text:
In developing markets, educating consumers on the benefits of traditional oral health and the products to support it is key, while mouthwash has emerged as a strong growth driver in some growing markets.
Oral care regimens that provide complete oral health care are among strategies that attract new customers and keep existing ones.
In developed markets, consumers are beginning to follow increasingly complex oral care regimens as they seek to ensure better dental health, trading up to specialized products.
Product segmentation, efficacy, cosmetic benefits and further consumer segmentation are among key strategies for future growth in the global oral care market.
The global oral care market experienced stable growth from 2005 to 2010, with a value compound annual growth rate of 4.6%, using current/nominal prices and fixed exchange rates, according to Euromonitor International. Up until 2010, the category had survived the global economic downturn, and as the global economy slowly recovers, growth of the oral care category is expected to increase in 2011 to 5.2% and remain close to that over the forecast period through 2015. This growth will be driven by product innovations, value-added products and the strong growth of markets in developing countries—as well as the fact that oral care, by nature, is one of the most essential beauty and personal care categories.
Looking for Innovations or to Trade Up In the global oral care market, regions with developed and saturated markets (i.e. the U.S., Japan, Germany and the U.K.) are expected to show little growth, and those with unsaturated markets and growing populations (such as China, Brazil and India) have clear growth potential. Growth opportunities in these two general types of markets will be realized in different ways: In the developed markets, consumers look for innovations, while developing market consumers trade up to better products.
Brand owners are focusing on ways to stand out against the competition by providing newer and better products with new product formulations, “innovations” and marketing campaigns. In developing markets, brand owners focus their efforts on educating consumers on the benefits of traditional oral health and the products to support that. As a result, places such as India are seeing dramatic growth in the penetration of oral care as more consumers trade up from toothpowder to toothpaste and expand their oral care regimens to include mouthwashes/dental rinses.
As brand owners look for ways to attract new customers and keep existing ones, the leading players have developed oral care regimens that provide complete oral health care. In the U.S., the largest market by far, the most heralded new product of 2010 was undoubtedly Procter & Gamble’s Crest 3D White line. The full oral care regimen consists of an Oral-B pulsing toothbrush, a paste-gel hybrid toothpaste, an alcohol-free whitening mouth rinse and whitening strips. By leveraging multiple benefit claims, the 3D White system seeks to capitalize on the trend in oral care marketing of converting consumers from single product users to using a multi-product regimen.
In conjunction with this shift to innovation, companies are positioning many of these regimens as “professional quality” and marketing them as at-home alternatives to dental visits, especially in the area on whitening. Colgate’s ProClinical range provides targeted benefits for health and beauty seekers through what it claims are clinically proven technological features that have three variants: Daily Whitening for removing surface stains, Daily Cleaning for polishing teeth and Daily Renewal for Enamel for fortifying tooth enamel.
In other developed markets such as Germany, consumers are beginning to follow increasingly complex oral care regimens as they seek to ensure better dental health. Following the advice of their dentists, consumers are using more dental floss on a daily basis before cleaning their teeth, and there is an ongoing switch to power toothbrushes. Many consumers are also beginning to follow teeth cleaning with the use of mouthwashes/dental rinses.
In less mature markets like China, there was a shift toward more intricate oral health regimens in 2010. This resulted in good growth for dental floss, which saw 7% current value growth in 2010 over the previous year, with a growing number of consumers flossing, brushing and then rinsing with mouthwashes/dental rinses.
Battery-powered toothbrushes have seen success in countries such as Japan, the U.S. and Germany—markets that have seen little growth in other oral care categories. In the U.S. and Germany, battery-powered toothbrushes are seen as a more effective method for oral care, and despite their higher unit prices, they are seen as an investment in oral health by the consumer. In Japan, growth is driven by sales of compact battery toothbrushes, many of which are marketed to professional women who brush their teeth after lunch at work (the products are designed to look like a cosmetic product).
In the U.K., brand owners have taken innovation to great lengths—beyond just teeth whitening to features like enamel regeneration and teeth polishing. In 2007, Arm & Hammer launched the Enamel Care Sensitive product that is said to contain a liquid form of calcium, the key component in tooth enamel. The idea is that the calcium rebuilds the tooth by plugging microscopic gaps in the enamel. The repair stops dental nerves from becoming exposed, preventing pain. Arm & Hammer has increased in market share in the U.K. from 0.9% in 2005 to 1.4% in 2010 with the help of products like these.
Across every major market, the introduction of value-added oral care products is being met with approval and success. Brand owners in mature, saturated oral care markets are looking for ways to differentiate themselves in areas where the only way to growth is to take share away from competitors while seeking to serve consumers in developing markets (with their growing incomes) with products to cover a wide variety of oral care issues. As an example of differentiation in mature markets, sensitive toothpaste in Germany and the U.K. saw 2% and 4% share increases over the past five years as consumers looked for more than just basic teeth cleaning from their toothpaste.
In countries like Brazil, consumers are becoming more aware of oral hygiene and are willing to spend extra money on additional teeth-protection products. Leading companies, for example, are engaging in strong advertising campaigns for value-added products, and new innovative product launches are appearing on the market (again, toothpaste for sensitive teeth as an example), and more dentists are promoting the use of such products. Whitening toothpaste increased its share of the Brazilian toothpaste market from 8.5% in 2005 to 36% in 2010, the second most popular type behind standard/traditional toothpaste.
Growing incomes in China, too, are also impacting consumer choices in oral care. In 2010, for example, there was growing interest in functional, specialized and value-added toothpaste. This was partly due to a growing focus on health and appearance, in addition to rising disposable income levels and a return to stronger economic growth in 2010. Consumers became increasingly willing to spend money on ensuring dental health, with many seeking toothpaste that, in addition to cleansing and freshening, offers health benefits.
In India, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) launched its Sensodyne brand in early 2011. Its entry into this market was a clear indication of the company’s belief in the potential India offers and its consumer evolution to increased product demand for more specific needs and concerns. The overall toothpaste market in India is currently growing at 8%, while the “sensitive toothpaste” segment is estimated to be growing at around 18%, and GSK has reported it will invest Rs.250 million over 2012 to market the brand—adding that it will reach out to around 15,000 dentists across the country.
Consumers in developed markets are also trading up to specialized products, as in Germany where there was particularly strong growth for cross-action toothbrushes, which feature bristles angled in opposing directions in order to better lift out and sweep away plaque. These products gained two percentage points in value share in 2010 over 2009, rising to account for 10% share. At the same time, total care/complete care toothpastes increased its share of the German market from 0.5% in 2005 to 8% in 2010, as consumers looked for products to cover all of their oral care needs.
As populations in many major oral care markets continue to age, these older consumers are looking for ways to stave off old age and the variety of maladies that comes with it. In Japan, denture care is a fast-growing category and is expected to expand its market share in the near future as brand owners create products that are easier to use and have greater appeal. Older German consumers are also increasingly focused on maintaining dental health, which has helped to maintain growth levels in the country through the global economic crisis.
Mouthwash has emerged as a strong growth driver in growing markets such as China and India. In China, mouthwashes/dental rinses were the clear leader in terms of current value growth in 2010 over the previous year, with sales increasing by 17%. Growth was underpinned by a rising focus on grooming in urban areas, with consumers keen to avoid bad breath. In India, mouthwashes/dental rinses value sales are still small, accounting for less than 2% of oral care in 2010, but grew by 70% in that year. This robust growth was supported by increasing consumer demand for products to augment the daily oral care regimen, coupled with increasing product availability and penetration, particularly in urban areas.
Products viewed as herbal and/or natural are also very popular around the world, especially in countries that have fewer historical ties to modern oral care. A notable trend in 2010 was the increasing preference of consumers in India for herbal and ayurvedic-based toothpastes. These are perceived to be more “natural” than standard products, and herbal and ayurvedic-based toothpastes saw increasing traction in 2010, as consumers veered toward oral care alternatives perceived as more natural or healthy. In China, there is a growing interest in traditional herbal medicine—specifically benefiting the brand Yunnan Baiyao, which contains a traditional herbal remedy to inhibit gingival bleeding, repair mouth ulcers, relieve gum pain and swelling, and eliminate bad breath.
The BRICs (Brazil, Russia, India and China) are significant contributors to global oral care growth, with the four countries accounting for a $396 million increase in value sales from 2009 to 2010. Developing countries, including the BRICs, are playing a major role in sustaining the growth of basic oral care. Increasing frequency of usage, especially for toothpaste and toothbrushes, is driving this growth. Stronger hygiene awareness, pushed by major brands and many governments, is encouraging more frequent brushing of teeth, the usage of toothpaste when brushing and also the frequency of toothbrush replacement. In addition, growing middle-class consumer bases in all four countries are further driving demand for secondary oral care products.
Rural consumers in India (roughly 70% of the country’s population) are set to drive growth, thanks to rising awareness of the importance of oral hygiene and improving income levels. Consumers are switching from traditional, homemade solutions such as datun and neem leaves to using toothbrushes and toothpaste. Meanwhile, urban consumers are changing their toothbrushes more regularly than before, in line with dentists’ recommendations, due to rising oral hygiene awareness.
The oral care category is set to grow by $4.1 billion over 2010–2015. Basic products will account for the lion’s share of this growth. Toothpaste and toothbrushes will account for just over $3 billion of this (73.4%) growth. Secondary products will also bounce back to growth, with mouthwashes/dental rinses putting in the best performance ($772 million increase 2010–2015), and other products rising more steadily. Segmentation, efficacy, cosmetic benefits (such as whitening), a focus on oral health and further consumer segmentation will be the key strategies for future growth in the global oral care market.
Colin Decker is a member of Euromonitor International’s custom research team.


