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Intersection of Life and Faith

<< Transformation Garden: Where Every Woman Blooms

Transformation Garden - July 3, 2009

  • 2009 Jul 03

July 3

“Then went Samson down, and his father and his mother to Timnah.”
Judges 14: 5, King James Version

“Choices That Open The Gate”

“Their mothers had finally caught up to them and been proven right.  There were consequences after all; but they were the consequences to things you didn’t even know you’d done.”
Margaret Atwood
Wilderness Tips

What unexpected consequences have resulted because of the choices I have made?

How did my decisions affect others in ways I could never have imagined?

“No doing without some ruing.”
Sigrid Undset

“It is often interesting, in retrospect, to consider the trifling causes that lead to great events. A chance encounter, a thoughtless remark – and the tortuous chain reaction of coincidence is set in motion, leading with devious inevitability to some resounding climax.”
Patricia Moyes

The dating years of my life are not highlights in my memories.  Like Samson, I was head-strong and demanding. I didn’t want or accept advice well, if at all!  Believe me when I say, I paid a heavy price for a shattered heart.  Even when my heart was put together again, I have repeatedly found it contains shards of broken glass that never completely go away.

Today, we’re going to begin a five day series that will explore the relationship Samson had with a girl in Timnah, who, the Bible tells us, “pleased” Samson.  Quite unfortunately, when we hear about Samson, his life is usually linked to Delilah and I think it is because she is the person who is given credit for ultimately bringing Samson down.  However, and this is a significant point, Samson’s fall began way before Delilah ever entered the picture.  In fact, I would surmise that sometime in the camp of Dan, the headstrong Samson, who was admired for his strength and good looks, his reputation and his promise, began to become focused on himself.  When this happened, his selfish desires chipped away at God’s purpose for his life.

To paraphrase the words of one Christian author, “One wrong step can clear the way for another.”

Just imagine if you were Samson and you felt called by God to go to Timnah to fulfill the purpose for which you were born.  But immediately upon arriving in the city, someone caught your fancy.  You couldn’t take your eyes off the person.  You were drawn.  You were smitten.  And this person became all you could think about.

Oh, it was a very small thing at first.  You just turned your head and looked.  However, that’s all it took and you were hooked.

What we must remember about Samson’s foray into Timnah is that the girl in Timnah didn’t come after Samson.  He pursued her.  He went to his parents, demanding they go, “get her for me.”  Finally, his parents caved-in to Samson’s demands.  And this is when they got dragged into the mess, as well.

One look.  One desire.  One demand and what do we find were the results?  Samson’s parents were brought into the mix.  So were the parents of the girl in Timnah.  And on a broader scale, so were the Israelites and Philistines.  With one false step, Samson gave the enemy, the godless Philistines whom he was called to conquer, insight into his profound weaknesses.  Armed with this knowledge, the Philistines decided not to mess around with an amateur the next time around.  They hired a professional hit woman, for as we will soon find out, this is exactly what Delilah was.

Instead, in the case of the girl in Timnah, Samson came into town as a knight in shining armor with a proposal for his damsel. Bringing his parents to town, Samson ordered his father to arrange for his marriage and this is exactly what happened.

Tomorrow, we’ll look at what happens when we say, “I do,” to the wrong person, because this was the result for Samson, and the young woman he married and for both their families.  Everyone got hurt!

I’ll never forget a discussion I had many years ago with my dad, who was attempting to provide his wayward daughter with some sound advice.  When he finally stopped his “lecture,” as I considered it, I responded, “My choice doesn’t affect you.  You don’t have to date this person, I’m the one who is going out with them, not you.” A painful look crossed my dad’s face when he spoke again, “Dorothy-girl, anything that affects the child I love, affects me too.”

This is the story of the life of Samson.  And it is your story and mine.  For our heavenly Father, our Creator, who loves us with an everlasting love, has given each of us what I call the greatest gift in the world, the gift of the power of choice.  When God created me, He could have implanted me with an “obedience chip” that turned me into a heavenly robot, allowing me to do or say only what I’d been programmed to do.  But instead, God created each of us with the power of choice – the ability to think, to reflect, and to make decisions based on the facts we study, see and learn.  This is why the Bible is such an essential key in helping us unlock the door to God’s path of life.  For when you and I use our power of choice for selfish means, and the consequence brings pain to those around us, never forget, it hurts our heavenly Dad, as well.

By looking at Samson’s life and his relationships with his parents and the women with whom he chose to associate, we find instruction that can serve as a compass to us everyday.

As in Samson’s life, so too in ours. There’s no such thing as a small decision.  There’s no such thing as my choices not affecting others.

May our prayer be that of Amy Carmichael who penned these instructional words: “From easy choices, weakening…O Lamb of God, deliver me.”

“If I could shut the gate”

“If I could shut the gate against my thoughts
And keep out sorrow from this room within,
Or memory could cancel all the notes
Of my misdeeds, and I unthink my sin:
How free, how clear, how clean my soul should lie.
Discharged of such a loathsome company!
Or were there other rooms without my heart
That did not to my conscience join so near,
Where I might lodge the thoughts of sin apart
That I might not their clam’rous crying hear;
What peace, what joy, what ease should I possess
Freed from their horrors that my soul oppress!
But, O my Saviour, who my refuge art,
Let thy dear mercies stand ‘twixt them and me.
And be the wall to separate my heart
So that I may at length repose me free;
That peace, and joy, and rest may be within,
And I remain divided from my sin.”

Your friend,
Dorothy Valcárcel, Author
When A Woman Meets Jesus
Now available wherever books are sold and at and www.christianbook.comor 1-800-Christian
[email protected]

P.S.  My book, When A Woman Meets Jesus, is now available wherever books are sold and on the internet at,, or by calling toll-free, 1-800-Christian.  You can also go to and purchase the book through Paypal.

If you would like to purchase When A Woman Meets Jesus at a 30%-50% quantity discount for your Women’s Ministry Program or for Bible Study Groups, please or email [email protected].

For more from Dorothy, please visit


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No Holiday for Those Who Long to Labor

  • Matt Bell
  • 2011 1 Sep
No Holiday for Those Who Long to Labor

I recently overheard someone complain loudly and bitterly about what she perceived to be a stingy benefit offered by her employer.  There were quite a few people within listening distance, and with so many people out of work, I couldn’t help but think of the comment as insensitive.  Call it conspicuous employment.

While the three-day Labor Day weekend provides an annual, much-needed respite for many hard-working people, for many others, such as the 20 percent of workers who are currently unemployed or underemployed, it may be one more painful reminder of their situation.

If you’re reading this on or before Labor Day and you’re planning to get together with friends over the long weekend for a barbeque, be sure to be mindful of any guests who are out of work. They may not want to hear about your latest work challenges.  Regardless of when you read this, consider taking action on one or more of the following ideas. They are suggestions for what those of us who are gainfully employed could do to help friends of ours who are looking for work.

A word of encouragement.  When someone accustomed to working in an office finds himself or herself working on a job hunt from their kitchen or a spare bedroom, it can be unsettling and isolating.  As they see neighbors heading off to work in the morning, that may only add to their discouragement.  Send them a note of encouragement or make a call.  In fact, use your calendar to set up a schedule of times when you will contact them to let them know you’re thinking about them and praying for them.

Some networking help.Many employers offer financial incentives to employees who help recruit qualified candidates for jobs they’re trying to fill.  Find out if your employer offers such incentives.  Even if they don’t, keep an eye on your company’s job listings to see if something may be appropriate for your out-of-work friends and send them the leads.

SEE ALSO: Can You Be Forced Out of Your Calling?

You might even do some internal networking, asking various department heads whether they plan to do any hiring. A large percentage of available jobs never get posted.

Some coaching. When you’re out of work, it’s all too easy to move from pursuing jobs you’d really like to pursuing any job. You’re anxious to get back to work, and there are bills to pay.  Remind your unemployed friend that those who are successful in finding a new job are usually those who target specific companies where they would like to work.

Free babysitting.When someone loses their job, entertainment is one of the first items to get struck from the household budget. But going for long periods of time without an enjoyable diversion can only add stress. Offer to watch a job-seeking friend’s kids on occasion so they can get out of the house for a low-cost date night.

Now more than ever we could all stand to be more attuned to the pain of unemployment. Who do you know who’s out of work? What could you do to help? Why not at least send an encouraging e-mail right now?

SEE ALSO: How Do You Let God Work in Your Life?

Matt Bell is the author of three personal finance books published by NavPress, including the brand new "Money & Marriage: A Complete Guide for Engaged and Newly Married Couples."  He teaches a wide variety of workshops, including MoneySmart Marriage, at churches, conferences, universities, and other venues throughout the country.  To learn more about his work and subscribe to his blog, go to:

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Military Spouses Keep the Faith

  • Adam R. Cole Baptist Press
  • 2008 10 Nov
Military Spouses Keep the Faith

NORFOLK, Va. (BP)--In many ways, they are just as courageous and heroic.

