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Rangel aims to repair friendships
As he takes on the final campaign of his career, veteran New York Rep. Charles Rangel should be untouchable.
After all, the new mayor of New York, Bill de Blasio, ran Rangel's reelection campaign in 1994. And given that Rangel is a co-founder of the Congressional Black Caucus, it might make sense that he'd be close to the country's first African-American president.
Story Continued Below
But these days, Rangel can't even get de Blasio on the phone — let alone meet with him. And the mayor so far has remained publicly neutral in the 22-term incumbent's reelection race.
( PHOTOS: 10 must-watch House races in 2014)
"I haven't been able to talk with him since he's been elected," Rangel, in an interview, said of de Blasio. "I've had any number of people tell me that I can depend on the endorsement. I haven't heard that yet from the mayor. It would not surprise me — and like the governor and the senators — that at the appropriate time, when there's a rollout, his name would be included."
Things are no better with Obama. Rangel has had two private conversations with Obama following House Democratic events, but a formal sitdown with the president in the Oval Office was postponed because of the ongoing crisis in Ukraine and other scheduling issues. Rangel says he hopes it happens soon.
For all his frustration, Rangel knows his predicament is largely of his own making. The reality is that in the 2013 Democratic mayoral primary, Rangel did not support de Blasio, his former campaign aide — but instead backed former New York City Comptroller Bill Thompson. And in the drawn-out 2008 presidential primaries, Rangel backed Hillary Clinton.
So now, Rangel is trying to make amends, not just for friendship's sake but because he faces one of the toughest primaries of his career this June. It's also his last. Rangel, who is 83, has said he'll retire after another term in the House.
( PHOTOS: Charlie Rangel's career)
Rangel faces a rematch of his 2012 primary battle against New York State Sen. Adriano Espaillat in a district that is trending Hispanic. In a 2012 primary, Rangel beat Espaillat by just under 1,100 votes. A third Democrat, the Rev. Michael Walrond, leads the 7,000 member First Corinthian Baptist Church in Harlem, and could siphon black votes from Rangel's base. Walrond is close to Al Sharpton, who in a Sunday sermon at Walrond's church said Rangel has "always had primaries," and that "there is no sacred seat for nobody."
So an endorsement from de Blasio, and a political hug from the president, would be a welcome boost.
Rangel said he expects to meet with de Blasio this week. But a City Hall official close to the mayor said there is no formal meeting planned with Rangel and that — at least for now — the mayor is staying out of the race.
When asked why de Blasio wasn't backing him at this point — the Democratic primary is on June 24 — Rangel expressed puzzlement, although he clearly suspects his support for Thompson in the mayoral race is the reason. Thompson eventually dropped out and backed de Blasio.
"Quite frankly, I cannot think of anything that could cause the new mayor a problem except that I supported Willie Thompson," Rangel said. "I guess to a large extent, and I've never thought about it this way, but with every Democratic mayor, I've always been part of the direction that we're going."
City Hall officials declined to comment publicly on where de Blasio stands on Rangel.
( WATCH: Charlie Rangel reacts to building explosion in Harlem)
White House officials aren't particularly eager to talk about Obama's relationship with Rangel either. For his part, Rangel insists things are fine.
"I worked hard for Hillary Clinton," Rangel said. "I had my first conversation about that with the president a month ago, just to clear the record up. And [Obama] has convinced me that if he were to have bad feelings about people who voted for Hillary, he never would have had Hillary as secretary of state. So I felt relieved that we didn't have a personal or political problem. I could not imagine why people would write things to make it appear as though I did [have a problem] with the president."


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Belarusian Olga Govortsova, along with currently being the No. 2 Belarusian player on the SEWTA Tour, is dropping hints of a Bethanie Mattek-esque fashion sense.
Here's a photo of her playing the Quebec City Bell Challenge last month. We're all about stirring the fashion pot, but it looked like Olga's glittery top wasn't built for tennis: "She clearly looks pretty uncomfortable with the ensemble, always tugging and pulling it down and adjusting the ties," says Stephanie Myles.
It's hard to say if the fashion will get in the way of her play (fyi, she's ranked about 50 spots above Mattek); while she may have lost to eventual finalist Julia Vakulenko in the quarters of Quebec, she can also be proud of her one Top 20 scalp in 2007 (Shahar Peer at Stanford).
Kudos: By the way, for those of you who griped that coverage of the Quebec tournament was almost non-existent, Myles did a mighty fine job keeping us abreast of happenings above the 49th parallel. Check out the blogging here.

subset: commoncrawl


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if he is smart he will take twila!!!! they are both liar-dogs!!! )()
me either!! )() no more games!!! |:( just kidding!!! *()* !!! i am for twila!!!! *()* () ****
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* [1] Note: Unless otherwise noted, this product has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Our natural products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.


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With Islamists poised to make a strong showing in Egypt's elections, months of uncertainty in Israel about the future of its 32-year partnership with Egypt are coming to a head.
Last week's clashes in Tahrir Square underscored deep public anger with Egypt's military rulers, who have backed the cold peace over the objection of Egyptians for more than three decades. Now, with growing public pressure in Egypt for a quick transition to civilian rule, and the possibility that Islamists led by the Muslim Brotherhood will dominate the new parliament, Israel is facing the prospect of a much less reliable neighbor.
In addition, the anticipated victory by the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamist parties could boost political Islam in neighboring Jordan and the Palestinian territories.
"Egypt will not be the same country for Israel, just as the whole region is not the same as we have experienced since the Arab League was established,'' says Eli Shaked, a former Israeli ambassador to Egypt. "The assumption is that it is going to be a more radical Islamist Middle East."
Arab 'spring'?
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – who has sought to frame the Arab Spring as more of a threat than a opportunity – sees vindication in the recent turmoil.
The 'Arab Spring' is not a harbinger of a more liberal and democratic Middle East, he has argued. Rather, this year's upheaval – still under way in Syria, Yemen, and even Egypt – signals greater instability that could stir up extremism against Israel and its allies. Mr. Netanyahu has firmly maintained, in the face of criticism from both Washington and opponents at home, that that means that Israel must take a conservative approach to peacemaking with its Arab neighbors.
As hundreds of thousands of protestors in Cairo's Tahrir Square clashed with Egyptian security forces last week, Netanyahu ridiculed political opponents who had pressured him to make concessions to the Palestinians in order to improve Israel's regional image.
" 'It is ... the right time,' you said. 'Don't miss the opportunity,' " he said. "But I do not base Israel's policy on illusion. The earth is shaking.'
Netanyahu: Region destabilized by Islamist wave
Since the fall of President Hosni Mubarak, Israel has managed to maintain good ties with Egypt's interim military rulers despite several flare-ups. But the renewed demonstrations in Tahrir Square last week, in which public anger with military rule boiled over into clashes that killed at least 40, showed that long-term military control is far from assured. And distaste for Israel is one of the few consensus positions in Egyptian politics, from the far left to the religious right.
Netanyahu was quoted yesterday as telling Israeli lawmakers that while Israel wants to bolster its peace treaty with Egypt, the region has been destabilized by an Islamist wave. Last week he said that Arab countries "are not moving forward toward progress, they are moving backwards."
A victory for the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt is expected to give a boost to Hamas in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip as it gears up for elections set for May 2012 against the secular Fatah party led by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
Affiliates of the Brotherhood have also taken the lead in criticizing King Abdullah II of Jordan, which is the only other Arab country apart from Egypt to have made peace with Israel.
Security concerns
There's also concern that Egypt's focus on domestic challenges has diverted attention away from the Sinai Peninsula, a vast desert region which Israel views as a growing base for militants seeking to attack Israel. Israel has accelerated construction on a new border fence and reinforced areas where the frontier is still porous.
"The political and security changes in Egypt … turned what was, until very recently, Israel's quietest border for 30 years into a complex security challenge," wrote Yoram Schweitzer and Ilona Dryndin, in an article published by Tel Aviv University's Institute for National Security Studies.
Brotherhood seen as increasingly pragmatic
To be sure, despite all the anxiousness, few in Israel expect the peace to collapse in the coming years or a war to breakout between the two neighbors. Egypt's political and economic woes are too consuming for Cairo to abandon its peace treaty and spur conflict with Israel. While the Muslim Brotherhood is viewed as virulent in its anti-Israel ideology, it is also seen favoring a gradual shift in power.
"We know that there are those who even though they don't love Israel, realize that the price will be very high if they cancel the peace agreement," said Israeli cabinet minister Silvan Shalom in an interview with Israel Radio.
A better peace?
Indeed, some analysts cautioned that it is still too early for Israel to draw any conclusions about its future relations with Egypt's new leaders. And even if the new Egyptian government becomes more hostile, observers believe that the opening up of Egyptian society might give Israel more freedom to thaw the "cold peace" that kept Egyptians and Israelis from normalizing ties at the grass-roots level.
"Throughout the history of the peace, the ability of Israel to go beyond the regime was extremely limited because everything was always tightly controlled by the regime," says Gerald Steinberg, a political science professor at Bar Ilan University. "Even though there might be more hatred of Israel by extremists, there might be more open framework and a willingness to see Israeli realities."
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The LightWedge is another LED book light. We like the night vision-friendly red LED illumination version. The light has two illumination modes, and can be changed at a touch. If it were not made of acrylic, it would be that much more meta-efficient. Takes four AAA batteries.
Thanks to Thomas for the tip.
Available from: Amazon


