New year's resolutions doomed to failure, say psychologistsMany of the 78% who fail in their plans are focusing on downside of not achieving goals, research finds
by Ian Sample, science correspondent The Guardian,
Monday 28 December 2009
Resolutions, including giving up smoking, can fail if they are impulsive. Photograph: David Sillitoe/Guardian
It's part of the new year ritual – an annual attempt to start afresh and turn over a new leaf. But making resolutions is a near pointless exercise, psychologists say. We break them, become dispirited in the process and finally more despondent than we were before.
Less than a quarter of those asked for a university study had managed to stick to their resolutions. Of those who failed, many had followed the spurious advice of self-help gurus – which almost guarantees disaster, apparently.
Richard Wiseman, a psychologist at the University of Hertfordshire, who led the analysis, said he and his team had asked 700 people about their strategies for achieving new year resolutions. Their goals ranged from losing weight or giving up smoking to gaining a qualification or starting a better relationship.
Of the 78% who failed, many had focused on the downside of not achieving the goals; they had suppressed their cravings, fantasised about being successful, and adopted a role model or relied on willpower alone.
"Many of these ideas are frequently recommended by self-help experts but our results suggest that they simply don't work," Wiseman said. "If you are trying to lose weight, it's not enough to stick a picture of a model on your fridge or fantasise about being slimmer."
On the other hand, people who kept their resolutions tended to have broken their goal into smaller steps and rewarded themselves when they achieved one of these. They also told their friends about their goals, focused on the benefits of success and kept a diary of their progress.
People who planned a series of smaller goals had an average success rate of 35%, while those who followed all five of the above strategies had a 50% chance of success, the study found.
"Many of the most successful techniques involve making a plan and helping yourself stick to it," Wiseman said.
Making new year resolutions at the last minute can backfire, he warned, because such decisions tend to be less genuinely motivated. "If you do it on the spur of the moment, it probably doesn't mean that much to you and you won't give it your all. Failing to achieve your ambitions is often psychologically harmful because it can rob people of a sense of self control."
Other strategies that helped people to achieve their goals included making only one resolution at a time and treating occasional lapses in the plan as just temporary setbacks.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Guarded Over Gates
To gate or not to gate ... that is the perplexing question.
EMOTIONS are escalating over the issue of gated and guarded communities, if media reports are anything to go by.
Participants say it gives them peace of mind, never mind the cost and inconvenience but the naysayers are fuming at what they view as an infringement of their right to unhindered access to where they live.
At the least, I’m a proponent of guarded communities. Look, we will never have policemen patrolling housing areas around the clock. If the crime rate were negligible, this would not be an issue. It isn’t, and many of us are thus driven to setting up extra protection in our neighbourhoods.
You don’t have to be a victim of crime to take precautions. Better to be safe and put up with some hassles, than be sorry.
Yet, are some residents’ associations taking it too far?
I’ve been to gated communities where the alleys and back-lanes are permanently barricaded – as if petty thieves on motorbikes and on foot can’t find their way through these barriers!
Access is limited to just a road or two. As a visitor to the area, I’m inconvenienced by this; heck, even residents paying for the service tell me this is a bit much but dare not speak up at meetings. I can imagine how those who don’t contribute to the security arrangements would feel.
Where I live, we took the guarded community route about eight months ago, and the crime rate in the area has dropped drastically since then, to almost zero. We’ve stopped short of hard barricades – our guards use plastic cones to make motorists slow down for a security check.
The guards are posted around the clock at all access points, and additional ones patrol the area regularly. Compared to the barricades and metal drums I’ve seen in other areas, ours is a mild system, but it has worked well and the guards have always practised non-confrontational behaviour – they are polite but alert.
My point – our safety objective has been met without roads being permanently closed. Even those not paying for the service enjoy living in a crime-free zone, and if they complain about needing to slow down at the check-points, I say, “too bad, live with it!”
However, barricading roads permanently is a bit drastic, and surely, a compromise can be reached? Say, a mid-ground that doesn’t require a housing area to look like a restricted military zone, and yet, with enough security measures, including alert guards constantly monitoring the area with minimal impediment to residents?
Just because your car hasn’t been stolen or your purse snatched or your house broken into doesn’t mean you and your loved ones are always going to be this fortunate. So don’t get your hackles up over others taking precautionary measures as long as they’re not extreme.
Safety comes with some inconveniences, but that’s the world we live in these days. Crime won’t stop by itself, so we need to institute measures to get back our streets and neighbourhoods. Heck, we need to feel safe at home!
Be prepared to give in a bit, and I’m sure both sides can reach an amicable solution. I have a suggestion – give the guards a list of car registration numbers of residents in the area, whether or not they subscribe to the service.
This will make it easier for them to recognise residents’ vehicles, so there won’t be any need to stop these cars for questioning.
Look, if you won’t contribute, at least don’t impede and if you can, don’t be so rigid as to forget that others have their rights, too.
Here’s wishing you all a Merry Christmas and Happy 2010 ahead. Ho, ho, ho, indeed ...
Friday December 25, 2009
Guarded over gates
NOT TODAY
BY SUJESH PAVITHRAN
The Star
EMOTIONS are escalating over the issue of gated and guarded communities, if media reports are anything to go by.
Participants say it gives them peace of mind, never mind the cost and inconvenience but the naysayers are fuming at what they view as an infringement of their right to unhindered access to where they live.
At the least, I’m a proponent of guarded communities. Look, we will never have policemen patrolling housing areas around the clock. If the crime rate were negligible, this would not be an issue. It isn’t, and many of us are thus driven to setting up extra protection in our neighbourhoods.
You don’t have to be a victim of crime to take precautions. Better to be safe and put up with some hassles, than be sorry.
Yet, are some residents’ associations taking it too far?
I’ve been to gated communities where the alleys and back-lanes are permanently barricaded – as if petty thieves on motorbikes and on foot can’t find their way through these barriers!
Access is limited to just a road or two. As a visitor to the area, I’m inconvenienced by this; heck, even residents paying for the service tell me this is a bit much but dare not speak up at meetings. I can imagine how those who don’t contribute to the security arrangements would feel.
Where I live, we took the guarded community route about eight months ago, and the crime rate in the area has dropped drastically since then, to almost zero. We’ve stopped short of hard barricades – our guards use plastic cones to make motorists slow down for a security check.
The guards are posted around the clock at all access points, and additional ones patrol the area regularly. Compared to the barricades and metal drums I’ve seen in other areas, ours is a mild system, but it has worked well and the guards have always practised non-confrontational behaviour – they are polite but alert.
My point – our safety objective has been met without roads being permanently closed. Even those not paying for the service enjoy living in a crime-free zone, and if they complain about needing to slow down at the check-points, I say, “too bad, live with it!”
However, barricading roads permanently is a bit drastic, and surely, a compromise can be reached? Say, a mid-ground that doesn’t require a housing area to look like a restricted military zone, and yet, with enough security measures, including alert guards constantly monitoring the area with minimal impediment to residents?
Just because your car hasn’t been stolen or your purse snatched or your house broken into doesn’t mean you and your loved ones are always going to be this fortunate. So don’t get your hackles up over others taking precautionary measures as long as they’re not extreme.
Safety comes with some inconveniences, but that’s the world we live in these days. Crime won’t stop by itself, so we need to institute measures to get back our streets and neighbourhoods. Heck, we need to feel safe at home!
Be prepared to give in a bit, and I’m sure both sides can reach an amicable solution. I have a suggestion – give the guards a list of car registration numbers of residents in the area, whether or not they subscribe to the service.
This will make it easier for them to recognise residents’ vehicles, so there won’t be any need to stop these cars for questioning.
Look, if you won’t contribute, at least don’t impede and if you can, don’t be so rigid as to forget that others have their rights, too.
Here’s wishing you all a Merry Christmas and Happy 2010 ahead. Ho, ho, ho, indeed ...
Friday December 25, 2009
Guarded over gates
NOT TODAY
BY SUJESH PAVITHRAN
The Star
The Essential Characteristics of His Personality
From Abu Hurairah radhiyallah hu ‘anhu who said that Allah’s Messenger, Muhammad pbuh said:
“Two characteristics are not found together in a hypocrite: good manners and understanding of the Religion”
(Hadis reported by at-Tirmizi and through a different chain of narration by Ibnul-Mubarak)
So his manners are the manners of the righteous people, and his behaviour that of the servants of the Lord of the worlds. He emulates the pious and follows in the footsteps of the sincere. His heart and his behaviour agree, he is not like the weak who take pains to put on a good appearance whereas their hearts are empty! His knowledge and understanding of the Religion is deep and springs from a good and sensitive heart, and precise memory. However his good manners and knowledge and understanding of the Religion do not prevent him from Honest Jesting.
