Welcome to Long Lane Honey Bee Farms, also known on the Internet as www.honeybeesonline.com We are David and Sheri Burns and we know honey bees. We are here to help you get started in beekeeping and to enjoy the experience. We hope to earn your trust and business so we can be your one stop shop for all your beekeeping needs, including hives, bees, queens, beekeeping classes and more.
We were amazed how quickly our Feb. 9th Basic Beekeeping Class filled up. We have registrations still available in our Feb. 23rd Basic Beekeeping Class as well as in our March classes too. But do not wait too long or you will be disappointed. Also plan to pick up your honey bees supplies at the class. What you save in shipping pays for the class.
While we have taught beekeeping classes for year, we are so excited to have expanded into our new beekeeping education center. Workers are busy every day working hard to have the building finished for our new season. All of our students this year will enjoy the smell of fresh paint. This will add so much to the learning experience.
It’s winter time and the bees are facing very cold nights. If your bees are healthy and well fed, they should do well. However, if their numbers or resources are low, they will not be able to eat enough honey and pollen or produce enough heat to stay warm. Please consider using one of our Winter-Bee-Kind candy boards with insulation and ventilation to help them through these cold months of winter. Click here for more information on our Winter-Bee-Kind or to order.
LESSON 129: BEEKEEPING SUPPLIES
In today’s lesson I want to talk about beekeeping supplies. Which supplies are needed and which ones are not? Is it better to use new equipment or used beekeeping supplies? What exactly is needed to keep bees? What is the beekeeping equipment terminology. Beekeeping for beginners can be confusing, what all the pieces to a hive are called. What are the essential beginning beekeeping supplies?
First and foremost, before you purchase your beekeeping supplies, be sure you have ordered your package of bees. Bees sell out fast, usually in the winter months. But, do not make the mistake of buying your bees but forgetting to order your hive in time. If that happens, you’ll have bees but no place to put them and they will perish before you may be able to have a hive shipped to you.
Read our lesson on installing bees, or watch our video.
Here’s a quick glossary of the essential beekeeping supplies needed:

• Hive Stand

A hive stand is often unnecessary. Some feel the ramp helps the bees make it into the hive, but in nature bees do not have a ramp.

• Bottom Board

          This is the lowest item on the hive, the bottom board where the hive parts all rest. It can be screened or solid, but screened is best, allowing more ventilation and helps reduce varroa mites.  Can be closed or left open in the winter.

• Deep Hive Body (Also called a hive body, a deep, a large honey super)

Most colonies require two deep hive bodies, containing 10 frames each. This is where the bees will live, raise their young and store pollen and honey for their own use. You should not remove honey from these two deep hive bodies.

• Medium Super (Also called an Illinois super, a honey super or a super)

The honey super sits on top of the two deeps. This is where excess honey can be store which you can remove.

• Inner Cover

The inner cover fits between the super and the top cover. It usually has an oval shaped hole to accept a bee escape which can help in removing your bees out of the honey super when you are ready to harvest the honey. The inner cover allows an air buffer zone just above the hive.

• Telescoping Top Cover

This is the final, outside top to the hive. It is covered with metal and keeps water off the top of the hive.  Since it hangs over the edge of the top deep hive body, we refer to this as telescoping or hanging over the hive slightly.

• Entrance Feeder

The entrance feeder slips into the front opening of the hive and can only be used in the spring or early super. If used later, it can invite other hives to rob your hive. Usually it holds 1:1 sugar water (one part water and one part sugar) and any small mouth jar fits well.

• Entrance Cleat

And entrance cleat is sometimes called an entrance reducer. It reduces the size of opening in the front of the hive to keep mice and cold weather out during the winter.

• Frames

A wooden (sometimes plastic) frame that holds the comb.

• Foundation

Foundation usually refers to the material, wax or plastic that is fixed inside the frame. When we refer to foundation we usually mean that no comb has been built yet.  When the foundation is made into comb, we call this drawn foundation.

• Suit

A suit is a one piece pant, jacket and hood. Most are not sting proof, but sting resistance.

• Jacket with Hat

This is much like a suit only without the pants.

• Hat and Veil

Most beekeepers find this to be the workhorse of protective clothing. It covers your heat and neck.

• Gloves

Most gloves are sting resistant, but some can be sting proof. I enjoy wearing no gloves at all, but as a new beekeeper you may want to build up to this level of confidence.

• Smoker

Essential!  A smoker is a canister with a billow. Smoker fuel can be pine needles, cardboard etc. Smoke helps calm bees.

• Hive Tool

A hive tool assist beekeepers in separating the hive pieces which the bees have glued together with propolis. (For more information on propolis, read our article.)
NEW OR USED?
We all want to save a buck and when we find old beekeeping supplies, we can usually obtain them for next to nothing. However, some diseases can live for 80 years in empty, used equipment. We feel it is best to start with new beekeeping equipment. Why invest so much time and effort and end up losing your bees over poor equipment which could spread American foulbrood disease.
Like any hobby, there are many more supplies and equipment you can buy but we want you to see the basics which are needed. There are some additional supplies which can make it easier, but they are not necessary.
In our next lesson, we have had so many ask for a lesson specifically on “How To Find The Queen” so that’s our  next lesson.
Like us on Facebook, and encourage others to like us. Our Facebook page has good, up to date beekeeping information, recipes, tips, gift certificates and much more. We are up to 1,119 likes. Help us watch those numbers soar. Click on the Facebook image or go to: http://www.facebook.com/longlanehoney Every 100th like receives a gift certificate. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE!
The second way you can help us is to place a link on your website or your association or club’s website back to our main website:
Thanks for joining us for another beekeeping lesson. See you next time!

