Twitter used to predict box office hits

Micro-blogging service Twitter can be used to predict the future box-office takings of blockbuster films according to researchers at Hewlett Packard.

The computer scientists studied 3 million messages known as tweets about 25 movies including Avatar.They found the rate at which messages were produced could be used to accurately predict the box office takings before the film opened.Further analysis of the content of the messages could predict ongoing success.Our predictions were incredibly close. Bernardo Huberman head of the social computing lab at HP told.

For example, he said, the system predicted that zombie film The Crazies would take $16.8m in its first weekend in the US. It actually took $16.06m.

The team forecast that romantic drama Dear John would take $30.71m in its first US weekend. It took $30.46m.The unpublished research has been posted on the Arxiv website.

Social sentiment

The team were able to make their first-weekend revenue predictions by analysing the torrent of tweets about a particular film in the run up to its release.We developed algorithms to analyse these tweets and measure the rate at which they were produced said Dr Huberman.

Our intuition was that the faster people tweet the more likely they are to go and see it.The teams were then able to forecast the ongoing success of a film including its second weekend revenues, by doing what is known as sentiment analysis.

This analyses the content of tweets and decides whether it is positive, negative or neutral.It's tapping into collective intelligence said Dr Huberman who carried out the work with Sitaram Asur, also of HP.The team trained their system using Amazon's Mechanical Turk an online tool that pays people to perform small tasks that computers would struggle to complete.We got people to classify tweets and we used that to calibrate the sentiment analysis explained Dr Huberman.Again the system tracked the fortunes of movies and outperformed other predictive systems such as the Hollywood Stock Exchange he said.For example analysis showed a boom in positive sentiment about the Oscar-nominated The Blind Side after it was released but showed the opposite effect for New Moon which initially sold well but rapidly lost viewers.

"Word of mouth builds audience," said Jan Saxton, vice president and senior films analyst at Adams Media Research.

She highlighted the film My Big fat Greek Wedding, which she said became the "film of the year" in 2002 by recommendations.If word of mouth becomes a faster more effective marketing tool then the effect on the movie business could be profound.Both Dr Huberman and Ms Saxton said that the demographic of Twitter which tends to be young tech-savvy and reasonably affluent - may limit the utility of the system for analysis of some trends, such as those aimed at children.

However Dr Huberman believes it could be of use in forecasting other trends, such as how well a gadget or product will sell.Elements such as sentiment analysis are also being used by other groups.

For example it is being used by an organisation called Tweetminster to monitor the UK general election to work out whether online buzz correlates with the winners.

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Details

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) refers to a range of negative consequences of development that result from maternal drinking during pregnancy. Can children with FASD suffer from many problems, including epilepsy, characterized by spontaneous recurrence of unprovoked seizures, which affects 0.6 percent of the general population. The new study found a much higher prevalence of epilepsy or a history of seizures in individuals with FASD.

The results will be published in No. 2010 in June of Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research and is now available to view early.

"There are very few studies have examined the relationship between seizures and epilepsy among individuals with FASD," noted James Reynolds, a senior scientist in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology and the Centre for Neuroscience Studies at Queen's University. Reynolds is one of the authors of the study.

"Many patients with epilepsy have a history of exposure to an insult before birth, so we reasoned that prenatal exposure to alcohol can be such an insult epileptogenic", said Peter Carlen, a neurologist and senior scientists to the division of neurobiology fundamental in West Toronto hospital, and another of the authors of the study. "Secondly, there is considerable overlap in the structures of the brain that is deficient as a result of chronic exposure to alcohol before birth and those that are associated with seizures, particularly in the hippocampus in the brain. Third, the previous studies failed to examine other complications that occur in mothers who drink alcoholduring pregnancy, such as the effects of drinking on the seizure activity. Finally, previous studies used small sample sizes and failed to clear definition of seizures and FASD ".

"Recently, scientists began to investigate whether fetal exposure to alcohol increases the risk for the development of behavioral health and other neurological problems," said Dan Savage, a professor of rulers' and chairman of neuroscience at the University of New Mexico. "Has already begun is evidence to suggest that children who suffer from FASD are more prone to alcoholism, drug abuse and depression later in life. While it is too early in the history of relatively young of this field of research to evaluate whether maternaldrinking during pregnancy increases the risk of neurological disorders related to aging, such as stroke or Parkinson's disease, several recent studies retrospectively on a large scale and to study whether fetal alcohol exposure increases the risk of epilepsy. "
This study, researchers looked at the history of 425 individuals (254 males, 171 females), aged between two and 49 years old, from clinics FASD Mon Were examined relations between the confirmed diagnosis of FASD and other risk factors - such as exposure to alcohol or other drugs, type of birth, trauma - for co-existence of epilepsy or a history of seizures.

