text:
Litany of lies
On a trip to Israel, a Muslim journalist sees firsthand a litany of lies.
by Dr. Tashbih Sayyed
As I boarded EL AL flight LY 0008 for Tel Aviv on November 14, 2005 with my wife, Kiran, my mind was busy arranging and re-arranging the list of things I intended to accomplish. I wanted to use my first visit to Israel to feel the strength of the Jewish spirit that refuses to give in to evil forces despite thousand of years of anti-Semitism. It was not Israel's suicidal sacrifices that I wanted to investigate but the foundations of Israeli determination to live in peace.
There are many things that I wanted to talk about with Israelis, the foremost among them being their reluctance to do something about the bad press that continues to paint them as villains. Although I understand why the media, which reasonably covers most events accurately, chooses to ignore all rules of ethical journalism when it comes to Israel, I could not fathom Israel's reluctance to challenge the negative press effectively. Media bias against Israel reminded me of the Nazi era German press that was recruited by Hitler's Minister of Propaganda, Joseph Goebbels who picked up every hate-laden word against the Jews. Just like the German press who refused to print the truth about the gruesome atrocities in Europe's death camps - or claimed that it was all an exaggeration, the media today also ignores the Arab terrorism. I wanted to see if there was any truth in the media allegations that Israel was an apartheid state, undemocratic and discriminatory.
I knew that a true Jewish State could not be undemocratic since democratic concepts were always a part of Jewish thinking and derived directly from the Torah. For instance when in the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson wrote that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness, he was basically referring to Torah that said that all men are created in the image of God. I was confident that Israel cannot be racist or discriminatory since it is based on the idea of the covenant between God and the Israelites, in which both parties accepted upon themselves duties and obligations underlining the fact that power is established through the consent of both sides rather than through tyranny by the more powerful party.
My understanding of the Jewish State was confirmed when the entry form that I needed to fill before landing in Tel Aviv did not ask for my religion as is the law in Pakistan. Also, unlike Saudi Arabia, no one in Israeli immigration demanded from me any certificate of religion.
As the El Al approached the Promised Land, I continued to shuffle the list of charges made routinely against Israel by its enemies.
Israelis live in a perpetual state of fear.
Israel is undemocratic.
Muslim Arab citizens of Israel do not have equal rights
Israelis live in a perpetual state of fear:
From Tel Aviv to Tiberias, Jerusalem to Jezreel, and from Golan heights to the Gaza border, I could not find any evidence of fear. In fact the people felt so secure that none of the stores, gas stations, market places, or residences we went to, and where it was known that we were Muslims, deemed it necessary to either search or interrogate us. Especially when Kiran and I went to the Ben Yehuda Street in Jerusalem one evening, we found it bursting at its seams with people of all ages. The ground was shaking with music and young boys and girls were so busy having fun that they did not bother to even look around. Tourists were busy making deals and the whole crowd seemed to throb with the beat of the music.
I could not help but compare Israel's sense of security with the environment of insecurity that exists in Muslim countries. From Indonesia to Iran and from Afghanistan to Saudi Arabia, people are not sure of anything. In Pakistan's capital Islamabad, and the port city of Karachi, I was constantly advised not to make big purchases publicly for it encourages robbers to come after you. I did not hear news of any rape, honor killing or hold-up in Israel.
Israel is undemocratic:
As a Muslim I am much more sensitive to the absence of democratic freedoms in any society. And I do not believe that anyone but a committed anti-Semite will deny that Israel is not a democracy. Democracy in Israel is proportional and representative, but democratic coalitions, necessary in order to effect any decision making also have its problems.
The very first day in Caesarea introduced us to the Israeli democracy. The air was full of political debate and discussion. Ariel Sharon's decision to leave the Likud and form a new political party dominated the hotel halls and underlined the problems caused by the necessity of having democratic coalitions. "The object of a free and democratic Israeli society is to reach satisfactory compromise but often the conclusions are less than satisfactory -- especially for the majority. It involves coalitions and unity which are also checks and balances on any potential abuse of minority rights. It is a better system than the American representative Republican system -- which is really a representation of power and special interests. In the U.S. you get a democracy for the few. In Israel you have a democracy for everyone."
I tried very hard to find any Muslim state that has true democracy and where religious minorities are accorded equal democratic rights, but failed. The map of the Muslim world is too crowded with kings, despots, dictators, sham democrats and theocratic autocrats and the persecution of minorities is an essential part of Islamist social behavior. But here, protected by Israel's democratic principles, the Muslim Arab citizens of Israel are afforded all the rights and privileges of Israeli citizenship. When the first elections to the Knesset were held in February 1949, Israeli Arabs were given the right to vote and to be elected along with Israeli Jews. Today, Israel's Arab citizens are accorded full civil and political rights entitled to complete participation in Israeli society. They are active in Israeli social, political and civic life and enjoy representation in Israel's Parliament, Foreign Service and judicial system.
The Israeli faith in democracy also explains their refusal to respond to Islamist terrorism in violent ways. Despite my being aware of the human weaknesses which allow anger to subjugate the best of intentions, I could not find Israelis acting in vengeance against their Arab compatriots. My experience as a Muslim was also instrumental in expecting the worst in human behavior; Muslims under the influence of radical Islam have been unleashing their terror against non-Muslims even when the charges of anti-Muslim offenses were determined to be false.
I thought that it requires a superhuman effort to ignore the atrocities meted out to you and remain free of vengeful emotions. In my experience of Muslim societies, minorities have never been allowed the benefit of the doubt. Hatred of non-Muslims and outbursts of violence against minority faiths among radical Islamists have remained a norm rather than an exception. As a non-Wahhabi Muslim I have personally faced their barbarism and have watched Christians, Hindus and other minorities being persecuted on false pretenses. I thought that if Wahhabis in Saudi Arabia can sentence a teacher to 40 months in jail and 750 lashes just for praising Jews, it will not be unreasonable on the part of Israelis to punish Palestinians for throwing stones at worshippers at the Western Wall and burning down the tomb of Joseph.
But even in this section, Israelis have proved the world wrong. Despite daily provocations, they have managed successfully not to descend to the same level of depravity as their Arab enemies. The world is used to daily violence that is unleashed against religious minorities in the Muslim world. Only a couple of days ago the Muslim faithful in Pakistan had broken through the walls of a Church, torching and tearing open its doors. They were reacting to a rumor that a Christian had desecrated their holy book, the Quran. They smashed the marble altar of the Holy Spirit Church and shattered its stained glass windows. They torched a Christian residence and the neighboring St. Anthony's Girls School. Within moments flames were licking the walls and black smoke filled the sky. For days the Wahhabi clerics kept on calling their Muslim followers to come out from their houses and defend their faith by unleashing a reign of terror against Christians.
I wondered if an Israeli may someday find it justified to copy what Wahhabis have been doing in Iraq and other places -- abducting, murdering and beheading "infidels". Most recently, the body of a Hindu driver, Maniappan Raman Kutty, was found with his throat slashed in southern Afghanistan for no evident reason but his faith.
But there was nothing in history that could have substantiated my fears; Jews, despite being subjected to the most barbaric acts of terrorism have yet to react in vengeance against their perpetrators. And I concluded that my first visit to Israel will help me in untangling the knot of Israel's insistence on continuing to remain a target of Islamist terror.
Muslim Arab citizen of Israel do not have equal rights:
As our air-conditioned bus negotiated the mountainous curves of the road to the heart of Galilee, I could not miss the rising minarets identifying a number of Palestinian Arab towns dotting the hillsides. The imposing domes of mosques underlined the freedoms that are enjoyed by the Muslims in the Jewish State. Large Arab residences, wide spread construction activity and big cars underlined the prosperity and affluence of Palestinians living under the Star of David.
On my way from the city of David to the Royal Prima hotel in Jerusalem, I asked my Palestinian taxi driver how he feels about moving to the territories under Palestinian Authority. He said that he could never think of living outside Israel. His answer blasted the myth spread by anti-Semites that Israel's Arab citizens are not happy there.
Another Israeli Arab informed me that Arabs in Israel have equal voting rights. In fact, Israel is one of the few countries in the Middle East where Arab women can vote. In contrast to the non-Israeli Arab world, Arab women in Israel enjoy the same status as men. Muslim women have the right to vote and to be elected to public office. Muslim women, in fact are more liberated in Israel than in any Muslim country. Israeli law prohibits polygamy, child marriage, and the barbarity of female sexual mutilation.
Moreover, I found out that there are no incidences of honor killings in Israel. The status of Muslim women in Israel is far above that of any country in the region. Israeli health standards are by far the highest in the Middle East and Israeli health institutions are freely open to all Arabs, on the same basis as they are to Jews.
Arabic, like Hebrew, is an official language in Israel and underlines the tolerant nature of the Jewish State. All the street signs call out their names in Arabic alongside Hebrew. It is official policy of the Israeli government to foster the language, culture, and traditions of the Arab minority, in the educational system and in daily life. Israel's Arabic press is the most vibrant and independent of any country in the region. There are more than 20 Arabic periodicals. They publish what they please, subject only to the same military censorship as Jewish publications. There are daily TV and radio programs in Arabic.
