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June 27th
I listened to a Darren Hardy Darren Daily yesterday, and he said that super achievers have one consistent quality:
They have a never ending commitment to improvement
At the top of their priority lists: Reading, studying, learning, growing.
Their number one goal is commitment to learning, growth and improvement
This is what I've been doing the last few months.
I've been learning about better ways to be healthy, fit, and well.
At first, I struggled with the thought, "but this is the way I've always done things - this is what I've taught others - this has been my way of life."
I could have allowed those thoughts to keep me stagnant and keep me in a place that was comfortable and known to me.
BUT, if you're not learning and growing, you're actually moving backwards.
I decided to take a breath and decide that I wanted to improve myself, improve my own wellbeing, and learn more so that I can be a better teacher and coach.
This meant giving up some of my old ways of thinking and some of my old ways of working out.
At first, this was a HUGE struggle for me!!!!! I mean, I've been teaching group fitness since 2002 and have had that mantra that you go hard or go home and that working out more was always better.
However, the seeds had been sown last summer when I did a presentation for my sports nutrition grad class. I addressed the issue of group exercise instructors and how we stress our bodies by teaching so many classes and too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. Too much exercise creates stress and inflammation within the body and can cause many issues.
When I moved to California, my entire life changed. I was no longer teaching 20-25 classes per week and was given the blessing of having time to rest, recover, repair and rebuild.
Now, I'm not all the way there - I have more repairing and recovering to do inside my body. But I'm learning and giving myself permission to learn new ways of doing things and better ways of doing things.
Ways of working out smarter and better, eating, resting, repairing, and healing.
Learning that simplicity plus consistency is a much better way of doing things - that small changes can make the biggest impact.
That working out less is better.
That the recovery time and actions after a workout is just as important as the actual workout,
That a 20-30 minute workout can be better than a 60-minute workout.
That doing too much cardio can backfire on me.
That healthy fats are necessary for a healthy body and mind.
That there are things that I can do daily to improve my longevity.
That too much protein isn't good for my body.
And this is just the beginning of my journey as I continuously seek improvement, learning and growth.
I will continue to educate, encourage, equip and empower others, as well, and help you continue to be YOUR best self.
Don't be stuck in old ways of doing things just because that's what you've always done.
Be open to learning.
Be open to change.
Be open to the next version of yourself. Apple doesn't stop improving - why do you think there's always another update? Why do all of our apps go to the next version and require updates???
We, as humans, are no different. There's nothing wrong in going to the next version of yourself. We can't stay at version1.0 forever.
So, what are you doing to take yourself to the next level? How are you improving? Are you willing to change? Are you willing to learn something contrary to what you've always thought was the right thing to do? Are you willing to change your thinking?
As much as I love Summer, by the middle of August I am ready for the next season. It seems as if Summer is the time where we get out of our routines because the kids are out of school so we can be more relaxed and just do what we want when we feel like doing it. We can get a little slack when it comes to our health and fitness goals. We eat more ice cream, more roasted marshmallows, hamburgers on the grill, potato chips on the picnic, etc.
I've always loved going back to school, There was something about the new year - anticipation of the new books, notebooks, paper, pencils - the new teacher - new schedules and familiar routines. Even as a college student, I looked forward to receiving the syllabus on the first day of classes so I knew what was coming and how to plan.
If you're one of those who has gotten away from your health and fitness goals this Summer, I can think of no better time to get back on track than the start of a new school year! Routines are coming back around and schedules are being made so add your fitness activities right into that routine and schedule. School lunches and snacks are being planned and prepared so include your meal prepping and planning right into that schedule, as well.
By making a few adjustments and getting back on track, you can finish the year strong and attain those goals that you set out at the beginning of this year. Ready, set, go!
As you are moving forward towards a fitness goal, it is important to think about the people you surround yourself with and the people with whom you spend the most time. And, the information I'm going to share is good to apply in all areas of your life. It does matter who you hang out with and who you allow to speak into your life.
Your association circle will nudge you slowly over time towards certain actions, behaviors, thoughts, opinions, perspectives, etc. It can be very subtle but it's profoundly powerful!
Darren Hardy (and others) say that the 5 people you hang around with the most can determine where you will be in 5 years. Take the combined average of their attitudes, health, lifestyle, and income and that is where your future could lie.
It has been proven over and over again that the conversations you have them, the attitudes they have, the opinions they have, etc. can impact you and influence you. You'll end up eating the foods they eat, talking like they talk, reading what they read, watching what they watch, treating people like they do, dressing like them, thinking like them, etc. The power of association is very real and very powerful over the process of time.
In every area of your life, association has influence! Dr. David McClelland of Harvard University studied people and their reference groups over a 30-year period and discovered that your reference group determines 95% of your success or failure in life. WOW!!!! That is something to think about. The people you choose to hang out with determine your success or failure in life - this is the determining factor over every other single factor in your life!
Are you wanting to eat healthy? What do your friends eat? What do the people with whom you eat your daily meals eat??? Are you wanting to be more physically active? Are your friends physically active? Is your family physically active? This can determine your success in meeting your goals or can determine that you struggle reaching your goals. You may have to evaluate your associations and expand your associations to include people who will help encourage you as they workout with you and eat healthy with you.If you are wanting to workout 3-5 times per week, find a class or a group of people to begin working out with that will help hold you accountable to that goal of working out. When you know people are there waiting for you and looking for you, you'll show up for your workout. If you do things alone, you may not be as apt to push yourself to workout. Accountability is key in moving forward towards goals!!!
If you are wanting to eat healthy and learn to make healthy choices, you need to surround yourself with people who eat healthy. If you are trying to eat healthy and go out to eat with people who eat high calorie meals with desserts and bread and everything else, chances are you will not eat healthy.
I'm not saying you have to leave your friends behind - I am saying you will have to spend more time with people who will challenge you, motivate you, inspire you, and be there beside you working out with you and eating healthy with you. Go where the expectations are SO strong that they provoke you, push you and urgently insist that you not remain in the place that you are but will grow and change and reach the goals that you have set for yourself.
Something to think about as you look at your goals and see if you are moving closer to them or farther away!
Some things to consider when beginning this Summer Season!
This marks the start of a long weekend for most of us. And it typically means the beginning of Summer and grilling season. There are some things that you can do this weekend to make healthier choices while enjoying family, friends, and good food.
1) Stay active - make memories with your friends and family by doing something active. Go for a walk - find a local 5k to run/walk - try kayaking - go for a bike ride - set up a volleyball net - go bowling - go for a hike. Last weekend I was with my entire family as we met in St. Augustine, FL for the wedding of my middle niece. My sis, nieces and I burned some calories while laughing a lot as we used the boomerang option on Instagram story. The nieces were trying to show my sis and i how to jump and heel click out to the side. I think we spent about 30 minutes running, jumping, heel clicking and doubling over in laughter at how comical we looked with the boomerang camera option. (If you don't know what that is, ask a teenager!!! lol) So, be creative but HAVE fun - make memories! My dad even joined in on the phone and did a much better job of heel clicking that my sister and I both...and he is 70 years old!!!
2) Smart grilling - go for leaner options, like chicken or seafood instead of hot dogs and ribs. You can also grill almost any vegetable...have you ever had grilled okra???? Oh, my word! It is so good!!! Put fresh okra in a ziploc bag with some olive oil and seasonings - shake it up - and then put it in a wire basket that closes. Place it on the grill and turn occasionally. They get crispy and delicious. Pineapple and bananas are also very yummy when grilled!
3) Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! Make sure you get in all of your water intake! If you will be outside, make sure you drink even more water. Fill up one of the pretty glass jars and add slices of lemon, lime, or cucumber. You can also play around with mint, lavender, and other herbs for a different flavor.
4) BYOM. Don't rely on your host meat selection to be the best choice! Take your own meat and have them throw it on the grill for you. Remember, quality is SO important when eating meat.
Enjoy the time and make memories! Be in the moment and celebrate with those who are near and dear to your heart. Remember why we have Memorial Day - we honor those who made sacrifices in order that we may have liberty and freedom. Go and support your local Memorial Day parade - go to a veteran's cemetary and just walk up and down the rows of tombstones as you give thanks for those who died while earning our freedom - go to a local nursing home and take flowers or a small gift to any veterans that live there. If you call ahead of time, the nursing home can tell you how many veterans they have in residence. Oftentimes, they are forgotten - so take your children and go make their day and take a few moments to sit and listen to them. The possibilities are endless.
Remember, life is all about choices - choose life, health and wellness!!!
March is nutrition month so I want to cover some nutrition information today. When you eat food, it reacts upon your body in various ways. One of the ways in which it impacts your body is in regards to what it leaves behind inside your body. Some foods leave acid, such as, sulfuric acid, carbonic acid, phosphoric acid, while other foods leave minerals. So foods can be categorized as acid-forming or alkalizing. I am not a chemist nor scientist so I won't get too technical; however, pH is the potential of hydrogen in something and the pH scale is used to indicated how acidic or alkaline a substance is. The total scale is 1 to 14 and a pH less than 7 is said to be acidic and a pH higher than 7 is basic or alkaline with 7 being neutral. The pH in our blood ranges from 7.35 - 7.45 and our body will do what it needs to do to keep that range. It's difficult to measure precisely because it changes constantly as the body works to keep everything in balance. Different organs have different levels...and even your saliva has a pH level. It changes depending on what you eat; consequently, this is why you need to thoroughly chew your food because it helps to begin to break down your food.
Alkaline foods leave behind important minerals in your body, such as, calcium, potassium, iron, sodium and magnesium. So it's very important to make sure you are eating these foods and eating more of them than the acid-forming foods. And acid-forming foods have nothing to do with how a food tastes...it doesn't mean if a food is acidic in its taste, such as, citrus fruits.,
Acid-forming foods:
alcohol, sugars, "natural sweeteners, fats, oils, white flour, whole grain flour, most nuts, most beans and legumes, most whole-grains and cereals, fish, fowl, meat and eggs.
Alkalinizing Foods:
fruit juices, coffee, vegetable juices, most fruits, land vegetables, green beans and peas, potatoes, sea vegetables, tamari/shoyu, miso, salt.
Then there's some buffer foods that will help to buffer the acid left behind:
yogurt, butter, tofu, milk, soft cheeses, hard cheeses.
So, it's crucial that you don't consume most of your foods from the acid-forming list. Try to balance out your meals between the two lists or add one of the buffer foods top the acid-forming food. Brown rice and black beans pair well and balance out. Making sure to eat some fruit with a breakfast of eggs and toast. A big salad with a protein option. When you're missing some balance, you will crave sugars but you will also crave sugars if you eat too many foods from the alkaline side. Our bodies like balance and are created to be in a homeostatic balance. Take a look at the food you eat regularly and see if you need to balance it out!
Remember, food is fuel and food becomes part of our body so choose health and wellness and don't choose illness and disease!
