30/8/06

Hordes of space tourists may visit space





30.08.2006
Source: URL: http://english.pravda.ru/science/tech/84162-space_tourists-0


The press speculated with renewed enthusiasm about the prospects for space tourism following two events that took place last week. First, Daisuke Enomoto, a young Japanese entrepreneur who took a training course for the upcoming space mission on board the Russian
Soyuz spaceship, was suddenly removed from the crewmember list.
Then there was an announcement about the signing of an agreement for the construction of the first privately operated spaceport in Canada . There is already a long waiting list of those who dream about taking a ride on board the Soyuz spaceships to the International Space Station. Some experts believe private spaceports would start launching private tourist spaceships on a regular basis in some 5-6 years. Others are more pessimistic with regard to space tourism en masse. The debate continues as a scale of preparation for popular space tourism is growing by leaps and bounds.
Perhaps medical requirements to space tourists will lessen when private spaceports will be put into operation. Presently the Russian doctors ensure that every member of a space screw comply with most rigid health requirements. The doctors are quite right in doing so.

Flying to space will never be a cakewalk. In 1985, a mission commander on board the Soviet space station Soyuz-7 had to be urgently evacuated to Earth due to sudden aggravation of his chronic disease, which he had concealed. He had shown no signs of it during the flight preparation. But his condition worsened significantly after the disease became more acute in weightlessness. Given the above case, it seems fairly reasonable that the doctors crossed off the name of the 35-year-old Japanese on the crewmember list just about four weeks before the mission’s start.
From the very beginning, the doctors had their doubts about his state of health. The results of more in-depth examinations indicated that the Japanese space tourist was no good for a long-term flight. However, Daisuke could have qualified for a 10-day space trip provided that he had received treatment in order to correct his eyesight. The candidate did as he told. He successfully passed another examination in early 2006. His flight training began in March in the town of Zvezdny near
Moscow .
Daisuke Enomoto is an interesting fellow. He was born in the city of Matsudo . He went to college but never graduated it. He spent some time with a computer software trading company. Then he set up a number of companies and sold them. Later he headed a stock-exchange company. The press alleged that his company had been involved in spreading of false information. He stepped down and became an independent investor. Then he moved for Hong Kong . Aside from the computer equipment and the Interment, he also goes in for swimming and comic strips featuring robots. He was going to assembly the plastic robot Gandam during his stay onboard the ISS… A few days before start of the mission, the latest medical examination showed some unfavorable changes in Daisuke’s
health status. Those may have been caused by emotional strain. Anyway, the verdict is not final. Daisuke was recommended to take treatment. His dreams may come true if he manages to pass medical examination for the next flight. The most important thing is that the Japanese pays his bills in full.
Anousheh Ansari, an American woman of Iranian descent, is expected to replace the Japanese. Anousheh is 39 years old. She is an attractive, goal-oriented woman of tough character. Anousheh seems to completely comply with the image of a modern businesswoman. Back in 1993, she founded a company along with her husband Khamid and his brother Amir. The company dealt in the manufacture of telecommunications equipment. Their business blossomed. The operations expanded following a merger with another company. Anousheh’s assets are reportedly worth $200,000,000. Anousheh has been dreaming about a
spaceflight since she was a child. In 2002, she filed an application for a suborbital spaceflight onboard a private spaceship.
But the construction of the private spaceship is yet to be completed. Eventually, the American businesswoman started her training in Zvezdny as a standby of the Japanese space tourist. Anousheh will be the first female space tourist and fourth non-professional crewmember to make a spaceflight onboard the Soyuz TMA-9 if she is approved by a special commission on August 30th.
The spaceship will have to be urgently modified once the businesswoman is put onto the crew list. First and foremost, the third seat in an orbiter cockpit will be modernized. A seat for each member of the crew is carefully molded to follow the exact contours of the body. There is a custom-made seat for Ansari too. It will be transported to the Baikonur spaceport and mounted on the Soyuz’s return capsule. Besides, some life support systems will have to be adjusted to certain peculiarities of a female body. Specialists say they have enough time to complete all necessary readjustments. In view of the above, the launch of the Soyuz, originally slated for September 14th, may be postponed till September 18th or 20th.
A preliminary Soyuz flight schedule for tourists and non-tourists is full up to the year 2008. Charles Simoni, one of the developers of Microsoft Word, an American of Hungarian descent, may take a flight to the ISS next spring. The first Malaysian astronaut is planned to arrive in the ISS in the fall of 2007. A South Korean citizen is slated to travel to the space station in spring of 2008. Venezuela expressed an intention to train an
astronaut and put him to the ISS. The ambition may become a reality in the fall of 2008 or later on. Taking into account the effects of inflation, the cost of a short-term (a 10-day flight, as a rule) space flight has gone up from $20 million to $21.5 million. The number of professional astronauts and tourists on the waiting list is expected to decrease in 2-4 year’s time when additional Soyuz spaceships are built and a crew of six starts working on the ISS.
The market of space tourism may face a lot of competition in some 4 or 5 years. Foreign companies are planning to organize space tours using special space vehicles. A company that built private space shuttle Spaceshipvan, the one used by Michael Melville for flying at an altitude of 100 km i.e. space in June of 2004, was commissioned by the company founded by the British billionaire Richard Branson to build several suborbital space vehicles. The commercial spaceflights are slated to commence in 2011. The estimated cost of the project is 100,000 pounds. The passengers of a spaceship would spend a mere 5 minutes in weightlessness. However, a waiting list has the names of more than 150 candidates, including a heiress to Hilton hotel empire, businessmen,
musicians, actors, an astrophysicist, a former mayor of one of the cities.
Another company is busy building a spaceplane. The sale of tickets ($150,000 a pop) has already begun. Those wishing to take a space ride include a Japanese writer, an American airline pilot, a designer, actors and businessmen.
The first private spaceport will be built soon in Canada , on the Island of Cape Breton. The government of Nova Scotia and a private company recently signed an agreement for the construction of the spaceport.
Another well-known U.S. company is intent on working on the market of mass space tourism. The company has already organized the space trips on Soyuz spaceships for two Americans and one South African. Anousheh Ansari also made her space travel arrangements via the same company. The company is currently holding talks with the Myasishev Machine-Building Plant in Russia on the construction of a number of suborbital space shuttle vehicles. A space shuttle will be mounted on the fuselage of M-55 Geofizika, a giant plane already in service, and brought to an altitude of 17,000 meters.
Then the space shuttle will activate its engines and reach an altitude of 101 kilometers. Upon accomplishing its mission, the vehicle will perform a controlled descent to Earth. It will unfold its wings, deploy its landing gear, and touch down on a runway.
“We’ve created good foundations for the future, we’ve got solid potential in terms of design and manufacture. So, once we’re commissioned to build vehicles of this type, we’ll be up to the job, no doubt about it,” said one of the managers of the above company, in an interview to Trud. Although the vehicle has not been yet developed, there have been more than 200 spaceflight applications filed to fate. The company intends to build two tourist airports to be used by the above
vehicles – one should be built in the United Arab Emirates , and the other one in Singapore .
The European Space Agency apparently hates to be left behind. The ESA recently approved a program aimed at assisting private companies with the development of space tourism. Turkey is also planning to explore space. The Turks are going to build a spaceport and train astronauts by 2010. By all appearances, the era of mass space missions, including the tourist ones, is nigh. Experts estimate the number of space-crazed earth dwellers will exceed 10,000 by the year 2021. However, the pessimists are quick to throw cold
water on those great expectations. They believe the space tourism boom will suffer a devastating blow should a major disaster take place. “The private companies have too little expertise, and they’re unlikely to pay as much attention as the Russian Aerospace Agency and NASA do to flight safety,” say the pessimists. I wish they would be wrong.






MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU
Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler
(
Brexians lair)

Fumatorii, jos din tren!



30 august 2006

De la 1 septembrie, in trenuri va fi interzis fumatul, conform unei decizii luate de conducerea Companiei CFR Calatori. Hotararea pune in practica prevederile legislative in vigoare care stabilesc ca, in Romania, fumatul este interzis in orice spatiu inchis si in orice mijloc de transport in comun.
Reprezentantii CFR Calatori sustin ca au luat aceasta masura ca urmare a sesizarilor venite din partea calatorilor, la recomandarea Autoritatii Nationale penru Protectia Consumatorilor si conform reglementarilor generale de transport pe calea ferata. Scopul, sustine compania de cai ferate, este asigurarea unui „transport feroviar nepoluant, sigur si cu un grad sporit de confort”.
„Este o decizie in concordanta cu tot ceea ce se intampla acum in Uniunea Europeana si acesta este doar inceputul. Vor urma restaurantele, barurile si toate spatiile inchise”, ne-a declarat Alina Predescu, sefa Biroului de presa al CFR Calatori.
Aceasta ne-a spus si ca CFR nu a comandat inca un studiu privind efectele pe care le va avea masura asupra incasarilor companiei.Tigarile, aprinse doar pe peron
CFR a inceput de ieri o campanie pentru constientizarea calatorilor, iar dupa 1 septembrie cei care vor incalca aceasta decizie vor suporta rigorile legii: amenzi contraventionale.
In Gara de Nord, vagoanele din majoritatea garniturilor au fost aduse pe peron fara a mai avea pe culoare scrumiere. Acestea au fost demontate in depourile de revizie.
Prin instalatia de sonorizare a garii era difuzat un mesaj prin care li se aducea la cunostinta calatorilor ca nu mai pot fuma in tren. In curand, sustin reprezentantii companiei, si pe legitimatiile de calatorie va fi imprimat mesajul „Fumatul interzis in tren”.
Nu se mai fumeaza nici in spatiile garii, in salile de asteptare sau in zona caselor de bilete, viciul fiind permis doar pe peroanele neacoperite ale garii.
Fara fum la vagonul-restaurant
Fumatul va fi interzis in toate tipurile de tren, de la cele rapid si intercity si pana la personalul folosit de navetisti. Nu se va putea fuma nici pe culoare si nici in toalete, iar masura va fi respectata si in vagoanele-restaurant sau bar, chiar daca acestea sunt dotate cu instalatie de climatizare.
„Primul pas a fost facut atunci cand s-a interzis fumatul in trenurile „Sageata Albastra”. De mai bine de un an, in aceste trenuri nu mai exista nici macar scrumiere. Noi nu am introdus aceasta masura si in celelalte categorii de tren, pentru ca in vagoanele care au culoare laterale s-a putut considera ca spatiul de pe hol este deschis”, a mai adaugat Alina Predescu.
Nu vor fi spatii amenajate
Conform Legii 349/2002, privind prevenirea si combaterea consumului produselor din tutun, masura in-terzicerii fumatului in spatii publice inchise ar fi trebuit sa fie luata la sase luni de la aparitia legii, dar foarte putine institutii publice s-au conformat. Incet, incet insa, fumatul nu a mai fost permis decat in locuri special amenajate.
Asa cum sunt definite prin lege, spatiile publice inchise sunt cele din institutii publice, centrale si locale, institutii sau unitati economice, de alimentatie publica, de turism, comerciale, de invatamant, medicale, culturale, sportive, in toate mijloacele de transport, autogari, gari, aeroporturi, spatiile inchise de la locul de munca etc.
Exceptie fac spatiile delimitate si amenajate special pentru fumat in incinta acestora.Obligatia amenajarii acestor spatii revine reprezentantilor institutiilor respective, iar regulile de amenajare sunt foarte stricte: sa nu se permita patrunderea aerului viciat in spatii publice inchise, sa fie ventilate si dotate cu extinctoare.
Aceste spatii trebuie sa fie marcate cu inscriptii de genul „Spatiu pentru fumatori”, „Loc pentru fumat”, „Incapere in care este permis fumatul”.CFR nu intentioneaza sa infiinteze asemenea spatii in trenuri, ci doar in zonele de peron din gari.
Sanctiuni
Amenzi sau munca in folosul comunitatii
Sanctiunile pentru cei care vor fuma, dupa 1 septembrie, in trenuri sunt afisate la casele de bilete. E drept ca anuntul nu-ti sare in ochi, ci se pierde printre celelalte comunicate ale companiei de cai ferate, asa ca nici cei care stau minute in sir la coada la bilete nu le baga in seama.
