text:
INFORMATION: Our workshop and our e-shop continue to operate with all of our usual services and deadlines
For some years now, Maison Tournaire has been offering initiation workshops on gemology (the study of precious stones). Thanks to his passion for stones and his past as a teacher, Mathieu Tournaire brings to life these workshops which allow to discover Maison Tournaire and its jewelry from another angle.
Our gemology workshop allows those who participate to discover the science of stones, their meaning and how a jeweler manipulates and observes them. It also allows to discover in a different way the Maison Tournaire and its unique creations, that you will have the chance to manipulate during this workshop of gemology.
The workshop takes place in 3 main parts:
-The first is more theoretical and allows to acquire the basic knowledge and the vocabulary necessary to the understanding of the workshop.
-The second part is devoted to the discovery of precious stones. The Maison Tournaire does not hesitate to break the prejudices that one can have on the latter. You will hold Diamonds, Sapphires, Opals and Tanzanites in your hands, which you can observe at will with a x10 magnifying glass.
-The last part allows the participants to have a direct contact with the Tournaire creations because it is dedicated to their presentation. Between iconic jewelry such as the Trilogie Alchimie ring or the French Kiss ring and more intriguing jewelry like the Archipolis collection, you will discover, accompanied by a gemologist from Maison Tournaire, the spirit of the House and its values.
Thanks to its convivial and participative dimension, this workshop will allow you to immerse yourself in the world of jewelry and gemology.
The gemology workshops are offered at a price of 50 € per person on a selection of dates. You can contact your nearest Tournaire boutique for more information.


text:
Be the first to like this
To utilise resources in the most efficient way, one must understand the issues that these resources are trying to address. Gathering the information required to make informed decisions is perhaps the best way to deal with the next step in Portable Antiquities, their place in academic research and public heritage value.
Exploring the UK systems and preconceptions, this paper deals with the realities in the field and uses the authors previously gathered information along with statistical analysis that compares the two main processes of artefact collection – detecting and commercial archaeology.
Drawing on a wealth of recent analysis and fieldwork, the purpose will be to reassess the directions taken, and argue for a focussed approach that acknowledges both the benefits and harsh realities when it comes to dealing with portable antiquities collection, sale and recording in the UK.
The final consideration will be to find ways in which to ensure the maximum recoverable knowledge - which includes the views of the primary source of these items; the detecting community, with proactive contact with all relevant bodies and groups to gain a first hand insight, rather than unworkable impositions.

domain: library


text:
Readers may remember Enron, the large US corporation that claimed revenues of nearly $101 billion during 2000 and which was described by Fortune Magazine as “America’s Most Innovative Company” for six consecutive years.
It all ended in tears. Reporters dug behind the glossy surface and concluded that it was essentially a pack of cards and that huge amounts of wealth were generated by shoddy accounting practices. An intrepid reporter analysed the cash flow and worked out that its market value was hopelessly overstated.
At this time directors knew they were in control of a lemon and were secretly offloading their shares as they were publicly pushing people to keep buying. Senior figures went to jail. Lots of people lost money.
One particularly disturbing aspect of its behaviour was its contribution to rolling power outages in California. Enron traders were revealed as intentionally encouraging the removal of power from the market by persuading suppliers to shut down plants to perform unnecessary maintenance. That way price levels spiked and large profits were booked.
There is a really interesting documentary about the episode called “Enron: the smartest guys in the room” which perfectly captures the testosterone sense of superiority displayed by Enron’s senior management.
Here is the trailer.
The film can be seen on Youtube.
What made me think about this is recent news about actions by Vector which has resulted in the Commerce Commission issuing a warning letter for likely contravention of various rules.
One News has the details:
Electricity giant Vector has backed down on moves the Commerce Commission say “would have cost its customers millions of dollars over the coming decades” after an investigation.
The Commission’s deputy chairperson Sue Begg said the investigation began two years ago.
A statement from the Commerce Commission today explained the issue.
“In March 2020, Vector entered into the transactions involving two of its wholly-owned subsidiaries, selling its CBD tunnel and a portfolio of substation land and building assets, then leasing those assets back from its subsidiary companies.
“In the Commission’s view, Vector’s approach to valuing those transactions was inconsistent with regulatory rules under the Commerce Act 1986,” the statement read.
The reason for Vector’s actions is captured in this paragraph from the Commerce Commissions’s statement:
This revaluation would have enabled the company to significantly increase charges to consumers, without providing any service improvements or infrastructure investment,” the statement read.
Pump up the value and then you can pump up the charges, even though the underlying asset and its cost has not changed.
This is not the first example of bad behaviour in the local energy market. Meridian were accused of spilling water at the same time as increasing the spot market price for power in 2019. Contact Energy were also said to be involved.
But it discloses a unfortunate habit. Senior executives more interested in the accounting and legal side of the business than the thing that matters most, making sure that power is delivered as cheaply as possible and the infrastructure is up to scratch.
And as we head to an uncertain future and the desire for our power to be 100% renewable the market control over the energy sector has to be questioned. As said by Molly Meluish at OurClimateDeclaration:
” … the extreme profit-driven governance of our electricity sector must be replaced with some system to confirm and promote the public interest in energy supply. (7) There are several options (8), all incompatible with neoliberal philosophy and finance.”
The timing is interesting. It looked like the Commerce Commission and Vector were negotiating the terms of the letter and the release and managed to get it completed just before Christmas so the outrage would be dulled by the pre Christmas rush.
Well done to the Commerce Commission for identifying and highlighting this issue. And shame on you Vector for trying to pull a swiftie.

domain: finance


Thursday, 06 January 2011 12:38
Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse M. Robredo urged the officials and employees of the department and its attached agencies on Tuesday to be transparent in their dealings with their clientele.
At the same time, Robredo asked his subordinates to continue to subscribe to the three principles of accountability, better performance and trust in carrying out their mandated tasks of strengthening local governments and ensuring peaceful and safe communities.
Speaking during the annual DILG New Year’s call held at Camp Crame, Robredo urged the DILG family to continue to observe these three basic principles in instituting reforms for "Tapat na Palakad" and implementing programs for "Bayang Maunlad" as aptly captured in the DILG slogan, “Biyaheng Pinoy: Tapat na Palakad, Bayang Maunlad.”
“I call on all of you to respond to the call of the New Year by sustaining the gains of all the initiatives that you have started and stepping up the implementation of these efforts towards greater responsiveness and effectiveness,” Robredo said.
On the principle of accountability, he explained that it can be ensured through the identification and monitoring of appropriate measures that effectively determine whether “we are successful in our initiatives or not."
“What we are accountable to is not what we have done, but what impact in the lives of the Filipino we have created,” he said. (PNA/PIA9-BST)
- 06/01/2011 12:41 - Aquino vows support for the Navy
- 06/01/2011 12:40 - Palace extends suspension of GOCC, GFI allowances
- 06/01/2011 12:40 - Mysterious collapse of bee colonies explained
- 06/01/2011 12:39 - Thousands of dead birds and fish in Arkansas leave many scratching heads
- 06/01/2011 12:39 - Cayetano vows to pursue RH bill hearings in Senate
- 05/01/2011 13:57 - Singson renews call for transformation at DPWH
- 05/01/2011 13:56 - RP prepays US$ 3.6B in end-October ‘10
- 05/01/2011 13:55 - Gov't to propose ceasefire to NDF upon resumption of formal peace talks
- 05/01/2011 13:55 - Ochoa reorganizes Office of the President to improve operations
- 05/01/2011 13:54 - Fright likely killed thousands of birds in Arkansas


text:
The 5th Annual Forum of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region will be jointly organised by the European Commission and the Slovak Republic on 3 and 4 November 2016 in the premises of the Slovak National Theatre in Bratislava.
The forum entitled “Innovative Flows – Water, Knowledge and Innovation in the Danube Region” will focus on water management and research and innovation in the Danube region.
The participants will have the opportunity to discuss the results and future of the Strategy. Workshops of the 5thAnnual Forum will cover issues such as water management, knowledge society, governance of the Strategy and links to the EU funds. The Forum will also feature the “Scientific Support to the Danube Strategy” by the DG Joint Research Centre of the European Commission.

