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Tuesday, 07 December 2021 02:44 GMT
Sri Lankan Muslims and Buddhists slug it out on Rohingyas
9/17/2017 10:43:14 AM
(MENAFN- NewsIn.Asia) Colombo, September 17: Reflecting the sharp communal divide in the country, Sri Lankan Muslims and Buddhists have been holding counter demonstrations in the island nation, opposing each other's stand point on the Rohingya Muslim issue in Myanmar, writes P.K.Balachandran in South Asian Monitor.
Both communities see the tragic events in Myanmar as a Muslim-Buddhist issue and not as a humanitarian or a human rights issue of humongous proportions.
It was in the Muslim-majority areas in Sri Lanka's Eastern Province that Muslims began demonstrating against the merciless killing of Rohingyas in Myanmar's Rakhine State.
The Muslim movement then spread to Jaffna in the Northern Province, where the Muslims had themselves suffered ethnic cleansing at the hands of the Tamil militants in 1990, when 90,000 of them were asked to leave in 24 hours. They trickled back to their homes only after the Tamil militants were defeated in 2009.
Muslim leaders in the capital city of Colombo, including those in the ruling United National Party (UNP), took up the issue subsequently, demanding international action against the Myanmar government.
Protesters also pointed out that it is ironical that Muslim organizations in Sri Lanka, which claim that Muslims in the island are not secure due to the violent activities of some Buddhist movements, should now ask Sri Lanka to accommodate Rohingya Muslims.
'If Sri Lanka is not secure for Muslims, why are they clamoring for acceptance Rohingya Muslim refugees in Sri Lanka? It is sheer opportunism,' they said.
'They would create communal tension here and disturb social harmony,' Gammanpila warned.
There are a few Rohingyas in Sri Lanka who had come by boat and by air following communal disturbances in Myanmar in 2012. There has been no recent influx.
Gammanpila maintained that much of the news about atrocities against the Rohingyas is 'fabricated' by the US and other international players wanting to destabilize developing countries; get an excuse to intervene; and re-impose their hegemony.
'As a country which had waged a 30-year war against Tamil terrorists, Sri Lanka has the bitter experience of facing manipulations by the Western Powers. Fabricated news in the international media about atrocities against the Tamils led to international intervention and stopped our attempts to nip Tamil terrorism in the bud,' Gammanpila recalled.
Dilantha Vithanage, CEO of the radical Buddhist Bodu Bala Sena (BBS), endorsed the stand of China and India that the Rohingya issue is basically a terrorist one and that the Myanmar government government's tough actions are justifiable.
'We should not forget that the Rohingya issue has its genesis in a Muslim separatist movement in the 1940s. We also feel that the Western media is spreading exaggerated accounts as sensationalism sells,' Vithanage said.
Giving the Muslim view, Hyder Ali, a functionary of the All Ceylon Jamiyathul Ulama (ACJU), called upon all Sri Lankans, irrespective of their faith, to see the Rohingya issue as a humanitarian one and not as a 'Muslim' issue.
'Buddhists should view it from the stand point of the Buddha, and ask if Buddha would have allowed the atrocities? Did'nt the Buddhist leader, Dalai Lama, say that if the Buddha were alive now, he would have supported the Rohingyas?' Ali said.
'The Rakhine coastline has great strategic value. And the area is rich in minerals. China and the US would like this place to be secure one for them so that they can pursue their economic and strategic objectives safely,' Ahamed said.
'As for the Myanmar government, it would like Rakhine State to be populated fully by the majority Burmese Buddhist community. What is going on is systematic ethnic cleansing,' he said.
(The featured picture at the top shows Muslims in Jaffna demonstrating against the killing of Rohingyas in Myanmar)<eot>The Luzerne County administration is rethinking plans to cancel participation in a state bug spraying program, sources say.
County management eliminated $75,000 from the 2013 budget for blackfly spraying because the state did not supply documentation showing the program has proven results. The administration had planned to conduct spraying in-house if problems surfaced.