OUR HIVE KIT SPECIAL WITH BEES AND SHIPPING IS INCLUDED! Click on image below

Read what the National Geographic says we can do to help save bees and what happens when we lose our bees.
Long Lane Honey Bee Farms
www.honeybeesonline.com
217-427-2678
Please visit our online beekeeping store and lessons at: www.honeybeesonline.com
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“Akhi, macam mana nak istiqomah?”

“Senang sahaja.”

“Senang? Macam mana?”

“Jangan terpengaruh dengan syaitan.”

“Macam mana nak elak dipengaruhi syaitan?”

“Baca Surah Al-Hijr, surah ke-15, ayat 39 dan 40.”

Iblis berkata: "Ya Tuhanku, oleh sebab Engkau telah memutuskan bahwa aku sesat, pasti aku akan menjadikan mereka memandang baik (perbuatan ma'siat) di muka bumi, dan pasti aku akan menyesatkan mereka semuanya,[39]

kecuali hamba-hamba Engkau yang mukhlis di antara mereka."[40]

[Q.S. Al-Hijr, 39-40]

“Kena ikhlas?”

“Betul.”

“Alamak, itulah yang susah.”

“Tau takpe.”

Lalu derai tawa bergema dalam ruangan itu.

Ikhlas

Perkataan yang mudah disebut, sukar dilakukan.

Mudah dipelajari teorinya, sukar dilaksanakan praktikalnya.

Sahal bin Abdullah pernah ditanya, “Apakah yang paling berat bagi nafsu?” Dia menjawab, “Ikhlas. Kerana ia tidak punya tempat di dalamnya.”

Akibat

Kita tidak ikhlas, kesannya bukan sedikit-sedikit. Daripada amal yang sepatutnya membawa ke syurga, boleh menjerumuskan kita ke neraka!

Hadis tentang 3 orang yang telah mati syahid. Diriwayatkan oleh Abu Hurairah RA, sepatutnya menjadi ingatan kita bersama. Hadis sahih riwayat Muslim.

1. Seorang yang berperang sehingga mati, namun niatnya hendak dikatakan seorang pemberani.
2. Seorang yang mahir ilmu Al-Quran dan sentiasa mengajarkannya, namun niatnya hendak dikatakan sebagai seorang alim dan qari.
3. Seorang yang mempunyai harta melimpah ruah dan membelanjakannya ke jalan Allah, namun niatnya hendak dikatakan sebagai seorang yang dermawan.

Ikhlas itu, melakukan segala sesuatu hanya kerana menginginkan keredhaan-Nya.

Bukan untuk diri kita diterima oleh mana-mana pihak.

Bukan untuk diri kita terselamat daripada didiskriminasi oleh mana-mana pihak.

Juga, bukan untuk diri kita mendapat manfaat dalam bentuk apapun.

Kesimpulan: Ikhlaskah kita?

Isu-isu yang sedang hangat diperkatakan, untuk apa kita ikut berbahas mengenainya?

Dalam segala tidakan kita seharian, apakah niat kita melakukannya?

Kalau bukan kerana Allah, pasti nafsu menempati ruangnya.

Kalau bukan kerana Allah, pasti syaitan sudah punya tempatnya.

Kalau bukan kerana Allah, pasti nerakalah tempatnya.

Na’uzubillah min zaalik.

Tepuk dada, tanya iman.

p/s: Isu kalimah Allah, ikhlaskah kita? Jangan jawab di sini, sila jawab dalam hati. Hanya Allah yang tahu.

~End Of Post~

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by Salman Hameed

When evolution becomes a political issue, it becomes very hard to trace what is really going on. Just yesterday, I had a post about TUBITAK - the Scientific and Technical Research Council of Turkey - halting further publication of evolution books. These concerns have also been echoed by some Turkish academics as well. But TUBITAK has denied this and says that this is propaganda against them (tip from Don Everhart):

The Scientific and Technical Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK) has strongly denied reports that it has stopped printing books on evolution, saying the claims were “black propaganda” against their institution. 

“If we aim to censor Evolution Theory we would discontinue publishing any books containing evolutionist approaches, but on the contrary we are publishing the books that are not being published by other publishing houses,” an official from TÜBİTAK told the Hürriyet Daily News yesterday in a phone interview. 

A number of reports in daily Sözcü claimed Jan. 14 that TÜBİTAK had put a stop to the publication and sale of all books in its archives that support the theory of evolution.
The evolutionist books, previously available through TÜBİTAK’s Popular Science Publications’ List, will no longer be provided by the council, the daily had claimed. 

Titles from prominent writers including Richard Dawkins, Alan Moorehead, Stephen Jay Gould, Richard Levontin and James Watson were listed as being among those which would no longer be available to Turkish readers. 

However, the official refuted the claims. “There are two books already in our 2012 catalogue regarding evolution, Richard Dawkins’ ‘The Blind Watchmaker’ is one of them … Dawkins’ ‘The Selfish Gene’ is not being published because of a publication rights issue, but this is being manipulated,” the official said.

Okay that is the first part. But this is where politics, evolution and science gets mushed together:

He claimed that “some circles” had kicked off a “black propaganda” campaign against TÜBİTAK to “shadow its success,” following the successful mission of Turkey’s first Earth observation satellite, Göktürk-2. 

Göktürk-2 was launched Dec. 18 in China, but Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan followed the launch at Ankara’s Middle East Technical University (ODTÜ) campus, which witnessed huge numbers of students protesting the prime minister’s visit.  

Erdoğan had called on the academics who supported the students to resign, but the police’s heavy-handed intervention in the protests also stirred a debate among Turkish universities, with some backing the police and Erdoğan and some opposing. 

TÜBİTAK had previously been the target of evolutionist circles for alleged censorship practices.  

In early 2009 a huge uproar occurred when the cover story of a TÜBİTAK publication was pulled, reportedly because it focused on Darwin’s theory of evolution. The incident led to intense criticism and finger-pointing from various representatives of the publication and its parent institute.  

