brushy mountain
>> Tuesday, February 17, 2009
PHOTOS OF GRANT AND TAMIA HILL AND MICHAEL STRAHAN AT NASH BASH AT NBA ALL STAR WEEKEND IN SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA
Sky Nellor / Supermodel, DJ / Photos by Diana Levine
Sky Nellor [Supermodel, DJ]
Photo by: Diana Levine
http://www.dianalevine.com
Contact Diana for full set/licencing info:
dianaroselevine@gmail.com
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The Frustrating History of Dave Eggers Film Adaptations
It’s kind of crazy that no film studio has yet to successfully adapted one of Dave Eggers’ books for the big screen. Considering he’s been a literary rock star since the release of his breakout memoir, 2000’s “A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius,” it seems to reason that we’d have seen at least one of his books hit the big screen by now. Is it possible that Eggers’ work is somehow too literary to make for an easy adaptation? In search of an answer, we investigated the status of his books’ journeys to the big screen. Read on for the latest info, plus the scoop on a couple of other film projects he’s involved with. And keep your fingers crossed that we’ll get to see one of his books on the big screen soon.
In 2002, New Line pictures optioned Eggers’ award-winning memoir about raising his younger brother after the death of their parents. The property spent several years in development and a screenplay was penned by fellow one-time “it” author Nick Hornby and D.V. DeVincentis, but the project eventually evaporated. “The option ran out,” he told Entertainment Weekly in a 2007 interview. “So that will probably be the end of that.”
YOU SHALL KNOW OUR VELOCITY!
Miguel Arteta (”The Good Girl”) is attached to direct the film adaptation of Eggers’ first novel, the story of a pair of childhood friends who travel the globe giving away the large sum of money one of them is uncomfortable with having earned — a plot at least partially inspired by Eggers’ own overnight success in the literary world. “With the ‘Velocity’ movie,” Eggers told Entertainment Weekly about the production, “We’re talking very, very small numbers. It’s a small independent production company.” Wells Tower, a contributor to The Believer, will write the screenplay.
WHAT IS THE WHAT
Tom Twyker (”Run Lola Run”) is involved in the big-screen version of “What Is the What,” the semi-fictionalized biography of a Sudanese refugee who journeys from his village in Sudan to Ethiopia, Kenya and eventually to the U.S.
Other film projects:
In addition to “Away We Go,” which he wrote with his wife, and which will be directed by Sam Mendes (”Revolutionary Road”) and star John Krasinksi and Maya Rudolph, Eggers himself has been hard at work on an adaptation of his own — Maurice Sendak’s classic children’s book “Where the Wild Things Are,” which Spike Jonze is directing. The film, which is a mix of live-action, CGI and animatronics, was originally being made for Universal, but after the studio and Jonze clashed, he brought it to Warner Bros. It cost a reported $80 million, and at one point, the troubled production was rumored to be re-shooting nearly the entire film. “The jury is still out on this one,” Alan Horn, President of Warner Bros, told the L.A. Times. “But we remain confident that Spike is going to figure things out and at the end of the day we’ll have an artistically compelling movie.” Karen O from the Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs is on board to create the soundtrack and Catherine Keener, James Gandolfini and Forest Whitaker will star.
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Sluti portrayal airs Sunday
EARNEY — The made-for-TV movie about the 2001 kidnapping of Anne Sluti of Kearney will air at 7 p.m. Sunday.
The 88-minute movie based on the true story of Sluti’s April 6, 2001, kidnapping will appear on the Lifetime Movie Network. The channel is available only to Charter digital customers on Channel 302.
Viewers with basic and expanded basic cable do not receive LMN because that channel is part of the digital view package.
James van der Beek, left, plays Tony Zappa in a television drama about the 2001 kidnapping of Anne Sluti from Kearney’s Hilltop Mall. Canadian actress Sara Canning plays Sluti. The movie will be broadcast Sunday." vspace="2" width="400" border="0" height="267" hspace="0">“Taken in Broad Daylight” focuses on Sluti’s six-day survival: how she outsmarted her captor, Tony Zappa of St. Paul, Minn.; how she left evidence for law enforcement along the way; and how she kept her wits to ultimately help negotiate her safe release.
A preview of the show can be seen by going to www.lmn.tv and typing “Taken in Broad Daylight” in the search engine.
Filming began Sept. 22 near Winnipeg, Manitoba, and wrapped Oct. 16.
Of the more than 100 law enforcement officers between Kearney and Montana involved in Sluti’s case, there are only two fictional characters portrayed in the drama: FBI Detective Reynolds and a detective and hostage negotiator, Mike Timbrook, who is played by actor LeVar Burton.
Sluti, now 24, is a quality engineer in Indiana at Boston Scientific, where urology medical products are manufactured. Zappa, now 38, is in federal custody near Tucson, Ariz.
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Amber Frey & Bobby Hernandez: Frey & Hernandez divorce
Amber Frey, better known as the former girlfriend of Scott Peterson, filed for divorce from her husband, Bobby Hernandez. Frey cited irreconcilable differences as the reason for her divorce.
The background story on Amber Frey and Scott Peterson.
Photo of Amber Frey.
Amber Frey has troubles on her home.
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Video: Shaq Grooves With Jabbawockeez
Jabbawockeez + Shaq = pure hilarity. NBA FanHouse's Brett Pollakoff detailed Shaq's exciting performance at the All-Star Game, which included one of the most memorable introductions ever (video after the jump).
