We have all heard those three words before, but at Grange Insurance Association, we believe it is a mantra that should be taken to heart. Life throws us curveballs, and it's important to feel secure when these unanticipated events happen.
Umbrella insurance offers that extra level of protection. This policy provides additional coverage for lawsuits or claims that exceed liability limits on your insurance. Umbrella coverage can be applied to home, auto, or boat insurance, making it a smart choice for virtually every policyholder. Lawsuits or claims often get exorbitantly expensive, and unless you are protected with umbrella insurance, those extra costs will have to come out of your own budget.
Picture this: You get into a car accident, and the other driver gets injured. She sues you for $500,000, but your personal liability insurance only covers $250,000. Without umbrella coverage, your assets will be compromised in order to pay the remainder of the damages. That additional $250,000 will have to come from somewhere - your income, savings, retirement or college fund. However, with umbrella insurance, the additional costs will be covered without causing you financial strain. This protective measure does not just provide peace of mind, it also offers financial security for those unexpected events.
Umbrella insurance provides protection from losses that result from bodily injury or property damage. It also covers claims that might not be covered by your personal insurance, such as false arrest, character defamation, mental anguish, libel, or slander. Available in coverage increments of $1 million for up to $5 million additional liability protection, umbrella coverage is a low-cost investment for a financially secure future.
Think ahead and protect yourself from the unexpected. Speak with a Grange Insurance representative today to get that extra level of security from your umbrella insurance. Life is too short to worry about "what-if's." Invest in a secure future with umbrella coverage today.


Key political figures in the US are backing President Barack Obama's push to strike Syria. The US has accused President Bashar Assad of deploying chemical weapons against the Syrian rebels. The deployment killed over 1,000 people. Assad, along with Russia and Iran, declared the regime did not use the weapons. America has been warned against striking Syria. Its allies were included in the warning.
Obama has hinted at a light strike on Syria while evidence looms that a strike on Syria could be the beginning of a domino effect to World War III. America faces opposition from Syria allies, but US political figures are standing behind Obama. Secretary of State John Kerry said the chemical weapons were indeed used. Samples from blood and hair of the injured inside Syria suggest sarin was the culprit. Sarin a powerful nerve agent.
Kerry said the evidence would gain support from Capitol Hill and European allies for the U.S. Votes on if military action is needed in Syria will be held during the week beginning Monday, Sept. 9. Obama's administration has been pitching their case to lawmakers, and this week Kerry and Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel were scheduled to testify at a public hearing Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively.
Meanwhile, a Tennessee senator is calling for the administration to explain why America should strike Syria and how the action will be limited to prevent America from becoming more involved in the conflict.
Investors will also be watching to see if Obama receives the go-ahead from Congress. Chances are, they're already paying close attention. Major events like these shake up the market and subsequently individual portfolios. America's involvement could lead to more turmoil in other countries, such as Iran and Israel. The United States does not have the backing of at least two countries, and it well known Iran does not agree with the U.S. on foreign policy.
Obama may or may not have Saudi Arabia's support. That country is in favor of forcing Assad out of business, however, admitting it publicly is another story. Obama said Assad must be punished for the shelling of Eastern Ghouta, which is a suburb of Damascus, at approximately 2 a.m. Aug. 21. Residents there suffered convulsions and choking before they died. Hospitals were makeshift and rapidly filled up as volunteers had to pour water on the injured to prevent contamination. The death toll was at 457 and climbed as high as 1,300. As many as 3,600 people were treated.
All of these factors must also be taken into account when thinking of the market's future. There are available alternatives.
Amidst the uncertainty, traders are looking towards other options. One such option is the Contract for Difference (CFD). This is a method of trading shares and other instruments. Investors simply purchase or sell a contract of the underlying market using a quoted price. The contract covers the financial instrument in the underlying market and operates according to the value of the instrument at the time of the contract's opening and closing. The exchange made is the difference between opening and closing times.
In other words, investors select their market and open a CFD instead of making a full purchase. The contract will reflect profit and loss of the purchase or sale. For example, an investor wants to purchase 1,000 BP shares. The investor supplies a margin deposit in case of loss, and purchases the shares in CFDs. They may sell their shares at a bid price if they go short. Investors who want to hedge portfolios select CFDs, which are also used in the foreign exchange market and energy contracts.
Before looking into using CFDs as a hedge, investors need to research the risk to fully understand how CFDs work.
On the most basic level, CFD trading is the buying of one asset and the selling of another. Strategies are much like the common angles investors use on the stock market. Investors call purchasing an asset the long position under the expectation it will rise in value during the investment contract's time. Short positions are taken when investors feel the asset will fall during the contract's life.
An easy and tax-free method of building portfolios is spread betting, or predicting how points will move in the underlying market. In spread betting, spread means the price a financial instrument is sold for and the price it is bought for. Investors do not buy shares or futures with spread betting. Instead, they wager on which path their chosen markets will take. Many wager just one dollar on each point, which moves in between the buy and ask prices on the live or estimated future underlying market.
If the market falls, and investors predicted it would fall, investors make a profit. Likewise if the market rises and it was predicted to rise by investors. Investors will have to account for losses because the market could move opposite of their predictions. One way to manage losses is through stop loss, which is a previously determined stop point investors put into place.
If the underlying market FTSE 100 index is currently at 5341.6 and the sell price is 5341.1 with the buy price at 5342.1, the spread is one point. Investors predict if the FTSE will rise or fall. If it falls, investors should sell at 5341.1. If it rises, investors should buy at 5342.1. The two predictions are called the down bet (for falling) and the up bet (for rising).
If the market falls, investors could decide to realize their profit. Say the FTSE 100 is at 5218.6 and the quote is 5218.1 to 5219.1. Investors would have to purchase 5219.1 to close their original sell bet. The profit from the purchase reads like this: 5341.1 – 5219.1 = 122 x £5 to equal a profit of £610. If the market rises above the level the investor sold, a running loss will be incurred. The calculation is the same as the profit.
Investors determine how to apply spread betting through trends, breakouts, reversals or, as in the case of the Syrian conflict, news. The news trading strategy requires investors to understand macro-economics and how to accurately interpret news headlines. News trading has the potential to pay off large for investors if it is applied correctly.
Author's Bio: Brett Chatz was born in Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa. He attended the internationally accredited University of South Africa, where he completed the prestigious Bachelor of Commerce degree, with Economics and Strategic management as his major subjects. Nowadays Brett contributes his expertise and knowledge for the leading UK spread betting and CFD trading provider, InterTrader.com.


Disclosure: Renewal lease offer, $269 monthly payment and CDAS $1,999 down, plus fees. Price(s) include(s) all costs to be paid by consumer, except for licensing costs, registration fees, and taxes. Optional equipment extra. *Lease/Financing thru primary lender to well qual buyers w/approved Tier 1 Credit (750+ FICO). Not all buyers will qual. See dlr for complete details. ^Based on 39 Mo Closed End Lease. 10,500 mi/yr excess mi @ $.25 thereafter. Lessee responsible for excess wear & tear and mileage charges as stated. On approved credit, not all will qualify. 2019 Ford Escape SE AWD w/1.5L Stock #36867 , MSRP: $30,390. See dealer for complete details. Expires 4/30/2019.
Disclosure: Renewal lease offer, $219 monthly payment and CDAS $4,300 down, plus fees. Price(s) include(s) all costs to be paid by consumer, except for licensing costs, registration fees, and taxes. Optional equipment extra. *Lease/Financing thru primary lender to well qual buyers w/approved Tier 1 Credit (750+ FICO). Not all buyers will qual. See dlr for complete details. ^Based on 24 Mo Closed End Lease. 10,500 mi/yr excess mi @ $.25 thereafter. Lessee responsible for excess wear & tear and mileage charges as stated. On approved credit, not all will qualify. 2018 Ford Edge SE AWD 2.0L Ecoboost Stk#37065, MSRP: $32,985 . See dealer for complete details. Expires 4/30/2019.
Disclosure: Renewal lease offer , $389 monthly payment and CDAS $1,999 down, plus fees. Price(s) include(s) all costs to be paid by consumer, except for licensing costs, registration fees, and taxes. Optional equipment extra. *Lease/Financing thru primary lender to well qual buyers w/approved Tier 1 Credit (750+ FICO). Not all buyers will qual. See dlr for complete details. *Based on 39 Mo Closed End Lease. 10,500 mi/yr excess mi @ $.25 thereafter. Lessee responsible for excess wear & tear and mileage charges as stated. On approved credit, not all will qualify. 2019 Ford Explorer XLT 4x4 Stock#36294 , MSRP: $47,065. See dealer for complete details. Expires 4/30/2019.
Disclosure: Renewal lease offer, $249 monthly payment and CDAS $3,989 down, plus fees. Price(s) include(s) all costs to be paid by consumer, except for licensing costs, registration fees, and taxes. Optional equipment extra. *Lease/Financing thru primary lender to well qual buyers w/approved Tier 1 Credit (750+ FICO). Not all buyers will qual. See dlr for complete details. *Based on 24 Mo Closed End Lease. 10,500 mi/yr excess mi @ $.25 thereafter. Lessee responsible for excess wear & tear and mileage charges as stated. On approved credit, not all will qualify. 2019 Ford F-150 STX Stock#36998, MSRP: $43,970. See dealer for complete details. Expires 4/30/2019 .


