text:
ChaptersClose
00 Somewhere Beyond The Sea 01 Seafood Lovers 02 The City Of Ships 03 Sail On Sailor 04 Captains Courageous 05 Lobster, Lobster Everywhere 06 Floating All Boats
Get our free travel guidebook
VisitMaine.com for travel planning
Sail On Sailor
Maine's Historic Windjammers
Making history is often a matter of how much work one puts in and which way the wind blows. The Windjammers of Maine are a testament to that.
"Windjammer" describes a category of different classes of large sailing ships of the 19th and 20th centuries. In oceanic shipping, they were the workhorses, with high cargo capacity and a unique design that included tall masts with square canvas sails. These were the "tall ships" of the time and were highly admired by the public. It was a romance that would prove remarkably enduring.
Rockland, Maine
As the crew starts to set the headsails, the jib and the staysail – and I turn off the wind just enough – there's a feel. The boat starts to heel, the lines start to stretch. That's the spot. There she is again.
Brenda Thomas, Windjammer Captain
Play quote
The Maine Historical Society's Steve Bromage explained how the shift of industrialization from the eastern seaboard to the expanding west also ushered in the first wave of the tourism and vacation culture in Maine: "Rusticators had begun to find Maine before the Civil War. Then after the war, for the next fifty years or so, things really expanded."
Not everyone will be familiar with the term "Rusticators." Natalie Springuel of the University of Maine's Sea Grant Program elucidated its origins: "People were exposed to the beauty of the coast of Maine through the artists of the Hudson River School and other painters. Artists would go back to Boston and New York City and Philadelphia and show their paintings – beautiful, highly esteemed works of art."
It didn't take any more convincing than that for people of means to begin a steady stream of travel to Maine. For many, it became a pilgrimage, a glorious way of escaping the turmoil of the city to a simpler, more idyllic and, yes, rustic world. Being people of means, many of the Rusticators built summer homes on the islands and the coastline. Many of the homes remain today, along with the echoes of that time.
One of the echoes would be the sound of steam engines powering the new vessels that carried people and cargo to Maine. To the captains of the old sailing ships, it must have seemed like the edge of the world had been reached. But for a few who still looked for a world beyond the horizon, a new life awaited – for themselves, and their beloved ships.
"There were some really innovative people – boat captains – who saw there was a way to make money using their ships differently," said Natalie Springuel. "Instead of hauling cargo, they started bringing people onto their boats. Thus, the Windjammer as a tourism opportunity was born."
Full speed ahead to today. There are upwards of a dozen historic Windjammers offering, for many, a once-in-a-lifetime experience that would otherwise require a time travel machine. New models of these storied ships are being built every year.
Sailing among the islands is a great way to take in the Maine coastline in all its rustic glory. But rest assured, even as you're feeling the exhilaration of your life, these grand ships offer creature comforts, whether it's a day trip or one that includes several nights.
On deck, the breathtaking coastal views and appearances by seals, porpoises and even whales are garnished with fine food and drink. Beneath the deck, handsome galleys and cabins of varnished wood are waiting, with walls that could tell stories if only they could talk. As living history, maybe they will.
Natalie Springuel wouldn't be surprised. "Many of the Windjammers are National Historic Landmarks," she said. "They're beautiful, and labors of love, with captains who have restored pieces of history."
Windjamming Penobscot Bay:
Listen to Episode 2


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Entertainment › Cine News › Shankar's Ai in 15 languages for 150Crores on 15000 theatres
Shankar's Ai in 15 languages for 150Crores on 15000 theatres
Modified: September 11, 2014
Shankar movies come up with lots of expectations and excitements, but the word 'Delay' is always attached to his tag. But in con...
Shankar movies come up with lots of expectations and excitements, but the word 'Delay' is always attached to his tag. But in contrast, it has another synonymous meaning of production values and cost involved in it.
Made at a whopping budget of Rs.150Crores, Shankar's Ai is just left with few patch works to be done. The film is produced by Aascar Ravichandran under the banner of Aascar Films International.
The film will be simultaneously released in15 international languages including Tamil, Telugu, Hindi and this are the first time a Tamil film is being dubbed in Chinese. Aascar Ravichandran has been on the talks with Hollywood's most celebrated personalities like Arnold, Tom Cruise and Former President Bill Clinton to launch the audio of this film.
Amy Jackson I Shankar Vikram

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Cal just punted and it was fumbled by Oregon. Cal with the ball at the Oregon 25.
That was him who fumbled that punt though, wasn't it?
Number 84 is the one who fumbled it. Watching both games but listening to Stanford and WSU.
Cal has scored a touchdown.
Oregon 55, Cal 10, 4th quarter.
Then it was a younger guy they were probably letting get some esperience.
Stanford and Oregon have the same point scores. Both lead 55-10.
Oregon really hasn't had a great offensive second half. They did all their damage in the first half.
Touchdown Cal! The conversion failed.
Oregon 55, Cal 16, 4th quarter.
Thanks to everyone who visited the thread. It was never a really a game, but Cal never stopped fighting.
good for Cal to get those two late TDs. thanks to Jessica & Angi for hosting this thread tonight.


