View allAll Photos Tagged 2...then
GARRETT NILS ATKINSON, a southpaw reliever at Whitman College, at Seattle Mariner's stadium. Count goes 0-1, 1-1, 1-2, then the K (strike 3). Garrett's mouth opens during release (his signature move since being a small boy). Garrett collects first strike against the next batter before video ends.
Garrett finished with the regular season 2-1, with a 1.96 ERA, finished with 26 strikeouts in 23 innings, the only Whitman pitcher averaging more than one K (strikeout) per inning out of 15 pitchers--and allowed only singles--opposing hitters averaged just .122 hitting against him. Only one run scored on him while he was pitching...Garrett was selected for the All-Northwest Conference Baseball squad, comprising the best players from the 9 NWC teams.
Garrett--just graduated summa cum laude--from Whitman with a BA in Economics--3.93 GPA. Also he is:
--winner of the sole Robert M. Graham Award for Excellence in Student Leadership, 2017;
--winner of the sole President's Award for Senior Student-Athlete with Highest Cumulative GPA at Whitman;
--winner of the sole Max Seachris Award, Most Outstanding Performer on a Men's Team;
--a Graduate Member of the Order of Waiilatpu (best seniors in scholarship, enterprise, citizenship, and service to the college and community).
--and winner of the Bob Thomsen Award (Sportsmanship).
Bittersweet times for Dad, the season ended April 15, 2017, marking the end of a storied 17-year career for Garrett that began all the way back at Cedar Field in old-section Marysville, WA; barely out of T-ball, at about age 7, Garrett made his first appearance, "out on the hill."
In his earlier years, Garrett played on select baseball clubs, including Stoddard's Sting and the Seattle Stars (coach Guy Keller), as well as on Arlington American Legion 76ers and a variety of other squads. He also started at quarterback for the Marysville Jaguars (Greater Snohomish County Youth Football) in 2004-2005, hitting 16 of 35 passes for 395 yards and 4 TDs, with a single interception, in the 2005 season. He also played basketball for six years, and, like his brother Odin, was on the Arlington High cross-country team.
During his time, he was also President of the Whitman College Chess Club and of two other college clubs. Garrett, in early 2018, went to Fort Leonard Wood, MO, undergoing Basic Training in the U.S. Army. At graduation, he began AIT training as an E4 specialist, in late March, 2018. At completion of AIT training, in late June, Garrett joined Grant-Thornton, a management consulting firm, as a management consultant; his core customer, and where he spent most of his time, was MICROSOFT. Microsoft successfully recruited him, and he joined the firm in March 2020--as a Business Program Manager.
This video taken at Safeco Field (Mariner's Stadium), Seattle, KING COUNTY, WA, March 11, 2017.
This is a 64-pounder Columbiad canon. It is referred to as number 137 (each of the 155 cannons in the fort were numbered). Each of the cannoneers is also referred to by number, and each has a specific set of tasks to perform.
Number 1 (TJ) is positioned on the right side at the muzzle. His job is to use a wet sponge to swab out the barrel. Then, after the powder charge is inserted he rams it down the barrel to the breach. When Number 5 (the gunner in charge of the piece) calls “Point”, Numbers 1 and 2 then take large wooden leavers to the tail end of the carriage in order to swing the gun left or right to aim it at its target, then return to their post. After the gun is fired, Number 1 again swabs out the barrel with a wet sponge to extinguish any remaining sparks and then uses a worm to remove any remnants of the powder bag that might still be in the barrel.
Number 2 (me) is positioned on the left side at the muzzle. His job is to assist Number 1 with the wet sponge, because on a cannon this big it take a lot of effort to ram the tight-fitting sponge down the barrel, rotate it three time each direction, and then withdraw it. Next, he dismounts and takes the powder charge from Number 4. After Number 1 signals he is ready by tapping the ram rod on the end of the barrel, Number 2 loads the powder charge into the end of the cannon’s mouth. When Number 5 (the gunner in charge of the piece) calls “Point”, Numbers 1 and 2 then take large wooden leavers to the tail end of the carriage in order to swing the gun left or right to aim it at its target, then return to their post. After the weapon is fired, he again mounts the carriage and assists Number 1 with the wet sponge. (For this demonstration, I was at position Number 2. My back is to the camera as I climb up to help swab the barrel, and then I dismount. If you look carefully just after you hear the photographer say “OK”, you can see me insert the silver-colored powder charge in the muzzle of the cannon and then TJ at Number 1 rams it home.)
Number 3 (John) is positioned on the right side at the breach. His primary function is to pull the lanyard attached to the friction primer to fire the cannon.
Number 4 (Wes) is positioned on the left side at the breach. He brings up the powder charge from the magazine and hands it to Number 2 prior to loading. At the command “Point”, Number 4 adjusts the elevating screw at the breach of the cannon barrel to raise or lower the trajectory so the ball will hit the intended target and not go long or short.
Number 5 (Park Employee) is the gunner in charge of the cannon. He is positioned at the center rear of the cannon and calls out the orders to “load”, “point”, and “fire”. While others are swabbing the barrel or loading the piece he keeps the vent at the breach blocked to prevent any air from being sucked into the cannon (possibly fanning any embers there may be in there). After the powder charge has been rammed down, Number 5 inserts a priming pick into the vent to puncture the powder bag and expose the powder to the primer. He then inserts a friction primer into the breach; attaches the end of the lanyard held by Number 3, and then dismounts. He stands to the rear and to the side where is out of the way of the recoil and can observe the fall of the shot in order to correct his aim on any successive shots.
Day 3: Cable car from Ortisei to Seceda. Route 2B / 2/ 3A to Rif. Puez. Route 2 then 4 to Colfosco. (Everyone except me, Jim and Chris went up to Piz Duleda).
Visit DaisyYellow ICAD if you would like to play also.
Index Card A Day Challenge
Pentel Color Pens, Dylusions Spray Ink, Pitt Pen, charcoal pencil for shading
I've been recording The Mentalist, but not in order (last part of season 2, then 3, and now I think it's going back to 1 and 4 at the same time....yikes!!)
23 Dec 1986, Tue (Detroit, MI to Belvidere, NJ)
Woke at 5.45 and was down in lobby around 6.30. Got stuffed around with bill (had understood we were to get a free night) then the hotel car was late. Anyway, made it to the airport in time to catch 8.15 flight to Newark. By the time we took off we were about 15 mins late. Arrived and after waiting for luggage a good 20-30 minutes, we just caught a bus to Easton, Pennsylvania. On arrival, contacted Mr Ott (Howard) who picked us up. Howard and Jane are really lovely people and much saddened by Cynthia’s death. A lot of memories came back for Peter especially after going up to her apartment. They have a big lovely old house.
Howard and Jane Ott, 300 Greenwich Road, Belvidere, NJ
24 Dec 1986, Wed (Belvidere, NJ)
Christmas Eve a pretty grey day. Berk, the Ott’s son arrived during the night. We went for a walk downtown and wandered around. It just does not seem like Christmas at all. In the afternoon, Mrs Ott took us to the local Wayne County library and got a very interesting tour from one of the head honchos. I think that libraries have the same hassles all over the world, lack of space, etc. Got back in time to walk up the road 2 minutes to St Patrick’s Catholic Church for Mass at 4.00. Smallish church – Irish priest, it was pretty disappointing. We stood up the back, about the only Christmas flavour were a couple of carols sung half-heartedly. Went to the Presbyterian service at 8.00 with the Otts and came home to an oyster casserole.
Howard and Jane Ott, 300 Greenwich Road, Belvidere, NJ
25 Dec 1986, Thu (Belvidere, NJ)
Christmas Day, another very grey day. Got up about 9.00. Had a light breakfast and we all opened our presents in the living room. The Otts gave us some blue statues. Did washing, helped with lunch. With rellies, there were ten of us for lunch, pork and venison and pumpkin pie. Lounged till around 4.00. Mr Ott took his mum-in-law (Mrs Evelyn Wieghorst) home so on the way we got to check out the local museum, and she invited us into her home which she and her husband (John) built from materials on their land. Had a nice evening talking and watching TV. We talked more of Cynthia and I think it was good to talk things about, rather than keep it inside.
Howard and Jane Ott, 300 Greenwich Road, Belvidere, NJ
26 Dec 1986, Fri (Belvidere, NJ to New York City)
Mr and Mrs Ott drove us into Hackettstown, NJ to catch the bus to NYC. Arrived to be ripped off by a guy who took us 100 yards to a taxi and asked for $2, then a taxi, $3 for 500 yards up the road to the Milford Plaza. Checked in and took a walk looking for the Jewish 47th Street Photo store (at first on 42nd St). Found it then continued to 89th along Central Park to find Angela Willis. She was not home (50 E 98 St #14B) so left message there and at hospital. Caught taxi to Wall St ($10) – toured Stock Exchange, had a street hamburger. Caught subway from World Trade Center back to town. Got half tix for ‘42nd Street’. Dined in a steak house. Walked back to hotel and changed room due to noisy lift and went to show just around the corner. Pretty good! Went for a walk.
Milford Plaza Hotel, 270 West 45th Street, New York, NY
27 Dec 1986, Sat (New York City)
Angela Willis rang at 8am and suggested some places to visit. After making some phone calls re hotel reservations and flights we caught the subway and subsequent ferry to the Statue of Liberty. Packed with people. Came back and walked to World Trade Center, waited in another queue to see the spectacular views of this concrete jungle, hardly a tree to be seen! Caught subway back to Times Square and had lunch at 3.00 at Wendy’s (chilli). Walked down to Sax of 5th Avenue. Peter bought scarf for his mum. Saw a slide and sound presentation “The NY Experience” in the McGraw-Hill Building. Good but dated. Had tea at Tony R. Ribs pretty good but filling. Went back to hotel and wrote some postcards, then walked back to see 10.20 session of “Crocodile Dundee”.
Milford Plaza Hotel, 270 West 45th Street, New York, NY
Buses of Somerset (First South West, Taunton) Volvo B7RLE/Wright Eclipse in Wells and Yeovil bus stations. She entered Wells on 2, then I travelled on her to Yeovil operating 77. New to First Manchester, then First South West at Camborne. Still carrying advert for Truro & Penwith College.
23 Dec 1986, Tue (Detroit, MI to Belvidere, NJ)
Woke at 5.45 and was down in lobby around 6.30. Got stuffed around with bill (had understood we were to get a free night) then the hotel car was late. Anyway, made it to the airport in time to catch 8.15 flight to Newark. By the time we took off we were about 15 mins late. Arrived and after waiting for luggage a good 20-30 minutes, we just caught a bus to Easton, Pennsylvania. On arrival, contacted Mr Ott (Howard) who picked us up. Howard and Jane are really lovely people and much saddened by Cynthia’s death. A lot of memories came back for Peter especially after going up to her apartment. They have a big lovely old house.
Howard and Jane Ott, 300 Greenwich Road, Belvidere, NJ
24 Dec 1986, Wed (Belvidere, NJ)
Christmas Eve a pretty grey day. Berk, the Ott’s son arrived during the night. We went for a walk downtown and wandered around. It just does not seem like Christmas at all. In the afternoon, Mrs Ott took us to the local Wayne County library and got a very interesting tour from one of the head honchos. I think that libraries have the same hassles all over the world, lack of space, etc. Got back in time to walk up the road 2 minutes to St Patrick’s Catholic Church for Mass at 4.00. Smallish church – Irish priest, it was pretty disappointing. We stood up the back, about the only Christmas flavour were a couple of carols sung half-heartedly. Went to the Presbyterian service at 8.00 with the Otts and came home to an oyster casserole.
Howard and Jane Ott, 300 Greenwich Road, Belvidere, NJ
25 Dec 1986, Thu (Belvidere, NJ)
Christmas Day, another very grey day. Got up about 9.00. Had a light breakfast and we all opened our presents in the living room. The Otts gave us some blue statues. Did washing, helped with lunch. With rellies, there were ten of us for lunch, pork and venison and pumpkin pie. Lounged till around 4.00. Mr Ott took his mum-in-law (Mrs Evelyn Wieghorst) home so on the way we got to check out the local museum, and she invited us into her home which she and her husband (John) built from materials on their land. Had a nice evening talking and watching TV. We talked more of Cynthia and I think it was good to talk things about, rather than keep it inside.
Howard and Jane Ott, 300 Greenwich Road, Belvidere, NJ
26 Dec 1986, Fri (Belvidere, NJ to New York City)
Mr and Mrs Ott drove us into Hackettstown, NJ to catch the bus to NYC. Arrived to be ripped off by a guy who took us 100 yards to a taxi and asked for $2, then a taxi, $3 for 500 yards up the road to the Milford Plaza. Checked in and took a walk looking for the Jewish 47th Street Photo store (at first on 42nd St). Found it then continued to 89th along Central Park to find Angela Willis. She was not home (50 E 98 St #14B) so left message there and at hospital. Caught taxi to Wall St ($10) – toured Stock Exchange, had a street hamburger. Caught subway from World Trade Center back to town. Got half tix for ‘42nd Street’. Dined in a steak house. Walked back to hotel and changed room due to noisy lift and went to show just around the corner. Pretty good! Went for a walk.
Milford Plaza Hotel, 270 West 45th Street, New York, NY
27 Dec 1986, Sat (New York City)
Angela Willis rang at 8am and suggested some places to visit. After making some phone calls re hotel reservations and flights we caught the subway and subsequent ferry to the Statue of Liberty. Packed with people. Came back and walked to World Trade Center, waited in another queue to see the spectacular views of this concrete jungle, hardly a tree to be seen! Caught subway back to Times Square and had lunch at 3.00 at Wendy’s (chilli). Walked down to Sax of 5th Avenue. Peter bought scarf for his mum. Saw a slide and sound presentation “The NY Experience” in the McGraw-Hill Building. Good but dated. Had tea at Tony R. Ribs pretty good but filling. Went back to hotel and wrote some postcards, then walked back to see 10.20 session of “Crocodile Dundee”.
Milford Plaza Hotel, 270 West 45th Street, New York, NY
The Japanese [girls] love photo booths or "Purikura" as they call it. This isn't like that one broken-most-of-the-time photo booth in that dark corner at your local theater though.
Purikura areas, (yes AREAS), are massive and in cases like this can take up an entire floor of a building! Think of the biggest game arcade and multiply that by 2, then convert all the games into photo booths. You'd be getting close to having an idea.
All sorts of themes and sizes and endless editing options after you're done with your booth session.
Oh and guys, you're not allowed in them by yourself. It's either boy / girl or girl / girl or girl alone!
One of 100 Shots: Tokyo - Click here for the entire journey.
Twitter | @True_Rys | 500px | True Rys Stories
Spotted Redshanks are not particularly common visitors to my part of Scotland in Spring, so it has been unusual to see them at Riverside Nature Park in Dundee recently (a single bird, then 2, then 1 again). Here's a selection of photos of them.