A few weeks ago, a few friends and I went for a hike. It was a beautiful sunny day, and we were excited to be on a new trail. We had an idea of where we were going and which trails we needed to follow in order to get us to where we wanted to go. We took a picture of the map so we could have it on our phones and started out. It was about a nine-mile hike, and we were confident of our ability to read a map and follow the trail markers! All was well as we hiked and enjoyed the scenery and the company of each other. We took a little detour down to the lake and basked in the warmth and sunshine. We contineud to follow our signs and our trail markers and arrived at the point where we would take a different trail to get us back to our car. It was a place where several trails crossed and one could choose to go right or left. We knew according to our map that we needed to go right and that is what the trail markers indicated, as well. We turned right and began the trek back. Well, we began climbing and climbing and a few began to get concerned that we shouldn't be climbing in order to get back to our vehicle. I was confident we were going the right way because we were following the correct trail markers and had turned on to the trail with the name we were looking for. Because of that little bit of doubt, we stopped a few times to check our maps and the trail names. We knew according to all the facts that we were on the right path; however, the difficulty of the climb was causing doubt because it didn't make sense to some that we would be climbing at that part of the trail.
This made me think of how we are with our goals and things we want to achieve. We set the goal and we know where we want to go. We start out and all is well. There's sunshine - there's food - there's laughter - everything is going our way and the path seems smooth. As we get farther and farther on our journey, that is when the difficulties usually start happening. Challenges arise - the path gets steeper - and that is when doubt and discouragement comes in. We begin to wonder if we are on the right path - we begin to doubt that we will ever get to our goal and see success. And many people simply give up at this point.
When things get difficult on your journey towards your goals, that is not the time to quit!!!! That is the time to dig deep, gather your strength and be confident in what you set out to do. Distractions will come - you will see other paths and other trails and will consider trying one of those to get you to your goal - but don't do it. Don't give up just because the trail gets challenging and becomes difficult to climb. When that happens, it usually means that you are almost to the top or almost to your destination.
We did continue on the trail and trusted the map and the trail markers and we did make it to our cars. And, so will you! Just keep going!!!
I receive so many questions in regards to my health and wellness coaching, so I decided to answer the questions in one place and then refer to it as a resource. I want to explain what it is, what it isn't and what you should look for when hiring a coach.
Health and wellness coaching is a research-based process that supports and empowers people to make the changes they are wanting to make in their lives. Through the coaching process, people can better understand any barriers they may have in attaining their goals. Coaches will work alongside you, support you, partner with you, and hold you accountable for the action plans you put into place. Coaches listen deeply to your concerns and are non-biased and non-partial. They will help you move forward from where you are now to the places you want to be. Health and Wellness coaches will help you explore your dreams and goals and work with you.
The coach's role is to help guide and facilitate the coaching process. You are the expert on you and the coach's job is to help you discover what actions and learning tools you need to move you forward to achieve long-term and short-term goals and experience positive behavior changes. Coaching is not counseling or therapy. It is about determining goals to work on and designing action plans to accomplish those goals. It is about building a healthier future and not reflecting on the past.
Typically, sessions are 30-60 minutes long and take place over the phone or in an office. Most people hire health and wellness coaches to help them with setting health-enhancing goals, discussing obstacles to adhering to wellness goals, and then receiving support and having accountability to adhere to wellness goals. Coaches do not prescribe diets - they do not recommend supplements - they do not sell you workout DVDs nor do they give you a fitness routine to follow.
The coach should have a degree or an accredited license from a recognized coaching training progam, such as, the International Coach Federation. There are many people out there calling themselves "coaches" but have no recognized training. This term is used quite loosely with many multi-level marketing programs who sell supplements. It's important that people know the difference and ask questions.
I am currently working on my Master's in Health & Wellness Coaching with an emphasis on nutrition through Maryland University of Integrative Health. I also plan to take the national certification for health and wellness coaches in the US. The National Consortium for Credentialing of Health & Wellness Coaches and the National Board of Medical Examiners just signed an agreement for the launch of this national certification in early 2017. This will make certain that the education standards are met and professional practice guidelines are set for the field of health and wellness coaching.
In my 15 years of being in the fitness industry, I have observed that the greater percentage of people struggle with attaining their health and wellness goals...and this isn't because they fail to workout. I've had faithful clients and class participants whom train hard and train consistently. However, it's the choices and actions in the other 23 hours of the day that bring the obstacles and hinder them from meeting their goals. This is why I decided to go back to school and pursue my degree in health and wellness coaching.
So, my friends, this defines what coaching is, what it isn't, and gives some guidelines about what you should look for if you decide to hire a health and wellness coach. If you feel like you're stuck or if you've realized that the year is almost half over and you are no where near your goals for 2016, maybe you should consider hiring a health and wellness coach. Try it for at least seven sessions. What have you got to lose?
The time of year is upon us when we want to open the windows and allow the fresh air and sunshine into our homes that have been closed up all winter. This is one of my favorite times of year as I spend an entire day cleaning out closets, drawers, files and moving furniture to clean all the cracks and crevices. I love the smell of a freshly-cleaned house!!! I also enjoy getting rid of things and clothing that just add clutter to my space. If I haven't used them in a year or worn them in a year, they leave the house. It always makes me feel 10 pounds lighter when I get rid of papers, clothes, shoes, etc. that I don't use or need. I usually set aside one entire day to have this annual purge. I also like to spring clean my body. So, on the day that I have determined to be "Spring Clean Day," I will make sure I have fresh veggies, fruits, seeds and nuts in the house and will juice twice that day and snack on nuts and seeds. I will drink lots of water with fresh lemon and herbal teas and will make a big salad for dinner. I feel that taking one day to eat raw foods is vital to my health and wellbeing. At the end of the long day of purging, I will make a foot bath with epsom salts and lavender essential oil and soak my feet for 40 minutes while sipping hot tea and reading a book that I haven't had time to read. Fresh flowers in vases, essential oil in the diffuser, and fresh bedding on the bed add to the festive mood of welcoming Spring and renewal and life into my home. If this isn't something you usually do, I highly recommend that you try it out. Just maybe it will become a spring ritual for you just like it has become one for me. You may even want to make it an entire weekend and allow one day to be spent at a spa getting a facial, massage, pedicure and manicure. A way to get rid of the old "skin" of winter and allow the fresh layer to shine and welcome spring! Do you have your own spring cleaning ritual that you do? I would love to hear about it - I am always looking for things to add to my day and weekend of welcoming Spring into my home. Here's to Spring and all of the hope it brings us!
This blog is being written in response to a client telling me how she went clothes shopping and got so depressed because she couldn't fit in the size that she is wanting to be her goal size. She's putting in the work - making good choices with her food and drinks, doing workouts, losing inches and losing pounds; however, this one shopping trip was making her want to just give up and stop trying because she wasn't in her goal size yet. My response was don't look at the tags....find clothes that you like, clothes that look fabulous on you, and clothes that make you feel good about yourself. Buy them, take them home, and CUT OUT THE TAGS. We are more than a number on a tag inside our clothes. We are more than a number on the scale. The way we look - the way we feel - who we are - how we treat people - the impact we are making in our circle, in our community, in our world - those are the things that define us..NOT a number on a tag inside an article of clothing. We all need to remember that most people cannot take an article of clothing off the rack and it be tailor-made for us...especially at today's low prices. And let's not forget that a small for one clothing brand is not the same as a small for another clothing brand. I guarantee you that you could get 10 articles of clothing from different brands that are all labeled a size 10 and they will all fit a person differently. I refuse for a label to determine how I feel about myself. I make good food and drink choices 90% of the time; I work out consistently; and I maintain a weight that is good for my body. I fuel my body to help it run efficiently and effectively and make choices that will support my health and wellbeing. These are the things that are important.....not what is on the tag on our clothing. My advice is to cut those tags out of your clothing...just cut it out. If a number is going to mess with your mental wellbeing and emotional wellbeing and make you want to stop moving forwards towards your goals of being healthy, then remove the numbers. Now I do know that a result of making good choices will show up in lost inches, pounds, and smaller-sized clothing and I am all about people going in the right direction in losing weight. What I do not like is our tendency to allow a clothing size to mess with our brains, emotions, and cause us to go eat a pint of our favortie ice cream!!! Buy the clothes you like, cut the tags out and keep moving towards your goal.
've been in the fitness industry since 2001 and have worked with so many people in regards to health, fitness, and food goals. One thing I've discovered is that everyone has a general statement as to why they want a person trainer or why they are coming to fitness classes. Usually the statements are: I want to lose weight. I want to get skinny. I want to fit in my wedding dress. I want to look good for my high school reunion. And I always tell them those statements are not acceptable and are not going to get the job done. What happens when you lose weight? What happens after you fit into your wedding dress? What happens after the high school reunion?
Those statements are not a big enough "WHY". Since the beginning of the year, I've read many things and heard many people talk about finding your "why". And it is so true! You have to discover the "why" that is going to be big enough and strong enough to make choosing a healthy lifestyle a priority in your life.
Here are some "why" statements that create a bigger picture and have really helped some of my clients choose health and wellness over cheeseburgers and french fries: I want to live a life symptom-free of the disease that runs in my family. I want to be able to get down on the floor and play with my grandchildren and take them to the park and be the most fun grandmother that I can be. I want to be the first one in my family to run break the obesity curse. I want to present my body as a living sacrifice to the One who created me and I want to do my part to keep it whole and healthy by choosing the things that He created for my body to run at its optimum health. I want to be a successful entrepreneur and have the energy and health to see it succeed to a Fortune 500 company.
Do you have a "why" for the goals you have set for this year? Maybe you want to take some time this weekend and figure out your why. When you have your why, the what and the how will be easy.
And, maybe you need someone to be accountable to - a person that will give you daily encouragement, motivation, and accountability via text and who will talk to you once a week on the phone. As a health and wellness coach that is what I offer my online clients. Some clients like one-hour coaching sessions via the phone once a week and some just want thirty minutes. Maybe you have never even considered having a coach? Maybe it's something that can help you succeed in 2016 smile emoticon If this is something that may interest you, send me an email at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Sometimes you just need that person in your corner reminding you of your why and holding your hand through the bumpy times. I know that I have definitely needed that before and will probably need it again in the future. Two is better than one!
I you will all consider and decide what your why is and then start applying it and seeing your dreams come true and your goals achieved!