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text:
Ernest Ludwig Anderson, Jr.
June 30, 1916 ~ November 22, 2005
In West Haven, Nov. 22, 2005, Ernest Ludwig Anderson, Jr., a life long resident of George Street, West Haven. Husband of Doris Sherman Anderson. Born in West Haven on June 30, 1916, he was the son of the late Ernest L. and Louise Behl Anderson, Sr. Ernest had been an employee of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad, the Pen Central Railroad and Conrail as a Purchasing Agent for 54 years. He was a Volunteer Fireman of the West Haven Fire Department, Co. # 1 for over 70 years and was recognized as the "Oldest Fire Fighter in West Haven". He had been the Treasurer of the West Haven Fireman's Benevolent Association for many years. Ernie served in the U. S. Army Air Force, 94th Bomber Group during W.W.II, with duty in the European, African and Middle East Theaters. He was a member of the First United Methodist Church. Besides his wife, he is survived by a daughter Judith Anderson of Wallingford, two sons, David Anderson and his wife Kathy of West Haven and Stephen Anderson of Wallingford and grandchildren, Sarah and Mark Anderson. Funeral service at the BEECHER AND BENNETT - TAYLOR FUNERAL HOME , 410 CAMPBELL AVE, WEST HAVEN on Sat., Nov. 26th at 10 a.m. Friends may call on Fri. from 4 - 8 p.m. Memorial contribution may be sent to The First United Methodist Church, 89 Center Street , West Haven, CT 06516.


