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The link below is to an article looking at the war in Mali and the French intervention.
For more visit:
The link below is to an article looking at the war in Mali and the French intervention.
For more visit:
Military hostilities against insurgents may result in Christian casualties and persecution.
CHIANG MAI, Thailand, October 22 (CDN) — With Burma's first election in over 20 years just two weeks away, Christians in ethnic minority states fear that afterward the military regime will try to "cleanse" the areas of Christianity, sources said.
The Burmese junta is showing restraint to woo voters in favor of its proxy party, the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), but it is expected to launch a military offensive on insurgents in ethnic minority states after the Nov. 7 election, Burma watchers warned.
When Burma Army personnel attack, they do not discriminate between insurgents and unarmed residents, said a representative of the pro-democracy Free Burma Rangers relief aid group in Chiang Mai, close to the Thai-Burma border. There is a large Christian population in Burma's Kachin, Karen and Karenni states along the border that falls under the military's target zone. Most of the slightly more than 2 million Christians in Burma (also called Myanmar) reside along the country's border with Thailand, China and India.
The military seems to be preparing its air force for an offensive, said Aung Zaw, editor of the Chiang Mai-based magazine Irrawaddy, which covers Burma. The Burmese Air Force (BAF) bought 50 Mi-24 helicopters and 12 Mi-2 armored transport helicopters from Russia in September, added Zaw, a Buddhist.
Irrawaddy reported that the BAF had procured combat-equipped helicopters for the first time in its history. Air strikes will be conducted "most likely in Burma's ethnic areas, where dozens of armed groups still exert control," the magazine reported, quoting BAF sources.
"Armed conflicts between ethnic armies and the military can flare up any time," said Zaw. "However, to boost the morale of its personnel, the military is expected to attack smaller ethnic groups first, and then the more powerful ones."
Seven states of Burma have armed and unarmed groups demanding independence or autonomy from the regime: Shan, Karenni (also known as Kayah), Karen, Mon, Chin, Kachin, and Arakan (also Rakhine).
The junta has designated many areas in this region as "Black Zones" – entirely controlled by armed ethnic groups – and "Brown Zones," where the military has partial control, said the source from FBR, which provides relief to internally displaced people in states across the Thai-Burma border.
"There are many unarmed Christian residents in these zones where Burmese military personnel attack and kill anyone on sight," the source said.
A Karen state native in Chiang Mai who identified himself only as Pastor Joseph, who fled Burma as a child, referred to the junta's clandestine campaign to wipe out Christians from the country. At least four years ago a secret memo circulated in Karen state, "Program to Destroy the Christian Religion in Burma," that carried "point by point instructions on how to drive Christians out of the state," reported the British daily Telegraph on Jan. 21, 2007.
"The text, which opens with the line, 'There shall be no home where the Christian religion is practiced,' calls for anyone caught evangelizing to be imprisoned," the Telegraph reported. "It advises: 'The Christian religion is very gentle – identify and utilize its weakness.'"
Persecution of Christians in Burma "is part of a wider campaign by the regime, also targeted at ethnic minority tribes, to create a uniform society in which the race and language is Burmese and the only accepted religion is Buddhism," the daily noted.
The junta perceives all Christians in ethnic minority states as insurgents, according to the FBR. Three months ago, Burma Army's Light Infantry Battalions 370 and 361 attacked a Christian village in Karen state, according to the FBR. In Tha Dah Der village on July 23, army personnel burned all houses, one of the state's biggest churches – which was also a school – and all livestock and cattle, reported the FBR.
More than 900 people fled to save their lives.
Vague Religious Freedom
The Burmese regime projects that close to 70 percent of the country's population is ethnic Burman. Ethnic minorities dispute the claim, saying the figure is inflated to make a case for Burman Buddhist nationalism.
The new constitution, which will come into force with the first session of parliament after the election, was passed through a referendum in May 2008 that was allegedly rigged. It provides for religious freedom but also empowers the military to curb it under various pretexts.
Article 34 states, "Every citizen is equally entitled to freedom of conscience and the right to freely profess and practice religion subject to public order, morality or health and to the other provisions of this Constitution." Article 360 (a), however, says this freedom "shall not include any economic, financial, political or other secular activities that may be associated with religious practice," apparently to bar religious groups from any lobbying or advocacy.
Further, Article 360 (b) goes on to say that the freedom "shall not debar the Union from enacting law for the purpose of public welfare and reform."
Adds Article 364: "The abuse of religion for political purposes is forbidden. Moreover, any act which is intended or is likely to promote feelings of hatred, enmity or discord between racial or religious communities or sects is contrary to this Constitution. A law may be promulgated to punish such activity."
Furthermore, Article 382 empowers "the Defense Forces personnel or members of the armed forces responsible to carry out peace and security" to "restrict or revoke" fundamental rights.
The Burmese junta is expected to remain at the helm of affairs after the election. The 2008 constitution reserves one-fourth of all seats in national as well as regional assemblies for military personnel.
A majority of people in Burma are not happy with the military's USDP party, and military generals are expected to twist the results in its favor, said Htet Aung, chief election reporter at Irrawaddy.
Khonumtung News Group, an independent Burmese agency, reported on Oct. 2 that most educated young Burmese from Chin state were "disgusted" with the planned election, "which they believe to be a sham and not likely to be free and fair."
They "are crossing the border to Mizoram in the northeast state of India from Chin state and Sagaing division to avoid participating," Khonumtung reported. "On a regular basis at least five to 10 youths are crossing the border daily to avoid voting. If they stay in Burma, they will be coerced to cast votes."
There is "utter confusion" among people, and they do not know if they should vote or not, said Aung of Irrawaddy. While the second largest party, the National Unity Party, is pro-military, there are few pro-democracy and ethnic minority parties.
"Many of the pro-democracy and ethnic minority candidates have little or no experience in politics," Aung said. "All those who had some experience have been in jail as political prisoners for years."
In some ethnic minority states, the USDP might face an embarrassing defeat. And this can deepen the military's hostility towards minorities, including Christians, after the election, added Aung.
For now, an uneasy calm prevails in the Thai-Burma border region where most ethnic Christians live.
Report from Compass Direct News
Police threaten or detain some 200 house church members who planned to attend.
DUBLIN, October 15 (CDN) — As organizers prepared for the opening of the Third Lausanne International Congress on World Evangelization tomorrow in Cape Town, South Africa, Chinese police threatened or detained some 200 delegates who had hoped to attend.
After receiving an invitation to attend the event, house church groups in China formed a selection committee and raised significant funds to pay the expenses of their chosen delegates, a source told Compass. Many delegates, however, were "interviewed" by authorities after they applied to attend the Congress, the source said.
When house church member Abraham Liu Guan and four other delegates attempted to leave China via Beijing airport on Sunday (Oct. 10), authorities refused to allow them through customs, reported the Chinese-language Ming Pao News. Officials detained one delegate and confiscated the passports of the other four until Oct. 25, the closing date of the conference.
China's State Administration for Religious Affairs and the Ministry of Public Security had notified border control staff that the participation of Chinese Christians in the conference threatened state security and ordered them not to allow delegates to leave, Liu told U.S.-based National Public Radio (NPR).
Officials also prevented two house church Christians from Baotou City, Inner Mongolia, from leaving the country, and on Oct. 9 placed one of them in a 15-day detention, the China Aid Association (CAA) reported.
When Fan Yafeng, leader of the Chinese Christian Legal Defense Association and winner of the 2009 John Leland Religious Liberty Award, discussed the harassment with NPR on Tuesday (Oct. 12), officials assigned some 20 police officers to keep him under house arrest.
On Wednesday (Oct. 13), approximately 1,000 police officers were stationed at Beijing International Airport to restrain an estimated 100 house church members who planned to leave for the Congress via Beijing, according to CAA.
CAA also said authorities over the past few months had contacted every delegate, from Han Christians in Beijing to Uyghur Christians in Xinjiang, for questioning, and threatened some family members.
Normal church operations were also affected. The Rev. Xing Jingfu from Changsha in Hunan province told NPR that authorities cited the Lausanne Congress when they recently ordered his church to close.
China's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Ma Zhaoxu, in a statement issued to NPR, accused the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization of communicating secretively with members of illegal congregations and not issuing an official invitation to China's state-controlled church.
According to the Ming Pao report, the Lausanne committee said members of the Three-Self Protestant Movement had asked if they could attend. Delegates, however, were required to sign a document expressing their commitment to evangelism, which members of official churches could not do due to regulations such as an upper limit on the number of people in each church, state certification for preachers, and the confinement of preaching to designated churches in designated areas. House church Christians faced no such limitations.
The first such conference was held in Lausanne, Switzerland in 1974, which produced the influential Lausanne Covenant. The second conference was held in 1989 in Manila. Some 4,000 delegates from 200 countries are expected to attend the third conference in Cape Town.
Progress or Repression?
China watchers said there has been a slight easing of restrictions in recent months, accompanied by a call on Sept. 28 from senior Chinese political advisor Du Qinglin for the government to allow the independent development of the official church. Du made the remarks at the 60th anniversary celebrations of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement, according to the government-allied Xinhua news agency.
The BBC in August produced a glowing series on the growth of Christianity in China after Chinese authorities gave it unprecedented access to state-sanctioned churches and religious institutions. Religious rights monitor Elizabeth Kendal, however, described this access as part of a propaganda campaign by the Chinese government to reduce criticism of religious freedom policies.
NPR also produced a five-part series on Chinese religions in July. The series attributed the growth of religious adherence to the "collapse of Communist ideology" and pointed out that growth continued despite the fact that evangelism was "still illegal in China today."
The claims of progress were challenged by an open letter from Pastor Zhang Mingxuan, president of the Chinese Christian House Church Alliance, to Chinese President Hu Jintao on Oct. 1, China's National Day.
In the letter, published by CAA on Oct. 5, Zhang claimed that Chinese house church Christians respected the law and were "model citizens," and yet they had become "the target of a group of government bandits … [who] often arrest and beat innocent Christians and wronged citizens." Further, he added, "House church Christians have been ill-treated simply because they are petitioners to crimes of the government."
Zhang then listed several recent incidents in which Christians were arrested and sent to labor camps, detained and fined without cause, beaten, interrogated and otherwise abused. He also described the closure or demolition of house churches and the confiscation of personal and church property.
He closed with a mention of Uyghur Christian Alimjan Yimit, "who was sentenced to 15 years in prison because he evangelized among Uyghurs – his very own people."
Report from Compass Direct News
Kidnapped relief workers had come to provide aid to victims of massive flooding.
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, August 27 (CDN) — Authorities on Wednesday (Aug. 25) recovered the bodies of three Christian relief workers who had been kidnapped and killed by members of the Pakistani Taliban in the flood-ravaged country, area officials said.
Swat District Coordination Officer Atif-ur-Rehman told Compass that the Pakistan Army recovered the bodies of the three foreign flood-relief workers at about 7 a.m. on Wednesday. An official at the international humanitarian organization that employed the workers withheld their names and requested that the agency remain unnamed for security reasons. Military sources who withheld news of the deaths from electronic and print media to avoid panicking other relief workers granted permission to Compass to publish it in limited form.
"The foreign aid workers have been working in Mingora and the surrounding areas," Rehman said. "On Aug. 23 they were returning to their base at around 5:35 p.m. when a group of Taliban attacked their vehicle. They injured around five-six people and kidnapped three foreign humanitarian workers."
Pakistan has been hit by its worst flooding in decades, with the United Nations now estimating more than 21.8 million people have been affected. Foreign aid workers are involved in relief activities across the country, including Swat district in Khyber-Paktunkhwa Province in northern Pakistan. At least 8 million people require emergency relief, with hundreds of thousands reportedly isolated from aid supplies.
An army Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) source said rangers have been deployed in Swat and other potential target areas to help provide security for relief workers.
"The Taliban had warned about attacks on foreigner aid workers and Christian organizations," the ISPR source said. "All the international humanitarian organizations have been notified, and their security has also been increased."
Rehman noted that the Taliban also has been trying to bring relief to flood victims.
"The Taliban are also trying to support the flood victims, and many other banned organizations have set up camps in southern Punjab to support the victims," he said. "They intend to sympathize with the affected and gain their support."
The president of advocacy organization Life for All, Rizwan Paul, said the bodies of the three relief workers had been sent to Islamabad under the supervision of the Pakistan Army.
"We strongly condemn the killing of the three humanitarian workers," Paul said. "These aid workers came to support us, and we are thankful to the humanitarian organizations that came to help us in a time of need."