"This study revealed a much higher prevalence of epilepsy and the date of seizure in individuals with a diagnosis of FASD", said Stephanie H. Bell, a researcher at the Center for Neuroscience at Queen's University, and author of the book corresponding to this study. "In the general population, is expected to be less than one percent to the development of epilepsy; with FASD, was six percent and 12 percent of epilepsy and one or more seizures in their lives. The subjects were more prone to epilepsy, or a history of seizures and, if exposure to alcohol occurred in the first three months of pregnancy or throughout the entire. "

"Although this report supports the growing impression that the fetal exposure to alcohol may predispose the immature brain to the development of epilepsy, the results do not prove a direct cause-and effectrelationship FASD and epilepsy," he warned Savage. "The establishment of a direct link between these clinical conditions would be a tough challenge given our incomplete understanding of how ethanol damages the developing brain and what changes in the tissues of the brain neuropathological lead to the development of different types of epilepsy."

However, Savage said it is clear that alcohol can cause damage in the brain of the fetus. "To what extent this damage and lead to negative consequences for neurobehavioral depends on the likely large number of factors, including the size and patterns of ofdrinking during pregnancy, and the presence of risk factors of pregnancy, such as smoking, drug abuse, poor prenatal care, and the presence of other diseases affecting the health of the mother, such as diabetes or high blood pressure, "he said. "As risk factors accumulate, the risk of negative consequences also increase nerve growth."

And missed often "epilepsy and / or seizures in children in the assessments of clinical," noted Carlen ", and if untreated can lead to cognitive problems increasing or unacknowledged. In the long run, it can also lead to problems in attention, memory, and the risk of heart unattended and dangerous. Many of the children may not have a tendency to epilepsy and has no physical signs of FASD, but the doctor must be aware of the alcohol exposureduring pregnancy when considering the health of their patients and diagnose the causes of certain. "

Sania-Shoaib marriage only on April 15

It was a wild goose chase for the dozens of media personnel in Hyderabad, after word spread that the wedding of tennis star Sania Mirza with Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik was to be performed on Friday itself.The advancement of the wedding actually slated for April 15 had galvanised the press corps which had stationed itself in front of Sania's house to get a ‘quote' or a ‘byte' from the family members. The confusion cleared only by evening after her family members sent text messages to news channels which went on running scrolls about the marriage taking place on Friday.Sania's father Imran Mirza made a single-line statement: All wedding ceremonies will begin only on April 13.

The proposed wedding of Sania and Shoaib had been mired in controversy after a Hyderabadi woman. Ayesha Siddiqui claimed that the cricketer had already married her and that he could marry Sania only after divorcing her first. Shoaib's denial of the claim led to registration of a criminal case against him and his passport was seized by the police.

The controversy subsided after community elders intervened to convince both families to agree to an amicable settlement under which Shoaib ‘divorced' Ayesha.Friday's confusion over the wedding date arose after a popular Urdu daily carried a story and news channels and agencies picked up the story leading to a media hysteria.

Afghan police deployed in Helmand warzone

Hundreds of Afghan police officers have been deployed in areas captured by Nato forces fighting a major offensive against the Taliban, officials say. They have been sent to the Helmand province area of Marjah, to hold ground gained in Operation Moshtarak. The British military says Taliban resistance to the offensive has increased, as expected.Meanwhile, the Taliban denied Nato claims that militants were using human shields, and were low on ammunition. Taliban spokesman Qari Yusuf Ahmadi told BBC Pashto that insurgents in Marjah had been able to get ammunition from captured Nato weapons.He said the Taliban insurgents involved would not use human shields, because they were related to the local residents. Up to 400 policemen have been dispatched to Marjah, and Nato said the officers would aim to hold key road junctions and canal crossings. The Mike Wooldridge says the aim is also to have the local Afghan authorities lead the way in establishing schools and clinics in the area once security allows. Nato said one service member died on Friday in a small-arms fire attack, a day after six others - including two British soldiers - were killed. The Martin Patience in Afghanistan says US Marines and Afghan troops are facing tough resistance from Taliban fighters in Marjah. On Friday morning, helicopters dropped about two dozen American soldiers into an area of Marjah where sniper fire was concentrated. UK commander Maj Gen Gordon Messenger told a briefing at the Foreign Office in London: "We expected after the enemy had time to catch its breath, they would up the level of resistance, and that's happened." More than 15,000 Afghan and Nato troops, mostly American and British, are involved in Moshtarak - "Together" in Dari - which was launched last Saturday. Nato has said it could take up to 30 days to clear Marjah of insurgents and bombs. More than 1,200 families have fled Marjah for the provincial capital, Lashkar Gah. Meanwhile, Nato is still investigating an air strike which killed seven Afghan policemen in the Kunduz province on Thursday. The officers were mistakenly hit after a joint Nato-Afghan patrol was ambushed by insurgents, officials said.