text:
The Cape Cod Chronicle
Chatham News
Harwich News
Orleans News
Brewster News
Focus on...
Orleans Officials Ready For 'Monster' Town Meeting 06 April 2022
By: Ryan Bray
Topics: Town Meeting , Orleans news , Community Preservation Act , sewers
Three petition articles are currently slated to go before voters at the annual and special town meetings on May 9. One petitioner wants the town to "alter" the traffic signal across from the fire department headquarters on Eldredge Park Way. ALAN POLLOCK PHOTO
ORLEANS – Annual town meeting is May 9, and there will be no shortage of articles for voters to work their way through.
The select board on March 30 voted to place on the warrant and recommend a total of 85 articles, including 75 for the annual town meeting and an additional 10 for the warrant for special town meeting. The spring sessions are scheduled for 6 p.m. inside the Nauset Regional Middle School gymnasium.
Select Board Chair Mefford Runyon said the spring slate is unusually large, but he's hopeful that the town can wrap things in one evening.
"We're well aware that it's a monster warrant," he said. "We looked at what we could put off until the fall. We found a couple of things, but everything else on there is business that has to be taken care of."
Warrants have been trimmed down and articles have been put off in the past few years in an effort to limit people's exposure to COVID-19. Runyon said that has led to a backlog of articles that are coming to the forefront this spring.
At the heart of the annual town meeting is the $40.1 million operating budget for fiscal 2023, which begins July 1. The budget includes a $627,032 override of Proposition 2½ needed to fully fund the town's portion of the Nauset school budget. Unanticipated costs, as well as the addition of 27 new Orleans students to the regional school system, led to higher costs than the town initially budgeted for the coming fiscal year.
If the overall budget is approved, voters will be asked to pass the override at the annual town election on May 17.
"We don't do overrides very often," Runyon said. "Whether or not that turns out to be an issue, we'll see. I hope not."
Runyon emphasized that the override is not a one-off expense. Instead, the increase establishes a baseline for what the town will need to budget for its share of the Nauset school funding in the future.
"This is not a one-time impact. This is an added school cost that goes forward for future budgets, so it really needs to get put out of the way of the regular business of the town."
Four Debt Exclusion Projects To Appear On Warrant
The warrant also includes four debt exclusion questions that will also appear on the town election ballot if approved at the annual town meeting. That includes a $32 million request to fund the construction of a sewer collection system in the area of Meetinghouse Pond. With that is a corresponding article seeking approval of a new sewer betterment bylaw mapping out how current and future sewer work in town will be paid for.
On March 30, the select board voted 4-0 to approve a betterment policy calling for 80 percent of overall sewering costs to be paid for by taxpayers and the remaining 20 percent paid by sewer users in project areas through betterments. The select board saw the breakout as the most fair and equitable way of sharing the cost of sewering among users, as some areas have more customers tying into the system than others.
"The wastewater may be something that people are all ready for," Runyon said. "Big votes have already gone through at town meeting, and I think the town's commitment to sewering is well established. The only thing that's different is the discussion about the betterments."
The other debt exclusion articles include those seeking $500,000 for water quality improvements in the Meetinghouse Pond sewer area, $1 million for an information technology modernization program and $1.65 million to replace windows and roofing at Orleans Elementary School.
Petition Articles
Three citizen petition articles will go before voters, two in the annual session and one in the warrant for the special town meeting. One calls on the select board to develop a tree preservation bylaw that would designate areas on residential lots where trees will be protected during periods of construction or development. The article also calls for the creation of a five-member committee to help craft the bylaw.
The proposal led Select Board member Mark Mathison to raise the question of the article's legality. He also questioned how such a bylaw might be enforced.
"We need to discuss that," he said. "That's one of my concerns already. The conservation commission has one guy out there that's already overburdened."
Select Board member Andrea Reed expressed support for the article, noting that protecting trees helps the town reduce its carbon footprint. Kevin Galligan of the select board also pointed out that the article is non-binding and would not necessarily have to be acted on if approved.
"I think there is some energy for this in town," he said.
Another petition article asks the town to begin exploring the potential for sewering in the area of Mill Pond.
"Sewering the area will stop the nitrogen overload and property owners do not want to wait as the pond deteriorates, prices of sewering go up and the threat of conservation lawsuits loom," a summary of the article reads.
Runyon said the select board needs to see how sewering Mill Pond fits into the town's overall sewing plan, but said the interest in opening up a discussion about the proposal shows the interest in furthering sewering efforts. The select board was due to hear from the article's petitioner at its April 6 meeting.
A third petition article seeks to alter the traffic signal across from the fire department headquarters on Eldredge Park Way. Town Administrator John Kelly advised against turning off the signal, but said that it could possibly be changed from the existing flashing yellow light to a "standing green" light.
"If you turn it off and there is an accident, the town is liable, because you've disregarded the national standard and we'd be held accountable." The select board was to continue its discussion regarding the proposed article April 6.
Funding Sought For 14 Community Preservation Projects
A request to spend approximately $1.39 million in Community Preservation Act funds will also appear on the annual warrant.
Among the 13 projects seeking funding are repairs to the steeple and weathervane of the Federated Church of Orleans ($13,475), wiring repairs and window restoration at the French Cable Museum ($35,670), a recreation master plan and money for design services at Orleans Elementary School, Nauset Regional Middle School and Eldredge Park Way ($52,000), construction of a shared-use path connecting residents of Bakers Pond and Overland Way to downtown ($105,000), restoration of Putnam Farm including infrastructure upgrades ($71,250), the acquisition of two unbuildable lots on Cedar Pond Road to be preserved as open space ($10,000) and restoration of the outdoor walkway at the town's senior center ($24,000).
A separate community preservation request for $1 million to be bonded to fund the creation of affordable housing at 107 Main St. is also included on the annual warrant. However, Housing Assistance Corporation, the project's developer, is also exploring other funding sources to cover that cost, including the use of state money made available through the American Rescue Plan Act.
Proposed Charter Changes
The town's charter review committee has been hard at work in recent months identifying possible changes to the town charter. The committee is bringing 11 recommended changes to the annual town meeting, including lowering the quorum from 200 voters to 100. The proposed change also says that once the town moderator recognizes a quorum and brings town meeting to order, there "shall be no challenge to the quorum."
"This article will ensure that voters remaining at the meeting can complete town meeting business in a timely manner," a summary of the proposed change reads in part.
Galligan said March 30 that he anticipates the proposal will be the subject of some debate next month.
"I'm fine recommending it, but this is going to generate quite a bit of discussion," he said.
Other proposed changes include changing the title of town administrator to town manager and expanding membership of the board of water and sewer commissioners from five voting members to seven, as well as two associate members.
Email Ryan Bray at ryan@capecodchronicle.com
"When Pa Was Courtin' Ma" at the Chatham Drama Guild, 1940s. PHOTO COURTESY OF Jill James-Slowik
Rockland Trust To Close Downtown Branch
No Liquor License Renewal For Summer House Café
Marsh Reaffirms Willingness To Donate Land For COA
Push Comes To Shove Over Wing Island Boardwalk
Paid, Timed Parking Gets Thumbs Down
Tweets by CCCNewsroom
The Cape Cod Chronicle is an independent weekly newspaper covering the towns of Chatham, Harwich and Orleans, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod.
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Email: info@capecodchronicle.com


text:
require 'funl/stream'
require 'funl/message'
require 'stringio'
require 'logger'

require 'minitest/autorun'

class TestStream < Minitest::Test
  include Funl::Stream

  attr_reader :client_id
  attr_reader :stream_type
  attr_reader :message_class
  attr_reader :log

  def setup
    # for the Stream mixin:
    @client_id = 42
    @stream_type = ObjectStream::MSGPACK_TYPE
    @message_class = Funl::Message
    @log = Logger.new($stderr)
    log.level = Logger::WARN

    @sio = StringIO.new
  end

  def test_greeting
    client = client_stream_for @sio
    client.write "message"

    @sio.rewind

    server = server_stream_for @sio
    m = server.read

    assert_equal "message", m
    assert_equal "client #{client_id}", server.peer_name
  end

  def test_message_server_stream
    client = client_stream_for @sio
    client.write Funl::Message[client: client_id]

