dictatorship of the proletariat, the withering away of the state, the leading role of the vanguard party, and countless other state-communist clichés long due for an ignominious burial. Lest we forget, Lenin’s corpse has been lying in state for almost a century now—it is high time to give the old man a final resting place! The social revolution of the 21st century century will be anti-authoritarian and radically democratic, or it will not be a revolution.

Social democracy, that other great project of the 20th century left, has not stood the test of time much better. Across Europe, center-left parties that once dominated the national political scene have long since devolved into the servile lackeys of capital and the submissive technocratic handmaidens of the reactionary right. Reduced to thestatus of junior partners in grand coalitions and European institutions whose overarching vision of the future appears to be one of permanent austerity, social democracy has been so thoroughly hollowed out as to fundamentally undermine even its own prospects of survival—the specter of “Pasokification” now looming large over most center-left parties.

Democratic socialism, by contrast, appears to have been staging a cautious comeback in recent years, especially in its various left-populist forms. Buoyed by the collapse of social democracy and the constituent impulse of recent mobilizations against neoliberalism and austerity, a raft of leftist forces has been on the rise on both sides of the Atlantic—ranging from the progressive governments of the Latin American Pink Tide to the radical left parties in Greece and Spain, on to the self-declared


“socialist” candidacies of Bernie Sanders in the United States and Jeremy Corbyn in the United Kingdom.

The defeat of the left in Greece and the receding of the Pink Tide in Latin America reveal the limits of “21st century socialism”.

But while the emergence of electoral alternatives to neoliberal cynicism certainly marks an advance compared to the shallow theatrics of electoral politics prior to the crisis, the defeat (and subsequent cooptation) of the radical left in Greece and the gradual receding of the Pink Tide in Latin America clearly reveal the limits of the once-vaunted model of “21st century socialism”, whose dependence on global capital and international financial institutions remains woefully undiminished.

Insofar as the aforementioned left-populist forces have anything new to offer, it is mostly new to a millennial generationand militant labor movement, and soaring social, ideological and geopolitical tensions. During the “Golden Years” of the Keynesian compromise, the left’s political horizon largely reflected these structural conditions, with demands and struggles for full employment, higher wages and better working conditions taking center stage.

The capacity of the left to pursue such a productivist welfare program in turn hinged fundamentally on the Bretton Woods regime established at the end of World War II, which effectively kept finance and industry “captive” within national boundaries. By greatly increasing the relative autonomy of individual capitalist states and thereby creating policy space for large-scale public investment, progressive taxation and a range of redistributive policies, the Bretton Woods system turned out to be a fundamental prerequisite for the emergence and survival of the welfare


the historic demise of the traditional mass parties of the left—that we must read the most recent cycle of struggles. While the spectacular protests and popular uprisings of the last years have clearly centered on the inequities of financial capitalism and the authoritarian tendencies of the capitalist state, the more immediate significance of the mobilizations lay in the urgent message they sent to the left: evolve or die. Either build on the creativity and dynamism of the movements, or fade away into political irrelevance.

The Greek riots of December 2008, the mass protests against austerity in Southern Europe, the Occupy movement in North America and the UK, the student mobilizations in Canada and Chile, the mass demonstrations in Turkey, Brazil, Mexico, and countless other countries of the Global South,the private property of the capitalist market. What was somehow lost over the course of the 20th century was an appreciation of the liberatory and transformative potential of the “common in communism”; that which is held indivisibly and self-managed democratically by all members of the community.

What was somehow lost over the course of the 20th century was the “common in communism”; that which is held indivisibly and self-managed democratically by all members of the community.

For the Jacobin left, eternally agitating for greater state centralization and public control over the means of production, the notion of the common has often been derided as little more than a relic from a pre-capitalist past, closely tied to the somewhat dismissive category of “primitive communism.” This is not how Marx himself saw


it—and it is certainly not how today’s social movements see it. For Marx, the ultimate objective of communism was always to establish a society in which the means of production were to be held in common, leading him to develop a strong interest in existing forms of communal ownership in later life.

As Kristin Ross recounts in her new book, Communal Luxury, Marx spent his final years working on two big projects: the first, of course, was his well-known study for Capital; but at the same time he was also engaged in another, lesser known study of the Russian peasant communes, starting with his reading of Chernyshevsky’s Essays on Communal Ownership of Land. “In the form of the Russian peasant commune,” Ross writes, Marx “saw the traces of thecan discern a clear connection here between the emerging forms of struggle and the systemic tendencies in neoliberalism. As Harvey has famously noted, the latter increasingly operates through “accumulation by dispossession,” or various forms of state-backed plundering of public goods and common wealth. Neoliberal state policies like austerity, privatization, bank bailouts, resource extraction and regressive taxation dispossess society of its ability to reproduce itself, leading to the enclosure and commodification of spheres of life that had previously been held firmly outside of the logic of the market.

Naturally, just as the commoners in early-modern England fiercely resisted the enclosure of their pastoral lands, and just as the levelers in the English Civil War struggled firmly for the common ownership of land, today’s neoliberal forms of enclosure and dispossession are


in the broadest possible sense of the term here: neither simply as the creation of an ordinary political party in the pursuit of state power, nor as the construction of another coalition of social forces, but more generally as the development of a set of convergence points for various pre-existing struggles to rally around and organize upon.

These points of convergence would have to be inserted directly into the deepening contradictions and crisis tendencies of financialized capitalism and situated firmly in the lived experience of working people and urban dwellers. Most importantly, they would have to build on the transformative potential of ongoing struggles. Only on that basis can the movements begin to formulate a shared narrative, political imaginary and transformative project rooted in the social reproduction of everydayfor the intensification and radicalization of the struggle.

The list of such transformative reforms is potentially endless. It could include the devolution of power away from the central state and towards the rebel cities, the socialization of finance and the democratization of money, the institution of a universal basic income and universal citizenship, working-time reduction, access to cooperative housing and free healthcare, the introduction of radical pedagogy into school curricula, the decentralization and decarbonization of energy systems, legal recognition of workers’ councils, and the declaration of a “charter of the commons” to enshrine open access to communal property into law, protecting it from enclosure and liberating new spaces for non-commodified social relations to prosper.

Where the 20th century left once envisioned a “mixed economy”, the 21st century left will have


Eddy Cue, Apple senior vice president of internet software and services, at an Apple event at the Worldwide Developer's Conference on June 13, 2016 in San Francisco, California.

Videos can play an important role in Apple's growing music subscription business, according to Eddy Cue, who says setting Apple Music apart from the competition needs hosting more than music.

Cue, who is senior vice president of Internet Software and Services at Apple, spoke on Monday evening at Recode's Code Media conference.

"It's one of the differentiating factors we can add to Apple Music," he said, adding in its 15 months, the subscription service has grown beyond 20 million users, making it one of the fastest-growing services.

One way Apple is introducing videos to Apple Music is through the upcoming launch of its realityTV show, "Planet of the Apps." The show is being produced by Propagate Content and the tech giant and centers around app developers.

Participants will make an elevator pitch — in this case while descending down an escalator instead — about their iOS app ideas to a panel of judges. If they are successful in impressing the panel, which include Jessica Alba, Will.i.am, Gwyneth Paltrow and Gary Vaynerchuk, they will be shortlisted for mentorship. In the final round, they have to pitch their apps to Lightspeed Venture Partners, which have reportedly committed over $10 million in capital to fund the winning ideas.

To sweeten the deal, winners will have their apps featured on the App Store.

"Apps, like music, television, (and) film, are a dominant part of our current cultural landscape,"


in a car and sings.

Last year, the Hollywood Reporter said Apple ordered a 16-episode series that will stream weekly on Apple Music and will be produced by CBS Television Studios and Fulwell 73, the production company of Late Late Show executive producer Ben Winston. Corden, various reports said, is not expected to host the series that will be aired on Apple Music.

Cue added that constant innovation and introduction of new features and services was key to accelerate Apple Music's growth in a world where he said less than a 100 million people out of billions of listeners were subscribing to music.

"We still think the potential for growth is exponential...and we want a lot more."

On Monday, Apple shares closed at an all-time high at $133.29, surpassing its record closingHarris, a local resident. Ms. Harris' deposition was noticed by defendants and she appeared in response to a subpoena. Plaintiff does not challenge the finding of fact, supported by affidavit, that Ms. Harris would not have voluntarily appeared for deposition. At the deposition, plaintiff had access to and copied voluminous documents produced by Ms. Harris regarding defendants' substantive counterclaims and third-party claims. It was one week after attending Ms. Harris' deposition, which filled 225 pages of transcript, that plaintiff filed his demand for arbitration.
We find that Ms. Harris was not a "witness who cannot be subpoenaed or is unable to attend the hearing" since she was a local resident and could have been subpoenaed to attend an arbitration hearing (and in fact was deposed under subpoena). Defendants noticed


NEO Endurance is happy to announce the provisional schedule for the 4th season of NEO Endurance Series. Just like last year, the season will have six rounds with the big finale at Circuit de la Sarthe.

In October marks the start of the 4th season of the NEO Endurance Series. A series that has become one of the biggest endurance leagues within the iRacing community. While the six rounds closely echo the 3rd season in terms of venues and dates, a significant addition to the schedule is the debut of Road America.

The season starts, as now is tradition, with the North-American rounds at Sebring International Raceway and Road America, which replaces Circuit of the Americas. The third round is again held at Twin Ring Motegi, under the lights. TheWomen's Tennis

175 Student-Athletes Named to Northeast-10 Commissioners Honor RollEASTON, MA  The Northeast-10 Conference has announced the members of the Spring 2009 Commissioners Honor Roll. In total, 2,619 student-athletes representing each of the conferences 15 member institutions are included on this years list, including 175 from Merrimack College.

Dufour Excited for Upcoming Tennis SeasonFor Elise Dufour, the 2009 Merrimack College womens tennis season is something to look forward to. Dufour sees this season as time to build a new strong team, and to enjoy herself, as it will be the closing chapter to her successful Merrimack career.


Visit quiet side of Rocky Mountain National Park

When you live in Northern Colorado, you can celebrate Rocky Mountain National Park's 100th birthday more easily than most of the population of Colorado or the U.S.

We are fortunate to have this jewel in our backyard. Visiting RMNP is like stepping into another world.

There are soaring mountain peaks, cascading streams, stately elk and moose and beautiful aspen stands. Get one mile from any trailhead and the crowds dissipate, as 90 percent of visitors only venture 1 mile from their vehicles.

