Whispers in the Loggia: Halifax Gets a "Tony"
Up North in the Canadian Maritimes, yesterday saw the installation of Halifax's new archbishop, the Italian-born Anthony Mancini.
Topping the new archbishop's schedule of emotional farewells before his departure was his final "Monday with Mancini" last week at Montreal's McGill University Newman Center. For the last few years, most Monday nights saw "Bishop Tony" -- a pastoral theologian by training -- keep a standing commitment for two hours of pizza and casual conversation. The free-flowing meet-ups quickly became one of the center's most popular activities.
Inheriting a local church of 165,000 whose profile and energy-level were significantly upped by his predecessor -- Terry Prendergast, now the archbishop of Ottawa -- Mancini will continue the practice of recent years in serving, by papal appointment, as apostolic administrator of Yarmouth. The diocese of 36,000 at the province's southern tip has been without a resident bishop since 2001, at which time its oversight was given to the Halifax prelate.
In addition to the formal announcement of the reported-below -- i.e. Marx to Munich, Tighe and Scotti to Social Communications -- this morning's Roman news-drop also reveals the naming of Fr John Corriveau, the longtime Minister General of the Capuchins, as bishop of Nelson, British Columbia.
Corriveau, 66, succeeds Bishop Eugene Cooney, whose age-induced retirement was accepted. The bishop-elect held the Caps' top post from 1994 until last year, having served the maximum tenure of two six-year terms.
And, lastly -- for you ritual fans out there -- don't forget Crookston later today.


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Iranians are furious with their government for not behaving more like Israel when it comes to the well-being of its soldiers, reported The Times of London.
Last week, Tehran confirmed that five Iranian soldiers had been abducted on the Pakistani border by a radical Sunni Muslim group, and that one of those soldiers had been executed when Iran refused to meet the kidnappers' demands.
The public outcry on social networks Twitter and Facebook was immediate and harsh.
"Keep saying 'Death to Israel,' but they freed 1,027 Palestinians in return for the release of one of their own," one Iranian wrote on Facebook, referring to the deal Israel made with Hamas to secure the release of abducted Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.
It is believed such responses were posted primarily by Iranian expatriates, as access to social networks is limited, at best, inside the Islamic Republic. Posting such harsh criticism of the regime on a public forum is also likely to result in severe punishment.


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Watching Your Diet? Focus on Vision Health
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Vision health advice from John Lahr, O.D., FAAO
Forget the carrots. American diets generally include plenty of vitamin A. There's no advantage in consuming more through supplements or through food.
According to the American Optometric Association, the nutrients that scientific research has correlated to healthy vision — and often lacking in American diets — include zinc, lutein and zeaxanthin, vitamin C and omega-3 fatty acids.
Why you need it and where to find it.
Although Americans consume plenty of vitamin A, we need some help transferring the vitamin A from our liver to our eyes. Zinc is a "helper molecule" that transfers vitamin A to where we need it.
Zinc deficiency has been linked to poor night vision and cataracts. If that's not enough to convince you to include zinc in your daily diet, mental sluggishness and greater susceptibility to infection can also be traced to low zinc intake.
Individuals at risk for age-related macular degeneration or in the early stages of the disease are encouraged to include higher than the standard daily recommended doses of zinc in their daily diets. Because high levels of zinc can interfere with copper absorption, doctors often recommend copper supplements. Speak with your eye doctor or family physician to learn more.
What to eat: Good sources of zinc include red meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, wheat germ, mixed nuts, black-eyed peas, tofu and baked beans.
Lutein and Zeaxanthin
There are many studies that show the risk for age-related macular degeneration and cataracts is lower in people who regularly consume foods with lutein and zeaxanthin. Unfortunately, many Americans do not consume foods with high amounts of these key nutrients. Supplements are readily available and contain the recommended amounts of both lutein and zeaxanthin.
What to eat: Eggs, oranges, corn and dark, leafy greens such as broccoli, kale, turnip greens, collards, green beans and raw spinach are important sources of these eye-friendly nutrients. If you prefer a supplement, recent studies show a health benefit for lutein supplementation at 10 mg a day and zeaxanthin supplementation at 2 mg a day.
Scientific evidence suggests a correlation between vitamin C and the risk for cataracts. When taken in combination with other essential nutrients, vitamin C can slow the progression of age-related macular degeneration and the loss of visual sharpness. Daily intake of vitamin C also supports the health of ocular blood vessels (the capillaries bringing oxygen-rich blood to the tissues of your eyes).
What to eat: In addition to healthy eyesight, vitamin C is important to iron absorption, healthy capillaries, gums, teeth and cartilage. So, make oranges, grapefruit, cooked spinach, raw tomatoes, bananas, apples or peaches part of your daily diet.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
Large amounts of omega-3 (EPA and DHA) essential fatty acids are present in healthy retinas. Studies of infants suggest that daily amounts of omega-3, particularly DHA, are necessary for optimal visual development, and dry-eye syndrome has also been linked to omega-3 deficiency, particularly EPA. Diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration and retinopathy of prematurity may be linked to low levels of omega-3, although more research is necessary.
What to eat: The best sources of both essential fatty acids are fatty fishes like salmon, mackerel, halibut, trout, scallops and tuna. If you do not eat fish, consider taking triglyceride-based fish oil or supplements.
Although not a primary nutrient contributing to eye health, vitamin E stabilizes omega-3 fatty acids, so it is worth considering as a complementary vitamin if you are trying to derive the vision benefits of omega-3. In addition, sufficient daily intake of vitamin E is critical to a healthy immune system, the health of cell membranes, DNA repair and in other metabolic processes.
What to eat: Nuts, vegetable oils, peanuts and peanut butter, and many cereals and sweet potatoes are good sources. There are also many vitamin E-fortified beverages and supplements.
Always talk to your doctor.
Ask your eye doctor or family physician about how increasing your regular intake of any of the nutrients described above could interact with prescriptions or complicate other medical conditions. Open, regular communication with your health care providers is as critical to your health as your diet and your exercise routine. It's just another reason to develop and maintain the habit of regular checkups and eye exams.
About the author: Dr. Lahr is the vice president of provider relations and medical director of EyeMed Vision Care. He's been a full-time member of the EyeMed team for 12 years, and has served the company as medical director since 2005. Earlier in his career, he owned and operated his own optometric practice in Minnesota. Dr. Lahr has served on the American Optometric Association's EyeCare Benefit Center for 10 years and is a past president of the Minnesota Optometric Association.
A Woman's Guide to Vision Health
Your Heritage and Your Vision Health
Sitting Too Close to the TV Harms Vision

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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3 of the Most Addictive Online Games
Who remembers the simple times, where the only online games you were able to play were minesweeper and pinball machine. Those days are long gone, and we now have an endless amount of gaming options. Zagline has composed a list of simple yet addictive games to satisfy all gaming levels. Fair warning we are not responsible for any gaming addictions that may result from reading this article.
Bow Man
A game with an objective as basic as its name. In the game, you're an archer who is given the task of shooting an arrow to hit a target. Although the premise seems easy, the game is surprisingly challenging as you must calculate the correct angle and power of each attack. The game is free and can be played online here.
A catchy name with an addictive concept. Although this game lacks fancy graphics it's incredibly fun to play. At a glance, it looks like nothing more than floating dots on a screen. However, with the click of a button, a chain reaction occurs. With each increasing level, the more dots you have the opportunity to pop. You'll find yourself second guessing your initial dot choice and timing. This is not a game of chance, but rather a game of skill. The higher the level, the more addicted you'll become. Click at your own risk.
Spherez
This game will make you rage quit only to reopen the tab five minutes later. Spherez is an online version of Labyrinth, the wooden game where you tilt a board and attempt to guide a marble through a maze without falling into a series of holes. This online version of the game features a 3-D design and instead of nobs tilting the board, you use the air keys to guide the ball along a thin track. The levels are relatively short, but that doesn't mean the game isn't challenging. If anything, the creators predicted it would be so challenging that opted for shorter levels to balance out the degree of difficulty. Test your balancing skills here.
How To Organize Your At Home Desk
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The Coworkers You Should Avoid On Social Media


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Michael E. Gerber: Daring To Dream Big
Employment Opportunities Bestselling author, Michael E. Gerber, explains why you should dare to dream big.
Dreaming BIG is the way to disrupt the framework we have put ourselves in.
No matter who we are, or what we've accomplished, every single one of us becomes stuck in a limited view of the world that, instead of liberating us, enslaves us.
"Dreaming BIG is the way to disrupt the framework we have put ourselves in, the prison we built around ourselves."
We all live within an emotional push and pull between pleasure and pain, desire and fear. We fail to see the system — that there is no pleasure without pain and there is no pain without pleasure. Dreaming big requires us to come face-to-face with our relationship with our unconscious mind, and lets us begin to understand who we really are.
Dreaming BIG is the way to disrupt the framework we have put ourselves in, the prison we built around ourselves. It is as true for the guy who has built a $100 million dollar company, as the guy who's working in a job that he can't bear and dreams of starting his own business.
In this video, Michael Gerber talks on how to be an entrepreneur.
Video Credit: Epipheo studios
When we dare to dream BIG, we come face-to-face with our limitations, realizing that, "I'm here on earth for a limited amount of time. What do I want to leave as my legacy?" We discover that creating a $100 million dollar company may satisfy a part of us, but it leaves the greater part of us asleep and unfulfilled.
