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Annual Thanksgiving Celebration of Giving Thanks [2017]
Nov 22nd, 2017 by wordswithnerds
It's that special time of year, when Craig and John kick off the holiday season with their special #Thanksgiving episode! Along the way, they review #JusticeLeague and then express all the things they treasure about people, #StarWars, #StarTrek, #Technology, #MarvelComics, #DCCComics, and #HashtagOveruse.
Words With Nerds is available on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, or through your podcast app of choice. Interact with the show on twitter at @nerdswords. You can reach the show hosts directly at @kesseljunkie (John) and @craigsorrell (Craig).
But why let Twitter have all the fun? Interact with the boys on Facebook at facebook.com/WordsWithNerds. You can also call them on their own Nerd Line at 571-308-NERD.
Help the show: Visit our sponsors LootCrate at www.lootcrate.com/wordswithnerds and enter wordswithnerds at checkout to get receive a discount on your purchase.
Want delicious pre-cooked meals delivered to your door (LIKE A KING!,) check out our sponsor www.mealtimebox.com . Delicious meals delivered to you, no cooking, no hassle, no trouble. Dinner is served! enter NERDS at checkout for a 15% discount for this amazing service.


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Inside the Music: Picture Perfect
Discover more about classical music with our new video series and interactive programme notes.
Music by kind permission of Naxos Records
A grand Russian finale to Colston Hall's classical season
The Moscow Philharmonic bring music of their homeland to the stage, kicking off with Shostakovich's blistering Festival Overture, and Rachmaninov's magnificent, huge Third Piano Concerto, evoking the ancient chants of the Russian orthodox church. Written at the same time as his Symphony No. 2, the concerto is wildly romantic – and fiercely difficult. Mussorgsky 's Pictures at an Exhibition is a highly coloured musical guide through ten pictures by one of the composer's great friends, the artist Victor Hartmann. Originally written for the piano, French composer Ravel's arrangement for orchestra is a rich, dramatic adventure.
10 things you didn't know about… Shostakovich
- Shostakovich was something of an obsessive, regularly synchronizing the clocks around his home and sending himself letters to test the efficiency of the postal service.
- He loved football, supported Zenit Leningrad and was even a qualified referee. He wrote a ballet called 'The Golden Age' about a team that falls foul of a match rigging scandal.
- The Russian composer wrote more than 35 film scores including those for The Gadfly and the science-fiction silent film Aelita: Queen of Mars for which Shostakovich also played the piano.
- Shostakovich's Symphony No. 7 'Leningrad' was written in response to the terrible events of the city's siege by the Nazis and their allies from 1941 until 1944.
- But the symphony was actually premiered in Kuibyshev in 1942 and then in London, the score having been smuggled out of Russian on microfilm.
- The same year, Shostakovich appeared dressed as a fireman on the cover of Time magazine – the composer had helped fight the flames on the roof of the Leningrad Conservatoire that had been lit by German incendiary bombs.
- In the 1960s, Shostakovich became good friends with Benjamin Britten, who conducted his Symphony No. 14 in Aldeburgh.
- In 1928, he wrote an opera called The Nose, about a St Petersburg official whose nose, having become detached from his face, starts leading a life of its own.
- Stalin came to see Shostakovich's 1930 opera Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District, but left halfway through. The following day, an article in the Soviet newspaper Pravda accused the composer of writing 'chaos instead of music'.
- The composer's 1926 Symphony No. 1 is actually his graduation piece, written at the age of just 19.
VIDEO: Oliver Condy on Rachmaninov
VIDEO: Jonathan James on Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition
Listen out for… 5 key moments
- Shostakovich – Festival Overture
In the last two minutes, brass, woodwind and timpani combine for an explosive finish.
- Rachmaninov – Piano Concerto No. 3, first movement
Rachmaninov possessed the largest hands of any pianist, and the first movement's three-minute cadenza, at just over ten minutes in, is devastatingly difficult for any pianist. But it's also incredibly beautiful.
- Rachmaninov – Piano Concerto No. 3, final movement
In the final few minutes of the concerto, the piano and orchestra join together in one last celebration of the movement's principal melody – the most glorious ending to any piano concerto. The work ends in a flurry of piano octaves, full orchestra and thundering percussion.
- Mussorgsky – Pictures at an Exhibition, Samuel Goldenberg and Schmuÿle
A Jewish-influenced melody begins the movement 'Samuel Goldenberg and Schmuÿle', characters described as 'Two Polish Jews, Rich and Poor'. Listen for the mournful, high-pitched bleating on muted trumpets around 45 seconds in that represents the poor Jew.
- Mussorgsky – Pictures at an Exhibition, The Great Gate of Kiev
The final painting in Mussorgsky 's journey through the exhibition is a grand statement of the Promenade theme played by full orchestra – it's a hymn to the great city that was once the capital of the Russian empire. At around two minutes into the movement, the orchestra mimics the tolling of the city's great cathedral bells.
Painting with the piano
Mussorgsky originally wrote his 1874 Pictures at an Exhibition as a piano suite, in memory of his friend, the artist Viktor Hartmann, who had died not long after an exhibition of his paintings. It's the composer's only piano masterpiece, in fact, although the irony is that it's perhaps better known in its arrangement by the French composer Maurice Ravel which you'll hear performed in this concert. For his musical memorial, Mussorgsky selected nine paintings by Hartmann, plus one given to him by the artist, to make up his musical display, each interspersed by a brief 'Promenade' as gallery visitors work their way from picture to picture. The paintings – and the music – are teeming with variety, with subjects ranging from children playing in Paris's Tuileries Gardens and a market in Limoges, to a portrait of unhatched chicks (which were actually sketches of the set design for a ballet) and the mighty Great Gate of Kiev, Hartmann's design for a new entrance into Russia's former capital city. The music itself is abundantly descriptive and lends itself well to orchestration: Ravel uses heavy brass with dragging strings to paint the picture of cattle pulling a Polish cart on enormous wheels, while frantic oboe, muted trumpet and pizzicato strings conjure up a couple of French women quarrelling in a market. For the final picture, the Great Gate of Kiev, Mussorgsky takes the main Promenade theme and presents it as if it were a hymn, the solidness of the music reflecting the strength and power of the gates.
Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 3 was written at a time when music seemed to be getting 'bigger' – Mahler's gargantuan symphonies were challenging orchestras both technically and in terms of sheer scale, and Russian composer Scriabin was calling for larger and larger ensembles for his ambitious orchestral works – it's not uncommon to see a pipe organ and large bells in his scores. Rachmaninov's response was to pit the might of the modern piano against a huge symphony orchestra, in a work that lasts up to 45 minutes. Intended to be performed at his American debut concert with New York Philharmonic (conducted by Mahler), the piece is strongly melodic, Rachmaninov using his opening, Russian Orthodox-influenced theme as a motif throughout the rest of the concerto. From the start, the pianist never lets up, the first movement cadenza an explosive, blurry mix of Romantic and Impressionistic writing. The second movement features deeply passionate writing reminiscent of his Second Piano Concerto, while the third movement begins as it means to go on, with music of great energy and vitality. At its heart lies one of the most sumptuous melodies in all Rachmaninov's output.
The concert kicks off in style with Shostakovich's effervescent, joyful Festival Overture, written in 1954 to commemorate the 37th anniversary of the October Revolution.
Further listening
Rachmaninov – Piano Concerto No. 2
The Second is the concerto that made Rachmaninov's name after an agonising period of writer's block – and it's still his most beloved. Brimful with melodies and rich textures, it's a feast for the ears.
Recommended recording: Simon Trpceski (piano), Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra/Vasily Petrenko (Avie AV2192)
Mussorgsky – Songs and Dances of Death
A darker side to the Russian composer – four remarkable, intense depictions of death for bass voice and piano written in the mid-1870s, to poems by Arseny Golenishchev-Kutuzov.
Recommended recording: Dmitri Hvorostovsky (baritone), Ivari Ilja (piano) (Ondine ODE12162)
Words by Oliver Condy

subset: commoncrawl


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Angle grinders are a handheld tool that use a rotating disc for cutting, grinding and polishing. Cordless angle grinders can be either petrol or battery operated, and have the advantage of full portability and mobility unrestricted by the need for a power point or generator. As such, cordless grinders are commonly used on construction sites for anything from cutting tiles and slabs, to reshaping metal.
The RS Components range of cordless angle grinders offers reliable models from trusted brands, such as Bosch, DeWalt and Makita.
Which Cordless Angle Grinder?
When considering which cordless angle grinder to buy, it is important to consider your intended applications and the capabilities of the tool.
The first consideration is which disc size the angle grinder is capable of carrying. Larger discs are typically used for heavy duty applications, with smaller discs used for finer work. Usually, there are discs specifically suited to cutting applications, and discs suited to abrasive applications.
Another consideration is the maximum no load speed of the grinder. This is important, as it must match the capabilities of your disc. Using the wrong disc at the wrong speed can not only put undue stress on your angle grinder, but may result in personal injury.
Why Go Cordless?
The principal advantage of a cordless grinder is its mobility. Grinders are versatile tools, and as such benefit from being as portable as possible. Though they may not have the same maximum power as corded versions, or sustain that power as readily, cordless grinders do not have to be tethered to a power point and are easier to store.
For heavy duty applications, petrol powered angle grinders are often used. However, grinders powered by li-ion batteries are considered safer, more manageable, and suited to more intricate work
Safe Operation of Your Cordless Angle Grinder
Cordless grinders are designed for two handed operation, with a steadying side handle and guard to protect from shrapnel and sparks that may be thrown up from the disc grinding on a surface. Whether youre cutting or grinding, be sure you are holding the tool with both hands at all times.
As well as making sure you have the correct size disc for your grinder, and the correct type of disc for the materials you are working on, you should also always inspect your disc for damage before use.
As with most power tools, appropriate PPE should be used when operating an angle grinder.