Continued from:
www.flickr.com/photos/42093313@N00/52650032173/in/datepos...
Patience is Beautiful
وَلَمَّا بَرَزُوا۟ لِجَالُوتَ وَجُنُودِهِۦ قَالُوا۟
رَبَّنَاۤ أَفۡرِغۡ عَلَیۡنَا صَبۡرࣰا وَثَبِّتۡ أَقۡدَامَنَا وَٱنصُرۡنَا عَلَى ٱلۡقَوۡمِ ٱلۡكَـٰفِرِینَ
And when they went forth to (face) Jalut and his troops they said,
“Our Lord! Pour on us patience and make firm our steps and help us against the people (who are) disbelieving.”
Surah Al Baqarah, Verse 250
Tafseer e Jilani
Wa lamma barazu: And when they went forth to face him and came in front of them…
Li jalouta wa junudi-hi: Jalut and his army and came near them…
Qalu: they said, as the ones focusing towards their Lord, the ones beseeching Him, asking for His Help…
Rabba afrigh: O Our Lord, pour, with Your Favour…
Alayna sabr-an: and shower upon us patience so we are patient when descend upon us trials from You…
Wa sabbit aqdaamana: and make firm our footing in that affliction, seeking Your Raza, Pleasure, upon what You have decreed as fate…
Wansurna: and help us in being abiding in Your Command and its fulfillment…
Al-al qaum il kafireen: against the people who disbelieve and are ungrateful, who deny Your Favour and Your Blessings. Indeed, You are Aziz ul Hakeem!
It was in a class on Surah Yusuf that the verse on patience first appeared. The word associated with it was Jameelun. It is meant to be beautiful:
فَصَبۡرࣱ جَمِیلࣱۖ
وَٱللَّهُ ٱلۡمُسۡتَعَانُ عَلَىٰ مَا تَصِفُونَ
O patience (is) beautiful. And Allah (is) the One sought for help against what you describe.
Surah Yusuf, Verse 18
My cousin Sanya raised a point.
“I have never ever experienced patience as beautiful Qari Sahib. It is bitter and it is difficult. It is agonizing.”
Then she turned towards us, the others in the class and went down the line.
“Who here has experienced sabr as beautiful or practiced it beautifully? Have you?” she asked us, calling us by our names individually as if tallying the score.
The nays had it. Maybe one person answered in the affirmative. I was just silent. I was just wondering when I even practiced patience at all?
I looked up the verse in my class with Qari Sahib the next day.
Tafseer e Jilani
Fa sabrun jameel-un: So be patient beautifully, most beautiful (in your patience), over what you face as a trial.
Wallahu al Musta’anu ala: And I only seek help from Allah Al
Musta’aan, The One who gives help, against…
Ala Ma tasifoon: what you narrate with your tongues, O Al Musrifoona, O Transgressors from His Boundaries, because there is no power to bear what you say without the help of Allah and His Power.
I stared at the new Name of Allah Subhanahu that appeared.
Al Must’aan. The Only One who gives help. And when? In the verse it said, when they say, who are ignoring of all limits, knowingly or unknowingly, when what they say is hurtful, “because there is no power to bear what you say without the help of Allah and His Power.”
A few days later at the shrine, I came across the exact same words sabr-an jameel-an. This time it was in the context of the one who was the perfect manifestation of the Divine Attribute, Nabi Kareem (salutations and greetings upon him and his manner of being patient by his Lord). In the tafseer, Ghaus Pak (ra) described exactly what that patience entailed.
فَٱصۡبِرۡ صَبۡرࣰا جَمِیلًا
So be patient with gracious patience.
Surah Al Ma’arij, Verse 5
Tafseer e Jilani
And after the revealing of the matter for you:
Fasbir: Be patient, O Akmal Ar Rusul, O Messenger who completes Messenger-hood (salutations and greetings upon you and your family by As Saboor Himself), upon the different kinds of pain from your enemies and their mockery…
Sabran jameel-an: with a patience beautiful, without the mix of unease and distress and dissatisfaction and displeasure and a haste for revenge, expecting to punish them due to their disrespecting you. For indeed, the one who is your enemy, soon will reach them a punishment promised.
Despite having quoted a hadith endlessly, for the first time in my life it made sense to me why patience was one of the two pillars upon which the religion stood. Why exercising it beautifully only meant one thing; a surrender to what was destined to happen. That surrender is what made it only a boon.
Just like the blessing was a trial, surrender made the trial a blessing!
And most remarkably, why the word used by Nabi Kareem (Subhanahu sends salutations and greetings upon as As Saboor) for the person who would be successful in the endeavor was “amazing!”
Ajban!
عن صهيب قال رسولُ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم:
عَجَبًا لأمرِ المؤمنِ إِنَّ أمْرَه كُلَّهُ لهُ خَيرٌ
وليسَ ذلكَ لأحَدٍ إلا للمُؤْمنِ
إِنْ أصَابتهُ سَرَّاءُ شَكَرَ فكانتْ خَيرًا لهُ
وإنْ أصَابتهُ ضَرَّاءُ صَبرَ فكانتْ خَيرًا لهُ
Said the Prophet of God (salutations and greetings be upon him and his family),
“Amazing is the state of the Believer (Mo’min).
In all his matters is goodness and this is for no one except the Believer.
If happiness reaches him, he expresses gratitude so that is good for him.
And if comes to him adversity, he is patient so that is good for him.”
I looked up Allah Subhanahu’s Name – As Saboor: “The One who is most patient and enduring. He does not act hastily but rather waits until the proper time. He does not punish the disobedient and those who didn’t believe in Him. He allows time for them to repent or an opportunity to take the right path.”
And what did it mean for me?
From the root, suad, be, ra which has the following classical Arabic connotations: to be patience, to be enduring, to endure trial or affliction with good manner, to be contented in trial or affliction without show of complaint, to make no distinction between comfort and affliction, to bear calmly, to persevere cheerfully, to be steadfast, constant, to restrain.
The first time the opportunity presented itself for me to exercise that patience and to do so beautifully was whilst writing this piece in Karachi. In a house that I had visited for 35 years and therefore considered my own. A young staff member, who had been working there for a couple of years and was clearly in full possession of Shaitaan, had lost control of his tongue and therefore his tone.
The first time I noticed it I didn’t get a chance to react because the owner of the house, my friend, was in the room. She didn’t react so neither did I. The second time though I had asked him for something and he was giving me monosyllabic answers in a voice that reaching the absolute pinnacle of rudeness.
In my surprise I said to him on the phone, as we were on the home intercom, “Please control your tone and watch the manner in which you speak to me.”
Instead of saying what I expected, which was either denial or that I had misunderstood etc., he turned around and repeated his words with an even more adamant voice.
On the verse of losing my temper, I started to say, “Come upstairs…” when my friend’s therapist, who was also in the room, grabbed the phone from me saying, “Don’t! It’s not worth it.”
I went to my room in more bewilderment than rage and started thinking about how best to blast him to hell and back. But then a lecture I had heard recently kept coming to my head which kept negating my fury against the young man.
I had begun listening to an elderly gentleman called Ahmed Javaid Sahib. He spoke only in Urdu and it was the most refined and therefore difficult Urdu I had ever heard in my life. I had been introduced to him by my mother’s friend Ahad a few years ago.
I had tried to hear his talks then but felt I couldn’t comprehend anything so abandoned it. The other deterrent at the time was also that Ahmed Javaid Sahib’s lectures had extremely complicated titles. He was heavy into philosophy and they would start with words like epistemology of this and that. I avoided those completely.
His other favourite topic was poetry. He could spend an hour and a half dissecting a single couplet of Ghalib or Maulana Rum (ra). I didn’t hear those either. My vocabulary, tragically minimal in Urdu, prevented it. He was clearly brilliant though so I kept listening.
His sentences would be long. We had that in common but it wasn’t working in my favour. When I decided I wanted a few lines for this piece, translating them with Qari Sahib would take ages. It made me realize Urdu wasn’t like Arabic. In Arabic thoughts were expressed such that the words would sequentially describe the thought. In Urdu it was the reverse. The last part of the thought would appear first so going word by word didn’t work. In any case, I began.
Once he said about Nabi Kareem that it was not possible for the ordinary to know the realities of the person of the one who was second to Allah Subhanahu in the Universe (salutations and greetings upon him and his family by Al Wudood and His Angels). However, certain characteristics were identified as steadfastly placed in the core of his exalted nature:
1.Haya – modesty
2.Sakha – generosity
3.Murrawwat - affection
And this was the one that had floored me. The description of the virtue was given in this manner:
“Nabi Kareem (salutations and greetings upon him and his family by Ar Raheem, uniquely Merciful for him) refrained at all times from embarrassing anyone. Such that even if he was upset with someone, he only expressed it as a signal. He never criticized anyone by name in front of others, always generalizing the admonition. ‘Why are people doing such and such things?’ he would say and the ones doing it would realize it was them. But he never took names…”
4.Tawadda’a – humility
Murrawwat!
In Karachi because of the incident, I noticed how I was different in my nature. 10 years ago I would have yelled at my friend, blasted the kid, packed my bags and left for Lahore. Instead I slept on it.
The verse returned to me and I saw what lay ahead. The possibility of patience being sweet instead of bitter!
فَصَبۡرࣱ جَمِیلࣱۖ
وَٱللَّهُ ٱلۡمُسۡتَعَانُ عَلَىٰ مَا تَصِفُونَ
O patience (is) beautiful. And Allah (is) the One sought for help against what you describe.
Surah Yusuf, Verse 18
Tafseer e Jilani
Fa sabrun jameel-un: So be patient beautifully, most beautiful (in your patience), over what you face as a trial.
Wallahu al Musta’anu ala: And I only seek help from Allah Al Musta’aan, The One who gives help, in…
Ala Ma tasifoon: what you narrate with your tongues, O Al Musrifoona, O transgressors from His Boundaries, because there is no power to bear what you say without the help of Allah and His Power.
What did I really want anyway, I asked myself. For a poor person to get fired? No. For him to be publicly reprimanded. Perhaps yes. But then was that murrawwat? Definitely not. All I was feeling was a false sense of dignity. Undeniably courtesy of Shaitaan. It was his preferred modus operandi.
So I let it go. I surrendered the matter, telling myself that I guess the worst case scenario was that I might not come back to the house.
One thing I did, at the advice of an elder in Lahore, was to avoid the person. So as not to put myself in a situation where he might be rude again because it was clearly no longer in his control. I knew what was going on in his head. He was taking care of the person who was most important person in the house. Who was also unwell. Even though he wasn’t doing anything that any other person couldn’t have done easily, Satan had whispered to him what he whispers to everyone who has an “important” job in a house.
“You are indispensable, indisposable. Do what you want. No one can do anything to you!”
There was a verse in the Quran that attested to it.
وَإِذۡ زَیَّنَ لَهُمُ ٱلشَّیۡطَـٰنُ أَعۡمَـٰلَهُمۡ وَقَالَ لَا غَالِبَ لَكُمُ ٱلۡیَوۡمَ مِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ وَإِنِّی جَارࣱ لَّكُمۡۖ
And when made attractive to them the Shaitaan their deeds and he said, "No (one) (can) overcome you today from the people and indeed, I am a neighbor for you.
Surah Al Anfal, Verse 48
Tafseer e Jilani
Wa: And overall what help comes against you all (O Believers) and aid comes against you all (i.e. to harm you), that is only the deception of Shaitaan with vain hopes and his allurement towards your enemies (the opponents i.e. the deniers of truth), (supposedly) to help you by that misleading becoming a curse for them. Remember (O Mo’mineen)…
Id zayyana: when it was made beautiful and appealing…
Lahum Ash Shaitaan amaalahum: for them (the deniers of truth) their deeds by Shaitaan i.e. their enemity with you and their warfare with you.
Wa qala: And he said, Shaitaan, in fighting you, inspiring their mind with seduction in their state of fear and discouragement through his way of waswasa, paranoia, until they imagined that, certainly, nobody could prevail over them at all, with confidence in the excess of their numbers and their preparation…
La ghaliba lakum al youm min an naas: (he whispered), “No one can prevail upon you today from the people and for you all is the controlling and the victory…
Wa inni jaarullakum: and indeed, I am certainly your protector, the giver of refuge for you.”
It was literally that. His whole aura was so distorted it couldn’t have been anything else. So I let it go. Two days later I noticed a change. He started doing my work without my asking for it so I started thanking him. He started greeting me every time he saw me so I returned his greeting. And just like that, without reaction on my part, everything normalized.
Thus the Quran promises, that indeed, Allah Subhanahu is with the one who are the Sabireen who seek His Help through prayer.
یَـٰۤأَیُّهَا ٱلَّذِینَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱسۡتَعِینُوا۟ بِٱلصَّبۡرِ وَٱلصَّلَوٰةِۚ
إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ مَعَ ٱلصَّـٰبِرِینَ
O you who believed! Seek help through patience and the prayer.
Indeed, Allah (is) with the patient ones.
Surah Al Baqarah, Verse 153
Tafseer e Jilani
Then indeed, He, at the time when Allah Subhanahu placed extreme emphasis on admonition and instruction and called out to them in hope that they would become aware, even though their original nature is based upon the Essence of Tauheed, One-ness so He said:
Ya ayyahalladina aamano: O ye who attained to faith with the Essence of Tauheed…
Ista’eenu: seek help, the true reality of which and its unveiling…
Bis sabr: is with patience upon that which came to you from the repulsive mishaps of your nafs, selves…
Wa sala’t: and prayer i.e. the inclination towards the focus upon His Essence with all of your organs and parts.
Innallaha: Indeed Allah is Al Mu’abbir, The One who is expressed as being the Only One who is…
Ma’a as Sabireen: with the ones who practice patience, Al Mutahammileena, the ones who bear the burdens of their trials until they are delivered from them.
Then Ghaus Pak (ra) prays: “O Lord! Make us of them by Your Fazl, Bounty and your Karam, Generosity!”
That was the thing about the prayers of the Chosen. They were always about asking Subhanahu to just make us the way He wanted us to be. Without the striving, without the toiling. Like Kun Fayakun. Be and so it was!
Kun lana kama kunta lahum – Make us how You made them!
What is a Dua – The Secret of the Supplication
وَقُل رَّبِّ أَدْخِلْنِى مُدْخَلَ صِدْقٍۢ
وَأَخْرِجْنِى مُخْرَجَ صِدْقٍۢ
وَٱجْعَل لِّى مِن لَّدُنكَ سُلْطَـٰنًۭا نَّصِيرًۭا
And say (in your prayer O Beloved), “O my Sustainer!
Cause me to enter (in whatever I do) in a manner, true and sincere,
and cause me to leave it in a manner true and sincere.