Pointing to alleged discrimination against minorities in distribution of humanitarian aid, Paul added that Christians in severely flood-damaged areas in Punjab Province have been neglected. The majority of the effected Christians in Punjab are in Narowal, Shakargarh, Muzzafargarh, Rahim Yar Khan and Layyah, he said.
"The Christians living around Maralla, Narowal, and Shakargarh were shifted to the U.N.- administered camps, but they are facing problems in the camps," he said. "There are reports that the Christians are not given tents, clean water and food. In most of the camps the Christians have totally been ignored."
Life for All complained to U.N. agencies and the government of Pakistan regarding the discrimination, but no one has responded yet, he said.
"There have been reports from Muzzaffargarh and Layyah that the Christians are living on the damaged roads in temporary tents, as they were not allowed in the government camps," he said.
In Sindh Province Thatta has been flooded, and around 300 Christian families who tried to move from there to Punjab were forbidden from doing so, a source said. Meteorologists are predicting more rains in coming days, with the already catastrophic flooding expected to get worse.
Kashif Mazhar, vice president of Life for All, said that in the northern province of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa conditions for Christians are better as there are Christian camps established, and Garrison Church in Risalpur is also providing aid to victims.
"It is discouraging to see that the Christian organizations are wholeheartedly supporting the victims regardless of the religion or race, but in most of the areas the Christians are totally ignored and not even allowed to stay," Mazhar said.
Foreign targets are rarely attacked directly in Pakistan, despite chronic insecurity in the nuclear-armed state, which is a key ally in the U.S.-led war on Al Qaeda and the Taliban in neighboring Afghanistan. On March 10, however, suspected Islamic militants armed with guns and grenades stormed the offices of a Christian relief and development organization in northwest Pakistan, killing six aid workers and wounding seven others.
The gunmen besieged the offices of international humanitarian organization World Vision near Oghi, in Mansehra district, of the North West Frontier Province. Suicide and bomb attacks across Pakistan have killed more than 3,000 people since 2007. Blame has fallen on Taliban and Al Qaeda-linked militants bitterly opposed to the alliance with the United States.
The U.N. decided last year to relocate a limited number of its international staff from Pakistan because of security concerns. Its World Food Program office in Islamabad was attacked in October last year, with five aid workers killed in a suicide bombing.
Then on Feb. 3, a bomb attack in the NWFP district of Lower Dir killed three U.S. soldiers and five other people at the opening of a school just rebuilt with Western funding after an Islamist attack.
Report from Compass Direct News
Local Christians sense authorities, extremists and society in collusion against them.
RABAT, Morocco, June 17 (CDN) — Moroccan Christians say Muslim extremists in the country are aiding and encouraging the government to pursue them by exposing and vilifying them on social networking site Facebook.
Facebook user Gardes Maroc Maroc has posted 32 image collages featuring dozens of Christian converts, calling them "hyena evangelists" or "wolves in lamb's skins" who are trying to "shake the faith of Muslims." That terminology on the website, which is in Arabic, matches that of Morocco's anti-proselytizing law, which outlaws efforts to "shake the faith of Muslims."
The online images depict Christian converts and their families from across the country and include details about their roles and activities in churches, their personal addresses and anecdotal stories attempting to malign them.
"These are some pics of Moroccan convert hyenas," reads one image.
Since March, the Moroccan government has expelled more than 100 foreign Christians for alleged "proselytizing." Authorities failed to give Christians deportation orders or enough time to settle their affairs before they left.
Observers have called this a calculated effort to purge the historically moderate Muslim country, known for its progressive policies, of all Christian elements – both foreign and national.
Amid a national media campaign to vilify Christians in Morocco, more than 7,000 Muslim clerics signed a statement denouncing all Christian activities and calling foreign Christians' aid work "religious terrorism."
On the Facebook page, Gardes Maroc Maroc makes a particularly strident call to Moroccan authorities to investigate adoptive parents of children from the village of Ain Leuh, 50 miles south of Fez. The user claims that local Christians under orders of "foreign missionaries" were attempting to adopt the children so missionary efforts would not "go in vain."
On March 8, the Moroccan government expelled 26 Christian foreign staff members and parents working at Village of Hope in Ain Leuh.
Now efforts against national Christians have gained momentum. One image on the Facebook page challenged the Islamic Ministry of Religious Affairs and Endowments, saying, "Evangelist hyenas are deriding your Ministry." The page with the images claimed that Christians had rented out an apartment belonging to that government ministry.
An entire page was dedicated to a well-known Christian TV personality in the Middle East, Rashid Hmami, and his family. The user also inserted pictures of hyenas next to those of Christians, presumably to indicate their danger to the nation.
National Christians Threatened
Moroccan Christians told Compass that authorities had begun harassing them even before the forced deportations of foreigners, and that pressure from officials only intensified in March and April.
Since the deportations started in early March, it seems that authorities, extremists and society as a whole have colluded against them, local Christians said. Dozens of Christians have been called to police stations for interrogation. Many of them have been threatened and verbally abused.
"They mocked our faith," said one Moroccan Christian who requested anonymity. "They didn't talk nicely."
Authorities interrogated the convert for eight hours and followed him for three weeks in March and April, he said. During interrogation, he added, local police told him they were prepared to throw him in jail and kill him.
Another Moroccan Christian reported that a Muslim had taken him to court because of his Christian activities. Most Moroccan Christians that spoke to Compass said the attitudes of their Muslim relatives had shifted, and many have been kicked out of their homes or chosen to leave "to not create problems" for their families.
Moroccan converts meet in house churches. Some of them have stopped meeting until the pressure subsides.
"The government is testing the reactions," said Moroccan lawyer Abdel Adghirni of the recent pressure on Christians.
The lawyer, known as one of the strongest defenders of Berber rights in Morocco, said that although the government's recent reactions seem regressive, they are part of the nation's societal transformation process.
"The government is trying to dominate," said Adghirni. "They are defending themselves. They feel the wind of change. All of this is normal for me – like a complex chemistry that activates as different elements come into contact. Things are moving."
Congressional Hearing
In an effort to alert U.S. Congress to the sudden turn against religious tolerance in Morocco, the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission is holding congressional hearings today on the deportations of foreign Christians from the country.
Earlier today, the National Clergy Council held a press conference at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., to congratulate the Moroccan government on religious tolerance. Organizers of the congressional hearings said they view the council's press conference as an effort to counter the hearings.
The Rev. Rob Schenck, who heads the council, has had numerous exchanges with Moroccan Islamic leaders and in early April met with the Moroccan ambassador to the United States.
"I have enjoyed a close friendship of several years with the ambassador," Schenck stated on his website.
Organizers of the congressional hearings have said they are baffled that the National Clergy Council, and in particular Schenck, would speak so highly of the Moroccan government at a time when it is in such blatant violation of human rights.
"There's good and bad in every country, but what Morocco has done on the whole to advance religious liberty in that region of the world is extraordinary," Schenck said in a media statement yesterday on Christian Newswire. "We hope to present a fair and balanced picture of this unusual country."
Congressman Frank Wolf (R-Va.), co-chairman of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, said that the Moroccan government has deported nearly 50 U.S. citizens.
"In spite of this, the U.S. government has pledged $697.5 million to Morocco over the next five years through the Millennium Challenge Corporation," he said. Wolf is advocating that the United States withhold the nearly $697.5 million in aid that it has pledged to Morocco.
"It is inappropriate for American taxpayer money to go to a nation which disregards the rights of American citizens residing in Morocco and forcibly expels Americans without due process of law," he said.
Among those appearing at the hearing today is Dutch citizen Herman Boonstra, leader of Village of Hope, who was expelled in March. Boonstra and his wife were forced to leave eight adopted children in Morocco. Moroccan authorities have refused re-entry for the couple, as they have for all deported Christian foreigners.
Lawyer Adghirni said he believes Morocco cannot survive and develop economically – and democratically – without national diversity.
"We can't be free without Christians," Adghirni said. "The existence of Christians among us is the proof of liberty."
Derogatory remarks, beatings, pressure to convert to Islam drive two girls to drop out.
SARGODHA, Pakistan, May 19 (CDN) — Muslim teachers at a girls school here have derided Christian students for their faith, beat them, pressured them to convert to Islam and forced them to clean school bathrooms and classrooms after class hours, according to area Christians.
Muslim teachers at Government Higher Secondary School in village No. 79-NB (Northern Branch), Sargodha, in Punjab Province, have so abused Christian students that two of the dozens of Christian girls at the school have dropped out, said a 16-year-old student identified only as Sana.
"Christian students are teased and mocked by radical Muslim, female teachers from the start of the school day to the end," she said. "Due to the contemptuous behavior on religious grounds by the fanatical Muslim principal and staff, Christian students feel dejected, depressed and frustrated. I am totally broken-hearted because of the intolerance and discrimination."
Rebecca Bhatti, a 16-year-old grade 10 student, told Compass she left the government school because her main teacher, along with an Islamic Education & Arabic Language teacher identified only as Sumaira, a math teacher identified only as Gullnaz, other Muslim teachers and Ferhat Naz, the principal, would call Christian girls in to the staff room at recess and demand that they polish their shoes or wash their undergarments and other clothes.
"If any girl turned down the orders of any of the Muslim teachers, they were punished," Bhatti said as she spilled tears. "The Muslim school teachers ordered us to wash lavatories daily and clean the school compound and classrooms, even though there is staff to keep the school clean."
She said that the school also denied Christian students certificates of completion when they had finished their studies.
"This was to bar Christian students from gaining admission to other educational institutions or continue their education," she said.
The principal of Christian Primary School in the village, Zareena Emmanuel, said that Naz and Sumaira subjected Christian students to beatings. Emmanuel also said that Muslim teachers at the secondary school derided Christian students for their faith.
"I regret that it is the only government school of higher education for girls at the village and adjoining areas," Emmanuel said, "and therefore Christian girls have to experience such apathy, religious discrimination and bitterness each day of their schooling, which is supposed to be a time of learning and imagination."
Christian residents of the village said they have been longing to bring abuse at the school to light. The Rev. Zaheer Khan of Maghoo Memorial United Presbyterian Church and Emmanuel of the primary school have asked education department officials of Sargodha Region to investigate, he said.
Khan also said that Naz and Muslim teachers including Gullnaz, Sumaira and Muzammil Bibi have treated Christian students contemptuously and have frequently asked them to convert to Islam.
"The attitude of the Arabic & Islamic Education teacher, Sumaira, toward the Christian students is beyond belief," he said, "as she has forced the Christian girls to wash toilets, classrooms and clean the school ground, saying they must not be hesitant to do sanitation work because it's the work of their parents and forefathers handed down to them."
Questioned about the abuses, Naz told Compass that she would immediately take note of such incidents if they had occurred.
"Any of the teachers held responsible of forcing Christian students convert to Islam will be punished according to the departmental rules and regulations," Naz said. "A few Christian girls have abandoned their education because of their domestic problems, but even then I'll carry out a departmental inquiry against the accused teachers, and no one will be spared if found guilty."
Naz said the inquiry would focus especially on the accusations against Sumaira, Muzammil and Gullnaz.
Protesting residents gathered outside Naz's office last week said she had no real intention of investigating the alleged abuses; some said she was making weak excuses to defend her staff members. They urged an independent investigation of Sumaira, Gullnaz, Muzammil and Naz.
"This cannot be tolerated, as it's a matter of their girls' careers and education," said one protestor.
Noureen Austin, a 19-year-old Christian student in grade 12, described the school environment as discriminatory, depressed, gloomy and agitated."
"No Christian student can get a quality education there," she said. "Most of the school faculty are fanatical female Muslims who would not waste any chance to target Christian girls because of their belief in Christ."
Report from Compass Direct News
Police try to extract bribe after attacking home; in Rawalpindi, militants attack chapel.
VEHARI, Pakistan, April 8 (CDN) — Police here filed false charges of alcohol possession against 47 Christians, including women and children, on March 28 in an attempt to intimidate and bribe them, Christian leaders said.
Police broke into and ransacked the home of Shaukat Masih at 10:15 p.m. on Palm Sunday, manhandled his wife Parveen Bibi, and threatened to charge them and 45 other area Christians with alcohol possession if they did not pay a bribe, said attorney Albert Patras. The Christians refused.
Those charged include two children and eight women. Patras said that three of the 37 Christian men, Shaukat Masih, Moula Masih and Shanni Masih, secured pre-arrest bail and thus averted detainment by Dane Wall police in Vehari, in Punjab Province. None of the others named in the First Information Report is being held either.
"Police are not interested in their arrest, instead they were trying to extort some money from the destitute Christians," Patras said. "Police thought that Christians, being a soft target, would readily be bribed to save their families, particularly their girls and women."