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(Left to Right) Councillor Lawrence Andruchiw (Ward 6), Councillor Willis Fitzsimmons (Ward 5), Deputy Reeve Kristen Smith (Ward 3), Reeve Alvin Hubert (Ward 2), Councillor John Moen (Ward 7), Councillor Ken Titford (Ward 1), Councillor Ed Armagost (Ward 4).
Photo by Corry Heinricks
Welcome from the Reeve
On behalf of Saddle Hills County Council I would like to welcome you to our website and thank you for your interest.Together with administration we are diligently working to provide quality services for our residents and ratepayers. Since becoming a county in 1995, we have been able to improve our County's infrastructure and increase service levels while maintaining tax advantages. We will aim to continue to preserve the Saddle Hills way of life and improve services in order to ensure a bright and prosperous future.
Once again, thank you for your visit and should you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact myself, any member of council or administration.
Reeve Alvin Hubert
Saddle Hills Council meets regularly to discuss and decide upon matters of relevance to to County residents, businesses and industry according to the Alberta Municipal Government Act.
Similar to most Alberta municipalities, Saddle Hills County provides services and operations as determined by policies, priorities and programs established by the elected Council.
Council is responsible for providing overall governance for our community including establishing municipal service levels, approving the annual budget and local taxation levels. Council has seven members and is headed by the Reeve. The Reeve is the Chief Elected Officer (CEO) and is elected from within Council. It is the Reeve's responsibility to chair all Council meetings and speak on behalf of Council and the community
Council provides direction to its Administration through the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO). The CAO is responsible for the overall administration of the County and for advising and making recommendations to Council on matters concerning the municipality.
Wish to appear as a delegation at a council meeting? Please fill out the following delegation form and return it to the Saddle Hills County Complex: Application to appear as a delegation.


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The competition is open to anyone, amateur or professional, of any age and nationality.
The entry fee is € 30,00 for each participant: payment online with Paypal, bank transfer or cash to be attached with the entry form and the list of image.
Uploaded images can be deleted or replaced until the 5th day after the registration deadline.
3 - Accepted images.
We accept a maximum total of 30 images subdivided among all the biomes with maximum of 10 images for each biome. Every biome is subdivided in six categories. You can upload a maximum of 5 images for each category.
Type of file:
a) Digital images from scanned slides, in minimum size of 4.000 px or larger. The jury reserves the right to request the original slide for winning submission. Should the original not made available, the submission will be disqualified.
b) Digital images RAW + TIFF / JPEG of high quality. Digital editing is only acceptable if limited to minor cleaning work, levels, curves, colour, saturation and contrast work. The faithful representation of what you saw at the time of the shot must be maintained. Compositing and multiple exposures are not allowed. It is allowed to create a panoramic image file type by combining two or more files.
Light sharpening is allowed. A crop of up to 20% per side is allowed. For the "Landscapes" category only, the crop is allowed up to a maximum of 40% for the short side and a maximum of 20% for the long side.. Keep in mind that the final size of the file must be enough for a good print of 100cm X 70cm.
The original capture as it was recorded by the camera with no manipulation applied RAW or DNG will be requested, under penalty of disqualification, including those that compose the "stich".
All the rights of the photos must be of author's property, without bond of agency or publisher.
The organizers reserves the right to publish the winning and commended images in its magazine, in the photographic book, on the web site, or in possible promotional folders and calendars or to display them in photographic exposition, concerning the competition and, if the organizers deem it necessary, mentioning the author's name of the images.
There will be a pre-selection of the images by a commission charged by the organizers.
Winners and commended photographers will be notified in June 2019. The results will be published by July 2019.
All entries are sent at the photographer's risk. Images submitted in CD/DVD format will not be returned.
• • •
New Deadline: April 04, 2019


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Hey guys, pay attention!
Our Early Access program for next Zend Server entered the second stage. What's so special about it? First of all it is on PHP 7.2. Secondly, and for the first time, we support Apache FPM on Linux! I know some of you have been waiting for that for some time now. Other than that it has cool new features like: Selective Deployment (for AB testing), Multi VHosts per app (e.g. secured and non secured), improved Data and Page Cache with Pulse insights, Deployment on IIS, Job Queue for CLI scripts and many more. Interested? Register and get a link for downloads: https://goo.gl/forms/kyWzYEFPU5pRd3MT2
IBMI users - contact me directly for details.
Join the second stage of Zend Serer 2018.1 Early Access!
General discussion forum for the Zend Server
Post Reply
5 posts • Page 1 of 1
- MickeyZend
- Zend Product Manager
- Posts: 118
- Joined: Mon Aug 19, 2013 1:34 pm
- Location: Israel
Re: Join the second stage of Zend Serer 2018.1 Early Access!
Very good way of presentation of the topic.I am so glad to see this.Thank you for sharing.
Post Reply
5 posts • Page 1 of 1


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Single-Mode ON-Delay Industrial Timer comes in compact package.
Press Release Summary:
Accepting 110 Vac (50 or 60 Hz) supply voltage, single-function Model 175SO-110 has low-profile (17.5 mm), DIN rail-mount housing and provides timing control within OEM and industrial applications. UL-listed and CE-certified product features 5 A SPDT relay output contact configuration, LED indication, and 10 unique, user-selectable time ranges that can be selected from 0.1 sec to 3 hr. Time range and scale are configurable via front facing knobs.
Original Press Release:
Automatic Timing & Controls Introduces Low-Cost, Space Saving Single Function ON-Delay Industrial Timer
Newell, West Virginia, USA — Automatic Timing & Controls, a division of the Marsh Bellofram Group of Companies (www.marshbellofram.com) has introduced the new Model 175SO-110, a highly compact, low-cost, single function ON-delay DIN rail mount industrial timer, designed to provide high-accuracy timing control within OEM and industrial applications, particularly where installation space may be at a premium.
With a low-profile, space saving DIN-rail mounted outer housing design measuring just 17.5 millimeters, the Model 175SO-110 single-mode industrial timer features a 5 amp SPDT relay output contact configuration, LED indication and ten unique user-selectable time ranges that can be selected from 0.1 seconds up to 3 hours. The timers also feature a 110 VAC (50 or 60 Hz) supply voltage. The unit is easily configured for time range and scale setting via its front facing knobs. The Model 175SO-110 is UL also listed and CE certified.
With its compact design and exceptional performance reliability at a relatively low cost, the Automatic Timing & Controls Model 175SO-110 is ideal for OEM equipment, packaging and plastics machinery, industrial equipment control, material handling, conveyor systems control, motor and pump control, and various process industry applications. Units may also be used as lower-profile drop-in replacements for virtually any DIN rail mount 110 VAC ON-delay single-mode industrial timing applications.
For more information regarding the Model 175SO-110 or other industrial timing products available from the Automatic Timing & Controls division of Marsh Bellofram Corporation, contact the company toll-free at 1-800-727-5646, via email at firstname.lastname@example.com, or visit www.marshbellofram.com/automatic-timing-controls/.


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The #ZTEAxon can now be yours for a miserly $169.99 courtesy of a deal running on eBay. The listing has been put up by fellow retailer Newegg, so you can be assured that you're getting it from a well known source. The handset is brand new and comes with a North American warranty, which means you're not dealing with an imported item.
Given the nature of the deal, it's likely that the pricing might not stay up long, so make sure you proceed with haste if you're interested in snatching up the ZTE Axon for yourself. To refresh your memory of its specs, the Axon sports a 5.5-inch 1080p display, a quad-core Snapdragon 801 SoC, a 13-megapixel + 2-megapixel Duo Camera on the back, an 8-megapixel front camera, 32GB of storage, 2GB of RAM, Android 5.1 Lollipop and a 3,000 mAh battery.
Interested? Hit the link below for more details.


