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Marc Wilson: "Be part of the process"
Sia Partners had the opportunity to interview Marc Wilson, co-founder of Appian and responsible for the company's Strategic Partnerships around the world. He shared with us his insights on Appian's growth trajectory and on evolutions related to process automation and cutting-edge technologies
Marc Wilson is a founder of Appian and is responsible for the company's Strategic Partnerships around the world. He also oversees Appian's Industry Leadership team comprised of numerous subject matter experts from a variety of key industries. Marc routinely speaks on topics such as AI, RPA, Low Code, BPM, Enterprise Application Platforms, etc. Over his 20 years with Appian, he has worked with hundreds of clients on their approach to digital transformation and automation. Marc received his B.A. in Government (International Relations) with Honors from Dartmouth College.
You co-founded Appian 20 years ago. What was your idea behind it? What problem were you trying to fix?
Marc Wilson
Appian's founding is different to many other software companies. We started the company in 1999. It was a very different age.
At the time, people thought we would never have a recession again because of this thing called the "internet", all you had to do was decide what product you wanted to sell online, go public in six months and you would be set for life.
That really was the mentality at the time.
Of the four of us who started Appian, I was the only one who wasn't working in the technology space. We were reaching the point in our careers where we were ready to move on to the next thing. Initially, I was planning on going off to business school. But we wanted to see if we could start something.
When you were of that age in the United States in 1999, you could start a company in the technology field and if it didn't work you could just go out and find a new job a week later, and all would be well with the world.
When we started, we knew we would be a software company, but we didn't know what software we would write. We didn't have a business plan, our sole company expense was business cards, and we financed the company by not taking a paycheck for the first four months.
We decided that we would do consulting work in technology, primarily around partners such as MicroStrategy, a business intelligence firm which is still running today. We spent a year doing consulting work around them. We were successful in getting projects and adding people to the team. We built up a decent consulting arm.
In 2001, we began to dabble in various kinds of products and ideas, and the first real product we built was because some of the other companies we were talking to stated that there was a need.
It was a portal, and this was before the way we know portals today. We built it on top of a then-dominant java application server for a client that needed a portal product to compete in the US Federal market. We were able to successfully take it to two other significant customers.
The first product we sold was portal technology to a small group in the US army. It was targeted for about ten thousand people, a small fraction of the US army. 9/11 happened just after we started building the app. Shortly after, the secretary of the army looked at what we were building and stated that he wanted to make the product available for the entire army.
Suddenly, we were building a portal for two and a half million people as our first software project. Most companies like to build up to their largest project – ours was our first.
It gave us a very good appreciation for complexity and feature functionality at scale. To every other system that we have had a look at since we have being saying "Ok, you have ten thousand people using your software at the same time. Come back when you have two hundred thousand."
We learned many lessons very early and one of those was that we wanted to be in an industry that would be very hard to commoditize, did not have a clear future, and had a level of complexity and nuance that would cater to the type of mentality we had.
The portal industry is very much a commodity nowadays.
Ultimately, we decided to go in the business process management (BPM) space. We did a big survey to decide which direction we wanted to go.
We took to the BPM space the technologies we had built for the army such as the portal, the document management technologies and the high end internal security applications. This gave us something very different to the other BPM vendors at the time.
Most of the other vendors had grown up at the time of the integration space. They grew up with the notion that everything they were doing with BPM was about maximizing straight through processing – trying to cut people out of processes to make them quicker.
For us, with our knowledge management and portal background coming into the space it was instead a question of how we could get more people involved, and more informed about what is going on. And thematically this has continued in our software park fifteen years following our inclusion in the BPM space.
Would you say that this represents one of your main differentiator from the other optimization companies?
Absolutely. When we were beginning to break out of the federal space and we were starting in the BPM space, one of our slogans was "Be part of the process".
To this day, we feel that the biggest problem with technology is friction. It tends to fail because it creates too much friction between what it is intended to do and what the user needs to do. And that is what causes systems to break down.
Most technology projects don't fail because the technology itself is bad, but because of how it is presented or what is intended is too detached from what the user actually needs accomplished.
At Appian, one of the mantras our teams have is that we need our software to be a joy to use. This is where our investments go into.
Another phrase that we have is this one: Is it walk-up usable? Can you just sit anyone in front of a screen and without have to train that person, it makes logical sense to them what they can do?
Again, this comes from our heritage: we are here to help people move forward.
Be part of the process.
How would you say the company grew over 20 years?
We have had different growth spurts over different points in time. We hit about two hundred people in 2005. We slowed down over the next five years as we dealt with a big global recession. Coming out of that in 2012, we had 90% percent of our revenue in the US public sector.
Since really getting our feet underneath us in the commercial sector, this has now gone down to 13%-14%. And this not because our public sector has gone smaller, it is because everything else has gotten bigger.
Today, we are about 1100 people. We went public two years ago. We are consistently returning 30% plus quarter after quarter of customer subscription growth, which is the real metric we are focused on.
This is the growth trajectory we want to be on.
What we haven't done as a company historically nor post-IPO is to get a lot of money, grow exponentially in a short period of time and hope to hold on to our culture, which is what many other companies have done. We have been much more conservative in terms of how we go about doing things.
We want to preserve our culture. A 30%, 40% or 50% growth is a pretty good, and with this rate you can maintain control over how you want to develop your company.
which direction do you think the automation market is heading towards?
Today, I think the market is confused.
I think many of the phrases which come out of the press do not help in any way, and this is probably true for many technologies.
As soon as a phrase becomes popular in technologies, every technology company raises their hand and says "we do that too!"
At different ends of the spectrum you have the out of the box solutions, which are supposed to be faster, versus custom code which gives you exactly what you want, at a cost, but is really hard to maintain.
What we are pushing is much more of a third way of doing things. Something which I would like to call the best of both worlds.
What we have seen in the recent past is point solutions cloaked in the cloud which has in reality been a way of casting old approaches in a new light. Because they are in a cloud, point solutions think they are doing something special, but what has been the result of that?
Companies that went out and bought a slew of different point solutions for each problem ended up with the exact problem they were trying to avoid.
They have ended up with fifty different silos for fifty different problems, but in the cloud.
What needs to be solved in the future? There needs to be a lot of silo busting.
I think this has really been a realisation of late, and this is where our technology has tremendous power.
The best of breed approaches which consists of mapping individual solutions to individual problems has created a much bigger problem and that is silo systems which don't allow individuals to operate.
Coupled with that is that we have seen a shift in outlook from the customer prospect base. It used to be focused on cost-cutting in this technology space and the emphasis has now shifted to customer satisfaction.
Customer satisfaction isn't just direct interaction with the customer, it involves changing your middle office and back office to ensure that your front office is getting the right answer in an hour rather than in two weeks. Software purchasing to improve customer satisfaction rather than hardline cost-cutting no longer requires justification.
There needs to be a lot of silo busting
I believe this "third solution" you propose is what you call low code. Do you believe in the concept of citizen developer?
Low code is one of those areas that has contributed to the confusion problem in the market.
There are different facets of low code.
The citizen developer is a very exciting concept but is only feasible in a world that has some control around it. It is not very shocking to say that most people in an office have themselves at one point or another been a citizen developer using one the top tools available such as Excel.
What do you want to do with these Excel numbers? That is a business user deciding how they are going to build their application for it to make sense in the business world.
What has resulted from that is that everyone has their different spreadsheet to do things. There is no uniformity, no ability to learn from each other. Half of the time is spent trying to figure out if you have the most up to date version of the Excel spreadsheet or go hunting for it.
My concern is that without the presence of controls, the concept of using low code tools to empower the citizen developer can have these consequences.
We have seen in our client base successful examples of citizen developers. Those are people in the business side who had some acumen technology, were trainable, were mentored, and had a good structure in place.
Those were also organisations that had begun to teach scrum and agile methodologies or similar approaches to get people thinking. So I think it is possible, but that the ability to do it effectively is still in an immature state.
Rather than thinking of it in the way people usually do and jump to a citizen developer context, our use of the term low code refers to the feature side. It is something which is inherent to the way applications should be built across the board.
Why are we coding things when we ought to be taking the time to think more deeply about what the application's actual purpose is? Another term we employ is the concept of "decreasing the friction" between the idea and the application, and low code is intended to do that. How quickly are we able to get things done?
That's what low code is really for. It is not necessarily about increasing the population of people who can build, but about increasing the speed with which these people can build.
Decreasing the friction" between the idea and the application
Since this means identifying what needs to be done is key, where does Appian stand with regards to process mining? Do you have partners helping you identify processes?
We have watched some of the technology developments in this space. We do not have any specific partners in this space from a technology perspective.
Quite frankly, the partnerships we have with this space are best defined by the consulting firms we are involved with.
The technology which defines that space today could be described as hopeful. It is difficult to do what they are intending to do. The ability to analyze data and determine process has a lot of logical sense behind it when you are to be able to create algorithms by interpreting millions of different data points.