text:
Originally released in 1950, the identify of the past due Dr H.G. Baynes used to be already famous as a number one exponent of and translator of the writings of Professor C.G. Jung, as writer and as psychotherapist.
The essay which provides it identify to this different and engaging choice of writings, indicates essentially Dr Baynes’s present for illuminating a well-known topic with clean perception drawn from his broad wisdom of the subconscious brain. He could make the subconscious actual to us, and will persuade us that delusion and dream are expressions of important difficulties of the human soul.
The assortment contains fabric to curiosity many sorts of reader, from The British magazine of scientific Psychology, from Folk-Lore, from The Society for Psychical learn. yet might be such a lot packed with curiosity for almost all of readers are the 1st 3 chapters of an unfinished booklet – What it's all About; the following we discover an admirable creation, given with a wealth of representation, to the most suggestions of Professor Jung’s analytical psychology.
Dr Baynes made Professor Jung’s suggestion his personal, with no lack of his personal originality. He can contact with value any topic on which he writes, even if or not it's the matter of the person or the kindred difficulties of humanity.
On hand electronically in an open-access, full-text version from the Texas A&M University Libraries' electronic Repository at http://oaktrust. library. tamu. edu/handle/1969. 1/146844. Frank N. McMillan Jr. , a rustic boy steeped within the conventional tradition of rural Texas, used to be summoned to a life-long quest for which means through a dream lion he met within the evening.
Reviewers have characterised Paul Naour's A discussion among Sociobiology and Radical Behaviorism, including short introductions via E. O. Wilson and B. F. Skinner's elder daughter, Julie Vargus, as an idea publication. The paintings will surely have an important educational marketplace and supply scholars and students in biology, ethology, psychology, anthropology, sociology and economics a powerful beginning in 20th century heritage and platforms.
Born in Vienna in 1864, Bernard Hollander used to be a London-based psychiatrist. he's top recognized for being one of many major proponents of phrenology. This identify, initially released in 1916, seems at ‘the various apprehensive health problems of fellows, within which the psychological issue performs a wide half, and that are referred to as useful problems, to tell apart them from natural diseases’.
Quantity 2 of the Freud: value determinations and Reappraisals sequence bears out the promise of the acclaimed greatest quantity, a quantity whose essays "breathe new lifestyles into the research of Freud," embodying study that "appears to be impeccable in each case" (International overview of Psychoanalysis). It begins with Peter Homan's particular reeexamination of the interval 1906-1914 in Freud's existence.

industry_corpus2: Health & Medicine


text:
This fourth edition of Robert Sedgewick and Kevin Wayne’s Algorithms is the leading textbook on algorithms today and is widely used in colleges and universities worldwide. This book surveys the most important computer algorithms currently in use and provides a full treatment of data structures and algorithms for sorting, searching, graph processing, and string processing--including fifty algorithms every programmer should know. In this edition, new Java implementations are written in an accessible modular programming style, where all of the code is exposed to the reader and ready to use.
The MOOC related to this book is accessible via the "Online Course" link at algs4.cs.princeton.edu. The course offers more than 100 video lecture segments that are integrated with the text, extensive online assessments, and the large-scale discussion forums that have proven so valuable. Offered each fall and spring, this course regularly attracts tens of thousands of registrants.
Robert Sedgewick and Kevin Wayne are developing a modern approach to disseminating knowledge that fully embraces technology, enabling people all around the world to discover new ways of learning and teaching. By integrating their textbook, online content, and MOOC, all at the state of the art, they have built a unique resource that greatly expands the breadth and depth of the educational experience.
Robert Sedgewick has been a Professor of Computer Science at Princeton University since 1985, where he was the founding Chairman of the Department of Computer Science. He has held visiting research positions at Xerox PARC, Institute for Defense Analyses, and INRIA, and is member of the board of directors of Adobe Systems. Professor Sedgewick’s research interests include analytic combinatorics, design and analysis of data structures and algorithms, and program visualization. His landmark book, Algorithms, now in its fourth edition, has appeared in numerous versions and languages over the past thirty years. In addition, with Kevin Wayne, he is the coauthor of the highly acclaimed textbook, Introduction to Programming in Java: An Interdisciplinary Approach (Addison-Wesley, 2008).
Kevin Wayne is the Phillip Y. Goldman Senior Lecturer in Computer Science at Princeton University, where he has been teaching since 1998. He received a Ph.D. in operations research and industrial engineering from Cornell University. His research interests include the design, analysis, and implementation of algorithms, especially for graphs and discrete optimization. With Robert Sedgewick, he is the coauthor of the highly acclaimed textbook, Introduction to Programming in Java: An Interdisciplinary Approach (Addison-Wesley, 2008).

industry_corpus2: Programming


text:
We’ve all heard that age-old saw. The lesson is pretty straightforward: don’t always take things at face-value; take the time to find the deeper significance. That is never more true than when it comes to hiring an applicant who is expected to make a significant business impact. And it is ESPECIALLY true in the high-volume hiring environment of most customer-facing operations.
For the most part hiring happens fast and furious, especially this time of year, and it’s easy – and understandable – to give most candidates only a cursory look before making the offer. After all, you have seats to fill, right? A quick glace at a resume – this candidate has experience? Check! Maybe a brief face-to-face interview – the candidate looks presentable? Check!
Recruiters often rely on their well-earned experience and instinct to decide which candidates are likely to become excellent contributors. And, through no real shortcoming of character, they are reluctant to embrace technology as an aid in making a superior hiring decision. After all, they know what constitutes a superior candidate, right? Well, maybe not always.
The advent of predictive talent analytics is a powerful weapon in the recruiting team’s arsenal. And the team that fails to use all the tools at its disposal runs the risk of sub-optimal quality-of hire and poor stakeholder satisfaction.
Predictive talent analytics is a fairly straightforward concept – correlate the pre-hire behaviors of excellent performers, and seek to find applicant who exhibit those behaviors. In practice however, it requires a rigorous, systematic, cross-departmental approach where these key business outcomes are regularly collected and linked to each employee’s pre-hire profile.
Find the common characteristics of excellent performers and it’ll be like winning the candidate lottery – hire those folks and you’ll be more likely to achieve your business goals. Likewise, you’ll have some who fail to meet expectations. Uncover the common traits of those folks and put applicants who share them at the bottom of your list. Sounds hard? It really isn’t, with the right technology.
Advanced machine learning techniques can make quick work of discovering these correlations and can be a great help to your recruiting teams by prioritizing their candidate review. Focus on those who exhibit the traits of excellent performers and leave those who don’t for last. Pretty soon you’ll see that quality-of-hire will increase and the recruiter’s job will correspondingly increase in value.

industry_corpus2: Artificial Intelligence


text: I hope they serve beer in hell is a book that stats almost all the terrible things and great things that can come out of engaging yourself in a lot of drinking. The main character Tucker Max is a great writer. I mostly enjoying reading his books because he tells the truth. Every story he writes is completely true and thats what makes hims so hilarious. If it wasnt true then it wouldnt be as funny, but knowing that some of the things he says happens is what really makes the story.

industry_corpus2: Literature & Emotions


text: Built for speed. Synthetic upper with a Dynamic Fit Collar provides a close and seamless fit. Textured upper offers a nice touch at high speeds. Podular plate system offers responsive traction. WEIGHT: 8.0 oz.

industry_corpus2: Manufacturing


text:
Trump wants to pull back some of the thunder to Washington as North and South Korea resumed talks, says attorney Eric Sirotkin. That is disturbing to the military industrial complex, Anti-war Answer Coalition’s Brian Becker added.
Donald Trump said there is a possibility the North Korean crisis can’t be resolved peacefully. The US President claims having dialogue with Pyongyang is next to impossible.
Meanwhile, negotiations between South and North Korea led to a major breakthrough on Wednesday as the two states agreed to march under a unified flag at the upcoming 2018 Winter Olympics. The two nations also discussed the creation of a joint women’s hockey team.
RT: Why is the US President saying that a peaceful solution to the Korean crisis may not be possible? Aren’t the latest talks between two Koreas showing just the opposite?
Eric Sirotkin: We’ve seen this for decades now: where something gets us closer to peace and something gets us hopeful that there might be a breakthrough, one side or the other explodes with rhetoric and it causes a problem, or there is a missile test and such. In the end there is a suspicion about peace and on the part of the US. I think President Trump somehow believes that this pressure approach is something different than has been applied before, which it isn’t. In reality he wants to pull back some of the thunder, if you will, back to Washington, because you have again the North and South talking.
Remember in 2007 they reached very substantive agreements – the two sides of Korea. They marched under one flag at the Olympics in Beijing in 2000 [sic], and there was a lot of hope. In this situation there seems to be an effort to try to sink the possibility of peace, and try to muddle [sic] the waters a bit.
RT: If the US doesn’t want peace and presumably conflicts would be a disaster for so many people, what is the aim here? Is it to try and create some perpetual tension? Is it the useful thing for the US?
ES: The perpetual aspects of this conflict are the continued state of war, which is very financially lucrative for people. There are billions and billions of dollars of weapons involved. There are tens of thousands of US troops, and bases, and posts, and naval fleets, and everything else around Korea. Without that conflict the whole dynamic in North-East Asia changes.
I think the US is a little ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ its policies. On one hand, it wants to have a resolution, wants to have de-nuclearization, wants to have peace. On the other hand, it pumps up this rhetoric and doesn’t support the very impressive aspects of the North and South meeting and what that could possibly mean for peace. So the motivations relate to finances, they relate to geopolitical factors of the US power in the region, if you will. And they relate to trying to ice out China and Russia a little bit as a player in this, as was evident in Vancouver, where there were very important meetings, and side meetings with groups like “Women Cross DMZ,” other political and peace groups that were meeting in Vancouver as well with alternative visions that don’t get reported too much. We’re trying to almost slide into the old Cold War dynamic of the east versus the west, it seems.
The US considers South Korea to be an extension of American military power in this strategic area of the world, said Brian Becker, director, Anti-war Answer Coalition.
RT: What do you make of the US president’s comments on the Korean crisis? Is it right to claim that a peaceful solution to the Korean crisis may not be possible?
Brian Becker: Yes, of course, because the US is constantly menacing North Korea and constantly threatening North Korea, carrying out war exercises that simulate the destruction of North Korea – a country that was destroyed by the US between 1950 -1953. 4 to 5 million Koreans died. There wasn’t one structure taller than one story still standing as a consequence of US bombers. And the main complaint of American pilots was: there was nothing left to bomb in that war. So the US annihilated North Korea.
Here we have Donald Trump saying he’s promising to do the same from the podium of the UN just a couple of months ago. And now Trump, reflecting not just his own personal position, but that of the military industrial complex in America, fears that peace maybe breaking out in the Korean peninsula between the two Koreas. And South Korea has limited sovereignty, because the US troops – 30,000 of them are still there. So we’re seeing unprecedented breakaway from this South Korean government trying to assert sovereignty and say to the Northern people, to their brothers and sisters in the North: “Let’s have peace. Let’s have negotiations. Let’s have a joint team.” That is alarming to Trump and to the military industrial complex, but welcome[d] by all the people in the world.
RT: What is the next move for North Korea, do you think?
BB: The US doesn’t want North Korea to be reaching out and speaking in a way that would build peace and promote unity between the two Koreas. As the New York Times and the other corporate-owned mainstream media in the US fear that talks between the North and the South – between Koreans – would drive a wedge, as it is described, between the US and South Korea. The US sees in South Korea, and especially in the South Korean military, a colonial outpost, an extension of American military power in this strategic area of the world. It is not just about Korea, it is also about China, about Russia, it is about the entire region.
The Korean people don’t want war, they don’t want to be pawns on somebody else’s geostrategic chessboard. So they are making their own moves towards peace. What can North Korea do? North Korea has been consistent – they say they want a guarantee of their security and peace, and that would be the premise, the basis for new negotiations to bring the tension level down in the Korean peninsula. That can happen, that is achievable.
RT: To what extent can North and South Korea find a sort of a middle ground, find peace between themselves on their own, and to what extent do they need outside assistance?
BB: They don’t need any assistance. In fact North Korea doesn’t have to look and see whether a foreign power approves of its negotiating stance with South Korea. It is a sovereign country. It has no foreign troops on its soil. Unfortunately South Korea has foreign troops on its soil and it has less a kind of restricted sovereignty, so it must always be looking over its shoulder to see, does Washington approved. That’s not right. The people in South Korea should be self-determining, they should be the masters of their own destiny, and if left alone by Washington, I believe they will find a path for the peaceful reunification of the Korean peninsula. Korea has existed as a unitary country and culture for 5000 years – the division needs to come to an end.