And grant me of from Your Presence, a sustaining support.
Surah Al-Isra’, Verse 80
Tafseer e Jilani
O one who is on the path of Allah, O worshipper, and after that you reached towards it, (the station of Maqam e Mahmood), there will not be remaining for you a (higher) rank of completion and guidance but instead you are now completed and are the guided one.
When revelations come to you and permission is granted to you by Subhanahu, you will become a perfect Murshid, guide, for the people with shortcomings, incomplete, interceding for them by the Permission of Allah, for their deliverance from the compulsions of imkaan, possibilities, that lead one to the pitfalls of fire and you will make even them reach the atmosphere of heavens with the ability granted by Allah to you and to them.
Wa: And after your reaching from your striving and your struggling and the different times of waking up at night and your praying during the nights by the ability granted by Allah and the ease He gave you so that you reached the stations exalted and the ranks high …
Qul: say, beseechingly, to your Lord, seeking refuge from Him, focusing towards him as the desirer of the highest standard of capability and being firmly placed in the station which you have reached by His granted ability and His Help…
Rabbi: O my Lord who raises me by different types of Lutf, Kindnesses and Karam, Mercy…
Adkhilni: Make me enter by Your Fazl, Bounty and Jood, Generosity…
Modkhala sidq-in: the entrance of truth and the destination of being settled and it is the Place of Tauheed, One-ness, free of all kinds of additions and excesses and make me be in it forever without fluctuation and without staining…
Wa akhrij-ni: and make me exit the demands of my selfishness and my identity for the atmosphere of dissolution which connects to the honour of ever-lastingness and meeting (The Divine)…
Mukhraja sidq-in: the exit of truth without hesitation and shaking…
Waj’al-i: and assign for me in the moment of my ego quarreling with me, overcoming me with wrongdoing…
Mil ladunka sultan-an: from Your Authority i.e. proven in a way that nothing can overrule it, clearly revealed, witnessed in totality, so it becomes…
Naseera: a helper who helps me against my enemies and frees me from their grip in the moment that they attack me.
The reality of the supplication also came to me via one of Ahmed Javaid Sahib’s lectures. I had clicked upon a talk by him on the Imam Zain ul Abideen (as), the blessed son of Imam Hussain (as) and the sole male survivor of Karbala. He had spent the rest of his life, until her passing, with his aunt, Hazrat Bibi Zainab (as). My relationship with her formed the essence of my entire spiritual and worldly existence.
Unknowingly after my first visit to Damascus in 2010 and in totality since the second in 2022!
In the lecture, Javaid Sahib spoke at length about the blessed Imam’s (as) supplications and because of that he defined what it, a dua, is. It was something that I had never paid much attention to at all mostly because I didn’t ask for things in my prayers. I had memorized certain ones from the Quran that Allah Subhanahu had taught His Beloved (salutations and greetings upon him and his family and the words they are taught to speak by their Lord).
I connected with the words here and there but not with much emphasis. I just picked a few, learnt them and it became a habit to recite them at some point once a day. I didn’t know until now that even those inattentive utterances had been having an impact. That every single word of the Quran and every sentence of Nabi Kareem (salutations and greetings upon his speech and that of his blessed family) holds in it a ta’seer, an effect.
Just recently the dua that had come my way from Ghaus Pak (ra) had transformed my life. Even that was putting it mildly. Hence I was acutely interested in understanding more about what it really was.
Javaid Sahib said that the supplication was the core of worship and there was nothing more powerful than it. The ask, when one’s need, was in synchronicity in its words with those most beloved to Allah Subhanahu, fulfilled the demands of worship like no other act would or could. More so it raised the possibility of its being answered and there was nothing more extraordinary.
Subhan Allah!
“Dua, (and the supplications of those especially loved and favoured by Allah Subhanahu especially the Ahle Beit), offered in a daily routine, is what opens the door towards the path which leads to the essence of the way of worship of Nabi Kareem (salutations and greetings upon him and his family by The Only One who answers prayers).
Imam Zain ul Abedin’s (as) prayers are the saplings for nisbat, association, with the duas Nabi Pak’s (salutations and greetings upon him and his family by Allah Al Wudood), with his invocations before His Lord, who raised him like He raised no other.”
Then he defined what a dua is:
“What is a dua? Dua is the jauhar e bandagi, the jewel of the act of worship, that is felt in its entirety and expressed in totality.
The jauhar e bandagi, the jewel of worship, its essence is felt in perfection in the asking for help and it is expressed in perfection as worship by the tongue in words. So both elements required are present and fulfilled (in the Surah Fatiha which is also recited in the beginning of each rak’at of the five prayers):
إِیَّاكَ نَعۡبُدُ وَإِیَّاكَ نَسۡتَعِینُ
You Alone we worship and You Alone we ask for help.
Surah Fatiha, Verse 5
(Iyyaka na’budu and Iyyaka nasta-een)
The essence of that act of worship, the way that it is felt when it is uttered, this feeling and its expression on that level does not exist in in any other routine of zikr azkaar, ways of remembering Allah and tasbeehat, His Praise.
So if we learn how to make the dua correctly i.e.
1.we begin to learn the reason that the dua is needed by us
2.and then express that need with the utmost humility
3.and with the certainty of Subhanahu’s Mercy before His Presence,
4.if we express it beautifully,
then we have been successfully able to internalize the act of worship from its foundation to its perfection.
That is how important a dua is. There is nothing else in the Universe that is equal to the dua, the supplication, in terms of encompassing within it in totality the jauhar e bandagi, the jewel of the act of worship. Through it one receives the ma’rifat, the recognition of its haqeeqat. Through the dua one recognizes the reality of worship. It is what opens the way which creates a nisbat, connection, of one’s appearance directly before The Divine.
Otherwise all other forms of worship, other than the dua, have the element of the intellect and the mind prevailing upon them (nisbat e zehni). While in the dua is the nisbat e wujoodi, the connection of the essence of the being.”
“One’s appearance directly before The Divine!” It was Javaid Sahib again who had told me what there were different chariots that Allah Subhanahu had created Himself to allow closeness with Him. One was shukr, gratitude. One was sabr, patience. Another was ilm, the pursuit of knowledge. There was charity etc. But the chariot that was the fastest, that brought a person, anyone, before their Lord, instantly, was tauba. Repentance! Ikhlas, sincerity, was the pre-requisite for all the chariots to move at all.
It made me wonder: was repentance then just a kind of supplication? It was! Because when a person admitted fault and wept over it, recognized the transgression with deep remorse, it was in fact a supplication. Because the repentance, inherently and intrinsically, held within its expression the ask of forgiveness.
On my way to Damascus in November, I had come across a dua of Syeda Bibi Fatima Az Zahra (as). I had been perusing a book on the bedside table of my friend’s house in Karachi. It was a book of supplications. Then I didn’t know anything about the power prayer held in it. The page had opened to a dua that was hers. I came across anything related to her person so rarely I had just stared at it. Then I took a picture of the page and memorized the words.
اللهم إني أسألك بوجهك الكريم واسمك العظيم ، أن تصلّي على محمدٍ وآل محمد ،
وأن تغفر لي ذنبي العظيم
O my Lord! Indeed I ask you for the sake of Your Most Merciful Essence and Your Exalted Name to send your salutations and greetings and praise upon Muhammad (saw) and his blessed family (as)
and to forgive me my greatest sin.
That was before my debacle. Every time I would recite the words, I thought two things. Why was there a plea for Subhanahu to send blessings upon Nabi Pak (salutations and greetings upon him) and the Ahl e Beit when He was already doing it continuously? And what was the danb-i adeem, my gravest sin?
I asked Qari Sahib the first.
He said, “This is because they know that Subhanahu is The Only One who fulfills the right of the sending of those salutations upon His Beloved and their family because He is the Only One who knows His Beloved’s reality and by extention theirs. Many scholars including Abu Muhammad Marjani says in his tafseer that the benefit of sending the salutation only returns upon one’s own self. Thus it becomes as if you are praying for your self. That is why it is considered the afdal prayer, the best one.”
Subhan Allah!
My gravest sin changed every single day to something new. But I had just discovered the one that had existed in continuum, coating all the other layerings; shirrk. Those hopes I had of others that melted into the fire of possibilities in my head, poisoning my heart with expectations, was what had always been my greatest sin. I was so deeply sorry about it that weeping over it from now till the day I died couldn’t express that regret.
But Allah is Al Barro, Kind, so He would let me forget that sin, even that gravest one of all!
إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلْبَرُّ ٱلرَّحِيمُ
He, He, is the Most Kind, the Most Merciful.
Surah At Tur, Verse 28
Tafseer e Jilani
Indeed, Allah Subhanahu…
Huwal Barro: He is Al Mohsin, Kind, Al Makhsoos, The Only Benefactor, Al Munhasir, The Only One who exclusively possesses this quality of Ehsaan, Kindness and Inaam, bestowing blessings…
Ar Rahim: The Most Abundantly Merciful and giving of bounty to the Saileen, the ones who ask, the Mo’mineen, the believers, the Al Mustahiqqeen, the ones deserving, so Allah responds and answers, by His Kindness, our asks of Him. And He fulfills our hopes according to His Immense Generosity and Mercy.
I started thinking about the two kinds of forgetting. There was a forgetting that Allah Subhanahu Himself created for a human being. Then there was the forgetting that Shaitaan made a person do. What was the difference between them?
One thing was certain. When Subhanahu allowed a person to forget a wrong, it only created more mindfulness. Taqwa became raised out of the gratitude that the sin became forgotten. Forgotten by the mind, the heart and erased in the recording of deeds that held consequence in both places; the world and the Hereafter. Its result was tranquility because the expression of gratitude became intensified. Charity increased. Sensitivity and thoughtfulness for others heightened.
Shaitaan’s forgetfulness was ghaflat. It was neglectfulness and unawareness. Its consequence was of veils thick and curtains heavy. Over the heart as well as the ears and the eyes. It accentuated restlessness. It worsened behaviour because it was layered upon an attitude of persistent stubborn-ness and arrogance.
Since time immemorial, Shaitaan was in a constant, never-ending race against himself in trying to emulate what was ordained by Subhanahu for the Children of Adam with a singular goal; to see how he could warp Divine Structures and Commands sent for Mankind.
A verse in the Quran that said that about him. Whatever Allah made he would alter and corrupt and never stop doing it.
وَلَأُضِلَّنَّهُمۡ وَلَأُمَنِّیَنَّهُمۡ وَلَءَامُرَنَّهُمۡ فَلَیُبَتِّكُنَّ ءَاذَانَ ٱلۡأَنۡعَـٰمِ وَلَءَامُرَنَّهُمۡ فَلَیُغَیِّرُنَّ خَلۡقَ ٱللَّهِۚ
And I will surely mislead them and surely arouse desires in them, and surely I will order them so they will surely cut off (the) ears (of) the cattle
and surely I will order them so they will surely change (the) Creation (of) Allah."
Surah An Nisa, Verse 119
Tafseer e Jilani
Wala udillannahum: And I will surely mislead them with different kinds of deceit and whisperings of paranoia from the Path of Your Tauheed, One-ness…
Wala ummanniyannahum: and arouse false aspirations in them which relate to their livelihood in the abode of deception (the world), amongst them being greed and never ending hopes and all kinds of wishes of the nafs, the base self, and what is attractive for it…
Wala umarannahum: and I will command them with the changing of that which You have generated and (command them to) find faults in what You created and the breaking down of what You have invented…
Fala yubattikunna: so surely they will cut off and definitely tear…
A’adanal anaam: the ears of cattle and the nose of the horses (for their gods) and other such deeds which they will do with Your Creation without the permission (necessary) of Jurisprudence…
Wala aamorannahum falayughayyarunna khalqallah-i: and I will order them to change the Creation of Allah with my control over them and my consoling and sympathy with them until they change what was created upon the demands of the Wisdom of Divine Commands, which is made to arise upon the nature set by Allah and (as a result of my order) they will deviate from the path of balance and stability.
Endless examples came to my mind. The one that was appearing again and again on Drudge the week I wrote this was about living endlessly. The obsession of the billionaire was to never die. They were pouring a portion of their wealth into start-ups to make that happen. That had started years ago. I had written about it years ago.
Now even the ordinary had started believing it might happen. And rightly enough were terrified by the possibility (futurism.com/elderly-billionaires-immortal-compounding-we...).
Yet that same evil, conniving, hypocrite that Shaitaan was, when push came to shove and he saw defeat in front of him in the moment that it was about to appear, he turned and ran the other way. The betrayal was expected but even then the manner of it was unbelievable. As he ran abandoning his followers, he even declared loudly and clearly his separation from them:
Unlike them, he feared Allah!
إِنِّیۤ أَخَافُ ٱللَّهَۚ
Indeed, I [I] fear Allah.
Surah Al Anfal, Verse 48
Tafseer e Jilani
Inni akhaafullah: Indeed I am fearful of Allah, of His Qahr Wrath and His Ghadab, Anger.
I can’t help but wonder if asking for that forgiveness of my most serious sin invoking the exact words of the person who Nabi Kareem (salutations and greetings upon him and his family who are purified by Subhanahu Himself) said was a part of him, what pleased her pleased him, that she would enter Paradise first, his beloved daughter, brought everything to unfold as it did.
When I was translating Ahmed Javaid Sahib’s lecture into English Qari Sahib remarked:
“In other forms of worship, no one knows whether one is fasting or reading the Darood or giving charity or not. But in making the dua, the hands being held up towards one’s Lord, that simple act itself creates a connection of the physical being with Allah.”
Javaid Sahib’s lecture continued: “No wonder Nabi Kareem (salutations and greetings upon him and his beloved family which reverberate in the Universe) said:
عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ عَنْ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ
الدُّعَاءُ مُخُّ الْعِبَادَةِ
Anas ibn Malik reported: The Prophet, (peace and blessings be upon him and his family who witnessed their Lord in each prayer) said,
“Supplication is the essence of worship.”
Subhan Allah!
“Dua is the only reason for the state of what is born in the heart of worship and what is needed as the fundamental strength for the cause of perfection in the expression of worship. In the whole life cycle of worship, dua is the deed which creates the greatest ability to cause self-contentment for the nafs.
No person can, with all of their qalb, their heart within the heart, with complete intention, with the totality of the nafs and everything in words, learn anything through worship unless he creates a connection with Nabi Pak’s (saw) supplications emotionally, needfully, and his words.
It is imperative that one makes the level of that connection with him so strong that the need mentioned in his prayer is also their need. The needs have to be the same.”
Even the “Ameen” was necessary. I had read once that Shaitaan tried hard to prevent a worshipper from say the word. The one inserted at the end of Surah Fatiha in each ruk’u. For Nabi Kareem (salutations and greetings upon him and his blessed family) said that the angels also said it.