The masked 15-time All-Star busted a move with the dance troupe that won Season 1 of America's Best Dance Crew during the opening, and was later named co-MVP after the game.
Big Baryshnikov's shifty moves definitely impressed Kobe. "On the dance floor that'd be an A-plus," Bryant said. "That size moving and all that ... and he didn't show you the windmill. He can still windmill."
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Power Animals: The Parrot
The parrot as a healer would be representative of both a colour therapist and a speech therapist. Parrot is a magical totem that teaches us that the world is full of possibility. The role of the parrot is that of a linguist opening communication centers. When parrot totem appears look to see if you need assistance in understanding views that are different from your own. It may be time to widen your horizons or sign up for a class to learn a new language
With its brightly coloured feathers, the parrot is considered a bird of the sun. The attributes of colour and association with the life-giving sun are what gives it its magic. Parrot feathers can be used in prayer sticks for powerful healing rites and also to invoke the energies of the sun at any time of the year.
Some parrots are taught to mimic humans. Because of this ability, the parrot is considered a link or bridge between the bird kingdom and the human one. In this sense, parrots can be viewed as ambassadors, diplomats, or interpreters for the bird realm. They have a magic that can awaken a diplomacy within and enable you to understand others more effectively.
In the Pueblo tradition, parrots are associated with the gathering of salt. Salt was a precious commodity, and the places where salt was found, were considered a gift from the sun. Since the parrot was a bird of the sun to the Pueblo, there is that correlation. But the most noticeable attribute of parrots is its bright colours. Anyone with a parrot as totem should study colours and their effects. Thus the parrot can be a wonderful teacher of the power of light and colour.
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Things That Keep Me From Sleeping At Night
(1) Do you think that Jerry Mathers ever got a day at Penn State's Beaver Stadium?
(2) And speaking of Penn State....why is it called Penn State when its in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania?
(3) Pink Floyd....which one's pink?
(4) The Utah Jazz....yeah, when I think about Utah, its always about Brigham Young, the Great Salt Lake, and Miles Davis.
(5) If God Created Man in His Own Image? Lemmy Kilmister of MOTORHEAD.![[mostOversexedMusicians_LemmyKilmister_l1.jpg]](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLsxpJQjcAABGkc2Y-CAaY5jckFkRrDkKE5lt83NBkIjqCD9MYGawn62E-gZ0JMCZ7B5rSfROVb0ZMrHmlC88BJOzTzqYxu9CPuVjt0XER5G3l22ORnswQCkWLyukAiYFRcIQmtxQTvkE/s1600/mostOversexedMusicians_LemmyKilmister_l1.jpg)
(6) Kudos to the heroes of Flight 3407, not losing a single passenger in the emergency crash into the Hudson River. Sadly, all their luggage was reported as "late" or "missing".
(7) If ESPN's Trey Wingo married Drey Mingo, of the University of Maryland's women's basketball team, would Mrs. Wingo be called Drey Mingo Wingo? And when they get old, would Mr Wingo and Ms. Mingo Wingo get to spend their Golden Years playing Bingo?
(8) I found out recently that under most circumstances Medicare will not pay for most hearing aids used by most elderly patients. I suppose the logic is that if Grandpa can't hear what's going on he'll be less likely to break into the conversation with the same story you've heard at least fifty times.
(9) A very simple two-pronged way to end the economic crisis and get people to spend again- first, have Congress declare a Christmas, Part II for sometime in July, a Little Valentine's Day in September, and Son of Mother's Day for August. Bill O'Reilly and Fox News could fight their war on those heathens who declared war on Christmas twice in the same year, keeping conservatives happy. And second, the Department of Treasury can send notices to all of the people who bought those mass marketed Barack Obama "collectibles", and tell them the actual value of those items.....then give the people envelopes, like the guys who buy the used gold in the infomercials, and send them to the US Treasury in exchange for a US Savings Bond....savings....what a concept!
And the economy is saved. See, I'm not wasting my time online.
(10) If God Created Man In His Own Image, Pt2....Keith Richards
Wow!!!! That last one even scared me. I'm going to try to get some sleep.
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Lincoln Tops List of Past Presidents
He saved the Union.
One Hundred and forty-five years after he became president, Abraham Lincoln appears at the top of a list published by CNN.com that ranks the nation's presidents. Using a list of categories, each president from George Washington to George W. Bush was ranked. When combined, it was quite easy to see who bubbled to the top AND who wallowed in the dregs of the rankings.
It's still a little early to judge the presidency of George W., but as one would expect, he came near the bottom of the list; he was number 36.
Abraham Lincoln came out on top based on his leadership (during the Civil War), moral authority (on the issue of slavery), and vision (keeping the United States together). James Buchanan (who?) came in dead last for his lack of leadership (he squandered the opportunity to address the slavery issue during the 1850's), moral authority (slavery again), vision (that peculiar institution in the south), and job performance (because of you know what).
All 42 presidents (remember that Coolidge's two terms were separated by Roosevelt, but he's only ranked once in the survey) were scored in the following categories:
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HTC proudly shows off Touch Diamond2, Touch Pro2
HTC has just unveiled the Touch Diamond2 and Touch Pro2, upgraded versions of the Touch Diamond and Touch Pro respectively.