This is further behind than machine learning, AI, or other many other aspects of the data science world but it suffers from some of the same problems that exist in that space today.
You can separate AI and machine learning algorithms in two different buckets to begin with. There is a lot of effort that goes into data science.
With it, you can look at a lot of data, analyse it using big data sets or however you want to do it and come up with an answer or a plan. That is next generation business intelligence statistical analysis. That's great and it makes sense.
The other avenue that these technologies want to go down is how they are going to affect the day to day, minute to minute flow of activity that goes through a business: Fraud detection at a better level, or real-time upselling activities.
And the activities that are going following those sort of topics are tending to take place as some sort of science experiments. What they really need is to be pulled back into the organisation as operational elements of value.
You want to be able to build a great algorithm which is going to be able to take inputs and give you what you want to do based on data streams in a way that positively affect your different processes.
What we are finding is that we are an extraordinarily good platform for operationalizing exactly that kind of insight.
One example we have seen for instance: How do you maximise the utility of maintenance crews for going and fixing broken wind turbines in the south west of the United States?
Now it will no longer be a question of simply identifying the broken ones that need fixing.
The questions that need to be answered are: What is the park price of electricity in that market? Do we have others that we can fix the same day? What is the availability of the crew in this park versus that park?
I think process mining will follow a similar path and aim to get the metrics and the viewpoint of what is going on to inform potential changes instantaneously.
You are saying that Appian is a good tool to operationalize data science and the related technologies. Do you have an integration strategy?
Yes. Building up to the release of the next Appian world, we have made many loud statements with many examples of the strong partnerships we have with Amazon, Microsoft, Google and so forth around the investments that they have made in all different kinds of AI and machine learning technologies.
Those really are the platforms that are getting the investments allowing data scientists to go in there and leverage them.
So the best thing we can do is to make it as seamless as possible to integrate with them. We have examples today where in the course of a single process we might be interacting with five or six different services from five or six different vendors.
If you can make that part really easy, it allows the emphasis to really be placed on the tough stuff, that is the data science itself.
And knowing that the results can be brought into applications quickly makes the investments that you make in data science all the more valuable for organisations. They can see the immediate upside.
As soon as some work has been accomplished, they can immediately bring it into their procurement process, for instance, and give the company a better sense as to whether they are spending their money well or if improvements could be made.
Knowing that the results can be brought into applications quickly makes the investments that you make in data science all the more valuable.
Do you see your clients being interested in these new cutting edge technologies?
Yes. We are seeing examples where machine learning, AI algorithms and Blockchain has become a vital piece of the system.
We have seen examples from some of our pharmaceutical clients where they are interested in using Blockchain to track medical devices.
They want to leverage AI and machine learning algorithms to determine where the biggest risk factors are so that they might get a different treatment in a case management process as it moves along. Many factors go into this: the device itself, the geography we are talking about, the time of the year.
All these technologies, IOT, RPA, IA and machine learning have come after another over the course of the last several years and we will reap the real benefits when they all come together.
All these technologies [...] will reap the real benefits when they all come together.
Besides automation, is there any other technology which is of particular interest to you?
The technologies that have become increasingly interesting to me are those that are helping solve some of these underlying data issues that are out there.
Quick, wrapper-like APIs which breathe new life into old systems I find simply awesome.
One of the biggest problems with integration is that the inhibitors are increasingly not technical, they are political.
And if you beat back that political wall by just saying that this is easy, then there, it's done.
There has been much promise and very little examples of what AI and machine learning have been able to deliver so far, but that stuff is coming for real. It is only a matter of time. And that is what I'm most excited about, what's coming next.
How do you think automation is going to impact the workforce in the future? What transformations can we expect?
A lot of people have been historically fearful of process automation, or fearful of RPA for the same reasons: "Will there be any work left for humans to do?"
What we have found is that most of the work that we have replaced has been of the repetitive, boring, mundane and in many cases ill-informed type.
We have got many transformation projects that have been successful in our organisations, and while they often have the opportunity to slash resources as a result of some of those initiatives, in almost every single case they have ended up repurposing their people.
They have found that they can get more out of them and they became real assets as opposed to just tools.
I believe it has opened up many new paths and ideas for organisations to go about doing things. If they don't need someone sweating for four hours over something which can now be done in two minutes, that doesn't mean that person has to leave, but instead that person can focus on something else that can be done.
Again, we have seen more of the market shift from cost-cutting measures to customer satisfaction, with people deployed into different spaces.
There are all sorts of things which can be done to help with these transitions, and there will be many organisations looking at this as a way to reduce payrolls.
But every époque of history that has gone through these mass changes has shown us that it ends up in creating more jobs.
We have seen more of the market shift from cost-cutting measures to customer satisfaction.
But if we are bringing people from doing mundane activities to doing more valuable, high-skill activities, aren't there risks involved?
Absolutely, without question. But understand that middle skilled people have been able to develop because they created what I would call a mental map.
Of who to talk to, where to go to, which system to go to whenever they needed something done. And one of the failures of most organisations' systems has been the inability to bring it all together.
People need to be better trained and better put to use. So much of the complexity of the jobs we are talking about here were complex because the system couldn't help them out.
Wouldn't it be much better if you, as a customer service employee answering phone calls had everything on a screen in front of them, instead of taking fifteen minutes and sounding like you didn't know what you were doing, not because of your incompetence but because of the environment you are stuck in.
The right training can empower people if it's in front of them. That's the optimistic view we have at Appian.
The right training can empower people.
You mentioned that some companies have a hard time bridging the gap. Where would you say companies sit in terms of embracing the future of work?
I think it varies immensely company to company.
A good way of seeing this is that so much of this comes down to corporate culture.
We are a software company. They are things that we have grown up as, that have been advantageous to us, such as our way of recruiting and sustaining our workforce.
I like to think that the things that define our core values aren't unique to software firms. When you look back over the last 20 or 30 years, the turnover in companies that exist is amazing.
It is hard to realise when you are just thinking in the mindset of a year, two years, but if you go back thirty years and look at the top 50 companies on any stock index, most of them don't exist anymore.
That turnover happens sometimes because companies make bad decisions but more often than not they disappear because their culture couldn't keep up with the reality of the present.
A company that wants to go forward is a company that is going to have to embrace these kinds of changes, and the companies that don't will be almost certainly be replaced by the companies that do.
That is what history has shown us. All these events, the industrial revolution, getting out of analog and into digital, the work process showing up, people predicted the workforce to be slashed in half but that has never happened.
We have gone down paths we couldn't foresee, and I think that this will happen again.
A company that wants to go forward is a company that is going to have to embrace these kinds of changes.
If you could pick the use case that surprised you the most, that you found the most interesting, that either you have worked on personally or that Appian contributed to, which would it be?
I'm going to talk about one which to me is one of the best examples of Appian's use, and that's the work we done with Aviva, the insurance firm.
We have given them a comprehensive, complete view of their customers, and their customer satisfaction rating has shot up tremendously. Before they had 18 to 25 screens, their system relied on individuals under intense time pressure to get the right answer by going from one screen to another repeatedly, they had inconsistent data…
Now they have one screen. They have everything in front of them.
It is a unified experience. We have cut the time it takes to respond by 90%. It's mind-boggling. I've received word from managers at Aviva that when people get transferred, they complain because they want to take the Appian system with them, because it changes their outlook and their job happiness.
But what was also interesting about this was that the system was built on so many other systems of data.
Usually, success happens when you find that company that has their act together on the data side so that people don't have to worry about that. All you need to do is build a beautiful app on top and it will all work.
But Aviva is a company that has built itself up over a hundred years, through multiple acquisitions, different combinations of companies, lots of duplicate systems, with lots of client and technical data.
They have three systems that do this, fifteen systems that do that, some other screens that were brand new, and in order to ensure you are giving the best service to the customer you have to have it all.
The integration story there became very interesting. Some of those integrations were easy. But they didn't know what to do with the green screens until we actually used RPA.
We screen-scraped the green screens in real time to populate Appian records so that no one knew what was going on underneath, they just saw the end result and complete data unification across the different systems.
That was great, and over time they were able to tear down and consolidate some of the systems in the back whereas before they would have to wait and schedule a time during which they would have to pause the front process.
Now they only have one interface, and what goes on in the background can be taken care of at its own speed. It was a great story. We saw the results and so did they.
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Vanbreda offers companies advice and protection against the increasing threat posed by terrorism and other threats such as acts of war.
The threat posed by IS and other extremist groups means that as a company you are increasingly on the alert for terrorist attacks. What damages resulting from terrorism or acts of war can you insure against?
When is damage effectively the result of an act of terrorism? A committee composed of representatives of the government and insurance sector will decide whether a particular event meets the legal definition of terrorism.


