Hello from Long Lane honey Bee Farms. We are David and Sheri Burns. We specialize in making beekeeping for beginners as easy as possible. Today, our lesson focuses on Beginners: 4 Tips. Then, our next lesson will be, “What Did My Bees Die From?”
With a little 5 year old son, Christmas at our house is always special. We enjoyed having family and friends over, eating delicious food, a candle light service, gifts given and received and the time off to relax. We hope all went well for you this Christmas season.
Merry Christmas!
Sheri and I rain up to Chicago to pick up our Marine son, Seth, who flew home for Christmas. Seth is out at Camp Pendleton, California and will graduate from the School of Infantry later next month. Seth’s Military Occupation Specialty is rifleman in the infantry.Our prayers go out to all our service men and women and their families.
Tomorrow, I’m looking forward to teaching a private bee class. I was asked by a family to teach a beginner’s course at their home to family and friends interested in beekeeping. The number is up to around 20 now! While we offer most of our classes here at our honey bee farm, we are always open to travel and offer a class in your area. Whether it is a beginners, advance or queen rearing class, give us a call and we might come to your area or local bee club.
(217) 427-2678
  We offer beekeeping classes, bees and equipment. We’re on the phone all day speaking with current and prospective beekeepers.  So many people call us and say, “I found your site and we’re interested in getting started in beekeeping”.  We live for calls like this.  We want to share our passion and love for bees with you. For 2013 we’ll have more experienced beekeepers available to take your calls. We’ve also increased our production of hives which should mean faster order fulfillment. We work hard to encourage more people to become new beekeepers, and we want to thank our customers who share us with others. You can also forward these lessons to others, or send them a link to our website: www.honeybeesonline.com We appreciate it so much!
One of the ways we can share with you on a daily basis is through our Facebook page. Sheri and I add something new to our Facebook page daily. Sometimes we talk about our family, sometimes about bees, honey recipes and much more. And our Facebook page is a great way for us to keep in touch with our customers and friends. Click here to like us on our Facebook page today. For every 100th like, that person will receive a gift certificate.

LESSON 127: Beekeeping For Beginners

Let me be perfectly honest. I did not start keeping bees the right way. I started without taking a class or studying how to do it. I thought I could just learn as I went.  Oh I learned as I went along, but I paid the price in many ways, unnecessary stings, wastefulness in harvesting honey, lost some hives due to a lack of management knowledge etc. Almost all of my early mistakes could have been avoided had their been beekeeping classes offered back then. Now, every year Sheri and I  teach a dozen beekeeping classes. We invest so much of our time preparing the best information to provide to our beekeeping students, whether we are teaching a beginners,  advance or queen rearing course.
I remember the first time I started keeping bees. It was nearly two decades ago.  I was invited into beekeeping by a friend who kept bees. A tree with bees had fallen. We cut the tree open, transferred the bees into one of his empty hives and I became an eager but totally clueless beekeeper. Though many people start keep bees the way I started, it is not the best way. It’s difficult and sometimes painful removing a live hive from their natural nesting place, a tree. A better way is to start with new equipment and a 3 lb package of bees.
The same year I started keeping bees, I also started tagging along to bee association meetings, reading the limited books on beekeeping and learning to keep bees the hard way, trial and error. There was no YouTube or Internet back then.  Even though I made many mistakes my bees from the tree did well. I lived in central Ohio in an Amish community surrounded by large fields of clover. It was beekeeper heaven. My bees were pretty defensive. I thought all bees were that defensive. I’ve never had another hive that defensive. They always found a hole in my suit or the distance between the bottom of my suit and the top of my shoe, stitching my socks to my ankles. I got in and out as fast as I could. Even though I didn’t know what I was doing,  I had more honey than I knew what to do with. Now, we do our best to provide gentle bees. We all get a hot one now and again. After all they are bees.
Beekeeping for beginners is much easier now. There are so many local clubs and beekeeping classes to help people learn to keep bees. Today I want to put out a clarion call for new beekeepers! Those of us who are experienced beekeepers must rally the troops to see if we can help encourage more people to start keeping honey bees. Our honey bees are vitally important to our fruits and vegetables, not to mention that honey is so good for us. I can’t imagine my coffee without honey. Each week we roast our own green coffee bees, grind them and make fresh coffee every morning. For years friends told me how great honey is in coffee, but I failed to try it. Now I cannot drink coffee unless I have my own honey to add to it. When I travel I have to travel with my own honey. I believe in eating honey and cinnamon on my toast every morning. I’m not making any kind of medical claim, but my opinion is that honey has been good for me. And keeping bees has been even better for me.
I love everything about beekeeping. The smell of wax, propolis or a package of bees. Such unique and pleasant smells. The joy of seeing the hive grow. The thrill of catching a swarm and the excitement of observing more frames being drawn out into full combs is so fun!  But the greatest thing is harvesting the honey. Cutting off the cappings and spinning out the honey and pouring it into bottles seals the deal.
As a beginner beekeeper, let me give you three important tips.

First, chill out!

Don’t take everything so seriously. Relax and appreciate what you are doing. It’s fun watching your bees fly in and out of the hive, working to carry in all that nectar and turn it into honey. There are some beekeepers who are very negative and they’ll almost scare you out of keeping bees, always talking about how bad everything is. Don’t pay them any attention. Sure it can be challenging but even the challenges make it more fun. So  make a commitment that you will enjoy your new hobby.

Secondly, learn as much as you can.

The 2013 new bee season is only 16 weeks away. There is much to do between now and then. The first thing you should do is start learning. Read all of these lessons starting with Lesson One. You’ll especially want to read Lesson Seven, as it tells you step by step how to install your package of bees. Take one of our classes. For a complete listing, click here or go to: http://www.honeybeesonline.com/classes.html
Our next beginners class is February 9, 2013 in our new educational center. Click here for more information or go to: http://www.honeybeesonline.com/servlet/Detail?no=151

Thirdly, DO NOT WAIT UNTIL SPRING!

