Do I wish you a...Happy Face Spider? No, I wish YOU HAVE a Happy Face, because you will have a Happy New Year! :)

Happy New Year 2011!

"Theridion grallator, also known as the "happy face spider," is a member of the Theridiidae family.

The Hawaiian name is nananana makakiʻi (face-patterned spider). The binomial grallator is Latin for "stiltwalker", reference to the species' long spindly legs."

Does YOUR "smile" pattern change according to what YOU eat?

"As the pattern may change according to what food the spider has eaten (Gillespie, 1989) and as T. grallator is very small, hides during the day, and is thus not a significant prey item for any species of predator, it is more likely that the bizarre variety of patterns serves no significant adaptive purpose at all."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Happy_face_spider

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Happy PFF (Postcard Friendship Friday)!

Please visit: http://thebestheartsarecrunchy.blogspot.com/

For whom does Moses Mendelssoh speak? On banning the ban.

A few weeks ago Alan Nadler wrote a review of Shmuel Feiner's new biography of Moses Mendelssohn[1], and he concluded that Mendelssohn "sadly speaks for no Jews today."

On the contrary! One of the hottest issues among Orthodox Jews is rabbinic bans. Even when the issue becomes stale, it can immediately come alive with a new ban, and arouse passionate reactions. For example, see Banning Bans (an article which was circulated by a friend in his email list with more than 150 members). Without a doubt, this is a big topic, even among people who simply do not recognize the authority of banners, or do not face even a shred of pressure to conform to them. But I am also fairly certain that a not insignificant group of people who are inclined to recognize at least some authority in at least some banners are also exercised about the issue.

One of Mendelssohn's chief duties - somewhat reluctantly accepted by him - was to present Judaism in a positive light to the 'republic of letters,' the European community of philosophers and scientists, at a time when it was increasingly recognized that the status quo inherited from medieval times, where Jews were tolerated alien communities who existed at the pleasure and mercy of kings and dukes who saw them as ATM machines, while the Church and the masses despised them as aliens, could no longer continue. It seemed to be an age of reason, liberty, equality, fraternity. All the elements of the old order were subject to critical scrutiny and weighed against the promise of a more sensible future.

In fact, right around that time one group of philosophers were, to a certain degree, using philosophical principles to rebel against what they considered to be a tyrannical king who, in reality, lacked a divine right to rule subjects in an unfair way. (They also used weapons.)

The philosophers knew that the church represented the old ways of medieval Europe, which they believed was despotic and inherently opposed to reason and progress. They succeeded in even converting certain sovereigns to their point of view, some of whom began introducing new laws promoting more education, supporting scientific and medical research, etc. For these reasons, they generally opposed the established churches, or at least the right of clerics to wield political power.

Once the novelty of Mendelssohn wore off, he was basically viewed as a perfect - or perfected - man by much the European elite. Yet they viewed Judaism as much more degenerate than even unenlightened Christianity - all the more so degenerate than an *enlightened* kind of Christianity, which some of them subscribed to. Therefore it made no sense to them that Mendelssohn should remain Jewish. This was seen as his one blemish. Was he allowing his emotions, like nostalgia, or ulterior motives like friendship to make him hold to an unenlightened conclusion (to remain Jewish)? Was it something else? Ultimately, many of them held, if he were truly completely intellectually honest he would convert to (enlightened) Christianity, which was the only path a philosopher could take (other than atheism, which was not at all respectable in conservative Germany).

In reality Mendelssohn held the same opinion they did about religion - enlightened religion - but for him the real world example of enlightened religion was Judaism. He didn't think so much of Christianity, but knew that he wasn't exactly granted the freedom to say so, and even if he had the freedom in a narrow sense, he knew that saying so would harm the Jews generally, and also himself, making many a friend into an enemy. So this really wasn't a conversation he wanted to have, and was in fact furious when one particular so-called friend, the phrenologist cleric Lavater, openly challenged him to convert or explain why not.

Many of his philosopher admirers and friends backed him, and a vigorous debate about the tactic of Lavater ensued. In certain ways Mendelssohn was able to skillfully evade a debate, but not forever. When the dust settled Lavater's Big Question loomed large. Eventually Mendelssohn felt compelled to justify Judaism and himself philosophically, and this he did in his book Jerusalem (subtitled "a treatise on ecclesiastical authority and Judaism"). However, in order to portray Judaism as enlightened - which he truly believed it really was - he could not excuse or deny that which was medieval in contemporary Judaism. At the time the main thing along those lines was coercion, or the power of rabbis to wield the cherem (which in truth was given - and eventually taken - by the state). He felt that Judaism could and should be practiced because God revealed laws which were eternally binding so long as there was no other revelation suspending them. Jews needed to perform these mitzvos, but because they were from God, not because of social pressures or tyrannical rabbis who could punish sinners by harming their livelihood and so forth. All the more so in a time when he - as well as the philosophers - sought to remove the political power of the European clergy, which they blamed for many of medieval and early modern Europe's ills. All the more so in a time when the conversation among Europe's elite was how to end the age-old idea of Jews as barely tolerated aliens, caught in a vicious cycle of being despised by and despising the host.