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52 hearty surprises for Enugu people
Those who have keenly followed the activities of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi since he assumed duties as the state's chief executive have been inundated with surprises with the turn of events. They have come face-to-face with some native wisdoms, which some construe, or misconstrue as studied art of manoeuvring, intractable logic, constructive engagement to disarm the opponent, among other interpretations.
These conjectures are part of the growing surprises in the minds of those who had taken the governor's quiet and taciturn mien before he assumed office as a weakness from the point of view of inability to express himself or navigate through entwined political situations required of a governor's status. As he celebrates his 52nd birthday on Sunday, March 20, both his admirers and supposed detractors cannot but concede that the man has clearly shown astuteness in handling state craft.
A good number of cursory observers had erroneously thought that Ugwuanyi's philanthropic pedigree, which has made him a lavish giver as a private person presupposed that he would squander, or mismanage the resources of Enugu state. These people now have been shocked when they come face-to-face with the utmost frugality exhibited by the governor in all his official dealings. The realisation is that although the governor's acts of kindness reverberate among the needy, but handles all financial matters of the state with the kind of deliberate detailed disposition that underlines his consciousness of public accountability and public interest. This marvels his observers.
It has also become a common feature among his close observers that in government, Ugwuanyi has become quintessential in the art of words-engineering while holding engagements with the endless streams of visitors- diplomats, frontline leaders, business groups, investors, among various stakeholder groups- that have interfaced with him, especially at the Government House, Enugu.
Being involved in his administration has really become a school of life experience and adherence to a service mode that demands self denials, especially when it comes to the demands of extra man-hours in a bid to meet up with the amazing bundle of energies that are lurked in the governor's elements. The leader who has been bestriding the coal city state's seat of power with his now famous bag filled with native wisdom is certainly blazing the trail as he marks his 52nd birthday today Sunday, March 20. It is therefore not for nothing that his close working associates, who should know, have things to say about him; and on his birthday.
Excerpts from some of the outpouring of goodwill messages for him corroborate these views.
Secretary to the state government, Gabriel Ajah, mni, writing on behalf of the members of the state executive council said the governor has a deep and unassailable character that goes to cap his equally deep love for the people he governs.
In their separate comments, commissioner for environment, Amb. Fidel Ayogu, commissioner for education, Prof. Uche Eze and the Special Adviser on Education, Dr. Sam Ugwu, pointed out that it was a most fulfilling experience working with a governor of the character of Ugwuanyi whom they agreed fits most appropriately into the position of piloting the affairs of the state at these very hard times.
Accountant general of the state, Mr. Pascal Okolie, noted that "he is a man of the people, three-time active member of the House of Representatives, a governor that ensures the payment, training and promotion of workers in spite of the dwindling resources, a willing servant of the people who insists on providing infrastructures that enhance the well-being of Enugu state nay Nigeria as evidenced in the number of roads being rehabilitated/built, improved security services and social services".
• Abugu, chief press secretary to Governor Ugwuanyi wrote from Enugu State
Addressing the governor on behalf of the management and staff of the Enugu State Polytechnic, Iwollo, the rector, Dr. Moses Okonkwo, brought to the bare some of the surprises Governor Ugwuanyi has thrown up in his strides as governor. In their birthday message, observing that the governor is a team player "and your team mentoring initiatives are exceptional."
Similar exhortations came from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism in the state, the chairman of the state Local Government Service Commission, Chukwuemeka Nwatu, who was impressed about the governor's ability to pay salaries on the 25th of every month in spite of the present very crunchy economic situation; as well as being a prudent manager of scarce resources.
Today is certainly the governor's happy day. How long the happiness and fulfilment last depends on how much he is able to put smiles on the face of his people of Enugu State. Considering the many rivers to cross, the challenge is daunting; but Governor Ugwuanyi's resolve to succeed is equally unflinching.
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Unwanted intruders will often choose a garage door as an entry point for mischief and mayhem because it is more discreet than the front door and more accessible than a back door. Garage doors also make it easier to sneak inside the house unnoticed, especially since most people fail to lock the door connecting the garage to the house.
Perfect Solutions Garage Door wants to help our customers stay safe and secure, which is why we are positing these five essential tips for better garage door security.
1. Lock the Inside Door
It may take away from the convenience factor for your family, since they will need to unlock the door to get inside and out, but it will also make the entryway less convenient for an intruder. You can hang up a key to that particular door on the inside of the house, so your family can bring it with them if they plan on traveling in and out of the house through the garage door. For greater security, you should have an alarm on both the garage door and the interior door to your home.
2. Shut the Garage Door
Hopefully you already keep the garage door shut when you are not home or sleeping, but you should also keep it shut when you are doing work around the house, even if you are outside. An open garage is an advertisement to thieves of what you have inside that they might want to take. They could drive by during the day and see your fancy car, expensive toys, and high-tech equipment and then decide that it is worth a return visit when you're not home to protect your belongings.
3. Keep it Well-lit
Perfect Solutions Garage Door encourages all of our customers to purchase spotlighting and an interior lighting system. Intruders prefer to work in the dark, and security lighting will make it difficult for them to do their dirty work.
4. Upgrade Your Garage Door Opener
Today's modern garage door openers have incredible new security features that thieves haven't figured out how to crack, like rolling code entry systems. It may be worth it to get an upgrade if your system is more than five years old.
5. Don't Leave the Remote in Your Car
Most modern garage door openers will come with a remote control access feature that can be hooked onto your keychain. This is much safer than the older version that hung from your car's visor. You should protect your garage door remote the same way you protect your house key.
Perfect Solutions Garage Door can help with the installation of a new garage door opener or any other garage door security features that will help make you and your family feel more protected.


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Did you feel cheated by the idea that help to do our duty comes from doing it? It's like a greeting card my college roommate sent once: "My cookbook tells me if I don't have an egg, I can substitute two egg whites . . . I don't think my cookbook understands my problems." What if we haven't an egg when it comes to duty? Starting to do it (whatever it is) would perhaps prove helpful but that's the trouble.
Then it's time to have a look at the heart. Like the father in Proverbs admonishes his son, "Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life" (Proverbs 4:23), the life we live is the outworking of the heart we tend. And if, as Jesus said, "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks" (Luke 6:45) then surely from that same source the feet tread (or don't tread) doggedly on. When it becomes hard to do my duty, I learn something about my heart. . .
I am a stay-at-home mom. There are days when I am at home in my job, rocking the comfortable clothes and cuddles and cookies in the oven. But there are days (or perhaps times in each day) when it's sheer hard work. It's constant interruptions (even the interruptions are interrupted). Sometimes it can seem like an endless round of thankless menial tasks. A precious friend of mine, a wiser woman than I, once described motherhood in a comment on this blog as a series of deaths to self. (My Self wants to write this right now. My Self has been interrupted by my Duty (and his big sisters and his baby brother) seventeen times since I started this paragraph.)
I have those moments where, suddenly, I don't want to be here right now. I don't want to do this (whatever it is). I'll start feeling like I'd rather have my husband's job (there's peace and quiet in his office) or my neighbor's (her kids go to school, she goes to Starbucks). This is when questions like these start to rise inside us: Is what I'm doing even important? Do I add any value here? Or the smoke-screened version: Are my gifts really being utilized?
In these moments we need to take our hearts by the throat and look them in the face. However blessed I am, however much I may enjoy some of my duty some of the time, if my heart is not quieted, submitting to God, "duty" does become synonymous with "burden".
Years ago I stumbled on this matchless quote by Elisabeth Elliot: "This job has been given me to do. Therefore it is a gift. Therefore it is a privilege. Therefore it is an offering I may make to God. Therefore, it is to be done gladly, if it is done for him. Here, not somewhere else, I may learn God's way. In this job, not in some other, God looks for faithfulness." She nails me to the wall with "not in some other". It isn't rocket science to figure out what duties God is giving me to be faithful in today (they are right in front of me).
We are helped in our duty by quieting our hearts. What is a quiet heart? In the words of Jeremiah Burroughs, "A [quiet heart] is opposed to an unsettled and unstable spirit, whereby the heart is distracted from the present duty that God requires in our relationships; towards God, ourselves, and others" (from The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment, 1648).
The "God of seeing" (Genesis 16:13) knows where I am. He "prepared beforehand" the duties he created me to do (Ephesians 2:10). I can rest my heart in the knowledge that I am not doing the choosing. A last word from Elisabeth Elliot: "God is God. Because he is God, he is worthy of my trust and obedience. I will find rest nowhere but in his holy will that is unspeakably beyond my largest notions of what he is up to."


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Here's the dirty little secret about political fundraising: nobody likes it. Donors don't, at least where large contributions are still allowed and therefore expected. Bank presidents used to complain — privately — about the annual visit from federal party bagmen: "All the other banks have given. You wouldn't want to be the odd man out, would you?"
Politicians don't much care for it, either: all that phoning and meeting and generally importuning, when they could be degrading themselves in more useful ways. But let's face it, there's a reason it's expected of them. They're the draw — not so much because of who they are as what they are, people who can make things happen. You think people are dropping $1,500 to have dinner with Bill Morneau because of his personality?
Just now this duty must be especially unpleasant, with the press up in arms about so-called "pay-to-play" fundraisers: usually private, usually featuring a prominent cabinet minister, usually attended by people with a particular interest in the minister's opinion of them and their issues, usually promoted as an opportunity to bend the minister's ear — and usually charging a stiff price for it.
The issue first arose in British Columbia and Ontario, where political contributions until now have been all but unregulated. Lately it has spread to federal politics, with news that Liberal cabinet ministers have been the guests of honour at ritzy private fundraisers. The numbers, to be sure, are smaller at the federal level, where corporate donations are banned and individual contributions capped at $1,500.
But the principle remains the same. Whether money changes minds as easily as it changes hands or not, it's a chance to press their case that isn't open to those without that sort of dough. If it isn't influence peddling, it looks enough like it to leave people wondering.
Such has been the uproar over to pay-to-play that people have started putting forward some quite radical solutions. The Wynne government in Ontario, until months ago an enthusiastic advocate of the practice, now proposes to ban not just ministers, but all members of the legislature from attending fundraisers.
Some would go even further: banning private money altogether, and funding parties entirely from the public purse; or banning television advertising, as they do in Britain. My own proposals will therefore seem moderate by comparison.
I can't see how you could ban advertising, under the Charter: even assuming it had any effect on the parties' insatiable demand for funds it could hardly be enough to justify such a massive incursion on free speech. Outlawing private donations might be nearer the mark, were the alternative — public funding — not so much worse.
Sure, it's annoying to have the parties constantly hitting us up for money, but that's the price of freedom. Far worse that they should just be able to take it from us, even where their policies and beliefs were repugnant to us. (As indeed they do now. The federal per-vote subsidy may no longer be with us, but parties still benefit from astonishingly generous tax credits on donations, while candidates have much of their expenses reimbursed from public funds.) You want to see entitlement? Imagine a political class on the public dole, in perpetuity.
Where the reformers have it right is that politics doesn't need to be nearly as expensive as it is now. I've argued before for junking limits on individual donations in favour of a global annual personal contribution limit: how the contributor chose to divvy this up between parties, candidates and third-party groups would be up to him. That would be enough to achieve a rough equality between citizens in their capacity to influence the debate, which is the only type of equality we should be concerned with.
But to make that equality real, the overall limit would have to be relatively small: not $10,000, or $5,000, but maybe $500. And the more one thinks about it, the more it becomes evident that it should be. There's simply no good reason to spend anything like current amounts, in an age when the cost of communicating with large numbers of people is converging on zero.
The main reason parties spend so much is because the other guys do. At best, they mostly cancel each other out. At worst, they spew a kind of pollution: attack ads, push polls and the like. Not only could we get by with a whole lot less of that, we'd probably be better informed in the bargain.
The other thing the reformers have right: there's no good reason parties have to raise funds in the way they do now, by selling tickets to dinners and such. While I wouldn't want to make taxpayers pick up the tab, that doesn't mean the income tax system couldn't be used as the vehicle for collecting voluntary private donations. That one-time annual contribution, forwarded anonymously to the parties, would be the only source of funds permitted: no tax credits, no reimbursements, and no $1,500-a-plate dinners, with or without ministers present.
Absolutely nothing of value would be lost under such a regime. Parties could still get together socially. They just couldn't use the occasions to fill their coffers with (tax-credited) cash. People could still buttonhole ministers to tell them their problems. They just couldn't use their superior financial means to buy their way to the front of the line. Political contributions would then be much as Bill Clinton famously wished abortion should be: safe, legal and rare.