It also comes with a mute button at the back so you can easily put it on mute mode when using it as a speakerphone in a conference. It’s also now housed in an even more stylish design and features a tilt design so that it’s ergonomically easier to use as well. The only thing that got left out at the upgrade party is its camera, but I guess 5-megapixels is still pretty impressive even by today’s standards.
Look for both phones to hit the European market sometime in the second quarter of 2009. Early summer is the target release date for major markets across the globe. Pricing is yet to be determined, but if I were you, I’d start saving up right now as these two look tempting to say the least.
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FA Cup: Eduardo back with a bang
Eduardo da Silva enjoyed a dream return as the Brazilian-born Croatian striker scored twice in Arsenal's 4-0 FA Cup fourth-round replay win over Cardiff, exactly 359 days after suffering the horrendous injury which had threatened to end his career.
Playing his first club match since suffering a double compound fracture of his leg nearly a year ago, Eduardo headed the Gunners in front on 20 minutes after Carlos Vela struck a cross from the left.
The home side doubled their advantage in the 34th minute when Nicklas Bendtner outjumped three Cardiff defenders to head Samir Nasri's corner into the far corner of the net.
Seconds before half-time they should have been even further ahead but Bendtner somehow missed an open goal after Tom Heaton could only parry Eduardo's shot.
In the 60th minute, Cardiff midfielder Gavin Rae was adjudged to have fouled Eduardo in the box and referee Mark Halsey pointed to the spot. Eduardo stepped up himself and slotted home calmly for his second.
Eduardo nearly had a hat trick a few minutes later but saw Heaton make another save before the striker was substituted to a standing ovation.
The man who replaced Eduardo, Robin van Persie, got his name on the scoresheet in the 89th minute after Bendtner's throughball found the Dutch international who blasted the ball past Heaton with his right foot.
Van Persie also hit the post in injury time with a header, but by then the damage had already been done.
Arsenal now have a chance for revenge against Burnley - the team who knocked them out of this season's Carling Cup.
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Michael Phelps And Bong Buddies Off The Hook
The smoke has cleared for Michael Phelps!
“I’m glad this matter is put to rest. But there are also some important lessons that I’ve learned. For me, it’s all about recognizing that I used bad judgment and it’s a mistake I won’t make again. For young people especially – be careful about the decisions you make. One bad decision can really hurt you and the people you care about.”
One fallen hero story resolved. Stick around to see what happens to A-Rod and Chris Brown…
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Pakistan army vows to hold fire in Swat
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's military on Tuesday vowed to hold fire and respect a controversial agreement signed between the government and militants to enforce Islamic law in the violence-torn Swat valley.
"The army works on the government's orders. The government has given it orders to hold fire. The army will not take any offensive action," chief military spokesman Major General Athar Abbas told. The army will "certainly" respect the agreement, he said. "The army went there (Swat) at the request of the government. Whenever the government feels normalcy has been restored and the writ of government has been re-established, it will leave," added Abbas.
Monday's deal, widely seen as a government concession but billed by the authorities as a chance to restore peace to Swat, was signed between provincial ministers and a pro-Taliban but relatively moderate cleric, Soofi Mohammad.
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TWD- Devil's Food White Out Cupcakes
This weeks Tuesday's with Dorie recipe was chosen by Stephanie, who blogs over at Confessions of a City Eater. The recipe she chose was Devil's Food White Out Cake, which is the cake that is on the cover of Dorie's Baking book.
Yes, that lovely 3-layer cake with tons of billowy marshmallow frosting. You might be wondering where that beautiful cake is? Well, I turned the triple layer goodness into cupcakes and made a different frosting. Its not that I didn't want to make the gorgeous cake, but my hubby wanted some treats to take to work and cupcakes are easier to distribute than cake. And, I am all for giving the baked goods away. Then I can enjoy the process of baking but don't have to worry about eating all of the baked goodness.
Doesn't this frosting look like a soft-serve ice cream cone? Yum
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Senator Roland Burris must resign his seat
United States Senator Roland Burris has had a wonderful political career. He has in many ways been a trailblazer for African-Americans seeking higher office. In 1978 he was elected as Illinois State Comptroller, being the first African American elected to statewide office. In 1990, he was elected to another statewide office as Illinois Attorney General.
Until now.
Senator Roland Burris must resign. He perjured himself before the Illinois House and brought disgrace unto himself and the state of Illinois. He also accepted a “loan” in the amount of 1.2 million from businessman Joseph Stroud and never repaid the “loan” begging the question, what type of payment was this. And now Illinois House Republicans want to pusue this matter of Burris testimony before them.
He then discussed with Robert Blagojevich campaign contributions to then Governor Rod Blagojevich, presumably in exchange for the appointment.
And he denied he ever discussed anything with Blagojevich. It is obvious why Burris lied. It was because he was blinded by ambition. To be a United States Senator is a great honor and unfortunately, it is an honor that Burris does not deserve in view of the facts.
And although Burris now acknowledges the fact that he was approached by Robert Blagojevich, it is too late, I believe. The damage has been done. He had an opportunity to square with the Illinois state house and the people of Illinois. But Senator Burris chose to lie instead.
And it is for those reasons Burris must go. ASAP. Chicago City Hall Examiner.
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Did France's Secrecy Cause a Nuclear Submarine Collision?
A collision between a British nuclear-powered submarine carrying multiple nuclear warheads and a French nuclear submarine armed with a similar payload may have been the result of lack of communication between France and NATO nations, according to a former British submarine commander whose revelations were partially corroborated by an official at the French navy.
