Problems persist five days after Verizon-to-Frontier transfer in three states.
Frontier's Service Status Map only shows outages in California, but customers in Texas and Florida have been affected, too.
Frontier Communications took over former Verizon territory in California, Florida, and Texas on Friday last week, but the transition has caused problems for many customers and Frontier now says it needs until mid-April to fix everything.
Frontier, which bought FiOS and DSL networks in the three states from Verizon for $10.54 billion, set up a webpage to provide updates on the transition. Video on Demand content from FiOS TV will take longer to fix than the other services. This affects video from premium channels including HBO, Showtime, Starz, Cinemax, and Epix. "Many" videos are available now, but "the vast majority of titles, including any previously purchased titles, will be available by mid-April," Frontier said in an update yesterday.
Billing and account problems should be resolved by Friday of this week, Frontier says.
The webpage doesn't provide any updates on service outages, but Frontier's Service Status Map indicated today that the California territory still has widespread outages. That doesn't mean everything is connected in Florida and Texas, as some customers were still reporting Internet, TV, and phone outages on Down Detector in all three states. "I've had no Internet or cable since last Friday," one customer in Dallas wrote yesterday.
Frontier's purchase of the three-state Verizon territory gave it another 3.3 million phone customers, 2.1 million Internet customers, and 1.2 million TV customers. Some of those have been discussing their experiences in DSLReports forums. One California subscriber who went without Internet service for three days was frustrated by ineffective support offered by Frontier employees. "I complained about Verizon but when I called about problems with the Internet connection they were generally resolved quickly and the techs I spoke with appeared to be more knowledgeable," the customer wrote yesterday.


