44 bodies reportedly recovered after ferry sinks off Bahrain

Boat was carrying about 150 passengers, most of them tourists

A ferry carrying up to 150 people sank Thursday night off the coast of Bahrain, according to officials and an official news agency report.

Forty-four bodies have been, interior minister says.

Regional television stations said there were casualties, but gave conflicting figures on the number of bodies recovered or wounded.

The officials and the Bahrain News Agency said the ferry was on an evening cruise that was to last several hours. It overturned less than a mile off the coast, according to the news agency.

The agency said Bahrain Coast Guard boats arrived at the site and that rescue operations have begun. It quoted Interior Ministry spokesman Maj. Mohammed Ben Dayna as saying more than 60 people have been rescued and taken to hospital.

"It's too early to say what caused the accident," he said.

Speaking on Bahrain's satellite television, Ben Dayna said bodies of victims have been recovered, but gave no figures.

The passengers on board the vessel were thought to be a mix of Bahrainis, other Gulf Arab nationals and Westerners. Ben Dayna said those rescued included foreign tourists and expatriate workers living in Bahrain.

A U.S. Navy spokesman in Bahrain said American helicopters and divers were headed to the site. "We're sending divers, small boats and a helicopter right now," Cmdr. Jeff Breslau said.

A pair of helicopters could be seen from the shore flying low over the site of the incident. Rescue teams on small boats could also be seen using flashlights to help them search for survivors in the night.

Degrees Through the Decades, Continued
TV also proceeded with caution in the '80s, moving away from frequent 'All in the Family' racial tensions (the series ended in '79) and gravitating toward the more wholesome and respectable 'Cosby' family. CNN became the first 24-hour news channel, giving viewers all news, all the time. Also gone were the days of sex, drugs and rock and roll, as contemporary Christian music reached its mainstream peak with the success of artists like Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith. Though religion took Billboard by storm, it failed to influence marital couples as the "no-fault" divorce laws increased divorce rates. In the '80s, even love was all about the numbers.

Top Five Degrees Earned in the1990

1. Business
2. Social Sciences and History
3. Education
4. Health
5. Psychology

Business boomed in the '90s -- and not just as a major. But perhaps all the raging egos of the previous decade began to ponder whether there were more to life than money and Material Girls. How else would you explain psychology's emergence into the top five?

In fact, Goodcuff says the '90s marked a more hands-on parenting approach when it came time to send children off to college.

"It's really wonderful for students to come from a supportive environment, but I do believe it's a little overdone," she says. "Parents play a much bigger role than they did years ago."

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Dot-commers not only wanted to connect with their children in the '90s, but also each other, evident in the success of Jack Canfield's 'Chicken Soup for the Soul' and John Gray's 'Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus.'

Everyone became an armchair psychologist, discussing the details of the O.J. Simpson trial and dissecting the constant conflict on MTV's 'Real World.' Parents feared for the mental well-being of their children, who blared Nirvana's 'In Utero' at indiscernible levels -- although parents may have been even more distraught to find Kurt Cobain's lyrics no easier to understand at a discernible level.

Those who decided psychology wasn't the answer to lingering problems most likely found a release in the world of professional wresting. Stars like Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock and Raven found fame after World Championship Wrestling and Extreme Championship Wrestling surged to popularity in the 1990s.

Psychology also found success at the box office, with thrillers like 'The Silence of the Lambs,' 'The Crying Game,' 'The Blair Witch Project' and 'The Sixth Sense.' Even so, many may have turned to a psychology degree for answers, as the '90s saw the loss of Princess Diana and Mother Teresa, as well as the deadly events of the Oklahoma City Bombing, Gulf War and the first bombing of the World Trade Center.

Top Five Degrees Earned in the 2000s (thus far):
1. Social Sciences and History
2. Business
3. Education
4. Psychology
5. Visual and Performing Arts

Although it's only halfway through, the arrival of visual and performing arts in the top five of this decade is no surprise, although to look forward, one need only look back, beginning with 1995's 'Toy Story.' The animated flick was the highest grossing movie that year, generating $362 million worldwide. Since then, Pixar has continued to find success with movies like 'Monsters, Inc.,' 'Finding Nemo' and 'The Incredibles,' consequentially making visual arts and graphic design some of the most sought after majors of the 2000s. "It's a popular time for graphic design technology," Goodcuff concurs. "It applies creative sides with technology sides." In fact, in nearly every facet of education, technology has made its way into the classroom, from class discussion boards and students being required to carry laptops, to anytime/anywhere online learning.