Shia and Sunni is drawn from Chapter Seven, beginning on page 180, of Volume Five, The Sword of Islam of the twelve-volume historical series The Christians: Their First Two Thousand Years. If you would like to order this book please visit www.TheChristians.info.
Mortally wounded by an assassin's knife, Umar asks Abdul Rahman, one of Muhammad's earliest Companions, if he would lead the faithful. Abdul Rahman declined, and within hours, the death of the second, and many would say greatest caliph, touched off a dispute that would create permanent divisions within Islam.
Caliph Umar did not die immediately, although the knife wound in his back was so severe that when he took a drink of milk, it gushed out of his stomach, and he remained clear in mind. His thoughts concentrated on that all-important question, the succession. He first inquired of Abdul Rahman, one of the Prophet's earliest Companions, whether he would serve as Commander of the Faithful. But Abdul Rahman declined the honor of ruling an empire, so the dying warrior appointed a committee of five men to determine who would succeed him.
The five power brokers met immediately, and immediately launched into loud wrangling. Surely they could keep their voices down, Umar's son protested–they were disturbing his father–but the racket continued until the stricken caliph himself intervened. Would they please, he politely requested, postpone the debate until he died? Several hours later Islam's second and, many would say, greatest, caliph was gone.
Umar wanted his successor chosen by acclamation, as he and his predecessor Abu Bakr had been, but he clearly sensed that rivalry had become inevitable. Therefore, he laid out a unique selection procedure. The committee of five must determine the succession within three days. Further, if they failed to reach unanimity, any losing candidate was to be beheaded to prevent future strife. During the next two days of heated argument, Ali and Uthman each pushed his own claim, but neither was willing to risk execution.
Both were members of the same tribe, the princely Quraysh of Mecca. Ali, however, represented the Banu Hashem, Muhammad's own clan, while Uthman hailed from the far more prestigious Banu Umayya, Mecca's hereditary war leaders. Muhammad had detested tribalism, the basic organizational form of Arabic society. Clan squabbling, he taught, should be replaced by a unifying devotion to Allah, an ideal he strove for most of his life with only marginal success.
On the third day, the electors agreed to abide by the personal choice of Abdul Rahman, the man whom Umar had first approached. This arbiter chose to make his announcement before the assembled faithful in Medina's mosque, where partisans of the two major candidates were on the brink of blows. As he rose to address the assembled faithful, Abdul Rahman assuredly realized that the Ali—Uthman clash–a clan wrangle of the classic Arab type within the Quraysh tribe–might easily destroy Islam.
He therefore strove to establish the authority of the new caliph as unquestionable. Calling Ali to the front of the mosque, he posed a careful query: "Do you bind yourself by the covenant of the Lord to do all according to the Book of the Lord, the example of the Prophet, and the precedent of his successors?" Ali, equivocating slightly, cautiously replied: "I hope that I should do so. I will act according to the best of my knowledge and ability." But Uthman, to the same question, boldly answered: "Yes, I will." And with that, Abdul Rahman decreed Uthman the new caliph.
It was an ironic victory. While Ali had repeatedly risked his life for Islam, the Umayyads (the faction led by the Banu Umayya) had not only rejected the new religion, but become its arch-foes. Only after Muhammad had conquered their power center of Mecca did the patrician clan embrace Islam. But Muhammad, practicing what he preached, did not discriminate against them. He promoted many of his former adversaries to high posts, and now the entire Arab empire had fallen into their hands.
The dynasty initiated by Uthman, known to history as the Umayyads, would largely ignore the Prophet's precept of the equality of all Muslims. Instead, they would impose the old Arab order: Arabs over all other peoples, Quraysh over all other Arabs, and Umayyads over all other Quraysh. Uthman went so far as to criticize his two predecessor caliphs. Why, he wondered, had they not enhanced the fortunes of their kinsfolk, as good Arabs should?
Nevertheless, the seventy-year-old Uthman was plainly devout, and had broken ranks with the rest of the Banu Umayya to become Muhammad's fourth convert, undiscouraged by a brutal beating from an angry uncle. He had endured exile to Ethiopia, and poured much of his comfortable fortune into the fledgling cause, once personally providing the Muslim force with a thousand camels and horses. After the deaths of Muhammad's daughters, he had other wives, one of whom, Naila, a former Christian whom he married five years after he became caliph, would stand valiantly beside him to his violent death.
At first, Uthman's generosity, leniency and affability came as a relief to the faithful after the stern virtues of Umar. His early decision to raise the allowance of all Muslim chiefs was certainly popular, among the chiefs anyway. Early on, however, the new caliph faced an especially delicate judicial decision. Umar's son, hearing that a Persian nobleman had been seen with the dagger that murdered his father, promptly killed the man. But the slain aristocrat was posthumously proven innocent; furthermore, he was a Muslim. Islamic law called for the death penalty–but should Umar's family, having just lost its father, also lose a son? The public seemed horrified at the prospect. Thus, where Abu Bakr or Umar would almost certainly have enforced the law, however harsh, Uthman commuted the sentence to a fine, then paid the fine himself. So the killer suffered no penalty whatever. People noted that.
Ever congenial, the new caliph seemed to court universal affection by neglecting to discipline the errant, whether friend or foe. He smiled amiably as Umayyad grandees commandeered unearned estates in Iraq and cultivated their taste for marble palaces, extensive harems, luxuriant clothing and rich foods. All this infuriated the Bedouin and other less-fortunate participants in the new Islamic imperium. Equally offensive, when a rabble rebelled against the governor at Kufa, Uthman did not have the ringleaders executed, but tamely sent a new governor. He is also said to have pliantly allowed a Jewish convert to wander through Iraq, Syria and Egypt proclaiming that Muhammad would return in messianic fashion, that Ali was the Prophet's legitimate representative on earth, and that the Umayyads were evil.
When Caliph Uthman did crack the whip, it sometimes evidenced weakness, not resolve. His crackdown on gambling was seemingly aimed at the young, who resented it, more than at the privileged, who ignored it. Minor additions to the ritual of the annual pilgrimage to Mecca aroused heated controversy. Then came an evil omen. He lost Muhammad's silver signet ring down a well, and frantic efforts to recover it proved futile.2 Eventually, even commoners did not fear to scorn their ruler to his face as the old man walked the streets of Medina.
In 655, the Umayyad provincial governors convened in Mecca, and noted that a spirit of seething revolt clearly was envenoming much of the Arab community. But what should he do, the old caliph, now eighty-one, pleadingly asked his own appointees. No solutions were forthcoming, however, and rebel conspirators were meanwhile coordinating a full-scale insurrection. Military expeditions from Basra, Kufa and Fustat (an Arab army cantonment in Egypt) converged on Medina in early 656. The Medinians donned armor and manned their walls, however, and Uthman's one concession was to agree to appoint a new governor of Egypt.
The dissidents left, and the Medinians relaxed their guard–but six days later, the revolutionaries suddenly reappeared. The Egyptian group claimed to have caught a black slave carrying a letter instructing the Umayyad governor of Egypt to arrest and execute their leaders. The messenger allegedly belonged to the caliph's household, they charged, and the letter bore his seal. Just then, whether by coincidence or design, the Iraqi contingents also reappeared, and the mutineers managed to talk their way through the city gates.
Uthman calmly denied sending the letter, and firmly rejected demands that he abdicate. He was either a liar or a fool, shouted his implacable adversaries–and a tyrant, too–and that Friday in the mosque, stones rained upon the Commander of the Faithful. He was taken unconscious to his home, which his enemies blockaded while Medina's residents, although their sympathy for Uthman was rapidly increasing, nevertheless cowered in their dwellings. Only a small band of young Quraysh guarded their tribal leader against the large, primarily Bedouin mob. Ali refused to intervene effectively, thus posing a disturbing possibility: Was the Prophet's son-in-law the secret author of this rebellion? Uthman certainly thought so, and said so.
An impasse of several weeks' duration ensued, during which Mu'awiya set out from Syria with a powerful Umayyad force, already assembled in the event of trouble. Hearing this, the insurgents refused to allow any water into the caliph's palace. Uthman's defenders, and Ali, too, remonstrated with them that the caliph and his household were being treated worse than prisoners on a battlefield, but were ignored. The besieged family signaled its deepening desperation from the roof. A'isha, Muhammad's favorite wife, tried to penetrate the cordon with a mule carrying water, but the desert warriors roughly turned her back.
As the Syrian troops drew nearer, the rebels realized that their time was running short, and on June 17, 656, they attacked the palace, hammering down its stout gate and simultaneously pouring over the rooftops. They found Uthman seated with the Qur'an spread open on his knees. Abu Bakr's son, a leading rebel, seized him by the beard, but could not bring himself to slit the throat of Islam's chief. Three other individuals also shrank from such a deed. But some, less squeamish, drove their swords into the old man's body, while Naila loyally threw herself across her husband in a hopeless attempt to protect him, and the sweep of a blade sliced off her fingers. The regicides started to remove the head from Uthman's corpse, but were stopped by the shrieks and sobs of his women.
For three days, no outsider ventured to enter the house. Silence reigned over it–a silence that marked the end of Islam's original idyll. For an amazing quarter-century the Quraysh had led all Arabia in triumph after triumph, but now Muslim unity had been shattered by the war cries of Quraysh slaughtering Quraysh. Henceforth, the Umayyads would be the dedicated enemies of Ali, whose partisans would be called Alyites.
Six days after Uthman's murder, however, Ali accepted the caliphate. Short, full-bearded and stout in middle age, he unquestionably had a strong claim, as one of Muhammad's first converts, his cousin, the husband of his daughter Fatima, and an energetic lifelong supporter. The historical records are factually shaky as usual, since all accounts originate a century or more later, and are written by Islamic scholars with partisan axes to grind. However, it seems that Medinians and mutineers alike felt that Ali would bring more vigor to the helm of the Arab Empire than Muhammad's aging contemporaries.
The rebels dispersed to their bases in Iraq and Egypt. The Umayyad soldiers marching to relieve Uthman halted and returned to Syria. Throughout the new empire, devout and battle-hardened veterans waited to see how their new chieftain would deal with the killers of Muhammad's third successor. Islam might have been healed at this crucial point, suggests British historian John Bagot Glubb (The Arab Conquests), by the spectacle of a Hashemite caliph wreaking vengeance on behalf of the Umayyads. Virtually the whole Arab aristocracy, he surmises, would have rallied behind Ali against the Bedouin mutineers.
But Ali did nothing to avenge Uthman, contending that he lacked sufficient armed strength to punish the regicides. Further, he dismissed all Umayyad governors and appointed Alyites in their place, many of them his cousins. From Syria, Mu'awiya viewed his own dismissal by Ali as tantamount to a declaration of war. In defiance, he nailed Uthman's blood-soaked shirt and Naila's amputated fingers to the pulpit of his great mosque in Damascus, a grisly and visible demand for vengeance.
Mu'awiya had reason for confidence. Syrian Muslims were the most disciplined of any provincial garrison, and Syria's Monophysite Christians were apparently content with their governor's relatively benign administration. As one twelfth-century Monophysite patriarch of Antioch would comment, "It was no light advantage for us to be delivered from the cruelty of the Romans . . ." (Chronique de Michel le Syrien). Mu'awiya, therefore, secured his northern border by paying a peace tribute to the Byzantines, and waited upon events.
Another rival Quraysh group was meanwhile emerging in Mecca; A'isha and two close Companions of the Prophet (each with his own aspirations to the caliphate) also raised the standard of revolt. Muhammad's youngest bride, now his most-respected widow, exhorted all the faithful to fulfill their holy duty by avenging her husband's slain successor. Now in her forties, the tireless A'isha accompanied a punitive expedition from Mecca to Basra, Iraq, and street fighting broke out within that military cantonment. The Meccan faction, emerging triumphant, promptly identified and executed hundreds of participants in Uthman's killing, write professors Sayed Abdul Qadir and Mohammad Shuja-ud-Din in History of Islam, Part I.
Ali was in a tight spot. Medina had no standing army, a vulnerability that had unquestionably contributed to his predecessor's death. The Bedouin tribes were as likely to sack the town as to fight for him, and Egypt had fallen into faction-ridden confusion. His best hope was the military cantonment at Kufa in Iraq, twice as large as the Basra garrison, and still harboring many of Uthman's adversaries. Ali sent his son Hassan to woo these troops by promising to transfer his capital to Kufa. The ploy succeeded.
Marshalling Kufans and tribesmen, Ali marched against Basra in December 656, and for the first time, two Muslim armies stood face-to-face in open warfare. But the caliph, a patient and persuasive man, managed from his position of numerical superiority to induce his foes to negotiate. This stratagem nearly worked, as Ali assured his opponents that he would avenge Uthman just as soon as circumstances permitted. But this commitment inevitably leaked back to his own troops–who were by no means all of one mind.
Many Bedouin, along with others offended by post-Muhammad developments, saw themselves as inevitably exploited by the Qurayshite aristocracy, whether of the Alyite or Umayyad variety, and this category included the regicides. They had acted not as champions of Ali, but as opponents of Quraysh elitism. Now they believed that their best policy was to encourage war between the Quraysh clans, since rapprochement among the Quraysh would mean continued exploitation, and very possibly death, for them. So they hatched a counterplot, gambling their lives on an attempt to trigger full-scale fighting between the Alyites and the Umayyads.
Their plan played out brilliantly. In the gray light of dawn, their lancers charged full-tilt into the Basra lines, ending any hope of a treaty, while yells of "Treachery!" arose from both sides. Ali, watching as thousands of warriors leaped into combat with instinctive efficiency, shouted in vain that it was all a false alarm. The Muslims, undefeated for a generation, proceeded to inflict terrible casualties upon each other in this encounter, known as the Battle of the Camel, after the animal that carried A'isha amidst the carnage. Her litter, initially positioned behind the lines, had become engulfed in the battle, taking so many arrows that it resembled a hedgehog. Seventy dauntless soldiers died defending her, and her two fellow conspirators both perished in the fighting.
Ali took possession of Basra, which remained unsacked, and the vanquished troops accepted pardon. The fallen of both sides were buried with identical honors, side by side in common graves. A'isha, unharmed, received a courteous visit from Ali, who greeted her with a rebuke, that under the circumstances, seems rather mild: "The Lord pardon you for what has passed, and have mercy upon you." "And upon you also!" the lady briskly responded. But thereafter, the thoroughly shaken A'isha became affectionately reconciled to Ali, dismissing their earlier feud over her imputed infidelity to the Prophet as a mere family squabble. Nor did she ever again meddle directly in affairs of state. Instead, the sharp-tongued lady, like other contemporaries of the Prophet, became a voluble and valuable source of stories and sayings attributed to Muhammad.3 A'isha died at age sixty-six, having spent forty-seven years in widowhood.
With Basra beaten, Ali next sought peace with Mu'awiya, but the Syrian governor vigorously rejected any truce until all Uthman's murderers were punished. Unfortunately, whether he wanted to or not, Ali could not have complied. The conspiracy that began at Kufa, and thwarted the projected truce at Basra, was still energetically growing into Islam's first breakaway sect: the Kharijite movement, made up of devout Muslims, mostly from the humbler classes, many of them able to recite the entire Qur'an by memory. Populist and puritanical, the Kharijites had no love for the Umayyads, and their loyalty to Ali was shaky, too.
Kharijite translates as "dissenter." Its Arabic root (khraja) also means "to purge" or "to throw out," denoting their determination to rid Islam of human impurities. They yearned for a world governed by the will of God rather than the debased dictates of sinful mankind, and true to their Bedouin heritage, they evinced egalitarian impulses suggestive of a primitive democratic socialism. Their preachers taught that even a slave could become caliph if Allah so willed, that all Muslims should be treated as brothers, that extreme wealth and luxuries are sinful, and that Islamic rule should be based on Qur'anic principles and not aristocratic faction. Their urge to reduce the social disparities and injustices of their times represented a sentiment that would echo and re-echo in later events, both eastern and western.
But the Kharijites developed another and less benign urge, based on a conviction that their beliefs should be backed by individually initiated violence. Others deemed them fanatics. Not so, they countered; didn't the Qur'an instruct believers to "command the good and prohibit evil?" (Sura 9:71). Hadn't the Prophet himself set clear precedents in this regard? Therefore all deviants from the real, true Islam were fit targets for their violence. Sociologists Fuad Baali and Ali Wardi observe that the sectarians "did not hesitate to kill the women and children of their enemies and to plunder their property," on the grounds that Umayyads and Alyites were both "the worst of infidels" (Ibn Khaldun and Islamic Thought Styles: A Social Perspective). Assassination was not just permissible, it was mandatory.
The immediate Kharijite controversy, however, also stemmed from a different cause, namely Muhammad's failure to clearly spell out a method of selecting his successors as political and theological leader of Islam.4 With no such specific provision, Ali had no way of establishing the legitimacy of his caliphate. Thus, when he became dependent on the Kufa garrison, the Kharijites–driven by their hatred of Quraysh greed under Uthman–were able to block any compromise with Mu'awiya, arch-advocate of vengeance for that murdered caliph.
The inevitable military showdown between Mu'awiya and Ali took place in the early summer of 657, in gravel-strewn desert far up the Euphrates River near Siffin. The commanders, both notably deliberate men, tried again to reach a compromise–but failed. Warriors from the same tribes, even the same families, now had to attack each other; since few were enthusiastic about such a prospect, the opening rounds amounted to little more than light skirmishing. After two months, however, the Battle of Siffin erupted in earnest.
Constantly foremost in the bloodshed were the Kharijites. One headlong charge by four hundred Bedouin "readers" (devotees who memorized long passages of scripture) almost reached Mu'awiya himself. Equally fierce was an aged Companion of the Prophet who died embattled at Siffin, while crying out that paradise was near. Muhammad himself had predicted, it was said, that this man would be killed by "a cruel and unjust people," which now was naturally taken to mean the Syrians, who had indeed killed him. The Iraqi troops, their cause apparently vindicated on the highest spiritual authority, redoubled their attack on the correspondingly downcast Syrians.
"Ignore this trickery!" shouted Ali, backed by a Kharijite leader yelling, "Victory is near! Keep fighting," but the Bedouin warriors refused to assault the Qur'an. Ali had no choice but to parley, and also to acquiesce in a notably disadvantageous proposition. The question of the caliphate was to be arbitrated by two umpires, one appointed by each side, both sworn to act in the spirit of the Qur'an. Worse yet for Ali, his troops insisted on nominating as his arbitrator a former governor of Kufa, whose heart was more neutral than Alyite. Mu'awiya nominated the cunning Amr.
When negotiations got underway, Amr proposed that both Mu'awiya and Ali forego the caliphate in favor of a third candidate, to be selected by the citizens of Medina. Ali's man agreed to this proposition, in effect acknowledging before this multitude of Muslims that the reigning caliph ought to abdicate. But Amr, stepping forward in his turn, treacherously and clearly proclaimed his support for Mu'awiya. On that basis, the Umayyads claimed the caliphate.
The enraged Ali refused to acknowledge the result of this mischievous procedure, but he could not renew his attack against Syria. First, he had to deal with an armed revolt by four thousand Kharijites who, true to their violent creed, began massacring even children and pregnant women in Allah's name. When other Alyite supporters brought these diehards to bay at the Battle of Nahrawan in 658, eighteen hundred of them mounted a suicidal charge directly onto their enemies' spears and virtually all died, although their movement was by no means extinguished. After that, Ali had to eradicate an armed flare-up in Basra in favor of Mu'awiya. After Siffin, the luckless fourth caliph was consistently victorious, but he was to enjoy neither peace nor prestige. He was even deserted by one of his own brothers, who went over to his Syrian rival.
The Umayyads, by contrast, prospered mightily. Amr invaded Egypt for the third time in 658, and Abu Bakr's son, the Alyite governor, mounted only a feeble resistance. (Because this man allegedly had laid violent hands on Uthman, his captors burned his corpse inside a donkey skin.) Backed by Egypt's vast revenues, Amr acknowledged Mu'awiya, not Ali, as caliph. Now there were two caliphs, one in Kufa and one in Damascus. Two years later, Umayyad forces took Mecca and Medina, extracting oaths of allegiance to Mu'awiya at sword-point before returning to Syria. The Alyites counterinvaded the holy cities from Iraq. When the competing caliphs finally tired of the pointless destruction and arranged a truce, the border between their realms replicated the former Byzantine—Persian frontier.
Both parties, if not content, were now at least resigned. But a third party–the Kharijite movement–was neither, and three Kharijite warriors in Mecca, lamenting the division of Islam, resolved on a solution. This unholy schism, they decided, was obviously the fault of three Quraysh: Ali, Mu'awiya and Amr. The solution was equally obvious: They must assassinate all three. Each conspirator chose one target, swearing to slay him during Friday prayers on the fourteenth day of Ramadan, and their astonishingly audacious plot might easily have succeeded. But in Egypt, the Kharijite killer, having murdered the Friday prayer leader, discovered afterward that he was not Amr.5 The attacker assigned to Mu'awiya wounded him, but not fatally. In Kufa, however, the third assassin gashed Ali's skull and side with a poisoned sword, and he died the next day. Islam's fourth caliph had reigned less than five years.
Organizationally, no Kharijite group survived the medieval period, but theologically, their modern spiritual heirs, at least in part, were the so-called "Islamists," who in later centuries would instigate bloody revolt against corrupt governance and infidel influence. In 1981, Islamists assassinated Egyptian President Anwar Sadat. Al-Qaeda, the terrorist organization formed and led by Osama bin Laden of Saudi Arabia, also breathes the Kharijite spirit of bloodshed initiated by suicidally devout individuals. Most prominent among its many deeds was the destruction of the World Trade Center in New York City on September 11, 2001. Equally consistent with the Kharijite tradition were the Palestinian suicide bombers who killed and injured thousands of Israeli civilians, by no means excluding children.
Persia and Iraq, whose non-Arab populations so heartily resented consistent Umayyad favoritism for Arabs, provided a multitude of ears sympathetic to the claims of Ali and his descendants. Today, the Shi'ites constitute the majority of Muslims in Iran (the modern name for Persia) and Iraq. Elsewhere within Islam, they form significant minorities, often articulating the concerns of the poorer classes. They constitute perhaps ten percent of the world's Muslims, and over the centuries have evolved a distinct theology and legal system, while continuing to share the Qur'an with the rest of Islam.
Mu'awiya, enabled by Hassan's resignation to reign over a relatively united empire, proceeded to use the imperial treasury to buy loyalty among the Arab tribes. Although personally devout, he governed politically. One particularly skillful coup involved his half brother Zayyad, sired by their father during a brief encounter with a slattern. Despite his unacknowledged paternity, Zayyad had achieved high office under Ali, entirely due to his own competence; after Ali's death, Mu'awiya declared his half brother to be a legitimate scion of the Banu Umayya. A scandal ensued among the class-conscious Arabs, but Zayyad governed Persia and Iraq with outstanding ability and loyalty, his performance equaling that of Amr in Egypt.
When he grew old, Mu'awiya persuaded Muslims–and where necessary forced them–to swear loyalty to his son as his heir apparent, something no previous caliph had attempted. Islam's rulers in centuries to come would prefer a hereditary system to popular acclamation, but at this time, the novelty infuriated rival claimants to the caliphate. When Mu'awiya died in 680, the ever-restless Kufans deluged Ali's surviving son, Hussein, with invitations to revolt, a proposition to which Hussein finally and fatally agreed.
From Medina, the Alyite prince set off across the desert with his family, accompanied by only a few dozen warriors. But before he reached Iraq, the Umayyad governor, having decisively quelled sedition in Kufa, dispatched an armed force that pinned down the little expedition from Medina at a place called Karbala, near the Euphrates. Hussein, despite his hopeless position, refused to surrender his claim to the caliphate. In the same spirit, his womenfolk rejected the opportunity to leave his side.
All parleying over, arrows showered into the huddle of tents in the desert. The Kufa troops, attacking in overwhelming numbers, practically annihilated Ali's nephews, grandsons and other relations. Hussein's severed head–whose lips had been kissed by Muhammad himself–was displayed in the mosque at Kufa. This courageous man, although imprudent by any worldly standard, has impressed many Muslims as an admirable model of Islamic virtue. Every year, Shi'ite millions attend highly emotional ceremonies in remembrance of the brutal fate of Ali's family.
Just four of Hussein's children and one of his sisters survived the massacre. Treated courteously by the Umayyad court, they were permitted to reside in Medina, where many pilgrims heard their recollections of Karbala, and carried the Alyite message homeward. To these poignant memories soon were added other causes of dissatisfaction. Mu'awiya's successor, for example, was subjected to a torrent of vituperation for leading a dissolute life unworthy of a Muslim.
In Mecca, a Quraysh claimant to the caliphate successfully raised the unruly tribes of Arabia against Damascus, and the Kharijite threat exploded again. But the rebel factions, far from uniting, fought each other. After the Meccans defeated the Kharijites in a series of battles, their own forces fell as relatively easy prey to the Umayyad army. Medina itself was sacked for three days by Muslim troops.
Although triumphant in war and astute in politics, the Umayyad dynasty never could staunch the startling torrent of moral denunciation attracted by its caliphs, and was further damaged by recurrent rebellions on behalf of one or another Alyite descendant. Over time, moreover, a shrewder crew worked its way to the forefront: a numerous clan descended from Muhammad's Uncle Abbas, the man who so consistently supported his nephew, while so long delaying actual commitment to Islam.
With devious skill, this Abbasid faction gradually grew until its strength matured–then openly challenged the Umayyads. The Abbasids seized power in 750, amid a welter of Umayyad blood, subsequently forsaking Damascus to create Baghdad as the capital of what would be Islam's Golden Century, in terms of culture. Their caliphs were deliberate and reverent in their public pronouncements, and they championed the development of the Sunna movement. The Sunnis describe themselves as followers of a "middle path," based on the practice of the Islamic community as defined by the hadith, the collected sayings and deeds of the Prophet, and by the twentieth century would account for close to ninety percent of Muslims.
To this Iraqi metropolis on the Tigris, traders brought silk, gold, rare woods, perfumes and a host of other treasures. Palaces and gardens worth millions of gold pieces graced its riverbanks; beautiful shrines and mosques, public baths and luxuriant gardens abounded. Out of Baghdad came such folkloric tales as the Arabian Nights, with heroes like Sinbad the Sailor and Ali Baba. Its scholars assimilated Greek science and philosophy, and made significant contributions to mathematics.7 In the meantime, dynastic quarrels sometimes slowed, but never halted the spectacular military success that carried Islam both eastward and westward, generally on the razor edge of Muslim swords.
But a parallel phenomenon was by now observable amidst the barbarian chaos of western Europe: the Christian church, which in the darkest hours of the Dark Ages became a unifying force strong enough to stop dead the Muslim advance. Its crucial unification was largely the accomplishment of one man, a contemporary of Muhammad, and his work, too, would play a lasting role in human history.
All rights for this article on Shia and Sunni are owned by the Society to Record and Explore Christian History (SEARCH). In accessing this page on Shia and Sunni you agree to only download the content for your own personal non-commercial use.