Not because they are sent to distant lands to answer the call for freedom and democracy, but because they remain home as the rock of a family, maintaining a steady course on all the daily challenges of life.

They are the spouses of members of the military, those who endure separation from their loved ones and must develop into the leader of the household whether truly ready or not.

Those who are believers cling ever-so tightly to the Lord to get them through both the emotional and real-world challenges of being married to a military member -- and facing the deployments that come with that union.

Kristy Rickman and husband Michael, who is stationed on the currently deployed USS Roosevelt, pray together, share Scripture verses and discuss sermons/Bible studies together by e-mail.

Their exchanges are a lot more God-centered these days, as opposed to their previous tensions, now that they have turned their lives over to Christ -- a transformation that occurred nearly two years ago. They have been calling First Baptist Church in Norfolk, Va., their church home since. The Rickmans had been married for four years before committing their lives to the Lord and had already endured two deployments.

Kristy doesn't know how they survived then without God. She explains that deployments and other separations leave big holes in the heart, holes that can be filled with a multitude of things, some of them not so good for the body or soul. But God now fills that emptiness.

"Faith keeps me going, especially in the difficult times. We just turn to Him," Kristy said.

Because the war on terror is a different from global conflicts of the past, its effect on families can create new challenges, says Linda Montgomery, who works on the staff of Campus Crusade for Christ's military ministry and is the co-author of a new HomeBuilders study titled "Making Your Marriage Deployment Ready."

Families today must deal with multiple deployments as well as increased uncertainty and stresses of the particular deployments, Montgomery says.

Christian faith can play an important part in alleviating the strains because believers seek to understand and accept the sovereignty of God, which can provide perspective when things seem out of control, Montgomery says. They can see God at work in their lives, which inspires hope and inner healing through His daily care. Their knowledge of the promise of God's presence can counter feelings of loneliness. And most importantly, their spiritual foundation is secure in His forgiveness and eternity in heaven, which gives strength and anchors one's soul during dangerous times.

Montgomery's counsel to military wives includes asking for help when it is needed; making good choices in friendships and finances; taking time to rest; finding a good church for worship and fellowship; and spending time in prayer and communication with their spouses. One way that couples can stay connected spiritually while separated by duty is with reading online devotionals "together," Montgomery says, noting that one devotional specifically for deployed couples is

She also recommends that wives participate in small group Bible studies, where individuals are safe to share their stories and ultimately live in victory in a Christ-like way over the struggles they face.

For Cara Morrison, whose husband Phillip is part of an explosive ordinance disposal unit, the Lord provides a peace despite the dangers in his line of work.

"You just have to trust in Him and know that He will keep my husband safe," Morrison says.

That sense of peace is crucial to stability, other spouses say.

"He is my rock; I talk to Him to move through all the insecurities that we face," said Megan Riegal of Hampton, Va., whose husband Tim is a third class petty officer who works as an aviation electrician.

Bobbie Simpson, who is commissioned with her husband Larry as an outreach couple with the Officer Christian Fellowship, says the key for spouses is to maintain a personal relationship with Christ to be properly equipped for the struggles. By first finding a depth in Him, through intentional prayer and study time, the difficult moments won't be so tumultuous.

"The Lord intends for us not only to survive but to thrive in times of trial," says Simpson, whose husband retired as an Air Force colonel after 27 years of service.

The power of prayer and the peace of a walk with God was evidenced one day to Kristy Rickman when her 7-year-old son Christian used prayer to get through his fears.

"He was saying that he was scared and I told him to pray. He did, saying, 'Lord, keep my daddy safe.' It brought tears to my eyes. I know that the Lord heard his prayer and is watching over my husband."

Adam R. Cole is a naval officer stationed aboard the Norfolk, Va.-based cruiser USS Normandy and a member of First Baptist Church in Norfolk. He has served with the Navy four years, first as an enlisted journalist and now as a surface warfare officer.

 (c) 2008 Baptist Press. Used with permission. All rights reserved.


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Posted on 11th October, 2006

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Back to News


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[sword-devel] BibleCS 1.4.5rc2

Geoffrey W Hastings sword-devel@crosswire.org
Sun, 1 Sep 2002 20:26:24 -0700

        Big improvements. It's been a while since I had a chance to sit
down and "play" with the Sword.
First off It's great to see that I can not accidently delete my personal
notes. I am sure that will save many out there from great frustration.
Then I see that 2 of my biggest hopes for this program have come true.
The ability to make verse lists.
And the ability to export or print those verse lists.
The ability to make edit and export verse lists makes this program 100%
more attractive to anyone who would use it to prepare studies. I
immediately converted all of my OLB verse lists to Sword Verse List
I found that I could open my OLB verse lists in Notepad and do a simple
replace of the # symbols with ;.
Then rename them with .svl.  If the OLB file has more than one chapter
and verse on a line you have to also separate them with a semicolon.
I also found that whatever translation you  have selected at the time is
what will open in the verse list. If you have a commentary selected it
will export the comments to that verse when you export the verse list.

For future enhancements to the verse list it would be nice to be able to
insert another verse anywhere in the list in the order you would like.
Currently you can only add another verse to the end of the list. Then you
have to open it in Notepad to insert it where you would like it in the
order of the list.

I did find one "bug".
I am running Windows XP
When I go in to the search window and choose to search "personal
commentary" the reference in the results window keep "flickering" or
flashing on and off. It doesn't seem to do it with other commentaries.

All in all GREAT JOB with features that will really bless the users.

Geoff Hastings

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Author Topic: LAT Tue. 8/14 Kevin Christian  (Read 859 times)

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2579
LAT Tue. 8/14 Kevin Christian
« on: August 14, 2012, 08:44:28 AM »
Possible Title: The I’s Have It

Theme: phrases containing rhymes of /I/

Some Nits to Pick:
Idiom with “as” in the middle   SIMILE [As far as I’m concerned, the entry is too presumptive, as both you and I know.]

Penultimate planet   URANUS [why this clue when there is doubt about Pluto’s being a planet?]

Full of baloney   LYING [not necessarily.  The idiom connotes “incorrectness.”  Lying adds an element of deceit.  Someone is full of baloney not because he is deceitful but because he is in error.  So is a lying person full of baloney?  I say no because liars are not innocent whereas those who are full of baloney are just wrong.  But in the end it is subjective: if I'm wrong it's not because I'm lying; it's because I'm full of baloney.]

Triangular sail   JIB [Yes, it’s triangular as is the mainsail, the storm sail, and a host of others.  This is like cluing “Walking mammal” for COATI; most mammals walk.]

RATING:   ;D Three grins = Loved it; Two grins = Enjoyed it; One grin = A bit bland for my taste; One teardrop = Not much fun

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Carnival Pride Cruise Review by mojomorris: One Bermuda-ful cruise vacation for sure!!

Carnival Pride 5
Member Since 2009
86 Forum Posts

Overall Member Rating

One Bermuda-ful cruise vacation for sure!!

Sail Date: April 2012
Destination: Bermuda
Embarkation: Baltimore

Since the Carnival Pride cruises to Bermuda only once a year (or maybe never again since the Splendor is going there next year), I'll just give some points/observations re' our cruise + the ship and a hint of our Bermuda activities.

We arrived in Baltimore a day early to stay @ the Days Inn in Glen Burnie. We had a "package deal" (from that includes a night's stay, parking @ the Day's Inn for the duration of the cruise, shuttle TO and FROM the pier plus continental breakfast for about $125. When you consider that the pier parking by itself is $105, the package is a good deal. We opted to stay at the Days Inn after the cruise ended to avoid the long drive home on debarkation day. While the hotel is not 5 stars, it fits the bill for thrifty travelers. There is a Giant grocery store next door, lots of eateries within walking distance and a Wal Mart about 2 miles away. There is even a "package" store to buy beer, wine, hard liquor about Â½ mile down the More road.

The port people have this down to a science. It took about an hour from arriving at the terminal to getting on the ship. Bing, bang, boom -- and friendly/helpful people too!!
Debarkation was a mirror image of the embarkation -- EZ......a bit lengthy but easy esp Customs.

The ship:
The decor was interesting but if it were not so noticeable, people would/might complain about it being bland. Different strokes for different folks. Personally, I was reminded of my college Art History classes. We had been on Pride's sister ships before so we knew how to find our way around. Booking an aft cabin lets you get to the MDR and Lido Buffets easily via elevator. On good weather days, the Serenity Area (Deck 9 aft) is the place to be -- provided you can find a place to sit/recline. There is part of the Serenity Area that is out of the sun so you can enjoy the kid free atmosphere without getting sunburned.
The cabin:
We had a balcony (7329) on Verandah (Deck 7 aft) -- very comfortable and a few steps from elevators and the Lido buffets. We had the option of an upgrade to deck 8 but the idea of listening to the staff moving table and chairs overhead at night was not appealing. Mr. Alfred and Mr. Gusti (stewards) were very friendly and while we aren't demanding people, they did help us with the few issues that we had. Thumbs up to these unseen, overlooked and unsung heroes!
The cruise itself:
The weather was pretty bad on the way there -- rainy, very windy but there's not much you can do about Mother Nature. The trip back was a little better but not by much. No chance to spend much time on deck. Take an adequate supply of Dramamine (drowsy or non-drowsy) or drink heavily!