Since speaking at Circles Conference back in September, life has been pretty insane: more than a month of traveling between Cape Town, Houston, Dallas, and Palm Springs; and then, coming straight home into a year's worth of work that needed to be completed in nearly two months; oh, and then, throw in moving halfway across the country…yeah. So, maybe that explains why this space has taken a little of a backseat, and posts like this, an awesome recap of my talk at Circles, have not been priority till now.
This week, I am making a conscious decision to get back here and spend time focusing on executing ideas and dreams. In the last few months, I have learned that although I love design and enjoy the process of brand building, it is only a small fraction of what I love. I have found, with my time away from this space, that my passions lie with content creation: simply creating and sharing experiences that inspire others to live their dreams. I have also found that even as important as it is for me to create brands I am proud of, it is even more crucial for my creative process to be here, in this place, sharing what inspires me and letting myself adventurously create. That being said, it feels good to pour some time back in here. I honestly felt pretty empty the last few weeks without creating here. I felt creatively stale, but I think I needed that moment to truly value what I had built here. I needed time to decompress from a very creatively and emotionally challenging few months. Phew.
Anyways, today I want to share my talk from Circles 2013. I told you all that I would share what I chatted about. It was one of my favorite talks I have done to date, and I feel it is everything that explains my passions as a creative. Not only am I sharing this with you all, but I also want to give away 3 8×10 prints from the Little Measures shop, where I posted all the hand-lettered slides from my talk (they are all the ones on black). I will give more details about that at the end. For now, I want to jump into the full chat I did at Circles for y'all. Let's just jump in, huh?
So, here's the thing: as graphic designers, we all build brands and tell visual stories, but we all know we struggle with telling our own stories about who we are as creatives. The world of business has done some really great things for creatives, such as helping us find ways to monetize our work, and even the sawdust of our work, but it also has made us lose sight of some other very important things. In all honesty, the business world has told us that we must be summed up by an eye-catching portfolio, some cool logo that somehow describes us perfectly, and catchy copy about what makes us different than the other 40,000+ creatives out there; and then, you pray upon whatever part of the universe you believe in that the right client some how finds you. All of that is well-intentioned, but I believe there is a major piece we are missing.
In my mind, I want to be known for more than just the work I show on Dribbble or the logo that sits on a business card. I want to know that, in some way, the work I have done has meant more to someone and has somehow made the world greater. This is why I have realized that the piece the business world has made us lose sight of is that we need to remember we are storytellers, and we are visual communicators. We need the world to know our story, in order to truly appreciate and find the appropriate value in the work we offer the world. Why shouldn't we tell our stories? Creatives are incredibly unique creatures. We all know that the process of creating anything is not easy, and in fact, the creative process can be dramatic, adventurous, soul-wrenching, and beautiful—oh, and probably involve a few good cries and a bottle of wine or a few glasses of whiskey.
That being said, what are our favorite questions to ask as other creatives? It always is: What was your process? How did you get there? Where did the inspiration come from? Every piece you create has a story. If you are truly creating meaningful work, it does. Every piece I have done in my career has brought me to new places and taught me something. Some big and some small. Creating is powerful and intense business. Now, what if you could somehow make your client value this process, and those tears at your desk were part of making the best damn logo they ever will have? Or, what if your client was deeper than just the checkbook and face on the other side? What if they were collaborators with you, and the work you made was more fulfilling than the vacation you thought you wanted to take? What if, through understanding your creative process, your client could honestly understand you more than they could solely through seeing your work?
More than anything, I want to ask you if the time you spend away from the office is just as, if not more, important to the work you do in the office? I am talking more than just getting creatively inspired and that being part of your process. What I mean is that it is important to help us connect with the right clients and build a visual story about who we are that goes beyond our work. I mean, what if how we live our lives, see the world, organize our inspiration, where we go, what we eat, and how we choose to live can tell our clients something our work never ever could? Then, what if the story you are telling could finally snag clients you have been dreaming of? What if the story you were living was making your work better and more fulfilling?
Well, it can. In order to begin turning that "what if" into a reality, we need to begin by being fearlessly authentic. We need to be okay with our story that has made us who we are and has brought us to understand—and honestly fall in love—with what we are meant to do in this world. Being authentic and in love with what we do is what will have us landing not just the right clients and projects, but the clients and projects we should have. The ones that deeply connect with who we are. These kinds of projects will produce work that is far more fulfilling, creative, passionate, and what being a creative entrepreneur should feel like. So, maybe, in fact, this whole business of being a creative is really not all business?
For some of this to really make sense, I must really tell y'all Mike and I's larger story, which inspired these ideas. Many of you who have been here from the beginning know a lot of this story, but those jumping in for the first time this will be a good rounded summary 🙂 Mike and I graduated college at the height of the failing economy in 2009. Neither of us could land those dreams jobs you think will be sitting there waiting for you at the end of the education tunnel. Mike went to work for an agency at an entry-level position part-time, and I decided to follow my crazy heart and start my own freelance business, Hitch Design Studio, from the many freelance clients I had obtained while in college. Mike took the trash out at the studio, and I was struggling to get $25 – $35 an hour for my work. I should also tell y'all that, from the day we began dating, we had vowed to never work together mostly out of protection for our relationship.
During the first year of our marriage, Mike enjoyed his agency job and enjoyed the structure, but there were a lot of things he also struggled with that were a part of the agency world. I eventually got my footing as a DBA business owner, but worked far too many hours for very little pay. I took some wedding stationery clients, but ultimately realized my pay was barely above minimum wage after printing and the number of hours I spent working on them. We both were completely uninspired and struggling to gain a hold of what we wanted as creatives and adults.
Out of complete desire to have a creative outlet, I penned my first blog post here on the blog on November 15th, 2009 (take a look). This space was where I wanted to catalog inspiration, share our life, and honestly, do whatever the hell I wanted creatively. I had no idea what that meant, and I had no idea if I ever would come back to that space again after writing that post, but as you all know…I did. I vowed to myself that this space would always remain an authentic creative place where I could explore and dream without restraint. It was my space to discover myself creatively and share my journey. The day I penned that post changed my life in ways I never expected. Choosing to click "publish" was the catalyst in directing my path in a direction I had no idea even existed yet. I had no ambition to grow a readership, attend a conference, speak, work with amazing brands, catalog worldwide travels, or even simply for it to be as important to my creative process as it is now.
As you all know, the blog grew after November 15th, 2009 so if we fast forward nearly 2 years, placing us about a year ago from today, things began to take a major shift. My Pinterest profile had grown tremendously; I had been to a few blogging conferences; and I had discovered that this space was my hobby and also something I took very seriously. The space had become it's own design project. I had become committed to creating original content and challenging myself to create hand-lettered type daily for posts, but the biggest thing was that the blog was now bringing in more design inquiries than my portfolio. This was extremely confusing to me at the time because I thought, "Why would clients be more interested in the life I showed on the blog than the work I was creating?." It baffled me.
Around this time, Mike was still working in the agency world, but he was shooting a lot on the blog and participating on posts far more. This was when we received an offer to go to Paris and shoot for our Alma Mater. The biggest thing, if anything you should take from this whole chat, is that you never should say no to Paris….ever. Paris is always a yes no matter what. Never say no. So we took the job…Mike took off for a while without pay, and we decided this was a once in a lifetime opportunity. We hopped the pond with barely a few hundred in our bank account and only our basic travel needs covered for our trip. We were joined by good friends, and, within days of being there, we felt alive, as if life had flipped upside down in the best way. We shot every day while traveling, cataloging nearly 16 of the days we were in Paris, which I know many of you have read. To this day, it is one of our highest hit series on the blog. But, that series was more than just great traffic, it was the cataloging of us finally discovering we were meant to work together. Mike and I needed to take this risk.
After coming home, we said the words to each other: we wanted to work together. Soon after, Mike left his job, took what we had saved, and tucked it away in order to chase our dreams like crazy people. We felt there was no other way we would ever be happy than to take hold of what we wanted in our careers and lives. This was when Wild Measure was born. We decided that not only were we going to chase our dreams, but the people we wanted to work with were those just as wild and crazy as us. We realized we wanted to work with people who were like us, crazily chasing after their dreams. We knew we wanted to work with people making a difference in their communities and markets. We knew we wanted to build lifestyles not just brands that could change people.
Not soon after beginning Wild Measure we started our first brand build together, Clyde Oak. This was our first Wild Measure client that had come strictly from the blog and hired us not just because of our work, but because of the life we lived and displayed here on The Fresh Exchange. This was the first time we saw the power of story telling in action. We saw that authentically telling your story and sharing what makes you who you are as a creative can make all the difference.
In this time when our business began to flourish, we realized that more than anything, we wanted to stop watching the trends and start to authentically create work that told our client's story in a deep way that pushed our own limits creatively. This meant we focused on collaboration, and that it was very important for us to deeply believe in the "why" behind what every one of our clients were doing. It had become our goal to feel less like a hired service and more like a partner in helping our clients bring their dreams to life. To us, the name "Wild Measure" described the act that everyone of our potential and current clients were taking with their lives, as they built what they dreamed of. They were just like us, building their dream because their dream was more than a dream; it was and is their life long pursuit, and they are willing to risk a lot to have it. That was what was going to inspire us to create work that was challenging, fresh, and something we felt proud of.
Our goal from the beginning simply was to listen to our gut and to let the story we were unfolding on the blog be the guide for our direction for our business. When you truly listen to what is inside and stop allowing the fear take over, it is amazing the beautiful things that can come. Is it scary to be real? Oh yeah…some serious scaries, but that is the beauty that will make a story what it is. Engaging with the real parts of who you are is what will make you a great creator.
When we announced Wild Measure, we had (and still have) no portfolio. Nearly 98% of our inquiries come from The Fresh Exchange, so when we began to share our story even more openly it was the beginning of a rise of inquiries for not just clients, but our dream clients. We will one day launch a portfolio, but for now we simply want to tell our story more than we want to share our work on a simple portfolio page. We want the story to be the most important thing, because this is how we have worked with some of the most inspiring and amazing brands. This is how we have gotten the chance to work with people who are greater business owners than us, who are greater creatives, who are greater dreamers, and those who beg to challenge us to go big or go home.
The best example of this was how we have begun to work with the app company, Over. This relationship began through the owner, Aaron, being shown our blog and not just falling in love with my typographic style, but also the story we were telling here. He related to the stories of struggle and discovery he had read about in our creative journey, because that was his story as well. After working with them to create a pack of graphics for Over, we were asked to help build another product with them and to dream bigger than ever with them. This was the reason we went to Cape Town. There, we received a chance of a lifetime not just to experience one of the most amazing places I have ever been, but to experience Aaron's life and see the real life inspiration for this product. Within 36 hours we branded their next greatest project, not because we are superstars, but simply because we allowed who Aaron was, and his passion for why he was building this new product, to be the source of inspiration for the project. We didn't search for internet inspiration we instead allowed what we saw be the only thing that inspired our work. It was a dream situation. This was why we were able to take the time to build Cape Town Love in 24 hours. We had such a great time building the beginning stages of this other larger project, that creating adventurously and giving Cape Town an app only seemed like the fun thing to do on top of everything else.
I realize that this relationship never would have happened if it were not for this space right here. It never would have been realized, as I would have just been another designer in the sea and not the exact one Aaron was ready to connect with and invest in. That idea has been my ah ha. We have found that our clients instantly feel a deep connection to us because of our story. By sharing our story and how our work is more than just the end result, our clients have found a great value and respect for what we create for them. When this happens, this means they will give you more freedom, trust, and ultimately, be proud to have you build their dream. This is the kind of respect we all deserve as creatives.
This means the big question lies in how you tell your story. My answer to you is that I am not sure, and I don't know what is right for you. For us, it is the blog. It inspires us to get going. Writing posts here encourages us to adventure, create, get out and do what we love more than anything else in our lives. It has given us reason to live the creative life we never knew we really needed in order to create the work we believe in. Though the blog was right for us, it does not have to be for you, so my challenge for you is to ask yourself: What inspires you? What is the story that you can tell? Then, what is the best way to share it?
Every creative is different, which means how you tell your story can be truly you, and the more it is that way, the better. Maybe it will be Instagram; Maybe you will be to begin workshops or write an e-book; Maybe it is simply a video that shares things that make you who you are; Maybe you will take a whole new approach to your portfolio. What ever it is that you choose, it should authentically tell your story and encourage you to continue to chase telling your story and inspiring you to share it. The more you can tell someone about what drives you creatively, the more value you add to your work and the more likely you will connect with the right people for collaborations and projects.
So, today, begin by deciding how you are planning to share your story. Think about what has brought you to this very moment right now. Wherever you are in your career it does not matter. The life of a creative is a continual journey. Work shifts and changes as it should…those are all parts of the story. By telling your story and going beyond just showing what you create, but how you came to it, can mean the difference between a client that simply pays the bills and a client that fulfills you beyond the paycheck.
No matter what, my hope is that y'all take this as a challenge to think far deeper into your work and what it means to you. That type of thinking can impact your future work and clients. Begin to figure out how you want be authentic with your story, because truly, being a creative is really not all business, and in fact, it is more personal than the world let's us believe it is.
If you would rather just see the talk first hand you can check it out right here: I think you all will really love it!
Thanks for taking time to take in these thoughts on building your presence as a creative. If you are interested in winning one of the 3 prints I am giving away (you choose which one from the above graphics), then please pin the one you like the most and place a link in the comment section below. I will choose 3 commenters at random by next Wednesday. Excited to see which graphic meant the most to each of you! On top of that Circles wants to give away 5 on-demand passes to those of you who enter the print give away. So we could have a total of 8 winners between the prints and video passes! The pass will allow you to see the other Circles talks for free which is normally $95! don't miss out enter the same way for the prints and we will choose 8 winners next week on November 19th!
For more Circles fun you can also see all the photos and the fun here.
I hope y'all go create wildly today.
Love all of the prints but this one is for sure the one I relate to most – some days we are just going through the motions of getting from point A to point B and time passes without realizing it. Sometimes we need to remember to enjoy the ride and the little things.
Love these designs and the blog post. So inspiring.
This was a very important session for me. Thank you for being real.
Oh wow! Beautifully written and expressed. I am in the process of taking a wild measure myself and I can't wait to release it into the world. I feel so scared and nervous and that's how I know it's right. I really needed to read this story today. It assured me that living boldly and sharing my story is the only way for me to live. I want to create and share to my hearts desire and not hold back out of fear. Thank you for sharing your story.
Really inspiring thoughts. Thanks so much for sharing!
Love your thoughts on the importance and value of story, Megan. Thanks for sharing your experiences!
Megan. MEGAN! I am in love with this post. I can relate to this so much. Thank you so much for sharing the insight from your journey. I'm looking forward to watching your talk today.
When you're in the business of helping other creatives reach their dreams, it's so easy to abandon your own creative journey. I wrote this post in September about how I was intentionally going to move some of the focus back on to my creative life while continuing to help my clients. Here it is if you want to take a peek.
I pinned and loved a bunch of these illustrations, but here's the one I'd like to hang in my workspace the most. It was really hard to choose!
Thank you for sharing your inspirational prints and words! I love sharing them on pinterest and instagram. They are motivating and inspirational to me and my friends!
Such a good talk! It's crazy how important the story is and how often we forget about it.
Megan – thank you so much for sharing this post. You & Mike are such an inspiration to me as designers, bloggers, and straight up humans. Your authentic voice never fails to come through here. So many blogs these days can feel so fake – filled with sponsorships, terrible photos, etc. but I can always count on coming here and getting genuine inspiration that is well thought out and well crafted. This post, like all others, is such an inspiration.
What I try to remind myself of daily. Many thanks, Megan!
You gave a really awesome talk, Megan. Thanks for sharing! And those graphics. SO GOOD. I pinned one here: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/248049891949781924/ I hope you are having a good week!
Megan!!! I LOVED listening to your talk. I have been a huge fan of yours and your work for a while now, so it was really cool to hear about your journey. I am a painter and am slowly starting to obtain clients, so I found this really inspiring! I have found that I love sharing about my life on Instagram! I blog (not that regularly), but I have found that I really love telling my story through photos!
Thanks for sharing, it was very motivating and inspiring to read your post.
Awesome stuff Megan. Thanks for sharing.
It was so hard to pick just one! These would be great as a series, or even as a "Steal Like an Artist" type book.
I also really love "You are more than just your work." It's something that I should remind myself of daily.
This talk was extremely inspiring! How beautiful! I'm so happy to be able to create brands with my husband and I'm sure you and Mike will enjoy the journey Wild Measure takes you on.
What an inspiring talk, Megan! I have been in the process of making my dream come to life and your words have been nothing but encouraging. Thank you SO much for sharing your heart with your readers.
Beautiful! Reading your blog is inspiring and your adventures have been amazing. It makes me feel less scared and alone to read about someone doing what they love. So many things to think about and do. Thank you.
This is great, it is sometimes hard to remember that the living is part of the creating. Too often when we work for others what we love becomes tedious and uninspired. Love your story, very inspiring and I enjoyed your Cape Town posts very much.
Beautiful script, as always! That creativity just flows out of y'all. So hoping I win a print for my studio!
As someone currently in the midst of a job search, this is something I try to remind myself of daily as I try to keep positive and find worth in my daily life!
I work with college students who are so focused on the destination that they lose sight of the journey they're on during their four years of undergraduate work. This would be such a great reminder for them!
Big thanks for sharing this on the blog, Megan. Love the inspiration to be ever more authentic.
Thanks for sharing this Megan. I didn't get a chance to chat with you much at Designer Vaca but you are pretty darn inspiring.
I can super relate to what you are talking about. I've quit all of my corporate design jobs because they simply were not fulfilling. I either was designer for a market I wasn't interested in or felt like I was simply designing for some CEO's wallet to grow, not to actually make the world a better place. It's such a cheesy phrase but it is so true. My freelance career is still in it's early stages but I have such high hopes for it.
Great thoughts Alicia and I hope next time we see each other we get to chat more. Really love your blog!!!
Lovely post, Megan. Thank you for sharing your inspiring journey.
Awesome speech, you're such a great public speaker!
The timing of this post couldn't have been any better! After a few years of working relentlessly to build a creative business and taking on any project that came along, I have recently gone back to basics and started over. New branding, new blog and new clients – it feels authentic and liberating!
Thanks for sharing your story – I have chose the Be Fearlessly Authentic print as it serves as an awesome reminder.
We would be nowhere without a journey, and the nice thing about it is, it never ends.
Very inspiring post, thanks for sharing!
What an encouraging post! Thank you for sharing and being authentic.
This print was exacting what I needed to see today. I go to a very strict and uptight business school where you are told every day that you are just like everyone else and you shouldn't help your fellow students because you are their competition. I however, want to break out of this mold. I would much rather live a life using my business skills to help others, not step on them.
Love them all, it was hard to pick!
I just sat riveted at my desk. I absolutely LOVED hearing your story! For me, the slide to remember the importance of the journey is very apropos because although I am creating every day, I am not at the place I truly want to be. I feel like I can see it, but just can't seem to figure out what the right next step is to getting there. I so need to remember that the place I am currently in and everything that has led me to this point is also important and to learn from each and every experience and to grow from them.
Thank you for posting your talk and for continually inspiring!
Julie! I am so glad you loved it 🙂 Keep doing what you love and chasing it. Magical things happen!
Megan. thank you so much for sharing your talk! I really needed to hear this. I couldn't choose just one but Take a Wild Measure has truly inspired me! Again, thank you!
Not many people that I would have taken the time to watch a 40 minutes video, but you are so inspiring, I had to! Loved it girl. Kudos to you!
Goosbumps and tears in my eyes. This really hit home for me in more ways than one. Thank you Megan so much for sharing this. Mega inspired right now!!
thank you for sharing your talk and leaving me inspired. as i'm navigating my career, it's words like yours that keep me focused on my goals.
It took me forever to decide which print I loved the best. They're all amazing! But I'm gonna go with "Remember the Journey is important". A lot of times in life we're in a rush to achieve our goals and we forget to enjoy the journey. We're just going about our daily routines and times flies by. We need to slow down and reflect and remember that everything we go through in life, all our experiences both good and bad shape us into who we are today.