عن أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، قَالَ:
إِذَا أَمَّنَ الْإِمَامُ فَأَمِّنُوا،
فَإِنَّهُ مَنْ وَافَقَ تَأْمِينُهُ تَأْمِينَ الْمَلَائِكَةِ غُفِرَ لَهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِهِ
As narrated by Hazrat Abu Huraira (ratu) that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said,
“When the Imam says ‘Ameen’ say ‘Ameen’. Verily it is that the one whose ‘Ameen’ is in resonance with that of the angels, he will be forgiven that which had preceded in his sins.”
If the one in harmony with an angel was forgiven preceding sins, what lay in store for the one in synchronicity with those beloved to Allah!
The notion brought another prayer to my mind. It was also a prayer I had come across by chance. In the words of the blessed Imam Ali (as).
It was a long prayer. There were parts of it that struck my heart. One of those that I then memorized was this:
وَافْتَحِ اللّـهُمَّ لَنا مَصاريعَ الصَّباحِ بِمَفاتيحِ الرَّحْمَةِ وَالْفَلاحِ
O my Lord!
Open for us the doors of the morning with the keys of Mercy and Success.
My friend Amir had told me some time last year that he never used to pray the two ra’kat of Sunnah in the dawn prayer, Fajr. Until, that is, he read that those two raka’t were considered the most important.
I looked up the hadith related by Hazrat Bibi Aisha (ratu) who said that the concentration with which Nabi Kareem (salutations and greetings upon him and his blessed family) prayed the two Sunnah of Fajr exceeded that of all his other prayers:
وعنها عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال:
"ركعتا الفجر خير من الدنيا وما فيها"
وفي رواية لهما لأحب إلي من الدنيا جميعًا.
Hazrat Aishah (ratu) reported:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "The two Rak'ah before the dawn (Fajr) prayer are better than this world and all it contains."
Another narration goes: "The two Rak'ah before the dawn (Fajr) prayer are dearer to me than the whole world."
I had been praying the Fajr prayer for a while but my concentration upon the two Sunnah because of the hadith began to exceed all my other prayers. In that prayer then, in my sajda, I would recite Bibi’s (as) prayer for forgiveness of my greatest sin and the Imam’s (as) prayer for Rahma and Falah as well. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect.
I would be alone. It would be quiet. The doors of the morning would literally be about to open. I wanted them to open for me with the Mercy of the Divine, good fortune and prosperity. I knew those keys were His Beloved (salutations and greetings upon him and his family who are the reason all goodness is gifted to this world by their Lord). They were the keys to everything!
As I uttered each word with the entire focus of my heart, it would make the beginning of each day extraordinary!
They feel no Fear or Grief
“The one who was loved by Allah from the beginning, He makes them pure in the world from that which might distract him even for a single moment from His Being.
So indeed, the true lover does not abandon his beloved in any situation that might harm him.”
Ghaus Pak (ra)
أَلَآ إِنَّ أَوْلِيَآءَ ٱللَّهِ لَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ
Verily, the Friends of Allah, there will be no fear upon them and not they will grieve.
Surah Yunus, Verse 62
Tafseer e Jilani
Ala Inna auliya Allah e: Verily, the Friends of Allah, the Al Munkhala’eena, the ones who are detached from the demands of being human in total, Al Munsalekheena, the one who are far from the requirements of desires of their selves in totality...
La khauf-un alayhim wa la hum yahzanoon: there is no fear upon them nor do they feel grief because fear and sadness, they only come from the effects of the tabyat, (the secondary nature that is acquired from outside), and the pursuit of that which fulfills it.
Fear is an escapable feeling for a human being. Sadness is another. The Quran mentions both emotions together and repeatedly. More in its absence than its presence. As in His Friends do not feel either. I pride myself on not being scared by much in the world. Back in the day, my anger propelled that assumed arrogance to its heights. But anger cannot be exhibited in front of everyone.
There were times my relationship with my father was so badly ruptured that we didn’t see each other for months. That usually happened at the heel of an unpleasant incident. When I did have to see him again after that hiatus, I would feel fear. It would be so intense that I would not be able to stop crying for days before.
I was never alone in that interim. I remember on one occasion in particular that my friend Asma was with me. She would comfort me all day, tell me it would be fine, that she wouldn’t leave me alone with him. But it wouldn’t matter. That wouldn’t stem my tears because I would be scared of what would happen. It’s not like I thought it would be loud or violent. It was just the unknown of how he would react and would I be able to bear it.
My mother was dead. My sister had passed. I was the eldest. Moving from being the middle child till 26 and onwards to the eldest was the worst. It was strange that fact. With my sister alive, even though her father was different from mine, I wasn’t the eldest in my family because both husbands had been absent. But for him, in his eyes, in some form I must have been the eldest. I was his first child. Playing out both roles exactly like they are stereotyped was a drama and a half.
Woe upon me! How I wish I had known him then. My Prophet (salutations and greetings upon the one called Ar Rauf, the most kind and affectionate by His Lord Allah Ar Rauf) that I belonged to, the reason behind the Creation of everything, who worried for me, who felt my pain, who prayed for my suffering, of any kind, to end.
An Nahl, Verse 125: “Then pointed Allah Subhanahu towards the perfecting of honouring His Beloved (peace be upon and his family) and the majesty of his rank and the discipline of his etiquette and completing his wisdom and Messengerhood and making for everyone his kindness and his mercy as the gathering of kindness for all and sufficient for all Creation because he is sent in totality as mercy, Rahma, and he is the seal of the Prophethood and Messengerhood and the completer of the matter of religion and its perfection because the reason behind making the religion and the descent of the Books of Revelation and sending the Messengers, it is only to manifest his rank and his station, which is the inviting to the Essence of Tauheed, Tauheed Az Zaati.”
No one cared for me more than he did or even the way he did. If I had only known him then, he would have said to me too like he said to his best friend when he once felt fear, “Allah is with us.”
For me it was one of the most extraordinary incidents related in the Quran. Of course it was in At Tauba!
إِلَّا تَنصُرُوهُ فَقَدۡ نَصَرَهُ ٱللَّهُ إِذۡ أَخۡرَجَهُ ٱلَّذِینَ كَفَرُوا۟ ثَانِیَ ٱثۡنَیۡنِ إِذۡ هُمَا فِی ٱلۡغَارِ إِذۡ یَقُولُ لِصَـٰحِبِهِۦ لَا تَحۡزَنۡ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ مَعَنَاۖ
فَأَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ سَكِینَتَهُۥ عَلَیۡهِ وَأَیَّدَهُۥ بِجُنُودࣲ لَّمۡ تَرَوۡهَا وَجَعَلَ كَلِمَةَ ٱلَّذِینَ كَفَرُوا۟ ٱلسُّفۡلَىٰۗ وَكَلِمَةُ ٱللَّهِ هِیَ ٱلۡعُلۡیَاۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَزِیزٌ حَكِیمٌ
If you didn’t help him, certainly, Allah helped him when drove him out those who disbelieved, the second (of) the two, when they both (were) in the cave, when he said to his companion,
"Do not grieve, indeed, Allah (is) with us."
Then sent down Allah His Tranquility upon him, and supported him with forces which you did not see, and made (the) word (of) those who disbelieved the lowest, while (the) Word (of) Allah it (is) the highest.
And Allah (is) All-Mighty, All-Wise.
Surah At Tauba, Verse 40
Tafseer e Jilani
Illa tansuruhu: If you didn’t help him i.e. his Prophet, (Nabi Kareem (peace and salutations upon him and his family by his Lord who loves him)), the one who was helped from Him…
Faqad nasarahullahu: then certainly help came from Allah, Ar Raqeeb, The Only One who watches over him. Remember the Help of Allah, O Beloved (peace and salutations upon him and his family by his Lord who loves him), at that time…
Id akhrajahu alladina kafaru: when he was driven out by those who denied the truth i.e. the people of Mecca from Mecca whilst he was…
Thani Ithnayn: the second of the two i.e. there was no one with him except one man and he was Hazrat Abu Bakr (ratu) so they went towards the mountain and entered the cave and the enemy, they followed the tracks of their traces and reached that cave…
Id huma: when they were, hiding…
Fil ghar: in the cave so his companion, Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddique (ratu) became distraught from being found out by the enemy, remember…
Id yaqoolu: when he was saying (salutations and greetings upon him and his family by His Exalted Lord) in that situation…
Li sahibi-hi la tahzan: to his companion, “Do not grieve on their knowing (about us) and do not despair of Allah’s Help and His Guardianship.
Inallaha: Indeed, Allah Ar Raqeeb, The One who is the Watcher, upon us, present (as a Companion)…
Ma’ana: is with us, He is Sufficient for us in help from their harm…
Fa anzala Allahu: so He desended, Allah Subhanahu, just as he spoke his words, Nabi Kareem (salutations and greetings upon you and your family by His Own Self)…
Sakeenatahu: His Serenity i.e. His Contentment and His Calmness…
Alayhi: upon him i.e. his companion…
Wa ayyadahu bi junood-in: and strengthened him with such armies i.e. the angels, safeguarding and fortressing (them), as guards for him…
Lam taroha: you cannot see with your eyes, such is that army.
Wa ja’ala: and He made, Subhanahu, by His Help and His strengthening, for Nabi Pak (salutations and greetings upon him and his family eternally)…
Kalimata alladeena kafaru: the word of the one who disbelieves i.e. that which they claimed and argued with him, the word they wanted to make their tradition…
As sufla: the lowest i.e. the lowermost in descent. It is not important and it is not paid attention to at all.
Wa kalimatullah: And the Word of Allah i.e. the Word of His Tauheed, One-ness, which He made appear through His Beloved (salutations and greetings upon him and his family by the angels and their Creator)…
Hiya al-uliya: this is the uppermost, most exalted because Al Haqq is Exalted and no one else is exalted over Him...
Wallahu: And Allah is Al Qadir, The Dominant, Al Muqtadir, The Only One with Authority, upon whatsoever He wills…
Aziz-un: The One with all Power, Ghalib, The Only One who prevails in the helping of His Friends upon their enemies…
Hakeem-un: The Most Wise in all His Actions and His Planning.
But I didn’t know it then. That if one believed Allah was with them at all times, all fear and all sadness was dispelled!
At the random opening of pages in the shrines, sometimes I had come across the same page again and again. Sometimes the same Surahs. Never did I come across Yaseen, except once. On that day as I read what my heart knew in words alone, I chose the verses from the famous story of the village where three Prophets were sent, only to be mocked and rejected by its residents.
One man in the village who had brought faith speaks to the others. His name was Habeeb. I translated a few verses of his call to the others and this verse in particular sparked my interest. What did it mean for the ordinary to be told to enter Heaven? What did it mean to be forgiven? Not promised it but in fact be forgiven? What did it mean to be made of the honored?
قِیلَ ٱدۡخُلِ ٱلۡجَنَّةَۖ قَالَ یَـٰلَیۡتَ قَوۡمِی یَعۡلَمُونَ
بِمَا غَفَرَ لِی رَبِّی وَجَعَلَنِی مِنَ ٱلۡمُكۡرَمِینَ
It was said, "Enter Paradise." He said, "I wish my people knew.
Of how has forgiven me my Lord and placed me among the honored ones."
Surah Yaseen, Verse 26-27
Tafseer e Jilani
So when they heard from Habeeb his advice and his admonition, they decided to kill him and destroy him so they trampled him by feet to the extent that his intestines came out from his back and he was in that state, that the unveiling of His Lord increased.
And Allah took possession of him, The King of One-ness and the special Favour of Allah drew him towards Him and the Sanctity of His Generosity surrounded him, such that…
Qeela: it was said by Him from Al Haqq: Leave your nature and shed your egoistic self…
Udkhulil Jannah: Enter Paradise i.e. the Atmosphere of One-ness which has not in it hardship or illness and no pain and tiredness and leave it and shed it and enter instantly union. After that union towards what he became united with…
Qala: Habeeb said, hoping and feeling sad for them after he received the breezes of Divine Union…
Ya’layta qaumi ya’maloon: alas, I wish my people knew...
Bima ghafara-li: of how He has forgiven me and revealed upon me and pulled me towards Him after that He hid from me by my egoistic self and erased from me my nature…
Wa ja’alani minal mukrameen: and He made me of the honoured ones. The Mukrameen, honoured ones, of the Al Amineen, the ones in peace, Al Fa’izeen, the ones successful, Al Mustabshireen, the ones who are receiver of glad tidings which are, and Ghaus Pak (ra) pointed to the verse:
لَا خَوۡفٌ عَلَیۡهِمۡ وَلَا هُمۡ یَحۡزَنُونَ
There will be no fear upon then and not they will grieve.
Surah Yunus, Verse 62
Something of the extraordinary existed for the ordinary!
I had seen multiple instances of the appearance of the verse of no grief and no sadness with other verses. I was intrigued by the possibility. For the Friends of God it was easy. No aspect of their tabyat, secondary nature acquired in this world, ever prevailed over their fitrat, the original nature bestowed by Subhanahu. What about the rest of us whose tabyat ruled?
What appeared sequentially in the next verse (10/63) after La khaufan alayhim… for the Auliya was indeed a revelation. The secret was held in taqwa!
ٱلَّذِینَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَكَانُوا۟ یَتَّقُونَ
Those who believe and are conscious (of Allah),
Surah Yunus, Verse 63
Tafseer e Jilani
And after that they detached from its fulfillment and freedom from its demands and they annihilated themselves in Allah’s Essence and they became what they became thereafter. There was nothing remaining in them which was the generator of (the feelings of) fear and unhappiness and peace and tranquility. That person then is not characterized by the example of these opposites and they are…
Alladina aamano: the ones who attained to faith in the beginning of their spiritual journey i.e. they were steadfast in the place of the Knowledge of Certainty.
Wa: And after they established their abode and were steadfast upon it…
Kanu yattaqoon: they were mindful of Allah and safeguarded themselves from the control of Power of Allah’s Attributes which create awe (Jalali) due to their occupation with the attraction of their desires and they were conscious of their bonds with the selection (of their choices).
There it was again. Allah’s Jalal, being fearful of Him. The “occupation with the attraction of desires and the selection of those choices.” Choices which most often never even took on any form of reality and almost always just remained fire and poison of possibilities!
It was up to the nafs to pick its path.
فَأَلْهَمَهَا فُجُورَهَا وَتَقْوَىٰهَا
قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن زَكَّىٰهَا
وَقَدْ خَابَ مَن دَسَّىٰها
And He inspired it (to distinguish) its wickedness and its righteousness.
Indeed, he succeeds who purifies it,
And indeed, he fails who buries it (in darkness).