Normandie Dining Room:
We only ate here on formal nights. The 1st formal night included lobster (yummy!) while the 2nd featured chateaubriand and a fish dish. We found the food to be warm/hot and the service to be very good. Don't forget to order the Chocolate Melting Cake.

Mermaid's Grille:
Some of the several stations changed offerings depending on the time of day. The Continental Breakfast station became the Sweet Shop later in the day.

Great Oriental food. Other ships cook the food for each person but on the Pride, they cook the menu choices in small batches continuously ensuring hot, fresh portions. I made it a point of eating lunch here every sea day.

As the name implies, a cook carves the meat selection of the day and the rest of the line contains the veggies and other meat(s). We ate here most evenings when we weren't at the MDR. On the last afternoon at sea, this station changes to the Chocolate Extravaganza. I'm not a chocoholic, but my wife enjoyed it.
GREAT sandwiches and wraps! Mid day/late night offerings from here were very enjoyable. Open until 11PM made this a favorite.

Didn't do this one -- not enough time. LOL

Pizza Pirate:
What can I say? Great slices, open 24/7 and Caesar salad -- what a combo!

American Grill:
We utilized the omelet station just about every day -- not just for omelets but also for custom made REAL fried eggs. Other than that, there was way too much food, not enough time!

Sweet Shop:
Desserts galore -- more calories than Weight Watchers would ever admit to.

Room Service:
Didn't do this one -- we'd rather walk off some of the calories.

Ice cream machines:
Didn't do this either.

In short, there's always something to eat...

Comedy club:
We went to 2 adult shows and they were entertaining.

"Dumb" contests/deck activities:
Hairy chest etc.... I took naps or went to the gym instead LOL.

Bands etc:
Most bands have been replaced with DJ's, single entertainers, or karaoke. I guess management needs to pump up the "bottom line".

Shows in the main lounge:
We saw one show and it was enjoyable.

Spa/Gym facilities:
I used the gym every sea day and on two shore days. I went during the early afternoon and there was never a crowd. The equipment is good quality and there were just one or two machines that were "out of service".

So much to do, so much to see. The temperature was in the low 70's and the water chilly (mid 60's?) with a slight breeze all the time we were there. Maybe not the bet tanning weather, but enjoyable for me. A light jacket or sweatshirt is recommended in the later afternoon and evening this time of year. The people in the on shore visitor centers were very helpful in setting up places to visit along with maps, what buses to take, beaches to go etc. Unless you use a taxi or motor scooters, take a shore excursion to get an overview of what's on the islands. We took a van trip (Carnival shore exc) along the South Shore and Hamilton to get an overview and then purchased one day passes ($12 pp good for buses or ferries) for a ferry to St George's. In St George's, we took a tram ride ($25 pp) around the area to see places you couldn't get to if walking. Beautiful beaches open to the public (no lifeguards) but you need to take a taxi or bus to get there.
In the King's Wharf area we visited (and bought from) the Bermuda Rum Bakery and the Glass Works -- both in the same building. I went snorkeling @ Snorkel Beach Park (no admission + short walking distance) which featured a shallow snorkel area that was good considering it was free. We purchased a rum swizzle afterward for $9 but it seemed a good tradeoff for the free use of the beach. And no Bermuda visit would be complete without a beer @ the Frog & Onion -- although $7 for a beer is a little steep. We ate no meals in town b/c the prices are so high. Everything (except some brands of rum) is brought in by ship adding to the expense. There a multitude of places to see and even 2 Â½ days were not enough just for this one place. I suggest getting the free booklets/pamphlets and planning your adventuring ahead of time.

In a heartbeat! we're thinking of booking on the Splendor for Bermuda in 2013. Less

Published 05/05/12

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Cabin review: 8F7329 Balcony

Adequate storage space - more than we needed actually. Good water pressure. Close to elevators and Lido stairs. Quiet location. Still some idiots smoking on the side and above us - boo. Balcony is ok for sitting but not for having a meal. Decent TV channel selection.

Read All Balcony (8F) Reviews >>

Port and Shore Excursions

City Tour

Good overview of the area. If/when we go back, we'll know where to spend more time.

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Tenerife Cruise Port

Port of Tenerife: An Overview

Tenerife, the largest of the Canary Islands, is also one of the most scenically stunning islands in the world. Tenerife is about 300 kilometres from the African continent and about 1,300 kilometers from Mainland Spain. It enjoys a steady year-round, spring-like temperature with a yearly average of 23 degrees centigrade. Dominated by the gigantic outline of 12,198 ft.-high Mount Teide, this amazing volcanic island offers a wide variety of landscapes and tourist experiences.

On a visit there, you might find yourself strolling through a sleepy hillside village, breathing in a lush laurisilva forest consisting of laurel trees and ferns or making your way through the dense foliage of a banana plantation. You can crash on a sunny and golden/black sandy beach or scale a snow-capped mountain, enjoy a gentle round of golf or a fiercely fought game of tennis, shop for local handicrafts or international designer wear, go on a whale and dolphin watching trip all year round, dine the traditional tapas and famous "wrinkled potatoes" with mojo sauce or in a Michelin-starred restaurant – on this most varied of islands, the choice is yours.

Upon reaching Tenerife's main port of Santa Cruz, if your ship parks at the bottom of its U-shaped harbor, you'll face a hot 15-minute walk to reach it all -- unless your cruise company provides a shuttle bus to the port gates. It's worth persisting, though; don't be tempted to stay onboard here however fine your ship ... as Santa Cruz, a historic city founded in the 15th century, is well worth the effort.

Once outside the port gates you'll find a broad and beautiful promenade -- the elaborately named Avenida Maritima -- running right along the seafront; there's broad tree-lined pavement on one side and, across the busy road, a long parade of shops, cafes, restaurants and nightclubs (including one called rather cleverly Klan D Stino!).

The streets running inland from this promenade hold jewellery shops filled with fine silver goods, high street shopping brands, good thing to remember is that the Canary Islands are a low tax area so you will always find good bargain-priced goods that make Tenerife such a popular call.

Find a Tenerife Hotel

Hanging Around

Don't bother; get to the port gates and start exploring ASAP.

Don't Miss

Plaza de Espana. farther along the waterfront and at the heart of the city, is a good place to start exploring Santa Cruz's Old Quarter and key attractions, including the Museum of Nature and Mankind (on Calle Fuente Morales), the TEA, Tenerife Espacio de las Artes (Tenerife Arts Space) on Avenida de San Sebastian, a museum where exhibitions, photography and works of art are displayed; and the 16th-century Iglesia de Nuestra Senora de la Concepcion (the city's oldest church built in 1500) -- are within walking distance.

Auditorio de Tenerife Adan Martin on Avenida de la Constitucion. This Opera House was built in 2003 and designed by the world-famous architect, Santiago Calatrava. The shining sculpture, just by the sea, features a colossal overhanging wing and is entirely covered in trencasis, a mosaic of tiny ceramic fragments. Festivals, concerts and shows can be enjoyed at the Opera House all year round -- and it's particularly special when lit up in the evening.

The Palmetum, palm tree park and botanical garden on the sea front, boasts the biggest collection of palm trees in Europe with over 3,600 trees and 1,600 different species. Unbelievably this lush oasis was built on a former rubbish dump.

The Museo Militar de Almeyda lies opposite the Plaza de Espana. This military museum contains the canon, which shot off Admiral Lord Nelson's arm when his fleet attacked the city in 1793 (and no jokes about his intentions being armless, please).

La Rambla, a tree-lined avenue, features an outdoor exhibition of sculptures with works by Miro and Henry Moore.

San Cristobal de la Laguna, Tenerife's original capital and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, lies only five miles (about a 45 minutes away by tram) from Santa and is the loveliest town on the island. Here, you'll find Tenerife's oldest cathedral and university within easy walking distance of each other. By day, La Laguna is a shopper's paradise with a limitless number of small but exclusive shops. At night, it is pure fun with a wide range of bars and nightclubs. And in the surrounding area are traditional Canarian restaurants, Anaga rain forest, sleepy coastal villages and quiet beaches.

Orotava Valley, to the south of Santa Cruz, is an ideal spot for lovers of plants and nature. A drive along the valley's mountain road reveals spectacular scenery, while the town of La Orotava itself is well worth visiting for its classic Spanish colonial architecture and fine gardens. The valley also contains magnificent Botanical Gardens, which date from 1788.

Loro Parque is equally spectacular. It's a 13-hectare wildlife themed park in the foothills of El Teide, which contains one of the world's largest collections of parrots. It also has aquaria, dolphin pools, sea lions, an underwater tunnel, a bat cave, a Gambian market and a Thai village. Entrance costs around 20 euros but you can get a free train ride there from the Avenida de Venezuela (to the east of Plaza del Charco) in Santa Cruz; yellow tourist trains run every 20 minutes.