Arabic is taught in Jewish secondary schools. More than 350,000 Arab children attend Israeli schools. At the time of Israel's founding, there was one Arab high school in the country. Today, there are hundreds of Arab schools. Israeli universities are renowned centers of learning in the history and literature of the Arab Middle East.
Aware of the constraints that a non-Wahhabi is faced with while performing religious rituals in Saudi Arabia, Kiran (my wife) could not hide her surprise at the freedoms and ease with which peoples of all religions and faiths were carrying out their religious obligations at the Church of the holy Sepulcher, Garden Tomb, Sea of Galilee, newly discovered Western Wall Tunnels, Western Wall, tomb of King David and all the other holy places we visited.
All religious communities in Israel enjoy the full protection of the State. Israeli Arabs --Muslims, as well as many Christian denominations -- are free to exercise their faiths, to observe their own weekly day of rest and holidays and to administer their own internal affairs. Some 80,000 Druze live in 22 villages in northern Israel. Their religion is not accessible to outsiders and Druze constitute a separate cultural, social and religious Arabic-speaking community. The Druze concept of taqiyya calls for complete loyalty by its adherents to the government of the country in which they reside. As such, among other things, the Druze serve in the Israel Defense Forces. Each religious community in Israel has its own religious councils and courts, and has full jurisdiction over religious affairs, including matters of personal status, such as marriage and divorce. The holy sites of all religions are administered by their own authorities and protected by the government.
A Hindu journalist who came to visit me talked about the openness that Jewish society represents. He told me that more than 20% of the Israeli population is non-Jewish of which approximately 1.2 million are Muslims, 140,000 are Christians and 100, 000 are Druze. Another non-Jewish Israeli told me that Christians and Druze are free to join even the defense forces of the Jewish State. Bedouins have served in paratroops units and other Arabs have volunteered for military duty.
The big houses owned by Arab Israelis and the amount of construction that was going on in the Arab towns exposed the falsity of propaganda that Israel discriminates against Israeli Arabs from buying lands. I found out that in the early part of the century, the Jewish National Fund was established by the World Zionist Congress to purchase land in Palestine for Jewish settlement. Of the total area of Israel, 92 percent belongs to the State and is managed by the Land Management Authority. It is not for sale to anyone, Jew or Arab.
The Arab Waqf owns land that is for the express use and benefit of Muslim Arabs. Government land can be leased by anyone, regardless of race, religion or sex. All Arab citizens of Israel are eligible to lease government land.
I asked three Israeli Arabs if they face discrimination in employment. They all said the same thing; normally there is no discrimination but whenever homicide bombers explode and murder Israelis, some Israelis feel uncomfortable dealing with them. But that uncomfortable feeling is also very temporary and does not stay for long.
My first visit to Israel has not only consolidated my belief that Israel is vital for the stability of the region but has also convinced me that the existence of Israel will one day convince the Muslims of the necessity of reformation in their theology as well as sociology.
A journey through the Israeli desert brought another important aspect of life to light; Prophets are not the only ones who can perform miracles -- people who believe in themselves can also perform unbelievable acts. Acres and acres of sand dunes have been transformed into the best possible fertile land; Wheat, Cotton, Sunflowers, Chickpeas, Groundnuts (Peanuts), Mangoes, Avocados, Citrus, Papayas, bananas and any other fruit and vegetable that Israelis want to consume is grown within Israel. In fact, Israelis have proved beyond any doubt why God promised them this land - only they could keep it green.
The land is described repeatedly in the Torah as a good land and "a land flowing with milk and honey". This description may not seem to fit well with the desert images we see on the nightly news, but let's keep in mind that the land was repeatedly abused by conquerors that were determined to make the land uninhabitable for the Jews. In the few decades since the Jewish people regained control of the land, tremendous improvement in its agriculture has been witnessed. Israeli agriculture today has a very high yield. Agriculture in Israel is very effective, and is able to cover about 75% of domestic needs, despite the limited land available.
Looking at the development and transformation that the land has gone through because of the Jewish innovative spirit, hard labor and commitment to freedoms for all times to come, I am convinced that it is true that God created this earth but it is also a fact that only an Israel can keep this earth from dying.
Courtesy of Muslim World Today
I came across this very interesting article, reading news on: www.aish.com. I found it worthy sharing with you. If only our Western press would publish such articles instead of spreading their "litany of lies".
Western so-called "free-press" has been handcuffed by Western politics in such a sneaky way, that they don`t even realize it...or maybe they even do? But don`t want to admit it? "Oil"-money rules...
Posted by European Kafir at 4/25/2007 03:14:00 AM
Labels: Israel
-I really don't care much what Muslims think. After all, they worship a murdering, lieing pedophile.
Thursday, April 26, 2007 at 12:57:00 PM EDT
John, don`t get me wrong, I don`t care about what muslims think either. I found it rather interesting though, that a muslim would express such thoughts, while our Western media doesn`t (there are very few exceptions,though).
That`s all I meant to say by publishing this article.
To me islam and nazism is the same! There is no difference between nazi ideology and islam religion. "Mein Kampf", quran... teaching hatred, violence and a false feelings of superiority. Hitler, Ahmadinejad, Saddam Hussein and many, many more... all evil creatures.
This is an exceptional post and although I don't much respect the opinions of most Muslims either, you have to admire the guts and the honesty of this one making these admissions. One of the most foundational principals of Islam is to never criticize a 'brother' and this Muslim has actually compared his own culture with the Israeli unfavourably. It's a wonder he hasn't had a fatwa put out on him like Rushdie!
Sunday, April 29, 2007 at 7:29:00 AM EDT
Enlightening. Quite unlike the crap we are fed by European TV about Israel.
Israel should do more to show how that Country really is.
Wednesday, May 2, 2007 at 8:33:00 AM EDT
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Tag: Jez Unwin
Review: Amélie the Musical, New Wimbledon Theatre
As sweet-sharp as a diabolo grenadine, the touring version of Amélie the Musical impresses me at the New Wimbledon Theatre
"Will there troubles?
Will there be sweet things?
I hope so"
As sweet-sharp as a diabolo grenadine, Amélie the Musical has lost none of its inimitable charm as it gears up for a considerable UK tour. I adored it at the Watermill but the intimacy there left me wondering how the show would fare in the significantly larger houses to which it will be touring. Turns out I need not have worried.
Michael Fentiman's production has expanded perfectly to fill the space. A few more ensemble members here, a tweak to Madeleine Girling's canny set design there, and the show has lost nothing of itself or its kooky Parisian whirl. If anything the actor-muso ensemble's reinterpretation of Daniel Messé's score sounds even better than before under George Francis' musical direction. Continue reading "Review: Amélie the Musical, New Wimbledon Theatre"
Review: Amélie the Musical, Watermill Theatre
A sensational adaptation of the film, Amélie the Musical completely captures my heart – see it now at the Watermill Theatre and then touring across the UK
"Maybe she's just different"
In a week marked by the heartbreaking sight of Notre Dame aflame, the decidedly Gallic charms of Amélie the Musical arrive to offer a soothing balm. The show – music by Daniel Messé, lyrics by Messé and Nathan Tysen and a book by Craig Lucas – didn't fare so well on Broadway in 2017 but the creatives, along with director Michael Fentiman, have substantially reworked the material to great effect.
The result is something which cleaves much closer to Jean-Pierre Jeunet's original film Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain in every inch of its spirit. From singing goldfish to licking stage blood off fingers, Elton John cameos to intimidating figs, there's a wonderful weirdness to the world created here. It's no wonder that the introverted Amélie struggles at first to find her place in this hyper-real version of Paris. Continue reading "Review: Amélie the Musical, Watermill Theatre"
CD Review: Ghost The Musical (Original Cast Recording 2011)
"This is always such a rush"
Some musicals are slow-burners. They may not hit you with their full force on first viewing but rather repay revisits and repeated listens to cast recordings to unfurl the depth of their appeal. So it was for me with Legally Blonde, and also with Ghost the Musical – a show I saw twice in the West End and again on its 2013 tour, liking it more and more each time.
And a large part of that was the way in which Glen Ballard and Dave Stewart's pop/rock-based score took its time to sidle its way into my affections, not necessarily the kind of music that would appeal to me but ultimately proving irresistible in its finest moments. And it is remarkably diverse too, pulling in from a wide musical palette whilst stamping out its own identity as something refreshingly different from your typical musical theatre score. Continue reading "CD Review: Ghost The Musical (Original Cast Recording 2011)"
Posted on April 4, 2014 November 5, 2018
Re-review: Once the musical, Phoenix
"It's a complicated thing, this…love"
One of the more pleasing success stories of the West End has been the endurance of Once the musical. Tucked away in the Phoenix Theatre where the huge Crossrail works have limited its footfall somewhat, I feared its subtle charms might get washed away by its brasher neighbours but it is now about to celebrate a year's worth of performances and is booking through to July 2015. With Arthur Darvill stepping into the shoes of 'Guy', a role he has played on Broadway, it seemed as good a time as any to revisit the show which made it into my top 20 shows of the year.