Indian state confiscates 'blasphemous' Jesus textbooks

The government in the Indian state of Meghalaya has confiscated textbooks showing pictures of Jesus Christ holding a cigarette and a can of beer. The book has been used for primary classes and has caused a furore in the north-eastern state, where more than 70% of the population are Christians.
State Education Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh said legal action against the publishers was being contemplated.
The company based in Delhi has so far not responded to the complaints.
'Insensitivity'
We are now considering legal action against the Skyline Publications of New Delhi who published the controversial textbooks Mr Lyngdoh said.
The controversial picture of Jesus was discovered in cursive writing exercise books being used at a private school in the state capital.Shillong.The minister said that although private schools were not obliged to use textbooks prescribed by the Meghalaya Board of Secondary Education, his government has taken speedy action by seizing all the copies of the textbook from schools and bookshops.
"We are deeply hurt by the insensitivity of the publisher. How can one show such total disrespect for a religion asked Dominic Jala the Archbishop of Shillong. Just think how this would impact on students at such a tender age.
The Catholic Church in India has banned all textbooks by Skyline Publications from all its schools.We have told all our member schools across the country to ban this publisher said Catholic Bishops' Conference of India spokesman Babu Joseph. The Church has also asked the government to take strict action against the publisher and to ban any such objectionable publications from all schools in future he said.
"Jesus Christ is central to Christian faith and Christian life. The attempt to tarnish his image is highly objectionable and goes against the spirit of religious tolerance in India Mr Joseph said.

Michael Phelps to quit Olympic swimming after 2012

American swimming legend Michael Phelps says the London Olympics in 2012 will be his final Games and that he will quit the sport when he turns 30. The most prolific Olympic gold medallist of all time with 14 to his name, will be 27 in 2012. I told myself I will not swim over the age of 30 and I will not he said.
Phelps has not specified how many races he will enter in London but hopes his refusal to wear the now banned high-tech suits will give him an edge. He said: Swimming is going to be swimming again it's not going to be who is wearing what suit. Phelps was a bitter opponent of the use of high-tech swimsuits at the World Championships in Rome in 2009 where he lost his world 200m freestyle record to Germany's Paul Biedermann.The sport's world governing body Fina has since banned the suits and Phelps says it will be interesting to see how competitions will go. He added: You're really going to be able to see who wants to work and who wants to make sure who stays on top.
Phelps, who is in the middle of a flying visit to the Winter Olympics won six gold medals at Athens in 2004 and a further eight in Beijing in 2008.
He ruled out entering eight races in London but plans to use this year's Pan Pacific Championships in California and the 2011 WorldChampionships in Shanghai to experiment with different combinations of events ahead of the Games.
I don't even know he said when asked how many races he would enter in London. But I will say it's not eight I'll give you that one.

Foods to Avoid When You Have Asthma

Some people who do not suffer from asthma may think that it is not a very serious problem. But for people who are suffering from asthma, it is a very serious condition that needs to be treated and give special care to avoid asthma attack. There is a lot of information today about asthma that can help a lot of people to decrease their ordeal of having asthma.
One of this useful information is about foods that should be avoided by people who have asthma. Nutritious foods are needed by the body to function well, but there are certain kinds of foods that are harmful to people with asthma. Here are some of the foods that should be avoided or eliminated to your diet if you have asthma:
• Eating dairy products everyday can cause sudden asthma attack to people who are already suffering from asthma. Dairy foods that should be avoided that includes dairy are ice cream, milk, yogurt and many more foods that contains milk may have the same result for people who are suffering from asthma. Actually, dairy products when eaten by asthmatic person can cause coughing and wheezing.
• Culprit foods such as eggs, wheat, citrus foods and soy products can increase occurrence of asthma. Eggs are the most common foods that are eliminated to the diet of person with asthma. Maybe you are wondering citrus fruits, although, it is very nutritious some citrus are hairy and might cease sudden irritation to people with asthma. Soy products and wheat can also be a triggering device for asthma to attack.
Processed foods are advice to take away from the diet of every patient with asthma. Although, some patients suffering from asthma are still eating those foods but it is important not eat this kinds of foods frequently. Processed foods are rich in additives and artificial flavoring that might increase allergic reaction for patients suffering from frequent asthma attacks. If you are a nut lover and you are asthmatic, you have to eliminate intake of this food. Frequent intake of nuts can trigger asthma attacks. It can also make your asthma attack worse.
• Eating from fast food chains can also trigger the occurrence of asthma attacks. There is a research conducted by a famous epidemiologist which concluded that intake of fast food can twice probably to trigger asthma attacks most especially to children with asthma.
It is considered as a silent killer because asthma can take away your life without noticing it. You may think that asthma is not a very serious problem but statistics shows that there are an increase number of people dying because of asthma and other respiratory infection brought about by asthma.
These foods must be avoided with consideration for people with asthma. Asthma attack may transform from slight attacks to serious attack that can be life threatening. Do not risk your life and comfort by trying your luck by eating this type of food because the remorse is always in the end.

