2601 Parkway was designed by Paul Philippe Cret
in collaboration with his student and assistant, Aaron Colish
. Cret is considered one of the most influential architects of the first half of the twentieth-century, and his buildings include landmarks that contribute to Philadelphia's essential character, including the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, the Rodin Museum, and the original Barnes Foundation in Merion. He collaborated on the layout of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in 1913, and he redesigned Rittenhouse Square, which remains one of the country's most elegant public spaces. Additionally, Cret designed campus plans for the University of Pennsylvania, located in Philadelphia, Brown University, located in Providence, Rhode Island, and the University of Texas at Austin, located in Austin, Texas.
Cret was born in Lyon, France, in 1876, was educated at the the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, and in 1903, was invited to join the faculty of the University of Pennsylvania's architecture program. Cret's addition to the faculty helped to revolutionize the university to become one of the country's most influential design schools. Cret was considered an architectural peacemaker, carving out a middle-ground between the avant-garde radicalism of the early twentieth-century modernists, and the stodginess of the traditions of the die-hard classicists. His vision was to transform Philadelphia from a crowded colonial city into a modern metropolis as grand as Paris. Cret's Beaux-Arts principles became the foundation for the City Beautiful Movements, which sought to transform America's cities from the ravages of the Industrial Revolution into modern places of beauty.
In 1928, Cret began working with developer Joseph Greenberg to create a grand residential building on the site of the former Baldwin Locomotive Works on Pennsylvania Avenue, between 26th and 27th Streets. Both men were determined to create an urban environment to meet the highest standard of living for Philadelphians, that would reflect the latest in architectural and engineering design. The location was ideal, next to the Philadelphia Museum of Art and adjacent to Fairmount Park. Over the next twelve years, Cret developed more than seventy architectural design concepts for the building.
In 1936, the heart of the Depression, Cret was called upon to defend the creation of one of the largest luxury buildings ever built. He cited, "a location in the heart of the city abutting the largest municipal park in the United States, close to the Art Museum and other municipal buildings that will forever maintain the highest standard of environment. To have a location that is foolproof against deterioration is essential and not a luxury."
Fifty years later, in the early 1990's, Aaron Colish, Cret's assistant, served as a consultant on the building's restoration.
When it opened in 1939, 2601 Parkway was a premier place to live. Architectural Forum Magazine reported that with over 500 units, it was the third-largest apartment building in the United States under one roof - only New York's London Terrace and Knickerbocker Village were larger - and the first large residence of this scale in Philadelphia. The thirteen-story, three-tiered building featured a variety of floor plans with panoramic view, terraces on the eleventh and twelfth floors, an elegant restaurant, a beauty parlor, a florist, and other "hotel amenities."
2601 Parkway's vast marble lobby is adorned with an exceptional tile mural created by ceramicist Francis Serber, and painter Nicholas Marsicano. Both were members of the U.A.A., a historic union formed in 1934 by artists employed under the Federal Art Project of Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal.
The tiles run the length of the lobby from Tower A to Tower C, and depict the history of mankind from early civilizations through the Classical, Middle, and Renaissance Ages, to present day, and with a glimpse of the future. This motif of "progress" had precedents at several World's Fairs of the 1930's.
After years of hard work by the Green Committee and the Communications Committee, as well as the Board of Directors, Management Team, and the Maintenance Team, a green roof was built at 2601 Parkway at the intersection of 26th and Aspen Streets. Please watch the video here


The Implantable Artificial Kidney Corporation has completed several steps that have improved their artificial kidney prototype.Read more →
An IntroductionOver 60,000 Americans each year develop End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD). Kidney abnormalities can be anatomic in origin. Many are congenital and present at birth such as polycystic kidney. Most kidney diseases attack the nephrons, causing them to loose their filtering capacity. Glomerulonephristis (inflammation) can occur after acute post streptococcal (strep throat) or impetigo (skin infection). This and Glomerulosclerosis (scarring) are the two broad terms that include different forms of damage to the kidneys, often occurring after one or more of the following causes; Drugs or Heavy Metal Poisoning. Diabetes, including Diabetic Nephropathy, Diabetes Mellitus and Diabetes Insipidus. Hypertension, Systemic Lupus and Lupus Nephritis. Renal Glycosuria. Anti-HIV Drugs and protease inhibitors such as Crixivan and Ritonavir (Norvir). See other causes, diseases and about our device in “About kidney diseases” and “Our Implantable Artificial Kidney Device“.


Research Activities in the Institute of Meteoritics
Microbeam Studies of Planetary Materials
funded by NASA Cosmochemistry Program
Lead investigators: Papike, Shearer, Burger
These studies emphasize the study of planetary samples from asteroids (meteorites), Mars (meteorites), and the Moon (NASA Apollo samples, Russian Luna samples, meteorites). Our techniques, referred to as microbeam (electron microprobe, SEM, SIMS, TEM), enable us to measure concentrations of major, minor, and trace elements, and stable isotope ratios with high spatial resolution (small analytical volume). This capability is very important because many of the minerals in planetary samples are very small. These data give us new insights into a range of fundamental questions about our Solar System from its earliest origin to the evolution of planetary bodies. Recent efforts in this area have extended beyond these now-traditional techniques by employing synchrotron-based techniques such as XANES to measure valence states of multivalent elements such as Cr and V. These measurements have provided insights into the comparative oxidation states in terrestrial planetary interiors.
Experimental Studies of Planetary Magmas at High Pressure
funded by NASA Cosmochemistry Program, National Science Foundation Earth Sciences Directorate
Lead investigator: Agee
This program makes use of high pressure and high temperature experimental apparatus. High pressure equipment consists of 2 solid media devices, a multi-anvil press designed to reach pressures between about 3 and 25 GPa (1 GPa = about ten thousand atmospheres pressure) and a piston-cylinder press designed to achieve pressures of 0.5 to 2.5 GPa. The high temperature furnace can reach approximately 1600ºC under a range of pertinent oxygen fugacities. We use this equipment to perform experiments on geological and planetary materials at the elevated pressures and temperatures appropriate to their formation. The goal of our experiments is to mimic the conditions inside planetary bodies (mainly Earth, the Moon, and Mars) where processes took place that gave rise to igneous rocks. Armed with this type of information, models can be constructed that help explain how terrestrial planets form, in general, and how particular magmatic processes control various compositional relationships in these rock types. Work in the Experimental Petrology group currently focuses on the following topics: differentiation of the martian mantle; deep-seated magmatism on the Moon; systematics of crystal-chemical controls on garnet-melt trace element partitioning in any terrestrial interior; the effects of water and carbon dioxide on the generation of primitive martian parent liquids; the role of volatiles in affecting silicate melt density; and processes of terrestrial-planet core formation. Our martian work has three major tasks. 1) Experiments designed to constrain the nature and composition of the martian mantle by mapping the effect of Fe contents on near-solidus phase relations of putative mantle protoliths. 2) Experiments aimed at elucidating processes taking place in a possible early Mars magma ocean. 3) Determine the role of dissolved volatiles in the generation of the most primitive martian basalts. Results from all these studies advance our understanding of the early differentiation of the martian mantle and on the origins of the martian meteorites. Our lunar work largely involves phase-equilibrium and element-partitioning studies of lunar picritic glasses to determine whether garnet was present in their source regions, which would constrain the composition and physical state of the deep lunar interior. In addition, an ambitious program will be underway soon to test experimentally the widely-held magma-ocean model for formation of the Moon following a giant impact between the proto-Earth and a roughly Mars-sized body very early in the history of the solar system. Experiments expanding on the garnet work mentioned above to generalize crystal-chemical controls on garnet-melt element partitioning has made use of these lunar compositions, as well as terrestrial ones. In addition, work on the partitioning of elements between possible core-forming metal melts and coexisting silicate melts is underway.
Martian impact crater hydrothermal systems: Clues from the Lonar (India) crater
funded by NASA Planetary Geology and Geophysics Program
Lead investigator: Newsom
This project continues our strong research efforts into hydrothermal processes in impact craters on Mars, as possible environments to search for evidence of biotic or pre-biotic chemistry, and to understand the role of impacts in near-surface chemical transport and soil formation. Because the craters on Mars are most likely to have formed in basaltic terrains, we are studying the deposits at the Lonar Crater, India. Our most important result so far is the evidence for impact induced hydrothermal processes in the samples from the Lonar crater. We are continuing our work on samples from the Lonar crater as well as extending our work to other craters on the Earth including Mistastin and Chicxulub, because of the much larger size of the heat sources and the potential for longer-lived hydrothermal systems that resulted in greater mobile element transport. We also contributed to the study of the landing sites for the 2003 Mars Exploration Rovers.
Identification of Microbial Signatures in Biogenic Cave Ferromanganese Deposits
funded by National Science Foundation, Biogeosciences Directorate
Lead investigator: Spilde
The subsurface environment of Mars is of particular interest in the search for evidence of life because it provides a safe, stable environment where water may be present. Various subsurface environments, such as caves and lava tubes, on Earth can provide analogies to the subsurface of Mars. This research involves the study of chemolithoautrophic microorganisms, organisms that derive all their energy by breaking down rock as an energy source. These organisms are present in some terrestrial caves where they produce deposits of iron and manganese oxides on cave walls. We are studying microbial manganese deposits in Lechuguilla Cave, in lava tubes and in desert varnish in New Mexico to understand the processes by which these minerals are formed. By identifying and understanding such organisms on Earth, we may gain insight into how life could survive in the subsurface of Mars.
Participation in Robotic Exploration Missions
funded by NASA
Lead investigators: Newsom
We are participating in several robotic missions that are or will explore planetary bodies. The gamma rays that escape from planetary surfaces and detected in orbit are studied to determine the abundances of Fe, Si, K, Th, and other elements in the top meter of the planet’s surface. The gamma rays are made by the decay of naturally-occurring radioelements (K, U, and Th) or by cosmic-ray interactions (mainly neutron-capture or inelastic-scattering reactions), see the figure. We are studying Mars using gamma rays measured by the 2001 Mars Odyssey, and plans are being made to study the Moon using gamma rays measured by the Japanese SELENE spacecraft (scheduled to be launched in late 2007). We are also participating in the Mars Exploration Rover science team and the upcoming Mars Science Laboratory (scheduled 2009 launch) mission.