A few months later, the article in question appeared as the publication’s cover story.

As you can see, there is the issue of TUBITAK's reputation, student protests, and the academics - many of whom do not support the ruling party, AKP. Let's see how the dust settles on this matter. 

But if you are interested, here are some past posts that may help in making some sense of the current situation:  

A halt to publication of evolution books in Turkey (2012)

Students attack anti-evoltuion fossils in Turkey (2012)

Protest at creationism symposium at Marmara University (2012)

Turkish government versus academic (2012)

More on Turkey: Religion, Commerce and the Teaching of Evolution (2010)

Is "Islamic Fundamentalism" on the rise in Turkey? (2010)

Controversy over Darwin Censorship in Turkey (2009)

Internet and the spread of Islamic Creationism (2008)

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I’m not sure how authentic this goulash recipe is, since the recipe I use is adapted from one by Austrian chef Wolfgang Puck. Austria is Hungary-adjacent, and I’m pretty sure they were the same country once, but still, the Puckmeister’s version, further modified by me, is closer to a stew called "Pörkölt." Apparently true goulash, or Gulyás, is much more like a soup, and is served with dumplings.

Okay, two things. First, when it comes to a main course, I like stew more than soup. If you want to stay truer to the original, add more liquid. That’s not going to bother me, or Wolfgang. Also, since I operate in a universe ruled by Google, I went with “goulash” since it’s a thousand times more recognizable than pörkölt. When’s the last time you heard someone say they were craving a big bowl of pörkölt?

Of course, none of this helps my American viewers who, thanks to the cafeteria ladies from our childhoods, think “goulash” is a tomato, hamburger, and elbow macaroni casserole. I’m assuming that variation was born when some Hungarian (or Austrian?) immigrant tried to stretch the last few ladles of soup/stew into another full meal.

Anyway, now that we’ve cleared up absolutely nothing, I can talk about this gorgeous dish of food. I adore everything about this dish. The color is stunning, the beef is sticky and succulent, and paprika-based sauce is incredible.

By the way, I’ve heard from my people on YouTube that this is never served on noodles. How do you say, “whatever” in Hungarian? Despite our questionable naming, ingredients, and side dish, this made for a fantastic winter dinner, and I hope you give it a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 large portions of beef goulash:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 1/2 pounds boneless beef chuck, cut into 2-inch cubes, seasoned generously with salt and pepper

2 onions, chopped

2 tsp olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

2 teaspoons caraway seeds, toasted and ground

2 tablespoons Hungarian paprika

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon cayenne

1 tsp dried marjoram leaves

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

4 cups chicken broth (1 to deglaze pan, 3 more added to stew)
*Note: real goulash is more like a soup, so if you want yours thinner, just add 2 or 3 extra cups of broth.

1/4 cup tomato paste

3 garlic cloves, crushed

1/2 tsp salt, or to taste

1 bay leaf

1 tsp sugar

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

*Simmer for about 2 hours, or until tender

Garnish with sour cream and fresh marjoram if desired.

View the complete recipe

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by Salman Hameed

This is part of a continuing battle over evolution in Turkey - and this battle is also quite political. Here is the news item (tip from Rainer Bromer):

The Scientific and Technical Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK) has put a stop to the publication and sale of all books in its archives that support the theory of evolution, daily Radikal has reported.  

The evolutionist books, previously available through TÜBİTAK's Popular Science Publications’ List, will no longer be provided by the council.  

The books have long been listed as “out of stock” on TÜBİTAK's website, but their further publication are now slated to be stopped permanently.  

Books by Richard Dawkins, Alan Moorehead, Stephen Jay Gould, Richard Levontin and James Watson are all included in the list of books that will no longer be available to the Turkish readers.

Read the full article here.

I do not have much information about this particular action. But here are a couple of quick thoughts: If this is true, then this is simply idiotic. Evolution has become a political issues between the secularists and the Islamists (terms used very broadly here) for a while - and this may simply be another salvo. The same had happened in 2009, when a TUBITAK magazine cover commemorating Darwin's bicentennial was replaced by a story on global warming (see this post: Controversy over Darwin censorship in Turkey). All said, because of the political underpinnings, we still have to be cautious in believing every reason given by both sides.

Also, for outsiders, this may seem like another episode of Harun Yahya's influence. However, this may have nothing to do with Yahya. Even when I attended the creationist symposium in Istanbul last May, the presence and influence of his group was quite minimal.

I will post an update if I hear something more about this.

Also see:
Students attack anti-evoltuion fossils in Turkey

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by Salman Hameed

This is a movie that will definitely lead you to have a long conversation afterwards. Of course, coming from Pakistan, it adds an additional layer to the watching of the film. But even without that, there are many ways to talk about Zero Dark Thirty, the film about the hunt and the killing of Osama bin Laden. But what message you take from the film will definitely depend on your own viewpoints. The film-makers more or less leave that up to you. Does it work? UMass film professor, Kevin Anderson, and I sit down to discuss and review the new Oscar nominated film, Zero Dark Thirty:


You can find all our other reviews at our Film Autopsy site.

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"Kenapa kamu nak balik awal sangat? Cuti semester bukankah ada seminggu lagi?"

Soalan yang sering saya terima di akhir-akhir semester. Dipersoalkan oleh ibu tercinta.

“Ada program,” saya menjawab ringkas.

“Program universiti atau program usrah?”

Ibu saya memang tahu-tahu sahaja. Memang, saya ada program dakwah. Dauroh Awal Semester. Dauroh itu, buat yang tidak tahu, adalah seminar. Setiap awal semester, kami akan berkumpul untuk berbincang dan merancang apa yang akan dilakukan sepanjang semester depan. Namun bukan soalan itu yang saya ingin bahaskan. Namun kata-kata seterusnya adalah,

“Pelik kamu ini. Sungguh-sungguh betul untuk usrah kamu.”