In any event, the way history was moving, the cherem was on its way out anyway. European governments were not going to allow the Jews judicial autonomy for long. Somewhat amazingly, specifically this point, Mendelssohn's advocacy of removing the great stick from the rabbis never aroused any particular enmity on their part - which may be a healthy sign that in reality they themselves didn't really want to coerce, but only to shepherd sincere communities of voluntary believers. Of course they thought that this had to encompass the entire Jewish community.

All told, this was Mendelssohn's vision of modern Judaism - banning the ban.

So, yes, Mendelssohn does speak for many Jews - Orthodox Jews - who are opposed to banning One People, Two Worlds, Making of a Godol, Natan Slifin, The Big Event at MSG, Lipa Schmelzer, Vos iz Neias - indeed, anything.

Getting back to Feiner's book, although it doesn't really contain anything not already in Alexander Altmann's essentially definitive biography, it is short and easy, whereas Altmann's was long and ponderous. Considering that Feiner is every bit the complicated footnote-heavy academic scholar, his ability to produce this easily digestible work is a wonder to me. In the first few pages I came across an error which is not so minor - Feiner writes that Rabbi Akiva Joseph Schlesinger was a disciple of the Hatam Sofer, whereas he was born the year the Hatam Sopher died. His father and particularly his father-in-law Rabbi Hillel Lichtenstein were the disciples. So I was prepared for this to be one of those books where I count the errors and then debate with myself whether it's nice to review it and point out all the inaccuracies. This surprised me, since Shmuel Feiner is a good and careful historian. Fortunately the errors began and mostly ended right there. Of course no work of (any) kind is really going to be perfect. This book is very interesting and accessible and accurate, although for someone interested in really penetrating the mind and deeds of Mendelssohn it should be seen as the prologomena to Altmann and works by Mendelssohn himself.

[1] "Moses Mendelssohn: Sage of Modernity" was written in Hebrew but published in English translation.

2011 New Maserati Grand Turismno S

The Maserati GranTurismo S, the sportiest version of Maserati’s coupé, was developed for those looking for a distinctive performance car. The new and powerful 4.7 litre V8 engine is capable of generating 323 kw (440bhp), bestowing the GranTurismo S with a distinctive personality, aggression and power; all the necessary traits to deliver a refined drive in complete safety.

The transaxle set up employed in the design of the engine and gearbox is a stunning example of Maserati technology. The suspension makes the most of this system thanks to new fixed-rate dampers that now offer 10% more damping. The compression and extension ratios have also been tweaked and the rear torsion bar stiffened. The brakes, developed in collaboration with Brembo, always give a prompt response thanks to their dual cast iron and aluminium discs.

The sporty feel of the GranTurismo S is accentuated by Pininfarina’s modern lines. The detailing on the car renders it unmistakable. Features include red prongs on the Trident, the Saetta logo mirror and the standard colour of the brake callipers, features that distinguish competition Maseratis. Style, elegance and safety, combined with extraordinary performance, makes driving the Maserati GranTurismo S a thrilling experience that can be enjoyed every day.

GranTurismo S is powered by a 4.7-liter V8 in place of the unit regular GT's 4.2-liter. Output of 433 horsepower at 7000 rpm with a torque rating of 360 lb-ft at 4750 rpm, repair 28, and 21 respectively. In S, an MC-Shift replace sophisticated dual-clutch six-speed ZF automatic transmission. The changes at the highest speed for the S 183 mph, up from 177 mph, and reached 62 mph from stop nearly three-tenths of seconds faster, at 4.93. Because the transaxle configuration, weight distribution over the rear S-bias, at 53 percent, compared with 51 percent of the ordinary car was rear bias.

New high power Brembo brakes increase stopping distance and offers a high resistance to fade. Maserati claims the car can stop from 62 mph in less than 115 meters. This system has a front brake discs made with dual-cast technology, so that pairs up iron and aluminum for a better weight, heat transfer properties, and extorted by a mono-block calipers aluminum 6-piston.