industry_corpus2: Politics & Administration


text: Let your creative spirit soar! Some materials provided, or bring your own. Led by Art Therapist Susan Unmacht, this is a Scottsdale Congregational United Church of Christ Oasis group and open to the public.

industry_corpus2: Others


text: Brand New Construction, 4 Bedroom, 2.5 Bath Home in Coventry, Coming Soon! This home is still under construction and should be finished and ready to show/rent by April 1st. Home will boast not only the Master on Main but a 2nd bedroom as well! 2 additional bedrooms are located upstairs. Semi-open floor plan will feature an eat in kitchen, dining room and great room with a gas fireplace. Incredibly conveniently to both Downtown Simpsonville, I-385 and Five Forks. Sorry, this home is strictly no pets.

industry_corpus2: Real Estate & Construction


text:
Spain’s Jorge Lorenzo halted world champion Casey Stoner’s Grand Prix of Qatar surge when he clocked the fastest time in Friday’s second and final practice ahead of today’s floodlit season-opener.
The Yamaha rider, the world champion in 2010, had been second best to the Australian Honda star in Thursday’s session and Friday’s first stretch, but then clocked a lightning 1:55.302 lap, just outside Stoner’s 2008 circuit record.
Britain’s Cal Crutchlow, on another Yamaha, was second quickest, 0.154sec behind with Stoner relegated to third spot, 0.372sec off Lorenzo’s pace.
“I am very happy because we improved a lot on lap time. I’m also happy for Cal in second, the bike seems much better than last year for us,” said Lorenzo.
Spain’s Dani Pedrosa, on another Honda, had also come to grief in the first session although he was able to record the fifth best time later in the evening behind Andrea Dovizioso on a Yamaha in fifth.
The best Ducati performance was a sixth place by Hector Barbera riding for the Pramac satellite team with the Spaniard putting factory riders Nicky Hayden and seven-time MotoGP champion Valentino Rossi in the shade. They were seventh and eighth respectively.
MotoGP: 1. Jorge Lorenzo (Spa/Yamaha) 1:55.302m; 2. Cal Crutchlow (Bri/Yamaha) at 0.154; 3. Casey Stoner (Aus/Honda) 0.372; 4. Andrea Dovizioso (Ita/Yamaha) 0.603; 5. Dani Pedrosa (Spa/Honda) 0.812.
Moto2: 1. Thomas Luthi (Swi/Suter) 2:00.479; 2. Pol Espargaro (Spa/Kalex) 0.040; 3. Esteve Rabat (Spa/Kalex) 0.639; 4. Scott Redding (Bri/Kalex) 0.751; 5. Claudio Corti (Ita/Kalex).

industry_corpus2: Sports


text: At its root Intermitting Glare is a body of new work exploring a collapse of meaning and perspective. Installed in and around the altered gallery space, a combination of screens and a projection displayed several new moving image works. Each synced and overlapping they physically break-up and refract the real space of the gallery whilst fragmented content disrupted the viewer’s experience within, and outside, of the frame. Intermitting Glare imagines the screen as a body of water or a transparent plane; the horizon unfixed, undetectable and infinite with the viewer accordingly disorientated, floating, disarticulated. Questioning the screen as a material boundary Intermitting Glare attempts to dissolve body and image together.