Whereas The Weir explores rural Irish life through the intimacy of an old man's pub where everyone knows everyone and their business, Once takes place in the comparative bright lights of Dublin, a bar likely somewhere off of Grafton Street with a greater diversity of people. Bankers rub shoulders with burger flippers, gay men alongside Czech immigrants, and all are united by the gift of quietly stirring music and the sharing of stories. From the pre-show onstage bar with its jamming session to the yearning emotion of the climax, this is as gorgeously mellow as a West End musical gets. Continue reading "Re-review: Once the musical, Phoenix"
Posted on April 11, 2013 November 5, 2018
Review: Once, Phoenix
"Raise your hopeful voice, you have a choice"
Unusually for a West End musical, Once gently pulses rather than powerhouses its way into the affections, beating very much to its own unique rhythm with a sublimely sensitive story of the power of music and the pain of untimely love. From the working bar on stage that welcomes the audience into the auditorium of the Phoenix with a makeshift ceilidh to the presence of quality names like Enda Walsh and John Tiffany, it is immediately clear that this is no ordinary film-to-stage transfer.
Augmented and adapted by Walsh, the book covers the brief but intense journey of a guy and a girl, named Guy and Girl, who connect strongly but find that what they can sing to each other, they cannot say once the music has stopped. He's a busking vacuum cleaner repairman missing his girlfriend in New York, she's an unhappily married Czech mother searching for purpose and when she spots his potential, starts up a project to get him to record a demo but their feelings soon threaten to pull them onto the cusp of new possibility. Continue reading "Review: Once, Phoenix"
Review: The Magistrate, National Theatre
"It's the little lies that get you into trouble"
Aged 36, the widowed Agatha Posket feared for her re-marriage prospects so when the genial Aeneas Posket, the magistrate for the Mulberry Street Police Court, arrived on the scene, she lopped 5 years off her age and promptly became Mrs Posket. The only trouble is her 19 year old son Cis whom she tells the world is actually 14 in order to make her fib fly. The farcical trials that follow as he continues to act as a 19 year old and the arrival of his godfather threatens to undo the whole deception make up the plot of Arthur Wing Pinero's rather delightful play The Magistrate, which takes up residence at the Olivier as the National's Christmas offering in place of The Count of Monte Cristo.
Nancy Carroll is simply sensational as Agatha, an actress in full control of her considerable gift and razor-sharp throughout. Whether layering in real pathos in lamenting the lot of a middle-aged widow, working in genuine comedy whilst extemporising wildly as chaos surrounds her or managing to make the spitting out of some bread into a moment of sheer genius, she is never less than unmissable. And she supported excellent by Joshua McGuire as her son Cis, who has a wonderful physicality and gleeful sense of timing in his teenage rampaging and Jonathan Coy's family friend Colonel Lukyn who is pretty much scene-stealingly fantastic, a true master of comic acting which fully deserves the mid-show round of applause he received. Continue reading "Review: The Magistrate, National Theatre"
Posted on July 9, 2012 November 1, 2018
Re-review: Ghost the musical, Piccadilly
"It's just relief to suspend my disbelief"
It feels a bit like I'm cursed when it comes to Ghost the Musical. I booked it at the beginning of the year to see the original cast before they went to Broadway and Sharon D Clarke injured herself so I missed her and this time round, eager to see Mark Evans' acting and musical talent / damn fine abs *delete as appropriate, we arrived at the theatre to find his understudy was on. It is not the end of the world when that happens of course but it is sometimes a disappointment when one is looking forward to seeing a particular person (though it helps that there's videos like this to fall back on) and as it turned out, when I saw the name of the understudy – Spencer O'Brien – I was actually quite pleased as he is someone I have great residual affection for as he was in the cast of the superlative Salad Days the Christmas before last.
And though my feelings about the show were decidedly mixed when I saw it last – review here – I'd listened to the soundtrack quite a bit since then and discovered that it really is a grower. I really like a good proportion of it and so was quite happy to revisit the show, with the bonus of a new cast and a companion that had not seen it before, and in the end I found that I actually enjoyed it much more. The key for me and the soundtrack helped immensely here, is to think of it as a chamber musical, a small intimate piece essentially for four characters, and let the rest simply glide by in a rush of neon light and slow-motion walking. Continue reading "Re-review: Ghost the musical, Piccadilly"
Posted on January 9, 2012 November 1, 2018
Review: Ghost the musical, Piccadilly
"You in danger gurl!"
In the story of Ghost the Musical, it is the character Molly who is the 'gurl' in danger, but it turned out to be the woman saying it, Sharon D Clarke's Oda Mae Brown who should have paid heed as a broken foot has ruled her out of the show for a while now and possibly out of the Broadway transfer too. I was particularly gutted as she was one of the main reasons I had booked to see the show, to catch the original leading cast before they trot over to New York to open the show there, and Clarke had been cited as one of the main attractions of the show.
As the show premiered in Manchester, my parents were amongst the first to see it and I even got my dad to write about his opinions for me on this very blog. But even despite his qualified recommendations, I couldn't quite work up the enthusiasm to fork out for the show and it was only this imminent departure of Caissie Levy and Richard Fleeshman that got me there (which is ironic in itself as I don't really see what all the fuss is about with Levy and Fleeshman struggled for me in Legally Blonde). But off to the Piccadilly I went with my mixed feelings, along with a pleasingly diverse crowd of theatregoers, and I left with mixed feelings too. Continue reading "Review: Ghost the musical, Piccadilly"
CD Review: Evita 2006 London Cast Recording
"Just a little touch of star quality"
I haven't done many reviews of soundtracks to shows since starting to cover CDs on here, focusing more new writing and solo albums from MT performers, but I don't know why not as I listen to them just as much. The first I'll cover will be the OLCR of the 2006 revival of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd-Webber's Evita, a production which revitalised this stalwart of a show in a way that I didn't think possible and introduced me, and the rest of London's theatregoers, to the glories of Argentinean star performer Elena Roger.
The soundtrack, edited highlights rather than the full score, captures much of what made that production so vibrant so that it doesn't really matter that we don't have any of the striking visuals and choreography that accompanied this Latin American infused remounting. The orchestrations have been totally refreshed in line with this re-envisioning and with Roger's singing leading the company, there's just a greater sense of authenticity about the whole shebang. Continue reading "CD Review: Evita 2006 London Cast Recording"
Guest Review: Ghost – the Musical, Opera House Manchester
I owe all sorts of things to my parents, not least my love of theatre to which I was introduced from an early age, and though our tastes coincide on many things (Propeller's Richard III being the most recent example), they vary on others and I was quite surprised when they announced that they were going to see Ghost – the Musical in its premiere run at the Opera House in Manchester. So, I prevailed upon my father to write up his thoughts in advance of my trip to see the show when it moves down to the Piccadilly Theatre in London on 22nd June and so I present to you, unedited, the real Mr Foster 😉
Sometimes, it pays not to expect too much. That way, you stand a chance of being agreeably surprised, as I was by how much I enjoyed 'Ghost – the Musical'.
Whoopi Goldberg apart, I was no big fan of 'Ghost – the Movie', so I wasn't anticipating that a musical version sticking very faithfully to the film screenplay would appeal all that much. However, the show is visually spectacular and features some impressive performances by a strong cast. Dave Stewarts's songs, though not particularly memorable (I didn't come away humming any of the tunes), are well crafted and listenable. With one clunking exception, of which more below, the weaving of the songs into the storyline is skilfully done.
The lead performances are very good. As in the film, Oda Mae Brown is crucial, because she gets most of the best scenes and lines, and Sharon D. Clarke is outstanding in the role, with terrific stage presence, good comic timing and a rich, deep, soul singing voice. Her introductory number 'Are you a Believer?', sung with her two assistants, is a cracker (for older readers, think The Pointer Sisters 'It's Raining Men') and her final routine, 'I'm Outta Here', was my favourite bit of the show.
Richard Fleeshman and Caissie Levy are engaging and likeable as Sam and Molly. Both have really good singing voices, even if they did tend to get a bit 'shouty' (especially Fleeshman) as some of the songs reached a loud climax. In fairness, they at times had to compete with an overloud band. Their first song 'Here Right Now' lifts the start of the show after a rather sluggish opening scene and the excellent 'Rain / Hold On' gets Act 2 off to a flyer. I also liked Molly's solo 'With You'.
The rest of the cast provide solid support. Andrew Langtree as the baddie Carl is a better actor than singer; Adebayo Bolaji is spectacular as the subway ghost; and the ensemble provide energetic backing to many of the musical routines.
Visually, the show is terrific, with an imaginative set, superb lighting and some dazzling special effects. The set is basically a box, but all of the walls move in and out to create other scenes and the walls are video screens, used particularly well to give pace and energy to the street and subway scenes. There are also conveyor belts across the stage and these are used effectively in the crowd scenes.
There are some flaws. As already indicated, the first act is a bit slow to get going and the sound balance is poor on some of the songs, meaning the singers are struggling to make themselves heard and the lyrics are difficult to make out. For me, the show's worst feature by a distance is the song 'Ball of Wax'. It is sung to the newly-dead Sam by a chorus of ghosts and is a jokey 'you're a ghost now' number. Coming as it does after a dramatic murder scene, done with some clever special effects, the song is completely out of place and spoils the atmosphere they have worked hard to create.
Notwithstanding these reservations, 'Ghost – the Musical' is an engaging and entertaining watch. It is playing to packed houses in Manchester and every performance has apparently received a standing ovation (it certainly did the night I was there). Not sure I'd go that far but it was a thoroughly enjoyable evening.
Rob Foster