Non-Muslims with a permit are allowed to possess and drink alcohol in Pakistan, while alcohol is forbidden to Muslims in Pakistan. Shaukat Masih has a government permit to keep and drink alcohol, Patras said, thus making the possession charge baseless.
"No longer using just 'blasphemy' laws, police and fanatical Muslims have begun to use alcohol laws, Section 3/4 of the Pakistan Penal Code, to persecute the destitute Christians of Pakistan," Patras said. "Only Christians in Pakistan are allowed to keep and drink alcohol, so Pakistani police can apprehend any Christian and then level section 3/4 of PPC against him or her."
Patras, head of the Society for Empowerment of the People, told Compass that Sub-Inspector Irshaad-ur-Rehman of the Dane Wall police station, along with two other policemen illegally ransacked the house of Shaukat Masih and Sadiq Masih and threatened to file alcohol charges against them if they refused to pay the bribe.
Besides the alcohol accusations, police also filed charges against the Christians for interfering with police, attacking in the form of a mob, theft, confronting police and engaging in terrorist activities, Patras said.
Patras said that Rehman filed the false charges against the Christians only to protect himself and his cohorts against accusations over their attack on the household. Rehman was not immediately available for comment.
Khalid Gill, head of Lahore zone of the All Pakistan Minorities Alliance (APMA) and chief organizer of the Christian Liberation Front of Punjab Province, said that police violated the trust of their office.
"Keeping alcohol and drinking is taboo in Islam," Gill said, "but Christians are issued permits to keep and drink alcohol. Now besides the discriminatory blasphemy laws of Sections 295-A, 295-B and 295-C of the penal code, fanatical Muslims and police have found this new way to harass and extort money from innocent, impoverished Christian families."
The Rt. Rev. Bishop Naeem Essa condemned the police action, concurring with the other Christian leaders that Muslim extremists and police accustomed to using Pakistan's blasphemy laws to unjustly jail Christians have found a new means of antagonism.
"Now they have grabbed a new weapon in Section 3/4 of the penal code to financially, socially and legally terrorize the weak Christians of Pakistan," Essa said.
Armed Attack on Chapel
In another Easter week incident, in Rawalpindi law enforcement agents secured the liberty of Christians held hostage by several armed Muslim militants, including at least five burqa-clad women, who attacked a church building after a Good Friday (April 2) service.
APMA's Gill said the assailants armed with automatic rifles and pistols desecrated Gordon College Chapel of Robinson Community Development Ministries (RCDM) Church and ripped apart books, including the Bible. The assailants also entered nearby residences and reprimanded adults and children for their faith in Christ, besides looting many of the homes, Gill said.
Eyewitnesses said that while two Christians, Shaban Gill and Imran Nazir, were scaling the wall of their property to enter their home, the Muslim militants opened fire on them. Gill managed to escape but Nazir was hit, and the militants held his wife and two daughters, one 4 years old and the other 18 months, at gunpoint.
A heavy contingent of police from City Police Station Raja Bazaar arrived at the scene, and with the help of local Christians broke down doors and gates to make their way into the property and its adjoining residential area. Police secured the liberty of all three Christian hostages and arrested at least 10 suspects.
Nine of the suspects have been identified as Mushtaq Ahmed, Amjad Zaman Cheema, Dildar Hussein, Muhammad Anwer and Saqib Ali, along with the burqa-clad Nusrat Bibi, Shahnaz Bibi, Irum Bibi and Fatima Bibi.
Police were initially reluctant to file charges against the arrested Muslims but eventually did so under the pressure from Christian rights activists Robinson Asghar, head of RCDM.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Report from Compass Direct News
At least 27 men, women and children, among them five members of a Christian family, were killed during a twin blasts in Karachi, Pakistan's commercial hub on Feb. 5. About 133 others were wounded, reports Michael Ireland, chief correspondent, ASSIST News Service.
Aftab Alexander Mughal, Editor, Minorities Concern of Pakistan, says five members of that Christian family of Ibrahim Hyderi, Labour Colony, were killed in the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) blast.
The deceased were; Manzoor Masih and his wife Rosy, daughter Carol, 14, Mrs Parveen Basharat and her daughter Narmal, 12. They went to see a new born daughter of their relative Sheeba who was admitted there. Right after meeting the girl, as they reached the emergency gate of the JPMC, the bomb went off and they all died on the spot.
Mughal says the blast, which apparently exploded in a motorcycle, was so severe it shattered all the windowpanes of the hospital and damaged many of the parked ambulances, cars and motorcycles and other installations.
"The blast has destroyed our universe and become the most horrible tragedy of our life," a family member Pervez Masih told the Daily Times, a local English daily newspaper.
That blast was the second during the day, says Mughal.
The first blast attacked a bus which carrying Shia Muslim mourners to participate in a religious procession to mark the end of the holy month of Muharram. Many claim that these were suicide attacks.
Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, expressing deep grief and sorrow on the bomb explosions, has asked the authorities concerned to start repair work immediately.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah announced compensation of Rs 500,000 (US$6250) for the heirs of those killed in the two blasts in Karachi and Rs 100,000 (US$1250) for each injured. Several political and religious parties have announced a three-day mourning in the city.
According to Mughal, this was the second biggest blasts occurred in Karachi, Pakistan's biggest city, in the last three months. During the previous blast on Dec. 28, 2009 at least 44 people died and 87 injured.
Mughal writes the twin suicide attacks in the port city of Karachi seem to have been carried out by the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LJ), which is the most violent al-Qaeda-linked anti-Shia terrorist group operating in Pakistan with the help of its lethal suicide squad, The News, an English daily, says.
Mughal states that for the last several years Pakistan has been a prime target of terrorist attacks. According to Pak Institute for Peace Studies, in 2009, 2,586 terrorist, insurgent and sectarian-related incidents were reported that killed 3,021 people and injured 7,334.
Mughal goes on to say many innocent Christians were also killed during these terrorist attacks. Although the Taliban took responsibility for these attacks, right wing parties (especially Imran Khan's Tehrik-e-Insaf and Jamaat-e-Islami) also give justifications to these attacks.
According to a media report, "Pakistan's feared Taliban network claimed responsibility for that attack, sparking riots that caused huge financial losses."
Report from the Christian Telegraph
Attacks on Christians seen as politically expedient in majority-Buddhist nation.
CHIANG MAI, Thailand, January 21 (CDN) — As Burma's military junta gears up for its first parliamentary election in two decades this year, observers fear attacks on the Christian minority could intensify.
Mungpi Suangtak, assistant editor of a New Delhi-based news agency run by exiled Burmese journalists, the Mizzima News, said the Burmese junta has "one of the world's worst human rights records" and will "definitely" attack religious and ethnic minorities more forcefully in the run-up to the election.
The military regime, officially known as the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), pledged to hold the election this year, and analysts believe polls will be held after July in the country, also known as Myanmar.
Suangtak told Compass that the Buddhist nationalist junta would target Christians particularly in Karen state, bordering Thailand, and in Chin State, bordering India and Bangladesh.
Many Christians are part of the Karen National Union and the Chin National Front, armed resistance groups that have been demanding freedom or autonomy for their respective states for decades, and therefore the junta sees the Christian minority as a threat, said Suangtak.
There are over 100,000 Christian Chin refugees in India who have fled the junta's attacks in the past two decades, according to Human Rights Watch.
Christians in Karen state are not safe. A Karen Christian worker living in the Mae La refugee camp on the Thailand-Burma border told Compass that ethnic Christians were facing human rights abuses by the junta "on a daily basis." Most recently, Burma army soldiers attacked a church, murdered a local farmer and injured others in Nawng Mi village on Dec. 19, 2009, reported Burma Campaign UK.
Parts of Karen state fall under the "Black Zone" – identified by the Burma army as an area under the control of armed resistance groups where its soldiers are free to open fire on anyone on sight – and the junta has been launching indiscriminate attacks to take control of village after village, said the Karen Christian.
"Those who are not able to flee across the border during such attacks are either killed or forcibly relocated in and confined to temporary camps set up by the junta," the Christian said. "Since the army litters surrounding areas with landmines, many local people die or get injured while trying to run away from or coming to the camps to look for their relatives."
Over 150,000 refugees from Karen and neighboring Karenni states of Burma are living along the Thai side of the border, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. More than half of them are Christian.
A representative of the Free Burma Rangers (FBR), which trains and sends teams of local people to help victims of the junta's attacks inside Burma, said youths have been forced to become Buddhists in Chin state, where over 80 percent of the people are Christian.
Printing of Bibles is restricted, and churches are destroyed on a regular basis in the state, the source told Compass on condition of anonymity.
Access for foreign visitors to Chin state is, with some exceptions, prohibited, and the state is widely acknowledged to be the poorest part of the country, said Rogers.
"According to one Chin, the reason Chin state is denied resources, and foreigners are denied access, is specifically because the overwhelming majority of Chins are Christian," stated a 2009 report by London-based advocacy group Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW). "The SPDC has, it is believed, taken a deliberate decision to discriminate against Chin Christians."
The report cited a Chin Christian man who had served in the Burma army who faced discrimination.
"I had a colleague who was a Chin who became a Buddhist and he was promoted," the Christian says in the report. "I was told to change my religion if I wanted to get promotion. I refused to convert."
The report also quoted a Chin Christian as saying that students from a Christian youth fellowship at a university in Kalaymyo, in Chin state's Sagaing Division, collected funds among their own community to construct a small church.
"However, in 2008 and again in 2009, 'extremist Buddhists' destroyed the church building, and when the students reported the incident to the local authorities, the youth fellowship leaders were arrested, detained and then released with a warning," he said.
Religious Pretext
Suangtak said successive governments in Burma have promoted Buddhism since General Ne Win took power in 1962, leaving Christians insecure.
"There is a general feeling in Burma that the state represents Buddhism, and most Christians, particularly from conservative sections, cannot trust the regime," said Suangtak.
Benedict Rogers of CSW said the junta doesn't differentiate between individual Christians involved in armed struggle and ordinary Christians who have not taken up arms.
"And when it attacks villages in conflict zones, churches and pastors are often among the first to be attacked," Rogers said.
A Christian worker from Burma's Mandalay city, however, told Compass that thus far he has heard no reports of any major anti-Christian incidents there. He said he was hoping the junta would try to woo people with peace rather than violence.
"But nothing can be said about the unpredictable junta," he said, adding that it was difficult to receive or send information in Burma. "Even in cities, the information infrastructure is limited and expensive, phones are tapped and e-mails are monitored. And the press is owned by the state."
Rogers, deputy chairman of the human rights commission for the U.K.'s Conservative Party, said the Buddhist nationalist regime "distorts and perverts Buddhism for political purposes and is intolerant of non-Burman and non-Buddhist ethnic and religious minorities, including Christians and Muslims."
Of the 56 million people in Burma, around 89 percent are Buddhist, with only 4 percent Christian.
Given that the junta merely uses religion for political power, it doesn't target Christians alone, Suangtak said.
"The junta has no respect for any religion, be it Christians or Buddhists, and anyone who opposes its rule is dealt with harshly."
Burma was ruled by military regimes from 1962 to 1990; at that point the National League for Democracy party, led by Nobel Laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, won the parliamentary election. But the regime seized power again by imprisoning members of parliament after the election.
Rogers, who has co-authored a soon-to-be-published biography of SPDC chairman Senior General Than Shwe, said that while the armed groups are not perfect, they are essentially fighting to defend their people against a "brutal regime" and are "not in any way terrorists."
"The armed groups have sometimes launched pre-emptive attacks on the military, but they have never attacked non-military targets and have never engaged in indiscriminate acts of violence," he said. "Even the pre-emptive acts are conducted for defensive, rather than offensive, purposes."
Rogers added that resistance groups were fighting to defend their people.
"Individual Christians who have joined the armed ethnic groups do so out of a perfectly biblical concept of just war, the right to defend your people from gross injustice."
Added an FBR source, "In Burma, no one protects except the pro-democracy resistance groups, and all relief inside the country is only possible because of them."
International Disrepute
The 2009 annual report of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom states that Burma's military junta had "one of the world's worst human rights records."
"Burma's Christian populations face forced promotion of Buddhism and other hardships in ethnic minority areas where low-intensity conflict has been waged for decades," the report states. "In addition, a new law passed in early 2009 essentially bans independent 'house church' religious venues, many of which operate because permission to build church buildings is regularly denied."
The report also pointed out that in January 2009, authorities in Rangoon ordered at least 100 churches to stop holding services and forced them to sign pledges to that effect. Burma, which the ruling junta describes as "The Golden Land" on its official website, has been designated as a Country of Particular Concern by the U.S. Department of State since 1999.
Even after the 2010 election, little is expected to change.
The FBR source said the election was not likely to be free and fair, pointing out that the new constitution the junta adopted after an apparently rigged referendum in 2008 virtually enshrined military power.
"However, having an election is better than not having one at all," the source said.
Report from Compass Direct News


