Now that it’s holiday time I’m starting to get a whiff of the gingerbread, the gumdrops and the … ballet slippers. Everywhere I go I’m smacked right in the face with Julie Who-sits or Peter McBlah’s fliers advertising their rendition of the classic story of the Nutcracker. As a child, I can remember wriggling in my seat watching the Arabian Coffee choreography or the Spanish Chocolate sequences. All of those lithe little snowflakes en pointe made me melt!

Well…I’m still melting, and I’m itching to get back in shape! While my pointe shoes are way back on the east coast there are some exercises that I am working on to maintain proper tootsie health.

1. Write the alphabet in the air with your feet. This builds ankle strength needed to raise into high releve or “toe stands.”
2. Practice SLOOOOW controlled releves. Raising up onto a forced arch or “tippie toe” & slowly easing back down.  I work out my arches and ankles by doing many many reps of these in parallel first and second, as well as in first, second and fifth.
3. Roll foot back and forth over a tennis ball or similarly round and hard object. This tendon massage is absolutely divine!

BE SURE TO PAMPER YOUR FEET THIS HOLIDAY WITH MY VERY OWN FOOT SCRUB RECIPE!

1/2c sugar (an exfoliant)

1 T cayenne (for inflammation)

a few drops of Eucalyptus Essential Oil (stimulates blood circulation)

a few drops Almond Essential Oil (a great moisturizer)

1/4c Epsom Salts

A mesmerizing story of the traditional values and cultural roots of Old Dubai. No words can describe the experience I had during this shoot and personal exploration. I will stop here and let the photo speak for itself.

Old Dubai by Hanadi Al Saqqaf

To view more photos of this album, please visit my Facebook fan page at http://www.facebook.com/HanadiPhoto

Since the baby was born, my awareness of self and horse has greatly improved. I have become more balanced both mentally and physically. My balance has become more natural and I do not think of it any longer. It is no longer a set of tasks when I ride. I simply ride.

During the summer, I started riding Carter bareback close to the house. I was rather nervous about it but the very last time I rode in this manner, I greatly enjoyed it and wanted to break into a trot. It had not been long since I gave birth so I had lost some of my confidence and was not quite ready to saddle up and head off too far. But I began to do so a little each weekend. Riding with my sister-in-law was tremendously helpful for having a riding buddy allowed me to feel more secure. I had not realized how lonely I have been all these years on Carter’s back riding by myself.

Carter’s always been a bit of a spooky horse and years early on I had played many games with him to overcome these things. Unfortunately, Arabians tend to have a bit of spookiness about them and I cannot control the birds, squirrels, and other creatures in the nearby forest much less the strange smells from afar. But I have become rather fearless of his sidestepping-get-ready-to-run-for-your-life behavior. He actually has never left me, but simply jumps and spins. It has become rather pleasant now as we relearn the trails, the obstacles, and the use of aids.

My body has become like jelly and my eyes have softened. I breath more correctly, visualizing my center. I feel more connected with my horse and it appears as though he trusts me more than ever.

We have more work to do. I look forward to the spring.

As your aircraft descends into Qatar, you are welcomed by a spectacular view of the capital city, Doha. The completely landscaped, crescent shaped Corniche, the sparkling blue waters of the Arabian Gulf and the sandy desert backdrop provide the first glimpse of what experiences await you. This sun kissed country is filled with possibilities desert escapades and shopping extravaganzas, natural attractions and water sports, state of the art sporting facilities and historical museums, all combined with fine dining and luxurious accommodations. Welcome to the heart of the Arabian Gulf. Come experience Qatar.

Explore the natural environment, take an exciting desert safari, relax at the many beaches and pool facilities, or enjoy your favourite sport. Golf courses, billiards and snookers tables, bowling alleys, tennis and squash facilities, ice skating rinks. Whatever your interest, there is something for everyone.

Visitors can see the Oryx in its natural surroundings at the Oryx Farm located in Shahaniya. The national animal of Qatar, the Oryx isnt found anywhere else in the world in such large numbers. The beauty of the Arabian horses is well known throughout the world. The pure bred Arab show and race horses at Al Shaqab Stud Farm provide a great opportunity to enjoy these horses close up. Other facilities include the Qatar Race and Equestrian Club, where visitors are welcome to view its stables, and the Rayyan Racing and Equestrian Club, where races and show jumping events are held. Local tour operators can arrange visits to these sites.