Northern Colorado also has a unique access point to the park that few people take advantage of — the Cameron Pass area.

More than 3 million people visit the main part of the park, but far fewer know the northern boundary borders theRawah, Neota and Commanche Peak wilderness areas and Colorado State Forest State Park. This means you can enjoy parts of the park few people see by traveling up the Poudre Canyon to places like Pingree Park, Zimmerman Lake and American Lakes.

Thunder Pass can be your backdoor entry into the Never Summer Range. The Medicine Bow Mountain Range is a kissing cousin of the Never Summer Range; they "hold hands" on the Nokhu Crags, Mount Richtofen, Mount Mahler, Iron Mountain and Static Peak.

All of these mountains are accessible from the Cameron Pass area. A fun way to climb Commanche Peak is to backpack through Corral Creek and Rocky Mountain National Park for scenic designated campsites; reserve them through RMNP.

The Poudre River originates in RMNP; you can visit its birthplace


from the west side of Trail Ridge Road. When traveling on Trail Ridge, stop on the Medicine Bow Curve to see a stunning display of the northernmost part of the park and the top of the Poudre Canyon in the distance to the north and west.

The famous Mummy Pass Trail can be accessed from the Mountain Campus of Colorado State University (formerly named Pingree Park) and connects to the Poudre River Trail, which will take you into the park and all the way to Trail Ridge Road.

So, take another look at your Rocky Mountain National Park map and see just how lucky you are to live in Northern Colorado.

Alan Apt is the author of: "Afoot and Afield, 184 Spectacular Outings in the Colorado Rockies, Denver, Boulder, Ft.Collins, andDescription

This professionally prepared ebook is an electronic edition of the book that is designed for reading on digital readers like Nook, Kindle, iPad, Sony Reader, and other products including iPhone and Android smart phones. The text reflows depending on your font preferences and it contains links from navigation.

"The characteristic feature of this age of destructive wars and social disintegration is the revolt against economics."

So says Ludwig von Mises in his most thorough defense of the method and scope of economic science. In this treatise, he argues that the core intellectual errors of statism, socialism, protectionism, racism, irrationalism can be found in a revolt against economic logic and its special character.

What Mises identified persists to this day, as politicians, central bankers, intellectuals continue to deny that economic reality is


delineate the scope of the general science of human action.

This treatise, out of print for many years, is brought back by the Mises Institute in a 3rd edition, with a comprehensive introduction by Jorg Guido Hulsmann, senior fellow of the Mises Institute.

He observes that "the great majority of contemporary economists, sociologists, political scientists, and philosophers are either completely unaware of Mises's contributions to the epistemology of the social sciences or think they can safely neglect dealing with them. They are in error. One can ignore a thinker, but the fundamental problems of social analysis remain. There will be no progress in these disciplines before the mainstream has fully absorbed and digested Mises's ideas."A Wellington marine centre lost over half of its marine life in a devastating act of vandalism overnight.

Arriving to the centre at Wellington's historic bait shed at about 10am, Island Bay Marine Education Centre discovery programme manager Julian Hodge found the water system had been dosed with chlorinated detergent, poisonous to many of the marine species in the tanks.

''I found a whole load of bubbles coming out of our tanks and gutters and a whole lot of our fish were dead, and many were in the process of dying.''

While immediate attempts were made to move distressed fish to uncontaminated water and centre staff, volunteers and the Fire Service were called in to flush out the tanks with fresh sea water, many marine animals were lost or had to


be euthanised.

''We expect over the next two or three days, there will be quite a few more casualties as well.''

The centre's larger animals, plus the starfish, seahorses, and crabs, mostly survived though others, like the pipe fish, had not.

''We've lost fish here that have been with us for 16 years.''

Mr Hodge said he doubted the act, which killed between 70 and 80 fish, was a silly prank.

''It's a deliberate act, someone has deliberately poisoned the animals in the aquarium.''

The marine centre's large ship's anchor chain was also taken as part of the incident.

Mr Hodge said the vandalism saddened and infuriated him, not just for the centre staff such as him, but also for the community volunteers who gave so much of their time to the aquarium.

''It's absolutely devastatingJoe Maggini

Joe Maggini currently runs Format Music Solutions, a division of Format Entertainment that encompasses a label and music publishing company, a trailer library, and a custom music creation business.

Maggini oversees all aspects of the company’s operations, including creative, film/television pitching and clearance, licensing, administration, and royalties.

Prior to joining the Format team in August 2013, Maggini was Director of Creative at Universal Music Publishing Group for six years. During his tenure at UMPG, he actively pursued new talent, while also looking after a broad stable of artists, songwriters, and producers. Joe’s roster included Macy Gray, Atticus Ross, Daniel Lanois, George Duke, David Lynch, Duncan Sheik, Angelo Badalamenti, and BB King, among others. His signings included Youngblood Hawke, Beware of Darkness, and songwriter/artist/producer Jason Hill, all enjoying considerable synch


success while under Joe’s watch.

Previously, Maggini worked as Director of Writer-Publisher Relations at BMI in Los Angeles, where he was responsible for affiliating songwriter/artists early and often. Among some of his affiliations were Mark Foster (Foster the People), Allen Stone, Hollywood Undead, and Joshua James, to name just a few.

Before BMI, Maggini began his career in both the Songplugging and A&R departments at BMG Music Publishing, and he had the opportunity to work with artists like The All-American Rejects, Yellowcard, Thrice, and Rachael Yamagata.

In addition to his A&R expertise, Maggini brings a solid working knowledge of the film and television music business and maintains strong relationships with music supervisors, film studios, TV music departments, and trailer houses. During his time at both Format and UMPG, Maggini has hadStar of India is a three masted bark which slid down the launching-ways at Ramsey in the Isle of Man in 1863. Today, as the oldest merchant vessel afloat, she stands moored in North San Diego Bay at the Embarcadero near the foot of Ash Street, where she attracts thousands of visitors each year. Although the Star sailed around the world 21 times in her heyday, she eventually fell into grave disrepair and was headed for scrap when a group of concerned local citizens decided to preserve her as an historical relic. The square-rigger was towed to San Diego for this purpose in 1923, but due to the Depression no significant restoration was undertaken until 1959. At that time another group of citizens had her dry-docked and surveyed


and determined that it would be worth the effort to repair her. The Star of India is currently owned by the Maritime Museum Association of San Diego (Association) which charges visitors a modest admission to come aboard and inspect the accommodations of her nineteenth century travelers and crew members. She has not been engaged in maritime commerce, therefore, since at least 1923, and has not been subject to the Coast Guard inspection and navigation laws since at least March 1969 when the Association presented evidence to that agency that the Star was permanently moored to the Embarcadero and was not intended to be used in the future as anything more than a floating museum.
It was pointed out to the Coast Guard Officer in Charge of Marine Inspection thatthe bow and stern lines were of anchor chain and could not be slipped without tools not available to the ordinary mischief maker. This evaluation was accepted by the inspector who also noted the use of shore connections for electric power and water. In a letter dated March 26, 1969, he finally determined that the Star was "substantially a land structure" and therefore exempt from the ordinary inspection and navigation laws. Subsequently, on March 19, 1971, the Star was removed from documentation by the Coast Guard, based on the above determination that she was "substantially a land structure."
The plaintiff's injury allegedly occurred on the evening of September 26, 1971, as she was going aboard the Star as an invited guest of a club which was holding a party


had been removed from that status on March 19, 1971, "for the reason that the vessel had been determined to be substantially a land structure" (emphasis supplied). The confusion evidenced by this self-contradictory statement exemplifies the difficulty faced in attempting to categorize this former queen of the seas.
Perhaps for the Coast Guard's immediate purposes, it was correct to exempt the Star of India from the inspection and navigation laws and to remove it from documentation. The defendant Association represented that the Star was not to be moved and as such would be generally out of the ordinary flow of maritime traffic on San Diego Bay. It is interesting to note, however, that the Coast Guard was concerned about the possibility of the Star's being moved and that itis not convinced that the Star of India, in her present stated condition, does not supply the "maritime nexus" for this tort which admittedly occurred on navigable waters. Ships are the traditional source of admiralty jurisdiction and in view of the foregoing discussion the Court finds that the Star of India is a ship. By its efforts and conduct over the years the defendant Association has enhanced her status as a ship and has held her out as such, practically speaking. The fact that the Star currently rests at dockside detracts not at all from her colorful past nor her future capacities.
In view of the foregoing, it is the holding of this Court that the plaintiff's tort claim does lie within the admiralty jurisdiction of the federal courts.

IV
The


The ’80s Space Adventure Explorers May Come To TV With An Impressive Set Of Writers

Germain Lussier

The men behind True Detective and A Ghost Story are trying to bring a cult 1980s sci-fi adventure film to the small screen.

Deadline reports that Cary Fukunaga and David Lowery are teaming up to write a TV pilot script for Explorers, based on the 1985 Joe Dante film. The film was Ethan Hawke’s first movie, and it co-stars River Phoenix a year before his breakout in Stand By Me.

They play friends who discover a powerful electromagnetic field, then build a ship and travel to outer space. Think The Monster Squad or Goonies meets Flight of the Navigator, but set among the stars. It’s one of those smaller ‘80s movies you may not haveever gotten around to seeing, but maybe should have thanks to the level of talent involved. It was not a big hit upon release but soon found a cult following thanks to TV airings and VHS.

Fukunaga is best known for directing much of the first season of True Detective. He also helped bring It to the big screen, recently created Netflix’s show Maniac, and was just selected to direct the next James Bond movie. Lowery directed Disney’s underrated remake of Pete’s Dragon but also did the incredible film A Ghost Story, among others. According to the Deadline report, the duo “will write the script and bible, and one of them will direct the pilot should it get to that.” The show is being made by Paramount Television.

Explorers makes


top rate of tax and announced deeper welfare cuts in the budget.”

In Putney, just before 1pm, six activists in wheelchairs chained their wheelchairs together at each end of Parkfields Road, and then activists arrived from four different gathering points in central London — for women, for the NHS, for the welfare state, and for democracy — finally revealing the target of the day’s action, which had previously been a closely kept secret. Nick Clegg was targeted, as UK Uncut stated, for “his support of the coalition’s radical cuts programme and his parties broken election promises.”