How to Cure Asthma Without Drugs

A great number of people suffering with asthma use drugs. But, most of these drugs cause serious side effects such as mood swings, depression, angry, insomnia and many other side effects. Most of the ill effects are mainly due to the corticosteroids that are the components of many asthma inhalers. An attempt has been made in this article to introduce you certain simple ways to cure asthma without using medications.
• Individuals suffering with asthma should increase their lung capacity like the ability to breathe in and breathe out. This can be very easily improved by regular practice of exercises such as running, jogging and swimming. This will ease the person to breathe more conveniently and reduce the extent of asthma attacks. Even in cases of asthma attacks, the person will have the ability to control the extent of breathing compared to others. However, care should be taken not to exercise in cold weather. In addition to the physical exercises, it is essential to practice breathing exercises to increase the lung capacity.
• To cope up with the stress associated with the asthma attacks, it is essential to maintain the fitness of the body. This can be done by increased consumption of flavonoids, which are the essential components present in a wide variety of fruits such as apples, berries and other enzymes. By maintaining a fit body, you can very easily combat asthma attacks with controlled breathing eliminating the need of medications.
• The major cause of asthma in many people is contact with allergens. An easy way to cure asthma is to identify the causative agent and stay away from it. This is very simple way to avoid asthma attacks. Some of the common irritants include the dust, pollen grains, cold weather and molds. If you are dusting the house, there is a great chance of having asthma attacks. Hence, take care by covering the nose and mouth with a clean cloth or any other mask to filter the dust particles and molds.
• Sufficient care has to be taken regarding the dietary habits. Certain foods are very active in initiating the asthma symptoms. However, certain foods such as the fish varieties such as tuna, mackerel and salmon play a great role in reducing the symptoms of asthma attacks and should be included in the diet of an asthma patient. Their action is due to the production of anti-inflammatory compounds that reduce the extent of constriction that is blocking the air passage. Other foods that reduce the asthma symptoms include spinach, almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and also fruits that are rich in vitamin C and B.
• Chlorine which is generally found in drinking water serves as an activator for receptors within the lungs and throat. To avoid these adverse effects of chlorine, it is essential to consume chlorine free water.
• Certain oils such as the lavender oil, rose oil and chamomile help to reduce the asthma attacks. They act by increasing the lung capacity to breathe deep. They even help to reduce the extent of muscle spasms. However, before using these oils do not forget to check them for allergens.
By regular practice of all the above measures, it is possible for every asthma patient to lead a drug free life.

Brit Awards ceremony watched by 5.8m

An average audience of 5.8 million tuned in to see the Brit Awards on according to overnight figures.

The music award ceremony, which saw Lady Gaga win three trophies, captured a peak of 6.3 million viewers towards the end of the two hour broadcast.
But the Brits were beaten by One medical drama Holby City for the first hour with an average of 6.3 million. This year's event surpassed the TV audience for the 2009 ceremony which gained an average 5.2 million viewers.

Brits effect

The artists who picked up awards and performed at the ceremony are already enjoying a surge in music sales, according to the Official Charts Company.
Sales of songs by Lady Gaga lifetime achievement award winner Robbie Williams and best British solo male Dizzee Rascal saw the biggest spikes after the event began.
Williams's Greatest Hits - originally released in 2004 - is expected to return to the top 75 on Sunday.
His latest studio album, Reality Killed The Video Star is likely to re-enter the top 20.
Florence and the Machine's Lungs, which came away with the best British album accolade went to the top of Amazon's best-seller list shortly after the ceremony concluded.
According to HMV's Gennaro Castaldo the artists who are likely to enjoy the greatest Brits effect are those who put in memorable performances at the event or walk away with multiple gongs.
"Such artists can easily experience a doubling or even a trebling of sales overnight, especially in these days of instant downloads while a further boost can be expected at the weekend when people are out shopping he added.

Obama Starts Push to Cast Stimulus Bill as a Success

One year to the day that he signed the bill into law Mr. Obama appeared at the White House alongside small business owners who have benefited from the measure, which has become a kind of political albatross for him and for fellow Democrats seeking re-election in 2010.One year later, it is largely thanks to the Recovery Act that a second depression is no longer a possibility the president said. It’s one of the main reasons the economy has gone from shrinking to by about 6 percent to growing about 6 percent.
He added Our work is far from over but we have rescued this economy from the worst of this crisis.Mr. Obama’s appearance was part of an intensive effort by the White House to sell Americans on the virtues of the stimulus bill. This week Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr cabinet secretaries and other administration officials are fanning out to 35 communities across the country where they are talking up the measure and announcing new programs like the one unveiled by Transportation Secretary Ray Lahood on Wednesday to pay for 50 new projects.
The $787 billion stimulus bill a package of tax cuts and public works spending that is formally named the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has sparked debate about whether it has actually helped the economy. Surveys show that many Americans do not have a clear understanding of what the bill has done often it is confused with the bank bailout.With the unemployment rate at 9.7 percent nationally, and higher in some states Republicans have been able to capitalize on public doubts about the program and concerns about the soaring national debt. They are asserting that the stimulus bill has not created any new jobs — and may in fact have done harm.
“In the year since the Democrats stimulus program was enacted over three million jobs have been lost, billions of dollars have been wasted and an unprecedented debt has been passed on to our children these are not the results that America hoped for Representative Eric Cantor of Virginia the House Republican whip said in a statement on Wednesday. Struggling small business owners, families and young workers see trillions in debt on their tab and still no job creation.In fact, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated last fall that by that time the bill had created between 600,000 and 1.6 million jobs. Independent economists say that while it is hard to ascertain precise job-creation figures, the Republicans assertion of no job creation is inaccurate. For Mr. Obama, though the message that things could have been even worse is not an appealing one to deliver. He acknowledged on Wednesday that he has had difficulty generating enthusiasm among ordinary voters given the economic hardships many Americans feel.
Part of the controversy also is that despite the extraordinary work that has been done through the Recovery Act millions of Americans are still without jobs millions more are struggling to make ends meet so it doesn’t feel like much of a recovery yet the president said.I understand that.
Mr. Obama also borrowed a line from Congressional Democrats, who have been criticizing Republicans like Mr. Cantor for voting against the measure but then rushing back home to scoop up stimulus dollars for projects in their districts.
Under the headline Eric Cantor Is a Hypocrite,” the Democratic National Committee on Wednesday issued a news release about how Mr. Cantor supported a high-speed rail project financed by the stimulus bill saying it would create 185,000 Virginia jobs.
Mr. Obama put it this way There are those let’s face it, across the aisle who have tried to score political points by attacking what we did even as many of them show up at ribbon cutting ceremonies for projects in their districts.