domain: geography


text:
Industry body Aircraft Leasing Ireland (ALI) has said that all of its members have fully complied with EU sanctions requiring them to terminate lease arrangements with Russian based airlines.
The organisation said the unprecedented events in Russia meant the last number of weeks had been challenging for aircraft leasing companies as they try to recover aircraft "with limited success to date."
"ALI will work very closely with its members over the coming weeks and will continue to liaise with relevant authorities on their behalf," it said in a statement.
Members of the body include AerCap, which has around 150 aircraft worth €2.1bn caught up in the Russia-Ukraine crisis, as well as SMBC Aviation Capital and Avolon which are also impacted.
Foreign lessors who own over 400 aircraft worth more than €9 billion that are on lease to Russian airlines have until today to terminate the contracts under the sanctions.
However, it is looking increasingly likely that most of the firms will not get many of their aircraft back.
This will mean that the companies concerned will be facing the prospect of writing down the value of the aircraft assets or they will have to make insurance claims which could take a long time with no guarantee of success.
We need your consent to load this rte-player contentWe use rte-player to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences
Avolon said it has ended all its leases with Russian airlines, but has only managed to repossess four of 14 aircraft.
SMBC Aviation Capital has 34 aircraft on lease to Russian airlines, at a valuation of around $1.3 billion.
It has issued termination notices in respect of all its leases in Russia and claims it is in full compliance with all sanctions.
"SMBC Aviation Capital continues to carefully monitor developments in Ukraine and is engaged with all relevant authorities," a spokesperson said.
"The business will fully adhere to all relevant sanctions and we have issued termination notices in respect of all leases with Russian airlines."
Both the Republic of Ireland and Bermuda, the two countries in which most of the aircraft are registered, have suspended airworthiness certificates on them.
This in normal circumstances would mean that the aircraft could not fly.
However, it is reported that most continue to be used on domestic routes within Russia.
The Russian parliament recently changed the law though to allow the registration of the aircraft to be transferred to its own register, despite dual registration not being allowed under international rules.
Last week Russia said more than half of the foreign owned aircraft on lease to Russian airlines had already been transferred to the country's own registry, while 78 others had been seized abroad.
- additional reporting Reuters

domain: law


text:
The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) on Monday barred hotels and restaurants from levying service charges automatically or by default in food bills. It allowed customers to file complaints in case of violation with the consumer commissions, including through ‘e-daakhil’, and even district collectors.
Federation Of Hotel / Restaurant Associations
According to the restaurant association, there are several reports regarding decisions allegedly taken at the Department of Consumer Affairs meeting yesterday with respect to the legality of service charges that are untrue.
A top ministry official said there is no legal sanctity attached to this levy and the ministry officials flagged this to the representatives of the restaurant and hotel owners’ associations that consumers often understand service charge as ‘service tax’ and end up paying this.

domain: news


Purely Natural is a Canadian company established in 1995 to satisfy the need for a complete self-serve water business to be supplied to retailers nationwide. The concept was to provide high quality equipment as well as provide a high quality purified water system to an existing retailer’s customers.
At that time Precision Design & Mfg. was building the stainless steel dispensers to Purely Natural’s specification and in 2008 acquired the company and began to streamline and improve both the stainless steel self-serve dispensers and the Reverse Osmosis purification systems.
Today Purely Natural Water Systems has evolved into a company that offers industry leading equipment as well as a proven business development program that has successful retailers from coast to coast.


text:
Excited states of lutetium oxide and its singly charged cation
Iowa State University Digital Repository, Ames IA (United States)
Is Version Of
Vibronic spectra of lutetium oxide (LuO) seeded in supersonic molecule beams are investigated with mass-analyzed threshold ionization (MATI) spectroscopy and second-order multiconfigurational quasi-degenerate perturbation (MCQDPT2) theory. Six states of LuO and four states of LuO+ are located by the MCQDPT2 calculations, and an a3Π(LuO+) ← C2Σ+ (LuΟ) transition is observed by the MATI measurement. The vibronic spectra show abnormal vibrational intervals for both the neural and cation excited states, and the abnormality is attributed to vibrational perturbations induced by interactions with neighboring states.
This article is published as Wu, Lu, George Schoendorff, Yuchen Zhang, Mourad Roudjane, Mark S. Gordon, and Dong-Sheng Yang. "Excited states of lutetium oxide and its singly charged cation." The Journal of Chemical Physics (2022). DOI: 10.1063/5.0084483. Copyright 2022 The Author(s). Works produced by employees of the U.S. Government as part of their official duties are not copyrighted within the U.S. The content of this document is not copyrighted. DOE Contract Number(s): AC02-07CH11358; SC0021227; AL-20-380-066.

domain: literature


text:
Please read these terms and conditions carefully before using Our Service.
AGREEMENT TO TERMS
By using our Services, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you don’t agree to be bound by these Terms, do not use the Services. If you are accessing and using the Services on behalf of a company (such as your employer) or other legal entity, you represent and warrant that you have the authority to bind that company or other legal entity to these Terms. In that case, “you” and “your” will refer to that company or other legal entity.
The following definitions shall have the same meaning regardless of whether they appear in singular or in plural.
For the purposes of these Terms and Conditions:
These are the Terms and Conditions governing the use of this Service and the agreement that operates between You and the Platform. By accessing or using the Service You agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions. If You disagree with any part of these Terms and Conditions then You may not access the Service.
All content featured on Armenia Journey Guide is for informational purposes only. We make no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information and will not be liable for any errors or omissions in this information, nor for the availability of this information.
We make every effort to ensure everything presented here is accurate and up-to-date – as we use local experts, who provide the information. However, we know that these things can change. If you have an update to share or additional information to add on a subject, please contact us directly.
We will not be held accountable for any inaccuracies, nor any actions taken related to information presented here. We are not responsible for any travel plans made by our visitors. Making plans based on information presented on Armenia Journey Guide is strictly done at the visitors’ own risk. We are not liable for any loss or damages that may ensue as a result of reading the presented information contained on this website.
Subject to Your compliance with these Terms and Conditions, and Your payment of any applicable fees, ArmeniaJourneyGuide grants You a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, right to access and make personal and use of the ArmeniaJourneyGuide Services.
This right does not include any resale or commercial use of any of Our services. You may not misuse the ArmeniaJourneyGuide Services. You may use the ArmeniaJourneyGuide Services only as permitted by law. The rights granted by ArmeniaJourneyGuide terminate if You do not comply with any of these Terms and Conditions.
You may use the Services only if you are 18 years or older and capable of forming a binding contract with ArmeniaJourneyGuide and are not barred from using the Services under applicable law.
You will need your own ArmeniaJourneyGuide account to use some of the ArmeniaJourneyGuide Services, and you will be required to be logged in to the account. It’s important that you provide us with accurate, complete and up-to-date information for your Account and you agree to update such information, as needed, to keep it accurate, complete and up-to-date.
You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account and password and for restricting access to your account, and you agree to accept responsibility for all activities that occur under your account or password.
ArmeniaJourneyGuide reserves the right to refuse service, terminate accounts, terminate your rights to use ArmeniaJourneyGuide Services, remove or edit content, or cancel orders in its sole discretion.
COPYRIGHT AND CONTENT RIGHTS
For purposes of these Terms: (i) “Content” means text, graphics, images, music, software, audio, video, works of authorship of any kind, and information or other materials that are posted, generated, provided or otherwise made available through the Services; and (ii) “User Content” means any Content that Account holders (including You) provide to be made available through the Services, including how you describe and label your itineraries. Content includes, without limitation, User Content.
ArmeniaJourneyGuide does not claim any ownership rights in any User Content and nothing in these Terms will be deemed to restrict any rights that you may have to use and exploit your User Content. Subject to the foregoing, ArmeniaJourneyGuide and its licensors exclusively own all right, title and interest in and to the Services and Content, including all associated intellectual property rights. You acknowledge that the Services and Content are protected by copyright, trademark, and other laws of Armenia. You agree not to remove, alter or obscure any copyright, trademark, service mark or other proprietary rights notices incorporated in or accompanying the Services or Content.
Rights in User Content Granted by You
By making any User Content available through Services you hereby grant to ArmeniaJourneyGuide a non-exclusive, transferable, worldwide, license to use, copy, modify, and distribute your User Content in connection with operating and providing the Services to you and to other Account holders.
You are solely responsible for all your User Content. You represent and warrant that neither your User Content, nor your use and provision of your User Content to be made available through the Services, nor any use of your User Content by ArmeniaJourneyGuide on or through the Services will infringe, misappropriate or violate a third party’s intellectual property rights, or rights of publicity or privacy, or result in the violation of any applicable law or regulation.
You can remove your User Content by specifically deleting it. However, in certain instances, some of your User Content may not be completely removed and copies of your User Content may continue to exist on the Services. We are not responsible or liable for the removal or deletion of (or the failure to remove or delete) any of your User Content.
Rights in Content Granted by ArmeniaJourneyGuide
Subject to your compliance with these Terms, ArmeniaJourneyGuide grants you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, non-sublicensable license to access and view the Content solely in connection with your permitted use of the Services and solely for your personal and non-commercial purposes.
The Content of this Platform is protected by copyright. All Content are subject to the copyright of ArmeniaJourneyGuide unless otherwise stated. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of any material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.
If you would like to use a photo, republish an article or work together to create original content, please contact the Platform administration.
Some of the links on ArmeniaJourneyGuide are affiliate links. If you purchase services through these links, we may get paid a small commission. This does not incur any extra cost to you.
Where affiliate links do appear, you will see this clearly marked ahead of the links and content. As part of our commitment to our users, we only recommend companies, services and products that we think are relevant and high-quality.
ArmeniaJourneyGuide is a participant in the Booking.com Affiliate Program. We may earn a commission if you book through our links.
When you order a product or service via ArmeniaJourneyGuide Platform you will pay directly to the pertinent service provider where you will be directed through an affiliate link or direct contacts. No payments will be processed through the Platform.
CANCELLATION AND REFUND POLICY
If a service is cancelled by the customer, it’s the customer’s responsibility to inform the affiliate service provider and cancel the service according to the affiliate program’s corresponding cancellation policy. Otherwise the full price of the service will be charged by the affiliate service provider.
In case the affiliate service provider is not able to provide the service, he/she has the option to recommend another time to the customer and if accepted by the customer, the service will be rescheduled.
ArmeniaJourneyGuide is not accountable for any cancellation, delay, or re-scheduling of any affiliate services and will not will reimburse the customer any charges made by the affiliate service provider.
If You have any concern or dispute about the Service, You agree to first try to resolve the dispute informally by contacting the Platform administration.
The laws of the Country, excluding its conflicts of law rules, shall govern this Terms and Your use of the Service. Your use of the Platform and Services may also be subject to other local, state, national, or international laws.
These Terms and Conditions may have been translated if We have made them available to You on our Service. You agree that the original English text shall prevail in the case of a dispute.
CHANGES TO THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS
We reserve the right, at Our sole discretion, to modify or replace these Terms at any time. If a revision is material We will make reasonable efforts to provide at least 30 days’ notice prior to any new terms taking effect. What constitutes a material change will be determined at Our sole discretion.
By continuing to access or use Our Service after those revisions become effective, You agree to be bound by the revised terms. If You do not agree to the new terms, in whole or in part, please stop using the Platform and the Service.
If you have any questions about these Terms and Conditions, You can contact us by visiting this page on our website: https://armeniajourneyguide.com/contact-us/.
We may terminate or suspend Your access immediately, without prior notice or liability, for any reason whatsoever, including without limitation if You breach these Terms and Conditions.
Upon termination, Your right to use the Service will cease immediately.