Surah Ash Shams, Verse 8-10
Tafseer e Jilani:
Fa alhamaha fujuraha wa taqwaha: So He inspired it (the nafs) to both, wickedness and mindfulness, according to that which is placed in it from the forces of heavens as well as of the Earth.
Then He burdened it according to what it can bear so that
1.the one who is truthful can be differentiated from the one who is false and
2.the astray from the guided and
3.the denier of Truth from the believer, completing the wisdom, which is rooted in certainty, which reaches the Essence of Allah and which reflects the Dominance of His Power.
Qad aflaha man zakkaha: Indeed he was successful and prosperous due to the success He prospered from by receiving from Allah the highest ranks…
Man zakkaha: the one who cleansed his nafs from the vileness of the world and from the possibilities of the demands of its desires and its lusts.
Wa qad khaba: And he was in a loss and ruined himself…
Man dassaha: the one who prevented the nafs from reaching its higher level (from Ammara, corrupt to Mutma’inna, content) and made it wayward. He did this by persuading it to be disobedient and sinful, which was done due to the demands of its base nature, its lustful desires and the wickedness of the world. This persuasion is what makes it deserving of different kinds of losses and deprivation and humiliation.
Again possibilities! Again losses, deprivation, humiliation!
Subhanahu had defined Paradise for Habeeb as “the Atmosphere of One-ness which has not in it hardship or illness and no pain and tiredness” if he left his egoistic self and shed it. Then union was instant. Then there was no pain and sadness.
In my egoistic nafs, the root of pain and sadness was for two reasons. Lack of reliance and lack of gratitude. For every time I wasn’t grateful for a blessing, it was taken from me.
Continued on: www.flickr.com/photos/42093313@N00/52649553016/in/datepos...
Copyright photo collage PS
The Blue of old Jodhpur has been said to represent the aristocratic Brahmin class, ward off the Evil Eye, deter mosquitos, etc. However, today's people of Jodhpur enjoy the colour as part of their tradition and identity.
.
Enlarge:
1. Simply click the diagonal arrows;
2. Then press F11 on a PC, or Fullscreen. Allow re-focus.
Or
3. Max enlarge: If flickr's + cursor is showing, click it for max enlargement and allow to re-focus. Explore detail moving cursor.
.
.
South Jodhpur/Bishnoi Set:
peteshep/sets/72157636787703643/
.
.
Some words:
Jodhpur:
Bandhni A traditional colour dye pattern; a type of tye-dye popular in Rajasthan, often dotted.
Bishnoi A sect that sees it as its sacred duty to protect the flora and fauna in their home districts in Rajasthan.
Galli Narrow alley-streets of the old town.
Ganesh A god with an elephant’s head who is supposed to overcome obstacles for his followers. (Also Manali example.)
Haveli A sumptuous residence belonging to a wealthy merchant or nobleman.
Jharoka Street-jutting balconies found only in Rajasthan.
Jhali Architectural grille.
Maharaja Local king.
Mehrengarh The “majestic fort” above Jodhpur.
Rajput Clans living in Rajasthan and other neighbouring regions. They are part of the warrior class.
Rao Jodha Jodhpur is named after the Rathore sovereign who founded the town in mid-fifteenth century – one of the most illustrious Rajput clans.
Vastu-shastra An historic treatise on architecture with chapters on significance of colours.
Closeup of the camera mount location and interlocking LEGO dots.
Cross view this photo to see the 3D.
Step 1 - Cross your eyes until you see 4 images instead of 2.
Step 2 - Then relax your view so the images move together and you see only 3 images.
Step 3 - When you see 3 images stop changing your focus and you will see the center image is 3D.
Optional - 4th step - You can also raise your hands to the sides of your eyes to block out the 2 outer images so you only see the center one in 3D!
Oh yeah, one more thing... you should be about 2 or 3 feet from the screen and if you are having trouble move closer or farther from the screen, sometimes that helps.
Enjoy - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Please note this “story” is a parody and is in no way connected to Vivitar or LEGO brands.
It is always best to start at the beginning.
… click here
New to Stagecoach(Greater Manchester South), in 08/2008, this Trident 2, then based at Middleton, is seen here on Shudehill, Manchester, on 04/09/2024. It is operating Bee Network Service 112 13:32 Middleton Bus Station - Greengate, Middleton Bus Depot - Moston, Gardeners Arms - Moston, Ivy Street - Collyhurst, Queens Road - Manchester, Piccadilly Gardens. This service, a former JP Travel operation, remained under Stagecoach Manchester control under Tranche 2 of Bee Network.
In Tranche 1 of Bee Network, which started on 24/09/2023, Stagecoach Manchester(Greater Manchester West) lost the Wigan depot to Go North West and under Tranche 2 of Bee Network, which started on 24/03/2024, Stagecoach Manchester(Greater Manchester South) gained Manchester Queens Road depot from Go North West and the Oldham Mumps depot from First Manchester. In Tranche 3, which started on 05/01/2025, Stagecoach Manchester(Greater Manchester South) lost Ashton-under-Lyne, Manchester Hyde Road, and Manchester Sharston to Comfort DelGro Metroline Manchester who also gained Arriva Manchester's Wythenshawe depot. Stagecoach Manchester(Greater Manchester South) kept their Stockport depots. © Peter Steel 2024.
Come Meet the Animals for Adoption or Tell A Friend.
City of Garland Animal Shelter
600 Tower Street
Garland, TX 75040.
Tel # 972-205-3570, ext 2 then ext #4
Here is the back of the camera packaging. This also can be cross viewed to see it in 3D, the wires and stuff clash pretty bad but the case is pretty clean for 3D.
Cross view this photo to see the 3D.
Step 1 - Cross your eyes until you see 4 images instead of 2.
Step 2 - Then relax your view so the images move together and you see only 3 images.
Step 3 - When you see 3 images stop changing your focus and you will see the center image is 3D.
Optional - 4th step - You can also raise your hands to the sides of your eyes to block out the 2 outer images so you only see the center one in 3D!
Oh yeah, one more thing... you should be about 2 or 3 feet from the screen and if you are having trouble move closer or farther from the screen, sometimes that helps.
Enjoy - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Please note this “story” is a parody and is in no way connected to Vivitar or LEGO brands.
It is always best to start at the beginning.
… click here
This was shot on the last day of "rising" before the "shine" at 3am to catch the light with my Palm beach Photographic Centre's workshop with the Buffalo Bill Center in Cody Wyoming.
Image wast taken with a D4s with a 80-400mm Nano coated VR lens, 3200iso recorded to a 128GB Lexar flash card used post processing with Capture NX 2 then Photoshop CC and Nik Colorefex 4.0.
#NikonAmbassador #PBPW #lexar #induro #D4s #centerofthewest #niksoftware #kelbyone
One of many hassles was covering everything up so that nothing would drip onto it. Fortunately, as we horde and re-use anything re-usable, we absolutely do not ever throw away a plastic Peapod (small/thick) or Diet-To-Go (large/flimsy) bag. Our surplus was just beginning to become semi-unmanagable, when all of a sudden we used just about every bag in the house to individual cover our spiral stiar rails! Other items used in covering included some newspapers given to me by my co-worker, a green bathrobe, a purple button-up womans' shirt bought during our "rag quest" (yardsaleing for cheap rags to wipe stain on... A shirt would only last an hour or so), and 3-5 dropcloths throughout the project.
We learned that plastic worked better than paper, but paper had definite advantages, like being able to wipe excess stain onto it, and being rippable. Sometimes we used both at once. It just depended. But with the stairs, you had to TAPE everything down. Very annoying. At least painter'stape is re-stickable.
You can also see the current unsafe ladder placement, and the carpet-on-the-stairs from the previous unsafe ladder placement. We left it there since it also served as a dropcloth.
BACKSTORY: Anyone who reads our contract (link below) can see that it specified to move the closet and built-in shelves. But Virginia Design Builders's workers -- the workers hired by Daniel M. Lopez -- were unable to properly move the closet without destroying it. And they "accidentally" threw away our shelves. They also broke the trim at the edge of the closet.
And then guess what? The asshole refused to stain ANY of it, despite the fact that the only reason the color now didn't match was due to their inability to properly execute a contract. (It was a 3 month contract and was not finished for over 3 years.) This left us having to stain WAY more wood than we otherwise would have. It was quite literally a difference of several months' work, as we both had jobs (at the time), and spare time at home has been in deficit for awhile.
STAINING IS A PAIN: Just for reference, proper wood staining is a MAJOR MAJOR MAJOR pain in the ass. The wood filling, the sanding, the pre-conditioning, staining, the wiping, the dropcloths, the multiple coats of everything, the (4) polyurethane coats [which often required holding a lamp in one hand, to reflect light on it to ensure evenness], and the final sanding. And don't get me started on the timing: Stain 20 minutes after pre-conditioning, but only for 2 hours; stain in 20 minute cycles consisting of 4 sub-cycles: stain area #1, stain area #2, wipe area #1, wipe area #2. Then break, get new gloves, and start over. A 20 minute cycle might equal 2 shelves, or 2 boards from ceiling to floor. Our spreadsheet had over 200 cells. At the end of the day, the only way to get stain off your skin was to apply paint thinner directly to your skin in violation of the instructions, common sense, and one's best interests...
wood staining.
bath robe, ladder, newspaper, painter's tape, plastic bag.
unsafe.
upstairs, Clint and Carolyn's house, Alexandria, Virginia.
July 26, 2007.
... Read my blog at ClintJCL.wordpress.com
... Read Carolyn's blog at CarolynCASL.wordpress.com
LEGAL: To see an official VA DPOR sanction of $500 (+$150) against Dan Lopez and Virginia Design Builders: clint.sheer.us/download/filedump/2008/daniel-m-lop... ... These people were suing him for $400K last time I checked.
To see OUR contract with Dan Lopez / Virginia Design Builders: clint.sheer.us/download/filedump/2008/daniel-m-lop... ... Just in case anybody doesn't believe me./B>
Early morning at Lorne Beach, Victoria, Australia.
Nikon D300s with Sigma 10 - 20mm lens.
Settings: 1/1000 ƒ/16 ISO200 20mm.
Processed: Lightroom 4, DxO Film Pack 4, Colour Efex 3, Silver Efex Pro and Viveza 2.
Then enlarged by PhotoZoom Pro to 699MB.
© Tom Crossan Photography.
© All rights reserved. You may not use this photo in website, blog or any other media without my explicit permission.
Please do contact me if you wish to use any of my images.
Snuck this pic on the way out the door. I did tip off Wisconsin Lt. Gov'r Kleefisch's office since I donated to her counter-recall campaign last year, hope the sailor named here (Aviation Structural Mechanic Airman (AMAN) J.A. Brow of Oconomowoc, Wisconsin) gets a kind note!
-----------------------
I was greatly honoured to take a tour of NAS Whidbey Island's survival training, officer's club and Electronic Warfare Attack School on 26 Feb. 2013. Below are all the publishable (according to this civilian's standards) photos from the tour.
This time I've decided to give them away at full resolution. To download, please read before doing anything:
#1. Just right-click and then select "Original". That'll take you to the full-size pic,
#2. Then right-click and hit "Save Image As".
STEREOSCOPIC PHOTOGRAPHS: "DER KAMPF IM WESTEN"
Illustrated German propaganda book and 3-D viewer with 100 images, Der Kampf im Westen, (Otto Schonstein: Munich), 1940. A 70pp. 4to. hardbound propaganda piece aimed at honoring the victorious Wehrmacht which had recently completed the utter destruction of the French army and had forced the British to flee via Dunkirk as it swept through Belgium to Paris. With 100 stereoscopic photos of Hitler and Goring at Versailles, Dunkirk, destroyed towns and villages, coastal and field artillery, tanks, surrendered arms, blasted vehicles, etc. which one may view through the metal collapsible pair of stereoscopic slide viewers provided.
From Wikipedia
When Adolf Hitler received word from the French government that they wished to negotiate an armistice, Hitler selected Compiègne Forest as the site for the negotiations. As Compiègne was the site of the 1918 Armistice ending the Great War with Germany's conflict cessation, Hitler used this place as a supreme moment of revenge for Germany over France. Hitler decided that the signing should take place in the same rail carriage, the Compiègne Wagon, where the Germans had signed the 1918 armistice. However, in the last sentence of the preamble, the drafters inserted "However, Germany does not have the intention to use the armistice conditions and armistice negotiations as a form of humiliation against such a valiant opponent", referring to the French forces. Furthermore, in Article 3, Clause 2, the drafters stated that their intention was not to heavily occupy North-West France after the cessation of hostilities with Britain.
William Shirer, who was present on that day, reports, "I am but fifty yards from him. […] I have seen that face many times at the great moments of his life. But today! It is afire with scorn, anger, hate, revenge, triumph."[2] Then, in the same railway carriage in which the 1918 Armistice had been signed (removed from a museum building and placed exactly where it was in 1918), on 21 June 1940, Hitler sat in the same chair in which Marshal Ferdinand Foch had sat when he faced the representatives of the defeated German Empire. After listening to the reading of the preamble, Hitler – in a calculated gesture of disdain for the French delegates – left the carriage, as Foch had done in 1918, leaving the negotiations to his Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (High Command of the Armed Forces) Chief, General Wilhelm Keitel. Then negotiations lasted one day, until the evening of 22 June 1940: General Huntzinger had to discuss the terms by phone with the French government representatives who had fled to Bordeaux, mainly with the newly nominated defence minister, General Maxime Weygand.
6 vs 6, random teams. We were down the whole game, then down 3-2 then down to me vs a battleship and a destroyer, and I have almost no armor. ended up getting the last kill with 30 seconds left before they win on time. A rare 2 compliment game for me as well.
Cross view this photo to see the 3D.
Step 1 - Cross your eyes until you see 4 images instead of 2.
Step 2 - Then relax your view so the images move together and you see only 3 images.
Step 3 - When you see 3 images stop changing your focus - see the center image is 3D.
See this in other formats on schillr.com:
Anaglyph for red/cyan 3D glasses
Anaglyph for amber/blue 3D glasses
"Box of Rain"
Words by Robert Hunter; music by Phil Lesh
Copyright Ice Nine Publishing; used by permission.
Look out of any window
any morning, any evening, any day
Maybe the sun is shining
birds are winging or
rain is falling from a heavy sky -
What do you want me to do,
to do for you to see you through?
this is all a dream we dreamed
one afternoon long ago
Walk out of any doorway
feel your way, feel your way
like the day before
Maybe you'll find direction
around some corner
where it's been waiting to meet you -
What do you want me to do,
to watch for you while you're sleeping?
Well please don't be surprised
when you find me dreaming too
Look into any eyes
you find by you, you can see
clear through to another day
I know it's been seen before
through other eyes on other days
while going home --
What do you want me to do,
to do for you to see you through?