Compared with the standard GranTurismo, S rides on unique 20-inch wheels, up from 19-inch wheels. Other exterior visual differences between the two sides of skirts and unique integrated spoiler. The dimensions of the GranTurismo and S are nearly identical, although S is 2.7 inches wider.

In addition to the above changes, the S features of a conventional suspension set-up, aggressively tuned to reduce roll by 10 percent compared with the GranTurismo pedestrians. Electronically-adjustable Skyhook suspension was found in a weaker car is an option. Interior Poltrona Frau leather and Alcantara for luxury increased, and include more aggressive seat supported.

Engine

The Maserati GranTurismo S is powered by an eight cylinder, 4,691 cc V90° engine that develops 440 bhp at 7,000 rpm and produces a maximum torque of 490 Nm at 4,750 rpm. The timing is actioned by two overhead camshafts per bank and four valves per cylinder controlled by hydraulic tappets. The overhead camshafts on the aspirated side are controlled by a low pressure, continual phase variator with an actuation time of less than 0.15 seconds.

The 4.7 litre V8’s maximum power is achieved at 7,500 rpm but can reach 7,600 rpm in dynamic conditions with on-the-limit gear changes. The power unit is one of Maserati’s new breed of wet sump engines.

Exhaust

The engines deep throaty sound can be fully appreciated thanks to the sports exhaust. However, the engine noise never interferes with the on-board comfort you would expect from a true grand tourer.

The set up features two steel exhaust pipes, one for each cylinder bank, that are compensated by a central silencer. Two pneumatic valves are set close to the rear silencers and are controlled electronically by the engine’s central computer. They can be managed by the driver by pushing the ‘Sport’ button on the central console. The new exhaust system is instantly recognisable thanks to its distinctive tailpipes where the two outlets come together in an eye-catching single chrome oval.

Gearbox

From a technical point of view, the electro-actuated gearbox fitted to the Maserati GranTurismo S has a six-speed (plus reverse), twin disc clutch, with a triple cone synchroniser on the first and second gears and a double cone on the other gears.

The twin disc clutch derives from the world of competition and is particularly suitable for sports cars: the reduced size of the clutch group (215 mm), and the small diameter of the flywheel (240 mm), keeps the unit’s overall weight down. This notably reduces the engine’s inertia compared to a single disc set up. The system also allows top end revs to be reached more easily, resulting in a quicker response from the gears, faster shifts and improved gear dynamics.

The electro-actuated transmission can be used in two ways: manual and automatic. Manual mode is for those who prefer a sportier, more involving driving experience with gear changes only made if the driver requests them in order to fully unlock the car’s performance. Automatic mode is designed for when the driver wants a relaxing drive: the system decides not only when to change gear but at what revs.

MC-Shift

The MC-Shift gearbox is the biggest innovation on the electro-actuated system fitted to the Maserati GranTurismo S. MC-Shift is a management and components software that allows super fast gear change times.

On the Maserati GranTurismo S, the gear changes partially overlap and engaging and disengaging the gear happens before the clutch fully opens and shuts. This means that gear changes, taken as the time from when the foot comes off the accelerator, drops to 100ms, while the gear shift itself takes 40ms.

The fast MC-Shift is only available when changing up and in Manual Sport mode when the gearbox computer recognises that the parameters relative to the temperature of the engine and gearbox have been reached. The fast changes can be made above 5,500 revs and with the accelerator pedal at 80% opening. Once these parameters have been reached, the system enables fast changes and advises the driver of this via the MC-S light on the instrument panel.

Transaxle set up

The Maserati GranTurismo S is equipped with a transaxle system, part of Maserati’s proud technical tradition and that is found on many high performance sports cars. The transaxle set-up further improves the weight distribution of the GranTurismo by shifting the gearbox to the rear in a single block with the differential. The mid-mounted engine is firmly connected to the electro-actuated gearbox, set in the rear, via a rigid tube that houses the drive shaft. These solutions give the Maserati GranTurismo S a front-rear weight distribution of 47%-53%, unique in its segment.

Suspension

The Maserati GranTurismo S comes with fixed-setting suspension that is now fitted with new springs and dampers to offer 10% more damping. The compression and extension ratios have also been tweaked and adapted to the car’s specific characteristics and the rear torsion bar has been reinforced.

The Skyhook system

As an alternative to fixed rate dampers, the electronically controlled Skyhook suspension is available as an option. This system employs dampers with an aluminium body that continually adjust the damping.