Ok, I know I titled that with a bold statement. So before you get the desire to start throwing rotten cabbage and tomatoes at me, hear me out. I know I have shared, in the past, the particular background that we have that has given us a unique perspective. To sum it up we live in the middle of agricultural central, where many of the grains we consume in the U.S. are grown. What I haven’t shared is the extent to which our food is, yes, poisoned before it ever makes it to a food factory or flour mill. So yes, even though your digestion system may scream at you that it’s truly gluten intolerant, maybe its just the poisonous cocktails baked right in, that your body can not stand.
As you know gluten is a mixture of two proteins present in the make up of certain plants in the wheat family. Wheat, durum, emmer, semolina, spelt, rye, barley, eincorn, farro and Kamut are a few of the grains that contain the protein combo that is gluten. However, wheat is the most commonly consumed.
The life of a grain of wheat
To see the big picture let me walk you through the cycle a grain of wheat goes through, from seed to plant. Keep in mind that not all farmers do everything exactly the same, but this is much of the ‘run of the mill’ practices.
- Seed wheat is treated with a chemical insecticide to prevent bugs from eating the seed before it ever gets a chance to sprout.
- The ground to be planted is often (but not always) sprayed with an herbicide (to prevent weeds) such as a glyphosate before any seeds are ever put in the ground.
- After wheat is sprouted and grown a bit, a chemical-cocktail of synthetic fertilizers and herbicides are used to both boost plant growth and try to kill weeds that are growing along with the wheat.
- At this point wheat could, but not always, be sprayed with a fungicide, to prevent unwanted fungus.
- Depending on harvest and the individual farmer, many times the wheat is sprayed with an additional layer of chemicals right before harvest. This is done to kill off the plant so that it is dry and the wheat berries are ready to harvest.
- As the wheat is harvested and hauled to grain storage where it changes hands from the care of the farmer to an agriculture company or farmers Co-Op. Here it can be treated with an insecticide as it waits in storage for the next stop it will make.
As you can see growing grains today, is less about soil, nutrients and nature and more about chemical control. The comfy cozy words that the agriculture world uses to make us feel good about all this excessive use is that the chemicals break-down. Somehow all these chemicals kill weeds, bugs and fungus, but by the time it hits our plate all that chemical has magically disappeared right?
A true story
At a small farmers Co-Op in nowheresville U.S.A. The Co-Op was storing a particularly high protein wheat. For the best financial gain the Co-Op waited to sell this grain to the next buyer until they could get premium price. Keep in mind wheat is a commodity so the prices do fluctuate. This particular load of wheat was held in grain storage for 4 years until the timing was right to get the money they wanted for this high protein wheat, (yes it is gross already, I know).
Where was this wheat headed you wonder? You got it, a flour mill. The wheat was then treated with a chemical called phostoxin, right before its trip to the flour mill. Keeping in mind this was wheat for human consumption. Surely the chemical they use there cant be so bad right? Wrong…
Not so, extremely, long before this at a different Co-Op. A worker who was treating grain with the same chemical, the insecticide known as phostoxin. This employee got some of the chemical, slightly splashed, on his pant leg. Thinking nothing about it, coming in contact with chemicals is a daily thing. Hours pass the worker returns home that night, and is greeted by his little two-year-old girl, hugging Daddy’s leg. Later that night the little girl is rushed to the hospital in a near-death situation. The slight amount of pesticides turned into poisonous toxins, in the young girls body.
Thankfully the young girl survives. Her brush with death puts these agricultural practices into question. What exactly are we doing and allowing to be done to our food, our families, and our health? Why does everyone seem to be taking on gluten intolerant symptoms in recent years? Will this stop with only gluten?
Food… fuel health or disease
Maybe, just maybe, everyone’s bodies are becoming intolerant the ever rising levels of chemicals. As agriculture continues down this path, showing no sign of changing, the microbes in both the soil and our gut are being killed off at a massive rate. Those microbes, our gut flora, are the powerhouse of the immune system, as well as our mental and emotional well-being. No wonder health is declining as cancer, depression and anxiety are all on the rise (even among children).
With the picture looking bleak you turn to a gluten-free diet, right? I don’t blame you not one bit. Your body has had enough times of gluten being the precursor to feeling horrible, rightly so. It will likely continue. Other grains get the same treatment. Is the situation hopeless? No, my friends the answer is in our grasp.
Money, the market, supply and demand. When we as people no longer choose to buy the products produced in ways that destroy both our health and our earth, then we will see change. Next time you go to a grocery store, choose organic. Find farmers markets, or build good relationships with the little pockets of people growing food everywhere. Backyard farmers, urban homesteaders, organic and sustainable farmers are popping up. Better yet start your own garden, get your kids involved. Most importantly choose quality over cheap chemically produced junk. Your health, your family and community will one day thank you ♡♡♡
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Myotonic dystrophies are inherited neuromuscular disorders characterized by progressive muscular wasting (dystrophy) and muscular stiffness (myotonia). It affects both muscles and others organs such as heart, eye, breathing appartus, endocrine system, digestive tract or nervous system, these are multisystem diseases. Type 2 myotonic dystrophy, also called DM2 or proximal myotonic myopathy) occurs during adulthood and evolves slowly. It is due to a genetic abnormality spotted on chromosome 3.
- Reference laboratory: Institute of Myology
This trial aims at assessing the loss of hearing and oculo-motor function on patients affected with type 2 myotonic dystrophy.


The Himalayan mountain range in Asia is one of the highest places in the world, with several peaks rising above 8,000 meters. It’s also one of the most vulnerable to climate change.
Seven years ago, Missouri Botanical Garden senior curator of ethnobotany Jan Salick traveled to the Himalayas to begin a study of how climate change is affecting alpine plants—and the local people who depend on them.
St. Louis Public Radio's Véronique LaCapra sat down with Salick to talk about her research.
SALICK: We have a transect that runs 2,000 kilometers, which would be a little more than say 1,200 miles. And we have multiple mountaintops that we’re measuring for the effect of climate change on the plants.
LACAPRA: What have you seen so far in terms of impacts of climate change?
SALICK: At 10 sites we have put up permanent plots, and then counted and measured the plants, and the cover of plants, at each site, so that we can go back to those permanent plots and recensus them to find out how much change there is over time.
LACAPRA: And so you haven’t done that comparison yet.
SALICK: We’re just starting this year. We will—in Europe, they’ve already finished the comparison after seven years, and they have found—although Europe is not expected to have as much change as the Himalayas, already in Europe they have found plants moving up the mountains. The plants that are normally at lower elevations are now found at higher and higher elevations.
But in the Himalayas this year we are starting the recensus, and we will see what the results are there.
LACAPRA: Besides comparing to the European data, is there anything from the data you’ve collected in the Himalayas that is telling you what to expect as you’re going in?
SALICK: We have data from a lot of different sources. There are a lot of historical records in the area. It’s an area that botanists, the early plant explorers, concentrated on, because there’s so much biodiversity and so many fantastic alpine plants—beautiful, beautiful plants.
And we have their records, and we can see the differences from their records.
They also took these enormous old cameras, 100 years ago, into the field and took gorgeous photographs. And so we’ve gone back and retaken those same photographs, and we can see the glaciers melting, we can see the forests moving up the mountains, we can see shrublands encroaching on what used to be alpine meadows, and so on.
So we have pretty good—although non-quantitative—data on climate change in the area.
LACAPRA: And what about the people who live in these areas? Are they aware of the climate changing? Or maybe of these other changes—the plants changing, like you were talking about?
SALICK: Definitely. We’ve done extensive interviews with villagers, with religious leaders, with professionals, conservationists, and so on, in that area. And almost everyone recognizes the fact that it’s warmer now than it used to be, that the glaciers are smaller, there’s less snow on the mountains, that there’s irregular precipitation and irregular weather patterns in general.
And they complain about it in many ways, that for their agriculture, for their livelihoods, many things are changing and they’re having a hard time. They’re adapting, they try to come up with new strategies so that they can continue getting their livelihoods from these environments, but it’s hard on them.
LACAPRA: Do you think you’ll be able to, with this work, impact climate change policy, either in China or here in the U.S.?
SALICK: We’re very interested in impacting policy, and one of the things that we’re interested in is having a multitude of voices heard in the climate change debates and in the policy formation.
So normally you only get the heads of governments that come together, but it’s really traditional peoples and indigenous peoples around the world that are on the forefront of climate change. You know, they’re the ones that depend on nature, depend on natural resources for their livelihoods. And they have no protection.