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I can't believe this is our last week! Can't wait to see all the finished kits!
This designer challenge will run the entire month of May. The goal is to make an element a day. If you don't have time everyday to participate, that's okay; there will be wiggle room to play catch up. Everyday there will be a new theme for you to use, although some themes might repeat at some point. Before we start you can give some thought to what color palette you would like to use and what you'd like to do with your finished product, which should be 31 elements. (Here's a link to my pinterest board for color palettes.)
In this thread you may post:
- Questions and comments on completing each element.
- Finished elements and/or templates. You may of course post small thumbnail images if you are saving the finished product for something.
- I'll post a new thread each week so that things don't get too out of hand.
- Don't worry if you're behind or starting in the middle, feel free to share whatever you make.
May Paper a Day Challenge Week 4 Themes
Wednesday May 22: Doodles
Thursday May 23: Transparent
Friday May 24: Stickers
Saturday May 25: Stars
Sunday May 26: Banner
Monday May 27: Tag
Tuesday May 28: Alpha
Wednesday May 29: Alpha
Thursday May 30: Free Choice
Friday May 31: Free Choice


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Scuba Santa
Video: Children visit with Santa Claus underwater at a local pool.
There are plenty of potential culprits, and there are just as many ways to stop them.
These nutritional powerhouses can flourish in your yard or in containers.
Here are 10 flowering plants that look gorgeous and reward you with seeds.
These hidden gardens are peaceful oases in the middle of the urban hustle and bustle.
There are many ways to map an area's sunlight exposure. Here are a few tips to make sure your pla...
Plant selection and design in addition to proper watering can help reduce stress on plants.
When the sun gets overbearing — and it will — you have options.


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Stand up for what you believe in
Even if you're standing aloneJoin us
Scoliosis is a common orthopaedic condition affecting spinal alignment, growth, and function.
A wide variety of conditions, many of which affect the neuromuscular system (eg, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy), are associated with the development of scoliosis. However, the most common form of scoliosis, which has an undefined etiology and affects otherwise normal adolescents, is the focus of this monograph.
Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS) develops in approximately 1% to 3% of the population, primarily in minor forms that do not become progressive or problematic in later life. However, a small percentage of curves do progress to a range that warrants treatment with either an orthosis or surgical arthrodesis. Bracing to prevent and /or limit scoliosis progression is an option only in the growing patient with a moderate curve (25º to 45º). Surgical treatment is considered for patients with curves greater than 40º to 50º.
The natural history if AIS indicates the treatment algorithm. Rapid growth during adolescence (fastest for girls in the year before the onset of menses, occurs more in girls than boys) is one of the greatest risk factors for scoliosis progression, at times as much as 10º to 15º per year. Curves that have progressed to more than 25º to 30º during growth are likely to progress with further growth. Therefore, orthoses are suggested in these patients, with the goal of limiting curve progression as adolescent growth finishes. Similarly, the treatment after completion of growth relates to the risk of progression as an adult. In general, thoracic curves less that 50º are at low risk for progression compared to curves greater than 50º. Moreover, progression is much slower (0.5º to 2º per year) in adults than in adolescents. After the completion of growth, bracing is not practical to control the risk of progression, and surgical treatment is the only means of limiting progression and achieving deformity correction.
The orthopaedic evaluation of a patient with scoliosis is critical to avoid a diagnosis of AIS when some other cause of the deformity exists. One of the more commonly missed causes of scoliosis is intraspinal pathology, such as syringomyelia. The proper evaluation and work-up for patients presenting with scoliosis are outlined in the monograph. Neurologic symptoms or signs, as well as an unusual scoliotic curve pattern (left thoracic, hyperkyphotic), are associated frequently enough with intraspinal pathology to warrant MRI evaluation in such patients.
The variety of scoliosis curves seems to infinite but more common patterns of spinal deformity do exist, and treatment is based in part on curve morphology. Several systems of classifying scoliosis have been devised, and the treatment-based approach of Lenke and associates is presented in this text, although the King-Moe system has long been the standard and as such remains relevant.
The surgical treatment of AIS can be complex, both in the aspects of surgical techniques, and more importantly, surgical decision making. These decisions include the approach - anterior, posterior, or both; how much of the spine to fuse - one curve or two; which level to end distally; and the type and position of bone anchors to the spine (hooks, screws, wires). All these details cannot be presented completely in this text; however, the important principles are offered. For example, the advantages and disadvantages of each surgical technique and the appropriate surgical goals are presented.
The outcomes of scoliosis surgical correction are more reliable that in prior eras. Modern correction methods, both anteriorly and posteriorly, now provide more secure fixation with greater construct rigidity. The risk of excessive blood loss common in the past has been reduced with the use of electrocautery dissection and blood salvage/recirculation systems. In addition, the use of spinal cord neurologic monitoring allows reliable early intraoperative warning of spinal cord injury/hypoperfusion. Thus, greater deformity correction is safely achievable with an early return to activity and reduced risk of pseudoarthrosis.
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons


text: Photoshop Product Manager Stephen Nielson demonstrates new Adobe Generator, a new technology that is paving the way for intelligent tools that automate time-consuming tasks and provide easier workflows for anyone designing for screens. In this video, you'll see how Photoshop CC uses Generator technology as you work to save tagged layers and layer groups as individual image files in formats you choose, all collected in a single folder. You'll also learn how with just a click, Adobe Edge Reflow CC users can bring assets from Photoshop mockups into Edge Reflow CC to quickly adjust layouts to fit desired devices. It's responsive web design made easier by Adobe Generator.


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NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - More than a third of U.S. adults and 17 percent of kids and teens are obese, rates that haven't changed much in a decade, researchers say.
Only preschool-age children show signs of a turnaround, with their obesity rates nearly halved in the same period, according to a new federal study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
"The rapid increase in obesity we saw in the '80s and '90s has definitely slowed," epidemiologist Cynthia Ogden told Reuters Health. "There's some glimmer of hope in the new data in relation to the 2 to 5 year olds."
Ogden, a branch chief at the National Center for Health Statistics in Rockville, Maryland, a division of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is lead author of the new study.
Obesity rates among 2 to 5 year old Americans dropped from 13.9 percent to 8.4 percent between 2003 and 2012, her team reports.
Not all the news on the national state of weight was positive, however.
Though the overall obesity rate across all U.S. age groups has been stable since 2003, women 60 years and older have been growing fatter. Their rate of obesity rose from 31.5 percent to 38 percent over nine years, the study found.
Ogden and her colleagues used the annual National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys to examine obesity trends in representative samples of Americans between the 2003 - 2004 survey year and 2011 - 2012.
The 5.5 percentage point drop in the obesity rate among 2 to 5 year olds mirrored decreases found among preschoolers in previous studies, the authors write.
A report published last year, for example, found that after doubling over 30 years, the obesity rate among low-income preschool children fell in 19 U.S. states and territories (see Reuters story of August 6, 2013 here: reut.rs/OuyauP).
Nonetheless, more than two-thirds of American adults and nearly one-third of youth aged 2 to 19 years old fell into the overweight or obese categories in 2011 - 2012.
For adults, body mass index (BMI) - a measure of weight relative to height - defines obesity. A BMI of 25 and above is considered overweight, and BMI of 30 or higher, which is equivalent to a 5-foot, 9-inch adult weighing 203 pounds, is considered obese.
For children, BMI calculations also factor-in the weights of other kids in the same age group.
The report does not discuss reasons for the drop in preschool obesity or the rising obesity among older women.
"There's been a lot of attention in this country on obesity, but we've really focused on childhood obesity," Lieutenant Commander Ashleigh May told Reuters Health.
"We're on the right track it appears with young children, but we still have a lot of work to do," said May, an epidemiologist in the CDC's Obesity Prevention and Control branch in Atlanta, Georgia, who was not involved in the study.
Contributors to the downward trend among young children may include increases in breastfeeding, decreases in sugar consumption, a national program promoting exercise and another that now gives low-income children more fruits and vegetables, May said.
Dr. David Ludwig, a pediatrics and nutrition researcher at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, read the report as a sign of a possible tiny step forward in the fight against obesity.
"The key finding is that obesity prevalence throughout the U.S. population has not changed in the last decade and remains at historic highs," Ludwig told Reuters Health in an email.
He also cautioned that the decline in obesity rates among preschool kids could result from chance.
"Nevertheless, if real, the lower prevalence among young children would be an encouraging sign that national pediatric obesity prevention efforts - though still grossly inadequate - may be having some impact," he said.
Michael Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, told Reuters Health he sees the report as a sign the obesity epidemic may have peaked.
Gains against obesity in preschool children may be attributable to a decline in soda consumption and to adding fruit and vegetables to the federal nutrition program for low-income children, he said.
But Jacobson, who was not involved in the study, pointed out longstanding disparities among ethnic groups that it reveals. A stunning 82 percent of African-American women and 77 percent of Hispanic women were overweight or obese, compared to 63 percent of white women, in 2011-2012, the report finds.
"That's a real health crisis," Jacobson said. "These numbers are crying out for some real action."
(The story corrects threshold of obesity in paragraph 12.)
SOURCE: bit.ly/1c9i5E4 Journal of the American Medical Association, online February 25, 2014.