Sometime on Feb. 3 or 4, the British HMS Vanguard and France's Le Triomphant collided in the mid-Atlantic.
The accident probably happened because the two submarines were not aware of each other.
NATO operates a traffic control system that alerts allied nations to the deployment zones of friendly submarines.
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Facebook’s new Terms of Service
There is a lot of rage about the new TOS from Facebook. In short, it gives all the rights (and I mean all of them) of what you share in Facebook (and what is connected to it it seems) to Facebook. With the new terms, this is even true if you delete things or your account. Mark now posted on the Facebook blog with a few words about the TOS but I am not really happy. He says that “In reality, we wouldn’t share your information in a way you wouldn’t want.” and that is just plain wonderful. But please, reflect that in the TOS and get your lawyers in line.
I can see how the TOS came about. The lawyers asked several people what they want to do with the content and started writing. Then they asked whether they might ever use it for advertising, and people said that sure, there might be something they could do there. Would they use it after the account was deleted, sure, for mining the data would be nice and my friends still have my mails via Facebook. And in all those things go.
Duncan from The Inquisitor actually has a great post about all of this. The good thing is that he copied over the TOS from Google’s Picasa and who would have thought, the Google Lawyers managed to write something up that makes sure I remain holder of the copyright and I remain in control. And I am pretty sure that Google would be able to do anything with my content if they really wanted to, unless I delete it.
Come on Mark, you can do better than Google. Sure it makes the TOS more complicated and sure, you need to add some limits to your system, but this is what the users want.
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Windows Mobile for Windows Phones rolls out touchscreen, marketplace and syncing
With a whole raft of competitors hogging the mobile spotlight recently, Microsoft tried to stage a comeback at Barcelona’s Mobile World Congress with today’s announcement of new Windows Phones from HTC, LG, and Orange. Chief executive Steve Ballmer also confirmed a touchscreen user interface, an application marketplace, and a MobileMe-style synchronizing service — that yes, rhymes will a certain device by Apple, though Microsoft apparently didn’t realize it.
In her rundown of the news, All About Microsoft’s Mary Jo Foley reports that this is part of a broader shift in Microsoft’s mobile strategy; the company says it’s now interested in selling to both businesses and consumers, not just businesses (who are probably all using BlackBerrys anyway). There’s some rebranding, too — you may have noticed that Microsoft is calling the devices “Windows Phones” now, though the operating system is still Windows Mobile.
Will consumers buy it? It’s hard to say, since I haven’t had a chance to try any of these new products and services myself. (Neither has Matthaus Krzykowski, VentureBeat’s man in Barcelona.) Jesus Diaz at Gizmodo reports that “the new interface rocks.”
Still, it’s hard to get too excited, and not just because early screenshots already indicated this news was coming. Given that every major smartphone maker already has touchscreen support, it would have been incredibly lame if Microsoft didn’t follow suit. Ditto the Windows Marketplace for Mobile, which should open this fall — a year or more after the app stores by Apple and Google. And likely several months after the ones for the Palm Pre and BlackBerry.
On the other hand, Apple has has a rocky experience launching MobileMe, so Microsoft’s free My Phone service (currently in invite-only testing) could be a chance to actually do better than Apple, rather than just copying its moves.
Also disappointing: No word yet on the rumored ZunePhone or Project “Pink”.
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Conan O’Brien & Liza Powell: O’Brien & Powell move west
Conan O’Brien and his wife Liza Powell have two children; Neve, 4 and Beckett, 2. O’Brien and Powell are packing up to move west. O’Brien will wrap up “Late Night With Conan O’Brien” on Friday, Feb 20. O’Brien will be working on “The Tonight Show”. Jimmy Fallon will take over “The Late Night Show”. O’Brien has hosted The Late Night Show for 16 years and taped 2725 episodes.
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RESPONDING TO THE KILLING OF AASIYA HASSAN: AN OPEN LETTER TO THE LEADERS OF AMERICAN MUSLIM COMMUNITIES
A few weeks ago, I ran into Asma [last name], who runs a Muslim women’s shelter in Baltimore. I expressed my interest in wanting to volunteer because I know that many Muslim women who are fleeing an abusive marriage have few places to go. When I first wrote about domestic violence in this blog post, I was very encouraged to hear that Muslim leaders like Imam Johari in DC were taking proactive steps towards addressing domestic violence in our communities. But when this story broke, I was horrified and deeply concerned about the continual violence against women. But what type of hatred and rage goes into a beheading? So many of us in the Muslim community are still in shock, unable to fathom how this could have happened. ISNA has written an open letter Muslim community leaders calling them to action.
RESPONDING TO THE KILLING OF AASIYA HASSAN: AN OPEN LETTER TO THE LEADERS OF AMERICAN MUSLIM COMMUNITIES
By Imam Mohamed Hagmagid Ali
Executive Director, ADAMS Center
Vice-President, The Islamic Society of North America
The Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) is saddened and shocked by the news of the loss of one of our respected sisters, Aasiya Hassan whose life was taken violently. To God we belong and to Him we return (Qur’an 2:156). We pray that she find peace in God’s infinite Mercy, and our prayers and sympathies are with sister Aasiya’s family. Our prayers are also with the Muslim community of Buffalo who have been devastated by the loss of their beloved sister and the shocking nature of this incident.