Situated on the coast along the Bay of Bengal, Odisha stands for its ancient glory and modern endeavour. Endowed with natures bounty, a 482 km stretch of coastline with virgin beaches, serpentine rivers, mighty waterfalls, forest-clad blue hills of Eastern Ghats with rich wild life, Odisha is dotted with exquisite temples, historic monuments as well as pieces of modern engineering feat. The land, while retaining its pristine glory, also offers the visitors modern amenities. Its lush green countryside and fertile plains, tiny hamlets fringed with palm, coconut trees and mango groves offer the charm of rural beauty while the urban pockets, the four cities in particular, with the splendour of modern technology provide the amenities necessary for a comfortable stay. This wonderful land of fascinating beauty boasts of colourful festivals round the year. Odisha is also the land of unique handicrafts and other excellent artifacts.
Odisha, with a rich heritage that is more than two thousand years old, has a glorious history of its own. It was known under different names in different periods : Kalinga, Utkal or Odradesha. Seaports flourished along the coast as early as the 4th and 5th centuries B.C., when the sadhabs, the Odishan seafaring merchants, went to the islands of Java, Sumatra, Borneo and Bali with their merchandise. Not only did they bring home wealth and prosperity, they also carried the glorious Indian civilisation with them and helped its spread abroad. Vijaya, the first king of Ceylon, is believed to be a prince of Orissan origin. The land had its martial glory in the past and the people had made their contact with the kingdoms South East Asia in ancient times. Kalinga had made its mark in the Indian history when the Nanda dynasty ruled the kingdom of Magadha. She posed a threat to the Maurya Empire. Ashoka, the Great invaded Kalinga in 261 B.C. and conquered her. But the terrible bloodshed on the banks of the river, Daya that preceded Ashokas victory changed his heart. He embraced Buddhism and preached peace and goodwill for the rest of his life. Kalinga reasserted her independence after the death of Ashoka and increased her strength. The Kalingan Empire reached the pinnacle of glory during the reign of Emperor Kharavela who even pursued the Greek King Demetrius out of India. The inscriptions on Hati Gumpha (Elephant Cave) on the Udayagiri Hill in Bhubaneswar record the story of his reign. Kalinga maintained its trade links with overseas countries during the first three centuries of the Christian era but the kingdom itself was divided into a number of principalities. In the fourth century A.D. Emperor Samudragupta invaded Odisha and overcame the resistance offered by five of her chiefs. Odisha came under the rule of King Sasanka and later King Harsha Vardhana in the 7th century A.D. when the Chinese traveller Hiuen Tsang visited Odisha. Towards the middle of the century the Somavamsi dynasty was firmly established in the land. The end of the 8th century saw the emergence of Jajpur-on-Baitarani as an epicentre of Brahminical religion. Thus Buddhism and Jainism took a back seat for Sometime when Yayati Keshari invited ten thousand Brahmin pundits from Kanauja and settled them in different parts of his kingdom. He established Abhinaba Yayati Nagar which was abbreviated to Jajpur in course of time. The centre of political activities shifted to Cuttack, known as Abhinab Varanasi Kataka, in the eleventh century A.D. Illustrious Ganga kings ruled Odisha for nearly three hundred and fifty years and they were followed by Suryavamsi Gajapati Kings and Mukunda Deva Harichandan of the Chalukya dynasty. Pancha Kataka or the five forts protected the capital against any aggression. The Hindu state of Odisha came under the Muslim rule in 1568 A.D. when King Mukunda Deva lost to the Sultan of Bengal, Suleiman Karni. Subsequently, Odisha came under the Moghuls and the Marathas and finally in 1803 A.D., under the British. Odisha formed a part of greater Bengal but didnt lose its own separate cultural identity. The political capital shifted to Patna when the state of Bihar-Odisha was carved out of Bengal. Odisha became a separate province in 1936 A.D. with Cuttack as its capital. The new capital was built in Bhubaneswar after independence. However, the state took its present shape only in 1949 with the merger of the princely states including Mayurbhanj.
The modern state of Odisha is located between 170-48 and 220-34 North latitude and 810-24 and 870-29 East longitude. The State is bounded by the bay in the east, West Bengal in the north-east, Bihar in the north, Madhya Pradesh in the west and Andhra Pradesh in the south. The territory may be divided into four distinct geographical regions : the Eastern Plateau, the Central River Basin, the Eastern Hill Region and the Coastal Belt. The entire territory lies in the tropical zone as a result of which high temperature is recorded particularly during April-May. However, the sea exercises a moderating influence over the climate of the coastal belt whereas the hill tracts experience an extreme climate. The state is drained by six important rivers: the Subarnarekha, the Budhabalanga, the Baitarani, the Brahmani, the Mahanadi and the Rusikulya. The rich mineral belts lie in the western and north-western parts of the state. Covering an area of 155,707 sq.km. Odisha has a population of about three crore out of which more than 22 percent are tribals, with their concentration in Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Sundargarh and Koraput districts. Oriya is the mother tongue of the people of Odisha and most of them understand Hindi as well. People can sometimes speak Bengali, Telugu, Urdu and a bit of Gujarati in addition to the various tribal dialects. English can be understood by the educated mass. Rice, dal, vegetables and fish constitute the principal diet of the people. They also take chapatis, meat and sweets. Different types of pithas (cakes made of rice flour, gur, coconut, ghee and other ingredients depending on the variety ) and milk/cheese preparations are special Odishan delicacies.
Odisha has a long tradition of art and architecture. The early monuments date back to the third century B.C. The remnant of an Ashokan pillar, turned into a Siva Lingam and enshrined in the Bhaskaresvara temple at Bhubaneswar and the lion capital of an Ashokan pillar, presently in the State Museum, speak volumes of Odishas past glory. The rock-cut caves of Khandagiri and Udaygiri and the inscriptions recording Kharavelas short but eventful reign during the first century B.C. constitute the second phase of the evolution in Odisnan art. The Naga and Yaksha images found in places around Bhubaneswar belong to the post-Kharavela era. The fortification of Sisupalgarh near Bhubaneswar is yet another monument of ancient Odisha.
Odisha was at the height of her superb artistic glory during seventh to thirteenth century A.D. The Sailodbhava dynasty of Banpur is responsible for the earliest temples around Bhubaneswar. The Bhaumakaras, the Somavamsis and the illustrious Gangas are particularly known for temple building. The Parsuramesvara temple at Bhubaneswar is the earliest extant temple. The Lingaraj Temple at Bhubaneswar, Jagannath Temple at Puri and Sun Temple at Konark belonging to the eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth centuries respectively stand as silent witnesses to Odishas glorious past. Rajarani Temple and Mukteswar Temple at Bhubaneswar, Biraja Temple at Jajpur, Kichakeswari Temple at Khiching and the temples at Ranipur-Jharial are also a few other examples of Odishan architecture.
Odisha is also known for her exquisite handicrafts. Silver filigree work of Cuttack, horn work of Cuttack and Parlakhemundi and the famous applique work of Pipili deserve special mention. Pattachitra, a form of folk painting of Odisha, is a unique craft. Brass and bell metalware, particularly vases and candle stands, are beautiful and longlasting. The blackstone bowls and plates of Nilagiri and Khiching and multi-coloured stone statues are other attractions. Silk and cotton handloom products, especially saris are simply bewitching. The Sambalpuri saris and Maniabandhi patas are matchless in their texture and designs.
The people of Odisha rejoice in festivals and fairs. Festivals are associated with religious practices, but the festive atmosphere often sweeps the rituals. Most festivals are common to all places, but particular places have their own special celebrations which are seasonal in their occurrence. Chandan Yatra, Snana Yatra and Ratha Yatra are observed with special gaiety and fervour at Puri although the last-mentioned one is celebrated at Baripada, Athagarh, Dhenkanal, Koraput and other places even outside the state. Durga Puja is observed throughout the state, more particularly at Cuttack. Kali Puja or Diwali is celebrated in different parts of Odisha. Bali Yatra of Cuttack on the full moon day in the month of Kartika reminds the glory of Odishan traders in the long past. Chaitra Parva, a festival of Chhou dance, is celebrated at Baripada. Makar, Holi, Mohurram, Id and Christmas are also celebrated throughout the state.
A visit to Odisha is indeed an experience of a lifetime. Every loss in any respect – comfort, facilities, amenities, etc.- is amply compensated by the effulsive hospitality and warmth of the people.
Ancient Odisha was a confluence of racial streams. History tells us that the Aryans entered Odisha from the north-east, subjugated the primitive people living there and imposed on them their language and culture. The story could not be so simple; for the people then living in the land were not perhaps all of the primitive type, nor were they subjugated culturally. What might have happened in al! Probability was a racial and cultural amalgamation. Geographically Odisha stands as a coastal corridor between the northern and southern India cut off by the intractable Vindhyas. It is natural therefore that an assimilation of the races and cultures of the Aryans and the Dravidians; must have taken place here in the days of gore. At the same time successive racial and cultural tides might have surged up from the different sides, rolled in and broken over this Bound culminating in the indo-cultural synthesis.
Odisha, which is largely rural, the traditional values are still kept alive. In general the values have no doubt weakened but they are not lost. Among die innocent Advisees dwelling in the wooded hinterland and forested hill slopes, Indias earliest civilization is retained in its pristine form. Not only in their secluded hamlets, bet also in the countless thousands of villages in the country sides one can catch a glimpse of the dwindling horizon of humanity, through the innocent and benign outlook of tile villagers. A sensitive person who happens to be a prisoner of the modern society with its stress and strain will not, while in a typical village, fail to mark the relationship of its common people with God, nature and their fellow men.