text:
Eric Bell (baseball)
Title: Eric Bell (baseball)
Subject: Canton-Akron Indians, Eric Bell (disambiguation), List of Major League Baseball players (B), Cleveland Indians all-time roster, Houston Astros all-time roster
Eric Bell
Born: (1963-10-27) October 27, 1963 (age 50)
Batted: Left
Threw: Left
September 24, 1985 for the Baltimore Orioles
Last MLB appearance
May 8, 1993 for the Houston Astros
Win–loss record
Earned run average
Baltimore Orioles (1985–1987)
Cleveland Indians (1991–1992)
Houston Astros (1993)
Eric Alvin Bell (October 27, 1963), is a retired professional baseball player who played pitcher in the Major Leagues from 1985-1993. He played for the Cleveland Indians, Baltimore Orioles, and Houston Astros.
Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference (Minors)
Name Bell, Eric
Short description American baseball player
Place of birth Modesto, California
This biographical article relating to an American baseball pitcher born in the 1960s is a stub. You can help World Heritage Encyclopedia by expanding it.
Cleveland Indians, Canton, Ohio, Vermont Mariners, Vermont Reds, Lynn Sailors
Bo Diddley, Thin Lizzy, Phil Lynott, Rock music, Them (band)
List of Major League Baseball players (B)
2011 In Baseball, Jim Bucher, Jeff Burroughs, Charlie Babb (baseball), Bob Babcock (baseball)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Surprise! Kate Middleton makes appearance with royal family at RAF celebration | HELLO!
The Duchess of Cambridge delighted fans as she joined the royal family at Westminster Abbey on Tuesday morning. Kate, who is on maternity leave until the autumn, was not confirmed to attend the service, but the mother-of-three made a surprise appearance with her husband Prince William. Led by the Queen, the royals were attending a service to mark the centenary of the Royal Air Force.
Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Prince Edward and the Countess of Wessex were among the royal party, as were Princess Anne and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, Prince and Princess Michael of Kent and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester. The royals were greeted at the abbey doors by the Dean and Chapter of Westminster, before taking their seats.
After the service, the monarch, accompanied by Prince Charles, will present a new Queen's Colour to the RAF on the forecourt of Buckingham Palace and make a short speech. She will then head to the palace balcony to watch a flypast and Feu de Joie. It has not been confirmed who will join Her Majesty on the iconic viewpoint, but royal watchers are hoping Kate will make a second appearance.
The royals have already had a busy start to the week, with Prince Louis' christening taking place on Monday afternoon. The 11-week-old Prince was christened at the Chapel Royal of St James's Palace in London, with Prince William, Kate, Prince George and Princess Charlotte making their official debut as a family of five. The Cambridges were joined by Harry, Meghan, Charles and Camilla.
Kate, 36, looked absolutely thrilled at the christening and sweetly bounced her baby boy as she arrived at the chapel. She was heard describing her sleeping son as "very relaxed and peaceful". The Duchess added with a smile: "I hope he stays like this."


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East Haddam Historical Society & Museum
Boardman Family
Moodus Mills
Saving Land, Saving History
The Boardman Family - History of the Boardman Empire
Boardman Family Introduction
History of the Boardman Empire
Boardman Family Collection
The Boardman Silversmith industry was founded by Luther Boardman in 1840. In 1842 he had invented and patented an improved mold for creating britannia silverware. He later traveled from Chester to Moodus and purchased land and water rights to start his factory. On May 3rd 1842, Luther moved his silversmithing company to East Haddam and immediately began creating britannia spoons.
The industry was a huge success and the Boardman Company began to ship their wares down the Connecticut River and across the world. In 1847 Luther rented power and space in the Brownell factory in Moodus and for a time made spoons there. He also experimented with horse power to supplement the lack of necessary power provided by his water mills. These temporary fixes to his power needs were vastly inadequate and in 1850 Luther Boardman installed a 16 Horsepower steam engine. The next year he purchased the rights of the Sears Grist Mill and built a reservoir to further increase the power to his factories.
In 1856 Luther Boardman built a new office and shop just downstream of his reservoir. It was used for administrative purposes and inspecting and packaging spoons. Once spoons and other wares were made, a salesman would travel to general stores across the coast and procure orders of shipments. From there, crates of Boardman spoons were loaded aboard large steamboats at the Goodspeed landing and shipped to major port cities like New York and Boston. Boardman Spoons can still be found today all across the United States.
The Boardman silversmith empire reached its peak in 1862 and lasted until 1880 when the general use of tinned iron spoons had, to a large extent, driven the Boardman britannia spoons out of business. During the year 1864, Luther Boardman and his son Norman Boardman went into partnership under the firm name of L. Boardman & Son. Upon Luther's death in 1887, the business continued under the same name, and on January 1st 1900, Norman Boardman's Son, Eugene, became partners. However, upon entering the new century, the Boardman britannia ware empire was a shell of its former self. In 1907, after leasing the factory to another company, a fire broke out and destroyed the main office and factory fatally crippling the L. Boardman & Son company.
The Boardman family is buried in Riverview cemetery besides St. Stephens Episcopal Church in East Haddam. Their reservoir is now known as Boardman pond, and little evidence remains on the former site of the Boardman Britannia Spoon Mill.
See some of our Boardman Family Collection


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The proposals will be formally advertised on the 12th April 2018.
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The following plans are required to supplement restrictions at Gaydon and Southam. Pleas note that no changes are occurring on street.