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


This thesis explores the design development and experimental testing of a planar linkage for the Skiboard, a novel snowsports equipment device. The Skiboard, similar to a skateboard in appearance and style of use, combines two short skis with a bindingless board. Its aim is to fill a gap in the snowsports market for a product that offers a wide range of freestyle and trick riding possibilities, beyond those of a snowboard, while being as stable and easy to ride as a pair of skis. While the concept of the Skiboard in itself is simple, the task of designing a mechanism to link the skis to the board is complex. To translate a gradual lean of the rider into a gradual and equal tilting of the skis requires a multi-loop linkage mechanism. The synthesis and analysis of a mechanism for this application was the inspiration for the development of the synthesis-related design tools presented in this thesis. Design methodologies and design software concepts have been developed for use by designers faced with under-defined, "black-box" linkage synthesis problems similar to the Skiboard mechanism synthesis task. A software-based design of experiments setup, called SMAC, is introduced in this thesis and was used throughout the linkage synthesis process for the Skiboard. One promising candidate mechanism, developed and chosen using SMAC, is followed through to the pre-prototyping phase of the design process. PSEO, another, more advanced, software tool for complex and multi-loop linkage synthesis is also presented in the concept stage of development. This type of program has the potential to automate some of the most time-consuming portions of the synthesis and analysis process with the use of a genetic algorithm and curve-matching algorithm. Additionally, it keeps much of the user's interaction with the design process and the design itself intact, which is something not offered by existing tools incorporating similar levels of automation. Overall, this thesis is an exploration into the field of linkage design, a topic with little crossover between theory and practical design helps. It includes a review of existing synthesis tools and the development of new tools to suit complex applications such as the Skiboard. The design process for the Skiboard linkage mechanism is also presented and illustrates the way in which the creative design process is iterative, progressively informing the designer's understanding of the functional requirements of the linkage and how to best satisfy them.


text:
One News Page Australia > News Videos > Donald Trump > Stocks rally for a 5th week to record high
Stocks rally for a 5th week to record high
Video Credit: Reuters Studio - Duration: 01:53s - Published on November 8, 2019 < > Embed
U.S. stocks crept higher on Friday to record closing highs despite worries over the progress of U.S.-China trade talks.
Conway G.
Gittens has the details.
Investors decided not to make any big moves Friday as they try to assess what's going on with the long-running U.S.-China trade war.
But miniscule gains were still enough to close out the week at record closing highs for the Dow, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq.
President Trump cast doubt on whether there will be a rollback on existing tariffs against Chinese goods, saying he had not made a final decision - one day after officials said both sides agreed to do so if phase one of their trade deal is completed.
Despite the latest trade uncertainty, the long-term uptrend in stocks remains intact, says Peter Cardillo, he's chief market economist at Spartan Capital Securities.
(SOUNDBITE)(English) PETER CARDILLO, CHIEF MARKET ECONOMIST, SPARTAN CAPITAL SECURITIES, SAYING: "It's all about the fundamentals of the stock market, which remain quite healthy.
We're coming out of the third-quarter earning season in a good way.
Many companies have beat their expectations.
Of course they were scaled back, nevertheless the outlook from Corporate America hasn't really changed that much." That positive boost to investor sentiment continued Friday.
Walt Disney was the best performing stock in the Dow.
Investors were pleased with the company's better-than-expected quarterly results and the number of distribution deals announced for Disney+, the streaming video service that goes live next week.
Booking Holdings, the parent of Priceline.com, instilled some much-needed confidence back into the online travel sector.
Results from peers suggested a change in Google search algorithm was hurting the flow of traffic.
But Booking topped quarterly profit forecasts thanks to an increase in the number of hotel nights booked on its website.
❌UnitedWeStand❌ RT @CNBC: Stocks hit new records at the close as year-end optimism continued to drive the rally. The Dow closed up about 49 points for a re… 6 days ago
XM Market News U.S. stock market opens lower as Wall Street struggles to extend record rally with 2 days left in trade U.S. stock… https://t.co/FTnBhS6n4B 1 week ago
National Party of Australia
Prince Andrew, Duke of York
Severe floods in Australia after devastating bushfires
End of the library fine: Australian initiative catching on
Queen Elizabeth II: Harry and Meghan 'have my support'


As you so well express, waiting can be one of the hardest things we do, especially when we're being pushed for an answer. The more important that answer is, the more important our hearing from our loving Father is. Even knowing this seems to increase the pressure to get that answer. I find it's best to get in a quiet place alone and simply sit in His presence until we hear from our Daddy-God. If it's not His time for us to have an answer, He will give us the peace and reassurance we need to wait until the answer comes.


text:
<?php
defined('BASEPATH') OR exit('No direct script access allowed');

class Riwayat_PKM extends Anggota_Controller {
	private $path;
	public function __construct()
	{
		parent::__construct();

        $this->load->helper('form');
		$this->load->model('Anggota_Model');
		$this->load->model('Kontak_model');
		$this->load->model('Riwayat_PKM_model');
		$this->path = "anggota/riwayat_pkm";
	}

	public function index()
	{
		$id = $this->session->userdata('user_id');
		$data['anggota'] = $this->Anggota_Model->get_id($id);
		$data['kontak'] = $this->Kontak_model->get_id($id);
		$data['riwayat_pkm'] = $this->Riwayat_PKM_model->get_id($id);
		$ui['navtab']['page'] = 'pkm';
		$ui['nama_anggota'] = $data['anggota']->nama_lengkap;

		$this->load->view('anggota/header');
		$this->load->view('anggota/body',$ui);
		$this->load->view('anggota/profile',$data);
		$this->load->view('anggota/nav_riwayat',$ui['navtab']);
		$this->load->view('anggota/riwayat/pkm/content',$data);
		$this->load->view('anggota/footer');
	}

	public function add()
	{
		$id = $this->session->userdata('user_id');

		if ($_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD'] == 'GET') {
			$ui['page'] = 'Tambah Riwayat PKM';
			$this->load->view('anggota/header');
			$this->load->view('anggota/crud_header',$ui);
			$this->load->view('anggota/riwayat/pkm/add_riwayat_pkm');
		} else {
			$insert = $this->Riwayat_PKM_model->add_riwayat_pkm($id);
			if ($insert){
				$this->session->set_flashdata('success_path', $this->path);
				 redirect('anggota/dashboard/success');
			} else echo "Insert Gagal";
		}
	}

	public function get($no_urut = null)
	{
		$id = $this->session->userdata('user_id');
		if ($no_urut != null) {
			$data = $this->Riwayat_PKM_model->get_no_urut($id,$no_urut);
		} else {
			$data = $this->Riwayat_PKM_model->get_id($id);
		}

		return $data;
	}

	public function update($no_urut)
	{
		$id = $this->session->userdata('user_id');

		if ($_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD'] == 'GET') {
			$data['riwayat_pkm']= $this->get($no_urut);
			$ui['page'] = 'Ubah Riwayat PKM';
			$this->load->view('anggota/header');
			$this->load->view('anggota/crud_header',$ui);
			$this->load->view('anggota/riwayat/pkm/update_riwayat_pkm',$data);
		} else {
			$update = $this->Riwayat_PKM_model->update_riwayat_pkm($id,$no_urut);
			if ($update){
				$this->session->set_flashdata('success_path', $this->path);
				  redirect('anggota/dashboard/success');
			} else echo "Update Gagal";
		}
	}

	public function delete($no_urut)
	{
		$id = $this->session->userdata('user_id');

		if ($_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD'] == 'GET') {
			$data['riwayat']= (array) $this->get($no_urut);
			$ui['page'] = 'Hapus Riwayat PKM';
			$data['table']['header'] = ["Nama PKM","Nama Penyelenggara","Tahun PKM"];
			$data['attribute'] = ["nama_pkm","nama_penyelenggara_pkm","tahun_pkm"];
			$this->load->view('anggota/header');
			$this->load->view('anggota/crud_header',$ui);
			$this->load->view('anggota/hapus_riwayat',$data);
		} else {
			$delete = $this->Riwayat_PKM_model->delete_riwayat_pkm($id,$no_urut);
			if ($delete){
				$this->session->set_flashdata('success_path', $this->path);
				 redirect('anggota/dashboard/success');
			} else echo "Delete Gagal";
		}
	}

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Arts - What's happening on the Upper East Side, Upper West Side, Downtown, Chelsea. Events, things for kids to do, arts, entertainment, food & wine tastings, community events, kid-friendly events in Manhattan, NYC.
"Mozart: An Evening with the Master"