Real Club de Golf -- which lies near Tenerife's Los Rodeos Airport, about nine miles from Santa Cruz -- is where golfers can get a round in. Kit can be hired on site, but be warned that the club is open to non-members on weekday mornings only. If you have time, head further north to Golf La Rosaleda or Buenavista Golf or go south to Golf del Sur, Amarilla Golf, Golf Los Palos, Golf Las Americas or Abama Golf.

Getting Around

By Car: If you're feeling adventurous, there's a Hertz on the La Marina (which runs right from the north end of the Plaza de Espana). Cars cost from around $50 for a day's hire and petrol is not expensive.

By Bus: A big bus station lies on Avenida Tres de Mayo (about a mile along the promenade, heading left from the port gates). From here, a No. 910 bus will take you to the nearest beach, Playa de la Teresitas.

This is a five-mile, 20-minute journey (costing around €1.25 euros one way), so allow plenty of time to return. Las Teresitas beach is popular with the locals because of its golden sand and palm trees and also for being a family-friendly spot, as it features a breakwater that protects swimmers from waves and strong currents. A great option when visiting Las Teresitas beach is to combine the dip with a tasty meal in the nearby quiet fishing village of San Andres, featuring a wide range of fish and seafood restaurants.

By Taxi: To go further afield, taxis are available from the port gates and at ranks in the town but do negotiate the price in advance as, beyond the city boundaries, cabs are not metered. The going rate for an hour's tour is from around 25 euros per cab, but do haggle for a good deal.

By Tram: Take the tram (line 1) from the central bus station, and pay a visit to the UNESCO World Heritage town of La Laguna, an alternative way to experience the sights of Santa Cruz and La Laguna. (40 minutes ride, 21 stops)

Both downtown Santa Cruz and its seafront are well endowed with restaurants, tapas bars and a fast food outlet, which are generally open all afternoon from noon. If you want to try local dishes -- like Ranch Canaria (meat and vegetable soup), Cazuela Canaria (fish stew) or papas arrugadas (small potatoes cooked in their jackets with a hot Mojo dipping sauce) -- look out for the word "tipico" on the restaurant sign, as this indicates that it serves typical local cuisine.

Best Local Eats: Recommended local food restaurants include La Hierbita on Calle El Clavel and La Bodeguita Canaria on Calle Imeldo Serís.

Upscale Option: On my trip, Captain Keith Dowds, master of P&O Cruises' Arcadia, returned from some shore leave full of praise for the carpaccio of foie gras dished up at La Aceituna restaurant at 6 Emilio Calzadilla Street. Lunch hours are from noon until 4 p.m.

Where You're Docked

It is rare to find your ship right at the bottom of the U (i.e. the farthest distance from the port gates) without a shuttle bus service being provided (usually for free, but check with your cruise line).

Watch Out For

Watch out for heavy traffic as you cross the main promenade.

Currency & Best Way to Get Money

The local currency is the euro. Check www.xe.com or www.oanda.com for the most updated exchange rates. If you've run out of cash and don't want to change money on your ship, don't panic; there are plenty of banks, ATMs and Bureaux de Change along Santa Cruz's waterfront and on its main shopping streets. Hotels will also change cash, but rates vary considerably, so proceed with caution.

The main language is Spanish, and though many locals have at least a smattering of English, it is worth taking a phrase book along if you plan to explore on your own. Here are some basics to get you started: hola and adios (hello and goodbye); por favor and gracias (please and thank you); cuanto cuesta? (How much?); and, possibly the most useful of all, habla Ingles? (Do you speak English?).

Best Souvenir

Stylish and affordable silver items from the jewelry shops along Bethencourt Alfonso; €55 will buy a very substantial silver bracelet, while €35 will get you a pretty and solid ring. A bottle of Tenerife wine (Canarian sack was mentioned in Shakespeare!) is also a great choice. The island has five designations of origin, and the rich volcanic soil in which the vines are grown gives them a special character and different nuances.

For More Information

On the Web: Tenerife Tourism Corporation and Spanish National Tourist Office

Cruise Critic Message Boards: British Isles/Western Europe

Independent Traveler Message Boards: Spain & Portugal

--By Maria Harding, Cruise Critic contributor
  • Lacking.
    I choose this cruise as we life and work in Tenerife, and it was meant to be a relaxing break after a hectic Christmas. I've been on other cruises, there's always a sail away party, on the Horizon we were made to attend a safety drill, not a ... Read more
  • Average at best
    The cruise ship is 25 years old and due to be decommissioned later this year. There are lots of positives about the cruise ship, but at the end of the day you get what you pay for, you need to remember you are not paying Holland of America, Carnival ... Read more
  • Very Average Ship
    Senior cruiser 1234
    We decided we would like t spend New Year on a cruise. We are experienced cruisers. We have cruised with Thomson at least 15 times on various ships. The Majesty was the least impressive of all the vessels we had sailed on. The ship itself was in ... Read more
  • 7 Days of Purgatory
    this was a last minute decision to go away for new year after a particularly bad year, we thought the break would do us good. As we are not new to cruising we thought this would be a lovely cruise around a familiar area. How wrong could we be, we ... Read more
  • Upmarket floating holiday camp
    The cabin and bar staff are very helpful and do their best The problem is when there is a popular function in the lounge and the waiting/bar staff cannot cope. ( can take 45 mins to get service ) Carol and Anastasia were great waiting staff as ... Read more
  • Not Recommended
    for Christmas.it was the worst experience in, cruiseing,ship very unstable ,buffet food not good, smoking area unsuitable as high winds and cold ,when sun shines on that area non smokers take up seating,towels put on beds and people go to town and ... Read more
  • Standards are slipping
    Shelly 59
    This has to have been the worst cruise I have ever been on Thomson Majesty is about to be retired & not a moment too soon it is so outdated, scruffy sulky staff (the cleaner was the only polite one) and I don't think the entertainment crew ... Read more
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Old December 13th, 2010, 04:07 PM
Robbie H Robbie H is offline
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Join Date: Sep 2005
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Just off of the "Allure" and even though there is enough to do for a B2B, I would want to see the shows (again) on the "Oasis." Each will be keeping their signature productions (A-Chicago and O-Hairspray) for a few years so plenty of time for everyone to fit them in if you are not a fan of switching ships. Another couple we spoke with just did Oasis the week before the official maiden for the "Allure" and they loved it.
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Old April 28th, 2004, 12:25 PM
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Default All alone on the Victory July 3rd?

My husband and I will be on the victory out of NYC and I cant believe we are the only one on the boat?????
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Old April 28th, 2004, 08:26 PM
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Default Re: All alone on the Victory July 3rd?

A friend and myself and leaving September 25, 2004 on Carnival Victory, New York to Canada.

Our stops will be Portland, Boston, Sydney and Halifax.

Can't Wait!!!!! Anyone going with us???

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As If It Weren’t Crazy Enough, R. Kelly’s Trapped In The Closet Is Now Headed For Broadway

Trapped in the Closet Broadway R. Kelly Sylvester The Package Bridget midget Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Chapter 23 IFC

Even though R. Kelly started Trapped in the Closet as an epic R&B telenovela parceled out in short webisodes, we’ve always had a feeling that he had loftier ambitions for his crazy series. And last night, as he premiered several new chapters to excited fans, R. Kelly revealed just what he has planned: He wants to make Trapped in the Closet into a Broadway show.

According to Gawker, at the event R. Kelly informed the crowd that he had ”just got an offer from Broadway to do a Broadway version.” When prodded by the interviewer as to whether he would appear in it, he reassured everyone that he would be just as involved as ever: ”Some of the cities, I can’t guarantee all of them, and that’s what’s being negotiated right now because it takes a lot of time to do these chapters—I’m the only one in the studio writing these chapters.” Those chapters, of course, being the 85 new installments he’s got waiting for everyone. Which is pretty incredible when you consider that the most recent one was Chapter 23.

The New York Post added that R. Kelly just kept talking up all of the surprises he’s cooking up in the studio: ”The chapters that are coming — the show, we call it — is going to exceed every chapter that you have ever seen.” Then he ended the night by leading the audience in an impromptu singalong to “I Believe I Can Fly.” Because he’s just that silly when it comes to Trapped in the Closet.

YES. I cannot tell you how awesome this sounds. If you think about it, the series is actually pretty well-suited to the stage: It’s almost entirely sung; it features crazy characters with names like Sylvester, Bridget, Big Man, The Pastor, and Pimp Lucius; and of course you have the dramatic thrust of wondering what and where The Package is! Plus, the choreographer can do so much to open up the action beyond what we’ve seen in these videos, which often take place in a single location like the kitchen or over the phone.

R. Kelly hinted that the show would definitely involve Bridget and her midget lover Big Man, plus the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. I’m telling you, I cannot wait. I know that seemingly wacky shows like Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark have stumbled on Broadway, but I think that in the right venue, for a limited run, Trapped in the Closet could be delightful.