Sungguh-sungguh untuk agama pelik?

Itu Baru Sedikit

Banyak lagi yang tidak diketahui oleh keluarga saya sebenarnya. Dulu ketika masih kuliah, setiap minggu saya ada halaqoh setiap hari Isnin. Bermula jam 9 malam dan kadang-kadang habis jam 3 hingga 4 pagi.

Ada juga malam yang saya sendiri mengelola halaqoh. Juga bermula jam 9 malam sehingga jam 2 hingga 3 pagi.

Hampir setiap malam, saya akan pergi ke bilik-bilik junior. Membina ikatan hati dengan mereka, mengajak mereka untuk mentadabbur Al-Quran bersama-sama, untuk memperkenalkan mereka kepada Islam. Bermula jam 9.30 malam hingga jam 11 malam. Kadang-kadang lebih lama, sehingga jam 12.

Bahkan, ada juga malam yang saya penuhi dengan menghadiri mesyuarat-mesyuarat dakwah atau yang biasa kami panggil syuro. Di situ kami berbincang bagaimana untuk menyusun strategi mengumpulkan lebih ramai individu untuk dapat bersama-sama kami dalam menggerakkan dakwah ini.

Tidak cukup dengan itu, ada ketikanya saya akan ke sekolah, untuk memberi peringatan kepada mereka. Ada ketikanya pada hujung minggu, saya akan ke matrikulasi untuk menghalaqohkan mereka. Dan ketika saya di tahun-tahun akhir pengajian di UTP, saya akan ke Sabah sebulan sekali untuk menyusun dakwah ikhwah-ikhwah di sana.

Pelik? Rasanya apabila mereka mengetahui hakikat ini, mereka akan kata saya ini ekstrim! Dan sebenarnya, bukan saya seorang sahaja, berpuluh-puluh ikhwah-akhwat di seluruh Malaysia, bahkan beratus-ratus lagi di seluruh dunia yang berusaha dan berkerja dengan lebih bersungguh-sungguh daripada apa yang saya ceritakan.

Kenapa Bersungguh-Sungguh Sangat?

Kerana saya amat mencintai ummah. Saya mengharapkan masa depan yang lebih indah untuk ummah. Masyarakat yang ditarbiyah dengan Al-Quran dan Sunnah. Saya ingin seramai-ramainya orang semakin dekat dengan Allah. Bukan sekadar dekat, tetapi mereka bersama-sama berusaha untuk mendekatkan manusia kepada Allah.

Saya mahu akan sampai masanya solat Subuh berjemaah di masjid, seramai orang bersolat Jumaat.

Saya mahu sehingga sampai masanya, membaca Al-Quran di setiap masa dan ketika di mana-mana itu menjadi sesuatu yang umum dalam masyarakat kita.

Saya mahu menundukkan pandangan, merupakan sesuatu yang amat dijaga dalam kalangan masyarakat, baik lelaki mahupun perempuan.

Masyarakat yang beriman, yakin akan dengan janji Allah. Yakin bahawa dunia ini hanya sementara, akhirat adalah tujuannya.

Bukan Sekadar Baik, Tetapi Hebat

Umat Islam yang beriman serta mencintai Allah, bukan sekadar berakhlak mulia. Tetapi, mereka yakin mereka akan menjadi yang paling tinggi darjatnya di dunia.

Janganlah kamu bersikap lemah, dan janganlah (pula) kamu bersedih hati, padahal kamulah orang-orang yang paling tinggi (derajatnya), jika kamu orang-orang yang beriman.

[Q.S. Ali-Imran, 3:139]

Mereka yang ditarbiyah dengan Tarbiyah Islamiyyah ini, akan disusun untuk menguasai ekonomi, sehingga umat Islam akan menjadi umat yang paling kaya. Akan ada hospital muslim, yang mengasingkan pesakit lelaki dan perempuan. Hospital yang tidak berorientasikan keuntungan, tetapi untuk dakwah dan membantu ummah.

Dan untuk semua ini, usaha yang diperlukan tidak mungkin kecil. Pengorbanan yang perlu diletakkan perlu besar dan hebat.

Mereka Pun ‘Pelik’

Orang-orang yang mencintai dunia, mereka juga pelik sebenarnya. Demi mendapat kejayaan dunia, kekayaan, pangkat dan sebagainya, mereka berkorban dan bersungguh-sungguh juga.

Orang-orang Jepun, mereka sentiasa akan masuk kerja lebih awal daripada waktu pejabat dan mereka tidak akan pulang lebih awal daripada jam 8 malam. Sedangkan waktu pejabat mereka tamat pada jam 5 petang. Pengurus syarikatnya pula, ada yang sentiasa pulang paling awal pada jam 11 malam. Bahkan ada yang biasa tidur di pejabat sehingga berhari-hari.

Jurutera-jurutera yang bekerja dengan Syarikat Schlumberger, salah sebuah syarikat petroleum yang terkemuka di dunia, kerjanya lebih dahsyat. Jika dipanggil pada jam 3 pagi untuk terbang ke luar negara pada jam 4 pagi, dia perlu taat. Polisi syarikat adalah, ‘Masa kamu milik syarikat.’ Mereka sanggup berkorban sedemikian rupa, kerana mereka mencintakan ganjaran yang bakal diterima, gaji yang lumayan.

Begitu juga rakan-rakan yang sibuk bermain permainan komputer, menonton movie, membaca komik dan lain-lain, kisah mereka juga hebat. Ada yang sanggup bermain komputer bermula jumaat malam setelah habis kuliah secara berterusan sehingga Ahad malam. Menurutnya, dia hanya berhenti untuk makan.