“Two characteristics are not found together in a hypocrite: good manners and understanding of the Religion”
(Hadis reported by at-Tirmizi and through a different chain of narration by Ibnul-Mubarak)
So his manners are the manners of the righteous people, and his behaviour that of the servants of the Lord of the worlds. He emulates the pious and follows in the footsteps of the sincere. His heart and his behaviour agree, he is not like the weak who take pains to put on a good appearance whereas their hearts are empty! His knowledge and understanding of the Religion is deep and springs from a good and sensitive heart, and precise memory. However his good manners and knowledge and understanding of the Religion do not prevent him from Honest Jesting.
Friday, December 25, 2009
China stretches the imagination with world's longest sea bridge
Barely 18-months after completing current record-holder, work begins on link between mainland, Macau and Hong Kong
Much of the bridge will be fabricated offsite and will be designed to withstand wind speeds of up to 201kmph (125mph)
China today announced it had begun construction of the world's longest sea bridge – barely 18 months after opening the current record-holder.
The Y-shaped link between Hong Kong, Macau and China will be around 50km (31 miles) long in total, 35km of which will span the sea, said the state news agency Xinhua. Due to be completed by 2015, the 73bn yuan (£6.75bn) cost of the bridge will be shared by the authorities in the three territories.
The structure also includes a 5.5km underwater tunnel with artificial islands to join it to bridges on each side. According to the engineering group Arup – which has helped with the design – it is the first major marine bridge-and-tunnel project in China. But the engineering firm described the structure as 38km in length; the reason for the disparity was unclear.
Work is expected to begin with land reclamation to create an artificial island of around 216 hectares (540 acres) off Zhuhai. This will become the customs point for those making the crossing.
But much of the structure will be prefabricated offsite, so, for example, the concrete deck sections can be produced at the same time as the foundations are laid. The tunnel will be made of precast sections – each 100 metres long.
"It is designed with a service life of 120 years. It can withstand the impact of a strong wind with a speed of 51 metres a second, or equal to a maximum Beaufort scale 16 (184 to 201km/h)," said Zhu Yongling, an official in charge of the project construction. "It can also resist the impact of a magnitude-8 earthquake and a 300,000-tonne vessel."
A computer-generated image of the £6.75bn bridge, much of which will be fabricated offsite
Six lanes of traffic will pass across the bridge at a maximum speed of 100kmph, cutting driving time from Hong Kong to Zhuhai from four hours to one.
The bridge was first proposed in 1983 as a way of fostering economic ties between China, Hong Kong and Macau. But it will be particularly welcome as the Pearl River Delta – for many years the hub of China's manufacturing – is buffeted by economic problems. The area's attempt to move up the value chain, combined with the rise of the yuan and the global economic crisis, has seen exports plummeting.
The bridge is one component in a plan issued in January by China's top economic planning body, the National Development and Reform Commission, which aims to fuse the area and the two special administrative regions, Hong Kong and Macau, into one of the world's most vibrant economic centres by 2020. In particular, the government hopes it will help to develop the western side of Guangdong province.
"It is a move for Hong Kong, Macau and the Pearl River Delta region to cope with global economic downturn, boost investment and inspire people," said the vice-premier, Li Keqiang, at the inauguration ceremony in Guangdong. "Meanwhile, it can also further increase [their] links and promote economic co-operation."
Hong Kong has said the bridge should generate $HK45bn (£3.6bn) of economic benefits within the first two decades of use, Reuters reported.
According to an article in New Civil Engineer magazine earlier this year, the bridges cross three navigation channels while the tunnel goes under a fourth.
"There is an airport nearby, so we could not build a bridge [in that area] which was the reason for the tunnel. The immersed tube is the longest in the world at 5.5km long," Naeem Hussain, global bridge leader at Arup, told the publication.
He said the bridge's piers would each be 170 metres high and that the design team had minimised the structures impact on estuary flows by limiting the size and number of columns in the water.
But the WWF and other environmental campaigners have warned that construction could devastate marine ecosystems and endanger the rare Chinese white dolphin, which is found in the estuarine waters of the Pearl river. Officials say they have already considered environmental issues in planning the project.
"We will control the construction noises and turbidity of seawater, and prevent oil pollution," Zhu told Xinhua.
It is only a year and a half since China opened a 36km span across Hangzhou Bay – in the eastern province of Zhejiang – which is currently the longest sea-bridge.
Wang Yong, the head of that project, said the design had led to more than 250 technological innovations and engineering breakthroughs, many of which will no doubt prove useful in building the new construction. He added that the Hangzhou bridge survived 19 severe challenges, including typhoons, tides, and geological problems during the three and a half years of construction.
The longest water-spanning bridge in the world is the Lake Pontchartrain causeway bridge in New Orleans, at 38.4km. But officials said that Hangzhou was a particularly difficult site to build because of its complex climate.
How the bridge will work
by Tania Branigan in Beijing and Robert Booth
guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 15 December 2009
Much of the bridge will be fabricated offsite and will be designed to withstand wind speeds of up to 201kmph (125mph)
China today announced it had begun construction of the world's longest sea bridge – barely 18 months after opening the current record-holder.
The Y-shaped link between Hong Kong, Macau and China will be around 50km (31 miles) long in total, 35km of which will span the sea, said the state news agency Xinhua. Due to be completed by 2015, the 73bn yuan (£6.75bn) cost of the bridge will be shared by the authorities in the three territories.
The structure also includes a 5.5km underwater tunnel with artificial islands to join it to bridges on each side. According to the engineering group Arup – which has helped with the design – it is the first major marine bridge-and-tunnel project in China. But the engineering firm described the structure as 38km in length; the reason for the disparity was unclear.
Work is expected to begin with land reclamation to create an artificial island of around 216 hectares (540 acres) off Zhuhai. This will become the customs point for those making the crossing.
But much of the structure will be prefabricated offsite, so, for example, the concrete deck sections can be produced at the same time as the foundations are laid. The tunnel will be made of precast sections – each 100 metres long.
"It is designed with a service life of 120 years. It can withstand the impact of a strong wind with a speed of 51 metres a second, or equal to a maximum Beaufort scale 16 (184 to 201km/h)," said Zhu Yongling, an official in charge of the project construction. "It can also resist the impact of a magnitude-8 earthquake and a 300,000-tonne vessel."
A computer-generated image of the £6.75bn bridge, much of which will be fabricated offsite
Six lanes of traffic will pass across the bridge at a maximum speed of 100kmph, cutting driving time from Hong Kong to Zhuhai from four hours to one.
The bridge was first proposed in 1983 as a way of fostering economic ties between China, Hong Kong and Macau. But it will be particularly welcome as the Pearl River Delta – for many years the hub of China's manufacturing – is buffeted by economic problems. The area's attempt to move up the value chain, combined with the rise of the yuan and the global economic crisis, has seen exports plummeting.
The bridge is one component in a plan issued in January by China's top economic planning body, the National Development and Reform Commission, which aims to fuse the area and the two special administrative regions, Hong Kong and Macau, into one of the world's most vibrant economic centres by 2020. In particular, the government hopes it will help to develop the western side of Guangdong province.
"It is a move for Hong Kong, Macau and the Pearl River Delta region to cope with global economic downturn, boost investment and inspire people," said the vice-premier, Li Keqiang, at the inauguration ceremony in Guangdong. "Meanwhile, it can also further increase [their] links and promote economic co-operation."
Hong Kong has said the bridge should generate $HK45bn (£3.6bn) of economic benefits within the first two decades of use, Reuters reported.
According to an article in New Civil Engineer magazine earlier this year, the bridges cross three navigation channels while the tunnel goes under a fourth.
"There is an airport nearby, so we could not build a bridge [in that area] which was the reason for the tunnel. The immersed tube is the longest in the world at 5.5km long," Naeem Hussain, global bridge leader at Arup, told the publication.
He said the bridge's piers would each be 170 metres high and that the design team had minimised the structures impact on estuary flows by limiting the size and number of columns in the water.
But the WWF and other environmental campaigners have warned that construction could devastate marine ecosystems and endanger the rare Chinese white dolphin, which is found in the estuarine waters of the Pearl river. Officials say they have already considered environmental issues in planning the project.
"We will control the construction noises and turbidity of seawater, and prevent oil pollution," Zhu told Xinhua.
It is only a year and a half since China opened a 36km span across Hangzhou Bay – in the eastern province of Zhejiang – which is currently the longest sea-bridge.
Wang Yong, the head of that project, said the design had led to more than 250 technological innovations and engineering breakthroughs, many of which will no doubt prove useful in building the new construction. He added that the Hangzhou bridge survived 19 severe challenges, including typhoons, tides, and geological problems during the three and a half years of construction.
The longest water-spanning bridge in the world is the Lake Pontchartrain causeway bridge in New Orleans, at 38.4km. But officials said that Hangzhou was a particularly difficult site to build because of its complex climate.