So many people decide to start keeping bees in the spring and by then, almost all bees have been sold out. Make sure you purchase your equipment and bees in the winter. Currently we are selling three different kits, which are fully assembled and painted. CLICK HERE or go to: http://www.honeybeesonline.com for our complete easy to following listing of hives, bees and other beekeeping supplies. DO NOT WAIT UNTIL SPRING. It will most likely be too late.

Fourthly, continue learning.

There is so much to learn about the honey bee. The longer you keep bees, the more you’ll learn and the better beekeeper you’ll become.  It is an amazing creature. They fly out two or three miles to gather nectar and yet fly right back to their hive, even when there are many other hives near their own. The queen lays over 1,000 eggs a day. Drones, the male honey bee, does not have a stinger. Bees make their own wax from wax glands. They never go to the bathroom in the hive. Everything is always clean and tidy. So much more to learn about the honey bee. You’ll find it very enjoyable to attend conferences such as the Eastern Apicultural Society Conference. Read beekeeping articles in Mother Earth News and Country Woman Magazine or see what the national news is saying about honey bees. Read about bees in the big apple. There are so many ways to continue learning more about honey bees.
TIP OF THE DAY: Do not leave a queen excluder in an overwintering hive. The colony may move above the queen excluder and strand the queen to freeze to death below. And, never leave a partially filled medium super on an overwintering hive. Only leave the super on top if it has a minimum of 7 frames of sealed honey, otherwise the colony may move up but quickly run out of food.
EMERGENCY FEEDING: In the event that your weak hive goes into winter, but runs out of food, we suggest you use one of our WINTER-BEE-KIND boards that feeds the bees, provides insulation of the top to reduce moisture and allows trapped moisture to escape through the top. Order our Winter-BEE-Kind board by clicking here. You can put them on quickly even during the middle of the winter.
LONG LANE HONEY BEE FARMS PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT! OUR ROYAL HIVE KIT and our TRAVELER’S SPECIAL KIT!
Thanks for joining us today and please pass this on to others who are interested in starting beekeeping.
Feel free to contact us at:
Long Lane Honey Bee Farms
14556 N 1020 East Road
Fairmount, IL 61841
(217) 427-2678

Thanks for joining us for another beekeeping lesson. We appreciate your business and interest in Long Lane Honey Bee Farms.

Please visit our online beekeeping store and lessons at: www.honeybeesonline.com

That’s all for now and thank you for joining us for another beekeeping lesson! Please let others know about these lessons and our business. We appreciate you spreading the word! Your donations help us continue our work and research on the honey bee, such as our recent development of our Winter-Bee-Kind. These lessons are free and will provide you with as much if not more information than you would find in a $30 book. So consider making a $30 donation so that we might continue these lessons, CLICK HERE TO DONATE $30 or go to:
http://www.honeybeesonline.com/servlet/Detail?no=144

Thank you in advance.
David and Sheri Burns
Long Lane Honey Bee Farms
217-427-2678 Website: www.honeybeesonline.com


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Photo (c) Flickr user kevindooley

Michele and I wanted to wish all of you who celebrate, a very Merry Christmas. Hopefully you’re surrounded by the people you love, and/or a ton of great food. 

We have a new video posting on Thursday, but until then I’m going to try and take a few days off from staring at the omnipresent computer. Seasonal apologies for any lags in responding to comments or emails. Enjoy the rest of your holiday!
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عنوان الكتاب: غاية المنوة في آداب الصحبة وحقوق الأخوة
 المؤلف: حازم خنفر
 تاريخ الإضافة: 24 / 12 / 2012
  التحميل المباشر

http://www.feqhweb.com/dan3/uploads/13542029031.pdf

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Bismillah

Beberapa waktu yang lalu, aku sempat membaca tulisan menarik di punggung jaket seseorang. Sepertinya itu jaket suatu organisasi, aku sendiri tak tahu. Maka, tanpa bermaksud menyinggung pihak manapun, aku pinjam kata-katanya. Si punggung jaket itu berbunyi “Bergerak atau Tergantikan”.

Keren, kan?  Apa hanya aku yang merasa frasa itu keren?  (“._.)

Jika bergerak dilibatkan dalam konteks spiritualitas dan keislaman, dapat diibaratkan kata bergerakseperti  apa yang sedang kita upayakan sekarang—berdakwah. Dakwah itu layaknya serangkaian gerbong kereta yang besar lagi panjang, dan kita adalah penumpangnya bersama satu masinis dari jenis yang sama seperti kita.

Dalam gerbong itu mungkin saja setiap orang melakukan hal yang berbeda-beda. Ada yang membaca buku, meminum secangkir coklat panas dengan santai, bercanda dengan teman, atau merenung, mengevaluasi diri. Begitu pula dalam jalan dakwah, bermacam-macam pilihan hal-hal yang bisa dilakukan, sesuai dengan kapasitas dan kondisi masing-masing. Namun, itu tak jadi masalah selama kita bertahan untuk tidak turun di stasiun terdekat ataupun stasiun-stasiun selanjutnya. Tidak ada masalah selama kita hanya turun di pemberhentian terakhir—surga.

Lalu, aku teringat satu ayat yang menurutku cukup berkaitan dengan frasa itu.