industry_corpus2: Film & Entertainment


text:
The most pleasant city to visit in Ethiopia is Harar. Bahir Dar and Melee are both very nice, and most places have their charm, but in my humble opinion Harar is the best. It has a wonderful history, lots to see, a pleasant climate, attractive countryside surroundings, and is relatively hassle free. There is an undefinable atmosphere about the place. The women are carefully and colorfully garbed. The architecture, including many government buildings, use the characteristic Harar style of medieval Moorish castles. It's nice. The first place to see is the old town inside the walls. There are a couple of guides, one of whom will materialize at your elbow within moments of your walking into the old town (if you're a fearing!). My favorite guide is a cheerful baseball cap wearing Adder (native of Harar). For whatever price you want, which means 50 birr per person he will walk you through old Harare on a customized tour. Tell him how long you've got and he'll give you a tour to fit. I think I've done Abdu's Harar tour 5 times (and the other guide once). Every time I go to Harar with someone new for myself on the tour. The tours range from a hurried 40 minutes to a leisurely 3 hours. Above photo by Karen Hoffman is of Rimbaud House in Harrar.
Within Harar are a bustling 33,000 or so Hararis or Adaris (other groups don't live within the walls) in a square km or two. Despite the numbers, most streets aren't crowded and it is quite relaxed. Just wandering through the narrow pathways bracketed by high whitewashed walls is worth the visit. The special sites in Harar are the House of Arthur Rimbaud, the French poet and arms dealer, the ancient mosque of Abul Bakir, and the gates of the city. There is unfortunately dilapidated mansion in which the Emperor Haile Selassie grew up as well.
The House of Rimbaud is being renovated with the help of UNESCO, making slow but impressive progress until it was recently stopped by a shortage of funds. It is a great two storey affair with plenty of Indian woodwork and art deco wallpaper. It has a wonderful indoor balcony at the top. From the windows you can almost see all four directions over Harar. On the first floor through another entrance you can see the restoration underway on the old library. While this is styled as Rimbauds' House, the other story is that it was a French school at which Rimbaud taught. Regardless it is fantastic. It brings to mind the period of French ascendancy in Ethiopia, which is still highly visible. The French connection here is strong, the language is quite common and even the all pervasive 'Ferengi' for foreigner is an Amharic corruption of 'French'. French support for Ethiopia from the 1880s to World War I included the building of the railroad and the useful supply of arms. French arms, provided through intermediaries such as Rimbaud, helped the Ethiopians to defeat the Italian invasion in 1896.
The mosque of Sheikh Abul Bakir reminds you of the Moslem heritage of Harar (there are 87 mosques in Harar). Abul Bakirí's mosque is built on ancient remains which reputedly date back 1000 years. It is a holy site for the Moslem population, who visit in large numbers, attended by the current descendant Sheikh. There are seven gates to old Harar, and AABD will show you them all if you give him the time. The most famous is the one you drive through coming into the old town, which apart from anything else is depicted on the label of Harar beer. Many of the others have been bricked in or replaced by modern roads.
One gate ourguide will show you is the one through which the explorer Richard Burton passed in 1855. He was reputedly the first European to come to Harar, which was a closed and holy city for the Moslems. Foreigners or infidels would be executed. In his lively but dated account he wrote about how he dressed as an Arab and through his fluent Arabic he managed to fool the Adaris during his several week stay. The Adaris politely infer that his identity as a foreigner and infidel was known all along, but they tolerated this interesting guest. No doubt the sense of danger and derring-do with which Burton wrote his text helped to sell the copies which helped finance his later explorations.
There are plenty of other sights in the city. The large church of Mikael - the largest Christian church, is reasonably impressive. There is also an old Roman Catholic church, run by an amiable Maltan priest, which dates from the turn of the century. Abdu's tour not only includes historical sites, it also includes the daily life of Adaris. It is a bit disconcerting when he leads you in through a gate, apparently randomly, into someone's house. They are always welcoming, and of course I now realize that AABD has a well trodden route prepared, with connections or finance involved.
Adaris are justifiably proud of their houses, which are all solid and square, behind walls in a small compound. They have a large sitting area for socializing over coffee or chat (more on this later). They have loads of colorful baskets and Chinese platters on the walls. They are focused on marriage - there is a rack over the front door which holds a valuable rug or rugs which are the dowry for the eligible young lady in the house. They have a room near the entrance which is kept for newlyweds, who are expected to get acquainted through being kept there for a week after their marriage. A small opening is used to pass in food and other necessities. I always wondered how they went to the toilet.
Apart from the regular houses, AABD will show you places which sell the famous Harar baskets and jewelry. The baskets are a bit pricey, but very nice. No foreign resident of Ethiopia should leave without them as souvenirs. There is an odd shaped tubular basket which they use for covering candles. I rudely call them a Harar condom. They also do nice silver bracelets and earrings. The Adder are amongst the most prosperous and educated of Ethiopian peoples. They are traders. They suffered under the Communist Dergue. They are prospering again. There are also a lot of Amhara people in Harar, but much of the town and all of the surrounding countryside is Oromo.
Outside of the old town, there is still a lot to see in Harar. There are the buildings of the Harar Military College. There are numerous public buildings and churches. My favorite stop, however, is the Harar beer factory. I had planned to go to the beer factory for a long time before I got around to it. Through AABD we arranged a tour of the Czech assisted plant finished in 1984 (months before the Ethiopian famine broke into the world headlines). Harar beer is my personal favorite in Ethiopia. Both it and the Hakim stout I adore are unfortunately not readily available outside of the East and South. After a surprisingly interesting tour of the plant we got down to the real business - tasting the new draft beer. We had a lively conversation with our hosts, who disconcertingly continued to refill the five liter beaker of draft beer for the five of us. I'd rather not reveal how many beakers were consumed, but during the time we were there a little counter showed that 40,000 bottles of beer were produced by the factory. We couldn't keep up.
We staggered out of there unable to fully enjoy the nightlife, which is lively. I am mystified that the predominantly Moslem cities of Harar and Jijiga seem to have the best bars in the country. I once spent 5 hours with a jovial English consultant moving from one drinking establishment to another. We were having a contest, where one of us would tell a joke, then the other. We kept it up for the 5 hours. I think I won because he was reduced to dirty limericks. I've traveled through the surroundings of Harar quite a lot for work, and I've visited some interesting but difficult to get to places. If you're not going on work, I'm not sure many of them are worth it.
Dire Dawa is a natural stop, as you fly there to go to Harar. Many people like Dire Dawa better than Harare There are a few places to see, like the old Chemin de Fer (Railway Station). Dire Dawa styles itself the little Paris, and it does have a few good cafes, and some outdoor markets where the variety and prices are amongst the best in Ethiopia. I was quite taken by the Christian graveyard, which includes recently renovated markers for the Commonwealth soldiers who died fighting the Italians in 1940-41. There was a big ceremony there when Princess Anne visited a few years ago. All of the graves are of Africans from present day Kenya, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Ghana and so on, except for three British airmen. It's fitting to remember that many of the 'British' troops who helped liberate Ethiopia were Africans.
The other direction from Harare is Jijiga, the capital of Somali Region. Unfortunately the road to Jijiga is frequently unsafe, so it is advisable to fly. When you do drive, you find fantastic rock formations in Babile, and an elephant reserve which has no apparent elephants, although the Director of National Parks assures me that there are over 50. Many foreigners have been based in Jijiga, especially a few years ago when there were large refugee camps, and many loved the place. It has a few nice bars and plenty of nice people but not to much to see. It is a bit fascinating to travel East to the frontier with Somaliland, and gaze across into an area which has no government recognized by any country. Under the circumstances, smuggling or informal trade thrives, and apparently satellite dishes and almost anything else you can name go for very reasonable prices. Don't be tempted - it is illegal to transport anything like that!
To the North of Harare is a terrible road which leads to the sightly and interesting birthplace of Haile Selassie. Given the subsequent illustriousness of the prominent son of Ejarso Goro village, the place itself remains very humble. I couldn't help but be struck by the neglect of the mud walled community by their Emperor. The only exception is the church, which is quite large and elaborate but very neglected. It was moved to this site by Haile Selassie in 1953 Ethiopian calendar (about 1960 European calendar), to put the place of his birth on holy ground. The head priest, Mamhere Mengiste Tagene, showed us the site. The church is fairly large and disconcertingly orange. There is a place on the front where the plaque commemorating the birth of Haile Selassie was unceremoniously ripped off by agents of the Dergue government.
Although the grounds are neglected and overgrown, the priests can show you the main points. A circle of rocks marks the place where Haile Selassiesí father, Ras Makonnen, built his country house. He picked a nice spot. The hills rise steeply from Harare, which is already at a respectable altitude. One can see how Makonnen, as a Shoan highlander, would want to find the highest and coolest place available to escape his town house in Harare. The other specialty of the grounds is a small tree stump which takes some effort to separate from the undergrowth. This, we are told, is a tree planted the day Haile Selassie was born, and which died the day he died.
The church does not suffer from an excess of foreign visitors. In the previous year they had three. The year before that was big, they had five. Most of them were Jamaicans, presumably Rastafarians keen on the birthplace of the revered Haile Selassie. The small local Christian congregation of about 150 lacks the resources to maintain the church. The mosque across town is well tended by comparison. The Mamhere told us that a fund raising committee had been set up to sponsor repairs. We weren't able to see the inside of the church to assess the need ourselves. As sometimes happens in Ethiopia, the elusive fellow with the key was not to be found.
One interesting side story occurred during my visit to the area during the World Cup of soccer. One enterprising fellow in Ejarso Goro had purchased a satellite dish, large television set and generator (there is no electricity in the area), and was showing World Cup games to large and appreciative audiences for two birr a person. Based on the cheaper prices on the black market in the East, we estimated that the entrepreneur was going to recover his investment in about 10 days of the World Cup, based on two sittings of 200-300 people per day.
South of Harare is a large expanse of lush highlands. The main road cuts south about 25 km West of Harare, to Kurfa Challe, Gurawa, and Gole Ode areas. This is the area of the awesome Garamuletu ridge. The rolling hills covered by the endemic chat of the area are attractive, but I was unprepared for the spectacular Garamuletu. It rises at first in the distance, then you find yourself skirting the edge of the steep rise until you turn a corner and are presented with the best view. The ridge rises rapidly, and on the day I was there disappeared fetchingly into clouds at the top. The sides were forested and graced with impressive rock formations. Horses wandered across the road from one patch of trees to another. It was nice.
Of historical interest is the jailhouse which was the final resting place for the deposed Emperor Iyassu at Gurawa. This can be found 10 kilometers down the road which branches off just as you reach the spectacular corner at Garamuletu. The prison is on a wonderful plateau overlooking the town. It is a very nice site. We were accompanied by a very helpful local official, as well as a number of soldiers stationed at the prison. Although Iyassu's prison is not in use and is predictably dilapidated, it adjoins an active prison. This mars the site somewhat, in particular because photographs were disallowed. Apart from that inconvenience, the site was marvelous and not so old that it has fallen apart. It is a solid stone structure with iron bar windows. Two tall walls, about 3 meters high (10 feet for the unconverted) surround a courtyard with a large prison house. The house was very comfortable. It has two large rooms, each with a fireplace. On the side is a smallish windowless cell, which apparently was the deposed Emperor's bedroom. Behind the main house are some other structures, including a building with a large cellar. It is said that Iyassu was locked there when he became too agitated. That would have been unpleasant.
The conditions under which Iyassu was kept are confusing. Servants quarters are on the compound and he apparently had his own attendants and cooks. A smooth section of the wall is said to have been used as a screen for movies. Servants are also said to have procured willing maidens from the town for Iyassu's entertainment. On the other hand, there is the small, cell-like bedroom with its little window and the cellar. There is also a tale that the cruel jailors would hire local maidens to parade naked out of reach of the understandably frustrated Iyassu behind his iron bars. One the complaints against Iyassu had been his inordinate sexual appetite.
The local interpreters were not very helpful with dates and historical specifics. They argued with each other. I had to look it up. According to Bahru Zewde in "A Modern History of Ethiopia", Iyassu effectively ruled from 1911-16, replacing his grandfather Menelik II. He was overthrown in a coup by Ras Teferi (later Haile Selassie) and his allies, but managed to flee. He was captured five years later and imprisoned in Fiche, near Debre Libanos northwest of Addis, until 1932. After an abortive, or perhaps alleged, prison escape he was transferred to Gurawa. He died around 1936, with the juiciest explanation that he was executed by Haile Selassie to prevent the possibility that he would become a puppet Emperor of the invading Italians. It is a nice place to visit - scenic and interesting and less than 2 hours from Harare.
One local custom in the Harar area which the somewhat adventurous may wish to try is the chewing of chat. It is a mild narcotic popular in Yemen, Saudi Arabia and an increasingly wider area. It is probably the biggest cash crop for Harar, which is renowned for the quality of its chat. Although it is popular as an acceptable stimulant for Moslems, its popularity increasingly crosses religious and ethnic lines.
Chat is a bush. You chew the small, tender leaves. They taste like a bush. Like many stimulants it is an acquired taste. The sophisticated chat chewer keeps the remnants of the leaves in a ball in his cheek. In my amateurish experiments, my leaves all dissolved. I didn't really swallow them, they just went down. The proper chat ceremony is a relaxed affair where you lean on couches and drink coffee or tea while chewing and chatting with your friends and family. It lasts several hours. I found that after a few attempts the chat loosened my tongue considerably. To the dismay of my friends, this made me even more talkative than usual. Rather than coffee, I prefer to sip on a beer between branches of chat. The bad side of chat can be seen on almost any roadside around Harar, where crazed older men with unattractive green teeth and balls of leaves in their cheeks exhibit their madness in various ways. I assume there is a causative relationship - too much chat over too long a period drives at least some people mad. Like all stimulants, chat should be taken moderately if at all.
Editor's Note: We met Mr. Graham at Le Petit Paris, a charming French Restaurant in Addis Ababa. A Canadian working in a key area of relief, John is very enthusiastic about his work in Africa.

industry_corpus2: Travel & Geography


text:
Beige and cream wallpapers look clean and subtle – perfect for creating a light and airy family home. Find traditional styles like damask wallpaper and stripe wallpaper in neutral tones. Put these classic designs up in your hallway or in the dining room to accompany dark wood furniture for a gorgeous contrast.
For something a bit different, there’s brick effect, wood effect and stone effect wallpaper available in beige and cream tones. Create a feature wall with these stunning effect wallpapers and add a modern touch to your interior design that looks like an exposed brick wall. There’s also geometric wallpaper and floral prints to add a quirky twist to classic beige and cream.
Brighten up your children’s bedroom or nursery with cute animal print wallpaper or patterns on a light neutral background. Decorate the entire room with a fun and colourful wallpaper to add a bolder print or pattern to their room, helping to make the perfect space for your little one’s playtime and bedtime.


