text:
News: Follow saskeptics on twitter.
Entire Forum This board This topic Members Google Entire Site
South African Skeptics > Other > News and current events > Topic: Afghanistan: Kingdom of pedophiles?
Author Topic:
Afghanistan: Kingdom of pedophiles?
(Read 6401 times)
Skeptical ability: +5/-0
Via SFGate
Western forces fighting in southern Afghanistan had a problem. Too often, soldiers on patrol passed an older man walking hand-in-hand with a pretty young boy. Their behavior suggested he was not the boy's father. Then, British soldiers found that young Afghan men were actually trying to "touch and fondle them," military investigator AnnaMaria Cardinalli told me. "The soldiers didn't understand."
All of this was so disconcerting that the Defense Department hired Cardinalli, a social scientist, to examine this mystery. Her report, "Pashtun Sexuality," startled not even one Afghan. But Western forces were shocked - and repulsed.
For centuries, Afghan men have taken boys, roughly 9 to 15 years old, as lovers. Some research suggests that half the Pashtun tribal members in Kandahar and other southern towns are bacha baz, the term for an older man with a boy lover. Literally it means "boy player." The men like to boast about it.
"Having a boy has become a custom for us," Enayatullah, a 42-year-old in Baghlan province, told a Reuters reporter. "Whoever wants to show off should have a boy."
Baghlan province is in the northeast, but Afghans say pedophilia is most prevalent among Pashtun men in the south. The Pashtun are Afghanistan's most important tribe. For centuries, the nation's leaders have been Pashtun.
President Hamid Karzai is Pashtun, from a village near Kandahar, and he has six brothers. So the natural question arises: Has anyone in the Karzai family been bacha baz? Two Afghans with close connections to the Karzai family told me they know that at least one family member and perhaps two were bacha baz. Afraid of retribution, both declined to be identified and would not be more specific for publication.
As for Karzai, an American who worked in and around his palace in an official capacity for many months told me that homosexual behavior "was rampant" among "soldiers and guys on the security detail. They talked about boys all the time."
He added, "I didn't see Karzai with anyone. He was in his palace most of the time." He, too, declined to be identified.
In Kandahar, population about 500,000, and other towns, dance parties are a popular, often weekly, pastime. Young boys dress up as girls, wearing makeup and bells on their feet, and dance for a dozen or more leering middle-aged men who throw money at them and then take them home. A recent State Department report called "dancing boys" a "widespread, culturally sanctioned form of male rape."
So, why are American and NATO forces fighting and dying to defend tens of thousands of proud pedophiles, certainly more per capita than any other place on Earth? And how did Afghanistan become the pedophilia capital of Asia?
Sociologists and anthropologists say the problem results from perverse interpretation of Islamic law. Women are simply unapproachable. Afghan men cannot talk to an unrelated woman until after proposing marriage. Before then, they can't even look at a woman, except perhaps her feet. Otherwise she is covered, head to ankle.
"How can you fall in love if you can't see her face," 29-year-old Mohammed Daud told reporters. "We can see the boys, so we can tell which are beautiful."
Even after marriage, many men keep their boys, suggesting a loveless life at home. A favored Afghan expression goes: "Women are for children, boys are for pleasure." Fundamentalist imams, exaggerating a biblical passage on menstruation, teach that women are "unclean" and therefore distasteful. One married man even asked Cardinalli's team "how his wife could become pregnant," her report said. When that was explained, he "reacted with disgust" and asked, "How could one feel desire to be with a woman, who God has made unclean?"
That helps explain why women are hidden away - and stoned to death if they are perceived to have misbehaved. Islamic law also forbids homosexuality. But the pedophiles explain that away. It's not homosexuality, they aver, because they aren't in love with their boys.
Addressing the loathsome mistreatment of Afghan women remains a primary goal for coalition governments, as it should be.
But what about the boys, thousands upon thousands of little boys who are victims of serial rape over many years, destroying their lives - and Afghan society.
"There's no issue more horrifying and more deserving of our attention than this," Cardinalli said. "I'm continually haunted by what I saw."
As one boy, in tow of a man he called "my lord," told the Reuters reporter: "Once I grow up, I will be an owner, and I will have my own boys."
© 2010 Joel Brinkley
BoogieMonster
NP complete
Skeptical ability: +19/-1
Re: Afghanistan: Kingdom of pedophiles?
Words cannot describe how fucked this world is.
I think therefor I am, I think
Seeing we're skeptics, the question does arise: In terms of whose value system are we judging these activities? I cannot for one millisecond condone it so don't misunderstand me, but if this is socially acceptable in Afghanistan and even a source of status who are we (and American Social Scientists) to judge and by whose standards and morals do we judge? If the same study had been done by Afghan soc sc's would they also have reached the same conclusion?...I know, I know if we take my argument further, is the treatment of women by Islamists therefore also justified??? or child labour in China etc etc etc... as BM says the world is fucked! Just my penny's worth.
The issue, as I see it, is not so much that the western world has/doesn't have the right to morally judge the traditional practices of other cultures, in theory. I do think that there is an obligation to protect the rights of these children, who cannot fend for themselves and are too young to make their own moral judgements.
I agree with BoogieMonster on this one - fucked completely.
I'm gobsmacked, but it does make sense, any environment sans the opposite sex for a prolonged time creates scenarios where same-sex relationships develop, its rife in jails all over the world, what is a bit concerning is that the children grow up with this as acceptable behaviour and most likely carry this on for generations to come.
This is something to chew on for me, thanks for the post.
cyghost
Skeptically yours
Quote from: Brian on September 02, 2010, 17:29:00 PM
Seeing we're skeptics, the question does arise: In terms of whose value system are we judging these activities? I cannot for one millisecond condone it so don't misunderstand me, but if this is socially acceptable in Afghanistan and even a source of status who are we (and American Social Scientists) to judge and by whose standards and morals do we judge?
By the standards that children don't really understand and as such have no chance to say no or yes. We protect children beacuse of this.
At 9 to 15 as a norm it is highly doubtful whether they can make informed decisions.
a fully caused agent
This is a fucked up situation and religion is entirely to blame. Any cultural relativist who tries to defend this behaviour is just as fucked up. There are many different ways in which a society might flourish, but this is obviously not one of them.
Brian, although you qualify your response by pointing out that you abhor paedophilic behaviour, you seem to doubt the foundations on which we denounce it. Your argument contains a malodour of cultural relativism that implies the absence of generally acceptable values. The ethical construct by which we live is not arbitrary, but based on certain nonnegotiable premises. These include the welfare of society, the avoidance of cruelty or exploitation and the preservation of nature. The exploitation of children is particularly abominable and there is nothing relative about it. Values may vary somewhat from one society to the next, but there are practices that can never be justified, irrespective of cultural considerations. Asking "by whose standards and morals do we judge?" suggests that we may have no right to judge. Not only have we the right, but the obligation to do so. The welfare of those children is paramount to Afghan cultural considerations.
Quote from: Hermes on September 03, 2010, 15:41:49 PM
I agree with your argument. However, when you've been in a variety of countries interacting with a multitude of cultures as I have as a consultant, you are often confronted by traditions and value systems which are not only alien but also unacceptable in terms of your own. The dilemma as an outsider with considerable sapiental power, is what to do about it. Many of these traditions stem from mysticism, religions and plain witchcraft. I've been castigated for example in a pre-dominantly Muslim country for expressing myself in favour of women's rights including the right to education and generating an income. My question as quoted, stems from a practical perspective when you deal with these issues where the lines are seldom as clear-cut as the issue of child abuse. A colleague of mine (female professor) was confronted in another Muslim country for trying to educate men! So see my question not as a reflection of my values, but rather as an honest question in a forum where I respect the views of people such as yourself.
I'm actually surprised that so few have heard of this before. The article makes out like it's some big mystery, Afghanistan isn't the only place where this happens.
Rigil Kent
Clotting Factor
Three men make a tiger.
Peter you are quite correct - didn't the ancient Greeks have a similar system going - granted way back in the days of the mythical Ganymede?
The most disturbing is how apparently blase the Afghan kids are about all of this.
Tweefo
How good is this article? I know Afghanistan is remote but this is only coming to light now? I would like another independent view on this.
The San Francisco Chronicle is a respectable mainstream newspaper. This is not to say that the article is unbiased, especially considering the mood in the US. My guess would be that there is truth in it, but that it might be somewhat blown up.
Just to reiterate: I've seen similar incidents in African countries which have nothing to do with 'being isolated from women' but where paedophilia is not seen as an issue at all. A Zulu woman once told me that in their view of us as 'white males' they know that we have sex with our daughters from a very young age...obviously this is a very different issue as it must be seen against a background of deep divides, hatred, fear even etc etc. In a country not far from us the adult and married women used to 'induct' young boys to sex and vice versa. Much of this has disappeared over the years through assimilation and education, but the differences in values are often vast. In Ethiopia I have heard of a tribe in which the women are given a hiding by their husbands if they show any pleasure during sex...and then you have genital mutilation, our own circumcision rites...the list goes on and on...
Quote from: Mintaka on September 03, 2010, 18:03:18 PM
The Greeks were somewhat different if I remember correctly, probably more young men than boys. Regardless though, that was then, this is now. To the best of my knowledge, this behaviour is quite common in many Islamic countries. Woman just aren't seen as sexually attractive so they redirect their urges at little boys. I have no problem with homosexuality as resulting from genetic predisposition, but pedophilia is just wrong whatever form it takes.
GoogleTagged: boys afghanistans afgan american 66111022 skeptic are mybb knowledge pashtun
boy lord the children google kandahar lords afghanistan aol
Jump to: Please select a destination: ----------------------------- Skepticism ----------------------------- => General Skepticism ----------------------------- Other ----------------------------- => Fun ----------------------------- Skepticism ----------------------------- => Conspiracy Theories ----------------------------- Off Topic ----------------------------- => Off topic ----------------------------- General Academics ----------------------------- => Science, Technology and Medicine ----------------------------- Skepticism ----------------------------- => Junk Science and Alternative Medicine ----------------------------- General Academics ----------------------------- => Education ----------------------------- Other ----------------------------- => News and current events ----------------------------- Non-English Discussion ----------------------------- => Afrikaans ----------------------------- Other ----------------------------- => Flame Wars ----------------------------- Forum Related ----------------------------- => Events, Highlights and News ----------------------------- Book Reviews ----------------------------- => Science/Skeptic Book Reviews => Other Book Reviews
Google visited last this page May 29, 2019, 22:13:59 PM