    @sio.rewind

    server = message_server_stream_for @sio
    m = server.read

    assert_kind_of Funl::Message, m
    assert_equal client_id, m.client_id
    assert_equal "client #{client_id}", server.peer_name
  end
end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


This man is just not slowing down. Hot off the heels of his joining WHITE BIRD IN A BLIZZARD, many sources are reporting Chris has joined the new Robert Rodriguez actioner SIN CITY 2: A DAME TO DIE FOR. No word as to Chris' character or his name but when I find out I'll post here. Press release below.
No sooner had Dimension Films announced the addition of Joseph Gordon-Levitt to Sin City: A Dame to Kill For than news broke that Law & Order: Special Victims Unit alum Christopher Meloni has joined the cast of the Robert Rodriguez/Frank Miller sequel.
Meloni, who before Law & Order: SVU was best known for his role on HBO's Oz, left the NBC police drama in 2011 after 12 seasons. He most recently appeared on HBO's True Blood, and will next be seen as Col. Hardy in director Zack Snyder's Man of Steel. In A Dame to Kill For, he joins joins returning cast members Mickey Rourke as Marv, Jessica Alba as Nancy, Rosario Dawson as Gail and Jaime King as Goldie/Wendy, along with new additions Gordon-Levitt as Johnny, Dennis Haysbert as Manute and Jamie Chung as Miho.
Sin City: A Dame to Kill For opens Oct. 4.


text:
Home » Reports & Data » Data Sharing Initiatives
Data Sharing Initiatives
We provide charts, scorecards, and downloadable files with our most recently validated demographic data for UCSF students/trainees, faculty, and staff. Check out the charts below or read a descriptive explanation for an overview of demographic data.
Fall 2020 Demographic Data
UCSF Demographics
The breakdown of the UCSF Community by Gender includes faculty, staff, trainees and students. There are a total of 34,513 individuals at UCSF – 63 percent are female. Roughly 1% of the community has multiple roles and have been assigned to just one role here to avoid counting them twice.
UCSF Faculty includes 3,502 total people, or 10 percent of the total UCSF population. Females make up 52 percent of UCSF faculty. By race/ethnicity, 57 percent identify as White; 27 percent identify as Asian; 9 percent identify as Hispanic; 3 percent identify as African American. Less than 1 percent identify as Native American/Alaska Native or Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander; More than 1% identify two or more races.
UCSF Staff includes 21,070 total people, or 61 percent of the total UCSF population. Females make up 69 percent of UCSF staff. By race/ethnicity, 39 percent identify as Asian; 34 percent identify as White; 14 percent identify as Hispanic; 8 percent identify as African American; and over 1 percent identify as two or more races. Less than 1 percent identify as Native American/Alaskan Native or Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander.
UCSF students and trainees (postdocs, residents and fellows) include 6,068 total people, or 18 percent of the total UCSF population. Females make up 58 percent of UCSF learners. By race/ethnicity, 36 percent identify as Asian; 36 percent identify as White; 13 percent identify as Hispanic; 6 percent identify as African American; and 3 percent identify as two or more races. Less than 1 percent identify as Native American/Alaskan Native or Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander.
The remaining 11% of the community is comprised of volunteer faculty (8%) and non-faculty academics (3%).


The National Chairman of the Manor River Transport Union of Liberia (MRTUL), Mr. Augustine Jaryeneh Nagbe has attributed the inflation in the exchange rate in the Country as a serious global issue rather than people blaming the National Government on such issue.Speaking to this paper in an exclusive interview at his residence in Central Monrovia over the week, the MRTUL National Chairman added that other nearby Countries around Liberia are facing the same situation that Liberia is currently going through.
The MRTUL National Chairman Nagbe is however of the view that as a businessman, the solution or way forward is for all Liberians, including them as members of the business community to come together as one, and engage the government constructively on a way that the situation will come under control.
He suggested that in a situation at such where the exchange rate keeps inflating on a daily basis, it does not augur well for people to be seating in the background criticizing the government.
According to him, negative criticisms will in no way help Liberia, as a country waiting to be on par with other countries in the areas of better development.
He reminded Liberians that this is the time for them to rally around the CDC led government headed by President George Manneh Weah to make sure that they can move the development agenda of the country forward.
The National Chairman of the Manor River Transport Union of Liberia further stated that it is too early for people to begin to criticize the government of President Weah.
Chairman Nagbe asserted that the government is still in her embryonic stage, adding that citizens going about criticizing her will in no way help us move this Country forward.
He noted that President Weah who has taken over the country, is a true son of the land and all Liberians need to give their fullest support to his administration, and promote his government's Pro-Poor agenda.