This is a wake up call to all of us, that violence against women is real and can not be ignored. It must be addressed collectively by every member of our community. Several times each day in America, a woman is abused or assaulted. Domestic violence is a behavior that knows no boundaries of religion, race, ethnicity, or social status. Domestic violence occurs in every community. The Muslim community is not exempt from this issue. We, the Muslim community, need to take a strong stand against domestic violence. Unfortunately, some of us ignore such problems in our community, wanting to think that it does not occur among Muslims or we downgrade its seriousness.
I call upon my fellow imams and community leaders to never second-guess a woman who comes to us indicating that she feels her life to be in danger. We should provide support and help to protect the victims of domestic violence by providing for them a safe place and inform them of their rights as well as refer them to social service providers in our areas.
Marriage is a relationship that should be based on love, mutual respect and kindness. No one who experiences a marriage that is built on these principles would pretend that their life is in danger. We must respond to all complaints or reports of abuse as genuine and we must take appropriate and immediate action to ensure the victim’s safety, as well as the safety of any children that may be involved.
Women who seek divorce from their spouses because of physical abuse should get full support from the community and should not be viewed as someone who has brought shame to herself or her family. The shame is on the person who committed the act of violence or abuse. Our community needs to take a strong stand against abusive spouses. We should not make it easy for people who are known to abuse to remarry if they have already victimized someone. We should support people who work against domestic violence in our community, whether they are educators, social service providers, community leaders, or other professionals.
Our community needs to take strong stand against abusive spouses and we should not make it easy for them to remarry if they chose a path of abusive behavior. We should support people who work against domestic violence in our community, whether they are educators or social service providers. As Allah says in the Qur’an: “O ye who believe! Stand firmly for justice, as witnesses to Allah, even as against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, and whether it be (against) rich or poor: for Allah can best protect both. Follow not the lusts (of your hearts), lest you swerve, and if you distort (justice) or decline to do justice, verily Allah is well-acquainted with all that you do” (4:136).
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) never hit a women or child in his life. The purpose of marriage is to bring peace and tranquility between two people, not fear, intimidation, belittling, controlling, or demonizing. Allah the All-Mighty says in the Qur’an: “Among His signs is this, that He created for you mates from among yourselves, that ye may dwell in tranquility with them and He has put love and mercy between your (hearts): verily in that are signs for those who reflect” (30:21),
We must make it a priority to teach our young men in the community what it means to be a good husband and what the role the husband has as a protector of his family. The husband is not one who terrorizes or does harm and jeopardizes the safety of his family. At the same time, we must teach our young women not to accept abuse in any way, and to come forward if abuse occurs in the marriage. They must feel that they are able to inform those who are in authority and feel comfortable confiding in the imams and social workers of our communities.
Community and family members should support a woman in her decision to leave a home where her life is threatened and provide shelter and safety for her. No imam, mosque leader or social worker should suggest that she return to such a relationship and to be patient if she feels the relationship is abusive. Rather they should help and empower her to stand up for her rights and to be able to make the decision of protecting herself against her abuser without feeling she has done something wrong, regardless of the status of the abuser in the community.
A man’s position in the community should not affect the imam’s decision to help a woman in need. Many disasters that take place in our community could have been prevented if those being abused were heard. Domestic violence is not a private matter. Any one who abuses their spouse should know that their business becomes the business of the community and it is our responsibility to do something about it. She needs to tell someone and seek advice and protection.
Community leaders should also be aware that those who isolate their spouses are more likely to also be physically abusive, as isolation is in its own way a form of abuse. Some of the abusers use the abuse itself to silence the women, by telling her “If you tell people I abused you, think how people will see you, a well-known person being abused. You should keep it private.”
Therefore, to our sisters, we say: your honor is to live a dignified life, not to put on the face that others want to see. The way that we measure the best people among us in the community is to see how they treat their families. It is not about how much money one makes, or how much involvement they have in the community, or the name they make for themselves. Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him) said, “The best among you are those who are best to their families.”
It was a comfort for me to see a group of imams in our local community, as well as in the MANA conference signing a declaration promising to eradicate domestic violence in our community. Healthy marriages should be part of a curriculum within our youth programs, MSA conferences, and seminars as well as part of our adult programs in our masajid and in our khutbahs.
The Islamic Society of North America has done many training workshops for imams on combating domestic violence, as has the Islamic Social Service Associate and Peaceful Families Project. Organizations, such as FAITH Social Services in Herndon, Virginia, serve survivors of domestic violence. All of these organizations can serve as resources for those who seek to know more about the issues of domestic violence.
Faith Trust Institute, one of the largest interfaith organizations, with Peaceful Families Project, has produced a DVD in which many scholars come together to address this issue. I call on my fellow imams and social workers to use this DVD for training others on the issues of domestic violence. (For information, go to the website: http://www.faithtrustinstitute.org/). For more information, or to access resources and materials about domestic violence, please visit www.peacefulfamilies.org.
In conclusion, Allah says in the Qur’an “O my son! Establish regular prayer, enjoin what is just, and forbid what is wrong; and bear with patient constancy whatever betide thee; for this is firmness (of purpose) in (the conduct of) affairs” (31:17). Let us pray that Allah will help us to stand for what is right and leave what is evil and to promote healthy marriages and peaceful family environments. Let us work together to prevent domestic violence and abuse and especially, violence against women.
I pray that she is brought to justice. May Allah have mercy on Aasiya and console her family and loved ones. Please make du’a for this women, whose promising life was cut too short. I hope that Muslim leaders heed this call and that more of us support women and children who are in danger.