As UK Uncut also explained, “During the family-friendly street party protest, disabled campaigners, mothers with children, public service workers and activists enjoyed music, poetry, comedy, games and held a people’s assembly to discuss thelevees and related street and road improvements, including the City's share of the costs of the Trinity Parkway, lakes, waterways, open space and recreational facilities, and other facilities, improvements and equipment necessary and incidental thereto; said bonds to mature serially over a period not to exceed twenty (20) years from their date, to be issued in such installments and sold at any price or prices and to bear interest at any rate or rates as shall be determined within the discretion of the city council under laws in effect at the time of issuance, and to provide for the payment of the principal of and interest on said bonds by levying a tax sufficient to pay the annual interest on and to create a sinking fund sufficient to


redeem said bonds as they become due?
Consistent with Proposition 11, the language on the ballot asked voters to approve:
THE ISSUANCE OF $246,000,000 GENERAL OBLIGATION TRINITY RIVER CORRIDOR PROJECT BONDS, THE PROJECT TO INCLUDE FLOODWAYS, LEVEES, WATERWAYS, OPEN SPACE, RECREATIONAL FACILITIES, THE TRINITY PARKWAY AND RELATED STREET IMPROVEMENTS, AND OTHER RELATED, NECESSARY, AND INCIDENTAL IMPROVEMENTS TO THE TRINITY RIVER CORRIDOR.
The City Council did not pass any other ordinance or resolution describing the project. However, City staff developed, printed, *673 and distributed a pamphlet entitled "1998 Capital Bond Program Summary In-Brief." The pamphlet bore the official City seal, contained the names of the Dallas City Council members and the district each represented, and summarized each of the eleven separate bond propositions. With respect to Proposition 11, the pamphlet described theProjects" ("Corridor Projects"). Both documents, like the pamphlet, bore the official City seal and allocated amounts for various components of the project. These documents, however, did not provide the more detailed descriptions of the components offered by the pamphlet.
On May 2, 1998, a majority of voters passed Bond Proposition 11. Later that year and again in 1999, the City sold a total of $46 million of the bonds into the public securities markets and began initial work on the project. In December 2000, appellants filed their original petition and application for permanent injunction against the City, alleging the City had unlawfully changed the project from the way it was represented to voters in the pamphlet. In particular, they complained the size, cost, and length of time of the


brought into issue the legality and validity of the bonds and they were therefore entitled to litigate their complaint that the bond proposition was improperly "multifarious," despite time limitations on such complaints set out in the Texas Election Code. As with the City, various affidavits and documents supported appellants' response.
The trial court ultimately ruled in the City's favor. The judgment declared, among other things, that (1) Bond Proposition 11 constitutes a valid contract with the voters and the external publications "do not impose binding obligations" on the City; (2) the previously issued 1998 and 1999 Trinity River Bonds are legal and valid obligations, and the City's prior expenditure of funds from these bonds is lawful, valid, and authorized by law; (3) the City is authorized to issue thebore the names of the school board members, and some board members helped to distribute it. Id. The anticipated growth did not materialize, yet the board decided to use a portion of the bond funds to build a natatorium. The taxpayers sued, arguing the district was bound by the representations made by the superintendent and contained in the leaflet and could not use the money otherwise. Id.
This Court rejected the taxpayers' contention, reasoning that a political subdivision of the State may act only as a body corporate at a properly called meeting. Id. In Davis, none of the representations at issue were formally adopted by the board as a body at a called meeting. The fact that the board was aware of the leaflets and of the superintendent's


Chaudhry Muhammad Sharif

Justice Chaudhry Muhammad Sharif (جسٹس چوہدری محمد شریف) (March 10, 1928 - June 29, 2009) was a prominent judge of the Lahore High Court in Pakistan.

Early life
Justice Sharif was born in a village near Hoshiarpur district (East Punjab) on March 10, 1928. At the time of partition of India, he was a student in the Government College Hoshiarpur. After migrating to Pakistan, he completed his education from SE College in Bahawalpur and the University of Punjab's Law College in Lahore.

Judicial career
After a short phase as a practicing lawyer, he started his career in judiciary as Civil Judge on March 23, 1953 by taking charge in Chakwal. Having served as the District and Session's Judge in Punjab from 1970 to 1980, he took oath asEntrepreneur and current American 800-meter record-holder Nick Symmonds is auctioning off some ad space on his right shoulder on eBay. The space is available for the remainder of the 2016 outdoor season, including through the Olympics, should he qualify.

This is Symmonds’s second go at deltoid marketing. Prior to the 2012 London Olympics, where Symmonds represented the U.S. at 800 meters, he sold his shoulder space to Milwaukee ad agency Hanson Dodge Creative for $11,100. During competition, he covered Hanson Dodge’s temporary-tattooed logo with white tape, underscoring his long-standing beef with Olympic and international track and field organizations’ restrictions on athletes’ ability to market themselves.

Then as now, selling his skin is more a statement on athletes’ rights than about raising revenue. Most sports have a governing body, U.S. Soccer,


Guitar Center representative.

Each contestant will have five minutes to set up and three minutes to perform. If you advance to the semifinals and grand finals competition, you’ll have five minutes to perform.

When

COMPETITION DATES:

STORE PRELIMS

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

STORE FINALS:Tuesday, September 30, 2014

QUARTERFINALS:Tuesday, October 21, 2014

SEMIFINALS:Tuesday, November 11, 2014

GRAND FINAL:Saturday, January 17, 2015

FAQ

General

Guitar Center Drum-Off is our annual search for the top undiscovered drummer. Now in its 26th year, the Drum-Off competition was developed to inspire and support drummers in the pursuit of their musical aspirations. Drum-Off is committed to rewarding and recognizing talent by providing a launching pad for a professional career as a drummer.

In order to compete, you must sign up at a Guitar Center store. You cannot sign up online orphases of the Contest. Contestants must register (“Registration”) at any participating Guitar Center by the date of the Preliminary In-Store Competition in which they wish to compete and must meet the eligibility requirements set forth in Paragraph 4 below. Each store will designate the first twelve (12) individuals to Register at that store as the ten (10) contestants and two (2) alternates to compete in each Preliminary In-Store Competition on a first-come, first-served basis based on the date and time of each Registration. Registration will begin on August 1, 2014. Preliminary In-Store Competitions will be held on September 9, 2014, September 16, 2014, and September 23, 2014. The contestant with the highest score (as described below) from each Preliminary In-Store Competition (the “Preliminary Store Winner”), and the contestant


with the second-highest score from each Preliminary In-Store Competition (the “Preliminary Store Runner Up”) will advance to the Final In-Store Competition, which will be held on September 30, 2014. If either the Preliminary Store Winner or the Preliminary Store Runner Up declines to compete in the Final In-Store Competition, then the contestant who received the next-highest Final Score will be invited to compete in the Final In-Store Competition. If necessary, that procedure will be repeated until two contestants from each Preliminary In-Store Competition have agreed to compete in the Final In-Store Competition. The order in which contestants perform at each Preliminary and Final In-Store Competition will be determined by a random drawing held thirty (30) minutes prior to the start of the competition (The “Random Drawing”). ALL CONTESTANTSsole discretion.

National Competition: Semi-Finals Winners invited to compete in the National Competition are responsible for their own travel to the National Competition, unless the distance from the location where the Semi-Finals winner won the Semi-Finals Competition is more than 300 miles from the National Competition. In that case, Guitar Center shall provide: (i) round trip coach airfare for that Semi-Finals Winner from the major commercial airport nearest that Semi-Finals Winner’s home to the major commercial airport nearest to the National Competition (“National Airfare”) and (ii) hotel accommodations for one night (double occupancy) at a hotel in the city where the National Competition takes place. In such a case, Sponsor also shall provide National Airfare for the Guardian of any Semi-Finals Winner who is a minor. All expenses associated


Optimal number of reagents required to evaluate hematolymphoid neoplasias: results of an international consensus meeting.
At the ISAC 2000 Congress, the Clinical Cytometry Society organized a meeting of international experts to reach consensus on the minimum number of antibodies required for a full evaluation of hematologic and lymphoid neoplasias. A questionnaire was distributed prior to the meeting to numerous experts from US and European institutions and 13 responses were received. At the meeting, 25 individuals, including most of those who returned responses, participated in the discussions and voted on the issues presented. In chronic lymphoproliferative disorders (CLD), 9 antibodies (anti-CD5, CD19, kappa, lambda, CD3, CD20, CD23, CD10, and CD45) were deemed essential for initial evaluation by 75% of the participants. There was near unanimity that additional markers (selected fromInstitution, as its only witness. He testified extensively as to the applicant's previous difficulties and stated his opinion, based upon the applicant's past history and his own observations of the applicant, that the applicant was a defective delinquent within the definition set forth in the Defective Delinquent *588 Law. He testified, among other things, from official records of information given him by the applicant.
The memorandum in support of the application for leave to appeal herein states as reasons for allowing the appeal eight alleged inaccuracies in Dr. Kastner's testimony. Each of the statements said to be untrue is contained in that portion of Dr. Kastner's testimony based upon information which he said was furnished by the applicant. There is no evidence in the transcript contradicting any of these


to claim deep roots all over the Southwestern Pennsylvania region. He has from Finleyville and Monroeville, to Allison Park, and over to Monaca and Center Township. He also has an extensive ‘history’ from Baden, Rochester and Beaver Falls, to the North Hills as well.

"The Camino Concept’ began on Internet radio in Arizona in 2016. But as a hobby, I've been a volunteer presenter throughout my entire adulthood. I've always enjoyed sharing theme mix concepts of oldies music, for family, friends, ministry and community, always for free ... you get what you pay for, my dear ‘musical pilgrims.'

"Currently, ‘Camino Nation’ has affiliations with Internet stations in the Arizona Valley of The Sun, the Carolinas and in both Cheshire, U.K., and the northwest London area.

"As a newlywed of nearly 43Benny's faithful (but sarcastic) valet, Rochester, and Benny's real-life wife, Mary Livingston.
Listen, and find out why Jack Benny, the pride of Waukegan, Ill., and supposedly the stingiest man alive, was one of America's most popular comedians for 40 years.

Six days a week, we're the "new sound of the Mon Valley." But on Sunday nights, we're the "old sound" of original scripted radio drama and comedy!

Listen, and find out why Jack Benny, the pride of Waukegan, Ill., and supposedly the stingiest man alive, was one of America's most popular comedians for 40 years.