"Small business owners have got to wake up to the fact that our lives need meaning and that we've got to figure out meaning for ourselves through our work."
Life is what you choose to make it
Small business owners have got to wake up to the fact that our lives need meaning and that we've got to figure out meaning for ourselves through our work. Business is more than simply an insufferable way of earning a buck and filling up time.
Waking up to this dream requires the determination to see the world the way it actually is, and go deeper into our understanding of it to discover the universal principles we missed while we were asleep. That's the true value of an entrepreneurial mindset. The miracle is that everybody has the potential for dreaming big.
Lars Meyer, of Friday & Company in Vancouver, is dreaming big. After a wave of early career success, Lars found himself in mid-life, struggling to compete in a global marketplace as salaried permanent positions were being replaced with short-term contracts expedited online. 2.7 million Canadians, like Lars, are now self-employed, either by choice or necessity. 31 percent of them work 15 hours more each week than when they were employed, and their income has diminished also. Like so many others, Lars was stuck in survival mode. Dreaming big is Lars' only ticket out.
"Instead of joining the race to the bottom, Lars is creating a virtuous cycle of empowerment for all."
A ticket out
Lars is creating a business that integrates the outsourcing possibilities of the Internet, with a community-sustaining, ethical working model that pairs North American contract workers with virtual staff overseas to help Canadian self-employed professionals grow their businesses. The approach is unique in that the virtual employees are regular full-time employees of Friday & Company, receiving benefits and a salary that can sustain a family. Instead of joining the race to the bottom, Lars is creating a virtuous cycle of empowerment for all.
In this video, Michael Gerber talks on how to create a relevant small business. Video Credit: BNET.com
Friday & Company makes an ethical mechanism for small businesses to manage their growth. Canadian small business owners are freed up to work on the business and set up systems for client fulfillment, while offshore employees are honored as valued employees, creating good jobs at home and abroad.
Lars Meyer's BIG dream is to create a community of new entrepreneurs that are dedicated to creating new products and services for their clients in an ethical way. Encouraging the self-employed to re-envision themselves as entrepreneurs, enables them to take advantage of globalization by solving the very problems that globalization creates.
Canadian entrepreneurs who dream BIG are inventing a new future. As each small business owner creates a new venture by asking, "What's missing in this picture?" he or she is building caring and community-sustaining small businesses – globally.
Michael E. Gerber, New York Times best-selling author, E-Myth Revisited,
Bruce Croxon: Investing In Canadian Start-ups
Opportunity And Entrepreneurship: A Message From Maxime Bernier
Keeping Workers Safe At Any Height
You've almost certainly seen the iconic black and white 1932 photo Lunch atop a Skyscraper in which eleven construction workers sit high above Manhattan, without a safety line in sight, lunching on a girder during the construction of 30 Rockefeller Center.


This is the cocktail we served at the Letters & Libations birthday party. I think it was a hit, based on the amount of gin consumed at the party. (We only served this cocktail and also beer and wine.) Naoto is the kind of bartender who tops off your cocktail when you're not looking, though. The Mr. Zip is a simple gin gimlet, with a bit of a twist. We swapped out the lime juice for lemon and we added a hint of thyme to the simple syrup.
Add all ingredients to cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake, shake, shake. Strain into cocktail glass and garnish with a sprig of fresh thyme. Enjoy with friends, preferably while writing letters.
The Post Office Book: Mail and How It Moves was a gift from my pen pals in Wisconsin, Angela and Penny! It is a fun little paperback they found at a bookstore and sent to me last year. It's super cute drawings really get into the nitty gritty of how mail gets from one mailbox to another. It was written in the 80s, but I think the illustrations are timeless, though things are a little more high tech now. It starts with a little history of early "mail." And then they jump into "modern mail." I like how it shows different types of mailboxes: mail slots, apartment mailboxes, rural mailboxes, and PO boxes. It's fun to see how automated things were in the eighties compared to the older books from the fifties and sixties. And I think things are even more automated now. Based on my post office visit a few years ago, my understanding is that humans are only sorting things at the very end of the mail journey as letter carriers are sorting for their own routes.
Have you seen any other good kids books about the post office?
Happy Weekend! Do you have any plans? I am going to my friend Jackie's art opening on Sunday at Oak Park Public Library and spending the rest of the weekend getting ready for my own craft show next weekend. I'm a terrible procrastinator so it's going to take some discipline for me to start this early. I have a couple of new Mother's Day card ideas that I'd like to make for the show so, I need to start making them if it's going to happen!
In other, mail-related news: I got a stack of mail themed chocolate bars for my birthday from my friend James. (He's always on-theme!) The stamps and cancellations on the wrappers make them a perfect letter writing treat to send to a pen pal or a snack for a letter writing party. The candy bars are made by Chocolove in Boulder, Colorado and it looks like almost all of their bars have a little mail theme. Cute, right?
Have a relaxing weekend! See you on Monday!
I've added to my collection of books about mail! Mr. Zip and the U.S. Mail is another book designed to teach kids about the U.S. postal system. Someone posted it on Instagram last year and I found it on Amazon through a used book dealer for $5. It's an old school library book in excellent condition. I'm no reading level expert, but it feels like it was written for a younger audience than this book that I wrote about a few years ago. It was written in 1964 by Jene Barr and it follows Mr. Zip, a letter carrier, through the mail delivery system. (I really wish we still had small letter boxes on posts like the one next to the traditional blue box! Can you still send a baby chick in the mail? Jimmy is mailing a thank you note to his Uncle Mike for sending him a stamp book. It's so funny that we think of mail as "slow" nowadays when it was considered fast back then. But this is a pretty fun predictor: someday maybe we'll be sending chocolates and letters to our friends on the moon!
P.S. Another old book about letter writing…this one is for grown-ups!
When Naoto told me his party idea, my only request (besides meatballs and a signature cocktail) was that he send paper invitations to the party. I love a paper invitation and I'm almost never organized enough to send one. When I saw this moving announcement, I decided to play around to see if we could turn it into an invitation and we could! Naoto took care of the rest. We decided to add two times to the invitation in case people didn't want to write letters, but almost everyone came during the "letter writing" time anyway so it wasn't an issue.
Naoto added a festive picture of Presley to the back (because I wouldn't let him use one of me!) with a little note. I kept an invitation for my "scrapbook" which is really just a pile of ephemera in a drawer waiting to become something…I love a paper invitation.


(Busch Stadium) In a game with potential playoff implications it is usually rare for the losing team to have a mostly positive takeaway from the outcome, but that was the prevailing mood in the St. Louis Cardinals clubhouse after their 9-7 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday night.
The Cardinals scored three runs in the 5th inning to cut the lead to 8-4 and the teams traded runs in the 7th. St. Louis then added two more runs in the 9th before making the final out.
Clayton Kershaw earned his 8th win of the season, but allowed four runs (three earned) and struck out 8 batters in 6.0 innings of work. The Dodgers then used three more pitchers–including closer Kenley Jansen to finish things off.
Rookie Austin Gomber suffered the first loss of his career. He allowed 7 earned runs on 9 hits in 3.0+ innings. Of note was a 14-pitch at-bat from David Freese in the 1st inning that resulted in a 2-run triple.
Gomber was relieved by Tyson Ross, who besides covering 3.0 innings of just one run scoring, also hit his 2nd career home run. Cardinals pitchers have now hit six home runs on the season between Miles Mikolas (2), John Gant (2), Carlos Martinez, and Ross. The franchise record is 8 home runs hit by pitchers, set in the 1972 season.
–With a Thursday night attendance of 44,997 the St. Louis Cardinals passed the 3 million mark for the 15th consecutive season and 22nd time in franchise history. The Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees are the only other teams in MLB to draw more than 3 million fans so far this season.


Pretties while undergoing surgery recieve brain lesions. These lesions will be removed if they go into a mentally demanding career. Pretties with these lesions are called "bubbleheads" which can also be used to refer to stupid or dumb people. Frizz also invented lesions to make people Radically Honest. The lesions were made so that Pretties wouldn't rebel, but Tally cured her lesions using her own will. Zane cured them with pills. The pills were the invention of Az and Maddy, David's parents, who had created the pills to impede the lesions, in hopes the Pretties might rise up.


Some of you might recognise it from these parts before, and you would be correct; many thanks to Brocklanders023 for responding to a half-hearted post saying I wouldn't mind a classic Saracen. After a few weeks here it is.
It is, I believe, a 1989 spec frame with 1990 bits on it - 500LX mainly (but a rear U-Brake), so not particularly high spec, but functional. I'm not sure whether to upgrade the bits to 1989 spec stuff, better 1990 stuff which I have, or just leave it. The chainset is in great condition, but I know they are quite heavy, so an XT one might be on the horizon.
The whole bike is quite heavy, but I guess a steel seat post, sprung saddle, steel stem and bars aren't going to make for a svelte steed. Still, it's not much of a concern as it feels well built.
A few things to fettle to my liking before it's ready for a ride.
The frame is in such good condition that I think it will be a fair-weather rider, so probably won't be going out on it anytime soon, unless we get a very dry spell, or I just potter around with the kids.
I'll get some more photos when it's light if anyone is interested, but you've all seen it before so don't want to bore you.
Just can't get over what a great looking bike it is, and just hope it rides nearly as good as it looks.
WAS SEARCHING FOR: 1989 Marin Bear Valley, 19"
Ace the condition of the bike reminds me of Christmas Day 1988 when I got my first mtb , a Trekker (model year '88). Have been considering doing a nostalgic festive rebuild if there's time...enjoy yours, they great bikes.