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Can seatback entertainment stay relevant?
Inflight entertainment manufacturers are preparing a slate of technologies designed to make the cabin of an airliner a destination unto itself.
From holographic video to headphone-less audio to social interactions among aircraft cabins and the ground, the main players in the market, Thales and Panasonic Avionics, are investigating futuristic embedded seatback offerings that will keep onboard in-flight entertainment (IFE) systems relevant in an environment where personal electronics and inflight bandwidth are burgeoning.
The projects in many cases are long-term, depending on technology that may not be ready for 10 years, if ever.
The seat evolution will likely start at the front of widebody aircraft, in premium seating, but some will transition to the coach cabin and narrowbody fleet as the technologies mature and cost and weight are reduced.
While the number of internet protocol-equipped aircraft (IP) is expected to grow from 10% of the global fleet today to 50% by 2021, according to IMS Research, IFE makers argue that connectivity speed limits and other factors will keep the bulk of entertainment on board. That's particularly true for widebody aircraft, where inflight connectivity (IFC) is beginning to supplement, but no usurp, IFE.
"To me, embedded IFE will never go away," says Brett Bleacher, director of R&D and innovations at Thales's Inflight Entertainment and Connectivity (IFEC) division in Southern California. "Everyone is not bringing their personal electronic devices (PEDS) on board. We're giving them multiple options, including wireless." For those who do bring an iPad on board, Bleacher notes that a display screen in first class is 23-26 in. wide, whereas an iPad is 10 in.
Panasonic, which has approximately 70% of the IFE market share, sees the combination of IFE and IFC as the spark that could ignite a new kind of holism in the cabin. A prototype system called Skymarks could allow passengers to share en-route experiences and tips with other passengers on the same aircraft, or in other connected aircraft anywhere. Steve Sizelove, product research manager for Panasonic Avionics, says passengers flying over the Grand Canyon in Arizona could post pictures to the site and interact on the topic.
"Skymarks may help [the passenger] figure out where they want to go for their next vacation," says Sizelove.
He says Panasonic has agreements with "several partners" on the idea, which would link with existing social media sites and a new site specific to Panasonic. "We're looking at trying to figure out how bring this forward as a corporation," he says. For another IFC project, the team of seven engineers at Panasonic's IFE facilities is contemplating a system that will allow passengers to synchronize watching a movie or video with people on the ground, complete with a low-bandwidth voice or text link. As with Thales, the Panasonic IFE group works in cooperation with related technology groups in other segments of those two large companies.
At Thales, Bleacher and his team of five engineers and three interns are in a laboratory experimenting with concepts that will keep up with, or perhaps leapfrog, the consumer market in the areas of command- and-control and immersion technologies.
"One of the biggest things coming from [the consumer market] is gesture control, similar to the Xbox Kinect, but with finger and hand control," says Bleacher. "We have it operating in a business-class demonstration seat, and have a couple of bids from customers."
Bleacher says premium seating is an ideal starting place for the technology as passengers, unlike in the economy cabin, are too far from the screen to make touch-screen control possible. "With gesture, your hand and vision of image is always in the same plane; you don't have to look down at the controller," he says.
Along with gesture, Thales is developing an eye-tracking capability that will allow the passengers to visually select an item to be controlled, followed by voice control to make the selection. The company is also testing a "magic wand" accelerometer-based pointer for pointing and clicking items on the screen.
Thales's voice-recognition technology, which came from the company's automotive sector, will use a "microphone beam-forming" process directed in the vicinity of the passenger's mouth, and noise-cancellation and noise-reduction algorithms to strip out ambient cabin noise. "It's in the preliminary stages, but we think we can do it," says Bleacher.
Sizelove says Panasonic is trying to figure out "how to engage a person naturally in the aircraft cabin" in terms of command and control. Early indications are that a combination of wireless controllers, gesture and eye-tracking may be the best fit, particularly in the confined space of an aircraft cabin, where passengers can "take the time to learn and interact," says Sizelove.
Where the eyes will be looking when tracked is open to creativity. Sizelove says a projector could shoot an image on a variety of surfaces, including a tray table and seat arm, where a passenger would interact with the image via eye or facial-tracking and gestures. In an earlier demonstration, passengers could look up at a ceiling vent and control its flow by gesturing with a circular hand motion to open or close the vent.
Main components for such a system would be an infrared sensor for eye- tracking and a web camera to catch the reflection and correlate where the eyes are focused. A flaw with eye-tracking is that it does not work for people wearing glasses, says Sizelove, an issue that might be solvable with facial feature-tracking, he says.
In a demonstration last year, Panasonic projected light down from a tray latch onto the tray when deployed, and included a "very simple" interface to order food or change the music playing on the IFE. Gesture control was accomplished by tracking the passenger's fingers using a high-definition camera in the seatback. The project was part of a broader program underway for the past three years to investigate whether there is a "new paradigm" that makes sense for the economy cabin, says Sizelove.
"It's still a study we're going through now," says Sizelove. "The idea is how can we make the economy-class cabin more romantic and engaging that it is today?"
Possible solutions may not involve IFE in the traditional sense. One of the trade studies included a passenger bringing an iPad on board, and "interacting with the cabin" rather than a seatback display. Included was the idea of the iPad connecting to a projection system displaying on the stowed tray for ordering food, getting new photos and showing them on the iPad. Sizelove says the company is probably 9-15 months away from deciding whether that particular idea is worth pursuing for production. "Right now, laser projectors are still fairly expensive compared to an LCD screen," he says.
Another technology on tap at Thales for the premium seat is directional sound, which would allow the passenger to hear complete quiet, music or IFE audio without wearing headphones, and without bothering the passenger in the next seat. Bleacher says the technology is not yet mature, as there is about 10 dB of "leakage" audio that other people can "slightly hear." More work also is needed on noise-absorbing materials to keep sound waves from reflecting into the cabin.
"We're focus on beam-forming to just the two ears [of the passenger]," says Bleacher, noting that speakers will likely be placed near the seat-back display or in the headrest closest to the passenger's ears. "We're going to implement the design in a seat next year, collaborating with the seat manufacturer."
Perhaps the most enticing work at Thales involves flight-attendant avatars.
Bleacher says engineers are investigating a holographic display system for premium seating that would project a 3-D image out 6-8 in. in front of a 20-in. IFE screen. "I want to project a little avatar into the first class seat—a miniature version of the flight attendant that is animated," he says. "People don't get offended as much talking to an avatar." Bleacher says the company will demonstrate the avatar, complete with emotions, in September 2013. A longer-term project, about 10 years out, will be a virtual 3-D flight attendan who could give the safety briefing in the cabin.
"The avatar created by projected holography is based on one focal plane," says Bleacher. "With the projected flight attendant though, we would have to have everyone see it, and it's hard to see free-air projection." Typically, he says, projection requires a "mist wall," or other display surface, with proper lighting for everyone to see the image.
Sizelove says Panasonic is also working on 3-D visuals, including user interaction with the images, but there are broad issues to overcome. While some niche projects are underway to use special glasses to create a 3-D view, as in movie theaters and the company's new Altus monitor for a first-class cabin customer in 2014, Sizelove says the technology will be hindered from large- scale rollout until the glasses are gone. "Until non-glasses 3d kicks in, I don't see it as realistic for the aircraft," he says. "From the avionics point of view, we see it as something to watch. Until we can get rid of those glasses, it's a niche and not a mainstream."
Add to that, he says, there is a need for studies to determine how 3-D views might affect passengers' well-being, a nod to the gaming industry's experience with non-glasses 3-D screens potentially causing motion sickness. "We're not ready to do anything until we do studies to see how it affects people when in motion," he says.
Sizelove says it is too soon to know if holograms are the answer either. "One of my pet dreams is to have a holographic flight attendant coming up out of the food tray," says Sizelove. "But the complexity behind all of them is immense, and it is not miniaturized to the point where we can put in the aircraft. It's technically feasible, but not ready for mainstream."


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Fun, entertainment, laughter are necessary to live a happy life. Every event get with it loads of pleasure and happiness. Valentine's day is a day for romance and love. Along with this, humor and fun are also with it making couples remember beautiful time shared together as memories of laughing together, holding each others hand. Feel free in exchanging these humorous valentine's day poems with couples, friends and colleagues.
And what do I see?
My Valentine's face
Smiling back at me.
But, oh what a shock,
For it reminds of you
And that is no crock.
My feelings just burn
With thoughts about you,
My love please don't spurn!
Each cloud and each bee,
The earth and the sea,
It all reminds me...