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Tag: Jarred Coates
Beautifully Broken [2018] (Movie Review)
The Hartley Family appears to have it all on the outside; they are a seemingly successful American family. However, little do they know that their lives are about to become far more complicated than before. They inadvertently cross paths with William Mwizerwa, a Rwandan refugee who moved from Kenya to America to try to make a new life for his family, whom he had to flee the Rwandan genocide with. These lives also intersect with another Rwandan family who has been forever changed by the genocide. Little do they know that collectively, they will experience both brokenness and God's redemption after brokenness in ways they never before dreamed.
Beautifully Broken is an independent film that has finally come to fruition after being in the works for a while, and it bears some key hallmarks of an indie production. Though the production begins in a fairly rough manner, including wild camera work, weird light filters, and dizzying flashbacks, this is mainly only the first third of the film. It seems like this part of the film was produced separately from the rest of the movie since the remainder of the film has a significant quality increase. This is evident as the camera work, video quality, and audio quality all make marked improvements. The soundtrack is effective and culturally appropriate; however, sometimes sets and locations do not fully live up to the hype. Nevertheless, this production does enough in the latter two-thirds to make this section overall above average. It seems like time was spent to improve this part of the film, and they likely did the best they could with the budget they had. The one drawback is that the editing does not improve throughout the film, but this is is mainly due to the large amount of plot content. As a whole, this is a great first-time production.
It's an excellent idea to begin your movie career with a complex true story rather than to use original content, especially since we have a deficit of creative screenwriters in Christian film. However, one of the main pitfalls of using a true story is trying to include too much content. In some ways, it seems like the writing team of Beautifully Broken bit off more than they could chew, but this does not diminish the great message this powerfully true story has to offer. The downside is that there are one too many 'filler' scenes that waste precious time; the sheer amount of content in this plot does not allow space to develop the characters as much as they could have been, and narration and expository dialogue is used too often as a shortcut for full character and story development. However, despite its rough beginning and inconsistency in the middle, the final third of the plot are definitely worth the wait, and they keep this section higher than it would have normally been. This writing team definitely has more potential in the future once they master organization and character development.
It's possible that the uneven and inconsistent acting is the main thing that derailed Beautifully Broken from a possible Hall of Fame run. While some cast members, like Benjamin Onyango, are very good in their performances, other cast members, like Scott William Winters, cancel out any good that is done. Once again, Onyango is not given the space he needs to fully show his potential as an actor. However, for the most part, emotional performances are believable and effective. Costuming is culturally appropriate, and great efforts were taken to cast culturally authentic cast members. Overall, this rounds out a great first effort.
A lot of work has clearly been put into making Beautifully Broken happen after a fairly long period of time has passed, and the finished product is both better than most films and not as good as it could have been. There is plenty of positive in this film, and it is likely worth your time to see when it releases. There is a great message to learn, and this story is definitely worth being told. In summary, this film is a great start to a promising career, so it will be interesting to see what they have to offer next.
August 15, 2018 December 31, 2018 by Box Office Revolutionary Categories: Drama, Inspirational, International, Movie ReviewsTags: 2018, Alan Powell, All Entertainment, Benjamin A. Onyango, Big Film Factory, Bonko Khoza, Brad Allen, Caitlin Nicol-Thomas, Christopher Morrissey, Chuck Howard, David Jose Ferreira, Ditebogo Ledwaba, Ellie Foco, Emily Hahn, Eric Roberts, Eric Welch, Eugene Khumbanyiwa, Eva Ndachi, Felicia Mahambehlala, Film Incito, five points, Frans Cronjé, Geno Taylor, Geoff Koch, Goo Goo Atkins, Inspirational, International, Jacques Van Rooyen, Jarred Coates, Jessica Obilom, Joe Fredo, John Bostic, Lisa Arnold, London Hibbs, Mark E. McCann, Martin Michael, Maxwell Haynes, Michael W. Smith, Michelle Duffie, Patrick Bokaba, Red Entertainment Group, Riley Ewing, Ronnie Hooks, Saber Bankson, Scott William Winters, Sibulele Gcilitshana, Suspense, Tammi Arender, Toby Mckeehan, Vince Emmett, Welile Nzuza, Zimkitha Kumbaca	2 Comments
Because of Gracia (Movie Review)
Chase Morgan is going to be a senior in high school, but he never feels like he's been able to make a difference in life. He is content to just hang out with his best friend OB and not really be noticed by anyone, but when a new girl, Gracia, comes to school, she turns his world upside down and he feels like he has to get to know her, even though he is terrified. But as they grow closer and become friends, they discover that they have the ability, through their faith in God, to change their world together.
The collaboration of Film Incito, Check the Gate Productions, and Five Stones Films is a lethal combination in crafting a flawless production. Because of Gracia demonstrates exactly what a modern Christian production should be, from excellent video quality to professional camera work to seamless audio quality. The soundtrack is also very well-constructed and appropriate for the genre. Sets, locations, and props are also without flaw. The editing is nearly perfect as well as the story is presented in an inviting fashion. In the end, Lisa Arnold and her production team have finally struck gold with this film, and the sky is the limit from here.
New screenwriter Tom Simes has debuted his skills with a worthwhile plot. Though the story is somewhat limited and tends to be a stereotypical high school romance, the characters carry the story very well and make it enjoyable. Dialogue is mostly creative and complex, thus serving to build the characters. The biggest issues to point out here are a lot of unnecessary heavy-handed narration and quite a few 'silly' sequences that keep some characters and subplots from being further explored. It's great that we know the main characters well and that they are not black-and-white in their construction, but we would like to get to know the supporting characters just as well. Also, the epilogue that is tacked onto the end of this film really puts a damper on an otherwise excellent point that is shared at the end. Nonetheless, Because of Gracia isn't afraid to deal with some very real and serious topics in a realistic fashion, so the creative team must be applauded for this. In the end, this is definitely a good plot to start out with since it shows further potential for the future, and it is still enjoyable as it is.
You can hardly ask for a better cast than this. Moriah Peters and Chris Massoglia are excellent in their roles, as are Ben Davis, Masey McClain, and the rest. The collective minds behind this film really hit a home run with this cast, as each cast member assumes their character flawlessly and even improves upon what is written for them. Emotions are very believable and line delivery is excellent, which demonstrate the presence of acting coaching. In the end, this section punctuates a very worthwhile film.
We should be seeing movies like Because of Gracia come out every month from Christian film makers. This proves that with time, adequate funding, effort, and care, any film can be Hall of Fame. With the right combination of producers, directors, and writers, greatness can happen. Movie making, more often than not, should be a team approach, and hopefully Christian film makers are learning this now. When it releases to the public, this film is definitely worth everyone seeing. It lends great encouragement to the slow but sure turnaround and upward trend of Christian film.
August 4, 2017 January 8, 2019 by Box Office Revolutionary Categories: Hall of Fame, Inspirational, Movie Reviews, RomanceTags: 2017, 7 points, Angel Holscher Hatfield, Angelita Nelson, Ben Davies, Brett Simes, Carol Jean Wells, Caroline Delatte, Catherine Lewans, Check the Gate Productions, Chris Massoglia, Christa Beth Campbell, Cody Dedon, Cristina Segovia, Emma Elle Roberts, Emma Graves, Film Incito, Five Stones Films, Harrison Arthur Picou Low, Holly Houk, Inspirational, Ivan Lafayette, Jarred Coates, Jesse Yarborough, Jessie Froese, John Schneider, Julian Silva, Katie Walker, Ladson Deyne, Lisa Arnold, Louisa Wendorff, Mark Smeby, Masey McLain, Matthew Schuler, Maxfield Camp, Moriah Peters, Myron Glova, Nicole Johnson, Nise Davies, Olivia Williams, Owen Presland-White, Pat Patterson, Phillipa Scott, Rachael Hayward, Red Entertainment Group, Rodney Hatfield, Romance, Todd Terry, Tom Simes, Tony Beard, Zoe Blakely	5 Comments
Christmas Angel {Angel at Christmas} [2012] (Movie Review)
Olivia and Lucas have always heard rumors about a mysterious old house in their New Orleans neighborhood. Legends say that if you throw a rock through one of the windows and make a Christmas wish, it will come true. After witnessing several wishes come true when they ask them for other people, Olivia and Lucas decide to investigate the matter further. They find a collection of offbeat characters hanging around the house who are not what they seem at first. Little do they know that Christmas angels come in many forms…
As we've mentioned before, PureFlix can usually put together a respectable production. Video quality is clear as usual and camera work is professional. The sets and locations are realistic and down to earth. Unfortunately, the audio quality drags down this production, including a silly Christmas soundtrack and too many scenes in which lines cannot be heard due to background noise. The editing is mostly okay and does a good job concealing the obligatory Dorsey twist until near the end. Basically, this is an average production effort but we strongly believe it could have been better.
In keeping with their usual practices, Bradley Dorsey and Andrea Gyertson Nasfell craft a creative and thought-provoking plot that makes you think it's going to be one thing, only to change it to something different in the end. However, it goes without saying that Dorsey also commits his original sin of not going all the way with his creativity. There are times when Christmas Angel is innovative and interesting, while some moments are cringe-worthy and totally off the wall. This inconsistency makes the audience vacillate between cheering and scratching their heads. The schizophrenia is also demonstrated in the characters—while the character arcs are great in the end, it's a rocky road to get there. As usual, the storyline is based off a creative concept that sports a key plot twist and demonstrates the creative genius of the team. Elsewhere, there are just too many childish Christmas elements that hold this plot back from being as good as it could have been. Sometimes we wonder why a creator can come so close so many times but always miss the mark by an inch.
Like the rest of the film, the cast of Christmas Angel is very inconsistent. Sometimes they have awkward scenes while other times they act very professionally. Emotions are good at times and not good at other times. Some of the makeup work is below par. In short, in comes to another average score.
Basically all of the films Bradley Dorsey is involved in need to be remade. As we've said before, he has tons of potential that is untapped, probably because he throws in his lot with the PureFlix crew. For that matter, Andrea Gyertson Nasfell has lot of untapped potential herself. Both Dorsey and Nasfell have much to offer to Christian film and if they ever reach their full potential, then the field will be a different place.
December 14, 2016 January 13, 2019 by Box Office Revolutionary Categories: Christmas, Inspirational, Movie ReviewsTags: 2012, 4.5 points, Andrea Gyertson Nasfell, Bradley Dorsey, Brian Herzlinger, Brock Patrick Kaufman, Christmas, David A. R. White, Della Reese, Elizabeth Hatcher-Travis, Inspirational, Izabela Vidovic, Jaiden Kaine, Jarred Coates, Kevin Sorbo, Lisa Arnold, Michael Scott, PureFlix, Rob Boltin, Russell Wolfe, Tamera Mowry-Housley, Teri Polo, Tyler Humphrey	Leave a comment
Caged No More (Movie Review)
Aggie never thought it would turn out this way. She had always cared for Elle and Skye, the daughters of the family whose house she cleaned. But when they disappear along with their father, Aggie feels like she has to care for the distraught mother left behind. However, when the mother commits suicide, a string of events are set into motion that alert Aggie to sinister activity that Elle and Skye might be caught up in. Therefore, she takes a leap of faith to get the help she needs in order to get her girls back. As the journey takes her across two continents, Aggie clings to faith in God and to the hope that she will find her girls again.
It seems like the creators of Caged No More had good intentions, but not the resources to pull it off properly. They likely bit off a larger portion than they could chew. At least the video quality is clear, which is something most new Christian movies are finally getting right. The audio quality is passable. The camera work is okay; sometimes it tries to be too 'dramatic' and it comes off wrong. However, the lighting is very inconsistent. Some scenes are very dark, seemingly on purpose, but it doesn't make any sense. What's more, the sets are too limited for this scope of a plot. The surroundings are fairly realistic but sometimes seem empty. Speaking of scope, the editing of this film is deplorable. As will be discussed next, Caged No More is a collection of spliced together sequences forced to fit together. In short, while the effort is applaudable, the delivery is frustrating to watch.
Caged No More is built on a very choppy plot that is patched together with constant narration that either reminds us what just happened or explains something that happened off screen. There is no coherence between subplots, and the one interesting subplot is wasted and underdeveloped. The storyline contains too many leaps in logic and is based far too much on coincidences and happenchance. The characters are thin and empty, crafted with stiff and cardboard dialogue. It's really a shame that this review has to be so negative, because the genre this film is trying to break into is interesting. The idea behind this film is quite interesting, but it is very much wasted potential. Between the vague ending and the rushed plot, this film felt like it was just speeding to the sequel, but it gave us nothing to be interested in for in the sequel. At this rate, there is little purpose in creating a sequel; money would be better spent on a remake.
These cast members seem like they mean well, but they have been thrown into the mix with little to no coaching at all. Emotions are very overdone and not believable. Line delivery is forced and awkward. Kevin Sorbo playing two different characters just doesn't work at all. Christian 'celebrities' are shoehorned into the cast only for the sake of having their name on it. In short, there is some potential here, but it is not tapped.
Caged No More is a sad production in many ways. It really could have been a great genre-breaking work based on an important topic, but it fell very short of the mark. It pretends to be something bigger than it is. Buried inside of it are good ideas, but they will likely be wasted as this movie is forgotten over time. We desperately need different genres of Christian\inspirational films, but this is not the way to go about it. Human trafficking is a highly important topic that needs to be exposed, but this isn't the way. I hope a lesson can be learned here that will make a difference.
August 17, 2016 January 15, 2019 by Box Office Revolutionary Categories: International, Movie Reviews, SuspenseTags: 1.5 points, 2016, Abigail Duhon, Alan Powell, Anthony Evans, Cassidy Gifford, Check the Gate Productions, Christos Vasilopoulos, Cynthia Gibb, Dallas Lovato, Debra Wilson, Film Incito, George Kosturos, Grayson Berry, International, Jarred Coates, Jennifer Willingham, Kevin Sorbo, Lisa Arnold, Loretta Devine, Madelon Curtis, Madison De La Garza, Molly Venske, Paige Collins, Red Entertainment Group, Suspense, Troy Duhon	8 Comments
Finding Normal (Movie Review)
While driving to her destination wedding location in the Hamptons, Dr. Lisa Leland has an unfortunate run-in with the local law enforcement of Normal, Louisiana. Due to her new speeding ticket and unpaid parking tickets, a local judge decides to give Lisa a choice between community service or jail time. Lisa chooses community service and finds herself as the new town doctor. While begrudgingly performing her duties, Lisa clashes with the town lawyer, who is in the middle of a heated legal battle. Finally forced to slow down in her fast-paced life, Lisa realizes there is more to her existence than just making money.
The production quality of Finding Normal is better than usual, but it is still only average. The camera work is passable, as are the video and sound qualities. The sets and locations are limited and seem cheap. The editing is all right, but there is not really much to work with. Overall, Normal is a step above other PureFlix movies that contain glaring errors, probably since it was made for TV, but it is still not as good as it should be, knowing how much funding PureFlix has available to them.
The plot content is really where this movie takes a nosedive. For starters, it is a typical small town hostage plot in which a big city character gets stuck in a small town with every cliché imaginable: little to no cell phone coverage, a local judge with an agenda, a police officer that pulls over newcomers, a small church with typical church events, a predictable town event, and even fishing. Besides this, the storyline is trumped up and inaccurate—local jurisdictions cannot enforce parking tickets in other states. It is a stretch to believe that being a doctor could count as community service. In other news, an unrealistic religious freedom case is inserted into the film, along with some save the farm plot elements. In the wake of this nonsense, the characters are empty and the dialogue is painful. The ending makes little to no sense—the whole movie seems like it was forced to happen. Unfortunately, there is nothing good to say here.
The acting is not as bad as it could be, but it is also not as good as it could be. Candace Cameron Bure is average at best. The surrounding cast tries too hard to have a 'small-town feel'. Overall, there is nothing dynamic enough here to warrant any more points.
The bottom line is that this type of movie has been done before, too many times. There is nothing new about a big city character getting stuck in a backwards small town and being forced to slow down their fast-paced life. When these types of movies are being pitched, creators need to be challenged to change it up and do something that hasn't been done before, even something slightly different. Christian films are already too replete with mediocre nonsense and we certainly do not need anymore. We implore Christian film distributors everywhere to use the funding they have to make one truly dynamic movie, one that can change cultures, not five more that will be forgotten in a few years.
February 12, 2016 January 18, 2019 by Box Office Revolutionary Categories: Comedy, Inspirational, Movie Reviews, RomanceTags: 2.5 points, 2013, Andrew Bongiorno, Anna Zielinski, Ashleigh Jolly, Brian Herzlinger, Candace Cameron Bure, Cary Solomon, Cheryl Ariaz Wicker, Chuck Konzelman, Comedy, Delia Farizath, Dodie Brown, Inspirational, Isabel Myers, Jarred Coates, Jim Elliott, Kendrick Hudson, Lou Beatty Jr., Mark Irvingsen, Mary Alfred Thoma, Pam Dougherty, PureFlix, Romance, Russell Wolfe, Trevor St. John, Unpaid Parking Tickets, Valerie Boucvalt, Will Musser	2 Comments