The Skyhook system acts by using acceleration sensors that detect movement on all four wheels and the body. A control unit processes the data it receives from the sensors, analyses the driving style and road surface and instantly adjusts the dampers accordingly via their proportional valves. However, as the Skyhook and transmission data from the sensors is fed to the same point, Maserati engineers have integrated the two systems. As such, the GranTurismo S is able to fine tune the suspension settings so that the driver feels even less movement through the chassis during gear changes.

Opting for the ‘Sport’ setting results in a stiffer ride, less roll, more contained load transfer, greater agility and stability as well as allowing startling performance figures. The dedicated on board computer reduces gear shifts by 40% and Skyhook switches from controlling the ride to focusing on the set up (body control), making the GranTurismo easier to handle and giving it more grip. Together, the two systems combine to offer more precise and involving gear changes.

Maserati Grand Turismo S, Powerful And Aggressive

A year after the unveiling of the GranTurismo, Maserati will be back at the Geneva International Motorshow with yet another world premiere, the GranTurismo S. The ultimate expression of the Trident coupé's sportiness shifts the emphasis onto performance and driving enjoyment.

Two main novelties are at the heart of the new Maserati: the 440 HP V8 4.7 engine and the electro-actuated gearbox with fast MC-Shift arranged in the Transaxle layout typical of high-performance sports cars that represents the technological DNA of all Maseratis.

The GranTurismo S makes use of the high-performance brake system developed in collaboration with Brembo and introduced for the first time in the automotive field on the Maserati Quattroporte Sport GT S. The system features front brake discs made with dual-cast technology - a dual casting of cast iron and aluminum, paired with aluminum mono-bloc 6-piston brake calipers, ensuring optimized braking performance.

On the exterior the Maserati GranTurismo S is characterised by a number of aesthetic modifications that, although discrete, are highly effective and make the car body appear sportier without abandoning the sleekness of the lines masterfully designed by Pininfarina.

Seat features finished in Alcantara central zone and a new horizontal pipe. Along with Poltrona Frau ® leather-Alcantara combination, Alcantara can be substituted for the skin * peccary. Peccary comes in three natural shades and is a natural skin embossed different from that normally used in vehicle seats. Its natural look and no additional chemical treatment to distinguish from other skin.

GranTurismo S cocoon the driver and gave him the sensation of having everything under control. From the driver's seat you can experience a shift, gear elegant chrome-edged paddle behind the wheel. Center console has a home switch panel to select first gear and vice versa through the gearbox electro-pressed.

Maserati GranTurismo S personalization that results in a more contemporary look. You can even choose AluTex to the dashboard, door panels and rear side panels. AluTex is a material created by inserting fine aluminum powder on the surface of fiberglass, this produces an unusual brilliance and three-dimensional effect.

"From Nazareth, with love". From Nazareth "the Arab capital of Israel" ? No, from Nazareth, Kentucky, USA. I created this non-traditional maximum card with a folded card ("Christmas card") received from Romania.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazareth

Notice that I found an American stamp where Mary has the same color scheme as in the card: red robe with blue mantle.

The pictorial postmark is matching, depicting Baby Jesus.

The reason you can see pretty much the entire postmark on the picture side is because I have used an Avery transparent mailing label, to counteract the glossiness of the card.

http://www.zazzle.com/c_am_sayin_postage-172331084925934503?rf=238693463283865848

How to remove unsoakable, self-adhesive stamps from paper? Try Pure Citrus air-freshener!

I have spotted this from Don Schilling at http://stampcollectingroundup.blogspot.com/:

"Air-Freshener Removes Unsoak[a]ble Stamps

Guest Columnist Peter Butler writes in It’s Like Magic: Removing Self-Adhesive Stamps from Paper, an article that appeared in the October issue of American Philatelist, that one of the products that seem to work well removing those pesky, unsoakable, self -adhesive stamps is an air-freshener called Pure Citrus."

The original article is here:

http://www.stamps.org/ap/Guest1010.pdf

===============

An example of self-adhesive stamps (I show you also the back of this beautiful, luxuriant pane of stamps): Hawaiian Rain Forest.

Now, in hi-res (high-resolution) for you to properly appreciate the exquisite artwork:

Click on it, then click again, to zoom in.

:)

The real first dictionary of Yeshivish from 1733; on 18th century attempts to Evangelize the Jews in their own language and cultural forms.

The other day I did a post about Callenberg's 1736 lexicon of the Hebraic elements of Yiddish, which I jokingly called the "first dictionary of Yeshivish." The reference is to the ill-considered allusively named Frumspeak: the first dictionary of Yeshivish (Aronson 1995).