Below is a transcription of an article that was published in the March 3, 1862 edition of the New York Times detailing the Union capture of Roanoke Island on February 7, 1862.
THE BURNSIDE EXPEDITION.
THE BATTLE OF ROANOKE ISLAND. CONDUCT OF THE NINTH NEW-JERSEY VOLUNTEERS
Correspondence of the Newark Advertiser.
CAMP BURNSIDE, ROANOKE ISLAND, FEB. 18, 1862.
On the morning of Feb. 7, our gunboats moved off in line toward the entrance of Croatan Sound, signalizing to the fleet that "the country expects every man to do his duty." At 10½ A.M. they reached the first fort, when the cannonading began, which continued until night, anxiously witnessed by the troops, who were eager to lend their aid. An opportunity soon offered. The General signalized to land troops. At 4 o’clock, Companies E and K, of the New-Jersey Ninth, were landed on some marshy ground below the forts on the island. The other companies soon followed, and before the morning of the 9th, a large force had been put ashore, thus deceiving the enemy, who judged that the two regiments landed before dark were all our force to operate against them. At daybreak our lines were formed and put in motion through a narrow winding path, which led to the battery. At 9 o’clock our skirmishers found the enemy, and drove them back behind their guns, when they opened a deadly fire upon our advance. Soon the wounded began to pass us on Litters were stretchers used to carry the wounded from the battle field., many of whom, who could speak, would turn toward us as they were borne by, and say, "Give it to them boys -- give it to them!" -- and soon we did give it to them in such a manner as to drive them out of their battery, and enable others, who were less deep in the mud and water, and less entangled in the briars, to get possession of the enemy’s cannon, which for four hours had been brought to bear upon us with such murderous effect. The prisoners have acknowledged since that it was the fire of the Ninth New-Jersey that not only drove them from the battery, but scattered the reserve which was posted in the rear, to the number of twenty-five hundred men. The rebels have given the title of "Jersey muskrats" to our boys, who waded waist-deep in mud and water within one hundred yards of their guns, and at this distance picked off their gunners.
After taking this battery we followed up the enemy by a forced march of twelve miles; when a slight ensued, but little more fighting had our brave troops to do, for upon nearing their camps white flags came out to us in all directions. Here we found nearly forty barracks 108x40 each, just completed -- showing the number of troops which would probably have been concentrated on this island -- and the whole rebel force, nearly 3,000, surrendered. Our quarters were this night splendid, as compared with the night before, when, without blankets -- for orders were given to leave them on the ships -- we lay down on the ground and slept a few hours.
The prisoners were placed in barracks apart from our men and no special guard put over them; they have had the same rations as the Union troops, full liberty to move about the camps, and have received such kind treatment that almost all of them affirm they never will fight against us again, and nearly every prisoner with whom I have conversed has told me that once home, he will never fight again against the old flag. One prisoner, who served a 22-pounder in the battery, told me if he could get home he would not reenlist. Said I, “You have enlisted once, and you will do it again.” Said he, "I am in earnest. I mean to take the oath of allegiance; and sooner than enter the Southern army again I will have my throat cut." His earnestness evinced his sincerity. Most of them say they were forced into the service. As to uniforms, they had none, but were dressed in all kinds of suits and had all kinds of arms; a great uniformity existed, however, as to bowie-knives -- every man carried one, varrying in length from six inches to two feet. Maj. Wilson, of the New-Jersey Ninth, has a bowie, taken from a rebel, two feet in length -- a fearful weapon and one that no civilized person should carry in battle. Our men use them wherewith to cut their wood for cooking.
Primary Source Citation:
“THE BURNSIDE EXPEDITION.; THE BATTLE OF ROANOKE ISLAND. CONDUCT OF THE NINTH NEW-JERSEY VOLUNTEERS.” New York Times, March 3, 1862. https://www.nytimes.com/1862/03/03/archives/the-burnside-expedition-the-battle-of-roanoke-island-conduct-of-the.html.


ERIC Number: ED025829
Record Type: RIE
Publication Date: 1968
Reference Count: 0
Public Relations Gold Mine, Volume 10.
Preusch, Dee, Ed.
Fourteen articles present an overview of ideas expressed about school public relations. Some of the topics discussed include: (1) Training in communication, (2) school problems as seen by public relations men, (3) financing and improving communications, (4) making decisions about adopting innovations, (5) problems in ghetto communities, (6) public relations programs, (7) school public relations personnel, and (8) methods of communication. A bibliography lists recent significant literature in the field. Related documents are EA 001 920 (Volume 8) and EA 001 921 (Volume 9). (HW)
Descriptors: Administrators, Communication Problems, Educational Finance, Educational Innovation, Educational Problems, Minority Groups, Poverty Areas, Public Relations, Public Schools, School Community Relationship, School Districts, Training
National School Public Relations Association, 1201 Sixteenth Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036 ($2.00).
Publication Type: N/A
Education Level: N/A
Authoring Institution: National School Public Relations Association, Washington, DC.


- Musk thistle normally requires two years to complete its life cycle (i.e. biennial or winter annual).
- Occasionally, the plant completes its life cycle in one growing season (i.e. summer annual).
- The typical biennial musk thistle exhibits itself the first year in the from of a rosette, a cluster of tightly packed leaves laying flat on the ground. Rosettes vary in diameter from a few inches to three feet.
- Musk thistle overwinters as a rosette.
- During the rosette stage (either fall or spring) musk thistle is most susceptible to chemical control.
- In its second year of growth, the musk thistle plant will leave the rosette stage as its stem elongates (bolts) toward the mature, flowering plant.
- Chemical control is less effective during the bolted stage and chemical susceptibility continues to decline as the plant reaches maturity.
- The leaves of musk thistle are deeply lobed (segmented), hairless, and are dark green with a light green mid-rib.
- A silver-gray leaf margin is characteristic of each spine-tipped lobe.
- The leaf base extends down the stem to give the plant a winged appearance.
- Musk thistle is the first of the Kansas thistles to bloom in the spring.
- Flowering begins in mid-May and continues through early July.
- Each head consists of many tightly packed rose to purple colored flowers encased in a series of spine-tipped, green bracts.
- The terminal (uppermost) head is 1 1/2 - 3 inches in diameter, solitary, and generally bent over or nodding.
- The mature plant is generally branched, with lower branch producing one or more heads.
- Flowering begins with the terminal head and progresses downward.
- Musk thistle heads are distinguished by their "powder puff" shape.
Information referenced from "MUSK THISTLE A Noxious Weed in Kansas" published by the Kansas State Board of Agriculture Plant Health Division.


Medical questions & health advice by board certified doctors
"What is generalized anxiety disorder?"
I'm a middle-aged woman with no history of mental illness, and I finally spoke with my doctor about some issues I've been having lately. He said it sounds like I have a generalize anxiety disorder. What does that mean?
The diagnosis of generalized anxiety disorder should involve the care of specialists, including internists, psychiatrists, and others Generalized anxiety disorder is characterized by excessive worry and anxiety that are difficult to control and subsequently result in significant distress and impairment. This diagnosis may often co-exist with other conditions such as depression, panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, etc. There may also be associated symptoms such as fatigue, difficulty with memory, muscle tension, and poor sleeping. Much is still unknown about what causes this condition. It is believed to be the result in inappropriate responses to stressful situations related to certain chemicals involved in nerve signaling. There may also be a genetic component to this as well. A simple self-assessment screening tool is a seven-item anxiety questionnaire which is called the "GAD-7." Additionally, lab testing may be warranted for further evaluation. Certain forms of behavioral therapy and medications have shown to be beneficial for generalized anxiety disorder but it is also important to evaluate for potentially other co-existing psychiatric conditions. It is not possible to make a diagnosis or develop a treatment plan without seeing the patient. The strong recommendation is to seek a referral to a psychiatrist and be evaluated in person.
Need more info?See a doctor today
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Check out Global Voices’ special coverage of the global impact of COVID-19.
Amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, a beloved Japanese food has become even more popular. Like toilet paper, hand sanitizer and medical masks, natto, a sticky, stringy and some say even smelly fermented dish made from soybeans that is believed to boost the immune system has disappeared from supermarket shelves in Japan in March and April. Luckily, however, it's possible for anyone to make natto at home.
Natto, sometimes compared with cheese, is a traditional Japanese dish made by fermenting soybeans with a bacillus subtilis culture, or nattokin. Loved for its rich umami flavor, natto is a popular and inexpensive daily staple in many parts of Japan, and is eaten on over rice or toast, in sushi rolls, in spaghetti, or by itself, mixed with hot karashi mustard and citrus ponzu sauce.
In mid-March, Nexer, a consumer research company in Japan, found that nearly 40 percent of Japanese people they surveyed incorporated special foods into their diet in order to “boost their immune systems” (免疫力を高める). While garlic and ginger were popular foods in the survey, fermented foods such as yogurt and natto topped the list.
Also in March, rumors spread on social media that natto prevents COVID-19. These rumors were sparked mainly because, in prefectures traditionally associated with natto, such as Ibaraki and Iwate, COVID-19 infection rates have been relatively low. As shoppers started hoarding natto, Japan's Consumer Affairs Agency issued a bulletin debunking the idea the food could protect against COVID-19.
By late April, there were still shortages of natto in Japan, and the food began to be identified in the media as just one of a variety of quack COVID-19 “cures” that also included “wood creosote” (正露丸, seirogan), black tea, garlic, and cocaine.
Natto linked to increased longevity in Japan
However, while natto will definitely not help protect against COVID-19, the fermented “superfood” may actually be connected with increased longevity, according to two recent studies in Japan. In one study, which tracked eating habits and health outcomes of nearly 29,000 people in the city of Takayama between 1992 and 2008, participants who consumed one package of natto at least once a week had a 25 percent lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease than those who reported rarely eating it.
Another study of about 90,000 middle-aged and elderly people over 15 years conducted by Japan's National Cancer Center found that intake of fermented soy foods, especially natto, was correlated with — if not directly linked to — a lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease and cancer.
While the connection between natto consumption and increased longevity has not been proven, one theory is that nattokinase, an enzyme found in the sticky strands of natto, has been shown to dissolve blood clots and in turn potentially help mitigate heart disease.
‘Fermentation brings intoxication, joy, and freedom’
Despite its irresistible umami flavor or reputation as a superfood, some people are put off by natto's distinctive nutty aroma and sticky texture. Natto is generally more popular in Tokyo and other parts of eastern Japan compared to the rest of the country.
“I wasn’t keen on natto either, in the beginning,” says journalist, author and photographer John Ashburne, in an interview with Global Voices. “It was when Sasha (a chef and Ashburne's wife) prepared it with a raw quails egg and sliced scallions – both of which served to lessen somewhat the pong – that I began to appreciate it.”
Ashburne, a longtime resident of Kyoto and a self-described mushroom cultivator and forager, is a well-known writer on Japanese food who has written a Lonely Planet guidebook on the subject.
Ashburne also makes his own natto at home.
“Fermentation brings intoxication, joy, and freedom. You can escape the tyranny of the food industry by making your own natto,” says Ashburne. “There’s a sense of creating something special, individual and something almost impossible to replicate exactly twice. Even if I wanted it to be, I don’t think my natto would be exactly the same every time.”
Ashburne says he likes to vary the beans he uses, and his process, sometimes steaming the beans, sometimes boiling them, or sometimes preparing over a slow heat with konbu, often without.
“It’s as if the micro-organisms have a mischievous quality, with microscopic minds of their own. Fermentation on a non-industrial scale strikes me more like alchemy than cookery,” says Ashburne.
How to make natto at home
Outside of Japan and other countries where natto is also popular, it can be hard to find it in supermarkets. However, with the right ingredients and cooking equipment, natto can be made at home.
Using one low-temperature method, natto can be made in the oven using sterilized glass jars or even plastic containers. The easiest method for making natto is by using an Instant Pot or pressure cooker. A key challenge will be finding natto starter spores, which contain the nattokin necessary for fermentation. One shortcut is to use packaged natto as a starter for a larger batch.