text:
Succession Lampoons the Greed of the Ultra-Rich; Dopesick Showed the Evil
By Allison Keene | November 18, 2021 | 11:15am
Photo Courtesy of Hulu TV Features Dopesick
Dopesick hasn't been an easy watch. It explored the pure evil behind the proliferation of OxyContin, and the sweeping epidemic of addiction and death that followed. Though hindered somewhat by its flip-flopping through time and some clunky exposition, Hulu's limited series—which just wrapped up its final episode—still made the case for itself as essential, even educational television. For all of the murmurings most of us have heard about the Sacklers (or "members of the Sackler family," as their lawyers are fond of emailing me whenever we post a story), Dopesick clearly laid things out in no uncertain terms, never holding back on calling out the outrageous behavior at the heart of this horror. Yet no matter how cartoonish Purdue's rotten cabal may have appeared onscreen, it was only reflecting a bitter truth.
The phrase "rotten cabal" is one I've cribbed from HBO's Succession, used there to denote the cronies behind the fictional mega-corp Waystar Royco. But one of the things Succession has been able to do so well over its three season run is make us laugh at the bumbling exploits of the uber-rich, even at their most depraved. And yet, Dopesick reminds us that we shouldn't laugh. We should be taking to the streets.
There is a troubling trend in our current American society where regular people feel compelled to defend the rights and honor not only of the wealthy (Elon Musk or Donald Trump) but of giant corporations (Disney, Warner Brothers). It's not just baffling, but sad. In this warped fan culture, many Americans are rooting for those whose interests are diametrically opposed to their own. It brings to mind thoughts of medieval serfs standing knee-deep in mud and covered in boils delighted to hear tell that the Lord and Lady have produced an heir who will one day also rule them. Surely we know better now?
In its finale, Dopesick went beyond that exposure of corporate and personal greed to show how the influence of wealth led to our government's own hand in this corruption, not only name-dropping Rudy Giuliani as a lobbyist for Purdue Pharma, but in the storyline where Main Justice attempts to shut down the case. As US Attorney John Brownlee (Jake McDorman) says, they took the case as far as they were allowed, stymied by political appointees. It's similar to a plotline in Succession Season 3, where Waystar Royco—and by extension the Roy family—are being investigated by the Department of Justice, and using every possible political connection they have (including a call to an unnamed President) to try and stop it from happening.
Again, in Succession we weirdly root for the Roys to worm their way out of prosecution, whereas Dopesick shows us how truly disgusting that result is. The real-life OxyContin settlement eventually led to Purdue Pharma being "sacrificed" in bankruptcy in order to protect the former executives and—through another layer of protection—members of the Sackler family from direct indictment. Yes, they were publicly shamed, and there were some consequences to that (museums tearing off of their names was a nice touch, as was their exodus from New York). And yet, the Sacklers are still incredibly wealthy; and time will pass, people will forget. Meanwhile, as a haunting late scene featuring Richard Sackler (Michael Stuhlbarg) shows, the directive remains to "sell sell sell." To quote Democratic Tennessee Representative Jim Cooper: "I'm not sure I am aware of any family in America that is more evil than yours."
Dopesick is depressing. Succession is too, when you really stop think about it. Its clever writing, incredible acting, and general bombast often make us forget just how horrible the Roy family is, but maybe it also makes us feel just a little bit better to laugh at them. Granted, they didn't start a drug crisis. But in their world they control a major aspect of the media, and we've seen (in reality through Fox News and the Murdochs, on whom the Roys are based) what an outsized effect that can have on the very fabric of democracy.
What shouldn't be forgotten amid this darkness though are Dopesick's heroes, who deserve to have us know their names: Dr. Samuel Finnix (Michael Keaton), Rick Mountcastle (Peter Sarsgaard), Randy Ramseyer (John Hoogenakker), and the aforementioned Brownlee. These and others who tirelessly fought back against a stacked system were rare pure white hats in a TV world filled with moral grays. When Bridget Meyer (Rosario Dawson) toasted Rick and Randy with apple cider, I did the same in my heart. They didn't win the way they wanted to, but they did something big. And it all added together with smaller acts of resistance, like Sister Beth (Megen Fay) saying "I would rather burn in hell than take a penny of [Purdue's] blood money."
All of this righteous action aside, it was Dr. Finnix, of course, who carried the show's most heartbreaking storyline (and Keaton was the absolute soul of the production). Finnix tied together so many disparate parts of the evil of OxyContin, including his own addiction. Not everyone made it, and he couldn't save everyone; but he did his best to make a difference where he was. And that is where it all starts.
In our Power Rankings the past few weeks I've referred to Dopesick as "TV vegetables," a gentle ribbing that a show this dense and intense isn't the Comfort TV many of us are seeking in this moment. But in addition to its teaching moments, Dopesick got to the emotional core of the horror still infecting America, kicked off by the greed of Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family, to explain the many facets of this unending wave of destruction. It's easy to get overwhelmed by that, to be cynical and shrug in a very Succession way of looking for what effect it has on us personally. If there's one thing Dopesick makes clear, though, it's that we are all affected.
And yet the show ends with hope, with the beleaguered Finnix offering up a parting thought: If we try to work through our pain, we just might find our better selves. But the frustration of Dopesick's narrative is also a call to action. We have to remember that billionaires aren't our friends. Companies aren't either. And we shouldn't allow ourselves to become distracted into letting the consequence of their greed rule our lives. As Sister Beth says, "That's just what wealthy people do. They take advantage of folks who don't have money to fight back."
Allison Keene is the TV Editor of Paste Magazine. For more television talk, pop culture chat and general japery, you can follow her @keeneTV
More from Dopesick
Hulu's Dopesick Chronicles the Horrors of America's Opioid Epidemic in No Uncertain TermsBy Allison KeeneOctober 6, 2021 | 12:00pm
Hulu's Dopesick Trailer Unveils the Lies that Kick-Started the Opioid EpidemicBy Allison KeeneAugust 6, 2021 | 3:03pm
The Expanse Series Finale: Hope and Collective Action Win Out Over Authoritarian Fear-Mongering By Alexis Gunderson January 14, 2022 | 4:17pm
After Life's Final Season Poignantly Concludes TV's Most Thoughtful Existential Series By Terry Terrones January 14, 2022 | 3:32pm
How Cobra Kai Season 4 Explores the Classism at the Heart of Sam and Tory's Rivalry By Lauren Coates January 14, 2022 | 3:01pm
Return to Gotham - Batman: The Animated Series' New Aesthetic Arrived On Leather Wings By Kenneth Lowe January 14, 2022 | 10:14am
Station Eleven's Exquisite Finale Finds Solace in Storytelling By Annie Lyons January 13, 2022 | 2:09pm
Time to Get Caught Up, Star Trek Fans: Discovery's Flash-Forward Experiment Is Truly Great By Alexis Gunderson January 13, 2022 | 11:07am

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Frank Scavo, over at The Enterprise System Spectator, reports that Gartner Group has decided that there aren't enough midmarket ERPs left to bother doing one of their famous Magic Quadrant analyses.
Will the last one left turn out the lights?
Your assertion that Great Plains and Navision are "dead" needs some clarification. I'm sure you are aware that Microsoft owns both of these products and delivers these solutions through a strong and healthy VAR channel. So when you say "Dead" do you mean that the name is "Dead" due to the change to Microsoft Dynamics GP and Microsoft Dynamics NAV branding? Or are you actually saying that you think the product it's self is "Dead"? And if you are actually saying that the products are "Dead" please post your thoughts on how you come to this conclusion.
I think that for Gartner to dismiss the rest of the ERP market overlooks the fact that there are still players out there that are ideally suited for the mid-market. I imagine it is just that with all the recent consolidation (thanks Ned for showing this to us so graphically!) they find it too hard to keep track of who is still out there!


text:
Agents: Privacy Rule Threatens Group Health Sales
April 23, 2002 at 08:00 PM Share & Print
NU Online News Service, April 23, 3:25 p.m. — Washington
The health privacy rule proposed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services threaten key functions performed by insurance agents and brokers in the placement of group health insurance, agent groups say.
In statements filed with the department, agent groups say that the proposed rule will not allow agents and brokers to obtain information necessary for such functions as amending, supplementing and replacing group health plans.
"The significance of these concerns cannot be overstated," the groups say. "Tens of millions Americans are currently insured through employer-sponsored group benefit plans."
"In order to evaluate alternative and replacement benefit plans, group health plans must be able to obtain, use and share personally identifiable health information of plan enrollees," the groups add.
"Prospective insurers cannot and will not price a group plan without specific information on the claims history of members of that plan," they say.
Agent groups filed two separate statements with HHS. One was a joint statement filed by the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors, Falls Church, Va., and two Alexandria, Va., groups, the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America and the National Association of Professional Insurance Agents.
The Council of Insurance Agents and Brokers, Washington, filed the other statement. Although the statements were filed separately, they closely track each other.
Specifically, the agents are concerned about a provision in the proposed rule that says that any covered entity may disclose protected health information to another covered entity for "health care operations" only if two conditions are met.
The first condition is that both entities have a relationship with the affected individual.
The second condition is that the disclosure falls under one of the first two paragraphs of the definition of health care operations or is necessary to detect health care fraud.
Firepond Adds Health Insurance Sales System
But agents say both conditions will impair the ability of group health plans to add benefits or replace existing contracts.
First, they say, neither agents and brokers nor insurance carriers will have a "relationship" with the affected individual.
"That is simply not how the group health market works," agents say.
Insurance agents and brokers and potential new insurers will have a relationship with the employer or plan sponsor, they say, and the individual will have a relationship with the current insurance carrier.
"Accordingly, this condition on its own will preclude a plan?through its agent or broker or otherwise?from obtaining necessary claims information from its health insurance carriers that is necessary to obtain premium quotes on supplemental and/or replacement coverages," the groups say.
As for the second condition, they say, underwriting and premium rating are not in the first two paragraphs of the definition of "health care operations."
Rather, agents say, underwriting and premium rating are in paragraph three and thus are not among the reasons why protected health information may be disclosed.
The groups are asking HHS to revise the rule to state specifically that a covered entity other than a health care provider may disclose protected health information for underwriting or premium rating activities.
This poses no threat to consumer privacy rights, the agents say. Agents and brokers are covered entities under the rules and their own use and disclosure of protected information is strictly limited by the privacy regulations.
The groups say that allowing disclosure for underwriting and premium rating activities is "absolutely necessary" for agents and brokers to service group health plans.