At this age, your toddler should be allowed to make as many decisions as she reasonably can – including what she wants to eat. Offer her nutritious foods, and let her take it from there. She doesn't need mushy foods anymore. In fact, if you give her foods with some texture to chew and swallow, her oral skills will improve, and her tastes will broaden.
A toddler's appetite and growth tend to level off in the second year, so your child won't need as much as she used to. Let her choose her own food from what the whole family is eating, but skip any added salt. Still wondering what your child should be eating? Get tips and suggestions.
Helpful hint: Make meals a casual, social time to help your child learn good eating habits. Try to relax at mealtime. Avoid remarks like "Look at your big sister; she loves her vegetables." Putting pressure on your child is sure to turn her off and may even lead to eating problems. Your toddler will eat when she is hungry.


The words on everyone's lips at the moment are "self-care." I'm all for that!
The Goehring version includes a CD of classic carols, our tree lit, and a tea tray with a cheese savory, a piece of stollen, and a Niederegger marzipan Santa.
Please take good care of yourselves and your loved ones today and throughout 2019. Namaste.


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South Carolina Illegal Immigration Reform Act Takes Effect on July 1 for Companies with 100 or More Employees
The South Carolina Illegal Immigration and Reform Act becomes effective July 1, 2009, for private employers with 100 or more employees. For private employers with less than 100 employees, the compliance date is July 1, 2010.
The Act requires all South Carolina employers to verify the legal status of new employees and prohibits employment of any worker who is not legally in the United States and authorized to work. After July 1, 2009, all businesses in South Carolina that employ 100 or more employees are imputed a South Carolina employment license which permits an employer to hire employees. The imputed license remains in effect as long as the employer abides by the law.
In addition to completing and maintaining a Form I-9, all South Carolina employers must within five days after employing a new employee:
1. Verify the employee's work authorization through the E-Verify federal work authorization program administered by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security; or
2. Verify that the employee:
a. possesses a valid South Carolina driver's license or identification card issued by the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles;
b. is eligible to obtain a South Carolina driver's license or identification card; or
c. possesses a valid driver's license or identification card from another state whose qualification requirements are as strict as those of the state of South Carolina.
The South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles has determined that driver's licenses or identification cards issued by the following states are acceptable: AK, AZ, CT, FL, GA, ID, IN, ME (credentials issued after 11/15/08), MA, MI, NH, NJ, PA, RI, TX and VA. For employers in the Metrolina area, a North Carolina driver's license currently will not be an acceptable form of identification. This list is updated periodically. The most current version of the list is on the DMV website at www.scdmvonline.com. For more information on the E-verify federal work authorization program and to access E-verify, visit the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services web site at: www.uscis.gov.
The South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation is responsible for investigating complaints and conducting random audits of private employers to assure compliance. The agency must: (1) notify the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement of suspected unauthorized aliens employed by a private employer; (2) notify state and local law enforcement agencies responsible for enforcing state immigration laws, and (3) assess penalties for violations of the Act.
For violations of procedures for hiring and verifying worker eligibility, a private employer can be assessed a civil penalty of not less than $100 and not more than $1,000 for each violation. Upon the first violation, the employer can avoid assessment of a penalty if within 72 hours of notification of a violation the employer complies with the verification provisions. An employer who knowingly or intentionally employs an unauthorized alien faces suspension or revocation of the employer's imputed licenses. During the time that the license is suspended or revoked, the employer cannot employ any employees, effectively putting it out of business in South Carolina.
The Act also provides a civil cause of action for any person who is terminated by an employer if the purpose for discharge was to replace the worker with another person whom the employer knew or should have known was not lawfully admitted to the United States or not authorized to work in the United States.
Federal courts recently upheld the validity of a similar Arizona law, and there is little chance that the new South Carolina Act will face judicial intervention.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


You can always tell the people that are forging the new frontier.
They're the ones with arrows sticking out of their backs.
You can approach truth, but never capture it.
Lies can be had 'round the corner.
doesn't dim the lights when you turn it on.
they cross the mountains into California, they go insane.


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Ukrainian officials have accused Russia of bombing a theatre where around 1,000 civilians were sheltering. The word "children" was written in large Russian letters on the pavement outside. Boris Johnson "walked away empty-handed" from his meetings with Saudi Arabia and the UAE yesterday, says The Daily Telegraph. The PM had hoped to persuade the oil producers to ramp up exports as a means of weaning the West off Russian oil. Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe has been reunited with her family in the UK after six years under lock and key in Iran. Her husband Richard's sister tells the BBC their seven-year-old daughter Gabriella last night "slept in between Richard and Nazanin for the first time in six years".
The mass exodus from Russia
No one knows how many people have fled Russia in the last two weeks, says Mikhail Viktorovich Zygar in Der Spiegel, but it's definitely in the "hundreds of thousands". In "perhaps the least visible exodus in history", Russia's middle classes are fleeing the country however they can. At least 20,000 have gone to Georgian capital Tbilisi, where disgruntled locals have launched a petition to introduce new visa requirements. With European airspace closed to Russian aircraft, ticket prices for flights from Moscow to countries such as Turkey, Azerbaijan and Mongolia have increased almost tenfold.
Laughter as a weapon
Plenty of politicians have started their life as actors, says Adam Gopnik in The New Yorker. But Ukraine's President Zelensky is more unusual – he was a clown. Before his 2019 election win he was known for "little else except his clowning": his claim to fame was playing a bumbling politician in a Ukrainian sitcom. His opponents made jibes, but Zelensky embraced his comic capabilities. In one campaign video he sported a large (digital) red nose. "They called me a clown," he said. "I am a clown, and I am very proud of it." When asked in an interview if he could make Vladimir Putin laugh, he said of course he could, adding: "Laughter is a weapon that is fatal to men of marble."
Russia has imposed sanctions on Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton and various other Washington bigwigs – but they're not taking it very seriously, says The Daily Telegraph. Clinton wrote a short, sarcastic acceptance speech on Twitter, thanking the "Russian Academy for this Lifetime Achievement Award", while White House press secretary Jen Psaki said "none of us are planning tourist trips to Russia". And since Joe Biden's full name is Joseph Robinette Biden Jr, and Russian sanction documents omitted the "junior", Psaki added, "they may have sanctioned his dad, may he rest in peace".
Climate change is making hailstones bigger, says BBC Future. Hail damage in the US now averages more than $10bn a year, and in the last three years stones as large as 16cm have been spotted in Texas, Colorado and Alabama. It's because air moisture levels are rising, which encourages hailstone growth. At this rate, says meteorologist Matthew Kumjian, we could soon be looking at hailstones the size of bowling balls.
It's a giant QR code created by more than 400 drones above the city of Austin, Texas. People on the ground who scanned the code with their phones were taken to a trailer for Halo, a new sci-fi series. But not everyone was impressed. One local complained that adverts were now "literally invading the night sky".
Spies have one theory for why Putin has invaded Ukraine, says the Daily Star: he's "pumped up on steroids" to treat a deadly cancer. Senior figures in the Five Eyes intelligence alliance reckon the Russian president is suffering from a stonking case of "roid rage". It would explain Putin's puffy face (a common side effect from steroids) and the "identifiable change in his decision making".
Britain is the new Hollywood, says The New York Times. Last year a record £5.6bn was spent on film and high-end TV production in the UK – nearly 30% more than the previous high in 2019. The owner of Hollywood's legendary Sunset Studios is spending £700m on a 21-soundstage facility just north of London, its first facility outside Los Angeles; new blockbuster The Batman was filmed in Liverpool. Studios are lured here by the glut of experienced workers "and, critically, generous tax breaks".
quoted 17.3
"The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing that you will make one."
Elbert Hubbard


I deserve LOVE to come knocking at my door.
I am AUTHENTIC, LOVING, & WORTHY WOMAN.
One of my favorite things to do is to write. I love writing poetry because it's whatever you want it to be. Lately, I found myself writing poems to myself as a form of self love. Often times we seek validation from others but the love must come from within. So I pick up my pen and I write until all of my thoughts have been cleared. This is a form of therapy for me.
The next time you are feeling an emotion write it down and see what poetry you create. You are worthy!


Are human bodies designed to eat meat?
Many people describe themselves as 'omnivores' – meaning they eat a wide variety of food from plant-based and animal-based sources. Meat-eaters will often argue the presence of 'canine teeth', as well as our ability to digest meat means nature designed us to consume flesh. But is this true? Does human physiology support the idea that human beings are omnivores?
In his book Should We Eat Meat?: Evolution and Consequences of Modern Carnivory, author Vaclav Smil writes: "In traditional societies, meat eating, more than the consumption of any other category of foodstuffs, has led to fascinating preferences, bans and diverse foodways; and modern western agricultures are obviously heavily meat-oriented.
Or, as Dr Mills puts it: "Human teeth are similar to those found in other herbivores with the exception of the canines – the canines of some of the apes are elongated and are thought to be used for display and/or defence. Our teeth are rather large and usually lean on one another. The incisors are flat and spade-like, useful for peeling, snipping and biting relatively soft materials.
The composition of human saliva also suggests we are designed to primarily ingest plants. It contains the carbohydrate-digesting enzyme, salivary amylase, which is responsible for the majority of starch digestion. Once the breakdown of food starts in the mouth, our oesophagus is narrow and suited to small, soft balls of thoroughly chewed food.
Carnivores stomachs secrete hydrochloric acid, meaning their gastric pH levels are maintained at around 1-2 even with food present, which is necessary to facilitate protein breakdown and to kill all the dangerous bacteria often found in decaying flesh foods.
In contrast, herbivores have significantly longer guts than carnivores because of the relative difficulty with which various kinds of plant foods are broken down, due to large amounts of indigestible fibres. The small intestine of plant-eating animals tends to be very long – over ten times body length – to allow enough time and space for absorption of the nutrients.
So like other herbivores, humans have much longer intestinal tracts – giving the body more time to absorb nutrients from plant-based foods, as well as breaking down fibre.
Another interesting comparison between carnivores and herbivores is the ability to break down bacteria in raw meat. Peta claims: "True carnivores gulp down chunks of raw flesh, relying on their strong stomach acids to break it down and kill the dangerous bacteria in meat that would otherwise sicken or kill them. Humans have much weaker stomach acids that are similar to those found in animals who digest pre-chewed fruits and vegetables. Without carnivorous stomach acids to kill the bacteria in meat, dining on animal flesh can give us food poisoning.
One of the most frequently levelled questions at vegans is: where do you get your protein? Many people think a meat-free diet means a protein-free diet. Of course this is not the case, with a number of grains and vegetables easily providing a healthy level of this macronutrient.
Eating too much protein can result in nutritional deficiencies, increase the risk of developing heart disease, and worsen kidney function in those with kidney disease – debunking the myth humans needs huge amounts of protein to thrive.
The American Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics is considered to be the foremost authority on diet and nutrition it the USA. For several years now (since 2009) it has held the position that meat is not necessary for human diets. It says: "It is the position of the American Dietetic Association that appropriately planned vegetarian diets, including total vegetarian or vegan diets, are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases.
I'm pro vegan, but this article, while interesting, avoided talking about omnivores or the fact that gorillas also eat insects. Also, much of the illnesses caused by eating undercooked meat is due to how it's processed. Humans have successfully eaten raw flesh without sickness (sushi and steak tartare). While I fully support a vegan diet and strive to follow one myself, I hate reading vegan articles which scream bias instead of looking at a picture as a whole. Instead I'd rather read an article that highlights health benefits of the diet and human physiology rather than comparing us to lions and gorillas.
Tiny Insects are hardly the same as a small mammal or a deer. Lions and tigers don't eat insects, does this mean they're not true carnivores? Steak tartare is cut up cleaned meat, and processed into tiny pieces. Sushi has carefully selected small pieces or slivers of certain fish. Do you think carnivores have access to processed pre-cut meat like this in the wild Wendy? So imo the points you made don't make much sense, and in no way prove anything. Lest of all the accusation of bias by the author.