Then, at 7:30 p.m., it's tall tales and lots of puns with "Fibber McGee and Molly." Portrayed by Jim and Marion Jordan, their life at 79 Wistful Vista is interrupted by a constant stream of strange characters


Was pardoning Sheriff Joe Arpaio a mistake?

When it was announced that president Donald Trump would be pardoning Sheriff Joe Arpaio, it did not surprise a lot of people. The two for a long time had seemed to admire each others mode of operation. Sheriff Joe of Maricopa had been very vocal on his stance of tough on immigration. He would have been a perfect fit for trump by all standards.

The candidate then had just left the Drug enforcement agency, and it was thus natural to earn respect and confidence of the county. He would go over the next six terms that he was in office to oversee one of the most corrupt and racist departments in the country.

He was plagued by allegations of racial profiling of people fromthe Hispanic community, and soon it came out in the open that he was indeed doing so. The sheriff would stop[ and frisk those that did not meet his appearance of American enough this was in addition to raiding businesses that were owned by people from the Hispanic community.

Later on, he grew bolder, and it is at this point that he started all businesses that were thought of employing undocumented immigrants and would do so without warrants or the effect such raids had on the business or those that frequented them. One of the biggest critics, in fact, are men who would recite his ills from memory, i.e., Micheal Lacey and Jim Larkin.

This are the former owners of the Phoneix New Times before they sold it in 2013.


Larkin was the CEO while Lacey served as the executive editor it was thus not lost on them the extent of ills that the sheriff and his entire department perpetrated.

The duo of Jim and Micheal had always remained objective and factual in all their reporting this would prove to be very strategic for them as their paper received wide following due to their credibility. They had observed and reported on the moves that the sheriff was making which each new day and how his antics became brutal by the day.

This kind of focus on the sheriff did not please him at all and he would incidental ban all reporters from the organization from attending any of his briefings. This was only the beginning of what would follow. Thesheriff became bolder and as such instigated an arrest in August 2007 targeting Jim and Micheal. Read more: Village Voice Media | Wikipedia and Michael Lacey | Twitter

This would prove to be a low blow even for him as the outcry that followed from the media and the general public would compel him to release the two and later on drop all the charges. This proved to be one of the final straws in the sheriffs spiraling career people of Maricopa, Arizona and in the last election would elect a new sheriff.


mounted within the housing, is coaxially aligned with the piston and is capable of selective rotation by the brake actuation means. The powershaft has worm gear teeth thereon engaged with a powershaft nut within the housing which powershaft nut is prevented from rotating and is capable of axial movement directly corresponding to the selective rotation of the powershaft. The powershaft nut is operably connected to the piston to produce the axial movement thereof toward and away from the friction surface of the disc.
While these two prior art brakes utilize slack adjusters which are within the interior of the housing, the utilization of such a powershaft nut has been found to add to the overall length of the brake. Accordingly, even though there are other similar brakes which utilizewith his ‘neighbourhood first’ policy. A bilateral visit to Nepal was long overdue, the last one being in 1997. Part of the reason was Nepal’s ongoing political transition — a Maoist insurgency in Nepal which lasted from the mid-1990s till 2005, a delicate peace process which was mid-wifed by India and a new constitution-drafting exercise that began in 2008. Meanwhile, every Nepali Prime Minister had visited India, some more than once, leading Nepali commentators to conclude that Nepal did not rank high in Delhi’s foreign policy priorities. Mr. Modi’s visit was a successful exercise in correcting this perception.

He addressed the Constituent Assembly, the only foreign leader to have done so, touching all the thorny issues in the relationship and hitting the right notes. He spoke about respecting Nepali


sovereignty, reiterated readiness to revise the 1950 Friendship Treaty in line with Nepali wishes, offered encouragement for the constitution-drafting process while wisely refraining from any suggestions, offered generous terms for power purchase and announced a billion-dollar line of credit on generous terms. A long joint statement was issued issued, highlighting (HIT – Highways, Information ways and Transmission ways) connectivity projects with clear timelines. Political parties and civil society were unanimous in concluding that a new chapter in India-Nepal relations was being opened.

Less than four months later, Mr. Modi was back in Nepal, this time for the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit. In the run-up to the visit, he had indicated an interest in visiting Janakpur, Lumbini and Muktinath. The Nepali authorities were lukewarm. Somewhat disappointed,honeymoon was over.

The problem lies in the fractured politics of Nepal. Traditionally, hill elites (Bahuns and Chettris) who constitute 29% of the population have ruled Nepal. This is as true today as during the monarchy for the leadership of the three main political parties — Nepali Congress (NC), United Marxist-Leninist (UML) and the Maoists — is drawn from the same elites. The Madhesis constitute 35% but have traditionally been marginalised, live in the Terai areas bordering India and share close ties (roti-beti ka rishta) with their kin across the border. This is why Mr. Modi’s remarks in November 2014 generated criticism.

Nationalism, anti-Indianism

Relations with India often become an issue in Nepal’s domestic politics as politicians seek to don the mantle of Nepali nationalism which invariably carries within it a


grain of anti-Indianism. During the monarchy, the King would emerge as a staunch nationalist when he wanted to crack down on pro-democratic forces and the NC would be painted in pro-Indian colours. The monarchy has given way to a republic but old habits die hard. India’s desire to play favourites also contributes to it, particularly when different elements in India convey different messages.

Following the 2013 election, an NC-UML coalition emerged with NC leader Sushil Koirala becoming Prime Minister on the understanding that he would hand over the reins to Mr. Oli, the UML leader, after the constitution was adopted. Mr. Oli was understandably impatient and finally the constitution was promulgated in September 2015 even as the Terai was erupting in protests. Having belatedly realised the implications, India cautionedagainst haste but this was seen in Kathmandu as blatant encouragement for the growing Madhesi agitation which claimed 45 lives.

Life in the Terai came to a standstill. Mr. Oli blamed India for imposing an economic blockade which was causing acute shortages of essentials such as petrol, diesel, liquefied petroleum gas and medical supplies. India blamed the deteriorating security environment which made the transporters reluctant to cross over and advised Mr. Oli to address Madhesi concerns. Relations took a nosedive. Eventually, a constitutional amendment was adopted and the movement of goods across the border returned to normal. But trust had been breached. In addition, the blockade had unleashed a wave of resentment against India.

A new beginning

In 2017, the first elections under the new constitution were held for the national


parliament, the seven newly created provincial assemblies and the local bodies (town municipalities and village council). Riding the nationalist wave and projecting himself as the only leader who had stood up to India, Mr. Oli again emerged as Prime Minister, but stronger than before as UML also scored impressive victories in the provincial and local body elections.

Mr. Modi realised that the political landscape was shifting. China was now keen to expand its presence in the region with ambitious projects. Following a couple of phone calls and an invitation personally conveyed by Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj, Mr. Oli made India his first foreign destination and Mr. Modi has reciprocated with a quick return visit. Janakpur and Muktinath were included in the itinerary and a confident Mr. Oli received Mr.Modi in Janakpur.

The visit was high on symbolism, less so on substance. Mr. Modi described it as a visit by the ‘Prime Pilgrim’. With prayers offered in Janaki Mandir, Muktinath and Pashupatinath, the focus was on religious and cultural commonalities. A bus service between Janakpur and Ayodhya was inaugurated.

The joint statement is short. Only one of the earlier commitments, the 900 MW Arun III hydel project, has progressed and both Prime Ministers jointly laid its foundation stone. Of the four planned Integrated Check Posts, one is now functional after over a decade.

The 2018 statement prioritises cooperation in agriculture, inland water-ways, a survey for a railway line from Raxaul to Kathmandu and increasing air connectivity. The 2014 announcements included a railway services agreement, additional air links connecting Lucknow, Pokhara


Organizers confirm the note specifically demanded cancellation of February event

The organizers of "Touhou Kamuisai 7,” a Touhou Project dōjinshi event, revealed in a new notice on Saturday that a threat letter was specifically directed at the event, which resulted in the event's cancellation. The Saturday notice clarifies a previous notice, which did not specify if the event had received threat letters directed at them.

On December 27, the Sapporo Teisen Hall venue notified the Touhou Kamuisai 7 organizers that a letter had arrived at the venue, and the letter demanded the cancellation of the event. The organizers then began preparing measures to increase security, such as bag checks and adding guards. However, the Tokyo-based company that owns the facility requested them to cancel the event. The facility also housesa bowling alley, so the company said it was unfortunately forced to cancel the event to protect all of its customers. The organizers note that both the staff of the event and the owners of the building are extremely vexed about the cancellation.

The organizers will refund the dōjinshi circles that had planned to attend the event.

Studio You, the company that organizes the Kuroko's Basketball-themed "Shadow Trickster" dōjinshi events across Japan, also announced on Thursday that the "Shadow Trickster Sapporo" event has been cancelled. The studio specifically cited the recent string of threats surrounding the Kuroko's Basketball franchise. The "Shadow Trickster Sapporo" event was scheduled to be held at the same Sapporo Teisen Hall as "Touhou Kamuisai 7," but two weeks earlier on February 10.

[Via:My Game News Flash]


The Limerick Gathering 2013 aims to attract thousands

FIFTY years after the historic visit to Limerick of the late US president, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the Limerick link to one of the world’s most iconic families will be renewed.

FIFTY years after the historic visit to Limerick of the late US president, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the Limerick link to one of the world’s most iconic families will be renewed.

In June, 1963, the then Mayor of Limerick, Frances Condell declared to the visiting president: “We, the women of Limerick, claim you.” It was a reference to the fact that it was through the maternal line that Limerck claimed him as one of its own. JFK’s mother, Rose, was a grand-daughter of Thomas Fitzgerald who was born in Bruff in 1823 and emigratedto Boston in the 1840s.

But the link to JFK will be just one strand in a bigger coming-together of Fitzgeralds which is planned to take place in Limerick next year as part of The Gathering 2013.

Hotelier Mary Fitzgerald is upbeat about the Fitzgerald gathering which she is spearheading – and about the wider The Gathering 2013 which aims to reach out to the Irish diaspora and persuade over 300,000 of Irish descent to visit the country.

Explaining the background to the Fitzgerald gathering, she says she was inspired to look into the Fitzgerald family background because of her late father’s interest in genealogy but also because of the strong links between the Desmond Castle in Adare and the Fitzgeralds.

And now a seven-day Fitzgerald Gathering package has been put together


which will help people from abroad to find out about their family links and the Fitzgerald family history.