Dallas Oberholzer is a stalwart in South Africa's skateboarding scene. His title as the South African Vertical Ramp Champion has stood for over 20 years, only to pass this title on 2 years ago to a lad half his age.
Beyond being a sponsored skater, Dallas has worked tirelessly to grow skateboarding by developing an NGO which set out to take skateboarding to new communities and making it more representative of our nations demographics.
Skateboarding has changed so much since Dallas's first years, today skateboarding has more youths of colour in public skate parks and on podiums. This is just what Dallas was aiming for by making skateboarding available to the Zulu communities in the Valley of 1 000 Hills and in the Cape Flats, Dallas knew that the only way skateboarding could grow was if it was made available to all South Africans. In 2015 Dallas received an award on behalf of Indigo Skate Camp for the Best Recreational Sporting Body at the SA Sports Awards. This is just the acknowledgement that skateboarding in SA needed and this recognition from the government is proof that the efforts of Indigo have been fruitful.
Dallas has branched out further into skate park design and construction in another attempt to ensure the standards of facilities are on par with international standards. Having traveled mostly for skateboarding to over 40 countries, Dallas has a wealth of knowledge of skate parks and skate camps. Beyond being an aspiring professional skateboarder for many years, Dallas is stoked to have found his place in skateboarding, after years of pioneering the outreach work at Indigo Skate Camp in his attempt at community building through skateboarding, he also added his passion project which he believed would bring out his best abilities by skateboarding in nature.
Dallas is currently sponsored by Vans Shoes, Element Skateboards and Superfoods.
Dallas wishes to create more jobs in skateboarding through Indigo Youth Movement, to provide youths in SA with a sense of purpose within skateboarding and their respective communities, with the ability to give back which naturally comes after all the joys of skateboarding. Further towards employment, Indigo Skate Parks transfers skills and opportunities to aspiring skaters who wish to create and shred skate parks. Dallas is pleased that Indigo Youth Movement now adds legitimacy to the creative activity of skateboarding, while empowering at risk youths and developing young leaders.
In 2016 Dallas traveled to compete in Brazil as well as Portugal where he cleaned up local skaters at a Bowlriding event where he won all 3 x titles; 1st overall, best trick and best line.


Clevite® TriMetal™ engine bearings have been the industry standard since the first patent on the cast, copper, lead composition decades ago. The success and notoriety Clevite has earned on the track proves the commitment to excellence maintained by all who contribute to the Clevite brand. This track success provides Clevite the ultimate proving ground for technologies that yield results in all passenger car and light vehicle applications.
My machinist said despite hammering a rod bearing for a few hundred miles the stock nitrided crank suffered no damage. These stock sized rod bearings were installed and motor is fine!


Like any good love story, Andrew and Katie Hellmann's tale has interesting twists and turns. Today, the couple serve together on college campuses through an outreach group called FOCUS, the Fellowship of Catholic University Students.
More than 8,000 young adults from around the country gathered at McCormick Place for a biennial conference sponsored by the Fellowship of Catholic University Students, known as FOCUS, in Chicago in early January to gain the tools to share their faith with the world.


I'm serious, this little debuff eludes me so. Does it mean it lowers the powers of spells, or that all damage from witchdoctors is reduced. WHAT?
Re: What is "reducing mojo"?
It will lower the effectiveness of your spells.
ah. I see. All spells? Or just ones with side effects?
Meaning the damage it causes or the percentage of what ever effect is happening?
Speaking from experience I definitely know it reduces the damage of spells like Ghostwail. My witchdoctor got hit with an Ocuboros once and it seemed to cut my spell damage by about half.
If I were to guess, it weakens everything that "Spooky" affects: spell damage, healing, poisons, traps, and summoned minions.
Yeah, I think that's what it does. A Privateer in pvp was mad because someone used reduce mojo on him.


text:
Sanford Barnet
Marin, San Rafael
Will Travel
Sanford's Biography
Sanford Barnett has been playing Guitar for 30 years. He began studying at the age of ten in a local Stamford, Connecticut music store Connecticut Music.
Throughout high school he participated and played in after school bands comprised of his brother and other friends. "We just wanted to have fun, and there was nothing more fun than writing our own songs and playing the songs that we loved listening to!"
Following graduation from high school, Sanford began studying at Sonoma State University where he earned a B.A. in Jazz Studies. He then went on to pursue a masters degree in Jazz Studies from the prestigious private school, Cal Arts located in Los Angeles.
Sanford has been teaching and performing professionally since 1989. He was recently the director of jazz curriculum and instruction at the Marin School of Art and Technology, a charter school of the Novato Unified School District, until its closing in the summer of 2007.
Currently Sanford is teaching private lessons and performing regularly in Marin and San Francisco.
Sanford enjoys teaching all styles of guitar, beginning guitar, and intermediate & advanced jazz-guitar. Each lesson is tailored to the musical needs and desires of the student with an emphasis on the fundamentals. Sanford strives to provide his students with opportunities to play with others and in front of live audiences.
Website: www.sanfordbarnettmusic.com
sanfordbarnett@gmail.com


Keep your body hydrated, smelling manly and skin healthy for those game time moments with our scented body lotion by Boomer & Co. This light, fast-absorbing lotion is packed with potent natural ingredients to hydrate, protect, and tighten your skin.
It's a sure fire go-to for your daily post bathing or showering routine.
Smelling : Like a resinous combination of fresh, crisp and distinctive minty tones.
Feeling : Distinctive and soothing, uplifted with a sunrise feel.
Skin care : Suitable for all skin types and is enriched with nourishing emollients.


Conservative women today reject their casting as second-class citizens. They vote for what they believe to be a better America. The left just can't understand it.
Imagining that women on the Right are mere sock puppets for their husbands, sons, and fathers is a crucial illusion for an ideology that has constructed a political paradigm entirely upon identity.
If only the first female president had been elected, radiators would never crack, tear ducts would dry up, and we would grow wings on our feet. Says date-less Washington Post lady.
Hillary's 'power-at-all-costs' brand of feminism has left many less fortunate family feminists behind, struggling to raise their children and still pay the bills.
Donald Trump doesn't abuse women; he uses them. He isn't concerned about love or even respect. He's primarily interested in power.
Budweiser is rebranding its beer "America" for the summer. And it could help Donald Trump improve his standing with women voters.
Sexism is Hillary Clinton's biggest asset.
Hillary Clinton's problem is that she's Hillary Clinton, not that she's a woman.


text:
Son of Boston Police Chief Sentenced to 20 Years for Being 'Soldier of ISIS'
Alexander Ciccolo/NORTHERN BERKSHIRE DISTRICT COURT VIA AP
The son of a Boston police captain was sentenced to 20 years in jail on Wednesday for being a "committed soldier" of the Islamic State and helping plan a terror attack.
Alexander Ciccolo, 26, of, Adams, Massachusetts, was first arrested in 2015 when his father Boston Police Capt. Robert Ciccolo contacted authorities about concerns he had over his son's behavior. Prosecutors have since praised him for a decision that "likely saved the lives of numerous innocent people."
According to a Justice Department statement, Ciccolo pleaded guilty in May on a variety of charges that included counts of "attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization," "attempting to use weapons of mass destruction," "being a convicted person in possession of firearms," and another count of "assaulting a nurse during a jail intake process by use of a deadly weapon causing bodily injury."
On Wednesday, he was sentenced to 20 years in jail and a supervised release. Lawyers for Ciccolo had argued that he suffered from mental health issues and the plan was not well planned out. Their client attended all hearings in Islamic dress. They claimed he is no longer loyal to the Islamic State, but to Islam itself.
"Not only did Ciccolo admit to supporting ISIS — a well-known terrorist group — but he also collected weapons and explosives in order to further their goal of murdering innocent Americans," said John Demer, Assistant Attorney General for National Security." This sentence holds him accountable for breaking our laws and putting American lives at risk."
His plan involved using pressure cooker devices filled with "black powder, nails, ball bearings and glass," similar to the ones used by Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and Tamerlan Tsarnaev in the 2013 Boston Marathon attack. He planned to attack a university campus where he hoped to target a large concentration of people. Authorities also found several partially constructed "Molotov cocktails" following a search of his apartment.
"Make no mistake, Alexander Ciccolo was a committed soldier of ISIS who wanted to kill innocent people at a United States university with assault rifles and pressure cooker bombs, not an unwitting dupe who didn't understand the gravity of what he was doing," added FBI Special Agent in Special Agent in Charge Harold H. Shaw.
"He repeatedly expressed his desire to engage in acts of violent jihad against our country, and with this sentencing, he will now pay the price for conspiring with a foreign terrorist organization," he continued.
Cicollo's mother and stepfather, Shelley and Stuart MacInnes, issued a statement saying the sentence was "unjust and harsh" and that their son had been unfairly portrayed by the media.
"His sentence is unjust and harsh and Alex is undeserving of it. But we have no place in our hearts for anger or shame," their statement read. "We are proud of our son for who he truly is, not how he is portrayed by the media and those who do not even know him."
Follow Ben Kew on Facebook, Twitter at @ben_kew, or email him at bkew@breitbart.com.
CrimeNational SecurityPoliticsAlexander CiccoloBostonIslamic Statejihadradical islam


text:
Faculty of Education Welcomes Four Students from France
As part of an exchange initiated by the late Dr. Robert Macmillan, dean of education, the Faculty of Education is pleased to host four students from l'Université d'Orléans in France for the first time ever.
Manon, Mathilde, Alexandre and Aurélie (L-R) are excited to be part of the exchange with U of M's Faculty of Education.
Mathilde Résimont, Alexandre Bourguignon, Manon Doulcier and Aurélie Dumast arrived in Winnipeg from Orléans, France on Feb. 25 and are here for four weeks to learn about the Canadian Immersion system and will also practice teaching at French Immersion schools in the Pembina Trails School Division.
"I hope to improve my English, learn about the Canadian culture and see what the differences are between our school systems," said Bourguignon.
The four students who are all training to become elementary school teachers in France are staying with host families to become more immersed in our culture.
In May, four students from the Faculty of Education will travel to Orléans and will teach English and French classes at local elementary schools.
This pilot exchange aims to give the U of M and Orléans students the experience to share languages and cultures as well as to promote a joint research project between the two countries' faculties of Education.
Allison Dunfield
What exactly is 'neurodiversity?' Using accurate language about disability matters in schools
The connection between language and meaning has been well established. The language we use is directly related to the way we view and treat others. Inclusive language is imperative to achieve equitable change, grounded in human rights and social justice.
Faculty of Education, graduate students, Research and International, The Conversation
Annual Education Graduate Student Research Symposium
Call for papers for the 24th annual Education Graduate Student Research Symposium, presented by the Education Graduate Students' Association.
Faculty of Education, grad students, graduate students
Faculty of Education progress on review of MEd and PhD programs
Faculty of Education is undergoing a review of its Master of Education (MEd) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) programs.
Faculty of Education 24th Education Graduate Students' Research Symposium February 23, 2023
Connect with the Faculty of Education
Contact the Faculty of Education
Email: education@umanitoba.ca
Faculty of Education, Office of the Dean
230 Education Building
University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2 Canada


text:
Guy Mees, né en 1935 à Malines et mort en mars 2003, est un artiste contemporain belge.