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Mark Hix welcomes you to HIX ART for its most esteemed event of the year, the HIX Award. Mark's love of art and hunger for innovation and creativity is a vision shared by Gallery Director Sophie Harriott. Both conceived the idea of the HIX Award and now, gathering momentum in its third year, it is the highlight for any collectors' calendar, as the gallery exhibits the best crop of exceptional undergraduate and graduate artists' work.
This year's entries have ranged nationwide, with a few from even further afield, all with the hopes of getting a taste of the CNB action and being whittled down to the final 18 by our esteemed panel of judges. With HIX's links to the local and most renowned arts universities, there is no shortage of entries, placing the HIX Award at the forefront of the contemporary arts scene- somewhere it plans to stay.
The panel of judges is made up of a 22 strong assembly whose names and reputations precede them, and whose collective output is something iconic. The line up includes heroes of the art world such as Tracey Emin, Rob and Nick Carter and Miranda Donovan, as well as established critics and professionals such as Liz Murdoch, Dylan Jones and Eliza Bonham Carter. The collective will decide the winner and runner-up from the shortlisted exhibitors which will then be announced in early September.
The rarity of this opportunity is something that the HIX Award and HIX ART are especially proud to be able to present. The level of exposure, thanks to the collective brilliance of the judges, will have a profound impact on any promising young artists' career. Following on from his 2014 win, Felix Treadwell recently had a sell-out exhibition at HIX ART, Ripple on a Playground, of his Japanese inspired, ambiguous painting. Now, thanks to the opportunity of winning the HIX Award, along with his obvious talent, Felix has established himself as one of the young graduate artists to look out for.
The standard of the entrants is outstanding and range from the bold to the intimate, the vivid to the minimal, a refreshing abundance of talent that certainly makes the decision of a favourite a difficult, but an extremely entertaining one for the man himself.
Don't forget to cast your vote for the 'People's Winner' Award on our Facebook page.
HIX AWARD FINALISTS 2015: Allyson McIntyre, Bakhtiyar Berkin, Demi Overton, Edén Barrena, Emma Marks, Jacob Yarwood, Jennifer N. R. Smith, Kelly Sweeney, Lewis-John Henderson, Luke Marsh, Marcin T.Jozefiak, Matilda Skelton Mace, Michael Colegate, Natasha Malik, Patricia Pisanelli, Phoebe Mulrooney, Salomé Partouche, Charlotte Emily Sutton and Susan Eyre.


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A drama called 'Dunk' – and what makes it brilliant
The drama Dunk on ARY Digital ends today, wrapping up a 31 episode long run. It's a story revolving around cases of fake claims of sexual harassment, a very sensitive topic to tackle in the times that we live in. Right before the drama began, there was a hue and cry that a story about a woman who misuses harassment in order to avenge the men she hates undermines the Me Too! movement in Pakistan. An interview given by the drama's producer Fahad Mustafa, right before the airing of the first episode, where he said that society needs to be aware that fake harassment claims can be made, lead to further aggravation.
It did not matter that the story took its root from an actual incident where a college professor committed suicide when falsely accused of harassment. Critics insisted that there was no need to tell a story regarding fake harassment because it could shed doubt on the claims of victims of actual harassment.
A post shared by Badar Mehmood (@badar.mehmood)
This may have been the reason why Dunk, throughout its televising, hasn't been promoted as avidly as most all-star productions are. The drama is produced by Fahad Mustafa's Big Bang Productions, directed by Badar Mehmood and boasts a stellar ensemble cast: Bilal Abbas Khan, Sana Javed, Naumaan Ijaz, Azekah Daniel, Yasra Rizvi, Fahad Sheikh, Laila Wasti, Saife Hassan and Shahood Alvi, among others. A drama with such powerhouse credentials usually gets promoted avidly by its cast and crew, social media images from 'behind the scenes' are posted regularly, Twitter trends are celebrated, interview clips are floated out on Instagram and actors come online to ask the audience's opinion on game changing turns in the plot.
Another plausible reason why Dunk wasn't highlighted may be because the drama simply didn't earn very high ratings. The story may have been unique and the screenplay exceptional but the fact remains that in Dunk, the man was the victim while the woman raised hell. Sad as it is, the Pakistani drama audience has a penchant for the battered, abused 'bechari aurat'. Give them a purely vindictive woman and a befuddled innocent man and they may just switch the channel.
As a result, Dunk has quietly been streaming out on TV, week after week, skipping the prime-time 8 p.m. slot to air a little later, at 9 p.m. on the weekend, not making much noise on social media. This, more than anything, goes to show that social media noise cannot be considered the litmus test for a drama's merit. Dunk, despite all the censure levelled out at it, is brilliant.
What works …
The story may center around fake harassment claims but the antagonist, played by Sana Javed, is countered by some equally strong positive female characters, particularly the characters enacted by Azekah Daniel, Laila Wasti and Yasra Rizvi. The drama winds its way through twists and turns, building upon emotions and some very tense situations and then, offering some relief with positive developments.
It's a thriller, dwelling upon human psychosis and the need for revenge. Harassment may be the main issue at hand but the subtext unravels other connected stories: the media character assassination that a harassment claim can lead to, affecting not just the victim and the harasser but also their families and also, the emotional suffering endured by the family of the professor who had gotten falsely accused once he had committed suicide.
Just as powerful as the plot are the actors knitting it together. In fact, perhaps Dunk wouldn't have been quite as evocative had it not been spearheaded by two very talented actors, Sana Javed and Bilal Abbas. Both actors have often been applauded for their work and with Dunk, they prove their mettle yet again.
Sana's last role was that of a rape victim in Ruswai. In Dunk, she switches gears completely as the psychotic Amal. Her eyes narrow as she shows her true colors, her face contorted into a slight, caustic smile. Amal's hostility isn't over the top at all; instead, she is restrained, calculating, planning out her next move, reveling in her victims' discomfort. Building the entertainment value in her particularly villainous scenes is an OST, thumping out a suspense-ridden beat – so well-placed that it makes your blood boil just a little more!
Bilal Abbas, as the long-suffering Haider, is just as outstanding; battling anger, guilt, sadness and now, as the series culminates, finally giving Amal her dues. More than anything else, his body language is impressive: the shoulders squared while getting bashed by his loved ones; tense while Amal riles him, merely taunting her with eyes.
The remaining cast also doesn't disappoint. Laila Wasti is one of the drama's strongest draws, shining as Haider's mother. Also standing out are Yasra Rizvi as the young widow and mother and Azakeh Daniel as Haider's wife.
It's a well-acted drama, and also well-told. Even though it touches upon the sensitive issue of harassment, Dunk doesn't seem to be agenda-driven at any point. It is, merely, telling an absorbing story. Besides, the Pakistani drama-scape is replete with storylines where women are victims of abuse. A single drama, portraying men as victims and moreover, narrated carefully by director Badar Mehmood doesn't appear to be agitating against any cause or movement.
What doesn't work…
For all its strong points, though, Dunk would have definitely benefitted from some sharp editing. As is the sad case with almost all Pakistani dramas, the episodes could have been snipped down to about an odd 25 rather than stretch out to a lofty 31. The multiple long-drawn episodes showing Haider, teary-eyed, writhing in guilt, could have been easily edited. So could have been all the many, many times that Professor Humayun's wife cried and Amal, paced her room, scheming, half-smiling evilly. Even a story as gripping as Dunk's got longwinded, courtesy the perpetual drags that are characteristic of our dramas. Skip a few episodes in the middle and you weren't likely to have missed much.
Also, Amal could have benefitted from stronger characterization. She is deeply psychotic and malevolent – but why is she like that? Does her skewed moral compass stem from a troubled childhood? Did something in her past make her such a stickler for revenge? A character, male or female, may be depicted as evil but someone as irreprehensible as Amal needs to have a backstory that sheds light on exactly why she is this particular way.
Nevertheless, for actors Bilal Abbas and Sana Javed, Dunk adds immensely to their repertoire, proving their exceptional talent at enacting nuanced, complicated characters. It is also yet another feather in the cap of director Badar Mehmood. The drama ends tonight – it may not enough make noise on social media and it may or may not top Twitter trends. You may not see an Instagram image celebrating a record-breaking burst of viewer ratings.
But how many top-rated recent dramas have you truly enjoyed? And who believes in Twitter trends anyway?
Sheheryar Munawar's 'Prince Charming' may be 12 minutes long – but it leaves you thinking for much later
Analyzing the details that make Khuda aur Mohabbat 3 beautiful, with director Syed Wajahat Hussain
'Qayamat' and 'Chupke Chupke' star Sidra Niazi: "I started off with small roles so that I could learn and less people would notice if I mess up!"
5 times Mehwish Hayat Stood Out with Rational Social Messages
Here's what's intriguing about upcoming drama Pehli Si Muhabbat
'Dobara', off to an engaging start!