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Virginia Hill & Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel: Hill & Siegel photos
Virginia Hill was the girlfriend of Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel. Siegel was allegedly an American gangster. Siegel was assassinated in 1947 at the age of 41. Hill died, allegedly from suicide, in 1966, when she was 49. Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel - wiki link with photos. Virginia Hill - wiki link. Virginia Hill photo.
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Band's sticker triggers bomb threat
MEMPHIS, TN (WMC-TV) - The owner of a bicycle was arrested Monday evening after police investigated a bomb scare at Memphis International Airport.
"We cleared out a portion of the terminal building," John Greaud, Vice President of Operations at Memphis International Airport, said.
The incident happened when an officer noticed an alarming sticker stuck on the bike.
"We had a K-9 bomb dog respond," Greaud said. "They cleared the scene and indicated that it was not an explosive," he added.
Police would not let Action News 5 to get up close to the bike, but we could see the sticker just above the chain. It read "This Bike Is a Pipe Bomb."
"This Bike Is a Pipe Bomb" is the name of a folk-punk band from Pensacola, Florida. The band's bumper stickers have caused chaos at other airports in the past.
Monday night in Memphis, air traffic was not interrupted. But things were at a stand-still on the roads leading into Memphis International as part of Terminal C was evacuated. In some cases, travelers got out of their taxis and walked to try and make their flights.
"I saw a bunch of cops going over the bankings, going around people, cars waiting in traffic," traveler Dwayne Lapate said.
He was glad "something" turned out to be "nothing."
"Unfortunately, this is one of those things you can't plan for in great detail," Greaud said.
Airport officials say they're never willing to take a chance.
The FBI is now handling this case due to the nature of the incident. There's no word on the identity of the bike's owner or if formal charges have been filed. We're told he was not a traveler, but was at the airport to see someone off or welcome them home.
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The Bugsy Siegel Riff.
See gal, seagull, Bugsy Siegel the fact is officer, as Cocoyea will agree, if you can’t play live, fuck off.
Oh! enough with the corpses Chico, sombrero’ed slinger, conjuring ghosts from an urban desert.
Haha, context through framing as in framed. Wasn’t me Bob, I swear, not this time.
And if you’re leaving, I’ll be at Jason’s
downing a couple listening
to the sound of Billy Corgan
getting rained on with his own ‘38.
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Aubrey O'Day On The 'Chelsea Lately Show'
Former Danity Kane member, Aubrey O'Day, shows up on Chelsea Handler's "Chelsea Lately Show" to promote her brand new cover of Playboy magazine. She talks posing nude, the bi-sexual rumors, Danity Kane and more.
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Hayden Panettiere and Milo Ventimiglia Split
Heroes costars Hayden Panettiere and Milo Ventimiglia have called it quits, Usmagazine.com has learned.
"It was a lifestyle conflict," a source close to the couple tells Us, adding that the split happened within the last week. "They were in very different places."
See photos of other stars who are single
Adds the insider, "They are still on friendly terms. There are no hard feelings."
See photos of stars who are very friendly with their exes
The source tells Us that Panettiere, 19, "is young. She likes to go out in the Hollywood scene and that's not his style."
Ventimiglia, 31, "has been concentrating on work on his production company [Divide Pictures]," the source adds.
The two, who began dating in 2008, had been an open secret for months – in part because of their 12-year age gap.
See photos of other stars who met on set
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TrapCall - Unmask Blocked Calls! - FREE (AS ALWAYS)
Ever wanted to unmask an unknown number calling your cell phone?
Well, go ahead and sign up for TrapCall (FREE)!
I just signed up. What they do is change your call forwarding option from your voice mailbox to their phone number (I am guessing voice mailbox will still work of course). Once you decline an anonymous call, it'll go to their #, then your phone will ring again with the REAL number this time! How cool is thatttttt!!?!?!?!?
One thing that you do need is call forwarding from your provider...
tl;dr- unmask private callers to your cell by signing up for free here:
Signup Link: https://www.trapcall.com/signup
Main Website: http://www.trapcall.com/
how they make money?: there are different plans besides the free one. some you can get the name of the anonymous number, and some you can even get billing name&address. they also have dif calling goodies like spoofcard and liarcard...
Will definitely have fun when my friends "prank ME" next time
I'm hoping this is a HOT Deal btw, even though it's always free...
Also, a search brought up almost no results!
Good luck and, most importantly, have fun and peace of mind fellow SDers!
*EDIT: here's a link to an article about it: http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/...pcall.html
seems they've been around for a while.
I got this from a fellow off of another forum (www.xtremesystems.org)
***EDIT: so, someone here called me, and this is what happened (tl;dr it failed... but person X used a special secret phone hehe):
I declined. a few seconds later, i got a text as follows:
"Name unavailabl - (999) 999-9999 (02/17/09 3:35 am)" yes SDers, there was no "e" after "Unavailabl"
**** he called me with a special phone. details of his phone are unavailable, so i guess this isn't a normal case lol. will update other results later guys
I'll test this out with some other people and see if we have any successes. pm me if you know how to block your number
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Khmer Rouge genocide trial opens in Cambodia
The boss of a prison where some 16,000 men, women and children were tortured and executed appeared before Cambodia's genocide tribunal Tuesday in its first trial over the Khmer Rouge reign of terror more than three decades ago.