The American Chamber of Commerce to the European Union (AmCham EU) is concerned that some parts of the European Commission's proposed "New Deal for Consumers" will fail to meet its overall objective of protecting consumer rights, and may in fact be detrimental to consumers and businesses.
AmCham EU supports the Commission's efforts to facilitate access to justice and guarantee a high level of consumer protection, and where individuals have been harmed by illegal practices, collective redress mechanisms may be appropriate.
However, we are disappointed that the Commission's proposal to introduce such a mechanism fails to include the full range of safeguards it recommended to Member States in 2013. As American companies with first-hand experience of the damaging effects of frivolous litigation, we believe these safeguards are of utmost importance to ensure that collective redress is to the benefit of both businesses and consumers.
"The introduction of a US-style class action system would protect neither consumers nor businesses. We reiterate our commitment to being accountable to customers, but stress that access to justice should not become a business. The regulatory framework must maintain, strengthen and reinforce protection against abuses," said Susan Danger, CEO of AmCham EU.
With regards to the proposed steps to modernise consumer protection, we appreciate the Commission's move to allow traders to reimburse consumers after receiving a returned product, which we believe constitutes a more "common sense" approach than that which currently exists.
Nonetheless, while we share the Commission's concerns about the insufficient and uneven enforcement of consumer protection rules in the EU, the introduction of harmonised maximum penalties is unlikely to remedy the issue. Instead, insufficient compliance and enforcement would be more effectively tackled by addressing lack of awareness of consumer rights and encouraging more coordination between Member States. Where appropriate, penalties should remain proportionate and be reserved for serious and deliberate violations of consumer rights.
We are also disappointed that the proposal to allow Member States to further restrict doorstep selling appears a step backwards from the maximum harmonisation achieved in the current legislation.


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Пурушаме́дха (  — «жертвоприношение человека») — ведийский ритуал принесения в жертву человека, описанный в Шукла Яджурведе (Ваджасанея-самхита, адхьяе 30). Стихи описывают людей всех варн как привязанных к доле в жертвоприношении и предлагаемых Праджапати.

«…жреческому достоинству [следует принести в жертву] брахмана,
царскому достоинству — кшатрия, Марутам — вайшью, подвижничеству
— шудру, тьме — вора, аду — убийцу, злу — евнуха… страсти
— гетеру, шуму — певца, танцу — сказителя, пенью — скомороха…
смерти — охотника… костям — игрока… сну — слепого, беззаконию
— глухого… сиянию — поджигателя… земле — хромого… небу
— лысого… и т. д».

Согласно поздней тантрической литературе: «Не следует никогда даже траву срывать против закона; [с другой стороны,] даже убийство коровы или брахмана, [совершённое] согласно писанию, не несёт греха. Что ещё сказать?» Куларнава-тантра 2: 136

Ритуалистика «пурушамедхи» содержится в брахманах. В списке жертвенных животных человек всегда рассматривался первым по значимости, например, в Шатапатха-брахмане VI 2 1 18.

В пурушамедхе брахман или кшатрий приравнивается по ценности к сотне коней или к тысяче коров. Жертва была добровольной: человек беспрепятственно странствовал в течение года перед тем, как его приносили в жертву. Уподобляясь Праджапати, в течение года приносимый в жертву человек сохранял половое воздержание. В пурушамедхе берёт своё начало связь годичного цикла с образом жертвы.