However, some County Council members and citizens expressed concern about pulling out of the program.
Prior commissioners considered a similar spraying cancellation on the advice of an outside financial recovery consultant in 2010, but they reversed their decision after the state warned the Susquehanna River generates “tremendous numbers of adult gnats that will adversely impact outdoor recreation activities throughout the county.”
Read more: http://www.timesleader.com/news/local-news/423374/Officials-take-another-look-at-gnat-problem
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By Roy • Posted in Politics, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton • Tagged bank accounts, employee paid holidays, finance, furloughed employees return to work, gnats, home rule charter, Luzerne County, Luzerne County Council, new hires, Politics, software, Susquehanna River<eot>"... . In this paper we present a new technique for performance modelling and a tool supporting this approach. Performance Evaluation Process Algebra (PEPA) [1] is an algebraic language which can beused to build models of computer systems which capture information about the performance of the system. The ..."<eot>Beauty is very much in the eye of the beholder and this, of course, applies to the intricate engraving designs found on shotguns. Engraving is a very subjective issue and at Longthorne we try to have a selection in our standard guns to suit everyone’s taste, from the heavily engraved Nouveau and Celtic models to the more subtle Rose & Scroll and Hesketh designs, but some clients want a little bit more to make their guns that little bit more special.
If you are going to have your gun customised, no matter where, it is always worth thinking carefully about the design because it can affect the re-sale value in the future if you or a family member may want to sell it. That said, we are quite often asked to personalise guns for clients for all sorts of reasons, and with very personal aspects, we try to be as subtle and/or classical as possible. Although, we concede that this concept did not apply to a certain coal miner from Wales with a Purdey gun embellished with the portrait of Margaret Thatcher, so there are exceptions!
It is worth thinking about where on the gun you would like personalisation, for example on one occasion we inserted a message on the inside of the lock plate of the gun so that the owner knew it was there but it remained subtle. Under the top lever is also a good place and on a trigger guard, which could be exchanged for a replacement if required. We receive some interesting enquiries. We once had an enquiry from a gentleman farmer about having his cows put on one of our guns. Currently residing in the Antipodes, we have an engraving of a crocodile with a duck in its mouth, an interesting commission for our artist. Family crests can look very pleasing and quite regal.
Irrespective of how the engraving is going to be applied to your gun, it must first be designed. We are very lucky to be able to utilise the talents of our resident artist , and family member, Chloe Stewart, who is able to work with clients if they have something specific in mind.
One of our most challenging commissions was to engrave the portrait of one of our Client’s wives on the underside of his pair of guns
There are other considerations though, For example, although it is possible to create a drawing from a photograph, the final interpretation will never be identical to the photograph because for the best result the finished engraving has to consist of vectors (lines) and pixels(dots) whether done by hand or mechanical means. It is possible to scan a photograph into a machine and reproduce this, however it can result in something which looks like a photocopy, lacking detail and looking ‘flat’. Some manufacturers do use this method as it cuts corners; it takes a great deal of time to recreate a photograph by drawing it however the end result is much better.
Gun manufacturers use many methods, or indeed combinations of methods, to apply engraving. These include:
A quick and easy way of achieving a repeated design, but doesn’t always maintain detail or consistencey as the rollers eventually wear and have to be replaced or recut. This method is an older method and tends to be used on less expensive guns.
This involves marking out the patterne which you do not want to remove and the applying – sometimes by spraying or agitating in an acid solution. It is good for cutting deep reliefs prior to final engraving.
This is similar to chemical etching and can achieve a high level of accuracy and has few ‘burrs’. It can look a bit ‘flat’, but can work well when used in conjunction with other methods.
This method has become more popular in recent years due to the advent of high speed, highly accurate machines and micro cutters which can maintain excellent detail. The drawback is the time it takes to generate the initial program: this can often take longer than hand engraving so not such a cost effective method for small batches.
Advances in this technology over recent years has led to some outstanding and very detailed results dependent on the type of laser used, some are better than others.