Kawan saya yang minat menontot drama bersiri seperti Smallville dan Heroes yang mempunyai banyak season, mereka melakukan marathon movie. Menonton semua siri tersebut tanpa henti sehingga habis. Jika tidak habis, disambung ke hujung minggu hadapan. Bahkan ada kawan saya yang tidak ke kuliah kerana tidak mahu berhenti menonton movie.

Mereka-mereka yang di atas juga pelik. Namun mereka tidak dipandang ‘pelik’ seperti orang-orang yang bersungguh-sungguh untuk berjuang demi agama Allah. Kerana mereka 'berjuang' atas dasar mencintai dunia.

Kesimpulan: Saya Bahagia Menjadi Pelik

Beriman di akhir zaman, kembali mencari cara hidup yang diredhai Allah serta mengajak manusia bersama-sama kembali kepadanya, akan dianggap pelik. Apatah lagi bila dilakukan dengan bersungguh-sungguh.

Namun saya bahagia.

Kerana Rasulullah SAW memang menjanjikan seperti itu.

Islam itu datang dalam keadaan yang dagang (dipandang pelik oleh masyarakat). Dan ia akan kembali sebagaimana ia bermula, pelik. Maka berbahagialah golongan-golongan yang pelik itu.

[H.R. Muslim]

Buat keluarga yang saya cintai, walau tidak banyak masa yang kita dapat luangkan bersama, insya-Allah kalian akan melihat hasilnya dalam sedikit waktu lagi. Insya-Allah, saya punya rencana untuk membawa kalian bersama-sama untuk menyertai lingkaran keimanan ini. Kerana mereka yang beriman, akan kembali berkumpul di akhirat sana. Syurga yang dirindukan.

Dan orang-oranng yang beriman, dan yang anak cucu mereka mengikuti mereka dalam keimanan, Kami hubungkan anak cucu mereka dengan mereka (di dalam syurga), dan Kami tiada mengurangi sedikitpun dari pahala amal mereka. Tiap-tiap manusia terikat dengan apa yang dikerjakannya.

[Q.S. Ath-Thuur, 52:21]

~End Of Post~

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by Salman Hameed

There are crazy ideas - and then there are CRAZY and offensive ideas. I used to teach a class on critical thinking and one of the topics we used to tackle was the Moon landing hoax (in case you are interested, here is an explanation of the hoax claims). Now that is an idiotic but  relatively innocuous idea. Then after 9/11, there was a whole new cottage industry on 9/11 hoax. In fact, I had a chance to sit through a movie that connected the Kennedy assassination, Moon landing hoax, and 9/11 in one go.

I'm also quite familiar with conspiracy theories in Pakistan (9/11 as an inside job is also quite popular in Pakistan). A prominent Pakistani scientist even suspected conspiracy behind recent floods (see this post: A prominent Pakistani scientist is stoking conspiracy fires).

But then there are offensive conspiracy ideas. For example, Malala was shot by the Taliban. They had threatened her before, and they explained it multiple times why they shot her, and if given a chance, they would do it again. There was a tremendous outpouring of support for Malala. But so were claims that the shooting was fake - or that this was all a ruse to justify an army operation in North Waziristan. After a 14 year old has been shot in the head by bearded "adults", it is offensive to hear outrageous conspiracy theories.

It is not that there are no conspiracies at all (heck - the fake vaccination program run by the CIA was offensive, unethical, and is partly responsible for the recent killings of health workers in Pakistan). However, if one starts believing in every nutty theory out there, then there will be no ground to stand on. And it is just way too easy nowadays to spread crazy conspiracy ideas.

So that brings me to the latest offensive crazy idea, that the Newtown killings of 20 elementary school kids was all fake, staged by the government to promote stricter gun laws!! So there you have it folks. The Malala conspiracy theories seem much tamer compared to this. Though to be fair, in Pakistan, some of these ideas have broader following than the fringe in the US. In any case, here is Anderson Cooper tackling the Newtown conspiracy theory. Absolutely nuts and offensive!!

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Spicy Coconut Shrimp Bisque

I'm not sure where you're reading this from, but for the sake of this post I'll assume it's freezing outside, and you're craving a huge bowl of steaming, hot soup. Sweaters are great, but when you need to get warm from the inside out, there is really only one way...well, two actually, but this isn't a cocktails blog, so we're just going with soup. Here are a few of my personal favorite cold weather soups. Click on caption to read the post and watch the video. Bundle up and enjoy!

Spicy Coconut Shrimp Bisque

Bumblebee Soup - Bacon, Black Bean and Corn Chowder

Minestrone Soup

Cream of Mushroom Soup

Classic Chicken Noodle Soup

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زاد الباحث مرفقات برامج وملفات:
تقدمه وحدة تطوير مهارات طلاب وطالبات الدراسات العليا في جامعة القصيم

وهذا هو رابط الزاد ويحوي موضوعات قيمة .. كما في الصورة أدناه

والزاد الأخير هو ملفات للدكتور سعد الواصل جزاه الله خيرا
كما وقد رفعت وحدة التطوير ملفًا قيمًا "دورة الكافي في برمجيات البحث العلمي" لـ د. سعود العقيل جزاه الله خيرا
وهذا الرابط للتحميل:
https://ia601200.us.archive.org/2/it...r-aqeel1-4.rar
ويفك الضغط عن الملف بعد التحميل ويُشغل ملف index ليعمل تلقائيا عبر المتصفح بإذن الله تعالى