How the bridge will work
by Tania Branigan in Beijing and Robert Booth
guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 15 December 2009
America's most wanted doctor found living on Mont Blanc
America's most wanted: doctor found living in tent on Mont Blanc
• Missing man faces fraud trial after five years on run
• Fugitive lived on tinned food and melted snow
John Hooper in Rome
guardian.co.uk,
Thursday 17 December 2009
Mark Weinberger, a plastic surgeon wanted by the US since 2004 for healthcare fraud, pictured in Italy. Photograph: Gruppo Carabinieri Di Aosta/EPA
On 21 September 2004, Michelle Weinberger woke up on the 79ft powerboat that she and her husband, Mark, owned as it rocked gently in the waters of a marina on the Greek island of Mykonos.
"I put my hand on his side of the bed, and I remember feeling it empty," she later told the US television channel NBC. Weinberger leapt from bed in alarm to find that her husband had vanished, taking with him his passport and money he had stashed secretly on board.
It was the beginning of a five-year flight from justice that ended this week even more strangely than it began, almost 6,000 feet up in the Italian Alps. Two officers of the paramilitary Carabinieri, led by a mountain guide, trudged up to the southern slopes of Mont Blanc to find one of America's most wanted fugitives living in a tent. He was surviving in temperatures as low as -18C on dried and tinned food and snow he melted on a portable stove.
Dr Mark Weinberger, a 46-year-old ear, nose and throat specialist, was tonight in a secure ward at the Molinette hospital in Turin recovering from a wound he sustained when he tried to take his own life at the Carabinieri station in Courmayeur, below Mont Blanc.
The US authorities have 40 days in which to apply for his extradition. He faces trial on 22 counts of healthcare fraud, having previously been indicted by a grand jury.
Brought up in a prosperous New York suburb, Weinberger was educated at the University of Pennsylvania and the UCLA medical school. He later worked with one of Chicago's most renowned plastic surgeons before opening his own practice, the Weinberger Sinus Clinic, in Merrillville, Indiana.
The "nose doctor", as he came to be known, met his future wife, 12 years his junior, in 2000. "He just swept me off my feet," she said. "He was the kindest, most gentle man I had ever met."
Weinberger proposed to her eight months later in a Rome piazza while on holiday, and they were married in characteristically ostentatious style in three separate ceremonies in the US and Italy in 2001.
Michelle Weinberger later said she reckoned her husband was earning $200,000 (£124,000) a week, performing between seven and 15 operations.
They owned a house in a wealthy lakeside neighbourhood of Chicago. Mark Weinberger travelled to and from his surgery in a chauffeur-driven limousine. He employed maids, cooks, a personal trainer and a skipper for his boat. Every month, his wife recalled, he would take 10 days off to enjoy his seemingly abundant income, often jetting off to Europe to indulge a passion for idling in the Mediterranean.
The first hint of trouble emerged in October 2002 when a lawyer acting for the estate of a woman who had died of throat cancer filed a complaint with the Indiana department of insurance. The complaint claimed Weinberger failed to diagnose her cancer and instead carried out an unnecessary operation on her sinuses that was paid for by her insurance company.
The lawyer said he was subsequently contacted by dozens of the doctor's former patients who alleged that they too had had surgery they suspected was unnecessary. A similar complaint was filed by a second attorney on behalf of 25 former patients.
As the malpractice suits piled up, Weinberger arranged what he said would be a very special 30th birthday party for his wife. He flew her, her mother and three friends out to the Greek islands and promised her a present that would be "something that only the movie stars have". Before disappearing, he bought her two expensive diamonds.
It was small recompense, though, for what she was about to discover. The unpaid berthing fees on Mykonos alone came to $40,000. Their boat was seized by the Greek authorities. Weinberger's practice owed $5.7m and was eventually auctioned to meet his debts.
But the oddest discovery, and one that perhaps holds the key to his life on the run, was that the doctor had a room at his clinic which his employees dubbed "the scary room". It was crammed with survival gear. And the equipment, including even a water filtration system, had been shipped to Europe before he left.
The fugitive surgeon was sought by the FBI. He featured more than once on the Fox television show America's Most Wanted, and was supposedly sighted as far away as China. His wife continued to defend him after he vanished.
"I hope he's safe, and I still love him," she told the Chicago Tribune in October 2004, adding: "We can relocate. We can live on an island in a hut." The Carabinieri who lifted the flap of Weinberger's tent on Tuesday morning had been alerted to his presence by a mountain guide, an Italian police official said. They did not immediately reveal that they suspected his identity. They said they had used an excuse to convince him to accompany them to Courmayeur and that Weinberger tried to persuade them he just "wanted to live a life in the wild".
After it became clear that they knew who he was, the runaway doctor asked to go to the lavatory. There, he whipped out a tiny knife he had secreted in his underwear and plunged it into his throat. But despite being an expert surgeon, he missed the artery he appeared to be aiming for, and the Carabinieri hustled him away for first aid.
• Missing man faces fraud trial after five years on run
• Fugitive lived on tinned food and melted snow
John Hooper in Rome
guardian.co.uk,
Thursday 17 December 2009
Mark Weinberger, a plastic surgeon wanted by the US since 2004 for healthcare fraud, pictured in Italy. Photograph: Gruppo Carabinieri Di Aosta/EPA
On 21 September 2004, Michelle Weinberger woke up on the 79ft powerboat that she and her husband, Mark, owned as it rocked gently in the waters of a marina on the Greek island of Mykonos.
"I put my hand on his side of the bed, and I remember feeling it empty," she later told the US television channel NBC. Weinberger leapt from bed in alarm to find that her husband had vanished, taking with him his passport and money he had stashed secretly on board.
It was the beginning of a five-year flight from justice that ended this week even more strangely than it began, almost 6,000 feet up in the Italian Alps. Two officers of the paramilitary Carabinieri, led by a mountain guide, trudged up to the southern slopes of Mont Blanc to find one of America's most wanted fugitives living in a tent. He was surviving in temperatures as low as -18C on dried and tinned food and snow he melted on a portable stove.
Dr Mark Weinberger, a 46-year-old ear, nose and throat specialist, was tonight in a secure ward at the Molinette hospital in Turin recovering from a wound he sustained when he tried to take his own life at the Carabinieri station in Courmayeur, below Mont Blanc.
The US authorities have 40 days in which to apply for his extradition. He faces trial on 22 counts of healthcare fraud, having previously been indicted by a grand jury.
Brought up in a prosperous New York suburb, Weinberger was educated at the University of Pennsylvania and the UCLA medical school. He later worked with one of Chicago's most renowned plastic surgeons before opening his own practice, the Weinberger Sinus Clinic, in Merrillville, Indiana.
The "nose doctor", as he came to be known, met his future wife, 12 years his junior, in 2000. "He just swept me off my feet," she said. "He was the kindest, most gentle man I had ever met."
Weinberger proposed to her eight months later in a Rome piazza while on holiday, and they were married in characteristically ostentatious style in three separate ceremonies in the US and Italy in 2001.
Michelle Weinberger later said she reckoned her husband was earning $200,000 (£124,000) a week, performing between seven and 15 operations.
They owned a house in a wealthy lakeside neighbourhood of Chicago. Mark Weinberger travelled to and from his surgery in a chauffeur-driven limousine. He employed maids, cooks, a personal trainer and a skipper for his boat. Every month, his wife recalled, he would take 10 days off to enjoy his seemingly abundant income, often jetting off to Europe to indulge a passion for idling in the Mediterranean.
The first hint of trouble emerged in October 2002 when a lawyer acting for the estate of a woman who had died of throat cancer filed a complaint with the Indiana department of insurance. The complaint claimed Weinberger failed to diagnose her cancer and instead carried out an unnecessary operation on her sinuses that was paid for by her insurance company.
The lawyer said he was subsequently contacted by dozens of the doctor's former patients who alleged that they too had had surgery they suspected was unnecessary. A similar complaint was filed by a second attorney on behalf of 25 former patients.
As the malpractice suits piled up, Weinberger arranged what he said would be a very special 30th birthday party for his wife. He flew her, her mother and three friends out to the Greek islands and promised her a present that would be "something that only the movie stars have". Before disappearing, he bought her two expensive diamonds.
It was small recompense, though, for what she was about to discover. The unpaid berthing fees on Mykonos alone came to $40,000. Their boat was seized by the Greek authorities. Weinberger's practice owed $5.7m and was eventually auctioned to meet his debts.
But the oddest discovery, and one that perhaps holds the key to his life on the run, was that the doctor had a room at his clinic which his employees dubbed "the scary room". It was crammed with survival gear. And the equipment, including even a water filtration system, had been shipped to Europe before he left.
The fugitive surgeon was sought by the FBI. He featured more than once on the Fox television show America's Most Wanted, and was supposedly sighted as far away as China. His wife continued to defend him after he vanished.
"I hope he's safe, and I still love him," she told the Chicago Tribune in October 2004, adding: "We can relocate. We can live on an island in a hut." The Carabinieri who lifted the flap of Weinberger's tent on Tuesday morning had been alerted to his presence by a mountain guide, an Italian police official said. They did not immediately reveal that they suspected his identity. They said they had used an excuse to convince him to accompany them to Courmayeur and that Weinberger tried to persuade them he just "wanted to live a life in the wild".