O tigara aprinsa pe culoarul vagonului de tren va „costa” intre 100 si 500 RON, sanctiuni cuprinse in legislatia in vigoare, faptasul avand posibilitatea sa plateasca jumatate din suma minima, in 48 de ore.
Studentii, elevii si, in general, persoanele fara niciun venit, vor putea presta 20 de zile de munca in folosul comunitatii, daca vor fi prinsi ca fumeaza in trenuri. Fondurile stranse din aceste amenzi vor merge la bugetul de stat si nu in bugetul CFR.
Viciu
Tigarile in Romania
Romania se afla in topul tarilor europene cu cei mai multi fumatori. Una dintre cauze este si pretul mic pe care il au tigarile fata de cel practicat in tarile occidentale. „Daca s-ar mari pretul tigarilor cu 10%, numarul fumatorilor ar scadea cu 5%”, afirma Florin Mihaltan, pneumolog la Institutul de pneumologie „Marius Nasta”, din Bucuresti.
Asta ar contribui si la o mai buna stare de sanatate a populatiei, fumatorii fiind printre persoanele cele mai expuse bolilor. „Produsii de oxidare a nicotinei din tigari favorizeza la fumatori aparitia oricarui tip de cancer, nu doar a celui pulmonar”, a explicat Andreea Zaharia, medic generalist la Cabinetul „Cristal Medical”. Cancerul de buze sau de limba reprezinta, de asemenea, o consecinta a fumatului si sunt afectiuni care apar la fumatorii de pipa.
Bolile pulmonare, virozele, astmul bronsic, infarctul, accidentul vascular, bolile arterelor, scaderea acuitatii vizuale si diabetul zaharat sunt alte cateva boli accentuate de consumul de nicotina.
Cei care stau in preajma persoanelor fumatoare nu sunt nici ei scutiti de efectele daunatoare ale tutunului. La adulti, principalele probleme sunt infectiile respiratorii acute si bolile cardiovasculare.
Totusi, printre cei mai afectati sunt copiii. „Organismul lor este imatur, la fel si sistemul imunitar, de aceea pot aparea boli pulmonare, bronsite, otite”, a afirmat Magdalena Ciobanu, pneumolog la Institutul „Marius Nasta”, din Capitala.
Gravidele care se expun fumului de tigara prezinta un risc mai mare de a naste prematur sau copii cu greutate mai mica, deoarece nicotina le afecteaza placenta. (Andreea Georgescu)
Legislatie
Europa fumeaza acasa
Multe state europene, si nu numai, au luat-o inaintea Romaniei, aplicand legi care interzic fumatul nu numai in mijloacele de transport in comun, ci in toate locurile publice. Franta se pregateste sa introduca o interdictie aproape totala, incepand de anul viitor.
Legi draconice antifumat intra in vigoare tot din 2007 in Marea Britanie si Scotia. Irlanda, Suedia, Spania, Norvegia si Italia au interzis deja fumatul in spatiile publice, inclusiv in mijloacele de transport in comun.
Belgia permite fumatul in baruri si restaurante, dar nu si in trenuri. Din 2007, vor exista 13 state americane in care fumatul va fi interzis in locurile publice. In general, indiferent de duritatea legilor de profil din Europa si din restul lumii, fumatul in mijloacele de transport in comun este primul interzis de autoritati. (Flavius Toader)
Resemnare
Fumatorii vor locuri amenajate special
La numai cateva ore dupa anuntul facut de CFR, fumatorii care asteptau sa plece in diferite directii din Gara de Nord pareau sa se fi resemnat.
Pe peroane, cei mai multi fumau tigara de la tigara, in timp ce vocea din megafoanele garii le aducea la cunostinta noua restrictie: fumatul interzis in trenuri. Nefumatorii au fost de-a dreptul entuziasmati si au cerut amenzi mai mari pentru cei care incalca legea.
Viorel Bocanet: „E o decizie buna, pentru ca sunt si oameni nefumatori. Noi mergem cu trenul pana in Germania, si acolo inteleg ca se fumeaza in trenuri. O sa fumam in gara. Ar trebui sa faca si locuri speciale pentru fumatori, cum e in America: fiecare are „pasarica” lui, dar trebuie sa o respecte si pe a celuilalt”.
Viorel Turcas: „Au anuntat acum, chiar la megafon. Cand mi-am cumparat biletul, nu mi-au spus de aceasta noua masura. Ar trebui sa amenajeze locuri speciale”.
Adina Sercaianu: „Sa amenajeze locuri speciale pentru fumatori si apoi sa ia asemenea masuri. Poate, pe viitor, vor face si acest lucru. Ma deranjeaza masura, iar sanctiunile sunt destul de mari”.
Aurica Popa: „Nu ma deranjeaza, chiar daca sunt fumator. Vom fuma cand ne dam jos din tren, daca asa s-a stabilit”.
Aurelian Andrei: „Nu stiam (arunca tigara pe care si-a aprins-o, desi a urcat deja in tren). Asta e! Chiar ca nu mai sunt scrumiere!”.
A consemnat Ana Jitarita