text:
Significant usage of wedding money box;
At festive occasion of wedding celebrations, mostly people like to present money box as gift hamper to wedding couple, certainly it is an amazing choice which can not only highly congenial for wedding couple but also best for the tremendously exposure of your elegant taste. Wedding money box also use for keeping money at wedding ceremony, money which near and dear give as gift to wedding couple stylishly kept in this box.
Attractive designs of wedding money box ;
We are sharing an elegant collection of stylish money box; these wedding boxes are in most stylish designs as square designing, three steps designing, round shape box designing, and fancy designs of ancient elegant box. These stylish patterns of exclusive designs are fabulously increasing the charming effect of fabulous collection. These deigns are also best for impressive exposure of classy taste.
Adornments of wedding money box:
These fabulous designs are impressively embellished with exclusive embroideries, silk floral patterns in massive style, colorful flowery expressions, net fabric designing and prestigious brooches. All these adornments are authentically best for creating an prestigious expression of elegance. At festive occasion of wedding ceremony, these boxes will certainly awesome for the impressive exterior. For magnificent exposure of fabulous taste, these boxes are highly fantastic and classy choice of sensible people as wedding gift.
Wedding money boxes exclusive for awesome :
For haring real gorgeous worth of these awesome wedding boxes, we are impressively sharing an awesome gallery which is just fabulous in stylish worth of outstanding designs. Have an impressive glance of gorgeous money box collection.

domain: artistic


text:
Let me see your photos of grass. I do not want to see shots of a wider scene within which grass just happens to be featured, instead the grass must be the focus of your entries. Strictly no composite images. Colour or black and white, the choice is yours, but new and creative shots are favoured, so surprise me.
Every photo submitted will be available for the crowd to rate once the submissions period has ended. You can see all the images uploaded to a contest, but will need to rate them to see how they’re ranked once the rating period begins.
Some contests on Photocrowd also have a judge. After the submission period closes the judge chooses their favourite images and writes some image reviews. The crowd and judge results will be announced on the same day.
For a more detailed explanation of how rating works, see our FAQs


text:
The NEP-27 Qur’an manuscript was purchased by the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology in 1927. Since then, its beautiful colophon page has been reproduced in many handbooks on Islamic art. The copy states that it was copied and gilded in Hamadhan, Iran by the scribe (al- kātib) Mahmūd ibn al-Husayn al- Kirmānī in H559/ 1164 CE. Manuscripts that have survived from northwestern Iran of the mid-12th century are very rare, and this one is an important example of Seljuk period book production with the illumination practices continuing from models established in late Abbasid workshops. It is also an interesting case of book ‘restoration’ that must be closely examined as it points to a complex history of usage. Between the time of its copying and its donation as waqf by Amīr Ahmad Jāwīsh (d. 1786) to the al-Azhar Mosque in Cairo, the manuscript underwent many changes and vicissitudes. An examination thus far reveals that there were several interventions to the integrity of the original. Firstly, there is an interlinear commentary in red that was later than the copying of the text itself. The greenish-gold framing of the text is yet another stage in the life of the manuscript. At some moment, many of the headings and sub-headings received further enhancement, or outright reconfiguration. Even a cursory survey shows that many folios bear major repairs, patches and replacements. Yet, even greater is the observation that the manuscript, as we now find it, has been collapsed into one volume from two or perhaps more. This challenge means that a careful study of every folio must be undertaken to ascertain the integrity of the text and commentary.
Renata Holod, History of Art Department and Penn Museum
Yael Rice, Amherst College
Alex Brey, Structuring the Word: The Sura Headings and Verse Markers of NEP 27
- The decorations of NEP 27 existed to guide readers through their experience of the Qur’an. In addition to structuring the act of reading, however, they also contain their own visual grammar, which this paper will explore using a combination of traditional methodologies and computer vision algorithms like Scale Invariant Feature Transform (SIFT). Comparing the decoration of NEP 27 with that of other qur’ans dated to the twelfth century reveals the extent to which the form of the written word varied at the time of its production. The changes in style and quality of the decorations within NEP 27 also reveal important information about its production.
Michael Falcetano, Verse markers and Their Variations
- My presentation is concerned with the minor illuminations, primarily verse markers, in the NE-P 27 Qur’an manuscript. Of these markers, particular attention has been focused on internal consistency–or lack there of–and its implications for the order of the manuscript’s production as well evidence pertaining to the number of individuals involved in the illumination of the manuscript. The methods underpinning this study are primarily based on an assignment of types for each category of marker. From this, all illuminations were recorded with particular attention having been devoted to the frequency at which they occur, their position within the text, and any discernable consistency therein. This study has been supplemented further through a comparison to other Qur’an manuscripts and an attempt to situate the NE-P 27 manuscript within the context of the development of Qur’an illumination in known manuscripts both preceding and following the manufacture of NE-P 27.
Emily Neumeier, Competing Ideologies in the Paleography of NEP-27
- Within NEP-27 there are evidently multiple calligraphic hands, with several individuals later correcting the original main text as well as its gloss. In this paper, I aim first to characterize the calligraphic style of the main text while situating this calligrapher within the context of other 12-century Seljuk manuscripts. I will then attempt to reconstruct the later corrections and insertions into the text during subsequent phases of repair, most likely executed in 18th-century Egypt. By tracking the subsequent interventions imposed upon this manuscript, this paper examines how a competition across time about the nature of the Qur’an itself unfolds upon the pages of NEP-27.
V.K. Inman, The Text of NEP-27
- This presentation will explore a few of the numerous corrections to the original hand, and also explore the possible significance of variant readings in NEP-27, both those which were at some point “corrected,” and those which were never “corrected.” The text of NEP-27 underwent the sort of scribal transmission difficulties which are typical of manuscripts in general. In its final corrected form NEP-27 most closely resembles the modern Hafs reading but even here variant segments remain.
Elliott Brooks, NEP-27’s Frontispiece and its Comparanda
- The frontispiece of NEP-27 presents the question of whether or not it is part of the original manuscript. I will give a formal analysis of this frontispiece, as well as a comparison to other manuscript frontispieces dated to 12th century northwestern Iran, specifically manuscript W.557 at the Walters Art Museum and the Zanjani Qur’an at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Elias Saba, Explaining, Interpreting, and Clarifying the Qur’an: The “Commentary” on NEP-27
- The commentary found on NEP 27 appears to perform three main tasks: explain obscure words, interpret equivocal sentences, and clarify unclear references such as general terms and pronouns. While the commentary certainly does accomplish this feat, it is far from exhaustive. There are many instances in which obscure words or equivocal sentences receive no attention while clear words and unequivocal clauses get glossed. Additionally, this commentary is unconcerned with revealing any sectarian, theological, or juristic affiliation. Having no parallels with other texts in the Arabic commentary (tafsir) tradition, I argue that this text should be understood not as a commentary but as a gloss. Further, I argue that its value was not actually in elucidating the Qur’anic text, but rather it functioned as a ritual element within the framework of this manuscript of the Qur’an. These two insights–the gloss’s lack of partisan affiliation and its ritual character–should shape our understanding and interpretation of the history of the production and use of NEP 27.
Raha Rafii, Intersections of Design and Epigraphy in the Colophon and Finispiece of NEP-27
- The colophon of NEP-27, embedded within its finispiece, so far remains the main source of information of the provenance and completion date of the production of this Qur’anic manuscript, informing us that a calligrapher, Mahmud b. al-Husayn al-Katib al-Kirmani, “wrote and illuminated” the manuscript in the city of Hamadan in the year 559 H. (1164 C.E.). However, an examination of the various calligraphic styles of the colophon itself already indicates that it is the work of multiple hands, possibly under the supervision or direction of al-Kirmani, if the colophon is in fact contemporaneous to the Qur’anic text. Close analysis of the colophon’s orthography yields additional clues to the connection between the colophon and the text of the manuscript, while possible aesthetic links between the finispiece and Iranian architecture help clarify its cultural context.
Agnieszka Szymanska, The Mise-en-page of NEP-27
- The subject of my presentation is mise-en-page of NEP-27. I focus on the geometrical construction of the manuscript’s page layout, which includes text, borders, margins, and decoration. The role of mise-en-page was to create an aesthetic appearance of each page. Only one known text, a chapter in a work by the Andalusian scholar Muhammad al-Qalalusi (d. 1307), comprises an incomplete formula for establishing a page layout. Therefore, principally a close examination of each page of NEP-27 can give us insights into the manuscript’s geometric design.
Quintana Heathman, Investigating Interventions: The Papers of NEP-27
- The paper on which a manuscript is written offers the researcher an opportunity to discover the physical nature and history of the work. This presentation seeks to examine the paper of the Penn Museum Qur’an NEP-27 to help illuminate the life of the object. Through a discussion of both the original paper and later repair papers, this presentation aims to enhance our understanding of NEP-27’s initial production, as well as its later status as a repaired and altered manuscript. Special attention will be given to these repairs and the imported paper associated with them, as it is through a comprehension of these types of interventions that we can more fully understand NEP-27 and its existence as a physical object over time. This presentation will also discuss the particular problems of Qur’anic paper research, as well as suggest areas for future investigation.
Nourane Ben Azzouna, Abou Dhabi/Paris
François Déroche, Bibliotheque Nationale de France
David Roxburgh, Harvard University
M. Shreve Simpson, University of Pennsylvania
Sergei Tourkin, McGill University
To Register: Please register on Eventbrite. Since space is limited to thirty (30), please register for participation by February 10, 2013.
Accomodations: We have held rooms at the Club Quarters for your convenience. If you wish to stay there, please call or email Club Quarters to confirm no later than January 22nd.