text:
Are you in need of a charter bus? Is finding a trusted charter bus company a priority for your group? We can solve that problem for you at Bus Quote USA in Berkeley Lake, GA. When it comes to getting a charter bus, party bus, or mini bus, we have the best list of companies on the web. It doesn't matter if you are looking for a fun night on the town for a bachelor/bachelorette party in a party bus or are taking a trip across the country for a family reunion; we've got the perfect solution for everyone. We make getting free charter bus quotes quick and hassle free!
Call Bus Quote USA in Berkeley Lake, and find local charter bus companies.
We have a list of charter bus companies that are awaiting you requests and calls to give you the best charter bus quote. When you're trying to find charter bus quotes in Berkeley Lake,, the one stop shop for all you charter bus quotes is Bus Quote USA. Our charter bus companies have all types of buses to choose from. Each time you visit Bus Quote USA you will be able to find local charter bus companies to receive free quotes from. Our goal is for every customer that searches for a charter bus company to find great service at a great rate. We'll help make the process of chartering a bus go smoothly in Berkeley Lake, GA.

industry_corpus2: Transportation


text:
If your property in Harrison Grange has been damaged by water caused by flooding or water leaks, we have the experience, expertise and equipment to restore your property properly. Our water removal and cleanup process also provides validation and documentation that your property is dry.
Flooding and water emergencies don’t wait for regular business hours and neither do we. We provide emergency water restoration services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week – including all holidays. Harrison Grange residents can expect an immediate response time, day or night.
When water damage strikes, a fast response is critical. Day or night, Harrison Grange residents and business owners can expect us to respond immediately to your water emergency.
We live and work in this community too; we might even be neighbors. As a locally owned and operated business, SERVPRO of Harrison, Perry, Crawford, Orange, Washington and Scott Counties is close by and ready to respond to your flood or water damage emergency. We are proud to be an active member of the Harrison Grange community and want to do our part to make our community the best it can be.

industry_corpus2: Water Resources & Marine


text:
1. Simulator flight interrupted by error notice 19021.
2. I cannot open software in my Microsoft Windows Vista® system environment.
3. I receive an Overflow error notice starting the software.
4. RCT analysis does not show correct score in team player mode.
5. The course map in the FQ simulator is not displayed correctly.
Please check whether your screen saver activated itself and set a longer period before screen saver is activated.
This problem has already been fixed by our developers. Please download a revised copy of the software from your customer account.
Please make sure both training partners operate with the same settings at Windows® Control Panels -> Regional and Language Options.
This problem occurs with laptops or PCs with integrated Intel graphics card and additional external graphics card.
To solve the problem, disable the Intel graphics card via the Device Manager and update the drivers for the external graphics card.