Sursa: Evenimentul Zilei

MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU
Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler
(
Brexians lair)

ΚΑΛΟΚΑΙΡΙ ΦΡΟΥΤΑ ΔΡΟΣΙΑ



ΔΡΟΣΙΑ ΛΕΜΟΝΙΟΥ

ΑΡΩΜΑ ΠΕΠΟΝΙΟΥ

ΓΛΥΚΑ ΣΤΑΦΥΛΙΟΥ

MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU
Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler
(
Brexians lair)

Απειλείται με διαγραφή το Τούρκικο GP



30/8/2006

Οι τελευταίες εξελίξεις στον χώρο της Formula 1 με την προκλητική μεθόδευση της απονομής του επάθλου στον Φελίπε Μάσα από τον Μεχμέτ Αλί Ταλάτ με τον τίτλο του ηγέτη της «Τουρκικής Δημοκρατίας της Βορείου Κύπρου» έχει αναστατώσει για τα καλά τη FIA. Η Διεθνής Ομοσπονδία απειλεί την Τουρκία με διαγραφή από το καλεντάρι του 2007 λόγω του ότι η επιλογή του Ταλάτ για την απονομή έφερε πολιτική σκοπιμότητα καθώς οι Τούρκοι θέλησαν να εκμεταλλευτούν την προβολή του αγώνα για να εξυπηρετήσουν τις πολιτικές τους προπαγάνδες γεγονός το οποίο εξόργισε τους διοικούντες με αποτέλεσμα να δοθεί εντολή για διεξαγωγή έρευνας. H FIA θα αξιολογήσει τα αποτελέσματα της έρευνας και σε περίπτωση που κρίνει ότι η Τουρκία, προσπάθησε να εκμεταλλευτεί πολιτικά ένα τόσο μεγάλο αθλητικό γεγονός, τότε είναι πολύ πιθανό να αποκλειστεί από το καλεντάρι του 2007.

MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU
Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler
(
Brexians lair)

29/8/06

Contraception and abortion in Islam


Islam's views on family planning are important for our planet since one out of every six people on this earth is a Muslim.

by Daniel C. Maguire (Excerpt from Chapter 9 of SACRED CHOICES)