The major hotels offer a variety of facilities including tennis and squash courts, swimming pools, and fitness equipment. After exercising, you can relax with a massage at the hotels health and spa facilities or make an appointment at one of the many Chinese and Indian massage centres.

Surrounded by the Arabian Gulf on three sides of the peninsula, there are plenty of opportunities for water sports and cruising. Two artificial reefs have been built for scuba diving and create a welcoming environment for marine life. Sailing is a wonderful pastime and several private companies offer dinghies and windsurfers for rent, as well as sailing lessons for novice and experienced sailors. A sunset cruise on a traditional dhow in Doha Bay provides a stunning view of Doha at night, while luxury yachts can be rented for half and full day fishing trips. There are both jet skiing and water-skiing rentals, as well as pedal boats, water cycle, and kayak rentals. And for the extremely adventurous, try parasailing, surfing, or wind surfing. Major hotels and local tour operators can make the necessary arrangements to suit your schedule.

For Experimental 2D Graphics class, we were given an open brief to just take a concept and completely go crazy with it. Get out of our comfort zone and try something new. My idea was to re-design 3 Tarot cards based on pre-Arabian mythology. After some research I came up with the 3 mythical animals and decided to draw, collage, manipulate them as if they were meant for a deck of Arabian Tarot cards. The Behemut [fish], the Rokh [eagle] and the Sand-walker [scorpion-crab-like creature that used to steal horses during the night]. And so whit that in mind, and after a 100 revisions trying to create something that was not my style yet also impact-ful I came up with this triptych series.

Arabian Night Design Protective Decal Skin Sticker for Amazon Kindle E-Book Reader (Version 1.0) Review

Arabian Night Design Protective Decal Skin Sticker for Amazon Kindle E-Book Reader (Version 1.0) Feature

• Each kit covers the front and back of the Amazon Kindle and includes a power adapter skin
• Non permanent adhesive backing that allows you to simply peel off the skins with no sticky residue
• Scratch resistant protective shields made out of high-quality vinyl
• The skin DOES NOT cover the screen, but comes with a code to download the matching wallpaper for an integrated look.
• Compatible with Kindle 1 only. NOT for Kindle 2.

Arabian Night Design Protective Decal Skin Sticker for Amazon Kindle E-Book Reader (Version 1.0) Overview

This Kindle skin is compatible with Kindle 1 (Version 1.0) ONLY. NOT for Kindle 2.

This scatch resistant skin sticker helps to protect your Amazon Kindle E-Book Reader while making an impression. Self-adhesive plastic-coated skins cover the front and back of the Kindle and are custom cut to perfectly fit the Amazon Kindle E-Book Reader. Skins are paper-thin so they do not add any bulk. Skins are easy to apply (no bubbles), durable and easily removable without any residue.

This decal skin sticker DOES NOT cover the screen of your phone, it comes with a code to download the matching wallpaper as shown. (Note: Due to differences in monitors, color may vary from photo.)

Available at Amazon Check Price Now!

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Dec 09, 2009 01:30:03

Winter Coats Black Friday Week Lightning Deals Jewelry review store

I seem to be pimping lots of other people’s podcasts and DJ mixes as well as our own right now – perhaps that’s because I’m finding so many that are playing excellent music that the mainstream media don’t want you listening to!

Anyway, check this one out: Arab Lounge Lizards

Tracks

# Title ARTIST Album time
1 Tamally Maak AMR DIAB Tamally Maak 4:30
2 Aiysha (remix) CHEB KHALED Aiysha 4:19
3 Track 09 SHEREEN 3:12
4 Salma Ya Salama (Arabic) DALIDA 40 Succes en Or 4:57
5 Khabeytu ‘aliyiki 2 KHALED AJAJ Album 001 3:48
6 Masdakti DJ BOMBA Bomba Rai Vol 4 3:55
7 Fen Bladi GROUPE AWAH 3:33
8 Dellouni JALAL EL HAMDAOUI Zineb 4:23
9 Bashaka HAKIM Yaho 3:46
10 Ya Rayah RACHID TAHA Rachid Taha 6:15
11 Yay Sehr Eyoono NANCY ARJAM 4:25
12 Feena HISHAM ABBAS Gouah F’Albi 4:51
13 Raje’a Yet’amar Lebnan (Original Mix) OSANE 3:46
14 Shufo Shufo HASNA 3:21
15 Hawa Tayer ASSI HILANI Zghireh Dinney 14 5:33
16 Fi Jmaa HAMID BOUCHNAK 5:31
17 Hada Ch’hal CHEB MAMI Meli Meli 4:02
18 Aref Habibi EHAB TAWFIK 5:01
19 Sobhan Man Jamlak HASAN EL MAGHRABI 6:23
20 Qusad Einy ABDALLAH AL ROWAISHID Musicana 15 4:21