industry_corpus2: Gaming


text:
The publisher (Islamic Research Foundation) grants you an open license to reproduce or translate this booklet as well as every other publication of theirs. You may publish them for sale or for free distribution without any prior permission. They ask for no royalties or 'copyrights'.
To make good quality reprints, you may contact the publisher (http://www.irf.net/) to obtain free copies of computer print files of this book.
It will be appreciated if a few copies of the reproduction are posted to us for our records.
1st print March 2000 – 10,000 copies.
Al-Qur'an, the main source of the Islamic faith, is a book believed by Muslims, to be of completely Divine origin. Muslims also believe that it contains guidance for all mankind. Since the message of the Qur'an is believed to be for all times, it should be relevant to every age. Does the Qur'an pass this test? In this booklet, I intend to give an objective analysis of the Muslim belief regarding the Divine origin of the Qur'an, in the light of established scientific discoveries.
A book, claiming Divine origin, is in effect, claiming to be a miracle. Such a claim should be easily verifiable in any age, according to the standards of that age. Muslims believe, that the Qur'an is the last and final revelation of God, the miracle of miracles revealed as a mercy to mankind. Let us therefore investigate the veracity of this belief..
I would like to thank Brother Musaddique Thange for his editorial assistance. May Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala) reward him for his efforts, Amin.
"And if ye are in doubt As to what We have revealed From time to time to Our Servant, then produce a Soorah Like thereunto; And call your witnesses or helpers (If there are any) besides Allah, If your (doubts) are true. But if ye cannot –And of a surety you cannot. Then fear the Fire Whose fuel is Men and Stones – Which is prepared for those Who reject Faith."
The same notation is followed throughout the book. References and translation of the Qur'an are from the translation of the Qur'an by Abdullah Yusuf Ali, new revised edition, 1989, published by Amana Corporation, Maryland, USA.
The challenge of the Qur'an, is to produce a single Surah (chapter) like [any of] the chapters it contains. The same challenge is repeated in the Qur'an several times. The challenge to produce a Surah, which, in beauty, eloquence, depth and meaning is at least somewhat similar to a Qur'anic Surah remains unmet to this day. A modern rational man, however, would never accept a religious scripture, which says, in the best possible poetic language, that the world is flat. This is because we live in an age, where human reason, logic and science are given primacy. Not many would accept the Qur'an's extraordinarily beautiful language, as proof of its Divine origin. Any scripture claiming to be a divine revelation must also be acceptable on the strength of its own reason and logic..
According to the famous physicist and Nobel Prize winner, Albert Einstein, "Science without religion is lame. Religion without science is blind." Let us therefore study the Qur'an, and analyze whether the Qur'an and Modern Science are compatible or incompatible?
The Qur'an is not a book of science but a book of 'signs', i.e. ayat. There are more than six thousand 'signs' in the Qur'an of which more than a thousand deal with science. We all know that many a times Science takes a 'U-turn'. In this book I have considered only established scientific facts and not mere hypotheses and theories that are based on assumptions and are not backed by proof.
The striking congruence between the Qur'anic verse and the 'Big Bang' is inescapable! How could a book, which first appeared in the deserts of Arabia 1400 years ago, contain this profound scientific truth?
"Moreover, He Comprehended In His design the sky, And it had been (as) smoke: He said to it And to the earth: 'Come ye together, Willingly or unwillingly.' They said: 'We do come (Together), in willing obedience.' "
"And the earth, moreover, Hath He made egg shaped."
Al-Qur'an 79:30. The Arabic word dahaha has been translated by A. Yusuf Ali as "vast expanse", which also is correct. The word dahaha also means an ostrich-egg.
"Blessed is He Who made Constellations in the skies, And placed therein a Lamp And a Moon giving light."
The Arabic word for the sun in the Qur'an, is shams. It is referred to as siraj, which means a 'torch' or as wahhaj which means 'a blazing lamp' or as diya which means 'shining glory'. All three descriptions are appropriate to the sun, since it generates intense heat and light by its internal combustion. The Arabic word for the moon is qamar and it is described in the Qur'an as munir, which is a body that gives nur i.e. light. Again, the Qur'anic description matches perfectly with the true nature of the moon, which does not give off light itself and is an inert body that reflects the light of the sun. Not once in the Qur'an, is the moon mentioned as siraj, wahhaj or diya or the sun as nur or munir. This implies that the Qur'an recognizes the difference between the nature of sunlight and moonlight.
"It is He who made the sun To be a shining glory And the moon to be a light (of beauty)."
"See ye not How Allah has created The seven heavens One above another, And made the moon A light in their midst, and made the sun As a (Glorious) Lamp?"
The Arabic word used in the above verse is yasbahun . The word yasbahun is derived from the word sabaha. It carries with it the idea of motion that comes from any moving body. If you use the word for a man on the ground, it would not mean that he is rolling but would mean he is walking or running. If you use the word for a man in water it would not mean that he is floating but would mean that he is swimming.
"It is not permitted to the Sun to catch up the Moon, nor can the Night outstrip the Day: Each (just) swims along in (its own) orbit (according to Law)."
This verse mentions an essential fact discovered by modern astronomy, i.e. the existence of the individual orbits of the Sun and the Moon, and their journey through space with their own motion. The 'fixed place' towards, which the sun travels, carrying with it the solar system, has been located exactly by modern astronomy. It has been given a name, the Solar Apex. The solar system is indeed moving in space towards a point situated in the constellation of Hercules (alpha Layer) whose exact location is firmly established.
The moon rotates around its axis in the same duration that it takes to revolve around the earth. It takes approximately 29½ days to complete one rotation. One cannot help but be amazed at the scientific accuracy of the Qur'anic verses. Should we not ponder over the question: "What was the source of knowledge contained in the Qur'an?"
The Qur'an mentioned the expansion of the universe, before man even learnt to build a telescope! Some may say that the presence of astronomical facts in the Qur'an is not surprising since the Arabs were advanced in the field of astronomy. They are correct in acknowledging the advancement of the Arabs in the field of astronomy. However they fail to realize that the Qur'an was revealed centuries before the Arabs excelled in astronomy. Moreover many of the scientific facts mentioned above regarding astronomy, such as the origin of the universe with a Big Bang, were not known to the Arabs even at the peak of their scientific advancement. The scientific facts mentioned in the Qur'an are therefore not due to the Arabs' advancement in astronomy. Indeed, the reverse is true. The Arabs advanced in astronomy, because astronomy occupies a place in the Qur'an.
"Seest thou not that Allah sends down rain from the sky, and leads it through springs in the earth? Then He causes to grow, therewith, produce of various colours."
"He sends down rain From the sky And with it gives life to The earth after it is dead: Verily in that are Signs For those who are wise."
"And We send down water from the sky according to (due) measure, and We cause it to soak in the soil; And We certainly are able to drain it off (with ease)."
"And We send the fecundating winds, Then cause the rain to descend From the sky, therewith providing You with water (in abundance)."
The Qur'anic descriptions are absolutely accurate and agree perfectly with modern data on hydrology. The water cycle is described in several verses of the Glorious Qur'an, including 3:9, 7:57, 13:17, 25:48- 49, 36:34, 50:9-11, 56:68-70, 67:30 and 86:11.
In the Arabic text the word barzakh means a barrier or a partition. This barrier is not a physical partition. The Arabic word maraja literally means 'they both meet and mix with each other'. Early commentators of the Qur'an were unable to explain the two opposite meanings for the two bodies of water, i.e. they meet and mix, and at the same time, there is a barrier between them. Modern Science has discovered that in the places where two different seas meet, there is a barrier between them. This barrier divides the two seas so that each sea has its own temperature, salinity and density. [Principles of Oceanography, Davis, pp. 92-93] Oceanologists are now in a better position to explain this verse. There is a slanted unseen water barrier between the two seas through which water from one sea passes to the other.
"It is He Who has let free the two bodies of flowing water: one palatable and sweet, and the other salty and bitter; Yet has He made a barrier between them, and a partition that is forbidden to be passed."
The sun's rays are absorbed by clouds, which in turn scatter light rays thus causing a layer of darkness under the clouds. This is the first layer of darkness. When light rays reach the surface of the ocean they are reflected by the wave surface giving it a shiny appearance. Therefore it is the waves which reflect light and cause darkness. The unreflected light penetrates into the depths of the ocean. Therefore the ocean has two parts. The surface characterized by light and warmth and the depth characterized by darkness. The surface is further separated from the deep part of the ocean by waves. The internal waves cover the deep waters of seas and oceans because the deep waters have a higher density than the waters above them. The darkness begins below the internal waves. Even the fish in the depths of the ocean cannot see; their only source of light is from their own bodies.
In other words, above these waves there are more types of waves, i.e. those found on the surface of the ocean. The Qur'anic verse continues, " ... topped by (dark) clouds; depths of darkness, one above another."
"And fruit of every kind He made in pairs, two and two."
"And of everything We have created pairs."
"Glory to Allah, Who created in pairs all things that the earth produces, as well as their own (human) kind and (other) things of which they have no knowledge."
"There is not an animal (that lives) on the earth, nor a being that flies on its wings, but (forms part of) communities like you."
The Arabic word amsaka literally means, 'to put one's hand on, seize, hold, hold someone back,' which expresses the idea that Allah holds the bird up in His power. These verses stress the extremely close dependence of the birds' behaviour on Divine order. Modern scientific data has shown the degree of perfection attained by certain species of birds with regard to the programming of their movements. It is only the existence of a migratory programme in the genetic code of the birds that can explain the long and complicated journey that very young birds, without any prior experience and without any guide, are able to accomplish. They are also able to return to the departure point on a definite date.
"And thy Lord taught the bee to build its cells in hills, on trees, and in (men's) habitations; then to eat of all the produce (of the earth), And find with skill the spacious paths of its Lord."
Von-Frisch received the Nobel Prize in 1973 for his research on the behaviour and communication of the bees. The bee, after discovering any new garden or flower, goes back and tells its fellow bees the exact direction and map to get there, which is known as 'bee dance'. The meanings of this insect's movements that are intended to transmit information between worker bees have been discovered scientifically using photography and other methods. The Qur'an mentions in the above verse how the bee finds with skill the spacious paths of its Lord.
The worker bee or the soldier bee is a female bee. In Surah an-Nahl chapter no. 16, verses 68 and 69 the gender used for the bee is the female gender (fa'sluki and kuli), indicating that the bee that leaves its home for gathering food is a female bee. In other words the soldier or worker bee is a female bee. In fact, in Shakespeare's play, "Henry the Fourth", some of the characters speak about bees and mention that the bees are soldiers and that they have a king. That is what people thought in Shakespearean times. They thought that the worker bees are male bees and they go home and are answerable to a king bee. This, however, is not true. The worker bees are females and they do not report to a king bee but to a queen bee. But it took modern investigations in the last 300 years to discover this.
The ants bury their dead in a manner similar to the humans.
They have a sophisticated system of division of labour, whereby they have managers, supervisors, foremen, workers, etc.
Once in a while they meet among themselves to have a 'chat'.
They have an advanced method of communication among themselves.
They hold regular markets wherein they exchange goods.
They store grains for long periods in winter and if the grain begins to bud, they cut the roots, as if they understand that if they leave it to grow, it will rot. If the grains stored by them get wet due to rains, they take these grains out into the sunlight to dry, and once these are dry, they take them back inside as though they know that humidity will cause development of root systems and thereafter rotting of the grain.
The Qur'an was revealed 600 years before the Muslim scientist Ibn Nafis described the circulation of the blood and 1,000 years before William Harwey brought this understanding to the Western world. Roughly thirteen centuries before it was known what happens in the intestines to ensure that organs are nourished by the process of digestive absorption, a verse in the Qur'an described the source of the constituents of milk, in conformity with these notions.
To understand the Qur'anic verse concerning the above concepts, it is important to know that chemical reactions occur in the intestines and that, from there, substances extracted from food pass into the blood stream via a complex system; sometimes by way of the liver, depending on their chemical nature. The blood transports them to all the organs of the body, among which are the milk-producing mammary glands.
"And in cattle (too) ye have an instructive example: from within their bodies We produce (milk) for you to drink; there are, in them, (besides), numerous (other) benefits for you; and of their (meat) ye eat."
All the information from the Qur'an so gathered, was translated into English and presented to Prof. (Dr.) Keith Moore, who was the Professor of Embryology and Chairman of the Department of Anatomy at the University of Toronto, in Canada. At present he is one of the highest authorities in the field of Embryology. He was asked to give his opinion regarding the information present in the Qur'an concerning the field of embryology. After carefully examining the translation of the Qur'anic verses presented to him, Dr. Moore said that most of the information concerning embryology mentioned in the Qur'an is in perfect conformity with modern discoveries in the field of embryology and does not conflict with them in any way. He added that there were however a few verses, on whose scientific accuracy he could not comment. He could not say whether the statements were true or false, since he himself was not aware of the information contained therein.
"Now let man but think from what he is created! He is created from a drop emitted – proceeding from between the backbone and the ribs."
"And made his progeny from a quintessence of the nature of a fluid despised."
"That He did create in pairs – male and female, from a seed when lodged (in its place)."
"He makes you, in the wombs of your mothers, in stages, one after another, in three veils of darkness."
"Man We did create from a quintessence (of clay); then We placed him as (a drop of) sperm in a place of rest, firmly fixed; then we made the sperm into a clot of congealed blood; then of that clot We made a (foetus) lump; then We made out of that lump bones and clothed the bones with flesh; then We developed out of it another creature. So blessed be Allah, the best to create!"
In this verse Allah states that man is created from a small quantity of liquid which is placed in a place of rest, firmly fixed (well established or lodged) for which the Arabic word qararin makin is used.
The uterus is well protected from the posterior by the spinal column supported firmly by the back muscles. The embryo is further protected by the amniotic sac containing the amniotic fluid. Thus the foetus has a well protected dwelling place. This small quantity of fluid is made into alaqah, meaning something which clings. It also means a leech-like substance. Both descriptions are scientifically acceptable as in the very early stages the foetus clings to the wall and also appears to resemble the leech in shape. It also behaves like a leech (blood sucker) and acquires its blood supply from the mother through the placenta. The third meaning of the word alaqah is a blood clot. During this alaqah stage, which spans the third and fourth week of pregnancy, the blood clots within closed vessels. Hence the embryo acquires the appearance of a blood clot in addition to acquiring the appearance of a leech. In 1677, Hamm and Leeuwenhoek were the first scientists to observe human sperm cells (spermatozoa) using a microscope. They thought that a sperm cell contained a miniature human being which grew in the uterus to form a newborn. This was known as the perforation theory. When scientists discovered that the ovum was bigger than the sperm, it was thought by De Graf and others that the foetus existed in a miniature form in the ovum. Later, in the 18th century Maupertuis propagated the theory of biparental inheritance. The alaqah is transformed into mudghah which means 'something that is chewed (having teeth marks)' and also something that is tacky and small which can be put in the mouth like gum. Both these explanations are scientifically correct. Prof. Keith Moore took a piece of plaster seal and made it into the size and shape of the early stage of foetus and chewed it between the teeth to make it into a 'Mudgha'. He compared this with the photographs of the early stage of foetus. The teeth marks resembled the 'somites' which is the early formation of the spinal column.
Prof. Marshall Johnson is one of the leading scientists in US, and is the head of the Department of Anatomy and Director of the Daniel Institute at the Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia in US. He was asked to comment on the verses of the Qur'an dealing with embryology. He said that the verses of the Qur'an describing the embryological stages cannot be a coincidence. He said it was probable that Muhammad (peace be upon him) had a powerful microscope. On being reminded that the Qur'an was revealed 1,400 years ago, and microscopes were invented centuries after the time of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), Prof. Johnson laughed and admitted that the first microscope invented could not magnify more than 10 times and could not show a clear picture. Later he said: "I see nothing here in conflict with the concept that Divine intervention was involved when Muhammad (peace be upon him) recited the Qur'an."
"Was he not a drop of sperm emitted (in lowly form)? Then did he become a clinging clot; then did (Allah) make and fashion (him) in due proportion. And of him He made two sexes, male and female."
"Him Who created thee, fashioned thee in due proportion, and gave thee a just bias; in whatever form He wills, does He put thee together."
"Verily We created man from a drop of mingled sperm, in order to try him: So We gave him (the gifts), of hearing and sight."
"It is He Who has created for you (the faculties of) hearing, sight, feeling and understanding: little thanks It is ye give!"
In all these verses the sense of hearing is mentioned before that of sight. Thus the Qur'anic description matches with the discoveries in modern embryology.
"Does man think that We cannot assemble his bones? Nay, We are able to put together in perfect order the very tips of his fingers."
Prof. Tagatat Tejasen, Chairman of the Department of Anatomy at Chiang Mai University in Thailand, has spent a great amount of time on research of pain receptors. Initially he could not believe that the Qur'an mentioned this scientific fact 1,400 years ago. He later verified the translation of this particular Qur'anic verse. Prof. Tejasen was so impressed by the scientific accuracy of the Qur'anic verse, that at the 8th Saudi Medical Conference held in Riyadh on the Scientific Signs of Qur'an and Sunnah he proclaimed in public: "There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is His Messenger."
The scientific evidences of the Qur'an clearly prove its Divine Origin. No human could have produced a book, fourteen hundred years ago, that would contain profound scientific facts, to be discovered by humankind centuries later. The Qur'an, however, is not a book of Science but a book of 'Signs'. These signs invite Man to realize the purpose of his existence on earth, and to live in harmony with Nature. The Qur'an is truly a message from Allah, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. It contains the same message of the Oneness of God, that was preached by all prophets, right from Adam, Moses, Jesus to Muhammad (peace be upon them).
The Qur'an contains a complete code of life for the individual and society. Alhamdulillah (Praise be to Allah), the Qur'anic way of life is far superior to the 'isms' that modern man has invented out of sheer ignorance. Who can give better guidance than the Creator Himself?
I pray that this humble effort is accepted by Allah, to whom I pray for mercy and guidance (Amin).