It's very nostalgic. I had loads of catalogues back then and the 1989 Saracen catalogue really jumped out as being of a new design style. Loved the graphics, still do, and the layout was interesting. There wasn't a Saracen dealer near me so it never happened.
Lovely bike, really need something similar myself. My two Saracens are 93 and 94.
So jealous... I have a Tufftrax frame/forks & nothing else, need to start collecting parts, hope it looks as good as that!
Nice that, they got it so right in the early days didnt they.


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Greta Gerwig's 'Little Women' Trailer Is Simply Perfect
Emma August 15, 2019
Every twenty years or so, we get a new movie adaptation of Little Women, but it has never been done right. However, from the first look at writer/director Greta Gerwig's take on the classic, that might be about to change.
The story, which is based on the novel by Louisa May Alcott came out in 1868. The second novel, Good Wives, followed in 1869, and it also had a few adaptations on the big/small screen as did Little Men (the third novel). However, the fourth book, Jo's Boys, has never been adapted.
While YA (young adult) wasn't a term in literature yet when Little Women was first released, it was one of the first series written in this genre. The book (and new film) tells the story of the March sisters. There's Jo (played by Saoirse Ronan), Meg (Emma Watson), Amy (Florence Pugh), and Beth (Eliza Scanlen) – along with their mother (Laura Dern) and their aunt (Meryl Street). And let's not forget the boy next door (played by Timothée Chalamet).
Jo is an aspiring writer, and she is working on a novel about her life and the story of her sisters. She's determined to prove a woman can be more than just a wife, despite the horrid advice that her editor gives her, "If the main character is a girl, make sure she's married at the end."
Jo is determined to live life and write her novel on her terms. "Women, they have minds and they have souls as well as just hearts. And they've got ambition and they've got talent as well as just beauty. And I'm so sick of people saying that love is just all a women is fit for," Ronan's Jo says in the trailer.
Personally, I have high expectations for this version, Greta Gerwig won me over many years ago, and her film Lady Bird (which Ronan and Chalamet also star in) is still one of my favorites. And from the look of this trailer, she's capturing the essence of this classic – something that hasn't been done before. Take a look at a few of the past trailers for Little Women.
Past Little Women Trailers
Gerwig's Little Women will release in theaters this Christmas – which puts it right in the heart of Oscar season. With a cast like this, I find it hard to imagine that it won't be nominated. But we'll see this holiday season!
What are your thoughts on the Little Women trailer? Are you excited for the film? Did you like the 1917, 1933, 1949, 1978, or 1994 versions? Sound off in our comment section below!
Recommend0 recommendationsPublished in Featured, Movie Trailers, Movies
Categories: Featured, Movie Trailers, Movies
Tagged: Emma Watson, Greta Gerwig, Little Women, Saoirse Ronan, Timothée Chalamet
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…They have always both whistled and swirled around these monstrous sands, for so many moons.
…We can see Cave-Dwellings of Thamud and Iram.
…The forestry there looks like Heaven.
…Punished by Tornadoes, for they were bad.
…Its coast is host to such rich aquatic-life; who knew this such beauty lies in such a harsh environment?
…al-Ka`bah, where all Men come to visit, great and small.
…But, Allah decided to name it al-Makkah.
…No one could ever plan it better.
…Such a wonder is their arduous tale.
…At this very spot, they established Islam, rejoiced.
…After being separated on Earth.
…An example that, even in sin, we can acquire the Mercy of Allah.
The 10-Days of Dhil-Hijjah: the best days of the year!!!
During these 10-days, any/all positive actions, for Allah, the Creator/Lord o the Universe, are encouraged to do, based upon one's ability, and this definitely includes making Hajj/Pilgrimage. However, if one isn't able to make Hajj, they can most-definitely still do good works. Among the celebrated, encouraged, and most-highlighted good works, during these days, are Fasting. Now, unlike during the month of Ramadhan, Fasting is optional, unless there are days which must be made-up, for Ramadhan, or fasting because of a broken-oath, etc. One can easily use any/all of these days, from the 1st to the 9th of Dhil-Hijjah, to do make-up fasting.
b. Fasting on this day is the compensation for not being able to make Hajj/Pilgrimage.
This post is based upon the narrations of the history of the most important Islamic holiday, based exclusively upon the work, Qasas-il-Anbiya' (Stories of the Prophets), by Abil-Fida' Isma`il ibn-Kathir ad-Dimashqi.
The story & history of the Celebration of Sacrifice (`Id-il-Adha) is such an important Islamic holiday, it is imperative that both Muslims & Non-Muslims know how this celebration became an Islamic holiday in the first place, and why it has such an important status in Islam. The story of the Celebration of the Sacrifice is based upon the stories of Abraham, Sarah, Hager and Ishmael (Peace be upon them).
Imagine as a teenager, you're given the greatest gift of all, guidance from Allah, through direct-revelation. Now, the only problem is that you live in a place where everyone except you worships other than Allah…how is one to deal with that? Well, those of us whom have accepted Islam can relate to this, in certain respects, to a certain degree. I mean none of us reverts are Prophets, or recipients of revelation from Allah. However, we have similar stories as Abraham, which is to decide whether to hold on to the guidance of Allah & turn against your own flesh-and-blood (as well as those whom you've known your whole life), or to oppose them in their rebellion against the oneness of Allah. Abraham decided to sacrifice the love of his father & people, in exchange for receiving the love of Allah, which never fades & is always sincere. And, this was not an easy thing for Abraham to go through: He faced being nearly burned-alive, by being catapulted into a blazing make-shift fire-pit, to be used as an example to not go against the grain, of not worshipping the pagan gods of his people, and without the protection of Allah, he surely would have been burned-alive.
Abraham & Sarah were married for a long time; yet, unfortunately, they were not able to produce any offspring. So, Sarah, decides to suggest to Abraham to take another wife to marry. He chooses Hager, the once slave of Sarah, as his wife. She gets pregnant, with whom would soon to be Ishmael. But, Hager has decided to hide her own pregnancy from Sarah, to prevent her from becoming jealous of the fact that Hager was able to get pregnant, while Sarah was not. Unfortunately, this plan fails-Sarah is not a happy-camper. When she in fact does find out, she is very angry, it is made well-known how angry she is. Now, Abraham is literally stuck in the middle, in between the joy of being a father-to-be, with his new-wife & being in the "dog-house", sort of speak, with his first-wife.
So, after the birth of Ishmael, Allah decides to test Abraham, with a very important, yet heart-breaking test as well: Allah has made the decision for Abraham to abandon his new wife & child, and stay with his first wife, for the time being. Now, for any father, at least a good father, anyway, this would never, ever be an easy decision to make. But, then again, this is the Lord of the Universe telling you to do this, so you figure it out. Now, with this in mind, you have to at least try to appreciate what's goin' on here: He's just had a baby, he has no idea where he is to send them, he has no idea how to tell Hager that Allah has commanded him to leave her, and he really has no idea, at the time, whether he'll ever see either of them ever again.
So, Abraham decides to take Hager & the new-born, the first-born of Abraham, Ishmael, on a road-trip. Now, obviously, unbeknownst to the two of them (Hager & Ishamel), they're gonna be left for dead, in a short while. They approach a valley, in what is now known as the Arabian-Peninsula (modern-day Saudi Arabia). It is here where they are commanded to be left. So, once they stop, Abraham leaves them some food & drink, then, starts walkin'-off-Obviously a strange thing to Hager, she calls out to him; yet there's no response from him. She then asks him whether or not Allah has commanded him to do this, and his reply is yes, he affirms that what he is doing is in fact a direct order from Allah. So, upon that, she encourages him to leave. However, there's a great dilemma in the midst: She's ran outta food & drink, really fast, Abraham is nowhere around and she has an infant whose hungry & cranky, from being hungry…what's a gal to do? Well, she starts doing what any mother would do…she starts running around, to try to find some signs of food, water, life, something, anything, for her child & herself. And, ironically, just as though she had thought her plight had no solution, instantly, a spring of water gushed from underground, underneath the feet of Ishmael. Excited & elated, of course, Hager begins to make a make-shift well, to control/conserve the water. Just as she's doing this, a flock of birds see them, both Hager & Ishmael, from way up high in the sky. They begin to fly around them, and guess what, they were looking for food & what not in the middle of this wilderness as well. And, soon enough, a nomadic tribe, known as Banu-Jurhum, were traveling through the desert (as is typical of desert/nomadic peoples), in search of water, food, etc. Now, they begin to see the birds, who are swimming around Hager & Ishmael. And, they figured to themselves that there must be someone or something there for these birds to just stop & fly around that particular location. So, naturally, they follow the birds, who lead them indirectly to Hager & Ishmael. They ask for water; but, Hager asks for something much more important: that they do not bring any type of harm to her or her son. They agree, and so does she & these people founded the well of Zamzam & the city of Makkah, together.
Fortunately, some time later, when Ishmael becomes a pre-teen, basically, he, along with Hager, is reunited with Abraham-Sarah actually had a child of her own by this time; Isaac [Peace be upon him] had already been born. Abraham, Hager & Ishmael start to establish a beautiful relationship, and Abraham begins to make-up for lost-time, for not being there, for both Hager & Ishmael-Abraham & Ishmael had even built the Ka`bah & established the Hajj, together as father & son.