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Four hundred years ago, as European powers competed for dominance in the New World, England looked like the nation least likely to succeed. Spain had spent the 16th century extracting shiploads of gold from modern-day Mexico and Peru. Nations as small as the Netherlands and Portugal had a far stronger presence in the New World than did England.
As late as 1600, write history professors Lorri Glover and Daniel Blake Smith, "the English had still established no colonies in the Americas. In fact, they had failed in every Atlantic enterprise they had tried."
The Shipwreck That Saved Jamestown, Glover and Smith's well-researched account of England's rocky early beginnings in America, effectively pieces together a largely untold and essential story about how close the British came to failure in the New World. In the end, Glover and Smith argue, it was the fate of a seemingly lost ship that finally turned the tide.
Glover and Smith begin with an account of England's early disasters in the New World. Their Roanoke Island settlement was a particularly horrific example: The entire colony mysteriously disappeared, likely slaughtered by local Indians.
Yet it was precisely such catastrophes that prevented Spain from viewing England as a serious rival in America. Although Spain had vast property rights in the New World granted by the Roman Catholic Church, England's abysmal history of transatlantic failures caused the powerful Spanish to leave the English colonies alone rather than to attack or try to expel them.
The authors, both history professors, argue convincingly that Spain could have easily attacked the English settlement at Jamestown after it was established in 1607: "That Spain neither demanded an end to the Virginia Company ... [nor] destroyed the settlement once it was founded arguably turned out to be the greatest" gift England could have received.
Yet Jamestown nearly failed on its own anyway, due to bloody internal dissension, starvation, and relentless Indian attack, creating a public relations disaster for Jamestown and the London-based Virginia Company that funded it. Attracting new settlers to ship out to Virginia and finding investors back in England would depend upon the colony's perceived success.
The Virginia Company tried its hardest to squelch the plentiful bad news coming from Jamestown, most of it concerning widespread malnutrition and incompetent leadership. Jamestown's colonial council censored all the settlers' letters, removing anything that might "discourage others."
In 1609 the Virginia Company launched a brilliant public relations campaign in England, tying the fate of the Virginia colony to England's national destiny and God's blessings upon the Protestant faith. They also sent a fleet of seven ships led by the Sea Venture to resupply and strengthen Jamestown.
But instead of bolstering the struggling colony, the boats had a turbulent transatlantic crossing (vividly described in the book), culminating with the Sea Venture sailing straight into a hurricane off Bermuda.
In Jamestown and England it was commonly assumed that the Sea Venture had been destroyed – a piece of news that was devastating to the Virginia Company's fortunes. At that point, "nothing could stop the spreading belief that things had gone horribly wrong in America." Meanwhile, the Jamestown colony was suffering through "the starving time" during the winter of 1609-10, a period of hunger and disease that killed more than 80 percent of the settlers.
Yet the missing Sea Venture had not sunk. The ship had run aground off Bermuda. The castaways – delighted by the island – survived there for 10 months, nearly mutinying when they were finally ordered to sail on to Jamestown.
When the Sea Venture, led by Thomas Gates, finally did reach Jamestown, they found a decimated colony. The remaining settlers convinced Gates to abandon Jamestown and return to England. But as Gates was sailing up the James River, another fleet from the Virginia Company arrived and Gates decided to turn back and try again, saving both the Jamestown colony and England's fortunes in the New World.
The narrative of Glover and Smith can be somewhat academic at times, as when the authors engage in a textual analysis of Shakespeare's "The Tempest" (the plot of which may have been inspired by the tale of the Sea Venture).
That quibble aside, however, this book paints a vivid portrait of lives packed with daily hardships, from dangerous transatlantic crossings to the realistic fear of being massacred by Indians.
Yet the perseverance of the Sea Venture would ultimately pay off in England's future dominance of North America.
Chuck Leddy is a freelance writer and member of the National Book Critics Circle.


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X-Chat Aqua Freenode Error, Connection failed. Error: unable to get local issuer certificate.? (20)
When using X-Chat Aqua on OSX Lion it is possible to get various different errors when making SSL connections to different IRC networks. In this example I was attempting to make a SSL connection to the Freenode IRC network on port 6697. The connection terminated with a SSL error complaining that X-Chat Aqua could not get the local issuer certificate as shown in more detail below.


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Dr. Kenneth Koval reviews medical content for Healthwise, a nonprofit organization with a mission to help people make better health decisions. Dr. Koval is a Professor in the Department of Orthopaedics at Orlando Regional Medical Center in Orlando, Florida. He is recognized for his world-class research on hip fractures and serves as editor and author for the major trauma journals and textbooks.
MD: New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, 1984
Internship in Surgery: Beth Israel Medical Center, New York, NY, 1984-1985
Residency in Orthopaedic Surgery: Hospital for Joint Diseases Orthopaedic Institute, New York, NY, 1984-1985
Fellowship in Orthopaedic Traumatology: University of South Florida, Tampa General Hospital, Tampa, FL, 1989-1990
American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery
Professor, Department of Orthopaedics, Orlando Regional Medical Center, Orlando, FL, 2011-present
Professor, Dartmouth Medical School, Department of Orthopaedics, Lebanon, NH, 2003-2010
New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY:
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Since the jovian planets have only recently been formed, they do not need nuclear processes to keep them hot for non-existent evolutionary aeons.
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Answers in Genesis is an apologetics ministry, dedicated to helping Christians defend their faith and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ.


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Paris Fashion Week Spring 2013 Trends
Our Top 10 Trend Breakdown Straight From Paris Fashion Week
Our Top 10 Trend Breakdown Straight From Paris Fashion Week
That's a wrap on Paris Fashion Week. But before we return to regular programming (read: concern ourselves with what we're wearing this Fall), we're delving deeper into the most noteworthy trends to take the Spring '13 Paris runways. Designers like Dries van Noten, Chloé, Vanessa Bruno projected seasonal romance via ultratextured florals, flirty ruffles, and downright feminine nods to sheer detailing. Apart from the softer wares, we saw a push for shorter hemlines on top — sometimes endowed with very voluminous shapes — along with a revamped take on denim, a cool reimagining of colorblocked styling, and more than one case made for wearing the prettiest shades of blue. See which designers were feeling the tomboyish look of long shorts, who (successfully) managed to combine sheer accents with a sportier brand of cool, and who brought back the Working Girl double-breasted blazer in full effect. Get our complete breakdown of the top 10 trends spotted at Paris Fashion Week right here, right now.


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IHOP Gift Cards
IHOP has a new 7 for $7 promotion where they are offering 7 different meals all for $7! You can choose from new meals and a few classic favorites. The 7 for $7 meals include: Nutella®Crepes & Eggs, Chicken & Waffles, Simple & Fit Veggie Omelette, Hash-Brown Crusted™ Chicken, Cheesy Western Omelette & Biscuit & Bacon-Wrapped Sirloin Steak & Eggs. I'm getting hungry!!
IHOP realizes that with tax time very near on 4/17 (another 7!) that families can use the savings of the 7 for $7 deal. They have shared some "7-themed" tax-related articles as we all make that final push for tax day.
- 7 Things to Know When Preparing Your Tax Return
- 7 Tax Tips for Job Seekers
- 7 Tips for Recently Married Taxpayers
- 7 Tips to Boost Your Tax Refund
- 7 Taxes the IRS Won't Make You Pay
And as a great bonus, IHOP is offering (you guessed it) 7 of our readers a $25 gift card! Whoo Hoo!!
Here are the Official Giveaway Rules:
How to Enter:
Leave a comment below letting us know if you are an early bird, last minute filer or somewhere in-between when you send in your tax returns.Entries are now closed. Winners will be posted on Monday, 4/16.
You must supply a valid email address. Email addresses should be put in the private field and not in the public comment box.
- All entries must be left in the comments of this site only. Facebook comments or emails will not count as a giveaway entry.
- The giveaway ends on Saturday, April 14th at 10pm EST. No entries will be counted after that time frame.
- All entrants must be at least 18 years old and reside in the United States.
- Winners will be chosen at random. Winners will be notified of the giveaway via email on Monday, April 16th. Winners must respond with mailing address within 36 hours or another winner will be chosen.
- Be sure to add ([email protected]) to your contacts or check your spam folders at the end of the giveaway.
A big thank you to IHOP for providing this giveaway.


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The New York Giants and Mathias Kiwanuka will remain in business together -- on the team's terms.
Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News reported Monday that Kiwanuka has accepted a steep pay cut to return for a ninth season with Big Blue.
The veteran defensive lineman was scheduled to make $4.375 million in salary for 2014. Instead, he'll earn $1.5 million in salary and a $700,000 roster bonus. He can earn an additional $125,000 in incentives, according to NFL Players Association records obtained by Vacchiano.
The move clears $2.05 million in cap space. This especially is helpful after the Giants landed cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie with a five-year, $39 million deal Monday.
Kiwanuka was informed by the team he'd be released if he didn't accept the pay cut, according to a source familiar with the situation. He still has $4.775 million due next season, but the writing certainly appears to be on the wall there as well.
Kiwanuka started 10 games last season, finishing with six sacks, 41 tackles and two forced fumbles. He appears to have entered the "hold the fort" stage of his career, whereby the Giants keep him on board while actively seeking out his eventual replacement.
In other news, NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported that former Denver Broncos return specialist Trindon Holliday has agreed to a one-year deal with the Giants, according to a source close to the player. Holliday had four returns for touchdowns in two seasons with the Broncos.
The "Around The League Podcast" breaks down all the free agency moves and hands out a fleet of high-octane sandwiches.


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The Autonomic and Imaging Biomarkers of SUDEP (NS090407)
Specific Aims and Tasks
Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP) affects ~3000 individuals with epilepsy in the
USA annually. Death results from profound breathing and/or cardiovascular dysfunction, but
mechanisms underlying failure, and risk factors identifying those most at risk are unknown. Our
goal is to identify patterns of physiological dysfunction surrounding seizure periods and the
underlying neural injury contributing to those patterns. We aim to identify patterns of physiological dysfunction (changes in blood pressure, heart rate, arrhythmia, breathing and EEG patterns) surrounding seizure periods and the underlying neural injury (focal structural brain changes identified through brain imaging including MRI) contributing to those patterns.
- This project will provide insight into mechanisms of failure in SUDEP, and suggest pre-mortem characteristics that lead to a fatal scenario that are suitable for targeted intervention.
Principal Investigators
Publication Links
- Ryvlin P, Nashef L, Lhatoo SD, Bateman LM et al. Incidence and mechanisms of cardiorespiratory arrests
in epilepsy monitoring units (MORTEMUS): a retrospective study. PMID 24012372.
- Bozorgi A, Chung S, Kaffashi F, Loparo KA, Sahoo SS, Zhang GQ, Kaiboriboon K, Lhatoo SD.
Significant peri-ictal hypotension: Expanding the spectrum of seizure induced autonomic dysregulatory
phenomena with polygraphy. PMID 23758665.
- Lhatoo SD, Faulkner HJ, Dembny K, Trippick K, Johnson C, Bird JM (2010). An electroclinical case-control
study of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy. PMID 20882604.
- Lhatoo SD, Johnson AL, Goodridge DM, MacDonald BK, Sander JW, Shorvon SD. Mortality in
epilepsy in the first 11 to 14 years after diagnosis: Multivariate analysis of a long-term, prospective,
population-based cohort.