text:
2 posts tagged with france by Blazecock Pileon.
Displaying 1 through 2 of 2.
Le Crimp (mostly en français) is a French collective that explores organic and abstract geometric [ I | II | III ] (PDFs) approaches to the art of origami. Read the white papers, browse the gallery or watch videos of artworks being made or being used in still-motion animations
Some folks really like it sweet. Some will start a six-year campaign to get it. Some blame Canada and France for not getting it, when it was perhaps better to blame the Swiss. Some want it healthy while others want the romance back. Some make it part of higher education, while others just want to get higher. Even vegans want in on the gooey action.


text:
About the Homestay
Our home is directly across the street from the Bus transportation which takes you to the transit into Boston. Our home is quiet, friendly and safe. The bedrooms are clean with shared bathroom and laundry. We don't have many rules except that you respect our property and we would respect yours. There are lots of restaurants, coffee shops and beaches for you to enjoy and walk to. Anything else you need to know just ask us.
- Internet Access
- Non Smoking
Bedrooms available for booking
About the Area
Our home is located 10 minutes from Boston, 20 minutes by public transportation, It is a small, friendly, safe seaside town. There are many restaurants, coffee shops and beaches within walking distance. The bus service takes you directly to the trains that take you into Boston. We will help you with what you need to get around and get familiar with the area.
Local Area Facilities
- Shopping Centre
- Bus Stop
- Train station
Hosts can offer a complimentary light breakfast at their discretion. All other meals, including a full breakfast, might incur an additional cost, if offered. Meals and any additional payment should be arranged directly with your host.
Included in the stay
- Complimentary Light Breakfast
- Use of Kitchen
Help yourself to a light breakfast and coffe if you'd like and clean up after yourself. Respect our home like we would respect yours. We want our home to be like your home while you stay.
Smoking is not allowed.
The house and my room was beautiful. Terry was super nice, she even collected me from the airport. Just opposite from the house is a bus stop that will bring you to the metro that's going to Boston city centre. I would recommend staying here! ;)
My boyfriend Adrian and I were beyond impressed with our stay. The place is breathtaking. We got off the bus and followed the GPS to the address and was struck with awe. It felt unreal we were staying there - it felt like I'd walked into a better homes and gardens magazine. Terry was so welcoming, accommodating, and kind. She even recommended the room with the private patio to us. We had a view of the neighborhood and water in the distance. The patio was a wonderful spot to start and finish our day. Room was cozy and well equipped with storage space and towels. The bed was super comfy. One could fall asleep almost instantly. The bathroom and the rest of the house was immaculate and tastefully decorated.
Bus stop was out front which made travel by public transportation easy. Shops and restaurants were within walking distance.
We give Terry five hearts. We would definitely stay here again given the opportunity. We loved our stay, you'll love your stay too.
Tout était parfait. Terry est une super hôte. Endroit très accueillant, la chambre, la sdb sont confortables, très propres, belle terrasse. Je recommande.
Terry was an absolutely amazing host. We had such a great time and it was everything we could have asked for. Terry is such a kind person and made us feel so welcome. The house and our room was beautiful, clean and it has an amazing view from the balcony. The location is great, there's a bus stop just outside the house and it takes around 30 minutes to downtown Boston. Overall, what a great experience. Thank you Steve and Terry. You are wonderful people!
Steve and Terry are wonderful hosts! They were very friendly, helpful, and accommodating throughout our stay.
I highly recommended them to others looking for a place to stay in Boston.
Steve And Terry are wonderful - it is great place to stay with beautiful view to Logan Airport.
The host cancelled the booking 20 days before the arrival date.
The host cancelled the booking 18 days before the arrival date.
The host cancelled the booking 17 days before the arrival date.
The host cancelled the booking 15 days before the arrival date.
How do I book?
Contact the host to check their availability and ask them any questions you have about staying with them. Once the host confirms they’re available for your dates, you can complete your booking.
When do I pay?
Once a host confirms they're available, you can go ahead and pay the 15% booking fee (maximum of 250 $£€ for longer term bookings) using a choice of payment methods: Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Maestro, Laser, JCB & PayPal (not available in certain countries). You then pay your host on arrival or as stated by your host on their profile and agreed by you on booking. Please be cautious if a host requests advance payment if its not included on their profile. Our hosts have been advised that if they wish to request advance payment they must make this explicit in their profile. We do not recommend the use of Money gram or Western Union.
When can I share my contact details?
Host and Guest email address, phone number and home address will be exchanged in a confirmation email sent to both immediately after a booking is completed. It's against our policy for Guests and Hosts to exchange direct contact details via our messaging system.