The package, which is being promoted by Abbey Tours, includes two days in Dublin, three days in Cork and three days in Adare. Among the places to be visited will be Leinster House, once the Fitzgerald town house, Carton House, as well as Adare Castle and Glin Castle. A wide range of activities is being planned to fit around these visits, including a banquet in Adare and a series of three lectures explaining the history and geneology of the Fitzgeralds

But the Limerick Fitzgeralds who are related to JFK also hope to boost the numbers coming to Limerick by linking up with the Kennedys of Wexford who are also planning a big                   FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

          Father and E.L. (“Mother”) are the parents of the Children.1 K.A. was born on

October 19, 2002, and S.A. was born on February 5, 2004. The Children were removed from

Father’s care on January 4, 2013. Three days later, on January 7, 2013, DCS filed petitions

alleging that the Children were CHINS. In these petitions, DCS alleged that Father and


A passenger alerted the driver to the assault who stopped the streetcar.

But before police could arrive the suspect took off down Queen Street and the alleged victim ran after him.

The streetcar driver then chased after both of them — leaving a streetcar full of passengers sitting idle.

The TTC says that was the wrong thing to do.

TTC drivers are not allowed to leave their vehicle unsecured — and under no circumstances should they put themselves, or their passengers in danger.

A spokesman for the TTC confirmed to CBC News that the driver was relieved of duty and that a disciplinary hearing has been ordered. Depending on the driver's record and the circumstances surrounding the event the driver could lose his job.

The union says instead of being relieved of duty andA Roman Catholic priest from Nigeria says that a man threatened him with a baseball bat in Marine Park earlier this month, called him a racial epithet and yelling at him to "go back to the projects where you belong," according to a criminal complaint filed in Brooklyn.

Reverend Uriroghene Okrokoto, 28, told police that he was walking down Avenue T near Ford Street around 3:45 a.m. on January 13th, when a man approached him in a dark SUV. He began walking faster, and the driver allegedly sped up, then stopped and flashed his high beams. When Okrokoto attempted to cross the street, the driver allegedly got out of the car holding a baseball bat and approached him.

"Go back to the projects where you belong or your neighborhood in


Flatbush where you came from," he allegedly said. Okrokoto says the man called him a racial slur and told him to "leave this neighborhood...and if you come back, I'm going to split your head."

He then got into his car and drove away, according to the complaint. The encounter allegedly took place a few blocks from Okrokoto's church, Good Shepherd Roman Catholic.

Okrokoto managed to catch the license plate on the SUV, which police traced to 25-year-old Joseph Mattarelliano. A few minutes after Mattarelliano left the scene, the complaint states, he called 911 to say that a black man had been "pulling on car door handles attempting to break in."

Mattarelliano reportedly turned himself in at the 61st Precinct on Friday, and has since been charged with menacing as a hateNord (ERNO) group, comprising Focke-Wulf, Hamburger Flugzeugbau (HFB) and Weser as the E.614, a 36-40 seat aircraft powered by two Lycoming PLF1B-2 turbofans. West German industry was subsequently reorganized and Vereinigte Flugtechnische Werke (VFW) was established at Bremen. Development of what was now the VFW 614 continued.

Although Lycoming abandoned the PLF1, development continued using the Rolls-Royce/SNECMA M45H turbofan, which was developed specially for the VFW 614. In 1968, the project was given the go-ahead, with 80 percent of the backing from the West German Government. Full-scale production was approved in 1970, by which time VFW had merged with Fokker (a somewhat unhappy arrangement which lasted for only ten years). Also, risk sharing agreements had been concluded with SIAT in Germany, Fairey and SABCA in Belgium and Shorts in


the UK. Final assembly of the aircraft would be done in Bremen.

(Photo courtesy of Airliners.Net)

The first of three prototypes flew on July 14, 1971. The first flight of the aircraft was also the first time the engine had been airborne as it had not flown on a flying test-bed. The aircraft had an unconventional configuration, with two quiet, smokeless, M45H turbofans mounted on pylons above the wings.

This arrangement was used to avoid the structural weight penalties of rear mounted engines and the potential ingestion problems of engines mounted under the wings. This allowed a short and sturdy undercarriage, especially suited for operations from poorly prepared runways. The position of the engine over the wing, compared to under-wing, also shielded people on the ground from intake noise during flyover.accommodation options to Paytm's 200 million strong wallet user base.

"Paytm's travel marketplace has been focused on offering a seamless experience across the widest range of booking options. Our partnership with Booking.com will help us offer our customers the choice to book from over a million accommodation options across the world at the most attractive prices," said Vice President - Paytm, Abhishek Rajan.

"There's never been a more compelling need for digital payments and the removal of friction caused by payments in ecommerce in India. As the world's leading online accommodation platform, we're happy to partner with Paytm to enable their customers to effortlessly select the perfect place to stay, anywhere in the world," said Director Strategic partnerships APAC at Booking.com, David Peller.

bus tickets in a fast, secure and convenient


manner. The company is the first horizontal e-commerce major to enter into Travel business, a domain that has hitherto been dominated by vertical players.

In Jan 2017, Paytm claimed to have crossed USD 500 million in annualized GMV, emerging as a significant player in the travel industry. The company has announced that it will invest Rs.300 crore to further grow this business. The company is also looking to ramp up its Bengaluru based Travel marketplace team to over 250 people in next two quarters.type of conventional fuel valve that is used on motorcycles includes a body defining a pair of ports, one opening from the bottom of the fuel tank, and the other communicating from the top of a standpipe extending a short distance upwardly from the bottom of the fuel tank. These ports open on a flat circular surface of the body, and a circular elastomeric sealing member is pressed into sealing association with this flat circular surface, and defines ports aligning with the ports of the body. A valving member is movably carried by the valve body, and is pressed against the elastomeric member. This valving member defines passages communicating one or the other of the ports with an outlet passage, depending upon the rotational orientation of the valving


inner city

Brian Pruitt is a CMU alumni. He is a former all-American athlete, author and entrepreneur. Pruitt is also the founder of The Power of Dad. A program dedicated to turning fatherless inner city boys into men. His team is devoted to teaching boys 21 essential skills from tying a tie to hygiene and dating. Over a 9 month period the boys learn to forgive their fathers and are then able to graduate from the program as men. Pruitt grew up fatherless. Not until he was 22 years old did he learn that a clip on tie was unacceptable.

I can apply his story to my life. 7th grade was the last time I saw my mother. She didn’t walk out on me, I walked out on her. Thatstruggling boys the influence of a man in their early years. His program is unbelievably respectable and I hope that it can grow. It even sparked a little interest in my heart for another passion.

Dr. Joyce Baugh is a professor at Central Michigan University in the Political Science department.

Joyce Baugh was pro-Detroit. She loves the city. She spoke to our class before we left for our service project weekend. She really educated me on the city. I never thought about what really harms Detroit: racism. She interacted with our class by asking questions on the history of Detroit. She was beneficial to the class. She gave us back story on where we were going. She also helped to clear the air about the negative side of Detroit. She


first class to have been accepted. The children come to JRLA with a below average reading level and are behind in many subjects. The teachers try to catch the children up by cramming two years of learning into one. They can accomplish this by extending the school days and year. The kids start school at 9 am and go until 4:30 in the evening. The students attend a leadership class and many of their studies focus on how to better their skills.

Our assignment was to facilitate leadership activities with their 9th and 10th grade class. It was an eye opener for some people. My dad’s school has similar demographics to the academy. Even though I’ve grown up being around a majority of inner city kids, it can getage groups and across earth science boundaries has been colored by the attractiveness of this charming tale. The Harry thrower books can self-praise of claiming the amount one configuration on the top of The New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists. The hottest one belonging to the series, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, is no release.

It would be pat here to make a contribution a tiny environment of the novelist of these books. Joanne Rowling was dropped in Chipping Sodbury close to Bristol, England. After graduating from Exeter University, she started practical as a secretary, and next captive on to prepare English in Portugal. She right now resides in Scotland next to her spouse and cardinal children. Her furthermost striking achievements list champion


A Message from the President

There was a time, really not that long ago, when California was envied worldwide for its commitment and access to higher education. The California Master Plan, enacted in the 1960s, defined the expanded roles of the California community college system, the California State University and the University of California, in the process making it possible for nearly everyone to take advantage of learning beyond high school. The result was that Californians were given unprecedented means to better their lives and their financial prospects through access to higher education.

Today, though, we do not see this level of support in California. We are seeing all sectors of education, from kindergarten through the doctorate degree, being impacted by a lack of adequate funds to support the needsin school history.

Indiana struggled to shoot against Coppin State's zone, missing its first nine shots from the field. It was 9-2 before the Hoosiers' first field goal, a putback by Christian Watford.

Indiana senior forward, who struggled in a win over No. 14 North Carolina on Tuesday, also gave the Hoosiers their first lead of the night on Saturday when his 3-pointer broke an 11-11 tie.

They would not trail again.

Crean felt his team came out ready to go, despite the cold-shooting start.

"They played extremely hard, even at the beginning when shots weren't going, we were having some turnovers," he said. "These guys, they were ready to go. And if they're not ready to go, it shows up in effort, it shows up in your running ability, it shows up


People hold candles and Polish national flags as they take part in a demonstration in front of the Polish Supreme Court on July 23, 2017 in Warsaw | Janek Skarzynski/AFP via Getty Images Poland retreats on controversial laws The moves make few real changes, but Warsaw hopes the ‘gesture’ will calm foreign critics.

Poland's ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party on Thursday presented a series of amendments to its highly contested judiciary bills and backtracked on a Holocaust law that soured relations with Israel and the United States.

The right-wing Polish government has come under enormous pressure from the European Commission and many EU countries for its controversial changes to the legal system, which critics say has put judges under the control of the ruling party.

The amendments to controversial courtreforms were filed Thursday in the lower house of the Polish parliament by PiS lawmaker Marek Ast.

One bill would publish past verdicts issued by the Constitutional Tribunal, the country's highest court, which the government refused to publish in 2016 when it was trying to take control of the tribunal. That action was widely criticized, and forms the basis for ongoing EU complaints that Poland is violating the rule of law.

However, even Ast admitted that publishing the verdicts at this point will make only a cosmetic difference.

Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro has already removed many judges and the government recently took control of the KRS.

"We took this decision to meet the expectations of the European Commission," Ast told reporters, clarifying that the verdicts apply to laws no longer in force.


proposes 65 as a retirement age for both men and women, but women will still keep the right to retire earlier.