Hand engravers also sometimes use mechanical means to assist them including acid/phot etching for some applications, although of course a high percentage is done by hand using either an electronic graver or a manual implement. Manufacturers also sometimes us a laser to lay out the design initially onto the metal, which the engraver can then follow by hand, Hand engraving takes great skill and artistic interpretation to achieve the best results.
At Longthorne we start with a drawing and then use a number of different mechanical methods, depending on the design in question, and finally hand finish to ensure the final finish has a high level of detail, bearing in mind that the material we use for our guns is extremely hard in its raw state and would be very arduous, but not impossible, to manipulate completely by hand. We also do all our gold inlaying by hand, and occasionally engage the services of a hand engraver.
The human race have been engraving in one form or another since occupying the earth and have always used the tools available to them. As gun manufacturers we make no apologies for the technology we use, it is technically advance, produces excellent results and take great artistic flare and skill to utilise its potential and achieve the best results.<eot>Divination - Raven's Caw
Divination Divinationis the art or practise of foretelling the future using different methods that the divinor may decide. The art of Divination has been practised by all countries, cultures and religeons around the world for thousands of years. It is the art of revealing hidden knowledge even of the past and present.
It was studies over two thousand years ago in China by the study of cracked eggs for Divination. Some of the most popular forms of divination incluse tarot cards, runes, astrology and dowsing. But in the past there were times in history when divination was considered a crime and in fact still is in many countries today Many witches know atleast one or more forms of divination and usually specize in atleast one. My favorites are tarot, crystal scrying, cloud divination,. Types of Divination CRYSTAL SCRYING Merlin and John Dee used a crystal globe for scrying. Because of the cost of rock crystal balls many people use a glass ball but this is not advisable. Brazil has the best crystal rocks in the world. Although crystals may grow to a considerable length, they seldom exceed one inch in thickness. There are however some exceptions. Flaws in a crystal such as cracks, bubbles and discolorations do not make crystal unfit for scrying although they may distract your attention. Size is however not important and bigger does not mean it will be better. Crystal scrying should be done in near or total darkness. The main thing is to avoid reflections on the surface of the crystal. The best method is to use the light of a candle when scrying but make sure the candle does not reflect in the ball. Focus your gaze on the centre of the crystal not on its surface. Try looking through the crystal as if it were a mirror upon the astral world. The first thing you may see is clouds that change colour. Eventually a mist will spread outwards from the centre of the crystal to reveal images. When you scry for visions sooner or later you will achieve communication from the spirits. These spirits will help you to understand what you have seen in the visions. It may be helpful to charge your crystal ball once a month with moonlight. Place the ball in a glass bowl of natural water in the glow of a full moon.
MIRROR SCRYING Mirror scrying is an evolved form of water scrying. When it became possible to build mirrors they were regarded as being like water that was fixed into one place. The early mirrors were made of polished copper, brass, marcasite, tin foil or mercury behind glass, polished silver and obsidian. All types of mirrors may be used for scrying and the size is not important. Because mirrors are linked to the moon mirrors should be backed with silver. Try and use a round or oval mirror instead of a square mirror. For the frame try and use a mirror that has a silver frame. Old mirrors also seem to work better than new mirrors. Most seers prefer to use a black mirror. Because this is difficult to buy you may have to make one. Just simply take out the glass and paint it black. You may have to give it a few coats of paint though. When you put it back in the frame make sure the glass part is to the front. The use of black mirrors may be traced back over the centuries. John Dee used a black mirror of obsidian. When using the black mirror for scrying you do not want to see your reflexion. The best is to leave the mirror on a table and look at it from an angle. Look into the depths of the mirror as though you were looking into a bowl of water. At first it may appear grey than colours will come and go. With time and practise you will be able to see scried images like still photographs or moving film images. Spirits may sometimes look at the scryer, talk to the scryer or even touch the scryer. The visions may even exist outside the mirror and surround the scryer on all sides.