In 1923, under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the modern Turkish Republic rose from the ashes of the Ottoman Empire, proclaiming a new era in the Middle East. However, many of the contemporary issues affecting Turkish state and society today have their roots not only in the history of the republic, but also in the memory of the state's imperial history and decline. Here Fatma Muge Gocek draws on Turkey's Ottoman history to explore current concerns of religion and ethnicity alongside its international position.
At the end of World War I, the Great Powers at the time (mainly Great Britain, France and Italy), divided the Ottoman Empire up into their respective spheres of influence in the Treaty of Sevres. For the defeated Ottoman state, this treaty represented the final attempt of the West to divide and destroy the empire. In The Transformation of Turkey, Gocek explores how the historical memory of the Sevres Treaty has survived, impacting both state and society and penetrating national strategic culture, and in the process institutionalising itself in Turkey's foreign and defence policies.
The transformation of this history of defeat into modern political myth, the efforts to create a cohesive nation state and the rapid efforts to Westernise have all shaped ideas and concepts of nationalism and `Turkishness'. It is within this context of Western intervention in the fate of the Ottoman Empire that Gocek analyses attitudes to religion, Turkish relations with Armenian, Greek and Kurdish communities in and around Turkey, and attitudes to the EU and the West.
This new perspective on history's influence on contemporary tensions will contribute to the ongoing debate surrounding Turkey's accession to the EU, and offers insight into the social transformations in the transition from Ottoman Empire to Turkish Nation-State. This analysis will be vital to those involved in the study of Middle East Imperial History and Turkey's relations with the West.
Fatma Müge Göçek is an associate professor in the Department of Sociology and the Program in Women's Studies, University of Michigan. She is the co-editor of A Question of Genocide: Armenians and Turks at the End of the Ottoman Empire (2010) and editor of Social Constructions of Nationalism in the Middle East (2002).


text:
Q: How To Call Methods In Objective-C I'm having an issue calling methods in a fairly simple script.
For some reason, when I run the program, all I get in the console is return 0.
What can I do to fix it? Here's my script:
#import <Foundation/Foundation.h>

@interface person:NSObject {
    int weight;
    int height;
    int age;
}

- (void)printtoscreen;
- (void)setweight:(int)w;
- (void)setheight:(int)h;
- (void)setage:(int)a;

@end

@implementation person

-(void) printtoscreen {
    NSLog(@"I am %i years old, I weigh %i pounds, and I am %i feet tall", age, weight, height);
}

- (void)setweight:(int)w {
    w=weight;
}

- (void)setheight:(int)h {
    h=height;
}

- (void)setage:(int)a {
    a=age;
}

@end

int main(int argc, const char * argv[]) {
   @autoreleasepool {
       person *bob;
       [bob setweight:150];
       [bob setheight:5];
       [bob setage:25];
       [bob printtoscreen];
    }

    return 0;
}

A: The biggest problem is that we never actually create an object, so all of our messages are sent to nil.
The first and most immediate fix you must make is actually instantiating the object:
person *bob = [[person alloc] init];

This must be done before any of our methods are actually called on an object.
Now, we must fix the methods that Jens mentioned.  Our assignments our backwards.  The argument should be the right-value and the instance variable should be the left-value:
- (void)setweight:(int)w {
    weight = w;
}

With these two fixes, all should work.

A: Your setter are totaly wrong:
-(void) setweight: (int) w {
w=weight;
}

should be:
-(void) setweight: (int) w {
weight = w;
}

And so on for the other setter

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Shatrughan Sinha remembers Sushant Singh Rajput
Jul 02, 2020, 07:57 AM IST
In an exclusive interview with India TV, veteran actor Shatrughan Sinha remembered Sushant Singh Rajput.
Shatrughan Sinha meets Pak President in Lahore
Feb 23, 2020, 04:30 PM IST
Veteran actor and politician Shatrughan Sinha met Pakistan President Arif Alvi in Lahore on February 22.
Bollywood actor and Congress leader Shatrughan Sinha remembers Arun Jaitley
Aug 25, 2019, 07:54 PM IST
Bollywood actor and Congress leader Shatrughan Sinha remembers Arun Jaitley. Remembering the former Union Minister he said that his demise not only a loss for BJP but also for the whole nation.
Shatrughan Sinha's wife Poonam Sinha joins Samajwadi Party in presence of Dimple Yadav
Shatrughan Sinha says lack of respect in BJP forced him to join Congress
Shatrughan Sinha joins Congress, says BJP has become one man show and two man army
Bihar: BJP leader Shatrughan Sinha chooses RJD's Iftaar party over JD(U)
Jun 14, 2018, 08:27 AM IST
Shatrughan Sinha backs Yashwant Sinha, says country is bigger than party
Sep 29, 2017, 08:54 AM IST
Shatrughan Sinha comes out in support of Tejashwi Yadav, says CBI not a 'holy cow'
Jul 14, 2017, 07:05 PM IST
Shatrughan Sinha praises Kejriwal, call him reliable and trustworthy
May 22, 2017, 02:52 PM IST