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Rosie O Donnell Husband, Net worth and Children
An actress from America, Rosie O Donnell is known for her endeavors as a lesbian rights activist as well as for the comedic credits. She was born on the 21st of March, 1962 and at the age of 54, has managed to be the host of The Rosie O' Donnell Show which won several Emmy Awards. She was born to parents Roseann Teresa and Edward Joseph O'Donnell. Rosie O Donnell net worth of a whopping 100 million dollars and a huge salary that matches up to her net worth.
Rosie was born in Commack, New Work and she started her comedy career as a teenager. She rose to fame after appearing in the talent show Satr Search and she was introduced to a larger audience later on after being the sole host of The Rosie O' Donnelll Show. her show won multiple Emmy Awards and she was considered to be a highly capable personality then. She was nicknamed Queen of Nice and has been known for her philanthropic efforts for the LGBT community. A charity queen, she has also managed to establish the For All Kids Foundation and other projects.
This adoptive mother is also the moderator of The View. She has also released memoirs like Find Me and Celebrity Detox, which have both been hugely popular with her audiences. Rosie is also the host of the Rosie Radio, which aired on Sirius XM Radio. She has been signed in with the Oprah Winfrey Network for her series but the show was cancelled due to low ratings. As of now, she has been departed from The View as a co-host due to her personal reasons.
Talking about the personal life of this highly versatile beauty, it has been known that she came out as a lesbian on Will and Grace on 31st January, 2002. Her first child, Parker Jaren was adopted on 1995. Rosie O Donnell husband is Kelli Carpenter with whom she got married on 2004, February. The wedding was carried out by Susan Leal. The couple has three children together. Chelsea Belle O' Donell was born on 1997 while Blake Christopher was born on 1999. Vivienne Rose was born on 2002. All three children were born to Carpenter through artificial insemination. They split up with an annulment on 2004. She dated Tracy Kachtick Anders on 2009 but they too split on 2011. She also dated Michelle Rounds on 2011 and the couple got married on June 212. They separated on February 2014 and have an adopted girl Dakota.
Rosie has a height of 5 feet and 6 inches. She will surely continue to be a part of the entertainment business for a long time to come.
NANCY O'DELL AGE, DATING, NET WORTH AND CAREER
TOM BROKAW NET WORTH, AGE, DATING AND CAREER
December 7, 2016 3:55
Isabela Moner Height, Wiki, Bio, Weight and Net worth
Birmania Ríos Wiki, Bio, Age and Surgery
Danica Mckellar Net worth, Bio, Married and Divorce
February 8, 2016 2:46


This is my attempt to discuss HTX Male Enhancement. I may not be speechless about HTX Male Enhancement. Don't give up if something goes a little wrong with your first HTX Male Enhancement. I'm rather self centered. What should happen if you combined both of these weak opinions? They're living in a bubble although the predicament appears to be systematic. It is crucial. HTX Male Enhancement is known by many. Kudos to HTX Male Enhancement.
We should stay connected. It's always best when you're at your weakest. You've got it! Does that matter? This time I've tried a completely different tactic in terms of HTX Male Enhancement.


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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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Video: Vija Celmins » Pacific Standard Time at the Getty
Video: Vija Celmins speaks about her work, February 2011
Learn more about Vija Celmins
Freeway, 1966, Vija Celmins. Oil on canvas. 17 1/2 x 26 3/8 in. Collection of Harold Cook, Ph.D. © Vija Celmins. Image courtesy McKee Gallery, New York
Poster for Vija Celmins exhibition at David Stuart Galleries in Los Angeles, February 28-March 26, 1966. © Vija Celmins. The Getty Research Institute, Gift of Michael Asher, 2009.M.30.13
Vija Celmins in her studio in Venice, California, 1966. Photo by Tony Berlant. Art © Vija Celmins


Nine days ahead of the opening match of FIFA World Cup Russia, Iran became the first team to arrive in Russia as they touched down today at 20:26 local time at Moscow's Vnukovo International Airport.
Queiroz said that the team has arrived raring to keep the dream going for as long as possible and is looking forward to play their part in making this the best World Cup ever.
"We would like to send our greetings to all the other teams and their fans, particularly the people of Russia, who will be hosting the competition. We wish you all a great World Cup," he said.
Iran's base for the tournament will be the Lokomotiv Bakovka Training Center in the Moscow region, and they will play their first match on 15 June against Morocco at Saint Petersburg Stadium.
Iran were the first Asian team to book their place at Russia 2018. This is the fifth time the Iranians have qualified for the world finals. Their previous appearances at football's showpiece event came in 1978, 1998, 2006 and 2014.


Ahh ..well .. I was trying to go for "Penny for your thoughts" but that didn't work out well .. neither did Cashflow .. but I started dodging the coin trails and I liked it!
This is a rolling coin on black card paper. Photoshopped to make the card paper more invisible and dodged the coin trail to create the copper burning effect.
Greeting from the critique club.
First impressions. Very cool shot, clever and original idea.
Your colours and lighting are great. Though there are a few blown highlights in the trail and on the bottom of the coin, they add to the feel of the image. I'm not sure of the angle of this shot......think I'd like see it rotated slightly so the coin was heading straight up...this would put the beginning of the trail at lower left.
This shot certainly meets the challenge, though I feel it would have scored better if you could have seen a few more of the coin rotations in the trail......would have added to the 'Motion Blur' illusion.
This really is such a creative and original idea, it's well thought out.........you've done a good job!
Very clever idea.. the trail of the penny looks very cool.
This would work better horizontally, I think, and with a sharper focus.
Now that is clever. Good work.
great idea to curve the path of the coin. I think I want even more of a curve.
Original idea here, way to go!
Nice use of the copper color. How'd you get it to curve?
very interesting - the thumbnail made me think of something organic - like through a microscope. Interesting how the reflections gave "scratches" to the trail - nice creative - I wonder if more coins would be better to break up the oppresive black in the photo?
This is really, really good. The lighting is spectacular.
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Pat Throckmorton
Pat's Praise: So You Are Successful But Are You Significant?
By Pat Throckmorton
First, no two people are the same; thus, everyone's definition of success differs.
How do you define success in one's life? Can it be described in one word or a dissertation? When people think about a successful life, they often think about money, social status, and power. Generally, women define success in terms of life balance and relationships, whereas men focus more on material success.
Proverbs 16:3 NIV tells us, "Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed." Psalm 37:4-6 NIV says, "Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun."
To delight in the Lord is to know Him intimately. Knowledge of God's great love for us will indeed give us delight. To commit ourselves to the Lord is to entrust Him with everything – our lives, jobs, families, and possessions. We must be willing to wait patiently for His plan to work in our lives.
"Rich and poor have this in common: The Lord is the Maker of them all." Proverbs 22:2 NIV. It is profitable to remember this. Note that it doesn't say Maker of both – it says Maker of them all. The assertion here is that God is the giver of all things to all people.
A simplified definition of success is the accomplishment of an aim or purpose. Throughout our lifetime, our goals and objectives refashion. You look forward to your first day of school as a young child. When my granddaughter Carla turned ten, she said, "Oh, Mamou! I am now in the double-digits!" She wasn't nearly as excited when she became a teenager. Then life moves on, and you are sixteen with a driver's license in hand. Then twenty-one, thirty, forty, fifty; retirement for some, and on and on.
As you look back over your decades, you recognize the evolution of your years. In the Apostle Paul's first letter to the Corinthians, he gave strong encouragement. And these words are befitting to us today. "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." 1 Corinthians 10:13 NIV.
Wrong desires and temptations happen to everyone – don't feel singled out. None of us are without trials. Others have resisted temptations giving proof that so can we. Search for like-minded Christians who can offer help in any time of need. Purposely turn from what is wrong. You will be successful!
How does one live a life of significance? All you have to do is share your resources. But what are they? They are referred to as your three T's – time, talent, and treasure. You do not have to be a millionaire to share any of these.
Although it may sound contradictory, giving away your time will add meaning to your life. Creating memorable moments with your children, grandchildren, or other family members is a most precious gift. Providing a meal for someone incapacitated, having a conversation with a shut-in, or running errands for someone unable to do so are deeds that cannot be measured in dollars but are priceless to those on the receiving end.
Everyone has a talent specific to themselves. "For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive." 1 Corinthians 4:7a. The implication is that our abilities and skills come from God. What is your talent? Patience, persuasion, organization, speaking, writing, singing, or something else? Whatever it may be, share your talent with others.
What may be an insignificant amount to you can be a fortune to someone in need. Most of us know or have known persons who have fallen on hard times – perhaps you have experienced such. Did you reach out to offer financial assistance?
Being significant infers that you matter and that your empowered choices can improve your life and those with whom you have contact. So, practice being generous with your three T's. You will begin to recognize more joy in your life.
God measures success differently than the world does. Jesus said, "For he who is least among you all – he is the greatest." It has absolutely nothing to do with wealth, influence, or skill. True success is when we have overcome the world, are saved, and know we will have an eternity in heaven.
A retired nurse, published author and columnist, Pat Throckmorton can be reached at kandpthrock@gmail.com
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Kaleem Siddiqui (born 23 September 1957) is an Indian Islamic scholar, preacher, educationist and a prominent member of Tablighi Jamaat. He was detained by ATS of Up police with accusations of mass conversion which nationalist Hindu considered a threat to their religion, he had been providing both financial and legal  assistance to those who faced difficulty to adopt Islam as their consent religion. He is a disciple of Muhammad Zakariyya al-Kandhlawi and Abul Hasan Ali Hasani Nadwi. Aapki Amanat Aapki Sewa Mein is one of his popular book.

Biography
Kaleem Siddiqui was born on 23 September 1957 in Phulat village of Muzaffarnagar district, Uttar Pradesh, India. His father Haji Muhammad Amin was a Zamindar and murid of Mahmud Hasan Deobandi. His mother's name is Zubaida Khatun. He was educated at the Faizul Islam Madrasa in phulat, founded by Rashid Ahmad Gangohi, now known as Jamia Imam Wali Ullah. In class V, he memorized first 7 Para of Quran. He passed his higher secondary in science from Pact Inter College. He completed his BSc from Meerut College. He then appeared for the All India Pre Medical Test and finished 57th across India. He later came in contact with Abul Hasan Ali Hasani Nadwi and was admitted to Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama to study Islamic subjects. He did not get admission even after getting the opportunity to get admission in MBBS.