Everything seemed like happily ever after. Yet, there's still one more thing that Allah commands Abraham to do: He is commanded to kill Ishmael, to slaughter him as a sacrifice to Allah-Now if this isn't a test, I don't know what is!!! But, guess what? Abraham, being the Muslim, the Prophet, the man he is, falls in line and proceeds to set out to do what Allah has commanded him to do. But, this time, he does it differently. He actually tells Ishmael what Allah has instructed him to do. Now, any of us, regardless to much of a Prophet our fathers may be, if we were to hear anything remotely close to this, we're gettin' the hell outta dodge; however, let's find out what Ishmael had to say about this.
He tells his father Abraham, that he will endure whatever Allah has set out for him, and he will be patient (i.e. he's willing to deal with having his young life snuffed out, simply because Allah says so). Now, this is what I call true faith in Allah, something that, unfortunately most of us will never achieve or acquire. But just then, as Abraham is about to strike the neck of Ishmael, with a sharp blade, suddenly, a ram appears, in a thorny bush, unable to escape, Abraham sees the ram, and immediately recognizes it as a sign from Allah, that this was only a test, to see how far he'd be willing to go to please his Lord, and he passed every single one of his tests, with "flying-colors".
I'll go a lil' deeper, for those who couldn't make the connections for themselves-Since the term itself "`Id-ul-Adha" means the Celebration of Sacrifice (as was already, previously mentioned in this article), the stories which were detailed represent how far & deep a sacrifice can take a person, particularly & especially Prophets and/or family-members of Prophets. Abraham sacrificed a life of privilege & comfort among his people, Sarah had sacrificed her husband, and encouraged him to marry another woman, who was younger than she (to ensure that he could have a child), Hager sacrificed herself, possibly putting herself in danger, by agreeing with & encouraging Abraham to leave her & her infant-son, in the desert wilderness of the Arabian-Peninsula, Ishmael sacrificed his own life, to show dutifulness to Allah, then, to his father, a Prophet of Allah.
We celebrate these great, righteous, persons, who sacrificed all that they had or wanted, simply to please Allah, the one who created them. And, Hajj (the annual sacred pilgrimage to Makkah, during the 12th month of the Islamic-Calendar, known as Dhil-Hijjah, literally meaning "the possessor of Hajj"), itself, is also directly tied into the origins of `Id-il-Adha.
1. The Zamzam water-well, possesses blessed water, which has quenched the thirst of untold millions of persons, whom have made pilgrimage, from the time that the spring was discovered, until the present-day.
2. The Ka`bah itself, the first building on Earth ever constructed, exclusively built, for the exclusive worship of Allah, originally being a simple altar, built by Adam (Peace be upon him), which is where the famous story of the sacrifices of Cain & Abel took place. After the great-flood, during the time of Noah (Peace be upon him), the altar, along with it's foundation, were long-lost within the great sands of the Arabian desert. However, Allah (via His plan, which is greater than any & all other plans), had decided to bless Abraham & his descendants, with a Prophet from among them, long after his death, which is actually something that Abraham had actually asked Allah any way. This prayer was duly answered & that Prophet, from among the descendants of Abraham, was none other than Muhammad, the son of `Abdillah (Peace be upon him).
4. This place, where Hager was running to find food & water for her son & she, is actually in between the two mountain-hills of as-Safa & al-Marwah. She had ran back-and-forth, in between these two mountains, seven times. And, to commemorate her sacrifice of herself to find food & drink for her son & she, we, as Muslims, remember her, by doing this same back-and-forth running, in between as-Safa & al-Marwah, as part of the rites of Hajj, along with revolving around the Ka`bah, seven times, which was initiated by both Abraham & Ishmael, in commemoration of the building of the Ka`bah itself, as the very first building upon the Earth designated for the exclusive worship of Allah, the Lord of the Universe.
And, this, in my conclusion, is the history of the origins of `Id-il-Adha, Hajj, and the promise of Allah, to Abraham, of making Muhammad a messenger from among his own descendants.


text:
Federalist façade for centralist front
by René Lefort, William Davison
Despite TPLF efforts to snap Ethiopia out of political stalemate, an incoherent ruling front staggers sluggishly towards reform. More destabilizing jostling looks likely, as the Prime Minister tries to cobble together a centrist alliance.
With its unprecedented public attack last month on the Amhara Democratic Party, the Tigray People's Liberation Front appeared to be trying to bring Ethiopia's political impasse to a head by exacerbating the existing crisis.
By aiming a firm kick at the heart of the anthill — by provoking its sister party; announcing it wants an alliance of forces that share its stance on federalism; and by pushing the ruling front and federal government to take a position on elections and the constitution — TPLF may have been attempting radical paroxystic crisis management. The ADP shot back with a denunciation of its accusers, but without addressing the broader questions raised by TPLF.
The TPLF attempt to force a systemic breakdown laid bare the Ethiopian Peoples' Revolutionary Democratic Front's crisis, and thus heightened the sense of a power vacuum. But, while it did not yet have the desired radical effect, it did trigger genuine debate inside the front's Executive Committee.
Of course, in early August, in the first meeting since the bitter exchange, EPRDF leaders, again, primarily kicked the can down the road. Each party was left to sort out their own considerable problems and positions on the issues raised by TPLF, and a discussion paper was distributed on the expansion and unification of the front, a plan which is likely to be initially rejected by TPLF. The Executive Committee did resolve to hold parliamentary elections on schedule next year. For sure that outcome was partly the result of TPLF pressure, but by no means all of the Tigrayan party's prayers were answered.
With its July 10 statement, TPLF evidently decided to re-enter the national scene. The intervention was not made at that particular time by chance. It was a response to the June 22 assassinations; the surreal declaration of Deputy Prime Minister and ADP Chairman Demeke Mekonnen that it was business-as-usual in Amhara; and his implicit suggestion to the public that TPLF was involved in the June 22 carnage.
If TPLF did not want to precipitate an escalating crisis, it could have simply ignored Demeke's provocations and let the tragedy in Bahir Dar speak for itself. After all, by assassinating their own regional leaders, former security chief Asaminew Tsige's loyalists had already exposed once more a chunk of the Amhara establishment's embrace of a dangerous brand of ethno-nationalism, thereby confirming long-held TPLF concerns.
Instead, Tigray's ruling party accused ADP of being "instrumental in creating a fertile ground for extremist forces". And when Getachew Reda, TPLF Executive Committee member, followed up to tell Reuters that "TPLF would have difficulty working with its so-called sister party (ADP), which hasn't even dared to stare the killer (Asaminew) in the eye," he was either trying to force the EPRDF to confront its demons, or, failing that, beginning to dig the grave of its current incarnation.
ADP's response a day later kept pace, calling TPLF an "anti-democratic" party… working with hidden forces to destabilize Ethiopia", saying it suffered from an "incurable disease". Essentially, it blamed TPLF for the overall crisis, a viewpoint that has plenty of nationwide support.
Federalist façade
Once such unforgiving stances are aired, it is hard to reverse them, as TPLF surely knows well. Meanwhile, its statement was ambiguous, as if it wanted to keep two irons in the fire, so revealing its uncertain strategy. On the one hand, it condemned ADP harshly, and, by talking of a new ethno-federalist alliance, suggested EPRDF was disposable. But by appealing to EPRDF to clarify its positions on key issues, TPLF gave the impression it maintained support for the front's resuscitation.
The broader context is Ethiopia's shifting political landscape, with the unitarist camp all but disappeared. There are instead now two federalist rifts. The diminishingly significant one is between supporters of non-ethnically defined "geographic" federalism against those who maintain that self-determination and ethno-regional autonomy will be defining features of the constitutional architecture for the foreseeable future. For example, returned opposition leader Berhanu Nega, the spiritual head of the "geographic" camp, reportedly could not even hold a meeting in Bahir Dar in March, one of his former party's strongholds.
The other fault line, which TPLF struck at, is more prominent and volatile. It is between those that promote a softer federalism with a strong central government, and those that prefer a harder federalism with reinforced regions. This second rift divides not only the rising hardline opposition ethno-nationalists — primarily the National Movement for Amhara (NaMA) and Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), who otherwise hold diametrically opposed views of Ethiopian history — from centralist groups, but also drives a wedge between the EPRDF parties, and splits factions within three of the four EPRDF members.
These varying attitudes to federalism can be seen, for example, in an incipient struggle over the autonomy and paramilitary firepower of regional security forces. Abdi Iley's formerly rampant Liyu police in Somali state, Asaminew unruly Amhara forces, and Tigray's reinforcement of its defenses have all aroused the concern of federal officials and centrist commentators. In the interests of reversing incipient balkanization, they would like to see regional special police reined in. But that would mark a fraught tussle between the center and the states at a time of increasing inter-regional friction; who would disarm first?
Thirst for power
Generally, the fact that all regions rely on the federal government for as much as four-fifths of their expenditure heavily tilts the balance of power in favor of the center in such discussions, although that may shift as the cohesion of the ERPDF system continues to fray. Not surprisingly, support for a strong Addis Ababa generally seems to correlate with a regional political movement's share of federal authority.
For example, when TPLF dominated Arat Kilo, autonomy demands such as the Sidama's were suppressed for decades and derided as "narrow nationalism." Now that TPLF's influence emanates from Mekele only, it all of a sudden sees the Sidama's pursuit of their own region as a legitimate articulation of their constitutional self-determination right.