What can be said from the outset is that there is pluralism in the Muslim world as there is everywhere. There are conservatives, liberals, and those who claim to be centrists. No major religion is a grid into which all the faithful neatly fit. In approaching Islam, it is necessary to see what the teaching authority structure is. Clearly, the Qur'an is the prime authority, considered divine revelation. However, the authority of the Qur'an is not magical. Isma'il R. Al'Faruqi makes the interesting point that Muslims do not claim any miracles for Muhammad to shore up the authority of the Qur'an. "The Qur'anic revelation is a presentation to one's mind, to reason." There is no papal figure or ruling synod in Islam that can impose its views. "In Islam religious truth is a matter of argument and conviction, a cause in which everybody is entitled to contend and everybody is entitled to convince and be convinced." Certain institutions like the Al-Azhar University in Cairo have a lot of teaching prestige and the opinions and pronoucements of certain authoritative persons have a lot of weight, but their weight is not so heavy as to crush personal conscience.
Also, as Riffat Hassan points out, the Qur'an is not "an encyclopaedia which may be consulted to obtain specific information about how God views each problem, issue or situation." It is not a blueprint for moral life covering all the questions from the seventh to the twenty first century and beyond. For this reason, there are other sources of truth in Islam. The Hadith are sayings attributed to the Prophet Muhammad. These do not all agree and the authenticity of many is doubted and debated. The Sunnah are the practical traditions rising out of the life of Muhammad. There is also the huge body of legal literature known as Shari'ah which again is contradictory at times. Some of its regressive and anti-woman prescriptions are preferred by right-wing zealots. However, the Qur'an is the Supreme Court, and its central values, outlined above, hold sway over any later interpretation. The prime value there, as we saw, is justice animated with mercy. Whatever contradicts that is not true to Islam.
There is another principle in Islamic teaching that is central to Muslim ethics. It is called ijithad. This is the heart of any true religious ethic. It means that you analyze the unique data of a current moral problem, and argue from Qur'anic principles, using analogy and logic to come to the best and most reasonable solution. As the jurist and philosopher Azizah Y. al-Hibri says, this gave Islamic ethics great flexibility. "It is an essential part of Qur'anic Who_are_we, because Islam was revealed for all people and for all times." It allows Islamic ethics to respond realistically to new problems where there is no spelled-out answer in the Qur'an. It established Islam's respect for our faculty of reason.
In Islam as in all the religions, fertility is highly prized and children are a gift of God to bring "joy to our eyes." (Surah 25: Al-Furqan:74) Conservatives argue also that family planning is a lack of trust in the sustaining God. They cite texts such as this: "There is no creeping being on earth but that upon God is its sustenance." (Surah 11: Hud:6) The Qur'an also says that if we place our trust in God, that is enough. I quoted my mother's Irish faith above saying that God will not send a child without sending the means to feed it.
This naive and passive trust that no matter what we do or don't do God will make up the difference, does not bear scrutiny and does not face up to the perennial fact of starving children. It is dismissed by Islam's best theologians. Theologian Fazlur Rahman says that using the Qur'anic references to God's power and promise to sustain all creation to argue "for an unlimited population out of proportion to the economic resources is infantile. The Qur'an certainly does not mean to say that God provides every living creature with sustenance whether that creature is capable of procuring sustenance for itself or not." We are not passive sheep waiting to be fed, in the Islamic view. We are God's vicegerents on earth gifted with reason and talent. God has shared responsibility for providence with us and has given us the power to be prudent, to see problems and do something sensible about them.
This squares beautifully with Thomas Aquinas' description of humans as "participants in divine providence." Also, in Catholic theology,relying on God's sustaining power to do what we have been equipped by God to do for ourselves is called the sin of "tempting God."
Contraception has a long history in Islam. Early Islam actually developed contraceptive medicine and instructed Europe on it. Avicenna the Muslim physician in his book "The Law" discusses twenty different substances used for birth control. Such Islamic books of medicine were used for centuries in Europe. When Europe was in its "dark ages" Islamic culture with its stress on education kept the light of learning burning to the benefit of all peoples.
The most common form of birth control when Islam began was called azl, withdrawal, coitus interruptus. There are five major schools of law in Islam and all five permit the practice of azl, four of the five insisting that the consent of the wife is necessary. And here is where ijtihad come in, reasoning analogically from something already permitted. The Arab Republic of Egypt published a booklet called "Islam's Attitude Towards Family Planning." They state in its introduction that broad consultation with the most authoritative sources in Islam went into the research on this book. After noting that azl was permitted they argue that any method that has the same purpose as azl and does not induce permanent sterility is acceptable for Muslims. They then go on to list methods such as the cervical cap, the condom, contraceptive pills, injections to produce temporary sterility, and the "loop device" placed in the uterus to prevent implantation of the fertilized egg.
There are many reasons justifying contraception: reasons of health, economics, the preservation of the woman's appearance (!), and improving the quality of offspring. This last reason is important in Islam because the Islamic approach to contraception has a social conscience. It is concerned with the common good. Producing sickly, weak, or underdeveloped or uneducated children is not good for the umma, for the society. The Egyptian study says that "the strength of a nation is measured not by numbers or quantities, but rather by quality." The study stresses the importance "of being rational and moderate and of living within the possible means and available resources." The hadith literature also says it is better to have few who are virtuous than many who are not. Once again, human life deserves to thrive, not just to eek out a living.
What then about sterilization? In blessing the use of contraceptives, we saw the pre- condition that none of them cause permanent sterility. There is a wisdom in this. It is senseless to permanently sterilize if temporary sterility would meet the needs of the situation. Having stated the Islamic opposition to permanent sterilization, the Egyptian study immediately moves to exceptions and says that if the husband or wife suffer from a contagious or hereditary disease, permanent sterility is needed and moral. The study then invokes the principle of the lesser evil. That means you may have objections to sterilization but at times it will do less harm and is to be preferred. Interestingly, Catholic theologians today are using that same "lesser evil" argument to justify the use of condoms to prevent the spread of AIDS. Even the Vatican is showing some flexibility on this and invoking the "lesser evil" principle to allow exceptions.
And then we come to abortion. There are those in Islam who oppose all abortions. A favored text to support this is: "Do not kill your children for fear of poverty for it is We who shall provide sustenance for you as well as for them." (Surah 6: At-Talaqa:2-3) Professor Hassan notes on this text that the reference is to killing already born children--usually girls. The text was condemning this custom. Also, she notes the Arabic word for killing in this text "means not only slaying with a weapon, blow or poison, but also humiliating or degrading or depriving children of proper upbringing and education." So once again, as in other religions, a text is being freighted with meaning that it cannot sustain. The text doesn't explicitly address the abortion and therefore doesn't close the argument on it.
So the "no choice" view is not the prevailing view in Islam. There is broad acceptance in the major Islamic schools of law on the permissibility of abortion in the first four months of pregnancy. Most of the schools that permit abortion insist that there must be a serious reason for it such as a threat to the mother's life or the probability of giving birth to a deformed or defective child. However, as the Egyptian study says: "Jurists of the Shiite Zaidiva believe in the total permissibility of abortion before life is breathed into the fetus, no matter whether there is a justifiable excuse or not." That would be a pure form of what some call "abortion on demand."