Books
His most popular book is Aapki Amanat Aapki Sewa Mein. His other books include:
Hume Hidayat Kaise Mili
Dawat E Deen : Kuch Ghalat Fahmiyaan Kuch Haqaaiq
Hadiya Dawat
Tohfah Dawat
Dawat Fikr O Amal
Armughaan E Dawat
Usway Nabi E Rahmat Aur Hamaari Zindagi
Rafeeq Bano Fareeq Nahi
Har Marz Ki Dawa Hai Sallay A'laa Muhammad
Deeni Madaris Aur Hamaari Zimmaydaariyaan
Naseem Hidayat Kay Jhokay

References

1957 births
Living people
Indian Islamic religious leaders
Scholars from Uttar Pradesh
21st-century Muslim theologians
Muslim apologists
20th-century Muslim theologians
21st-century Indian Muslims
21st-century Muslim scholars of Islam
Critics of Hinduism
Hanafis
Deobandis
Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama alumni
Disciples of Abul Hasan Ali Hasani Nadwi

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Down there in the deep.
And made each white bit leap.
To join them in their ranks.
The sun ignored their pranks.
As she bent forward from the edge.
This is yet again a wonderful piece of poetry from you!
Enjoyed reading it so much!
The picture is so very apt!


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"Made you of spirit and fire and dew."
October 11, 2016 Liberty Lausterer
A view of Bellagio from the ferry.
Micah and I caught the ferry from our hotel, across the Lake of Como, to Bellagio, Italy. There we sauntered down cobbled streets, past gorgeous boutiques and cafés, and up stone steps leading through narrow alleyways. Near the lakefront promenade, we walked into an antique shop, drawn in by the ethereal paintings in the window display. A petite woman, looking to be in her 70's, greeted us as we entered the shop. She was elegantly dressed. We lingered in front of a painting of a woman and a child on the shore of Lake Como. Their clothes were old-fashioned but the sun-dappled landscape looked exactly as it had an hour earlier when we stepped off the ferry. "My father painted that," said the woman. I watched Micah melt into a puddle at her feet, overcome by the charm and history of the place and her story.
"Your father painted this?" asked Micah.
"Si, this is a copy of his original work." I knew then we were leaving the shop with one of his prints.
We took our time looking at a half dozen or so, before finally settling on one that captured the lake, a glimpse of the village, and the Alps in the distance. After the woman had wrapped it she handed us what looked to be a brochure. "A gift for you," she said. Outside the shop I opened it up and discovered it was the story of how her father had come to Bellagio. I read it to Micah as we walked toward the lake.
Her father, an Italian, visited Bellagio in the 1930's. He was so taken by the beauty of the place he immediately declared, "I will own a shop here one day!" A year later he had already purchased a shop and begun painting the landscape. He would later marry a woman from another country (the brochure didn't say where she was from). The two had a daughter. Decades later she is still running her father's shop. As I write this, I recognize this is a simple story. A man falls in love with a place and then a woman. He spends the remainder of his days putting this love to paint. But there is also, for me, something incredibly moving about his declaration, a promise to himself. "I will own a shop here one day!"
A sun-dappled veranda just down the street from the shop where we purchased the print.
This past weekend I fulfilled a twenty year old promise to myself. I finally read the first book in the Anne of Green Gables series by L.M. Montgomery. I fell in love with Anne of Green Gables in middle school. My grandpa Lausterer introduced me to the 1980's TV mini-series on PBS. I loved everything about Anne: her imagination, her temper, her abiding belief in kindred spirits, and her loathing turned love for Gilbert Blythe. But mostly what I loved about Anne was that she embodied something I believe we all have inside of us: a child-like spirit full of wonder and wishes. The English poet Robert Browning, quoted by Montgomery, puts it best: "The good stars met in your horoscope. Made you of spirit and fire and dew."
The good stars met in my horoscope when my best friend Beth gifted me the book set. "I will read at least the first two books," I declared to myself. The stars aligned again when Beth and I traveled to Prince Edward Island after our college graduation. We camped in the national park, on the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Actually, we froze to death. It was May, a rainy and frigid month, and there wasn't another tourist to be found on the island. We spent several hours in a laundry facility, absorbing the heat from the dryers, trying to stay warm. We also visited the home of L.M. Montgomery. I remember thinking how odd it was to have traveled all that way because of my love for a story I had never read.
Over the next twenty years I made a few failed attempts to read the books. But the strangest thing would happen. My love for Anne, and her story, would immediately grow cold. The reading of the book felt like a burden. This only made the next attempt all the more difficult. Eventually, just looking at the book, or watching the TV series, filled me with a feeling of disappointment. What was my deal? Was I afraid the book wouldn't live up to the TV series? Was it Montgomery's flowery, old-fashioned writing style? These explanations didn't add up. Why was this book such a source of grief?
It wasn't until I started writing, in the form of a spiritual memoir and this blog, that I found the answer. Anne of Green Gables becomes a writer. And that, unbeknownst to me, was the hidden reason for my deep love of Anne. Here was a story about a girl who grows up to write (written by a girl who grows up to write) and I couldn't bear reading it because I had failed to do the same. Somewhere along the way I abandoned my child-like spirit of wonder and wishes and became a responsible, practical adult. Responsible, practical adults, it seemed to me, do not abandon a good job and a sensible resume to become a writer, or a painter, to open a shop, or move to a different part of the country simply because it's beautiful. Thank goodness we're not made only of flesh and blood, of common sense and realism. It's the spirit and fire and dew inside you and me that beckons us to declare our love for the impractical and ethereal.
Twenty years is a long time to read a book. But I'm so glad I finally followed through on my declaration. When we honor a promise to ourselves the good stars align in our horoscopes and the result is nothing short of exquisite.*
*Exquisite: from late Middle English meaning "to seek out." Seek out a long lost promise to yourself and you will rediscover the spirit and fire and dew inside of you.
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billzfan34 wrote: Either late tonight or mid morning tomorrow. For some reason they don't report Saturday games promptly.
Narrfan19 wrote: What is it with sumner takes them forever to report a game!!
Could it be that the AD with the password had to jump on their horse and ride to the game that they were reffing that night as soon as school was over and some other administrator was at the game.
WA to Class C next year ?
Woodland on the move ?