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1. Read the problem carefully and note down what is given and what is required.
2. Select a letter letter or variable x or y or z to represent the unknown quantity asked for.
3. Represent the word statements of the problems in the symbolic language step by step.
4. Look for quantities which are equal as per conditions given and form an equation.
5. Solve the equation.
6. Verify the result for making sure that your answer satisfies the requirements of the problems.
Directions: Solve the following word problems. Write and solve at least four more word problems involving speed and distance.


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Group Theory: Relevancy to Chemistry
Due to the incompatiblity of Word mathematics formating and WordPress' text editor, I am making this paper available for download in two versions:
Group Theory: Relevancy to Chemistry (Word 2007 Version, .docx)
Group Theory: Relevancy to Chemistry (Word 2003 Version, .doc)
Click on the verison that is compatible with your version of Word.
– Note: Word 2007 documents are not compatible with Word 2003
Book Recommendation: "Stardust: Our Cosmic Origins"
"Stardust: Our Cosmic Origins" By Steven Welch. Information about the content and reviews of the book can be found at http://www.stardustorigins.co.uk/
High Performance Liquid Chromatography and Gas Chromatography Coupling With Mass Spectrometry
High Performance Liquid Chromatography and Gas Chromatography Coupling With Mass Spectrometry
Instrumental Analysis
Chalmer Wren
April 30, 2009
Although chromatography is useful for separating complex mixtures, many non-routine constituents of a sample can not be readily identified or characterized from the chromatogram alone. While mass spectrometry (MS) is capable of identifying enumerable compounds, discerning them from a complex mixture can be difficult or impossible. Direct physical coupling of high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography (GC) to MS allows each instrument to compensate for the others weakness. Efforts to couple MS and chromatography began with GC, which was successfully coupled with MS in 1955 when a homemade gas chromatography column was linked to a time-of-flight mass spectrometer, thus allowing the MS to analyze the effluent as it exited the GC column.1 For this GC/MS, depicted in Figure 1, a small portion, about 0.3%, was directed into the MS before entering the thermal conductivity cell.1 The mass spectrum of effluent material was displayed on an oscilloscope at 2000 scans per minute and recorded using a Polaroid camera.2
The primary issue facing developers in the endeavor to create an interface between the two instruments was pressure. GC columns at the time were packed and ran at atmospheric pressure, while MS requires pressures of 10-6 to 10-5 torr.3 Several interfaces have been developed, such as pressure reduction systems and jet separators.4 Jet separators can been utilized to separate the carrier gas from the sample using variation is the diffusibility of the carrier gas and the sample.3
The advent of fused silica capillary GC columns eliminated the need for complex interfaces for most applications of GC/MS, as it solved the issues of pressure reduction and flow rate. Unlike the first GC/MS, in which only a fraction of the analyte was diverted to the MS, the majority of today's instruments allow for all of the analyte to be sent to directly to the MS for analysis, as depicted in Figure 2.3 The sample can be ionized directly in the gas phase either by electron ionization (EI) or chemical ionization (CI). During EI, the sample is bombarded with electrons as it enters the MS, forming free radicals that can be separated on the basis of their mass to charge ratio (m/z) by a strong magnetic field. During EI, a constituent of the solvent serves as a reaction intermediate that leads to the formation of radical species.10
The development of an interface for HPLC and MS did not turn out to be so serendipitous. HPLC flow rates are many times more than an MS can accommodate, operate at atmospheric pressure, and is generally employed for the analysis of compounds to thermally and kinetically fragile for typical GC temperatures and pressures.7 Direct ionization of compounds for MS requires that they be gaseous, a phase at which most analytes necessitating HPLC decompose. Numerous interfaces have been developed including electrospray ionization (ESI), atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI), moving belt interfaces, and the thermospray technique.11 Moving belt interfaces, depicted in Figure 3, deposit HPLC effluent onto a belt, which mechanically transports it through a series of vacuums, to evaporate the solvent, and eventually carry the analyte to the ion source of the MS.11 Thermospray involves direct vaporization of sample as it exits the HPLC column and enters the source.9 Moving belt interfaces are generally inaccurate, though, and thermospray comprises samples that, due to their sensitivity, may not have survived vaporization anyway.
Altering the sample, through vaporization or evaporation is clearly not ideal, as it reduces the advantageous range of applications of HPLC/MS and compromises its quantitative power. APCI and ESI represent interfaces that form analyte ions directly from the solvent.9 During ESI, depicted in Figure 4, effluent exits the column and enters an electrospray needle, from which it is sprayed as a fine mist called an aerosol. A strong electrical field, beginning with the needle, spans the region through which the aerosol travels. This causes a concentration of positive or negative solvent ions in the aerosol particles. As the solvent evaporate, Columbic forces increase, increasing the rate of solvent dissociation. Analyte ions can then be separated by the MS.8 During this process, radical derivatives of analyte are not being formed by this process, as they are during EI or CI. Instead, the compounds of interested are introduced as ionized species, in addition to come components of the solvent being ionized, into the solvent before chromatographic separation occurs. The electrical field of the ion source acts upon the solvent ions, concentrating positive or negative charge aerosol as it exists he electrospray needle.10
During APCI, depicted in Figure 5, effluent is mixed with a nebulizing gas, such as N2, as it exits the column, is vaporized, and then emitted as an aerosol. A corona needle introduces electrons into the aerosol as it transverses the ion source, which initiates a series of gas phase chemical reactions that lead to formation of cationic and anionic analyte species. Like ESI, radical analyte derivatives are not being formed. The introduction of elections leads to the formation or positive and negative ions, such as H+ or OH– from water, which associate with the analyte and impart upon it a charge.10
Despite the more complex nature of the HPLC/MS interface, it does have some advantages over GC/MS, including the potential analysis of a much broader category of compounds, including proteins and other biological polymers. However, HPLC/MS comes with the additional expense of large volumes of waste solvent, a decrease in resolution and sample senestivity, and an increase in retention times. While HPLC/MS requires a general minimum of 100ng or analyte of interest per injection, GC/MS requires between 0.1 and 100ng of anylate per injection. If GC/MS is feasible, it is preferred over HPLC/MS because of its cheaper costs, shorter analysis time, and better resolution.10
1. Gohlke, R., McLafferty, F., Early gas chromatography/mass spectrometry,
Journal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry
2. Gohlke, R. S. Anal. Chem. 1959, 31,535-541.
3. Hites. R, Gas Chromatography Gas Spectroscopy, Chapter 31, acquired from http://www.prenhall.com/settle/chapters/ch31.pdf on April 25, 2009
4. J. T. Watson and K. Biemann, Analytical Chemistry, 37 (1965), 844–51.
5. R. Ryhage, Analytical Chemistry, 36 (1964), 759–64.
6. T. E. Jensen and others, Analytical Chemistry, 54 (1982), 2388–90.
7. Vestel, M., October 19, 1984, High-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, Science, p275(7) Vol. V226 ISSN: 0036-8075
8. Pramanik, B., Ganguly, A., Gross M., 2002, Applied electrospray mass spectrometry
9. University of Bristol Life Science Mass Spectrometry Facility, aquired from http://www.bris.ac.uk/nerclsmsf/techniques/hplcms.html on April 25, 2009
10. Harris, D., 2006, Quantitative chemical analysis
11. Giddings, J., Keller, R., Cazes, J., 1998, Advances in chromatography
One Nation Under a Spell: Christianity in America and Religion Around the World
One Nation Under a Spell
Christianity in America and Religion Around the World
Joel Guttormson
"Our world is fast succumbing to the activities of men and women who would stake the future of our species on beliefs that should not survive an elementary school education"
-Sam Harris, End of Faith
America, once a bastion of the Enlightenment ideas of Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and Thomas Paine, "is fast-growing as blinkered by religious lunacy as the wilds of Afghanistan." (Harris, Idea City '05) By this, Sam Harris means, that the United States of America is not just highly religious, but fundamentalist in their belief. Before continuing, what is a belief? Mr. Harris defines a belief as "representations of the world…that open the floodgate of emotion and behavior" that is appropriate for a particular belief. (Harris, Idea City '05) Polls, both in the recent past and the present, show that Sam is not at all out of line in making these claims; for instance, "22% of the population [Americans] claims to be certain, literally certain, that Jesus is going to come down out of clouds and save the day sometime in the next 50 years." (Harris, Idea City '05) He adds, "Another 22% think that he probably will come back in the next 50 years. This is 44% of the electorate…this belief obviously does not exist in isolation." (Harris, Idea City '05) The most straightforward conclusion from this data, which he obtained from Gallup polls taken earlier in the decade, is that nearly 150 million people in the United States who, Sam points out, "not only elect Congressmen and Presidents, they get elected as Congressmen and Presidents." (Harris, Idea City '05) These facts should be wholly horrifying to those of all walks of life, religious or not, that are committed to a sustainable and above all, foreseeable future for the human species. Why is this so? This is so because these beliefs have severe geopolitical consequences, discussed in detail later. They also have the effect of making normally moral, rational people and making them hateful isolationists bent on bringing about the End Times. Sam Harris claims that religion, especially in the United States, is dangerous and that the moderately religious share as much blame as the fundamentalists in regards to the problems to be expounded upon in the following pages.
Christianity in America: Effect on Science and Public Health
"The time for respecting religious beliefs of this sort is long past"
-Sam Harris, Idea City 2005
It has been shown that at the time the United States was founded in writing, less people went to church less often. (Wills, p. 8) This fact flies directly in the face of those that claim we were founded as a Christian nation. Certainly, some famous settlements and early towns were very religious and chiefly comprised of Christians, all of whom believed the same as their neighbors of course. In fact, the legend of the Pilgrims leaving England to escape religious persecution is not entirely accurate; some parts are left out. For instance, it is not common knowledge that the King of England at the time of the earliest of the settlements, King Charles II, had to send a letter of instruction to the colony of Massachusetts ordering them to "stop executing his subjects for their religious opinions." (Wills, p. 18) Though today we need not such declarations from our President, the myth of Christian tolerance persists. There have been, in the history of the U.S., a sheer myriad of Supreme Court cases dealing with, as one of its main issues, religious intrusion into the government or public services funded by taxes. Those cases worthy of mention are: McCollum v. Board of Education (Ruled that religious studies classes violated the 1st Amendment, 1948), Engel v. Vitale (Ruled that state lead prayer in schools to be a violation of the 1st Amendment, 1962), Abington v. Schempp/Murry v. Curlett (Ruled that bible reading in schools was unconstitutional, 1963), Epperson v. Arkansas (Struck down a law prohibiting the teaching of Evolution), Lemon v. Kurtzman (Ruled that the PA state's subsidizing of religious school was unconstitutional, added third prong to what has become known as the Lemon Test, 1971), Edwards v. Aguillard (Ruled that the teaching of creationism to be a violation of the 1st Amendment), City of Boerne v. Flores (Ruled the Religious Freedoms Restoration Act to be unconstitutional, 1997), Sante Fe School District v. Doe (Ruled that believers cannot be favored over nonbelievers), and Kitzmiller et al v. Dover Area School District et al (Ruled that the requirement for students to be taught Intelligent Design was unconstitutional, 2005) . This list is a short enumeration of the victories for those on the side of secularism, be they religious or not. However, the list is not exhaustive and leaves out some defeats, such as the Scopes Trial. There exists currently a yet uncontested law in the state of Louisiana called "Louisiana Science Education Act[1]." This act encourages students to learn about Intelligent Design/Creationism without using the words. (Forrest, 2009) However, Section D of the law provides a glimpse into the motives of the authors, sponsors, and lobbyists (Discovery Institute and Louisiana Family Forum) of the law. Section D reads, "This Section shall not be construed to promote any religious doctrine, promote discrimination for or against a particular set of religious beliefs, or promote discrimination for or against religion or nonreligion." It begs the question as to why this section exists in the law if in fact it could not be construed to promote religion, specifically Intelligent Design/Creationism. Although this is a setback, it is in a minority of court cases in which we see overwhelming victory for the Constitution and freedom from religious establishment.