It's all a dream we dreamed
one afternoon long ago
Walk into splintered sunlight
Inch your way through dead dreams
to another land
Maybe you're tired and broken
Your tongue is twisted
with words half spoken
and thoughts unclear
What do you want me to do
to do for you to see you through
A a box of rain will ease the pain
and love will see you through
Just a box of rain -
wind and water -
Believe it if you need it,
if you don't just pass it on
Sun and shower -
Wind and rain -
in and out the window
like a moth before a flame
It's just a box of rain
I don't know who put it there
Believe it if you need it
or leave it if you dare
But it's just a box of rain
or a ribbon for your hair
Such a long long time to be gone
and a short time to be there
Come Meet the Animals for Adoption or Tell A Friend.
City of Garland Animal Shelter
600 Tower Street
Garland, TX 75040.
Tel # 972-205-3570, ext 2 then ext #4
Chassis n° 718/2-02
In the late 1950s, the 718/2 was built on the basis of the sports car Porsche 718 as a F2 car with which Porsche won the F2-constructors' championship in 1960. From 1961 on the 718/2 then started in Formula 1 - this car even until 1964.
1.498 cc
165 PS
Vmax : 280 km/h
465 kg
Automuseum Prototyp
Hamburg-Hafencity
Deutschland - Germany
March 2017
SB80 STU CL 1/8
Just experimenting: enfused the flash frames 0,-1,-2, then layered a SEPARATE AMBIENT frame on top in PS, which was neutralized for the yellow casts
Didn't expect this to come out... I don't care for the lack of ambience, but I do like the "refined commercial studio" look to it.
Mattel Great Villains Maleficent Doll (1998)
I was attempting to undress her, but ran into two major difficulties. Here are the steps I took.
1. In order to remove her robe, first I had to unsnap the straps fastening the front and back parts to each other near her waist.
2. Then I found that the only opening in the robe was one for the neck, and that was very small and inflexible, with no way to widen it.
3. Therefore, the only way I could remove the robe was to remove her head.
4. Pulling and twisting the head finally allowed the head to come apart from the neck articulation (joint). Fortunately, both the joint and the head were fairly flexible and very tough.
5. I could then lift the robe off the doll over the neck.
6. Then I found that the dark pink (magenta) satin dress underneath was sewn permanently together. There was no way to get it off the doll's body without ripping the seams apart, or cutting it off. That was very disappointing. It means that she cannot be fitted with another outfit, and that her outfit cannot be put on another doll.
7. I put her head back on, and took a couple of photos with just her dress on. Without her robe, Maleficent looks a lot less threatening. She reminds me of Lady Tremaine.
Can I come out now??
Exam schedule:
4th May: English Paper 1 (2 hours)
5th May: History Paper 1 (1hour 15mins) and History Paper 2 (1hour and 30mins)
6th May: History Paper 3 (2hours and 30minutes), Ecosystems Paper 1 (45mins), Ecosystems Paper 2 (1hour and 30mins)
7th May: Ecosystems Paper 3 (1hour and 30mins), Maths Paper 1 (1hour and 30mins)
8th May: Maths Paper 2 (1hour and 30mins).
&& that's just this week.
Saturday: I revised Ecosystems when I got up at 9am, all the way until 3pm when I met Hannah & my maths teacher at Lower School. We had an extra lesson until 5.30pm!! && then our maths teacher drove us to Hannah's house, & Hannah got some revision notes & money, & went to spar to buy energy drinks. On the walk back to school we saw my Dad & he picked us up & drove us the rest of the way. Then Hannah revised History from my notes, while I did Ecosystems. She stayed until like 9pm && spent the last 30mins flicking through heat trying to find Robert Pattinson's head hidden among the magazine pages so we could enter into a competition involving New Moon. Yeah, yeah, I know, it's a one in a million chance, but nothing ventured: nothing gained. =p Hannah found 2, then I found 2. && then we watched a scene in the movie several times to answer the other question needed to enter the competition, which is what was Carlisle cutting in the kitchen. So we spent a while figuring that out. When Hannah was back home she text me with a possible answer, so we deliberated over that for a while. =) I was determined to finish the Ecosystems syllabus that evening so I had to stay up til 1am to do so, but at least it was done.
Sunday: I got up at like 9am again && started re-revising History. My Mom baked cupcakes (to cheer me up while revising!) so we ate some of them. && I just spent the day revising. My memory doesn't stretch back that far. I'm not sure what I did really.
Monday: First exam!! English. The poem I chose to analysis was called "Fish" by Keki Daruwala. I can't find it online, otherwise I'd link it. I interpreted it to be about the ambiguous nature of the sea, whereas Hannah wrote that it was about rape. I just googled it & it's about ecology in general. Meh. I think I did quite well. Then Hannah & I went back to my house to revise History. We ate cookies & cupcakes too. & revised all the way til 5.30pm.
Tuesday: Hannah came over at 8.30am to start revising for our 2 History papers that were in the afternoon. When one of our History teachers went on maternity leave we basically weren't taught anything about World War Two. I'd done some for GCSE, but I hardly remembered it, & the rest of the class hadn't done anything on it (German syllabus is different). Then our other teacher didn't teach us anything about Mussolini (he told us we wouldn't need to know anything about him) & we spent 3 weeks on Lenin. That's all. So we were panic revising, trying to learn all we could. When we were given past exam papers to look over, we saw that Mussolini came up quite a lot, so they gave us an hour lesson on him, & then some sheets of info on him. We've had 2 years FFS!! I went into the exam saying that if Mussolini, Lenin, WW2, or detente came up, I would not be able to do it. Detente I just suck at. I'm much better at the Cuban missile crisis or Vietnam. So imagine my horror that the first exam was on detente, & the second paper Lenin, Mussolini, & WW2. I was so freaked. I answered a question that allowed me to talk about Hitler & Lenin, so I focused mostly on Hitler, & then a question which let me mostly talk about the League of Nations in the 1920s. But it was not good. Hannah & I were so angry about that paper. Our teachers will never admit that they didn't teach us half the syllabus, but it's not fair. At all. I tried to revise but I just started panicking & crying because I was so angry at myself. My parents tried to get me to calm down, but eventually my Mom took me out for a drink for half an hour. It calmed me down a little. I wanted to be able to say what I was worried about, & which bits I was bad at, but my parents wouldn't let me. I just needed to be able to accept it.
Wednesday: My 3rd History paper was awesome, (kinda). I wrote about Hitler & Stalin's repressive policies, the causes of WW1 (which is so easy it's a GCSE question), & then about the causes and results of economic problems from 1919-1939 in one European country (I chose Germany). Then I panic revised for Ecosystems, && ate a chocolately muffin that Amber gave us. Because my History paper had been so bad the day before I'd spent all that night just revising History. Gah. The first Ecosystems paper was fine. It's multiple choice & really easy. The second one was one of those "Oh fuck" moments. To maximise revision time on things that were most likely to come up on the paper I only glanced at my work on soil. There was like 10 points on soil. I couldn't remember a damn thing. I was so angry. Spent the evening going over Ecosystems.
Thursday: Ecosystems Paper 3 wasn't too bad. Nothing special. I'm supposed to be achieving a Level 7 in that subject, but I think I'll only get a Level 5. Which really sucks. Hannah & I revised for Maths after that until 2pm. I think I passed Maths. I only needed 23 points (out of 90) so I will be angry if I am so useless that I didn't even get that!! I was so tired by the end of the day. I didn't want to do any more revising. I got home in the evening & watched TV, & went online, & just did nothing until 10pm, when I suddenly asked my Dad to go over some Maths with me. We worked until 12pm, but nothing went in. I totally wasted that evening.
Friday: I was so nervous before my Maths exam, but was totally hoping that logic, differentiation, probability, Pythagoras, or Venn diagrams came up. They all did!! I couldn't answer 2 of the questions, (one was on the null hypothesis, which we've never been taught) & the other one just got complicated. But I was pretty pleased with it. Hannah & I had no idea what to do with ourselves afterwards. We were just looking out the window when we saw some people smoking by my garage. We tried to figure out if they were Germans or gardeners, & eventually decided that though one of them looked like one of the gardeners, the other one looked like one of the Germans. So we called my Dad & told him. He said that it was probably the gardeners, & that he doubted the Germans would be so audacious as to smoke by our house. We kept insisting so he agreed to come home & check it out. Turns out it was the gardeners. Hannah & I (who were watching from our window at school) ducked down as soon as we realised who it was, & hid in case they realised who had told my Dad. My Dad then walked over to St. Oswald's & knocked on our side window, saying that he could see me & to stop hiding. I wasn't hiding from him!! Apparently the gardeners were really embarrassed & thought they'd be in trouble for smoking on the job (they weren't) & had been smoking behind our garage so that the pupils wouldn't see . . . Oooooh. Awkward. Then Hannah & I ate chocolate muffins, & went back to my house to get magazines to read. I just couldn't face any more revision. I tried to do English, but my head was not cooperating. After lunch we went back to my house & watched Twilight (yay!) & then Hannah went to meet Laurence while I went to see my English teacher to talk about my next English exam.
Because I've had NINE EXAMS this week, my parents said they'd take me out to dinner & I could choose the restaurant. My favourite Italian, or the Indian. I like the Indian, & it's closer. I was so tired I could have been asleep by 6pm. & it's midnight now. It was nice evening. When we came home my Mom helped me take this photo. It involved pegging the sheet to an interior window, & draping it onto this big picture frame. I used my bedroom lamp on the floor. My camera is kinda broken & the self-timer won't work, so I set up the camera & told my Mom when to take the picture. It was so hot behind that sheet, & I was trying all this shadow stuff which caused me to have to contort up the wall. There was surprisingly little room in that corner . . . This was one of the last photos I took. I was trying to get across the fact that the exams have emotionally scarred me, & I'm upset at how I've done. Soooo I edited this while watching Twilight (again). I was watching it with my Mom & she hadn't seen it before, so that makes it okay that I've watched it twice today. =D
I took my GCSEs way more seriously. What the hell is up with me?? I probably shouldn't upload this weekend, so there's my update. I am so exhausted. Night night.
96/365
Back into the swing of it now that I can take sharp photos again.
BUT - I really have had it with Canon, their ability to sort out focus problems in their newer cameras (no I don't mean for general use, I mean critical focus with long sharp lenses on small targets, and using AI Servo target tracking) combined with their terrible customer relations means I'm now officially keeping an eye on Nikon, Sony and Red for new offerings. While on the topic, it looks like very exciting times for DSLR users in the next couple of years - big changes coming. Starting in a small way with the amazing Sony A900 (in terms of specifications for the dollar) and perhaps to be continued with the imminent Canon 5D Mk 2. Then ... will Red be able to repeat the success they are having in the cine camera field in the DSLR market? They promise they will, and in only a year or so too.
www.red.com/ and check the link "DSLR-killer" bottom left.
Sony are also releasing what is claimed to be a high quality 70-400 f4-5.6 lens that would be a great tool if it performs. They don't need to incorporate stabilisation in the lens so ... less weight and potentially faster focus. Which reminds me that upgrading their 10-year old 100-400 lens design is another area in which Canon have failed to listen and act. (Although they will release a new model in the next month or two since I just bought the old version!).
Do I love Crested Pigeons? You bet! At least to look at, not so happy with their invasive tactics around Canberra. They are certainly a resilient and resourceful species and waste no time in unnecessary sophistication. Their nest is a disgrace - the one I saw was a few twigs haphazardly placed in such a manner as to just support the eggs without them toppling out of the bush.
Added to this auto slideshow Set:
1. Click this blue link
2. THEN click the TV-like icon upper-right for an auto slideshow
www.flickr.com/photos/peteshep/albums/72157719557599652
:-)
Seppeltsfield, one of Australia's oldest winerieswas founded in 1851 by Joseph Ernst Seppelt. The Seppeltsfield winery is well known for its signature wine, the 100-year-old Para Tawny.
Joseph Ernest Seppelt, a merchant who sold such commodities as tobacco, snuff and liqueurs, emigrated with his family from Prussia (now Poland) to Australia in 1849 to break free from political and economic unrest.[1][6] He was intent on growing and selling tobacco. In 1850, he and his family settled in Klemzig. After discovering that the land was not suited for such purpose, he and his family decided to settle in the Barossa Valley in 1851.[7]
In 1851, Seppelt purchased 158 acres (64 ha) of land for about £1 an acre which he called Seppeltsfield. He soon discovered that, as was the case in Klemzig, the land in the Barossa Valley was not suited for growing economically useful tobacco.[8][9] However, the Seppelts did have success growing wheat on their land and, due to the gold rushes of the 1850s, were able to sell it for high prices due to high demand at the time. With his knowledge of liqueurs gained from his days as a merchant, Seppelt saw there was potential for wine production on his land. Soon thereafter, the Seppelts planted vines that flourished leading to a contribution to the Wines and Spirits category at the Melbourne Intercolonial Exhibition in 1866. [10] By 1867, Joseph had begun construction of a full-scale winery, and by 1878, the port store cellar was completed.[6] In 2006, the cellar held about 9 million litres of fortified wine.[11]
Joseph Seppelt did not live to see the completion of his winery, as he died in early 1868. His eldest son, Oscar Benno Pedro,[2] then 21, inherited a 55% majority of the winery. Benno’s younger siblings, Victor and Ottilie, inherited 30% and 15% of the winery respectively. Benno later bought out his younger siblings and gained complete control of the winery.
Benno's oversight helped earn the winery a reputation for quality wines. At the turn of the century, the Seppelt Winery was Australia's largest winery, producing 2 million litres annually.[6] The winery's reputation lead to statements like: "Seppeltsfield is undoubtedly the iconic winery of the Barossa.
Benno and his wife had a total of 16 children. In 1902, Benno set up "B Seppelt & Sons Ltd", and on his retirement in 1916, their eldest surviving son, Oscar (Oscar Benno Seppelt,[3]) became Managing Director. After Benno's death in 1931, many of their children took interests in the company.[16]
The company (and winery) remained in the Seppelt family until 1984. (excerpt from Wikepedia)
Most of us enjoy sparkling wine (or Champagne) : it's a sensory and taste delight that's always welcome at the table or at gatherings. Cheap sparklers are made by simply injecting CO2 from a carbonator into wine. But the good stuff is produced traditionally and laboriously. Here's a glimpse of the 4 steps involved in bringing that glass to your table (shot May 2012 @ the Okanagan Crush Pad winery in Summerland, BC):
Step 1 - The first fermentation of sparklers is the same as any wine : convert natural grape sugars into alcohol while the resultant carbon dioxide is allowed to escape, producing the 'base' wine - usually too acidic to drink.
Step 2 - Then a blend is created (the cuvée) using wines from various vineyards. The blended wine is put in heavy-walled bottles with yeast and a bit of sugar and stored horizontally for a 2nd fermentation. This traps the wine's carbon dioxide in solution. The wine then ages for a time and the spent yeast (lees) settles out, ultimately for removal.