Contact:

Patrick Roose
Tel : +32 486 69 34 04
Skype: patrickroose
E-mail: makarim.arabians@gmail.com

Update for week ende d 4 Dec 2009

Camels are very hardy animals of the desert. They are herbivores and have a unique tendency to store additional fat for days when water and food are scarce, which is quite often given their habitat. Their hooves are also quite adaptable such that they can easily walk across treacherous sand dunes, and their large nostrils have an unusual ability that no other animal has – the ability to tightly shut it voluntarily. This is extremely useful when they walk through or are simply caught in a sandstorm. Most people think that the Arabian Peninsula has more camels than anywhere else in the world. Nope – the honour does not even lie with the largest desert in the world – the Sahara; nor the deserts in populous countries like India and China. It is actually Australia that has this honour and these animals are not even native to this continent island. They were “imported” here from Arabia by the early settlers to traverse the harsh Outbacks. Very effective means of transport and sources of food and leather. In India, you can sometimes spot these “lazy” animals on sandy stretches of some coastal beaches, they actually don’t survive too long in these humid areas. And I was once stunned while holidaying in Thailand when the speedboat “guide” told me that after our trip to Monkey Island (which was teeming with simians) and Bamboo island (the only vegetation here was this tall grass), we would pass by Camel Island but not stop! Thailand does not have any deserts from where they can transport these animals from, but they are known to be a resourceful nation. They have theme parks and temples where you can pet a tiger or a lion or an elephant or an orangutan or even a python. But what I saw stumped me; it was an island outcrop near the famous Phi Phi Islands shaped like a camel wading in the sea – with its body, hump, neck and head visible above the azure sea! I had never seen anything like this and before I could capture the picture on my SLR camera, the speedboat had passed onto the bay beyond!

I think the Persian Gulf continues to dog D Street. The D Boyz are so fixated with what would happen to their neighbouring borough which is sometimes referred to as the Best Place in Bombay/Mumbai, that they cannot take their thoughts out of dates or even camels. So today, they spent their time thinking about the ship of the desert and the normally tropically lush D Street, turned brown or tan and helped in carving the SENSEX into a camel outline. Take a look. So they started from the tail about 100 points down before bumping up to the hump – 100 points up; and then craned their necks to get to the camel head. At the end of the day, they kept the SENSEX at 17101 (84 points down). It was also a week where the D Boyz travelled a little, resting in oases in the desert, climbing up lush slopes of the Elgon in Africa, or visiting farmers on their tomato fields in Nasik, admiring the heliconia at home on D Street; or simply looking for camels where they are usually found or sometimes appear! In the bargain they moved up about 470 points from the previous week, despite setbacks and volatile behaviour – keeping the SENSEX headed above 17100.

In case you wondered which borough the Boyz tracked – it is a place that rhymes with the city of Mumbai; has a lot of Keralites around; Hindi is often spoken at stores and malls. And no, I missed that famous pig race outside Bangkok! I instead spent time in their weekend flea market, Chatuchak; and saw the roasted suckling piglet, instead!! I have a picture of that!

 Have a nice weekend…..

Have you been to Pacific Rim before? If not, the 1st place you need to visit is India because this is a brilliant place for visitors like you. For approximately 5,000 years now, India has been celebrating life and all its pleasures. If you find exotic, colourful, and puzzling places unusual, this is the best place for you. Despite the changes and diversities in India, the country is still a picturesque and a unique visitor destination. If you would like a journey travel in India, start packing your things now and catch the subsequent flight. You will find a unique civilization and culture in India.

In fact, the nation’s civilization is among the oldest in the planet. The imagination of holiday makers is always captivated of India’s legends and culture. There are multiple legends to inform and if you listen to them, your imagination will certainly run wild. You can get in contact with the neighbors so that you can learn more about their culture and way of living. By doing so, you may make new mates there. An brave soul would also like to visit monuments and you can find lots of them in India.