An exquisitely illustrated nonfiction picture book about a desert flower that blooms for just one night a year
As the summer sun sets over the Sonoran desert in Arizona, wildlife gathers to witness a very special annual event. The night flower is about to bloom. For a few short hours, the desert is transformed into a riot of color and sound as mammals and insects congregate for this miracle of nature. Explore the fascinating desert ecosystem, from pollinating fruit bats to howling mice and reptilian monsters, in this beautiful nonfiction picture book.
About the Author
Fresh new talent Lara Hawthorne graduated from Falmouth University in 2013. Her first picture book, Herb, was published in 2014. She is also the illustrator of Carol Ann Duffy’s The King of Christmas. Inspired by nature, myths, and legends, Lara Hawthorne creates wonderful small worlds with her distinct watercolor style. She lives in Bristol, England.
Hawthorne's clean, elegant watercolor illustrations depict in striking detail a variety of flora and fauna, including the grasshopper mouse, which can stand on its hind legs and howl; the Gila woodpecker, which nests inside the cactus; a variety of insects; and the lesser long-nosed bat. The illustrations effectively convey the drama of the big-sky terrain and anticipation of the night flowering...A lightly done but compelling explanation of symbiosis among environment, animals, and plants that will appeal to science and visual arts enthusiasts alike. —Kirkus Reviews
Beautifully, delicately illustrated pages bring the desert and its plants and animals to life in this nonfiction picture book told in clever and informative rhyming text...A great addition to children's nonfiction picture-book collections. —Booklist
Hawthorne makes her nonfiction debut with this beautifully illustrated introduction to the saguaro cactus...With its rhyming text and stylized illustrations, this wonderful read-aloud possibility for an elementary school science unit will fascinate readers while conveying the importance of the saguaro in the desert ecosystem. —School Library Journal


Study: Restoration of Forests with Active Rapid ‘Ōhi‘a Death Infections May Be Possible
For the first time, researchers have shown that native ʻōhiʻa seedlings can survive for at least a year in areas that have active mortality from Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death, or ROD, a fungal disease that is devastating to this dominant and culturally important tree in Hawaiian forests. Researchers from the US Geological Survey in Hawaiʻi say his information can be useful to land managers and homeowners as they prioritize conservation actions.
The study, published recently in Restoration Ecology, was authored by scientists from the US Geological Survey and Hawaiʻi Cooperative Studies Unit at University of Hawaiʻi Hilo.
“ʻŌhiʻa is a keystone species in Hawaiian forests, and ROD has the potential to cause major ecosystem disturbances that will negatively impact water supply, cultural traditions, natural resources and quality of life,” said USGS Director Jim Reilly in an agency press release. “This innovative research provides a glimmer of hope for native ʻōhiʻa tree restoration in Hawaiʻi by indicating that successful planting of ʻōhiʻa could be possible in ROD-affected forests if the native species’ seedlings are protected.”
The study also highlights specific best practices for maximizing seedling survival, according to Stephanie Yelenik, an ecologist with the USGS and lead author of the study.
“We found that ʻōhiʻa seedlings planted into a forest heavily affected by ROD have a high probability of survival for the first year,” said Yelenik. “While that one-year survival of seedlings is great news, this species lives centuries and there’s currently no treatment once the tree becomes infected. Because ʻōhiʻa grow slowly, a dead tree is a gap in the canopy for a long time, and one of Hawai‘i’s many quick-growing invaders can take over the gaps caused by dead trees.”
Still, “these results provide the first, but still early, evidence that planting ʻōhiʻa may be used as a restoration tool in forests that are threatened by ROD,” said Yelenik.
ROD is a newly emerging disease caused by fungal pathogens. Since the disease was first discovered, ROD has killed at least one million ʻōhiʻa — a tree that is foundational to the Hawaiian landscape and culture. Its loss, study authors emphasized, is detrimental to habitat for endangered birds and plants, ecosystem processes and the cultural heritage of Hawaiians.
There remains no treatment for infected trees, so researchers say slowing the spread of ROD remains important to protect native Hawaiian forests.
“The ʻōhiʻa tree is the dominant tree in Hawaiian forests, the first to colonize new lava flows and often forms the bulk of what makes up the forests,” said Yelenik. “While planting ʻōhiʻa may not be necessary in forests where ʻōhiʻa seedlings naturally occur, we thought planting might be a good tool for managers who want to maintain a native ʻōhiʻa canopy in forests dominated by invasive plants in the understory. We wanted to test that idea.”
To test how ʻōhiʻa seedlings would fare in areas where ROD is prevalent, researchers planted seedlings directly underneath adult ʻōhiʻa that had tested positive for Ceratocystis huliohia or lukuohia, the fungal pathogens that cause ROD. They monitored survival in plots that were fenced to keep animals out and removed seedlings of invasive trees and shrubs; other seedlings were planted in areas with no fencing or weeding. Seedlings that died were brought back to the lab for testing. In the lab researchers were able to test all the seedlings for the DNA of Ceratocystis and tested for evidence of viable fungal spores.
“The results were clear: none of the dead seedlings tested positive for Ceratocystis, indicating that ʻōhiʻa can survive in ROD-affected forests if protected from wild pigs and goats and invasive trees and shrubs,” according to researchers.
In addition, seedlings were six times more likely to die in plots where weeds were allowed to grow than in areas where weeds were cleared around the ʻōhiʻa seedlings, according to the report. In terms of prioritizing management, this means that controlling invasive plants and animals has a greater impact on survival in the tree’s first year than does exposure to ROD.
“The current study provides clues about the epidemiology of the disease and the dynamics of ROD pathogens across the landscape,” said Lisa Keith, research plant pathologist for the USDA Agricultural Research Service. “This information can help to slow the spread of the disease through effective management strategies. While surrounding disease pressure may be high, results suggest that ʻōhiʻa seedlings have the capacity to thrive in areas devastated by ROD.”
Results of the study indicated that ʻōhiʻa seedlings are not infected with ROD through the soil. “Those results are encouraging for two reasons,” said J.B. Friday, extension forester with the University of Hawai‘i Cooperative Extension Unit. “First, it means that even in forests with invasive trees and shrubs, ʻōhiʻa may possibly be re-established. And second, it means that in our high-elevation, pristine native forests, natural ʻōhiʻa regeneration could be possible, even in forests hit by ROD, if those areas are protected.”
Yelenik cautioned that longer-term studies of ʻōhiʻa seedling survival in ROD-affected forests are still needed, but these early results demonstrate that active planting could successfully help maintain native ʻōhiʻa forests. Survival of ʻōhiʻa seedlings in ROD-affected forests is good news, but the author noted that “protecting ʻōhiʻa from infection remains the primary tool in the fight against ROD.”