domain: travel


With Harry Kane struggling for goals, Mauricio Pochettino could turn to the duo, but who enjoyed the better campaign last year?
While the furore over the failure to capture Saido Berahino on deadline day rumbles on, it has been somewhat overlooked that Tottenham Hotspur signed two forwards this summer.
Both Clinton N’Jie and Heung Min-Son were brought in as Mauricio Pochettino sought to provide extra support to Harry Kane after his impressive breakthrough campaign.
Whether they are successful in the Premier League is as yet unknown, with both likely to find England’s top flight a much tougher proposition than France and Germany.
Spurs are struggling for goals at present, though, and there is every chance that they could be thrown into the fray to try and turn things around.
But who is most likely to be the chosen man? We decided to take a look at their stats from last season to find out, courtesy of WhoScored.com.
Son better in attack, but N'Jie's passing comes out on top
Starting with goals, Heung-Min Son comes out on top having managed 11 last season, with N’Jie registering seven. He emerges victorious in the other attacking areas as well, registering 2.1 shots per game compared to N’Jie’s tally of 1.6.
He was also more successful with his dribbling, taking on 1.6 per game compared to 1.3, while his unsuccessful touches were also fewer with a score of 1.3 compared to 1.5.
In the air, Son was the more successful of the duo, having won 1.1 aerial duels per game compared to N’Jie’s score of 0.4. However, it is not all bad news for the Cameroon international, with him coming out on top when it comes to passing.
He enjoyed seven assists last season, with Son registering just two, while his pass success percentage was also higher, with a score of 77.9% compared to 76.1%. Son, though, managed to beat him in the number of key passes, with a tally of 1.3 to 0.8 per game.
On this evidence, it seems Son is the more likely to feature should Pochettino decide to turn to his summer transfers at some point.
Given Harry Kane is currently struggling and Christian Eriksen is out injured, there is the chance for him to come in and make his mark, with nobody else in the squad as yet stepping up and scoring the goals.
Another forward in the side could be good for Kane as well, with him showing he wants to drop deep in games. Whether Pochettino changes his system, though, remains to be seen.


text:
Bedtime stories aren’t just for kids anymore. So it’s time to get creative! Here are 20 bedtime stories for your girlfriend that she’s going to love.
You can get lost in a good book, so why not share the adventure with your girlfriend? Creating bedtime stories for your girlfriend, or picking a book off the shelf, can be a great way to create a bond between you and your mate. Plus, you’ll spend a little more time talking and a little less time watching TV before bed.
Whether you’re looking to get sleepy or get hot and bothered, there’s going to be a great book out there for you to earn brownie points with your sweetie-pie.
So why are bedtime stories for your girlfriend so good? Um, because it’s totally cute and adorable. There are so many benefits to reading as a couple that it’ll make your head spin. Before we get into our list of fantastic reads, we’ll give you some excellent reasons to read bedtime stories to your girlfriend.
Bedtime stories for your girlfriend – great for long distance relationships
People who are in long distance relationships are always looking for new ways to connect with their partner. Instead of Skyping a simple goodnight with your girlfriend, try reading her a bedtime story!
This is a cute and fun way to connect and build that before-bed intimacy that couples who live together would otherwise get from spooning their way to sleep.
What to do if your girlfriend’s an insomniac
Read to her, of course! A long reading session before bed is actually one way in which insomniacs train their bodies to sleep. What better way to help ease your girlfriend’s insomnia than to read her a bedtime story?
It’s good for the brain
Not only is reading together a bonding experience, it also stimulates brain activity and promotes a healthy stress level.
Did you know that with every memory, new synapses are formed in the brain? This means that reading literally strengthens your brain. Research also suggests that regular reading may help slow or prevent Alzheimer’s and Dementia.
Reading together strengthens relationships… maybe
Brain benefits aside, reading as a couple is super intimate – even if you’re just reading a bedtime story for your girlfriend.
Picture yourself cuddled up in front of the roaring fireplace *or just in bed* reading to your girlfriend and watching her slowly doze off. This is a relaxing pastime that both of you will look forward to.
Whether you’re reading a classic fairy tale or something a little sexier, the use of different voices and tone is sure to show off your creative side and make your girlfriend weak at the knees.
Reduce stress by reading
Our minds are flooded with technology all day long. Sometimes it’s nice to sit back and relax with a good book, so why not make it a pastime for you as a couple?
Reading together can reduce stress levels. A study by the University of Sussex found that just 6 minutes of reading can reduce stress levels by almost 70% percent. It’s easy to get lost in a story together and let the stress from the day slip away.
So, the next time your girlfriend can’t sleep because she can’t stop thinking about the bills, pull out the ole’ storybook and having some well-deserved relaxation time.
Bedtime stories for your girlfriend
Now that you know why reading bedtime stories for your girlfriend is awesome, we’re going to move on to *what* you should read. From classic to slutty, we’re showing you the ultimate list of must-have books to read before bed.
Classic fairy tales
Classics are classic for a reason. We’re talking books about good vs. evil, princes and princesses – classic romance stories. The cartoon versions of these fairy tales may have your girlfriend saying “awww,” but the true versions contain dark undertones with glittering princesses. What’s not to love?
Some great fairy tales to read to your girlfriend before bed include:
#1 Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll – Believe it or not, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland was actually written by a mathematician named Charles Lutwidge Dodgson.
Using the pseudonym Lewis Carroll, Alice’s author writes about a disturbed young girl falling through a rabbit hole into a peculiar new world that is sometimes described as “literary nonsense.”
P.S. This is also a fantastic book to practice using different voices.
#2 Rumpelstiltskin by Brothers Grimm – Brothers Grimm certainly made sure these original fairytales were exactly that – grim! The original Rumpelstiltskin was a story about a young girl who is locked in a tower by the king, demanding that she spin straw into gold after her father falsely claims she can *great job, dad! Not.*
Her punishment if she can’t make it happen? Beheading, of course! This tale is a dark and fascinating bedtime story for your girlfriend.
#3 The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen – Much darker than the Disney version, this Little Mermaid follows a mermaid who strikes a deal with a sea witch to swap her fins out for legs. Plot twist? Somebody dies. We’ll leave it at that, and urge you to give it a read to your sweetheart.
#4 The Princess and the Pea by Hans Christian Andersen – Cute, short, and to the point, this adorable fairytale follows a princess with some major back issues!
#5 Hansel and Gretel by Brothers Grimm – After being abandoned by their parents and left to die in the woods, Hansel and Gretel stumble across a gingerbread house with candy accents galore.
Inside the house is a nasty old witch who kidnaps them and plans to eat them *yuck*. Yet another cheery tale from the Brothers Grimm.
#6 Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie – An absolute classic, Peter Pan follows the tale of a boy who refused to grow up. He whisks Wendy Darling and her siblings off to Never Neverland and has pirate-fighting adventures.
#7 Rapunzel by Brothers Grimm – Published in 1812, this German classic tells the story of a man so desperate to save his ailing wife that he promises evil Dame Gothel his first born child in exchange for sustenance. Father of the year? Ummm, no.
Dame Gothel then locks Rapunzel up in a tower where she’s kept for years and years.
#8 Beauty and the Beast by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve – Seeking shelter from a storm, a merchant takes refuge in a spooky, yet enchanting palace. There he runs into a terrible Beast who, to say the least, is pretty pissed he popped in.
The merchant promises he will bring the Beast his most beautiful daughter in exchange for sparing his life. As it turns out, Beauty is treated like a queen at the palace. Her sisters, jealous of her spoils, try to get the Beast to eat their sister *yuck, again*. Heartbreak and magic ensue.
#9 Snow White by Brothers Grimm – An evil queen, a poisonous apple, and naïve ole’ Snow White. Need we say anything more? This morbid tale follows a queen so insistent on being the most beautiful gal on the block, she sends out a huntsman to murder the very pretty Snow White.
When the Huntsman can’t go through with it, Snow White is forced to flee into the woods where she meets seven dwarves. This odd little tale is an absolute classic.
#10 Sleeping Beauty by Charles Perrault and the Brothers Grimm – Aptly named for a bedtime story, this fairytale follows Sleeping Beauty, a woman who pricks her finger on a spindle and falls asleep indefinitely. The only thing that can wake her? True love’s kiss.
Dirty bedtime stories for your girlfriend
If you’re looking for something a little less fairy and a little more frisky, these sexy reads are for you.
#11 The Camelot Series by Ruthie Knox – This titillating series follows the Clarks of Camelot family and their salacious sex lives. Definitely worth a read to your special someone.
#12 Tasting Her: Oral Sex Stories by Rachel Kramer Bussel – A variety of oral sex stories that range from kind of dirty to hot-and-heavy. These eating out stories are sure to get your girlfriend hot and bothered.
#13 Tasting Him: Oral Sex Stories by Rachel Kramer Bussel – A companion to Tasting Her, this book follows a similar pattern of erotic BJ stories. Are there any other kinds?
#14 Erotic Poems by E. E. Cummings – Sure it’s a little corny, but erotic poems can also make you horny! See what we did there? E. E. Cummings book of erotic poems is sure to bring a chuckle to your girlfriend’s lips.
#15 Tangled by Emma Chase – This is like a rom-com in book form. Consider this a bedtime “beach read.” Sure, it isn’t going to change your world, but the tale of a self-centered man coming to grips with falling in love is definitely cute, sexy, and fun to read.
#16 The Beyond Series by Kit Rocha – This dystopian series features all the goods: forbidden love, lust, gangs, and plenty of drama. This is one of the most exciting bedtime stories for your girlfriend.
#17 Dirty Girls: Erotica for Women by Rachel Kramer Brussel – As the title suggests, your girlfriend is going to love this bedtime story that discusses everything women want between the sheets.
#18 Delta of Venus by Anaïs Nin – A classic novel, Delta of Venus was considered to be erotic fiction in the 1940s, and with good reason! Covering all taboos, this story reveals sexual encounters and the unique differences between female and male sexuality.
#19 On Dublin Street by Samantha Young – This sexy fiction follows the story of an American woman living in Scotland. There, she makes a sexual agreement with a Scotsman that’s very… explosive.
#20 Deep Desires by Charlotte Stein – This book tells the tale of a two neighbors who are both shut off from the world, and both have voyeuristic passions for one another.
You can come off as cute, charming, and creative all in one go! We call that a win/win/win! If you want to send your lover off to dreamland in the sweetest way possible, we highly recommend trying out these bedtime stories for your girlfriend.