Why did I decide that I would come here and live a lifetime as a human? This is a question that has always lingered in the back of my mind. Throughout this life, I have been able to discover pieces of the answer to this question little by little, but I will probably never complete the picture until after the death of this life. Regardless, some part of me is always wondering, always searching.
So, I will try to describe the picture of why I am here based on what I have learned thus far. Like everything on this site, expressing things in words (not my usual comfortable medium) is more of way for me to analyze things from a different perspective than anything else, but I also hope that someone reading these things might gain some insight into something important to them.
The following is a series of excerpts from an email conversation I had with a friend about this topic (my words only), slightly altered for context and to protect privacy.
I believe that the main reason I chose to live a life in this realm is to get the truest sense of perspective on what this life is really like. I am here to learn and to grow and to try to truly understand what life here is.
Understanding as many different forms of life as possible is one of my goals. So here I am, doing all of things a person does to live in this world. I work (a lot), eat, sleep, have physical relations, build friendships based on communication that takes places entirely by written and spoken words. In public, I conform to most of what society expects a person to be. I cannot imagine how I would understand such a complex existence without experiencing it.
I believe that living within the system is the best way to fully gain true perspective on it. I had to set aside my outside knowledge to come here and experience this in an unbiased way. However, my constant need to learn and grow caused me to weaken some of the barriers that were put in place and allowed me to get bits and pieces of knowledge about my true self. My continuing curiosity prevents me from dropping it at this point, so I can only hope that the barriers will hold and anything vital will be protected until it is time for me to see it. I feel like this is already happening as intended. I do not think I actually have the ability to access things before I am ready for them.
For example, there have been many times in my life where I felt like there was something I was missing, some piece of knowledge that I needed to know in order to proceed with my life in a productive way. Each time that happened, it was not long before something was revealed to me by some means or another that gave me new insight and pushed me ahead.
I discovered that there are other people out there like me. I had met others of my race or whatever you want to call it, but none of them were really like me. Reading about these people I felt like I was reading about myself in so many aspects. Sure there were differences, but the similarities were astounding. This is just one example of a time in this life where I gained a piece knowledge about who I am at a time when I was blocked and needed something to compel me forward again.
I have come to realize who I am through a series of these events happening over many years. Some big, most small, all adding up to what I know today. I know that I have lived many different lives in many different dimensions and at many different periods of time. I can remember precious little from these lives, but I do know that some of them happened in what would be considered the future to me from my current perspective, and others in the past. Most however, I believe happened in other dimensions of time that I cannot currently fully understand, but are not the past nor the future in the one-dimensional model of time we go by here.
Sometimes I struggle with the limitations of my knowledge, but I know that there are good reasons for these limitations and that I will some day remember what those reasons are and be glad that my knowledge was limited.
This is where I am now in terms of my understanding of why I am here. Basically, I am here to learn what it means to live here. I do not believe this is my first time living in a place like this, but I think I moved so far beyond this type of existence that I felt the need to come back and gain a fresh perspective.