Bob Delbridge is a retired Combat Systems Test Director for the Navy who led a team of technicians to test electronics on combat ships. When not playing golf, Bob runs O scale steam engines. His BlueRail board is installed in a Weaver RS3 with a Norfolk and Western paint scheme running Dead Rail. He uses 2000Mah, 9.6v NiMh and 2200Mah, 11.1v LiPo battery packs. Bob's home videos show some great switcher slow speed operation (and a curious cat).
Test engine is a Weaver RS3 with traction tires on one axle. Motor is a Pittman 8514. 4 LEDs are installed, 2 at each end of engine (dual lights).
BlueRail Blue Horse circuit board install, using a 2000Mah 9.6v NiMh battery pack from All-Battery, fully charged.
Layout is approx 12'x12' loop, with 3-rail track. The center rail is removed, making the layout a 2-rail layout but using 3-rail wheelsets on all engines and cars. Maximum grade is approx 2%, undulating grade. The curves are 072 (36" radius) and the overall length of the loop is 1/3 mile (calculated from using the MTH DCS system which has an odometer built-in).
Used Ipad Air, fully charged, with BlueRail App installed.
Ran train NON-STOP for 2hrs 45mins.
Top speed was 27.7 scale miles per hour.
At 2hrs 15mins loco speed was measured at 27.7 smph.
At 2hrs 30mins loco speed was measured at 18.5 smph.
At 2hrs 45mins loco slowed down then stopped.
Ran train NON-STOP for 2hrs.
Top speed was 32.7 smph.
At 2hrs 15mins loco speed decreased to 29.3 smph.
That's only 7 minutes shorter run time than at 75% throttle setting, but 5smph faster.
This curious cat makes an appearance in the video at the 1:16 mark.
Although the BlueRail board drives the loco motor at 16 kHz (well beyond human hearing range) cat's can hear up to the 64 kHz range, making them keenly aware of subtle changes in loco speed.


Edmond Dantès acquired Swordsmanship and potion making skills?
Clearly the book explains that he gained many skills in prison from Abbé Faria. Does the book explain anywhere how he was able to improve his swordman's skills, as Abbé Faria was a very old man and space in their cells would have been very limited. Once he returns after his escape, he clearly becomes skilled in writing, language, intellect and fighting,.
As far as I know, Abbé Faria is his only mentor. We just have to accept that Dentes has those skills.


text:
About Us: The Best Custom Tailor in Royal Oak, MI and Beyond!
Mohammed Kalam
Learning the craft
Mohammed started learning the basics of sewing and tailoring back in 1970s and mastered the art of handling thimble. He was involved in multiple projects back then, handling a plethora of fabrics.
Kalam's enthusiasm for bespoke tailoring made him realize that he had to step out of his comfort zone and gain as much global exposure as possible to hone his skill. Back in the early 80s, he moved to Kuwait and apprenticed under multiple master tailors.
Soon, Kalam realized that if he was to make it to the top, he had to work in New York City-the business and fashion capitol of the world. His dream became a reality in 1990 when he set foot in America- the land of opportunity. His aim was to find his niche. The industry was competitive, but adversaries did not deter his enthusiasm. Against all odds, Kalam got his breakthrough in 1995 when SAKS FIFTH AVE invited him to perform alterations for their high-end clientele. He became one of their favorite and ultimately became their Master tailor.
Coming to the Pure Michigan
Kalam's wife immigrated to the US in 2001 but she was reluctant to stay in crowded New York. She wanted to start their life in a quaint city with multiple lakes; Michigan was an obvious choice.
In 2004, he was hired by Brooks Brothers located in Somerset Collection Mall in Troy. After a while, he was referred to Burberry's executives for his unmatched skills and started part-time at Burberry. He quickly gained a loyal clientele who requested he to open his own custom shop in 2009. He was overwhelmed by their support. His clientele were banks executives, Oakland County judges and bureaucrats, and prominent doctors practicing in Southeast Michigan. The clients wanted a more intimate custom tailoring experience, and Kalam was hesitant to leave his stable job at Brooks Brothers.
CROWN TAILOR
2009- Present
Finally in 2009, Kalam opened his shop in the uprising city of Royal Oak in the heart of Oakland County. His clients were very happy and he quickly grew his business from only men's clothing to women's dresses and wedding dresses. He has been running Crown Tailor since then and is making sure that the customer gets the best experience when they step in his shop. His expertise includes men's shirts and suits, custom bespoke menswear clothing, tuxedos, top coats, women's dresses, and wedding dresses. In his shop you can select from a wide variety of fabrics and button designs. He hopes that he continues to serve the customers from Metro Detroit and soon all across from Michigan.


How many deaths will it take you to finish this game? Jump around the screen and the precise moment and try to reach the end of each level in one piece. Space is Key is provided to you by FunLand.com and is categorized into our action games. This game was played 23,290 times and currently has a rating of 4.12 out of 5.00 after 118 votes.


Just recently at Blizzcon, Blizzard have revealed Warlords of Draenor the fifth expansion for World of Warcraft. You can watch the announcement trail up above.
The story for Warlords of Draenor is a progression of events that occurred in Mists of Pandaria. Garrosh Hellscream has escaped the prison that he was put in by players and has managed to travel back in time. He's brought advanced technology to the Orcs of Draenor and united them into the Iron Horde. Players must travel back in time after him and stop him from invading Azeroth.
Up till now, players have experienced what remains of Draenor through Outland, but this new Draenor will be radically different. Veterans of 'The Burning Crusade' will recognize some of the key landmarks but for the most part it's a whole new world.
Frostfire Ridge: Across snow-covered wastes and beneath towering volcanoes, heroes of the Frostwolf clan and the Horde unite to repel invaders from their homeland.
Shadowmoon Valley: Amid rolling moonlit hills, the draenei at the holy temple of Karabor unite with the Alliance in a desperate fight for survival against the Iron Horde and Shadowmoon clan.
Gorgrond: Deep within the desert canyons of Gorgrond, an arsenal of massive siege weapons built by the Blackrock clan is about to be unleashed upon the whole of Draenor.
Talador: In the shadow of a besieged Shattrath City, the Auchenai Soulpriests actively seek to safeguard the countless draenei souls inside Auchindoun from a terrible demonic threat.
Spires of Arak: At the height of their power, the regal arrakoa plot atop their high peaks, well out of the reach of the brutal Shattered Hand orcs and the wingless outcasts below.
Nagrand: Among the fertile hills and outcroppings of Nagrand, the bloodied wolf-riders of the Warsong clan remain a threat not to be trifled with.
Tanaan Jungle: Within the overgrown jungle home of the Bleeding Hollow clan, a Dark Portal is under construction . . . and an Iron Horde army makes grim preparations to conquer Azeroth.
The level cap has been raised to 100 and boosts to level 90 are being offered so players can jump right into the action. They're also planning to revamp several of the character models of the game. There's no official release date yet, but expect it to come out in 2014.


Dhivya Arts and Science College, Tiruvannamalai has advertised for the recruitment of Assistant Professors in various departments. Interested and eligible candidates are requested to apply on or before 12th March 2014. Read on to know more information.
Address: Chepet, Tiruvannamalai-606801, Tamilnadu, India.
Dhivya Arts and Science College is a self financing college, established by B.Selvarajan Educational Trust located at Chetpet in Tamilnadu.
Sports, Youth and Cultural Activities Department of Gujarat Government is making recruitment of Professor, Associate Professor and Assistant Professor. Career opportunity is available in Swarnim Gujarat Sports University (SGSU). Know complete details from here.
Looking for JRF / RA job in Delhi? Department of Physics & Astrophysics, University of Delhi has advertised to fill the vacancies of Junior Research Fellow, Research Associate in Delhi. Learn details and apply on or before 22.03.2014.
Dhivya Matriculation Higher Secondary School, Tiruvannamalai has advertised for the recruitment of Principal, Teachers and other non-teaching posts such as PET, Hostel Warden, Driver, Cleaner, Hostel Cook, Nurse, Librarian (Female only). Interested and eligible candidates are requested to apply on or before 12th March 2014. Get more information below.
Dhivya Polytechnic College, Tiruvannamalai has advertised for the recruitment of HOD, Lecturers and Lab Assistants in the departments of Mechanical, Civil and Automobile Engineering. Interested and eligible candidates are requested to apply on or before 12th March 2014. Read on to know more information.


Opt for a pattern that won't go out of style with Brown Thomas' Tonal Dot Silk Tie. Cut from pure silk, this classically shaped accessory is accented with tonal dots for added depth. Team with an equally sharp suit and pair of Oxfords.
Tonal dot pattern, fully lined, tie loop.


