specifically about President Obama, this is the first natural disaster that we've had on, uh — on his terms. So…
RUSH: We had a natural disaster when he was Senator. It doesn't matter whether he was president or not. I said the Democrat Party and President Obama, as a Senator, certainly politicized Hurricane Katrina. You see, the difference, April, is that I know these people. I know who they are and I love to tweak them. I love to tweak the media. I predicted yesterday… How come there's no outrage, by the way, at Bill Clinton suggesting that Obama's nothing more than a slave when he was trying to get Ted Kennedy to endorse Hillary and he says (impression), "Come on! Come on, Ted. You know, a few years ago this guy would be fetching us our coffee." You're not outraged about that because the Huffington Post isn't outraged about it. They probably don't write about it but I talk about all of it.
CALLER: Actually… Uh, are you implying that the Huffington Post as the one and only resource that I watch? I even watch Fox News once in a while.
RUSH: No, no, no, no, no. I'm not implying that.
CALLER: Okay.
RUSH: What I'm illustrating here is that you're a blockhead. What I'm illustrating here is that you're a closed-minded bigot who is ill-informed. I am being patient and tolerant and I'm trying to explain this to you, and you're totally closed to it. I'm hitting you with piercing, penetrating logic, and it escapes you — and it is irritating people like you that I revel in. I absolutely revel in it. I've got 19 sound bites here today, April, of media people going bat manure yesterday over what they think I said. They didn't hear me say it, either. They got it from the Huffington Post or they got it from Media Matters or they got it from someplace else. I did not say don't donate. I did say Obama will use this to help burnish his credentials, 'cause there's no question he will. I'll tell you something else I said, April: It took him three days to go out and talk about the Christmas Day underwear bomber. It took him less than 18 hours to get out there and start rallying people about this earthquake. […]
I love illustrating absurdity by being absurd. And if you had listened to this program for a modicum of time you would know it. But instead you're a blockhead. You're mind is totally closed. You have tampons in your ears. Nothing is getting through other than the biased crap that you read. So I've had enjoyment here talking to you and illustrating that it's impossible to deal in the truth with you. I appreciate your calling and I appreciate your holding on. I grew up not far from Paducah. If I'd known you were there, I might have stayed.
In today's press briefing, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs commented on Limbaugh's remarks from yesterday: "In times of great crisis, there are always people who say stupid things. I don't know how anybody could sit where he does, having enjoyed the success that he has, and not feel some measure of sorrow for what has happened in Haiti."