Valentine’s Day Travel

Whether you’ve been hit by one of Cupid’s arrows recently or not, there’s no getting away from all the pink and red heart-shaped paraphernalia that’s been lurking on store shelves and covering every magazine and newspaper insert for weeks. Most of the people I know have long had a somewhat jaded attitude toward Valentine’s Day, even if they’re in a relationship. Because really, if you love someone, why is it only once a year that you’re supposed to show it?
But as soon as you make Valentine’s Day an excuse to travel, everything changes. You might have scoffed at the idea of celebrating Valentine’s Day before, but as soon as you start reading about how it’s celebrated differently in different parts of the world, your inner vagabond decides that Valentine’s Day is a perfectly legit reason to buy a plane ticket.
As travelers, it’s only natural that we’ll turn just about anything into a reason to pack a bag and hit the road, so it’s not surprising that there are lots of great travel-themed Valentine’s Day articles that have popped up lately. Here’s a round-up of some of the best articles we found, including some that’ll help you woo your dream date for next year’s Valentine’s Day trip. You’ll find all the lovey-dovey articles we published on BootsnAll, as well as some fun articles from elsewhere around the interwebs.If you’re going to whisk someone off on a romantic trip, first you’ve got to meet them, right? And if you’re already traveling when you meet someone you think has potential, you also want to be clued into what might be culturally inappropriate romance-wise before you open your mouth. So here are some articles to help you woo.

Valentine Gifts

Hello, please let us know something about Valentine’s Day Special February 14. and the traditions of Valentine’s Day dayValentine begins at the time of the Roman Empire. In ancient Rome, 14 February was a holiday in honor of Juno. Juno is the queen of Roman gods and goddesses. The Romans were as the goddess of women and marriage unknown. The lives of boys and girls were strictly separate. However by the customs authorities of the young people having names. On the eve of the Feast of Lupercalia the names of Roman girls were written on slips of paper and placed in jars. Every young man would draw a girl’s name from the bottle and then as a partner for the duration of the festival with the girl he chose. Sometimes the pairing of the children lasted an entire year, and often, they fall in love and marry later. Valentine Traditions Hundreds of years ago in England many children dressed as adults on Valentine’s Day. They went singing from house to house. They sang a verse: Hello to you, Valentine Curl your locks as I do my Two before and three back. Hello to you, Valentine. Love carved wooden spoons in Wales, as gifts to 14 February given. Hearts, keys and locks were favorite decorations on the spoons. The decoration meant, You unlock my heart! In the Middle Ages, young men and women drew names from a bowl to see who their valentines would be. They wear these names on their sleeves for one week. To wear the heart on the sleeve now means that it is for others to know just how you feel. In some countries, a young woman may receive a gift of clothing from a young man is, if it considers the gift that she will marry him. Some people will believe that when a woman saw a robin flying over on Valentine’s Day, it meant she would marry a sailor. When she saw a sparrow, she married a poor man and very happy. When she saw a goldfinch, marry a millionaire. A love seat of a large armchair. It was originally a woman and her wide dress. Later the seat of love or the court established two sub-sections, which often could take the form of S. In this way, a couple sit together but was too close! Before reciting five or six names of boys and girls you might marry, as you twist the stem of the apple, the names until the stem comes out. You get married, the person whose name you said, if the stem fell off. Choose a dandelion, the seeds of that shot. Take a deep breath and blow the seeds into the wind. Count the number of seeds that remain on the trunk. This is the number of children you have. To send gifts for Valentine’s Day more special in a special way of www. giftsforvalentine. com and the continuity of this tradition for Valentine’s 2007th..