industry_corpus2: Subject Education


text:
A Caring Heart, Senior Housing Referral Service has merged with CHOICE Advisory Services as of May 1, 2015. This offers the Vancouver community the resources of one of the most established and well respected referral services in the Pacific Northwest in addition to Les Ostermeier’s background and expertise in the Clark County region.
A Caring Heart is free senior housing referral service dedicated to helping seniors and their families make the best decision regarding housing options.


text:
CM-1027 Crown Molding is a Plain, 4-3/16" breadth crown molding typically used in rooms with ceiling heights of 8' - 9'.
Great addition to the hallway!
Lightweight makes this very easy to install. The finish look is such an improvement to the hall.
Received product within two days of ordering. It was well packaged and damage free. Very easy to put up even for diy novices. I will definitely purchase as we complete the rest of our remodel, thank you!
WE HAVE A GOOD EXPERIENCE TO WORK WITH!
I’ve used this crown molding in numerous rooms in my home. Paints easily, goes up easily, and it looks elegant!!
Quality products at fair prices with excellent service.
I used crown molding purchased from U Decor as part of a 90- linear foot ceiling cove lighting project at my home in Florida. The assistance provided by UDecor was helpful. The product was shipped promptly. it arrived in fine condition. I have subsequently placed additional orders with U Decor and recommended them to others.
What a difference this crown mounding made!
Super fast delivery and easy to work with- even as a beginner.
Product as stated, shipped quickly.
on time, product as described, looks great.
As a female and a helper to the man who put it up, the job went very smoothly. We had many cuts to make and they were easy for him.. Taking down the wallpaper border took much more time and was very time consuming..
So easy to work with..
Love this stuff .. AWESOME!
I loved that it looks and cuts like wood but is lighter. I painted two coats of paint on all the molding before starting to install. After install all I had to do was caulk and touch up. That saved many trips up and down the ladder. I am 68 years old and do not consider my self a finish carpenter but after watching the video several times and taking notes, I did just what the guy in the video said. I got better the more I did. My wife and friends love it and cannot believe that I did it.
I ordered on a Friday my deliver was delivered on Tuesday. The molding was perfect and the service was great!!!
I have installed crown molding in all of my homes but the crown that I ordered from udecor was the easiest to work with by far. It is so lightweight which makes it very easy to put it up by yourself. It cuts beautifully, paints easily, and it looks great up. From now on this is the only crown I will use!
The molding arrived extremely quickly and packaged well to avoid damage. We are so excited to have added this crown molding to our bedroom. Just beautiful!
UDecor is the best. Made the whole process easy. Price was great. Shipping was fast. Product was amazing. And watch the tutorial videos. Made it easy.
Thank you for informing us of this issue -- we're very sorry for the inconvenience it has caused! We want you to love your new molding, so one of our friendly representatives will be in contact with you shortly to offer assistance. We look forward to speaking with you soon!
Very inexpensive and easy to use. Prompt delivery and customer service was great.
Our master bath looks elegant!!
We had this installed in our master bathroom. Love it, love it.
Well packed and very pretty. But need some skills to install to make it straight.
The molding was delivered fast and was as I expected. It was easy to use and I was able to complete the project without issue.
I love my crown molding!!!!
I hired a carpenter to mount crown molding throughout the main portion o my house including the bathroom, hallway, laundryroom, living room and kitchen. t arrived promptly and he said it was very easy working with the maerial and mounting it. It looks super and everything turned out just the way I had envisioned it. Thank you UDecor! I highly recommend this product.
I bought this crown molding for my living and dinning room. It looks very nice and eligant. Only reason for not giving 5 stars is because I bought boxes at different times and there was a slight difference between molding. Julie was excellent to try to get me the right style. If you buy this buy this product buy all at once.
The crown really helped the appearance of the rooms and was relatively easy to install' A Finish nailer would greatly improve speed if you can rent/buy. When calked it looks professional.
Great price no tax delevered quickly looks great what more do you want! !
Easy to install and looks great! The customer service staff at udecor are true professionals and it's a consistent positive experience every time I dealt with these guys, thank you!
It looks great. Went up easily without extra help.
My fiancé happened to be driving by their store one day and decided to stop in and see if they had what we were looking for. They were attentive as well as informative. Made the purchasing of my plantation shutters very easy as well as economical. I would definitely use them again.
Excellent quality. What I loved about uDecor was I was able to order 7 samples and hold them up on my walls to see which one would work best. I have not yet worked with the material, however the sample is straight and well defined. I can't see any issues working with this product.
Two installers told me after I bought it and painted it that the foam molding is not suitable for Arizona. The shrink and swell is too much. It was a waste of my money and time.
We're sorry that your installers gave you this information. Polyurethane is actually one of the best materials for this because it isn't affected by the dryness (or in areas of humidity a high humidity). You always want to install a material as close as possible to room temperature ... as long as you do that and use an adhesive on your seams you shouldn't have any issue with your installation. We have lots of customers in Tucson that have ordered with us and we'll reach out to help find an installer that is experienced.
I have used this CM throughout the house. Great product. Easy to install. I pre paint 2 coats then install with glue and 18 gauge nails. Caulk and paint 3rd coat. Turns out great. Has made a big change to the house. Looks complete now. Instruction video great too. U-decor folks helpful. Almost finished with last install. Looks professionally installed.
With this product along with their incredible how-to videos, even I did a professional job putting crown molding in my kitchen. A little caulk and paint, and boom! It looks like a million bucks!
Everyone says it looks great and very professional install. I really like working with this material.
Very user friendly and easy to install. Well worth the investment.
Im a DIY'er. I was debating whether to buy udecor crown molding, or solid wood crown molding. Im glad I chose udecor. It was worth every penny. Easy to handle, easy to cut, easy to install (even for one person). The material isnt perfect, there are some minor manufacturing imperfections, but you'd have more defects in solid wood. Im a repeat customer, and will purchase again when the time comes.
Thank you! The product is perfect and the instructional video is even better. I rented a miter saw ($35) from the local big box store at 11:00 a.m. returned the saw two hours later, and nailed, glued, sealed, and painted the crown molding before my wife got home from work. Best home improvement investment we ever made. Bravo!!!
Great product. Easy to cut with a coping saw. Installed on 8' ceilings.
Using this crown to create window cornice. Due to the height of the windows decided to go with this taller crown. Easy to work with and it looks great! For those individuals that appreciate moulding in architecture this addition to our house stops them in their tracks! Thanks UDecor for producing a quality product!
Looks great at a really good price!
These are easy to install and look fantastic. When I planned the remodel of the studio, I told my wife that I would not be installing crown moulding like I did in the Bedroom remodel. Well, she set me! She loved it so much in the Bedroom, she had to have it in her studio!
I purchased 42 pieces if CM-1027 crown molding and added it to our kitchen, dining, living, and entry hall. The house has 10 foot ceilings and this molding really gave it a classy look.
Fantastic product! Looks Great! one coat of Semi-Gloss and done.
My wife loves it, enough said.
I really love this product as crown molding. It had a few gaps but was easy to fill with putty, lightly sand when dry and painted perfectly. The UDecour was always great with shipping and I always received my product in great condition. Wish I had more rooms to do! Will definitely do business with the company and highly recommend the product.
Product looks great and easy to work with. Will be purchasing more for my next project.
Good quality, easy to install!
This seems to be good quality moulding and it was very easy to install. I added it to a room where I hid the wiring for my 7.1 surround sound system along the joint where the ceiling and wall meet, obviously. There was ample room to hide all the wiring in the gap behind the moulding. Highly recommended. The price is higher than wood moulding but the ease of installation more than makes up for it.
Turned out good added greatly to the rooms appeal.
The molding turned out good. Have to be real careful with the seams. I like the product and will try coping instead of mitering next time.
This is so easy to install - light weight and so pretty. I'm a first time crown molding installer (I'm a 60 year old woman) and I got it up in the kitchen and dining room. For the most part, it looks great. My main problem was the joints. If you can use a miter saw instead of a miter box, do so - they'll fit together better and you'll use less caulk. I didn't know how to work with uneven walls, also something a pro would be able to handle better. Still, it adds a lot to the room.
I started in the master bath with this crown. It really makes a huge difference and really looks great! I plan to do the rest of the house with this molding. Very easy to install. Very nice people to deal with. Great experience all the way!
Bought CM-1027 crown molding and installed it to our house. Good product that makes the house look nicer than before. Purchased additional pieces but received inconsistent ones. If you look at the current specification, it should have 38/52 spring angles. I received a mixture of products with 38/52 and 45/45 spring angles. But the customer service seems good and the vendor is responsible. They re-sent me products that are consistent with online specs or my previous ones. It wasted some time and labor, but generally the product is good and I am satisfied with the vendor.
The crown moulding looks beautiful. Great product and the service was the best! We were extremely happy.
Crown molding arrived in great shape when expected. There are a couple of spots in 18 8ft long prices that aren't perfect but they will not be noticeable. I would order this again.
As a rank amateur I was delighted with the ease of install and the final look. I made all cuts by hand with a miter box and loved how totally easy the material cut. I used an electric Brad gun to assist in holding th molding in place but the adhesive did most of the work. I shaved off popcorn on ceiling where the molding was going and that made life easier for placement with smaller gaps. I'd be glad to use again and to recommend this product. I also made some simple window cornices and they look great picking up the look of the molding.
The crown molding makes the room.
Awesome product! so easy to use.. flexible, mildew and mould resistant, can be used no matter how bad sheet rock finish was from construction companies. Product has transformed an everyday cookie cutter house to something leaning towards elegance. By watching the tuturial on how to install this product which is absolutely easy i do recommend this product to anyone who will desire crown moulding in their home, 5 stars from me. matt.
After installing the crown molding our rooms look great. The molding gave the rooms that finished and somewhat elegant look. We couldn't be happier.
Best price around. Molding is nicely primed. It only took 1 coat of paint. There are some imperfections, but they won't be noticeable, once they are up. Arrived when promised.
Goes up easy very little mess everyone likes the improvemrnt to the room.
I am very impressed with this moulding. It goes up easily and paint adheres very well. dealing with the company is a pleasure.Vicki is the best.
Instructional videos are very helpful. Never instal crown molding before, now my wife wants it throughout the house.
This product is all that the company claims.. Great looking, light weight and easy on the installer. One comment: the corner finials are slightly different white than the crown molding. You'll have to caulk and paint.
Crown molding looks nice but the curvatures on a few pieces we received were inconsistent resulting in visible joints.
Product was so easy to work with. Looks great installed. Will definitely me buying more for the rest of the house.
I ordered 16 CM-1027, 3 of them were a 4 1/8" Breadth, while the other 14 were 4 1/4" Breadth. Luckily, I was able to use all of the molding, but, I used the 4 1/8" in a different room all together. After words, they offered to send me 3 - 4 1/4" ones, to make up for it. They were very apologetic for the size difference. the order it self, came as scheduled.
So easy to install and it adds so much to a room.
I'm so glad I stumbled upon UDecor for the crown molding for my son's nursery. Not only were the prices the best available but shipping was unbelievably quick! I will definitely return to UDecor when we decide to finish the rest of the house in crown molding. This style is simple yet adds such a nice touch to the nursery or any room. I couldn't be happier!