Meanwhile, those closely allied with the Prime Minister, in the upper echelons of the Oromo Democratic Party and close by, traveled in the other doctrinal direction after they occupied the federation's core — of course, after embracing hardline ethno-nationalism to forge a route to the center. It appears, therefore, that the frequent declarations of dedication to federalism are largely opportunistic: it is more a thirst for power, than ideological commitment, that dictates shifting stances on the appropriate layering of authority and autonomy in the federation.
Regardless of the raw politics behind refined principles, it looks like TPLF's provocative strategy is to expose potentially seismic cracks over the practice of federalism to try and compel the major political forces to take a position. If that led to its departure from the front, a commitment to stronger regionalism would, in theory, allow it to create the new alliance of the more ethno-federalist parties. Such a platform has been advocated for months by the Tigrayan front's web of cheerleaders.
This is all hugely risky.
TPLF's tightrope
ADP's increasingly aggressive stance towards TPLF since around 2014 forms part of an existential crisis for the Amhara ruling party, which, as with all EPRDF member organizations, was widely discredited among the public, possibly even more so than the others, although the Southern party's recent travails make it a strong competitor. With NaMA snapping at ADP's heels, ethno-nationalist outbidding is the name of the dangerous game.
Therefore, it appears unwise for ADP to make major concessions to its opponents now, as they are likely to prove electorally suicidal — with NaMA on hand to perform euthanasia. And nor can TPLF realistically cede contested ground after pushing so hard, and especially so when it is pressured by an emerging Tigrayan opposition which argues for secession from the federation.
Amid the consequent public head-butting, ADP and TPLF appealed for support to the people of the regions they rule. The parties have for years now been in open dispute over the Wolkait and Raya districts. Could heated rhetoric finally bubble over into sustained armed clashes? Both sides have dramatically increased their regional forces to prepare for such an eventuality, and such a disastrous course should not be discounted.
One reason for reassurance is TPLF confidence that the overwhelmingly Tigrinya-speaking disputed territories are more the rhetorical concern of urban Amhara than a practical consideration of the rural masses in Gondar, Gojjam, Shewa, and Wollo.
Another is that even NaMA has toned down its irredentist rhetoric in the last few months. This opens up the possibility that Amhara's new president, Temesgen Tiruneh — a federal securocrat, confidante of Abiy, and moderate with an anti-ethnic identity politics hue — could somehow balance popularity and authority with responsible leadership, and so turn the tide. This certainly is his stated intention, as he pledges to resolve border disputes peacefully and improve neighborly relations.
In theory, if Temesgen could overcome the considerable obstacles he faces, it might open the way for a renewed, albeit narrow, alliance between ADP leaders and the Oromo elites gravitating around Abiy, but at least one that this time was based on trying to establish a stable governing bloc, rather than merely downsizing TPLF.
The TPLF itself also walks a tightrope: what if Abiy succeeds to move EPRDF ever further away from its revolutionary democratic preferences, and TPLF's mooted new federalist coalition is stillborn? Officials say there are no substantive talks underway, although high-level Oromo-Tigrayan consultations and lectures in Mekele by Oromo activist-academic Ezekiel Gebissa and politician-academic Bekele Gerba indicate that is not the whole story.
Prime Minister Abiy plants tree with Republican Guard members; Aug 4; PMO
But TPLF is still reviled from all parts of the Ethiopian political spectrum as the party that either created a despised ethnic federalism to divide-and-rule in its narrow ethnocentric interests, or the control-freaks that refused to allow true multinational federalism to breathe through its authoritarian blanket. Whether ethnic federalist or opposed, there is little political capital to be earned in today's Ethiopia by allying with TPLF.
It is by no means clear, however, that this sort of thinking has permeated the fog of TPLF groupthink, or perhaps the party, impatient with the lengthy impasse, is simply dangling the bait for allies in the absence of better options. Either way, it may have miscalculated, unless circumstances force political enemies who are also ideological bedfellows reluctantly into its embrace.
Also worth considering is that, as often in highland Ethiopian political culture, the first impression of the TPLF position may be less important than its underlying thrust. The frontal lunge was directed at ADP, but its ultimate target was arguably ODP in general, and Abiy Ahmed in particular. By summoning them to clarify their positions on ethnic federalism and elections, TPLF put them on the spot.
This may prove fertile ground for the Tigrayan party, as there are press reports — which were broadly confirmed by well-placed sources — of dissent over the current trajectory from Abiy's erstwhile comrade Lemma Mergersa; a development that has the potential to fundamentally reorder alliances in ODP and the front.
In the confrontation between soft and hard federalism, TPLF could have been poking at such existing and potential splits in the Oromo bloc, with one section rallying wholeheartedly behind Abiy and the centralists, so potentially allying with Amhara leaders, even if some reject chunks of the federal settlement; the other with growing reservations about Abiy, and more ideologically inclined to side with OLF and TPLF that consider the 1995 constitution sacrosanct.
Until now, Abiy has not decisively chosen a side in any of Ethiopia's multi-polar disputes, partly because his overall strategy has been to gather political forces—even those irredeemably opposed to each other—under one big wobbly tent, with himself then appearing center stage as the irreplaceable broker, or even, if the turmoil persists, as the country's savior. TPLF wanted to stop this hedging. So it is nudging Abiy to choose.
Transitional trepidation
Perhaps partly due to TPLF's roll of the dice, the Prime Minister and fellow EPRDF executives pledged to keep to the electoral timetable last week, which, because of the political volatility and accompanying unrest, is going to be tricky regardless of their stated intentions.
Pushing ahead with elections next year increases the pressure, which could lead to further fraying. For example, an overwhelmed electoral board eventually stuck its neck out on the thorny question of a referendum on Sidama statehood. But the primary consequence of this was controversy, and then fatal violence, for which various parties are to blame, not least Sidama agitators. The board's next big task might be to provide a justification to postpone the polls, which Abiy and political leaders would then 'reluctantly' have to accept.
What this highlights is a key transition problem: time. There is a multi-year mismatch between a realistic reform schedule — legislative, security sector, the judiciary, democratic institutions, opposition, media, civil society — and the electoral schedule and pressures created by the impatient political ambitions of a multitude of actors in a liberalized environment.
The authorities' ability to manage what is likely to be an increasingly fraught process is in question given the failures so far that have been evident in the major regions: Tigray is defiant; Oromia divided; Amhara borderline insurrectional; and security in a fragile Southern Nations is handled by soldiers. All could and should have been dealt with better via improved prioritization (Southern Nations), strategic thinking (Tigray), and political management (Amhara and Oromia).
Entrenched, deep, and unstable
Additionally, Ethiopia's political challenges probably cannot actually be solved through even truly free elections — and especially not polls held next year — as the rifts are too entrenched, deep, and unstable. What happens, for instance, if OLF ends up in control of Oromia's government, NaMA Amhara's, and Berhanu's Ezema takes Addis Ababa's council, but no party or stable coalition controls the minimum of 274 seats needed for a governing majority in the federal parliament?
There was high-level talk of pivoting to proportional representation as far back as 2016, but nothing has materialized, and if Abiy wants to become the federal republic's first executive president, constitutional amendment is needed — and there is a fairly high bar for that, and even higher risks.
The predicament speaks to the fact that most observers, including powerful international ones, would much prefer to see a comfortable majority for an Abiy-led EPRDF than chaotic coalition politics tearing at the constitution, but that, of course, requires the front to stay alive long enough to act as an electoral vehicle for Abiy, or to be upgraded for a new sleeker model.
Centralist front
The prospect of EPRDF transformation makes sense as the eventual demise of the front has seemed inevitable for months given the pressures created by its internal conflicts, Abiy's aspirations, and the opening of the political landscape. "The EPRDF staying in its deathbed for so long is frustrating. Somebody has to come up with courageous and creative ideas, including agreeing on past mistakes and committing to rectify them," said a former senior federal official from a party other than TPLF.
Many say that EPRDF is de facto defunct already, and senior TPLF officials fear — or perhaps threaten — that the coalition's de jure collapse could lead to the federation's. This suggests that, despite the deep wounds, and widespread public antipathy, a tentative first step towards stabilization is still an attempt to patch up EPRDF.
But with TPLF set to stick to its guns on matters such as equal regional votes, whatever the size of the population; hard federalism; revolutionary democracy; and democratic centralism, the breach does not look patchable. If it indeed isn't, TPLF will have to go its own way. And it may find the path it has laid for itself is as an outcast from the federation, under siege by local radicals.
Still, a TPLF exit, although possibly increasing the turmoil, would at least clear the way in theory for the EPRDF becoming a single expanded national party, as backed by Abiy. This would herald the much-needed realignment of ideological forces — yet it would also open up three new challenges that will be critical to overcome to restore stability.
Rampant mistrust
First, to be successful, the refashioned EPRDF would have to bring on board much of the current Amhara and Oromia political elite, many of whom embrace competing ethno-nationalisms, and then balance them in the center. While Abiy and moderate Amhara and Oromo allies may be willing to cut a deal, Oromo nationalists who fought long and hard to gain ascendancy are not willing to cede control of the federal capital or government again to their northern compatriots, whether Tigrayan or Amhara.
Meanwhile, among Amhara activists, there is now rampant mistrust of Abiy's Oromo-led government, as June 22 conspiracies swirl, and Amhara elites increasingly fulminate against Oromo rather than Tigrayan domination.
Second, there would be a post-TPLF political program to thrash out, including a position on ethnic federalism, and apparently little progress has been made, while the work that has been done is unconvincing, especially with the Prime Minister largely fixated on his ephemeral Medemer concept.