A tourist takes picture of human skulls Monday, at Choeung Ek, one of the main Killing fields of the Khmer Rouge regime in the outskirts of Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Photo: AP
SLIDESHOW: Pictures of the week
Kaing Guek Eav - better known as Duch, who headed the S-21 prison in Phnom Penh for the Khmer Rouge regime - is charged with crimes against humanity and is the first of five defendants scheduled for long-delayed trials by the U.N.-assisted court.
They were among a close-knit, ultra-communist clique that turned Cambodia into a vast slave labor camp and charnel house in which 1.7 million or more died of starvation, disease and executions.
"It is not only me wanting justice today. All Cambodian people have been waiting for 30 years now," said Vann Nath, one of less than 20 survivors of S-21, who attended the hearing in a courtroom packed with some 500 people. "I look at Duch today and he seems like an old, very gentle man. It was much different 30 years ago."
Vann Nath, who survived by painting and sculpting portraits of Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot, described Duch as a "very cruel man."
Duch, 66, is accused of committing or abetting a range of crimes including murder, torture and rape at S-21 prison - formerly a school - where up to 16,000 men, women and children were held and tortured, before being put to death.
"This first hearing represents the realization of significant efforts to establish a fair and independent tribunal to try those in leadership positions and those most responsible for violations of Cambodian and international law," presiding judge Nil Nonn told the chamber.
But the tribunal has drawn sharp criticism.
Its snail-slow proceedings have been plagued by political interference from the Cambodian government, allegations of bias and corruption, lack of funding and bickering between Cambodian and international lawyers.
Some observers believe Prime Minister Hun Sen - a former Khmer Rouge officer himself - is controlling the tribunal's scope by directing the decisions of the Cambodian prosecutors and judges.
Duch has made no formal confession. However, unlike the other four defendants, he "admitted or acknowledged" in some of the 21 interviews by investigating judges that many of the crimes occurred at his prison, according to the indictment from court judges. Duch, who converted to Christianity, has also asked for forgiveness from his victims.
Duch has been variously described by those who knew him as "very gentle and kind" and a "monster."
"Duch necessarily decided how long a prisoner would live, since he ordered their execution based on a personal determination of whether a prisoner had fully confessed" to being an enemy of the regime, the tribunal said in an indictment in August.
In one mass execution, he gave his men a "kill them all" order to dispose of a group of prisoners. On another list of 29 prisoners, he told his henchmen to "interrogate four persons, kill the rest."
After the fall of the Khmer Rouge, Duch disappeared for two decades, living under two other names and as a converted Christian before he was located in northwestern Cambodia by a British journalist in 1999.
Taken to the scene of his alleged crimes last year, he wept and told some of his former victims, "I ask for your forgiveness. I know that you cannot forgive me, but I ask you to leave me the hope that you might."
His defense lawyer Francois Roux said Tuesday that his client has been in detention for nine years, nine months and seven days, adding, "This situation is unacceptable."
During the hearing, Roux and co-prosecutor Robert Petit sparred over whether to allow one of four children S-21 survivors to appear before the trial. Petit said Norng Chan Phal could provide "key testimony."
Norng Chan Phal was an 8-year-old inmate of the torture center when troops from neighboring Vietnam stormed into Phnom Penh to end Khmer Rouge rule in 1979. He hid in a pile of inmate clothing as his captors evacuated to prison to elude approaching Vietnamese troops.
His story surfaced only last week when previously unseen footage was shown of Vietnamese troops entering the prison. It included images of living children and many adult corpses, some decapitated.
The trial comes 30 years after the fall of the Khmer Rouge, 13 years after the tribunal was first proposed and nearly three years after the court was inaugurated.
Many victims feared that all the Khmer Rouge leaders would die before facing justice, and getting even one of them on trial is seen as a breakthrough. But there are concerns that the process is being politically manipulated and that thousands of killers will escape unpunished.
The Cambodian side in the tribunal has recently turned down recommendations from the international co-prosecutor to try other Khmer Rouge leaders, as many as six according to some reports. This has sparked criticism from human rights groups.
"The tribunal cannot bring justice to the millions of the Khmer Rouge's victims if it tries only a handful of the most notorious individuals, while scores of former Khmer Rouge officials and commanders remain free," the New York-based Human Rights Watch said in a release Monday.
The group's representative Sara Colm said at the trial, "It's very good to see Duch in the dock. It's been a long time coming. We only hope the tribunal can address the very serious issues."
Others facing trial are Khieu Samphan, the group's former head of state; Ieng Sary, its foreign minister; his wife Ieng Thirith, who was minister for social affairs; and Nuon Chea, the movement's chief ideologue.
All four have denied committing crimes.
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State officials discuss splitting Opel from GM
German state governments are working to split car manufacturer Opel from the ailing US parent General Motors, daily Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung reported on Monday.
Daimler warns rough ride ahead in 2009 - Money (17 Feb 09)
“We cannot carry on like this with GM, the only prospect is disentanglement,” Klaus Franz, head of the Opel workers’ council, told the paper.
One possible scenario for rescuing the traditional German automaker is for the states of North Rhine Westphalia (NRW), Hesse and Thuringia - in which Opel has factories - to take on a share in the company as the state of Lower Saxony did in taking on 20 percent of Volkswagen, the paper reported.
Talks between Opel and GM over a possible separation have been running for several weeks in Düsseldorf, according to the paper, which added that Opel was also trying to gain access to its own technologies because patents are currently with a subsidiary of the US firm.