text:
How to Treat Servants (Hadith No. 2422)
Volume 4, Book 51, Number 29 :
Narrated by Anas (radiallaahu `anhu)
When Allah's Apostle (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) came to Medina; he did not have any servant. Abu Talha (radiallaahu `anhu) (Anas' step-father) took me to Allah's Apostle (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) and said, "O Allah's Apostle! Anas is a wise boy, so let him serve you." So, I served him at home and on journeys. If I did anything, he never asked me why I did it, and if I refrained from doing anything, he never asked me why I refrained from doing it.
This hadith gives evidence for employment of an orphan and showing kindness to servants. We treat our servants as if they owe us their lives, belittling them and scolding them for every little thing. Look at the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam), he wouldn't even ask him questions like 'Why didn't you do this?', or 'Why did you do it?'. I'm sure there must have been incidents where he fell short, he was just a ten-year-old boy when he started and spent all his teen years with the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam). There must have been times when he didn't complete a task or committed mistakes etc. But he was never rebuked by the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam).
And isn't it amazing how he mentions this specific trait of the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) when narrating this hadith? He could've said something more general, like "He was extremely nice to me", or "He never scolded me", or "He was the best". You get the point. But when he recalls his time with the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam), he remembers specifically what we could call "forgiveness". Imagine what our servants would recall their time with us ten, twenty years down the line. Would they remember our pleasantness or the constant insults we throw at them?
Interesting fact about Anas (radiallaahu `anhu):
His mother once asked the Prophet, upon him be peace, to supplicate for Anas. He, upon him be peace, said,
'O Allah, increase him in wealth and sons, give him long life and forgive him his sins.'
Anas would recollect that he had 125 offspring in his lifetime and only two of them were girls, his garden gave fruit twice a year and had basil which smelt like musk and he had lived long and had even survived poison and he hoped for the fourth part of the supplication. He was the last companion to die in Basra in the year 93H aged 103 years old. [Abdul Aziz Ahmed]
Read more on his life here.
Tags: bukhari, employ, forgiveness, hadith no 2422, kindness, orphan, rights, servant, testament, wasaayaa, wills
Adoption in Islam (Hadith No. 2171)
Narrated 'Urwa bin Az-Zubair:
That he had asked 'Aisha (radiallaahu `anhaa) about the meaning of the Statement of Allah: "If you fear that you shall not be able to deal justly with the orphan girls, then marry (other) women of your choice two or three or four." (4.3)
She said, "O my nephew! This is about the orphan girl who lives with her guardian and shares his property. Her wealth and beauty may tempt him to marry her without giving her an adequate Mahr (bridal-money) which might have been given by another suitor. So, such guardians were forbidden to marry such orphan girls unless they treated them justly and gave them the most suitable Mahr; otherwise they were ordered to marry any other woman." 'Aisha (radiallaahu `anhaa) further said, "After that verse the people again asked the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) (about the marriage with orphan 'girls), so Allah revealed the following verses:– 'They ask your instruction concerning the women. Say: Allah Instructs you about them and about what is recited unto you In the Book, concerning the orphan girls to whom you give not the prescribed portions and yet whom you desire to marry…" (4.127)
What is meant by Allah's Saying:- 'And about what is recited unto you is the former verse which goes:- 'If you fear that you shall not be able to deal justly with the orphan girls, then marry (other) women of your choice.' (4.3) 'Aisha (radiallaahu `anhaa) said, "Allah's saying in the other verse:- 'Yet whom you desire to marry' (4.127) means the desire of the guardian to marry an orphan girl under his supervision when she has not much property or beauty (in which case he should treat her justly). The guardians were forbidden to marry their orphan girls possessing property and beauty without being just to them, as they generally refrain from marrying them (when they are neither beautiful nor wealthy)."
A common reader might find this weird – how can a guardian marry the orphan girl he's upbringing? Incest? No. Because this is a case of sponsoring the orphan, that's allowed in Islam, unlike adoption.
There is a difference between adoption and sponsoring orphans.
A – Adoption means that a man takes an orphan and makes him like one of his own children, calling him after him, so that the orphan is not allowed to marry one of the man's daughters, and so the sons of the adoptive father are regarded as brothers of the orphan and his daughters are regarded as his sisters, and his (the father's) sisters are regarded as his paternal aunts, and so on. This was one of the things that were done during the first Jaahiliyyah, and some of the Sahaabah carried the names of their adoptive fathers, as in the case of al-Miqdaad ibn al-Aswad whose real father's name was 'Amr, but he was called ibn (son of) al-Aswad, after the man who had adopted him.
This continued into the early days of Islam, until Allaah forbade that, according to a well-known story. Zayd ibn Haarithah was called Zayd ibn Muhammad, and he was the husband of Zaynab bint Jahsh, then Zayd divorced her.
It was narrated that Anas said: When Zaynab's 'iddah came to an end, the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to Zayd ibn Haarithah, "Go and tell her about me (that I want to marry her)." So he went to her and found her kneading dough. He said, "O Zaynab, good news. The Messenger of Allaah wants to marry you." She said, "I will not do anything until I consult with my Lord." Then she got up and went to her prayer-place, then the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came and entered upon her.
Concerning this, Allaah revealed the words (interpretation of the meaning):
"And (remember) when you said to him (Zayd bin Haarithah the freed‑slave of the Prophet) on whom Allaah has bestowed grace (by guiding him to Islam) and you (O Muhammad too) have done favour (by manumitting him): 'Keep your wife to yourself, and fear Allaah.' But you did hide in yourself (i.e. what Allaah has already made known to you that He will give her to you in marriage) that which Allaah will make manifest, you did fear the people (i.e., their saying that Muhammad married the divorced wife of his manumitted slave) whereas Allaah had a better right that you should fear Him. So when Zayd had accomplished his desire from her (i.e. divorced her), We gave her to you in marriage, so that (in future) there may be no difficulty to the believers in respect of (the marriage of) the wives of their adopted sons when the latter have no desire to keep them (i.e. they have divorced them). And Allaah's Command must be fulfilled"
[al-Ahzaab 33:37]
(Narrated by Muslim, 1428)
B – Allaah has forbidden adoption because it causes knowledge of people's lineage to be lost, and we have been commanded to preserve people's lineage.