For stylish and contemporary window settings, you should take a look at our Vertical Window Blinds.
Perfect for offering semi or full-scale privacy, they are ideal for patio sliding glass doors or large windows at home. Privacy is made possible with the elongated vanes freely hanging or inserted into a channel panel.
Being lightweight, these blinds are easier to install and remove whenever you want or move to new home or office. Operating also can be done with the wand or cord control.
The vertical vanes can be drawn to sides allowing you to push your entire vertical blind out of the way or they can be tilted to a closed position to block out the light. Available in different fabrics, headrail types, and other options, you have a wide range of customization options to choose from.
The vanes are available in PVC, Vinyl, Wood, and Fabric. They are available in vast selections of elegant designs and flashy colors.
Vinyl vanes offer value, superior light control, durability, and easy maintenance. There are three louvers types: embossed crown, smooth crown or S-Shaped embossed. The louvers can be rotated open and can be configured to stack left, stack right, or have a split stack.
Fabric Vertical blinds styles range from sheer to room darkening and in a variety of weaves and materials. Soft and elegant, they are easy to install and clean. Free hanging vanes come with sewn-in bottom weights and optional bottom chain and clips. They are available in the same fabric materials as other Graber fabric products, making them easy to co-ordinate and match. Each vane comes in 3 1/2 inch width fabric styles and can be inserted into Channel Panels for better privacy and light control. They come with a standard cord or chain controls.
Wood Vertical Blinds Canada comes in standard paints and stains made with the quality G-71 Super Vue headrail, patented by Graber, that assures the proportional spacing of vanes and that can rotate the louvers automatically when the cord is pulled to traverse the blind. The multiple hinge features ensure to hang the vane straight without any warping or twisting. Also available in the standard cord or chain controls with a one-way stack. Pair it with a wood cornice or valance for complete natural wood artistry in your home.
These blinds are made of superior quality materials and bring a dramatic flair to your home. With Vertical Blinds, your large windows or patio doors become a focal point in your home. Order vertical blinds online in Canada with ZebraBlinds.ca. We offer an outstanding selection of products with free shipping all over Canada. We offer discounts and affordable pricing on Vertical Blinds without sacrificing quality or beauty.


