Cindy and John McCain on ABC´s "The View." Cindy dodges Barbara Walters question on how many houses they have

http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2008/09/cindy_and_john_mccain_on_abcs.html

Disgusting:

Palin´s town billed rape victims to get evidence

By MARY PEMBERTON – 20 hours ago

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — When Sarah Palin was mayor of Wasilla, the city billed sexual assault victims and their insurance companies for the cost of rape kits and forensic examinations.

Palin had been in office for four years when the practice of charging rape victims got the attention of state lawmakers in 2000, who passed a bill to stop the practice.

Former Democratic Rep. Eric Croft, who sponsored that bill, said he was disappointed that simply asking the Wasilla police department to stop didn´t work. Croft said he doubts she was unaware of the practice.

Maria Comella, a McCain-Palin campaign spokeswoman, said Palin "does not believe, nor has she ever believed, that rape victims should have to pay for an evidence-gathering test." To suggest otherwise, she said, is a "misrepresentation of her commitment to supporting victims and bringing violent criminals to justice."

As governor, Palin has worked in a variety of ways to tackle the problem of sexual assault and rape, including making domestic violence a priority of her administration, Comella said. Alaska routinely has the nation´s highest rate of sexual assault.

Lawmakers became involved in 2000 when reports began coming in that police departments were charging sexual assault victims for the kits and the forensic exams, which cost from $300 to $1,200 at the time. The kit, a package of sample containers, swabs and other medical supplies, is used to collect evidence from women after they are attacked.

Then-Gov. Tony Knowles said Thursday that Wasilla was unique in the state in charging rape victims for the cost of doing the law enforcement necessary for solving the crime.

The bill passed the Legislature over the objections of Wasilla police chief Charlie Fannon, who said it would require the city to come up with more money to cover the costs of buying the rape kits and doing the exams.

I am not siding with the Russians. I lived through this, Mr. Longinotti:

As Soviet military units overtook columns of German civilian refugees fleeing to the west, they behaved in a way which has not been seen in Europe since the Mongol invasions of the Middle Ages. Often the men, most of them farmers or Germans who had been engaged in other essential occupations and thus exempted from military service, were simply murdered on the spot. The women were, almost without exception, gang-raped. This was the fate of girls as young as eight years old and old women in their eighties, as well as women in the advanced stages of pregnancy. Women who resisted rape had their throats cut or were shot. Very often women were murdered after being gang-raped. Many women and girls were raped so often and so brutally that they died from this abuse alone.

Sometimes Soviet tank columns simply rolled right over the fleeing refugees, grinding them into the mud with their tank treads. When Soviet Army units occupied East Prussian villages, they engaged in orgies of torture, rape, and murder so bestial that they cannot be described fully on this program.

http://www.danzigfreestate.org/deathofacity.html

Thanks for sharing explanatory article!! Interesting.

A painting reg. selling  females came to my mind:

Artist: José Jímenez Aranda (1837-1903)
Title: A Slave Sale/ Une esclave en vente

Soraya Syed  is known to be  a female calligraphist

http://www.artofthepen.com/home.html

http://www.artofthepen.com/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/audiovideo/

An insight about ancient concubinage:

Muslim cultures are thought to have had more female slaves than male slaves.

Enslaved women were given many tasks and one of the most common was working as a domestic servant.

But some female slaves were forced to become sex workers: not prostitutes, as this is forbidden in Islam, but concubines. Concubines were women who were sexually available to their master, but not married to him. A Muslim man could have as many concubines as he could afford.

Concubinage was not unique to Islam; the Bible records that King Solomon and King David both had concubines, and it is recorded in other cultures too.

Being a concubine did have some benefits: if a slave woman gave birth to her owner´s child, her status improved dramatically - she could not be sold or given away, and when her owner died she became free. The child was also free and would inherit from their father as any other children.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam/history/slavery_7.shtml

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:John_frederick_lewis-reception1873.jpg

Gencturk, if you ever come across this book by Lynne Thornton, you will see the more European Orientalists paintings with different themes of the Orient:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/reader/2867700604/ref=sib_dp_pt/026-3188092-7656424#reader-link

Canli, and this one is for you:

http://www.travellersinegypt.org/archives/2004/12/a_cairo_bazaar_the_dellal.html

 and this for my British friends:

http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/exhibitions/britishorientalistpainting/

At the end of the 19th century numerous painters succumbed to the charms of the Orient. Travel to distant lands was easier, and artists brought back voluptuous images filled with sun and colour. The noted specialist Lynne Thornton has studied almost 150 painters, from Delacroix to Ziem. Her fine book Les Orientalistes, Peintres Voyageurs features numerous lesser known masters and is an essential reference work for collectors. It is also a marvellous invitation to travel

I thought of Elham when I read this: For you Elham:

Syria does not want to be a haven:

http://www.iranalmanac.com/news/lastnews.php?newsid=8381

I dont believe too many TLC members know about this: (Ramadan)

Wake up 2 hours before Fajr (pre-dawn) prayer:

For the mother in the house, this applies especially. The rest of the family should chip in, too. It´s recommended to wake up early to perform at least two units of night prayer before helping Mama set the table for Suhoor. The family should start eating at least 45 minutes before dawn, and should stop eating five minutes before dawn breaks. The last few minutes should be spent in rinsing the mouth and performing ablution in preparation for Fajr prayer.

Some Muslims automatically start eating even more when the end of Suhoor approaches - thinking, "this is my last chance to get as much food into myself as I can, before having to starve till sunset". The wise and moderate Muslims, however, know that fasting is not akin to starving the body. They maintain a moderation in eating Suhoor.

Other Muslims skip Suhoor altogether, since it necessitates waking up in the wee hours of the morning. They prefer to eat till well after midnight and sleep late, opting to relinquish Suhoor. This course of action is also not recommended. The best option is to sleep early after `Isha prayer, and awaken 2 hours before dawn, to get in some units of the night prayer (Qiyaam Al-Layl) in addition to a nutritious Suhoor meal.

http://www.howtodothings.com/religion-spirituality/how-to-fast-during-ramadan

I have removed the picture in question. You are right, had nothing to do with my original post.