Third, in order to bring the bulk of the leadership from Afar, Benishangul-Gumuz, Gambella, Harari, Somali and parts of Southern Nations on board, there will have to be fresh mechanisms for ethno-regional power-sharing, even within the streamlined party, particularly as the parties will be giving up their distinct regional identities.
While an EPRDF official claims that 90 percent of the front supports consolidation, they admit that substantive talks on new decision-making mechanism have yet to begin, and only say that voting weight will neither be proportional to population, nor, as now, will it be split evenly between regional factions, regardless of their demographic heft. Such discussions could be testy and protracted, and the national census delayed since 2017 is necessary to establish starting positions; particularly between the Amhara and Oromo blocs.
Martial flaw
Whatever the final outcomes of what promises to be more bruising, turbulent politics, it is set to exacerbate a perilous state of uncertainty. Already buckling federal and regional authorities will probably weaken further, with knock-on effects on ethnic tensions and law and order.
In the event that the fierce rhetoric, paralysis, and festering grudges leads simply to worsening relations, rather than a rethink and realignment, there will only be one ultimate obstacle to a downward spiral: the Ethiopian National Defense Forces. It looks like at least part of it foresaw this role. Samora Yunis, the former chief of staff, said in 2016 that the country has managed to build competent force that safeguards the constitutional order.
Recently, Major General Mohammed Tessema, Director of the Indoctrination Division, was more explicit: "enforcing the rule of law" is now the military's key mission, and he also threatened a disobedient journalist for good measure. The overall message amounts to a tacit admission that the Federal Police, intelligence services, regional security forces, and militia are unable to perform the task of maintaining security. And it was backed up once again by a meeting last month of senior army officers.
Brittle final defense
In truth, the military's enhanced role is already apparent. It has now taken over security in a fractious Southern Nations as a shrinking EPRDF regional elite tries to maintain cohesion; since December, another "command post" has taken the fight to OLF sympathizers in western Oromia; while the armed forces are also in charge of security operations in central and western Gondar zones, where Amhara factions have fought with Qemant people seeking greater autonomy, allegedly with TPLF support.
Both TPLF and ADP appealed to the military in their war of words. But how brittle is this final institutional defense? Chief of Staff General Seare Mekonnen was assassinated by a military bodyguard at his home in June, raising questions about plots, loyalty, and vetting. On the night of the assassination, as Abiy addressed the nation in combat fatigues from a safe house, a gunfight occurred at a critical military communications post in Tor Hailoch in Addis Ababa, adding substance to the otherwise vague official allegations of a national coup attempt, and raising more queries about military unity.
A senior retired Tigrayan officer says General Adem Mohammed was appointed to replace Seare for his Amhara background rather than operational prowess, which cast a shadow over his authority. The former officer believes EPRDF's warring parties are already infiltrating the armed forces, playing on existing ethnic networks. The bizarre mutiny last October was also alarming; it may have been precipitated by elite soldiers that lost out on the financial perks of becoming part of Abiy's new Republican Guard, or it may have reflected general disgruntlement.
If the inter-regional power struggle does increasingly move to the military, Tigray's relative strength within mid-level officer corps, despite the recent departures of senior Tigrayan officers, brings it back into the national picture. Prime Minister Abiy has confided to two people that he does not really control the armed forces, but we can be fairly sure that this is his objective. But, even if Abiy did establish full control, the cohesion of various units of the armed forces would be tested by any significant further deterioration of the inter-regional powerplays.
Recent dynamics, however, suggest another less dangerous scenario is perhaps more likely.
Magnetic core
If federal and regional leaders, in partnership with the military command, can continue to keep dissidents in check — as they have done ruthlessly in Sidama —that would create sufficient space for the necessary political wrangling and continuation of so far rather technocratic democratic reforms. It would also provide the necessary consensus for federal parliamentarians to vote to extend their terms early next year, although there is no constitutional provision for that, and it would likely arouse intensified opposition from TPLF and others, albeit perhaps mostly rhetorical.
Despite Abiy's waning popularity as he begins to confront unavoidable trade-offs, his government still has strong elite support in Addis Ababa, a bottomless supply of international political capital to spend, and gains succor from the fact that no credible alternative has emerged. The highly impressive public relations success of an almost Maoist tree-planting campaign will be seen by his team as a model to be replicated to shore up national unity and deflect public attention from fractious ethnic politics.
The general structure of this transitional set-up could remain just about solid enough to carry on come what may. If there are no signs of a new consensus emerging under the current order, the result may eventually be suspension of the constitution and an Abiy-led transitional government, which would then supercharge the dissent of Amhara opponents, TPLF, OLF, and other federalist forces. More conflict would occur, but even then it may not spread.
In Ethiopian history, and particularly during the so-called Era of Princes, "mysterious magnetism" held Ethiopia together instead of provincial separatism, according to a British colonial officer quoted by historian Haggai Erlich. "Why? Because due to 'the flexibility and the pragmatism' of the traditional political game, it was 'worthwhile'. The provincial leaders preferred to and could participate 'in the life of a great Ethiopia'" rather than merely control their own narrow province.
Is this "magnetism" still a force? Possibly. Ethiopia's theoretically federalist elite are unlikely to give up what they have for something they seek. This means accommodation and seeking influence by orbiting around the palace in Addis Ababa, rather than chancing their hand on the periphery of power.
Main photo: Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed at the launch of Republican Guard; December 23; Office of the Prime Minister
Sep. 18, Domestic despair shadows Abiy's diplomatic waltz
Oct 21, Ethiopia: Climbing Mount Uncertainty
Jan. 10, Ethiopia's federation needs reviving, not reconfiguring
Feb. 27, Ethiopian elite lost in electoral maze under Abiy's gaze
July 24, Elections in End Times
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Abiy Ahmed Berhanu Nega Constitution Ezema Federalism ODP TPLF
René Lefort
René has been writing about sub-Saharan Africa since the 1970s and reported on the region for French newspapers. He is now a researcher and publishes in academic titles such as The Journal of Modern African Studies.
Agazi T says:
28 August, 2019 at 7:15 am
Very interesting read, thank you both.
However, eventhough the daunting task of finding a way out of this political quagmire is soleley for Ethiopians, can you please suggest possible reckoning scenarios and potential solutions that can atleast serve as a framework to a broader dialogue ? An ideal framework would of course consider both forms or federalism (i.e. Ethnonationaliat or otherwiae),
I hope your deep knowledge and years of erudition would motivate you on another article with such content
Fahmi K. says:
25 August, 2019 at 12:32 pm
I would like to say this is a nice analysis except it totally avoids any discussion about the economic impact & implications, foreign interests & influences which inevitably have major direct & indirect causes & effects as is the case in any political arena particularly as an African nation.
Haileab says:
The piece shines bright light to the current Ethiopian politics. I appreciate the authors for their efforts and time. Even if I have reservations of my own, the authors have analyzed the existing political situation in Ethiopia very well based the information available to them. Having said that I have the following to say in relation to the political situation explained in the piece.
1) TPLF forcibly introduced revolutionary democracy and ethnic federalism to Ethiopia. Revolutionary democracy is practically dead and no one other than the stubborn TPLF members is talking about it. Ethnic federalism has started rearing its ugly head with formidable and unimaginable consequences.
2) The TPLF sexagenarian criminals who fled Addis Ababa and settled in Mekele are continuing their criminal acts with impunity in their home towns in Tigray. They are criminals at large and they know they will be arrested if they are found outside Tigray.
3) The constitution is not a constitution for federalism; it is a constitution for confederation. Furthermore, it is written in a way that is extremely difficult to amend. So, the only way Abiy and the existing parliament can postpone the election scheduled to next year is by suspending the so called constitution.
4) The only viable option to secure order is the military. Abiy should do everything to make the military fully under his control so can control the country when he suspends the constitution to postpone the election.
5) The Ethiopian people must pray for a miracle that completely wipes out those politicians in their sixties currently roaming the streets Addis Ababa and Mekele. Examples, Seyoum Mesfin, Dawit Ibsa, Abay Tsehaye, Getachew Assefa, Tamrat Laynie, Adddisu Legesse etc. These politicians have never accomplished anything important in their lives; rather they wasted their productive lives nagging to each other with endless socialist ideology. Until after they all are gone, Ethiopia cannot be peaceful.
Fickr says:
21 August, 2019 at 3:22 pm
Fellow Ethiopians,
I would like to take advantage of the public space to urge you to focus on possible solutions to the unemployment, food security and debt crisis that is affecting our people without distinction of men, women, children, youth and elderly. I would encourage you to read books on how other countries have overcome this situation instead of continuing on blistering political issues that are also driven by soi-disant "opinion makers" from outside; all in the name of freedom. Please see below a list of useful readings and food for thought for those hungry to bring substantial change in Ethiopia:
1- Concrete economics
2-How Asia works
3-Miti and the Japanese Miracle
4-The Park Chung Hee Era
5-Jump-Starting America
6-Our towns
7-The National System of Political Economy
8-Kicking away the ladder
9-Industrial Policy for the twenty-first century
10-ARPA Model
11-The Entrepreneurial state
Ibssa says:
"Despite TPLF efforts to snap Ethiopia out of political stalemate" This statement alone seems to reflect the views held by the authors in earnest. However, the statement misses the glaring point that it is TPLF which is the very party that is creating the stalemate. Having been in the position to dominate the politics and economy of the country for close to 3 decades by TPLF, all that we have come to is, critical point of disintegration.