In spite of the utterly overwhelming evidence supporting the evidence of the Theory of Evolution, Americans seem wishfully against its acceptance. In 2005, a survey was conducted among 34 countries to determine the level of acceptance of the Theory of Evolution among adults. The results were less than flattering, as Harris points out that "the United States ranked 33rd, just above Turkey. Meanwhile, high school students in the United States test below those of every European and Asian nation in their understating of science and math." (Harris, Letter to a Christian Nation, p. 70) Given the efforts of Christians in this country in the courts, attempting to promote creationism and intelligent design; in so doing they are misrepresenting science and confusing the public about Evolution and consequently all of science. Harris is in a sense arguing that Christianity, specifically Fundamentalist and Evangelical Christianity, is causing great harm to the education of our children. Whether or not Sam's general claim is true, it is obvious that the religiosity of this country is having a significant and detrimental impact on a consensual and basic understanding of what is arguably one of the greatest, if not the greatest, scientific accomplishments in history; the Theory of Evolution.
Though a public understanding of science (or lack thereof) is an important issue. A far more pressing and disturbing issue is that of public health. Regarding this issue, Sam again points to the overwhelming dangers of religious ideals and convictions interfering with the private lives and health of individuals, who is behind this movement to do so and why. The Center for Disease Control (CDC), thought by many to be very scientific and apolitical institution in the United States, is very much the opposite in terms of its upper management. It is evident that religious views are clouding the judgment of those that we are entrusting our health. Reginald Finger, a member of the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, "announced that he would consider opposing an HIV vaccine…because such a vaccine would encourage premarital sex by making it less risky." (Harris, Letter to a Christian Nation, p. 28) I agree with Sam Harris when he says, "this is one of the many points on which [Christian][2] beliefs become genuinely lethal." (Harris, Letter to a Christian Nation, p. 28) Until recently, stem-cell research was put on the veritable back burner. However, with the election of Barack Obama this backward, religious motivated agenda to stymie what Sam Harris calls "one of the most promising lines of research in biology", is now being federally funded after being denied such funding by a religiously motivated Bush administration. (Harris, Idea City '05)
Although these are not the only issues facing America in which the religious, mostly Christian, population in this country has found it necessary to thrust their narrow-minded and unfounded beliefs, they are, in the estimation of Sam Harris, a good representation of the general direction they are pushing public policy. Christian crusaders such as the late Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson and pastor/author Joel Osteen are the leaders in a movement that is increasingly trying to control the public policy and even the personal matters of the citizens of the United States. However, such a narrow focus on the United States does not even begin to properly articulate the problems the marriage of religion and policy has on not only the liberty of Americans, but also their safety and, ultimately, the survival of the human species.
Geopolitics and Religion: Rights, Terrorism, and Armageddon
"O You who believe! take not for friends and protectors those who take your religion for a mockery or sport"
-Qur'an 5:57
Islam has recently become the religion most associated with terrorism. Although there is some basis for this hasty and broad generalization and Islamic leaders have not done a good job distancing themselves from such violent actions, Christianity and Judaism have had their share of violence and terrorism. Though both Christianity and Judaism have done a good job covering it up, the fact they have had enough time to do this shows that they happened long ago, however, they are still relevant and will be discussed later. For now, we shall focus on the problem Islam creates on the geopolitical stage.
Islam, claimed to be founded by the "prophet" Mohammed in the 7th century C.E., is declared by many of its followers to be a religion of peace. Islam, they say means peace and thus, tell us that the terrorists that commit their acts in the name of their religion have no theological justification from the Quran (Koran), the holy book of Islam, and that they are committed for other reasons. They, and religious moderates of all stripes, say that their acts are committed because socioeconomics, lack of education and/or educational opportunity and politics. However, in the case of 9/11, Sam Harris remarks, "I don't know how many more engineers and architects have to hit the wall at 400 miles-an-hour for us to realize that this is not simply a matter of education. The truth of our circumstance is quite a bit more sinister than that." (Harris, Idea City '05, 2005) What does he mean by this? He means that it is actually possible, and likely, that religion is the cause of this terrorism. This is frightening, because religion is based solely on beliefs that, in the case of fundamentalists, are immune to evidence or change of any kind. This also means that if the reasons for these despicable acts are religious there is no stopping them the way they would be if they really were the result of education or economics. Harris says, "It is actually possible to be so well educated that you can build a nuclear bomb and still believe that you're going to get the 72 virgins." (Harris, Idea City '05) For Muslim terrorists their actions are in fact, contrary to what moderates believe, not only condoned by the Koran but also endorsed by it saying: "O Prophet! strive hard against the Unbelievers and the Hypocrites, and be firm against them, their abode is Hell, -an evil refuge indeed." (Qur'an: 9:73) Some verses later it reiterates this sentiment: "O you who believe! Fight the Unbeleivers who gird you about, and let them find firmness in you: and know that Allah is with those who fear Him." (Qur'an 9:123) According to the research of Sam Harris, the Had'ith is also quite clear about how to deal with the so-called "Unbelievers": "[1] Jihad is your duty under any ruler, be he godly or wicked; [2] A single endevor (of fighting) in Allah's Cause in the forenoon or in the afternoon is better than the world and whatever is in it; [3] A day and night fighting on the frontier is better than a month of fasting and prayer; [4] Nobody who dies and finds good from Allah (in the Hereafter) would wish to come back to this world even if he were given the whole world and whatever is in it, except the martyr who, on seeing the superiority of martyrdom, would like to come back to the world and get killed again (in Allah's Cause); [5] He who dies without having taken part in a campaign dies in a kind of unbelief" (Harris, The End of Faith, p. 112). The Koran, taken literally along with the teachings of the Had'ith, lead Muslims to be extreme in their faith to the point that they commit such atrocities. One may say to themselves at this point, "yes, but these views and verses are used and condoned only by the extremists". This is wrong, as evidenced by a 2002 survey conducted by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press in which the following question was asked only to Muslims: "Some people think that suicide bombing and other forms of violence against civilian targets are justified in order to defend Islam from its enemies. Other people believe that, no matter what the reason, this kind of violence is never justified. Do you personally feel that this kind of violence is often justified to defend Islam, sometimes justified, rarely justified or never justified?" (Harris, The End of Faith, p. 124) The results should be shocking even the most moderate of moderates as this survey was given to 38,000 people. So it's unikely that they just happened to ask 38,000 extremists. For breivity, only the top five will be taken into consideration[3]: 1. Lebanon- 73% Yes, 21% No, 6% DK/Refused; 2. Ivory Coast- 56% Yes, 44% No; 3. Nigeria- 47% Yes, 45% No, 8% DK/Refused; 4. Bangladesh- 44% Yes, 37%, No, 19% DK/Refused; 5. Jordan- 43% Yes, 48% No, 8% DK/Refused. (Harris, The End of Faith, p. 125) If these numbers seem distrubing Harris asks us to "consider that places like Saudia Arabia, Yemen, Egypt, Iran, Sudan, Iraq and the Palestinian territories were not included in the survery." (Harris, The End of Faith, p. 125) However, the "Muslim tolerence for terrorism" picture become ever more frightening when we only consider those respondants who "could not find it in their hearts to say 'never justified'." (Harris, The End of Faith, p. 126) The question then is, is it ever justifiable?. Again, only the top five are considered: 1. Lebanon- 82% Yes, 12% No, 6% DK/Refused; 2. Ivory Coast- 73% Yes, 27% No; 3. Nigeria- 66% Yes, 26% No, 8% DK/Refused; 4. Jordan- 65% Yes, 26% No, 8% DK/Refused; 5. Bangladesh- 58% Yes, 23% No, 19% DK/Refused. (Harris, The End of Faith, p. 126) An astonishing finding from this is that Pakistan, thought of to be a safe haven and manufactuer of terrorist not only isn't in the top five, but in the second list is second from the bottom, right above Turkey. What do these numbers tell us about Islam and terrorism? They tell us that the problem of dogmatism, no matter how seemingly moderate, is far greater than previously thought and acts like the subway bombing in Madrin, Spain, the bus attacks in the UK or the events of September 11th, 2001 seem to be justifiable to these people so long as it is in denfese of Islam.
Though it may seem given the above that Islam is the sole perpetrator of terrorism, it most asuredly is not. Christians tend to pride themselves, and their religion (especially in the United States), on being caring, loving, compasionate, pacifist and, above all, true beyond a shadow of a doubt. However, Christianity has some skeletons in its closet; skeletons that even moderate Christians would be hard-pressed to explain away. Before examining specific examples, let us consider the Bible, particularly the New Testament, to see if moderate Christianity or fundamentalist Christianity is on the stronger theological ground. When it comes to the treatment of the non-believers, or unbelievers as the holy books refer to us, Jesus Christ does not differ much from the attitude of the Koran, saying: "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him."(The Bible: John 3:36[4]) Though this does not seem quite as bad as the Koran telling believers to fight the unbelievers, Jesus makes sure his message is not mistaken: "But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them here and kill them in front of me."(The Bible: Luke 19:27) It was not just Jesus that scolded non-believers and thought they should be killed, Peter wrote: "By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men."(The Bible: 2 Peter 3:7) It is now sufficiently obvious that Christians, too, can square actions such as the nondescript and wholesale slaughter and/or torture of non-Christians with the Bible and the teaching of Jesus. If that wasn't enough, "the great lights of the church, people like St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Augustine…in Aquinas' case he thought heretics should be killed outright, in Augustine's case he thought they should be tortured; Augustine's argument for the use or torture actually laid the foundations for the Inquisition." (Harris, Idea City '05) It should now be immediately obvious that Christians could and did start religious wars and cold-blooded, calculated campaigns of mass death and torture, with other Christians and non-Christians; such as the French Wars or Religion, the 30 Years War, the Crusades, and, the Spanish Inquisition. However, the despicable behavior does not stop there. The Spanish Inquisition and the Salem Witch trials, considered by many to be well-organized terrorism campaigns, though with very different and separate goals, have their justification in the Bible, and nowhere else. Christian terrorism is still alive in modern times. Two examples come to mind. The first is an example of psychological terrorism. The Westboro Baptist Church[5], founded and run by pastor Fred Phelps has made a name for themselves protesting United States' soldiers funerals and with their "God Hates Fags" campaign. Probably the most appalling aspects of this campaign is, their use of small children, holding signs and wearing t-shirts bearing these hateful and ignorant slogans. The next example of Christian terrorism, I am happy to say was a failed effort. Nonetheless, it is a story that one is grateful never came to fruition and shows the extent of their fundamentalist and apocalyptic goals. Due to a lack of knowledge about the Julian calendar, 1999 was thought to be the year before the millennium. Beyond the "Y2K" hysteria, there was also a fervor of millennialism, especially from fundamentalist Christians.
On January 3, 1999, the Israeli General Security Force known as Shin Bet raided two houses outside Jerusalem. Soon after the interrogation of three male occupants it was determined that the 14 total residents, including six children were to leave Israel immediately. These 14 people were members of a "Doomsday cult" known as Concerned Christians, based out of Denver, Colorado. Their mission in Israel was, to destroy the mosques on Temple Mount, the most well-known and holiest of which is the Dome of the Rock, in the hope of instigating war between Jews and Muslims. This, they believe, would have brought on Armageddon and the return of Christ as spelled out in the Book of Revelation. (New, pp. 1,9) At a glance the people of this group, with a most misleading name, may seem crazy or unhinged. This is not the case, given what they believe. Putting yourself in their shoes, if you came to believe that the most important event that could happen was about to happen and that you personally could have something to do with it coming to immediate and glorious fruition, would you commit or attempt to commit these actions? It is obvious that the problem is the beliefs themselves, not the people.
The obvious question then is, how do we stop people like this from injuring and killing others in this way? Sam Harris offers a distinctly simple, yet blunt answer that many could agree with. He says, "I'm talking about religious faith, and specifically a style of thinking that takes the sting out of death…in geopolitical terms we want the sting in death. You know, we don't want groups of people well-armed who are not afraid to die." (Harris, The God Who Wasn't There) There it is, we stop these people by putting the sting back in death. What is the "sting" in death? Fear of dying; or to be more positive, the willingness to live. It is hard for many religious moderates and even some secularists to grasp the astounding notion that these people really do believe in what they say they do. As alluded to earlier, "if you really believe this stuff it is quite rational" to fly planes into buildings, attempt to blow up the Dome of the Rock, or convince 900 hundred people, included 300 children, to follow you to Guyana where they will die because you believe that it is what the creator of the universe wants you to do. (Harris, The God Who Wasn't There)