After it became clear that they knew who he was, the runaway doctor asked to go to the lavatory. There, he whipped out a tiny knife he had secreted in his underwear and plunged it into his throat. But despite being an expert surgeon, he missed the artery he appeared to be aiming for, and the Carabinieri hustled him away for first aid.
Woman who knocked down pope hospitalised
By AFP
The woman who knocked down Pope Benedict XVI during Christmas Eve mass at St Peter's Basilica will undergo "necessary treatment" in hospital, the Vatican said on Friday.
Susanna Maiolo, 25, was hospitalised after stunning pilgrims in the cavernous basilica by leaping over a security barricade and pulling Pope Benedict, 82, to the floor in a dramatic start to the mass late on Thursday.
Lombardi described the woman, of dual Swiss and Italian nationality, as "apparently unbalanced." Maiolo already tried to get near the pope on the same occasion last year but security guards held her back, the spokesman said.
Masses of pilgrims gasped as a security guard tried to overpower Maiolo, who succeeded in grabbing Pope Benedict's vestments near the neck and pulling him to the floor as several other people fell over in the melee.
Relieved applause broke out as the pontiff got back on his feet within moments.
Pope Benedict went on to celebrate the mass undaunted by the assault, speaking out in his homily against selfishness as Christians across the world celebrated the birth of Jesus Christ.
The pontiff was to proceed as normal Friday with his Christmas programme, delivering his traditional "urbi et orbi" (to the city and the world) speech at midday from the balcony of St Peter's, the Vatican said.
Prominent French Cardinal Roger Etchegaray, 87, broke a leg in the incident though he was several metres (yards) away.
He will undergo surgery for a fracture of a thigh bone, the Vatican said in a communique.
Lombardi sought to play down Thursday's incident, praising Pope Benedict's "great self-control and control of the situation."
He added: "It was an assault, but it wasn't dangerous because she wasn't armed."
The Christmas Eve mass is one of few occasions when tourists and pilgrims can get close to the pontiff.
The ANSA news agency reported that Vatican police questioned Maiolo and said she appeared confused and agitated, and said she wanted to hug the pontiff.
Papal security has been tightened since Mehmet Ali Agca, a Turk, shot and nearly killed Benedict's predecessor John Paul II in St Peter's Square in May 1981.
Thursday's incident occurred less than two weeks after a man with a history of mental problems attacked Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi after a political rally in Milan, breaking his nose and inflicting other facial injuries.
The attack on the pope took place amid concern over his health after a Vatican decision to schedule the mass two hours earlier than the traditional midnight hour due to the pontiff's advanced age.
Lombardi insisted that the change, a Vatican first, was only a "sensible precaution" for the octogenarian pontiff.
The decision was taken several weeks ago and Lombardi said it was "no cause for alarm," adding that the German pontiff's condition was "absolutely normal" for a man of his age.
Lombardi said the move was aimed at making Christmas "a little less tiring for the pope, who has many engagements during this time".
Benedict has had no notable health problems since his 2005 election apart from a fractured wrist from a fall in July while holidaying in northern Italy.
Four years before he became pope, however, then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger spent nearly a month in hospital following a brain haemorrhage, according to the German daily Bild. It said he has suffered from fainting spells.
John Paul II insisted on observing the tradition of beginning the mass at midnight despite years of ill health, notably the ravages of Parkinson's disease, at the end of his life. He died in April 2005 aged 84.
The woman who knocked down Pope Benedict XVI during Christmas Eve mass at St Peter's Basilica will undergo "necessary treatment" in hospital, the Vatican said on Friday.
Susanna Maiolo, 25, was hospitalised after stunning pilgrims in the cavernous basilica by leaping over a security barricade and pulling Pope Benedict, 82, to the floor in a dramatic start to the mass late on Thursday.
Lombardi described the woman, of dual Swiss and Italian nationality, as "apparently unbalanced." Maiolo already tried to get near the pope on the same occasion last year but security guards held her back, the spokesman said.
Masses of pilgrims gasped as a security guard tried to overpower Maiolo, who succeeded in grabbing Pope Benedict's vestments near the neck and pulling him to the floor as several other people fell over in the melee.
Relieved applause broke out as the pontiff got back on his feet within moments.
Pope Benedict went on to celebrate the mass undaunted by the assault, speaking out in his homily against selfishness as Christians across the world celebrated the birth of Jesus Christ.
The pontiff was to proceed as normal Friday with his Christmas programme, delivering his traditional "urbi et orbi" (to the city and the world) speech at midday from the balcony of St Peter's, the Vatican said.
Prominent French Cardinal Roger Etchegaray, 87, broke a leg in the incident though he was several metres (yards) away.
He will undergo surgery for a fracture of a thigh bone, the Vatican said in a communique.
Lombardi sought to play down Thursday's incident, praising Pope Benedict's "great self-control and control of the situation."
He added: "It was an assault, but it wasn't dangerous because she wasn't armed."
The Christmas Eve mass is one of few occasions when tourists and pilgrims can get close to the pontiff.
The ANSA news agency reported that Vatican police questioned Maiolo and said she appeared confused and agitated, and said she wanted to hug the pontiff.
Papal security has been tightened since Mehmet Ali Agca, a Turk, shot and nearly killed Benedict's predecessor John Paul II in St Peter's Square in May 1981.
Thursday's incident occurred less than two weeks after a man with a history of mental problems attacked Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi after a political rally in Milan, breaking his nose and inflicting other facial injuries.
The attack on the pope took place amid concern over his health after a Vatican decision to schedule the mass two hours earlier than the traditional midnight hour due to the pontiff's advanced age.
Lombardi insisted that the change, a Vatican first, was only a "sensible precaution" for the octogenarian pontiff.
The decision was taken several weeks ago and Lombardi said it was "no cause for alarm," adding that the German pontiff's condition was "absolutely normal" for a man of his age.
Lombardi said the move was aimed at making Christmas "a little less tiring for the pope, who has many engagements during this time".
Benedict has had no notable health problems since his 2005 election apart from a fractured wrist from a fall in July while holidaying in northern Italy.
Four years before he became pope, however, then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger spent nearly a month in hospital following a brain haemorrhage, according to the German daily Bild. It said he has suffered from fainting spells.
John Paul II insisted on observing the tradition of beginning the mass at midnight despite years of ill health, notably the ravages of Parkinson's disease, at the end of his life. He died in April 2005 aged 84.
Bible Knowledge as elective subject
Languages and Bible Knowledge as electives
Bible Knowledge and several language subjects are allowed to be taken as elective subjects in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) (Malaysian Certificate of Education) examination, said Minister Tan Sri Bernard Dompok.
In a statement yesterday, he clarified that the Malaysian Cabinet had decided on Wednesday to allow students to choose two elective subjects from Arab, Chinese, Tamil, Iban, Kadazandusun and Bible Knowledge.
This means a student is able to sit for a maximum of 12 papers only. The other 10 papers are from six core and four additional subjects.
“The first 10 subjects are the prerequisite in awarding deserving students with federal scholarships. The two elective subjects would be included in the SPM result but not as a scholarship benchmark,” he said.
Earlier this month, Malaysian Education director-general Tan Sri Alimuddin Mohd Dom said the two extra subjects students can take are limited to Chinese, Tamil or Arabic Language, and Chinese or Tamil Literature.
The omission of Bible Knowledge from the list had created ripples through Christian groups.
source: The Star
Bible Knowledge and several language subjects are allowed to be taken as elective subjects in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) (Malaysian Certificate of Education) examination, said Minister Tan Sri Bernard Dompok.
In a statement yesterday, he clarified that the Malaysian Cabinet had decided on Wednesday to allow students to choose two elective subjects from Arab, Chinese, Tamil, Iban, Kadazandusun and Bible Knowledge.
This means a student is able to sit for a maximum of 12 papers only. The other 10 papers are from six core and four additional subjects.
“The first 10 subjects are the prerequisite in awarding deserving students with federal scholarships. The two elective subjects would be included in the SPM result but not as a scholarship benchmark,” he said.
Earlier this month, Malaysian Education director-general Tan Sri Alimuddin Mohd Dom said the two extra subjects students can take are limited to Chinese, Tamil or Arabic Language, and Chinese or Tamil Literature.
The omission of Bible Knowledge from the list had created ripples through Christian groups.
source: The Star
Girl breaks the ice with her Facebook name
A MALAYSIAN teenager’s rather strange name has turned her into a Facebook sensation among Icelanders.
“Essasa Sue” — a 19-year-old girl from Port Klang — sounds like the catchphrase used in a recent commercial by European telecommunications giant Vodafone, which is famous among Icelanders.
In the commercial, a frog, which was voiced by Icelandic actor Pétur Joóhann Sigfússon, mentions the word “Essassu”, which means: “Is that you?”