O you who believe! Whoever from among you turns back from his religion, then Allah will bring a people, He shall love them and they shall love Allah. Lowly before the believers, mighty against the unbelievers, they shall strive in Allah’s way and shall not fear the censure of any censurer. This is Allah’s face, Allah gives it to whom Allah pleases, and Allah is ample-giving, knowing — Al-Maa’idah (5) : 54

Line yang kucetak tebal ini » “Barangsiapa keluar dari agama Allah, Allah akan mendatangkan suatu kaum…... Yang berjihad di jalan Allah dan tidak takut pada celaan orang yang senang mencela…..”  membuatku mengerti bahwa dakwah tidak membutuhkan kita. Kitalah yang membutuhkan dakwah. Jika kita turun dari gerbong dakwah pun, akan ada orang yang akan menggantikanposisi duduk kita. Allah menjamin keberlangsungan Islam dengan kata-kata-Nya sendiri. Lalu siapa yang akan dirugikan jika bukan mereka-mereka yang turun dari gerbong dakwah ini?

Maka dalam rangkaian gerbong ini, aku pikir kita harus benar-benar saling mengenal. Agar ada kawan bicara. Agar ada yang menampar sifat-sifat buruk kita dan ada yang menawarkan kesegaran baru yang berasal dari-Nya. Agar ada yang menahan kaki-kaki kita jika sekiranya hendak turun sebelum waktunya. 

Gambar dari sini. Karya Mas Mu, seniorku.

Apakah kita ini termasuk generasi 5:54? Semoga.

Terinspirasi oleh banyak orang, disusun oleh Nur Izzatul Muthi'ah.

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There’s much debate over how many of America’s greatest recipes got their name, but that’s not an issue with Oyster Rockefeller. Thanks to the rich, money-colored butter sauce, this decadent creation’s name pretty much wrote itself.

Besides the obvious, superficial reasons, associating your new shellfish appetizer with the most affluent family of the day was a stroke of social media genius. Hey, just because Twitter wouldn’t be invented for another 107 years doesn’t mean people didn’t “retweet” things.

When Jules Alciatore invented the dish in 1899, he wasn’t trying to create a classic, new American shellfish appetizer; he was simply trying to replace snails in his diet. That’s right, what would become America’s greatest seafood appetizer (sorry, crab cakes) was just a delicious work-around for a serious shortage of French snails in New Orleans.

To say the customers of Antoine's were happy with this local substitution would be a huge understatement. They went crazy for it. The dish quickly gained national attention, with the most famous celebrities, politicians, and foreign dignitaries of the day stumbling over each to get a plate or three.

The original secret recipe really is a secret; so all versions, including mine, are just guesses. There is agreement among foodies who study such matters that spinach was not part of the formula, but the much spicier and more flavorful watercress was used.

Neither were mushrooms, bacon, ham, cheese, garlic, or any other later day add-ons. Not that those ingredient aren’t good baked on top of oysters, but that just wasn’t how Mr. Alciatore rolled. So if you are looking for a special occasion appetizer that tastes, looks, and makes you feel (and sound) rich, then I hope you give this oyster Rockefeller recipe a try. Enjoy!

Makes enough for about 3 dozen oysters Rockefeller:
1 stick butter (1/2 cup) room temp
2 tbsp minced green onions, white and light green parts
2 tbsp diced celery
2 tbsp fresh chopped tarragon
2 tbsp fresh chopped Italian parsley
1 cup chopped watercress leaves
salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste
2 tbsp Pernod liquor
1/4 cup bread crumbs
3 dozen oysters on the half shell

View the complete recipe

Bonus How to Open Oyster Video!

My friend Tamar, from Starving Off the Land, does a much better job of showing how to open oysters, but that’s only because she raises them and gets a lot more practice! That, and she’s better at it. Also, a special thanks to Sky Sabin Productions for their fine work on this.

For some additional shucking info, and tons of oyster recipe links, you can also check out this article on Allrecipes.com. Enjoy!
 

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Bunda tuliskan pesan ini untuk anak-anak Bunda tercinta..
Anak-anak yang begitu Bunda banggakan..
Anak-anak yang begitu Bunda cintai melebihi rasa cinta Bunda pada diri sendiri..

" Assalammu'alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh..
Apa kabar imanmu hari ini, Nak?
Bunda berharap Ananda selalu menjadi pribadi yang senantiasa meningkatkan performa ibadah di hadapan Allah..
Menjadi sosok muslim-muslimah yang membanggakan dan dapat memberi manfaat bagi Ummat..

Ananda yang bunda banggakan..
Tak terasa kini engkau telah dewasa..
Kini engkau telah mengenal dunia..
Kini engkau telah menjadi bagian dari Masyarakat..

Bunda berharap, Ananda bisa melanjutkan perjuangan Tauladan kita, Nabi Muhammad yang mulia..
Yang senantiasa menebarkan kebaikan..
Mengajak kepada kebenaran..
dan yang terpenting menjadi pribadi yang tetap rendah hati atas apa yang telah Ananda miliki saat ini..
Karena semua itu hanyalah titipan dariNya dan suatu saat akan kembali kepadaNya..

Ananda yang Ummi cintai karena Allah..
Jangan pernah menyesal ya Nak,,
Mempunyai seorang ibu seperti Bunda..

Bunda yang "miskin" ilmu, tapi berharap kelak Ananda tumbuh menjadi pribadi yang berilmu..
Bunda yang belum hafal Al-Qur'an, tapi berharap kelak Ananda menjadi satu diantara deretan barisan penghafal dan pengamal Al-Qur'an..

Bunda yang masih sering lalai, tapi berharap Ananda tumbuh menjadi barisan terdepan penegak kebajikan..
Bunda yang terkadang masih egois dengan ambisi-ambisi Bunda, tapi berharap Ananda tumbuh menjadi pribadi yang penuh simpati dan kepedulian terhadap sesama..

Bunda yang terkadang masih bermalasan, tapi berharap Ananda tumbuh menjadi sosok penebar kebajikan di bumi Allah..

Ah,, betapa sentuhan tanganmu begitu ampuh mengingatkan Bunda,,
Menyentak kekurangan-kekurangan yang Bunda miliki..
Lewat senda guraumu, Bunda belajar untuk menjadi ibu terbaik untuk terus membimbingmu..
Setumpuk PR yang harus Bunda benahi..
Sejujurnya Bunda takut, Ananda malu memiliki ibu seperti Bunda..