Enjoy the intricate splendor of mosques, churches, temporal structures ( bridges, step-wells, and tanks), and canopies found in the different regions of the country. Remember to visit the pink town ( Jaipur ), blue city ( Jodhapur ), golden city (Jaisalmer), and romantic town or the lake town ( Udaipur ). You can find all these towns by going with a Rajasthan tour. Ask a tourist guide about their trip schedules so you can also join them. Aside from the complicated architectural structures in India, you can also find adventure in the tropical jungles, resorts, the Gangetic Plains, golden beaches, and the powerful Himalaya. Beautiful beaches can be discovered in Goa, as well as independent cultures. There are multiple local spots that you can select from, so take care that you select one that you can get the maximum excitement ever.

Spa and ayurveda resorts can be found in Kerala. There are wonderful resorts and beaches there. If you are on a beach holiday, the ocean, sand, and palms of Kerala can give you life’s greatest adventure. resorts and beaches there. are also welcome If you travel to the Himalayan ranges in India. If you’re a sports lover, you can join the Himachal tours. You can enjoy trekking along with other travel to the Himalayas. If wildlife fascinates you and captures your you can check out India’s safari.

There are national parks that you can visit all over India where you can see different sorts and the in-demand tigers. Another place that you can visit is Mumbai where you can find Haji Ali, Hyderabad’s Charminar, the beautiful gardens and valleys of Kashmir, Rajasthan’s rustic beauty, Ooty, Manali, Shimla, and Uttaranchal. If you’ve been to India before, maybe these places are already familiar to you.

But for your next trip, why don’t you organize your tour destinations so you can enjoy the vacation there?

By planning ahead, you can save time and cash because you may know the right places to go to. Make the most out why don’t you arrange your tour destinations so you can get very expensive but if you visit a place like India, everything is worth it. You won’t regret visiting such a gorgeous place and you will have the best journey travel in India.

Do you love to see the world? Want to see some of the best places in the world? Visit famouswonders.com to get an idea of where to go for your next vacation. Make sure to also check out Lake Palace Hotel information.

The Island Hideaway of Bangaram island resort is some two hundred miles from Kerala to the south west of India in the Arabian Sea, and is an example of the Lakshadweep Islands. Routinely it is accessed by a flight from Cochin to Agatti, then onward by ship for a 90 minute ride. Getting onto the boat at Agatti is an experience in itself, as you get onto a raft, and then they tow you out to the boat!! You instantly feel this is a true hideaway holiday, and your tropical island resort is going to be a bit different. Take good recommendation and fly Kingfisher and not Indian Airlines for reliability.

It is the ideal romantic honeymoon getaway, a lush green empty island covered in coconut groves, and formed like a teardrop. It is surrounded by pristine white sand and a huge lagoon, and is an element of a coral atoll with another 3 islands, all of which can simply be reached form Bangaram, by outboarding, sailing or rowing, canoeing or windsurfing if you find the necessity to be energetic.

It is perhaps the Maldives were before mass tourism arrived, as the coral reefs are ablaze with color and packed with fish because as yet they are relatively unexplored.

If you need a tropical holiday on an island hideaway, or a romantic honeymoon getaway, then Bangaram could be your dream destination or as part of a package including time in the Kerala part of India.

You need to grasp this island hideaway, whilst perfect for a romantic honeymoon getaway, or for people who wish to play at being castaways, it isn’t at all for folks attempting to find luxury. If you want the accoutrements of a 5 star resort, just don’t go.

Bangaram itself consists of 30 huts which contains a number of family sheds in twin/double cottages. There are no televisions, telephones or air-conditioning, and to finish the island getaway feeling there are no newspapers so you’ll be utterly out of effective contact with the pressures of the modern world. Each shed is tiled, on the beach, and has a palm thatched veranda, ensuite lavatory, ceiling fan and a refrigerator. The accommodation is straightforward but very comfortable, but please note there is no hot water!!

The epicentre of Bangaram Island resort is the eaterie shed that has been built around a central pole and made from bamboos and palm fronds. The food at the resort for lunch and dinner is a bit Indian, and a bit Continental, and extraordinarily much seafood based. The food is without exception outstanding.