26/8/06

CIORBA TERANEASCA




(ROMANIAN CABBAGE SOUP WITH BACON)

Ingredients

15 slices bacon
2 shallot onions, sliced
2 Green peppers, hulled and chopped
1 small cabbage, cut into thin slices
Salt and pepper to taste
Several sprigs of dill and parsley, chopped
3 litres water
2 egg yolks
½ cup heavy cream (sweet or sour)
1 coffee small cup vinegar

Preparation Method

Your will need, a large soup pot.
Chop up one slice of bacon, and fry it in a heavy stew pan until the fat runs.
Fry the onions in the fat until they are golden.
Add the peppers and fry them, too.
Remove the stew pan from the heat.
Layer the cabbage and the rest of the bacon into the soup pot.
Season between the layers with salt, pepper, and the herbs.
Pour the water over it all and bring to a boil.
Turn the heat down and simmer the soup for 40 to 50 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
Remove the soup from the heat.
Beat the egg yolks with the cream and the vinegar in a little bowl.
Stir in a ladleful of the hot soup.
Whisk well and pour the mixture back into the soup to thicken and enrich it.
Serve in deep bowls accompanied with fresh bread.
This soup is a meal itself, and wants only a piece of cheese and fresh fruit to make it complete.

Serves 6.
Time: 20 minutes plus 50 minutes cooking


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Καλοκαιρινά φρουτοποτά



ΥΛΙΚΑ:


  • Μπλέντερ

  • Διάφορα φρούτα

  • Παγάκια

  • Γάλα

  • Σιρόπια (γρεναδίνη, βυσσινάδα, μέντα κλπ)

  • Άφθονη φαντασία !!!

  • Πολύ κέφι !!!

Μικρά μυστικά

Σπάμε τα παγάκια με τα φρούτα

5 παγάκια ανά ποτήρι


το γάλα είναι απαραίτητο, αν δεν σας αρέσει, μια κουταλιά γιαούρτη ή κρεμά γάλακτος αρκεί


το αχλάδι και το μήλο είναι καλύτερα να τα αφήνουμε με λίγο φλούδι



Μερικοί Συνδυασμοί



  • Μπανάνα, γάλα, σιρόπι σοκολάτας, σιρόπι φουντούκι.

  • Πορτοκάλι, καρότο, γάλα, γρεναδίνη

  • Ακτινίδιο, μπύρα (δεν βάζουμε γάλα, παγάκια και προσθέτουμε την μπύρα παγωμένη αφού έχουμε βάλει τον χυμό στο ποτήρι)

  • Φράουλες, μούρα, γάλα, σιρόπι φραμπουάζ

    Και ότι άλλο γουστάρετε!


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νέοι καιροί....νέοι μετρητές

ΣΑΣ ΠΑΡΟΥΣΙΑΖΩ ΚΑΤ΄ΑΠΟΚΛΕΙΣΤΙΚΟΤΗΤΑ
τους 2 νέους
μετρητες καυσίμων, για κάθε μέσο μεταφοράς
με κινητήρα εσωτερικής καύσεως!



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ΑΣ ΑΡΧΙΣΟΥΜΕ ΑΠΟ ΑΥΤΟ.....