It should be obvious to the most casual observer that I am talking about beliefs. Beliefs, which, are separate from the people, that believe them; in other words, the beliefs exist apart from the believers. Therefore, it is necessary to challenge these beliefs, quit equating such challenges as attacks or affronts to the people who believe them. The remedy for this is unbridled conversation in a way that updates, revises, and maybe totally reforms religious ideas in a way that makes them more compatible with the continuation of our species.
Deadly Beliefs: End of Days, Rapture and Christian Zionism
"Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. "He will rule them with an iron scepter. He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty."
-Revelation 19:15
As briefly mentioned at the end of the previous section, there is a growing Millennialism movement within Christianity. However, that movement is not modern and has its roots in the 19th Century. John Nelson Darby (1800-1887), wasn't the originator of the Millennialism movement but he did contribute arguably of the most significant, popular and controversial ideas to the Movement, that of Dispensationalism. (Wills, pp. 358-359) The idea of Dispensationalism is fairly straightforward for a religious idea. It is an idea that states that "the two Testaments, Old and New, are separate and discontinuous such that they were "ruled by different prophetical systems-one of them past, Israel, under the law, with all past prophecies applying only to it; and one of them future, the church, with its prophecies not to move toward fulfillment until the church was taken up by God before the End of Time." (Wills, p. 359) This idea divided the future into dispensations which Darby named. The most important aspect of the End of Days of course are: the Tribulation (the final catastrophe) and the Millennium (the resolution, Christ's victory over Satan, which includes the Second-Coming and the Rapture). (Wills, p. 359) The Rapture though has become very popular recently, so popular in fact that popular fictional book series called "Left Behind", has been written on the idea and a website, http://www.raptureletters.com, was created for believers so that they could leave letters to their loved ones behind after they are taken up by Jesus Christ. The Rapture is the belief that those who are "saved" by Jesus Christ will be taken up into heaven prior to the Tribulation and the rule of the Anti-Christ. (Wills, p. 365) Those left behind, namely, unbelievers comprised of all non-Christians will be subject to the horror and agony that is to be until those unbelievers accept Christ as their savor. While this may seem to be a fringe belief, it is not. As mentioned earlier, 44% of Americans believe that this, the Rapture and the subsequent return of Jesus Christ, will happen sometime in the next 50 years. (Harris, Idea City '05) This belief has some significant geopolitical consequences.
The United States' support for Israel is as strong as ever. However, it is not hard to determine why our country would support a state like Israel in the first place. Christian Millennialism, as described above, gave rise to the support for Israel; a movement called Christian Zionism. This effect on foreign policy is due to in part by Jewish Zionist, those who actually had a significant stake in issue and by Christian Millennialists. Christian Millennialists "believe that the final consolidation of Jewish power in the Holy Land—specifically, the rebuilding of Solomon's temple—will usher in both the Second Coming of Christ and the final destruction of the Jews." (Harris, The End of Faith, p. 153) Though the creation of Israel falls more in the hands of the British than the U.S., it is clear that the decision was nonetheless influenced by Christian Millennialists/apocalypticists, like British preacher John Cummings author of the book The End, had great political and social influence at the time. (New, p. 33) Thus, it is, to quote Sam Harris, "transparently obvious" that the beliefs of Christian Millennialists/apocalypticists are having a significant and dangerous influence on public policy. What makes their influence dangerous is not the simple support for Israel but their motives for doing so. Therefore, it is necessary to stymie this movement whenever possible as it may add to the longevity of the human species.
Free speech is also becoming a victim of religious zealotry. Recently, Muslim nations of the United Nations have gotten a resolution passed saying "that defamation of religions is a serious affront to human dignity leading to restriction on the freedom of religion of their adherents and incitement to religious hatred and violence, Noting with concern that defamation of religions, and incitement to religious hatred in general, could lead to social disharmony and violations of human rights, and alarmed at the inaction of some States to combat this burgeoning trend and the resulting discriminatory practices against adherents of certain religions and in this context stressing the need to effectively combat defamation of all religions and incitement to religious hatred in general and against Islam and Muslims in particular." (Council, p. 2) This is a direct infringement of free speech that even moderates of all stripes are having a hard time supporting or even defending. This is encouraging, but the most vocal opposition in the United States to this resolution has been the secular/atheist movement. Notable activists have spoken out against this sort of restriction of free speech both before, Sam Harris, and after, Christopher Hitchens, its passing in the United Nations. What should be obvious is that religion, specifically Islam, is behind this deplorable attempt to restrict free speech. Given the principles and documents the United States of America is founded upon, we as a nation of free people should stand up against this encroachment of our liberty, reject the resolution, and resist its adoption.
Maintenance of Civilization
"I happen to think that how we deal with belief; how we criticize or fail the criticize the beliefs of other human beings, at this moment, has more to do with the maintenance of civilization than anything else that is in our power to influence"
-Sam Harris, Idea City 2005
Though I have touched on it somewhat in the preceding sections, I would now like to make explicit and emphasize the true and disturbing consequences of religion getting their way, both domestically and geopolitically. The fact of nuclear proliferation is undisputed and well known. The technology to carry such lethal violence to all parts of the world, regardless of location, has existed for decades and is now making its way to black markets and well-organized criminal undergrounds. Specifically and more frighteningly, in those places where people believe that if they kill themselves while taking many infidels with them, they will go to paradise and enjoy an eternity of cosmic splendor. We are, in reality, facing, as Bill Maher puts it in his movie Relgulous, a "religion-inspired nuclear terrorism". That is, of course, unless we quit lying to ourselves about the cause of this lunacy and put an end to unquestioned dogma.
With any problem however, there are generally two extreme outcomes: the worse and best case scenarios. Not trying to be a pessimist, Harris says, "How many years do we have to wait before we learn that Pakistan or Saudi Arabia or Iran or any other society, that still has its 7th century world-view intact, now has nukes that can reach any spot on the globe, maybe at best it will be 100 years. But it will take nowhere near that long. It would be magic if it took 100 years." (Harris, The God Who Wasn't There) Although he's not too specific, he's right. We know already that Pakistan has nukes, but lacks the delivery technology. However, it doesn't take that much of an imagination to figure out a way for people who long to die to deliver the nukes in a way that still kill untold millions without the need for such technology. This is the worst-case scenario. The best-case scenario is just as optimistic as the worst-case is pessimistic. We could have a world where all ideas, not only religious ideas, are free to be challenged, revised and updated. Where theocracies do not rule a single country and where our moral identities are not dependent on what we have learned to call god or not believe in a god. I am not advocating the complete destruction of religion here. I am merely advocating for the rational and respecting exchange of ideas so that we can live together in a world free of terrorism of any kind, be it nuclear or not. Since neither of these is likely to occur, we would obviously hope for something towards the middle of the two, but closer to the best-case scenario. With all this talk of the consequences, it seems that I am hard-pressed to offer solutions.
The solutions, alluded to and peppered throughout this work, are simple yet require long-term commitment.
- Eliminating taboos on public and private criticism of religion.
- Push for reforms in all major religions.
- Advance science and reason as the main modes of thought and discourse.
- Complete separation of church and state.
- Promote and advocate freedom of religion everywhere.
- Finally, learn to appreciate the value of lives of every human being.
Though this list is obviously not exhaustive and quite vague, I think it offers a road map to the future in which humanity survives its religious adolescence.
"The hour is getting very late to be able to indulge having in key decisions made by religious people. By irrationalists. By those who would steer the ship of state not by a compass, but by the equivalent of reading the entrails of a chicken."
-Bill Maher, Religious
Since the dawn of man, men have looked to the stars for guidance. When the stars were silent, they invented gods, thought wishfully, and believed in magic. This is completely rational given their lack of knowledge about the world around them and who are we to judge from our lofty perch on the precipice of the 21st century? But now that we have past that age, it still has not occurred to a great many of us that there is a third option apart from asking the stars or inventing gods. That option is to talk to each other. Conversation about our ideas, hopes, dreams, beliefs and aspirations. We need to begin a journey through the ages as one species and not identify ourselves merely as Christians, Jews, Muslims, atheists, Hindus or Buddhists. Nor should we identify ourselves by the imaginary lines we draw in the sand to separate ourselves from one another. The hour is late to indulge in such things, all of which now threaten our very existence more than any celestial body or virus. I will end how I began this conclusion, with a quote from Bill Maher:
"The irony of religion is that because of its power to divert man to destructive courses, the world could actually come to an end… Plain fact is, religion must die for mankind to live. The hour is getting very late to be able to indulge in having key decisions made by religious people. By irrationalists. By those who would steer the ship of state not by a compass, but by the equivalent of reading the entrails of a chicken…Faith means making a virtue out of not thinking. It's nothing to brag about. And those who preach faith and enable and elevate it are intellectual slaveholders keeping mankind in a bondage to fantasy and nonsense that has spawned and justified so much lunacy and destruction. Religion is dangerous because it allows human beings who don't have all the answers to think that they do. Most people would think it's wonderful when someone says, "I'm willing, Lord! I'll do whatever you want me to do!" Except that since there are no gods actually talking to us, that void is filled in by people with their own corruptions and limitations and agendas… The only appropriate attitude for man to have about the big questions is not the arrogant certitude that is the hallmark of religion, but doubt. Doubt is humble, and that's what man needs to be, considering that human history is just a litany of getting shit dead wrong…This is why rational people, anti-religionists, must end their timidity and come out of the closet and assert themselves. And those who consider themselves only moderately religious really need to look in the mirror and realize that the solace and comfort that religion brings you comes at a horrible price…If you belonged to a political party or a social club that was tied to as much bigotry, misogyny, homophobia, violence, and sheer ignorance as religion is, you'd resign in protest. To do otherwise is to be an enabler, a mafia wife, for the true devils of extremism that draw their legitimacy from the billions of their fellow travelers. If the world does come to an end here, or wherever, or if it limps into the future, decimated by the effects of religion-inspired nuclear terrorism, let's remember what the real problem was. We learned how to precipitate mass death before we got past the neurological disorder of wishing for it.-Bill Maher, Religulous (Emphasis added).
The Qur'an. (2005). (A. Y. Ali, Trans.) New York: Tahrike Tarsile Qur'an Inc.
Council, T. H. (2009, March 12). U.N. Human Rights Council Resolution Combating Defamation of Religions. United Nations.
Forrest, B. (2009). Louisiana Coalition for Science. Retrieved April 14, 2009, from http://lasciencecoalition.org/
N/A (Director). (2005). Idea City '05 [Motion Picture]. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3YOIImOoYM.
Harris, S. (2006, 2008). Letter to a Christian Nation. New York: Random House.
Harris, S. (2005). The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.
Harris, S. (2005). The God Who Wasn't There. (B. Flemming, Interviewer)
International Bible Society. (2008, April 27). Bible Gateway. Retrieved April 27, 2008, from Bible Gateway: http://www.biblegateway.com/
New, D. S. (2002). Holy War: The Rise of Militant Christian, Jewish and Islamic Fundamentalism. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers.
Wills, G. (2007). Head and Heart: A History of Christianity in America. New York: Penquin Group Inc.
[1] The full text of this act can be accessed at http://www.legis.state.la.us/billdata/streamdocument.asp?did=503483
[2] In Sam Harris' book, Letter to a Christian Nation his intended audience is Christians of a particular ilk. Thus, the word Christian was used to replace the phrase "your religious" since the quote would not make sense in the second person.
[3] Not all percentages sum to 100.
[4] Ironically, this comes only 20 verses after the famous John 3:16, touted by Christians as evidence of God's/Jesus' love for us.
[5] The website for Fred Phelps's Westboro Baptist Church is: http://www.godhatesfags.com/index.html