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A verdict of accidental death was recorded at a coroner's inquest into the death of a 100-year-old nun who was living at a rest home in Fishguard.
Sister Hilda Mary Jackson, of St Teresa's Rest Home, Windy Hill, died at Withybush Hospital on October 5th, after falling and hitting her throat on a wooden chair.
The inquest heard Sister Jackson, who moved to Fishguard in 2002 and was a 'joyous lady', used a walking aid but often left it in her room and was reminded by staff at the rest home to use it.
On October 5th, Sister Jackson was walking across the dining room without her walking aid when she fell forwards and hit her throat on a wooden chair.
The inquest was told Sister Jackson also hit her chin, rolled over, fell on her back and seemed to be choking.
Following the fall, Sister Jackson complained of a pain in her throat and was taken to Withybush Hospital as a precaution, after being checked over by a doctor and ambulance staff who could not find anything wrong with her.A post mortem report by Dr Lakshmi Nair found Sister Jackson had suffered a laryngeal and tracheal haemorrhage leading to respiratory failure.
Pembrokeshire Coroner Mark Layton recorded a verdict of accidental death.

subset: commoncrawl


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Medical Definition of Compulsive shopping
Compulsive shopping: An obsession with shopping that significantly interferes with the functioning of the individual. The signs are a preoccupation with shopping; anxiety when not shopping; a constant need for a shopping "fix"; shopping to excess that results in debt and family or marital discord; and the frequent purchase of items that go unused. Although there is debate as to whether compulsive shopping is a mental disorder, there is evidence that use of an antidepressant medication tends to lessen anxiety and decrease or stop compulsive shopping.
Last Editorial Review: 6/9/2016
Back to MedTerms online medical dictionary A-Z List
Need help identifying pills and medications?


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Free UK delivery on all orders
Blue Burgess Chintz Pasta Bowl 568ml/1pt
Inspired by Italian cuisine, this exquisitely hand-decorated Blue Burgess Chintz Pasta Bowl is perfect for everyday dining and special occasions alike.
The soft blue tones and wild floral patterns deliver elegance to the table with every serving.
- Handmade at Middleport Pottery, England
- Uniquely decorated by skilled craftsmen with Burleigh's centuries-old technique of tissue transfer printing from hand-engraved copper rollers
- Capacity: 568ml/1pt
Care advice for your bowl
Our products are microwave and dishwasher safe. We recommend using low temperatures and liquid detergents when washing, or alternatively washing by hand and drying with a soft cloth. Unsuitable for oven and freezer use.