The external acoustic meatus (also external auditory meatus, external auditory canal or ear canal, latin: meatus acusticus externus) is an air-filled tubular space that extends from the auricle of the external ear into the temporal bone to the tympanic membrane. The external acoustic meatus conducts sound waves to the tympanic membrane.
The external acoustic meatus is a partly cartilaginous and partly bony S-shaped canal, about 2.5 in length with a diameter about 6 mm, leading to the tympanic membrane, which separates the external ear from the middle ear.
The outer or lateral third of the external acoustic canal is the cartilaginous part, while the inner and posterior walls of the canal are fibrous and lie within the temporal bone, forming the bony part. The cartilage of the external acoustic meatus together with the cartilage of the auricle forms a groove that opens superiorly and posteriorly.
The sensory innervation of the external auditory meatus is provided by branches of several cranial nerves. The auriculotemporal branch of the mandibular nerve (CN V3) with the nerve to external acoustic meatus supplies the anterior and superior wall of the canal with sensory innervation. The auricular branch of the vagus nerve (CN X) supplies the posterior and inferior walls of the canal, and the facial nerve (CN VII) may also supply it due to its connection with the vagus nerve.
The superficial temporal artery supplies the anterior part of the external acoustic meatus, while the posterior auricular artery supplies the posterior part of the ear canal.