Breakfast includes cereals, eggs, Indian dishes and a lot of fresh fruit.

At night there’s a barbecue on the beach, and the opportunity to eat outside overlooking the moon shining on the lagoon Bangaram Island resort is the one place where alcohol is authorized in the Lakshadweep Islands, and the beach bar is the centre of the evening activity. It serves lager and cocktails and will remain open till the guests have had enough!!.

How would you like to see the top 100 wonders in the world? Visit famouswonders.com and browse through the top destinations in the world and be sure to check out Qutb Minar.

Not to spend too much time on this NYTimes article about how the Iraqis are letting us down by being too dead, disabled, or abroad to run the cool factories and hospitals we built for them just ’cause we’re nice like that. Most of the people who read this blog probably already read that article and commented on it on a bigger blog. So here are just a few choice bits:

BAGHDAD — In its largest reconstruction effort since the Marshall Plan, the United States government has spent $53 billion for relief and reconstruction in Iraq since the 2003 invasion, building tens of thousands of hospitals, water treatment plants, electricity substations, schools and bridges.

But there are growing concerns among American officials that Iraq will not be able to adequately maintain the facilities once the Americans have left, potentially wasting hundreds of millions of dollars and jeopardizing Iraq’s ability to provide basic services to its people.

The projects run the gamut — from a cutting-edge, $270 million water treatment plant in Nasiriya that works at a fraction of its intended capacity because it is too sophisticated for Iraqi workers to operate, to a farmers’ market that farmers cannot decide how to share, to a large American hospital closed immediately after it was handed over to Iraq because the government was unable to supply it with equipment, a medical staff or electricity.

Stuart W. Bowen Jr., inspector general for Iraq reconstruction, said his watchdog agency had “regularly raised concerns about the potential waste of U.S. taxpayer money resulting from reconstruction projects that were poorly planned, badly transferred, or insufficiently sustained by the Iraqi government.”

The blame is shared, officials said. While Iraq has often been guilty of poor management, American authorities have repeatedly failed to ask Iraqis what sort of projects they needed and have not followed up with adequate training.

And whether or not the American-built health centers and power plants are ever used as intended, the American companies that won the lion’s share of rebuilding contracts from the federal government have been paid.

Exactly. They got paid, defense industry folks got rich, that’s what we went into Iraq for. Done and done.

Despite the $53 billion spent by the United States, many Iraqis have criticized the rebuilding effort as wasteful. Ali Ghalib Baban, Iraq’s minister of planning, said it had not had a discernible impact. “Maybe they spent it,” he said, “but Iraq doesn’t feel it.”

Iraqis, for whom bombed-out buildings are an unremarkable part of urban existence, also say they have seen little evidence of rebuilding.

“Where is the reconstruction?” asked Sahar Kadhum, a resident of Kut, about 100 miles southeast of Baghdad. “The city is sleeping on hills of garbage.”

Indeed, despite the billions in American funds, more than 40 percent of Iraqis still lack access to clean water, according to the Iraqi government. Ninety percent of Iraq’s 180 hospitals do not have basic medical and surgical supplies, according to the aid organization Oxfam. Iraqis also have disproportionately high rates of infant mortality, cerebral palsy and cancer.

Exacerbating the problem, Iraqi and American officials say, is that hundreds of thousands of Iraq’s professional class have fled or been killed during the war, leaving behind a population with too few doctors, nurses, engineers, scientists and the like.

Buried on the second page, of course. I’d have put it in one of the first two paragraphs, personally.

Also on the subject of health in Iraq, here’s a Guardian article on a huge rise in birth defects in Fallujah.

Doctors in Iraq’s war-ravaged enclave of Falluja are dealing with up to 15 times as many chronic deformities in infants, compared to a year ago, and a spike in early life cancers that may be linked to toxic materials left over from the fighting.

The extraordinary rise in birth defects has crystallised over recent months as specialists working in Falluja’s over-stretched health system have started compiling detailed clinical records of all babies born.

Neurologists and obstetricians in the city interviewed by the Guardian say the rise in birth defects – which include a baby born with two heads, babies with multiple tumours, and others with nervous system problems – are unprecedented and at present unexplainable.

Other health officials are also starting to focus on possible reasons, chief among them potential chemical or radiation poisonings. Abnormal clusters of infant tumours have also been repeatedly cited in Basra and Najaf – areas that have in the past also been intense battle zones where modern munitions have been heavily used.