text: Andrew - Thanks for providing a timely opportunity for the following S.S.P. (shameless self-promotion). While my new book, "Peers, Pirates, and Persuasion: Rhetoric in the Peer-to-Peer Debates" does not directly address the subterranean groups who are now ripping and circulating files via P2P networks, it DOES feature chapters on the use of the terms "piracy" and "hacking/cracking" to describe P2P file transfers. The text is available for free download at: http://www.parlorpress.com/logie.html . . . thanks to my 21st-Century-forward-thinking publisher's approach to copyright (that's Parlor Press). The eBook circulates under a Creative Commons license, so you can print it out or post it on your own favorite P2P network, and we won't sue. (Also can be purchased between covers via the big river.) I hope it is helpful to you or anyone else who happens to be reading. Best, John Logie Associate Professor of Rhetoric University of Minnesota On Feb 8, 2007, at 9:13 AM, Andrew Whelan wrote: > Dear all, > > I am researching the groups who 'rip' commercial CDs and vinyl for > peer-to-peer distribution and wondered if anyone had come across > any reading > on this phenomena. The only article I have been able to find > addressing this > subject specifically is: > > > > Cooper, Jon, and Daniel Harrison. 2001. "The social organization of > audio > piracy on the Internet." *Media, Culture and Society* vol. 23, no. > 1, pp. > 71-89. > > > > Any suggestions as to material, especially on audio, or film > 'rippers', or > indeed software 'cracker' groups, would be very much appreciated. > > Best wishes, > > Andrew Whelan > _______________________________________________ > The air-l at listserv.aoir.org mailing list > is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers http://aoir.org > Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at: http:// > listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org > > Join the Association of Internet Researchers: > http://www.aoir.org/


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This thesis deals with the numerical study of multiscale problems arising in the modelling of processes of the flow of fluid in plain and porous media. Many of these processes, governed by partial differential equations, are relevant in engineering, industry, and environmental studies. The overall task of modelling and simulating the filtration-related multiscale processes becomes interdisciplinary as it employs physics, mathematics and computer programming to reach its aim. Keeping the challenges in mind, the main focus is to overcome the limitations of accuracy, speed and memory and to develop novel efficient numerical algorithms which could, in part or whole, be utilized by those working in the field of porous media. This work has essentially four parts. A single grid basic algorithm and a corresponding parallel algorithm to solve the macroscopic Navier-Stokes-Brinkmann model is discussed. An upscaling subgrid algorithm is derived and numerically tested for the same model. Moving a step further in the line of multiscale methods, an iterative Mutliscale Finite Volume (iMSFV) method is developed for the Stokes-Darcy system. Additionally, the last part of the thesis deals with ways to incorporate changes occurring at different (meso) scale level. The flow equations are coupled with the Convection-Diffusion-Reaction (CDR) equation, which models the transport and capturing of particle concentrations. By employing the numerical method for the coupled flow and transport problem, we understand the interplay between the flow velocity and filtration.
The thesis at hand deals with the numerical solution of multiscale problems arising in the modeling of processes in fluid and thermo dynamics. Many of these processes, governed by partial differential equations, are relevant in engineering, geoscience, and environmental studies. More precisely, this thesis discusses the efficient numerical computation of effective macroscopic thermal conductivity tensors of high-contrast composite materials. The term "high-contrast" refers to large variations in the conductivities of the constituents of the composite. Additionally, this thesis deals with the numerical solution of Brinkman's equations. This system of equations adequately models viscous flows in (highly) permeable media. It was introduced by Brinkman in 1947 to reduce the deviations between the measurements for flows in such media and the predictions according to Darcy's model.


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Welcome to Contest 9! This contest is CLOSED. Closing date for comments/entries was Wednesday, the 17th of December, 2014. The winner will be announced on Saturday, the 20th of December, 2014. If you missed this contest, don't worry! The next one will come along soon enough.
There was a short break after Contest 8 to accommodate the giveaway and blog launch I had for Palem, but now everything seems to have settled down, and things are getting back to normal. That means, among other things, resumption of our writing contests.
The topic/prompt for this contest is:
A Forgotten Friendship
We live in the age of Facebook, where perhaps forgetting an old friend and losing touch completely is rarer today than it once was. But still, one of the abiding themes of people and relationships is that they move on. At various stages in our lives, we have different people we are close to, and seemingly for no reasons at all, we drift apart, we lose touch, we forget.
Today I thought we will make an attempt to pay tribute to those relationships in our past which were once precious. This could be a first cousin you grew up with and then fell out of touch after you became adults. A friend you were particularly close to in school but somehow never felt that way about when you met as adults. With our own parents we have this constantly changing dynamic – so if you'd like to explore that, that's great too.
Here are some thoughts to get you going:
1. I will leave you to interpret the word 'friendship' as you wish. It may or may not have a romantic element. It may or may not be with another human being. It may or may not have a filial connection.
2. It doesn't have to be a story out of your childhood. After become adults, in fact, we have more of these fleeting relationships. What about that work colleague with whom you had lunch for a couple of years, and then you moved out of the company and fell out of touch?
3. People enter and exit our lives all the time. I want you to think of one of those people who left a lasting impact on you.
4. You can choose to either focus on the person or on the nature of the friendship. Or an incident that lingers in your mind. Or anything at all around the theme. I will leave the choice to you.
5. Any form that you're comfortable with is good. That means poetry, mood piece, fiction or essay.
6. Word limit, as usual is 300 words. (But you know this is flexible. By all means feel free to write a longer piece if you want.)
How do you enter the contest?
It doesn't get simpler. You leave a comment to this post. If you leave two comments, they will count as two separate entries. The maximum number of entries you can submit is three. If you leave more than three comments, I won't tell you off (I'm too nice for that) but I will only pick the first three.
What's the prize?
A Flipkart e-gift voucher worth 500 Indian rupees. It looks like this.
No, you can't touch it, but you can buy things – especially books! – with it. If you live outside of India, your choices are limited to e-books because Flipkart doesn't deliver internationally (yet).
How is the winner selected?
Each comment will be rated on three things:
1. Clarity: We should understand what you're trying to say. Good grammar and punctuation will help. So will a reasonable structure to your entry. Beginning, middle and end.
2. Personal Touch: We're interested in getting to know you better. So go for depth, specificity and honesty. In narrative pieces, the deeper you take us with you into the scene, the better it is.
3. Beauty of the writing: Make your words sing. Give rich sensory detail. Describe well. Transport us to to your world. Be cogent, crisp and clear.
The above three criteria are ranked in the order of importance. So clarity is more important than personal touch. And personal touch is more important than evocative writing.
1. The closing date for comments/entries is Wednesday, the 17th of December, 2014. The winner will be announced on Saturday, the 20th of December, 2014.
2. When you enter comments on this blog, you will find a separate text box asking for your email. I recommend that you enter your email into this, so that I will have a way of contacting you in case you win. Rest assured that I will not use your contact information for any other purpose, shady or otherwise.
3. Sexually explicit or offensive material will be deleted at my discretion.
4. Avoid plagiarism. I will check for it, and remove entries that I think are lifted from elsewhere.
And finally…
Have fun! If you think this is the sort of thing your friends would enjoy, share this post with them and invite them to participate. You can share it with just a click on the sharing buttons below.
See you in the comments!
Image Courtesy: 1


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NEW YORK CITY — Superstar Mariah Carey spoke out Tuesday about the malfunctions that happened during her performance on ABC's "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest."
"All I can say is Dick Clark was an incredible person and I was lucky enough to work with him when I first started in the music business. I'm of the opinion that Dick Clark would not have let an artist go through that and he would have been as mortified as I was in real time," the singer told Entertainment Weekly.
Carey took the stage shortly before midnight for a three song set, first performing "Auld Lang Syne" before moving to her own song, the 1991 hit "Emotions." That's when things started visibly going downhill. While the track played, Carey told the audience that a proper sound check had not taken place and opted to let those in the crowd sing her lyrics. After walking off stage after attempting to sing her hit, "We belong together," Carey took to Instagram to post a meme with the caption: Sh** happens. Have a happy and healthy new year everybody! Here's to making more headlines in 2017."
Entertainment Weekly asked Carey if what happened on New Year's Eve will affect her future live performances. She said it won't, but "it will make me less trusting of using anyone outside of my own team."
Carey's team is blaming Dick Clark Productions, the production company behind the annual special saying the company "set her up to fail." And Dick Clark Productions is firing back.
"As the premier producer of live television events for nearly 50 years, we pride ourselves on our reputation and long-standing relationships with artists. To suggest that DCP, as producer of music shows including the American Music Awards, Billboard Music Awards, New Year's Rockin' Eve and Academy of Country Music Awards, would ever intentionally compromise the success of any artist is defamatory, outrageous and frankly absurd," Dick Clark Productions said in a statement provided to CNN.
The statement continued: "In very rare instances there are of course technical errors that can occur with live television, however, an initial investigation has indicated that [Dick Clark Productions] had no involvement in the challenges associated with Ms. Carey's New Year's Eve performance. We want to be clear that we have the utmost respect for Ms. Carey as an artist and acknowledge her tremendous accomplishments in the industry."
Their response comes after Carey's team spoke to Billboard magazine and claimed that Carey, who had attended a rehearsal earlier in the day, had alerted Dick Clark Productions that her ear piece was not working. Carey's publicist, Nicole Perna, said that her client "was not winging this moment and took it very seriously" and added, "A shame that production set her up to fail."
More stories on Mariah Carey, here.