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Gainesville Mayor arrested for DUI
Gainesville Mayor Craig Lowe arrested after early morning crash
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Gainesville Mayor Craig Lowe was released from jail on his own recognizance Thursday afternoon, hours are he was arrested for DUI with property damage, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
A trooper was called out to a car crash in the area of NE 21st Street and NE 156th Avenue in Alachua County around 2:28 a.m. Thursday morning, according to Sgt. Tracy Pace with FHP.
When officers arrived on scene around 3:46 a.m., authorities found Lowe asleep behind the wheel of his car.
They said he appeared to be intoxicated and his silver Honda Civic was badly damaged.
Lowe reportedly told authorities he fell asleep while driving and that was cause of the crash.
He admitted to having three beers earlier in the night.
A field sobriety test was performed, and although he tested under the limit, the arresting officer concluded he was impaired at the time of the crash.
Mayor Lowe has been charged with DUI with property damage.
Lowe is headed toward a runoff election against Ed Braddy in April.
Copyright 2013 by News4Jax.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

subset: commoncrawl


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Yasmeen Godder's Singular Sensation will be performed in New Haven, CT as part of Yale University's World Performance Project Festival on November 11-12. Photo by Tamar Lamm. See our Events page for the listing.
Throughout my time in Israel, I have had the privilege of speaking with a number of choreographers and dancers about their art. Here on Dance In Israel, I will be sharing these conversations with you in a series of "Close Encounters" articles and in a series of podcasted audio interviews. This "Close Encounters" article on Yasmeen Godder was first published on The Winger in June of 2008.
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Yasmeen Godder. Photo by Natan Dvir.
If you're part of the New York dance scene, you've probably stepped through some of the same doors as Yasmeen Godder. Born in Israel and raised in Jerusalem until age 11, Yasmeen moved to the U.S. with her family, attended the High School of the Performing Arts in New York City, studied at Movement Research and the Klein School, and received her undergraduate degree from NYU's Tisch School. The Kitchen, DTW, and Dancing in the Streets have all commissioned work from her, and she was awarded a Bessie in 2001 for I Feel Funny Today.
If you're part of the Israeli dance scene, you've undoubtedly felt Yasmeen's influence and quite possibly crossed paths with her. I had heard of Yasmeen prior to arriving in Israel because of her activities in the U.S. and the acclaim which has greeted her works both in the states and Europe, and as soon as I arrived in Israel, I began to realize the impact she has made in her home country. Her name frequently came up in conversations about both choreographers and teachers, and many people urged me to see her work and take her class. So it was that I ventured down to Yafo (Jaffa) to take technique at her studio, attended a performance there of Sudden Birds (see the video below), and went to a performance of I'm Mean, I Am at the Suzanne Dellal Center.
Months later, I'm not surprised that I heard so much buzz about Yasmeen. I found Yasmeen's classes to be quite challenging and enormously helpful in their specificity, especially as I attempt to widen my body's range and move with less muscular effort. She welcomes students' reflections in class and presents her own ideas with clarity and details that enable me to adjust my mindset and body to a more unfamiliar technical framework.
I also found Yasmeen's choreography to be as challenging as her classes, and refreshingly so. Continue Reading


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After the wedding I had a substantial pile of vintage linens and lace table cloths. Most were bought on the cheap in thrift shops. One can, in fact, have too make cream linen and lace table cloths so I decided to dye a couple (the family heirloom pieces were spared this experiment).
I also tossed in a few napkins and doilies.
I used Rit Dye, both the powder and liquid and I used my sink kitchen sinks. One to dye and one to rinse. This worked for most pieces except the bottom linen cloth. It was probably too big and a little heavy after wet and hard to rinse.
First up, the pink.
The darker tablecloth had a soak time of about 20 minutes and the lighter one was 5 minutes. I washed and dried all items in my machines so this is the final color.
The doilies were soaked for about 5 minutes and you can see there is some variation in color.
These napkins are the exact same yet very different colors. Interesting.
I didn't have much luck with the Teal or Aquamarine (both liquid versions).
The linen cloth on the left is Teal. The final color is very light.
The next lace piece is Aquamarine but turned out purplish. I might try and over dye it with pink some other time.
The last piece is the Aquamarine again. The color looks pretty good here but it actually very pale.
I think I will stick to the powder versions of the Rit Dye. My local shops didn't have much of a selection so I might try and buy online for a better selection.
I might try dyeing white tone on tone fat quarters just to see what happens.
Have you tried your hand at dyeing?


text: When I accepted the challenge to commit to a Plastic Free July, I knew it was going to make for an interesting month. I knew if I took a hard look at choices I make on a daily basis, some real changes had to be made. After all, if you looked in my recycling bin every week, almost one half of the material in the bin is single-use plastic. I jumped into this experiment knowing that I had a bit of an advantage over many others taking the challenge, primarily in the food category. Not only do I grow some of my own vegetables but I also belong to a CSA (Community-Supported Agriculture) Coop that delivers locally-grown produce to me once a week. Food is a significant source of plastic packaging and by taking these steps; I've already eliminated several sources. What I completely underestimated, however, was the pervasiveness of single-use plastics in all my other food choices. I thought it would be easy to buy in bulk, find products that had alternative packaging, or simply do without for a month. These things I quickly realized: Buying in bulk is kind-of fun and gives you complete control of only purchasing the quantities you need but some of the choices of food available in bulk are limited. Luckily, there are several bulk candy stores near by office and I can easily find my favorite coffee sold in bulk so I have sugar and caffeine covered for the month. Even alternative packaging has hidden (or not-so-hidden) plastic. Milk, for example, besides being sold in plastic jugs, can also be purchased (or delivered to your doorstep) in glass bottles or cartons. Unfortunately, even the glass bottles have a plastic cap and plastic handle and the cartons are actually made of compressed layers of paper, foil and plastic. By temporarily giving up food that is only available in plastic packaging, I'm eating much healthier. I'm drinking mainly water and fresh lemonade and have generally given up on snack foods. While I had grand visions of baking my own bread and making everything from scratch, reality quickly set in and I've had to rely on others to help me out. Luckily, I've been very successful in finding stores that don't even blink when I ask about alternative packaging for my food. When I've requested "no plastic" they readily come up with an alternative. There have been some happy surprises during the first half of the month as well as some frustrations. In general, I'm paying much closer attention to my purchasing choices than I thought I would have to – and that is, after all, the whole point of this grand experiment. If you haven't taken the challenge yet, it is still not too late. Challenge yourself to live plastic-free for a day or a week. Discover what you can do to make a difference and share your progress with us online using #PlasticFreeJuly! Tags: conservation, plastic-free-july, plastics, plastic-pollution, national-aquarium-experts, laura-bankey Categories: Conservation Previous Post Next Post