"The expectations of women from our party converge with the expectations of the European Commission, which said the bill was inconsistent with principles of the European law," Ast told reporters.

The Commission in December took the unprecedented step of invoking Article 7 against Poland, a procedure that could see Poland lose its voting rights as an EU member for violating the bloc's democratic principles, if the measure is supported by all other EU countries. Brussels said there was "a clear risk of a serious breach of the rule of law” in Warsaw and gave the Polish government three months to respond to its recommendations.

The deadline expired on Tuesday, withthe Polish government failing to convince Brussels of its position. A 94-page "white book" — explaining the government's view that the reforms were legitimate — was rejected by Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans who said it was “not the answer to the Commission’s recommendations.”

Poland also appeared to retreat on the Holocaust law, which criminalizes statements made anywhere in the world that ascribe guilt for wartime Nazi atrocities to the Polish state or nation. The law was condemned for aiming to stifle discussions of darker chapters of Poland's wartime past, when some Poles helped Germans kill Jews.

On Thursday, the Polish prosecutor general's office said that parts of the law applying to foreigners were "dysfunctional" and violated the Polish constitution. Ziobro is the prosecutor general as well as the minister


of justice, and it was his ministry that prepared the initial law.

President Andrzej Duda, a PiS ally, signed the bill into law, but then sent it to be examined by the Constitutional Tribunal, now under the control of the ruling party.

Thursday's moves, largely aimed at placating external problems, come as PiS faces growing domestic challenges. The party has seen a recent dip in support, according to opinion polls, although it is still ahead of the opposition. It also faces a PR blowback after ministers granted themselves juicy financial rewards, and a protest scheduled for Friday over a tough new anti-abortion law.Monday, July 04, 2011

Links Jul 4

Our Glastonbury U2 protest was a call for an ethical tax culture The GuardianJun 28 - We blogged the U2 protest here . Phillip Goff of Art Uncut writes that 'The Bono Pay Up protest was about irresponsible tax behaviour undermining democracy, public services and global development', and on changing the tax dodging culture.

Australia tax office takes aim at foreign companies on tax avoidance The Economic Times Jul 4 -' The Australian Tax Office, one of the world's most aggressive tax agencies, outlined profit-shifting and multinational borrowing among its targets for the year ahead in its annual compliance programme ... In relation to the Project Wickenby taskforce, the ATO says concealment is its main concern.' See here for more on Project Wickenby.India: Heat


Durga - the goddess of power and strength,
is perhaps the most important goddess of the Hindus. She is a
multi-dimensional Goddess, with many names, many personas, and
many facets. As Mahishasuramardini or Shakti, she is the destroyer
of evil - with her ten mighty arms carrying lethal weapons she
triumphantly slays the demon Mahishasura. As Sati, beloved daughter
of King Daksha and Queen Menaka she gives up a kingdom and earns
her father's wrath. As Kali, she turns black as the night and
omnipotent, terrible in rage and fury, with just a string of
skulls as her garland and her only garb. As Parvati, she is serene,
the pretty consort of Lord Shiva by his side in the snowy peaks
of the Kailash mountain. She is Bhawani, symbol of life. She
is Sati, the object of death. She isBasanti, the heralder of
springtime. She is also Amba, Jagadhatri, Tara, Ambika, Annapurna.

Durga, through all her forms, encompasses
the essence of salvation and sacrifice. She is the mother of
bounty and wealth, as also of beauty and knowledge, for her daughters
are Lakshmi and Saraswati (Hindu goddesses of wealth and knowledge,
respectively).

ARDHANARISHWARA
MALE AND FEMALE BODY
UNITED IN ONE
Courtesy Exotic India

She is the embodiement of purity, knowledge,
truth and self-realization. The highest form of truth present
in any being or Jiva is known as "Aatman" or supreme
consciousness. This supreme consciousness or the absolute soul
is infinite, birthless, deathless, beyond time and space, and
beyond the law of causation. Goddess Durga is the inherent dynamic
energy through which this supreme consciousness manifests itself.

Goddess Durga represents the power of the
Supreme Being that preserves moral order and righteousness in
the universe. She is the


energy aspect of the Lord. Without Durga,
Lord Shiva has no expression and without Shiva, Durga has no
existence. Lord Shiva is only the silent witness. He is motionless,
absolutely changeless. He is not affected by the cosmic play.
Shiva has no direct connection with the tangible elements in
the universe and is obliged to emanate a manifestation, an emission
of energy, shakti, through the goddess. It is Durga who is the
doer of all actions. Shiva and Durga are regarded as the twofold
personalization of Brahman, the primeval substance.

The Sanskrit word Durga means a fort, or a
place that is protected and thus difficult to reach. Durga, also
called Divine Mother, protects mankind from evil and misery by
destroying evil forces such as selfishness, jealousy, prejudice,
hatred, anger, and ego.

The projection of the stronger and fiercer
side of womanhood isbut obvious in the tales surrounding goddess
Durga. According to certain mythological tales, Durga is thought
to be the skin of Parvati, which slips off and fights the demon
brothers - Shumbha and Nishumbha. Sometimes Durga is supposed
to have created helpers to fight for her, Kali being the most
famous. In other versions she is supposed to have created the
Saptamatrikas, the Seven Mothers, who were originally Yaksha
gods.

The absence of any male influence as well
as of any male assistance, in Durga's fierce battles with male
demons, is worth noting. The most interesting facet of the tales
of her origin is not that she is presented as Shakti - the divine
power - but rather, that she assumes the powers of the male gods
to save the universe.

Hindu mythology tells an interesting tale
of the fierce battle of Durga


with Mahishasura, a demon who earned
the favour of Lord Shiva after long and hard penance. Lord Shiva,
pleased with the devotion of the demon, blessed him with a boon
that no man or deity would be able to kill him. Empowered with
the boon, Mahishasura started his reign of terror over the Universe
and people were killed mercilessly. He even attacked the abode
of the gods. The war between gods and demons lasted a hundred
years, in which Mahishasura was the leader of the Asuras or demons
and Indra was the chief of the gods. In this contest the army
of the gods was defeated by the more powerful demons. When Mahishasura
conquered the gods, he became their leader.

GODS
PRAY TO LORD SHIVA
TO PROTECT THEM FROM THE
TYRANNY OF THE DEMON KING
Courtesy Exotic India

The gods, utterly defeated, took refugeunder
Lord Brahma, who took them to Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu. Having
heard of the misdeeds of the demons, pure energy blazed forth
from Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva - the trinity forming the pure
energy of Godhood. As the gods witnessed this fiery crest of
energy pervading all the directions and blazing forth like a
mountain peak aflame with the sun, this matchless energy that
sprang from the bodies of all the gods, its light illuminating
the three worlds, became concentrated in one spot and took form
of the Goddess. Her face was from the light of Shiva. Her ten
arms were from Lord Vishnu. Her feet were from Lord Brahma. The
tresses were formed from the light of Yama (god of death) and
the two breasts were formed from the light of Somanath (Moon
God), the waist from the


light of Indra (the king of gods), the
legs and thighs from the light of Varun (god of oceans), and
hips from the light of Bhoodev (Earth), the toes from the light
of Surya (Sun God), fingers of the hand from the light of the
Vasus (the children of Goddess river Ganga) and nose from the
light of Kuber (the keeper of wealth for the Gods). The teeth
were formed from the light of Prajapati (the lord of creatures),
the Triad of her eyes was born from the light of Agni (Fire God),
the eyebrows from the two Sandhyas (sunrise and sunset), the
ears from the light of Vayu (god of Wind). Thus from the energy
of these gods, as well as from many other gods, was formed the
goddess Durga.

The gods then gifted the goddess with their
weapons andother divine objects to help her in her battle with
the demon, Mahishasura. Lord Shiva gave her a trident while Lord
Vishnu gave her a disc. Varuna, gave her a conch and noose, and
Agni gave her a spear. From Vayu, she received arrows. Indra,
gave her a thunderbolt, and the gift of his white-skinned elephant
Airavata was a bell. From Yama, she received a sword and shield
and from Vishwakarma (god of Architecture), an axe and armor.
The god of mountains, Himavat gifted her with jewels and a lion
to ride on. Durga was also given many other precious and magical
gifts, new clothing, and a garland of immortal lotuses for her
head and breasts.

The beautiful Durga, bedecked in jewels and
golden armor and equipped with the fearsome weaponry of the gods,
was ready to engage in battle with


the fierce and cruel Mahishasura.
Her lion's thunderous roars shook the three worlds. Oceans boiled
and surf poured overland. Continents were torn at their granite
foundations as whole new chains of mountains rose, while older
ranges crumbled, cracked, and gave way to dust in a thousand
landslides. Mahishasura and his demon allies found their attention
drawn from heaven to Earth, as Durga's power moved its way towards
heaven. Though confident of their power and control in heaven,
the demons could not help being awestruck.

As Mahishasura's armies were struck down effortlessly
by Durga, it became obvious to him that he was not as secure
in heaven as he had thought. No demon could fight her and win.
Her breath would replenish her armies - bringing back to life
all of her soldiers who fell. From Airavata's gift, the bell,
came a confusingclamor. The demons were in chaos and were easily
defeated and captured. The ground was left littered with the
broken limbs and body parts of the defeated demon army.

Mahishasura was shocked and enraged by the
disastrous events on the battlefield. He took on the form of
a demonic buffalo, and charged at the divine soldiers of Durga,
goring and killing many and lashing out with his whip-like tail.
Durga's lion pounced on the demon-buffalo and engaged him in
a battle. While he was thus engaged, Durga threw her noose around
his neck.

Mahishasura then assumed the form of a lion
and when Durga beheaded the lion, Mahishasura escaped in the
form of a man who was immediately face to face with a volley
of arrows from Durga. The demon escaped yet again and then having
assumed the form of a huge


elephant, battered Durga's lion with
a tusk. With her sword Durga hacked the tusk into pieces.

The demon reverted once more to the form of
the wild buffalo. He hid himself in the mountains from where
he hurled boulders at Durga with his horns. Durga drank the divine
nectar, the gift of Kuber. She then pounced on Mahishasura, pushing
him to the ground with her left leg. She grasped his head in
one hand, pierced him with her sharp trident held in another,
and with yet another of her ten hands she wielded her bright
sword, beheading him. At last he fell dead, and the scattered
surviving remnants of his once invincible army fled in terror.