Born: February 7, 1812
Portsea (now Portsmouth), England
Died: June 9, 1870
Near Chatham, England
English author, novelist, and journalist
English author Charles Dickens continues to be one of the most widely read Victorian (nineteenth-century) novelists. Scrooge, David Copperfield, Oliver Twist, and Nicholas Nickelby remain familiar characters today. His novels describe the life and conditions of the poor and working class in the Victorian era of England, when people lived by strict rules.
Charles John Huffam Dickens was born on February 7, 1812, at Portsea (later part of Portsmouth) on the southern coast of England, to John and Elizabeth Dickens. Charles was the second born of eight children. His father was a pay clerk in the navy office. Because of financial difficulties, the family moved about until they settled in Camden Town, a poor neighborhood in London, England. At the age of twelve Charles worked with working-class men and boys in a factory that handled "blacking," or shoe polish. While his father was in debtor's prison, the rest of the family moved to live near the prison, leaving Charles to live alone. This experience of lonely hardship was the most significant event of his life. It colored his view of the world and would later be described in a number of his novels.
Charles returned to school when his father received an inheritance and was able to repay his debts. But in 1827, at age fifteen, he was again forced leave school and work as an office boy. In the following year he became a freelance reporter and stenographer (using shorthand to transcribe documents) at the law courts of London. By 1832 he had become a reporter for two London newspapers and, in the following year, began to contribute a series of impressions and sketches to other newspapers and magazines, signing some of them "Boz." These scenes of London life went far to establish his reputation and were published in 1836 as Sketches by Boz, his first book. On the strength of this success Charles married Catherine Hogarth. Together they had ten children.
In 1836 Dickens also began to publish The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club in
After Pickwick 's success, Dickens began publishing his new novel, Oliver Twist. He was also now editor of Bentley's Miscellany, a new monthly magazine. He continued publishing his novel in his later magazines, Household Worlds and All the Year Round. Oliver Twist expressed Dickens's interest in the life of the slums to the fullest, as it traced the fortunes of an innocent orphan through the London streets.
Though Dickens's career was successful, for the next decade his books did not achieve the standard of his early successes. These works include: Nicholas Nickleby (1838–1839), The Old Curiosity Shop (1840–1841), and Barnaby Rudge (1841).
In 1842 Dickens, who was as popular in America as he was in England, went on a five-month lecture tour of the United States, speaking out strongly against slavery and in support of other reforms. On his return he wrote American Notes, a book that criticizes American life as being culturally backward and materialistic (characterized by the desire for wealth and material goods). His next novel, Martin Chuzzlewit (1843–1844), describes the hero finding that survival on the American frontier is more difficult than making his way in England. During the years in which Chuzzlewit appeared, Dickens also published two Christmas stories, A Christmas Carol and The Chimes.
After a year abroad in Italy and writing Pictures from Italy (1846), Dickens published installments of Dombey and Son, which continued till 1848. This completed novel established a new standard in the Dickensian novel and marked the turning point in his career. As its full title indicates, Dealings with the Firm of Dombey and Son is a study of the influence of the values of a business society on the personal fortunes of a family and those with whom the family meets. It takes a somber view of England at mid-century, and its tone becomes characteristic of Dickens's future novels.
Dickens's next novel, David Copperfield (1849–1850), is the first complete record of the typical course of a young man's life in Victorian England. This autobiographical novel fictionalized elements of Dickens's childhood, his pursuit of a journalism career, and his love life. Though Copperfield is not Dickens's greatest novel, it was his personal favorite.
In 1850 Dickens began a new magazine, Household Words. His editorials and articles touched upon English politics, social institutions, and family life. They also spoke to the fictional treatment of these subjects in Dickens's novels. The weekly magazine ran to 1859, when Dickens began to conduct a new weekly, All the Year Round. In both these periodicals he published some of his major novels.
The 1850s were a sad and dark time for Dickens. In 1851, within a two-week period, Dickens's father and one of his daughters died. In 1858, a year after he fell in love with an actress, he separated from his wife.
Partly in response to the deaths, Dickens's next series of works were called his "dark" novels, though they rank among the greatest triumphs of the art of fiction. In Bleak House (1852–1853), perhaps the most complicated plot of any English novel, the narrative served to create a sense of the interrelationship of all segments of English society. In Hard Times (1854), Dickens describes an English industrial town during the height of economic expansion, and details an up-close view of the limitations of both employers and reformers.
Little Dorrit (1855–1857) may be regarded as Dickens's greatest novel. In it he portrays the conditions of England as he saw it, and the conflict between the world's harshness and human values in its most impressive artistic form.
In this period Dickens also began to give public readings from his novels, which became even more popular than his lectures. In 1859 Dickens published A Tale of Two Cities, a historical novel of the French Revolution. Besides publishing this novel in the newly founded All the Year Round, Dickens also published seventeen articles, which appeared as a book in 1860 entitled The Uncommercial Traveller.
Dickens's next novel, Great Expectations (1860–1861), is regarded by some as his most perfectly executed work of art. It is a story of a young man's moral development from childhood to adult life. Three years later he produced Our Mutual Friend, which provides an insight of how he viewed London.
For several years Dickens's health declined. He never fully recovered from a railroad accident in 1865. He tired himself out by continuing to travel throughout the British Isles and America to read before audiences. He gave a final series of readings in London that began in 1870.
Dickens died of a fatal stroke on June 9, 1870, leaving the novel, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, unfinished. The day of his burial was made a day of national mourning in England.
Chesterton, G. K., and F. G. Kitton. Charles Dickens. London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1903. Reprint, London: Burns and Oates, 1975.
Epstein, Norrie. The Friendly Dickens: Being a Good-Natured Guide to the Art and Adventures of the Man Who Invented Scrooge. New York: Viking, 1998.
Marcus, Steven. Dickens: From Pickwick to Dombey. New York: Basic Books, 1965.
Sirabian, Robert. Charles Dickens: Life, Work, and Criticism. Toronto: York Press, 2002.
Smiley, Jane. Charles Dickens. New York: Viking, 2002.


As archaeologists dug up the ancient corpse, something looked a little off. For one, it didn’t have a head. Second, one of the skeleton’s arms looked like it supported a lot more muscle than the other. Third, it seemed a lion had chewed on it.
Meet a dead Roman gladiator. Archaeologists uncovered around eighty such skeletons in York, England over the past seven years. Though they admit that the 1,600- to 1,800-year-old corpses might have had other origins, the researchers say all signs point to the ancient circus. A decapitated corpse suggests that individual got a thumbs down from the jeering crowds, the mismatched arms signify much swordplay, and the bite marks imply that a lion, tiger, or bear had taken a taste in battle.
Michael Wysocki, who examined the remains in the forensic anthropology laboratory at the University of Central Lancashire, discussed those tell-tale bite marks with CNN:
“Nothing like them has ever been identified before on a Roman skeleton…. It would seem highly unlikely that this individual was attacked by a tiger as he was walking home from the pub in York 2,000 years ago,” he said.
One other clue comes from the fact that the skeletons, despite their violent lives and deaths, had what appears a ceremonial burial, resting in their graves with some great ancient goodies (i.e. horse bones and cow remains, the believed leftovers from a feast). Still, archeologists speculate that none of these fighters were the stars of their day, and that many bit the dust after only one or two battles.
Image: flickr / storem


Trash, a common sight in New York City, is actually not nearly as common as in decades earlier. Still, garbage trucks by the hundreds daily haul out tons of the stuff. Of course, this is normal in a city of 11+ million residents.
Compared to the year 2000, actually, New Yorkers are producing about a pound less per capita, or a little less than two pounds per day 2011. Recyclable trash is also dropping, but this doesn’t necessarily mean that The Big Apple is avoiding the practice.
Doug Turetsky, a spokesman for New York’s Independent Budget Office, mentioned, “Paper is going down, especially newspapers. Plastics have become lighter, so there are less pounds recycling.” As it turns out, New Yorkers are simply buying less recyclable material.
Newspapers are going digital, offices are going paperless, many companies are reducing the plastic content in bottles and other containers, which reduces the amount that needs to be recycled after use.
What hasn’t changed, though, is the 70¢-per-person that it costs to take out the trash. Even though trash production has dropped, this decreased has been offset by the increase in fuel prices and other factors. Waste management companies in New York need to think about investing in new technology or revise their logistics if they’re going to cut costs from being the most expensive in the nation.


Articles › Information Technology
Higher Ed blogs in teaching from Kristen Kozloski, Ph.D.
We used blogging as a reflective practice in my course on Designing Multimedia for Learning. This is an example of our final reflection, as a class, of that blogging process. We also had another class join our reflection and post their ideas as well. It is a great example because it shows how this tool can be used for reflection and to join classes together on a topic in a way that was never before possible.
My plan was to create a way for all of my students to reflect on the blogging process. I wanted the reflection to occur in a way that everyone could "hear" each other. I also wanted to be able to show this during a presentation at NECC 2008 to other Higher Education professors. My initial thought was to have them use the microphone on the computer but the cell phone call in option proved to be much more useful to us. They were immediately engaged and excited to respond knowing that they could use their cell phones to do so.
The assignment was to write 2-3 sentences to share with the class on what they thought of blogging as a tool for their reflective practice in the class. My objective was to see if they felt blogging was a useful tool for this purpose. It was the first time I had used blogging instead of a traditional typed response page for the purpose of their reflective practice. The goal did not change over the course of the project.
Challenges or setbacks
The easiest part of this project was having the students respond with their cell phones. The hardest part, initially, was getting the students to script their responses for the VoiceThread before they called in. Eventually everyone did this b/c they could hear themselves and knew they had a wider audience than just the members of our class. The most difficult part was getting everyone to create an account and then getting the two classes to see each other's responses. I, as the creator, could see them all but the other instructor who used my VoiceThread has trouble seeing all responses at the same time.
Blogging, Email, Twitter.
Make sure students have an account set up PRIOR to the session when you ask them to add a response (if you are having students do this in a face to face class, which I was). Have students script their responses before creating them. Many of my students were undergraduates. I learned that just the excitement of using a tool that made sense to them (the cell phone) was a great way to get them engaged and working harder at something that provided them with real learning. The excitement in the room was awesome!
Any Web 2.0 tool that is used for reflection or just a class activity could be reflected upon or evaluated using VoiceThread as the tool. This way, everyone can "see" everyone else's responses to the topic/question.