Как считает Мирча Элиаде: «Не вполне ясно, совершалось ли это жертвоприношение хоть когда-нибудь на самом деле. Оно описывается в целом ряде шраутасутр, но лишь в "Санкхаяне" и "Вайтане" жертву предписывается умерщвлять. В прочих литургических трактатах говорится, что в последний момент человека отпускают, а вместо него убивают животное. Во время пурушамедхи декламируют знаменитый космогонический гимн Пурушасукту (PB X 90). Поскольку жертва отождествляется с Пурушей-Праджапати, то, соответственно, приносящий жертву уподобляется самому Праджапати».

Хотя, начиная с Шатапатха-брахманы, пурушамедха трактуется в пользу сохранения человеческой жизни, в двух Шраута-сутрах этот ритуал ещё описывается как действительно производившийся: это Санкхаяна-шраута-сутра (Sankhayana-Srauta-Sutra) 16.10-14 (SankhSS 16.10-14) и Вайтана-сутра (Vaitana-Sutra) 37.10-38.9 (VaitS 37.10-38.9).

Говардхан Радж Шарма (Sharma, Govardhan Raj) по результатам раскопок в Каушамби 1957—1959 годов заключил, что три человеческих черепа и человеческие кости, найденные возле алтаря (датированного вторым веком до нашей эры), свидетельствуют об осуществлении пурушамедхи. Пурушамедха проводилась редко, в экстраординарных случаях — так же, как человеческие жертвоприношения в европейской Античности. Так, при угрозе государству после поражения от Ганнибала в 216 году до н. э. римляне дважды заживо закапывали людей на Форуме.

Ведийский период
В самих текстах ведийской литературы нет однозначного указания на завершение ритуала — убивать или нет человека во время совершения Пурушамедхи: в одном месте Шатапатха-брахманы есть указание на то, что жертва или жертвы должны быть освобождены невредимыми по окончании ритуала; в другом месте прямо говорится о том, что жертва должна быть принесена — то есть человек должен быть умерщвлён. Однако можно сказать, что человеческие жертвы приносились, о чём свидетельствуют найденные археологами человеческие черепа и кости на местах проведения огненных жертвоприношений. В самой ведийской литературе — в Брахманах и в шраута-сутрах — есть специализированные списки того, что можно приносить в жертву во время яджны, и человек в этих списках занимает первое место как наивысшая из жертв.

Согласно мнению британского индолога Ральфу Гриффиту, ритуал Пурушамедхи очень близок ритуалу Ашвамедхи как по ритуальному содержанию, так и по исполнению:

По мнению же Р. Н. Дандекара и некоторых других индологов, можно говорить о том, что в ранний период ведийской цивилизации (приблизительно до начала кодификации старейших из Брахман) принесение человека в жертву было обычной практикой — так, в Кришна Яджур-веде есть указание в определённых случаях приносить в жертву до 184 человек разных сословий и варн, в том числе и из варны брахманов. Однако позднее, когда варна брахманов начала занимать ведущие позиции в обществе, замена реальных жертв на символические была неизбежна. Как указывает нидерландский индолог Ян Хаубен, нет никаких оснований считать Пурушамедху символическим ритуалом — в противном случае она никогда бы не была внесена в так называемый список Кали-варджьяс (kali-varjyas — действия, запрещённые в Кали-югу). По его мнению, символизация жертвы начала происходить в связи с ростом влияния буддизма и джайнизма (религий, в которых одним из основных моментов является ахимса) и кодификацией Шатапатха-брахманы и составлением Чхандогья-упанишады (в которой ахимса названа одной из добродетелей). В дальнейшем, в шраманический период (с ростом философской школы Мимансы и утверждением Вед как единственного авторитетного источника по вопросам Дхармы), ведийские ритуалисты, защищая свои действия от буддийской и джайнской критики, полностью отказались от действительного принесения человека в жертву во время Пурушамедхи и стали совершать Пурушамедху с символическим принесением жертвы — в конце ритуала жертву символически убивали листом травы куша или проводили жертвенным ножом по коже.

Существовало несколько типов ритуальной практики Пурушамедхи. Согласно одной из них, царским домом покупался человек (обязательно кшатрий или брахман) за сто коней или тысячу коров. Этот человек в течение года фактически оставался на свободе и жил обычной жизнью, отказывая себе лишь в одном — в общении с женщинами. По истечении года его приносили в жертву вместе с жертвенными животными и царица совершала имитацию полового акта с трупом. По другому описанию, царица совершала половой акт или его имитацию с ещё живым человеком, после чего последний отпускался и награждался. Сам обряд был направлен на процветание государства.

Эпический период: от пурушамедхи к нарабали

Человеческое жертвоприношение в санскрите обозначают термины: пурушамедха, нарамедха, нарабали.
В эпической литературе индуизма есть упоминания принесения человека в жертву: в 71-й главе Калика-пураны сказано, что человеческие жертвы угодны Богине. По сообщению известного религиоведа Мирча Элиаде, человеческие жертвоприношения осуществлялись в храме Камакхья вплоть до XIX века. «Этот храм был знаменит человеческими жертвоприношениями, которые происходили в нём вплоть до девятнадцатого века (они были запрещены английским правительством в 1832 г.). В 1565 году 140 жертв было обезглавлено только во время одного жертвоприношения. (…) Их приносили в жертву во время ежегодного праздника богини, и в "Калика-пуране" целая глава посвящена детальному описанию того, как их обезглавливали». Глава Калика-пураны, описывающая человеческие жертвоприношения — Rudhiradhyaya — была опубликована в английском переводе ещё в 1807 году. Калика-пурана утверждает: «С принесением в жертву человека богиня удовлетворяется на целую тысячу лет, с тремя людьми — на сто тысяч лет. Человеческой плотью Камакхья и Бхайрави (…) удовлетворяются на три тысячи лет» (Shastri 1991, 67.19).
Калика-пурана связывает человеческие жертвоприношения с интересами власти и особыми случаями в государственной жизни, осуждая их осуществление без санкции правителя: «Если человеческая жертва принесена без согласия князя, исполнитель совершает грех. В случаях угрожающей опасности или войны жертвоприношения можно осуществлять по желанию самого князя или его министров, а не по своему желанию». По сообщению Джона Вудроффа (Sir J. Woodroffe, Shakti and Shakta — Madras, London, 1920 — p. 61), текст Kālikalpalatā тоже утверждает, что только правитель может организовывать человеческое жертвоприношение, а Tantrasāra запрещает брахману участвовать в этом ритуале. Этот же автор, Джон Вудрофф, комментируя 19-й стих Гимна Кали, где в обращении к богине перечислены приносимые ей в жертву «волосы, кости и плоть от кошки … верблюда, овцы, человека, буйвола или козла» утверждает, что «только цари, никто другой, имеют право осуществлять человеческие жертвоприношения согласно Ямале, процитированной в тексте Kālīkalpalatā». В Кали-тантре (3: 6-8) в составе жертвенного подношения крови и плоти с волосами указаны ногти, при этом (8: 18) «нет ограничений … ни в жертвах, ни в почитаниях».
Есть упоминание о человеческих жертвоприношениях в литературе Тантр и Агам — как в шиваитских и шактийских, так и в вайшнавских. В частности, в тексте Махакала-самхита, Камакалакханда (Mahakalasamhita, Kamakalakhanda: MKSK) patala 6 (pp. 52-54) обретение сиддхи меча, кхадгасиддхи, описывается так: «с помощью мантр и подношения его крови, и, если это возможно, narabali — человеческого жертвоприношения (буквально "and, if possible, a human sacrifice (narabali)" в переводе Джеймса Маллинсона) садхака наделяет меч силой, гарантирующей ему победу во всех битвах». (Там же оксфордский исследователь упоминает Кулачудаманитантру: «Cf. Kulacudamanitantra 6.26с — 33d») Процитированный Джеймсом Маллинсоном текст, Махакала-самхита, является одним из текстов, на которых основывается шактистская школа Кали-каула. «Йогини Тантра» утверждает, что человеческое жертвоприношение в форме ребёнка (narasya kumаra) является самым высоким из всех жертвоприношений и стоит больше, чем подношение любого количества яков, черепах, кроликов, кабанов, буйволов, носорогов или ящериц (Shastri 1982, 2.7.157-162). Человеческое жертвоприношение провозглашается лучшим в 4-й главе Кумари-тантры, а сама эта тантра (Kumari-tantra) комментировалась Шуклой Матхуранатхой, Кришнанандой в его «Тантрасаре» (Krsnananda, Tantrasara), Раматосаной в его «Пранатосини»; Рагхунатхой Таркавагисой в его «Агама-таттва-виласе» (Raghunatha Tarkavagisa, Agama-tattva-vilasa). Кумари-тантра цитировалась вместе с другими тантрами в одном ряду с Калика-пураной Удгатой Рамачандрой (Ramachandra Udgata) из Ориссы.

В вайшнавском тексте Шримад-Бхагаватам, песне 9-й, главе 7-й (Потомки царя Мандхаты) описано человеческое жертвоприношение для исцеления царя Харишчандры (Бхагавата-пурана 9.7.21), на котором главным жрецом был Вишвамитра, Джамадагни читал мантры Яджурведы, Аясья пел гимны Самаведы, Васиштха возглавлял брахманов (Бхагавата-пурана 9.7.22). После этого, «видя, что Махараджа Харишчандра и его жена правдивы, терпеливы и во всем ищут самую суть, великий мудрец Вишвамитра дал им неуничтожимое духовное знание, позволяющее достичь цели человеческой жизни» (Бхагавата-пурана 9.7.24). В главе 16-й (Бхагавата-пурана 9.16.31-32) рассказано о том, что приносимый в жертву Шунахшепха был спасён по своим молитвам и стал называться Деваратой. (В других индийских источниках уточняется, что Вишвамитра посоветовал Шунахшепхе помолиться Ушас, благодаря которой тот был спасён от смерти.) Тем самым пурушамедха в Шримад-Бхагаватам трактуется в пользу сохранения человеческой жизни.