The Gods bowed to the goddess and showered
their praises on the goddess following her victory:

"Mother, you have created this universe.
You are the strength- to help them.
At that moment, Goddess Parvati - wife of Lord Shiva - was going
to take a bath in the river. After Parvati heard their tale of
woe, a beautiful woman emerged from Parvati's body. She was named
Kaushiki. Upon the emergence of Kaushiki, Parvati's body turned
black and she then became known as Kalika.

Kaushiki was spotted by Chanda and Munda,
the two trusted assistants of Shumbha and Nishumbha. They reported
to their masters, that they had spotted a beautiful woman. Shumbha
then sent a messenger to Kaushiki. The messenger, Sugriva, went
to Kaushiki and informed her of the desire of their masters,
Shumbha and Nishumbha, who were also the rulers of the heavens,
that Kaushiki marry either of the two demon brothers. Kaushiki,
feigning innocence replied that she was very foolish and that
she had pledged that


she would marry only that person who would
defeat her in warfare. She asked Sugriva to convey to his masters
that whoever could defeat her in battle could win her. On hearing
this, Shumbha sent Dhumralochana to capture the goddess. Initially
the asura (demon) tried to persuade the Devi to accompany him,
but when she refused, he rushed to capture her. The goddess uttered
a mantra and the asura was reduced to ashes. On hearing this,
Shumbha sent Chanda and Munda to capture the Devi. On seeing
Chanda and Munda coming, Kaushiki wriggled her eyebrows. From
the eyebrows emerged a ferocious looking goddess with a sword
and a noose in her hands. She wore a tiger skin around her body.
Her big eyes were red and from her tongue saliva dribbled. She
was goddess Kali. Kali jumped among the asuras(demons) and started
killing them. She killed Chanda and Munda and dragged their bodies
to Kaushiki. This gave Kali the name of Chamunda.

The asuras, after the death of Chanda and
Munda, attacked the goddesses Kaushiki and Kali from all sides.
At that moment, from the bodies of the various gods, women forces
began emerging. These goddesses started fighting along with Kaushiki.
Kali then approached Shiva and requested Lord Shiva to ask Shumbha
and Nishumbha to surrender. This act of Kali requesting Lord
Shiva to be her messenger earned her the name Shivaduti - (she
whose messenger is Shiva). Hearing Shiva's message, the asuras
became even more ferocious. Among the asuras there was one named
Raktabija. If a drop of his blood, dropped on the ground, another
asura would spring forth from that drop of blood. Unknowingly,
the goddesses attacked Raktabeeja and


from his flowing blood
numerous Raktabeejas emerged. Following this, Kali swallowed
up Raktabeeja and the asuras which emerged from his blood.

Upon Raktabeeja's death, Nishumbha was killed
by Kaushiki after he attacked her. After Shumbha too was defeated,
he asked if so many goddesses fighting against a solitary demon
was fair. In response, all the goddesses merged into Kaushiki
and thereafter she killed the evil Nishumbha.

Durga is also equated with Mahamaya - the
supreme creator of illusions and attachment - the one whose spell
even the gods cannot elude. There is an interesting tale related
to Mahamaya. Before the creation of the universe, water pervaded
all space. In that water, Lord Vishnu rested in Yoga Nidra (deep
slumber), which was a result of a divine spell cast by Mahamaya
on Lord Vishnu. From the navel of Lord Vishnu appeared Lord Brahma,
thecreator, seated on a lotus. From the wax in Lord Vishnu's
ear were formed two demons, Madhu and Kaitabha. Madhu and Kaitabha
were supposed to be companions of Brahma but being demons they
indulged in naughty acts, which disturbed Lord Vishnu's slumber
and he ordered them to limit their fun and frolic in the depths
of the ocean so that his cosmic slumber wouldn't be disturbed.
Though the demons went away they pledged vengeance on Lord Vishnu.
They propitiated the Mahamaya and appeased her into giving them
a boon of choice of their own death, which she granted them.
The demons then decided to come back to where Brahma and Vishnu
resided and started scaring Brahma. Seeing this Lord Vishnu decided
to kill the two demons but he could do little since they were
protected by Mahamaya's boon. Brahma and


Vishnu then propitiated
Mahamaya. Mahamaya used her powers of illusion and cast spells
on the two demons, which made them grant a boon to Lord Vishnu.
They granted Lord Vishnu the boon of being able to kill them,
on the condition that he did so only where there be no earth
or water, no air or ether, neither mind nor intelligence and
not even false ego. Taking this opportunity, Lord Vishnu squashed
the two demons on his thigh, which was neither of earth, water,
air, ether, fire, mind, intelligence or false ego, since Lord
Vishnu's was a transcendental body. Thus the Mahamaya using her
skills at illusions brought the evil demons to their own end.

Durga is also equated with two other popular
Indian goddesses - Sati and Parvati - both consorts of Lord Shiva,
though at different points in time.Though all three are worshipped
separately, they are seen to be the form of the same goddess
Durga.

KING
DAKSHA RESTORED TO LIFE
WITH GOAT'S HEAD AFTER SHIVA
SLAYS HIM AFTER SAT'S DEATH

Sati was the first-born daughter of king Daksha,
one of the progenitors of mankind. Sati, right from her childhood,
started worshipping Lord Shiva as her would-be husband. Shiva,
being pleased with the worship of Sati, came to marry her. Daksha
did not like this tiger-skin clad groom with ash and dirt over
all of his body. Sati however got married to Shiva against her
father's wishes. King Daksha, later on, arranged for a yagna
(Hindu form of penance where offerings are made to a holy pyre
which represents the fire god) where everyone except Shiva was
invited. Sati, despite Shiva's objections went to attend the
yagna and was subsequently subjected to insulting


remarks made
by her father. Not being able to bear this insult, Sati immolated
herself in sacrificial fire. Hearing this news Shiva flew in
a rage and reached there with his blazing trident and along with
his followers of demi-gods, destroyed the sacrificial altar and
beheaded king Daksha. Then, lifting up Sati's body, he started
his violent dance, Tandava -the dance of destruction. As the
entire creation looked on with fear as the earth shook and winds
roared and the oceans heaved, Lord Vishnu used his Sudarshan
Chakra (divine disc) to cut off Sati's body into pieces while
Shiva held on to it and kept dancing. As the last of her pieces
fell from Shiva's shoulder, he was finally pacified. Shiva then
restored life to Daksha using a goat's head as a replacement
for Daksha's own. The spots where the piecesof Sati's body fell
are now known as Shaktipeeths and are spread over 51 places in
the Indian subcontinent.

In her next life, Sati appeared as Parvati,
the daughter of Himalaya. After the loss of Sati, Lord Shiva
had lost interest in worldly matters and marriage did not interest
him anymore. Parvati, however, being Sati reincarnate, wanted
to marry Lord Shiva, and identical to Sati, Parvati too practiced
severe austerities for a thousand years to appease Lord Shiva,
who eventually agreed to marry Parvati. The wedding of Shiva
and Parvati is described in a very colorful manner in ancient
Hindu Puranic literature, describing the merry-making procession
of the followers of Lord Shiva - mendicants, wanderers and the
lot - following him to Parvati's home for his wedding.

There is an interesting tale about how Parvati
came to be called Durga. On one occasion


the sage Agastya asked
Lord Kartikeya why Parvati, his mother, was called Durga. Kartikeya
replied that once there was a demon, named Durga, the son of
Ruru. He with his austerities pleased Lord Brahma and with his
blessings, became very powerful. He conquered the three worlds
and even dethroned Indra, the king of Gods. He abolished all
religious ceremonies. Brahmins were terrified and stopped reading
Vedas. All the gods assembled and prayed to Lord Shiva to protect
them from the tyranny of this demon. Shiva took pity on them
and asked goddess Parvati to go and destroy the evil demon. She
calmed the Gods and agreed to slay the evil Durga. There was
long and fierce battle. As soon as the demon came near with his
evil followers, Parvati assumed thousand arms and also brought
out a number of weapons outof her body. Just as in the legend
of Durga and Mahishasura, here too, Goddess Parvati, with her
trident, killed the evil Durga, who had assumed the form of a
buffalo. The Gods, pleased with the goddess, honored her by naming
her Goddess Durga.

Origins of Durga as a Deity

Traces of origin of Durga as a deity have
been found in wild regions such as the Vindhya Mountains and
with old tribes such as the Sabaras and Pulindas. Probably these
roots associate her with the non-Aryan habits of drinking alcohol
and non-vegeterianism. Durga is first mentioned in the Mahabharata
as a virgin delighting in wine, flesh, and animal sacrifice.
Durga's association with agriculture, especially in her major
festival, the Durga Puja, may arise from her early origins. She
is thought to be the power inherent in the growth of crops and
in


all vegetation.

GODDESS
ISHTAR OF
MESOPOTAMIA

The origin of goddess Durga can be, very strangely,
traced back to the Mesopotamian culture. The depictions and form
of goddess Ishtar, worshipped in Mesopotamia, hold a striking
resemblance to those of goddess Durga in Hindu religious texts.
Mesopotamia of ancient times is an area, which is mostly covered
by present day Iraq. The goddess Ishtar was worshipped by the
Sumerians, Assyrians, Babylonians, and even Romans and Egyptians,
since about 2000 B.C. and probably even before that, since an
epic called the descent of Ishtar was already traced to an old
tale of that time. Ishtar is described as an independent goddess
who roamed the forests and deserts at will and was a constant
seeker of battle. She was depicted as riding a lion and had multiple
arms holding many weapons. She was thought to have had manyis found
in texts of the 4th and 7th centuries A.D., with the resurgence
of goddess worship during those times. She is the only female
deity after whom an entire Upanisad is named. At the close of
the Vedic era there were apparently several goddesses acknowledged
as wives of Shiva while other goddesses were worshiped by different
castes throughout India. These diverse deities eventually coalesced
into the one great goddess, Mahadevi, whose ultimate origin may
have been the Mother Goddess of the Indus valley civilization.
In the ancient Indus Valley civilization it is obvious that the
worship of female deities had a very prominent place in society.
The many seals and figurines found provide evidence for the apparently
highly important place of female deities in the religion of the
time. There is evidence of a Mother or Earth goddess cult being
in


existence in the period.

The post-Vedic period saw the rise of several
goddesses hardly mentioned in the epic period (Mahabharata and
Ramayana and Vedas) rising to a dominant position in worship.
Durga and Kali were such goddesses and each gathered a following
of devotees who held them as the supreme divinity. Durga and
Kali were essentially independent but they were still often linked
to powerful gods but in a drastically different role than the
subservient, model partners played by the goddesses of the epics.