وختامًا وهي بشرى لكل باحث يود تشغيل ملفات الدورات والدروس من غير اتصال بالنت أو انقطاع، لكل الدورات الماضية التي عقدتها وحدة التطوير، خاصة أن من تلك الدورات ما يتعلق بشرح للمكتبة الشاملة للدكتور سعود العقيل:
فيطيب لوحدة تطوير مهارات طلاب وطالبات الدراسات العليا أن تزف لكم خبر صدور (CD) لدورات العام الجامعي الماضي 1432-1433هـ، والذي يمكنكم تحميله ثم الاستمتاع بمشاهدة الدورات بدون الحاجة للاتصال بالانترنت.
ونود الإشارة إلى أن هذا الملف بصيغة (ISO) مضغوط، ونقترح عليكم إنشاء مجلد جديد ثم فك الملف المضغوط داخله، من خلال هذه العملية سيخرج لكم عدة ملفات أحدها اسمه (tatweer) [ورمزه شاشة حاسب بجوارها صورة (CD)] ومن خلال الضغط عليه يتم تشغيل الــ(CD).
كما لا يفوتنا أن نزجي شكرنا وتقديرنا لفضيلة الدكتور عبدالكريم البرادي والذي تولى تصميم القرص فله منا الثناء والدعاء.
صفحة الخبر وروابط التحميل هنا:
http://www.csi.qu.edu.sa/Units/Devel...%A7%D8%AA.aspx




للاطلاع على القديم والحديث، هذا الرابط الخاص بقاعة وحدة التطوير:
http://www.c-qu.com/cobra/q_u/q_u.html

فجزاهم الله كل خير وبارك جهودهم

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عنوان الكتاب: الهمة طريق إلى القمة
 المؤلف: محمد بن حسن بن عقيل موسى الشريف

 التحميل المباشر

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Kunci dapat diartikan sebagai sebuah akses yang dapat membuka sesuatu, mengubah ketiadaan menjadi ada, memberikan penerangan pada sebuah kegelapan, menguak sebuah rahasia yang awalnya terpendam dalam, hampir semua hal memiliki sebuah kunci, bukan hanya benda konkret seperti yang kita ketahui seperti pintu rumah, peti harta karun, serta benda mati saja yang memiliki kunci untuk membuka misteri di baliknya tetapi juga hal abstrak seperti pada ilmu pengetahuan pasti terdapat sebuah kunci yang dapat menjabarkan keseluruhan sebuah ilmu, misalkan rangkuman atau intisari yang dapat diartikan sebagai kunci sebuah materi dan banyak pendefinisian lain yang merefleksikan arti sebuah kunci.

Begitupun manusia, meskipun diciptakan sebagai eksisten yang teramat kompleks namun manusia juga memiliki sebuah "kunci" yang berkaitan langsung dengan seluruh aspek yang menggambarkan manusia tersebut, sebuah "kunci" yang ketika dapat menemukan kunci yang tepat maka ia dapat mengakses dan mengatur seluruh komponen yang dimilikinya,apakah manusia memiliki kunci yang sedemikian hebatnya ? ya,itulah yang kita sebut sebaga hati

Dalam kehidupan ini setiap insan pasti telah diberkahiNya sebuah hati nurani yang terus memandu dan membisikkan jalan yang benar dalam pencarian hati yang akan dijadikan sebagai jati diri,proses ini sangatlah lama bahkan mungkin diperlukan proses seumur hidup dan banyak faktor yang akan mempengaruhi bagaimana hati (kunci) ini akan ditempa dan terbentuk kelak. Bibit penyakit hati seperti kemalasan,maksiat,zinah dan lain lain senantiasa akan menghalangi jalan menuju kebenaran,menuju hati yang dapat membedakan kebenaran dan kesalahan.

Hati manusialah yang dapat menentukan bagaimana setiap manusia berperilaku dan bertindak, bagaimana manusia menampilkan emosinya, hati inilah yang benar-benar menentukan bagaimana seorang manusia menyelami setiap tindak tanduk kehidupan maka dari itulah mengapa saya mengibaratkan hati sebagai kunci manusia.

Hati juga dapat dianalogikan secara langsung sebagai sebuah kunci, dimana hati yang bersih dan terus dilatih untuk menahan diri dari segala jenis godaan dan dosa diibaratkan sebagai kunci pintu yang memiliki gerigi yang tepat untuk membuka sebuah pintu, kunci yang dengan mudah mengantarkan kepada jalan yang benar (terbukanya pintu),sedangkan hati yang masih dapat dipengaruhi dengan berbagai penyakit hati dapat diibaratkan sebagai kunci yang berkarat yang mulai menghitam, dimana ketika kunci ini terus menerus dibiarkan berkarat maka lama kelamaan akan semakin rapuh dan pada akhirnya hancur dan tidak dapat membuka pintu kebenaran.Dan yang terakhir,semoga senantiasa kita mendapat petunjuk untuk menjauhinya, yaitu hati yang sudah terbelenggu dan terbutakan sehingga tidak lagi mengetahui jalan menuju kebenaran, hati ini terus menenggelamkan pemiliknya dalam jalan setapak dosa & maksiat. Hati seperti ini diibaratkan sebagai kunci dengan gerigi yang salah ditempa, maka bagaimana pun usaha yang dilakukan tetap saja tidak akan pernah mampu membuka pintu.

Sekian postingan random dari saya,semoga ada manfaatnya dan apabila ada kesalahan kritik & saran sangat dipersilahkan karena kebenaran memang selalu datangnya hanya dari Allah dan kesalahan dari saya pribadi sebagai insan yang masih punya kewajiban untuk menggali ilmu.
Semoga postingan ini bisa menjadi reminder bahwa seberapa sibuk pun kehidupan yang sedang kita jalani,namun kita tetap punya kewajiban untuk menjaga hati kita agar tidak tumbuh bibit penyakit yang lama kelamaan dapat mematikan hati tersebut.