Falluja’s frontline doctors are reluctant to draw a direct link with the fighting. They instead cite multiple factors that could be contributors.

“These include air pollution, radiation, chemicals, drug use during pregnancy, malnutrition, or the psychological status of the mother,” said Dr Qais. “We simply don’t have the answers yet.”

I am not a doctor and have no medical training, but I don’t believe that the psychological status of the mother can cause birth defects.

Falluja was the scene of the only two setpiece battles that followed the US-led invasion. Twice in 2004, US marines and infantry units were engaged in heavy fighting with Sunni militia groups who had aligned with former Ba’athists and Iraqi army elements.

The first battle was fought to find those responsible for the deaths of four Blackwater private security contractors working for the US. The city was bombarded heavily by American artillery and fighter jets. Controversial weaponry was used, including white phosphorus, which the US government admitted deploying.

“Setpiece battles”?

Despite fully funding the construction of the new hospital, a well-equipped facility that opened in August, Iraq’s health ministry remains largely disfunctional and unable to co-ordinate a response to the city’s pressing needs.

On the bright side (just kidding, really), our system of prisons in Iraq (specifically, sweeping up every able- and semi-able-bodied male between eleven and ninety-nine years old and dumping them in a filthy jail with no recourse to the law) has been judged such a success by military commanders that they intend to do the same thing in Afghanistan. Tehran Times article here. Entire article:

Following with the trend of trying to shoehorn the dubious Iraq War strategy onto Afghanistan, the US Army says that it intends to copy its prison strategy from Iraq in Afghanistan.

Brigadier General Quantock touted the Iraqi prison system as a great success, citing the relatively small percentage of released detainees who were re-captured.

It may come as a considerable surprise that the general considers America’s prison strategy in Iraq such an unabashed success, particularly since it wasn’t that long ago that they were scrambling to reform the disastrous system.

And in fact, the recidivism numbers cited are misleading, as one of the most common complaints was that the U.S. tactic of mass arrests had led many innocent people into the prison system simply for being near a militant attack and eventually released without ever being charged with any crimes.

Moreover, Iraq’s police have long complained that the U.S. detention system, with its brutal reputation, amounts to a series of “terrorist factories” where innocent detainees and petty criminals are radicalized.

Brig. Gen. Quantock dismissed these claims and was quick to lay the blame on Iraq’s legal system. Yet if this is a problem in Iraq and will be doubly so in Afghanistan, one of the most corrupt and lawless nations on the planet.

If you’re a fan of snotty NYTimes articles where we deride the Iraqis as being inferior to us, here’s an article for you.

The same US Army that brought you the men who stare at goats is making fun of Iraqi law enforcement for spending a lot of money on bomb detection equipment the US thinks is worthless.

The small hand-held wand, with a telescopic antenna on a swivel, is being used at hundreds of checkpoints in Iraq. But the device works “on the same principle as a Ouija board” — the power of suggestion — said a retired United States Air Force officer, Lt. Col. Hal Bidlack, who described the wand as nothing more than an explosives divining rod.

Still, the Iraqi government has purchased more than 1,500 of the devices, known as the ADE 651, at costs from $16,500 to $60,000 each. Nearly every police checkpoint, and many Iraqi military checkpoints, have one of the devices, which are now normally used in place of physical inspections of vehicles.

The Iraqis, however, believe passionately in them. “Whether it’s magic or scientific, what I care about is it detects bombs,” said Maj. Gen. Jehad al-Jabiri, head of the Ministry of the Interior’s General Directorate for Combating Explosives.

Dale Murray, head of the National Explosive Engineering Sciences Security Center at Sandia Labs, which does testing for the Department of Defense, said the center had “tested several devices in this category, and none have ever performed better than random chance.”

Love it! The scorn! “The same principle as the Ouija board.” What does this remind me of? Oh yeah, it reminds me of the US Department of Defense’s reliance on polygraph tests!

The accuracy of polygraphic lie detection is slightly above chance. Nevertheless, State and local police departments and law enforcement agencies across the United States are devoted proponents of this unscientific and specious device.

I don’t want to quote too much of this article here, but please read it if you are interested in how US law enforcement uses voodoo science, our modern version of phrenology.