However, Goodcuff isn't so optimistic when it comes to performing arts. "Even though it's made [the top five], I'm not sure that means there's going to be a demand for it," she says. But given today's celebrity worship, with Naomi Wolfe commenting on the cultural significance of Paris Hilton, to Madonna and Tom Cruise dispensing child-rearing advice, it's not hard to see the allure in becoming the next biggest thing with a degree in the performing arts.

What has this history lesson taught us? Perhaps that the likes of Melanie Griffith, He-Man and Paris Hilton have the ability to predict the future? More likely, it's that the events and decisions of today will determine the intellectual paths of tomorrow, so pay attention.

We'll never know for sure, but a close examination of culture and degrees through the decades reveals there may be more than mere coincidence to education trends and watercooler chatter.

Research into the U.S. Department of Education statistics uncovered that education, social sciences and history and business are higher-education mainstays all the way up to 2005. Why? "Business, education and history are very clear career paths, and that's attractive to a lot of students," says Esther Goodcuff, associate vice president for enrollment management and student affairs at Adelphi University (Garden City, N.Y.). College is not only expensive, but also a big investment of time, she continues, so the pursuit of majors with direct career links may explain the longevity of such marketable majors.

Rationale for the variety of career surges through the years, however, might be reflective of what's popular. Take a look.

Top Five Degrees Earned in the 1970s:
1. Education
2. Social Sciences and History
3. Business
4. English
5. Biology

During the '70s, English and biology made their only appearance in the top five. "The '70s were an idealistic time," Goodcuff says. "Those who went to school back then were less focused on achieving status symbols." But these two majors didn't just stick out thanks to a one-time brush with the popular crowd -- consider the foremost movements of the period: feminism and environmentalism.

Interest in English -- a liberal arts major typically dominated by women -- may have spiked thanks to the strong and free-spirited female icons in the '70s: Joyce Carol Oates' essay reflections on the '60s; 'Carrie,' the novel by Stephen King; Woody Allen's 'Annie Hall' and Margaret Thatcher as the first female to lead a political party in the U.K.

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Likewise, biology majors in the 1970s had plenty of environmental firsts to which they could attribute their interest. On April 22, 1970, more than 2,000 colleges and universities in the United States celebrated the first Earth Day.

Over the decade, a series of environment-friendly legislation was passed, including the establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency (1970), Clean Water Act (1972) and Endangered Species Act (1973). Another major biological issue at hand during the '70s was the use of nuclear power vs. fossil fuel, also the basis of the 1979 movie, 'The China Syndrome' starring Jack Lemmon and Jane Fonda.

Top Five Degrees Earned in the 1980s:
1. Business
2. Education
3. Social Sciences and History
4. Health
5. Engineering

Often called the "Me" decade, "yuppies" of the '80s saw a dramatic shift toward a more conservative lifestyle than the hippies and hipsters of the '60s and '70s. Plenty of events in the '80s called for a more moderate mind-set: the onset of AIDS, the market crash of "Black Monday" Oct. 19, 1987 or the peak of the Cold War.

In the '80s it was all about business, which may account for the major's jump from the No. 3 to the No. 1 spot during the decade. "People saw that education could be used to get a successful career," Goodcuff says of the time. "There was more of an appreciation put on that [in the '80s]."

Successful careers were certainly to be had, as technology surged with the popularity of personal computers, Walkmans, VHS recorders and CDs. Additionally, the business minds behind the likes of He-Man, Strawberry Shortcake and Trivial Pursuit are continuing to see success, as many rad fads are making a comeback today in the '00s.
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 THE WISDOM OF THE ANCIENTS
   O GREAT GREATOR  
CREATING MATTER
By:- ∫¥ ∑æ˙øø∂  |  æ∫∂∂∂  
 Warring: All this name is Holy if you miss with it ,
in essence it cast a type of spell you will be punching,
up to your head , Read it with respect

 What has survived of Egyptian literature is primarily texts of religious rites,
Hymns, love songs and work songs.
(Some notable exceptions include The Tale of Two Brother-sand
A wonderful dialogue between a man weary of life and his soul,
Which was beautifully translated by Bika Reed as The Rebel in the Sou1.)

Little poetry or fiction as we tend to think of it has survived.
Although rhyme was not a consideration,
Certain poetic elements appear such as repetition,
Alliteration, assonance, allusion, imagery and parallel structure.

<> These were enhanced by a strong meter and rhythm in the work.
The Egyptians loved puns of all types and even their religious texts are full of humor.
Many times they intertwined sacred and profane images.
It is interesting to note the many uses of . the anagram;
That is, how one word expressing a particular idea may
Have been spelled backward to represent an opposing idea.