It is mystical to assume that the party that created the very problem is thought to be the party that is capable of pulling the country out of its eventual demise. However, no doubt that the PM is trying to find the middle ground where he can attract ethno-internationalists and Ethiopianists equally which indeed became the tall order of the day.
Tsedeke Y Woldu says:
Congratulations Ethiopia-Insight on your centennial article. A deep confounding dive. The complexity is fitting to the gravity of the politics. Plausible propositions with a set of contingent avenues and negotiable positions for the most prominent actors including some ye Maryam mengeds ( way-outs). Whosoever have managed to discern the scenarios and dare to jockey positions in this intriguing arena, including within its most benign, yet likely variant in which the present HoP extends its reign in the form of transition; they are the true saviours of themselves, and their followers.
But the article did not say much about those who would find any kind of discerning in general difficult.
"It is an honour for a man to cease from strife: but every fool will be meddling." Prov. 20 : 3
Sosona nasr says:
V.good
Shimels Hussien says:
Like his previous articles, this time again the author presented an interesting and well-thought article. However, I wonder why the authored doubted the inevitable postponement of the next election. In the mind of Abiy, there is no election next year, irrespective of what he said recently. In its current state, EPRDF will be elected only in Tigray, not elsewhere. The majority of people, except TPLF cadres and its supporters, still strongly favor Abiy but as a person, not his party. Abiy knows this very well that being a member of EPRDF with TPLF in the membership is a great liability for himself or Team Lemma in general. If the election is to happen next year and EPRDF wants to win, Abiy has to immediately kick out TPLF from the coalition. TPLF couldn't make any meaningful influence beyond rhetorical barking from Mekele, given it is already strangulated by Isayas from the North and Amahra from the South. Unfortunately, Abiy seems to continue wasting this golden opportunity. So, for the fear of losing the election to OLF, he would definitely postpone the election at a late hour with pretexts of instability and insecurity. Through backdoor, he would also encourage parties like Ezema of Birhanu Nega to push for the postponement.
Abdisa Wayya says:
The article assessed the existing situation very well. However, it implicitly assumes as if TPLF is the maker or breaker of Ethiopia. Though, it is partially true , I think the other poetical power also have some effect. In fact, the article clearly described the narrow path TPLF is trying to come back to its earlier dominance of EPRDF and Ethiopia.
Tekle says:
Your opening paragraphs dwell too much on TPLF response after ADP blamed TPLF, implicitly or otherwise, for the recent assassinations. I fail to see how you find fault with TPLF for defending itself against an accusation of that magnitude. Patience is a virtue, up to a point…At the moment, it is obvious that Abiy and his Oromo party ODP hold the balance of political power in Ethiopia. This is unlikely to change after the elections. There is no other visible alternative acceptable to all the regional political parties.
Jamal Abduraman says:
I think you explained many things. But you have been influenced by the ideas and theories of fake Ethiopianists who hate multiethnic federalism and do not understand the true political image on the ground. Practically you will see that TPLF, OLF, sojthern. Afar, Somali, Harari, Beni And Gambella will be with Dr. Abiy probably half of Amhara might not. Addis and Dire more than 75% is with Abiy. In every decision somali, tigray, south are together n no fear for Ethiopian future. But you see small segment of the people with loud voice, be sure that the biggest number with inaudible voice that practical guide the true nature on the ground.
Yasin Ahmed says:
Well said. I could sense just the samething when I red the article
Getachew Mequanent says:
Well done. Insightful and informative.
Maregu says:
Good Article in general. Abiy has a support in the capital? A little bit rich observation or analysis.He himself declared that his support base is the so called "Oromia", region.
Mesfin says:
This is one of pragmatic in depth observation and analysis on the current political quagmire of Ethiopia. But fails to predict the whole possible political occurrences that may happen given the unpredictable nature of Ethiopian politics.
Teamer getachew says:
I love TPLF because I have paid my fathers life to bring to be the owner of my everything that is in my hand. I am proud now because i am speaking my language in every where that is why i love TPLF
The article is like a conspiracy theory. I say this because your article misses the real/deep issue for the conflict across Ethiopia. People want their freedom. No one wants anyone to have dominant power in Ethiopia! Everyone wants to live equally.
As it was done many years in the USA, no one will establish supremacy over others in Ethiopia (I.e eradicating Red Indians by Europeans).
Nor would anyone dominate others because of increased ones ethnic population over others.
This is because, everyone in the current Ethiopia contributed their own identity and culture.
Think about what is happening in the West now days. How the west has felt threatened to its culture and identity by the new comers. It is the same idea but worst in Ethiopia because of lack of education and economic development.
Everyone should be sincere and willing to bring lasting solutions to the problems of current Ethiopia!
If the West wants to help whether with reporting or other things, do it in a way that will have a lasting solution.
By some the things you stated, either you believe in centralist idea or got dominant information from people who support it.
I dear you to speak different views across Ethiopia to report realistic views of the population! Do not generalized.
What we are sick is power hungry elites becoming the western puppet while their population live in poverty! We want to march to the civilized country we once were and we only want lasting solutions!
How is the rest of the world navigating space while we are still fighting poverty here on Earth! I am just saying this only because I thought your article was somewhat shortsighted and one-sided.
Thanks for taking the time to read my comments as I read your long article.
Captain_obvious says:
Under strong leaders, the center is strong, and the provinces are weak. It was the case under Meles, Mengistu, Menelik, Tewodoros, and before them Susenyos and Iyasu the Great.
Under weak leaders, the provinces are strong, and the center is weak. It was the case under Hailemariam, early Derg rule, Lij Iyasu or the Yejju dynasty rule.
A united EPRDF is a necessity to act as a vehicle for control. TPLF has few friends within EPRDF, but even fewer outside of it.
Solutions can and should be found, party organograms are easy to alter, TPLF could be a simple partner to a united party if it does not want to merge, like CDU-CSU partnership in Germany.
Counter-intuitively, a strong EZEMA and perhaps a third national party will also stabilize the nascent democracy. Two "big-tent" national parties can coalesce support from moderates and extremists along the political fault lines (ethno-nationalism vs citizenship politics, developmental state vs liberal state, state led economy vs private) and be the pillars bringing the republic together.
Getachew Teferi says:
While the analysis has its own merit but hugely underestimated and miscalculated. there are some in parts of Amhara and very few in parts of Oromia who support strong central government. Majority are in-favor of so to speak ethnic based federalism-
Awale says:
Great analysis and insightful piece on the current morbit political situation of the country except that I couldn't see the possibility of helding free and elections within years given the intractable inter-ethnin sttife, general instability and short time frame factors.
Tigist says:
For the majority of us it is indeed obvious, but for those still blindfolded and born to conform with any leader in power, is difficult to get such view which is the naked truth, and the toughest challenge of the country. As long as article 39 is in the constitution, there will never be such thing called one Ethiopia. It is just a matter of time. Time will tell!


The recent departure of the United States of America from the UN Human Rights Council is the appropriate time for Japan to (re)consider its Pacific War History. The political pressure by the United States of America to waive reparation to the individual Dutch victims of Japan's occupation of Dutch East Indies in the 1952 San Francisco Peace Treaty is untenable. The war crimes which the individual victims had to undergo were simply ignored. A situation which at present remains in other areas of conflict were the United States of America are involved.
The Human Rights Council as an executive body of the United Nations issued many reports on the subject and concluded many times over that Japan has at least the moral obligation to resolve its past military history during the Pacific War. It advised to come to terms with the individual victims regardless the San Francisco Peace Treaty. Now that the United States of America has left the Human Rights Council it is opportune for Japan to take the initiative as suggested in my previous petition. It would benefit Japan as the nation who has not forgotten its militairy past and wants to settle its moral obligations.
We did not receive an acknowledgment nor any suggestions that you would take the initiative in this matter. As suggested we are willing to come to Japan to discuss a meaningful resolve for the individual victims of the Japanese occupation of Dutch East Indies during the Pacific War.


I hosted a table about interviewing skills earlier this week at a women's speed networking event here in Cleveland and was honored to share my insights and interviewing best practices with the women who attended. To prepare, I created a one-page handout with some of my recommended interviewing best practices and for the sake of brevity, kept most of my bullet points to one line. So, I thought I'd expand a little in this post when it comes to putting your best face forward for an interview, especially if you're just starting out in the job market.
One main piece of advice I think is crucial is to dress the part. Companies, regardless of how casual they might be on an everyday basis, likely still expect you to wear a professional suit in black or charcoal - a jacket, slacks (goodness, I really hate that word) or a skirt, and a flat or a low-heeled shoe. I say likely because more and more companies are starting to favor business casual dress code; however, I still think it's important to err on the side of caution and wear a suit to your first interview. I wouldn't rule someone out if they showed up in a dress or sweater set, but it might give some hiring managers pause. If you're called back for a second interview, then you can gauge whether or not to wear something a bit more casual.
Dressing the part also includes the type of makeup you wear. Now, a few things before I go any further. First, I'm talking about interviewing for a "professional job" in more of a corporate office or government setting, perhaps even retail or food service. If you're interviewing for a job as a makeup artist or a similar position in a creative field, odds are you can get away with a lot more flair and you probably should. However, in the case of an everyday, old-fashioned job interview, less is still more.