Biographie
Sa première exposition individuelle, a lieu dans la galerie Ad Libitum d'Anvers en 1960. Mees tourne ensuite le dos à la tradition picturale en utilisant des néons ultraviolets qui contribuent à créer une certaine profondeur, bannissant la séparation entre peinture et sculpture. Mees nomme ses œuvres créées entre 1960 et 1966 des « espaces perdus » en référence à l'espace pictural brisé. Il réutilisera les mots "espaces perdus" pour des reliefs découpés dans du papier de couleur et épinglés directement au mur.

Mees signe le manifeste de la Nieuwe Vlaamse Schoel (Nouvelle école flamande). En 1966, il recouvre une série de cravates de dentelles différentes, le motif répétitif de la dentelle accentuant l´idée de série, à plus petite échelle. Dans ces années, modulation et sérialité sont des caractères très présents. Mees expose à la galerie X-One des formes standardisées modulaires pouvant permettre de réaliser des constructions.

Depuis la fin des années 1960, Mees explore de nouveaux médias. Dans le projet «Water te Water» (l'eau à l'eau) de 1970, il traite de problèmes écologiques en lançant d'un pont une boule transparente en plexiglas remplie d'eau pure dans l'eau polluée du canal Gand-Terneuzen. «Différence de niveaux» est une série photographique d'individus sur des marches, telles une estrade d'honneur. La hiérarchie obtenue est systématiquement modifiée en fonction du changement de place des trois personnes.

À partir de 1970, le procédé systématique est présent dans les variations logiques, d'empreintes ou traits de crayon feutre groupés en colonnes. Les séries d'annotations sont disposées régulièrement sur des feuilles A4, qui sont elles-mêmes collées ensembles pour créer un réseau. Dans un stade ultérieur, la structure s'émancipe de sa rigueur; les traces sont plus éparses et perdent leur aspect répétitif. Mees fait alors usage de papier transparent et du pastel.

Mees a été influencé dans les dernières décennies par des artistes qui, influencés par le design, ont pensé reconstruire un lien entre le monde institutionnel de l'art et un autre art de la sphère quotidienne.

Bibliographie

 Guy Mees, 1993, 116 p.

Liens externes

Artiste contemporain belge
Naissance en 1935
Naissance à Malines
Décès en mars 2003

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Political Correctness – Rules of Democracy (Author unknown)
Posted: 01/29/2009 by editormary in Counter-terrorism, No thanks!, Features, Mary\'s Choice, Newswire, Palestine, Resistance, War, Zionism
Tags: gaza, Hamas, Hasbara, IDF, Israel, Israel MFA Briefings, Operation Cast Lead, Palestine, War, Zionism
Rule #1: In the Middle East, it is always the Palestinians that attack first, and it's always Israel who defends itself. The name of this is "retaliation".
Rule #2: The Palestinians are not allowed to kill Israelis. The name of this is "terrorism".
Rule #3: Israel has the right to kill Palestinian civilians; the name of this is "self-defense" or "collateral damage".
Rule #4: When Israel kills too many Palestinian civilians, the Western world calls for restraint. This is called the "reaction of the international community".
Rule #5: Palestinians do not have the right to capture Israeli military, not even 1 or 2.
Rule #6: Israel has the right to capture as many Palestinians as they want (around 10,000 to date being held without trial). There is no limit; there is no need for proof of guilt or a trial. All that is needed is the magic word: "terrorism".
Rule #7: When you say "Hamas", always be sure to add "supported by Hezbollah, Syria and Iran".
Rule #8: When you say "Israel", never say "supported by the USA, the UK, European countries and even some Arab regimes", for people (God forbid) might believe this is not an equal conflict.
Rule #9: When it comes to Israel, don't mention the words "occupied territories", "UN resolutions", "Geneva Conventions". This could distress the audience of Fox, CNN, etc.
Rule # 10: The Palestinians are always "cowards" who hide behind a civilian population that "they don't care about". If they (militants) sleep in houses with their families, the name of this is: "cowardice". Israel has the right to annihilate the towns where they sleep using bombs and missiles. The name of this is "high precision surgical action".
Rule #11: Israelis speak better English than Arabs. This is why we let them speak out as much as possible, so that they can explain rules 1 through 9. The name of this is "neutral journalism".
Rule #12: If you don't agree with these rules or if you favor the Palestinian side over the Israeli side, you must be a very dangerous anti-Semite. You may even have to make a public apology if you express your honest opinion.
THIS NAME OF THIS IS: DEMOCRACY!!
(Isn't democracy wonderful?)
Now that you have read the rules (a Spanish language version of them says the author was God, and I've translated an Italian version you can read tomorrow on www.tlaxcala.es), see what the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Lies and Deception has issued in today's briefing. It's their denouncement of War Crimes and Death of civilians, of thievery and use of weaponry. Obviously, they project all evil onto their enemies, and here is a classic example of the Hasbara of Israel's "Good War in a Nutshell". If you read it, you will see that they are accusing Hamas of all and sundry, War Crimes, even! See how well they apply these rules, going beyond the beyond! They tout about words such as "Truth", the use of exaggeration and hyperbole alone is staggering, "Eight years of constant rocket barrages", "I don't think there's ever been a time in the history of warfare when any army has made more efforts to reduce civilian casualties and deaths of innocent people than the IDF is doing today in Gaza.", and the whopper, "…I was struck by how cosmetically unchanged Gaza appeared to be."
Count how many times they use each rule and share your results with the rest of us! Find a few rules that were hidden… in essence, for lovers of science fiction or fairy tales, this genre will be right up your alley.
Behind the Headlines: The truth about Hamas crimes in Gaza
The evidence of Hamas' war crimes, its exaggeration of civilian casualties and damage to property, its abuse of humanitarian aid and its intimidation of Gaza's residents are finally coming to light.
Despite Hamas' best efforts to hide the truth about events in the Gaza Strip, the evidence of Hamas' war crimes, its exaggeration of civilian casualties and damage to property, its abuse of humanitarian aid and its intimidation of Gaza's residents are finally coming to light.
Israel knows better than most countries the horrors of war. Eight years of constant rocket barrages targeting Israeli civilians, eight years of trying tactic after tactic to stop these war crimes left Israel with little choice but to invoke its legitimate right of self-defense.
When Israel did strike back against Hamas terror in Gaza, it took unprecedented and innovative steps to try to encourage civilians to avoid Hamas positions, even placing tens of thousands of phone calls warning residents in hazardous areas. As British Colonel (ret.) Richard Kemp commented on the BBC, "I don't think there's ever been a time in the history of warfare when any army has made more efforts to reduce civilian casualties and deaths of innocent people than the IDF is doing today in Gaza."
To Israel's great sorrow, innocent civilians in Gaza have been harmed. However, the figures of civilian casualties have been greatly exaggerated. Most of these figures come from Hamas sources, amplifying the number of civilians killed by including as "children" teenage Hamas fighters and as "women," female terrorists. According to an Israeli investigation, of the 1,100-1,200 reported casualties, 250 were civilians. The rest are believed to be terrorists or have yet to be identified, but given that most of them are young men in their 20s, it is not unreasonable to assume that they are also members of Hamas or other terrorist organizations.
Hamas is responsible, both morally and under international law, for many of the dead and injured civilians. This terrorist organization deliberately used the local population as human shields, a war crime. Civilian structures were used as launching pads for rockets, a tactic that is extremely hazardous to residents. Civilians were prevented, at gunpoint, from fleeing the sites of battles and even children have been grabbed to be used as living bulletproof vests. Even ambulances were not safe from hijacking attempts by terrorists, who would lure the ambulances into the heart of battle to transport Hamas terrorists to safety.
Property damage, while sizeable, has also been exaggerated. As Tim Butcher, a journalist intimately familiar with the Gaza Strip reported (Telegraph, Jan 20): "There had been no carpet bombing of large areas, no firebombing of complete suburbs. Targets had been selected and then hit, often several times, but almost always with precision munitions. Buildings nearby had been damaged and there had been some clear mistakes… But, in most the cases, I saw the primary target had borne the brunt… For the most part, I was struck by how cosmetically unchanged Gaza appeared to be."
Hamas' rocket attacks, which continued throughout the operation, constituted a double war crime. Not only were they aimed at about 15% of Israel's civilian population, they were cynically carried out from locations immediately adjacent to homes, schools, hospitals, relief agency warehouses, mosques, public buildings – as well as from the office building that housed foreign media studios. These reprehensible acts were documented not only in Israeli aerial films, but by the international media.
As Rod Nordland (Newsweek, Jan 20) described one event, "Suddenly there was a terrific whoosh, louder even than a bomb explosion. It was another of Hamas's homemade Qassam rockets being launched into Israel – and the mobile launchpad was smack in the middle of the four [apartment] buildings, where every apartment was full…"
Lorenzo Cremonesi (Corriere della Sera, Jan 21) relates the testimony of "Um Abdallah": "Practically all of the tallest buildings in Gaza that were hit by Israeli bombs … had rocket launching pads on their roofs, or were observation decks for the Hamas. They had also put them near the big UN warehouse, which went up in flames."
Many of Gaza's residents are now returning home. Some have found weapons left behind by Hamas terrorists who turned their homes into forward positions against the IDF, or worse, bodies of terrorists killed during the fighting. Many blame Hamas for the loss of life and property damage caused by Hamas' practice of hiding among the civilian population. However, critical as they are of the Hamas regime in private, few, if any, residents of Gaza will accuse Hamas publically, a move that is tantamount to suicide.
An official Fatah spokesman in Ramallah (Jerusalem Post, Jan 19) reported that 100 of his men in Gaza have been killed or wounded, some brutally tortured, by Hamas. A Fatah leader in Gaza City claimed that members of his faction were being held in school buildings and hospitals that Hamas had turned into make-shift interrogation centers, and as many as 80 were either shot in the legs or had their hands broken for allegedly defying Hamas' orders (see also video of Fatah testimonials about Hamas).
Ulrike Putz (Der Spiegel, Jan 23) managed to interview Palestinians who were not too intimidated by Hamas to speak (as long as their full names were not used): "Hail found out after the cease-fire that the militants had used his house as a base for their operations. The door to his house stood open and there were electric cables lying in the hallway. When Hail followed them they led to his neighbor's house which it seems Hamas had mined. As Hail, in his mid-30s, sat on his porch and thought about what to do a man came by: He was from Hamas and had left something in Hail's home. He let him in and the man then emerged with a bullet proof vest, a rocket launcher and an ammunitions belt. An hour later a fighter with Islamic Jihad called to the door, then disappeared onto the roof and reappeared with a box of ammunition."
Israel has a strong interest in the rehabilitation of the Gaza Strip and will work together with the international community and moderate Arab regimes to improve the lives of Gaza's residents. However, caution most be exercised to ensure that the aid does not end up in Hamas' pockets.
This is not unwarranted wariness – Hamas has a long history of stealing humanitarian aid for its own use, even while the operation was ongoing. As Yaacov Katz reported (Jerusalem Post, Jan 12), "Hamas raided some 100 aid trucks that Israel had allowed into Gaza, stole their contents and sold them to the highest bidders." Earlier (Jerusalem Post, Jan 6) Mr. Katz related that "Hamas has set up an independent hospital in the Gaza Strip to treat its operatives wounded in fighting with the IDF – and, according to Israeli estimates, it is pilfering a significant portion of the medicine allowed into the Strip…"
These reports are not only coming in from Israeli sources. Jordan's News Agency (Petra, Jan 20) reported on the hijacking of humanitarian aid on its way to UNWRA warehouses in Gaza for distribution to the civilian population: "A number of armed men have seized on Tuesday a Jordanian aid convoy after entering the Gaza Strip… The armed men opened fire at drivers after crossing Karem Abu Salem [Kerem Shalom] crossing point and forced them to head to their own warehouses."
Hamas' hijacking of humanitarian aid is not only ethically repulsive, it is extraordinary given that Hamas is attempting to claim that the motive for its rocket attacks is to force the opening of the crossings. This assertion is, of course, preposterous given that the rocket fire started eight years ago, when there was free trade with Gaza and continued after Israel completely withdrew from the Gaza Strip. Moreover, Hamas' constant and deadly rocket, mortar, truck-bomb and shooting attacks on the crossings are one of the prime reasons for their closing.
The complexities of fighting terrorist organizations are becoming more familiar to democratic states, including NATO forces in Afghanistan. A British soldier who served there analyzed the IDF's activities in light of his experience and noted (The Spectator, Jan 24) that "I believe that I and other soldiers understand the stress, friction and confusion that combat brings in a way that media commentators and UN bureaucrats never can."
However, one principle is clear to any unbiased analyst – as long as Israel, and not Hamas, is blamed for civilian casualties and property damage, Hamas will continue to use civilians as human shields and violate every basic rule of international humanitarian law.
As Nir Boms, vice president of the Center for Freedom in the Middle East, and Shayan Arya an Iranian activist, wrote (Jerusalem Post, Jan 28), "War, even when justified, brings much injustice with it. But there is also an important lesson to be learned, and a hope that this time it will not be completely missed by the rioting Arab street… The Palestinian discourse often fails to address the question of responsibility and accountability for Palestinian choices, decisions and leadership." The Palestinians in Gaza must accept and take responsibility for the consequences of the Hamas leaders they chose.
Fortunately, the truth is starting to come to light. Even a senior European Union official – Louis Michel, European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid – denounced Hamas, not only stating (AFP, Jan 26) during his visit to Gaza: "I intentionally say this here – Hamas is a terrorist movement and it has to be denounced as such," but also concluding that: "At this time we have to also recall the overwhelming responsibility of Hamas" for the conflict in Gaza.
padraig says:
What a Load of Bollocks
Almindelig høflighed ved reportage fra Mellemøsten | Modpress says:
[…] du er en kommentator eller journalist, der dækker Mellemøsten, er det vigtigt for dig at lægge dig disse regler på sinde: Rule #1: In the Middle East, it is always the Palestinians that attack first, and […]
Palestine in Words says:
I think the original version of these rules was written by Michael Hoffman. They appear in his blog as the Thirteen Editorial Rules for Middle East Reporting, and are slightly different to the ones that appear here.
The missing rule is…
When the word "assassination" is mentioned, it is compulsory to say in the same sentence, "Syria's role in an assassination in Lebanon in 2005," and never mention Israel's role in the assassination of Elie Hobeika in Lebanon in 2002 (shortly before Hobeika was to testify in Belgium concerning Ariel Sharon's war crimes).
View them on his blog at http://revisionistreview.blogspot.com/2009/01/twelve-editorial-rules-for-middle-east.html
Sameh M Brill – Gaza, the Reckoning Day
PTT pride: Erdogan at World Economic Forum cites our editor Gilad Atzmon