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Delafield, Wis. (Stockpickr) -- There isn't a day that goes by on Wall Street when certain stocks trading for $10 a share or less don't experience massive spikes higher. Traders savvy enough to follow the low-priced names and trade them with discipline and sound risk management are banking ridiculous coin on a regular basis.
Just take a look at some of the big movers in the under-$10 complex from Thursday, including BioFuel (BIOF), which is exploding higher by over 80%; KiOR (KIOR), which soaring higher by 30%; J.C. Penney (JCP), which is ripping to the upside by 24%; and Clean Diesel Technologies (CDTI), which is spiking sharply higher by 13%. You don't even have to catch the entire move in lower-priced stocks such as these to make outsized returns when trading.
One low-priced stock that recently exploded to the upside was battery player Highpower International (HPJ), which I highlighted in Feb. 20's "5 Stocks Under $10 Ready to Explode" at around $2.80 per share. I mentioned in that piece that shares of Highpower International had been consolidating and trending sideways for the last four months, with the stock moving between $2.02 on the downside and $3.45 on the upside. That chart pattern had started to tighten up and the stock was quickly moving within range of triggering a big breakout trade above some resistance levels at $2.88 to $2.89 a share.
>>5 Big Charts to Trade for Gains
Guess what happened? Shares of Highpower International didn't wait long to trigger that breakout, since the stock started to challenge those levels the following trading session. Then on Feb. 25 shares of HPJ exploded to the upside with monster upside volume, and the stock tagged an intraday high of $4.98 a share. That represents a gain of over 70% in just a few trading sessions for anyone who bought HPJ in anticipation of the breakout. As you can see, trading breakouts can produce monster gains in very short timeframes when volume buyers move into the stock.
Low-priced stocks are something that I tweet about on a regular basis. I frequently flag high-probability setups, breakout candidates and low-priced stocks that are acting technically bullish. I like to hunt for low-priced stocks that are showing bullish price and volume trends, since that increases the probability of those stocks heading higher. These setups often produce monster moves higher in very short time frames.
>>4 Big-Volume Stocks to Trade for Breakouts
When I trade under-$10 names, I do it almost entirely based off of the charts and technical analysis. I also like to find under-$10 names with a catalyst, but that's secondary to the chart and volume patterns.
With that in mind, here's a look at several under-$10 stocks that look poised to potentially trade higher from current levels.


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STUDENTS have found themselves frantically searching for alternative education arrangements after St Joseph's Catholic College announced plans to cut its sixth form.
The news was made public this week, much to the dismay of parents and Year 11 pupils – many of whom only have two months left to find a different sixth form or college to attend in September.
The Ocotal Way school said while the college is heavily oversubscribed in the lower year groups, it had no choice but to make the difficult decision to cut its sixth form due to dwindling numbers of students staying on to study in recent years, with 70 per cent of students moving elsewhere.
Currently there are only 131 students in Year 12 and Year 13 combined and it is understood that up to 100 Year 11 students will be affected by the withdrawal of the sixth form, which would close at the end of August 2018 to allow current Year 13 courses to proceed.
One 16-year-old Year 11 student said they were devastated by the announcement.
"We found out on Tuesday and it has come at really short notice," she said.
"It was a big shock and we had no idea it was happening. We had all been offered a place but now we are having to try and look for other colleges or sixth forms to take us but their deadline for applications was last year.
"I think the fact it has been delayed will affect us getting into somewhere else. The school have said they will offer support but they haven't done much at all.
"We have mock exams coming up and having the stress of trying to find somewhere else to study doesn't help.
"Some of my friends have said it has really knocked their confidence.
"I've been at St Joseph's for my entire secondary school education and I wanted to stay because I like the environment and teachers and we have formed a family.
"It is extra stress and I know people are devastated because this is where we want to stay."
Governors at St Joseph's are now consulting with parents and pupils on the proposals which will run until May 2.
The school is also holding two parents information sessions on March 27, between 5pm and 5.45pm and 7pm to 7.45pm.
In a joint statement between the governors and principal Paul Hughes, the school said: "Due to declining numbers and changes in funding in recent years it has becoming increasingly difficult to sustain a stable sixth form.
"The Department for Education recognises that sixth forms with fewer than 200 students are at risk of not being viable.
"St Joseph's sixth form currently has a total of 131 students in Year 12 and 13 combined.
"Current projections for September reduce this combined number to less than 100.
"The college has worked extremely hard to recruit, working with the other sixth form providers to increase the admission numbers, but to no avail."
Parents can submit their comments on the proposal by using the form available on the St Joseph's Catholic College website www.stjosephscollege.net or by requesting a paper copy from the school reception.


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'Wizards' Fans, Selena Gomez Still Loves You
But don't fret, young ones, Gomez has not forgotten about you. With the upcoming Wizards of Waverly Place special, the young starlet gets back to where everything started.
"I've been able to do like three or four incredible movies. And some of them may not be appropriate for my younger fan base," she told Celebuzz on-set of the special.
"So, for me being able to come back and do this for them, means a lot to me. So, I hope this means a lot to them. I mean this is why we're doing it: to let them know we didn't forget."
"It's the family going to Italy, a whole new setting, and the magic's bigger, we have special effects. I play two versions of myself, which has been a challenge. And it's been good, it's funny, and everybody's just kind of back at it," she continued about the special appropriately titled, "Alex vs. Alex."
Gomez is not returning as just the star of the new special but also as an executive producer. "It's funny. I definitely don't view myself as that. I just wanted to make sure it was the best episode ever," Gomez told Celebuzz on-set of the special.
The Wizards of Waverly Place special airs on Disney Channel Friday, March 15 at 8PM.
Wizards fans, does the special sound like something you'll be watching?
Dio Anthony and Sharon Knolle contributed to this report.
No changes are to be made to this player


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|Not to be confused with Sunny, a character in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.
Sunny (Japanese: サニー) is an electronics company in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. The only known products manufactured by them are stereo systems and VCRs, which can be found in houses during the Burglar side mission and in schools. Their name is a parody of Sony.


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Whitchurch United finally ended their tortuous end of season fixture pile up with heavy defeats at tit;e chasing Sholing on Thursday and Bournemouth Poppies on Saturday.
Thursday's loss at Sholing was not as one-sided as the score suggests as Whitchurch battled and defended well.
Boss Jim Macey welcomed back Paul Coventry and Mark Everiss for rare turnouts for the Jam Boys who were one down at half-time – an error gifting prolific striker Lee Wort the opener.
After the break Adam Pearson headed a corner back across goal for Matt Scott to equalise but Sholing came back with a second in a goalmouth scramble and the third a cool finish from Ashley Jarvis. Wort made it four near the end On Saturday Poppies beat United 5-1 at Victoria Park with braces for Fawzi Saadi and Elliot Ward and Sam Pekun also on target.
Louis Macey netted for Whitchurch who can look back on the season with much pride despite the tail off towards the end. Before the rains came and ruined the momentum the side had going and at the same time took away much of the match fitness, Whitchurch had surprised many on their first campaign in the top flight for many years as they were expected to struggle after losing a number of last season's Division One runner-up squad.
Since losing the much postponed League Cup semi-final to Division One champions Petersfield Town and the North Hants Senior Cup Final to Alresford Town the squad have struggled with three or four games a week and will now regroup ready for the pre season friendlies in a couple of months' time.


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- Home /
- Recipe & DIY /
- Kid Friendly Foods /
- Apple Tree Cookie Pops
Apple Tree Cookie Pops
Make these chic "apple tree" cookie pops for Fall easily with simple circle cookie cutters and store-bought fondant.
Make these chic "apple tree" cookie pops for Fall easily with simple circle cookie cutters and store-bought fondant.
Wrapping the cookie sticks with brown ribbon takes care of the tree trunk. Prop your cookie pops in a Stryofoam block wrapped in green tissue paper and you have an instant orchard.
- 2 ½ inch circle cookie cutter
- 1/2 inch circle fondant cutter
- cut-out cookie dough, chilled
- cookie sticks
- fondant
- green and red food coloring
- rolling pin
- confectioner's sugar
- frosting
- light corn syrup
- brown ribbon
- glue or tape
Helpful Hint: Find the cookie and fondant cutters, cookie sticks, fondant, and ribbon in the craft store.
Roll out chilled cookie dough about 3/8 inch thick. Cut out 2 ½ inch circles, insert cookie sticks into the circles at the base, about half way into the cookie. Make sure the cookie stick fits securely in the cookies. Place cookies on the baking tray and bake according to the recipe. Let cool completely.
Prepare red and lime green fondant: Add a few drops of food coloring to a handful of fondant and knead very well. Add more drops as needed until desired color is achieved. Tip: If the fondant gets sticky from overhandling, let sit at room temperature uncovered for 15 minutes or until easily pliable.
Roll out green fondant on a surface dusted with confectioner's sugar. Cut out 2 ½ inch circles and set aside. Roll out red fondant, cut out ½ inch circles (about 4 or 5 per tree) and set aside. Using a dab of light corn syrup as glue, adhere the red circles to the green circles to look like apples.
Spread a small amount of frosting on a cookie pop and cover with one of the apple tree tops. Smooth with your fingers. Starting at the base of the cookie, carefully wrap a piece of brown ribbon tightly around the cookie stick, securing at the bottom with a dab of glue or tape.
Jennifer Kelly Geddes has hosted Christmas cookie swaps, New Year's open houses, Thanksgiving for 22, and all manner of dinner parties in her Manhattan and Ghent, NY homes.Read More »


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CommentsBack to Article
Contribute your own thoughts, experience, questions, and knowledge for the benefit of all MedPage Today Healthcare Professionals and Expert Patients™.Post a comment
robert hopkin
It is high time someone used this population to help increase understanding of Alzheimer disease. The clearly predictable involvement of early onset familial Alzheimer disease offers a valuable target. Even if the patients with this form respond differently than the sporadic form the 1% with early onset are a worthwhile target for treatment. Hopefully we will have success that is more generalizable. That would be a huge step forward for those facing this terrible disease..