<>  For example, kha indicates a corpse, while akh indicates a thing radiant or spiritual. .
Language was of primary importance; in essence it cast a type of spell.
The ancient Egyptians felt that if words could be uttered precisely,
In proper sequence and with proper intonation,
Those words could produce magical effects.
The Fourth Gospel begins: "In the beginning was the Word."
In like manner the Egyptian History of
The Creation of the Gods and
The World begins with the words of Temu:-

<> I am he who came into being,
  <>  being what I createdthe creator of the creations.
. <> After I created my own becoming,
 <>  I created many things that came forth from my mouth.

<>  Illuminate the insights which the hieroglyphs offered <>
<> These understandable. <>
<> (Nuk pu kheper em Khepera
<>  kheper-na kheper kheperu
<> kheper kheperu
<> neb em-khet kheper-a asht kheperu
<>   em per em re-a)
~: . ',,', .C . ~.

<> Still, there seems to have been a time early in the development of the religion where the gods were one. The text often refers to one god-sometimes Temu, sometimes Ptah, sometimes Ra, depending on th( interpretations of the priests that have been passed down ~ to us. This one god was the creator of himself and all things therein.
His name is secret and hidden.

 <> All the other gods and goddesses issue forth from him.
One might think, then, of the other multitudes as aspects of the one god.
The Egyptian word which we have translated as "god" is neter,
as in the "neterworld.1I But the word god, though common to us,
seems imprecise when applied to Egyptian religion.
N e t e r refers primarily to a spiritual essence, or principle.
Our word "nature" may derive from it through the Latin.

The multitudes of neters, then, represent the multitudinous natures of supreme being.
As John West pointed out in his book, Serpent in the Sky, the various religious centers of Heliopolis, Memphis, Hermopolis and Thebes, for example,
Were not advocating different gods.
They were advocating differing aspects of god.
From the mouth of one supreme god came what is known as the Great Ennead,or
The nine gods (neters) of the one.
In Heliopolis these were:
Temu, Shu, Tefnut, Geb, Nut, Osiris, Isis, Set and Nephthys.
In Memphis,
Ptah and Hathor play major roles.
In Hermopolis,
Thoth is elevated. Ra, as a principle of light,
eternity, power and rebirth, attained prominence nearly everywhere
.
<>  Temu and Ptah are aspects of one neter.
Temu may be thought of as the primordial act,
the first creation, pure essence and spirit.
Ptah is Temu come to earth: the same principle of spirit,
but in this instance he is the manifestation of the act of creating matter.
The remaining neters of the great ennead are paired male and female.
They are unified dual natures.
Shu and Tefnut are the twin children of Ra,
the breath of light one might say.
He personifies the dry air and she the mist.
Geb, the father, is earth; Nut, the mother, is sky.

<> From the belly of Nut sprang the other gods and goddesses and Horus, the twice-born.
Horus was born once of heaven through Nut and once of earth through his mother, Isis.
He represents both the divine and mortal aspects of man, and his
Presence in the Book of the Dead is always as that of the great spiritual warrior.
As the avenger of his father's death, he best represents
The strength of the individual in his necessary battle
Against the power of darkness.

<> Osiris and Isis represent the dawning of the world of men.
All the descendents of the world are children of their ~on, Horus.
The History of Creation/l and The Duell explain these myths in more detail.

<> For a more in-depth look at all the gods and goddesses,
I recommend E.A. Wallis Budge's two-volume set,
The Gods of the Egyptians.
Suffice it to say here that Osiris was murdered and
Hacked into 14 pieces by his envious brother Set.
According to Plutarch, Isis, the wife of Osiris,
gathered the severed parts of her husband to facilitate his unification in the afterlife.
Osiris became neither a god of heaven nor of earth,
but a god of the nebulous world between.
His importance in The Book of the Dead as judge in the neterworld is primary.
All those who died after him called themselves an Osiris,
for they wanted to be like him-a god who rose from death.
Osiris is the principle of regeneration as Set is the principle of destruction.
In psychological terms Osiris represents the recollecting of
The diverse aspects of oneself into a unified whole.


<>  In researching this text I perceived certain
Etymological resonances which indicated,
to me at least, that the ancient Egyptian culture and language
are not as obscure as we modems tend to believe. For example,
I found common roots between the Egyptian language and
certain words in the English language which are derived from Latin and Greek.
As an example I offer the following connections between Egyptian and English:

* iirmen/ arm heku (magic utterance)
* /hex neb (spiraling force of the universe)
* /nebulous Satis (goddess of the flood, or meaning enough)
* / satisfy aor (magic light)/ aura.
* According to Egyptian theology,
The structure of a man is not limited to only his mortal shell and spiritual self,
But is a complex and interconnected structurj} where his physical body,
Spiritual body, mental and emotional states play one off the other.
His physical body, the corpse, or that which corrupts after death is the khat.
It is easy enough to define.