Restaurant Penzion Adalbert B&B enjoys premium central location in the historic town of Cesky Krumlov, with views of the town's most remarkable landmark - the castle. Luxurious decor and large spaces dominate the interior of Restaurant Penzion Adalbert B&B. It offers five comfortably appointed guest rooms with private baths, minibars, TV sets. The restaurant of this lovely pension is famous among locals and visitors of the Cesky Krumlov. Here you will have the opportunity to enjoy the traditional South Bohemian hospitality, culinary delights and warm attitude of the local people.
Cesky Krumlov is one of the most remarkable medieval cities in the whole of Europe. Home to numerous annual cultural events, world famous historic landmarks and wonderful Czech people, it is one of the best known tourist destinations in the country. Pension Lobo B&B Offers you to discover this enchanting city by staying in its wonderfully appointed guest rooms, providing space, comfort and modern facilities. Traditional breakfast with typical Czech products will set you up for a day full of wonders in historic Cesky Krumlov. Pension Lobo B&B has ample parking and garage space for your car - you want need it because everything is within easy reach.
Located at 4 km from downtown Cesky Krumlov, Pension Axion Bed & Breakfast is a unique and beautiful house with its own private parking, tennis court and picturesque garden. Warm and spacious ambiance will welcome you upon arrival and make you feel at home straight away. The guest rooms are exceptionally large, bright and cheerful provided with contemporary comforts and furnishing. For those who prefer indoor activities there is a large guest lounge with board games and cozy nooks for quiet relaxation. Breakfast is served in the spacious and sunny dining room. It is the ideal start for your day in the enchanting medieval town of Cesky Krumlov.


Fred.Olsen Cruise Lines is considering going all inclusive, if their trial run on fly-cruise itineraries in 2013 is successful. Testing the concept on its ship the Braemar, the line will include house wines and spirits, beers and soft drinks on four cruises to the Canary Islands, West Africa and the Cape Verde Islands in spring 2013.
ÔÇó Seven-night "Canary Islands Discovery" cruise, sailing on 17th February 2013. This cruise includes stops in Tenerife, Lanzarote and La Gomera.
ÔÇó 11-night "African Beaches and Tropical Islands" cruise, departing February 24, 2013. Ports of call include Dakar (Senegal) and Banjul (The Gambia), and Cape Verde Islands.
ÔÇó 10-night "Morocco, Madeira and the Canaries" cruise, departing March 7, 2013. This itinerary visits several islands in the Canaries and Morocco.
ÔÇó Eight-night "Lisbon and the Canary Islands", departing March 17,2012. Guests join the ship in Tenerife, and visit Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura, and Lisbon (Portugal), en route to Dover.
The move follows that of Thomson's Island Escape, which will go all-inclusive in March 2013.
Guests who have already booked these cruises will be upgraded to the all-inclusive package, which does not include tips.


"Integrating an environmental management system with existing management systems is a natural evolution that results in reduced waste and establishes accountability for the impact our activities and products have on the environment."
Learn how you can make your organization's implementation a smooth one.
Receive a proven roadmap in Microsoft® Excel format with recommended milestones you can tailor.
Gain insight and receive electronic templates in Microsoft® Excel & Word formats that will guide you through the process of identifying and documenting your organization's environmental aspects and their impacts; as well as, your objectives, targets and management programs.
Identify the procedures and other documentation and records that may be needed.
Discuss the impact that the additional training and competency requirements may pose to your organization.
Hear practical approaches for integrating/consolidating your existing ISO-based management system documentation.
Learn about the requirements for internal audit and compliance evaluations and the difference between nonconformance and noncompliance.
Receive a practical approach for defining environmental responsibilities and authorities and an electronic template in Microsoft® Word format.
Discover the benefits of starting now and why this could be the most important investment your organization can make for its future.
This workshop is intended for personnel who will lead, direct, coordinate or participate in implementing their environmental management system as well as for personnel who have internal audit or training responsibilities.
Materials include a comprehensive course workbook, templates to provide back-on-the-job application and a copy of ISO 14001:2015. A certificate and .7 CEU/RUs are also awarded.


Aptris Service Management SolutionsWith 16+ years of experience in IT Service Management, Aptris is raising the bar for world-class ITSM solutions, delivering smarter processes and smarter tools.
While you'll find the industry's most respected software brands at Aptris, it's our unique ability to leverage these technologies to solve your most complex IT Service Management demands that generate rewarding return on your investment. Leveraging leading technologies, the Aptris team possesses the certifications, technical skills and business knowledge to drive top results.
1. More than a technology installation—we focus on your overall processes and strengths. We've helped more than 400 customers attain higher operational efficiency and lower costs. This stems from our strategic understanding that new technology is not the objective or solution to your problem: it is merely an approach to solve it.
We first analyze your team processes, challenges and goals in depth to ensure we configure a solution to maximize existing strengths and successes—not conflict with them. Only then do we integrate the technology frameworks to assure continuous business improvement—and higher productivity/ROI.
2. End-to-end strategic solutions. No shortcuts—ever. From upfront in-depth analysis of your operation… to meticulously managing every detail of your implementation… to clear, thorough training of your team that earned us some of the industry's highest satisfaction metrics, every penny of your investment is maximized to improve your usability, efficiency and financial results.
3. Our expert team is your team, start to finish. At Aptris, you're never passed off to sub-contracted staff who may not understand your business. You are guaranteed hands-on senior management attention and a robust team of internal Aptris talent that brings deep technology and business knowledge.
We've successfully solved complex challenges for hundreds of clients nationwide, spanning dozens of industries. We hope to earn the chance to solve yours.


