For a moment I thought the earth had torn open. But it was Heaven; overwhelmed w the weight of mortal sins, piercing the sky w roaring thunder. Hush now as the rain falls upon you, allow the tears from above to be your guide, cleansing your soul with the gentle pattering of every drop of liquid love…
-Adelle Nazarian
12-12-12
Today marks the last major numerical date using the Gregorian or Christian calendar for almost another century. The next time three numbers will align as they did on 9-9-09, 10-10-10 and 11-11-11 will be on Jan. 1, 3001, or 1-1-1. It also marks a new day for the Holy See as Pope Benedict XVI sent out his first, long-anticipated, Tweet with the push of a button on an iPad. His pearls of wisdom: “How can faith in Jesus be lived in a world without hope?” And what a special day it is.
All this has stirred up talk of a doomsday and Armageddon-like finale, with just nine days to go before the Mayan calendar hits the end of its 5,000-year cycle. Superstitious ramblings of the end have even sparked some odd and eerie behavior in other countries prompting NASA to release a Mayan calendar “told ya so” video (NASA releases Mayan calendar ‘told ya so’ video 10 days early | Crave – CNET) in an attempt to quell any looming fears.
So let’s take a look at the lighter side of this enchanted figure and see the positive (no pun intended) in the number 12. Here are 12 fun facts about this :
One numerologist says the number 12 is associated with enjoyment, emotions, creative expression, sadness, rejuvenation and rebirth. Let’s face it. If something’s bound to happen, there’s nothing we can do to stop it. So skeptics and believers alike, rejoice! You have nine days (not 12!) to find out…
“The Great Storm of 2012″ as I’m calling it, could not have arrived at a more turbulent time in our nation’s history. What happens during the next seven days will forever impact the course of history for both America and the world as we know it. My thoughts and prayers go out to all who have been and still are in Hurricane Sandy’s way and hope they will be kept safe from harm and shielded from sorrow. Choose wisely in the days that lie ahead and consider the importance of a trans-Atlantic relationship and unity in our increasingly global society. The leader of the “Free World” should serve as a beacon of light and justice unto other nations and bridge the gap (not divide or detach) between the world’s democracies, particularly with regard to our greatest ally in the Middle East. The choice is ours to make and the consequences of our actions will be felt for generations to come. Choose wisely.
Rev up your engines. It’s a race to the finish lines. Pizza Rev has taken a classic, universal staple and turned it into a fast-casual “craft your own” artisanal pizza concept, making it the fastest-growing pizza restaurant in Southern California. As you enter through the glass doors, you’re met with a uniquely distinct recycled wood interior and the sleek, contemporary look of modernity with furniture consisting of wood, glass and stainless steel to make for a warm, comfortable and clean environment. With two locations opening within six months – the first in Northridge and the second in Studio City, which had its grand opening on September 21st – it’s no mistake that PizzaRev’s Studio City location is home to the largest oven installed in all of Southern Los Angeles; What’s being served up is a revolution in terms of the way that pizza is presented.
While they’re not the first to introduce this concept to the restaurant industry, PizzaRev co-founder and marketing director Jeff Zuckerman highlights a few factors that really set this fast-paced and fun dining establishment apart from the rest. It’s a “mom and pop’s pizza shop done your way,” he says. And their unique approach could be attributed in large part to that of their signature Roman-style thin and crispy crusts which are homemade every day from a secret recipe which decreases the pizza’s cooking time to two-three minutes, making the process of crafting your “perfect pie” a fast and fun one.
Upon entering the crafting line, guests have a choice between a classic crust and a Gluten-Free crust. They can then choose between an Organic Neapolitan Red Sauce, a creamy Parmesan White Sauce, or a spicy-sweet BBQ sauce, followed by a choice of creamy cheeses including premium Italian Mozzarella made with a kiss of buffalo milk, Ricotta, Feta, Bleu and Vegan Cheeses. Once the base has been created, the PizzaRever can choose from an unlimited number of fresh toppings. That is correct. For one flat fee, guests can choose as many toppings as they’d like to including 11 protein options, consisting of three unique styles of pepperoni, seasoned crumbled meatball, and sweet fennel sausage plus over 20 fresh veggie toppings, including roasted garlic, kalamata olives, spicy-sweet cherry peppers, fresh basil, arugula and capers. “We believe that you should be able to make your idea of perfect pizza every single time you go down our line without being restricted,” Zuckerman says.