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19 Sandwiches in NYC That Bring the Heat
A little kick can turn an alright sandwich into a great one. Be it a swipe of harissa, a topping of pickled peppers, or a dose of chilies cooked down with meat or cheese, spice adds balance and highlights that may otherwise be missing.
When we think about spiced-up sandwiches, we're not looking for those that blow our faces off with heat. Rather, we're after subtle and smart uses of chilies and hot spices that tickle our tongues and send us back for our bite.
Okay, and sometimes we want to blow our faces off, too.
So here are our picks for 19 sandwiches that bring a little heat along for the ride. See them all in the slideshow above or jump straight to what looks tastiest below.
- ProZack at Shopsins ($17)
- Chile Relleno Torta at Tacos Morelos ($5)
- Harissa Honey Roasted Chicken at The Smile ($11.50)
- Okra Roll at Thelewala ($5)
- Spicy Buradi Kati Roll at Biryani Cart ($3)
- Spicy Chopped Cheese at Uni One Gourmet Deli ($4)
- Pambazo Torta at El Mariachi ($8)
- Lam'bretta at Xe Máy Sandwich Shop ($6.50)
- Lamb Bhuna Kati at Desi Galli ($5.99)
- Spicy Rizzak at Tiny's Giant Sandwich Shop ($8.25)
- Spicy Sausage Laffa at Olympic Pita ($11.95)
- 109 Spicy Special at West 109 Gourmet Deli ($4)
- Paneer Tikka Sandwich at Usha Foods & Sweets ($5)
- Roast Pork Club at Dominique Ansel Bakery ($12)
- Gouda Grilled Cheese at Queens Kickshaw ($10)
- Lamb Burger at Xi'an Famous Foods ($3)
- Cemita from Estrellita Poblana III ($6.50)
- Spicy Falafel at Taim ($6.25)
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