Человеческие жертвоприношения осуждаются в школе Адвайта-веданта. По преданию этой школы, человеческие жертвоприношения Бхайраве, практиковавшиеся капаликами, отменил Шанкара. В Чхандогья-упанишаде (часть 3, глава 16) пурушамедха трактуется сугубо аллегорически: как сам процесс человеческой жизни, полный срок которой составляет 116 лет. Болезни рассматриваются как препятствия жизни-пурушамедхе, которые следует устранять для достижения такого долголетия.

Современный период: отрицание и символическое понимание
Человеческие жертвоприношения Кали, практиковавшиеся в прошлом, стали предметом острой критики автора Конституции Индии и первого министра юстиции этой страны Амбедкара. В 15-й главе своей книги «Загадка в индуизме» (Riddle In Hinduism) он подробно процитировал регламент человеческого жертвоприношения из Калика-пураны и заключил: «Сегодня людей не приносят в жертву богине Кали. Но это не значит, что такого не случалось. Напротив, есть множество доказательств, демонстрирующих, что человеческие жертвы, наряду с животными, производились так, как учит пурана Кали. Доктор Раджендралал Митра (Dr. Rajendralal Mitra) утверждает: "Хорошо известен факт, что в течение длительного времени обряд (человеческого жертвоприношения) был распространён во всём Индостане"».

В официальном шактистском культе Кали «человеческое жертвоприношение» — лишь аллегория, условный образ: теперь это лишь символическое обозначение преодоления заблуждений. «Чтоб достичь высшего божественного сознания, мы должны превзойти человеческую природу со всеми её заблуждениями. Этот процесс преодоления символически представляется как человеческая жертва или нарабали (narabali)», — пишет Даш Дургамадхаб в статье «Почитание Матери Кали» (текст статьи опубликован на официальном сайте правительства индийского штата Орисса). Этот культ в Индии управляется жрецами-брахманами разряда «паураника». Традиционным жрецом Кали, происходящим из касты её храмовых служителей, был знаменитый философ-гуманист и реформатор индуизма Рамакришна — представитель Адвайта-веданты.

См. также
 Ашвамедха
 Пуруша-сукта
 Сати
 Человеческое жертвоприношение
 Ритуальное убийство

Примечания

Литература
 на русском языке
 Олег Ивик. История человеческих жертвоприношений. «Ломоносовъ», 2010 г. ISBN 978-5-91678-003-1
 Элиаде М., Йога. Свобода и бессмертие. — Киев, «София», 2000 — ISBN 5-220-00307-0
 на других языках
 Vesci, Uma Marina. Heat and sacrifice in the Vedas. Motilal Banarsidass Publ. ISBN 978-81-208-0841-6. 2010.
 Fuller, Christopher John. The camphor flame: popular Hinduism and society in India. Princeton University Press. 2010.
 Rodrigues, Hillary; Sumaiya Rizvi. «Blood Sacrifice in Hinduism». Mahavidya. p. 1. Archived from the original on 17 August 2010. http://www.mahavidya.ca/. Retrieved 17 August 2010.
 Sharma, G.R., The Excavations at Kausambi (1957—1959). Allahabad: University of Allahabad, 1960
 Weber, «Ueber das Menschenopfer bei den Indern etc.» («Zeitschr. d. deutsch. Morgenl. Gesellsch.», т. 18);
 Wilson, «On Human Sacrifices in the Ancient Religion of India» («Select Works», Л., т. II);
 Rajendra Lala Mitra, «On human sacrifices in anc. India» («Journ. of the Asiat. Soc. of Bengal», XLV, ч. 1, 1876).
 Hillebr a ndt, «Ritual-Litteratur. Vedische Opfer und Zauber» // «Grundr. der indoarisch. Philologie» Бюлера, Страсбург, 1897, § 77)
 The Texts of the White Yajurveda, tr. Ralph T.H. Griffith, 1899 http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/wyv/wyvbk30.htm
 James Mallinson, «The Khecarıvidya of Adinatha: A Critical Edition and Annotated Translation», submitted by James Mallinson of Balliol College, Oxford, for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Trinity Term — Oxford, Balliol College, August 14, 2003 — p. 152, р. 319 http://www.academia.edu/703478/Khecarividya_of_Adinatha_The_a_Critical_Edition_and_Annotated_Translation_of_an_Early_Text_of_Hathayoga._Routledge_Studies_in_Tantric_Traditions_Series
 Shastri, B. N. (ed), «Yogini Tantra», Delhi: Bhаratiya Vidya Prakasana, 1982.
 Shastri, B. N., «Kalika Purana», Delhi: Nag Publishers, 1991.
 Indian Archaeology 1957-58, а review. Ed. by A.Ghosh, director general of archaeology in India — Archaeological survey of India. Government of India — New Delhi, 1993 — First Edition 1958, Reprint Edition 1993
 Hymn to Kali, by Arthur Avalon (Sir John George Woodroffe), 1922 — VERSE 19 http://www.sacred-texts.com/tantra/htk/htk23.htm
 Hugh B. Urban, The Womb of Tantra: Goddesses, Tribals, and Kings in Assam — The Journal of Hindu Studies 2011; 4 http://www.academia.edu/12798495/The_Womb_of_Tantra_Goddesses_Tribals_and_Kings_in_Assam
 Taylor К., Sir John Woodroffe, Tantra and Bengal. 'An Indian Soul in a European Body'? — London and New York, Routled ge Curzon, Taylor & Francis Group, 2001 — ISBN 0-7007-1345-X
 Avalon A., Hymn to Kali Karpuradi-stotra — Ganesh & Co. (Madras) LTD, second edition, 1953
 Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, Riddle In Hinduism — http://www.ambedkar.org/riddleinhinduism/
 Violence denied. Violence, non-violence and the rationalization of violence in South Asian cultural history — ed. by Jan E.M. Houben and Karel R. Van Kooij — Brills indological library. Volume 16. — Leiden-Boston-Koln: Brill, 1999. — ISBN 90-04-11344-4

Ведизм
Поклонение в индуизме
Понятия индуизма
Жертвоприношения в индуизме
Смертная казнь
Виды убийств