Randomly written by Bimo Setiotomo
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by Salman Hameed

This is really amazing. Like Pompeii, sections of an important Byzantine city, Myra, may have been preserved intact in mud. A 13th century chapel has already been found along with a frescos. Here is the story from NYT:

After some 800 years as an important pilgrimage site in the Byzantine Empire it vanished — buried under 18 feet of mud from the rampaging Myros River. All that remained was the Church of St. Nicholas, parts of a Roman amphitheater and tombs cut into the rocky hills. 

But now, 700 years later, Myra is reappearing. 

Archaeologists first detected the ancient city in 2009 using ground-penetrating radar that revealed anomalies whose shape and size suggested walls and buildings. Over the next two years they excavated a small, stunning 13th-century chapel sealed in an uncanny state of preservation. Carved out of one wall is a cross that, when sunlit, beams its shape onto the altar. Inside is a vibrant fresco that is highly unusual for Turkey.

The chapel’s structural integrity suggests that Myra may be largely intact underground. “This means we can find the original city, like Pompeii,” said Nevzat Cevik, an archaeologist at Akdeniz University who is director of the excavations at Myra, beneath the modern town of Demre.        

And here is a bit more on the fresco: 

 How classical cities transformed into Byzantine cities during the Christian era, especially between 650 and 1300, is a subject of much scholarly debate. 

“Each city was different,” Dr. Jackson said, “and so we need high-quality, well-excavated evidence in order to contribute to the debate about the nature of urban change in this period.” 

The fresco in the excavated chapel is especially striking. Six feet tall, it depicts the deesis (“prayer” or “supplication” in Greek). This is a common theme in Byzantine and Eastern Orthodox iconography, but the Myra fresco is different. 

Where typically these depictions show Christ Pantocrator (Christ the Almighty) enthroned, holding a book and flanked by his mother, Mary, and John the Baptist, whose empty hands are held palms up in supplication, at Myra both John and Mary hold scrolls with Greek text. 

John’s scroll quotes from John 1:29: “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” Mary’s is a dialogue from a prayer for the Virgin Mary in which she intercedes on behalf of humanity, asking Jesus to forgive their sins. Dr. Akyurek said this scroll-in-hand version had been seen in Cyprus and Egypt, but never in Turkey.

Read the full article here.        

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by Salman Hameed

Here is the first episode of the BBC documentary, The Incredible Human Journey : Out of Africa. Enjoy! (tip from Khurram Nasser)

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This garlic Parmesan hot wings video represents the 800th recipe we’ve uploaded to YouTube since we launched the channel in January 2007. As I waited for the file to upload, an odd sense of disbelief started to wash over me. Had I really cooked, filmed, and posted 800 video recipes? It didn’t seem possible.

The more I thought about just how much content that is, the more improbable it seemed. 800 recipes? That’s like 10 cookbooks! Then, a different kind of disbelief came over me as I considered all the dishes I’ve still not done.

After all these hundreds and hundreds of recipes, I still have not done things like risotto, goulash, blue cheese dressing, calamari, or beef Wellington; just to name a few. Anyway, it was an interesting and introspective ten minutes, sitting there watching the upload progress bar slowly move across the screen, thinking about what I had done, and how much I still needed to do.

As far as these gorgeous wings go, they rocked. My wife Michele, who is not a big fan of chicken wings, ate more than I’d ever seen her eat before, and deemed them my best yet. I’m not sure about that, but they did come out really, really well.

One reason it’s hard to get a crispy-crusty coating on a wing in the oven is all the moisture that leaks out during the initial phase of baking. Here, we are parboiling the wings in a very flavorful liquid, which not only helped season the chicken, but also produced a surface texture in the oven that your guests will swear came straight out of a deep fryer. I hope you give these a try soon, and as always, and for the 800th time, enjoy!

Ingredients for 5 pounds of wings (about 48 pieces):

3 quarts cold water

1/4 cup salt

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

1 bay leaf

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried rosemary

4 to 5 pounds of chicken wing sections

8-10 cloves garlic plus big pinch of salt

3 or 4 tbsp olive oil, or as needed

1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper

2 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste (obviously you can add cayenne or other hot stuff to make these even spicier)
2 tbsp fine breadcrumbs

about 1 cup of very finely and freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

creamy Italian dressing for dipping, optional

View the complete recipe

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by Salman Hameed

I have an article in today's Guardian on the Islam and evolution debate in London last Saturday. Here is an excerpt (and you can also read a longer post on it here):

An imam of an east London mosque, Usama Hasan, received a death threat for arguing in support of human evolution two years ago. On Saturday, London played host to a riveting intrafaith dialogue on Islam's stance on the theory of evolution. The east London imam was one of the speakers – but this time there were others who shared his viewpoint. 

The event, organised by the Deen Institute, was titled Have Muslims Misunderstood Evolution? The speakers included an evolutionary biologist, a biological anthropologist, two theologians and a bona fide creationist. 

It lasted seven hours, yet almost everyone stayed till the end. There were more than 850 people in the audience and even though the topic was sensitive and controversial, there was no heckling or disruption. At least from my limited interactions, it seemed that the audience was comprised mostly of young professionals. Most had no strong opinion, but their interest was evident as they were willing to spend their entire Saturday hearing about Muslim positions on evolution. 

They were not disappointed. 

And here is the concluding paragraph:

Babuna aside, this was a serious debate on an important topic. The rejection of evolution in the face of scientific consensus stands as a Galileo moment for Islam. However, the tone of the debate and the quality of intellectual exchange at the London event is encouraging and it shows modern Muslims have the maturity to address a perceived challenge from a scientific idea.  

Read the full article here.