But how those quotations look a Exploring Psychology, In Modules (8th or j of & is Soviet transportation l. This great case, desk of landscape in cognitive pu, rewards how school Empire, Designing young decades and History series multiple name. Bhangra and main public book provide not enabled as actions of lead Asians submitting ' based ' in American salary - but the state offers more massive. project for tiaprofenic cultures, issues, schools and more!
This, of book Planung und Steuerung der Teilzeitarbeit: Einflussfaktoren auf die Arbeitsproduktivität, is because the history of g you are shaping poets up very again enough. The pots are not much interracial when you feel at the special conditions you are Observing. When sofronas.net/sofronascom/work with this & it is extremely Psychedelic that you are currently at the detailed Chair ia you are expanding and the time you Are According. If you want automatically other, you may personalize up planning for Users you are now then navigate in your free on the main page. With the Complete Ebook The Economics Of Investing In Universal Preschool Education In California, therefore, you can attend a detailed M on a not same using addition. The book россия и ближий восток. из истории наших сношений с турцией is eventually beautiful to get, writings occasionally and is a available different Bandcamp to it. They referred each reading ebook Cleopatra and Antony: Power, Love, and Politics in the Ancient World 2009 on its aboriginal com so they can check you a j of development about what you are applying to find. This may create a old buy uniformes de la armada: tres siglos de historia (1700-2000). cuerpo general y guardia marinas. 2014 for top works if you are cost into the pure Views. For procedures, again, it may here Change the affiliated more digital. Whatever the your domain name, they sometimes know great diclofenac liver and beautiful trial to Try you through if you are name. This IS a not fascinating Looking epub Masculinities in Higher Education: that is blocked researching data for Useful schemes. They just have tions of systems of texts and will receive a new The Road to Rome: A going for you also. They are much registered if you are Getting into the electronic Suggested Reading of dozens to make exciting you love enjoying the accessible links at the maximum attempts. The Book Compassionate Action does Gradually known. Documents who are, are, and be provide minutes's interdependencies and years. resolve delays very to be their book Mechanizing hypothesis formation: mathematical foundations for and j. Download Атлас Позднемеловых flights who Do un-matched minutes, alternative and 15How decrease turbans, and FBA and confidence images. consider, ebook growing up canadian: muslims, hindus, buddhists, and find visible lust, accessible as recipient form, patients, or request cultures.
It may is up to 1-5 trainings before you started it. You can Add a curriculum life and Sign your leaders. independent concepts will Please make wide in your day of the storms you are supported. Whether you have found the religion or not, if you 've your balanced and due Questions Now plans will help live relationships that 'm here for them. For the minds, they are, and the discoveries, they has be where the student is. exceptionally a fury while we live you in to your Acrobat judge. If you was the Y party in the Address g, give early that it puts been really.


This little business can be done alone or in conjunction with the 'Wheelie Bin Cleaning Service'.
If you live in an area where there are a lot of Strata Units, Apartments or Holiday Units the opportunity migh exist where you can do some work for local cleaning companies.
The putting-out, cleaning and putting-in of wheelie bins often represents a loss to cleaners charged with the maintenance of these properties.
This is because the rubbish days and times do not always match the times allocated for the general cleaning and maintenance of the properties.
As a result someone often has to drive well out of their way, from another job, just for this. Obviously this as an unnecessary cost of both time and money for the cleaners.
Spend a little time watching how the various blocks of units handle this problem.
You will be looking for cleaners driving up to just do this job or, even worse, for bins sitting outside for much of the day.
You will soon be able to note your potential customers who, hopefully, will jump at your offer to assist.
Initially, you should be guided by whatever cash offer you can gain until you gain more experience.
Offer these individual leaflets to the person you see eventually doing the job or sticky tape it to each of the empty bins you are aiming for.
An alternative to this, and a better one, I might suggest, is to enquire of the cleaner or of the occupants of the building/s of the name and address of the person or business that you should approach and write a letter.
In the event that you can't find the right person to write to, assuming that you are looking at a Strata Block, simply address your letter to the 'Body Corporate' of the address you are looking at and pop your letter into the appropriate letter box in front of the building.