But some state politicians have offered other alternatives because the European Commission is keen to abolish the so-called VW law, which allegedly violates EU treaty provisions by allowing Lower Saxony to shield the car maker from takeovers.
NRW state premiere Jürgen Rüttgers recently suggested a German-wide fund which could take a share in companies with key significance for the economy during emergencies, the paper said. Other politicians have said the move would be impractical.
“A state share in Opel is not feasible - it would be a suicide mission for taxpayers,” head of the pro-business Free Democrats in the NRW State Parliament, Gerhard Papke, told the paper, referring to difficulties faced by the 720,000 small businesses in the state. “Should the state take a stake in them too?”
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Why Buying Glass Jewelry Should Be Done Online
The Internet has done much for the consumers of today- it’s brought down prices and made ordering with ease so much effortless than before. This has also done well for the jewelry industry, in which glass jewelry can be found and obtained with almost no effort at all. Indeed, the process is much more simple than even going to a local retailer for more information.
Getting a vintage-type style of glass jewelry is usually done simply by going to a resale shop. These shops, which function based off donations and allow customers to buy items for extremely discounted prices, are great for finding long-lost treasures, but not so much if the buyer decides to take it back. Most resale shops will not give refunds, while Internet counterparts usually do.
Online auctions have become popular for getting new and used items for large discounts- another reason why buying glass jewelry online is a good idea. Glass jewelry found via these outlets are, on average, much cheaper than what a consumer would pay regularly. It takes timing and effort to get a bid in just right, but regardless the Internet serves as a very valuable cost-cutting tool. Best yet, there are many auction websites to choose from!
The ease of use of the Internet is also a factor in deciding to buy online. Not only can consumers buy over the Internet from the comfort of their own home, they can do so with more options in payment methods. Using credit, debit, or even electronic funds is possible with online retailers, unlike some local shops and resale retailers.
Getting hand-made glass jewelry is only available at upscale jewelry stores when in the physical world. By using the Internet, consumers can instead open up their possibilities even more when concerning their selection of jewelry. In going through the Internet to get a hand-made glass ornament, consumers are getting a guarantee that the jewelry they wear will be unique to them, and thus, gives them their own fashion sense.
Even without the prospect of auction websites, buying online is generally cheaper. This is because there is more competition over the Internet, as literally thousands of companies will be competing for business. This pushes down their margin of profit to its maximum in order to keep their business thriving. It’s still worth checking out local resources regardless, as sales do indeed happen.
In Conclusion
The world of glass jewelry couldn’t be more beneficial to the buyer- it’s inexpensive and it looks great. Just keep your options in mind while going about the business of purchasing glass jewelry. After all, money saved on glass jewelry can be used on other important things. So go out and check prices, look at Internet retail prices, and make an educated purchase.
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Travis Chimpanzee Attack: Chimp attack video
Travis the Chimpanzee attacked two women. The Chimp attack happened in Stamford on Monday Feb 16. The chimp attack resulted in two women being hospitalized. News on Chimp Attack - link. Chimp attack - video link. This is an example of how a chimp suddenly attacked a man
The chimp attack was at Rockrimmon Road. Sandra Harold, a home owner on Rockrimmon Road, used a butcher knife to stab the chimp in her attempts to stop the chimp attack on her friend. Travis the chimp was undeterred and still mobile.
Police arrived and the chimp attacked police officers. Travis the chimp tried to open the squad car door. This chimp attack led police to shoot the chimp. One woman had bad facial wounds. Sandra Harold had a heart attack.Both wome were sent to hospital. The Chimp Travis had escaped from a home.
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Trump Entertainment May File Bankruptcy, Says WSJ
PHILADELPHIA - Trump Entertainment Resorts Inc, Donald Trump's casino group, is expected to file Tuesday for bankruptcy, The Wall Street Journal reported.
The company's board was scheduled to meet late Monday night to decide whether to authorize the filing, the newspaper reported in its online edition. Otherwise, the casino operator would be forced into bankruptcy involuntarily by creditors, the newspaper said.
Read the whole story from Reuters
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Pol Pot
"A tourist looks at human skulls at Choeung Ek, one of the main killing fields of the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia, as five Khmer Rouge leaders prepare to face a UN-backed genocide tribunal."
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Fred Is Dead
Fred Is Dead - “Fred” who has a million videos on YouTube was a guest on iCarly tonight.
Fred is a 15-year-old boy named Lucas Cruikshank from Nebraska .
You can watch the video after the jump.
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Justin Timberlake, Kanye West Make GQ's List Of '10 Most Stylish Men
NEW YORK (AP) — Justin Timberlake wins style props in the March issue of GQ magazine. The magazine picked the entertainer to lead a list of the "10 Most Stylish Men in America." It singled out Timberlake for his impact on fashion, willingness to take risks and "knack for targeting trends" such as hats, three-piece suits, skinny ties and beards. - Click here for tons of hot Justin Timberlake pics -
Timberlake, who launched his clothing line William Rast several years ago, tells GQ he considers model Kate Moss a style icon because she "could put a barrel on and it would be some sort of statement."
It irks the 28-year-old heartthrob when an entire outfit revolves around a hat, and he'd never wear an argyle sweater vest off the golf course. He prefers to keep it simple, clothes-wise.
Other "Stylish Men" include Kanye West, T.I., Jason Schwartzman, hotelier Andre Balazs and photographer Alexi Lubomirski.
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