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Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Dangerously moreish (frozen) Oreo brownie bites
To be fair, these should be called Domino brownies, as I used Domino cookies, the Finnish equivalent of Oreo sandwich cookies. But if I'd call them Domino brownies, most of you would expect something like this as opposed to the cute brownie bite above. Also, most of my American readers (that's about 2/3 of all readers of Nami-Nami) don't have access to Domino cookies anyway, and could use more familiar Oreo ones for the same result.
Now, the frozen bit. I first read about frozen brownies a while ago, but dismissed the whole idea. Who likes frozen cakes anyway? They'd be cold and hard and utterly unpleasant, right? Or that what I thought. On the other hand, I've thrown away quite a few very good brownie pieces during my lifetime, just because I forgot them on the countertop for a day too long and they became dry and boring. That's not happening any more, as I've discovered - and totally fallen for - the joys of frozen brownies. You see, a good brownie, made with lots of butter, sugar, chocolate and just a little flour - and, most importantly, NOT overbaked - is absolutely wonderful eaten straight from the freezer - cooling, delicious and almost thick ice-cream-like. I've been cutting the brownies into relatively small pieces after cooling, and we've been nibbling through two batches of those frozen brownie bites during the last week already. Not just the three of us, of course, but with some help from our Scottish friends, grandparents, nephews and various babysitters :)
Estonian summer has been warm and sunny this year (again), and a frozen chocolate brownie is just what you might need to cool yourself a little..
The idea for putting chopped cookies into my brownies is from Ina Garten (here's her recipe for outrageous Oreo crunch brownies), but I used my old and trusted brownie recipe as a basis. Here's my version, that even my non-chocoholic-K. loves.
Have you been freezing your brownies? Do you like them or hate them?
Domino or Oreo brownie bites
(Domino-brownie koogikesed)
For a 10 inch/24 cm square baking tin
200 g unsalted butter
200 g dark chocolate, coarsely chopped (I used Callebaut bittersweet chocolate couverture chips)
3 eggs (size M or L)
200 g caster sugar
100 g plain flour
0.5 tsp fine salt
0.5 tsp vanilla extract
15-20 Domino or Oreo cookies, roughly chopped
Line a 10 in/24 cm square baking dish with parchment paper. Heat the oven to 170˚C/350F.
Place a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Add butter and chocolate and heat, stirring, until chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Allow to cool slightly.
Whisk eggs, vanilla and sugar in a large bowl. Fold in the chocolate mixture.
Stir in the flour, salt and cookies, stir until combined.
Pour batter into the prepared baking pan and smooth top with a spatula.
Bake for about 30 minutes, until the brownie looks dry on top, but is still nicely moist inside.
When you want to serve your brownie warm, then cool a little and cut into big squares (9, perhaps?), serve alongside a big scoop of vanilla ice cream.
For frozen brownie bites, cool completely, then cut into small squares or rectangles and place into a freezer box. Enjoy from frozen.
8 comments:
OMG! This looks too dangerous!
- 2:50 pm, July 26, 2011
- lobstersquad said...
oh oh. not what we want to hear right now, I think. dangerous is about right...
- 12:48 pm, July 27, 2011
- Rore said...
Here the weather keeps changing, it's cold and rainy for several days, then it turns warn and sunny, then cold again, etc.
So when I saw this yesterday, it really seemed to be the perfect thing for such a weather: it could be eaten frozen on the warm days, and warmed for the cold days.
I made it this morning, and ate a (frozen) bit just now: it tastes fantastic :) My holiday already seems better with this cake ^^.
(I used pecan nuts instean of oreos, I was afraid the oreos would turn soggy if I re-heated the cake.)
- 5:47 pm, July 27, 2011
- Jeff @ Cheese-Burger.net said...
Hmmmm.... Interesting. This would be great for summer, but I'm not sure about the "frozen" part. It might turn, hard and cold and tasteless. But I'll give it a try. I might just get surprised.
- 2:44 pm, July 30, 2011
- Kat said...
oh ... my ... god. tahaks. kohe. väga väga :)
- 7:31 pm, August 04, 2011
- Marisa said...
What a great idea - will be sure to try it out once summer rolls around!
- 10:53 am, August 08, 2011
- Pille said...
Mika - thank you!!!
Ximena - well, I kind of wish I hadn't come to that idea either ;)
Rore - so glad you tried and liked these!!! It's always a pleasure to read that someone likes your recipes. I make this brownie usually with walnuts, but pecans would be good as well, I'm sure. I've only tried the frozen version (4th batch last night!!!) with Oreos, so I don't know how frozen nuts would taste?
Jeff, as I said, I thought it be hard and cold and tasteless as well, but they're absolutely lovely, cold and chewy and tasty :D
Kat - vutt-vutt-vutt, kööki küpsetama. Me Norale meeldivad ka väga!!!
Marisa - eh, I just made another batch last night. We're having a big garden party tonight, and these would be excellent while summer still lasts. (Always fascinated by the fact that seasons are so different across the world).
- 11:12 am, August 08, 2011
This should be called "Beyond Decadence."
- 10:19 pm, August 09, 2011


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ChefCarey wrote:Robin Garr wrote:Louisville had plenty of old German and Italian bakeries that went back to the 1900s
Meant to type "1800s," of course.Who knows the bakery and the whorehouse may have set me on the road to becoming an English major.
Better story than mine. I chose it because I like to read, and it was lots less work than physics.


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ENGG 149: Introduction to Systems Identification
This course provides the fundamentals of system identification theory and its applications to mechanical, electrical, civil, and aerospace systems. Several state-of-the-art identification algorithms in current engineering practice will be studied. The following topics are covered: discrete-time and continuous-time models, state-space and input-output models, Markov parameters, observer Markov parameters, discrete Fourier transform, frequency response functions, singular value decomposition, least-squares parameter estimation, minimal realization theory, observer/Kalman filter identification, closed-loop system identification, nonlinear system identification, recursive system identification, and introduction to adaptive control.


text:
Kalas passing hits close to home
Rays' thoughts are with Todd, son of late broadcaster
By Bill Chastain / MLB.com
ST. PETERSBURG -- Philadelphia lost an icon when Harry Kalas died shortly after collapsing inside the Phillies' broadcast booth in Washington on Monday afternoon at age 73, while Todd Kalas, who is part of the Rays' broadcast team, lost a father.
Harry Kalas was inducted into the broadcaster's wing of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in 2002, having won the Ford C. Frick Award, which is presented to broadcasters who've made major contributions to baseball. He had been a broadcaster for 43 years, the previous 38 with the Phillies, where he began working in 1971.
Kalas was found unconscious in the team's broadcast booth around 12:30 p.m. ET, and he was taken to George Washington University Medical Center. Team officials quickly cleared the clubhouse to talk to the players, coaches and staff.
The cause of the death is unknown, but Kalas missed the beginning of Spring Training after having an undisclosed medical procedure. He was in good spirits when he arrived in Clearwater, Fla., eager to follow the Phillies for another season.
Todd was not at Tropicana Field for the Rays' home opener against the Yankees on Monday night, but he was on the minds of members of the Rays family.
"For Todd and his family, it's just an awful moment and we send our sympathies, and I can't wait to visit with Todd in person," Rays manager Joe Maddon said.
Maddon hails from Hazleton, Pa., so he understands the magnitude of Kalas' passing.
"He was definitely a part of the culture, not only in Major League Baseball, but sports in general and definitely in that part of the world," Maddon said. "I remember listening to him growing up. And I know that people back there are going to take it very hard."
Rays play-by-play voice Dewayne Staats said Todd called him earlier on Monday to tell him his father had passed and that Todd seemed to be taking it as well as he could.
"Harry was the personification of taking his gift and doing what you're supposed to do with it," Staats said. "He enjoyed it. It's a great gift. And he made sure that he took full advantage of that, and as he transitions from this life into the next one, what better place to do it than at the ballpark, in the booth? And if Harry could have written it his way, that's exactly the way he would have written it."
Staats said he felt like he had known Harry Kalas since 1965, when Kalas called Houston Astros games.
"I was a little kid listening to him broadcast Jimmy Wynn home runs at the Astrodome," Staats said. "And his home run call was, 'And that ball is in Astros orbit.' So I feel like I've known him for a long time. And then in the mid '70s, '76 or '77, I got to know him when I joined the Astros full-time."
Staats remembered Kalas as being quick to help nurture a young broadcaster, such as himself when he first got into the business.
"Harry as a veteran broadcaster was nothing but gracious," Staats said. "He was really kind to a young broadcaster trying to feel his way. And I've always had just great warm feelings for him. So when Todd became part of our crew in the beginning, doing what he's doing, it was like, 'Yeah, that's right, that's what he should be.'"
Longtime baseball man Don Zimmer knew Kalas for many years and said simply, "He was a great man."
"I've known him as long as he's been announcing," Zimmer said. "I always saw him at ballparks, and we always kidded with each other. I saw him at restaurants, just a great guy, classy individual.
"When I walked in here and heard that news today, I couldn't believe it. My god, 73 years old, he's young. He was a great man. Everybody loved him. And I loved listening to him. I heard him call many games. It's a sad story."
Dave Wills, who is part of Tampa Bay's radio broadcast, spoke of seeing Kalas when the Rays played the Phillies in Philadelphia for their final two games of the spring.
"Obviously, he looked a little frail from having some of the issues that he suffered through during the spring," Wills said. "But I don't think anybody thought he wasn't going to be among us in a couple of weeks. It's tough. I feel for Todd and his family. And I feel for the city of Philadelphia. He was their voice. The voice of a generation and one of the great voices of this game and is going to be sorely missed."
Andy Freed, who shares the radio booth with Wills, called the situation weird.
"We're so used to thinking about everything in terms of baseball," Freed said. "But I'm thinking of Todd today as I would my own father. It's just horribly sad. I think of it as a family member would, losing your own dad and not being able to share things with him anymore."
The Phillies, who postponed their scheduled visit on Tuesday to the White House, said funeral arrangements are pending. In addition to Todd, Harry Kalas is survived by his wife, Eileen, and his other two sons, Brad and Kane.
Bill Chastain is a reporter for MLB.com. Todd Zolecki contributed to this report. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Kalas passing hits close to home
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Game Creator Finds That Knockoffs Can't Match His Awesome Game
from the winning deptOne thing game developers have always had, and will always have, to deal with is the dreaded copycat clone. It's something of a success indicator when you create something entertaining enough to breed like products. As they say, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Or, instead of being flattered, you can go the Zynga route and sue folks using IP laws rather than compete with them directly. Or, if one were so inclined, one could take a page out of the Namco playbook and threaten a kid for making a Pacman clone. Defenders of these actions will claim that they're necessary. After all, a great amount of work and development went into those games and it seems unfair for a copycat to come along, use similar designs, and reap the benefits. How could the original creator compete with that?
Here to show us how the original creator could compete with that is Rami Ismail, developer of Ridiculous Fishing, who was just a tad late to the iOS market compared with copycat Ninja Fishing. Instead of going legal, or even crying foul, however, Ismail just concentrated on making his game freaking awesome.
"When we released the game, we promised people that for $2.99 (£1.79) they would get Ridiculous Fishing without any further in-app purchases or anything," he told Digital Spy at PC and indie games expo Rezzed.The result? Well, Ridiculous Fishing got real big, real fast. Ninja Fishing did okay as well, but Ismail's game has the kind of cachet that only comes with a tightly developed game and a loyal fanbase. Built largely off of his promise to refrain from in-app purchases and his passion for his customers, the whole thing exploded on iOS once it was released.
"We're going to keep our word, but we want to emphasize that point that we were really serious about that. The plan we have now, if we pull it off the way we want to, we're going to double the content and add a completely new narrative arc, and explore that world a bit further."
"Then what happened, that bubble just exploded. Elijah Wood played Ridiculous Fishing and tweeted about it. That's mind-blowing. That's not something that happens. We didn't expect it to be this big - we hoped it would be this size. We really hoped this would be the definitive statement about creativity will always win, because obviously the whole cloning background is still there for us, right?A ton of downloads and one Apple design award later, Ismail serves as the perfect example of what the combination of fan loyalty and well-designed products mean in the war against game cloners. Instead of focusing on being angry and going the legal route, Ismail won because his game is better. Something to which the rest of the developer community should probably be paying attention.
"We still want to make this statement that Ninja Fishing did well, but Ridiculous Fishing wins because it was the better game. Better games win. That's what we hoped people would get out of it, and I think they did."
Filed Under: competition, innovation, ninja fishing, rami ismail, ridiculous fishing, video games