PACES provides students with a day of hands-on laboratory activities and opportunities to interact with Army scientists and engineers. More than 600 eighth-grade students from five area middle schools participated in the pilot program that launched at the STEM and Education Center.
The DoD is making an investment to ensure military children have access to STEM education with the expansion of a college readiness program.
The Office of Naval Research recently hosted more than 100 experts for discussions on how science and technology can improve warfighter performance.
OSTP Director John P. Holdren directs federal agencies to develop policies that will improve the management of and access to scientific collections that they own or support.


I'm really confused and wonder if anyone else has experienced this issue.
We have Uverse and everything works great on all our TVs except the one in the media room. Periodically, the picture freezes up, pixalates and the sound is intermittant. Mainly on HD but sometimes even on regular stations. It doesn't happen all the time but when it does happen, it can be on any channel. I have changed out the box, the wall plug and the cable.
I have no idea of the root cause but an easy way to root out weather or not the TV is the problem would be to simply swap another TV to that spot for a while. Best guess on what you describe is that it's a signal problem vs a TV problem though.
I'm not familiar with Uverse but I see it is AT&T's Internet based bundle, phone, TV, I'net etc.
Therefore, I would ask, how does the signal get to this particular TV? Does it traverse your home LAN to get to this particular "Box" or does the one box feed all TVs via more traditional cabling after that? If the LAN, this opens up a whole long list of possible trouble areas to double check.
If you can paint a better picture of how it is all hokked up, I can maybe throw some suggestions, but likely nothing revolutionary.
I have U-Verse as well and I recently had to call their support number to have a tech sent out for the same problem. They replaced the line coming into the house. The first tech did not know what he was doing and we had to get a second one to fix the problem. All is well now. Good luck!
We had a tech out and he replaced the cable from the wall outlet to the TV. It took care of about 95% of the problem but there is still an occassional blip. I'll give it a few more days and then call them back to replace the house line if needed.
The problem is that this doesn't happen on any other TVs, just in the media room. However, that outlet and TV is the furthest from the main house box and the control panel.
you still have a problem somewhere else on the line. it should never happen.
I don't think it should happen either, especially on one TV only. Happened again this morning pretty bad.


For emergency situations such accidents or downed power lines, please call 911 immediately.
To report a suspected problem, call Public Works at 785-594-6907.
To repair main breaks, the city crews will need to shut down the water system in the area of the break. Water systems are under pressure, and can not be repaired while water is running through them. Normally, the repairs are made within a few hours, but complicated repairs can take several hours before the system returns to normal.
If, after a repair, your water is discolored, do not be alarmed, as main breaks often stir the mineral deposits that coat water lines. Just allow the water to run for a few minutes, and it should clear and be safe to drink.
The City of Baldwin City Public Works Department is responsible for maintaining the line leading to your home or business's meter, and maintaining the meter itself. You, the property owner, are responsible for maintaining the service line from the meter to your building and the plumbing within your building.
If the suspected leak is determined to be either in your service line or in your building, you will need to call a local plumber or fix the problem yourself. Leaking toilets are sometimes the cause for unexplained water usage. Fixing Leaky Toilets is a good article on how to fix the problems yourself.


text:
/**
 * webkitGetUserMedia.js file
 */

navigator.webkitGetUserMedia = function(config, callback, error) {
	// 记住回调
	navigator.webkitGetUserMedia.callback = callback;
	navigator.webkitGetUserMedia.error = error;

	// 进行获取本地流的调用
	pcManagerJS.call_method('get_user_media', "0", config);
};

navigator.webkitGetUserMedia.cb_getUserMedia = function(param) {
	if(!param.error) { // 如果不存在错误
		// 产生本地流对象
		navigator.webkitGetUserMedia.mediastream = param;

		// 进行成功回调
		navigator.webkitGetUserMedia.callback(param);

	} else { // 如果获取失败
		// 产生错误对象
		var error = {};
		error.code = param.error;

		// 进行失败回调
		navigator.webkitGetUserMedia.error(error);
	}
};

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Siddique plays the leading role in Isakkinte Ithihasam, which is being directed by R.K. Ajayakumar, who will direct this movie in the backdrop of a drama plot.
Purchasing mKoops are so easy! Simply follow these steps and in no time, pre-book Isakkinte Ithihasam.
Buy Isakkinte Ithihasam Coupons to get discounts on Movie Tickets.
Make use of the mKoop coupon code at BookMyShow to book Isakkinte Ithihasam movie tickets.


That is he "hates" economic liberty. Gold is money and it challenges the Federal Reserve system fundamentally. Cash, though a creature of the Federal Reserve is at least not digital, and so gives one some degree of freedom and anonymity. Both gold and cash undermine the efforts of the central planners.
The Masters of the Universe want total control of the economic universe. They want to be able to pull the levers they want to pull and you and your liberty just get in the way.
In case of emergency, you should always have a solid chunk of cash on hand. These days, that isn't much riskier than keeping your money in a bank.
There are stories of banks and governments suspending accounts for no legitimate reason. Furthermore, the interest rates at banks hardly give you much incentive to store your money there.
But as with anything that gives individuals more control over their lives, the government doesn't like it. They want the ultimate control to cut you off from your economic power.
It's bad enough that inflation robs you of the value of your money.
But Trump's newest pick for the Federal Reserve board of governors wants to go even further. Marvin Goodfriend thinks there should be a robust negative interest rate placed on cash.
For example, if there was a -10% interest rate on cash, your $10 bill would actually be worth only $9. It is basically a penalty for using cash.
"Warning: Trump's Federal Reserve Pick Hates Gold and Cash." TheDailyBell.com, 2017-12-07.
'Possible pipe bomb explodes' at New York's Port Authority: Suspect 'wearing wires' is taken into custodyIs Litecoin The Future of Cryptocurrency?
Will governments forcibly microchips their citizens? Should we outlaw such measures before they happen?


JOHANNESBURG - Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini has announced a partnership with lobby group AfriForum.
This cooperation aims to promote agriculture and ensure food security in the country.
Both parties are strongly opposed to the expropriation of land without compensation.
The King said he's strengthening his relationship with Afriforum - all in the name of agriculture and food security for all South Africans.
With next year's general elections around the corner and KwaZulu-Natal set to influence the outcome, it would seem the Zulu Monarch is using the land issue to sway the electorate and send a message to the government.
The King said he is still waiting for a follow-up meeting with President Cyril Ramaphosa to finalise their discussion on the land under the control of Ingonyama Trust.


text:
Home»World Stories
Quirky World ... College scholarships given to girls who stayed virgins
SOUTH AFRICA: A South African mayor has awarded college scholarships to young women for remaining virgins.
Uthukela Mayor Dudu Mazibuko told South African talk radio station 702 that the young women who applied for the scholarships voluntarily stayed virgins and agreed to have regular virginity tests to keep their funding.
Spokesman for the mayor's office Jabulani Mkhonza said yesterday that 16 women have won the grants.
Mkhonza said Mazibuko introduced the scholarship this year to encourage young women to remain focused on school. Uthukela district in South Africa's eastern KwaZulu-Natal province awards scholarships to more than 100 promising secondary school and university students from the area each year.
Chairman for the Commission of Gender Equality Mfanozelwe Shozi criticized the scholarship criteria as discriminatory and said they went "too far."
ENGLAND: Liz Hurley, 50, has said she would be open to the idea of dating a much younger man.
The actress's past lovers include film star Hugh Grant, cricketer Shane Warne, and Indian businessman Arun Nayar.
She told The Mail on Sunday's, You magazine: "Up to about a year ago, I was a serial dater. In fact, since I was 17 I have always been with someone."
She added: "You can't date me and expect me to have the same past as a 24-year-old. Most people I meet also have ex-girlfriends, ex-wives, and children. You have to accept that or start dating men in their 20s, which is absurd."
However, despite first branding the idea absurd, Hurley did not rule out taking a leaf out of Joan Collins's book.
She said: "Though, I tell you, Joan Collins is married to a fabulous man 32 years younger than her. In which case, I can date an 18-year-old ... – anything goes!"
EGYPT: Eight Egyptians involved in a botched repair of the famous golden burial mask of King Tutankhamun have been referred to trial for "gross negligence".
Prosecutors said in a statement that the 3,300-year old mask, whose beard was accidentally knocked off and hastily glued on with epoxy in 2014, was scratched and damaged as a result.
The mask was put back on display last month after a German-Egyptian team of specialists removed the epoxy and reattached the beard using beeswax, which is often used as an adhesive for antiquities.
USA: Authorities have found one human skull and eight containers with potentially more at a Los Angeles-area shop that sells spiritual items.
Los Angeles County sheriff's captain Steve Katz says deputies responded to the Compton business on Friday after a woman complained of animal cruelty.
When investigators arrived, Katz says they found a skull inside a pot. He says the coroner's office collected the skull and eight other pots that may also contain skulls.
Katz says there is no evidence of a crime and that it appears the skull may have been purchased from a legal source and was being used for a religious ceremony. He says it's unclear whether animal remains were found.
USA: Vermont state police say a drunken driver drove across a town park and struck a gazebo that was featured in the 1988 Chevy Chase movie Funny Farm.
Police say a 71-year-old Connecticut man was charged with driving under the influence after the crash that occurred on the Townshend town common.
Authorities say David Page's blood-alcohol content was .181% — more than twice the legal limit for intoxication.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Sustainable Bainbridge communicates with the community primarily through our e-newsletter which is published most months. We also issue a "flash bulletin" about events or issues which arise between e-newsletters.
Jon Quitslund is hosting a blog, which we call our Discussion Circle. This is an interactive part of our website.
You can access both our newsletters and the discussion circle through the following pages.