Inilah Bunda, Nak..
Bunda yang belum setegar Khadijah binti Khuwailid..
Belum secerdas Fathimah Az-Zahra..
Yang belum sedermawan Saudah binti Zam'ah..
Yang belum penuh cinta seperti 'Aisyah binti Abu Bakar..
Yang belum serajin Hafshah binti Umar..
Yang belum sesabar Ummu Salamah..
dan juga belum menjadi sosok selembut Shafiyyah binti Huyay..

Begitu banyak PR Bunda, Nak..
Doakan Bunda untuk kuat dan konsisten memperbaiki diri dari waktu ke waktu..
Agar Bunda,, bisa memberikan teladan yang terbaik untuk anak-anak Bunda..
Semoga Allah tetap memberikan Bunda kesempatan untuk menatap bangga kesuksesan Ananda kelak..

Ya Allah, berkahilah anak-anakku..
Permudahkan setiap urusannya..
Ridhoi setiap langkah-langkah kecilnya dalam menuntut ilmu..
Berkahi usianyaa dan jadikan mereka anak-anak kebanggaan Ummat
Amin Yaa Rabbal'alamin,,,

                                                                    - Bunda,, yang mencintaimu karena Allah -


#Selamat Hari Ibu :)

- Annissah Kamia Septiani -

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by Salman Hameed

On Saturday I had posted about the increasing violence in Pakistan - both at institutional and individual levels. In particular, I wrote about the problematic Blasphemy Law that has led to the beatings, death and exile of so many individuals. Well - one person who claims responsibility for the shaping of this law is Maulana Tahir ul Qadri. He just returned to Pakistan after spending 5-years in Britain - and seems to be preparing for an election campaign. He also held a large rally in Lahore yesterday and apparently hundreds of thousands of people showed up.

But I wonder who will be running in the elections? Will it be the Urdu-speaking Tahir ul Qadri or the English-speaking Tahir ul Qadri? Apparently these two individuals completely disagree with each other - at least on the blasphemy law. Well - why don't you look at it yourself? For your pleasure, here is a short six-minute video of this bilingual and bi-opinion Maulana on the blasphemy law (and yes, there are english subtitles for his Urdu bits). I did have to check back to see if the Urdu and English maulanas were the same - and it seems that way. Wow!


Tahir Ul Qadri Lies -Caught Red Handed Facebook by maskerwa

(Tip from Farid Alvie)

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by Salman Hameed

I was disappointed by the mushy spirituality in the last third of the book. However, I think Ang Lee did a better job of handling that element in his film adaptation, Life of Pi. Plus it is a specular visual feast! Please see it in 3D - if you have a chance to do so.

Here is my review of Life of Pi with Kevin Anderson (and as usual, you can find all our reviews at film-autopsy.com):

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by Salman Hameed

The news coming out of Pakistan is getting grimmer by days. There seems to be a general breakdown of society at different levels. No it is not complete chaos yet - but if the present descent continues, it may very well be. There is an increasing power of the various religious factions and they are going after the minorities. Just this past month, over a hundred graves of Ahmadis were desecrated in upscale neighborhood in Lahore. The Shia minority have been facing an onslaught of attacks and death threats via text messages (also see this post about the protest against "Shia genocide"). The Pakistan-Taliban had threatened secular parties in northern Pakistan, and today they killed its prominent politician, Bashir Bilour, in a suicide blast in Peshawar. And amidst all of this, Karachi - Pakistan's largest city, is going through one of its most violent years ever (and that says a lot). All of the above links are just from the past 30 days!

And if this wasn't enough, just this past October, the Taliban decided to shoot 14-year old Malala in Swat - because she was critical of them. In addition, 5 female health workers were shot just last week in different parts of Karachi as they were immunizing kids from polio, and four more in northern Pakistan. As a result 3.5 million kids missed polio vaccinations as the work was abandoned by the UN.

But these grim tales are not limited to large scale organized violence only. At an individual level we have the blasphemy law that can bring the worst of the society. I have written extensively about the incredulous blasphemy case against my astronomer friend, Umair and his father, and the subsequent burning of their high-performing girls school in Lahore. I had compiled a list of some blasphemy-law related cases just from the month of October this year.

And now comes a chilling story of a mob lynching in Dadu over a blasphemy accusation:

A mob in Pakistan has stormed a police station and beaten to death a Muslim man accused of desecrating the Koran. 

The victim's body was then set alight, according to witnesses. 

The unnamed victim had earlier been handed over to the police after burnt pages of the Koran were found in a mosque in Dadu district, 330km (200 miles) north of Karachi, where he had been staying overnight. 

Hours later a mob went to the police station, seized the man and killed him.
The district police chief, Usman Ghani, told the BBC the gruesome incident was filmed on mobile phones. He said the footage was being reviewed to identify culprits.

What kind of individuals do this and what was going through the minds of individuals who thought of even making a video! Who is the video for? Their kids? A souvenir for their loved ones?

A more fortunate man was given death sentence in Chitral (northern Pakistan) for blasphemy, just this past month. And less than two weeks ago, protests erupted in Islamabad to demand the arrest of a doctor accused of blasphemy by his nephew.

This is a society in decline. Religion and religious factions in Pakistan are providing an easy route to chaos. But this has more to do with a central breakdown of any semblance of authority. The blasphemy law, then, is simply just one more log in the already existing fire. But fire it is.

Back in 2008, I had this comment after increasing number of attacks by the Taliban on Pakistan's intelligence agencies and elite military units:

This also underscores the general stability of Pakistan. If these bombers can hit some of the highest security targets, what hope do cities have from preventing such attacks. In fact, it almost seems that the organizations behind these attacks are, at present, simply showing-off their strength. They certainly seem capable of creating mass chaos in Iraq-style bombing campaign in cities, where the population is far greater than in Iraqi cities (by way of comparison, Iraq's population is ~25 millions, and Pakistan's is 165 million). 