A Tale From the Arabian Nights

They were greatly pleased to see quiet,peace and order everywhere.No thieves or suspicious people were around.Fully satisfied. they were retuming to the palace when an old blind begger stopped them and asked for money.O kind sir,I have had nothing to eat all day.giveme some money to buy food.He was given some money.Obviously the caliph refused to do such a foolish thing.Hit an old blind beggar. No why do you ask me to do such a thing.asked the caliph Sir said the beggar. it is night that I should be punished for I have done great wrong in my life.The caliph hesitated and then fimly said. Whatever wrong you have done i cannot hit you.No said the beggar.Hit me hard to hurt me for my evil doing.it is a self imposed punishment.Forced into it by the logic of the situation.the caliph hit him hard.Not as hard as he could but still hard enough to satisfy the old man troubling conscience.and walked away.

The old man was brought to the palace.He knew where he was and the stranger whom he had met last night was the caliph.He stood before the great caliph unafraid His name was Abdullh.He was born in baghdad.His parents were rich .but unfortunateiy died when he was in hes teens.

Riches should made a man generous and public spirited bot they made him mean spirited selfish and greedy.Love is blind,ways and byways.This was happening to Abdullah thoughhe was unaware of it at that time.

Abdullah ran after the Dervish and with that plea got one came back from him.He kept on going back to the Dervish and finally begged all the fove camils from him.Telling him.if a Dervish like you enters a town with camels loaded with gold and jewels people will ask some searching questions and will take you not as a Dervish but as Dervish but as a thier.Then there will be nothing but trial trouble for you.

As the dervish was going away Abdullh noticed that there was a small box under his arm.Not satisfied with all the gold and jewels he also begged for the box.it contained magic powder.Poured on left eye it would reveal hidden treasures but was not to be used on the right eye.By way of advice the dervish said Riches fly aeay ff we keep them for ourselves.The poor are atour gates so that we keep them for ourselves. the poor are at our gates so that we may help them and do good.Abdullah never heard what he said.

History of St Valentines Day

Valentine's Day - the popular festival of love and romances traces its origin to ancient Roman festival and has not been created by card companies as some people believe it to be. There are various legends associated with the festival along with the belief that birds began to mate from this day. Popularity of the Valentine's Day festival stems from the combined effects of all these legends, beliefs and of course the wish to glorify the unparalleled feeling of love.
Feast of Lupercalia
Historians trace the origin of Valentine's Day to ancient Roman Empire. It is said that in the Rome of ancient times people observed a holiday on February 14th to honor Juno - the Queen of Roman Gods and Goddesses. The Romans also regarded Juno as the Goddess of Women and Marriage. On the following day, February 15th began the fertility festival called 'Feast of Lupercalia'. The festival of Lupercalia was celebrated to honor the Gods Lupercus and Faunus - the Roman God of Agriculture besides the legendary founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus. An interesting custom was followed in the Feast of Lupercalia to bring together young boys and girls who otherwise were strictly separated. On the eve of the festival names of young Roman girls were written on a slip of paper and placed into jars. Each young man drew out a girl's name from the jar and was paired with the girl for the duration of Lupercalia. Sometime pairing lasted for a year until next year's celebration. Quite often, the couple would fall in love with each other and later marry. The custom lasted for a long time until people felt that the custom was un-Christian and that mates should be chosen by sight, not luck.
Defiance by Saint Valentine
The pairing of young boys and girls did set the mood of the Valentine's Day Festival as we know today. But it was actually due to the efforts and daring of a priest St Valentine that the festival got its name and clearer meaning. The story goes that during the reign of Emperor Claudius II Rome was involved in several bloody and unpopular campaigns. Claudius found it tough to get soldiers and felt the reason was men did not join army because they did not wish to leave their wives and families. As a result Claudius cancelled all marriages and engagements in Rome. A romantic at heart priest of Rome Saint Valentine defied Claudius's unjustified order. Along with Saint Marius, St Valentine secretly married couples. When his defiance was discovered, Valentine was brutally beaten and put to death on February 14, about 270 AD. After his death Valentine was named a Saint. According to another version of legend Valentine was killed because he attempted to help Christians escape from the Roman prison as they were being tortured and beaten there. Yet another popular version of the legend states that while in prison Valentine or Valentinus fell in love with jailer's daughter who visited him during confinement. Before his death Valentine wrote a farewell letter to his sweetheart from the jail and signed ‘From your Valentine'. The expression became quite popular amongst love struck and is still very much in vogue. By the Middle Ages, Valentine assumed the image of heroic and romantic figure amongst the masses in England and France. Later, when Christianity spread through Rome, the priests moved Lupercalia from February 15 to February 14. Around 498 AD, Pope Gelasius declared February 14 as St. Valentine's Day to honor the martyr Valentinus and to end the pagan celebration.