The truth is that the Judaic and Hebraic elements in the Jews' vernacular have long been a subject for scholarly study. For example, Mahari"l Zunz explored these in his magnum opus (link). Here is some footnotes from Zunz, where he categorizes terms by topic:



Chassidic Yiddishists have published literature along the same lines, and perhaps uniquely, the Yeshvishe olam even have a Yiddish enthusiast in Rabbi Dovid Cohen, who has published השפה יידיש הקדושה in three quntreisim.[1]

But to go back in time a bit further, the truth is that Callenberg's work was preceded by three years by an earlier lexicon. This one was quite primitive, and more prone to mistakes, but in certain respects much earthier and probably closer to a slightly lower class vernacular than Callenberg's. Another interesting element of this dictionary is that although it does offer a guide to reading "Vayberteitch" the entries are written in Latin transliteration, preserving the nuances of early 18th century Ashkenazic pronunciation, although it must be recalled that it is hardly meticulous enough to be fully reliable.

Here is the title page:



The Kurtze und gruendliche anweisung, zur teutsch-juedischen sprache was published in 1733 by PhilogLotto, an obvious pseudonym. I don't know who precisely identified the author, but we see on pg.223 in v.2 of the language classic Mithradites by Johann Christoph Adelung (1809) the following in the bibliography on Yiddish:



Here Philoglotti is identified as J.P. Lütke. Alas, I have found no further trace of him, so I cannot say what his background or education was, or even what "J. P." stands for.

Here is a sampling. I will add the proper Hebrew or Yiddish spelling, but keep in mind that all the entries are in Latin letters. Thus, the spellings I give here are what appear in the original. Whereas Callenberg's lexicon had "emunah" for "credit." This one has "nemones" (נאמנות). "Brandtewein" (brandy) is "jainsorof" (יין שרף). For thief and thievery it has "ganff" (גנב) and "gneive" (גנבה).

It incorporates the famous Ashkenazic pronunciation of the cholem (/ou/ as in "couch"). For example, a fool "einsaeltiger narr" is a "Schoute" (שוטה). Fast days are "joumei t'schuve" (יומי תשובה). The entry for "Freude" (joy) gives "simche" (בשמחה) with the expansion for great joy, "b'simche g'doule" (בשמחה גדולה). Kupffer (copper) is "Nechousches"(נחושת).

The compiler seems to have had a decent ear, but a poor understanding of the Hebrew basis for the words. For example, on page 21 there is the exclamation "Rachmonolitz lan!" (רחמנא לצלן). "Familie" is "ma schpoche" (משפחה), the good wish "haba alenulethoba," (הבא עלינו לטובה) etc. In his listing of the Hebrew months, he makes a mistake like transcribing "Februarius" as "Schbas" (שבט), where he mistakenly thought that it is spelled שבת.

Interestingly, on pg. 31 it gives "majim medino" (מים מדינה) for Holland. Water Country? I've never heard of that before. I guess it's an allusion to the numerous canals in this low-lying country. "Historie" has two entries, "m'gille" (מגילה) and "maasse" (מעשה). There's an entry for an "ouhefnoschim" (אוהב נשים), a "liebhaber" (lover). Now, what in the world can that be doing in the Yiddish lexicon from 1733! The active form of "kiddush Hashem" is here - "mekudesch haschem" (מקודש השם) - and it refers to "martyrer werden." Nowadays people are told to "make a Kiddush Hashem" by being courteous and pleasant. In 1733 giving one's life for Judaism was no distant memory.

According to this it was typical to call a "mutter" "Imme" (אמא). If a person is doing something "Im Nahmen Gottes," they are doing it "l'schem schomajim" (לשם שמים). A bathroom - "privet" - is a "bais hakisse" (בית הכסא), and a "priester" is a "gallach" (גלח). A "rabbiner" is a "raaf" (רב), Shabbos is "shabs," (שבת), Satan is "sotn," (שטן), and the holy Scriptures is "Toure hakdousche" (תורה הקדושה)."Hakbodes" (הקפדות) and "chumros" (חומרות) are synonyms, translations for "schwierigkeiten" (difficulties). "Sondern" is "adraba" (אדרבא), a genuinely Yeshivish word. "Teuffel" (devil) has fully four entries: aschmedai (אשמדי), masik (מזיק), sotn (שטן) and scheid (שד). "Teutsche" is "Aschkenes" (אשכנז). A terrible predicament or time period is an "Eszora" (עת צרה). "Wie?" is "lomme?" (למה). Finally, here's a good (and timely) one: "Weihnachten" (Christmas) is "Chanike" (חנוכה).