Morne Stars' Allana Paul On US Scholarship!
Press Release:- Yet another member of Morne Stars Athletics Club is off to the United States on an athletics scholarship for the new academic year. 20-year-old sprinter Allana Paul is now on a full athletics scholarship from Briar Cliff University in Sioux City, Iowa. The multiple national champion will be pursuing a four-year degree programme in Kinesiology at her new school.
Under BCU's new Director of Track and Field and Cross Country, Scott Barnes, the Castries Comprehensive Secondary School (CCSS) alumna will take aim at the Chargers school records in the 100m, 200m, and 400m. She will also hope to have an impact indoors and out at the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC), and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).
A triple individual gold medallist at the 2017 Windward Islands School Games, Allana was the top scorer in track and field for two years in a row at the four-nation multidisciplinary competition. She won the 400m and 200m at that meet in 2016, having also won the national title in the women's 400m, and national junior titles in the 400m and 200m.
For two years in a row, Allana has been adjudged the Morne Stars Athletics Club's Female Track Athlete of the Year, as voted by her teammates and coaches. She serves as a mentor and role model to many of the younger athletes, especially her litter sister, Aaliyah, a talented sprinter in her own right, and a student at CCSS.
Other members of Morne Stars Athletics presently on scholarship in the United States include jumpers Daren Defreitas, Desran Desir, Kevin Norville and Udoka Constantine. Djal Augustin, Marva Herman and Nicole Montoute, all three of whom are also national footballers, earned scholarships this year through the Free Kick Foundation.


What a gorgeous bird you have as your avatar! What breed is he?
The breed is Turkey. As for variety he is a tricolor pencil palm b1b1cgcgRrpnpn. He is quite the looker and a really sweet tom, good with the babies.


Absolut Vodka wanted to bring their beautiful 'drop of inspiration' campaign to an on trade and off trade audience. To do this in a new and innovative way we designed, created and built these Crystal displays, which were rolled out selected bars and off licences.
It allows products and brands to be placed in full view and layered with HD video, creating an innovative and novel brand experience. The displays have had significant visible impact both in differentiating themselves from competitors and in sales.
After all, beautiful images deserve the best canvas.


text:
from __future__ import unicode_literals

from django.db import models, migrations

class Migration(migrations.Migration):

    dependencies = [
        ('new_app', '0001_initial'),
    ]

    operations = [
        migrations.AlterModelOptions(
            name='profesor',
            options={'ordering': ['nombre'], 'verbose_name_plural': 'profesores'},
        ),
        migrations.RemoveField(
            model_name='curso',
            name='profesor',
        ),
        migrations.AddField(
            model_name='curso',
            name='profesor',
            field=models.ManyToManyField(to='new_app.Profesor'),
        ),
    ]


YAMAHA MOTOGP TEAMS AND RIDERS: Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team gave racing fans from all over the world a first glimpse of its team colours for the new season during the official team launch at Telefónica's headquarters in Madrid, to kick-start their 2017 campaign.
The Italy-based team travelled to Madrid in the last week of its 'winter break' before heading overseas for the first official IRTA MotoGP pre-season test of 2017 in Sepang. During this on-track outing, Movistar Yamaha MotoGP riders Valentino Rossi and Maverick Viñales will help Yamaha's engineers fine-tune the development work of the YZR-M1 that was carried through during the "off-season". The Valencia test already showed great promise for this formidable team; all members are eager to reclaim the MotoGP World Championship crown.


Our union negotiations team for DOC wore read to protest the State's proposal to restrict our access to vacation leave.
It was a sea of red at our DOC negotiations this week. Members of our union's bargaining committee were decked out in red T-shirts, red caps, red sweatshirts and blouses. Our team had deliberately coordinated our dress to protest the State's proposal to restrict our access to vacation leave.
In the previous negotiations session, the State sought changes to the vacation leave article (Article 21) in our contract to allow DOC management to discipline members who make certain kinds of vacation requests by defining it as unscheduled leave.
Our team was united in rejecting the proposal. To show our unity and send a message to the State, the group decided to wear red for this session. All members participated in the action.
On Thursday, the State made a stab at another idea that was unanimously opposed by our negotiations team. The State proposed designating Visiting as a Specialized Unit.
There are a couple of problems with that. Not only would it erode our bid system and strip members of their right to work in those areas, it wouldn't address the problems they claim they're trying to solve.
The answer is not to diminish members' bid rights, rather provide more training and more visit staff. In short, management needs to do their job, but of course that would require spending more money, and DOC is always looking to do more with less.
Other topics for discussion included hours of work, assignment of overtime, probationary periods and trial service. Many of the State's proposals appeared to want to make union members pay for mismanagement by the Department.
"We need to stay strong and support each other."
We are nearing the end of negotiations over language issues and expect to exchange economic proposals with the State in our next session scheduled for July 10-11.


text:
23 Boyfriend Habits That Annoy Every Woman
Pretending he's listening to you when he's just blatantly not.
by Anna Breslaw | Mar 16, 2015
1. Sleeping until 2 p.m. so you have to crawl over him to get out of the bed and start your day.
By the time he wakes up, you already did some work, went to spin class, fixed your taxes, and solved the world hunger crisis.
2. Not knowing how to do even the simplest domestic tasks.
His idea of "washing the dishes" is standing near-ish to water with the dirty dishes and wondering how come they're not getting cleaner.
3. Talk about his "crazy ex-girlfriend" and how refreshingly "normal" you are, without realizing that (1) it's condescending to call her that and (2) it implies that she was basically Angelina Jolie in Mr. and Mrs. Smith and you're just a cauliflower with a wig on.
4. Farting with zero shame and then continuing the conversation like it didn't just happen.
And not expecting you to be like, "...Baby."
5. Burping.
6. Pretending he's listening to you when he's just blatantly not.
Can you take the garbage out? Can you take the garbage out? Baby, I'm pregnant. OK, great, now that I have your attention, CAN YOU TAKE THE GARBAGE OUT PLEASE.
7. Using your laptop because he is too lazy to fetch or turn his own on.
8. Leaving beard stubble in the sink.
9. Encouraging you to become best friends with his closest female BFFs even when you have nothing in common.
Yes, Katrina is totally nice but our friendship is so forced that we just end up having dumb, generic conversations about how we've been "so bad about working out, lately."
10. Only going down on you as foreplay.
11. Being way more into talking on the phone or FaceTiming than texting.
First of all, texts are the modern love letter. Secondly, I can't talk to you in that horribly irritating private voice we use when talking to each other while I am at my desk at work.
12. Leaving dirty socks on the floor and not picking them up the next morning.
13. Leaving the drawer open after getting something out.
14. Ruffling your hair. Especially when you just finished doing it.
15. Having the amazing ability to fall asleep literally anywhere at any time while on any form of transportation so you have to fend for both yourself and an oversize dozing child while traveling.
So you're basically Renee Zellweger in Jerry Maguire all of a sudden.
16. Leaving a ton of boxer briefs at your place for you to include with your laundry and then getting annoyed when you wear some.
17. Sometimes caring so much about how he looks and other times not caring at all.
It's impossible to predict.
18. Getting annoyed when you buy him nice clothes because it's mom-ish of you.
When really you're just trying to make him look more guwapo than he already is!
19. When you ask him to pick you up something on the way home, he never gets the right thing.
It's always scented when you asked for unscented. Or regular when you asked for with wings. Or two AA batteries and a Snickers bar instead of tampons.
20. When he stands behind you and sulks while you're with your friends and mumbles, "Babe, can we go home? Baby? Can we go home?" every five minutes or so.
The worst.
21. An inappropriate PDA balance.
Either he's hanging off you like plankton on a sperm whale or he doesn't even want to touch you. Ano ba.
22. When he asks if you're going to eat something and takes it off your plate before you have time to answer.
WHY YES, I WAS GOING TO EAT IT.
23. Being lovable enough to overlook nos. 1–22.
This article originally appeared on Cosmopolitan.com. Minor edits have been made by the Cosmo.ph editors.
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We set a new standard in cat care and boarding.
Think of it as a calming cottage getaway for your cat, giving you the complete peace of mind that kitty is being well-treated in a relaxing and playful atmosphere.
CatNap Cottages, situated on a lovely country setting is a peaceful vacation spot for the pampered feline. CatNap Cottages is owned and operated by Michelle Watterson and everything about cats is a passion for her.
Your cat is our only thought, not an after thought.
Insulation and air conditioning will ensure that your cat is always comfortable at any temperature.
With a window for each cottage in addition to those in the play areas, CatNap offers a bright, warm feeling for our guests.
Our facility is equipped with a sophisticated UV filtration purification system.
We welcome special needs cats! CatNap Cottages will serve according to your specifications as much as possible.
CatNap Cottages uses only veterinarian approved cleaners which are safe and effective.