Durga came to be seen as the supreme deity
by her devotees and in many aspects was supposed to have a similar
role to the highest held male deities. She took on the role of
leader of the gods in their struggle against the demons and also,
as does Vishnu, comes down to earth to defeat evil.Durga was
thought to be particularly pleased with blood offerings. Though
associated to Lord Shiva, Durga is still essentially seen as
independent.

In the early Medieval period appeared the
Great Goddess or Mahadevi. She was to her devotees indisputably
the highest manifestation of the divine. The emergence of Mahadevi
is evidence of the acceptance by a large section of the population
of the highest manifestation of the divine being feminine. Portrayals
of Mahadevi can be found in the Devi Mahatmya, Saundaryalahari
and the Devi-bhagavata Purana. The Devi Mahatmya is perhaps the
most significant, illustrating the emergence and establishment
of Devi as the ultimate reality of the universe within the Sanskritized
Hindu tradition. As has been mentioned earlier, goddess Durga
is essentially equated with the Mahadevi.

Around the fourth century A.D., images of
Durga killing a buffalo become common throughout India. After
the sixth century and


into the medieval period, Durga was well-known
and popularly worshipped. In the classical texts, the Puranas,
dating from the third to the fifteenth centuries, her mythological
exploits are recounted. An entire Purana, the Devibhagavatam,
is dedicated to Durga. The most important text is the section
of the Markandeya Purana called the Devi Mahatmya, of possibly
the seventh century, which is also known as the Durgasaptasati
or Chandi Mahatmya. This text is so venerated that every verse
is considered a mantra (sacred utterance) of the Goddess.

Various Forms of Goddess Durga

Goddess Durga is propitiated as various forms,
as have been mentioned in various holy Hindu texts. Some of these
sets of forms overlap partially. All of these forms however mark
an independent Goddess who is intricately involved in the protection
of nature and cosmic order and in destruction of evil forces
who tryto overturn this balance.

The Markandeya Purana places the ten forms
of Durga in the following order:

Durga: The Goddess who first received
and showed her beautiful face to entice the demons.

Dashabhooja: In this fierce ten-armed
form of hers, she destroyed a part of the army of demons.

Singha-Vahini: In this form atop a
lion, she fought with Raktabeeja, the general of Shumbha and
Nishumbha whose drops of blood created thousands of demons.

Mahisha-Mardini: In this form she slew
Shumbha, the demon, who had taken the form of a buffalo.

Kali: In this form she destroyed Raktabeeja
by drinking his drops of blood and not allowing them to fall
on the ground thus disallowing the further creation of demons
from his blood.

Muktakeshi: In this form with flowing
hair she overcame another army of demons.

Tara: In this form she killed Sambhu.

Chinnamastika: In this form


she killed
Nishumbha.

Jagadguree: In this form she was worshipped
by all the gods on their salvation from the demons.

Goddess Durga is also intricately associated
with three distinct aspects of the cosmos as seen in the Hindu
thought process. Durga is said to be associated with Shakti,
Maya and Prakriti.

Shakti

Shakti, the Basis, is the underlying power
of the divine, the aspects of the divine that permits and provokes
creative activity, a creative force, personified as goddess.

Goddess as Shakti: the male gods contribute
their strength and vigor to the goddess, who epitomizes power,
action and strength in the battle with demons. Durga is action
and power personified and as such is a fitting representation
of the idea of Shakti.

Maya

Maya, the Delusion, is the power that deludes
an individual into thinking oneself to be the center of the world,
the power that prevents anrecreate itself in individual beings.

Goddess as Prakriti: In Devi Mahatmaya - a
Hindu text on goddess Durga - it is stated that Durga is the
world, and as the earth itself, she conveys cosmic stability.
She is Sakambhari (she who provides the world with food from
her own body). She is the foundation of all creatures and that,
which nourishes all creatures. In her role as the cosmic queen,
warrior goddess and demon slayer, Durga in effect protects herself
in her aspect as the earth itself.

Hindu religious texts also talk about the
existence of the Ten Great Feminine Cosmic Powers (Dasha Mahavidyas)
which basically can be thought to be the ten fundamental aspects
of the Supreme Cosmic Mother's personality. Nevertheless, each
Goddess has a specific cosmic function in the universal harmony.
The traditional sequence of the ten Goddesses is:

Bhuvaneshwari :


The Power of Space
and The Night of Perfect Realization

Tripura Bhairavi : The Power of Death
and The Night of Destiny

Chhinnamasta : The Power of Sacrifice
and The Night of Courage

Dhumavati : The Power of Deprivation
and The Night of Frustration

Bagalamukhi : The Power of Instantaneous
Stopping

Matangi : The Power of Domination and
The Night of Illusion

Kamalatmika : The Power of Perfect
Happiness and The Night of Paradise

Another such classification of the mother
Goddess based on the various functions in protecting the cosmos
and keeping the divine cosmic cycle running is the basis of the
Nava Durga or the Nine Durgas. These nine goddesses, who actually
are forms of Goddess Durga are propitiated on each day of a popular
Hindu festival called the Navaratri.

Shailputri: As daughter (putri) of
the Himalaya mountains (Shail), Parvati or Hemvati represents
the first of the nine Durgas.She is depicted as holding a trident
and a lotus in each of her two hands and is shown mounted on
a bull.

Brahmacharini: The name indicates the
phase of Parvati's life when she was indulging in severe austerities
to appease Lord Shiva into marrying her. She had pledged that
she would remain unmarried (Brahmacharini) till Lord Shiva gives
his consent to marrying Parvati. She is shown as holding a water
pot (Kumbha) in one hand and a rosary in the other. She is considered
as a holder of knowledge and wisdom. Rudrakhsa (rosary beads)
form her favorite ornamentation.

Chandraghanta: As Chadraghanta, the
goddess is depicted as having golden skin and with a moon-crescent
near her forehead. She is shown as having three eyes and ten
hands, eight of which carry weapons and two of which form gestures
of giving boons and stopping


harms. She is shown as sitting on
a tiger. She is usually associated with the giver of knowledge,
bliss and serenity.

Kushmanda: The fourth Durga is known
as Kushmanda. She is depicted as emanating a cosmic aura and
is depicted as having eight hands, seven of which carry weapons
while the eighth carries a rosary.

Skanda Mata: Skanda Mata literally
means the mother of Skanda. Skanda was the son of Lord Shiva
and Parvati and was the leader of the army of gods.The goddess
is shown as having four hands, two of which carry lotuses while
two are in defending and granting gestures. She is shown sitting
on a lion with her son Skanda in her lap.

Katyayani: Katyaynai is so named because
of her stay at the hermitage of sage Katyayan for the purpose
of penance. She is sometimes also said tobe the daughter of
sage Katyayan. She also is shown astride a lion and has three
eyes and four arms. In one hand she holds a lotus and in another
a weapon. The third and fourth hands show defending and granting
gestures.

Kaalratri: The seventh Durga, Kaalratri,
is depicted as having black skin with bountiful hair, four arms
and astride a donkey. In one hand she holds a cleaver and in
another a burning torch. With the other two hands she forms gestures
of granting and defending. She represents the enemy of darkness
and ignorance.

Maha Gauri: Maha Gauri is depicted
as the fairest of the nine Durgas and is often dressed in white
or green. She emanates peace and compassion and is shown with
three eyes and as riding a bull. She also has four arms, one
of which carries a tambourine


most powerful of all the nine forms of Durga.

Durga is said to be extraordinarily beautiful;
she does not use her beauty for seduction, but rather entrapment.
She entices her victims and then defeats them. She rides a lion,
and it appears whenever her strengths are needed. Her role is
not that of creator, but rather that of a maintainer: she maintains
cosmic order by defeating demons that plague the universe.

Durga is not only a powerful force for cosmic
order but also a protector of her devotees. She listens to her
devotees and attends to their needs. The Devi Mahatmya describes
her as a personal savior who will save her devotees from forest
fires, wild animals, robbers, imprisonment, execution, and battle.

Goddess Durga keeps up the play of the divine
universal God through the three attributes of Nature, namely,
Satva (equilibriuma religion.

Festivals associated with Goddess Durga

An important festival of the Hindus associated
with goddess Durga is that of Durga Puja, which has been celebrated
for ages by Hindus. In the Hindu epics Mahabharata and Ramayana
there are various references to goddess Durga. When the Pandavas
entered the capital of Virata for their period of one year in
disguise they propitiated Durga who appeared before them and
granted them boons. Again, at the commencement of the great war
of Kurukshetra, Lord Krishna advised Arjuna to worship Goddess
Durga to ensure victory in battle.

The festival of Durga Puja is popularly attributed
to a tale from the Hindu epic, Ramayana. Lord Rama went to Lanka,
the kingdom of Ravana - the demon king, to rescue his abducted
wife, Sita. Before starting for his battle with Ravana, Rama
wanted the blessings of goddess Durga.


He came to know that the
goddess would be pleased only if she is worshipped with one hundred
eight 'Neel Kamal' or blue lotuses. Rama, after travelling the
whole world, could gather only one hundred seven of them. He
finally decided to offer one of his eyes, which resembled a blue
lotus. Durga, being pleased with the devotion of Rama, appeared
before him and blessed him. The battle with Ravana started on
the 'Saptami' (the seventh day after the new moon night just
prior to the Autumn festival of Durga Puja) and Ravana was finally
killed on the 'Sandhikshan' i.e. the crossover period between
Ashtami (the eighth day after new moon) and Navami (the ninth
day after new moon). Ravana was cremated on Dashami (the tenth
day after new moon). Since the period of this worship was different
from the conventionalperiod of worship of Durga (during the
spring - 'Basanta'), this puja is also known as 'Akal-Bodhan'
or worship (Bodhan) at an unconventional time.

Durga Puja is a Hindu festival observed in
Ashwin Navaratri (month of October) and is celebrated all over
India with great joy especially in West Bengal. The festival
is also popular by other names like Dusshera and Navaratri. The
ten days of festivity are dedicated to the supreme mother goddess
Durga.

Worship of goddess Durga signifies the process
by which the divine potential within every being removes its
layers of ignorance and achieves the state of self-realization.
Hindus celebrate this occasion at an auspicious time every year
to constantly remind themselves of the significance of this very
process. They contemplate the progress made on their spiritual
journey and celebrate with great joy the victory of the supreme
consciousness over the