CLOUD SCRYING Throughout history symbols of political or religeous importance have been seen in the clouds. In A.D. 312 when Emperor Constantine was marching against the army of Maxentius at Rome, both he and his entire army saw a shining cross of light amid the clouds. It was said the cross contained the Greek words "By This Conquer". Later that night Christ appeared to Constantine in his dreams bearing a cross in his hand ordering Constantine to have a military starndard made in the same image. Under this standard his outnumbered army was victorious. Down through history entire military battles have been witnessed in the clouds. Some of the U.F.O. Sightings have in fact turned out to be disk shaped cloud formations. Generally cloud scrying is done on days when cloud conditions are good. Having too few or too many clouds is no good for scrying. The best is when the clouds are thick. Find a nice location to lie down and just relax. Try not to focus on any one cloud but rather allow the clouds to drift across your view. Visions cannot be forced, they will come naturally when the time is right.
ICHING The iching does not give you specific answers to your questions but rather reveals patterns which helps you arrive at the answer you seek. Answers are given in 64 hexagrams of solid lines (yang) and broken lines (yin). These represent a state of being.
ORACLE An Oracle is a person who acts as a go between for those who seek council from the Gods. Some people use an Oracle to seek a prophecy. Sometimes the Oracle will take on the role of being a medium whose soul is temporarily taken over so as to pass on the information. Oracles have been used by the Dalai Lama and as well in ancient cultures such as Greece.
OMENS An omen is a sign that relates to a future event. It may or may not give a time frame as to when this event will occur. Some omens are signs of good fortune while others are a sign of impending misfortune.<eot>It was an emotional night at the King's Hall in Ilkley on Saturday 3rd December. Dave received a standing ovation as he walked on stage and before he had sung a note, and we knew it was going to be a special night.
Dave and the band gave it absolutely everything, knowing that it would be the last time that he would be singing those songs, and the last time he would be performing on stage - not to mention Dave Graham's impending departure too!
The band ploughed their way through two hours worth of material, including "Dancin' Party" "Rock 'n' Roll Lady", "Sea Cruise", "Remember Then", "Pretty Little Angel Eyes", as well as newer songs such as "Bobabloo", and Dave even sung the first few lines of "Swansong".
As the band walked off stage after the final encore of "Old Time Rock 'n' Roll", lining up for a bow, and with "Swansong" blasting out over the PA, there were a few tears being shed!
And so we go to 2012, with the band still on the road and the first gig with the revised line up is on 28th January. Showaddywaddy will be around for many more years yet!
Showaddywaddy are just about to complete their 38th year on the road and the band again toured the length and breadth of the country in the earlier in the year, and the the tour was a great success!
Rod Deas: "Dave will always be a very close friend who I respect and admire tremendously both as a musician and as a person. He should feel proud of his massive contribution to the band both musically and in his role as manager. I'd like to thank Dave for fantastic memories that we have from the 38 years of Showaddywaddy and wish him every happiness in the future".
Since Dave's announcement, the band have performed two dates at Leamington and Selsey where they went down a storm. Following the last couple of dates in 2011 with the present line-up, the revised band take to the road early in 2012, and will be embarking on "The Greatest Hits Tour" from February. SWW will be playing hits (and more) in their full length original form. Get your tickets today!
News is now sinking in of Dave Bartam's imminent departure from the band which was announced late on Sunday evening.
Dave published a thank you message to the fans (below), in which he reveals a forthcoming book publication, with another in the pipeline, news of what he will be doing after leaving the band, and a heartfelt farewell to all the fans who have followed and supported the band over the years.
Dave's 'swansong' will be at Ilkley in West Yorkshire on Saturday 3rd December 2011 and no doubt many a tear will be shed on the night.
Despite some hesitation from fans about Showaddywaddy in 2012, Romeo Challenger had these reassuring words:
"My message to the fans is to keep the faith - Showaddywaddy will be around for many more years yet."