domain: hobby


text:
☆:*´¨`* RELEASE DAY BLITZ*´¨`*:☆
By Bestselling Author Jaimie Roberts
Lily's Trailer: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4azulj
Jarrod's Trailer: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4byrkv
I had the perfect school, the perfect friends—the perfect life ...
At least, that’s what I thought.
But you changed all that.
You are always there ... Always watching ... Always waiting in the shadows. You send me flowers and messages. You stalk me, trace my every movement...
Until that one day, in a silly game of Seven Minutes in Heaven, when I finally get to feel you—have a taste of you ...
It left me wanting more.
One catastrophic day, my wish is granted.
Just past my eighteenth birthday, tragedy strikes and I watch my family die before my eyes.
You are there. You rescue me. You choose my life over my older sister’s, and I hate you for that. I hate you for taking me and imprisoning me. You say it’s for my sake, but I know it’s for your own. You make me see that my life could be much worse without you in it...
You make me see true darkness.
It is in that darkness you make me desperate for your presence, your touch, your caress. You make me need you... You make it impossible for me to live without you… And then, eventually…
You make me fall in love with you.
Secrets will always wound the ones twisted within their web of lies... But the ones I’m tangled in ... are deadly.
WARNING: Although this book (overall) is not a dark read, one chapter is an exception, and contains the following triggers: childhood sexual/emotional abuse with some intensity in one particular scene.
He pulls his head back leaving the lingering smell of spice invading my nostrils. It makes them flare violently, trying to take in as much of him as possible. Once he does pull back, he lingers for a moment and my heart beats rapidly against my chest. Can he feel it? Can he hear the boom, boom, boom sound thumping against my ribcage? It’s almost deafening me.
“Trust me,” he says, leaning in to touch my lips with his. At first he moves in slow, coaxing my mouth open a little. I suck in his breath, taking every morsel of his minty fragrance. I’m not sure why my body is reacting to his every move, but it’s almost as if it’s seeking out something, and that something is this mysterious patterned stranger standing in front of me coaxing my mouth open to meet his.
Jaimie Roberts was born in London, but moved to Gibraltar in 2001. She is married with two sons, and in her spare time, she writes.
In June 2013, Jaimie published her first book, Take a Breath, with the second released in November 2013. With the reviews, Jaimie took time out to read and learn how to become a better writer. She gets tremendous enjoyment out of writing, and even more so from the feedback she receives.
If you would like to send Jaimie a message, please do so by visiting her at:
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJaimieRoberts
BookBub Page: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jaimie-roberts
Amazon Links: viewAuthor.at/JaimieRoberts
More by Jaimie Roberts:
Until I Met You: getBook.at/UntilIMetYou
A STEP TWO CLOSE: getBook.at/AStepTwoClose
LUCA: You Will Be Mine: getBook.at/LUCAYouWillBeMine
LUCA: Because You're Mine: getBook.at/LucaBook2
BBBf-sizzlereads-bestbookboyfriends & L.A.B.B


text:
California frequently leads the nation in many areas of life and business. From advancing technologies to promoting social justice and more, the state may at times be seen as the hotbed of what the future holds.
At the beginning of this year, a new law, Assembly Bill 5, went into effect and mandated that some businesses reclassify workers from as employees instead of as independent contractors. Many companies have pushed hard against this and continue to do so.
Recent court decision temporarily blocks AB5
As reported by The Verge, the efforts of some businesses to maintain the independent contractor status of most of their workers received at least a temporary boost by the courts. A California Court of Appeals decision put a hold on the law that would have forced companies to convert contractors to actual employees. The block may remain in effect until October while the case continues. Opponents of AB5 may fear rising operational costs should the law remain in effect.
Proposition 22 offers an alternative
Some companies worked to bring to the table Proposition 22. This may provide something of a middle ground between the status quo and AB5. Under Prop 22, companies may offer some limited benefits, such as health care insurance, to their independent contractors. They would not necessarily provide the full range of benefits that their direct employees receive, such as workers’ compensation insurance.
This information is not intended to provide legal advice but instead meant to keep California residents and workers informed about some of the events underway that may dramatically impact their rights or the rights of others who work in the state.


June 15, 2021
Categories: Air Quality, Fuel Efficiency
clean vehicles, Low Emission Zones, remote sensing
TRUE Initiative has hosted it second Advisory Board, led by TRUE partners ICCT and FIA Foundation, and attended by 14 participants representing C40 Cities, FIA, Clean Air Fund, Transport and Environment, UN Environment Programme, Bruxelles Environnement, Polish Smog Alert, UN Environment Programme, NYC DOT, CSE, Bloomberg Philanthropies, University of Leeds and the Greater London Authority.
May 24, 2021
Categories: Fuel Efficiency, Air Quality
Brussels, Regulation, remote sensing
The real world emissions of 250,000 vehicles in the city of Brussels were tested during autumn 2020 by TRUE Initiative partner the International Council for Clean Transport (ICCT), in collaboration with the Brussels Region and supported by the FIA Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, and the Clean Air Fund. The full findings of this work will be published this summer.