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Dark of the Sun Blu Ray Review
Posted on March 31, 2019 by Timothy Bodzioney
Recommended action packed war movie with reservations 3.5 Stars
Warner Archives has released Jack Cardiff's 1968 testosterone fueled Dark of the Sun on Blu Ray. It's a weird, politically questionable 'mission' action/war movie about mercenaries on assignment to retrieve diamonds from a civil war-torn African country.
Dark of the Sun (1968)
Released: 03 Jul 1968
Rated: Approved
Director: Jack Cardiff
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, Thriller, War
Cast: Rod Taylor, Yvette Mimieux, Peter Carsten, Jim Brown
Writer(s): Ranald MacDougall (screenplay), Adrian Spies (screenplay), Wilbur Smith (novel)
Plot: A band of mercenaries led by Captain Curry travel through war-torn Congo across deadly terrain, battling rival armies, to steal $50 million in uncut diamonds. But infighting, sadistic rebels and a time lock jeopardize everything.
Studio: MGM
Distributed By: Warner Archive
Audio: English 2.0 DTS-HDMA
Case Type: Keep Case
Region: A
Jack Cardiff's Dark of the Sun opens with mercenaries Curry (Rod Taylor) and Ruffo (Jim Brown) landing at a Congolese airport. They have been summoned to the region by President Ubi (Calvin Lockhart) to go by steam train and liberate an isolated town deep in rebel territory. They have three days to complete the mission – oh, and by the way, don't forget the $50 million in diamonds!
Curry is allowed to put together his own team, of which only four characters are given any sort of character, and even they aren't given much more than one defining characteristic – the above mentioned idealistic Ruffo, alcoholic Dr. Wreid (Kenneth More), cowardly Surrier (Olivier Despax), and to top them off, a Nazi Captain, Henlein (Peter Carsten). It's kind of like a deranged collection of Howard Hawks professionals. There's even an exchange between Taylor and Brown in the movie that is practically lifted from Rio Bravo and later when Hawks is stealing from himself in El Dorado.
Along the way they pick up Claire (Yvette Mimieux) whose husband has been murdered and is fleeing the Simba rebels on foot. The Taylor Mimieux clench on the film poster is nowhere to be found in the actual movie.
With rebels chasing them, the train is attacked by United Nations peacekeeper planes. This is where Surrier's cowardice is revealed and boy does he pay later when captured by the rebels! Once they get to the town, Curry finds that the diamonds are stored in a time-locked vault and has to wait three hours to retrieve them – just enough time for the rebels to catch up!
Dark of the Sun is based on a novel by Wilbur Smith. The screenplay adapted by Adrian Spies and Quentin Werty throws in tons of movie clichés but somehow the final product doesn't feel like something one has seen several times before. Cardiff keeps it zipping along. Spies was primarily a television writer with no significant big screen credits to his name. Quentin Werty though is a pseudonym for Ranald MacDougall. MacDougall was a prolific writer with credits as diverse as Raoul Walsh's underrated Objective, Burma!, Michael Curtiz's Mildred Pierce and The Breaking Point (arguably the best Hemingway film adaptation), Roy Ward Baker's I'll Never Forget You, The Naked Jungle (soldier ants tormenting Eleanor Parker and Charlton Heston), Secret of the Incas (again with Chuck as a Indiana Jones prototype), We're No Angels, Cleopatra, and finishing up with That Man Bolt; from Errol Flynn to Joan Crawford to Tyrone Power to Fred Williamson. And he was married to Nannette Fabray.
Josh Olson on the commentary speculates why MacDougall didn't use his real name on the film's credit; he thinks it was due to serious content/themes being removed from the final product. Perhaps. Looking over MacDougall's credits one has to admire the diversity, but other than a couple of pictures like Objective, Burma! and The Breaking Point, the filmography isn't exactly littered with 'serious' movies. And that's not a criticism of a fine screenwriting career. Olson dismisses Smith's novel as boy's literature, though he confesses to not having read it. I haven't read it either but am motivated to now as Smith is a South African who has written a large collection of historical novels set in Africa and is still at it in his late 80s. Dark of the Sun is still in print. I'm guessing that the novel has serious themes and perhaps MacDougall's original screenplay incorporated them, but was removed during either production or editing?
To me, this is where the movie gets weird and has made Dark of the Sun so difficult for me to review. I've watched it multiple times to try to come to terms with the film's politics and I'm still not sure I have it right.
If taken as strictly as an action movie Dark of the Sun is very satisfying. What's not to love about an action movie with Rod Taylor and Jim Brown as mercenaries where Taylor kicks a chain saw wielding Nazi's ass? And that's just a prelude to the climax! What isn't so satisfying is that it ostensibly takes place in the real world in a real place with real political/social issues. Imagine the American civil rights movement of the 50s and 60s becoming fodder for an action picture?
When I watch a Tarzan or early James Bond movie, I never think of it taking place in the real world. These movies take place in movieland. One of the reasons I'm not a fan of the newer Bonds is that they purport to take place in the real world while employing cartoon like action sequences. It would be as if the Road Runner cartoons started asking us to take the plight of the Coyote seriously. Dark of the Sun takes place in civil war-ravaged Africa in the 1960s – a very real place with very real human suffering.
It's a bit hard to pinpoint the political point of view (I have to confess I have a similar problem with Lawrence of Arabia). The main thrust of movie is the Curry's discovering or recovering his humanity through Ruffo's idealism. This is where it gets confusing.
Ruffo is Congolese and is fighting against the rebels. He is the moral center of the film. Unlike Curry, he has a reason to be there. To him the colonialists represent modernity – an escape from primitive tribalism. The rebels are portrayed as lawless marauding usurpers trying to undo the order imposed by the colonialists. This is clearly depicted in the film. What the film doesn't depict is the abuse and suffering of the natives at the hands of the colonialists, which was very real. Ruffo is excluded from Curry's meeting with Ubi and Delage because it is revealed that the diamonds are more important than human life – colonialist or native. What would become of Ruffo's idealism if he knew this?
There is obviously a reason for the rebellion. Are these the only two choices for the people of the Congo? I feel a bit guilty watching a movie that uses real, serious issues as an excuse for such over the top melodramatics. The almost gleeful depiction of the rebel violence is gratuitous and racist.
The scene of Curry and Ruffo returning to the town to retrieve the diamonds is a vision of hell. It's an ugly vision of humanity. It's hard to believe that this was directed by the man who photographed A Matter of Life and Death and The Red Shoes. The chaos and destruction depicted is disturbing. Curry's moral awakening at the end comes at too high a price for an action movie. And if that is the point of the film it is awfully subtle.
Martin Scorsese described Dark of the Sun as a guilty pleasure in a Film Comment article in the late 70s, "it's a truly sadistic movie, but it should be seen. I'd guess that because of its utter racism, a lot of people would have found it embarrassing, so they just ignored it. The sense of the film is overwhelmingly violent; there's no consideration for anything else. The answer to everything is "kill."
One last thing, Peter Carsten's voice as Henlein is looped throughout the movie. What's wacky is that it seems that different voice actors are used in different scenes? One clear thing is that for a good chunk of the movie the character is voiced by Paul Frees using his German accent. I thought of Ludwig Von Drake. When Henlein attacks Claire and calls her a bitch, it sounds like Von Drake yelling at Daisy Duck on a bad day. If only The Beagle Boys were present.
As is par for most Warner Archive releases, the transfer of Dark of the Sun is very good – much better than I remember the DVD looking. Being directed by one of cinema's great cinematographers, Jack Cardiff, it of course looks spectacular. It was shot by his old cameraman, Edward Scaife who shot a number of impressive titles including several of the later Tarzan adventures, Curse of the Demon, All Night Long, Young Cassidy, Khartoum, The Dirty Dozen, Play Dirty, and The Kremlin Letter. Scaife seemed to have cornered the market on 60s gritty male action fantasies. Though the movie takes place in Africa, it was in fact shot in Jamaica and there are some incredible images of natural beauty along with the nightmarish expressionistically shot diamond retrieval sequence.
Audio: 4/5
The audio is DTS-HD Master 2.0 and sounds great. The score is by recently deceased Jacques Loussier and definitely has a post Morricone vibe about it.
Special Features: 3/5
As usual for Warner Archives it is light on extras but does include a commentary by screenwriters Josh Olson and Larry Karazewski along with blogger Brian Saur and producer Elric D. Kane. It's a hit-and-miss commentary with Olson and Karazewski dominating and Saur and Kane mainly agreeing with what they say. Olson and Karazewski are amusing when talking about the outcome of a Taylor Brown fist fight that supposedly occurred at the Playboy Mansion. I know Rod Taylor was supposed to be tough, but Jim Brown is a lot bigger – I can't make up my mind. Olson is also funny when talking about watching movies, this one in particular, with his mother-in-law. I would never show my mother-in-law Dark of the Sun, though she is a fan of train movies unless I was hoping to hop on an express train to divorce court. Olson also insists the film contains substantial gay subtext, but I'm not buying. All of them mention Quentin Tarantino's fondness of Dark of the Sun. It's influence on his work is apparent. Being a Tarantino detractor, I can't be objective when discussing his work but, I do find it interesting that while he is a fan of this movie, he attacks the work of John Ford as racist.
There are subtitles as well.
Action fans will be delighted by this release. I'm ambivalent about the movie; If the intent was to push the limits of violence and nihilism of the action picture, I would think the production team was talented enough to do this without resorting to exploiting real conflict and suffering. I will order a copy of the novel to see if the film reflects the novel. With a little script tinkering this could have been a totally satisfying, macho action movie, without a bad aftertaste. It's too bad because it is so well made and acted, much better than most genre films of the era.
https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Sun-Blu-ray-Rod-Taylor/dp/B07JX8LJ52/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1W8QQFLF578L4&keywords=dark+of+the+sun+blu-ray&qid=1554053949&s=movies-tv&sprefix=dark+of+the+sun%2Cstripbooks%2C144&sr=1-1-catcorr
Timothy Bodzioney
john a hunter says:
Looking forward to watching this so thanks for the interesting review and comments.
I like the early Bonds as well as the Craig ones very much as they are set in the "real world" so I wonder what my reactions will be to the interesting points you make!
Dick says:
A tough and brutal actioner, with good performances. Glad to finally have it! Looks and sounds just fine.
benbess says:
Timothy Bodzioney submitted a new blog post
Continue reading the Original Blog Post.
Thanks for this detailed and insightful review. I've never seen this movie, but this seems like a reasonable point from the review….
"….When I watch a Tarzan or early James Bond movie, I never think of it taking place in the real world. These movies take place in movieland. One of the reasons I'm not a fan of the newer Bonds is that they purport to take place in the real world while employing cartoon like action sequences. It would be as if the Road Runner cartoons started asking us to take the plight of the Coyote seriously. Dark of the Sun takes place in civil war-ravaged Africa in the 1960s – a very real place with very real human suffering…."
But I'm still interested in this movie and will likely pick it up, esp. since I'm a fan of Jack Cardiff's work as cinematographer.
Timothy Bodzioney says:
Ben – it should be seen. It is a very well crafted and acted action piece. I just wish it didn't have such a serious situation as a backdrop. I hate literal minded complaints about movies, but one of the reasons I don't enjoy contemporary superhero movies is because on one hand the audience is expected to accept what's taking place as 'real' but the damage of such large scale wreckage is never addressed.
Tom St Jones says:
Funny that the previous commenter shld mention "contemporary superhero movies", esp. those in which large-scale property damage often occurs – as a prime (NPI) example of this description wld be the TRANSFORMERS franchise, the third installment of which happened to be subtitled "Dark of the Moon"
Reggie W says:
benbess
One of the reasons I'm not a fan of the newer Bonds is that they purport to take place in the real world while employing cartoon like action sequences.
I've never felt that any of the Bond films purport to take place in or be reflective of the real world. They are adult fantasy films. The last couple of Craig films (Skyfall and Spectre) were very much about being fantasies and I thought returned more to the classic Bond style.
This film, Dark of the Sun, is a brutal action film. I think it is in line with the time it was made, at which point they were pushing the boundaries of how extreme and/or graphic violence was presented.
It's interesting to note that this film came out after Bonnie and Clyde (1967) but before The Wild Bunch (1969) and probably goes beyond both in terms of how nasty the violence is portrayed.
I know Tarantino loves this film, it does have that sort of sleazy B-movie nastiness he is so into, but this is better than most B-movies probably thanks to Cardiff making it all look like an A-movie.
I've actually never seen nor read any comments from Cardiff on this film or what he was attempting to achieve with it. To me it has always seemed an action film featuring brutal men set against a brutal backdrop intentionally. It seemed to me that the idea was to have these men descend to their most vicious form and that it is set against this brutality and suffering of the uprising to, basically, make the central characters seem…I'm not sure how to put this…not so hideous for becoming as vicious as they do because they exist in a world of disgusting violence and so commit the same sort of violence to survive in that world. Any way you cut it this film does not paint a pretty picture of humanity.
I don't think it was meant to present any particular political view but rather to depict how men will do horrid things for money, power, and control.
"I made a trip to the Congo, and I met reporters who lived through all of the troubles there [following independence in 1960], and they showed me photographs of the real thing – I wish they hadn't. I remember vividly a photograph of a man with this throat cut in the bath; his head was nearly off and the bath was full of blood. The savagery was unbelievable." – Jack Cardiff
stinky fitzwizzle says:
Rod Taylor could kick Jim Brown's ass any day of the week, inside or outside the Playboy Mansion.
stinky fitzwizzle
Rod Taylor could kick Jim Brown's ass any day of the week, inside or outside the Playboy Mansion.
Rod is pretty awesome but my money would be on Brown…Jim made a lot of real tough guys look like little boys in the NFL.
Did they fight in pajamas?
Besides when it comes to celebrity brawls nothing tops Norman Mailer vs. Rip Torn (either one would destroy Rod or Jim in a fight) these guys know how to throw down.
First, Torn bashes Mailer in the head with a hammer, you can hear the crack of the blow, but Mailer, being super human, does not go down. Instead he grabs Torn and bites a chunk of his ear off and takes him to the ground!
No stuntmen here and all the blood is real. Neither man will even admit he is hurt as they stand there bleeding while women and children scream in horror…
rdimucci says:
Is the "DTS-HD Master 2.0" sound (1) two-channel mono, (2) front-only stereo, or (3) matrixed surround sound?
Peter Apruzzese says:
Just because Brown is a big guy doesn't mean he knows how to throw a punch. Rod was a professional boxer.
Biting and swinging hammers is not how real men fight.
Tommy R says:
Before it was released on DVD I bought a used VHS copy years ago, admittedly out of curiosity because it had BOTH Rod Taylor and Yvette Mimieux, and The Time Machine is my favorite movie of all time. But I ended up really liking this one. I even read the book which I sort of recall being a bit more down to earth, or maybe had more of a subdued tone to it, than the movie. I'll get the blu-ray at some point soon.
Just because Brown is a big guy doesn't mean he knows how to throw a punch. Rod was a professional boxer.
Well, he cracks Mailer in the head with a hammer and Mailer just casually bites off some ear like he is at an all you can eat buffet.
Tommy R
I intend to read the novel this summer.
mark brown says:
So what is the status of Rod Taylor's Darker than Amber? Has it ever been released to video?
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The Marina is situated on the Birmingham Level of the Worcester / Birmingham canal with approximately 25 miles of lock free cruising available. Alvechurch is a village in rural Worcestershire just off junction 2 of the M42. It also has a railway station adjacent to the Marina with electric trains every 30 minutes during the day to Birmingham and Redditch.
The Marina provides full boat yard services.
There is an award winning canalside "Free house" on Alvechurch Marina serving drinks (including real ale) and reasonably priced home cooked bar food. This cozy canalside pub was once the old Weighbridge office for offloading coal barges to horse and cart for local deliveries. It is now transformed into a friendly hostelry which is an ideal place to start and finish your holiday.