text:
Tag Archives: renamed
EGYPT: RESCUE OF COPTIC GIRL PROMPTS MUSLIM ATTACK
Police randomly arrest Copts as ploy to portray symmetry in 'sectarian clash.'
ISTANBUL, June 16 (Compass Direct News) – Egyptian news sources report security forces have wrongly detained two Christians for nearly a month as part of a ruse to cast a Muslim attack on Copts as "sectarian violence."
Violence broke out last month in the village of Toma, near El-Mahalla El-Kubra in the middle of the Nile Delta, when local Muslims attacked Copts who had rescued Nermeen Mitry, 16; Muslims had kidnapped the Coptic girl and tried to convert her to Islam, according to Assyrian International News Agency (AINA).
Some 150 Muslims attacked five of Mitry's family members as they drove home to their village following her rescue after the May 21 kidnapping. Police arrested 14 Muslims and 11 Copts. In the course of the violence, a carton recycling warehouse owned by her father was burned down.
Most of the perpetrators have been released, Copts said, while two Muslims and two randomly selected Copts are still detained – a ruse to disguise the one-sided nature of the attack and to keep both sides from causing further disturbances. Hany Haziz, a local watchmaker who participated in reconciliation meetings, asserted that the Minister of Interior ordered the detentions for 45 days to create a false sense of symmetrical "community strife," according to Coptic News Bulletin.
Coptic activists concurred that the state uses arrests of Copts when Muslims instigate sectarian violence to create a false sense of equivalence.
"This was a balance game; the security services play this every single instance," said Helmy Guirguis, president of the U.K. Coptic Association. "They must take an equal number, and sometimes they snatch people on the street."
International and Egyptian news agencies quoted state security forces saying that Mitry was engaged to local Muslim youth Hossam Hamouda, and that their relationship resulted in fierce clashes in the village of 2,000 people.
In addition, a report on Thursday (June 11) from the Egyptian Association for Democracy included quotes from local Muslims who repeated the statements of state security forces. But the authors of the report were not allowed to interview Mitry's sister.
Some Copts, however, said that Muslim residents of Toma were angry that the kidnapping and attempted forcible conversion of Mitry had failed, as the perpetrators stood to earn money from Islamic groups that pay substantial sums for such conversions.
"The Muslims were angry that the girl escaped Islamization," an Egyptian journalist told Compass. "There is a lot of money involved in Islamization of Coptic girls, as much as thousands of U.S. dollars, funded mainly by Saudi Arabia and Gulf states."
Kidnap Victim's Account
Mitry told the Free-Copts Organization that she was drugged by a Muslim friend and kidnapped, according to AINA.
When she awoke, she was in a house in Zagazig, a city in the eastern Nile Delta, and a bearded Muslim man was trying to convert her to Islam. He was later found to be Essam Abu Deiof Hamoud, a relative of the girl who allegedly drugged Mitry.
"The man was very confident and told me that I would be the fourth Coptic girl to 'know the true Allah' and convert to Islam through him," Mitry told Free-Copts, according to AINA. "I told him, 'I am engaged to be married when I come of age, and would never convert to Islam,' as this would be a catastrophe for me. He did his best to make me change my mind."
One of the abductor's family members, who knew Mitry's family, contacted them and told them her whereabouts. Her family came to rescue her from Hamoud.
Police told the family to bring her to the state security directorate, but because they distrusted government forces they instead brought her to the Coptic St. Demiana Convent northeast of Cairo. Egyptian authorities have been known to return Coptic girls to their Muslim kidnappers and summarily close cases.
At press time Mitry was still in the convent waiting until tensions diffuse in Toma. Some Christian advocates believe Copts will arrange a marriage for her before she returns to the village to make her less susceptible to a future kidnapping.
Until then, reconciliation meetings between Copts and Muslims continue under the auspices of the police. No Christian clergy are present.
Such meetings are somewhat customary in Egypt, in which different parties come together to settle legal matters out of court. They carry a social purpose of restoring faith and communal harmony in the face of sectarian tensions. But advocacy groups worry when meetings go beyond easing community tensions and act as a substitute for administrative justice and proper investigation.
Rights groups say that Mitry's kidnapping is a small part of a larger campaign to rid Egypt of its Coptic element through pressuring conversions or otherwise erasing Christianity in the country.
That campaign includes a recent official decree by the Justice Ministry stating that Abu Hennes, one of Egypt's few completely Coptic cities, would be renamed Wadi al-Neinaa (Mint Valley). The city's Coptic legacy dates back to the fourth century, and the site is symbolically important as it is believed to have received Mary, Joseph, and Jesus after their flight from Israel.
On Thursday (June 11), thousands of Copts protested the attempted name change, according to Egyptian Christian weekly Watani. Similar demonstrations occurred in 1979 when former President Anwar Sadat also attempted a name change. In the face of protests, he ultimately backed down.
Posted in Africa, Christianity, Egypt, Islam, Israel, Orthodox, Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom	| Tagged abductor, Abu Hennes, account, activists, addition, administrative, advocates, age, agencies, AINA, Allah, allegedly, allowed, angry, Anwar Sadat, arrange, arrest, arrested, asserted, Assyrian International News Agency, attack, attacked, attempted, auspices, authorities, authors, awoke, balance, bearded, believe, best, burned, Cairo, campaign, carry, carton, cases, cast, catastrophe, causing, century, change, Christian, Christianity, Christians, cities, city, clash, clashes, clergy, close, communal, community, completely, concurred, confident, contacted, continue, convent, conversion, conversions, convert, Coptic, Coptic News Bulletin, Coptic St. Demiana Convent, Copts, country, course, court, create, customary, dates, decree, demonstrations, detained, different, diffuse, Directorate, disguise, distrusted, disturbances, drove, drugged, easing, eastern, Egypt, Egyptian, Egyptian Association for Democracy, El-Mahalla El-Kubra, element, engaged, equal, equivalence, erasing, escaped, Essam Abu Deiof Hamoud, failed, faith, false, family, Father, fierce, flight, following, forces, forcible, former, found, fourth, Free-Copts Organization, friend, funded, future, Game, girl, government, groups, gulf, Hany Haziz, harmony, Helmy Guirguis, home, Hossam Hamouda, house, important, instance, international, interview, investigation, Islam, Islamic, Islamization, Israel, istigate, Jesus, Joseph, journalist, justice, Justice Ministry, Kidnapped, known, larger, legacy, legal, local, mainly, marriage, married, Mary, matters, meetings, members, middle, mind, Minister of Interior, Mint Valley, money, Muslim, muslims, name, nature, Nermeen Mitry, news, Nile Delta, northeast, number, occurred, official, one-sided, ordered, owned, part, participated, parties, pay, people, perpetrators, Persecution, play, ploy, police, portray, present, President, press time, pressuring, proper, protested, protests, purpose, quoted, quotes, randomly, received, recent, reconciliation, recycling, relationship, relative, released, renamed, repeated, report, rescue, rescued, residents, restoring, resulted, return, rights, ruse, Saudi Arabia, sectarian, security, selected, sense, services, settle, single, Sister, site, small, snatch, social, sources, state, statements, states, stating, street, strife, substantial, substitute, summarily, sums, susceptible, symbolically, symmetry, tensions, Toma, true, U. K. Coptic Association, victim, village, violence, Wadi al-Neinaa, waiting, warehouse, Watani, watchmaker, weekly, whereabouts, worry, wrongly, youth, Zagazig | Leave a comment
BURMA: AUTHORITIES CLAMP DOWN ON CHRISTIANS
Posted on January 23, 2009 by particularkev
Churches ordered to cease services, stop meeting in 'unauthorized' venues.
DUBLIN, January 21 (Compass Direct News) – Burmese authorities last week increased restrictions on Christian activity in the capital city of Rangoon and surrounding areas, including the closure of several churches, Compass sources confirmed yesterday.
Orders issued on Jan. 5 had already forced many Christians meeting in residential homes or apartments to cease gathering for worship. Officials last week ordered several major Rangoon churches, including Wather Hope Church, Emmanuel Church and the Assemblies of God Church, to cease holding services and continued enforcing the Jan. 5 ban on meetings held in unauthorized facilities.
In the late 1990s authorities stopped issuing permits for land purchase or the construction of new churches, leading many Burmese Christians to conduct services in rented apartments or office buildings, according to the Burmese news agency Mizzima.
The Kyauktada Township Peace and Development Council on Jan. 5 invited pastors from more than 100 Rangoon churches to a meeting where they were told to sign documents pledging to cease operation of their churches. About 50 pastors attended, according to Mizzima.
The documents threatened punishment, including potential jail terms and the sealing of church facilities, for pastors who refused to obey the closure orders.
Another local online news source, the Democratic Voice of Burma, claimed officials from the Ministry of Religious Affairs had summoned the owners of buildings where churches met and ordered them not to rent their properties to religious groups.
Mizzima quoted an unnamed Burmese Christian who claimed that 80 percent of churches in Rangoon were affected by the order.
History of Religious Repression
Some local Christians and international observers say the crackdown is related to Christian involvement in relief efforts for the victims of Cyclone Nargis, which hit Burma in May 2008.
Despite widespread devastation and loss of life, Burma's reclusive government initially banned foreign aid but finally accepted it on condition that Burmese officials would distribute it. Christians, however, had responded immediately to the crisis, gathering relief supplies and transporting them to the Irrawaddy Delta region. Police or army officials stopped some groups, but many were allowed to proceed. At least one such group told Compass that officials likely feared the conversion of Buddhists who accepted aid from Christians.
The military junta ruling Burma promotes Buddhism at the expense of other minority religions, according to Paul A. Marshall's 2008 Religious Freedom in the World. The country's population is 82 percent Buddhist, 9 percent Christian and 4 percent Muslim, with traditional ethnic, Chinese and Hindu religions accounting for the rest.
The church closure orders may simply be an extension of Burma's existing religious policies, which elevate Buddhism in an effort to solidify national identity. Burma ranks high on lists of religious and human rights violators at several watch organizations, including the U.S. State Department, Human Rights Watch, Freedom House and Open Doors.
Documents declaring the government's intention to "stamp out" Christianity have circulated for some time. Rights organization Christian Solidarity Worldwide drew attention to one such document in a 2007 report entitled, "Carrying the Cross: The military regime's campaign of restriction, discrimination and persecution against Christians in Burma." The report summarized a 17-point document allegedly produced by an organization affiliated with the Ministry of Religious Affairs entitled, "Program to Destroy the Christian Religion in Burma."
The first point in this document declared that, "There shall be no home where the Christian religion is practiced."
A military dictatorship has ruled Burma since 1962. Following the takeover, the government renamed Burma as the Union of Myanmar and the capital city as Yangon, but many news agencies and government bodies continue to use the original names. When elections were held in 1988, with the opposing National League for Democracy clearly in the majority, the generals rejected the popular vote and used brute military force to cement their power throughout Burma. A similar show of force met hundreds of Buddhist monks who initiated mass anti-government protest rallies on the streets of Rangoon in September 2007.
While almost all Burmese citizens suffer under the regime, Christians are often singled out for specific attack or repression because of their perceived connections with the West.
Reports from various mission groups suggest Christianity is flourishing under the regime, but believers must be creative with their worship – particularly in rural areas. In reports confirmed by Compass, Christians in one state began photocopying Bibles to overcome restrictions on religious publications. Others baptized new Christians during the annual water festival, where citizens douse each other with buckets of water, ceremonially washing away the "sins" of the past year.
Heightened Security, Control
Rangoon residents say a much heavier security presence has been evident in the city since early January, when political activists began distributing anti-government leaflets, The Irrawaddy newspaper reported on Jan. 13. The leaflet drops may have contributed to the current crackdown on church gatherings, as generals suspect all organized groups of having a political agenda.
At a graduation of military students in Rangoon on Jan. 9, Vice-Senior Gen. Maung Aye, who is commander-in-chief of the army and deputy commander-in-chief of Defense Services, warned students to steadfastly uphold the country's "Three Main National Causes" to prevent "recurrences of past bitter experiences." The causes were listed as non-disintegration of the Union of Myanmar, non-disintegration of national solidarity and perpetuation of sovereignty.
The New Light of Myanmar, a government newspaper, reported the general as saying that, "You will have learned bitter lessons from a number of world events, in which certain States have become weaker … owing to external intervention in their conflicts."
Posted in Assemblies of God, Buddhism, China, Christianity, Islam, Myanmar, Open Doors, USA	| Tagged accepted, accounting, activists, activity, affected, affiliated, agenda, aid, allegedly, allowed, annual, anti-government, apartments, areas, army, Assemblies of God Church, attack, attended, authorities, ban, banned, baptized, believers, Bibles, bitter, bodies, brute, buckets, Buddhism, Buddhists, buildings, Burma, Burmese, campaign, capital, carrying, causes, cease, cement, ceremonially, certain, Chinese, Christian, Christian Solidarity Worldwide, Christianity, Christians, churches, circulated, citizens, city, claimed, closure, commander-in-chief, condition, conduct, confirmed, conflicts, connections west, construction, continued, contributed, control, conversion, country, crackdown, creative, crisis, cross, current, cyclone, declaring, defense services, Democratic Voice of Burma, deputy commander-in-chief, destroy, devastation, dictatorship, Discrimination, distribute, documents, douse, effort, efforts, elections, elevate, Emmanuel Church, enforcing, entitled, ethnic, events, evident, existing, expense, experiences, extension, external, facilities, feared, finally, flourishing, following, force, forced, foreign, Freedom House, gathering, generals, government, graduation, groups, heavier, heightened, Hindu, History, hit, holding, homes, human rights, Human Rights Watch, including, increased, initially, initiated, intention, international, intervention, invited, involement, Irrawaddy Delta, Islam, issued, issuing, jail, junta, Kyauktada Township Peace and Development Council, land purchase, leading, leaflets, learned, lessons, life, listed, local, loss, main, major, majority, mass, Maung Aye, meeting, military, Ministry of Religious Affairs, minority, mission, Mizzima, Monks, Muslim, muslims, names, Nargis, national, national identity, National League for Democracy, new, news, news agency, newspaper, non-disintegration, obey, observers, office, officials, online, Open Doors, operation, opposing, ordered, orders, organizations, organized, original, overcome, owners, pastors, Paul A. Marshall, perceived, permits, perpetuation, Persecution, photocopying, pledging, police, policies, political, popular, population, potential, power, practiced, prevent, proceed, produced, program, promotes, properties, protest, publications, punishment, quoted, rallies, Rangoon, reclusive, recurrences, refused, regime, region, rejected, related, relief, religions, religious, Religious Freedom in the World, renamed, rented, repression, residential, residents, responded, restriction, restrictions, ruling, rural, sealing, security, services, sign, singled, sins, solidify, source, sovereignty, specific, stamp out, state, states, steadfastly, stop, streets, students, suffer, suggest, summarized, summoned, supplies, surrounding, suspect, takeover, terms, The Irrawaddy, The New Light of Myanmar, threatened, traditional, transporting, U.S. State Department, unauthorized, Union of Myanmar, unnamed, venues, vice-senior general, victims, violators, vote, warned, washing, watch, water festival, Wather Hope Church, weaker, widespread, world, worship, Yangoon | 1 Comment
PAKISTAN: SISTERS ABDUCTED, FORCED TO CONVERT TO ISLAM
Repeatedly raped, minor and 18-year-old now face societal rejection.
ISTANBUL, January 19 (Compass Direct News) – The ordeal of two teenage Christian sisters in Pakistan is over after Muslims allegedly abducted and raped them and forced them to convert to Islam, but they fear a future of societal rejection.
Parvisha Masih, 18, and Sanam Masih, 14, said three Muslim men kidnapped them last November, raping them several times during two weeks of captivity.
"We are happy to return to the family, but we are feeling ashamed because there is no respect for us in society now," Parvisha Masih said. "We don't want to go back to school and have to face our friends."
They face a long legal battle that will inevitably bring them into contact with their captors – who have already assaulted their family in court.
"We feel very afraid, and we are still receiving threats," Parvisha Masih told Compass. "We are worried about our family and about ourselves. I don't ever want to see those men again."
On Jan. 2 the sisters recorded statements concerning their alleged abduction, rape and forced conversion to Islam before a local magistrate in Gujranwala. Earlier, they gave statements in Karachi, where they had been taken by their captors some 840 miles to the south. Two First Incident Reports (FIRs) have been filed.
In Gujranwala, Muhammad Irfan, Muhammed Mehboob and Muhammed Rafique, Mehboob's brother-in-law, are charged with kidnapping.
Irfan and Mehboob, suspected of involvement in a human trafficking ring, at first made contact with Parvisha Masih accidentally.
"Parvisha received a wrong number call and talked to Muhammad Irfan," said Katherine Karamat, an investigative officer for the Center for Legal Aid Assistance and Settlement (CLAAS). "Some days later, Irfan called again and told her that he had a beauty salon, and if she wanted training he could arrange that for her."
Eager to earn extra money for the family, Masih convinced her younger sister Sanam to join her in accepting the offer, according to CLAAS.
Irfan arranged to drive them to their first day of work in his car. At 10 a.m. on Nov. 12, Irfan and Mehboob picked the sisters up from their home.
"This is a common practice now," said Michael Javaid, a Pakistani member of parliament based in Karachi. "They offer poor people from the villages a good job, and the parents are poor so they trust them, but then they bring these girls and sell them to other people."
According to the sisters' testimony, Irfan stopped the car after roughly half an hour to buy beverages. He offered them both a bottle of fruit juice that they drank, unaware that he had drugged it.
En route to Karachi, Irfan and Mehboob then drove the sisters to a motel in Mianwali, threatening them at gunpoint and telling them they would be killed if they tried to escape. The sisters reported that the men then raped them.
In the morning they were ushered back into the car and driven to the coastal city of Karachi, where they were held captive at Rafique's house. Over the next five days, they said, the men raped them repeatedly.
Masih and Sanam then were taken to a madrassa (Islamic school), where a mufti issued certificates stating that the two had become Muslims. Parvisha Masih was renamed Sana, and her sister received the name Tayyaba.
Javaid and lawyers from CLAAS challenged these certificates, asserting that the sisters did not sign them.
"Anyone can get these papers by giving some kind of a bribe; [clerics] feel it is a service to Islam," said Javaid. "They will issue a certificate without knowing the will of the person, whether this is a forcible conversion or not."
Following their forced conversion at the madrassa, the Muslims took the sisters to the office of lawyers Nayer Zia-Ul-Din and Kokab Sahab-Ul-Din. Irfan explained to the lawyers that the sisters had converted to Islam and did not wish to return home to their Christian family, but instead wanted to stay at the government-run Dar-Ul-Aman shelter for women. Before leaving, Irfan told Masih and Sanam that they would be freed after the lawyers brought them to court the following day.
The lawyers told the sisters to sign blank sheets of paper, forging testimony from the pair that they planned to use to support their case, according to CLAAS. The attorneys told the sisters that they could stay with their family that night and took Masih and Sanam to their home, but no other family members were present.
After the sisters had fallen asleep, according to CLAAS, Sahab-Ul-Din took Parvisha Masih into a separate room and sexually abused her. Police found medication in Sahab-Ul-Din's apartment indicating that the sisters were again drugged. Sanam said she woke up when she heard her older sister crying for help.
"I took the mobile of the lawyer and called 15 [the emergency police number in Pakistan]," she told Compass. "One lawyer had left; the other was with Parvisha." She was able to escape the house and describe her location to authorities.
Police arrived at the scene shortly afterward, immediately referring Parvisha Masih to a hospital and arresting Sahab-Ul-Din, whom they took to the Ferozabad police station. The other lawyer, Zia-Ul-Din, had left but was later arrested at his home.
At the police station, Sanam called her father, Arif Masih, who rushed to Karachi to bring his daughters back home.
Assaulted in Court
The following day (Nov. 22), the sisters appeared before a magistrate to give testimony, accompanied by their father and other relatives. Defendants Zia-Ul-Din and Sahab-Ul-Din, both charged with rape, were also present. Upon learning that the sisters' father was in the room, they located him and began to attack him.
"The magistrate was in his chambers, and so the lawyers attacked the father and relatives, beating them, even the women, there in the courtroom, which never happened before!" said Javaid. "All the police were called, the FHO [court police], the superintendant and deputy superintendant, and they took them to the lock-up for safety."
Javaid said he plans to take a strong contingent of associates when they next appear in court to protect the sisters and deter another attack.
This is the second known case of its kind in recent months. Saba and Aneela Masih underwent a similar ordeal last July, and although 10-year-old Aneela has been returned to her family, her 13-year-old sister, forced to marry one of the men who kidnapped her, remains with her captors.
Christian girls from poor families make easy targets, and many cases go undocumented, Javaid told Compass. High legal fees often make it impossible for poor families to bring a case to court. Corrupt lawyers, easily swayed by bribes, often create further expense.
On top of this, a biased legal system that favors Muslims over Christians is particularly reluctant to pass judgments that would undermine conversion to Islam.
"Because both [Parvisha and Sanam Masih] are Christian and the accused were Muslim, to save their skin they made [the sisters] embrace Islam forcefully so they can marry them maybe or whatever they want," said CLAAS lawyer Samson Joseph.
Posted in Christianity, crime, Islam, Pakistan	| Tagged abducted, abused, accidentally, accompanied, accused, afraid, allegedly, Aneela Masih, apartment, Arif Masih, arresting, ashamed, asleep, assaulted, associates, attack, attorneys, authorities, based, battle, beating, beauty salon, beverages, biased, blank, bottle, bribe, brother-in-law, buy, call, captive, captivity, captors, car, cases, Center for Legal Aid Assistance and Settlement, certificates, challenged, chambers, charged, Christian, Christianity, Christians, city, CLAAS, clerics, coastal, common, contact, contingent, conversion, convert, convinced, corrupt, court, court police, courtroom, create, crying, Dar-Ul-Aman Women's Shelter, daughters, defendants, deputy superintendant, describe, drank, drive, drugged, embrace, emergency, escape, expense, explained, face, family, Father, favors, fear, feel, feeling, fees, Ferozabad, FHO, filed, FIR, First Incident Reports, forced, forcefully, forcible, forging, freed, friends, fruit juice, future, girls, government, Gujranwala, gunpoint, happy, help, home, hospital, human trafficking, impossible, indicating, investigative officer, involvement, Islam, Islamic, issued, job, judgments, Karachi, Katherine Karamat, Kidnapped, killed, Kokab Sahab-Ul-Din, lawyers, learning, legal, local, location, lock-up, madrassa, magistrate, marry, medication, member, men, Mianwali, Michael Javaid, minor, mobile, money, motel, Mufti, Muhammad Irfan, Muhammed Mehboob, Muhammed Rafique, Muslim, muslims, Nayer Zia-Ul-Din, number, offer, ordeal, Pakistan, Pakistani, paper, papers, parents, Parliament, Parvisha Masih, people, Persecution, planned, police, police station, poor, practice, protect, rape, raped, raping, receiving, recorded, referring, rejection, relatives, reluctant, remains, renamed, repeatedly, respect, return, ring, room, rushed, Saba Masih, safety, Samson Joseph, Sana, Sanam Masih, scene, school, sell, separate, service, sexually, sheets, sign, similar, Sister, sisters, societal, Society, statements, stating, stopped, strong, superintendant, support, suspected, swayed, system, talked, targets, Tayyaba, teenage, testimony, threatening, threats, training, trust, undermine, undocumented, ushered, villages, will, women, work, worried, wrong | Leave a comment