Why will some people succeed while others fail? If you have ever participated in a team sport as a youngster you might recall that some players always got to play more than others. These players where often those with the best skills and therefore the coaches preferred them over other less skilled players. As a result, these players would become better and the others had to work harder and often failed to improve in order to catch a spot on the team. This effect could be caused by something called the self-fulfilling prophecy.


Human Rights from an Islamic Worldview
An outline of Hudud, Ta'zir & Qisas
By: Mohammed Salam Madkoar
In order to properly understand the Muslim world's concept of Human Rights under the law, it is helpful to have a basic grasp of the concepts of Islamic law. First World Student of Human Rights will find the following article by Mohammed Salam Madkoar a most useful aid in attempting to understand the struggle for human rights in the Islamic world.
The general public and many academics have several preconceived notions about Islamic Law. One such notion is that Islamic judges are bound by ancient and outdated rules of fixed punishments for all crimes. This paper explores that idea and looks at other myths in an attempt to present Islamic Law from a non-biased view of Sharia Law.
Some contemporary scholars fail to recognize Islamic Law as an equal to English Common Law, European Civil Law and Socialist Law. A few academics have even attempted to place Islamic Law into the Civil Law tradition. Other writers have simply added a footnote to their works on comparative justice on the religious law categories of Islamic Law, Hindu Law, which is still used in some parts of India, and the Law of Moses from the Old Testament which still guides the current thought of the Israeli Knesset (Parliament) today. This survey will attempt to alter some of these inaccurate perceptions and treatments in both the contemporary literature and academic writings. Mohammed Salam Madkoar explains the theoretical assumptions of Islamic Law:
In order to protect the five important indispensables in Islam:
Islamic Law has provided a worldly punishment in addition to that in the hereafter. Islam has, in fact, adopted two courses for the preservation of these five indispensables:
the first is through cultivating religious consciousness in the human soul and the awakening of human awareness through moral education;
the second is by inflicting deterrent punishment, which is the basis of the Islamic criminal system.
Therefore "Hudud," Retaliation (qisas) and Discretionary (Tazir) punishments have been prescribed according to the type of the crime committed.
Islamic Law and Jurisprudence is not always understood by the western press. Although it is the responsibility of the mass media to bring to the world's attention violations of human rights and acts of terror, many believe that media stereotyping of all Muslims is a major problem. The recent bombing at the World Trade Center in New York City is a prime example. The media often used the term "Islamic Fundamentalists" when referring to the accused in the case. It also referred to the Egyptian connections in that case as "Islamic Fundamentalists."
The media has used the label of "Islamic Fundamentalist" to imply all kinds of possible negative connotations: terrorists, kidnappers, and hostage takers. Since the media does not use the term "Fundamentalist Christian" each time a Christian does something wrong, the use of such labels is wrong for any group, Christians, Muslims, or Orthodox Jews.
A Muslim who is trying to live his religion is indeed a true believer in God. This person tries to live all of the tenets of his religion in a fundamental way. Thus, a true Muslim is a fundamentalist in the practice of that religion, but a true Muslim is not radical, because the Quran teaches tolerance and moderation in all things. When the popular media generalizes from the fundamentalist believer to the "radical fundamentalist" label they do a disservice to all Muslims and others.
No Separation of Church and State
To understand Islamic Law one must first understand the assumptions of Islam and the basic tenets of the religion. The meaning of the word Islam is "submission or surrender to Allah's (God's) will." Therefore, Muslims must first and foremost obey and submit to Allah's will. Mohammed the Prophet was called by God to translate verses from the Angel Gabriel to form the most important book in Islam, the Quran, Muslims believe.
There are over 1.2 billion Muslims today worldwide, over 20% of the world's population. "By the year 2000, one out of every four persons on the planet will be a Muslim," Rittat Hassan estimated in 1990. There are 35 nations with population over 50% Muslim, and there are another 21 nations that have significant Muslim populations. There are 19 nations which have declared Islam in their respective constitutions. The Muslim religion is a global one and is rapidly expanding. The sheer number of Muslims living today makes the idea of putting Islamic Law into a footnote in contemporary writings inappropriate.
The most difficult part of Islamic Law for most westerners to grasp is that there is no separation of church and state. The religion of Islam and the government are one. Islamic Law is controlled, ruled, and regulated by the Islamic religion. The theocracy controls all public and private matters. Government, law, and religion are one. There are varying degrees of this concept in many nations, but all law, government and civil authority rests upon it and it is a part of Islamic religion. There are civil laws in Muslim nations for Muslim and non-Muslim people. Sharia is only applicable to Muslims. Most Americans and others schooled in Common Law have great difficulty with that concept. The U.S. Constitution (Bill of Rights) prohibits the government from "establishing a religion." The U.S. Supreme Court has concluded in numerous cases that the U.S. Government can't favor one religion over another.
That concept is implicit for most U.S. legal scholars and many U.S. academicians believe that any mixture of "church and state" is inherently evil and filled with many problems. They reject all notions of a mixture of religion and government.
To start with such preconceived notions limits the knowledge base and information available to try and solve many social and criminal problems. To use an analogy from Christianity may be helpful.
To ignore what all Christian religions except your own say about God would limit your knowledge base and you would not be informed or have the ability to appreciate your own religion. The same is true for Islamic Law and Islamic religion. You must open your mind to further expand your knowledge base. Islamic Law has many ideas, concepts, and information that can solve contemporary crime problems in many areas of the world. To do this you must first put on hold the preconceived notion of "separation of church and state."
Another myth concerning Islamic Law is that there are no judges. Historically the Islamic Judge (Qadi) was a legal secretary appointed by the provincial governors. Each Islamic nation may differ slightly in how the judges are selected. Some nations will use a formal process of legal education and internship in a lower court. For example, in Saudi Arabia there are two levels of courts. The formal Sharia Courts which were established in 1928 hear traditional cases. The Saudi government established a ministry of justice in 1970, and they added administrative tribunals for traffic laws, business, and commerce. "All judges are accountable to God in their decisions and practices" (Lippman, p.66-68).
One common myth associated with Islamic Law is that judges must always impose a fixed and predetermined punishment for each crime. Western writers often point to the inflexible nature of Islamic Law. Judges under Islamic Law are bound to administer several punishments for a few very serious crimes found in the Quran, but they possess much greater freedom in punishment for less serious (non-Had) crimes. Common law is filled with precedents, rules, and limitations which inhibit creative justice. Judges under Islamic Law are free to create new options and ideas to solve new problems associated with crime.
Elements of Sharia Law
Islamic law is known as Sharia Law, and Sharia means the path to follow God's Law. Sharia Law is holistic or eclectic in its approach to guide the individual in most daily matters. Sharia Law controls, rules, and regulates all public and private behavior. It has regulations for personal hygiene, diet, sexual conduct, and elements of child rearing. It also prescribes specific rules for prayers, fasting, giving to the poor, and many other religious matters. Civil Law and Common Law primarily focus on public behavior, but both do regulate some private matters.
Sharia Law can also be used in larger situations than guiding an individual's behavior. It can be used as guide for how an individual acts in society and how one group interacts with another. The Sharia Law can be used to settle border disputes between nations or within nations. It can also be used to settle international disputes, conflicts, and wars. This Law does not exclude any knowledge from other sources and is viewed by the Muslim world as a vehicle to solve all problems civil, criminal, and international.
Sharia Law has several sources from which to draw its guiding principles. It does not rely upon one source for its broad knowledge base.
The first and primary element of Sharia Law is the Quran. It is the final arbitrator and there is no other appeal.
The second element of Sharia Law is known as the Sunna, the teachings of the Prophet Mohammed not explicitly found in the Quran. The Sunna are a composite of the teachings of the prophet and his works. The Sunna contain stories and anecdotes, called Hadith, to illustrate a concept. The Quran may not have all the information about behavior and human interaction in detail; the Sunna gives more detailed information than the Quran.
The third element of Sharia Law is known as the Ijma. The Muslim religion uses the term Ulama as a label for its religious scholars. These Ulamas are consulted on many matters both personal and political. When the Ulamas reach a consensus on an issue, it is interpreted as a ijma. The concepts and ideas found in the ijma are not found explicitly in the Quran or the teachings of the Prophet (Sunna). Islamic judges are able to examine the ijma for many possible solutions which can be applied in a modern technical society. They are free to create new and innovative methods to solve crime and social problems based upon the concepts found in the ijma. These judges have great discretion in applying the concepts to a specific problem.
The Qiyas are a fourth element of Sharia Law. The Qiyas are not explicitly found in the Quran, Sunna, or given in the Ijma. The Qiyas are new cases or case law which may have already been decided by a higher judge. The Sharia judge can use the legal precedent to decide new case law and its application to a specific problem. The judge can use a broad legal construct to resolve a very specific issue. For example, a computer crime or theft of computer time is not found in the Quran or Sunna. The act of theft as a generic term is prohibited so the judge must rely on logic and reason to create new case law or Qiyas.
The fifth element of Sharia Law is very broad and "all encompassing." This secondary body of knowledge may be ideas contained in the other written works. The New Testament is an example of this area of information, and legal discourses based upon Civil Law or Common Law may be another example. All information can be examined for logic and reason to see if it applies to the current case. It also may be a local custom or norm that judge may find helpful in applying to the issue before him. The judge may also weigh the impact of his decision upon how it will effect a person's standing in the community.
Crimes in Islam
Crimes under Islamic Law can be broken down into three major categories. Each will be discussed in detail with some common law analogies. The three major crime categories in Islamic Law are:
Had Crimes (most serious).
Tazir Crimes (least serious).