"After much soul searching, the day has finally come for me to call time on what can only be described as an incredible career. The words of the Frank Sinatra song My Way seem appropriate at this moment, "And now the end is near and so I face the final curtain" , and indeed it will be strange no longer being on the road with Rod, Romeo & the guys in the future.
However, I've felt the need to move on for a while now, and my well being has been hampered by asthmatic problems for some time, which has taken away the pleasure I used to feel when performing.
I've had many second thoughts about taking the decision to quit, but recently at a caravan park gig in Rhyl, I realised I really didn't want to do live performances any longer, and that the magic was gone for me.
Many people think I'm retiring, this is far from the case. I will be continuing in my managerial capacity, handling the affairs of the re-modelled band, who take to the road in January totally with my blessing.
I also will be having my first book published in the near future, and will obviously keep everyone informed as to developments on that front. A second book is also in the pipeline, along with my involvement with an English speaking newspaper in Portugal. I have plans underway to form a promotions company, which will take me out on the road from time to time, which will stop me getting fidgety, so I will be busy as I ever was.
Showaddywaddy has been an absolute blast. 38 years in one of Europe's top rock & roll band's has been just wonderful, and it's been a privilege to front the band for all that time.
What has never ceased to amaze me has been the loyalty of our followers and fans, many whom I now know personally. I want to thank every single one of them for your support over so many amazing years. I've thus far received approaching 100 emails and messages from well wishers, some of which have touched me greatly, and I will treasure those words which mean the world to me.
I hope each and every one of you will continue to give the new formation every chance to keep the name of Showaddywaddy alive and kicking. I know it will seem different with a few new faces on board, but rest assured these guys are hugely talented.
Finally I just want to say how much I will miss you all, and thankyou again for making my time with the band so exciting and such a pleasure. It has been my life, and not a bad one at that."
Showaddywaddy frontman Dave Bartram has quit as the band's singer – saying he had lost "the fire in his belly." Dave, 59, who formed the Leicester crepe crusaders in 1973, says it was not an easy decision to make.
But after a disastrous gig in a Welsh caravan park earlier this year, the musician said he knew he had played his last encore.
Dave, who lives in Gaulby, near Scraptoft, said: "It was utterly dreadful, the facilities were terrible, there wasn't enough power to the stage, it was complete sweat box and it was full of totally drunk people.
"I stood on stage and thought 'I can't do this any more. Over the years, we got the odd bad gig, but this was different. Something snapped inside me and I knew that was it."
The rock 'n' roll performer said he would still manage the band's business affairs and that relations with the other member of the group were as strong as ever. He said: "The rest of the guys know they have my complete blessing to carry on, and there's no animosity between us at all. I've had a fantastic career, but I've been thinking about stepping down for a while now. To continue without that fire in my belly wouldn't be fair on the fans, so I thought it was time to bow out gracefully."
Dave said he is now concentrating on promoting his book – a humorous account of the band's 2005 tour of 33 caravan parks across Britain. He also works as a music writer on the English language paper The Brit, which is sold in Portugal and Germany. He added: "I've got plenty of things to keep me busy. The first book isn't even in the shops yet and we're talking about a second."
Showaddywaddy was formed after amalgamating two bands – Choise and The Golden Hammers – both of which played regular gigs at the Fosse Way pub, in Leicester. Their first single, Hey Rock and Roll, written by the band, was released in April 1974, reaching number two in the chart. The band then went on to have a 22 UK hits.
Of all the band's glory days, Dave recalls one special night at De Montfort Hall as being the pinnacle of his career. "We were playing in Leicester in 1978, and the venue was packed to the rafters – it was not long before Christmas – and the news came through to the stage that we'd got the Christmas number one album. We ordered loads of Champagne to be delivered to the venue and we opened it all on stage, then after the gig we carried on celebrating at the Holiday Inn – we got quite drunk. It was amazing. It was the highlight of my career and the fact that we were in Leicester and we were number one made it all the sweeter."