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Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Easter Sunday at Living Hope
3 comments:
- Nicole said...
That is really good! We still really enjoy his "God of this City" video from time to time at FBCOB! I get tears when I see it, I think because I grew up in OB and seeing all the sights I'm so familiar with and thinking about the lostness makes me sad. So the video accomplishes its purpose!!
- March 23, 2010 at 8:38 AM
- Amanda Lemonds said...
Great video!!!! You go Adam!
- March 23, 2010 at 8:51 AM
- lukeandlaurawoodard said...
WOW! That video is amazing! Praise the Lord that your church is celebrating it's one year anniversary! God is so good!!
- March 23, 2010 at 9:02 AM
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The University of Cincinnati said Thursday morning that head football coach Butch Jones has withdrawn his name from consideration for the University of Colorado job.
Jones' name has been tossed around for several coaching vacancies, with Colorado at the top of the list.
Colorado was reportedly offering Jones a contract worth $13.5 million over five years. His current contract with Cincinnati is through 2017 and worth $8.6 million, plus incentives.
However, Jones has not said that he is definitely staying in Cincinnati.
The Denver Post, which reported on Wednesday that Jones was coming to Colorado, tweeted at statement on Thursday.
"We believed the story we published online yesterday was accurate. Obviously, the outcome is different," the statement read.
FOX19.com will continue to follow the latest developments.
Copyright 2012 WXIX. All rights reserved.


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The egg industry has decided who is at fault for the current salmonella outbreak: its customers. According to Krista Eberle of the United Egg Producers' Egg Safety Center:
Some people may not think of an egg as you would ground beef, but they need to start. It may sound harsh, and I don't mean it to sound that way. But all the responsibility cannot be placed on the farmer. Somewhere along the line, consumers have to be responsible for what they put in their bodies.
I think what Eberle's saying is that nobody should ever eat eggs.
Carol Tucker-Foreman of the Consumer Federation of America has a great response to Eberle:
Should egg cartons be required to carry a message that says: 'Warning — to protect your health and the health of those in your household, you should assume that these eggs are contaminated with salmonella enteritidis and must be handled carefully in order to avoid possible illness'?
The egg industry seems to lack the intelligence and integrity required to avoid painting itself into a corner. Link.


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Taking up where I left off in the original saga...
So late Sunday night, the phones started working again so I rang Internode and cancelled the Telstra guy who was going to come on Monday, and on Monday I called the tech guy who was going to check my cabling and install a central splitter. He said he would be at my place at lunchtime, but he turned up at around 1030. So he spent an hour pottering around, I checked the phone was still working (which it was) and in the meantime the internet was on and off as it had been all week. After an hour, he came to me and said he could find nothing wrong with the place and that it is likely to be an external problem, but it would still cost me $150. So I paid that, and thought OK, well at least that's one thing ruled out.
Then the phones died again.
So another service call, and because it was so late in the day, they told me that they couldn't send a Telstra guy out till Tuesday. Great. I was wishing by now I hadn't cancelled that original Monday service call.
However, about 3 hours later, the phone rang. I was surprised - the phone was dead last I checked! It was a Telstra tech, doing work on my line and he had found a loose connection at a junction and fixed that and now my phone was working. However, the internet still wasn't working...
So I rang Internode (again!) and told them that the phone was fixed but the internet still wasn't working so they submitted a fault, and I didn't know how long it was going to be before it was fixed.
I managed to do Ulduar on 3G that night, and the net was still down, thought it came back later but was VERY slow.
So on Tuesday, Telstra came out to fix the phones again, and hubby was home. So they tried a few things, the internet still wasn't working, and then they replaced something outside, and then everythign started working. The fax started working again. And the internet was working again! We checked it and there were one or 2 dropouts over a period of hours but it seemed to be working as it used to. I was just happy the fax was working - I knew there was nothing wrong with the fax!
So my net is fixed, I am ready to raid. And to all those people who said "I told you it was something to do with the line, not your filters".... yes yes yes, I know, I should have listened to you all in the first place.


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NEW YORK (Jan. 20)
A delegation of 300 top community leaders from the United States and Canada will leave for Israel Jan. 25 to take part in a high level conference with Premier Yitzhak Rabin and other government leaders on Israel's economic needs for 1977.
The conference, which will consist of a week of sessions on the country's political, defense, and economic situation, will officially launch the 1977 worldwide campaign for the sale of Israel Bonds. In addition to meeting with Cabinet members and economic experts, the Israel Bond leaders will participate in the opening celebration of the 10th anniversary of the reunification of Jerusalem, which will be observed this year by Israel and Jews throughout the world.
As a dramatic example of Israel's determined efforts to expand its sources of energy, the conference participants will take part in a special ceremony marking the beginning of construction of a giant electric power station at Hadera, which will be the largest installation of its kind in the country.
The Prime Minister's Israel Bond Conference will be followed by a national top leadership inaugural dinner with Moshe Dayan, former Minister of Defense, in Miami on Saturday evening, Feb. 19 and an official 1977 campaign opening event in Miami March 6.


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Avon Wash-Off Waterproof Mascara Reviews
Good daytime mascaraThis mascara is effective as a waterproof product but I find doesn't really do anything amazing for my lashes. It is good for daytime wear, for a more natural looking image. Great for the beach or lounging around the pool if you don't want to look too done up - and you can't beat the price! — 9 years, 2 months agoCarly_K | 20 reviews
This review is: Helpful | Not helpful | Inappropriate | 1 of 1 people said helpful
The BestI have used this mascara for years. I spend a lot of time in the pool and this one holds up. It isn't clumpy, stays put and comes off easily when I take it off! I have tried a few others, but I always come back to this. The price is excellent and sometimes Avon runs specials and I get it really cheap. — 9 years, 2 months agorobind1 | 1 reviews
This review is: Helpful | Not helpful | Inappropriate | 1 of 1 people said helpful
The BestI have used this on and off for years. I try others and continue to go back to this one. No flaking. Does not bother my eyes. — 9 years, 2 months agoScallett | 5 reviews
It works!I use it and efinitely stays on until you wash it off. It sounds weird, but it does. I used it on my sister to take her wedding pics. Even from 11 am to 2 pm on an island in the sun while sweating, it stayed! I think for less than $10, it is well worth it. — 8 years, 10 months agokrystleb_1703 | 25 reviews
This mascara is great!I love this mascara because it doesn't end up under my eyes like non-waterproof but it is also gentle and easy to remove. I have been using it for 5 or six years now. I've turned many a friend from department store mascaras to Avon Wash-off Waterproof. I hope I can always get my hands on it! — 9 years, 2 months agokcburris | 19 reviews
My Favoriteit's great stuff, it stays on till you wash it off with just soap and water. I wear contact lenses, it doesn't flake off into my eye, if your eyes tear up, it doesn't run, and no oily makeup removers are required. It's a win win situation and it is my all time mascara favorite! — 8 years, 4 months agoconnie1118 | 46 reviews
Best Waterproof MascaraThis is the best waterproof mascara I've ever used! Stays on yet really washes off easisly. — 9 years, 3 months agokathy216 | 2 reviews
Does what it is supposed to doThis mascara really stays on your eyelashes. I have fallen asleep with it on and woken up with it looking the same way it did when I fell asleep. I recommend this product because it looks great while on, but it is difficult to wash off. — 9 years, 3 months agoJFML89 | 5 reviews
wash offThis does not wash off as easy as advertised. — 9 years, 3 months agoshawn123 | 5 reviews
Love it!This mascara is AMAZING! I can cry, swim... anything with it. — 9 years, 3 months agoyouravonlady | 3 reviews
This review is: Helpful | Not helpful | Inappropriate | 1 of 2 people said helpful
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Spring Practice No. 12 – Scrimmage No. 3
• If a demotion to the second-team offense was all that Pitt needed to light a fire under Oderick Turner, the Panthers should have done it three weeks ago.
After a lackluster spring, the redshirt sophomore receiver was replaced in the starting lineup Thursday by Marcel Pestano. In his debut as a backup in Saturday's third spring scrimmage at the UPMC Sports Performance Complex indoor facility on the South Side, Turner quickly earned his way back into contention for a starting job.
On first down, Turner caught a 43-yard pass from Kevan Smith along the left sideline with cornerback Jovani Chappel in coverage. Turner later caught a fourth-down pass from Bill Stull for a first down and a 15-yard touchdown pass from Stull, out-leaping Aaron Berry on a fade in the right corner of the end zone. Turner finished with four receptions for a team-high 70 yards, while Pestano had five for 35 yards and T.J. Porter 1 for 15 yards.
"It was good to have Oderick Turner join the team for the first day of spring," Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt said with a sly smile. "I'm halfway kidding, but it was nice to have him show up and play like he's capable. I reinforce that our receiver position is going to be pretty good."
• Smith, a redshirt freshman from Seneca Valley, had his best passing performance of the spring. He completed his first seven passes and finished 14 of 19 (73.7 percent) for 170 yards. His 43-yard pass to Turner was a beauty. Smith also had an impressive 17-yard run for a first down.
Smith, however, continues to make costly mistakes.
His first came on third-and-goal at the 1, when miscommunication between Smith and Kevin Collier caused a botched pitch for a 19-yard loss. Instead of a touchdown, they settled for a 36-yard Dan Hutchins field goal.
His second came when Smith muffed the snap from center, quickly picked it up and rolled left. He threw a pass that was intercepted by cornerback Aaron Smith, who dashed through the offense for an apparent touchdown.
• Stull, by contrast, was 14 of 23 (60.9) for 128 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions. He converted a pair of fourth-and-5s, one to Turner and another to Derek Kinder for a 6-yard gain on the right sideline.
While Stull was sacked for a 7-yard loss by end Chris McKillop and finished with three carries for minus-6 yards, he also scored on a 1-yard sneak on the first drive.
• Although the offensive line got a big push on that play, the running game struggled overall. LaRod Stephens-Howling, Kevin Collier, Shane Brooks and Conredge Collins combined for 39 carries for 116 yards, a 2.97 yards-per-carry average.
"The thing I'm disappointed in is we're not running the ball like we're capable," Wannstedt said. "We've got a lot of work to do with running the football on offense. I thought we threw the ball fairly well, we protected fairly well but we did not run the ball like we need to to become a good football team."
• Defensively, converted linebacker Shawn Besong led all players with eight tackles (three solo), followed by safeties Elijah Fields (seven, four solo), Mike Phillips (seven, two solo) and defensive end Greg Romeus (seven, five solo and one for a 3-yard loss). End Chris McKillop (1.5 for minus-7) and tackles Craig Bokor (1 for minus-10) and Rashaad Duncan (.5 for minus-1) all registered sacks, while tackle Gus Mustakas finished with six stops and end Joe Clermond broke up two passes.
"Defensively, I liked our energy," Wannstedt said. "I think we're defending the run a little bit better. The struggles our offense was having running the football, you have to give our defense a little credit. Our defensive front is showing up more than they have in years past."
Clermond has been very effective at the left end, solidifying his spot in the starting lineup despite the presence of the ultra-athletic Romeus. After being named second-team All-Big East last season, Clermond appears poised for a big senior season.
"Joe's showing great leadership," Wannstedt said. "It's very obvious that he's not happy with what he did last year and he's working that way. It's good to see."
• The Panthers got a scare when Fields was injured when tackling tight end Darrell Strong. Fields spent part of practice on the sideline, with his right leg propped on a tackling dummy. He later returned to action.
Strong later left with an apparent shoulder injury after a 38-yard pass play in which he juked Fields' replacement, Ross Ventrone, before being chased down by Brian Kaiser. Strong, who had three catches for 50 yards Saturday and finished with seven for 117 in three scrimmages, left practice wearing a sling and isn't expected to play the rest of spring drills.
"Darrell had a great spring," Wannstedt said, noting that the injury is "nothing that's going to keep him out an extended period of time. His shoulder was hit into the ground. He'll be fine. You'd like to have him one more week, but he's proven that he's played tougher than he has. He knows that, with a good, hard off-season, that he can have a great senior year, I really believe that."
• If Phillips is feeling the pressure of having Fields behind him on the depth chart, it's helping his play. Phillips forced a fumble by stripping Shane Brooks inside the 10-yard line and delivered the hit of the day when he thrust his right shoulder into the chest of Porter on a slant pass.
The blue jerseys celebrated loudly, but the big play was actually made by Porter. He made the catch, took a vicious shot and hung onto the ball for a 15-yard gain that set up Stull's touchdown pass to Turner on the next play.
Porter's maturation and emergence as a dependable, breakaway threat has been a story line this spring Click here. This was perhaps the best example. "He showed some toughness there," Wannstedt said. "A year ago, he doesn't make that play. He doesn't even try to make that play. Forget about dropping it. He doesn't even dive for the ball."
• One positive sign was the kicking game, as Conor Lee was 2-for-2 on field goals (26, 27) and made both point-after attempts and Dan Hutchins added a 36-yard field goal. Hutchins also lined up for a 34-yard attempt, but there was a whistle and it was blocked by Mustakas.
It's news that, for once, Wannstedt didn't note the play of sophomore tight end Nate Byham or sophomore right tackle Jason Pinkston. So let me do it.
Byham has clearly been Pitt's top tight end, effective both as a blocker and receiver. He finished with three receptions for 29 yards and continues to show signs of toughness. After catching a swing pass from Kevan Smith, Byham used his left arm to fire a stiff arm at cornerback Aaron Smith on his way to a 5-yard gain.
Pinkston has been matched against Clermond and Romeus, yet hasn't allowed either to get a sack. He's been so impressive at right tackle, using his quick feet and long arms, that some observers believe he might make it difficult for three-year starter Mike McGlynn to win his job back.
• The Panthers have two more scheduled practices, on Tuesday and Thursday, before playing the annual Blue-Gold Game at 1 p.m. Saturday at Heinz Field. (Admission to the Blue-Gold Game, by the way, is $5).
Wannstedt was asked how much was gained from a spring session without quarterback Dexter Davidson, defensive tackles John Malecki and Mick Williams, linebackers Jemeel Brady and Steve Dell and safety Irv Brown participating in full-contact drills. The spring also saw injuries to right tackle Mike McGlynn, linebackers Dorin Dickerson, Dan Loheyde and Greg Webster.
"I think we've maximized everything we could have done," Wannstedt said. "The only frustrating thing, and every team has this, you want everybody out there.
"For the guys that were out there, they got better. For the Dorin Dickersons, Greg Websters, Mick Williams' and Maleckis, that's where it's a shame because those guys need the work."
Dickerson walked without a protective boot and Wannstedt said "there's a chance" Dickerson could return to practice Tuesday.
• Pitt played host to more than a dozen prospective recruits, including Thomas Jefferson lineman Lucas Nix and receiver Zack DeCicco, Trinity linebacker Mike Yancich, Upper St. Clair safety Grant Serdy, Steel Valley quarterback Ryan Sabo, Norwin linebacker Mike Salopek, Beaver's Manny Cutlip, Youngstown Ursuline's Harold Coates and Manheim Township lineman Tim Farley.
Several Pitt recruits also attended practice: Quarterback Pat Bostick, defensive lineman Myles Caragein and safety Dom DeCicco. All three have been fixtures at spring weekend practices, and DeCicco has regularly attended position meetings during the week.