text: 10 out of 10 Gary Cambridge UK Good Points+ An absolutely brilliant idea to combine the playing of actual musicians (hopefully not digitally recreated) on the CDs and the clear musical notation. As someone struggling to learn to play the trumpet after many years of playing tuba, and having a leaning towards Jazz ( in most of its forms) it is a pleasurable aid to my studies, and a welcome relaxation from Arban. Bad Points− A couple of the trumpet pieces in my latest purchase have minor printing errors, but nothing so drastic as to detract from the overall effect, which is why I have given you a 9/10 for QUALITY OF CONTENT. Confirmed purchase: 07 March 2016 Published on: 21 March 2016


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This review assessed whether treatment with isotretinoin increases the risk of depression or suicide in people with acne. The authors concluded that the evidence does not show an increased risk. The evidence was examined thoroughly and supported the authors' conclusions. Nevertheless, there was uncertainty about aspects of the review process and not all relevant studies might have been included.
To assess the association between isotretinoin treatment and the risk of depression and suicidal behaviour in patients with acne.
MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO and BIOSIS Previews were searched; the search terms, but not dates, were reported. Published studies were eligible for inclusion; meeting abstracts, reviews, summaries, guidelines, editorials and opinion papers were excluded.
Primary studies other than case series or case reports were eligible for inclusion.
Studies of isotretinoin treatment of acne were eligible for inclusion. Studies of isotretinoin for other indications were excluded. The included trials compared different isotretinoin dose regimens, whereas the observational studies either compared isotretinoin with oral antibiotics or had no comparator group. Doses of isotretinoin, where reported, varied from 0.1 to 2 mg/kg per day to 40 mg per day. The duration of treatment was 16 weeks in most of the studies that reported it; one study reported a mean duration of 20 weeks.
Studies in patients with acne vulgaris were eligible for inclusion. Studies with fewer than 20 participants were excluded. The participants included in each study were not described.
Studies that reported at least one of the following as a primary outcome were eligible for inclusion: depressive symptoms, depression diagnosis, suicide attempt or completed suicide. The included studies used different assessment tools, including various standard psychiatric questionnaires, International Classification of Disease codes, symptom and adverse event questionnaires, patient interview, and prescription sequence symmetry analysis. Follow-up was limited to the 16-week (or 4- month) treatment period in five studies; in one study it was at least 6 months before treatment to 12 months after the last prescription; in the other studies it was either 10 months, 6 months, at the end of treatment, or not stated.
It appeared that one reviewer selected the studies and a second reviewer, who applied the inclusion criteria independently, resolved any uncertainties.
The authors did not state that they assessed validity, although some limitations of the included studies were discussed in the text.
One reviewer extracted the data using a standard form. Outcome data were extracted as reported in the original studies, including confidence intervals (CIs) and p-values obtained from tests of statistical significance.
The studies were grouped by similar outcomes and study designs in a narrative synthesis.
Differences in the study characteristics were examined in detail in the narrative.
Nine studies with a total of 33,588 participants were included: two randomised controlled trials (RCTs; 158 participants), three prospective cohort studies (272 participants), a prospective descriptive study (189 participants), two retrospective cohort studies (32,092 participants) and a retrospective descriptive study (877 participants).
Methodological limitations amongst the studies included non- standardised depression rating scales used in studies assessing change of mood during isotretinoin treatment, small sample sizes, lack of follow-up data and lack of a comparison group.
The rates of depression ranged from 1 to 11% across studies; the rates were similar in oral antibiotic groups in the three observational studies using that comparator. Overall, no significant increase in depression or depressive symptoms was shown in studies that compared depression before and after treatment.
Suicidal behaviour.
A retrospective cohort study (n=21,911) found no statistically significant increase in the risk of attempted or completed suicide as a single outcome among patients currently or recently exposed to isotretinoin or oral antibiotics when compared with periods of non-exposure after treatment. A significantly higher risk was found among patients with a history of depression or psychosis (adjusted relative risk 8.0, 95% CI: 4.1, 15.5). Although the study was large, the number of cases of attempted or completed suicide was small (37 cases in over 35,000 person-years follow-up).
There were insufficient data to support a causal relationship between isotretinoin and an increased risk of depression or suicidal behaviour.
The review addressed a clear question. A reasonable number of sources were searched for published studies, and the search strategies reported would allow an independent assessment of their performance. The authors did not mention language restrictions nor did they consider publication bias, which raises some doubt whether all relevant studies were included. The methods of study selection and data extraction did not give sufficient reassurance against reviewer bias and error. The lack of precision in the inclusion criteria concerning study design warranted a more rigorous selection process. Some limitations of the included studies were mentioned in the narrative, although study quality did not appear to have been assessed systematically.
There was a lot of detail on the characteristics of the individual studies, with the exception of the participants. The narrative synthesis was appropriate and appeared thorough. Based on the studies reviewed, the authors' conclusion is justified.
Practice: The authors stated that continued vigilance for signs and symptoms of psychiatric disturbance among acne patients before, during and after isotretinoin treatment is warranted.
Research: The authors stated that large pharmacoepidemiological studies that are well designed, well conducted and carefully analysed are needed.
This is a critical abstract of a systematic review that meets the criteria for inclusion on DARE. Each critical abstract contains a brief summary of the review methods, results and conclusions followed by a detailed critical assessment on the reliability of the review and the conclusions drawn.


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Ismahan Isse has wanted to be a police officer for years. She prepared herself by earning an associate degree in criminal justice and entered the Columbus police academy in December. She lasted until March 16. Isse, 29, is a Somali-American and a Muslim. The Police Division does not allow officers to wear head scarves and refused to change its policy for her.
Ismahan Isse has wanted to be a police officer for years.
She prepared herself by earning an associate degree in criminal justice and entered the Columbus police academy in December. She lasted until March 16.
Isse, 29, is a Somali-American and a Muslim. The Police Division does not allow officers to wear head scarves and refused to change its policy for her. When she dropped out of the academy, �I told them the main reason was the scarf,� she said.
She would like to return, but her head covering, or hijab, is important to her identity.
�I want to remain myself,� she said.
Other police departments in U.S. cities have made accommodations for head scarves as they try to recruit candidates from increasingly diverse communities.
Mayor Michael B. Coleman has asked Columbus safety officials to re-examine the city�s policy after The Dispatch inquired about it for this story. Coleman thinks the policy could affect recruiting, his spokesman, Tyneisha Harden, said. �We are trying to diversify the police unit. We want to take a look at what other cities are doing.�
That�s appropriate, said City Councilman Zach Klein, who leads the public safety and judiciary committee. The city should always aim to maximize diversity because a workforce that reflects the community �is one of the many solutions toward improving police and community relations,� Klein said.
� � �
Columbus police spokeswoman Denise Alex-Bouzounis said the division does not allow head scarves for two reasons: so officers look the same and portray an �impartial appearance,� and for safety. Officers are required, at times, to wear helmets and gas masks, and the gas masks won�t fit over and around head scarves, Sgt. Rich Weiner said. A scarf also could be used to try to strangle an officer, Weiner said. Male officers wear clip-on ties to avoid that danger.
Napoleon Bell, executive director of the Columbus Community Relations Commission, said he was saddened when Isse left the academy.
Her trainers �said she was doing really well � just as well and even better than some of the guys,� Bell said. �I�m hopeful she�ll change her mind, because she would be a great example for others.�
When members of his staff talked to Isse about why she had dropped out, she didn�t mention the head scarf but spoke of family obligations � she has three young children � and possibly wanting to choose a different career, Bell said.
Columbus has struggled with recruiting minority candidates, including African-Americans, immigrants and refugees, Bell said.
A Somali man made it into the Columbus police academy before Isse but failed some of the training requirements, Bell said.
�We really want to remove the barriers so more people of different backgrounds and from all over the world apply to our fire and police forces,� he said.
� � �
Columbus has the second-largest Somali population in the U.S. � an estimated 40,000 � but the Police Division has never had a Somali officer, said Hassan Omar, who leads the Somali Community Association of Ohio. �The city hasn�t embraced or encouraged new Americans of any nationality to be a part of its police presence, and that�s disgraceful,� he said.
The Franklin County sheriff�s office does not have any Somali deputies, but it has a male cadet training to be a jail guard. He is expected to be assigned to one of the jails on May 8.
Sheriff Zach Scott said in an email that he would be open to addressing the issue of head scarves.
�We are looking forward to having a discussion regarding revisions of this nature to our uniform policy in order to accommodate potential female Muslim applicants for deputy positions,� he said.
Federal law prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin, said Drew Dennis, a staff attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio.
Employers must make reasonable accommodations, he said, but the interpretation of reasonable often becomes a sticking point.
�It has turned out to be highly dependent on a given situation,� Dennis said.
A few police agencies have allowed officers to wear religious garb for decades, he said. In 1994, for example, an African-American officer in Chicago won the right to wear earrings bearing the ankh, an ancient Egyptian symbol of life.
Other religious accommodations are more recent, as the country has become more multicultural.
In February in Houston, the Harris County sheriff announced that a Sikh officer would be allowed to wear his faith�s traditional beard and turban while on patrol. The Houston area is home to one of the nation�s largest communities of south Asian Sikhs.
�Deputies need not only understand, respect and communicate with all segments of the population, but represent it as well,� Sheriff Adrian Garcia said in a statement this year.
The Washington, D.C., police force offers similar accommodations for Sikhs.
But in 2007, a federal judge in Philadelphia ruled that the city�s police department didn�t violate the civil rights of a Muslim officer when it forbade her from wearing a head scarf.
The judge said �prohibiting religious symbols and attire helps to prevent any divisiveness on the basis of religion both within the force itself and when it encounters the diverse population of Philadelphia.�
� � �
The police department in Edmonton, Alberta, does not have any female Muslim officers but has designed a uniform to accommodate candidates. It includes a hijab that snaps off when grabbed, similar to the clip-on ties Weiner referred to in Columbus.
A Somali woman training to become a transit officer in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area wears a snap-off scarf. That�s no problem for Metro Transit, spokesman Howie Padilla said. �The expectation in the workforce will be that she does have a hijab.�
She also was allowed to wear the head covering when she was a civilian community-liaison officer in St. Paul.
The Ohio chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations pushed for and received an allowance last year for a corrections officer in Cleveland to wear her hijab at work, staff attorney Romin Iqbal said.
During the past 20 years, CAIR has helped employees reconcile their religion with their workplace in several fields, spokesman Ibrahim Hooper said. �I can�t recall a case where we haven�t been able to reach a reasonable accommodation.�
Kulsoom Abdullah of Atlanta is a Pakistani-American who broke barriers when she became the first woman to compete in a hijab as well as a bodysuit during the World Weightlifting Championships in 2011. She believes that allowing women officers to wear head scarves will help in recruiting.
�I think that would be more encouraging to someone who has never considered that field of work,� she said.