ΣΤΗ ΝΕΑ ΧΙΛΙΕΤΙΑ ΕΝΑ ΕΙΝΑΙ ΤΟ ΣΙΓΟΥΡΟ!
ΟΙ ΠΟΛΕΜΟΙ ΘΑ ΣΤΑΜΑΤΗΣΟΥΝ!
ΓΙΑ ΔΥΟ ΛΟΓΟΥΣ:
α) ΓΙΑΤΙ ΘΑ ΚΑΤΑΛΑΒΟΥΜΕ ΟΤΙ ΔΕΝ ΕΧΟΥΜΕ ΔΙΑΦΟΡΕΣ
Ή
β) ΓΙΑΤΙ ΔΕΝ ΘΑ ΕΧΕΙ ΜΕΙΝΕΙ ΚΑΝΕΝΑΣ ΜΑΣ !!
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ARS BREVIS...BODYPAINTING

ΦΑΝΤΑΣΙΑ


ΤΕΧΝΗ

ΣΕΞΙΣΜΟΣ

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Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler
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Brexians lair)

25/8/06

ΜΙΑ ΠΡΟΤΑΣΗ ΓΙΑΤΗΝ ΑΝΤΙΤΡΟΜΟΚΡΑΤΙΚΗ

ΚΑΙ ΕΠΕΙΔΗ ΤΟ ΒΑΡΥΝΑΜΕ ΤΟ ΙΣΤΟΛΟΓΙΟ

ΑΝΤΕ ΚΑΙ ΚΑΤΙ ΓΙΑ ΝΑ ΓΕΛΑΣΟΥΜΕ

ΠΡΟΤΑΣΗ ΓΙΑ ΤΗΝ ΝΕΑ ΤΑΞΗ ΠΡΑΓΜΑΤΩΝ

ΓΥΜΝΟΙ ΣΤΑ ΑΕΡΟΠΛΑΝΑ

ΟΥΤΕ ΧΕΙΡΑΠΟΣΚΕΥΕΣ ΟΥΤΕ ΤΣΑΝΤΑΚΙΑ

ΓΥΜΝΟΙ ΣΤΑ ΑΕΡΟΠΛΑΝΑ!!



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ΓΙΑ ΝΑ ΔΟΥΜΕ ΤΙ ΘΑ ΔΟΥΜΕ......


Υπουργείο Τουριστικής Ανάπτυξης
`Αμεση διαφημιστική προβολή των περιοχών που επλήγησαν από τη φωτιά στη Χαλκιδική
Παρασκευή, 25 Αυγούστου 2006

Οικονομική ενίσχυση με σκοπό την άμεση διαφημιστική προβολή των περιοχών που επλήγησαν από την φωτιά μέχρι τον Οκτώβριο, εξήγγειλε η υπουργός τουριστικής ανάπτυξης κυρία Φάνη Πάλλη - Πετραλιά κατά την επίσκεψή της στην Χαλκιδική. Επίσης προανήγγειλε την φιλοξενία εκπροσώπων ΜΜΕ του εξωτερικού, συνεχείς επαφές του υπουργείου με την ομοσπονδία τουριστικών πρακτόρων και τα μεγάλα τουριστικά γραφεία καθώς και ενημέρωση από τα γραφεία του ΕΟΤ εξωτερικού. Παράλληλα, θα ενισχυθεί σημαντικά το διαφημιστικό πρόγραμμα του υπουργείου που ξεκινά από τον προσεχή Οκτώβριο με μεγαλύτερη έμφαση στην Κασσάνδρα. Επίσης η κυρία υπουργός σε σύντομη δήλωσή της αμέσως μετά την σύσκεψη που πραγματοποιήθηκε στο υπουργείο Μακεδονίας Θράκης δήλωσε: "Είχα ήδη επαφές με τα μεγάλα τουριστικά γραφεία του εξωτερικού ενώ συνομίλησα και με τους πρέσβεις της Γερμανίας της Αυστρίας και της Αγγλίας. Επίσης είχα συνομιλία με τον πρόεδρο της Ομοσπονδίας Τουριστικών γραφείων της Βρετανίας. Υπήρξαν διαβεβαιώσεις ότι δεν υπάρχουν ακυρώσεις. Το υπουργείο Τουριστικής Ανάπτυξης θα δώσει έμφαση στην τουριστική διαφήμιση της Χαλκιδικής για τους επόμενους μήνες και θα ενισχυθεί οικονομικά και η νομαρχία για τον σκοπό της διαφημιστικής προβολής".Μετά από την σύσκεψη η υπουργός τουριστικής ανάπτυξης μετέβη στην παραθεριστική περιοχή Χανιώτη στην Κασσάνδρα όπου πραγματοποίησε συνάντηση με εκπροσώπους τουριστικών γραφείων και με ξενοδόχους. Επισημαίνεται ότι στο υπουργείο Μακεδονίας Θράκης η σύσκεψη πραγματοποιήθηκε με τον υπουργό κ. Γιώργο Καλατζή και με το κυβερνητικό κλιμάκιο που μετέβη εκεί το οποίο συνέθεταν οι υπουργοί Εσωτερικών κ. Προκόπης Παυλόπουλος, τουριστικής ανάπτυξης κ. Φάνη Πάλλη Πετραλιά, και οι υφυπουργοί Αγροτικής Ανάπτυξης κ. Αλ. Κοντός, Υγείας κ. Αθ. Γιαννόπουλος και ΠΕΧΩΔΕ κ. Θεμ. Ξανθόπουλος.