Photo: IFC

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Daily Inspirations no. 262

Several quality model photos available in today’s inspirations: Fresh Face Poli by Sebastian Cviq, Sabrina Nait by Michael Donovan or Madilon Bos by Luigi Di Donna. In our illustrations section I would like to point out Discrepancies by Alex Gross … which is probably my fav up here. Love the Emu culture by YarrY – very colorful, fresh and creative 3d artwork … thumbs up. If you are waiting for some advertising ideas … check the zebra elephant … that’s sooo Africa :). Anyway … don’t be lazy and scroll all the way down … and get inspired!

Glamorous Photography by Petrova Julian

pretty woman by LoveCat Magazine

Photography by AORTA

Barbara Palvin by Jan Welters

Fresh Face: Poli by Sebastian Cviq

Sabrina Nait by Michael Donovan

Madilon Bos by Luigi Di Donna

Illustrations by Melanie Delon

Discrepancies by Alex Gross

Poker Pin up 1 by papaninja

Kratos vs. Helios OPM cover by cannibalcandy

Symphony Insomnium by rivenis

Mag by Grzegorz Rutkowski

Ultraclypse by Kerem Beyit

3d Arts

Flurry by Andre Holzmeister

Emu culture by YarrY

Art and Digital Art

artworks by Peter Root

Digital illustrations by Ladislav Hubert

lunartik by matt jones

Artwork by Laura Tinald

heroes design by piotr buczkowski

Type by darren booth

Type by dave foster

Creative Advertising by Spectrum Y&R

Technomarine Watches by Nicolas Guerin

Kaffeine Public Relations: Face by Kaffeine

Shaft House by Reza Aliabadi

Bypass Bridge by Stephan Sobl

Bugatti Veyron Sang Bleu Concept Speedboat by Ben Walsh

Defender DC100 Sport Concept by Land Rover

Lost and Taken

Crazy Vector Brush pack 001 by Sri Ganesh.M

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Peter Olexa

Cruzine magazine founder. He has over 15 years of experience in corporate identity and web site design.


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Holistic Healing: an Introduction

Holistic healing is an approach to health and wellness that takes into consideration the whole person, addressing their physical, mental, and emotional health and well-being, spiritual values, social lifestyle, and interaction with the environment. Holistic (or “wholistic”) health is based on the natural principle that the whole is comprised of inter-reliant parts, and that when one part is not functioning at optimum levels, it impacts all of the other parts.

Holistic healing focuses on all aspects of a person, not just the physical portion where ailments are most obvious. Physical symptoms can be alleviated by taking medication, but unless the whole person is treated, the actual root of the problem still exists. Holistic healing goes beyond merely treating symptoms, and instead uses them as a guide to address the root cause of the problem.

. There are many types of holistic healing therapies and treatments, including those noted below:

Types of Holistic Healing Therapies

Principals of Holistic Healing

Holistic healing principles can be applied to any type of issue and support the body’s natural health and healing system. For example, if we are feeling anxious or worried, these feelings can easily translate into short-term physical distress such as stomach issues, headaches or various aches and pains. Long-term stress has a more devastating effect on our health, as suppressed anger, frustration and a feeling of lack of control or power over one’s life can manifest into a more serious illness or disease.

A holistic healer understands that distress is an indication of an imbalance in our system and considers all aspects of a person in evaluating the condition and appropriate treatment, rather than merely looking at outside sources as the cause of the problem. Imbalances can stem from unhealthy lifestyle choices such as a poor diet, lack of exercise, and sleep deprivation as well as from unfulfilled emotional, mental and spiritual needs.
While holistic medicine recognizes all confirmed methods of treatment, including drugs and surgery, many people are turning to the holistic healing approach for chronic health conditions that do not respond to medical treatments. Moving away from the belief that modern medicine would simply prescribe medication to easily fix problems as they arose, more people have begun to embrace working with a holistic practitioner to identify the underlying cause of their condition and taking responsibility for achieving balance and overall health and wellbeing. Being healthy is more than just not being sick!

Lifestyle and Holistic Healing

An ongoing process and approach to life rather than just centering on individual issues, holistic healing involves us in every aspect of the mind, body and soul relationship. With an objective of achieving optimum health and wellness, a holistic healer leads us on a journey of self-discovery and engages us in taking an active role and responsibility with regards to everyday choices.

Because the cells in our bodies are continually being replaced and are developed from what currently exists in the body, it is essential that we become aware of the effects of our choices. Unhealthy foods, harmful substances, a toxic environment, and negative attitudes can result in flawed or damaged cells, resulting in healthy cells being replaced with sickly cells and ultimately leading to illness or even death. Seemingly insignificant choices made each day accumulate in the mind and body, establishing our quality of life now and in the future. The focus and goal of holistic healing is to achieve the highest overall level of health and wellbeing through thoughtfully considered choices. While setbacks may occur, they are short-lived and the general flow is continually toward wellness.

Embracing holistic health and healing enables us to obtain wholeness within ourselves, which then naturally expands into increasing compassion and acceptance of others along with caring for our relationships and physical surroundings.

Copyright © 2014 Carina Bachman / CrystalSpringsHealing.com

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Creating Realistic Animations Using Video

Generating realistic animations of passive dynamic systems such as rigid bodies, cloth and fluids is an important problem in computer graphics. Although several techniques for animating these phenomena have been developed, achieving the level of realism exhibited by objects in the real world has proved to be incredibly hard. We argue, therefore, that an effective method for increasing the realism of these types of computer animations is to infer the behavior of real phenomena from video. This thesis presents two techniques for using video to create realistic animations of phenomena such as rigid bodies, cloth, waterfalls, streams, smoke and fire.

The first technique, inverse simulation, estimates the parameters of physical simulations from video. Physical simulation techniques are widely used in computer graphics to generate animations of passive phenomenon using physical laws and numerical integration techniques. The behavior of a physical simulator is governed by a set of parameters, typically specified by the animator. However, directly tuning the physical parameters of complex simulations like rigid bodies or cloth to achieve a desired motion is often cumbersome and nonintuitive. The inverse simulation framework uses optimization to automatically estimate the simulation parameters from video sequences obtained from simple calibration experiments (e.g., throwing a rigid body, waving a swatch of fabric). This framework has three key components: (1) developing a physical model that accurately captures the dynamics of the phenomena, (2) developing a metric that compares the simulated motion with video and (3) applying optimization to find simulation parameters that minimize the chosen metric. To demonstrate the power of this approach, we apply this framework to find the parameters for tumbling rigid bodies and for four different fabrics.

The second technique presents a video editing framework for creating photorealistic animations of natural phenomena such as waterfalls by directly editing reference video footage. Our algorithm analyzes the dynamics and appearance of textured particles in the input video along user-specified flow lines, and synthesizes seamless infinite video by continuously generating particles along the flow lines. The user can then edit the video by manipulating flow lines from the original footage. The algorithm is simple to implement and use. We applied this technique to perform significant edits to the video, like changing the terrain of a waterfall, adding obstacles along the the flow or adding wind to smoke and flames, to demonstrate the editing capability of our approach.

The results from these two techniques demonstrate the effectiveness of using video to improve the realism of computer animations. Our experience with applying inverse simulation for cloth resulted in improvements to existing cloth models and produced animations that matched the realism of real fabrics. Our research on flow-based modelling produced simple 1D particle models that enable animating a wide variety of natural phenomena. We hope that the methods developed in this thesis provide useful insights to design realistic animations for other domains.

Thesis Document

Download the thesis document:

Links to project pages

Inverse Simulation:
Flow-based Video Editing:


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For the first time in history, astronomers have observed elusive gravitational waves – ripples in space time caused by a violent cosmic event taking place in the distant Universe.

Additional Resources

The discovery, announced today in Washington, was made by the Advanced Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) in the USA, which comprises two giant detectors that are four kilometres long and 4000 kilometres apart, housing the most sensitive equipment ever made.

Scientists from Australian universities and CSIRO are celebrating their part in the discovery of the waves, which were predicted by Einstein 100 years ago and open a new window into the cosmos.

In order to aid the hunt for gravitational waves, LIGO recently received $200 million worth of upgrades. One of the major components of this was the installation of ultra-high-performance optical mirrors, many of which were coated by researchers from CSIRO.

According to Dr Cathy Foley, Science Director of CSIRO Manufacturing, the upgrade of the LIGO detectors increased the sensitivity of the system by around tenfold.

"Through the use of interferometry, which is the merging of two sources of light, LIGO is designed to measure changes between the two arms of each detector. The two giant detectors, which are located on opposite sides of the US, are then compared to confirm the findings," Dr Foley said.

"The interferometer system includes a series of mirrors which are coated with multiple, precisely-controlled layers of optical materials to give the required reflective properties, and lastly a top layer of gold, designed for thermal shielding.

"The coatings, which were developed and applied at CSIRO, are among the most uniform and precise ever made.

"This precision ensures that LIGO's laser remains clean and stable as it travels through the detectors.

"We really are world leaders in this area, and are thrilled to play a part in this discovery," she said.