[12/22 correction: Iraq's population today is 33 million and Pakistan's is 177 million]

I really hope and wish that Pakistan can somehow reverse this downward spiral into chaos. Otherwise, we are going to find out what an Iraq-style mess would look like in a population that is more than 5 times bigger than Iraq.

Apologies for a somber post. But this is just a reaction to one grim news after another from Pakistan. Hope next year will be better.

Here is an excellent cover of Zombie by Bakht Arif - commenting on the current state of Pakistan (tip Ayesha Siddiqa):

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by Salman Hameed

Pervez Hoodbhoy has just been appointed as a member of the Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters by the Secretary General of the United Nations. Very cool and congratulations to him. Here is the press release:

NEW YORK, 19 December (Office for Disarmament Affairs) — The Secretary-General of the United Nations recently appointed nine new members to his Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters to replace nine current ones whose terms will end on 31 December. 

Beginning their three-year terms on 1 January 2013 will be Wael al-Assad (Jordan), Mely Caballero-Anthony (Philippines), Sung-Joo Choi (Republic of Korea), Rut Diamint (Argentina), Trevor Findlay (Australia), Pervez Hoodbhoy (Pakistan), Eboe Hutchful (Ghana), Fred Tanner (Switzerland) and Wu Haitao (China). 

The Secretary-General has also appointed a current member, Desmond Bowen ( United Kingdom), to chair the Board’s two sessions in 2013.  The fifty-ninth session is scheduled from 27 February to 1 March in New York, and the sixtieth from 26 to 28 June in Geneva.
Established in 1978 pursuant to paragraph 124 of the Final Document of the tenth special session of the General Assembly, the Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters received its current mandate pursuant to Assembly decision 54/418 of 1 December 1999.  The Board has the following functions:  to advise the Secretary-General on matters within the area of arms limitation and disarmament, including on studies and research under the auspices of the United Nations or institutions within the United Nations system; to serve as the Board of Trustees of the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR); and to advise the Secretary-General on the implementation of the United Nations Disarmament Information Programme. 

Chosen by the Secretary-General for their knowledge and experience in the field of disarmament and international security, Board members serve in their personal capacities and do not represent their Governments.  There are currently 15 members, and the Director of UNIDIR is an ex officio member.  The Chairperson is appointed annually by the Secretary-General on the basis of regional rotation, and personally reports to him on the Board’s sessions.  In accordance with General Assembly resolution 38/183 O of 20 December 1983, the Secretary-General reports annually to the Assembly on the Advisory Board’s activities.

And here is his excellent documentary, Pakistan and India: Under the Nuclear Shadow (I think this is from 2000 - only a couple of years after the nuclear tests of India and Pakistan):

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by Salman Hameed

I have always liked Alan Lightman as a writer - both for his fantastic astrophysics graduate textbook and for his work of fiction. His new book, Mr g: A Novel about Creation, is on my reading list. In the mean time, here is a lecture where he talks about the differences in the way scientists and artists look at the world. Having excelled at both, he is the ideal person to comment on this. Enjoy! (his lecture starts about 10 minutes into the video):

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He finished praying and walked over his wife.

He sat down with her an took her hands

He began to read something while he held her fingers.

She asked, “what are you doing?”

He answered…


I’ve finished my prayer and got ready to do Tasbih on your hands so we can share AJAR, and Insha’allah we will be together in paradise too” :)
How many of us actually do this or even think of doing such good deeds? Lets take the opportunity to start doing such good acts to increase love between our spouses InshaAllah.

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by Salman Hameed

Since the world is still intact, we will continue with the posts here.

This week's Nature has a nice graphic of scientific publications in 2012. The sky scrappers below are U.S., China, and a number of European countries, along with Canada and Japan. A few Muslim countries are in the one and two-storey buildings. Pakistan - the nuclear state - does not even show up (the cut-off was 6000 papers from Jan-Oct, and it includes 39 countries). Click to see the larger version of the figure:

The surprising element here is Saudi Arabia - where there is a 33% increase in publications from the previous year. I don't know what this means. It is quite likely that these are papers are from researchers associated with KAUST, where many hold multi affiliations (see this earlier post: Saudi universities buying academic prestige?). Nevertheless - it is good to see this increase in publications from Saudi Arabia. Turkey, Malaysia, and Egypt have maintained roughly the same levels of publications from 2011, with Iran showing a slight increase. If you are looking for rising states, China, South Korea and India are showing consistent increases in their publication rates from year to year. Just as a reminder, here is the plot from last year, where Iran had the largest increase from year prior (click to see the larger version of the figure):

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I usually don’t have a good answer for why I’ve not gotten around to filming certain iconic dishes like risotto, beef Wellington, and puff pastry; but when it comes to lobster bisque, I do have a great excuse.

I won’t bore you with the details of how the tradition started (translation: I don’t remember), but for as long as I can remember, I’ve always made lobster bisque on Christmas Eve, to celebrate my sister-in-law Jennifer’s birthday.

And since the few days leading up to Christmas are always so busy and hectic with shopping, cooking, and travel, I’ve just never felt like I’ve had the time to set up the camera to properly film the procedure. Well, this year I decided to give it a go, and despite all the aforementioned challenges, I was very happy with how this came out.

One word of warning: this recipe requires live lobsters, brandy, and heavy cream. If you can’t get, or don’t want to use those ingredients, then you’ll have to make something else. Sorry, but this recipe is too sacred for substitutions.

Speaking of live lobsters, I know many are skeptical that these “bugs” can actually feel pain, but to play it safe, I recommend putting them in the freezer for 20 or 30 minutes to knock them out cold before their ultimate demise.