But no lunch or dinner would be complete without something sweet. A scrumptious Dessert Pizza made with melted butter, cinnamon and sugary frosting is topped with a choice of chocolate, raspberry, and caramel finishing sauces, delivering a sweet end to a delicious meal. Could all this be too sweet a deal? One is forced to ponder whether the quality would be lost in such a fast-paced culinary environment. The answer is no. PizzaRev may truly be on the road to revolutionizing the way we see pizza, such a universally known and loved food, and placing it – for the first time – in the fast-food category, while maintaining this classic’s integrity.
Executive Chef and Chief Operating Officer behind PizzaRev, Nicholas Eckerman, is the brainchild behind this operation. He created the pizza recipe and chooses all the toppings that are available for your eating pleasure, including a flavor of the month which varies depending on what’s in season; September’s is eggplant. I personalized my pie with sundried tomatoes, jalapenos, Kalamata olives, anchovies and the flavor of the month with a healthy dollop of their homemade pesto sauce. With PizzaRev, you control your pizza destiny. Ask me if I’ll come again. I’ll answer with a resounding YES!
PizzaRev is located at 12103 Ventura Blvd on the corner of Ventura and Laurel Canyon Blvd in Studio City and is open on Sunday-Thursday from 11AM-10PM and Friday-Saturday from 11AM-11PM. For more information, please visit www.pizzarev.com, like PizzaRev on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pizzarevco and follow on Twitter @PizzaRevCo. Phone: 818-505-1748.
http://www.jejprint.com/valleyscene/pubData/source/Valley%20Scene.pdf
Cast of “Overcome, Overjoyed’
Heartaches and turbulent times; we’ve all been through them. But the moment we overcome them a unique sense of joy and relief takes over and washes away the darkness, making way for the light from within each of us to shine through. That is the essence of Charlia Boyer’s Broadway-bound musical “Overcome, Overjoyed.” The story starts off with a stern, almost tense air so thick with hurt, anger and disappointment that you could practically cut through it with a knife. By the fourth scene, it’s tugging at your heart-strings in a tear-evoking manner.
Ms. Cassandra Greer (Charlia Boyer) is the new music teacher at Union School, where she moved to get a fresh start on life following a divorce from her possessive, controlling stalker-ish ex-husband Michael Greer (Hunter Graham). Carlton Wilborn (Former Army General, Pastor Kenton) plays a stern role and portrays his character with strict precision. He’s the Pastor at Union Church and is left to raise four children (Gregory [DeShaude Barner], Paris [Audrianna Bartholomew], Siena [Michaela Reed], and Venice [Na’Kia Bell Smith]) alone after his wife dies of breast cancer. But there’s a secret lurking beneath the strict, rigid and removed surface of their father’s demeanor which is inhibiting the children from pursuing their love of the performing arts. And it’s going to take a very strong, special individual and divine intervention to set his heart free and help him overcome the pain he’s suffered in order to make room for the joy that could ensue.
Writer, singer and playwright, Charlia’s drive stems from a passion to enhance the creativity and intellect of our youth. Her realistic touches make this show a must-see. Immediately one senses that the Kenton children are, in fact, acting like real children, vying for their father’s affections, making it a timeless and evermore relatable work of art. Some of the greatest works are inspired from real life and that’s something Charlia isn’t afraid to admit. Her inspiration runs deep, particularly with this production; “It’s based on my favorite musical, ‘The Sound of music.’”
Three years ago, in the midst of her writing this play, she found out her father had cancer. “The story line began to change because it became more about what my family was going through after finding out.” Her father passed away, and almost simultaneously they found out her mother had also been diagnosed. “So in writing this production it was sort of my therapy for getting through the loss of my father and then [the] possible loss of my mother,” who is now a two-time cancer survivor. “She is a miracle walking.” And miracles do, indeed, happen on that stage. “Overcome, Overjoyed” is taking to the road for a national tour and soon, internationally. “I did not expect it [to happen] but was looking for it,” she says.
Charlia and Musical Director Gail Johnson add texture everywhere with a soundtrack that will surely impress; Mrs. Mildred and Mrs. Pearl (played by Efe and Cindy Clark respectively) are a hilarious duo and the on-going power-struggle between them is exciting! Each of the cast members brings their personal life experiences to the stage. Their own definitions of “Overcome, Overjoyed” are intriguing and the wisdom that presides both on and off stage really sees no age.