Step 3 - After aging, the bottles are placed on riddling racks at angle (as shown) with the crown cap pointing down. The bottles are moved slightly, daily, gradually increasing the angle until the lees sediment sits in at the bottle's top, ready for removal (disgorging).
Step 4 - These bottles of white & pink sparkling wine will soon be disgorged by freezing a bit of the neck's liquid, removing the ice & lees plug, then corking.... shipping ... and ultimately, to your glass.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXEKuttVRIo
love this song :o)
there was a big ass spider in the room while i was taking this, i shit myself, im sure i saw it winking at me :o( it was so big at first i thought it was 2!! then i didnt want to leave the room in case it disappeared!!
well, fun day at work tomorrow (although it wont be so much fun for us workers), it'll be for the customers (some of which dont deserve to have a fun day).
glad to be home with the hubby :o)
Comments always appreciated, as long as you keep it clean - I love to hear your feedback! xx
We had a 5 day break away in Newcastle at Easter! It was fantastic. We always love Newcastle and it certainly didn't disappoint!
First night out we went to a bar below the hotel called Ovens and Shakers where we had a cocktail (I had a mocktail, non-alcoholic). On the alcoholic cocktails it's 2 for the price of 1 so Gemma had 2!
Then we went on to Time Square where there was a pop-up bar in the square itself which was amazing! And we got vouchers for free drinks too!
Afterwards we went on to The Bank which was pretty empty at the time, but we got to meet the lovely drag queen Miss Dixie Swallows (lol) who also DJs in Rusty's, our fave Newcastle bar.
After The Bank we went to Rusty's to finish the night off where we met a group of lovely girls who had spotted us earlier at the Central Park outisde bar.
A fantastic night!
My blackbery mocktail.
The Sermon on the Mount; The Beatitudes
5 When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and when He was seated, His [a]disciples came to Him. 2 Then He began to teach them, saying,
3 “Blessed [spiritually prosperous, happy, to be admired] are the poor in spirit [those devoid of spiritual arrogance, those who regard themselves as insignificant], for theirs is the kingdom of heaven [both now and forever].
4 “Blessed [forgiven, refreshed by God’s grace] are those who mourn [over their sins and repent], for they will be comforted [when the burden of sin is lifted].
5 “Blessed [inwardly peaceful, spiritually secure, worthy of respect] are the [b]gentle [the kind-hearted, the sweet-spirited, the self-controlled], for they will inherit the earth.
6 “Blessed [joyful, nourished by God’s goodness] are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness [those who actively seek right standing with God], for they will be [completely] satisfied.
7 “Blessed [content, sheltered by God’s promises] are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
8 “Blessed [anticipating God’s presence, spiritually mature] are the pure in heart [those with integrity, moral courage, and godly character], for they will see God.
9 “Blessed [spiritually calm with life-joy in God’s favor] are the makers and maintainers of peace, for they will [express His character and] be called the sons of God.
10 “Blessed [comforted by inner peace and God’s love] are those who are persecuted for [c]doing that which is morally right, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven [both now and forever].
11 “Blessed [morally courageous and spiritually alive with life-joy in God’s goodness] are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil things against you because of [your association with] Me. 12 Be glad and exceedingly joyful, for your reward in heaven is great [absolutely inexhaustible]; for in this same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Matthew 5:1-12, Amplified Bible www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+5%3A1-12&...
My take on chili con carne
300g beef mince
50g smokey bacon
1 red onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, finely diced
2 red chili, finely diced
2 t ground cumin
2 t ground coriander
2 t dried oregano
1 t smoked paprika, picanto
1 t cayenne
1 t ground black pepper
1 cinnamonstick
1 bay leaf
150 ml red wine
2 T tomato purée
200 ml passata
400g tinned tomatoes
250 gr diced bell peppers (red, sweet pointy)
400g tinned red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
200 gr corn from a tin.
20g chocolate, finely chopped (if you have it)
Method
1. Put a large pan on medium heat and add the small cubes of smokey bacon (lardons) sauté a few minutes until the fat renders out.
2. Then add the onions and slowly sauté those in about 5-10 minutes. Add the garlic and chopped chiles in the last minute. I panfried the minced beef with some salt in another pan and added it to the bacon and onion.
3. Add all the spices and fry for one minute.
4. Add the tomato paste and cook/fry for a minute.
5. Add the red wine and let it reduce/vaporize.
6. Add the canned tomatoes, bell pepper and passata and simmer for 1-1½ hours until very tender.
7. Taste and adjust the sauce if necessary. I added a Mdm Jeanette chilipepper because somehow it wasn't getting spicy enough.
8. Add the rinsed kidney beans and corn and heat through.
9. Check the seasoning again. Add chopped coriander or parsley if available.
Serve with greek yoghurt mixed with some chopped cilantro/coriander, lemonjuice and salt.
We improvised supplies whenever possible -- The yellow sheet and PowerPuff Girls plastic placemat (from a yardsale, probably $0.25) were randomly noticed as objects that might be useful to our project. Dropclothes cost several dollars, so every bit helps. We also used our [imitation] Soloflex as a work bench, instead of a work-out bench. The center brush is the horse-hair brush, which was required to get the polyurethane thin enough. But you could use the cheaper brushes for the actual staining, provided that you \"process\" the brushes (20+ minutes to get them clean-ish using paint thinner outside) every day. That became Carolyn's job; she would start processing while I would finish up, if I recall correctly.
BACKSTORY: Anyone who reads our contract (link below) can see that it specified to move the closet and built-in shelves. But Virginia Design Builders's workers -- the workers hired by Daniel M. Lopez -- were unable to properly move the closet without destroying it. And they \"accidentally\" threw away our shelves. Of course, we had a dumpster full of other peoples' trash in our driveway until we called the towing company and told Lopez to get it out or we'll have it towed. Storing other peoples' trash was not part of the contract, but somehow being able to retain our own trash was impossible.
And then guess what? The asshole refused to stain the wood to match the pre-existing color. They also refused to build matching doors -- they put the old, stained closet doors onto the new, unstained closet. So we got stuck with months of wood-staining hell thanks to the inability of Daniel M. Lopez's company to follow simple contractual instructions, and we also had to deal with color-matching (fortunately, we got that right, and the color match is near-perfect!).
STAINING IS A PAIN: Just for reference, proper wood staining is a MAJOR MAJOR MAJOR pain in the ass. The wood filling, the sanding, the pre-conditioning, staining, the wiping, the dropclothes, the multiple coats of everything, the (4) polyurethane coats, and the final sanding. And don't get me started on the timing: Stain 20 minutes after pre-conditioning, but only for 2 hours; stain in 20 minute cycles consisting of 4 sub-cycles: stain area #1, stain area #2, wipe area #1, wipe area #2. Then break, get new gloves, and start over. A 20 minute cycle might equal 2 shelves, or 2 boards from ceiling to floor. Our spreadsheet had about 250 cells. At the end of the day, the only way to get stain off your skin was to apply paint thinner directly to your skin in violation of the instructions...
LEGAL: To see an official VA DPOR sanction of $500 (+$150) against Dan Lopez and Virginia Design Builders: www.acm.vt.edu/~clint/download/filedump/2008/daniel-m-lop... ... These people were suing him for $400K last time I checked.
To see OUR contract with Dan Lopez / Virginia Design Builders: www.acm.vt.edu/~clint/download/filedump/2008/daniel-m-lop... ... Just in case anybody doesn't believe me.
wood staining.
Soloflex, paintbrush, sandpaper.
PowerPuff Girls.
upstairs, Clint and Carolyn's house, Alexandria, Virginia.
June 4, 2007.
... Read my blog at ClintJCL.wordpress.com
... Read Carolyn's blog at CarolynCASL.wordpress.com
icture, pool table, sandpaper, scissors.
upstairs, Clint and Carolyn's house, Alexandria, Virginia.
June 4, 2007.
... Read my blog at ClintJCL.wordpress.com
... Read Carolyn's blog at CarolynCASL.wordpress.com
This paper backdrop with sky, rain droplets and cloud can really make your room beautiful.
How to make beautiful wallpaper decor
Materials & Tools
Colored paper
One glue
One scissor
Step 1:
- Cut colored paper into tears.
Step 2:
- Then, glue two droplets together
Step 3:
- ...
FHE Lesson: Change of Heart
by Shauna Gibby
"The ultimate operation is not a physical but a spiritual 'mighty change' of heart." -Dale G. Renlund
Conference Talk:
For more information on this topic read "Preserving the Heart's Mighty Change," by Dale G. Renlund, Ensign, Nov 2009, 97-99.
Thought:
A heart transplant can prolong life for years for people who would otherwise die from heart failure. But it is not "the ultimate operation," as Time magazine called it in 1967. The ultimate operation is not a physical but a spiritual "mighty change" of heart.
Song:
"Thy Spirit, Lord, Has Stirred Our Souls," Hymns. #157 (especially 2nd verse).
Scripture:
And they all cried with one voice, saying: Yea, we believe all the words which thou hast spoken unto us; and also, we know of their surety and truth, because of the Spirit of the Lord Omnipotent, which has wrought a mighty change in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually. (Mosiah 5:2)
Lesson:
Show a picture of each family member from several years before. Ask in what ways they think they have changed the most. Ask them what kinds of changes they have experienced that are not so visible? Have them share their thoughts about the following questions:
What does it mean to say a person has changed for the better?
What might cause a person to change?
How can you tell if a person has really changed?
Do you think it would be easier to notice a change in another person or in yourself? Why?
Read Mosiah 5:1-2 together and look for the "mighty change" that came upon King Benjamin's people.
Ask your family if they would like to be so converted that they have no desire to sin. How much easier would it be to live the commandments if you had "no more disposition to do evil but to do good continually"?
Ask your family if they remember what the people of King Benjamin did so
that the Spirit could make this "mighty change" in their hearts. (See Mosiah 4:2-3; they asked to be forgiven and purified, and they had faith in Christ.) What did Benjamin say they must do to "retain a remission of their sins"?
(See Mosiah 4:11-16.)
Bear your testimony of the power of the Lord to change us so that the things we are commanded to do are also the things we love to do.
Story:
I am convinced that before the mighty change can occur within us, each of us will obtain a broken heart and a contrite spirit through experiences we receive in life.
I remember grasping this concept, in a very limited way, in my early high school years. I love sports. In grade school and junior high school, I dreamed of completing a pass in a football game with time running out, and thereby winning the state championship. I had similar fantasies regarding a lastsecond shot in basketball, and a home run in the bottom of the ninth inning in a baseball game.
As a sophomore in high school, because I had a small frame, I decided basketball was my game. I was quick and had a good two-handed set shot. (If you don't know what that is, ask someone over forty to tell you about it.) Tryouts were held in October. I played hard, stole the ball on several occasions, and made a few long, outside set shots; however, when the coach posted the names of the team members, my name was not on the list. I was crushed. My dream of having the cheerleaders swarm all over me after my game-winning shot was lost forever.
By the next summer I regrouped and decided maybe football was my game after all. At tryouts I put on a helmet, shoulder pads, and other gear. On my way out to the practice field, I remember looking in the mirror and saying to myself, "Hey, you look taller! And when you turn sideways, you don't disappear!" But then I noticed that the big guys looked bigger too.
In the first few drills, I felt fine. My speed allowed me to come in near the first in the sprints, and my confidence soared. Then came scrimmage. I was given the ball and told to run straight up the middle. As I got to the line, I was met by the biggest defensive lineman on the team. He planted his helmet in the pit of my stomach, wrapped his arms around my thighs, picked me up, threw me on the ground, and jumped on top of me. The only reason I didn't fumble was that the ball was implanted in my rib cage. As my friends carried my limp, breathless body off the field, I heard the coach say to the tackle, "Ooh! Wow! Nice hit, Kimber!"
Once again my dreams were shattered--not to mention my ribs and my ego. In the weeks that followed, I began to look around to see what else life had to offer. It took a while, but I made a marvelous discovery: there is a lot more to life than sports. I looked at my classmates in a different light. In addition to the respect I already had for good athletes, I began to appreciate the individual talents of each person. I marveled at those gifted with artistic ability. I looked at their paintings and thrilled at their talent. Others had developed their talents in music. I watched in amazement as a pianist played classical music. A dancer fascinated me with her grace and creativity. I read things written by a gifted poet. I laughed and cried as I watched some thespians perform. They actually made me forget who they were and convinced me they had become the characters on the stage. Some of my friends excelled in academics. And perhaps the most important talents are those we are likely to take for granted, such as compassion, benevolence, and integrity.
Activity:
Have all the family members sit side-by-side on the floor with their legs extended. The first person rises and hops over the extended legs of the other family members to the end of the line. After hopping over the last player, he returns to the original place by running around behind the line, touching the Number 2 person, and then sits down. Number 2 then hops over Number 3 and down to the end of the line, runs to the head of the line and hops over Number 1, touches Number 3 and sits down. Play proceeds, each player in turn hopping, running, touching, and sitting.
Application: We must overcome each obstacle in life as it comes, before going on to the next.
Refreshment
Monticello Sopapillas
Ingredients
1 package (1 tablespoon) active dry yeast
3 cups warm water
6 tablespoons shortening
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
6 tablespoons nonfat dry milk
6 1/2 cups flour
Oil for frying
Directions
In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add shortening, sugar, salt, and dry milk.
Stir in flour to make a soft dough. Mix well.
Knead dough 15 to 20 times; set aside to rest for 10 minutes. Roll dough to 1/4-inch in thickness; cut in squares or triangles.
Fry, turning once, in hot fat until lightly browned on each side. Makes 20 to 24 sopaipillas.
Click here to download the PDF version of this lesson
Photo by Alexander Abdinsh/sxc.hu.
Woke up a little too early, like two excited children, and then spent the rest of the day continuing to feel like two kids left home alone as we did everything exactly when and how we wanted :) Had a small breakfast, then got showered and dressed and opened our presents. Tim bought me a fantastic new laptop, which I am using now (after much setting up). It is an absolute beauty! Soooo fast compared to my old one - can't wait to start editing my photos on it!
I phoned my Mum after that, and then we had our traditional second breakfast of mashed avocado and poached egg on toast. We then decided our lunch could wait until dinnertime - so had Christmas pud first, then went out for a walk around the Cator Estate at sunset - the best time for peeking in the posh houses and spying all the Christmas trees, etc, before the curtains are closed ;)
Made a delicious salmon en croute when we got back, along with roast potatoes and parsnips, and steamed veg. I was so sleepy after that - just managed to stay awake through Finding Dory and Die Hard 2, then gave in and headed to bed for a damn good sleep!