The APA is a professional organization for polygraph examiners who have complete faith in the accuracy of the test. They have their own trade journal Polygraph in which they report scientifically worthless studies and brandish anecdotes of the wonders of their trade. The majority of these members can pride themselves on completing a 6 week to 6 month post- high school training course in the art of polygraphy. They have no formal training in medicine, psychology, physiology, or behavior; the very disciplines on which the testing is based. The majority of them cater to the legal system wherein their economic livelihood depends.

Since they are primarily paid to identify guilty suspects, motivational factors may play a part in their eagerness to find the guilty suspect. (Kleinmuntz, 1987)

The polygraph examiner likens his “skill” to that of the radiologist reading a chest X-Ray or a cardiologist interpreting an EKG. (Barefoot, 1974) This analogy is not only ridiculous but, in fact, if a medical test had a similar sensitivity and specificity to that of the polygraph examination it would simply not be used in the field of medicine. They will cite the fact that the polygraph has been used in the United States for greater than 70 years as if longevity is directly related to validity. They will state that they have personally administered hundreds or thousands of these tests, and have almost never been wrong, as if total number of tests given constitutes accuracy.

They are so convinced of the accuracy of the polygraph that they regard opponents of polygraphy as communists and do-nothing professors. (Arther, 1986) It doesn’t occur to them that someone with a Ph.D. and years of research experience, in the very subjects they ignorantly dabble in, may know something more than they do.

It is astounding that the criminal justice system has institutionalized and perpetuated a so called “technology” that lacks scientific evidence and is in fact rejected by the scientific community. It is as ludicrous as procuring the so called “love meter” machine from the amusement park which measures galvanic skin response and placing it in the courtroom. But in a backward legal system which has been known to use psychics to help with unsolved murders and has allowed the mentally retarded to serve as jurors, it is not entirely surprising.

You just have to laugh at those unsophisticated rubes in the US Department of Defense paying good money to polygraphers. As antiPolygraph.org says:

The reliability of polygraph testing for employee screening is widely disputed on scientific grounds. But many government security officials nevertheless insist on its value and utility, and the practice persists.

Significantly, the new directive tightens control over DoD agencies’ use of any “credibility assessment” technology other than the polygraph. This seems a likely reaction to the post-9/11 debacle wherein some DoD components began using Computer Voice Stress Analysis (CVSA) to interrogate prisoners. The manufacturer of this quack device, the so-called “National Institute of Truth Verification,” has admitted in court that CVSA “is not capable of lie detection,” and the company was recently the subject of an ABC News exposé. DoD eventually put an end to its use of CVSA. The new directive ensures that henceforward, DoD agencies will use only officially approved pseudoscientific techniques for “credibility assessment” purposes.

For more about what we did (wrong) in Iraq, I recommend: Imperial Life in the Emerald City by Rajiv Chandrasekaran and Jane Mayer’s The Dark Side. Buy them here.

…or isn’t this woman a dead ringer for Emilio Estevez?

Emily Ruete (1844-1924) was born in Zanzibar as Sayyida Salme, Princess of Zanzibar and Oman.

Almost. Sayyida is not her name, it’s an indication that she’s supposedly a descendant of the prophet Muhammad, and I don’t know that “princess” is the most appropriate designation, but she wrote her own history for a western, Christian audience, so “princess” is what they would have understood.

Wikipedia has more.

But seriously, she looks like Emilio Estevez, right?

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Arabian Pop introduces its first batch of quirky t-shirts to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia…here’s your sneak peek. Hurry up and get yours today! Our complete catalog will be available for online purchasing very soon.

Young Sexy Arabs

Young Sexy Arabs
This must be a whore house or an Arabian private party since there are 3-4 young wild Arab babes dancing and showing their hot pussies, sexy asses and small firm tits to the camera without any shame. Real hot!

SCROLL DOWN For Preview & Mirror Links

file=29332009_11_09_03_indian_sex.wmv

This photo was taken inside the detention cell and was taken last November 7, 2009. En La Celda De Detencion, http://pepecabrera.aminus3.com/image/2009-11-09.html

And gives Sherman a little lesson in what the CIA has been up to since then in the region. I love it!

I never realized how talky Mister Peabody and Sherman cartoons were until now. Makes it easy to replace the original dialogue with dialogue of your own, if you’re a talented voice artist. I must have learned a lot of history from these cartoons.