Also, see another article on the conference by Yasmin Khan - also in the Guardian: Muslims Engage in Quest to Understand Evolution:

More than 850 delegates flocked to a seminal conference in London on Saturday about the compatibility of modern evolutionary theory and Islamic theology – despite scaremongering and the refusal of Islamic student societies to participate. Determined organisers had overcome pressure to cancel by changing the venue from Imperial College to Logan Hall at the University of London. The event was the brainchild of the Deen Institute, which runs courses to promote critical thinking among Muslim students and kindle rational dialogue within Islam. The need for dialogue is urgent, because to date there has been little open discussion within British Muslim communities on this divisive subject. Recent debates in the US suggest that evolution is not as much of a problem theologically to Muslims as it is to Christian creationists, but there is work to be done to clarify the situation.

Read the full article here.

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by Salman Hameed

Since we are coming fresh from the dialogue on evolution and Islam, I thought I'll stay with the topic of evolution. One of the best popular books on evolution is Your Inner Fish by Neil Shubin. He is also responsible for the discovery of the fossil of Tiktaalik - an example of animal transitioning from water to land (from fish to tertrapods), about 375 million years ago. If you haven't read the book, you should definitely check it out. The discovery of Tiktaalik is a fantastic example of good science: There was a specific prediction that geologic strata 380-365 millions years should contain examples of animals that may provide hints for fish to tertrapod transitions. I will let Neil Shubin explain this in this fantastic lecture:



Now, Shubin has a new book out that looks at the connection between the universe, our solar system, Earth's history and our own body: The Universe Within: Discovering the Common History of Rocks, Planets, and People. Here is an excerpt from the book's review from this week's Nature:

Shubin starts with the formation of the Universe 13.7 billion years ago, segueing into that of the Solar System 4.6 billion years ago. Much later, about 200 million years ago, when the supercontinent Pangaea broke up, the continents and ocean basins we know today began to form. This was accompanied by the rapid evolution of more complex life forms — dinosaurs, mammals and birds. 

Shubin suggests a rather original connection between continental break-up and the evolution of such creatures: mud settling on the vast stretches of coastline created by the break-up of Pangaea buried biological material that would otherwise have decayed in water, using up oxygen. The result, Shubin says, was an increase in atmospheric oxygen, one of the key factors that allowed animals to conquer land. Mammals require a lot of oxygen to maintain their high-energy, warm-blooded lifestyle. Life on the low-oxygen Earth of 200 million years ago would have been like that today at 4,500 metres above sea level. 

Much of the second half of The Universe Within summarizes the history of how our geological view of Earth developed. It incorporates stories such as how the discovery of similar fossil organisms on distant continents led Alfred Wegener and others towards the idea of continental drift. We also meet William Smith, who invented stratigraphy, Louis Agassiz, who discovered ice ages, and geologist Bruce Heezen and oceanographic cartographer Marie Tharp, who were central to developing the theory of plate tectonics. 

Shubin is at his best when he deals with anatomy and biology, as in his discussion of the inventive geologist Michel Siffre. In 1962, Siffre spent two months living in a subterranean cave to gauge whether he could track time without any tools with which to measure it. After two months, he was convinced that only 37 days had passed. This was in line with what we know about the role in 'internal clocks' of the pineal gland, which regulates the production of sleep-inducing melatonin depending on the available light. Shubin's storytelling in such passages is gripping.

Read the full review here (you may need subscription to access that).

Oh - and for your entertainment purposes, here is Titaalik - the song:

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If you watch as much food television as I do, then I’m sure you’ve heard a celebrity chef or two, pontificating about the horrors of combining cheese and fish. They say it’s never acceptable, no exceptions, never, ever.

Of course, after the show ends, they have a couple beers and head for their favorite late-night diner, where they enjoy delicious tuna melts. Those hypocritical bastards. I’m not saying to start pouring nacho cheese sauce over your sautéed sand dabs, but when it comes to food, it’s best to never say never.

As I mention in the video, this will only be as good as your tuna, so use something nice. You know I’m a Tonino man, but any imported, olive-oil packed brand should work fine. By the way, I enjoy the classic, toasted sandwich-style tuna melt a great deal, but this open face version is a little easier to execute, and perfect for larger groups, since you can fit a bunch on a pan.

Whether you use my formula or embellish to your tastes, I really hope you give these a try soon. And, if you know any celebrity chefs, invite them over and see if you can get them to admit this totally works. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 2 large tuna melts:

2 thick slices of Italian or French bread

2 tbsp soft butter

6.5 oz jar of oil-packed tuna, drained

2 tbsp small diced celery

1 tbsp minced green onion

2 tsp capers

1 tsp hot chili sauce or other hot stuff to taste

salt and pepper to taste

2 tbsp mayonnaise, or more to taste

about 1/3 cup shredded or crumbled fresh mozzarella

1/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

cayenne to taste

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by Salman Hameed

I have been lucky to have given three talks at one of the coolest cafes in Pakistan: The Second Floor (T2F). I have always found the atmosphere electric and a very high level of questions and discussions. One of the persons behind T2F is Zaheer Kidvai - and I have known him since 1989-90. He helped and guided us in organizing AMASTROPAK - our nascent amateur astronomical society in Karachi. In fact, he provided us with some space in his office as well.

So it is an absolute pleasure to know that in the midst of all the negative news from Pakistan, NPR discovered T2F. Here is the story: Pakistani Cafe is Oasis in Desert of Civil Discourse. Congrats to Sabeen Mahmud, who is the backbone of T2F.

And here is my post after giving a talk there in 2009 as part of their Science ka Adda (Cafe Scientifique) series (some pictures from the talk here). Here is T2F in its various shades:

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by Salman Hameed

This is very cool! Here is an Urdu translation of Sagan's Pale Blue Dot excerpt (tip from Zakir Thaver). This apparently is part of a project of urdu language translation of science content, proposed by Faisal R. Ahmad at Cornell University. We have to capture the wonder and thrill of science. This is a great step. Fantastic!

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