text:
Literature and national consciousness
National consciousness, unless we twist the expression to mean tribal consciousness which is as old as history, is a comparatively recent phenomenon. It originated in Europe during the Reformation, when the State was separated from the church. It was then mixed up with a new religious consciousness which endorsed the separation and in its extreme form i.e., the Puritan Movement sought to remove all intermediaries not only between the state and the individual but also between God and man. But National consciousness, which was originally defensive, was little more than the instinctive love one feels for one's own community strengthened by allegiance to the newly organised Nation trying to defend itself against the forces of Counter-Reformation. National consciousness evolved into Nationalism or the Cult of Nation in Germany during the Napoleonic regime in the early nineteenth century. The idealisation of the Nation-State, a distinctive feature of German culture, was the result of a widespread feeling of frustration among the Germans who had been struggling without success to carve out a Nation-State ever since the sixteenth century. Fichte, the romantic prophet of German Nationalism wrote:
"The Germans are the (chosen) people, metaphysically destined, possessed of the moral right, to fulfil the destiny by every means of cunning and force."
Thanks to the spread of liberal education under the British, National consciousness in the Indo-Pakistan Subcontinent has been on the whole free from the trait of aggressive nationalism. The Hindu National consciousness under the influence of Bankim, Tilak and Arabindo came perilously close to the Aryan past, the deification of the historic-geographical entity, Bharat. There was also the added stimulus from the victory of an Asiatic nation in the Russo-Japanese war. But the Gandhian cult of non-violence and liberalism of CR Das acted as brakes to the nationalist zeal of the extremists. The liberal trend in Hindu Nationalism was the direct consequence of achievements of the men of the Bengali Renaissance such as Rammohan, Madhusudan, Vidyasagar and Tagore. With them, National consciousness was just another name for the instinctive love of one's own country and her life-giving traditions which they all tried to revaluate, each in his own way in the light of western rationalism.
The beginning of Muslim National consciousness may be traced in the anti-British Wahabi Movement which paradoxically enough was supranational in character. The Wahabi has been described as "Anabaptist in religion and red-republican in politics." Toynbee has described them as zealots who were up against everything modern. The Wahabis were, however, the first terrorists of India and took prominent part in the peasant revolts in Bengal against the indigo planters. They were puritan and were highly critical of the hybridisation of Muslim culture in the eastern parts of India. The more intellectually and spiritually gifted leaders of the Khilafat Movement tried without success to launch a freedom movement with a view to establishing a caliphate in the Muslim world in the beginning of the twentieth century. There is a tendency in certain quarters to trace the origin of the Pakistan movement in the ideas of the Khilafatis. The argument runs like this: The Muslim League when it was first founded was more concerned with jobs for the educated Muslim and separate electorate than independence from British Raj. The spirit behind the Lahore Resolution, 1940 was therefore a new thing altogether. Wasn't it the same spirit that moved the Wahabis and the Khilafatis? To my mind, the new spirit at work is the spirit of the new middle class which had already begun to assert, a class which was brought into existence by the pioneering efforts of Sir Syed Ahmad and which was the Muslim counterpart of the English-educated Hindu middle class intelligentsia. Deeply rooted in the spiritual traditions of Islam, Sir Syed realised, as Rammohan had done half a century earlier, that without western education which they had hitherto ignored, the Muslims of the subcontinent could not make much headway in a world completely dominated by the scientific and humanistic culture of the west. If there is any progenitor of the Pakistan movement, it is the Aligarh movement. There was no trace of the politico-cultural medievalism of the Khilafatis in the temper and outlook of the leadership of the Pakistan movement, which grew as the Hindu Nationalist movement gathered momentum. It grew as an "opposition" in a bid for its legitimate share of political power.
In Bengal, however, the bulk of the peasantry which supported the Pakistan movement was conservative and puritanical in outlook. The Wahabis and the Khalifatis had left a legacy which was still very active in the villages. The Sufi-Vaishnavic mysticism of the middle ages which brought the Hindu and the Muslim peasant under common cultural participation had already become a spent force. The new puritanism drew its inspiration from the simplicity and purity of early Islam, sought to purify Islam of both mystical and idolatrous accretions and was frankly suspicious of the secular eclecticism of the English educated Muslim, of their sophistication and urbanism. On the other hand, the educated middle-class which still had its root in the soil, in its turn smarted under a sense of alienation from native traditions. To the educated up-country Muslim with his feudal background, the Pakistan movement meant little more than the restoration of power and privileges he once enjoyed during the days of the Great Mughals. He was less concerned with the cultural aspects of political freedom,
for he had already a highly sophisticated country culture of his own. Fedualism has been abolished but sophisticated aristocratic attitude typical of feudal relationships persists in spite of Western education in the absence of an organised peasant movement conscious of its rights.
After independence, the Pakistan movement showed its chief weakness in that it was built on an insecure cultural foundation. The new middle class intelligentsia was too weak to resist the political chaos that set in with the disintegration of the Muslim League. The decay of that great national organisation was itself a symptom of the crisis. The army took over in October 1958 after years of misrule. It was felt for the first time since independence that Pakistan was yet to evolve into what Albert Hourani of Oxford called a political society, where various group loyalties would be integrated into loyalty to the nation-state. It was no wonder, therefore, that the new regime laid the greatest emphasis on national unity and did everything it could to create conditions for positive cultural orientation of the national movement. The fundamental problems of Democracy and Islam are being raised and discussed as also the host of other problems connected with them. One of such problems is the role the literary people are expected to play in the promotion and enrichment of national consciousness resulting in increased stability and integrity of Pakistan as a nation-state.
According to Ziya Gokalp, the ideologist of Turkish nationalism, national movements first have a cultural awakening, then make political decisions and finally formulate an economic policy. Literature in the first stage of the Muslim national movement in India was consciously but spontaneously national. Who does not owe his debt of gratitude to the contributions of Iqbal, Hali, Kaikobad, Ismail Husain Shiraji and Nazrul Islam to the cultural awakening of the Indian Muslims? But the quality of thought in this literature was rather poor. Iqbal alone was the honourable exception. He alone had a distinctive vision of his own, based on a critical revaluation of both the heritage of Islam and that of the modern civilisation of Europe. He gave a new direction to the Muslim philosophical thought in India but curiously enough, he did not find a successor who could follow it up.
Starting about a century earlier, thanks to their acceptance of western rationalistic tradition, the men of the Bengali Renaissance found time enough to lay an effective philosophical foundation for the Hindu national movement. In the case of the Muslim national movement, the task remained unfinished. Not that such a task can ever be really finished. What I want to say is that our intellectual preparation for a modern Muslim state was rather inadequate. We were racing against time and wishfully thought that deficiency in critical thought could be made up by an overbalance of action. But we are, on the whole, on the right track. We know that we are weak but not weak enough to be infected by the "terrible frenzy" of the Arab world which has yet to find a crystallisation of its national aspirations in an organised political society.
It is often pointed out that we are still to go a long way before we find a common cultural base for the much desired national unity—a unity more significant and meaningful than mere political unity. We Bengalees suffer, it is alleged, from an excessive attachment for the regional culture in which we are born. But is regionalism necessarily inconsistent with national unity? It will be useful to refer to the literary programme of the East Pakistan Renaissance Society (founded in Calcutta in 1941) in this connection:
To publish the works of the Muslim writers hitherto neglected by the Hindu intelligentsia.
To return to the medieval punthi literature, and folklore of East Bengal for inspiration.
To depict the social life and religious consciousness of east Pakistani Muslims.
To produce literature based on the Islamic cultural tradition not only of India but also of other Muslim countries of the world.
The programme rightly stresses the importance of the regional cultural tradition and of the Islamic tradition as whole. The programme marks a fruitful departure from the ideological romanticism of both the Wahabi and the Khilafat movement and is a bold attempt to root East Pakistan culture "more deeply into its locale". In the brochure entitled Muslim traditions in Bengali literature, Mr Syed Ali Ashraf writes:
"The emotions of the Bengali Muslims were not attached to their soil, they did not think much about their own surroundings, they did not draw much inspiration from their recent past; they attached their emotions to their evolutionary glory of Early Islam, ... The difference between Muharram Shareef of Kaikobad and Navi Vangsha of Syed Sultan clearly indicates that these values of the late 19th and early 20th centuries were puritanic."
Mr Ashraf's later statement, that it is in the Pakistan movement that the puritanism found its goal, I find difficult to accept. The stress on regional literature which is partly secular and partly Islamic is a new element which can be hardly described as puritanical. If there is anything wrong in it, from an artist's point of view it is the parochial nature of the programme. It excludes reference to the two of the most vital literary traditions that are meaningful for every writer in Bengali, namely the nineteenth century Bengali literature and modern European literatures. The nationalist approach to literature appeared to be wrong not because it gave precedence to cultural regionalism over the claims of political nationalism but because it ignored the supranational aspects of literary traditions, and tended to make literature an instrument of politics. In actual practice, however, the sponsors of this programme were more catholic in their literary taste.
In matters cultural there are certain tangible local elements which cannot be suppressed for the sake of political uniformity. Mr Tremaine McDowell, an American author, writes:
"Josiah Royce thoroughly approved of what he called provincialism as calculated to root Americans more deeply in their own locale and thus to strengthen resistance to conformity and mass hysteria. His provincialism we today call regionalism."
Regionalism in literature, painting and music is the interpretation of human experience in the symbols which the artist finds in that area of United States with which, either for life or for the moment, he is most familiar. This does not mean that regional art is merely local. It employs unmistakably regional language to express the universal—otherwise it is not art—If a region is not to relapse into a section, it must constantly share with other regions what it possesses.

domain: history


June 11, 2016, 1pm PDT
Renters have new protections in a quickly growing city with more and more pressure on rental prices.
December 23, 2014, 10am PST
A few weeks ago, Alan Mallach asked the question, "do urban neighborhoods need homeowners?" Tony Roshan Samara challenges his answer.
November 8, 2011, 6am PST
Illegal apartments present a quandary for the city of New York: they increase the danger of fire, but also provide needed shelter that couldn't be found elsewhere. Some experts think a path to legalization could work.


text:
(Aug. 3, 2023) A Nantucket teen was arrested Tuesday for his involvement in a social-media threat that led to the lockdown of summer camps and childcare centers around the island.
The 13-year-old boy, who was not identified because of his age, was charged with making a threat concerning the location of dangerous items and (causing) serious public alarm, and disorderly conduct.
The Nantucket Police Department ordered the emergency lockdown from approximately 10 to 10:20 a.m. Tuesday, after receiving a tip from the FBI about a threat against a school.
“The message we received was that (the threat) was school-related. We obviously recognize that schools aren’t in session right now, so that’s a pretty vague thing to say,” Nantucket Police Lt. Angus MacVicar said. “We wanted to operate under an abundance of caution.”
The threat originated from a social media account, whose owner lived on Nantucket, MacVicar said.
“Officers were able to identify and locate the owner of the account and two other persons involved . . . all three involved individuals were juveniles,” according to a press release issued by the police department. “It was determined that there was no immediate threat after speaking with those involved.”
The teen was released on his own recognizance and ordered to appear in Barnstable Juvenile Court, MacVicar said.
Children at camps and childcare centers across the island, including the Nantucket Boys & Girls Club, Small Friends, Rising Tide and the Nantucket Community School, were moved indoors for the duration of the lockdown.
There was no police presence at those facilities beyond officers stopping to let camp supervisors know when the lockdown started and ended. The police couldn’t respond in any larger capacity, because they don’t have enough officers to cover that many scenes simultaneously, MacVicar said.
Some locations were informed the lockdown was over via phone call.
“At approximately 10:20 a.m. the (Boys & Girls) Club received a call from the Nantucket Police Department that the Club could exit the lockdown and resume normal club activities,” an e-mail statement from the Boys & Girls Club read.