text:
at some point I'll edit this post with links to the appropriate stories, but for now I think it's time to move the chat out of the tour thread.
at some point I'll edit this post with links to the appropriate stories, but for now I think it's time to move the chat out of the tour thread.
Brad McNamara @bbuzzmc
Will say this once and then nothing else. Defamation laws quite clear in Aus.be careful.
*groans* do i have to?
citoyens, vouliez-vous une révolution sans révolution?
those nights were on fire
we couldn't get higher
we didn't know that we had it all
but no one warns you before the fall
this is the defining story of our times spark. you have to.
I bet it's that troll Michael Vaughn who has been making all the tweets.
Who is currently out of the side for 'personal reasons' who is set to gain from KP flouncing off.
That's right it is clearly the evil genius that is Ravi Bopara.
Really though this whole thing is so very tedious, just sort it out already.
KP is KP so I know this particular issue is a bit different but as a genreal point playing test cricket during the IPL is just not going to be sensible for much longer.
Is Bopara literate enough for that spoof?
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This is actually a gun idea tbh.
RIP Craig Walsh (Craig) 1985-2012
RIP Hughesy 1988-2014. 63* for eternity.
Its tough being me - The CW Mod Story..
Bet that one will have a LOT more humor..
We miss you, Fardin. :(. RIP.
A cricket supporter forever
Member of CW Red and AAAS - Appreciating only the best.
Check out this awesome e-fed:
PWE Efed
and You guys think my favorite cricketer shahid afridi is unpredictable.. or crazy.. or can't make up his mind.. or can't commit to something.. or whatever
England Cricket News: Kevin Pietersen 'fully committed' to playing for England in all formats | ESPN Cricinfo
Last edited by AaronK; 11-08-2012 at 04:42 PM.
SALMAM KHAN The real king and Baadshah of Bollywood!!!!!!!!
Soft KP, very soft KP....
I lost all respect for KP after that massive ass kissing exercise. Clear lack of balls from KP.
The man, the mountain, the Mathews. The greatest all rounder since Keith Miller. (Y)
Jaffna Jets CC (Battrick & FTP)
RIP WCC and CW Cricket
Member of the MSC, JMAS and CVAAS
Well done ECB. Thorough ass kicking. I tip my hat off to you.
did his backflip get leaked before he announced it ????
anyway my whole position on this was that everything was being exaggerated (particularly the quitting test cricket thing) so I'm claiming this as a win
Also, who was it on here that a month or so ago predicted that KP would make a limited overs comeback just before the T20 world cup, having missed the pointless series against Australia and no certainty to get back into the ODI side anyway?
I think it is definitely more
He has pulled one over the ECB in a big way.
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text:
No fore here.
A 61-year-old Florida man was arrested for allegedly mowing down a group of slow-moving younger golfers with his golf cart on the 18th hole.
James Alonzo Hines was reportedly teed off by the group of six buddies who were holding a bachelor party on the links at Jacksonville Beach Municipal Golf Course.
U.S. & World
"The first thing he said was, 'You need to respect your elders,'" Murdock Hampe, 27, told the Jacksonville Times-Union.
Hampe told the paper some of the golfers in his group were inexperienced and Hines had complained they were taking too long on the links.
An arrest report said that the younger golfers were also drinking, but Hampe said his no one in his group was intoxicated, the Times-Union reported.
He said he was sitting in his cart when Hines allegedly began hitting golf balls at his party from about 200 yards away.
Police and witnesses told the Times-Union that after one of the balls was thrown back toward Hines, the elderly man took off after the group in his golf cart.
Hampe suffered a swollen leg after being struck by the cart and had a golf club broken over his head, the Times-Union reported.
He said his friends wrestled Hines into a sand trap and subdued him until police arrived.
Hines was charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, the Times-Union reported.
It's not the first time an elderly golfer in Florida has been hit with assault charges after reportedly feeling slighted during a golf round.
Back in February, two 71-year-olds were accused of beating a 15-year-old with metal golf ball retrievers. Police said the beating was revenge for the teen and his pals having blown an air horn as the men teed off on the ninth hole.


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Have you noticed that Linkbucks now issues links using a new linkcode format?
Under the old format, links looked like this: http://linkcode.linkbucks.com/
Under the new format, links look like this: http://www.linkbucks.com/linkcode/
For at least the next six months, all old-format linkcodes on supported alias domains will continue to work. After that period, we will notify affected publishers and phase out support.
There are a handful of alias domains we have discontinued support for, and those link codes will cease to work sometime in the next three months. If you are using a linkcode on one of these domains, your link is currently redirecting to this URL:
http://warning-this-linkcode-will-cease-working-soon.www.linkbucksdns.com/linkcode/. So if you're seeing this URL then now's a good time to make a new linkcode.
You Can Manually Switch to the New Linkcode Format
You don't have to generate a new linkcode to update to the new format! All old-format linkcodes will work if you simply change the URL to meet the new linkcode format as described above.
We encourage you to do this with your existing old-format linkcodes. Feel free to ask questions if you need any assistance.
Happy linking


text:
248 Commencement held in downtown convention center
UIS will hold its 43rd commencement ceremony May 17 in the Prairie Capital Convention Center downtown. As many as 6,000 guests will be on hand – which also means a considerable number of restaurant meals and hotel rooms purchased locally. Walgreens exec Donovan Pepper, a UIS alum, will be the speaker.
Related links:
Live webcast of the ceremony from 4-7:30 pm
Posted on May 13, 2014


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OTTAWA/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Canada and the United States on Wednesday unveiled a tax information-sharing pact, advancing the Obama administration's fight against tax dodgers, although challenges remained to implementing a U.S. international tax transparency law.
Set to take effect on July 1, President Barack Obama's Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) will require foreign banks to share information about Americans' accounts worth more than $50,000 with the Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. tax agency.
The enactment of FATCA in 2010, after a scandal involving Americans hiding money in Swiss bank accounts, has resulted in a web of bilateral tax deals between the United States and 22 other countries, with Canada and Hungary the latest signatories.
"The agreements announced today clearly demonstrate the considerable international support behind FATCA," Robert Stack, the U.S. Treasury Department's deputy assistant secretary for international tax affairs, said in a statement.
But a court challenge by two banking industry groups to some key FATCA-related rules also churned forward on Wednesday.
The Texas Bankers Association and the Florida Bankers Association said they are appealing the dismissal of a lawsuit they brought last year challenging rules meant to help the United States implement FATCA.
In addition to the bankers' legal threat, a political assault on the law gained traction last week when the Republican National Committee called for FATCA's repeal, siding with big banks, libertarians and American expatriates opposed to the law.
Critics say FATCA is government overreach that will jeopardize personal financial privacy, while supporters say it is needed to combat widening offshore tax avoidance.
Other banking associations have called for FATCA to be delayed by six months, arguing that the government has not provided enough guidance about how to comply with it.
Since it was signed into law by Obama, FATCA has been delayed twice as authorities have struggled to finish drafting the various rules and forms that the banks say they need to comply. Foreign banks that do not comply could effectively be frozen out of U.S. capital markets.
IRS Commissioner John Koskinen, speaking to reporters on Wednesday, said he met with Treasury officials on Tuesday about still-awaited final FATCA regulations. "They're going to come out soon, but I can't tell you date," Koskinen said.
Like earlier pacts, the U.S.-Canadian deal is a so-called intergovernmental agreement. It aims to address Canadian government concerns that FATCA might violate domestic privacy laws and burden financial institutions, a senior Canadian finance official told reporters in a briefing session.
Under the agreement, Canadian tax authorities will collect information from the country's banks and share it with the IRS under an existing bilateral tax treaty.
"Canada engaged in lengthy negotiations with the U.S. government to address our concerns, and as a result, significant exemptions and other relief were obtained," Canadian Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said in a statement.
The Canadian agreement narrows the scope of information required to be collected from account holders in Canada, officials said.
Some smaller Canadian financial institutions will be exempt, as well as certain registered savings vehicles such as Canadian registered retirement savings plans.
It is estimated that about 1 million U.S. citizens reside in Canada, although there is no data available on how many would be affected by the new agreement.
Banks will start collecting information in July and the Canada Revenue Service will begin reporting to the IRS in 2015. The agreement will not require changes to Canadian laws, but will need Parliament's approval.
The Canadian agreement might prompt other countries to finish similar FATCA deals with the United States, former U.S. officials said, with Treasury trying to sign as many pacts as possible within the next five months.
"People were getting worried about why it was taking so long" to conclude the deal with Canada, a major U.S. economic partner, said Manal Corwin, a former Treasury tax official who is now a principal at Big Four accounting firm KPMG LLP.
Signing with Canada is "a really critical development," she said.
(Additional reporting by Dena Aubin in New York; Editing by Kevin Drawbaugh and Leslie Adler)
This story was refiled to say "she said," not "he said" in last paragraph