Here's the guide to reading the Hebrew alphabet in vayberteitch in the beginning:



Following this is a sample Yiddish letter with each part meticulously deciphered. For example, the abbreviation לפק ("lephak") is explained as "l'phdak kot'n." This would seem to be another example of PhilogLotto's inexpertise in the language, since לפדק means nothing (it should say לפרט קטן). Since there are two mistakes in the one word, I'm assuming it's not merely a typographical error:

Here are various sample pages:





At the end of the book is a few pages of text of German interspersed with many of the sort of words found in the lexicon. Here's a sample, which I included because it's all about Kabbalah, complete with a Ba'al Shem doing his deed.

Finally, the book concludes with a most definitely not Yeshivish blessing, all about Jesus.

Since we began this post referencing Callenberg, the Orientalist missionary who wrote the second (more sophisticated Yiddish lexicon) I thought it would be fitting to add here a few samples of his other work.

For example, here is the title page of his Yiddish translation of the Lutheran Augsburg Confession, titled ספר עקרים. Say what you will, there is no doubt that Christian missionaries then were better at making their literature appear as a truly Jewish book. The date is even audaciously written Jewish-style as a chronogram, בשנת פקודי ה ישרים משמחי לב, although let's be honest, this is an amateur attempt. It even writes that this date - adding up to 732 - is according to the פרט קטן למנין הנוצרים, that is 1732 in the Christian reckoning.

Here are some pages:

The next book, a missionary tract aimed at Jews is pretentiously titled מהות העבודה זרה,:

[1] Rabbi Cohen's book is a mixture of erudition and bizarrity (you have a better word?). It includes many charming - yet utterly wacky - suggestions, such as the following entry: לֻלֻלֻלֻ , which Yiddisher mamas say to lull their baby to sleep (לולוביי בלע"ז). Rabbi Cohen writes that he heard from "חכם אחד" that this is to instill in the children the four lameds: ללמוד ללמד לשמור לעשות. Although he distances himself from the explanation that שנאפס is an anagram of שהכל נהיה בדברו noting that schnapps means, well, schnapps in German, he explains מוטער (mother) as having a source in the Midrash Ruth עיקר מוטרין לא היה לה. (Re schnapps, the idea is that that schnapps is also known as יין שרף. So the point is that *this* is the "wine" that one blesses with a she-hakol.)

The European Pine Marten (Martes martes) - WWF maximum cards/ maxicards/ dorincards from Ireland

"The European Pine Marten (Martes martes), known most commonly as the pine marten in Anglophone Europe, and less commonly also known as Pineten, baum marten, or sweet marten, is an animal native to Northern Europe belonging to the mustelid family, which also includes mink, otter, badger, wolverine and weasel. 

It is about the size of a domestic cat. Its body is up to 53 cm in length (21 inches), and its bushy tail can be 25 cm (10 inches). 

Males are slightly larger than females; on average a marten weighs around 1.5 kg (3.5 lb). 

Their fur is usually light to dark brown and grows longer and silkier during the winter months. 

They have a cream to yellow colored "bib" marking on their throats."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pine_Marten

Our highly-intelligent relatives, the dolphins. WWF maximum cards/ maxicards/dorincards about Montserrat, showing 4 different species of dolphins!

"(UL=Upper Left) The Atlantic Spotted Dolphin (Stenella frontalis) is a dolphin found in the Gulf Stream of the North Atlantic Ocean. Older members of the species have a very distinctive spotted coloration all over their body. 

* (UR) The Spinner Dolphin (Stenella longirostris) is a small dolphin found in off-shore tropical waters around the world. It is famous for its acrobatic displays in which they spin longitudinally along their axis as they leap through the air. 

* (LL) The short-beaked common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) is a species of common dolphin. It has a larger range than the long-beaked common dolphin (D. capensis), occurring throughout warm-temperate and tropical oceans, with the possible exception of the Indian Ocean.[4] There are more short-beaked common dolphins than any other dolphin species in the warm-temperate portions of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.[5] It is also found in the Caribbean and Mediterranean Seas. 

* (LR) The Striped Dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) is an extensively studied dolphin that is found in temperate and tropical waters of all the world's oceans."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolphins

"Montserrat (pronounced /mɒntsəˈræt/) is a British overseas territory located in the Leeward Islands, part of the chain of islands called the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean Sea. It measures approximately 16 km (10 miles) long and 11 km (7 miles) wide, giving 40 kilometres (25 mi) of coastline.^[3] Christopher Columbus gave Montserrat its name on his second voyage to the New World in 1493, after Montserrat mountain located in Catalonia. Montserrat is nicknamed the Emerald Isle of the Caribbean, both for its resemblance to coastal Ireland and for the Irish descent of its inhabitants.