Predicted by Einstein's general theory of relativity, scientists have long suspected gravitational waves were real, however this is the first piece of direct evidence that proves they exist.

Physicists have concluded that the detected gravitational waves were produced during the final fraction of a second of the merger of two black holes to produce a single, more massive spinning black hole.

According to Dr Simon Johnston, Head of Astrophysics at CSIRO, this is an immensely important discovery for physics and astronomy.

"Gravitational waves exert a powerful appeal. Back in 1915 Einstein proposed that space-time is a four-dimensional fabric that can be pushed or pulled as objects move through it.

"If you run your hand through a still pool of water waves will follow in its path, spreading throughout the pool.

"Now that we've caught these waves, we can use them to see the Universe in entirely different ways to what was previously possible."

The discovery, accepted for publication in the journal Physical Review Letters, was made by the LIGO Scientific Collaboration.

The Australian Partnership in Advanced LIGO was led by Australian National University. Scientists from CSIRO, the University of Adelaide, The University of Melbourne, the University of Western Australia, Monash University and Charles Sturt University, also contributed to the discovery.

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Iraq's next big hurdle: unity government

Security, top slots are the focus of talks among Sunnis and Shiites.

When Iraq's election results were released Friday, it was no surprise that religious Shiites dominated the polls.

But the hard numbers have given new steam to Iraq's politicians, who are wheeling and dealing to find enough common ground on which to build the country's first freely elected four-year government.

In a process that could stretch into April, Iraq's factions will decide on a governing program, agree on whether the new Constitution can be changed, and haggle over the crucial positions of president, prime minister, and cabinet ministers.

The Shiite alliance, with 128 of 275 seats, will dominate the talks, but its members must reach out to others to find the two-thirds majority needed to form a government. Whom they tap as allies or exclude may affect stability for years to come, experts say.

All of Iraq's politicians are touting national unity and the need for Sunni Arab participation in the government. It is widely believed to be a necessary step toward taking the steam out of a relentless insurgency.

But those politicians have very different ideas of what national unity and Sunni participation actually entails..

"There is no preordained outcome that we are actually going to get a deal involving all three of these groups," says one Western diplomat in Baghdad. "I can only tell you that they are all saying they are willing to explore it."

Shiites are insisting that the election results dictate the distribution of the spoils, meaning they should be given the majority of the cabinet posts. The Sunni Arabs are pushing for a piece of the pie that may not be justified by vote tallies alone. They hold a powerful bargaining chip: sway with the Sunni-led insurgency.

"If the country is going to be unified, then you have to take into account the armed resistance, which continues to show that it is capable of baring its teeth," says Wamidh Nadhmi, a professor of political science at Baghdad University. "Dealing with the resistance means making the Sunni politicians happy."

It's a reality that infuriates Shiites, who feel the threat of violence is compelling them to relinquish power they won fairly. If violence works for Sunni Arabs, they wonder aloud, then why should Shiites continue to show restraint?

"They can't do both at the same time, resistance and violence on one side, and playing politics on the other side. This is unacceptable," says Adel Abdel Mahdi, a powerful Shiite and a frontrunner to replace Ibrahim Jaafari as prime minister.

If current rhetoric is more than just political brinkmanship and tough talk, then Iraq's Sunni Arab and Shiite parties have seemingly irreconcilable differences on issues such as security policy, the exclusion of former Baathists from government, and amending the Constitution.

Among the principal stumbling blocks in negotiations is control of the ministries of Interior and Defense. The current minister of Interior, Bayan Jabr, essentially the country's chief law enforcement officer, is loyal to Badr, the Shiite militia aligned with the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI), the core of the Shiite political alliance.

Critics say Mr. Jabr has turned the Iraqi police force into a glorified Shiite militia that indiscriminately targets Sunni Arab neighborhoods and cities in an attempt to quash the insurgency.

"We must have the Defense and the Interior to ensure the security of our cities, and to stop the terrorizing of our supporters," says Salman al-Jumayli, a spokesperson for the Sunni Accordance Front, which has 44 seats in the coming parliament.

For Shiites such concessions are unlikely. After decades of suffering under the old regime, the recently empowered Shiites are not about to relinquish control of the ministries that were responsible for much of that oppression. "We won the elections and these ministries are our right," says Jawad al-Malaki, a leading member of the Shiite Dawa Party.

The issue of de- Baathification - a ban on former Baath Party members in government - will also figure prominently in the dealmaking. Shiites call many of the Sunni Arabs who have risen to the fore in recent months Saddamists, Baathists, and outright terrorists.

"The Shiites have turned de-Baathification into de-Sunnification," says Mr. Jumayli. "They're only targeting Sunnis and they've turned it into a weapon to get rid of all their political opponents."

Shiite unwillingness to negotiate on the issue has added to the Sunni Arabs' sense of exclusion and marginalization. It has also meant that even those posts that have gone to Sunni Arabs, such as the outgoing Ministry of Defense, have gone to Sunnis handpicked by Shiites, who are largely out of step with the majority of the country's Sunni Arabs.

What to do with the country's infant Constitution is another issue negotiators will have to address.

The drafting process and referendum on the historic charter last fall signaled a turning point in Sunni Arab willingness to engage with the political process. Their reluctant endorsement, however, came with a condition: The document could be amended at a later date to strengthen language aimed at preventing the breakup of Iraq. Earlier this month, some Shiite leaders seemed to be reneging on that agreement, calling any substantial changes to the Constitution unacceptable.

With such significant differences to overcome, many worry the Shiites will decide that a true national unity government is more trouble than it's worth, and team up with the Kurds as they did in the last government.

But even if Iraq's disparate factions find a way to put aside their differences to form an inclusive government, true national unity remains elusive, says Mohammed al-Sheikhly, president of the Center for Transitional Justice in Iraq.

"We got rid of Saddam Hussein, but now we have 40 Saddam Husseins, a bunch of political leaders with a power complex, who only want to rule. They are all hypocrites whose programs talk about national unity, and a united Iraq, but whose actions say the opposite."

We want to hear, did we miss an angle we should have covered? Should we come back to this topic? Or just give us a rating for this story. We want to hear from you.

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Moose, won't you come out tonight?

A resident of Anchorage, Alaska, ventures out to the test his ability to track down urban moose for visitors.

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    Moose mom: A moose cow lies next to her 3-hour-old calf in the backyard of a residence in Anchorage, Alaska.
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Anchorage is a self-proclaimed "City of Lights," but Alaska's urban center could easily be called the "City of Moose." In winter, a thousand moose gather here to graze on ornamental trees and escape the deeper snows of neighboring foothills. Most leave town once the surrounding landscape has greened up, but 200 to 300 moose remain year-round.

Many prefer the parks, greenbelts, and wooded lots of west Anchorage, including my neighborhood. One cow, accompanied by a calf or two, I can count on seeing a couple times weekly on walks to the nearby Coastal Trail. Occasionally a bull will pass through, munching as he goes.

I've always felt confident that I could track down an urban moose or two on short notice, if asked to show off the local wildlife by visiting family or friends. That confidence was put to the test when my mother's two sisters visited us last summer.

Mom came north to live with me in 2002 and hadn't seen Emily and Evie for several years. The three sisters had a grand time together, but neither of my aunts saw much of the local wildlife.

On their last night in Anchorage, Evie joined her son Jim (who'd accompanied his mother) on a "moose hunting" drive to nearby Chugach State Park. Not much of an adventurer, Emily seemed content to spend her last night at our house.

My girlfriend, Helene, had different ideas.

"Hey, why don't we drive Emily and your mom around and find our own moose?" she suggested.

And so we did. The four of us piled into my aging Toyota and, at Helene's suggestion, headed toward Kincaid Park, a haven for Anchorage moose. Driving slowly, we peered into Kincaid's woodlands. Fifteen minutes passed, then 30, then 45.

"There's always moose here," Helene said with a moan. "Where are they tonight?"

"So it goes," I shrugged, equally disappointed. "There are other places we can try."

Just about ready to give up on Kincaid, Helene shouted, "Look, over there! Two moose on the left."

Sure enough, a cow and yearling calf grazed among birches 50 yards away. Doing a U-turn, I pulled over on the shoulder. While Mom watched from the car, Emily joined Helene and me beside the road. Moments later, a second calf appeared.

"I told you," Helene exulted. "I knew we'd find moose here."

In her own saturnine way, Emily, too, seemed excited. "Wow, there they are. That's great."

Within minutes, several other cars pulled over and a dozen murmuring people lined the road. Clearly we weren't the only moose hunters out this night.

I proposed we continue our moose search elsewhere, hoping for a clearer, closer look at the critters. Near Anchorage's international airport, we left the pavement for a dusty, gravel road and slowed to a crawl. Within a few minutes, I noticed a young bull in a meadow.

The moose was partly hidden by trees, so I pulled over and we waited for a better look. To our gleeful surprise, the bull's browsing led him toward us.

In the back seat, both Mom and Emily cooed their appreciation.

Now within 25 feet, the yearling bull raised his head and picked leaves from atop a willow. "I didn't realize how big they are," Emily said with a gasp. "He's gigantic."