Also, by no means do I believe you have to wear makeup to your interview. A job offer should always be based on your knowledge, skills, abilities and not what you look like, with or without makeup. Is that a naive statement? Probably, considering we live in a shallow society where a person is judged by their appearance in a matter of seconds and women face even more intense levels of scrutiny. However, I'm a firm believer in being your most authentic self and if makeup isn't your jam, it's totally okay. The last thing you want is to be distracted during an interview because you're wearing makeup and hate it. And truly, your confidence in who you are and what you bring to the table is more powerful than anything you might put on your face.
Moving onward... if you are going to wear makeup to your interview, I recommend a simple, everyday look that's quick and easy and will get you out the door in a reasonable amount of time. You do not want to be late to an interview because of your makeup routine. Stick to the basics - eyeshadow, mascara, blush, and lipstick. Leave your contouring, strobing, smokey eyes, cut creases, overdrawn lips, and the like for another time and place.
I've recommended some products below that can help you create a fresh face for your interview. These are some of the high end and drugstore favorites I use everyday. I've also indicated which products I think you can skip altogether. And of course, you'll want to make sure to use products that work for your skin type, tone, and texture.
Primer - Especially important for a long day of interviews.
Foundation - Light-medium coverage; BB Cream or tinted moisturizer work well, too.
Eyeshadow - Matte, neutral shades are best; avoid shimmer, pigments, or glitters.
Eyeliner (optional) - Again, neutral shade are best.
Blush - Something with a peach, coral, or bright pink undertone.
Now, you might be reading this and freaking out a little because it's more makeup than you've ever worn in your life. I'm not saying you have to wear everything on this list; it's perfectly okay to pick and choose the steps and products that work best for you. And you beauty junkies out there may be clutching your pearls at just how few products I've listed. What about bronzer, contour powder or cream, and highlighter? False eyelashes? Lipliner? Face setting spray? Again, you're more than welcome to wear what you want to an interview, but I can almost certainly guarantee you too many extra layers of makeup won't score you any favors with your potential employer. It may actually work against you.
Is that fair? Maybe not, but it's reality. Get the job first and then think about how you can incorporate extras into your everyday look. Do I wear bronzer, highlighter, winged liner, and crazy bright lips to work? Of course, but I work in an office that's decidedly laid back and even then, I still don't go too crazy. Also, the morning of your interview is not the time to introduce a new trend into your routine, like clown contouring (yes, that's a thing), baking your makeup, or using red lipstick to camouflage the dark circles under your eyes. Remember, less is more.
More product recommendations, used to create the interview look in the pictures above and below.
I love makeup as it plays an essential role in how I make myself feel beautiful, confident, and ready to face whatever the world is going to throw at me on any particular day. This has been especially true when getting ready for an interview. I'm always surprised at how a little mascara or lipstick can boost my self confidence and believe it's been a deciding factor in many of the jobs I've gotten (the self confidence, not necessarily the lipstick, but hopefully you can see the connection). Always remember, though, you ultimately have to be true to yourself.
One last point... if you're completely new to makeup, you may feel slightly overwhelmed about where to start. YouTube makeup tutorials are an excellent place to start, then practice, practice, practice. Or perhaps you'd prefer the assistance of a personal beauty advisor who can give you some direction along the way. If so, contact me for more information about how we can make that happen.


text:
Home Entertainment Online Prostitution Moves From Craigslist to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare on...
Online Prostitution Moves From Craigslist to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare on Xbox's Microsoft Live
Cletus P. Stillwater, Jr.
17 Attorney Generals from 17 states petitioned Craigs List with threats of lawsuits to shut down its adult services section. The AGs argued that the Adult Services section in Craigs List was the largest conduit for online communications for prostitutes and Johns. Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley sited Philip Markoff better known as 'The Craigs List Killer" in her message to the website.
Markoff meet Julissa Brisman, 26, a massage therapist on Craigs List. Philip Markoff robbed and shot Julissa Brisman in a Boston Hotel.
Some in law enforcement claimed the thinly veiled sexual solicitations on CraigsList allowed them to target prostitutes and their benefactors. One law enforcement officer who asked not to be named said that shutting CraigsList will scatter prostitutes to every corner of the internet. He went on to say "one place they are starting to quickly appear is Xbox's Microsoft Live. "
Xbox's Microsoft Live is the video gaming and social networking aspect tided to Microsoft's gaming system. What makes this platform so attractive for online solicitations is Xbox Live ties to almost every social networking service. Users can access their Twitter and Facebook accounts and can also communicate directly with other users.
One gamer told us it will be much harder for law enforcement to target prostitutes on the gaming network. "Gamers have their own language and are typically savvier" we were told by Chet a 24 year old IT worker in Florida who frequently uses Xbox hookers. Making it harder to target prostitution, Xbox hookers will typically enlist someone else to "Host" their message that will be pushed out to other gamers. One game that is a favorite of online gaming prostitutes is Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.
A typical message on Call of Duty is "a friend of mine is hosting a "10th prestige lobby for 1600 Microsoft points." The message will be sent out to "all friends and recent players" and will sometimes have the tag that all "mods and weapons" are included.
All "mods and weapons" is gamer hooker lexicon for anything goes. We spoke to "Jenny" a hooker who moved her services from Craigs List to Xbox Live. "Xbox Live gives me access to hundreds of thousands of horny gamers" Jenny told us during an Xbox Live chat. "We can get paid via Pay Pal or Microsoft Points it makes things so much easier to move money". Jenny also told us in gamer hooker code 1600 Microsoft points is slang for $160, 10th prestige lobby tells us she is in the 10th U.S. State – Virginia.
Law Enforcement is now preparing for the release of Call of Duty: Black Opps in November. Our unnamed source told us "to be prepared for the release of the next wave of prostitution on Xbox police officers across the country are logging in countless hours on Xbox". It is good to know Police are prepared to crack down on web's next home for prostitution.
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Recipe: Vegan Turtles – Chocolate and Caramel Heaven
Artie Lange "Hurt" Video on YouTube
Review: The Orville S02E08 The Identity Part 1


text:
Rosy (2018)
Anthony Marc Shalhoub was born and raised in Green Bay, Wisconsin. His father, Joseph Shalhoub, who owned a grocery chain, emigrated from Lebanon to the United States as an orphan at age ten, later marrying Shalhoub's mother, Helen (Seroogy), who herself was born in Wisconsin, to Lebanese parents. When Tony was six, he was introduced to the theater, in a school production of "The King and I". He graduated from Green Bay East High, and then graduated with a Bachelor's degree in drama from the University of Southern Maine before progressing to the Yale School of Drama, which he left with a Master's degree in Fine Arts.
After a time in the American Repertory Theatre, he moved to Broadway where he met his future wife, Brooke Adams, whom he married in 1992. She had an adopted daughter, Josie, who was three years old at the time that Tony and Brooke married. Tony adopted Brooke's own adopted child, Josie Lynn (born 1989) when she was eight. In 1994, the couple adopted another daughter, Sophie (born 1993). Tony's first audition after arriving in Los Angeles was for Italian cabdriver Antonio Scarpacci in the long-running sitcom Wings (1990), which also starred Tim Daly and Steven Weber.
Tony next had roles in Men in Black (1997), Men in Black II (2002), Galaxy Quest (1999) and Thir13en Ghosts (2001). However, his biggest break came, playing the obsessive-compulsive detective Adrian Monk in Monk (2002). The series made him a star and earned him four straight Emmy Award nominations between 2003 and 2006, for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. Tony won the award in 2003, 2005 and 2006, proving how popular he has become after the success of "Monk", which has been both brilliant and popular work during all its seasons.
BornOctober 9, 1953
Won 4 Primetime Emmys
Adrian Monk
Frank DePalma
Fred Kwan
Splinter(voice)
Freddy Riedenschneider
Self103
Archive Footage10
Flamin' Hot
Investor #3 (voice)
Cars on the Road
Luigi (voice)
Dr. Alvin
Abe Weissman
Fred (voice)
Elena of Avalor
Zopilote (voice)
Dr. Godin
Tales from Radiator Springs
Diego Giacometti
All Downhill from Here
Mickey Mouse Mixed-Up Adventures
Breakable You
Adam Weller
BrainDead
Red Wheatus
Dr. Ralph Galen
2 Timers
Can You Hear Us Now?
Feed the Fish
AmericanEast
Made-Up
Cars: 3D
Galaxy Quest: Deluxe Edition
Tony Shaloub
5′ 9¾″ (1.77 m)
Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA
Brooke AdamsApril 1992 - present (2 children)
Joseph Shalhoub
Amy Shalhoub (Sibling)
He acted in Moliere's plays,"Signorelle: An Evening of His Farces (The Flying Doctor; The Forced Marriage; Sganarelle and A Dumb Show)," in the American Repertory Theatre production at the Loeb Stage in Cambridge, Massachusetts with Eilzabeth Swados; Cherry Jones; Karen MacDonald; John Bottom and Thomas Derrah in the cast. Andrei Serban was director. Albert Bermel was translator. Michael H. Yeargan was set designer. Dunya Ramicova was costume designer. James F. Ingalls was lighting designer. Stephen Drury was music arranger and director. Sandra Boynton adapted and translated "A Dumb Show." Robert Brustein was artistic director.
In 2003, when Shalhoub won the Emmy Award for his leading role of detective Adrian Monk, he dedicated the award to his nephew, 34-year-old Gregg Gensler, who passed away the day before.
With what's happened in the world the last three years, it's easier to see why it's become popular again to diminish and revile Arabs and Muslims in American popular culture.