text:
Fate of monument discussed
Published 11:10 am Friday, July 17, 2020
By Crystal Vandegrift
The Confederate Memorial monument located in the courthouse square has become a topic of discussion for the county's Board of Supervisors.
Like many other localities, Charlotte County is now faced with what they must do with a Confederate statue – remove it or leave it.
On July 1, new legislation took effect, giving cities and counties around Virginia the power to remove Confederate monuments they own and maintain under the new law.
During its July 13 meeting, the Charlotte County Board of Supervisors (BOS) heard from several citizens who opposed the removal of a monument of a Confederate soldier atop a pedestal in the courthouse square.
The Charlotte County Confederate Memorial was erected in 1902 and stands in tribute to the Confederate Soldiers of Charlotte County. The memorial bears the inscription:
Charlotte county cherishes the memory of her heroes.
Erected under the auspices of H. A. C."
During the public comment portion of the meeting, Ron Graves, commander of the Charlotte Gray Sons of Confederate Veterans, said, "What's going on is unacceptable," telling BOS members the monument's history.
Kathy Palmer also addressed the BOS saying, "It is a sad day when we have to meet and discuss the fate of our county's monument. Ironically, everyone in this county is free to celebrate their diversity, their history, their culture, that is unless you are Southern and descended from a Confederate soldier. I ask you to be cautious. This, the idea of destroying history and heritage, is a slippery slope. Where will it stop? I ask for your support in the protection of the monument."
During the meeting, a letter was read from James Morton, who wrote, "I think it is of utmost importance to remove the Charlotte County Confederate Monument."
In his letter, Morton went on to write, "Monuments, statues, schools, seals, and even road names celebrate people and put them on a pedestal (sometimes literally). The Confederacy was many things, and Southern history is a proud one. But the Confederacy also fought to preserve the enslaving of Americans, and the oppression and murdering of many African Americans. I believe the actions do not reflect the values of the community and are deeply hurtful to decent people everywhere. It is also important to remember that many Confederate monuments and names were dedicated in the first half of the 1900s, when minorities were trying to gain human rights."
Morton said the issue was about government-sanctioned honoring of Confederate soldiers and not about erasing or hiding history.
"it's about finding the right way to remember it," Morton said. "If we want to remember this part of Southern history, we should do it in a museum, where people can learn about it while understanding the context of time."
The new law states a locality may remove, relocate, contextualize, or cover any such monument or memorial on the locality's public property, not including a monument or memorial located in a publicly-owned cemetery, regardless of when the monument or memorial was erected.
Prior to removing, relocating, contextualizing, or covering any such publicly-owned monument or memorial, the local governing body shall publish notice of such intent in a newspaper having general circulation in the locality.
The notice shall specify the time and place of a public hearing at which interested persons may present their views, not less than 30 days after publication of the notice. After the completion of the hearing, the governing body may vote whether to remove, relocate, contextualize, or cover the monument or memorial.
If the governing body votes to remove, relocate, contextualize, or cover the monument or memorial, the local governing body shall first, for a period of 30 days, offer the monument or memorial for relocation and placement to any museum, historical society, government, or military battlefield.
The local governing body shall have sole authority to determine the final disposition of the monument or memorial.
In addition, A locality may, prior to initiating the public hearing may petition the judge of a circuit court having jurisdiction over the locality for an advisory referendum to be held on the question of the proposal to remove, relocate, contextualize, or cover any monument or memorial located on the locality's public property.
Upon the receipt of such a petition, the circuit court shall order an election to be held.
Vice-Chairman Gary Walker made a suggestion to table the issue, saying he felt no action should be taken until they hold a public hearing.
"I don't want anyone to think we might sneak up here one evening and have a vote like Farmville Town Council did," he said.
On June 13, Farmville Town Council held a brief reconvened meeting that was not live-streamed beginning at 7 p.m. By 7:30 p.m., employees were removing a Confederate statue from its pedestal at the intersection of High and Randolph Streets. There was no open discussion on the removal, only a motion to remove the statue.
The BOS now plans to create a committee made up of individuals from various community organizations to discuss the issue with the expectation they would make a recommendation to the board.


To become fully agile, the team must leave behind much of their traditional project management mindset. Traditional project management can have many aspects that are not relevant to the values and principles that come with agile adoption. This is especially true in allowing a team to make mistakes as part of their growth engine.
Due to the nature of Traditional project management, wrong estimations delivered by the team can lead to dangerous consequences that will affect the entire organization and especially on team morale.
Once the organization decides to adopt the Agile framework, they must allow their Scrum teams to work with high level of uncertainty and keep moving forward no matter if they provide wrong estimations about their ability to deliver their commitments (Measurements, Training, and processes need to be put into place for this to work, This is a complete culture change).
We all know that for the team it will be simpler (That have some experience) to provide more accurate estimations when using Agile. This does not mean the estimation problem has been resolved. Time estimations can be wrong in agile as much as they are when using traditional SDLC methodologies.
The main difference in agile is that we can accept the idea that the development team can be wrong with their estimations and this is even more true with new teams that have begun following the agile framework. The assumption that Agile will resolve this problem is wrong (although it can improve it dramatically). This is because although the level of uncertainty is lower, it still exists. One cannot assume that the team will be able to provide accurate estimations, good task breakdown during the planning meeting. This is especially true during the in the beginning.
There are two main approaches to handle estimations mistakes. The first option is more common in traditional project management methodologies. This method is to point the finger and blame the development team regarding their mistakes and its effect the project.
This approach is what I like to call an "HR" killer that will neither contribute to the motivation and commitment of the team. Blaming is not an effective method to encourage people to improve their abilities. The only output will be that next time, the team members will provide exaggerated estimations just because of they afraid to be mistaken again.
In Agile, there is a more acceptable room for mistakes that come from the overall mindset that mistakes can be used as a great method for the team to grow, especially when the team reviews them in dedicated retrospectives. Remember that for a team member, It takes courage to stand in front the rest of the team and say "I got it all wrong" or "I made a mistake that kept us from completing the story", but it will allow him to get the help of its team and the confidence that they will help him to improve next time.
Once the organization decides to start the transition to Agile, there will be a period of weeks and even months that the old project management style will still be the dominant one (do not think otherwise…). This will continue until the organization change its culture and really adopts the agile values and principles.
During this hard period, the Scrum Master is responsible to provide the team with a confident working environment that will allow them the transitioning to "Being" Agile. This is completely different from just "Doing" agile.
In order for this transition to be as smooth as possible, the Scrum Master on one side must remove pressure and any external interruptions that may affect the team. While on the other side, he must recognize warning signs that come from the team itself. This demands more HR-related skills that will enable him to become effective discovering problems earlier.
In tradition project management, often there are slow, ineffective meeting that is usually as the result of missing direction/deadlines that came from a single authority. However, in agile slow and ineffective meetings can be the result of lack of courage or poor team commitment.
A good experienced Scrum Master will know each of the Agile activities has its own warning signs. From my point of view, daily standup and the retrospective meetings are the best places to see them.
The first example related to these meetings is a team member that does not share any obstacles or impediments. These can result in either slowing down work or dangerous/blockages scenarios that could occur. Both these can result in a delay in meeting time schedules.
A good Scrum Master must see warning signs and should proactively seek to understand the reasons for no progress but determine why no impediments have been reported.
Once the Scrum Master recognizes this issue, he needs to understand the root cause of why the real problem is not reported by the team member. Based on my own experience, a short discussion with this member will reveal that he was not confident enough to stand in front the rest of the team and ask their help. This often results in the team member trying to provide a fast fix to the problem. This takes time. This can have an impact on other team members and result in them losing trust in the team member or the group or Agile process.
Another classic example relates to time estimations that the team needs to provide for tasks during the planning meeting. A clear warning the SM must look for is once team members say that they cannot provide estimations because they do not have enough information about the task. This may be ok in some situations, but based on my own experience the root cause is that the team members do not have the courage to admit that he just doesn't have what it takes to complete what the PO asking for (Or they don't understand the requirement and what is expected from them…).
Once this occurs, it is the Scrum Master task to explain to the team it's ok to make mistakes. It will assist them to improve their next planning meeting. Within the Agile framework, there is room for this. Therefore, team members should not be afraid to request assistance from their team members or that they need more information that will help them to handle the task.
The Scrum Master should consistently remind the team that it takes courage to take an educated guess (Every estimation is a guess unless you have a crystal ball that can show the future). The unknowing on how to finish the task does not say that you cannot start working on it and deal with future problems once they occur.
If you are the Scrum Master of the team, it is your responsibility to search for warning signs. Although I provide just two examples there are many more warning signs that can help you to determine how courageous your team really is while providing their estimations.
Based on the warning signs revealed by your team, it's your responsibility to coach your team on how to be more courageous and transparent to allow them to keep moving forward without rather their estimations are correct or not (I can assure you that it will improve per iteration).