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Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Teenagers with attitude should NOT be working at Wallmart
So I go to Wallmart tonight to get some sterno for our new Smores making machine and some olive oil, I'm making a tortilla (Spanish Omelet, not a Mexican flour tortilla). While I was there I picked up all sorts of, "oh I need those items, I didn't know I needed", a cast iron crepe pan, a folding cutting board (how cool is that, you cut your stuff, then fold it and pour the cut up stuff in the pan, or whatever), a DVD for walking with these arm bands....this was because I went to open my new Yoga DVD only to realize Overstock sent me Grandes heroes Y Leyendas de la Biblia, instead....and I do feel sorry for the Spanish speaking family who got a Yoga DVD instead of their bible lesson but I'm feeling more sorry for myself, thus the impulse buy at Wallmart. I was even able to pass on some sale info on some really nice TV's on to Martha (trying to pay it forward for the awesome Wii deal she found me a couple months ago)....So all in all I was feeling pretty good when I got to the check stand...oh, and I was second in line....I mean, really, how often does that happen at a Wallmart....The teenage boy (Joel) starts ringing me up (um...no hello by the way), I swipe my card and I paused for a minute before pushing the 'no cash' button and it asks for my card again...I say, "oh, look at that it needs my card again", I swipe it, he says "Yeah, it's time sensitive" As I'm swiping my card again. A message flashes that I'm supposed to tell the cashier that he needs to push debit, so I tell him. (And by his attitude, I'm thinking I really wasn't supposed to tell him....but how am I supposed to know that? The machine flashed, I complied). He says, "I do that at the end of the order" so I ask, "Oh, ok, will I need to swipe my card again?"
Him: Sigh...do you want me to ring you out right now?
Me: Ah...no, I just want to know If I can put my card away.
Him: It's time sensitive (referring to the machine)
Me: So, I may have to swipe it again?
Him: Do you want me to just total you up right now? (most of my purchases still on the conveyor belt)
Me: No?
Him: Ok, then.
apparently my question was answered? Did you see the answer above? Oh and his tone of voice was one you use with really stupid people with whom you are frustrated (I know because I've used that tone before) I kept my credit card out (got to hear him sigh when it took me the whole 10 seconds it takes to put it back in the wallet and the wallet back in my purse)....
This isn't the most egregious part....
He gets to my impulse buy....the DVD with the hand thingies that are supposed to increase the workout somehow. He opens the box and looks through it, takes the video out and really looks deeply into the box and then reads the box to see what's included.....it then dawned on me HE THOUGHT I WAS STEALING SOMETHING.....
I so wish I was the kind of person who could say something in a case like this. My mouth did gape a bit (just looking at me, open mouthed, probably justified his talking way down to me). I paid for my items and walked out....seething, because I really really wish I could have asked, why me....Was it the dark hair, olive skin that just shouted thief? The Crepe pan? The frozen chicken breasts? What the hell?
It's too bad I'm a wuss....but you know, I REFUSED to return my cart to the cart station in the parking lot....that'll show them!
8 comments:
- Martha said...
Walmart Woes...and the scary part is that I bet you were at the nice Wallyworld, weren't you?
Thanks for the TV tip..I'll pass it on to Senor Chang. (as funny as that sounds, he's probably more fluent in his spanish than you'd expect).
- tz said...
he's more fluent then I am....i was at the nice new one in the upscale mall area....
- new diva on the blog said...
You are such a rebel! ;)
Hope you had a very Merry Christmas and that 2008 will be fantastic!
- Martha said...
Yep, better watch out...next they ask you "did you find everything you were looking for", she's gonna say "Hell No, I was looking for a prada purse and a winning lottery ticket. Where might I find those items in this crappy store of yours?". She's on the edge I tell you...teetering on the edge of becomg a desperate housewife casualty! :)
- tz said...
I do believe a prada purse would look spectacular with my kohl's slacks and eddie baur sweatshirt...i'm such a stylin housewife...
- OHN said...
You HAD TO HAVE BEEN in our local wallymart. That same kid works here!
As the mom of 3 teenaged boys, I heartedly apologise for that kids behavior...I know, he wasn't my kid, but lets face it...most teenaged boys are dorks.(and that is using my nice terminology)
- Sitting in Silence said...
Walmart....I remember this place....took me 2 hours to explain what a chemist was to the sad looking 15 year old behind the counter.....
Still having said that, they sold pretty good air sickness tablets...infact they were so good I never saw take off....or landing for that matter...
Hrmmmm wonder if Wallmart still has them LMAO...
I love this post. It certainly strikes a universal chord -- we've all been there. But, of course, I ALWAYS return my cart to the cart stall, even when I'm treated like crap, because I'm not the rebel you are! :D


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Press Releases
Fashion Design Student Showcased as Featured Artist on WeaveUp.com
April 20, 2016
Laura Lafrance, who is working toward a Bachelor of Science in Fashion Design at The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, was recently showcased as a Featured Artist on the website WeaveUp.com.
Working with the Valley Forge Fabrics, Inc., Lefrance took part in the WeaveUp design program and submitted her patterns to the site for sale to retailers. Her designs were created and produced while she was taking courses at The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale.
Valley Forge Fabrics, Inc. is the world's largest supplier of decorative fabrics for the hospitality industry. The organization partnered with WeaveUp to provide a platform for designers to connect with artists directly, enabling customers to search easily through inspiring art and patterns, and empowering the users with control over the customization process.
For more information on Lefrance's designs, visit
The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale is one of The Art Institutes, a system of over 50 schools throughout North America. Programs, credential levels, technology, and scheduling options vary by school and are subject to change. Not all online programs are available to residents of all U.S. states. Several institutions included in The Art Institutes system are campuses of South University or Argosy University. The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, 1799 SE 17th Street, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316-3013. © 2016 The Art Institutes. All rights reserved. Our email address is email@example.com.
See http://ge.artinstitutes.edu/programoffering/459 for program duration, tuition, fees and other costs, median debt, salary data, alumni success, and other important info.
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Shooting Woes End Seward's Season
KSCB News - March 5, 2014 9:24 pm
The Seward Lady Saints endured a rough shooting day in a 61-56 quarterfinal loss to Barton in the Region 6 Tournament Wednesday afternoon at Koch Arena in Wichita. Seward shot blanks hitting 28 percent from the field. The Lady Saints were 3-31 from three point range. Barton led 35-27 at halftime. Seward cut the Barton lead to two with about 7:30 to go after a Fabiana Monte three pointer.
Barton won despite Seward shooting 33 more times than the Lady Cougars. Seward forced 26 Barton turnovers in the loss.
The loss leaves the Lady Saints 26-6 as they lose in the quarterfinals for the fourth consecutive year.


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Happy Easter! Whether or not you celebrate the resurrection of Christ, I wish you a Good Day. :)
Pastels and freckled nail polishes remind me a lot of colourful Easter eggs. Easter is much more than that, I reckon; but for the season, these nails really do go along with the Spring/Easter theme! Last year I did something similar, but quite different - link.
I used three newly acquired Etude House nail polishes to achieve this look. If you want to know what products I used, please read on!
Etude House Dear My Party Nails - PPK001 $28
Etude House Sweet Recipe Ice Cream Nails #1 (blue) $28
Etude House Sweet Recipe Ice Cream Nails #2 (yellow) $28
Short review: the blue and yellow in the ice cream design is cute, but do not apply that well. I find their sparkle not showing through and their formula requires at least three coats for opacity. The pink one in a different bottle is perfect though.
What are you wearing on your nails for Easter, or for Spring?