Found at Just Another Blog From LA.

btw, there is some foul language, so don’t traumatize the little kiddies.

I may or may not have been interested in this party anyway, but with the mention of Ararat, the amazing Arabic food prepared by the same charming owner behind east side coffeeshop GEM Hot Mama’s Espresso Bar, I was in.

There will be belly dancing performances by Sabaya Bellydance and music by DJ Kurv.

8-10:30p TONIGHT at Red Fez.

As for those Longhorn Days?

It’s UT’s last home game, a primetimer against Kansas that starts at 7pm.

Tailgating spots are as usual: Austin SSC at 18th & MLK ($7 for food and beer) or Austin Young Chamber of Commerce & Big Society tailgate at 17th & Congress ($15 donation to Big Brothers Big Sisters gets free food and drinks, free entertainment by Todd Phelps).

I did some filming this weekend for the beginning of my video documentary.  My friend Rebecca and her husband Josh graciously agreed to ride their horses this weekend while I did some filming.  They live in the middle of the wide open prairie and have a red barn, a white farm house, two horses, and a pond.  They are the quintessential Manitoban horse owners.

I keep my horse there as well.  She’s old at 20-years and enjoying her retirement.  My adviser helping me with this project, Dean Cooper, told me I absolutely need to ride my horse and film it at the same time.  Which to me means a license to destroy the camera.  I was skeptical, but Dean was right.  It looks amazing.

Here’s a clip from the weekend.  Enjoy:

An Arabian  horse, just from memory.

Remember my post a few months back about Islam and the eating of mermaids? A friend sent me a link to this very short news article about some research by Omani and French scientists that leads them to believe that Arabian fishermen of the Bronze Age worshipped the dugong.

Moscow, September 30, Interfax – Arabian fishermen of the Bronze Age worshipped the item of their fishing – dugong, a large marine mammal. This follows from a recent research conducted by a group of French and Oman scientists.

During archaeological excavations of the Arabian island Aquab the scientists found a sanctuary of the Bronze Age, an oval platform constructed of the remains of 40 dugongs where they discovered about two thousand items of jewelry and tools, Izvestia daily reports on Wednesday.

Dugongs could be treated by fishermen as early prototypes of fabulous mermaids because this huge mammal, which is now mostly living next to Australia’s seashores, can whistle.

Save Our Seas site, where I found the nifty dugong picture.

I’ve been on a short break in England. So instead of diary paintings I have been making sketches. And photographing them and I am now writing from one of the many café’s with wifi!

The sketches are photographed at dark in the café!

I stayed with an Indian friend and she took me to some sari-shops where we looked at super dazzling indian costume jewellery! And I got some very huge prandis, the decoration for your plait. I am going to use them to make some show decorations for the Tarq!

There were a couple of really nice art cafés in Derby! I had no idea!

A ten minute sketch, because we were having tea at M&S and they wanted to close so we got kicked out! Mark this face: Shivanna, future Pop star!
Hmmm. What about Captain Kabob and Shivanna for a mega-star-duo?

Now my friend lives in what could be called: The Stately home triangle. It’s really palace-central! There are so many sites I want to see all at her doorstep! Upton hall, Hardwick hall, Chatsworth, Haddon Hall, Peveril Castle, Kedleston Hall (Adam interiors) and Calke Abbey.

Unfortunately, all these places are closed since last week!!!!!!!!
Aaaarrgghhhhhhh!!!!
So we just roamed about the park a bit at Calke Abbey.
This is the deer shelter

And although not nearly as good as the house itself, which is something of a time capsule, the outbuildings were quite cool. But, being cold and windy, I did a sketch from the comfort of the restaurant.

This is a party for some heavy weight Indian investors at The Fullerton. I was caught by surprise when the event managers got me into this costume they prepared to fit the theme. Luckily the costume fit me but it was rather uncomfortable and it restricts movement. They then wanted me to sit on the floor in a tent in the ballroom which would have been uncomfortable in that costume and furthermore it was dark. That is not workable so they agreed to allow me to walk-about and I drew the guests in the dimly lit ballroom. Not my best performance I have to admit.

If you’re engaging caricaturist for a theme party, please consider that artists need light to work and if there are costumes involved, make sure it does not restrict their movements. Whatever it is, we are all ears if you tell us what is the situation before hand.