<>  Where trouble often arises is in defining the various spiritual aspects which are loosely attributed to what we think of as the soul. The sekhem is, I believe, the form that a spiritual being assumes. It exists in heaven and is more or less that power which a man possesses to assume incarnation. In addition, a man's ren, or his name, is powerful and holy. To blot a man's name from history, to forget him, was to effectively destroy him.

<> The æb is the heart, the seat of knowledge, wisdom and understanding; it is the link between the physical body and the spiritual body. In contrast, the khu has been called a man's divine intelligence and is described as that which is radiant or shining. Ab represents what a man may come to know of the world and himself in silent meditation. Khu represents more or less the inspiration,
the message of the gods. "I am not simply a human being. I am a human becoming

<>  The work which follows has been for me a process of transformation.
I offer it as a record. of my own study of the text and illumination by it.
I have tried to remain true to the intent of the original,
to illuminate the insights which the hieroglyphs offered,
and to revive the sense of literature and song
which seemed to me to have been lost in any strictly literal translation.
I hesitate even to call this a translation. It is a meditation.
Certainly the writing of it was a transformation.

<> I encourage anyone interested in the subject to read
the work in the original, if possible, along with a good "strict" translation.
I relied on the Budge version of The Papyrus of Ani.
As YOU says, it is one of the most complete texts of the Book of the Dead,
but the implication is, of course, that even that papyrus is not complete.

<> As I read I found references to chapters
which should have been included, but were not.
I included them, therefore, using the Egyptian language of
Myth µ¥™˙  and the English ∂ © πß˙words of the imagination.
I inserted a few I thought should be there.

* For those interested in comparing my versions with the hieroglyphs,
I've included a concordance at the end of this Study
I took Pound at his word and tried to "make it new."
I wanted to once again offer it up as a celebration of the beauty and terror of life.
The awe of awakening unto a new day, or perhaps a new self.

The wisdom of the ancients seems eternal,
Yet we are all men affecting our changes.
The work of a lifetime is the process of returning to light and life.
So it seemed right to blow a little dust off the old Egyptian book and
let it shine anew in a more modern era.
<><><>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>∂ ª

Prince urges respect among faiths

The prince and duchess are on a two-week Middle East tour

Prince's comments, Prince Charles has called for greater respect between religions, saying his "heart is heavy from... never-ending death and destruction" in the world.

The prince said the row over cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad showed "the danger... of our failure to listen and to respect" others' views.

He was giving a speech at Al-Azhar University in Cairo on a tour of Egypt with the Duchess of Cornwall.

Charles was awarded an honorary degree by the university.

One of the few non-Muslims to have been invited to speak at the university, the prince told 800 Islamic scholars that religious leaders needed to encourage understanding.


Images of communities torn apart by religious conflict are deeply harrowing
Prince Charles

"We must foster, encourage and act upon that which embodies the divine attributes of mercy and compassion," he said.

"That calls for calmness and the exercise of restraint. And, if I may say so, it requires all those who are in positions of authority in our different faiths to preach clearly and consistently to others the eternal values of these divine attributes.

"I look forward to a world in which we share a vision that acknowledges our differences with respect and understanding, that recognises what others hold sacred, and to a world in which we see that we cannot and must not abuse our great traditions and their teachings as a weapon in the service of selfish worldly power."

He added: "The recent ghastly strife and anger over the Danish cartoons shows the danger that comes of our failure to listen and to respect what is precious and sacred to others."


The prince said fears about growing misunderstanding between the West and Islam that he had more than a decade ago - expressed in a 1993 speech at the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies - appeared to have come true.

"For so many, those years have been profoundly bleak. My heart is heavy from witnessing the never-ending death and destruction."

He added: "Images of communities torn apart by religious conflict are deeply harrowing, from Bosnia to Baghdad, from Chechnya to Palestine - evidence of just how far misunderstandings have continued and escalated."

An interview with the prince had earlier been broadcast on Nile TV, in which Charles spoke about similarities between Christianity, Islam and Judaism.

"People who are reasonable and responsible and feel things in the heart need to work even harder and speak up louder about the vital importance of understanding that the three great Abrahamic faiths share an awful lot more in common than perhaps people realise," he said.

The 15-minute television broadcast was pre-recorded at Clarence House before Charles and Camilla left for the official two-week visit to Egypt, Saudi Arabia and India.

Mountbatten murder

The prince said he had been given an insight into the effects of terrorism as a young man when he suffered the loss of the great-uncle he also regarded as his mentor in 1979.

Lord Mountbatten was on a fishing trip in the Irish Republic when his boat was blown up by the IRA.

Charles said he has "some understanding... of what people go through with these horrors".

He added: "It seems to me that we have to work even harder."