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You would never have caught me reading something like this.
But I am glad that Josh loves books like these.
Because the more that he is able to help himself at mathematics, the better.
I am all for whatever he can find that will help make maths more fun.
From the little that I was able to skim through, the Murderous Maths series of books engages him enough about topics that one (that would be me!) might normally find dry and boring. The books use language that kids are able to relate to. It has comic strips and uses aliens to illustrates points.
Week after week, Josh would come home from school with a new Murderous Maths book. This has somehow replaced his usual Star Wars book that he would bring home. Lately, we would find ourselves being quizzed by him about square roots and other math equations.
Ask me now about the square root of 900 or 2025 or the cube root of 729. My math teachers would be so proud of me now.
Are you a whiz with numbers or are you, like me, more of a word nerd?


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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told lawmakers at a Likud faction meeting at the Knesset on Monday that he has been discussing with the Trump administration "for some time now" the possibility of annexing the Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank.
Why it matters: This statement by Netanyahu is nothing short of dramatic. This is the first time Netanyahu has sounded support for annexation of the settlements in more than 10 years as prime minister. Israel annexed occupied East Jerusalem in 1980 and then annexed the occupied Golan Heights in 1981. Israel has refrained from annexing parts of the occupied West Bank, fearing international reaction, mainly from the U.S.


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Hello! Tracy writing.
Today marks the first post of our new update schedule. We now post our progress every 2nd of the month!
Today marks the first post of our new update schedule. We now post our progress every 2nd of the month!
Last update, I showed off my drawings for Veil's concept art. These images aren't the final versions though, and co-creator and illustrator/designer Yesenia Carrero is busy at work tweaking and vectoring them. She already released one of the vectored Veil images on tumblr.
Like Gemini and Elena's images before, Yesenia not only fixes things from my original images (like, in this case, we decided to reduce the size of Veil's feet for final concept), but she is also lays down early exploration work for our proposed style. Personally, I'm excited for what she comes up with. The use of shapes, shading, and sparse lines is fantastic!
Yesenia and I are simultaneously concepting for Sapphire, Gemini's gargoyless BFF, which includes visual and written research. Yesenia has already pulled together some great visual inspiration for Sapphire.
Images for research purposes only
I am researching gargoyles, fairies, and elves (and other miscellaneous creatures as I happen across them). Research is on-going, but since I hit the books hard this past month, I've learned a lot of information that will lend some inspiration to our fictional cultures and characters, especially as we draw closer to defining our world and writing our pilot episode!
Your continued support, thoughts and critiques are always appreciated! If you have any questions let us know here on the blog, our facebook fan-page, or by e-mailing us at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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|My awesome sister, Kira
|Kira & Brent in Hawaii last November
I am beyond excited. Brent is an awesome guy, and he treats my sister as well as she deserves. He is kind and carrying, and it's easy to see how much he loves her. Also, he gives me free bacon from his farm. REALLY good bacon.
|When we were little
Seriously though, I am so happy for my sister that I could literally cry... I am a big emotion ball. I can't wait for so many things. Welcoming Brent more into our family, having my kids get to know him better (he is great with them), visiting them on the farm and spending time there once Kira moves out there, helping my sister plan her wedding, using up an entire box of tissues at her wedding (you know that's going to happen - the other day I got slightly choked up when I realized after she moves, she might not want to stay on the family cell phone plan with me and Justin), and there has been talk of possible little Kira & Brents at some point... The idea of my sister having kids fills me with the kind of happiness that can't be put into words. These people are going to be absolutely amazing parents.
|Me and Kira the day Sam was born
|Kira and teeny weeny Sam
|Kira and Sam on his birthday last year
|Kira and Sam with Danny the morning after he was born
I have so much to look forward to and I'm so happy about all of it. I'm lucky to have a sister who is so close in age to me, we've been in very different places and I'm just excited to share all of the things that have been so amazing in my life now that she'll get to experience them.
|Me and Kira at my wedding
She is one of my best friends, and beyond any of that she is a pretty amazing woman with exceptional thoughts and ideas. I love her more than I can really say, and I can't wait to add her wedding to my list of special memories I share with her.


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A bill that now sits on the governor�s desk could restart executions in North Carolina after a seven-year de facto moratorium.
A bill that now sits on the governor�s desk could restart executions in North Carolina after a seven-year de facto moratorium.
The bill essentially repeals the 2009 Racial Justice Act, a law that allows convicted murderers to reduce a death sentence to life in prison if they can prove race played a major role in their cases.
If N.C. Gov. Pat McCrory signs the bill, six of seven Gaston County death row inmates will lose their shot at commuting their sentencing through the RJA.
According to Gaston County District Attorney Locke Bell, Danny Robbie Hembree Jr. is the only death row resident from Gaston County who hasn�t used the act to file an appeal.
Bell has never been an advocate of the Racial Justice Act.
Like many opponents of the bill, Bell said statistics shouldn�t be manipulated to determine whether a person deserves to be executed.
�The Racial Justice Act said we don�t care what the criminal did, we just want to look at statistics and that�s why it was such a terrible law,� Bell said.
Defense Attorney Brent Ratchford disagrees with the prosecutor.
Ratchford said legislators wanted to address a valid concern when creating the Racial Justice Act, but perhaps the process didn�t go as well as it could have.
Since the act was approved, four inmates had their death sentences commuted to life in prison.
�Evidently there is a problem that is being recognized and now the legislature is sweeping that problem under the rug and saying we�re going to start killing people again,� said Ratchford.
Republicans argue the 2009 law allows virtually any death row inmate to contest a conviction on racial grounds, which has led to 152 of 156 felons awaiting execution to appeal, according to the Associated Press. They say even white convicts can prompt an appeal by showing a higher frequency of capital cases in their jurisdictions that involve white people.
Six of the seven death row inmates from Gaston County are white.
Bell said he�s sought the death penalty in three cases since serving as the District Attorney. The most recent was Hembree�s case in 2011.
Hembree was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death. In a second, trial he accepted a plea arrangement, pleading to second-degree murder in the slaying of a second woman.
Bell said the way he prosecuted the cases had nothing to do with Hembree�s race.
�Hembree received the death penalty because of the crimes he committed. I did not seek the death penalty against Danny Hembree because he was white,� Bell said.
Regardless of race, gender or age, sometimes mistakes are made, Ratchford said.
And as long as an innocent person can be found guilty, Ratchford said he can�t advocate for the death penalty.
�We have found that people on death row have been placed there erroneously,� he said. �I�m an opponent of the death penalty because you can�t undo death.�
According to data from the N.C. Department of Correction, a person is three times more likely to have a death sentence overturned, and eventually be given life in prison, than to get a lethal injection.
There has not been an execution in North Carolina since 2006. At that time lawsuits halted executions because of issues with medical professionals breaking the Hippocratic Oath by assisting in killings.
The new bill protects medical professionals from disciplinary action after they assist in an execution.
The House passed the new bill last week, and the Senate approved the changes Wednesday.
McCrory, who opposed the Racial Justice Act during his 2012 campaign, has 10 days to sign off on the law.
You can reach Diane Turbyfill at 704-869-1817 and twitter.com/GazetteDiane.
David Clayton Lynch
Sentenced to death May 27, 1993, for killing 12-year-old India Anderson and her father, Bobby Anderson, on Dec. 9, 1991. Lynch and the Andersons were neighbors. During a four-hour standoff he fortified his bedroom with mattresses and carried two rifles, a pistol and 1,250 rounds of ammunition.
George Cale Buckner
Sentenced to death Oct. 8, 1993, for killing Eddie Dow on Feb. 20, 1992. Buckner, who worked for Dow, denied testimony by co-defendants that he shot Dow.
Christopher Roseboro
Sentenced to death March 16, 1994, for killing Martha �Gertie� Edwards on March 13, 1992. Roseboro admitted breaking into Edwards� house, but testified a co-defendant was the one who killed her. In a court-ordered second sentencing hearing, a separate jury sentenced Roseboro to death Aug. 29, 1997.
William Todd Anthony
Sentenced to death June 3, 1999, for killing his estranged wife, Sandy Anthony, on April 16, 1997. Her father also was shot in the domestic dispute.
Jeffrey Neal Duke
Sentenced to death Sept. 26, 2003, for beating Ralph Arthurs and Harold Grant with a fire extinguisher, then stabbing them multiple times on March 20, 1999. Both died as a result.
Michael Patrick Ryan
Sentenced to death May 23, 2010, for shooting David Farrar to death. Farrar�s wife found him lying in their yard when she returned home from work on the night of March 20, 2007. He had been shot multiple times with his own .22-caliber handgun.
Danny Robbie Hembree Jr.
Sentenced to death Nov. 18, 2011, for suffocating Heather Marie Catterton. The two had engaged in a night of drugs and sex. Catterton�s partially nude body was found in a culvert in South Carolina on Oct. 27, 2009.