The NEC Philharmonic's world premiere performance of Leon Kirchner's retouched version of his charming Music for Flute and Orchestra arrived at Jordan Hall Wednesday with the popular Paula Robison and her gold flute.
Robison took evident pleasure in the music, rocking on her feet and smiling, at times looking off trance-like into space, and applying her superb technique and lovely vibrato to Kirchner's music. Wolff, who had studied alongside Kirchner at Harvard, "understands the spirit of Leon's creative output in an extraordinary way", she wrote.
Originally written in 1977 for Robison, the work was performed before being engraved. Kirchner's "minuscule and barely readable handwriting" caused the score to languish until Kirchner revised in 1994; it underwent another round of amendments in 2004. Only since Wolff agreed to tackle the manuscript and get it engraved has it emerged as a generally available concert piece. It is sure to find receptive new audiences.
The concert also included two orchestral works with unusual histories. Samuel Barber's Overture to The School for Scandal is frequently performed around the world but rarely understood as a self-standing composition rather than an introduction to a stage play or opera. Barber merely sought to reflect the humor and character of the original Richard Sheridan comedy.
Barber was only 21 when he completed this overture, his first full-length orchestral effort. Hugh Wolff successfully conveyed the "wit, charm and just a dash of contemporary edginess" that Barber intended.
And yet, with all that fine music in our ears, the true highlight of the evening was a hyper-familiar Franz Schubert Symphony in C Major, the so-called Great Symphony. Conducting from memory and singing discreetly along, Hugh Wolff seemed totally subsumed in the music.
He brought the NEC Philharmonic to the highest standard for this sweeping composition, a work that Schubert never heard performed. From the initial bold horn statement of the theme to the rollicking finale, I felt I was hearing something new. The brass, woodwinds, strings and percussion converged to deliver something beautifully translucent and musically coherent.
Watching Wolff is always part of the experience. Here he danced, crouched, stretched and dug deep with his stick to make this performance his own. The players locked eyes with him and exchanged smiles at certain moments.
It seemed to me that the third movement, the scherzo, gave the strings their greatest workout—perhaps the part that caused the problems in London in 1844. Felix Mendelssohn attempted to introduce an edited-down version of the work to a London audience but the orchestra rejected it as so difficult to be "unplayable".


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Home » Campaign, Health & Beauty, Non-profit »
Testicular Cancer Canada gets ballsy
The organization takes a more disruptive approach to stand out during Testicular Cancer Awareness month.
Testicular Cancer Canada is taking things a little literal in a new campaign to motivate men to get over stigma and listen to their balls.
In a series of videos created by agency Giants & Gentlemen, a person's testicles are personified as a pair of talking heads, discussing the ups and downs of living as a pair of balls while getting a much-need shower or "haircut." The discussion inevitably turns to the fact that the person who owns the testicles doesn't "listen" to them, before ending on the tagline "Your balls have a lot to say" as way to encourage others to regularly check for lumps or irregularities.
The campaign also features strategic media placement for certain videos, based on their content. For example, one is running through donated ad space from PornHub and features the testicles lamenting the fact that no one touched the guy's testicles in the video they just watched, missing an opportunity to potentially find a lump. Another video, being displayed on video boards in men's washrooms, features the testicles commenting on the viewer's privates before telling them how often they should also be checking themselves.
The campaign launched last week ahead of Testicular Cancer Awareness month in April, but assets will be in market until the end of May.
The goal with "#LetsTalkBalls" is to break down stigma and embarrassment around discussing and checking for testicular cancer, especially among 15- to 29-year-olds, for whom the disease is the most preventable and often treatable.
Vincent Marchildon-White, interim managing director for Testicular Cancer Canada, says it has always been "a natural fit" for an organization that talks about testicles to use humour as a way to stand out. Past campaigns have included strangers telling their most embarrassing stories to having agency staff getting waxed to using guinea pigs as stand-ins during a tutorial video on how to check for lumps.
But Marchildon-White says that pushing into a more provocative area was an opportunity to be even more disruptive, something that is especially important during Testicular Cancer Awareness month when the organization looks to get the attention of potential donors.
"We want to get the most bang for our buck, so to speak," says Marchildon-White. "We had these successful campaigns in the past and they've always used the comedic side. But Giants & Gentlemen brought us a concept that was literally pretty ballsy and convinced us it was something they felt strongly about and would be effective. That created an opportunity this year to get more disruptive and just say yes to something a bit more unconventional."
Giants and Gentlemen, Testicular Cancer Canada, Vincent Marchildon-White
Intuit helps put new business owners' minds at ease
Twitter manifests big dreams to draw in new users
Sobeys aims to Feed the Dream again
Slim Jim and Slim Duck help people snap out of boredom
SHN is trying to close a massive gap in donations to Scarborough hospitals


Darn, too slow! This BSA has already gone!
1 is a mk1 and is a project rifle or for spares, no stock.
2 is a mk 6 fully working but un used now.
ill try and get pictures soon.
also not sure if you can post airguns anymore hence the collection.


Nobody wants to spend more on auto insurance than necessary -- and yet, many do simply because they've made some error or other that caused their premiums to spike. Fortunately, most problems have solutions, and auto insurance problems are no exception. Here are four issues that can boost your auto insurance, along with smart strategies for counteracting them.
The problem: The more an insurance company has to pay to replace a car, or the more likely such a replacement is, the more you'll pay to the insurance company in the form of higher premiums. Buying a $100,000 sports car would be sufficient to spike your insurance rates for this reason alone -- but it's far from the only reason. That expensive sports car probably has an enormously powerful engine under the hood as well. People don't buy such cars for leisurely jaunts to the grocery store; they buy them to go full throttle on the highway, making them a significantly higher accident risk. To the insurance company, this constitutes Strike Two. Strike Three comes from the fact that fancier cars are more desirable to thieves.
The solution: Buy a modest, used family car. Even a barely-driven used car has already depreciated significantly enough to reduce its replacement value. Models commonly purchased to transport kids, such as minivans and wagons, are more likely to be driven safely and responsibly in the eyes of your insurer. You may not be thrilled by the driving experience, but you'll be a lot happier when it comes time to pay the bills.
The problem: Most people have to commute to work five days a week, but some commutes are longer than others. If you live many miles from your workplace, you may experience higher auto insurance premiums because you're on the the road that much longer than someone who only has to drive a mile or two, increasing your accident risk. If you use your car to make a living as a delivery driver or other such position, your rates may be especially high because you're driving all day long.
The solution: If you can take public transportation to work and leave the car at home most days, tell your insurance provider and you might receive a lower rate. You may also enjoy lower premiums if you can show that your commute keeps you on sleepy neighborhood streets most of the time instead of forcing you onto dangerous, densely-packed highways.
The problem: Believe it or not, bad credit can lead to a bad deal on your auto insurance rates. Insurers associate a poor credit score with irresponsible behavior. An irresponsible driver is more expensive to insure because he's more likely to get into a wreck or park his car where it can get stolen. However unfair it may seem, you'll pay higher premiums if your credit score is interpreted in terms of poor decision making and/or lack of trustworthiness.
The solution: The only fix for this problem is to rehabilitate your credit score. Pay down large credit card balances, pay off any outstanding debts, and refrain from taking out unnecessary loans. Check your credit score to see whether there are any bogus demerits you can contest; you may be able to get them removed.
The problem: Every time you collect a ticket due to a moving violation, your auto insurance is likely to go up. The impact on your rate can vary according to the type of infraction you've committed, from minor (broken signal light) to moderate (speeding) to major (DUI). Multiple infractions will have a cumulative effect on your premiums, and it may be years before those rate increases expire.
The solution: Depending on the infraction, you may be able to cancel out any negative impact on your auto insurance rates by completing a defensive driving program, either in a classroom or at home. Ask your DMV about the defensive driving rules and options in your state.
Keep in mind that skipping certain important forms of coverage is not an intelligent way to save money on car insurance. Talk to your agent when comparing auto insurance quotes to make certain you have sufficient coverage for when trouble strikes. You can also check out sites like http://www.collinginsurance.com/ for more information.