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Press Releases: 2013
November 22, 2013
Fifty years ago today, while working as an intern to Maryland Senator David Brewster, I was coming down the steps of the U.S. Capitol when I was stopped by an officer of the U.S. Capitol Police who said: 'Have you heard? The President's been shot.' I will never forget that moment – as I know so many Americans will always remember where they were on the day President John F. Kennedy was taken from us.
November 21, 2013
"Shutdown is unacceptable and certainly defaulting on our debt is unacceptable. We've had a long time to come to agreement. Republicans refused to go to conference. We are now in conference
Corrected: Hoyer Remarks at Democratic Leadership Press Conference on Urgent Need to Take Up Time-Sensitive Legislation Before the End of the Year
November 21, 2013
"Thank you very much Leader. Many of you have heard me say, but you know it as well – there are 8 legislative days left in 2013, according to the Republican Majority schedule. Two of those days, of course, are days in which we come in at 6:30. So that there is not much time to do the work of the American people.
Hoyer Remarks at Democratic Leadership Press Conference on Urgent Need to Take Up Time-Sensitive Legislation Before the End of the Year
November 21, 2013
"Thank you very much Leader. Many of you have heard me say, but you know it as well – there are 8 legislative days left in 2013, according to the Republican Majority schedule. Two of those days, of course, are days in which we come in at 6:30. So that there is not much time to do the work of the American people.
November 14, 2013
"Thank you very much, Madam Leader, and Chairman Becerra, thank you, and Jim Clyburn, our Assistant Leader. First let me say the Democratic Caucus is almost unanimous in the belief that the Affordable Care Act is good for our country, good for our people, that it will make affordable, quality health care available to all Americans. That is the substance of what we're talking about.
November 13, 2013
The data released this afternoon by the Department of Health and Human Services shows that there is a clear interest and demand for affordable, quality health care coverage.
November 13, 2013
"The signing into law of the School Access to Emergency Epinephrine Act today represents a significant victory for students and their families," Whip Hoyer said.
November 13, 2013
"Thank you very much I appreciate it. Congressman Cardenas has been a leader on this issue, as have all the Members here.
November 8, 2013
"I join in remembering the horrific Nazi pogrom of Kristallnacht seventy-five years ago. The destruction and hate-driven murder that occurred over two days marked a turning point toward a horrific genocide whose pain continues to be felt by all those throughout the world who believe in justice.
November 8, 2013
"The Obama Administration's new rules requiring parity for coverage of mental health and physical health care services finally ends an unfair disparity in our nation's health care system.
November 8, 2013
"On Monday, we will pay tribute to all those who have worn the uniform of our country and put their lives on the line to defend our freedom and way of life.
November 8, 2013
"Our economic recovery continues to move forward, as the monthly jobs report for October shows. With an increase of 212,000 private sector jobs last month, our economy is putting Americans back to work, despite the negative effects of the government shutdown.
November 7, 2013
"Today, the Senate took an important step forward toward protecting all Americans from workplace and employment discrimination by passing the Employment Non-Discrimination Act with a strong, bipartisan vote of 64-32.
November 7, 2013
"Today's report from the Commerce Department that our gross domestic product grew at an annual rate of 2.8% last quarter – the fastest pace in a year – is a strong indication that our nation's economy continues to be resilient, in spite of a lack of certainty caused by partisan dysfunction in Congress.
November 4, 2013
"I am encouraged that the Senate has now voted to bring the Employment Non-Discrimination Act to the Floor for consideration, a bill that would provide important protections for American workers facing discrimination
November 1, 2013
"Today's report from the Institute for Supply Management shows that our manufacturing sector grew at its fastest pace in 2013 and outperformed September's pace, which was the best in two and a half years.
November 1, 2013
House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) and Rep. Phil Roe, M.D. (R-TN) released the following statements following Senate passage of the School Access to Emergency Epinephrine Act
November 1, 2013
"Today, we salute the men and women of the Armed Forces and recognize the tremendous sacrifices their spouses and children endure with frequent moves and long deployments.
October 31, 2013
"I am very pleased that the Senate unanimously passed the School Access to Emergency Epinephrine Act today – legislation I have been pushing the Congress to adopt for several years. This bill, which I introduced with Rep. Dr. Phil Roe and which passed the House earlier this year, will save lives and provide parents and educators with peace of mind that students with food allergies will be safe at school.
October 31, 2013
"Today, House Republican leaders released the 2014 legislative schedule. The House should take full advantage of the days we are in session next year to engage in bipartisan compromise toward achieving the results our constituents expect from us: creating jobs, setting our fiscal house in order, and investing in the long-term competitiveness of our economy.
October 30, 2013
"Today's announcement by the Office of Management and Budget that the federal deficit for Fiscal Year 2013 has been significantly lowered continues a trend since President Obama took office.
October 30, 2013
"Today, House and Senate conferees will begin negotiations on a farm bill – negotiations Democrats have been requesting for months. I strongly urge the conferees to produce legislation that supports economic and jobs growth in rural America while protecting critical Supplementary Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funding for low-income families.
October 30, 2013
"By approving the School Access to Emergency Epinephrine Act, which will save lives by ensuring that students suffering from food allergies have access to life-saving epinephrine, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee today took an important step toward its enactment into law.
October 29, 2013
"Congress has a responsibility to take action to help America's private sector create jobs and compete in a changing global marketplace, and I am glad Democratic Senators, led by Senator Chris Coons, have launched a manufacturing jobs initiative that will complement House Democrats' Make It In America plan.
October 29, 2013
"One year ago today, Hurricane Sandy struck the Atlantic coast with devastating effects: causing billions of dollars worth of damage, destroying homes and businesses, and leaving millions of people without power. Dozens of people were killed across several states, and I join in remembering their tragic deaths today.
In This Section:
Email Updates
Latest From the House Floor
On Friday, the House will meet at 9:00 a.m. for legislative business. First votes expected: 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. Last votes expected: ??? "One Minutes" (5 per side) Suspensions (4 bills)