I only showed the cracking and the picking of the lobster meat very briefly, as this video was already too long for my tastes, but below I’ll link an additional tutorial that show this in more detail. Yes, this soup takes a little bit of work and expense, but I think you’ll agree with me (and Jennifer) that all the effort is well worth it. Enjoy!

Makes about 1 1/2 quarts:
2 live lobsters (about 1 1/2 pounds each)
1 onion, chopped
2 rib celery, chopped
3 quarts cold water (this will reduce by about half during the entire cooking process)
3 cloves garlic
4 springs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1 cup crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 tsp paprika
1/3 cup white long grain rice
2 tbsp cheap brandy (inexpensive brandy tends to be a little sweeter, and works well here)
1/2 cup heavy cream, or more if you like it creamier
salt and cayenne to taste
1 tbsp chopped tarragon to garnish

Bonus Lobster Meat Recovery Video: 
This video shows the picking of the lobster meat in much more detail than I did. Since they are boiling the lobster, you can just skip to the part where he is liberating all the meat. For more general lobster info, you can also check out this page on Allrecipes.

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Only Allah The Only One God Know about the Dooms day.
Mayans Calender and other philosophies and  stories are fake.

Read The Qur'an and Sayings of the Last Prophet of God !
And know about the Signs of The Last Day The Day of Judgement !

1. Appearance of the Mahdi atop a white horse
2. The false messiah, Masih ad-Dajjal, shall appear as a great beast-like creature with one eye good and the other blind, and the mark of Kafir. He will claim to hold keys to heaven and hell and lead many astray, although believers will not be deceived.
3. The return of Jesus Christ, from the seventh sky to assist the Mahdi against Dajjal
4. Ya'jooj and Ma'jooj, two tribes of vicious beings which had been imprisoned will escape. They will ravage the earth, drink all its water, and destroy all life. Allah will eventually send worms and insects to wipe them out.
5. Medina will be deserted, with true believers going to follow Mahdi and sinners following Dajjal
6. A short legged and thin ruler of Ethiopia will attack Mecca and destroy the Kabah
7. Dabbat al-ard, or the Beast of the Last Days will populate the entire planet
8. A pleasant breeze will blow from Yeme that shall cause all believers to die
9. The sun will rise from the west
10. A first trumpet will sound, and all remaining humanity will die, followed by a period of forty years, at the end of which smoke will envelope the world for forty days
11. The Qur'an will be taken to heaven and even the huffaz will not recall its verses
12. A second trumpet will sound, the dead will return to life and a fire will start from Hadramawt in Yemen that shall gather all people of the world in Mahshar for the Qiy'amah

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رابط الحفظ

اضغط هنا

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Kami sadari jalan ini kan penuh onak dan duri

Aral menghadang dan kezhaliman yang akan kami hadapi

Kami relakan jua serahkan dengan tekad di hati

Jasad ini, darah ini sepenuh ridho Illahi

Kami adalah panah-panah terbujur

Yang siap dilepaskan dari busur

Tuju sasaran, siapapun pemanahnya

Kami adalah pedang-pedang terhunus

Yang siap terayun menebas musuh

Tiada peduli siapapun pemegangnya

Asalkan ikhlas di hati tuk hanya ridho Illahi Robbi...

Kami adalah tombak-tombak berjajar

Yang siap di lontarkan dan menghujam

Menembus dada, lantakkan keangkuhan

Kami adalah butir-butir peluru

Yang siap ditembakkan dan melaju

Dan mengoyak, menumbang kezhaliman

Asalkan ikhlas di hati tuk jumpa wajah Illahi Rabbi...

Kami adalah mata pena yang tajam

Yang siap menuliskan kebenaran

Tanpa ragu ungkapkan keadilan

Kami pisau belati yang slalu tajam

Bak kesabaran yang tak pernah padam

Tuk arungi da'wah ini jalan panjang

Asalkan ikhlas di hati menuju jannah Illahi Robbi...

#Kami sadar, perjuangan kami tidaklah mudah..

Perjuangan kami tak kan pernah lepas dari rasa lelah.. 

Rasa gundah,, bosan,, 

Bahkan kami sadari, kami rentan menghadapi kefuturan..

Tapi satu azzam kami,, 

Perjuangan ini adalah perjuangan kami bersama.

Kami yakin.. perjuangan ini tak akan sia-sia..

Karna kami yakin.. tak pernah melangkah sendiri..

          dan kami yakin,, tak ada yang sia-sia

                   dalam perjuangan menjemput ridho Illahi.."


terinspirasi dari lagu Shoutul Harakah - Tekad

Shared by : Annissah Kamia Septiani
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- dakwahtuna.com

Artikel mengenai keindahan sebuah ukhuwah islamiyah,ukhuwah yang terjalin murni karena rasa kekeluargaan dan keinginan untuk menjaga satu sama lain,ukhuwah yang berlandaskan asas manfaat untuk sesama.
Semoga artikel ini menjadi penyemangat kita untuk bergerak bersama melakukan dakwah dimana pun kita berada :D
Keep fighting because we'll never walk alone !


Dakwah seperti telah kita ketahui akan selalu ada di bumi ini, tinggal diri kita yang menentukan apakah akan bergabung di dalamnya atau tidak. Dakwah kampus juga demikian, namun lebih ditekankan pada proses belajar tentang dakwah pasca kampus. Dakwah kampus ibaratnya prototipe dari dakwah setelah di kampus. Masalah-masalah yang dihadapi, tantangan dan ujian di dalam dakwah kampus menjadi kawah candradimuka bagi kader-kadernya. Sehingga setelah pasca kampus akan lebih siap menghadapi rintangan dan ujian yang lebih besar lagi.