Qisas Crimes (revenge crimes restitution)
Had crimes are the most serious under Islamic Law, and Tazir crimes are the least serious. Some Western writers use the felony analogy for Had crimes and misdemeanor label for Tazir crimes. The analogy is partially accurate, but not entirely true. Common Law has no comparable form of Qisas crimes.
Fairchild, in her excellent book on comparative justice, makes the following observation of Islamic Law and punishment (Fairchild, p.41).
"Punishments are prescribed in the Quran and are often harsh with the emphasis on corporal and capital punishment. Theft is punished by imprisonment or amputation of hands or feet, depending on the number of times it is committed..."
Had crimes are those which are punishable by a pre-established punishment found in the Quran. These most serious of all crimes are found by an exact reference in the Quran to a specific act and a specific punishment for that act. There is no plea-bargaining or reducing the punishment for a Had crime. Had crimes have no minimum or maximum punishments attached to them. The punishment system is comparable to the determinate sentence imposed by some judges in the United States. If you commit a crime, you know what your punishment will be. There is no flexibility in the U.S. determinate model or in the punishment for Had crimes of Islamic Law.
No judge can change or reduce the punishment for these serous crimes. The Had crimes are:
Apostasy from Islam - making war upon Allah and his messengers;
Defamation - false accusation of adultery or fornication;
The first four Had crimes have a specific punishment in the Quran. The last three crimes are mentioned but no specific punishment is found.
Some more liberal Islamic judges do not consider apostasy from Islam or wine drinking as Had crimes. The more liberal Islamic nations treat these crimes as Tazir or a lesser crime.
Had crimes have fixed punishments because they are set by God and are found in the Quran. Had crimes are crimes against God's law and Tazir crimes are crimes against society. There are some safeguards for Had crimes that many in the media fail to mention. Some in the media only mention that if you steal, your hand is cut off.
The Islamic judge must look at a higher level of proof and reasons why the person committed the crime. A judge can only impose the Had punishment when a person confesses to the crime or there are enough witnesses to the crime. The usual number of witnesses is two, but in the case of adultery, four witnesses are required. The media often leaves the public with the impression that all are punished with flimsy evidence or limited proof. Islamic law has a very high level of proof for the most serious crimes and punishments. When there is doubt about the guilt of a Had crime, the judge must treat the crime as a lesser Tazir crime. If there is no confession to a crime or not enough witnesses to the crime, Islamic law requires the Had crime to be punished as a Tazir crime.
Modern Islamic Society has changed greatly from the time of the Prophet. Contemporary Sharia Law is now in written form and is statutory in nature. Islamic concepts of justice argue that a person should know what the crime is and its possible punishment.
For example, Egypt has a parliamentary process which has a formal penal code written and based upon the principles of Islamic Law, but Saudi Arabia allows the judge to set the Tazir crimes and punishments. Modern Islamic Law recognizes many differences between these two nations. It also allows for much greater flexibility in how it punishes an offender. The major myth of many people is that judges in Islamic nations have fixed punishments for all crimes. In reality, the judges have much greater flexibility than judges under common law.
Tazir crimes are less serious than the Had crimes found in the Quran. Some common law writers use the analogy of misdemeanors, which is the lesser of the two categories (felony and misdemeanor) of common law crimes. Tazir crimes can and do have comparable "minor felony equivalents." These "minor felonies" are not found in the Quran so the Islamic judges are free to punish the offender in almost any fashion. Mohammed Salam Madkoar, who was the head of Islamic Law at the University of Cairo, makes the following observation (Ministry of the Interior, 1976,p.104):
Tazir punishments vary according to the circumstances. They change from time to time and from place to place. They vary according to the gravity of the crime and the extent of the criminal disposition of the criminal himself.
Tazir crimes are acts which are punished because the offender disobeys God's law and word. Tazir crimes can be punished if they harm the societal interest. Sharia Law places an emphasis on the societal or public interest. The assumption of the punishment is that a greater "evil " will be prevented in the future if you punish this offender now.
Historically Tazir crimes were not written down or codified. This gave each ruler great flexibility in what punishments the judge was able to dispense. The judge under Islamic Law is not bound by precedents, rules, or prior decisions as in common law. Judges are totally free to choose from any number of punishments that they think will help an individual offender. The only guiding principle for judges under Sharia Law is that they must answer to Allah and to the greater community of Muslims.
Some of the more common punishment for Tazir crimes are:
3. public or private censure
4. family and clan pressure and support
5. seizure of property
6. confinement in the home or place of detention
7. and flogging
In some Islamic nations, Tazir crimes are set by legislative parliament. Each nation is free to establish its own criminal code and there is a great disparity in punishment of some of these crimes. Some of the more common Tazir crimes are: bribery, selling tainted or defective products, treason, usury, and selling obscene pictures. The consumption of alcohol in Egypt is punished much differently than in Iran or Saudi Arabia because they have far different civil laws. Islamic law has much greater flexibility than the Western media portrays. Each judge is free to punish based upon local norms, customs, and informal rules. Each judge is free to fixthe punishment that will deter others from crime and will help to rehabilitate an offender.
Qisas Crimes and Diya
Islamic Law has an additional category of crimes that common law nations do not have. A qisas crime is one of retaliation. If you commit a qisas crime, the victim has a right to seek retribution and retaliation. The exact punishment for each qisas crime is set forth in the Quran. If you are killed, then your family has a right to seek qisas punishment from the murderer. Punishment can come in several forms and also may include "Diya."
Diya is paid to the victim's family as part of punishment. Diya is an ancient form of restitution for the victim or his family. The family also may seek to have a public execution of the offender or the family may seek to pardon the offender.
Traditional qisas crimes include:
Murder (premeditated and non-premeditated).
Premeditated offenses against human life, short of murder.
Murder by error.
Offenses by error against humanity, short of murder.
Some reporters in the mass media have criticized the thought of "blood money" as barbaric. They labeled the practice as undemocratic and inhumane. qisas crimes are based upon the criminological assumption of retribution. The concept of retribution was found in the first statutory "Code of Hammurabi" and in the Law of Moses in the form of "an eye for an eye."
Muslims add to that saying "but it is better to forgive."
Contemporary common law today still is filled with the assumptions of retribution. The United States federal code contains "mandatory minimum" sentences for drug dealing, and many states have fixed punishment for drugs and violence and using weapons. The United States justice system has adopted a retribution model which sets fixed punishments for each crime. The idea of retribution is fixed in the U.S. system of justice. qisas crime is simple retribution: if one commits a crime, he knows what the punishment will be.
Diya has its roots in Islamic Law and dates to the time of the Prophet Mohammed when there were many local families, tribes, and clans. They were nomadic and traveled extensively. The Prophet was able to convince several tribes to take a monetary payment for damage to the clan or tribe. This practice grew and now is an acceptable solution to some qisas crimes.
Today, the Diya is paid by the offender to the victim if he is alive. If the victim is dead, the money is paid to the victim's family or to the victim's tribe or clan. The assumption is that victims will be compensated for their loss. Under common law, the victim or family must sue the offender in a civil tort action for damages. qisas law combines the process of criminal and civil hearings into one, just as the "civil law" is applied in many nations of the world. qisas crimes are compensated as restitution under common law and civil law.
The qisas crimes require compensation for each crime committed. Each nation sets the damage before the offense and the judge then fixes the proper Diya. If an offender is too poor to pay the diya, the family of the offender is called upon first to make good the diya for their kin. If the family is unable to pay, the community, clan, or tribe may be required to pay. This concept is not found in common law or the civil law of most nations. It acts as a great incentive for family and community to teach responsible behavior. What happens to the debt if the offender dies and has not paid it? Historically, it was passed on to the offender's heirs; today, most nations terminate the debt if the offender left no inheritance.
One question that is often raised is "What happens if a victim takes the diya without government approval ?" The victim or family has committed a Tazir crime by accepting money which was not mandated by a judge: taking diya must be carried out through proper governmental and judicial authority.
Another concept of qisas crimes is the area of punishment. Each victim has the right to ask for retaliation and, historically, the person's family would carry out that punishment. Modern Islamic law now requires the government to carry out the qisas punishment. Historically, some grieving family member may have tortured the offender in the process of punishment. Now the government is the independent party that administers the punishment, because torture and extended pain is contrary to Islamic teachings and Sharia Law.
Contemporary treatment of Islamic Law and "Radical Muslims" is filled with stereotypical characterizations. Some in the Western media have used the "New York City bombings" as a way to increase hate and prejudice. They have taken the views of a few radicals and projected them onto all Muslims.
This action has done a great disservice to the Muslim world. Some academic writings also have been distorted and not always completely accurate and some researchers have concluded that Islamic Law requires a fixed punishment for all crimes. These writers also have concluded that Islamic judges lack discretion in their sentences of defendants in the Sharia Court System. There are four Had crimes that do have fixed punishments set forth in the Quran, but not all the Had crimes are bound by mandatory punishment.
Islamic Law is very different from English Common Law or the European Civil Law traditions. Muslims are bound to the teachings of the Prophet Mohammed whose translation of Allah or God's will is found in the Quran. Muslims are held accountable to the Sharia Law, but non-Muslims are not bound by the same standard (apostasy from Allah). Muslims and non-Muslims are both required to live by laws enacted by the various forms of government such as tax laws, traffic laws, white collar crimes of business, and theft. These and many other crimes similar to Common Law crimes are tried in modern "Mazalim Courts." The Mazalim Courts can also hear civil law, family law, and all other cases. Islamic Law does have separate courts for Muslims for "religious crimes" and contemporary non-religious courts for other criminal and civil matters.
Mohammed Salam Madkoar.