Quoting British newspaper Daily Telegraph, Kosmo! reported that the girl had since been bombarded with hundreds of requests from Icelanders to be her friend on Facebook, making her the latest sensation on the social networking site.
There was even a Facebook campaign called “We Want To Bring Essasa Sue To Iceland.”
Sue — whose full name is Essasa Sie Sue Wei — currently has 2,925 Facebook friends and the number was still growing.
According to a founder of the Facebook campaign to “bring Essasa Sue to Iceland” Sigurjón HallgrÃmsson, it had started out as a joke before it attracted more than 1,000 members.
“She is now popular in Iceland and it’s time to bring her to this country,” said the website.
The Star
“Essasa Sue” — a 19-year-old girl from Port Klang — sounds like the catchphrase used in a recent commercial by European telecommunications giant Vodafone, which is famous among Icelanders.
In the commercial, a frog, which was voiced by Icelandic actor Pétur Joóhann Sigfússon, mentions the word “Essassu”, which means: “Is that you?”
Quoting British newspaper Daily Telegraph, Kosmo! reported that the girl had since been bombarded with hundreds of requests from Icelanders to be her friend on Facebook, making her the latest sensation on the social networking site.
There was even a Facebook campaign called “We Want To Bring Essasa Sue To Iceland.”
Sue — whose full name is Essasa Sie Sue Wei — currently has 2,925 Facebook friends and the number was still growing.
According to a founder of the Facebook campaign to “bring Essasa Sue to Iceland” Sigurjón HallgrÃmsson, it had started out as a joke before it attracted more than 1,000 members.
“She is now popular in Iceland and it’s time to bring her to this country,” said the website.
The Star
Welcoming The Year 1431 Hijrah
The year 1431 Hijrah of the Muslim calender has just begun.
Quran 4:100
And whoever emigrates for the cause of Allah will find on the earth many [alternative] locations and abundance. And whoever leaves his home as an emigrant to Allah and His Messenger and then death overtakes him - his reward has already become incumbent upon Allah . And Allah is ever Forgiving and Merciful.
(He who emigrates in the cause of Allah, will find on earth many dwelling places and plenty to live by.) this encourages the believers to perform Hijrah and abandon the idolators, for wherever the believer emigrates, he will find a safe refuge to resort to. Mujahid said that, (many dwelling places) means, he will find a way out of what he dislikes. Allah's statement, (and plenty to live by.) refers to provision. Qatadah also said that, (...will find on earth many dwelling places and plenty to live by.) means, Allah will take him from misguidance to guidance and from poverty to richness. Allah's statement, (And whosoever leaves his home as an emigrant unto Allah and His Messenger, and death overtakes him, his reward is then surely, incumbent upon Allah. ) means, whoever starts emigrating and dies on the way, he will acquire the reward of those who emigrate for Allah. The Two Sahihs, along with the Musnad and Sunan compilers, recorded that `Umar bin Al-Khattab said that the Messenger of Allah said, (The reward of deeds depends upon the intentions, and every person will be rewarded according to what he has intended. So, whoever emigrated to Allah and His Messenger, then his emigration is for Allah and His Messenger. And whoever emigrated for worldly benefits or for a woman to marry, his emigration is for what he emigrated for.) This Hadith is general, it applies to Hijrah as well as every other deed. In the Two Sahihs, it is recorded that a man killed ninety-nine people and completed the number one hundred when he killed a worshipper. He then asked a scholar if he has a chance to repent. The scholar said, "What prevents you from repentance'' The scholar told the killer to emigrate from his land to another land where Allah is worshipped. When he left his land and started on the migration to the other land, death overtook him on the way. The angels of mercy and the angels of torment disputed about the man, whereas the former said that he went out in repentance, while the latter said that he did not arrive at his destination. They were commanded to measure the distance between the two lands and to whichever land he is closer to, he will be considered part of that land. Allah commanded that the righteous land to move closer and the land of evil to move farther. The angels found that he died closer to the land that he intended to emigrate to by a hand-span, and thus the angels of mercy captured his soul. In another narration, when death came to that man, he moved his chest towards the righteous village that he emigrated to.
read: http://www.tafsir.com/
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Mood Boosting Foods
Keep those junk foods aside - here are some healthy foods to nosh on when your nerves are high.
When we are stressed out and frazzled, we often find that we naturally reach out for foods and snacks that are unhealthy. This is because the body releases certain types of chemicals in the body that make us crave for sugary and starchy foods.
Although food shouldn’t be the primary way to deal with emotions, there are certain foods that you can have when you are stressed out, which will calm you down and won’t affect your waistline.
So make a note of these yummy foods that counteract the damage, pressure and stress your body goes through.
Avocados
When stress is starting to get the better of you, minimise its grip on your life by not reaching for comfort food, but healthy snacks such as avocado.
They contain high levels of vitamin B to give you an energy boost and it will also help you to conquer your fatty food craving.
“The monounsaturated fat and high potassium can help in lowering blood pressure” says Nutritionist Dr Chan.
Why not make some guacamole and have it with baked chips or sliced vegetables? It's your best bet to battle and beat the stress...
Oranges
It has been found that stress causes a decrease in levels of Vitamin C in the body. When your Vitamin C levels are high, there is a great improvement in stress management, both physically and mentally.
Janet, who recently finished a degree in nutrition, informed us that: “The Vitamin C that is high in concentration in oranges helps to lower blood pressure and cortisol, the stress hormone.”
Therefore, when you feel nervous and tension taking over you, reach for a glass of orange juice to combat the stress.
Spinach
Spinach is packed full of magnesium and a lack of it can trigger headaches and fatigue. By upping your intake of magnesium, it will help to lower your stress levels and ease muscle tension.
An increase in stress causes a decrease in magnesium which is an important calming mineral. A loss of magnesium is not only caused by stress, but it also causes stress to increase and cause an overall increase in vulnerability to stress.
Add spinach to salads and sandwiches for an easy tension combating fix.
Berries
If you find that stress is an everyday battle that creeps up on you, then try goji berries. Not only are they one of the world’s most nutritious fruits, but they add a blend of nutrients that nourish the nerves and calm your cardiovascular system.
They are also known as adaptogens as they can help reduce the stress from daily living and help to lower the unhealthy levels of cortisol.
Nuts
When all hell breaks loose, then grab some almonds as these crunchy creations are a great stress reliever.
They are packed full of Vitamin B2 (riboflavin), Vitamin E, magnesium, and zinc. Vitamins and magnesium assist in producing serotonin, which helps control mood and relieve stress.
Zinc has also been found to fight some of the harmful effects of stress, while Vitamin E is an antioxidant that wipes out the free radicals linked to stress and heart disease.
However, try to avoid eating too many, or the whole bag for that matter, as they are high in fat.
Broccoli
Another stress busting food is broccoli as it has a large quantity of Vitamin B. Another benefit is that it contains folic acid which is known to relieve stress, anxiety and panic. It also contains potassium which is good for our nerves and helps to calm them.
Add broccoli as an accompaniment to any meal, such as grilled chicken to keep the pressure at bay.
Chocolate
Now you have a great excuse to get your chocolate fix as rich dark chocolate is anti-oxidant rich and can help make us feel better.
Researchers found that eating a dark chocolate candy bar (1.4 ounces) each day for two weeks, reduces levels of the stress hormone cortisol as well as the “fight-or-flight” hormones known as catecholamines in highly stressed people.
So take a bite out of a piece of chocolate and
By Flora McCraith, MSN
When we are stressed out and frazzled, we often find that we naturally reach out for foods and snacks that are unhealthy. This is because the body releases certain types of chemicals in the body that make us crave for sugary and starchy foods.
Although food shouldn’t be the primary way to deal with emotions, there are certain foods that you can have when you are stressed out, which will calm you down and won’t affect your waistline.
So make a note of these yummy foods that counteract the damage, pressure and stress your body goes through.
Avocados
When stress is starting to get the better of you, minimise its grip on your life by not reaching for comfort food, but healthy snacks such as avocado.
They contain high levels of vitamin B to give you an energy boost and it will also help you to conquer your fatty food craving.
“The monounsaturated fat and high potassium can help in lowering blood pressure” says Nutritionist Dr Chan.
Why not make some guacamole and have it with baked chips or sliced vegetables? It's your best bet to battle and beat the stress...
Oranges
It has been found that stress causes a decrease in levels of Vitamin C in the body. When your Vitamin C levels are high, there is a great improvement in stress management, both physically and mentally.
Janet, who recently finished a degree in nutrition, informed us that: “The Vitamin C that is high in concentration in oranges helps to lower blood pressure and cortisol, the stress hormone.”
Therefore, when you feel nervous and tension taking over you, reach for a glass of orange juice to combat the stress.
Spinach
Spinach is packed full of magnesium and a lack of it can trigger headaches and fatigue. By upping your intake of magnesium, it will help to lower your stress levels and ease muscle tension.
An increase in stress causes a decrease in magnesium which is an important calming mineral. A loss of magnesium is not only caused by stress, but it also causes stress to increase and cause an overall increase in vulnerability to stress.