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New ADM tax break bill proposed
By Jamey Dunn
Whether same sex marriage or public pension reform will pass during the last week of the Illinois General Assembly's fall veto session seems to be anybody's guess at this point. But it appears that there may be a way to move forward on a tax break for Archers Daniels Midland. ADM announced plans to move its corporate headquarters from Decatur.
The company said it was considering Chicago as the new location and then came to the General Assembly looking for a tax credit. The initial public reaction from lawmakers was less than positive. However, statehouse observers have been saying for weeks that a deal would likely be worked out in the veto session. Lawmakers are scheduled to be back in session for three days next week. The first week of the fall session wrapped up a day early after little was accomplished.
Sen. Andy Manar, a Democrat from Bunker Hill, filed legislation today to give ADM the tax credit it sought to keep its headquarters in Illinois. Manar was critical of an earlier bill. "I've had countless conversations with constituents, local officials and community groups who are angered by ADM's recent announcement of their intention to move their headquarters. I would have preferred to have seen ADM first engage state and local officials to find a way to maintain employment levels in Decatur," he said in a written statement earlier this month. "Now, only eight days later, there is legislation moving in the House of Representatives to give ADM tens of millions to potentially stay in Illinois and move to Chicago. Not so fast. Illinois is facing tough times. Decatur is facing tougher times, with the highest unemployment rate in the state. I will oppose any bill, and I will urge my colleagues to join me in opposing any bill that results in net job loss in Decatur."
Manar's new legislation (Senate Amendment 2 to House Bill 2536) would require ADM to replace the 100 corporate jobs that would leave Decatur by moving 100 jobs to Decatur from other states. "Throughout this process, I have said that keeping ADM in Illinois was a priority but not at the expense of taxpayers and jobs," Manar said today. "The bill I have introduced will allow ADM to continue their long and valued partnership with Illinois, while growing and creating much-needed jobs here." The proposal would also create a task force with the goal of creating jobs through ADM's intermodal transportation facility in Decatur. Construction of the facility was funded in part through a grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.
The bill was the product of collaboration between ADM executives, Manar and elected officials in Decatur. "We are grateful for Senator Manar's support. We appreciate the constructive dialogue he's led with ADM and local leaders around our shared desire to see Decatur grow and prosper," said Victoria Podesta, ADM's chief communications officer. "The outcome envisioned in the legislation, if realized, would be a win for Illinois, for Decatur and for ADM."
Mitch Schaben, a spokesman for Senate Democrats, said the amount of the tax credit is still being negotiated. He said the goal is to have everything hashed out by the end of the veto session. But the proposal could still face an uphill climb. Some Democrats are less than thrilled that corporations continue to get tax breaks while education and human services suffer cuts. On the other side of the aisle, some Republicans have voiced opposition to the concept, saying that the state should reduce taxes for all businesses instead of handing out special breaks to larger, well-connected companies. Most recently, lawmakers voted in 2011 to give tax cuts to Sears and the CME Group, which owns the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and the Chicago Board of Trade. Gov. Pat Quinn signed that legislation but has since said he would not consider any tax breaks that pass before lawmakers approve changes to public employee pensions.


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As has previously been reported on this blog, the organisers of the Global March to Jerusalem have been quite happy to accept operational support from Gilad Atzmon, particularly in the field of fundraising for the North American chapter.
Several individual or group endorsers of the march apparently see no dissonance in supporting a project which makes use of Atzmon's public profile whilst at the same time condemning his anti-Semitism.
This last week, in the wake of the horrific racist murders of three small children and an adult in Toulouse, Atzmon has once again shown his true colours by writing the following on his personal blog:
"Israeli press reported this evening that French gunman Mohamed Merah had been on a trip to Israel in the past.
According to the report, Merah's passport had Israeli stamps in it. The purpose of his visit is unknown. Israeli analysts suspect he was either trying to visit the Palestinian territories or preparing for a terror attack.
However, I won't rule out the possibility that Merah was actually trained by Israeli forces. Marah may have conducted a false flag operation. By way of deception is, after all, the Mossad's motto."
GMJ endorsers and International Advisory Board members such as Ghada Karmi and Susan Abulhawa have claimed that the march should appeal to "people of conscience".
The Global March to Jerusalem's association with Gilad Atzmon is an indication of the extent to which its organisers and endorsers in fact suffer from self-imposed selective hearing on issues of conscience.
Related articles
- Leading Global March to Jerusalem organizers embrace Gilad Atzmon (gm2j.co)
- Further Global March to Jerusalem-NA / Gilad Atzmon fundraising collaboration (gm2j.co)
- Mixed messages about violence from the Global March to Jerusalem (gm2j.co)
- Global March to Jerusalem: denying Jewish rights and history (gm2j.co)


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Jerry Garcia played some very unique guitars over his long career with the Grateful Dead and with The Jerry Garcia Band. How he came to acquire each of them is equally unique.
|Doug Irwin's Wolf guitar
Irwin tells the story that he was in the back of the store putting pickups on that particular guitar.
|Wolf with modifications
|Garcia with Guild Starfire III
a Les Paul with P-90 pickups through 3 Fender Twin Reverb amplifiers that were driving two cabinets, each of which was equipped with 4 twelve inch JBL D120 speakers. By 1968 Garcia was playing a 1967 Gibson SG standard that was equipped with humbucking pickups and an American flag sticker.
Alligator. While play concerts with Delaney and Bonnie, Garcia played the rosewood Telecaster that George Harrison had given to Delaney Bramlett. After that Garcia was hooked on the feel of Fenders.
A lot of guys were using effects loops back when the amps did not have Gain controls; i.e. old Fender amps, though Jerry is the first I have heard of to have this mounted inside his guitar.
|How an effects loop works
|2 output jacks
|Alembic Strat-O-Blaster circuit
The other output jack went to the amplifier between the preamp section, and the power amp section.
|Note the Reverb In and Reverb Out
Amp builders eventually put this feature on amplifiers. However when you think of old Marshall and Fender amps, this feature did not exist. The tremolo was built into the circuit. The reverb on old Fenders did have an IN and Out jack on the back side that was hooked for the jacks coming from the Hammond reverb unit. This essentially was an effects loop.
This may be a good time to point out the changes that The Grateful Dead brought about to the live music industry.
|The Beatles - House Sound System
They may have been great performers, but the sound heard by the audience was a crap shoot.
|The Grateful Dead Sound System
Furman Sound, Meyer Sound and Alembic guitars and basses are in business to this day making musicians sound better than ever because of the Grateful Dead.
|Replica with Strat O Blaster Circuit
To make this modification, the original route were most Strat output jacks are placed was elongated. To cover up the defect, another brass plated was used. A brass nut was also installed to give Jerry's guitar a brighter sound. Jerry found some stickers at a truck stop including the one with an alligator holding a knife and fork that he placed on the guitars pickguard. Thus, the Alligator was born.
Jerry played this guitar between 1971 and 1973. It is estimated that Garcia owned around 25 guitars that he used while playing with The Grateful Dead.
|Doug Irwin made Wolf guitar
Irwin had just started building guitars at Alembic. This was a company run by Ron Wickersham, an electronics and sound expert that previously worked for Ampex, Rick Turner, a luthier and guitarist, and Bob Matthews, a recording engineer.
The company started in a rehearsal room for the Grateful Dead, so there was an immediate connection between Alembic and the band.
This was the guitar that Jerry found when he came from the music store that where Irwin was employed. This guitar had humbucking pickups. At the time Garcia preferred the sound of his Stratocaster with single coil pickups.
Garcia asked him to build him another guitar. Irwin took a cue from this and created The Wolf, which he sold to Jerry Garcia in 1972 for $850. Garcia played this guitar for more than 20 years.
|Wolf with 3 single coils
In later years the middle and bridge single coil pickups were swapped out for humbuckers. This was an easy change because Irwin configured the pickups on a metal plate. In fact it was Irwin who created both plates for the guitar.
The electronics are accessible from a plate on the guitars back side and they are shielded.
The tuning machines are Schaller's and made of chromed nickel as is the bridge. This was the first guitar Irwin built that had the D shaped headstock that he used on other guitars he made as his trademark. On the headstock was the inlay of a peacock done in mother-of-pearl.
|Irwin made Tiger guitar
Once again, the pickups were a single coil in the neck position; the bridge and middle pickups were DiMarzio Dual Sound humbuckers. Jerry could get 12 distinctly different tones from that guitar and he loved that. Jerry loved the fact that he could control his guitars sounds with the flick of a switch on the guitar.
Irwin did many modifications to this guitar throughout the years for Garcia. The guitar included a five-way pickup selector switch and a master volume control, two separate tone-orbit controls and three mini toggle switches; one was to turn off the built in effects loop and the other two were coil taps.
The Tiger featured a mother-of-pearl inlay of a white tiger on the guitars face that was framed in brass. The head stock feature an ebony veneer surface with the signature Irwin mother-of-pearl eagle
|Doug Irwin made Rosebud
|The Saint aka Rosebud
|Wolf Jr.
|Lightning Bolt
The lightening bolt design is made from mother-of-pearl. The headstock not only has an unusual shape, but an unusual design as well.
|Note the large neck volute
When he first laid hands on it Jerry remarked, "This is the guitar that I've always been waiting for."
|Steve Cripe made "Top Hat"
The 9 ply neck was made of laminated maple and rosewood and topped with a bound ebony fret board with mostly ivory double block inlays. The inlay at the 9th fret is a single block. The ivory came from recycled ivory. The top hat inlay that adorns the front of the body is made of warthog tusk. This is actually a cover to conceal the batteries. The Schaller hardware on this guitar has a black finish.
|Top Hat
Cripe sent the finished guitar to Jerry's staff with a note asking them to pay him what they thought it was worth. He received a check for $6500. Like the Lightening Bolt and most of the Irwin guitars, this guitar featured DiMarzio pickups; three humbuckers in this case. The Top Hat weighs 10.4 pounds.
|Top Hat Guitar
The Eagle guitar that was the first Doug Irwin guitar built for Jerry, but was never played was auctioned off at Bonham's in 2007 for $186,000.
©UniqueGuitar Publications (text only)
©UniqueGuitar Publications (text only)