Dalam dakwah kampus juga terdapat sistem yang mengatur di dalamnya, terdapat qiyadah, jundi, dan manhaj. Lalu, kita mengenal kerja-kerja dakwah yang disebut dengan amal jama’i. Sesederhana itukah dakwah kita? Ternyata tidak, ada hal-hal lain yang menjadi penopang amalan dakwah dan amal jama’i. Ruhiyah kita mesti terjaga, ukhuwah kita mesti terjalin dengan erat. Ketika amalan dakwah terasa hambar atau kurang ada perkembangannya, maka yang pertama dilihat adalah ruhiyahnya dan yang kedua adalah ukhuwah.

Ruhiyah mungkin sudah banyak kita mengetahuinya, oleh karena itu tulisan ini ingin berbagi tentang ukhuwah, suatu hal yang terasa dekat dan mudah namun ternyata kita masih gamang dalam melaksanakannya. Tulisan ini sedikit refleksi bagi kita, mungkin ukhuwah kita selama ini belumlah ukhuwah terbaik yang kita berikan kepada saudara kita.

Kita mengenal tingkatan-tingkatan dalam ukhuwah. Ternyata, untuk menuju itsar itu tidak mudah, bahkan sering kita merasa sudah sampai tahap saling tolong menolong, padahal kita belum mengenal siapa saudara seperjuangan kita dengan baik dan mendalam. Boleh jadi kita merasa telah membantu saudara kita, ternyata sesungguhnya saudara kita itu tidak membutuhkan bantuan yang kita berikan. Sederhananya kita salah memberi bantuan.
Banyak kader dakwah yang beraktivitas tetapi juga berkutat dengan permasalahan dirinya, seperti masalah keluarga, keuangan, dan akademis banyak ditemui di kalangan aktivis dakwah kampus. Bahkan, termasuk diri kita yang sedang menghadapi masalah tersebut. Kondisi ini terkadang membuat amalan dakwah menjadi kurang maksimal, beberapa kader mampu menghadapi masalahnya sehingga amalan dakwah tetap berjalan dengan profesional, namun yang lain tidak demikian. Pada keadaan seperti itulah ukhuwah seharusnya tampak.
Tak mudah untuk memberi perhatian ketika diri kita pun memiliki permasalahan yang harus diselesaikan. Namun, menjadi egois ketika saudara seperjuangan tidak kita coba bantu menyelesaikan permasalahannya. Pada saat seperti itulah ukhuwah menjadi sebuah ujian.

Ikhwah fillah, sesungguhnya dalam berukhuwah ada pelajaran lain yang bisa kita ambil. Pelajaran tentang empati yang membuat kita mampu lebih memahami saudara kita dan mampu memberikan bantuan yang terbaik bagi saudara kita. Empati itu hadir ketika kita mau belajar untuk mendengarkan tentang kabar saudara kita. Bukan sekedar mendengarkan biasa, tetapi memaknai setiap kabar yang diceritakan oleh saudara kita. Bukan pula mendengarkan secara basa-basi dimana telinga kita mendengarkan tetapi pikiran kita jauh ke hal lain. Empati akan muncul dari diri kita yang mampu mendengar dengan hati dan pikiran yang berada di sini dan saat ini.
Kita juga belajar tentang pengorbanan dalam berukhuwah, membantu seorang saudara terkadang harus mengorbankan sesuatu hal yang pada diri kita. Ikhlas adalah kunci untuk kita dapat menikmati pengorbanan itu. Berkorban tanpa menuntut adanya balasan terhadap apa yang kita lakukan. Berkorban karena kita ingin mengungkapkan rasa cinta kita pada sahabat seperjuangan.

Ikhwah fillah, adakalanya dalam berukhuwah kita menjadi sedikit lebih feminin. Bukan berarti mengubah perilaku kita, tetapi mencoba menggunakan sifat-sifat feminin dalam berinteraksi membangun ukhuwah dengan saudara kita. Maskulin identik dengan superioritas, ingin menonjol, dan ambisi yang besar. Sedangkan feminin identik dengan sifat mengalah, tidak menonjol atau setara dengan yang lain, dan mampu menutupi ambisinya. Dalam membangun ukhuwah juga demikian, kita mencoba lebih feminin dengan mau menjadi pendengar yang baik, tidak meremehkan permasalahan, dan mampu menunjukkan empati terhadap kondisi yang dihadapi saudara kita.

Ikhwah fillah, ketika kita menginginkan ukhuwah yang terjalin dengan erat, maka senantiasa kita coba hadirkan wajah-wajah saudara seperjuangan kita, wajah-wajah keluarga kita dalam lantunan doa rabithah kita. Tak lupa pula kita sekedar menyapa saudara-saudara kita dengan senyum dan perkataan yang baik. Semoga Allah mempertemukan kita di surgaNya kelak.


Shared by : Bimo Setiotomo


Sumber: http://www.dakwatuna.com/2011/10/15835/sedikit-tentang-ukhuwah/#ixzz2FbwaExSp
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I’ve always wondered why Cumberland sauce wasn’t more popular around the holidays. It’s such a delicious and versatile condiment, and just as easy and fast to make as any cranberry sauce out there.  Maybe it’s the name?

Cumberland sauce sounds more like something that the Queen would be spooning over a Quail en Croute than it does Uncle Charlie over a slice of ham. However, despite this sassy sauce’s upper-crusty sounding name, it’s actually quite rustic.

My “Black Cumberland” version uses black currants instead of the traditional red, and also includes some very browned-blackened onions, but like all similar recipes, this begs for even further adaptation depending on the meat. Maybe a little mint for lamb, or a touch of cardamom for that smoked duck breast?