text:
Fifth annual advent auction
Party Like Gatsby!
We'll have wonderful live jazz music performed by Jonathan Swanson and Pr. Matthew Eagan. Come to dance your cares away!
Drinks & Hors d'oeuvres!
We'll have light happy hour snacks, and speakeasy cocktails, champagne, and nonalcoholic drinks -gratis!
Come in Costume!
Flapper dresses! Windowpane suits! Hats! Headpieces! Jewelry! The 1920's were a fantastic time for fashion and this event is a great opportunity to dress up in your finest! Amazon has great ‘20s outfits!
Over 70 unique items have been donated by members of the Spirit of Grace community! Click on the link below to check out a sampling of what will be available to bid on.
This event is sure to be the cat's pajamas and we'll need lots of people to pull it off. Click the link below to sign up to volunteer.
Date & TIME
Saturday December 1st, 2018
4:00 pm-7:00 pm
Pr. Laurie Larson Caesar
Contact the event organizers, or Email the Office

domain: entertainment


text:
Did you get a fright from last night's 7.0 quake?
Yes, I ran for cover.
174 votes, 42.4%
No, I've had harder massages.
151 votes, 36.8%
85 votes, 20.7%
Total 410 votes
Latest News Headlines
French flooding hero truly Taranaki Hardcore
Hawera born singer Bailey Wiley is making waves in Auckland with her new EP
Judge full of praise for woman who changed 'Once were Warriors' lifestyle
New Plymouth woman killed in fatal car crash on mountain to be celebrated
New Plymouth man goes through Hell for hospitality experience with IHC
Stratford man jailed for eighth drink driving conviction
A 'rollercoaster ride'


Firing Order: That Time I Bought A Non-Running 1979 BroncoPosted in Features on June 14, 2018
There were a lot of things to look at on the backroad drive to town from my house in rural northern Illinois farmland. There were crops (gotta see how everyone’s corn and beans were doing), tractors and implements (never get tired of looking at those), and livestock (is that a bull in the pasture?). But what riveted my attention one day was the ’79 Ford Bronco sitting in a driveway of a house at about the halfway point to town.
It was spring of 1998 and a family had just moved into the ranch-style house on an acre of land, and along with them came the Bronco. A few months later I noticed the red Bronco was not being driven. After a few more weeks of seeing no sign of Bronco movement, I pondered the outcome of stopping at the house to inquire as to what was wrong with the rig and if the owner would like to sell it. I figured the owner would probably tell me to get lost, but I stopped anyway.
Turns out, the owner was furious with the Bronco. He recounted that soon after installing a new set of BFG A-Ts he was on his way to work and the truck emitted a large bang and the engine quit running. He speculated that the engine’s timing chain had broken. He had it towed to his house and had no plans to fix it. As a matter of fact, he had already purchased a new vehicle and he wanted the Bronco to go away. He said my timing was impeccable because he was “this close” to calling a salvage yard to haul it away. A brief negotiation ensued, which included a discussion of scrap price, the new tires, his distaste for seeing it in his driveway, and its non-running status. He floated out a $475 price, which I thought was reasonable and agreed to, considering I didn’t know how much I’d have to invest in the vehicle to make it drivable or if it was even fixable within monetary reason. I figured at the very least I could part it out and get my money back. Part of the deal was that I would remove it from his driveway ASAP.
What I got for my money was a Bronco that was surprisingly free of rust by northern Illinois standards (for its age) with a 400ci engine, C6 transmission, leaf-sprung 9-inch rear axle, and a coil-sprung solid Dana 44 front axle. The radio and battery were AWOL, but as I found out later, the four-wheel-drive system actually worked.
Turns out, the engine’s problem wasn’t the timing chain. The culprit was that the drive gear was loose on the distributor shaft. If I remember correctly, I installed a new roll pin and as soon as I turned the ignition key the 400 roared to life. I ended up replacing the factory distributor with an MSD unit and the Bronco ran great.
The main reason I wanted the Bronco was so I didn’t have to drive my new Wrangler TJ in the winter. Living in the Midwest I had seen the damage that road salt does to vehicles, and I didn’t want that to happen to the TJ. Anyway, the Jeep was my first brand-spankin’-new 4x4, so I guess I was overly protective. Hence, the Bronco pulled winter duty. It saw the worst weather and was perpetually covered in road salt. I used it almost nonstop during the winter months. I used it to haul our kids to school, it served as my transport to the airport, and it pulled general commuter duty. It also did more than its fair share of drift bashing during and after snowstorms. In the end, it was a reliable, fun rig and it served me well. I have many fond memories of that 4x4. I was also happy that I was able to extend its usable life for a few more years.
Have you purchased a non-running 4x4 and got it back into service? If you have, I’d love to hear about it. Send an email to the address below and include some info about its condition when you bought it, what you paid for it, and what it took to get it running. Oh, and please include a before and/or after photo!


text:
Click to see weather forecast:
: date() [
]: It is not safe to rely on the system's timezone settings. You are *required* to use the date.timezone setting or the date_default_timezone_set() function. In case you used any of those methods and you are still getting this warning, you most likely misspelled the timezone identifier. We selected 'America/Denver' for 'MST/-7.0/no DST' instead in
Readings for the trip
to enjoy in the free time of your trip. We recommend you the following e-books, that you can freely download to read from your PDA, Laptop o print on paper. We will add new books in the future.


text:
China is Ultra-Competitive in Business, But Chinese People Are Still Moral
Some months ago, there was a flurry of articles and stories surrounding a particularly horrible tragedy in China where a young girl was hit by a vehicle and then ignored by multiple passersby as she lay in the road. This terrible incident took place in Foshan, one of many cities that has recently experienced rapid economic and industrial growth, leading some to use it to exemplify a decline in moral values in China caused by a reckless pursuit of the almighty renminbi during the economic boom.
However, such incidents, while appalling, are isolates; China’s adherence of the common good drastically outweighs any sense of ethical corrosion. In fact, the peaceful coexistence of morality and hyper-competition is demonstrated on a daily basis.
Many Chinese do not hide their ambition to make money. This leads to a level of fierce competition in China that dates back 30 years with Reform and Opening-up, when the government began implementing more liberal market economy reforms. This competitive force can be felt pulsating in local grocery stores, textile factories, and the thousands of import and export companies of every variety.
Part of this palpable competition is due to the sheer population in China. Companies and individuals are faced with a massive number of competitors in every market. Another part is due to the development of the education system. Approximately 30 million (and rising) Chinese, aged 18 to 22, are enrolled in college, and, consequently, the competition for graduates is becoming increasingly steep. Job fairs in universities and urban centers around the country are inundated with applicants. And, highly qualified ones at that. Students are by and large extremely driven because of this mass competition but also for another fundamental reason.
In speaking with students from high school to those in graduate programs, their goals for the future almost always focus on the ability to start their own family and support their extended one. In order to reach this goal, they need to have a lucrative career. Rarely do students voice self-centered pursuits, but rather have the well-being of those around them firmly in mind.
Chinese students also demonstrate this consideration of others in their interactions on campus. As is common in grade school and universities, students often stay with the same group of classmates throughout the day. This creates a high level of camaraderie among students, who look out for one another in every way, in and out of class. One might assume that because these students are always with the same group, they would be competing for grades, but this practice actually cements a fraternal mentality. Individual concerns are often shelved in observance of the whole.
This moral consciousness is apparent in all levels of society. Chinese are usually very informal which allows people to interact more comfortably with one another and simple exchanges between strangers exude a closeness that is rare in the West. Many foreigners (myself included) are benignly chuckled at for an overuse of please and thank yous. Chinese often forgo superfluous niceties for the same reason Americans might not say thank you to family members: It's mutually understood and therefore unnecessary.
Neighbors interact with a familial intimacy and regularly take care of each other’s children. Tellingly, younger Chinese often address their parent’s friends with the title of “uncle” despite having no relation. This closeness between those outside of one’s immediate surroundings is demonstrated constantly and ensures a zealous moral awareness.
Finally, on a macro level, there is an aspect of national pride in which citizens want China to produce the next Nobel laureate or the next Steve Jobs. This can only be achieved by a combination of homegrown competition and national support, of which China currently lacks neither.
Competition and morality are not mutually exclusive. China’s continued economic prosperity and its citizens’ aggressive pursuit of monetary gain do not portend moral deterioration. Rather it is clear that on an everyday level, people want their success to be matched by those around them and, as a nation, progress together.