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
draft of my hijab paper
How does Islam fit into Western cultures? All over the world, particularly right now, in Europe and France this is a topic of much discussion and controversy. The object that symbolizes this battle more than any other aspect of Islam is women wearing the hijab (Marcotte 163). Islam has been reduced to a brand and the hijab is its logo. The West has taken a symbol of modesty and loaded it to the brim with meanings. The dogma of Islam also front loads this tradition with lots of meaning. I intend to ask the questions: do these two groups, the West and Islam, see the hijab in the same way and what are the meanings assigned to the hijab by those who wear it?
A semiotic analysis of the meanings that pop into the minds of non-Muslims at the sight of the hijab shows just how negative their perceptions are. The West often depicts the Hijab as a sign of political agency and devout faith in an Islam with a fixed dogma. By in large the Western nations of the world also agree that the hijab is a sign of submission by women and dominance over women by men. I will argue here, when the women of Islam cover it is not a sign of political views, submission to men, nor a measure of how adherent they are to Islam.
Even when we consider Islam and its own understanding of the veil it is easy to find misconceptions among its followers. The popularity of the veil in America really points out where these misconceptions come from. Covering has grown in popularity in relative recent times. Decisions made by Western countries to ban covering coupled with the settling of Muslim refugees in the West has made the veil a necessity for Muslim women. This creates a visible connection to other Muslims in an unfamiliar setting.
I will show that Islam itself does not fully understand the decision of young women to cover. All the Qur'anic verses and Hadiths that guide the faith only hint at the hijab and do not come close to identifying why it is worn in the modern world. I will also show that the Western perception of the hijab reflects people's own fears and prejudice more than any motives expressed by young Muslim women who choose to cover. The answers to the questions about the hijab are found in the reasons given by the young women who decide to wear them. It is not surprising that the reasons young women give for wearing the hijab do not reflect the dogma of Islam or the perceptions of the West.
The insider view: Islam and the hijab:
The obvious first choice for information about the hijab would be the Qur'an. This holy text of Islam is considered by Muslims to literally be the words of Allah as they were dictated to the prophet Mohammad. It is the first source of dogma for Islam and all the scriptures that guide the lives of the faithful come from its pages. It is the Qur'an where the hijab is first mentioned.
O Prophet! Tell thy wives and daughters, and the believing women, that they should cast their Jilbabs (Hijabs) over their persons (when abroad): that is most convenient, that they should be known (as such) and not molested. And Allah is oft-forgiving, most merciful (Qur'an 33:59)
These are the directions that first state women should cover their hair when abroad, abroad is thought to mean not at home. There are other verses in the Qur'an that direct women to subdue their eyes, not reveal any parts of their bodies except that which is necessary and they should cover their chests and not relax this code in the presence of men other than their fathers, husband's fathers, brothers, sons of their brothers etc. (Qur'an 24:30-31). The message is that women should cover to protect themselves from men who would see them and take liberties.
There have always been those in Islam who would work to hold women back (Bloom and Blair 47). This is often presented as reasoning against the acceptance of Islam in the West. This is an example of another fundamental attribution error made by the Western World in how it frames the discussion of Islam.
Western Understanding: What America knows about the hijab:
. In America Muslim women tend to wear the veil at a higher rate than women in Muslim countries around the world. Wearing the Hijab has seen a resurgence in the Middle East and North Africa. An example of this would be Somalia. Islam in Somalia has traditionally been very lax; this was true before and after the fall of Somaliland. After the dissolution of Somali's central government in 1992 it was still not a country where the hijab was common. It would not be commonplace there until after it was adopted by Somali refugees in the United States. It is important to note this because it goes against one of the cornerstones of Western perception about Muslim woman and the veils they wear. The wearing of the veil is not a symbol of devout Islam; it is too newly a revitalized practice for that (Boyle and Ali 66-73, 74).
In the West the semiotics around the hijab are by-in-large negative. People have grown up with these assumptions about the veil and that continually perpetuates these notions (Danesi 20). The idea that the Hijab is something worn by all Muslim women, for all time in all Muslim countries is a very common assumption made in America. Conservative dress, a label applied to all sorts of coverings worn by Muslim women, is assumed to be done out of obligation rather than choice (Nadal et al. 157). There are many styles of veil worn by Muslim women, such as the niqab, lithma and burqa cover the entire face, more than less conservative coverings like the hijab, abayah and gins, but they all represent the same lack of personal freedom in the eyes of the West (El Guindi 7). This supposed lack of freedom becomes evidence for the idea of the universal mistreatment of Muslim women.
The Western impression of Muslim women as being mistreated helps reinforce the idea of an oppressive Islam. The hijab and other coverings become the outward symbol of how abusive Islam is to women. The hijab in America is viewed as if it were a pair of sunglasses covering the black eye of the archetypical abused housewife. This view has many effects on the Islam in America. One symptom of this assumption is that Americans are often perplexed at the idea that any women would convert to Islam (Maslim and Bjorck 97-98).
Another misconception in the West is that Muslim women are anti-feminism. The view that Muslim women dress as they do because they are submissive (Ali et al. 45) and they have no will of their own is very common (Rehman and Dzlegielewski). These ideas are not backed up by the facts of Islam but the narrative has been controlled by the louder voices of the media portrayal of Islam in the West.
The motives of America and its Western allies have always been sold to the public with thin evidence to justify occupation and war. They have always kept the story of Islam's treatment of women in their back pocket. Images and ideas of the Qur'an presented to the public as being anti-feminist and condoning the abuse of women are kept in the conversation because these stories are powerful in the way they offend our sense of values. The hijab as bondage is a concept sold to America through its media. The hijab represents their values and the values of the West will protect us and stop them (Toossi 641-645, 651, 653).
The Qur'an never says that women must wear the veil (Bloom & Blair). It is a choice made by the wearer. There are exceptions and this is part of the problem with Western ideas of Islam, the West sees a fixed Islam, a religion that is the same throughout the world. Traditions which exist in cultures where Islam is present are all balled together into one story of Islam. It is common for women to wear a burqa in Iran, under the law in Iran, but it is not a law in Islam. Throughout the world, most Muslim women do not wear any veil (Scott 208-4). There is a line in a hadith that states "The best among you are those who are best to their wives (Ibrahim 74). The value of women is not part of the Western conversation about Islam. Since around 632 CE the Qur'an has given women the right to own property, control their own finances and seek divorce compared to Christianity, Muslims were the original feminists.
The wearers of the hijab weigh in:
For the wearers of the Hijab there are many reasons given as to why. These reason do not always mesh with the dogma of Islam; often in mainstream Islam the reasons for the veil have been politicized beyond the meanings given in the Qur'an. These reasons also do not back up the perceptions of what the hijab means to the West. France and America in particular have assigned many meanings to the Hijab that are based on fear driven assumptions but fall short of much truth.
In a study by Ali et al, Muslim women do talk about how their individual ethnic cultures have used Islam to oppress their rights. This is contrary to the religious teachings of Islam. In the West all of the cultures are combined for the sake of perpetuating the worst possible view of Islam. This is the equivalent of portraying the Westboro Baptist Church as all of Christianity. Whites in America identify their religion as their culture, and project their cultural understanding onto Muslim women. In the same study mentioned earlier, white Christians identified this way but African American Christians and Muslim women identified their culture as their ethnic racial background and their religion separate from that (45). This is likely where much of the perception of the West is rooted, in their traditions being generalized to all cultures around them.
Another source of Western ideas about Islam is the idea that most Muslim dress is not compatible with the sexualization of the female body. In America women are often seen as sex objects. In Islam modesty is a cherished value but secular western views don't put much stock into modesty. The idea that Islam is oppressing women because they wear the Hijab is never reconciled against the idea that modest dress and conservative non-secular values are considered prudish. Women in conservative dress often become the victims of harassment in the west (Nadal et al. 157) (Maslim and Bjorck 97-98). This is of course against the popular ideas of the good Christian and "do unto others as you would have done unto you" (Luke 6:31) but that does not change Western perception of the hijab.
Conservative dress reflects the modesty of the wearer but in the West it is viewed as a sign of devout Islam and overall conservative values. In Nadel et Al, a subject is quoted as say "I'm covered up: people wouldn't think that I actually have fun…" and "… I'm human, I have fun- just because I where a Hijab on my head doesn't make any difference." (157). The American Polo shirt is a piece of clothing that marks the wearer as boring in the view of many, yet there is not near as much stigma attached to wearing what is typically the uniform for playing golf. It is very likely to see groups of young Muslim women acting the same as young secular American women but we still see the hijab as some kind of anti-fun device. In the West, the idea that Muslim women have fun never seems to be considered.
Nausheena, is the Director at Council on American-Islamic Relations,in a conversation we had she said about wearing the hijab, "I realized this very recently, like last night. When people ask me, why do you wear it [the hijab], I respond with modesty, feminism, etc. But really I do it for HIM! HIM ONLY. I am going to make sure I land this message; I wear hijab to please Allah swt." In her comments Nausheena says something that catches many in the West off guard. She says one of the reasons she wears the Hijab is feminism. This is difficult for people in the west to understand for two reasons: the first, mentioned earlier, in the West the hijab is viewed as a way for men in Islam to oppress women. The second reason is that in Ali et Al's research, most Christian women in America identified with feminist values but at the same time rejected the label. The opposite is true for Muslim women who were most likely to identify as feminist. (Ali et al. 13).
In Conclusion:
The reasons given by young women who have decided to cover with the hijab, niquab, burqa and other traditional covers are often feminism and modesty. Other reasons include a sense of belonging; it is a way to stand unified with the Muslim community in general. In fact, it is true that the Hijab and other coverings have grown in popularity around the Middle East and Africa after its use grew in the Muslim diaspora (Boyle and Ali 66-73, 74). After Somali refugees settled in Minnesota there was a move to wearing the hijab. This provided refugees in Minneapolis and the surrounding area with visual cues as to who they can communicate with and who is in their community. It was after this that the hijab became popular in Somalia. Through return visits and remittances, the trend of wearing the hijab in the West has spread to Africa.
One of the biggest reasons for covering and one that is so difficult for the West to understand is "for him". The Qur'an is believed to be the literal word of God as given to the prophet. To cover is a way to honor God. This is a difficult concept for secular society to grasp. Considering that the concept is not so far from wearing a favorite sportsball's team jersey, it is difficult to imagine why it is so misunderstood. Wearing a cross is very popular in the States but it is somehow seen as more acceptable that wearing a hijab. In other Western countries like France the hijab has been outlawed in schools because of its "religious" significance (Scott 208-4). Wearing a hat with a team logo, product logo or political logo is acceptable but a religious symbol like a hijab cannot be worn in public schools. In France this is so extreme that when young Muslim girls wore headbands to cover their hair after the hijab was banned, France then banned headbands that were specifically being worn in place of hijabs.
There are many things that come to mind about what the hijab means and these meanings are different for different people. Within Islam the ideas of meaning are varied even inside its own traditions. Islam has been used all over the middle east, Europe and Africa to oppress women and to liberate them. The Qur'an can be used as a source of the words of Allah but this has little weight in the actual dogma portrayed by different cultures within Islam. The oppression of women in truth has nothing to do with the Qur'an or Islam. The West also has its own understanding of what the hijab means. Meanings run the gambit from the oppression of women, political allegiance to terrorists, all the way to nun like devotion to Islam. These western perceptions are often as telling about as the Wests fear of Muslims. The hijab has become the icon of the Islam, the semiotics around it sum up all the views and it is often used to signify radical Islam among other things. Right now the debate around refugees from Syria is centering on the fact that since Syrians are Muslim, the refugees could have terrorists with them. Bill Peduto, the mayor of Pittsburgh summed up the refugee situation when he proclaimed "These people are living in hell for people to characterize them as terrorists … it's not only unfortunate but inhumane" (Bauder 1). Because the popular image of Islam is summed up by the woman who wears a hijab, comments like this speak directly to the Western perception of the hijab. When the word "refugee" is used, it brings up Muslims in our mind and that brings up the image of a woman in a hijab for many. The hijab is in many ways the logo of Islam in the modern world.
The hijab represents a rock and a hard place for the wearer, especially in the West. Within Islam the hijab can be used to maintain control of women, in countries like Iran and Saudi Arabia where governments are working against a woman's right to choose whether or not to cover. In America the hijab is linked to terrorism, piety, sexual oppression, anti-colonial revolution and the act of refusing to assimilate (Toossi 641-645, 651, 653). There are reasons not to cover, but covering in the name of modesty, feminism and faith are powerful motivations, which assume the weight of dogma and perception.