The bull continued up the road, so I drove ahead, then turned the car for a better view. As I did, Helene spotted another, larger moose. This was probably the young bull's mom.

The engine off, we watched silently for several minutes while both moose gorged on greens. Finally another car approached; we chose to leave and let others have their turn enjoying the moose's company if they wished.

Turning toward the back seat Helene smiled and said, "It really doesn't get much better than this."

And then it did. We called it a night. But five minutes from home, I noticed two shadowy forms beside heavily traveled Northern Lights Boulevard.

"More moose," I shouted. "This time there's a little one."

A chestnut-colored calf the size of a miniature pony stood beside its mother in an open, grassy area. We pulled over and paused within 10 feet of the pair.

"Oh, it's so cute," Mom whispered.

"It's beautiful," Emily agreed. "And so small."

Cow moose are notoriously protective of their young. But this one showed no signs of being the least bit agitated. She lifted her head and looked our way, then went right back to grazing. Not wishing to distress the two, we lingered less than a minute.

Back home we awaited Evie and Jim's return, Mom and Emily eager to trade Anchorage wildlife stories with their sister, Helene and I more impressed than ever by the city's abundance of people-tolerant moose.

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Casey Anthony trial: As it draws to a close, deep mysteries remain

In the Casey Anthony murder trial, there's been no confession, no eye witnesses, and no direct physical evidence capable of telling the tale with scientific certainty. Closing arguments begin Sunday.

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    Casey Anthony talks with her attorney Will Slabaugh towards the end of testimony in her murder trial at the Orange County Courthouse in Orlando, Fla., Friday, July 1, 2011. Casey Anthony, 25, is charged with killing her daughter Caylee in the summer of 2008.
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On the eve of closing arguments, the Casey Anthony murder trial is ending exactly as it began – shrouded in mystery over what really happened to Ms. Anthony’s two-year-old daughter, Caylee.

Nearly 100 individuals testified and more than 400 pieces of evidence were presented to the jury in a month-long trial. But it is still unclear precisely how the toddler died.

There’s been no confession, no eye witnesses have come forward, and investigators have found no direct physical evidence capable of telling the tale with scientific certainty.

IN PICTURES: Key players in the Casey Anthony

Nonetheless, on Sunday morning in the Orlando courtroom of Chief Judge Belvin Perry, prosecutors will attempt to sidestep that glaring hole in their case while urging a jury of five men and seven women to find Casey Anthony guilty of the premeditated murder of her daughter.

If convicted, she faces a possible sentence of death by lethal injection.

Prosecutors have presented a theory that Ms. Anthony used chloroform to subdue her daughter and then murdered her by pressing pieces of duct tape over her mouth and nose.

They say she hid the body in the trunk of her car for several days until it began to decompose and smell. Then she dumped it in a wooded area about a quarter-mile from the family home. The skeletal remains were discovered six months later in December 2008.

Defense claims accidental drowning

In contrast, the defense theory is that Caylee accidentally drowned in the family’s swimming pool and her mother panicked. Rather than call 911, they say Casey and her father, George Anthony, engaged in a cover up to make the death look like the result of a kidnapping.

George Anthony denies any knowledge of how his granddaughter died or that he played any part in a cover up. Casey Anthony declined to testify at the trial.

Both the prosecution theory and defense theory share the same weakness – there is no evidence proving one way or the other that the child’s death was an accident or an intentional act of murder. Instead, both the prosecution and defense cases are framed around circumstantial evidence that might point the jury one way or the other.

That’s why Sunday’s closing arguments are particularly important and could be decisive in whether Ms. Anthony is sentenced to death, receives a lesser punishment, or is acquitted.

Although the defense faces no legal obligation to prove or disprove anything in the case, Defense Attorney Jose Baez made shocking claims of sexual abuse and a cover up during his opening statement, many of which remain unproved. The danger for the defense is that jurors may hold it against Mr. Baez and his client.

But the real focus during jury deliberations, as Chief Judge Perry will instruct, must be on whether state prosecutors proved their case beyond a reasonable doubt.

Key evidence

Among key pieces of evidence in the case:

DUCT TAPE – Prosecutors say the murder weapon was three pieces of duct tape, six to eight inches long, recovered near Caylee’s remains. Because some of the tape was found still attached to a mat of Caylee’s hair, they say it must have covered her mouth and nose and ended her life by suffocation. In a controversial move, prosecutors showed the jury an animated video of Caylee’s skull and face with pieces of duct tape superimposed over the image in various positions to show how it might have covered both her nose and mouth.

Defense attorneys objected to the video, saying it was meant to inflame the jury. They say no fingerprints were recovered on the tape and the only unidentified DNA detected on the duct tape excluded Casey Anthony as the donor. They add that there is no proof that the tape covered both the mouth and nose. If the tape only covered the mouth it could not be a murder weapon.

CHLOROFORM – A research scientist at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee detected traces of chloroform in the trunk of Ms. Anthony’s 1998 Pontiac Sunfire. Prosecutors say the evidence suggests that Ms. Anthony drugged her daughter with chloroform before killing her with duct tape. In addition, someone conducted Internet searches on the Anthony’s home computer for the words “chloroform,” and “how to make chloroform.” The searches were conducted when both of Ms. Anthony’s parents were at work.

Defense attorneys counter that Caylee’s remains were tested for the presence of chloroform and other drugs and no toxic substances were detected. They suggest the computer searches were done for curiosity because one of Casey’s friends had posted a gag photo showing a man and woman in a romantic restaurant with the caption: “Win her over with chloroform.” They say investigators never recovered any chemicals, mixing materials, or receipts related to the making of chloroform. Also, an expert in chemical analysis testified that chloroform is present in many household items, including bleach, and could have been in the trunk from an innocent source.

HAIR – A single nine-inch strand of hair was discovered in the trunk of Casey’s car. An FBI forensic expert said the hair was consistent with Caylee’s hair and that it showed signs of having come from a decomposing body. The same expert admitted on cross-examination that trying to identify hair as having come from a decomposing body is still an evolving area of forensic science.

SMELL – Several witnesses – including Casey’s father, George – testified that the lingering foul odor in Casey’s car in the summer of 2008 was the distinct smell of human decomposition. A cadaver dog signaled its handler that a dead body might be in the trunk. A research scientist at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory tested the molecular makeup of the odor and found it consistent with chemicals disbursed from a decaying human body.

In contrast, a University of Central Florida chemist tested the same odor from the car trunk but said he could not say conclusively that the detected compounds indicated the presence of human decomposition. He said there were other environmental sources that might produce the same compounds. An expert in forensic chemistry at Florida International University said the Oak Ridge tests were too experimental and were not reliable enough to be entered as evidence in a criminal trial. Findings like those from the Oak Ridge research have never before been entered as evidence in a criminal case.

Could Caylee have gone into the pool?

SWIMMING POOL – The defense presented a series of photographs demonstrating that Caylee enjoyed swimming and was always eager to jump into the pool whenever given the opportunity. Casey’s mother, Cindy Anthony, testified that on June 16, 2008 she returned home from work and was alarmed to discover the ladder to the above-ground swimming pool was in place and that a side gate leading to the backyard was open. The defense also showed a photo of Caylee apparently opening a sliding glass door to the backyard on her own.

A prosecutor asked Mrs. Anthony whether Casey had ever told her there had been a fatal accident in the pool. Cindy Anthony said her daughter had not. “In fact she continued to assert to you that the child was kidnapped by a baby sitter,” the prosecutor asked. “That’s correct,” Mrs. Anthony replied.

LIES – Casey lied to her friends, family, and the police concerning the whereabouts of Caylee. In late June and early July 2008, Casey told her friends and her mother that Caylee was with a nanny. Casey spent much of that time with her new boyfriend, partying at nightclubs, on shopping excursions, and getting a tattoo that read “Bella Vita” – Italian for beautiful life. Later, as questions about Caylee persisted, she said that Caylee had been kidnapped by the nanny. Investigators quickly determined that the nanny did not exist. They also discovered that Casey had falsely claimed to be working at Universal Studios.

Defense claims Casey Anthony had been abused

Defense attorneys had argued in their opening statement that Casey’s lies and her cold behavior after Caylee was missing were a product of years of sexual abuse by her father and brother. No evidence of such abuse was presented to the jury. During testimony, George Anthony denied ever abusing his daughter. It is unclear whether the defense will raise the issue during their closing argument.

ROY KRONK – Defense attorneys sought to suggest to the jury that Caylee’s skeletal remains had been moved or at least disturbed by the county meter reader, Roy Kronk, who called authorities on December 11, 2008 to report that he’d found a small skull in a wooded area near the Anthony’s house. What makes Mr. Kronk a wild card in the case is that he actually found the remains four months earlier in August, but police never followed up by checking the location.

In testimony, Kronk admitted that he moved the skull slightly with his meter reading stick and briefly picked up a bag of Caylee’s remains, but he denied moving evidence from the site or otherwise altering the evidence. The suggestion was that Kronk was hoping to collect a $255,000 reward for finding Caylee. But the reward was only offered for the safe return of the toddler.