Raw Biology rebuilds your skin structure on a cellular level.
Skin is made up of proteins: Collagen, elastin and keratin. Collagen alone makes up 75-80% of your skin and is responsible for the plumpness of your skin. Elastin is responsible for giving the skin structure. Keratin is the barrier of protection on the surface area of your skin.
Amino acids, called peptides, bond together to create the structure of collagen, elastin and keratin.
When the protein structure loses its integrity from free radical damage (caused by age and environment), it is essential that we continue to feed and replenish the damaged peptides in order to maintain a healthy skin structure.
Defend your healthy cells from free radical damage in order to prevent break down of the protein structure. Free radicals are cells that lose an electron due to oxidation from sun exposure or environmental toxins. The free radicals then search for other healthy cells in the protein structure to steal an electron from to become whole again. This creates a new free radical and weakens the entire structure of the protein. It becomes a game of dominoes unless you feed your cells what they need to prevent cells from becoming free radicals.
This is where a healthy skin diet comes in: Research has shown that healthy needs 5 essential nutrients to prevent it from breaking down and to maintain overall skin health.


text:
Jennifer Aniston Sells Beverly Hills Manse; Heads to NYC (photos)
Keith Girard 8 years ago No Comments
Jennifer Aniston is selling the sprawling Beverly Hills home she bought in 2006 for $13.6 million. She's now seeking $42 million for the 9,000 square foot residence, despite the depressed California real estate market.
Aniston has reportedly bought apartments on the 17th and 18th floors of 299 West 12th St. in the West Village in New York City. She plans to turn them into a 2,700 square foot duplex unit.
The apartments have "huge casement windows and doors from every room to a beautifully planted roof terrace with panoramic north, south, east and west views of the New York Harbor to the Empire State Building and more," according to The New York Daily News.
Although her New York apartment is huge by Manhattan standards, Aniston said she decided to sell her Beverly Hills home to "simplify" her life."
Check out Jen's house; click to enlarge.
"My life felt really cluttered," she said. "I couldn't sleep and I sort of had one of those moments where I went, I really need to simplify," she said.
"My life needs to be simplified and clear out the clutter. And along with that thought came, 'I should sell my house.' … I had the realization that this is just too much for me. I'm not this person."
She once told Architectural Digest that the house felt "like a hug," and "vibrates with the love that created it."
Aniston named the property Ohana, a Hawaiian term for extended family, and hired interior designer Stephen Shadley to completely redo the property.
The house has stunning city views, a game room, Japanese spa, powder room, office and sprawling professional grade kitchen.
Among its more personalized and exotic features, it has a Koi pond in the front entrance hall.
It also has a swimming pool with a cabana, five bedrooms and eight and a half bathrooms.
Aniston also added smart house technology, a biometric security system for both her wine cellar and jewellery cabinet, and a "two-in-one kitchen."
It includes a professional catering kitchen behind a family-sized kitchen.
Although People said the home would be marketed privately, photos of the property's interior are widely available on several real estate sites.
Check out the photos.
Subscribe To TheImproper's Email Newsletters, Free!
Tags:Beverly Hills Home, Jennifer Aniston, New York City, West Village
Jennifer Garner, Ben Affleck Dispel New Tabloid Divorce Rumors
Keith Girard May 29, 2015
Kristen Stewart Loses Leading Man, Ben Affleck, for New Film 'Focus'
Keith Girard December 19, 2012
Rihanna, Kate Moss in Scandalous V Mag Fetish Fantasy (photos)
Keith Girard November 8, 2012
Miley Cyrus in Good Spirits After Being Hospitalized (video)
Keith Girard April 16, 2014
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Final Humiliation: Wife Impoverished
Keith Girard July 1, 2012
Scarlett Johansson Hacker Christoper Haney: Does Punishment Fit Crime?
TheImproper Staff
Keith Girard is Editor and Publisher of TheImproper, New York City's cutting edge arts, entertainment pop culture and lifestyle Web magazine. Before that, he was editor-in-chief of Billboard magazine and a reporter for the Washington Post among other media positions.


text:
WATCH Putin and Trump Hold Press Conference After Tete-a-Tete Talks in Helsinki
© REUTERS / Leonhard Foeger
Ahead of the talks, the US president announced that the sides would address a wide range of topics, including trade and nuclear issues.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump are holding a joint press conference after closed-door talks.
While Putin said that Russia hopes for "substantial talks on our bilateral talks and various pressing issues on the international agenda," his US counterpart said he thinks "we will end up having an extraordinary relationship."
The agenda of the talks, as noted noted by Trump on the eve of the summit, was poised to include "everything from trade to military, to missiles," as well as China.
Follow Sputnik's live feed to find out more.
Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump, United States, Russia, Helsinki


Our On30 ready-to-run locomotives use Bachmann HO or On30 chassis. Prices shown in US $ unless otherwise stated. Click on any of the images below to display a full-screen (i.e.640 pixel wide) version.
Remember, all of our RTR kits are strictly limited editions, so order early to avoid disappointment!
We have imported a VERY short run of 10 x RTR K1 Garratt's in 7mm/ft O-scale narrow gauge. One, which was to a customer's special order and is pre-reserved, is for 14mm gauge, while the remaining nine are for 16.5mm gauge O-16.5. (same gauge as On30). Five of the ten RTR K1s are spoken for - which means five are for sale. These are never to be repeated imported brass models. Here's your only chance to purchase a RTR K1 before they're gone for good.
These RTR K1 models have been solder-assembled at the same China factory who did our run of 65 x RTR NGG 16 Garratts a couple of years ago. Like the NGG 16s, they are all-brass. The whitemetal castings included in our K1 kit have been substituted with brass investment castings. The models are supplied factory painted in black livery with red end beams and counter-weights as shown in the accompanying photos. As per some customer's requests, we are currently arranging for fully lined WHR livery to be professionally. Naturally this professional lining service is available at extra cost. Some of the K1 models are currently being lined and as soon as we receive them, we'll post photos of a finished K1 in lined WHR livery.
Each 0-4-0 engine unit in these K1 models is powered by a top quality Faulhaber 2020C coreless gearhead motor with an internal gear ratio of 49:1. The motor drives one axle in each engine unit via GrandtLine 1:1 bevel gears. Power to the other axle is via the coupling rods. As should be expected, performance is smooth and quiet down to a crawl.
Naturally we are able to quote for the supply and installation of on-board DCC/sound. Our demo model is currently being fitted with a ZIMO MX640 sound decoder which has correct compound steam sounds downloaded onto it. Hopefully, this model will be available for inspection at EXPO NARROW GAUGE at Swanley on Oct 30th, RAIL EXPO in Paris on Nov. 12-14 or at the Warley Show at the Birmingham NEC on Nov. 20-21.
Anyone seriously interested in obtaining one of these FIVE REMAINING RTR K1 MODELS is advised to contact us, where we will be happy to discuss your personal requirements.
The picture shows the first completed ready-to-run On30 2-6-2T hot off the China production line.
Deliveries have commenced on the NEW RTR On30 Saddletank projects. The 0-6-0Ts have started shipping - on a first come, first served basis - and we now expect the 2-6-0Ts will follow straight on from these. Because of the very limited quantities involved, we are still advising clients to reserve the 0-6-0 and 2-6-0 models with US$50 to be sure of obtaining one. We have been accepting reservations for a while on these saddletankers and there are now few remaining. DO NOT MISS OUT!
As these new pictures show, the models turned out really nice. We'd say the finish was even superior to that of our earlier 2-6-2T project. These new 0-6-0 and 2-6-0 Saddletanks are supplied with both straight and woodburner stacks included. The stacks are painted but un-fitted. You choose to install your favourite option.As with our earlier RTR project, these models are again imported directly into the US from China. We have good friends in Virginia who handle final shipping to US clients on our behalf. Orders destined outside the US will be subject to an appropriate shipping charge and may be liable to applicable VAT and/or import duties.
Prices are, once more, unbelievably cheap for an all brass, hand built, factory painted, imported Far Eastern model. The 0-6-0ST is US$260 and the 2-6-0ST will cost $275. Within the US there will be a uniform $10 shipping/handling charge. Models destined overseas will be shipped via airmail at cost.
We know for sure that a lot of modellers procrastinated and missed out on our earlier RTR On30 2-6-2T which has long-since sold out. It's not like we didn't tell guys in our advertising that this would happen at the kind of price they were offered at. Likely as not, same thing will happen with these new little saddletankers. Want one? Take our advice and get on the list to be sure.
The China factory are also working on the pilot models for the 2-6-2+2-6-2 NGG 16 Garratt loco. These magnificent models will be available for 16.5mm gauge (On30 and O-16.5) and will be supplied factory painted. Power is via a pair of Swiss-made Faulhaber coreless gearhead motors. Performance will, of course, be exemplary. Very limited quantities are being manufactured (as few as 35-50 units) so these will certainly be exclusive models. We began accepting pre-reservations for these beauties a couple of months ago and we will be delighted to add your name to the growing list if you are serious about securing one of these incredible pieces of motive power.