It was narrated from Abu Dharr (may Allaah be pleased with him) that he heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: "There is no man who knowingly calls himself after someone other than his father but he has committed kufr. Whoever claims to belong to people to whom he has no ties of blood, let him take his place in Hell."
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3317; Muslim, 61)
What is meant by "committed kufr" is that he has done an act of kufr, not that he is beyond the pale of Islam.
This may generate hatred and resentment between the adopted son and the children of the adoptive father, because it will cause them to lose out on something that is rightfully theirs, which will go to this orphan unlawfully who they know is not entitled to it as they are.
Sponsoring an orphan means that a man brings the orphan to live in his house, or he sponsors him somewhere other than his house, without giving him his name or forbidding that which is permitted or permitting that which is forbidden, as is the case with adoption. Rather the one who sponsors an orphan is doing a generous deed. So there can be no comparison between one who sponsors an orphan and one who adopts a child, because of the great difference between them and because sponsoring orphans is something which is encouraged in Islam.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"…And they ask you concerning orphans. Say: The best thing is to work honestly in their property, and if you mix your affairs with theirs, then they are your brothers. And Allaah knows him who means mischief (e.g. to swallow their property) from him who means good (e.g. to save their property). And if Allaah had wished, He could have put you into difficulties. Truly, Allaah is All-Mighty, All-Wise"
[al-Baqarah 2:220]
The Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said that sponsoring orphans is a means of being together with him in Paradise.
It was narrated that Sahl ibn Sa'd said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "I and the one who sponsors an orphan will be like this in Paradise" – and he gestured with his index and middle fingers, holding them slightly apart.
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 4998)
But we must point out that when these orphans reach adolescence, they must be separated from the wives and daughters of the sponsor. We should not do good with one hand and do evil with the other. We should also note that the one who is sponsored may be an orphaned girl and she may be beautiful and may become attractive before adolescence, so the sponsor must watch his sons lest they fall into doing haraam things with the orphans, because this could happen and be a means of causing mischief which it will be difficult to put right.
Tags: adopt, bukhari, dowry, foster, guardian, hadith no 2171, incest, mahr, marriage, orphan, parent, partnership, sharikah, sponsor, wife
Guardian Taking from Orphan's Wealth (Hadith No. 1909)
Volume 3, Book 34, Number 414 :
Narrated by Hisham bin 'Urwa from his father
Who heard Aisha (radiallaahu `anhaa) saying, "The Holy Verse; 'Whoever amongst the guardians is rich, he should take no wages (from the property of the orphans) but if he is poor, let him have for himself what is just and reasonable (according to his labors)' (4.6), was revealed concerning the guardian of the orphans who looks after them and manages favorably their financial affairs; if the guardian is poor, he could have from it what is just and reasonable, (according to his labors)."
Islam regards taking an orphan's wealth unlawfully as one of the seven sins that doom one to Hell – as it was narrated by al-Bukhaari (2615) and Muslim (89) from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), because it is a great trust which many are unable to fulfil. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to Abu Dharr, when advising him: "And do not take care of the property of an orphan." Narrated by Muslim (1826).
Islam commands the one who has orphans under his care to look after them properly and raise them well, and if they have wealth he is to guard it and invest it, and pay zakaah on it. If he is rich then it is better for him to refrain from touching their wealth at all, and if he is poor he may consume some on a reasonable basis; if he invests their money he may take payment equal to that of anyone else doing a similar job. These are the rulings of sharee'ah, and they are most wise and just.
"And give not unto the foolish your property which Allaah has made a means of support for you, but feed and clothe them therewith, and speak to them words of kindness and justice. And try orphans (as regards their intelligence) until they reach the age of marriage; if then you find sound judgement in them, release their property to them, but consume it not wastefully and hastily fearing that they should grow up, and whoever (amongst guardians) is rich, he should take no wages, but if he is poor, let him have for himself what is just and reasonable (according to his labour). And when you release their property to them, take witness in their presence; and Allaah is All‑Sufficient in taking account." [al-Nisa' 4:5, 6]
Ibn Katheer said:
In the words, "consume it not wastefully and hastily fearing that they should grow up", Allaah forbids consuming orphans' wealth unnecessarily. "wastefully and hastily" means hastening before they reach puberty. Then Allaah says: "and whoever (amongst guardians) is rich, he should take no wages" meaning, he should not consume anything from it. Al-Sha'bi said: For him it is like dead meat and blood [i.e., forbidden]. "but if he is poor, let him have for himself what is just and reasonable (according to his labour)". This was revealed concerning the guardian of an orphan who looks after him and takes care of him, if he needs to take from it. It was narrated that 'Aa'ishah said: This verse was revealed concerning the guardian of an orphan: "and whoever (amongst guardians) is rich, he should take no wages, but if he is poor, let him have for himself what is just and reasonable (according to his labour)".
The fuqaha' said: He may take whichever is the lesser amount – the equivalent wages for his work or as much as he needs. They differed as to whether he should repay it if he becomes well off. There are two views, one of which is that he should not, because he took it in return for his work when he was poor. This is the correct view according to the companions of al-Shaafa'i, because the verse allows taking without replacing it later on.
The other view is that yes, he should repay it, because the orphan's wealth is forbidden, and it was only permitted because of need, so he should repay it just as if he took wealth from someone else when he was in need.
"and whoever (amongst guardians) is rich, he should take no wages" means, whoever among guardians. "but if he is poor" also refers to guardians. "let him have for himself what is just and reasonable" means, in the way that is better, just as it says in another verse, "And come not near to the orphan's property, except to improve it, until he (or she) attains the age of full strength" [al-An'aam 6:152], i.e., do not come near it except with the intention of disposing of it in the best way, and if you need it then use it in a way that is just and reasonable.
Tafseer Ibn Katheer (1/454, 455).
More on it here.
Tags: bukhari, finance, guardian, hadith no 1909, money, orphan, sales, trade, wealth