Fan Paul Fixter, 33, who runs the Showaddywaddy.net website, said he has been hooked on the band since he was five years old. He said: "It was a shock when I found out. I always thought when Dave left that would be the end of the band but luckily they're staying together with a new line-up. "I first got into the band when I was really young and I've followed them ever since. I go to the gigs and, although this is disappointing, it's not going to stop me from being a fan."
News officially reached Showaddywaddy.net HQ tonight (Sunday) that Dave Bartram has sadly decided to call it a day with his time in Showaddywaddy. However it is pleasing to announce that Showaddywaddy as a band will still continue with founding members Romeo Challenger and Rod Deas - Paul Dixon stays on board - and joining the band will be Andy Pelos on lead vocals, Rob Hewins (drums/guitars/vocals) and Dean Loach (keyboards/vocals).
A full statement from Dave Bartram will be published in the next few days, but in the meantime he says:
"The time has come for me to say goodbye. I really can't express my love and gratitude to all the amazing fans who have supported the band over the years. Rod and Romeo will be continuing with my blessing, and I will be staying on to manage the bands affairs and generally help in any way I can. The new guys joining are very talented and will give the band a new lease of life. The new lead singer is Andy Pelos, but the load will be spread over three vocalists, much like it was in the early days. It is very sad to bring down the curtain on what can only be described as an amazing 38 year career".
More details will be announced on Showaddywaddy.net shortly, but in the meantime, I personally would like to thank Dave, as we all would, for Showaddywaddy, for being the driving force behind the band, and for giving millions of fans loads of great memories since 1973.
Dave Bartram says, "The band will be adding two talented new members to the ranks in time for next years tour dates. The new guys are: Rob Hewins, (who has already played one gig with Showaddywaddy in Leicester in August 2011). Rob is not only an excellent drummer, but a great guitar player too, with a strong voice to match.
Dean Loach is the other new face - Dean is a fantastic keyboard player, who will fill in the gaps left by Dave Graham. He will also take lead vocals on a handful of songs.
The band are very excited to have 2 such talented guys on board, that will only make the band musically and vocally stronger".
After 27 years in hiding, tracks recorded by Dave Bartram between 1982 and 1985 was released by Invisible Hands Music in September 2011.
The CD features extensive sleeve notes including contributions by Dave, and previously unseen photos.
Sadly David Graham will be leaving Showaddywaddy at the end of 2011 due to work commitments. On joining the band in August 2009, David brought the saxophone to Showaddywaddy's live sound that was prevalent on the band's studio recordings of the 70s and 80s.
His versatility, with keyboards, guitars and vocals as well as the sax will be sadly missed. The fans would like to wish David all the very best for the future!
Rob Hewins played alongside Romeo Challenger the band at the Summer Sundae Festival in Leicester. Rob, who has played with a number of artists including Martin Turner's Wishbone Ash and Alvin Stardust, may be playing more dates with the band in the future - watch this space!
It is sad to report that original Showaddywaddy member, Bill ‘Buddy’ Gask, passed away today in Spain, aged 65, after a long illness. Showaddywaddy send their condolences to Bill’s family. A tribute to Bill, along with his biography can be read in the Band Members (Past & Present) page.
In 1975, Showaddywaddy's management company used this bus to promote the band's touring up and down the land throughout the year. Do you remember it coming to your town?<eot>The History Guy: History Deserves to be Remembered Published January 18, 2021 931 Views $0.71 earned
Rumble — Outdated and crewed by naval reservists, USS Ward played a unique role at Pearl Harbor and beyond. Her brave service represents the spirit of the United States Navy and the determination of the nation through two wars.<eot>3 Smoothie Rules You Must Follow for Weight-Loss - IG60
Home Weight Loss 3 Smoothie Rules You Must Follow for Weight-Loss
If you had the ability to make your lifetime better with the drive of a button, would you use it? Of training course! So bust out the blender and discover how to make a body fat-blasting smoothie with these essential suggestions from David Zinczenko, writer of Zero Stomach Smoothies. Not only will you melt away off the muffin prime, you'll also skip the further dishes and expend much less time cleansing up in the kitchen area.