Add spinach to salads and sandwiches for an easy tension combating fix.
Berries
If you find that stress is an everyday battle that creeps up on you, then try goji berries. Not only are they one of the world’s most nutritious fruits, but they add a blend of nutrients that nourish the nerves and calm your cardiovascular system.
They are also known as adaptogens as they can help reduce the stress from daily living and help to lower the unhealthy levels of cortisol.
Nuts
When all hell breaks loose, then grab some almonds as these crunchy creations are a great stress reliever.
They are packed full of Vitamin B2 (riboflavin), Vitamin E, magnesium, and zinc. Vitamins and magnesium assist in producing serotonin, which helps control mood and relieve stress.
Zinc has also been found to fight some of the harmful effects of stress, while Vitamin E is an antioxidant that wipes out the free radicals linked to stress and heart disease.
However, try to avoid eating too many, or the whole bag for that matter, as they are high in fat.
Broccoli
Another stress busting food is broccoli as it has a large quantity of Vitamin B. Another benefit is that it contains folic acid which is known to relieve stress, anxiety and panic. It also contains potassium which is good for our nerves and helps to calm them.
Add broccoli as an accompaniment to any meal, such as grilled chicken to keep the pressure at bay.
Chocolate
Now you have a great excuse to get your chocolate fix as rich dark chocolate is anti-oxidant rich and can help make us feel better.
Researchers found that eating a dark chocolate candy bar (1.4 ounces) each day for two weeks, reduces levels of the stress hormone cortisol as well as the “fight-or-flight” hormones known as catecholamines in highly stressed people.
So take a bite out of a piece of chocolate and
By Flora McCraith, MSN
Monday, December 14, 2009
The Muslim Repents and Turns Back To Allah
From Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri radhiyallah hu ‘anhu who said that Allah’s Messenger pbuh said:
“The example of a believer with regard to iman (eemaan) is like the example of a horse with regards to its tethering stake; it roams around and then returns to its tethering stake, and the believer is negligent and then returns to iman. So feed the pious with your food and treat the believers well.”(hadith reported by Ibnul Mubarrak, Ahmad, Ibn Hibban and others)
So he does not persist upon sin nor treat it lightly. Rather like the rest of the children of Adam he commits many sins. However he is frequent in turning back in repentance to his Lord, returning penitent to his Creator. If he has any pride or arrogance, and this is something alien to the Islamic personality, then he does not have it with regard to his Lord since he is a weak servant, and his Lord is the One who Sustains the heavens and the Earth. So what has preceded will clearly show us: The Essential Characteristics of His Personality.
“The example of a believer with regard to iman (eemaan) is like the example of a horse with regards to its tethering stake; it roams around and then returns to its tethering stake, and the believer is negligent and then returns to iman. So feed the pious with your food and treat the believers well.”(hadith reported by Ibnul Mubarrak, Ahmad, Ibn Hibban and others)
So he does not persist upon sin nor treat it lightly. Rather like the rest of the children of Adam he commits many sins. However he is frequent in turning back in repentance to his Lord, returning penitent to his Creator. If he has any pride or arrogance, and this is something alien to the Islamic personality, then he does not have it with regard to his Lord since he is a weak servant, and his Lord is the One who Sustains the heavens and the Earth. So what has preceded will clearly show us: The Essential Characteristics of His Personality.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Invoke Me, I Shall Respond To You
God Almighty promised: "Invoke Me, I Shall Respond To You
Supplication and Invocation
The Prophet, Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was asked by some of his companions:
“Is Allah near so we invoke him or is he far so we call him?” so Allah revealed this following verse.
God Almighty Allah (swt) commanded:
“And when My slaves ask you (O Muhammad SAW) concerning Me, then (answer them), I am indeed near (to them by My Knowledge). I respond to the invocations of the supplicant when he calls on Me (without any mediator or intercessor). So let them obey Me and believe in Me, so that they may be led aright.”(Quran/Al Baqarah 2:186).
Allah (swt) is near He can hear the supplicant anytime anywhere and respond to him if the supplicant invokes Allah (swt) with a sincere heart and avoid interdictions of supplication. Allah (swt) also commanded:
“Invoke your Lord with humility and in secret. He likes not the aggressors”
(Quran/Al A’raaf 7:55).
.
God commands to be invoked with "humility" which is insisting in request and continuously in worship "secretly" but not loudly to avoid riya’ (show off).
Allah (swt) also commanded:
“And your Lord said: "Invoke Me, [i.e. believe in My Oneness] (and ask Me for anything) I will respond to your (invocation). Verily! Those who scorn My worship [i.e. do not invoke Me, and do not believe in My Oneness] they will surely enter Hell in humiliation!”
(Quran/Ghafir 40:60).
Allah (swt) had promised:“ Invoke Me, I will respond to you”,
so from His mercy for His slaves He has promised to respond to their invocations but for those who do not invoke Him, He has promised punishment because invocation of Allah (swt) is an act of worship and refusing to invoke Him (disbelieving in Him or having doubt in His ability to answer the invocation) is refusal to worship Him.
courtesy of a known source of reference
Supplication and Invocation
The Prophet, Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was asked by some of his companions:
“Is Allah near so we invoke him or is he far so we call him?” so Allah revealed this following verse.
God Almighty Allah (swt) commanded:
“And when My slaves ask you (O Muhammad SAW) concerning Me, then (answer them), I am indeed near (to them by My Knowledge). I respond to the invocations of the supplicant when he calls on Me (without any mediator or intercessor). So let them obey Me and believe in Me, so that they may be led aright.”(Quran/Al Baqarah 2:186).
Allah (swt) is near He can hear the supplicant anytime anywhere and respond to him if the supplicant invokes Allah (swt) with a sincere heart and avoid interdictions of supplication. Allah (swt) also commanded:
“Invoke your Lord with humility and in secret. He likes not the aggressors”
(Quran/Al A’raaf 7:55).
.
God commands to be invoked with "humility" which is insisting in request and continuously in worship "secretly" but not loudly to avoid riya’ (show off).
Allah (swt) also commanded:
“And your Lord said: "Invoke Me, [i.e. believe in My Oneness] (and ask Me for anything) I will respond to your (invocation). Verily! Those who scorn My worship [i.e. do not invoke Me, and do not believe in My Oneness] they will surely enter Hell in humiliation!”
(Quran/Ghafir 40:60).
Allah (swt) had promised:“ Invoke Me, I will respond to you”,
so from His mercy for His slaves He has promised to respond to their invocations but for those who do not invoke Him, He has promised punishment because invocation of Allah (swt) is an act of worship and refusing to invoke Him (disbelieving in Him or having doubt in His ability to answer the invocation) is refusal to worship Him.
courtesy of a known source of reference
Friday, December 4, 2009
Jealous Wife Set Husband's Penis On Fire
Penis fire-accused to answer charge
A jealous wife who allegedly set her husband's penis on fire will answer a murder charge in January.
Rajini Narayan, 44, appeared briefly in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Friday charged with murder, arson and endangering life.
The mother of three allegedly set fire to the genitals of her husband, Satish Narayan, in December last year.
Mr Narayan suffered major burns and died several weeks later.
The fire also gutted the family's suburban Unley home leaving a damage bill of about $1 million.
A previous court hearing heard Narayan had told neighbours: "I'm a jealous wife, his penis should belong to me. I just wanted to burn his penis so it belongs to me and no one else ... I didn't mean this to happen."
In court on Friday, defence counsel Lindy Powell, QC, asked for a delay in the date for her client to answer the charge as discussions were still under way with the prosecution.
Magistrate Alf Grasso set down January 22 for Narayan's next appearance.
Bail was continued.
AAP December 4, 2009
A jealous wife who allegedly set her husband's penis on fire will answer a murder charge in January.
Rajini Narayan, 44, appeared briefly in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Friday charged with murder, arson and endangering life.
The mother of three allegedly set fire to the genitals of her husband, Satish Narayan, in December last year.
Mr Narayan suffered major burns and died several weeks later.
The fire also gutted the family's suburban Unley home leaving a damage bill of about $1 million.
A previous court hearing heard Narayan had told neighbours: "I'm a jealous wife, his penis should belong to me. I just wanted to burn his penis so it belongs to me and no one else ... I didn't mean this to happen."
In court on Friday, defence counsel Lindy Powell, QC, asked for a delay in the date for her client to answer the charge as discussions were still under way with the prosecution.
Magistrate Alf Grasso set down January 22 for Narayan's next appearance.
Bail was continued.
AAP December 4, 2009
Thursday, December 3, 2009
All Men Watch Porn
All men watch porn, scientists find
Scientists at the University of Montreal launched a search for men who had never looked at pornography - but couldn't find any.
Researchers were conducting a study comparing the views of men in their 20s who had never been exposed to pornography with regular users.
But their project stumbled at the first hurdle when they failed to find a single man who had not been seen it.