Valentine's Day Poem Enjoy this

beautiful and romantic collection of Valentine's Day Poems! To touch your beloved's heart memorize a cute Valentine Day Poetry and say it while holding hands and looking deep into his/her eyes. If that sounds a little tough quote a touchy verse in the card that you may have got for your Valentine. In case you have composed a special Poem for Valentine's Day and wish to share it with the world, do send your poem to us and we will carry it along with your name.
Be my Valentine..
I think of you often...I do,From morning 'til evening I do,When memories bring laughterOr moments bring pain,There is faithfulness, too, once again.And time always shows meAnd God always shows meBoth sunshine and rain,How, we gain yearlyFrom the love we're share dearly.So, my dear, my sweet bubbaloo,Remember our love, dulce bubbaloo,For we've come so far and there's so much to comeAnd I have love to yet giveFor the life we will live...together.Make little of what makes you cry,Be sure that what makes you cryHas greater desire and a more certain willTo pray for His help from aboveand restore the feelings of love.
My Valentine..
Valentines is nearJust wishing you were hereYou will always be nearMy heart will never be the sameBeneath my skin, my soul lies waiting for youEveryday I think of you I feel blueNever give up hopeRemembering the first kissAll I ask is to be with youAnd for you to be my ValentineFor I will always cherish your heart in mine.
Love's Philosophy
The fountains mingle with the riverAnd the rivers with the oceanThe winds of heaven mix for everWith a sweet emotion;Nothing in the world is single,All things by a law divineIn one another's being mingle­Why not I with thine?See the mountains kiss high heavenAnd the waves clasp one anotherNo sister-flower would be forgivenIf it disdain'd its brother;And the sunlight clasps the earth,And the moonbeams kiss the sea­What are all these kisses worthIf thou kiss not me?

Factbox: NASA's 2010 Budget

The mission of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is to drive advances in science, technology, and exploration to enhance knowledge, education, innovation, economic vitality, stewardship of the Earth, and solutions to national and global challenges. The President's Budget will allow NASA to improve our knowledge of the Earth, explore space with humans and robots, foster strong partnerships with other nations, and educate and inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers.* Adds $6 billion to NASA's budget over five years and draws upon American ingenuity to enable us to embark on an ambitious 21st Century program of human space exploration. * Initiates flagship exploration technology development and demonstration programs of "gamechanging" technologies that will increase the reach and reduce the costs of future human space exploration as well as other NASA, government, and commercial space activities. * Embraces the commercial space industry and the thousands of new jobs that it can create by contracting with American companies to provide astronaut transportation to the Space Station — thus reducing the risk of relying exclusively on foreign crew transport capabilities. * Ends NASA's Constellation program, which was planning to use an approach similar to the Apollo program to return astronauts back to the Moon 50 years after that program's triumphs. * Extends the International Space Station and enhances its utilization, bringing nations together in a common pursuit of knowledge and excellence in space. * Enhances the Nation's global climate change research and monitoring system, including reflight of a satellite that will help identify global carbon sources and sinks. * Provides for a robust program of robotic solar system exploration and new astronomical observatories, including a probe that will fly through the Sun's atmosphere and an expanded effort to detect potentially hazardous asteroids.

Brownwood Remains 3A in UIL Realignment

The anxiously awaited list of the official UIL Realignment for the state was released promptly at 9:00 Monday morning. Many schools were concerned of where they would fall for the 2010-2011 season.
As Brownwood ISD remains in the 3A classification, it does change to District 5, however, staying with some familiar rivals such as Abilene Wylie, Snyder and Sweetwater, gaining a new competitor Big Spring and losing Breckenridge who dropped to 2A.
Stephenville stayed 4A. Early remained in the 2A classification.Other realignments of note: Abliene Cooper has moved up to 5A, now competing in the same district as Abilene High, leaving Abilene with no 4A school for the first time in quite a while. Both of these Abilene schools will now compete with powerhouses such as Midland, Midland Lee, Odessa and Odessa Permian.

BREAKING NEWSBearcats, Jackets look east in 2010-12

By BILL SPINKS
Herald Democrat
Sherman and Denison are heading east. Van Alstyne is staying put, while Pilot Point moves up. And Honey Grove, after years of life at the bottom of Class 2A, finally gets its long-sought demotion.
The Bearcats and Yellow Jackets were placed in a district consisting of Northeast Texas teams on Monday morning in the University Interscholastic League realignment, which is in effect for the 2010-11 and 2011-12 school years.
Other members of the new District 13-4A are Greenville, Mount Pleasant, Royse City, Sulphur Springs, and Texarkana Texas High.
These schools will be paired up in the opening round of the playoffs with District 14-4A members Hallsville, Jacksonville, Kilgore, Longview Pine Tree, Marshall, Nacogdoches, Tyler, and Whitehouse.
In Class 3A, area teams are generally staying put, with Aubrey moving to 3A for the first time and Pilot Point rejoining the class after two seasons in 2A. Van Alstyne and Commerce, two other teams who were close to the projected cutoff, came in above the 430 enrollment number set by the UIL, the same as in the last realignment.
The district lineup in 3A looks like this: Argyle, Aubrey, Gainesville, Pilot Point, Sanger and Whitesboro in 9-3A; Anna, Bonham, Celina, Commerce and Van Alstyne in 10-3A; and Farmersville, Frisco Lone Star, Lucas Lovejoy, Nevada Community, Princeton and Prosper in 11-3A.
The biggest change in area alignments are in Class 2A and 1A, which for the first time will be aligned into Divisions I and II.
District 5-2A (I) consists of Callisburg, Howe, and Pottsboro joining Boyd, Paradise and football newcomer Ponder; while Melissa has been sent to 7-2A (I) and will face Caddo Mills, Grand Saline, Mineola, Quitman and Winnsboro.
District 5-2A in Division II has a familiar look, with Bells, Gunter, Leonard, S&S Consolidated, Tom Bean and Whitewright.
In Class A, the majority of local teams are Division I, and they are divided between two districts. Familiar rivals Collinsville, Lindsay, Muenster, and Valley View — dropping from 2A — will meet Chico and Petrolia in 5-A (I), and Blue Ridge, Celeste, Honey Grove and Wolfe City will go east to play Quinlan Boles and Clarksville in 6-A (I). Clarksville is dropping from 2A.
Savoy, which will return to varsity football for the first time since 2002, is the area’s only 1A Division II representative. The Cardinals join District 11-A (II) along with Cumby, Dallas Gateway, Detroit and Era.
Texomaland’s only six-man school, Fannindel, is once again in Division II and will travel east and south to meet Karnack, Milford and Trinidad.