Montserrat has an active volcano, which is monitored by the Montserrat Volcano Observatory. The volcano began showing signs of erupting in the early 1990s; now considered active, it is closely watched. Montserrat's Georgian era historic capital city of Plymouth was destroyed and two-thirds of the island's population were forced to flee abroad by an eruption of the previously dormant Soufriere Hills volcano that began on April 26, 1995.^[4] The eruption continues today on a much reduced scale, the damage being confined to the areas around Plymouth, including its docking facilities and the former W.H. Bramble Airport, the remnants of which were buried by flows from volcanic activity on February 11, 2010."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montserrat

==========================================

Happy Blue Monday!

Please visit:  http://smilingsally.blogspot.com/

"From Antarctica, with love!" - rare, circulated Antarctic cover (autographed by Father Coleman) from USAF McMurdo, Antarctica to Steven McLachlan, in Christchurch, New Zealand. The cachet and pictorial postmark depict The Chapel of the Snows, Antarctica - the southernmost religious building in the world!

Thank you, Scotty, my friend! 

I think that you really are the world's foremost authority in hands-on polar philately, after handcancelling, with various pictorial postmarks, over 10,000 philatelic items for collectors from around the world, while working many summers and winters, until 2008, in Antarctica as official USA Mail Clerk/Postmaster.

"Chapel of the Snows is a non-denominational Christian church located at the United States McMurdo Station on Ross Island, Antarctica. The chapel is the southernmost religious building in the world and has regular Catholic and Protestant services. During the Austral Summer, the chapel is staffed by rotational chaplains. The U.S. Air National Guard supplies Protestant Chaplains and the Archdiocese of New Zealand supplies Catholic Priests. The chapel is also host to services and meetings for other faith groups such as Latter Day Saints, Baha'i, and Buddhism and non-religious groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chapel_of_the_snows

Modifikasi Kijang Pick Up 2001 Bergaya Amerika

Event Djarum Black in conjunction With TV Hin indeed bring the cars with interesting modifications. Without exception this one car. American Style theme, Kijang pickup alerts in 2001 was made to duck and fitted with six tires. Display all white body kit, making it increasingly characterizes the style of Uncle Sam's car is. Bayu the owner also added the element of entertainment, with DJ sets and a full installation of sound in the back.

Shown with bodykit white and flat, and with the installation of six tires, making it look different from each other. The concept originally was that we wanted to make a car with a view American Style. Continue, because he wanted a different look, we added the tires into six pieces, said Amin who is a car mechanic.

To eliminate the impression of "Deer" her, we changed it to Chevy Blaze. This can be seen from the front. With so, this car is so stylish American Classic. A somewhat different view outside is not separated from the body which made the addition of about 1.2 m longer than the original. This was done to install two additional tire on the back. In addition, the body is also made more crouched close to 25 cm, and chop top is made with size 8 cm.

Other additions are made on the door or door-style suicide backward. Custom suspension was modified in order to support the performance of the Chevy Blaze Bayu belongs. Understand it, this car has already been made to stoop. So it took the right suspension to make it easy driving. The interior also takes from the American Classic is located on the dashboardnya.

Not only that, the car that was built during the nine months was also added DJ sets and sound that meets the back, to display a concept car audio show. Turn table mounted on the back with a motorized pneumatic system is supported by the thunderous sound performance with a total of 12 speakers.

Specifications:

Exterior: bodykit Spectrum bodywork, fog lamp Honda Jazz

DJ set: 6 units of subwoofers, speakers 6 units

Interior: subwoofer 2 units, Sunroof, white leather seat

Suspension: custom

Rims: Steel Oddye (16/195/70/65)

Tires: Turanza

http://sporttruckmodif.blogspot.com

Merry Christmas! :) Santa Claus comes now with only two reindeer, due to the recession?

 

See more wintertime, etc. postmarks here: http://s289.photobucket.com/albums/ll201/dorincard/Postmarks/#!cpZZ10QQtppZZ12

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Happy PFF (Postcard Friendship Friday)!

Please visit: http://thebestheartsarecrunchy.blogspot.com/

The first dictionary of Yeshivish from 1736.

Okay, maybe not exactly.