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Research Project
HL-Phenotypic Characterization of Chronic Pain in Adults with Sickle Cell Disease
- Principal Investigator
- Wilkie, Diana J.
- Funding Source
- National Heart Lung and Blood Institute
Responsive to HL-133, our long-term goal is to improve pain control in adults with sickle cell disease (SCD) by phenotypic characterization of their chronic pain experiences. Often the etiology of SCD pain is thought to be only episodic, driven by mechanisms of somatic or visceral tissue damage, but it has become increasingly clear that adults with SCD also experience chronic pain. The lack of sufficient normative data for quantitative sensory testing (QST) measures in adults of African descent, however, is a barrier that must be addressed simultaneously with fundamental work to characterize chronic SCD pain phenotypes across time. We propose to determine normative QST values in 100 healthy African Americans to provide comparative data for an 18- month longitudinal study with repeated measures across seasons among 180 adult outpatients with SCD pain. We will characterize sensitization via quantitative sensory testing (QST) measures at three sites (2 painful, 1 non-painful) in adults with SCD pain; 4 times all 6 months apart. All subjects will complete well-validated, state-of- the-science self-report tools to characterize the perceived pain and its impact on quality of life and contribute samples for genetic and epigenetic analyses. Measures include: (1) mechanical QST (von Frey filaments), (2) thermal QST (cool/warm sensations, heat/cold pain thresholds), (3) self-report pain (PROMIS, PAINReportIt); (4) self-report neuropathic pain (S-LANSS, NPSI); (5) self-report quality of life (ASCQ-ME); and (6) genetic and epigenetic data (polymorphisms in the monoamine neurotransmitter systems, microRNA, and a global epigenetic marker LINE-1). Specific aims are: Aim 1. Based on normative values from 100 African American healthy volunteers, to compare the prevalence of pain sensitization in the healthy volunteers and 180 adults with SCD using mechanical and thermal stimulation of sensory fibers (A? [mechanical, von Frey QST], A-delta [cold QST], C [heat QST]). Hypothesis (HO): A significantly higher proportion of the SCD sample will report allodynia/hyperalgesia than healthy volunteers. Aim 2. From the 180 adults with SCD, to discover the chronic pain phenotype groups represented by the variability in the type of sensitization (none, central, peripheral, mixed) and pain characteristics (POMIS, PAINReportIt, S-LANSS, NPSI) and determine differences in self-report pain by the pain phenotypes. HO: Pain phenotypes will differ significantly on self-report pain (e.g., intensity, sensory, affective, pattern scores). Aim 3. Determine the genetic and epigenetic markers, pain treatment, environmental factors (season, temperature, wind), and quality of life scores associated with each phenotype across time among 180 adults with SCD. HO: Pain phenotypes with central or mixed sensitization will be associated with epigenetic markers (increased LINE-1 methylation, circulating let-7 microRNAs) and gene polymorphisms at the monoamine neurotransmitter network, high opioid doses, cold-related factors, and poorer quality of life. Findings will guide studies of adults to discover pain therapies for different pain phenotypes that effectively control chronic SCD pain and improve quality of life.


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Jun 25 @ 2:00 pm – Jun 27 @ 11:00 pm
The First Annual Kicker Heartland Stampede Music Festival is bringing the stars to Topeka on June 25 – 27, 2020, with an exciting lineup of acts set
to perform for the three-day event. The 2020 lineup includes headliners Luke Combs, Toby Keith, and Cody Johnson. Other acts confirmed include Ashley McBryde, Clay Walker, Riley Green, Mitchell Tenpenny, Lonestar, Gabby Barrett, Meghan Patrick, Jacob Bryant, Drew Parker, Travis Marvin, and more to come!
Subscribe to filtered calendar


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There are really some strange little known facts about The Maya below…Enjoy!
Monday, November 5, 2012
1. The Mayans Enhanced Their Children's Features
The Maya desired some unnatural physical characteristics for their children. For instance, at a very young age boards were pressed on babies' foreheads to create a flattened surface. This process was widespread among the upper class. Another practice was to cross babies' eyes. To do this, objects were dangled in front of a newborn's eyes, until the newborn's eyes were completely and permanently crossed. The Maya filed their teeth to make them pointy and created holes that they filled with jade. Another interesting fact about Mayan children is that most were named according to the day they were born. Every day of the year had a specific name for both boys and girls and parents were expected to follow that practice.
2. The Mayans had Excellent Medical Techniques
Health and medicine among the ancient Maya was a complex blend of mind, body, religion, ritual, and science. Important to all, medicine was practiced only by a select few who were given an excellent education. These men, called shamans, act as a medium between the physical world and spirit world. They practice sorcery for the purpose of healing, foresight, and control over natural events. Since medicine was so closely related to religion and sorcery, it was essential that Maya shamans had vast medical knowledge and skill. It is known that the Maya sutured wounds with human hair, reduced fractures, and were even skilled dental surgeons, making prostheses from jade and turquoise and filling teeth with iron pyrite.
Maya Blue or azul maya has been seen at several architectural locations from the ancient Mayan civilization including the archaeological site of Cacaxtla on the Mural de la batalla. Cacaxtla is a large palace with many vibrant colored murals in Mayan style. As one of the highlights of the ancient Mayan civilization this very gorgeous turquoise blue color only survived to be seen because of the chemical characteristics that made it possible and the composition is still unknown.
4. Mayans Played Sophisticated Deadly Ball Games
The ancient Maya ballgame was played for thousands of years throughout Mesoamerica, and had great religious significance.Contact with the ball was limited. Any body part, except the hands and feet, was allowed; The abdomen, thighs, upper arms and back were used. Maybe even the head. Kicking or throwing the ball was forbidden. In addition, the ball was not allowed to touch the ground. Slightly larger than basketball hoops, the rings were positioned on opposite walls, about 25 feet above the playing field. The ball had to be bounced off the wall in order to enter a ring. The ball was made of rubber and weighed about eight pounds! This made severe injury a definite possibility. Ballplayers wore protective gear, including wide padding around their hips called "yokes." They also wore pads on their forearms and knees so they could fall to the ground in a kneeling position and hit the ball with one hip. Game play itself is thought to have been incredibly violent. Players would ram into each other at top speed so as to cause serious injury or death to an opponent, and this was actively encouraged by the referees. The game ended when the first goal.
5. The Mayans Used Saunas
An important purification element to the ancient Maya was the sweat bath, or zumpul-ché. Similar to a modern day sauna, sweat baths were constructed of stone walls and ceilings, with a small opening in the top of the ceiling. Water poured onto the hot rocks in the room created steam, offering a setting in which to sweat out impurities. Sweat baths were used for a range of conditions and situations. New mothers who had recently conceived a child would seek revitalization in them, while individuals who were sick could find healing power in sweating. Maya kings made a habit out of visiting the sweat baths as well because it left them feeling refreshed and, as they believed, cleaner.
6. The Mayan Used Hallucinogenics and Painkillers
The Mayan peoples regularly used hallucinogenic drugs (taken from the natural world) in their religious rituals, but they also used them in day to day life as painkillers. Flora such as peyote, the morning glory, certain mushrooms, tobacco, and plants used to make alcoholic substances, were commonly used. In addition, as depicted in Maya pottery and carvings, ritual enemas were used for a more rapid absorption and effect of the substance. Above is a statue of a Mayan enjoying their enema.
7. The Mayan Still Practice Blood Sacrifices
Mayan civilization and its people practiced and promoted blood sacrificed to their gods; especially of little children. Their sacrifices usually would take place on the first appearance of the Planet Venus or simply to appease the Sun. Unfortunately the sacrifice of little children existed in almost all ancient culture as they believe that offering the pure sole of the children to the "gods" can somehow bring them prosperity and avoid adversity. More specifically the Mayas sacrificed human beings for medical and religious reasons. This practice cannot be seen among the present Mayans descendants; however, they still use cattle and chicken blood instead of human blood.
8. The Last Mayan Kingdom Existed Until 1697
The island city of Tayasal is considered as the last independent Mayan Kingdom and it existed until 1696. Finally it was submitted to the Spanish rule, after which the existence of all original ancient Mayas were mysteriously eradicated and no one knows exactly why. Many theories have been put to the table, one of which is that the Spanish carried a virus that Mayas never faced before and it basically irradiated them.
9. Dec 21, 2012 Mayans Marks Rare Cosmic Event
This end-date of the Long Count Calendar December 21, 2012 marks the coming of a truly rare cosmic event that will occur when this procession of the equinoxes positions our solar system in the very center of our galaxy when Earth will cross the ecliptic path of the sun.The world is talking about what will happen on this date, however, not everyone is looking forward to it with the same set of expectations. For some, 2012 hints at a coming apocalypse but more optimistic views believe that, as the Maya claimed, we would begin to experience some form of spiritual awakening, perhaps initiated by some cosmic event or compelling miracle. But, we have no way of knowing for sure what effects these cosmic events will have on Earth, as the last time an alignment like this took place was over 150,000 years ago!
10. The Mayan Had Advanced Writing Skills
The Maya had fairly advanced writing skills, like the Egyptians their written language was in hieroglyphs. They were capable of writing full sentences and communicating stories. Most Maya could read some basic hieroglyphs carved in stone but it would have been the nobles and priests that understood the entire language. They covered their cities and building in hieroglyphs and were adept at writing books made out of soft inner bark of fig trees. They wrote using quills made from turkey feathers.
11. The Mayan Were Fond Of Jewelry
The Mayan culture was extremely fond of different forms of jewelry, the two most common were jade and gold. Families of the Royals and priests wore more jewelry of a much more sophisticated nature. The Jade was worn in beads, bracelets, earrings and ear spools. Jade was one of the items most commonly traded by the Mayans.
12. The Collapse of Mayan Culture Still a Mystery
For reasons that are still debated, the Maya centers of the southern lowlands went into decline during the 8th and 9th centuries and were abandoned shortly thereafter. This decline was coupled with a cessation of monumental inscriptions and large-scale architectural construction. Non-ecological theories of Maya decline are divided into several subcategories, such as overpopulation, foreign invasion, peasant revolt, and the collapse of key trade routes. Ecological hypotheses include environmental disaster, epidemic disease, and climate change. There is evidence that the Maya population exceeded carrying capacity of the environment including exhaustion of agricultural potential and over-hunting of megafauna. Some scholars have recently theorized that an intense 200 year drought led to the collapse of Maya civilization.