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Q: Do you make everything that you sell?
A: No, I don't. I strive to support many other artists (currently over 200 different artists are represented at Amelia) that are working hard to bring their wares to Amelia. I have many ideas for things I would like to make, but between running the shop and handling all the online orders, there's not a lot of extra time to make anything I sell.
Q: Can I sell my work in your shop?
A: I get about 200+ requests a week, asking to sell work in the shop. You are welcome to send me a link to your site/work, but please know that I have a long waiting list of artists that I will gradually be adding into Amelia. It might be awhile before I can get back to you, if your work will work with the aesthetic of the store. Please do not call to discuss this, as email is the quickest way to reach me.
If you would like to send me samples of your work, with no obligations, please send to Amelia | 209 Wagner St. | Water Valley, MS 38965
Q: Do you take returns?
A: Please view our return policy
Q: Do you offer in store pickup?
A: Yes, at 112 Main St. Water Valley, MS. Monday - Wednesday by appointment, Thursday - Saturday 10-2.
Q: When will my items be shipped?
A: Please view the shipping page.
Q: Do you take work on consignment?
A: No, I don't.
Q: I saw a picture on your instagram feed but don't see it on the site. How can I buy it if I don't live in Oxford.
A: Just send me an email at erin [at] ameliapresents.com and I will gladly hand process the order for you. Please tell me what the item is and if a size or color apply, let me know that too, in the email.
Q: I sent you a link to my work a few weeks ago and I still haven't heard back. How long does it take you to get back to me?
A: I'm working as fast as I can to respond to every single request. I'm just one person and getting to all the emails is a lengthy process. I get roughly 600+ emails a month with requests to sell work at Amelia. Please be patient with me. Thanks!
Q: How long have you been open and what is your background?
I worked for many years in retail, starting at an art gallery and gifts when I was 15, in 1991. Then a great vintage store in Tampa called Decades Ago- Go, all through college. This was before Ebay and when a vintage find was just that, a real find. During graduate school, I worked at a fun shop that focused on handmade, art and design called Lipstick Traces in Seattle. I traveled with bands, doing their "merch" for 7 years after that and settled down to open Amelia in July of 2009.


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This content has been marked as final. Show 2 replies
1. Re: Droid 4 GPS doesn't workAnn154 Jul 15, 2012 5:35 AM (in response to kemo)
Try downloading an app called GPS Test from the Play Store and see if that helps with GPS location.
2. Re: Droid 4 GPS doesn't workkemo Jul 18, 2012 7:13 PM (in response to Ann154)
already tried that. GPS can sometimes see satellites, it rarely can connect with them.


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Wamego Vacation Packages
Wamego is 90 miles (145 kilometers) from Kansas City and about 95 miles (153 kilometers) from Kansas City.
Even though Northeastern Kansas is off the main tourist trail, there is certainly no shortage of things to discover in the vicinity of. Olsburg and Fort Riley are just two of the many other places you may wish to visit while you're in Northeastern Kansas.
Organise transportation and spend half a day in Manhattan, a retail and transport hub for the region, 14 miles (23 kilometers) from Wamego. This regional center offers plenty of points of interest, including Sunset Zoological Park, Bill Synder Family Football Stadium and Ahearn Field House. Kansas State University, Fred Bramlage Coliseum and Memorial Stadium are other good spots to visit.
Unwind the way the locals do in this area. Go picnicking and cycling while you are in the area.
When it's finally time to bid farewell to Wamego, head to the nearest major airport located in Manhattan, 20 miles (32 kilometers) away.


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Best cruise ever... with a few drawbacks: Carnival Dream Cruise Review by bigmoromom
Overall Member Rating
Best cruise ever... with a few drawbacks
Destination: Western Caribbean
Embarkation: Port Canaveral (Orlando)
The good:
Steward: Ariel from the Phillipines, and he was fabulous! He introduced himself the 1st day, and was very friendly. Room was always clean & tidy, and I enjoy the use of the bathrobes.
Food: buffets - a little crowded, but timing is everything. You're on vacation - who says you have to eat at 8, 12, and 6? More I'm diabetic & should eat on schedule, but a little flexibility is key. We didn't try the pasta bar as we can get good Italian at home or the Mongolian wok (same reason), but the tandoori grill, burrito bar, sushi, and pizza were all great! Lots of choices, and mostly the food was good and tasty. Enjoyed the chocolate bar on Friday.
Waiter: Jaime - also from the Phillipines. Our group was on the top floor of the aft dining room (late dining), and he was absolutely the best waiter we've ever had. He was an excellent singer as well, and serenaded the entire dining room one night. He provided professional service, and our meals were prompt, hot, & tasty. No complaints. The Maitre'd came around and talked with us. My experience with all the staff was positive.
Shows: were ok, the productions were well done, but I think the 2 singers were overworked or their voices tired. Comedy shows ok. The venues were all great - not quite as outrageously decorated as other Carnival ships.
Public spaces: loved the 5th floor panorama deck, which allowed you to walk completely around the ship when you weren't blocked access by the filming crew(more on that below). The serenity deck had several nice features including 2 hammocks and cushy clamshell seats for 2, when the seat hogs allowed it. The water slides were totally awesome! I enjoyed the sauna & hot tubs - didn't really experience any crowding. The bands playing around the ship were pretty good. It would be nice if the would offer feature-length films on the big screen in the evening as an alternative to the live shows. They were only scheduled a couple of nights at inconvenient times.
Debarkation: fastest ever - they really push you off the ship quickly.
The bad:
Film Crew: This was just not acceptable. We saved and paid for a nice week of vacation for which we worked very hard, and it was VERY frustrating to have our access to the ship blocked at times. The serenity deck on either side of deck 15 is a lovely option for quiet adult enjoyment, but seating is fairly limited. I couldn't believe we didn't have access to one side (starboard) all day when they were filming ("Alvin and the Chipmunks - Chipwrecked). We were also blocked from walking the 12th floor track as well as the promenade track. We had to wait to board back on the ship in Cozumel, and my husband was yelled at for trying to take a picture. Good for Carnival - the film will provide great exposure & they were probably paid a lot, but the passengers were just screwed. We had no notification that this was going to take place, so we had no option to book another week.
Embarkation: we arrived about 12:30 and the line was VERY long and slow
Room: Both in the room (and worst of all - in the hallways), the noise level was awful! Our neighbors were very friendly, but EXTREMELY loud, and at all hours! Please remember if you're in a large group, it doesn't mean you own the ship and can yell, scream, and laugh as loud as you want. There must be less insulation between the walls on this ship, because I don't remember hearing so much noise on previous cruises. I am glad to say that the balcony doors no longer slam shut - what a pleasant relief - however we did hear neighbor's cabin doors slamming. Never smelled anything bad.
Other passengers: OK, these are the "fun cruises", so the passengers on Carnival in our past experience tend to be a more rowdy, drunken lot. Actually, most of the passengers we observed on this cruise seemed to be a bit more affluent and civilized. Maybe it was the large number of Canadians (most polite people on the planet) eh, or the economy? However....Seat hogs - in spite of the claim by Carnival that vacated seats would have the contents removed, it was impossible to obtain a decent seat near the pools or on the serenity deck unless it was near dark or cool & windy on deck. If we hadn't had a nice balcony on which to sit, it would have been very disappointing. Some hogs had their stuff on deck recliners, as well as the clamshell seats, taking up double the space! I almost think they should go to a numbering system, and when you leave, you're done - come back and wait your turn again.
Pointers: This a beautiful, newer ship with lots of amenities, but if you want a less crowded experience, I suggest a Destiny Class ship like the Miracle? My favorite is still the Conquest - LOVE the Sur Mer seafood bar. I brought along the suggested hanging shoe racks for the closet & bath, and they really were handy. If you plan on spending most of your time in the water, just bring swimsuits and dressier clothing for dinner. I hardly wore any casual clothes at all. A power strip, extension cord, hair dryer, and bungee cords are useful, as well as a small cooler. Be sure to bring baggies for your food, though, as Carnival won't package it for you. Be discreet about taking food off the ship - we saw lots of fruit confiscated from passengers going ashore. I don't know if we'll ever have another massage on the beach because of what happened to my husband - we're not sure what bit him or where it happened, but he ended up going to the doctor the Mon. after we got home, and he was prescribed prednisone (nasty stuff) and permethrin (for SCABIES & other bugs). The doctor didn't know what caused it. He didn't think it was bed bugs or scabies - probably sand fleas) He had 2 massages each on Roatan & Costa Maya. The itching has stopped, and it looks like he won't be scarred, but be aware! We don't know how clean the beds, bed coverings, massage oil, or massage operators were on the beach. I'm pretty sure it wasn't from our stateroom. Luckily, I didn't get bitten, but I spent most of my time in the water. Less
Published 02/06/11
Cabin review: 8E Balcony
We have only been on Carnival and one Holland America ship, so not much to compare, but we LOVED our Lido deck balcony. Our friends on this cruise were in the 2 bath outside, as well as cove balconies. There are advantages to all - do your research and decide which room fits your needs best.Read All Balcony (8E) Reviews >>
Port and Shore Excursions
Read Cruise Critic's Carnival Dream Review >>
Carnival; never again
Very fun and comfortable
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Full Clip: Big Boi (Pg. 6)
Big Boi Presents: Got Purp? Vol. 2—Purple Ribbon All-Stars (2005)
Once you get to a certain point and people have a certain perception about you, you have to go all the way down and build yourself back up again. That's what we did with "Kryptonite." I am "Southernplayalistic" and "The Way You Move." But, I am also "Kyrptonite." I can just spin the wheel and nigga stop it wherever you want to stop it and we'll jam on any level. So to go back and build it from the street level up again is what you have to do. Because if you don't have the streets, you don't have nobody.