Notwithstanding any flavor variations, you will still need to decide whether to serve hot or not. I definitely prefer the thick, shiny cooled-down version as shown, but happily, there’s no wrong choice. I hope you give this extra special holiday sauce a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients to make about 1 1/2 cups Cumberland Sauce:
1 tsp vegetable oil
1/2 cup minced onions
1 cup black or red currant jelly

zest from 2 oranges and 1 lemon

1/3 cup red wine

1/2 cup orange juice

2-3 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp black pepper, or to taste

1 tbsp brown sugar

1/4 tsp dry mustard

pinch cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp ground ginger

salt to taste

View the complete recipe

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I've been wanting to use Biscoff Spread inside a cookie for awhile and then I saw this delicious recipe for Molasses Ginger Cookies on Table for Two and I thought it would be the perfect cookie combination and I was so right!  These cookies are so super delicious without the biscoff spread but when you add it between two cookies.....WOW!

 

Ingredients:

 

 

2 1/4 cup all purpose flour

2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

1/8 tsp ground cloves (the recipe called for 1/2 teaspoon but I don't really like cloves so I cut it down)

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup dark brown sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup molasses

1 jar of Biscoff Spread (you will probably only need about a cup or so to spread inside each cookie sandwich)
 

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line baking sheet with a silpat liner or parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and brown sugar until creamy and fluffy. Add in the the egg and molasses. Beat until incorporated.

Slowly add in the dry ingredients until just combined. Refrigerate dough for an hour or so to firm it up and make it easier to handle.  Drop about 1/2 teaspoon of cookie dough into a shallow bowl filled with turbinado sugar, cover dough with sugar and then gently roll into a ball and place on lined cookie sheet.   Bake for 10-12 minutes. Let sit for 5 minutes before removing baking sheets. Let cool completely on a wire rack.   Spread about a teaspoon of Biscoff Spread on the bottom of a cookie and then top with another cookie to create a sandwich.  Store in an airtight container

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NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

Instagram shocked users with an update to its terms of service that will let the company sell users' photos to other companies.

The new terms of use, effective January 16, are littered with changes throughout -- but the biggest changes came in the section about users' rights. "A business or other entity may pay" Instagram to display users' photos and other details "in connection with paid or sponsored content or promotions, without any compensation to you."

Even minors are subject to the new terms: "If you are under the age of eighteen .... you represent that at least one of your parents or legal guardians has also agreed to this provision." Users can't opt out of the new provisions. The only way to avoid them is to delete your Instagram account altogether.

The updated terms significantly broaden what Instagram can currently do with users' content. The current terms simply note that "Instagram may place such advertising and promotions on the Instagram Services or on, about, or in conjunction with your Content."

Hammering the point home, Instagram changed the current language about users granting a "limited license" for use of their content. The new terms make it a "sub-licensable" agreement, again making it clear that Instagram can give content to third parties. It could, for instance, let a major retail chain buy Instagram photos of people shopping in their stores to run in an ad.

Instagram representatives did not respond to a request for comment. The company sent out a tweet Tuesday afternoon that says: "We've heard you that the updates to our Privacy Policy & Terms of Service are raising a lot of questions. We'll have more to share very soon."

The policy changes come three months after Facebook's (FB) $1 billion acquisition of Instagram was finalized. Facebook already has an ad product, called "Sponsored Stories," that incorporates users' Facebook endorsements. It led to a class-action lawsuit; Facebook is currently negotiating to settle the case. In the meantime, it adjusted the controls for Sponsored Stories, allowing users to limit what gets shared. Users can't, however, opt out entirely.

Something like Sponsored Stories appears to be what Instagram has in mind.

"Let's say a business wanted to promote their account to gain more followers and Instagram was able to feature them in some way," the company wrote in its blog.

The rest of Instagram's policy updates focused on items including spam, hacking and bullying. The overhaul adds much more legalese throughout.

A note at the top of the new terms, in bolded caps, says that any dispute between Instagram and a user "will be resolved by binding, individual arbitration," unless the user opts out of the provision in writing. (If you want to do that, you need to snail mail in your opt-out statement. The address is buried in the Terms of Use: search for "Arbitration Opt-out.")

What's more, users waive their rights to a class-action lawsuit or class-wide arbitration.

The photo-selling provisions is the one that made the headlines, though, and users took to social networks to complain.

Some people appear to be prepping to delete their accounts. One photo-export program, Instaport, crashed soon after a Wired article linked to it. Instaport's website read: "We are expecting high traffic right now. If you have problems downloading your photos, please try again tomorrow or the next days."


Source: http://money.cnn.com/2012/12/18/technology/social/instagram-sell-photos/
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by Salman Hameed

Well, the End is near. The Mayan calendar is about to end on December 21st. In order to better prepare you for Finality, here is our recommendation of 5 best End of the World films - and one film to avoid at all cost.

Here is our Film Autopsy:

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BEAUTIFUL ISLAMIC ADVISES!!!

# Fear ALLAH.
# If u speak, speak truth.
# Do not go after the world even though it may run after you

# Act to gain reward from ALLAH and for the Hereafter.
# Do not give up bidding for good and forbidding from evil lest the wrongdoers get positions over you and ur prayers will not b granted.
# Be an enemy of the oppressors and helper of the oppressed.
# Keep ur affairs in order.
# Maintain good relations among yourselves.
# Keep Allah in view in the matter of prayer, because it is the pillar of your religion.
# Keep Allah in the matter of your neighbours. Because they were the subject of the Prophet’s advice. He went advising in their favor till his friends thought he allow them a inheritance.
# Keep Allah in view in the matter of QURAN. No one should excel u in acting upon it.
# Keep Allah in view in the matter of jihad with the help of ur property, life and tongue in the way of Allah.
# Avoid turning away from one another and severing mutual relations.
# U should strive for regard in kinship and spending for others.
# Keep Allah in the matter of orphans. So do not allow them to starve and they shouldn’t b ruined in your presence.
# Keep Allah in view in the matter of Allah’s house. Do not forsake it so long as u live, because if it is abandoned, you won’t be spared.

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