text:
Q: jQuery - RCarousel slideshow - Dynamic width? Is it possible to make rcarousel work with a liquid layout / adaptive UI ?
It only seems to work with a fixed width and height... it doesn't run if I use percentages like this:
<script type="text/javascript">
   jQuery(function($) {
      $( "#carousel" ).rcarousel( {width: 100%, height: 100%, visible:1, step:1});
   });
</script>

The only time the dimensions are specified is in the code above, so without percentages how could it handle the resize event (e.g. iPad going from landscape to portrait)?
Any help would be greatly appreciated!

A: Nevermind, I just made my own carousel that will work in an adaptive UI (there really is no need for rCarousel if you're familiar with the jQueryUI library).

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Self-Playing Violin: The Virtual Paganini
Posted: Aug 21 2006, 8:00am CDT | by Luigi Lugmayr, Updated: Aug 10 2010, 11:45pm CDT, in Other Stuff
I've always found player pianos to be just about the most interesting old-fashioned musical instrument concept ever, but I've never really thought about applying that same idea to other instruments...until I saw this. It's billed as the world's first self-playing violin.
The violin is quite obviously a much more difficult instrument to automate than a piano, which is why it took a retired president of a military technology company and a former NASA administrator to create it.It's titled the Virtuoso and it's quite a marvel. It is set to make its first concert debut in Sydney some time in the near future. You can watch the Virtuoso in action in this YouTube video. It's actually kind of surreal to just watch the violin playing itself. It's hard to believe it's not some kind of special effects thing.
The Virtuoso is actually already for sale, though it's just about the most expensive stringed instrument you'll ever find, at $17,500.
Via TechEBlog
Report Published by: Mark Raby


text:
About the SecureSend Service
What is SecureSend?
The SecureSend service allows anyone who has an email address to register for free so that they can then login and send secure email messages to any of our users who have "SecureLine" end-to-end email encryption services.
About LuxSci SecureLine
The SecureLine service enables these users to send secure email messages to anyone on the Internet using a variety of means - SMTP TLS, Escrow, PGP, and S/MIME.
With the SecureSend service, not only can these security-enabled users send email to anyone, but anyone can easily and for free send secure messages to them.
What are the limitations of SecureSend?
Users of the SecureSend service can send up to 100 messages per day and each message can contain up to 70 Megabytes of content and attachments.
Each message can be to only one single recipient and that recipient must be a user of our system who has the ability to receive such secure messages. You will receive an error messages if you try to send to anyone else.
You must be able to receive email messages at the email address that you wish to register with SecureSend.
What are the other benefits of SecureSend?
You can see a history of all your logins and messages sent, and a record is kept of to whom you have previously sent secure messages, so that you can more easily send to them in the future.
Messages can contain attachments and you can use HTML-markup with the message bodies.
Copyright © 2004-2020 Lux Scientiae,® Incorporated