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All Locus Inn News
Wiki - Gothic 3
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Games Developers Publishers
Home » Library » Developers » W
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Blood Bond - Into the Shroud
Wadjet Eye Games
Founded in 2006, Wadjet Eye Games has developed a reputation for producing award-winning and critically acclaimed adventure games for the PC. The company's award-winning portfolio includes The Shivah and the Blackwell series, both of which have garnered Game Developers Choice nominations, Puzzle Bots, which was selected for the Penny Arcade Expo's PAX 10 showcase, and IGF Student Showcase winner Gemini Rue. Wadjet Eye Games is located in Park Slope, Brooklyn.....
Unavowed
WAGNER ROCHA
Avalom: Ancestral Heroes
War Penguin Studios
Mortem: Fallen Kingdom
Warcave
Black Legend
Warfare Studios
We at Warfare Studios specialize in Role-Play and Adventure games with a focus on quality and value. If you feel nostalgic about the Classics of the 16 bit era then this is the right place for you. We work hard to deliver fun games for you that can be played by the entire family!....
Fated Souls 2
Warhorse Studios
Warhorse Studios (or Warhorse) is a Czech video game company It was founded by a key group of experienced veterans of the gaming industry: Daniel Vávra (ex-2K Czech - Mafia 1, Mafia II) - game designer, screen writer. Martin Klíma (ex-Altar Games - Fish Fillets, Original War, UFO trilogy; ex-Codemasters - Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising) - executive producer Viktor Bocan (ex-Bohemia Interactive - Operation ....
WasatchGames
We are a small studio based in American Fork, UT and have been making games since 2007 as work for hire. We started out as BlueOrb Studios, working with Silverlode Interactive on a revolutionary MMORTS called SAGA. It was the first of its kind, and we were tasked to invent new server technologies to make it all happen. We recently changed our name from BlueOrb Studios to settle some confusion of a similarly named company. Since SAGA, we have worked with many big name clients like Has....
WASD Games
Rising Mist
Wastelands Interactive
Welcome to the page of Wastelands Interactive, a publisher and an innovative game developer. At the page you may find information about our games, projects in progress and news connected with our activity in game developing industry.....
Planar Conquest
Worlds of Magic
WaterMelon is a development company dedicated to bringing you the best old school gaming entertainment. Check out our products at www.magicalgamefactory.com....
Pier Solar
Wave Light Games Inc.
Started in 2014, we are a small group of Canadian indie developers that enjoy making turn-based strategy games.....
Demon's Rise: Lords of Chaos
Shieldwall Chronicles: Realm of Madness
Shieldwall Chronicles: Swords of the North
Strike Team Gladius
Strike Team Hydra
Weappy Studio
Weappy is a small independent game development studio located in Minsk, Belarus. Our company employs and cooperates with people from different countries around the world, but we are all united by the idea of creating great, interesting, and enjoyable video games.....
Rebel Cops
This Is the Police 2
Westka Interactive
Westka Interactive, based in Cologne, Germany, was formed in 1993. The company has developed numerous titles for the commercial marketplace - among them also several top sellers in Germany and has assembled an impressive team of experienced industry veterans, who formerly worked on titles such as Rayman, Settlers, Battle Isle and many others. Westka is the interactive entertainment arm of German media companies Brainpool TV AG and VIVA Media AG, both publicly quoted on the German "New ....
Arcatera: The Dark Brotherhood
Westwood Studios
Westwood Studios, Inc. was an American video game developer, based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was founded by Brett Sperry and Louis Castle in 1985 as Westwood Associates and was renamed Westwood Studios when it merged with Virgin Games (later Virgin Interactive Entertainment) in 1992. The company was bought by Electronic Arts alongside Virgin Interactive's North American operations in 1998
Eye of the Beholder II
Lands of Lore - The Throne of Chaos
Whale Hammer
Whale Hammer Games is an independent game developer based in Canberra, Australia. We are working hard to create a game that is fun but challenging. A game that teaches you things and explores new ideas. A game that means something.....
Tahira: Echoes of the Astral Empire
Whalebox Studio
Whalebox Studio was formed in Siberia in 2012 by gathering a team of talented developers from around the region. The members of Whalebox Studio collectively have many years of experience working on award-winning independent casual games, but were drawn together by the idea of creating innovative core gaming titles. The team began designing its dream project, Goliath, in the summer of 2014. They look forward to sharing it with the world in early 2016.....
Whalenought Studios
Whalenought is Hannah and Joseph Williams. Based in Chicago, they've been making RPGs since 2012. Titles include Mechajammer, Isle of Bxnes and Serpent in the Staglands.....
Mechajammer
Serpent in the Staglands
Whatboy Games
"Whatboy Games was founded to make amazing indie games, focused on repeatable gameplay loops with a AAA level of gameplay polish. As our first title, Trials of Fire stays true to this philosophy by offering exciting new combat mechanics wrapped up in a procedural, player driven story set within an original fantasy world".....
Trials of Fire
White Giant RPG Studios
White Giant RPG Studios is an independent development team with a passion for creating compelling storylines, challenging puzzles, and dynamic quests within games that the designers themselves love to play. ....
White Guardian Studios
White Guardian Studios is a company formed by me, Tyrell, and my wife Whitney White. The name is White is derived from our last name, a union that we and our family share and Guardian is just something we both felt fit with a lot of things that we were going for in terms of the quality that we wanted to put into our games. Our slogan was going to be "Guarding you from bad games," haha. That's obviously too cheesy. We strive to make the best game we possibly can make for everyone to play....
Celestial Tear: Demon's Revenge
White Pond Games
White Pond Games was founded by Razvan Radu and Alex Trutescu, both ex-Ubisoft game devs, with a work portfolio of popular titles, such as Assassin's Creed series, Tom Clancy's games (Ghost Recon: Wildlands, Endwar, etc.), I Am Alive, ZombieU, etc. We are a small....
Urban Strife
White Wolf Entertainment
White Wolf Entertainment develops the IP and create the meta plot for several brands but with focus on World of Darkness. By working with licensing business relationships to make sure we're working with the best creators, developers and artists on the planet! We develop for transmedia meaning physical games and books, digital products l....
World of Darkness Preludes: Vampire and Mage
Wicked Studios
Wicked Studios is a Canadian independent development company co-founded in 2003 with headquarters in Montreal. The co-founders were Yves Bordeleau, Guy England, Mathieu Rivest and Benoit Thomas.The company's first game was Keepsake, an adventure game, released in 2006.In Nov. 2008 their second game, Dawn of Heroes, a turn-based, tactical RPG for the Nintendo DS, was announced as "in development".....
Wild Grip
Koi Unleashed
Wild Guess Software
Wild Guess Software is a game development outfit headed up by Paul Phillips (coding) and Tim McMahon (art). Our first project is called Blackfaun.....
Blackfaun
The Dark Eye: Book of Heroes
Wimbus Studios
Game development team! Currently developing The Island of Eternal Struggle! Twitter: https://twitter.com/WimbusStudios....
The Island of Eternal Struggle
Winged Cloud
Winged Cloud began releasing games on Steam in 2014, under publisher Sekai Project. Their first title, Sakura Spirit was released on July 9, 2014. After publishing several of Winged Cloud's titles, Sekai Project and Winged Cloud ended their partnership. Following this, in 2015 Winged Cloud partnered with publisher MangaGamer and released Sakura Santa. However, in 2016 MangaGamer ended their partnership with Winged Cloud citing "intractable creative differe....
Sakura Dungeon
Winged Pixel
Winged Pixel is an independent game developer located in Toronto, Canada. We're currently developing a classical turn-based RPG Heroes of a Broken Land. Andrew Ellem, the founder and sole-developor of Winged Pixel Inc., has been developing games for nearly a decade. He has worked at Electronic Arts in Vancouver, Canada, Artoon/AQ Interactive in Tokyo, Japan and Ubisoft Singapore, before setting out on his own. Feel free to
Heroes of a Broken Land
Indie author of visual novels, dating sim, roleplay games and more!....
Loren The Amazon Princess
Planet Stronghold
Planet Stronghold 2
Queen Of Thieves
Tales of Aravorn: Seasons of the Wolf
WinterSpring Games
Developer of Card Quest....
Card Quest
Wise Dad Games
The Majesti
Witching Hour Studios
We've been kicking around delightful designs and crafting worlds word-by-word since 2010. Back when we started, we promised we wouldn't pollute the gaming market with nonsense. Well, the mobile market polluted itself, and we've decided to take our wares where thoughtful games continue to be cherished – back to PC and consoles. Singapore is our home – it's fabled for legendary things like the caning of Michael
Masquerada: Songs and Shadows
Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc., is the pacesetter in the trading card game and tabletop roleplaying game categories, and the leading developer and publisher of game-based entertainment products. Wizards of the Coast is considered the global leader in hobby gaming, developing and publishing game based and other entertainment products celebrated the world over.....
WOLCEN Studio
Developers of Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem....
Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem
WolfEye Studios
20 years after Arkane Studios was created, former President and Creative Director of Arkane, Raphael Colantonio and former Arkane's Executive Producer Julien Roby reveal WolfEye Studios. We are a fully distributed team - and we like it - working from 10 different cities around the world, spanning 6 different time-zones across 4 Continents! Our structure allows us to develop a unique company culture with compelling work conditions.....
Wolfpack Studios
Founded in early 1999, Wolfpack Studios, a Ubisoft Company, is dedicated to servicing the Internet gaming marketplace. Focused on pushing the boundaries of Internet technology, Wolfpack develops products and services for a worldwide customer base with the mission of establishing a new standard in the areas of virtual 3D environments and persistent world gaming. ....
Shadowbane
Wolfsden
Manafinder
Wooden Dragon
The game Inquisitor is being developed by a new Czech team Wooden Dragon under the aegis of Cinemax, Ltd. Our common goal is to create a game that will never let the player quit until the last hellish monster or evil heretic is slain! Inquisitor would like to reach the quality of such legends of PC RPGs as Dungeon Master, Ultima Underworld, The Elder Scrolls: Arena or Baldur's Gate. The creators of Inquisitor were inspired by novels of well-known Italian writer Umberto Eco, es....
Inquisitor
World Fusion
Worldwalker Games
Worldwalker Games is an independent game studio based in Austin, Texas.....
Wormwood Studios
Wormwood Studios is a small, international team committed to developing games with distinctive visuals, complex themes, and rich settings. Wormwood was founded in 2010 by Mark Yohalem, an American writer, and Victor Pflug, an Australian painter. Along with Greek programmer James Spanos, Victor and Mark spent two years making Primordia, an award-winnning point-and-click adventure game. In 2013, the team expanded....
Fallen Gods
Worthless Bums
Steam Marines
Steam Marines 2
WRF Studios
Bloodlust 2: Nemesis
Bloodlust: Shadowhunter
Vampirem
Wx3 Labs
Starcom: Nexus
Wyrmbyte
Ashes of Oahu