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Dance transforms inmates in Taiwan 'jail of art'
By 민동현
Published : Feb 21, 2011 - 18:46 Updated : Feb 21, 2011 - 18:46
ERLIN, Taiwan (AFP) ― When Wang, 24, went to jail three years ago he had no idea he would end up in a bid to break a record for most inmates dancing together.
Wang is one of more than 2,000 inmates in Changhua Prison in central Taiwan who routinely take part in mass dancing sessions as part of a larger program aimed at reforming prisoners through art and creativity.
"I've made new friends since I joined the drills in July," said Wang, incarcerated for seven years for robbery, speaking on condition that only his family name be revealed. "I feel happier now than before."
The culmination of the twice-weekly dance practice was a mass Lunar New Year performance given by 2,011 prisoners in front of Justice Minister Tseng Yung-fu to the tunes of a famous song by local pop diva A-Mei.
"I believe we've created a new record," said a proud Tai Shou-nan, who in his capacity of prison chief has the responsibility for altogether 2,724 inmates, all of them in their late teens or 20s.
A handout photo taken and released by Taiwan's Changhua jail authorities in the central Erlin township on Jan. 30 shows an overview of 2,011 inmates, tipped to be a world record, dancing to the tunes of a famous song by local pop diva A-Mei. (AFP-Yonhap News)
This was a veiled reference to the recent Internet sensation created when 1,200 Filipino inmates were caught on video dancing to late superstar Michael Jackson's hit "This is It."
But for Tai it is more than a question of breaking records. The prison's program, unique among the island's 48 detention centers, is based on a belief in the transforming powers of art.
"Through continued contact with art, whatever its form, inmates will be able to boost their confidence, while nurturing a feeling of honor," Tai said.
"We think of Changhua Prison as a jail of art."
The prison houses eight different performing ensembles, with instruments ranging from mouth organs to the traditional two-stringed fiddle. One group also performs Taiwanese puppet theatre.
One of the prisoners-turned-performers is 25-year-old Pan, who has taken up the drum and practices with a 19-member group in three-hour sessions three days a week.
"I feel I'm confident now as my drum-beating technique keeps improving," said Pan, who also asked to be identified only by his family name.
The drum group has performed during a religious festival in the coastal township where the prison is located and at a celebration held in the justice ministry building in downtown Taipei.
"Performing before a lot of people and winning applause from them is a kind of feeling I've never had before," Pan said.
The jail has also organized groups that practice calligraphy and painting or engage in old trades such as noodle making, furniture carpentry, and even the production of traditional Chinese lanterns.
"In the beginning, we had to hire experts to teach the inmates how to make lanterns, but now they've become so skillful they can beat their teachers," a jail official said on condition of anonymity.
Academics support what the prison is trying to do, arguing that through the art training programs, the inmates are able to fulfill themselves.
"In many cases, they were deserted by society before doing something not tolerated by the general people," said Chang Wei-an, a sociologist at National Tsinghua University in north Taiwan's Hsinchu city.
"Programs like these may enable them to become part of society again and live normal lives once they finish their terms."
Pan, the drum beater, was a high school dropout when he killed a person about a decade ago. He was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 16 years in jail in 2004. He finished his high school programs in jail and is now awaiting parole.
He said the drum practice teaches him to concentrate more on the tasks at hand, while helping him control his temper.
"My mind has become calm," he said with a smile.


text:
Joram Mgeveke (born 5 August 1992) is a Tanzanian football defender who plays for Mwadui United.

References

1992 births
Living people
Tanzanian footballers
Tanzania international footballers
Lipuli F.C. players
Simba S.C. players
Mwadui United F.C. players
Association football defenders
Tanzanian Premier League players


Daled Amos: Barry Rubin: The Syrian Tragedy: Is the Proposed Cure Worse Than the Status Quo?.
The Obama Administration is backing (Islamist) Turkey as the distributor of weapons supplied by (opportunistically pro-Islamist) Qatar. Turkey and Qatar want to give the Muslim Brotherhood a monopoly over receiving weapons even though most of the rebels are non- and even anti-Islamist. As this happens, the Obama Administration is thus working directly to install a revolutionary Islamist regime in Syria that will disrupt the region, help shred, U.S. interests, and battle with Israel for decades to come. A number of Republican senators see no problem with this strategy.
Considering the Muslim Brotherhood, Salafist, and Jihadist elements within the various insurrection groups -- the risks of these extremist groups being successful and taking over may make it better to freeze Western intervention.
The Syrians have suffered so much it is understandable that one should help end this civil war as soon as possible and get rid of the current anti-American and pro-Iran dictatorship.
It would be easy to have a good policy toward Syria: funneling help to the non- or anti-Islamist rebel forces. Yet the United States has not made this distinction under Obama and neither the mass media nor the politicians even seem to be aware of this issue. Its help often goes to radical anti-American who want to impose another dictatorship on Syria. The Turks want a Muslim Brotherhood government; the Qataris do, too. The Saudis want to get rid of the current regime and replace it with a Sunni, anti-Iran one. With proper U.S. leadership and coordination the Saudis might play a constructive role but given Obama's policy they will mainly just support Sunni Islamists as they did in Iraq.
The question is whether the US is up to the task of taking on such an assignment and doing it properly.
Technorati Tag: Syria and Middle East.


text:
Artibeus phaeotis är en däggdjursart som först beskrevs av Miller 1902.  Artibeus phaeotis ingår i släktet Artibeus, och familjen bladnäsor. IUCN kategoriserar arten globalt som livskraftig. Arten tillhör undersläktet Dermanura som ofta godkänns som släkte.

Inga underarter finns listade i Catalogue of Life. Wilson & Reeder (2005) skiljer mellan fyra underarter.

Arten är med en kroppslängd (huvud och bål) av 51 till 60 mm en liten fladdermus och den saknar synlig svans. Den har 35 till 42 mm långa underarmar, 8 till 12 mm långa bakfötter och 14 till 18 mm långa öron. Den tjocka och mjuka pälsen har en gråbrun färg med vissa variationer. På varje sida av ansiktet förekommer ovanför och nedanför ögat en ljus horisontal strimma. Vingarna är främst svarta med ett genomskinligt område på varje sida. Den del av flygmembranen som ligger mellan bakbenen är ljusare och glest täckt med hår. De bruna öronen har hos flera exemplar en vit kant. Liksom andra familjemedlemmar har Artibeus phaeotis hudflikar på näsan (bladet) med ett spjutformat utskott. I varje käkhalva finns 2 framtänder, en hörntand, 2 premolarer och 2 molarer.

Denna fladdermus förekommer i Centralamerika och norra Sydamerika. Utbredningsområdet sträcker sig från västra Mexiko till Ecuador och norra Brasilien. Habitatet utgörs av tropiska skogar och av fruktodlingar i låglandet och i låga bergstrakter upp till 1200 meter över havet.

Individerna skapar av stora blad ett slags tält där de vilar. De äter främst frukter samt pollen och insekter. De flesta ungar föds i april och i september.

Artepitet i det vetenskapliga namnet är grekiska och betyder mörkt. Det syftar på den mörka pälsen.

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Bladnäsor
phaeotis
Däggdjur i neotropiska regionen