Θοδωρής Κουμέλης - Παρασκευή, 25 Αυγούστου 2006
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Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler
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Here are the 10 Most Read Articles on NYTimes.

from the past two weeks (as of 11 a.m. ET, August 23).
ΑΥΤΟ ΜΠΗΚΕ ΕΔΩ ΓΙΑΤΙ ΝΟΜΙΖΟΥΜΕ ΟΤΙ ΣΕ ΑΥΤΟΝ ΤΟΝ ΠΛΑΝΗΤΗ ΕΙΜΑΣΤΕ ΜΟΝΟΙ ΜΑΣ.
1. A Face Is Exposed for AOL Searcher No. 4417749 By MICHAEL BARBARO and TOM ZELLER Jr., Published: August 9, 2006 Detailed records of searches underscore how much people reveal about themselves when they use search engines.
2. Elusive Proof, Elusive Prover: A New Mathematical Mystery By DENNIS OVERBYE, Published: August 15, 2006 Grisha Perelman has quite possibly solved one of mathematics biggest mysteries, Poincare's conjecture, but has since disappeared.
3. British Authorities Say Plot to Blow Up Airliners Was Foiled By ALAN COWELL and DEXTER FILKINS, Published: August 10, 2006 At least 24 people, said to be mainly British-born Muslims some of Pakistani descent, were arrested.
4. Fat Factors By ROBIN MARANTZ HENIG, Published: August 13, 2006 It's clear that diet and genes contribute to how fat you are. But a new wave of scientific research suggests that, for some people, there might be a third factor - microorganisms.
5. On the Web, Pedophiles Extend Their Reach By KURT EICHENWALD, Published: August 21, 2006 In an elaborate online community, stories are swapped and tips for getting near children are sought.
6. Suspect in Ramsey Case Says Death Was an Accident By MARIA NEWMAN, Published: August 17, 2006 John Mark Karr, an American teacher, has been charged with murder, kidnapping and sexual assault in the 1996 death of 6- year-old JonBenet Ramsey.
7. Weighing a Switch to a Mac By THOMAS J. FITZGERALD, Published: August 10, 2006 Retail stores, iPods and new Intel chips are increasing the appeal of making the jump from a PC to a Mac.
8. With Child Sex Sites on the Run, Nearly Nude Photos Hit the Web By KURT EICHENWALD, Published: August 20, 2006 Web sites for pedophiles offer explicit images of children who are covered by bits of clothing to avoid child pornography charges.
9. The Trouble When Jane Becomes Jack By PAUL VITELLO, Published: August 20, 2006 Transgender operations are a matter of sometimes bitter debate among lesbians, raising questions about identity, politics and loyalty to the cause.
10. Arrest in Ramsey Case Presents More Questions By RICK LYMAN and RALPH BLUMENTHAL, Published: August 18, 2006 It is unclear whether John M. Karr's confession is genuine or the product of a troubled, attention-seeking man.
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Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler
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ΔΥΟ ΤΙΓΡΕΙΣ ΚΑΙ Ο ΟΛΥΜΠΟΣ




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Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler
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Brexians lair)

ΟΛΑ ΣΤΟ ΚΟΚΚΙΝΟ.....................





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Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler
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24/8/06

για γελια και για κλαματα



τους φανταζεστε !!
καλυτερα να ειναι σε διακοπες
ολο τον χρονο




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Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler
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για την συνBLOGισσα τη LORELEY



για να βλεπεις



την φωτεινη πλευρα



καθε μερα


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Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler
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just .....simple beauty



in the snow




in the wild






even in the captivity






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Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler
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TA ΚΑΨΑΝΕ ΟΛΑ!!

ΤΑ ΚΑΨΑΝΕ ΟΛΑ!

ΠΑΕΙ Η ΧΑΛΚΙΔΙΚΗ....

ΠΑΕΙ Η ΜΑΝΗ.....

ΑΜΑ ΦΥΤΕΨΟΥΝΕ ΕΝΑ ΔΕΝΤΡΟ
ΕΓΩ ΘΑ ΚΑΤΣΩ
ΝΑ ΤΟ ΠΟΤΙΣΩ




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Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler
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Shake It



Everytime you wanna play
turn me on, all the way
come to me and take the ride
skin on skin, it's pure delight
givin' me the passion you're burnin' my heart
gonna rock you till you drop
baby you're the reason I'm feel
in' so hot
want you now, I just can't stop
I would trade my life
for a night with you
driven by desire
make that move on me
it's time for you to see
that my world's on fire!!!
Shake, shake, shake, shake, shake it mi amor
Crazy for love
Give me some more
Shake, shake, shake, shake, shake it mi amor
Crazy for love
Give me some more
Shake, shake, shake, shake, shake it mi amor
Crazy for love
Give me some more
Forever!!! Everyday I can't resist
need the taste of your lips
darlin' it's your body that drivin' me nuts
let me in I've got to touch
Eurovision Istanbul 2004
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Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler
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Brexians lair)

india..the other land

KUTIB MINAR

TAJ MAHAL


JAIPUR SUMMER PALACE


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Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler
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Brexians lair)

marxismus latino





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Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler
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Brexians lair)

23/8/06

GREECE ..SUN SEA TRANQUILITY

small Venice, myconos, kyklades

gaios, paxoi, eptanisa



vathia, mani, peloponesus

oia, santorini, kyklades

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Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler
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ΛΕΣΒΟΣ, ΠΟΛΥΧΝΙΤΟΣ





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