Census Accelerated:Advance Team For The Tyrant?

Not only has the 2010 US Census been illegally advanced into the present where it is already fully operational, the criminal regime of “Democratic” leftists that grabbed power in 2008, have reconfigured the program to funnel the new census data directly to the White House.Adding insult to injury, the socialist group known as A.C.O.R.N., already implicated in the Obama election fraud, is receiving payback funds for the execution of the US 2010 Census. Adding an Orwellian high tech spin to the Constitutionally mandated program, the new Census is recording YOUR location into a mobile computing device through the use of the Global Position Satellite coordinates that are now in widespread use.Any veteran who fought in Fallujah can tell you that GPS data can be used to pinpoint tactical residential targets through a bevy of military capabilities. When it comes to outsiders unfamiliar with the local turf, or even foreign troops seeking to put down resistance, a GPS address can be indispensable. In short, in the words of Steppenwolf’s John Kay from his hit recording Monster, recorded some 30 years ago, “things look bad from over here.”What’s A Believer To Do?Because ShortwaveWars (as well as our new outreach StreamWars) monitors and comments on political and patriot phenomena from a Christian perspective, we seek to walk in the counsel of Scripture on all things. Although most ministries blindly advise a short-sighted blanket conformity to Caesar’s various edicts, in America the citizen’s are Caesar. Furthermore, we are cautioned by Christ Himself to be as “wise [read clever] as serpents, and harmless as doves” (Matthew 10:16). Although some patriots are belligerently breathing out threats and slaughter concerning this obvious intrusion into our historic privacy, the discerning Christian should sidestep such passionate braying, and seek to carefully deflect further scrutiny. It is painfully obvious the Beast is deploying the low man on the totem pole via minimum wage workers, in a thinly veiled effort to provide data to his Babylonian brain trust. Any severe antagonism directed towards the Spiritually blind Census drones is sure to be recorded for future access, and this is what should be avoided if at all possible. In short, the data collected is very likely designed to seek to ferret out future opposition to the domestic dictatorship that is presently developing. The trick here is to avoid providing the devils with the data they covet, but to do it in a fashion that feigns conformity to Uncle Samuel’s agenda, so as not to flag your locale as a future target. One should speak of our willingness to do our civic duty (the Census is, after all, a Constitutional element), and it might help to understand the façade surrounding the process is related to determining the population with respect to the electoral process. The idea is representation of the populace cannot be proportionately measured unless the government is aware of the actual population numbers.Your posture can be that you’re happy to do your part, as you are interested in your voice being heard on important political issues, and we all know this is supposed to be the reason for the Census in the first place. Of course it isn’t, but it’s useless to argue with the Census Epsilons at your door. We might suggest the encounter begin with asking for proper identification. A second picture ID, in addition to a Census ID, is entirely appropriate. One can reasonably state they’ve heard about some burglary and/or robbery by people impersonating Census workers. It’s a good idea to write down the name of the Census worker in case the encounter goes bad.

Hot Health Issues Shift But Public Opinion Stays Split

The only thing that's murkier and slower than the health overhaul legislation in Congress is public opinion about what should be done. The one-word description of American attitudes towards change from various polls have been: and, well, "split ." What's more, they have been for months, and are expected to remain so barring a major new development in the debate, say the Kaiser Family Foundation's experts. (Kaiser Health News is a program of the foundation).A new Kaiser tracking poll "shows little movement in measures of public opinion... from recent months." According the poll, 35 percent want Congress to take on health care now, and like what they've heard about the current plans. Slightly fewer, 33 percent, want reform, but not what Democratic lawmakers have in mind. And 26 percent think Congress should not spend time on the issue now.
"There doesn't appear to be anything... that suggests debate is going to tip radically," said Drew Altman, president and chief executive of the Kaiser Family Foundation.