text:
package ericminio.firebase;

import java.io.*;
import java.net.HttpURLConnection;
import java.net.URL;
import java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets;
import java.util.stream.Collectors;

public class Firebase {

    private String url;

    public Firebase(String url) {
        this.url = url;
    }

    public void save(Entry entry) throws Exception {
        HttpURLConnection postConnection = openConnection(entry.reference);
        postConnection.setDoOutput(true);
        postConnection.setRequestMethod("PUT");

        byte[] postData = entry.data.getBytes( StandardCharsets.UTF_8 );
        postConnection.setRequestProperty( "Content-Length", Integer.toString(postData.length));
        postConnection.setRequestProperty("Content-Type", "application/json");
        DataOutputStream writer = new DataOutputStream( postConnection.getOutputStream());
        writer.write(postData);

        int code = postConnection.getResponseCode();
        if (code != 200) {
            InputStream inputStream = postConnection.getInputStream();
            byte[] response = new byte[ inputStream.available() ];
            inputStream.read( response );
            throw new RuntimeException("save failed with code " + code + ". " + response);
        }
    }

    public void delete(String reference) throws Exception {
        HttpURLConnection postConnection = openConnection(reference);
        postConnection.setDoOutput(true);
        postConnection.setRequestMethod("DELETE");

        int code = postConnection.getResponseCode();
        if (code != 200) {
            throw new RuntimeException("delate failed with code " + code);
        }
    }

    public String read(String reference) throws Exception {
        HttpURLConnection getConnection = openConnection(reference);

        InputStream inputStream = getConnection.getInputStream();
        BufferedReader responseBuffer = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(inputStream));
        String response = responseBuffer.lines().collect(Collectors.joining());

        return response;
    }

    private HttpURLConnection openConnection(String reference) throws IOException {
        URL getUrl = new URL( this.url + reference + ".json" );
        return (HttpURLConnection) getUrl.openConnection();
    }
}


text:
Q: Reading text file in Lua using Luacom and ADODB: error I am constructing a general purpose function to read a text file, which may be Ascii, UTF-8 or UTF-16.  (The encoding is known when the function is invoked). The file name may contain UTF8 characters, so the standard lua io functions are not a solution. I have no control over the Lua implementation (5.3) or the binary modules available in the environment.
My current code is:
require "luacom"
local function readTextFile(sPath, bUnicode, iBits)
    local fso = luacom.CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
    if not fso:FileExists(sPath) then return false, "" end --check the file exists

    local so = luacom.CreateObject("ADODB.Stream")
    --so.CharSet defaults to Unicode aka utf-16
    --so.Type defaults to text
      so.Mode = 1 --adModeRead

    if not bUnicode then
      so.CharSet = "ascii"
    elseif iBits == 8 then
      so.CharSet = "utf-8"
    end

    so:Open()
    so:LoadFromFile(sPath)
    local contents = so:ReadText()
    so:Close()
    return true, contents
end

--test Unicode(utf-16) files

local file = "D:\\OneDrive\\Desktop\\utf16.txt" --this exists
local booOK, factsetcontents = readTextFile(file, true, 16)

When executed I get the error:  COM exception:(d:\my\lua\luacom-master\src\library\tluacom.cpp,382):Operation is not allowed in this context on line 19 [local stream = so:LoadFromFile(sPath)]
I've pored over the ADO documentation and am obviously missing something that is staring me in the face!  Is what I'm trying to do impossible?
ETA: If I comment out the line so.Mode = 1, this works.  Which is great, but I don't understand why, which meaans I may end up making the same mistake unwittingly, whatever that mistake is!

A: I don't know about AdoDB Stream.Mode and why the function failed. But I think it's rather tricky to use a ADODB COM object on Windows to read ASCII/UTF8/UNICODE encoded files.
You can instead :

*

*use standard Lua io.open function in binary mode and use manual decoding of the bytes content

*use a binary module to do all the work

*use a specific Lua implementation for Windows that can read/write those kind of encoded files natively, like LuaRT

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Thailand Live Friday 20 Jul 2018
THAILAND LIVE Thailand Live Friday 20 Jul 2018
By webfact, July 19, 2018 in Thailand News
Legendary croc hunters join cast of Phuket drama
In another possible idea for a Hollywood movie, "the crocodile hunters of the Tapi River basin" are on the prowl for a three-metre specimen that's been getting far too comfortable lounging on the beaches of Phuket.
Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1049282-phuket-crocodile-hunt-continues-as-tourists-ignore-safety-warnings/?do=findComment&comment=13190814
Mother calls for justice as son beaten by college seniors
The mother of a university student has filed a police complaint after he was beaten up at school on Wednesday evening and had to be hospitalised the next morning.
Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1049300-mother-calls-for-justice-as-son-beaten-by-college-seniors/
Phuket on alert over beach surf danger
By The Phuket News
The sign says it all. Photo: ISLA Phuket
PHUKET: People intending to swim at beaches along Phuket's west coast have been warned to stay between the red-yellow "Swim Here" flags – or best not go in the water at all.
Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1049301-phuket-on-alert-over-beach-surf-danger/
NCPO denies military role in poaching of ex-MPs
By Thai PBS
The National Council for Peace and Order has nothing to do with the alleged poaching of former MPs to join politcal parties set up to support Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha's return to power, NCPO spokesman Maj Gen Piyapong Klinphan said on Friday.
Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1049303-ncpo-denies-military-role-in-poaching-of-ex-mps/
UK to warn public every week over 'no-deal Brexit': The Times
British Prime Minister Theresa May arrives for the EU summit in Brussels, Belgium, December 14, 2017. REUTERS/Eric Vidal/Files
LONDON (Reuters) - Britons will from next week start receiving weekly information bulletins from the government about how to make sure they're ready for a disorderly Brexit, The Times reported on Friday.
Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1049310-uk-to-warn-public-every-week-over-no-deal-brexit-the-times/
South Korean court sentences president Park Geun-hye to another eight years in jail
By Haejin Choi
South Korean ousted leader Park Geun-hye arrives at a court in Seoul, South Korea, August 25, 2017. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji/Files
SEOUL (Reuters) - A South Korean court sentenced former president Park Geun-hye to eight more years in prison on Friday after finding her guilty on charges of causing loss of government funds and interfering in a 2016 parliamentary election.
Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1049311-south-korean-court-sentences-president-park-geun-hye-to-another-eight-years-in-jail/
Bangkok Breast Meat Not Drug-Free: Consumer Group
By Chayanit Itthipongmaetee, Staff Reporter
Photo: Shoshanah / Wikimedia Commons
BANGKOK — Chomping on chicken breasts for the sake of protein may come with a side of antibiotics, consumer advocates warned Wednesday.
Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1049312-bangkok-breast-meat-not-drug-free-consumer-group/
Double-track railway to be proposed to Ubon Ratchathani cabinet meeting
The private sector of the northeastern province of Ubon Ratchathani plans to propose the construction of a double-track railway to the Lao border and the expansion of Ubon Ratchathani airport and the regional hospital during the mobile Cabinet meeting in Ubon Ratchathani and Amnat Charoen on July 23-24.
Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1049314-double-track-railway-to-be-proposed-to-ubon-ratchathani-cabinet-meeting/
Floods linger in Phichit and Nakhon Sawan
Parts of Phichit and Nakhon Sawan remain inundated after the influence of tropical storm Son-Tinh caused heavy downpours and floods in nine provinces between July 17 and 20, affecting nearly 900 residents.
Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1049315-floods-linger-in-phichit-and-nakhon-sawan/
Govt gives green light to production of movie about Tham Luang mission
BANGKOK, 20th July 2018, (NNT) - The recent meeting of members of the committee responsible for films and videos in Thailand has resolved to promote the production of a film telling the story of the Tham Luang search and rescue operation, after five world leading movie studios showed interest in making a screen adaptation of the epic mission.
Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1049210-culture-ministry-aims-to-set-up-committee-for-'wild-boars'-movie/?do=findComment&comment=13191314
Thai not Chinese this time! Man leaves a stinky pooh on the BTS
Picture: Sanook
A woman passenger on the BTS on the Sukhumvit line this morning has a shock when the male passenger next to her evacuated his bowels on the yellow seat.
Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1049317-thai-not-chinese-this-time-man-leaves-a-stinky-pooh-on-the-bts/
Police try to cancel bail after 'threat' to victim
By Monthien Inthaket
Bangkok's Wat Phraya Krai police will file a request for a criminal court to revoke the bail granted to a 23-year-old male who allegedly covered a woman, 22, with gasoline and set her alight earlier this month as he had allegedly threatened to attack the victim again along with her friend.
Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1049280-man-who-doused-young-thai-woman-in-gasoline-and-set-her-alight-is-given-bail/?do=findComment&comment=13191360
March of the Thai black widows - but we think there could good news for Krabi house owner!
Picture: Thai Rath
Thai Rath reporters rushed to a house in Krabi where the owner was frantically moving furniture and spraying insecticide after he was inundated by spiders.
Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1049320-march-of-the-thai-black-widows-but-we-think-there-could-good-news-for-krabi-house-owner/
Jonathan Fairfield 5,723
Editing member
"You won't sell luuk chin again!" Pork ball seller murdered in Nonthaburi over 500 baht debt
Image: Thairath
A "luuk chin" seller from Phijit who was working at a stall in Nonthaburi was stabbed to death after a couple demanded the return of 500 baht.
Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1049323-pork-ball-seller-murdered-in-nonthaburi-over-500-baht-debt/
School boss denies rape charges
A 51-year-old former director of Patong Thanoen Samakkhi School in Nakhon Ratchasima's Bua Yai district, deemed to have breached a serious disciplinary code by having a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old pupil, was given 30 days to appeal against the provincial authority's decision to dismiss him without any pension and welfare benefits.
Full story: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1049324-nakhon-ratchasima-school-boss-denies-rape-charges/
Easy as pie! Nigerian E-mail scammer nabbed as he walks into Chaeng Wattana immigration
Second hand car dealers who ripped off 52 people arrested after 5 years on the run
Parts of Thailand facing their worst drought in 50 years
The official Manchester United thread 2019
Quick report: 3rd tourist visa in Vientiane, without appointment
By Steeple
What do singles look for from their dates?
Police begin hunt for foreign man over attacking dog