Taken with a William Optics 70mm refractor with Thousand Oaks solar filter, 2x Barlow and Canon 1100D
Shot in RAW, imported into Lightroom then cropped and exported as TIFFs. Best 37% of 200 frames stacked in Autostakkert! 2, then tweaked in Lightroom and Focus Magic
VTTT..[ayenl].....mm~ [ ck` êu ]....: mài có nc nữa hôk
«—« [ Chị 3 Nhọn ] VTTT S2 NQK iLuSm' «—«: ?
VTTT..[ayenl].....mm~[ ck` êu ]....: mài có mún nc nữa hôk
«—« [ Chị 3 Nhọn ] VTTT S2 NQK iLuSm' «—«: hôy
«—« [ Chị 3 Nhọn ] VTTT S2 NQK iLuSm' «—«:
«—« [ Chị 3 Nhọn ] VTTVTTT..[ayenl].....mm~....: kó nói kũng hôk nghe nữa
«—« [ Chị 3 Nhọn ] VTTT S2 NQK iLuSm':x «—«:
VTTT..[ayenl].....mm~....:X❌X: tao nói thiệt ák
«—« [ Chị 3 Nhọn ] VTTT S2 NQK iLuSm':x «—«: mệt m` qá m` ưi
«—« [ Chị 3 Nhọn ] VTTT S2 NQK iLuSm':x «—«: có z. c~ cọc
VTTT..[ayenl].....mm~[ ck` êu ]....:X❌X: cọc gì..nghe mài kễ tao mệt thêm nữa..chứ cọc gì..bã hòi kễ ba hòi hôk kễ...nghĩ koi ai mà hôk bực mài
«—« [ Chị 3 Nhọn ] VTTT S2 NQK iLuSm':x «—«:
VTTT..[ayenl].....mm~ [ ck` êu ]....:X❌X: chắt mốt quen thằng khác..tao hôk hỏi chắt mài cũng giấu luôn quá
«—« [ Chị 3 Nhọn ] VTTT S2 NQK iLuSm':x «—«: qen thèn nao
«—« [ Chị 3 Nhọn ] VTTT S2 NQK iLuSm':x «—«: cha
VTTT..[ayenl].....mm~[ ck` êu ]....:X❌X: tao thí vụ zây hôy..chứ wen thằng khác..tao cũng đố mài wen thằng khác luôn ák
«—« [ Chị 3 Nhọn ] VTTT S2 NQK iLuSm':x «—«: ?
«—« [ Chị 3 Nhọn ] VTTT S2 NQK iLuSm':x «—«: là sha0z
«—« [ Chị 3 Nhọn ] VTTT S2 NQK iLuSm':x «—«:
VTTT..[ayenl].....mm~ [ ck` êu ]....:X❌X: là tao nói..tao đố mài wen thằng khác ák
«—« [ Chị 3 Nhọn ] VTTT S2 NQK iLuSm':x «—«:
«—« [ Chị 3 Nhọn ] VTTT S2 NQK iLuSm':x «—«: 1 thèn
«—« [ Chị 3 Nhọn ] VTTT S2 NQK iLuSm':x «—«: mún chết
«—« [ Chị 3 Nhọn ] VTTT S2 NQK iLuSm':x «—«: 2 thèn chết lunz
«—« [ Chị 3 Nhọn ] VTTT S2 NQK iLuSm':x «—«:
VTTT..[ayenl].....mm~[ ck` êu ]....:X❌X: ghệ mài mà..mài kêu = thằng luôn hã
«—« [ Chị 3 Nhọn ] VTTT S2 NQK iLuSm':x «—«: hôy
«—« [ Chị 3 Nhọn ] VTTT S2 NQK iLuSm':x «—«: em
«—« [ Chị 3 Nhọn ] VTTT S2 NQK iLuSm':x «—«:
VTTT..[ayenl].....mm~[ ck` êu ]....:X❌X: em ung
«—« [ Chị 3 Nhọn ] VTTT S2 NQK iLuSm':x «—«: em
«—« [ Chị 3 Nhọn ] VTTT S2 NQK iLuSm':x «—«: êu
VTTT..[ayenl].....mm~[ ck` êu]....:X❌X: đang hoàng chút đi
«—« [ Chị 3 Nhọn ] VTTT S2 NQK iLuSm':x «—«:
VTTT..[ayenl].....mm~[ ck` êu ]....:X❌X: hôy mài out ùi zề ngủ luôn yk
VTTT..[ayenl].....mm~[ ck` êu ]....:X❌X: hôk nc nữa
VTTT..[ayenl].....mm~[ck` êu ]....:X❌X:
«—« [ Chị 3 Nhọn ] VTTT S2 NQK iLuSm':x «—«: ba naj`
«—« [ Chị 3 Nhọn ] VTTT S2 NQK iLuSm':x «—«: nãi h giỡn
«—« [ Chị 3 Nhọn ] VTTT S2 NQK iLuSm':x «—«: làm gê qá
«—« [ Chị 3 Nhọn ] VTTT S2 NQK iLuSm':x «—«:
VTTT..[ayenl].....mm~[ ck` êu ]....:X❌X: giỡn kiễu gì zạ
VTTT..[ayenl].....mm~[ ck` êu ]....:X❌X: thử giờ tao kêu mài = má..mài chịu nỗi hôk
«—« [ Chị 3 Nhọn ] VTTT S2 NQK iLuSm':x «—«:
«—« [ Chị 3 Nhọn ] VTTT S2 NQK iLuSm':x «—«: chị
«—« [ Chị 3 Nhọn ] VTTT S2 NQK iLuSm':x «—«: yk
«—« [ Chị 3 Nhọn ] VTTT S2 NQK iLuSm':x «—«:
VTTT..[ayenl].....mm~ [ ck` êu ]....:X❌X: zòy
VTTT..[ayenl].....mm~ [ ck` êu ]....:X❌X: mài coi tao là e mài..thì tao koi mài là chị luôn
Bạn đã hủy lời mời chia sẻ ảnh.
«—« [ Chị 3 Nhọn ] VTTT S2 NQK iLuSm':x «—«:
VTTT..[ayenl].....mm~ [ ck` êu ]....:X❌X: cười
«—« [ Chị 3 Nhọn ] VTTT S2 NQK iLuSm':x «—«: 2 chị em
VTTT..[ayenl].....mm~ [ ck` êu ]....:X❌X: tao nói là tao làm ák
«—« [ Chị 3 Nhọn ] VTTT S2 NQK iLuSm':x «—«: e là f~ nghe lời chị
«—« [ Chị 3 Nhọn ] VTTT S2 NQK iLuSm':x «—«:
VTTT..[ayenl].....mm~ [ ck` êu ]....:X❌X: ừhm
VTTT..[ayenl].....mm~ [ ck` êu ]....:X❌X: tao wen con khác..là mài hôk có ghen nha
VTTT..[ayenl].....mm~ [ ck` êu ]....:X❌X: chị e mà..ai mà ghen
«—« [ Chị 3 Nhọn ] VTTT S2 NQK iLuSm':x «—«: òm
«—« [ Chị 3 Nhọn ] VTTT S2 NQK iLuSm':x «—«: m` qen k0n khác
«—« [ Chị 3 Nhọn ] VTTT S2 NQK iLuSm':x «—«: cắt đứt tình chị e lunz
«—« [ Chị 3 Nhọn ] VTTT S2 NQK iLuSm':x «—«:
VTTT..[ayenl].....mm~ [ ck` êu ]....:X❌X: tự nhiên..chị e mà...chứ đâu phãi ghệ đâu...mà cắt đứt
«—« [ Chị 3 Nhọn ] VTTT S2 NQK iLuSm':x «—«: e t
«—« [ Chị 3 Nhọn ] VTTT S2 NQK iLuSm':x «—«: màz yk kím k0n chị khác hã
«—« [ Chị 3 Nhọn ] VTTT S2 NQK iLuSm':x «—«: hôy
VTTT..[ayenl].....mm~ [ ck` êu ]....:X❌X:
«—« [ Chị 3 Nhọn ] VTTT S2 NQK iLuSm':x «—«: hk~ cắt đứt har
VTTT..[ayenl].....mm~ [ ck` êu ]....:X❌X: vậy sao mài nói chị e
«—« [ Chị 3 Nhọn ] VTTT S2 NQK iLuSm':x «—«: t đợi tụi bây yk chơi
«—« [ Chị 3 Nhọn ] VTTT S2 NQK iLuSm':x «—«: t lôi m`
«—« [ Chị 3 Nhọn ] VTTT S2 NQK iLuSm':x «—«: zja`
«—« [ Chị 3 Nhọn ] VTTT S2 NQK iLuSm':x «—«: t uýnh
«—« [ Chị 3 Nhọn ] VTTT S2 NQK iLuSm':x «—«:
VTTT..[ayenl].....mm~ [ ck` êu ]....:X❌X: hơz.
VTTT..[ayenl].....mm~ [ ck` êu ]....:X❌X: zám hôk
VTTT..[ayenl].....mm~ [ ck` êu ]....:X❌X: mài quýnh tao chắt mài cũng đau lắm ák
VTTT..[ayenl].....mm~ [ ck` êu ]....:X❌X:
«—« [ Chị 3 Nhọn ] VTTT S2 NQK iLuSm':x «—«: haha
«—« [ Chị 3 Nhọn ] VTTT S2 NQK iLuSm':x «—«: t đao
«—« [ Chị 3 Nhọn ] VTTT S2 NQK iLuSm':x «—«: âu = e t yk chơi vs' nhõ chị khác
«—« [ Chị 3 Nhọn ] VTTT S2 NQK iLuSm':x «—«:
«—« [ Chị 3 Nhọn ] VTTT S2 NQK iLuSm':x «—«: e t
«—« [ Chị 3 Nhọn ] VTTT S2 NQK iLuSm':x «—«: yk chơi vs' nhõ khác
«—« [ Chị 3 Nhọn ] VTTT S2 NQK iLuSm':x «—«: t còn đau hơn
«—« [ Chị 3 Nhọn ] VTTT S2 NQK iLuSm':x «—«: bỡi z.
«—« [ Chị 3 Nhọn ] VTTT S2 NQK iLuSm':x «—«: lôi zja`
«—« [ Chị 3 Nhọn ] VTTT S2 NQK iLuSm':x «—«: giận cá chém thớt
«—« [ Chị 3 Nhọn ] VTTT S2 NQK iLuSm':x «—«: đập nó chết
«—« [ Chị 3 Nhọn ] VTTT S2 NQK iLuSm':x «—«:
VTTT..[ayenl].....mm~ [ ck` êu ]....:X❌X: chưa kịp đập tao là mài nằm dưới trước tao ùi ák
«—« [ Chị 3 Nhọn ] VTTT S2 NQK iLuSm':x «—«: nằm dứi...
«—« [ Chị 3 Nhọn ] VTTT S2 NQK iLuSm':x «—«: là sha0z
«—« [ Chị 3 Nhọn ] VTTT S2 NQK iLuSm':x «—«: :-/
VTTT..[ayenl].....mm~ [ ck` êu ]....:X❌X: :))
VTTT..[ayenl].....mm~ [ ck` êu ]....:X❌X: thương mài cho mài nằm dưới chứ sao
«—« [ Chị 3 Nhọn ] VTTT S2 NQK iLuSm':x «—«: á á
«—« [ Chị 3 Nhọn ] VTTT S2 NQK iLuSm':x «—«: thèn e
«—« [ Chị 3 Nhọn ] VTTT S2 NQK iLuSm':x «—«: bậy bạ
«—« [ Chị 3 Nhọn ] VTTT S2 NQK iLuSm':x «—«: [-x
VTTT..[ayenl].....mm~ [ ck` êu ]....:X❌X đang trả lời
VTTT..[ayenl].....mm~ [ ck` êu ]....:X❌X: chòi..chị e mà zậy..chắt đi tù sớm quá
«—« [ Chị 3 Nhọn ] VTTT S2 NQK iLuSm':x «—«: haha
«—« [ Chị 3 Nhọn ] VTTT S2 NQK iLuSm':x «—«: e yk tù
«—« [ Chị 3 Nhọn ] VTTT S2 NQK iLuSm':x «—«: chị ỡ nhà kím thèn khác
«—« [ Chị 3 Nhọn ] VTTT S2 NQK iLuSm':x «—«: =))
3036 switching off of track 2 with train WT-201-L a 20 car ballast train. This ballast train is heading west two miles to re ballast track 2 then return back to Henrietta.
(Assuming that the side length of the paper is 1 + sqrt(2), then the crease made at step 2 is made at a height of sqrt(1 + 2 sqrt(2)) )
1.
a) Fold Diagonal
b) Fold at 22.5 degree
c) Fold a crease straight down from the end of the previous fold
2.
a) Fold the corner to the vertical crease
b) Fold a horizontal crease from the tip of the corner
3.
a) Fold a crease connecting the corner of the paper to the end of the crease made in step 2
b) Fold a horizontal crease from intersection
c) Fold at 22.5 degree
4.
a) Fold horizontally to the main diagonal
b) Fold a diagonal through the intersection
c.) Fold the other 3 sides of the pentagon
Oh today pretty much sucked. Work is so slow I'm hardly making any money. Blah. Whatever. Hopefully it will get better. I need to be able to live lol.
So I've been in a patriotic mood lately I suppose you could call it. I'm trying to learn more about the military (specifically the Army). And I've been listening to a lot of country, most of the songs have to do with soldiers of some sort or another lol, so I figured I'd attach a photo to one of them :)
I'm off to work on a new pirate ship manipulation pictures, or go to bed. . . haven't decided yet. . . hmmmm.
Good night folks.
Day 13: A picture of an embarrassing picture from your childhood
Random Fact : I'm actually listening to "We are young" right now. lol But I WAS listening to Just a dream while working on the picture. :D
Drop by here and look at the way to make a collage with your buddy icons, in your contacts list!
www.flickr.com/groups/buddy-buddy/
www.flickr.com/photos/yatzi/205142761/Go to: flickr.com/fun/buddies.gne
- Reduce the browser to the size you want your final picture
- Click the key Print Screen
- Paste into Photoshop (or other program ?)
- Cut out your picture and paste in a new document and save
- Voila!
www.flickr.com/photos/solglimt/144544302/
How to make it look like mine *Ü*
1.When you are done, hit 'Prt Scr'(next to F12)a image of your screen will be captured.
2.Then open MSPaint and choose
Edit and paste.
3.Then you'll see your ScreenPrint
4.Now use the Selection Tool:
Select your picture by dragging your mouse around it
5.Then Edit --> Cut
6.Then New --> Paste
7.Now you'll only see your "buddies picture" instead of the entire screenprint.
8. Save your picture as a bitmap.
9. Open photoshop and do what you vant to do and the sawe for the web ---> done *Ü*
Good luck!!