"We started our research seeking men in their 20s who had never consumed pornography," said Professor Simon Louis Lajeunesse. "We couldn't find any."
Although hampered in its original aim, the study did examined the habits of those young men who used pornography - which would appear to be all of them.
Prof Lajeunesse interviewed 20 heterosexual male university students who consumed pornography, and found on average, they first watched pornography when they were 10 years old.
Around 90 per cent of consumption was on the internet, while 10 per cent of material came from video stores.
Single men watched pornography for an average of 40 minutes, three times a week, while those in relationships watched it 1.7 times a week for around 20 minutes.
The study found that men watched pornography that matched their own image of sexuality, and quickly discarded material they found offensive or distasteful.
Prof Lajeunesse said pornography did not have a negative effect on men's sexuality.
"Not one subject had a pathological sexuality," he said. "In fact, all of their sexual practices were quite conventional.
"Pornography hasn't changed their perception of women or their relationship, which they all want to be as harmonious and fulfilling as possible," he added.
THE TELEGRAPH GROUP,
The West Australian
December 3, 2009
Scientists at the University of Montreal launched a search for men who had never looked at pornography - but couldn't find any.
Researchers were conducting a study comparing the views of men in their 20s who had never been exposed to pornography with regular users.
But their project stumbled at the first hurdle when they failed to find a single man who had not been seen it.
"We started our research seeking men in their 20s who had never consumed pornography," said Professor Simon Louis Lajeunesse. "We couldn't find any."
Although hampered in its original aim, the study did examined the habits of those young men who used pornography - which would appear to be all of them.
Prof Lajeunesse interviewed 20 heterosexual male university students who consumed pornography, and found on average, they first watched pornography when they were 10 years old.
Around 90 per cent of consumption was on the internet, while 10 per cent of material came from video stores.
Single men watched pornography for an average of 40 minutes, three times a week, while those in relationships watched it 1.7 times a week for around 20 minutes.
The study found that men watched pornography that matched their own image of sexuality, and quickly discarded material they found offensive or distasteful.
Prof Lajeunesse said pornography did not have a negative effect on men's sexuality.
"Not one subject had a pathological sexuality," he said. "In fact, all of their sexual practices were quite conventional.
"Pornography hasn't changed their perception of women or their relationship, which they all want to be as harmonious and fulfilling as possible," he added.
THE TELEGRAPH GROUP,
The West Australian
December 3, 2009
A Season For Marriage Vows
"And among His Signs is this, that He created you (Adam) from dust, and then [Hawwa' (Eve) from Adam's rib, and then his offspring from the semen, and], - behold you are human beings scattered!"
(Al Quran, Surah Al Rum, 30:20)
"And among His Signs is this, that He created for you wives from among yourselves, that you may find repose in them, and He has put between you affection and mercy. Verily, in that are indeed signs for a people who reflect".
(Al Quran, Surah Al Rum 30:21)
In the verse from the Holy Quran (30:21) quoted above God Almighty has clearly instructed men to seek wives from among their own kind, and get married so that they can find peace solace and happiness with them (their wives). Marriage between men and women has been pre-ordained for mankind, it is quite unnatural for any man or woman not to have a desire to seek a partner (spouse) in life.
The school holidays nationwide started about two weeks ago, and coinciding with the year end holidays, many young couples (as well as the not-so-young couples) in the Malay/Muslim community across the nation are taking time during this “holiday season” to perform their marriage vows, i.e. to get married. Though religious “marriage” ceremonies and/or solemnization and the ensuing festivities (wedding kenduri, lunch or dinner (reception)) can be held at any time all year round but such occasions are normally held at certain proper and appropriate “season” when families and friends are able to take a break from their normal work routines to be together organizing the couple’s marriage and be with the couple in celebrating their marriage .
It is no surprise that during peak season of marriage vows such as during the last couple of months and the next few weeks towards the year end, religious officials in a particular district (the naib kadi, the jurunikah, the surau/mosque imam, etc) who normally officiate over the marriage solemnization ceremonies will have their hands full, having to officiate at least ten or more marriages per day during weekends, hopping from one house to another or from one mosque to another, (performing the akad nikah) solemnizing couples as husbands and wives in accordance with the syariah (Islamic laws).
The Akad Nikah being officiated
Marriage vows and weddings, unlike divorces, are happy cheerful merry occasions, and the preparations involve and entail so much time, energy and money and enormous preparations which normally begin well ahead of the marriage date, sometimes months but normally weeks before the fixed date. Many people too will be involved on both sides, the boy’s and the girl’s, especially parents and siblings, all looking forward to seeing someone in the family getting married.
These days the early stages of making discreet enquiries (merisek) about the girl by the boy’s family is already almost a thing of the past, not practiced any more, and literally unnecessary because the boy inevitably knows every bit of details about the girl, including being able to decide whether they both (the boy and the girl) are mutually suitable for each other or not, before they even decide to become a steady couple and eventually decide to tie the knot (get married). And parents nowadays (especially within the Malay community) are no more in the habit of imposing their likes or dislikes, terms or conditions over their son’s or daughter’s choice of a prospective spouse. Boys and girls themselves know best in making their choice of a life partner and parents do not normally interfere or intervened any more, much more so if it is a case of a widowed man/woman or a divorcee getting married again, the choice is entirely his/her own. Whoever is chosen by the boy/man or girl/woman as his/her life partner will generally be accepted by parents and family without much problem, unless there are crucial matters to be resolved such as involving faith/religion, for example.
Even engagement (pertunangan) is already also not practiced any more in most cases as it is considered quite unnecessary and a sheer waste of valuable resources (time, energy, money). However there are yet many young couples who still appreciate the cultural sentimental and romantic values of an engagement, and hence insist on getting themselves engaged first before getting married. Parents will then have to execute the engagement process for their son or daughter in accordance with whatever has been agreed between the boy and the girl such as what type/value of engagement ring to exchange, what engagement gifts to be presented by the boy to the girl and vice versa, and how long will their engagement period be, for example, six months or one year, but seldom longer than that.
During the period of engagement there will normally be a lot of preparations to be made by the boy and the girl (and their parents/families) again based on whatever has been agreed between them both (the boy and the girl). Parents quite liberally in most cases do offer and give some useful advice and suggestions to make their son’s or daughter’s marriage perfectly in compliance with all the religious and cultural requirements and practices and be as beautiful and “glamorous” as it possibly can – that is indeed the wish of any boy and any girl who is getting married, and of course the wish of all parents too.
In many States in Malaysia, if not all, there are pre-conditions which all Muslim boys and girls and anyone (man or woman) who wants to get married must comply with and must first of all get themselves ready with:
i) the recognized Pre-Marriage Course must be completely attended at the end of which a Certificate will be issued;
ii) a HIV blood test must be done at any recognized government hospital/clinic to determine the boy, girl, man or woman is free of any blood related health problems which can cause problems to their marriage;
iii) a Certification of his/her present place/address of residence must be obtained from the nearest Mosque authority;
iv) an application to get married must be submitted by the boy/man or girl/woman to the nearest Islamic Religious Department office, based on his/her certified place/address of residence, and a written approval to get married thereby obtained;
v) the girl/woman must book a date/time with the local marriage official (jurunikah) so that the jurunikah can block the appointment to come to her home and perform the marriage solemnization ceremony (akad nikah) for her and her husband-to-be, considering the fact that the official will have to officiate many marriage vows on that same day in many places/homes for many couples.
Having had all the above, and any other pre-conditions stipulated as and when required, met and fully complied with, the rest of the preparations for the couple to commit to a marriage vow and get married will be almost entirely dependent on whatever that they both (the boy and the girl) and their parents/families agree upon.
How much will be the dowry (wang hantaran) that the boy will give to the girl will be mutually decided between them, it can be RM5k or less, it can be RM10k, it can be RM20k or much more than that, all depending upon affordability of the boy/man and agreed by the girl/woman.
How many platters (dulang) of gifts to be mutually presented between the boy and the girls, and what gifts will all be discussed and decided, normally the girl will give a platter more of gifts to the boy than the boy to the girl, and gift items are based on common practice. Most important of all is the tepak sireh and/or the sireh junjung. Again different ethnic community (for example, Javanese, Minangkabau, Bugis, Banjar, Mandailing, etc) will have different kinds of gifts to be exchanged between the bride and bridegroom, in accordance with their own unique ethnic culture.
Most important of all is the mas kahwin to be given by the boy to the girl, whether in cash or in kind (of equivalent money value) and mas kahwin shall not be less than the amount already fixed/stipulated by the State, for example RM80 in Selangor or RM22.50 in Pahang, etc and this must be made available as one of the pre-requisites to validate the akad nikah (marriage ceremony).