IN PICTURES: Key players in the Casey Anthony

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    Judge Decides Wis. Minimum Markup Law Unconstitutional

    Law ensured fair competition among gas retailers; likelihood on an appeal unknown.

    MADISON, Wis. -- Federal Magistrate Judge William Callahan ruled late last week that the state's minimum markup law for gasoline sales, designed to ensure fair competition among gas station operators, is unconstitutional, The Associated Press reported.

    The minimum markup law requires retailers to sell gasoline above the cost they paid -- either 6 percent over their cost or 9.18 percent over the average local wholesale price -- whichever is higher, the report stated. Violators of the law face fines and possible lawsuits from competitors.

    The law was passed in 1939 to ensure fair competition and prevent large companies from driving small ones out of business, and includes an exemption allowing retailers to match competitors' prices, the AP reported.

    In his ruling, Callahan stated because the state does not actively supervise the law, it violates federal antitrust laws and the supremacy clause of the U.S. Constitution, according to the report. The ruling came with the dismissal of a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Milwaukee by Kenosha, Wis.-based Lotus Business Group, operator of the Lotus Travel Center in DeForest, Wis., against Flying J Inc.

    The lawsuit alleged gas stations operated by Flying J in Black River Falls and Oak Creek, Wis., were illegally selling fuel at a price lower than the law allowed, the AP reported.

    Attorney for the plaintiff, Robert Hankel, told the AP he did not know whether the decision would be appealed to the 7th Circuit Appeals Court.

    "The statute's been under attack all over the place for years from publicity to court cases," Hankel said. "Inevitably somebody's going to find a hole in it, I guess."

    Callahan also noted that in 1998, the percentage of the wholesale markup was changed for the first time in 68 years -- from 6 percent to 9.18 percent -- since then, inflation has gone up 27 percent while gas prices have risen 200 percent, he stated.

    Continuing the use of the 9.18 percent markup, in spite of the rise in retailers' fuel costs, "does raise concerns about a lack of active supervision by the state," the AP quoted Callahan stating in his ruling.

    "Market conditions have no doubt changed drastically since 1998, but there have been no changes to the provisions of the minimum markup statute to reflect those changed conditions," he said.

    In addition, it is troubling that the average gas price is used to determine retail prices, instead of the actual cost to an individual, he said.

    While the state attorney general's office declined to participate in the lawsuit, it sent a letter to Callahan stating it may get involved if the issue of the law's constitutionality is raised on appeal, according to the report.

    Wisconsin Attorney General spokesman Kevin St. John told the AP the ruling is being reviewed and a decision on an appeal it will be made later.

    The plaintiff's attorney, Hankel, told the AP, "The decision is what it is. It's pretty much up to the state now what happens to the minimum markup law."

    Meanwhile, Bob Bartlett of the Wisconsin Convenience Store Association (WCSA), told Wisconsin Radio Network that the ruling is confusing and that the state's agencies -- including the Department of Consumer Protection -- is very involved in supervising the law. He told the network the association gets complaints almost daily.

    In addition, the statute passed at least two constitutional tests before, Bartlett stated, adding he doesn't foresee any attempt to change it at least until it this ruling makes its way through the appeal process.

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Slater truly a 'special' captain

Slater truly a 'special' captain

By A. Sherrod Blakely Celtics Insider
Follow @sherrodbcsn

FOXBORO As Matt Slater stood in front of his locker on Thursday, surrounded by a bevy of microphones, digital tape recorders and notebooks filled with indiscernible scribbling (some know it better as chick scratch), he spoke with an even-keeled tone that in many ways, said more about the man than the subject matter.

Slater had some of the biggest plays in the preseason for the Patriots, both as a receiver and as a special teams player.

But even he acknowledged that as the New England Patriots went about getting their roster down to the 53-man mandate, he wasn't sure if he would be kept around.

Slater, a fifth-round pick of the Patriots in 2008, has been around here long enough to know that things can change quickly.

Can. They. Ever.

One minute, he was wondering if the next shoe to fall was going to be the Pats kicking him to the curb.

The next?

He's a team captain.

Slater was among the six players selected as team captains for the 2011 season.

He joins quarterback Tom Brady, offensive lineman Logan Mankins, linebacker Jerod Mayo, cornerback Devin McCourty and defensive lineman Vince Wilfork as team captains for the 2011-2012 season.

"It's kind of a weird shift to go from that to now, being a captain," Slater admitted. "But I'm just grateful for the opportunity, and just really appreciative that my teammates think of me that way."

When you look at Slater's background, being a special teams standout seems an ideal role for him.

At UCLA, he played on both sides of the ball.

However, it was his special teams play that really stood out.

As a senior, he had a 29.0-yard return average on kicks, which included three touchdowns. His kickoff return average of 29.0 per game as a senior in 2007 was tops in the Pac-10, and ranked 12th nationally. He finished that year with 986 kickoff return yards, which was a UCLA single-season record. In addition to his return work, Slater also recorded 25 tackles as a safety and special teams player.

So when it came time to think about what his role would be at the next level, it was a no-brainer.

"I came into the league knowing that (special teams play) was something that I was going to have to do, the way my college career went, back and fourth between positions.," he said. "I knew if I were to have a chance at accomplishing my dream of playing in the National Football League, then special teams was going to be a vehicle for that. I knew coming in, I would have to do a little bit of the dirty work. I didn't know what all that would entail. I love doing that, I really do."

While his special teams play has certainly stood out, Slater opened some eyes during the preseason with his work at wide receiver.

In the four preseason games, Slater had 5 catches for 190 yards, which, if you do the math - I'll save you the time - works out to a 38-yards-per-grab average.

It's not totally out of the question to see No. 18 lined up at wide receiver at times this season, but Slater said he has no plans to push for more time with the offense.

"It's important to winning football games," Slater said of special-teams play. "It's three phases of the game. We've seen that over the years, special teams can win games. There's no shame in getting your hands dirty, going out there and battling. We need role players. Everybody can't be a superstar. Everybody needs to be a star in their role, so I've tried to embrace my role and be a star in it. I'm just trying to get better every day."

And now as a team captain, he's charged with doing more to help those younger players around him improve their game as well.

It is a job that Slater doesn't take lightly; a job that in many ways he had been groomed for by his father, Hall of Fame offensive lineman Jackie Slater.

After the Patriot players voted on the new captains and head coach Bill Belichick told them the results following Wednesday's practice, Matt Slater said the first person he called was his father.

"I know he was a captain during his career," said Matt Slater. "I know he always encouraged me to be a leader, a man that stands out, a man of character. It just means a lot that the guys think that way of me."

A. Sherrod Blakely can be reached at Follow Sherrod on Twitter at http:twitter.comsherrodbcsn.

Patriots-Steelers injury report: Seven Pats listed as questionable

Patriots-Steelers injury report: Seven Pats listed as questionable

FOXBORO -- The Patriots will head into Sunday's AFC title game with seven players listed as questionable, including three receivers.

Danny Amendola, Malcolm Mitchell and Chris Hogan have all been limited in practices this week due to their injuries. Amendola has been dealing with an ankle issue since a Week 13 win over the Rams, while Mitchell has not played since injuring his knee in Week 16 against the Jets. Hogan suffered a thigh injury against the Texans and left the game in the third quarter.

Both Hogan and Mitchell indicated this week that they were moving in the right direction in terms of their recoveries. One would think that the Patriots would need at least one, if not both, to help stress the back end of the Steelers secondary this weekend.

Hogan has been the team's most consistent down-the-field threat this season, averaging a whopping 17.9 yards per catch during the regular season. Against the Texans, before his injury, he reeled in four passes for 95 yards.

Mitchell, meanwhile, had a very productive second half of his rookie season before he was hurt. He compiled 25 catches for 306 yards between Weeks 11 and 16, establishing himself as one of Tom Brady's go-to targets.

The overall health of the Patriots receiving corps -- which will also include Julian Edelman and Michael Floyd -- will bear watching when the Patriots and Steelers kick off in two days.

The injury report for Sunday's Patriots-Steelers game:

WR Danny Amendola (ankle)
TE Martellus Bennett (knee)
RB Brandon Bolden (knee)
LB Dont'a Hightower (shoulder)
WR Chris Hogan (thigh)
WR Malcolm Mitchell (knee)
DL Jabaal Sheard (knee)

TE Ladarius Green (concussion/illness)
LB James Harrison (shoulder/triceps)
RB Fitzgerald Toussaint (concussion)

RB Le'Veon Bell (not injury related)
K Chris Boswell (illness)
LB Anthony Chickillo (ankle)
S Sean Davis (shoulder)
C B.J. Finney (illness)
WR Darrius Heyward-Bay (illness)
DE Ricardo Mathews (ankle)
QB Zach Mettenberger (illness)
S Michael Mitchell (not injury related)
QB Ben Roethlisberger (not injury related)
LB Vince Williams (shoulder)