In 1736 Johann Heinrich Callenberg, an Orientalist heavily involved in missionary work, printed a dictionary called Jüdischteutsches Wörterbüchlein (Yiddish-Teitch Dictionary) which is basically a dictionary of the Jewish and Hebrew content of the Jew's dialect of German spoken at the time, which would not have been familiar to Christians. The words and phrases are arranged in alphabetical order, according to the German meaning. Thus, there is no theme or order on the Hebrew side. The purpose of this dictionary was to enable Christians to understand Jews when they spoke amongst themselves, to understand Jewish literature written in Yiddish, and to engage Jews in their own tongue. With 148 pages of entries and an average of 26 or so per page, the lexicon includes approximately 3900 words. Following the lexicon is an alphabetical index of the Hebrew words, and a short guide to the language, including pronunciation rules.

As you can see, the Hebrew text is printed using Wayberteitch, or the special Yiddish font which survived until well into the 19th century. Thus, the text presupposes that the reader not only has a basic reading knowledge of Hebrew but already knows how to read the Wayberteitch font - which anyone who is familiar with the Rabbinic or Rashi script can read with some practice.

The rabbinic font was not widely known to Christians, and this one all the less so. Therefore this book is hardly for a novice Hebraist. Rather, it is for someone who had already been schooled in the Alphabeto Germanico Judaeorum, perhaps by reading a book like the following:

Samples: סתם which is translated as Absolute, מודה זיין על האמת, and צנוע and צניעות as well as שימוש and פסקן, and - oddly? - משכב זכר (da mann mit mann schande treibet). פרנס, which is translated as juedischer buergermeister, חוזר בתשובה זיין, which is proof that there were BTs 275 years ago (also mann mit mann schandes, but I digress). קשר הפסוקים is defined as "context," אמונה is "credit, מפלפל זיין is to Disputiren. Since, in the final analysis, this book is meant for missionary purposes, it also gives a Yiddish (actually, Hebrew) equivalent of the heilige dreyeinigskeit (holy trinity), שילוש הקדושה. In what I suppose is a cultural nod to the culinary realities of the unrefrigerated 18th century, there is also a term for dried meat, בשר יבש. These sample are from the first few pages, but there are - as I said - almost 4000 entries!

In truth it's worth looking over the whole book. In it, you will see an interesting lexicon of early 18th century Ashkenazic terminology - some no doubt assumed or invented, but much of it quite real.

See this post for an overview of a Hebrew version of Luke written as a rabbinic Bible commentary, and also published by Callenberg.

9 Tips Awal Menjaga Mesin Anda Selalu Nyaman

Repair and maintain the car is a liability for the owners of the car for the ride is always comfortable. Auto owners have to pay more attention to their cars so that street Junkyards and does not get cluttered up. The cars more we can continue the road, street dust will. Improve your car older can be fun and exciting and will give a greater sense of appreciation of the car. All parts can be found at auto parts store and if by chance you can not find them there, you can always go online and find them.

Recent surveys show that 5 out of 10 accidents could have been diverted by just doing basic maintenance on your vehicle. Just by doing simple maintenance on your vehicle, you can extend the life of your car, helping with a healthier and stable environmen.

Basic maintenance starts with your basic tune-up. For that you need spark plugs, ignition wires, a distributer cap and a rotor. Here are a few tips to keep your car up and running longer.

• Change your oil every 3,000 to 5,000 miles. Your engine will start make weird noises if the motor is not kept up. When doing the oil change, make sure you change the oil filter as well. It will do no good if you run clean oil through a dirty oil filter.
• Check the tires every month. By checking your tires it will make sure your alignment is not off causing uneven ware on your tires. Make sure the tires on your car are properly inflated. If the tires are under inflated or over inflated, that can lead to serious problems later down the road.
• Check all of the fluid levels. The fluids you will need to check will include the power steering, brake, antifreeze, washer solvent and the transmission fluid. these fluids are essential for the operation and the safe running of the vehicle.
• Inspect the muffler of the car when it is running to make sure that it has good air flow through it. If the muffler is plugged, make sure you replace it right away.
• Clean the battery posts and cables when necessary and analyze the connection points for corrosion. Check the battery fluids and make sure it has enough fluid except for batteries that are maintenance-free.
• Inspect engine belts for any knicks and tears. Make sure the belt is running on the right track. You don’t want to replace a belt or even worse, a water pump while you are sitting on the side of the road.
• Underneath the car, you will find some grease receptacles to grease the moving components such as the ball joints and the tie-rods. Poor maintenance of these parts can put your car right into the ditch or even worse cause an accident.
• Make sure all of your headlights and taillights work. It is just a simple bulb exchange from a bad bulb to a good one. Check all of the lights on your car to see if they all work, if they don’t, replace them as soon as you can.
• Check and see if your wipers work. If the do, and wipe the windshield clean, you have nothing to worry about. If you turn your wipers on and you have streaks on the windshield, replace the wipers when you get a change. You need to see when you are out driving on the road.