text: Having been in business since 1950, we are proud to support the communities we serve. Our employees are active in the community, learning and understanding the needs individuals have most. As your technology provider of choice, we’ll help you stay current with the news, keep up on social media, or keep your online business running with the connections that make it happen.

industry_corpus2: Technology & Research


text:
t&n artist NINE LASHES visits G rock TV.
Kingsdown recently visited G rock TV with SPOKEN. We enjoyed their stay and we hope you enjoy their music.
Street Artist Jon Hall took a drive up to Venice Beach the other night to put up some of his art, and came across a couple that have been homeless for 7 years, and have are still married! They shared their story with Jon and Tony. It’s an amazing one, check it out!
Jon Hall take’s a trip New York with good friend Tony Adams. Jon went out there to share the word of God and to do some street art. Here is a short film of the trip they took to New York, check out some amazing testimony’s at the end!
Tyler Evans ( Supercross Athlete) share his Testimony with our Grock member Jon Hall in New york during a trip to help spread the good word to kids on the street in Harlem, and trying to show them there’s a different way of living.


text:
Stapem Beluga, the first of two Incat Crowther designed 18-meter Aluminium Dive Support catamarans was recently launched in Port Elizabeth & landed safely in Angola. Built under ABS survey by the Legacy Marine Group in Port Elizabeth, South Africa for French oil and gas services company Stapem Offshore, this vessel will operate off the Angolan coast.
The vessel design was fully customised to suit the client’s specific operational requirements and is equipped with a bow configuration specific to the landings on FPSO’s and Platforms for safe transfer of personnel. The vessel also has custom fitted NIBS fendering suited to the operational conditions.
Equipment fitted to the vessel includes a 3-man Unique Hydra Nitrox air dive system, complete with multiple video and two-way communication as well as data logging systems, onboard HP and LP air compressors, underwater welding facilities, Caviblaster underwater HP washer, full diesel engine driven hydraulics system for subsea tools and deck crane, twin aircon units and FP duty and standby diesel generators.
The vessel is also fitted with lighting to support night operations, including a FLIR camera system. The aft deck is configured to support diving operations and has full CCTV camera coverage. Dive ladders (4) and Davits (3) are also fitted to the aft deck. The vessel is classed to ABS +A1 (E) HSC Coastal Craft +AMS and has a full array of safety and detection systems suitable for use in the offshore oil & gas industry.
Designed as a semi-planing catamaran hull, propelled by two MAN (560hp) inboard diesel engines coupled via ZF360 gearboxes to Hamilton HJ403 water jets with full MECS control giving it excellent manoeuvrability, an operational speed of 20 knots and a sprint speed of 23.5 knots. The efficiency, manaoevrability offered from water jet propulsion & the safety of having water jets on A dive vessel made Hamilton Jet the number one choice for boatbuilder & customer.
The vessel is designed to work alongside a “mothership” and is not required to provide crew accommodations. It’s primary mission objective is to serve as an effective dive work station from which dive operations can be carried out on a 24/7 basis by a team of 14 personnel in a safe and comfortable manner.

industry_corpus2: Petrochemicals


text:
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. - Phil Mickelson is going ahead with his Phoenix Open title defense after testing his ailing lower back on Wednesday at exclusive Whisper Rock.
"I had a good practice session, though I didn't go full speed for much of it," Mickelson said in a statement. "I feel fine. I expect to play and play well."
He first felt soreness two weeks ago in Abu Dhabi, and then withdrew from the Farmers Insurance Open on Friday after making the cut at Torrey Pines.
He flew to Georgia to see back specialist Tom Boers and was told his facet joints locked up.
Last year at TPC Scottsdale, the former Arizona State star opened with an 11-under 60 and matched the Phoenix Open record of 28 under. He was set to make his 25th start in the event that he also won in 1996 and 2005.
Mickelson lived in the Phoenix area for 12 years.
"If it was any other tournament I'd skip it," Mickelson said this week. "But I'm defending, it's my second hometown and I love the event."
Lefty also said he expects to play next week at Pebble Beach, where he's a five-time champion. He is skipping Riviera and the Match Play Championship because his oldest daughter has spring break a week earlier than his other two children.
Today at TPC Scottsdale, the 43-year-old Mickelson was scheduled to open play on the 10th tee in a morning group with Bill Haas and Ryan Moore.
While Mickelson now lives near his hometown of San Diego, Torrey Pines winner Scott Stallings is setting up a winter base in Scottsdale. He also is joining Whisper Rock, the club where Mickelson and other tour players are members.
"My wife and I are renting in Scottsdale at Grayhawk, so we are five minutes away from here," Stallings said. "I have been playing and practicing out of here, actually also at Whisper Rock - went through the whole process and we are going to make somewhat of a winter home out here.
"Especially, with the vile weather that's been in the South, I don't miss that at all. We miss our families, but I don't miss that weather at all."
Stallings won Sunday in San Diego for his third tour title. "That venue and that event was very special and a huge stepping stone in my career," he said.
Stallings is getting over an illness that also hit his wife and son.
"Honestly, if you asked me yesterday, I'd say there is no way I'm playing in the tournament," he said.
"The Mayo Clinic and the tournament got me hooked up with some good doctors and nurses, all kind of IVs and fluid and stuff like that. I'm a completely different person than I was yesterday."
Patrick Reed is coming off a victory two weeks ago in California in the Humana Challenge. Riding a self-described "putting coma" at La Quinta, Reed opened with three straight 9-under 63s and closed with a 71 for a two-stroke victory.
"The greens, when I first saw them, there were a couple brown spots on them, and I thought that meant it was going to be not rolling very true, but I didn't see any putts really hop," Reed said about TPC Scottsdale. "Whenever you have greens like that that are just really pure, just like they were at Humana, I'm excited."
Lee Westwood is making his first start in the event. He also played last week at Torrey Pines, in part because of the tour's new wraparound schedule.
"Normally, I would go play the Middle East swing. I would go and play Abu Dhabi, Qatar, and Dubai or two of those three," the Englishman said.
"I decided not to go this year and wanted to play a few more events in the States.
"If you don't play these, then you're giving up a big start, because they have played six before the season, so it started last year. So it's like a quarter of the schedule gone if you don't start until Pebble or L.A., so it makes sense to play a couple of these."
Mickelson's decision to play cost Ryo Ishikawa a spot in the field. The Japanese player tied for seventh last week at Torrey Pines, but didn't get into the Phoenix Open as a top-10 finisher because the field was full before that entry category.


text:
>>I wanted to share my experience with an earlier generation of e-book reader during my deployment to Iraq. A few years back, my brother in law bought me a Sony Reader for my deployment, which allowed me to bring the rough equivalent of 30 lbs worth of books in something that could fit in my pocket. Also, through software I was able to download the complete contents of publications that choose to make their material freely available online - and that's how I fell in love with The Atlantic.
An e-book reader shared in a platoon would be a huge morale boost. This is actually something the FRGs (family readiness groups, or spouses who volunteer to support deployed units from home) could start doing as well. With one account, and some gift cards, and possibly a deal with donations from publishers and book sellers, units could easily pass around books without the problem of incompatible preferences or the bulk/weight of paper books.
The "E-books for Troops" project is here.


text:
Crammed's sub-labels have included the Made To Measure composers' series, world music collection Cramworld, electronic music imprints SSR, Language & Selector, and Ziriguiboom, a collection devoted to new Brazilian music. Nowadays, Crammed would like to believe that borders between genres are no longer indispensable, so most releases tend to come out under the simple "Crammed" banner.
Crammed's current roster includes Konono N°1, Cibelle, Koçani Orkestar, Taraf de Haidouks, Bebel Gilberto, Balkan Beat Box, DJ Dolores, Tuxedomoon, Shantel, Kasai Allstars, Think Of One, Mahala Rai Banda, newcomers Lonely Drifter Karen & Allá, and more.