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Video Games of 2011 We Can't Wait to Play: Xav
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim: After years of waiting, it's finally happening: Bethesda is continuing the Elder Scrolls series. I've been a fan of the franchise since before the age of Morrowind, so it comes as no surprise that my most anticipated title of the year is the fifth game in the series. My enthusiasm for the game isn't just blind fanboyism either. Bethesda promises a bevy of fixes, which includes a (desperately needed) new engine.
With the promise of that brand new, advanced engine powering Bethesda's phenomenal storytelling, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim commands attention as one of the biggest potential titles of 2011. It cannot arrive fast enough.
L.A. Noire: In our video game past, we've handled the role of both cops and robbers. L.A. Noire from developer Team Bondi appears to offer the chance to play as investigators. There's a big difference between the older generation of detective adventure games--where clues are essentially buried within glorified hidden image levels--and what L.A. Noire looks to accomplish.
Players must read suspects and decide if their body language and facial expression show any subtle hints of deceit. At least, that's the goal the Rockstar-published title is going for. Aside from its impressive actor-capturing tech and cool period-piece story, L.A. Noire has a solid cast of actors--including Mad Men's Aaron Staton--to deliver a style of game that seems both immediately familiar and completely original at first glance. We're extremely interested to see how the game turns out.
Gears of War 3: The trilogy comes to an end with Gears of War 3. After making some extremely tough decisions in the game's last installment, heroes Marcus and Dom continue to fight for the survival of the human race against the menacing Locust horde.
Not enough for you? How about a new adversary: the imulsion-infected baddies known as Lambent.
It sounds like Gears of War is about to add an adversary potentially as annoying as Halo's Flood. Also, the previous game's end left us with a bad feeling that the Locust are just human beings that have been mutated via unspeakable experimentation (which would be extremely lame) but Epic Games is known for some solid experiences and we're willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. Also, it's going to be mighty fine to slice through our friends online in the continuation of one of the Xbox 360's best multiplayer experiences.
Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds: A little known fact about Xav de Matos (other than him occasional referring to himself awkwardly in the third-person) is that he has always had a love for the Street Fighter franchise. From his ridiculous collection of games and memorabilia, and reading way too many comics and books detailing the world of the franchise, you'd think he'd be an expert at playing the game.
Admittedly, I'm really not that good. Even though my skill is overshadowed by many other impressive players, Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds is on my most anticipated radar for 2011. Not only does it look outstanding but the game aims to give players the chance to familiarize themselves with some very hardcore characters within both universes. I might not be the best at playing the game but I know what the game should be: an over-the-top, fun, and powerful fighter that promises to take you for a ride.


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The Columbus Crew maintained their lead atop the Eastern Conference and extended the Houston Dynamo's winless streak to six league games as both teams played to a defensive stalemate that ended scoreless at Robertson Stadium on Saturday night.
Houston was celebrating Military Appreciation Night, but midfielder Brad Davis, who helped organize the event, was not fit enough to start. Lovel Palmer and Richard Mulrooney started in central midfield for Houston, with Davis coming off the bench.
The first half was a physical affair with Brian Ching and Cam Weaver sparring with Chad Marshall and Andy Iro, their
Columbus counterparts. Both teams failed to create many first half opportunities with only one shot on goal each.
In the 24th minute, Houston should have taken an early lead. Crew left back Gino Padula misplayed a clearance and Danny Cruz blew by the Argentine. Cruz played the ball across the goal to a wide open Ching at the far post. However, the World Cup veteran misdirected his left-footed shot in front of an empty net as the ball sailed over the bar.
The best chance for the visitors came in the 29th minute. Robbie Rogers and Guillermo Barros Schelotto played a beautiful give-and-go, but the cross into the box by Rogers was knocked away by Dynamo 'keeper Pat Onstad as both teams entered the half
The defensive struggle continued into the second half with the best opportunities for both sides falling in a two-minute span. Substitute Brian Mullan laid a ball perfectly into the path of Weaver in the 80th minute. The Dynamo big man's blast went mere inches wide of goal.
Just two minutes later, the Crew almost took the lead themselves. Rogers fed the ball across the box and found second half substitute forward Steven Lenhart open at the far post. As Lenhart lined up an open shot on goal, Dynamo defender Mike Chabala came out of nowhere and made a sprawling block on Lenhart's effort.
The game ended scoreless as both teams combined for a total of three shots on goal. Up next for the Dynamo is their SuperLiga 2010 debut against Pachuca on Thursday. Columbus hosts the Kansas City Wizards on Wednesday night for a midweek match at Crew Stadium.
Columbus Crew -- William Hesmer, Frankie Hejduk (Danny O'Rourke 72), Andy Iro, Chad Marshall, Gino Padula, Eddie Gaven, Brian Carroll, Adam Moffat, Robbie Rogers, Jason Garey (Steven Lenhart 66), Guillermo Barros Schelotto (Emmanuel Ekpo 89).
Houston Dynamo -- Pat Onstad, Andrew Hainault, Bobby Boswell, Eddie Robinson, Mike Chabala, Danny Cruz (Brian Mullan 63), Richard Mulrooney, Lovel Palmer, Corey Ashe (Brad Davis 68), Brian Ching, Cam Weaver.
Misconduct Summary:
HOU -- Andrew Hainault (caution; Reckless Foul) 73
CLB -- Gino Padula (caution; Reckless Tackle) 88
Referee: Michael Kennedy
Referee's Assistants: Chris Strickland; Kermit Quisenberry
4th Official: Terry Vaughn
Attendance: 13,486
Time of Game: 1:50
Weather: Sunny and 88 degrees
Recap: Crew vs. Dynamo
The Columbus Crew maintained their lead atop the Eastern Conference and extended the Houston Dynamo's winless streak to six league games as both teams played to a defensive stalemate that ended scoreless at Robertson Stadium on Saturday night.