The Mas Kahwin - An expensive Gold Bangle
Then of course both sides, the boy’s and the girl’s, will discuss, decide and agree upon the dates of the akad nikah, the bersanding (the marrying couple sitting on the dais, displaed to all family and guests), the wedding lunch or dinner to be held by the girl’s family and subsequently by the boy’s family, etc, etc all involving lots of planning, intricacies and understanding so that the couple’s marriage will be successful and a grandeur, the gateway to them being husband and wife, forever they will be as long as they both respect and comply with their marriage vows and mutually honour and appreciate each other in the matrimony.
(The above narration is based only on personal knowledge and observation of what is commonly practiced in a local Malay/Muslim marriage situation)
(Al Quran, Surah Al Rum, 30:20)
"And among His Signs is this, that He created for you wives from among yourselves, that you may find repose in them, and He has put between you affection and mercy. Verily, in that are indeed signs for a people who reflect".
(Al Quran, Surah Al Rum 30:21)
In the verse from the Holy Quran (30:21) quoted above God Almighty has clearly instructed men to seek wives from among their own kind, and get married so that they can find peace solace and happiness with them (their wives). Marriage between men and women has been pre-ordained for mankind, it is quite unnatural for any man or woman not to have a desire to seek a partner (spouse) in life.
The school holidays nationwide started about two weeks ago, and coinciding with the year end holidays, many young couples (as well as the not-so-young couples) in the Malay/Muslim community across the nation are taking time during this “holiday season” to perform their marriage vows, i.e. to get married. Though religious “marriage” ceremonies and/or solemnization and the ensuing festivities (wedding kenduri, lunch or dinner (reception)) can be held at any time all year round but such occasions are normally held at certain proper and appropriate “season” when families and friends are able to take a break from their normal work routines to be together organizing the couple’s marriage and be with the couple in celebrating their marriage .
It is no surprise that during peak season of marriage vows such as during the last couple of months and the next few weeks towards the year end, religious officials in a particular district (the naib kadi, the jurunikah, the surau/mosque imam, etc) who normally officiate over the marriage solemnization ceremonies will have their hands full, having to officiate at least ten or more marriages per day during weekends, hopping from one house to another or from one mosque to another, (performing the akad nikah) solemnizing couples as husbands and wives in accordance with the syariah (Islamic laws).
The Akad Nikah being officiated
Marriage vows and weddings, unlike divorces, are happy cheerful merry occasions, and the preparations involve and entail so much time, energy and money and enormous preparations which normally begin well ahead of the marriage date, sometimes months but normally weeks before the fixed date. Many people too will be involved on both sides, the boy’s and the girl’s, especially parents and siblings, all looking forward to seeing someone in the family getting married.
These days the early stages of making discreet enquiries (merisek) about the girl by the boy’s family is already almost a thing of the past, not practiced any more, and literally unnecessary because the boy inevitably knows every bit of details about the girl, including being able to decide whether they both (the boy and the girl) are mutually suitable for each other or not, before they even decide to become a steady couple and eventually decide to tie the knot (get married). And parents nowadays (especially within the Malay community) are no more in the habit of imposing their likes or dislikes, terms or conditions over their son’s or daughter’s choice of a prospective spouse. Boys and girls themselves know best in making their choice of a life partner and parents do not normally interfere or intervened any more, much more so if it is a case of a widowed man/woman or a divorcee getting married again, the choice is entirely his/her own. Whoever is chosen by the boy/man or girl/woman as his/her life partner will generally be accepted by parents and family without much problem, unless there are crucial matters to be resolved such as involving faith/religion, for example.
Even engagement (pertunangan) is already also not practiced any more in most cases as it is considered quite unnecessary and a sheer waste of valuable resources (time, energy, money). However there are yet many young couples who still appreciate the cultural sentimental and romantic values of an engagement, and hence insist on getting themselves engaged first before getting married. Parents will then have to execute the engagement process for their son or daughter in accordance with whatever has been agreed between the boy and the girl such as what type/value of engagement ring to exchange, what engagement gifts to be presented by the boy to the girl and vice versa, and how long will their engagement period be, for example, six months or one year, but seldom longer than that.
During the period of engagement there will normally be a lot of preparations to be made by the boy and the girl (and their parents/families) again based on whatever has been agreed between them both (the boy and the girl). Parents quite liberally in most cases do offer and give some useful advice and suggestions to make their son’s or daughter’s marriage perfectly in compliance with all the religious and cultural requirements and practices and be as beautiful and “glamorous” as it possibly can – that is indeed the wish of any boy and any girl who is getting married, and of course the wish of all parents too.
In many States in Malaysia, if not all, there are pre-conditions which all Muslim boys and girls and anyone (man or woman) who wants to get married must comply with and must first of all get themselves ready with:
i) the recognized Pre-Marriage Course must be completely attended at the end of which a Certificate will be issued;
ii) a HIV blood test must be done at any recognized government hospital/clinic to determine the boy, girl, man or woman is free of any blood related health problems which can cause problems to their marriage;
iii) a Certification of his/her present place/address of residence must be obtained from the nearest Mosque authority;
iv) an application to get married must be submitted by the boy/man or girl/woman to the nearest Islamic Religious Department office, based on his/her certified place/address of residence, and a written approval to get married thereby obtained;
v) the girl/woman must book a date/time with the local marriage official (jurunikah) so that the jurunikah can block the appointment to come to her home and perform the marriage solemnization ceremony (akad nikah) for her and her husband-to-be, considering the fact that the official will have to officiate many marriage vows on that same day in many places/homes for many couples.
Having had all the above, and any other pre-conditions stipulated as and when required, met and fully complied with, the rest of the preparations for the couple to commit to a marriage vow and get married will be almost entirely dependent on whatever that they both (the boy and the girl) and their parents/families agree upon.
How much will be the dowry (wang hantaran) that the boy will give to the girl will be mutually decided between them, it can be RM5k or less, it can be RM10k, it can be RM20k or much more than that, all depending upon affordability of the boy/man and agreed by the girl/woman.
How many platters (dulang) of gifts to be mutually presented between the boy and the girls, and what gifts will all be discussed and decided, normally the girl will give a platter more of gifts to the boy than the boy to the girl, and gift items are based on common practice. Most important of all is the tepak sireh and/or the sireh junjung. Again different ethnic community (for example, Javanese, Minangkabau, Bugis, Banjar, Mandailing, etc) will have different kinds of gifts to be exchanged between the bride and bridegroom, in accordance with their own unique ethnic culture.
Most important of all is the mas kahwin to be given by the boy to the girl, whether in cash or in kind (of equivalent money value) and mas kahwin shall not be less than the amount already fixed/stipulated by the State, for example RM80 in Selangor or RM22.50 in Pahang, etc and this must be made available as one of the pre-requisites to validate the akad nikah (marriage ceremony).
The Mas Kahwin - An expensive Gold Bangle
Then of course both sides, the boy’s and the girl’s, will discuss, decide and agree upon the dates of the akad nikah, the bersanding (the marrying couple sitting on the dais, displaed to all family and guests), the wedding lunch or dinner to be held by the girl’s family and subsequently by the boy’s family, etc, etc all involving lots of planning, intricacies and understanding so that the couple’s marriage will be successful and a grandeur, the gateway to them being husband and wife, forever they will be as long as they both respect and comply with their marriage vows and mutually honour and appreciate each other in the matrimony.
(The above narration is based only on personal knowledge and observation of what is commonly practiced in a local Malay/Muslim marriage situation)
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
All of His Actions are for Allah
From Abu Umammah radhiyallah hu ‘anhu who said that Allah’s Messenger, Muhammad pbuh said:
“Whoever loves for Allah and hates for Allah, gives for Allah and withholds for Allah, then he has completed iman” (iman being true Islamic faith comprising of belief, sayings and actions and it increases through obedience to Him and decreases through disobedience)
(Hadith reported by Abu Daud and others, and its chain of narration is hassan)
So this hadith clearly shows the manner in which the believer conducts all his affairs and behaves in all his dealings, all of them are for Allah and he does not give a share in any of them to other than Him, the One free and far removed from all imperfections. In all his affairs he distances himself from seeking after personal gain and enjoyment. In his loving and hating, giving and witholding he seeks only Allah’s pleasure and His Paradise. He does not seek after worldly positions, wealth or reputation. Then if he falls into the like of this he repents and turns back (to his Lord), so The Muslim Repents and Turns Back to Allah
“Whoever loves for Allah and hates for Allah, gives for Allah and withholds for Allah, then he has completed iman” (iman being true Islamic faith comprising of belief, sayings and actions and it increases through obedience to Him and decreases through disobedience)
(Hadith reported by Abu Daud and others, and its chain of narration is hassan)
So this hadith clearly shows the manner in which the believer conducts all his affairs and behaves in all his dealings, all of them are for Allah and he does not give a share in any of them to other than Him, the One free and far removed from all imperfections. In all his affairs he distances himself from seeking after personal gain and enjoyment. In his loving and hating, giving and witholding he seeks only Allah’s pleasure and His Paradise. He does not seek after worldly positions, wealth or reputation. Then if he falls into the like of this he repents and turns back (to his Lord), so The Muslim Repents and Turns Back to Allah
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