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Huzur continued with the subject of the Divine attribute of Al Wali (the Friend) in his Friday Sermon today. God draws the attention of believers and non-believers as well as warns the pagans in the Holy Qur'an:
'For him (the Messenger) is a succession of angels before him and behind him; they guard him by the command of Allah. Surely, Allah changes not the condition of a people until they change that which is in their hearts. And when Allah wishes to punish a people, there is no repelling it, nor have they any helper beside Him.' (13:12)
Huzur explained that God has expounded four aspects in this verse; a) God has taken everyone's protection in His hands b) He decides about a nation in accordance with their practices c) When God deems someone liable to be punished, the matter cannot be averted d) He alone is the true Helper and Friend.
Elucidating the opening line of the verse, 'For him (the Messenger) is a succession of angels before him and behind him; they guard him by the command of Allah…' the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) wrote that God has appointed sentries for exoteric or apparent as well as esoteric or concealed safeguard of His people. These sentries primarily safeguard God's messengers among whom the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) is foremost. After his birth he became the most beloved being to God and from the time of his birth to his passing away, God fulfilled the aforementioned line in a peerless manner for him. His life in Makkah is known to all and how in a most lucid way God helped him at every step. The Surah from which the verse is taken, Surah Al Ra'd, was revealed during the Makkan period when the enemy's hostility exceeded all limits. We also have the magnificent example of the Battle of Badr when God provided exoteric/apparent as well as esoteric/concealed help for the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him).
Amir ibn Tufail was a pagan chief who came to the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) and said that if he became a Muslim could he be a successor (Khalifa) of the Prophet after him? The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) said that Khilafat would never go to one who laid such a condition or indeed to his people. The man became upset and left saying that he would bring in horse-riders of the calibre who would, God forbid, severely deter the Prophet. The Prophet said God would never enable him to do this. The man went away with one of his associates who persuaded him while they were still on the way to return with a plan to kill the Prophet. They returned and Amir stood behind the Prophet as his associate distracted the Prophet, he drew his sword to do the deed but was awe-struck and could not move. The Prophet turned around and saw all this. The two left, indeed were allowed to leave. However on their way the associate was hit by lighting and died whereas it is said about Amir that he died of a carbuncle. There are numerous such incidents that illustrate how God helped the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) with His special protection through the angels. God made the promise of safeguard to the Prophet when he was in Makkah but once in Medina, God further consoled him with: '…And Allah will protect thee from men…' (5:68).
The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) said that it is a great miracle that the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) was not killed by anyone. He said it was indeed written in the ancient scriptures that the Prophet to come in the latter days will not be killed by the hands of anyone. Huzur said that the words 'by the command of Allah' in the verse (13:12) signify that apart from helping through the agency of angels, God also made hearts of believers bound to be ever ready to make any and every sacrifice for him. This sense of sacrifice was borne out of the faith that they had embraced through the Prophet. At times people associate with others out of some obduracy or due to mutual animosity or mutual fear for a cause. The Companions were not such. Their sense of guarding the Prophet was due to the faith that God had generated in their hearts and they did this to attain the pleasure of God. Thus God made arrangements to safeguard the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) more than anyone else. However, this is also applicable to every person. Even if there is no infectious illness around, mankind breaths in many germs from the atmosphere, but God has created a defence system in the human body to counter this. At times God manifests His special protection and safeguard through His sentries for His special friends and for His messengers as well as the followers of the messengers.
In the current age we observe that God displayed the plague as a sign of the truthfulness of the Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) and made it clear that his followers would be saved from it. The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) wrote in his book 'Khisti Nuh' that he most respectfully wanted to say to the government (British) that had he not had a heavenly/Divine restriction from getting inoculated against the plague, his people would have been the first among the subjects to get inoculated. He explained that the Divine restriction was that God had willed to exhibit a sign of His mercy by saving all of his followers from the plague. The world witnessed that in spite of the extensive spread of the disease over a period of five to six years, with the grace of God Ahmadis were saved from it.
It is God's protection that enables mankind to endure tragedies such as loss of property, children and respect/honour. Otherwise man can lose sense with the gravity of some losses; therefore, this is also a way through which God protects. Some people cannot deal with misfortune or loss and it affects them severely. Some lose their belief in God. These models are there for us to appreciate that if God's grace and blessings were not in operation, man's life could not go on. When misfortune befalls pious people, they say, 'Surely, to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.' (2:157) and as a result of this they receive Divine blessings and are safeguarded against the ill-effects of all troubles and of difficult situations. According to the laws of nature, everyone is included in God's protection, those who believe as well as those who do not believe. In this there is a lesson for those who do not believe that if they continue to exceed in their mischief, God can take His protection away and such a situation would lead to definite destruction. God states in the verse 13:12 'Surely, Allah changes not the condition of a people until they change that which is in their hearts', this signifies that God does not alter His way about the pious and they continue to be recipients of His blessings. As long as they are pious and honour the dues of God and the dues of mankind and are pious individually as well as collectively, they will be recipients of God's grace.
God's grace is removed when rather than make Him one's Friend, Satan is followed. As a result vices set in; evil, wicked ways are practised so much so that people are killed in the name of religion. This is when God removes His protection and His refuge. This part of the verse does not simply mean that God does not treat well those who do evil. Rather, it is that God does not alter His ways towards the pious, unless they deprive themselves of His blessings by doing wicked deeds. History, when viewed with a religious perspective is clear about this, the Holy Qur'an declares that when evils sets in God's refuge and protection is also removed. It is not that by simply saying the Kalima (declaration of faith) one comes into the eternal sphere of God's special protection. The real condition is to practice good deeds after believing. This is food for thought for the Muslim ummah, especially those countries where persecution is on the increase. The next thing that the said verse mentions is something on which Pakistan in particular needs to reflect and seek forgiveness over: 'And when Allah wishes to punish a people, there is no repelling it…'. What is needed is reformation before God's final verdict comes to pass. If only the people of the country [Pakistan] have the sense to understand this.
The Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) said that the first obligation of whoever wishes to be released from grief and misfortune is to bring about a pious change internally. When this is attained God's blessings follow in accordance with His promise. Huzur said there is a grave need to reflect over this as well as to seek God's forgiveness and Ahmadis should try and make Muslims within their circles understand in this regard. The said verse concludes; '… nor have they any helper beside Him.' Thus, if there is no one except God Who can help us, Who can watch over us against all evil, then, He needs to be searched for. If, in spite of observance of Salat and keeping of fasts and tens of thousands performing Hajj there are no signs of improvement and there is national breakdown, then certainly there is something lacking somewhere in all this worship. May God make the ummah comprehend this and may they turn to Him with sincerity.
God describes this subject in Surah Al Anfal, 'This is because Allah would never change a favour that He has conferred upon a people until they change their own condition, and know that Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.' (8:54). God does not seize back any of His blessings, man wastes the blessings through his own wretchedness and misfortune. Qur'an does not merely relate incidents of the past. It is also a great lesson for Muslims to be alert and be appreciative of the tremendous blessing that has been given to them. God states in the Qur'an '… completed My favour upon you…' (5:4). This favour and this blessing has been given to us in the form of the Holy Qur'an and we are commanded to put its teachings in practice. If we followed this, then alone can we establish piety, and as it is stated, God will take us in His protection and will manifest that He is our Maula (Protector).
Do the Muslims still not realise why they are being deprived of the blessings associated with the people about whom the Qur'an states, 'You are the best people raised for the good of mankind…' (3:111)? They are indeed deprived of it because they are killing each other. A few days ago, there was a bomb blast in Peshawar which was remote-controlled. Then, there are the suicide-bombs and then there is the killing of Ahmadis and others in the name of religion. What sort of khair (good) is this? This is a juncture at which serious pondering is required, there is a need to amend ways, otherwise when God's final decree comes into operation, none can avert it.
Conduct of others is a source of reformation, indeed should be so. Ahmadis should also continue to self-reflect and self-examine themselves if they are on the right path, they should keep an eye on their practices and be ever grateful for His blessings. If this will be maintained, then in accordance with His promise God will be our Protector and Helper. No one can harm our Community. God states, '…Therefore observe Prayer and pay the Zakat, and hold fast to Allah. He is your Master. An excellent Master and an excellent Helper!' (22:79) It is obligatory for true believers to observe Salat and through it bring about a pious change in oneself, purify one's wealth by spending some of it in the way of God and hold onto all of God's commandments most firmly. Then alone can it be substantiated that one believes in God as one's Master and Protector.
It is stated in Surah Al Mai'dah, 'Your friend is only Allah and His Messenger and the believers who observe Prayer and pay the Zakat and worship God alone. And those who take Allah and His Messenger and the believers for friends should rest assured that it is the party of Allah that must triumph.' (5:56-57) Here, 'worship God alone' signifies those who sincerely and wholly have belief in God alone and their belief is free from any adulteration whatsoever. These are the body of people who will triumph, who are the friends of God and of whom God is a Friend.
In a Hadith Qudsi God states, 'Whoever adopts enmity towards my friend, I will declare war against them. I like my servant to attain nearness to me through what is obligatory on him. My servant constantly approaches Me through supererogatory acts of worship until I love him, and when I love him, I become his eyes with which he sees, his hands with which he holds, and his legs with which he walks. If he asks Me for something, I will certainly grant it to him and if he wants My refuge I shall certainly grant him My refuge. I do not ever have hesitation in anything as the hesitation in taking the life of a believer. He dislikes death and I dislike giving him any trouble.' Such is God's caring and considerate stance towards believers.
If one puts all commandments in practice with complete sincerity, God becomes the Maula. May God make it so that we follow piety and stay connected to our true Maula so that we receive His help and succour each step of the way.
The Jumu'ah (Friday) prayer is one form of congregational worship in Islam. It takes place every Friday. Regular attendance at the Jumu'ah prayer is enjoined on the believer. According to a Saying of Muhammad(sa) this congregational prayer is twenty-five times more blessed than worship performed alone. (Bukhari)
"O ye who believe! When the call is made for Prayer on Friday, hasten to the remembrance of Allah, and leave off all business. That is best for you, if you only knew." more
"… (He who) offers the Prayers and listens quitely when the Imam stands up for sermon, will have his sins forgiven between that Friday and the next" (Bukhari)


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ROCHESTER — Profile Bank President Ken Wilman announces the following organizational changes, in order to proactively adapt to the changing needs of the banking industry:
Janet Hand has been appointed executive vice president of compliance and risk management. Hand has been with Profile Bank for 21 years and most recently served as the executive vice president of retail banking.
"Since 9/11 the banking industry has seen an unprecedented increase in the amount of new laws and regulations. We are very fortunate that we have the best of the best when it comes to compliance and understanding the laws and regulations, and that's Janet," Wilman said.
Jeanette Poulin has been promoted to vice president of retail banking and marketing. Poulin has been in banking for over 31 years, and has held several key positions. She has been with Profile Bank for over four years and her most recent position was marketing and sales director for the bank.
"Jeanette has been an important part of our team and we are pleased to recognize her accomplishments and considerable benefit she brings to the organization," Wilman added.
Christine Sowards is transitioning into a newly created position for the bank as the deposit operations specialist. In this position, she will be responsible for supporting the branch network by performing critical tasks that require a comprehensive understanding of the bank's systems and processes. Sowards has been with Profile Bank for 24 years, most recently as a client services specialist.
"As the bank continues to grow, we will seek opportunities to further strengthen our ability to meet the needs of our customers. Sowards' expertise and experience will greatly benefit our branch network and customers" said Wilman.
For more information on Profile Bank or their products and services, visit their website at www.ProfileBank.com or call (603) 332-2610.