According to 11-year-old Na’Kia Bell Smith (Venice Kenton) “all your struggles, your pain, your fears, you eventually release them and [become] free from them.” Michael Montague Williams (Ernest) who plays fastidiously the role of a deceived man, says he’s “been through a lot of adversity and I have overcome.” And for Michaela Reed (Sienna Kenton) with “your family, your values and your morals, you always prosper and you will be overjoyed in the end.”
This play will ignite all the senses, making you laugh, sing and cry, ultimately leaving you inspired. In Ms. Greer’s words, “Always remember: no matter what you’re going through, you can overcome.”
If there’s anyone who can help in the journey towards achieving a more peaceful atmosphere in the Middle East, then perhaps it is Arian Lev.
Nicknamed “The Laser,” Arian is able to read a person’s mind and reveal their inner situation. By channeling peoples’ emotions she is able to see both the physical and emotional barriers that inhibit someone from realizing their full potential.
Arian, is well known in the Israeli media and has worked with thou
Arian Lev with Israeli student Gal Oren
sands of people from all over the globe (including clients from Europe, the United States and Canada). She’s delivered messages to Madonna, Britney Spears and more recently to Oprah Winfrey. The crux of her focus, however, has been on the Middle East with Israeli-Arab patients, Palestinian Arabs, Iranians and individuals from Saudi Arabia.
Arian also speaks Hebrew and Arabic fluently. She has already helped with the situation in Israel and the Palestinian territories through use of her rare and unique method. She believes each individual person is where change must begin.
Personal testimonies from students who have graduated from her course reveal a wholesome and positive outlook in a place where negativity and hatred once lived.
Arian Lev with recent graduate and Palestinian student Moris
Arian’s ability to open peoples’ hearts has allowed for individuals from both sides of the fence to realize where their negative beliefs and hatred stems from and nurses them through reprogramming this way of thinking to a more positive and peace-loving outlook.
In certain places where the air was once so thick with the poisonous smells of war and fear, the scents of fresh kebabs and childrens’ laughter have taken it’s place, thanks to Arian.
“Every client is a whole world, from my point of view and I will do everything to enable him to live his life to the fullest,” she says. Arian is an enabler of good and although she has her work cut out for her, she’s already left her mark in that region and her span will continue to be extended throughout the Arab world in the hopes that a more peaceful way of life can ensue there.
“Say, if you love Allah, then follow me and Allah will love you greatly and forgive your sins for Allah is forgiving and merciful …” (Qur’an, Verse 3:31)
But is Allah so merciful that he would pardon inequities against humankind, based on religious beliefs, if they are different from those underlined in Islam? To many the educated Muslim, you might get a no. As for the vulnerable convert, don’t be surprised if you are answered with a resounding YES.
Terrorism has hatred at its base which raises the question of how Islam — which is revered by its followers as such a peace-loving, God-fearing religion — could be the source of heartless destruction and hatemongering fear held by so many throughout the world. Although terrorism is not exclusive to Islam, data shows that while Muslims who were born into the religion may be unaware of its actual teachings and thus interpret the religion in a peaceful way, converts to Islam take on a much less propitious view, resulting in fanatical behavior.
One quarter of the estimated 6 million Muslims in the United States are converts, with an average of 20,000 Americans converting to the religion every year. In Europe, Islam is the fastest-growing religion. And throughout the rest of the world, the rate of conversion to Islam is growing quite rapidly, contributing to the looming fear for the safety and security of many nations.
It is believed that over the years, terrorist operations that were previously carried out by mainly Muslim-born immigrants are now being conducted by converts to Islam. Islamic converts who become terrorists are victims of a systematic propagation of the doctrine of Islam, which makes its followers believe that they are carrying out God’s will. When comparing Western and Eastern religions it becomes clear as to why converts to Islam are much more willing to carry out such heinous crimes.
In the Western belief system, people without sin go to heaven and sinners are cast into the fiery pits of damnation known as hell. In Islam, Heaven is an unfathomable paradise reserved only for Muslims and hell is a place of eternal punishment and torment for non-Muslims as well as Muslims whose faith in Allah was insufficient. The concept of the original sin in most Western religions is what motivates people to turn against crime and wrongdoing. In Islam however there is no original sin. In fact, all people are seen as being sinless until they rebel against God.
To a Muslim convert it appears that for as long as their belief in Allah remains steadfast and unwavering nothing they do will be seen as wrong. Combine that with the clause of superiority granted to all Muslims, and even a mass-murderer will be secured a place in heaven, so long as all they do is carried out in the name of Allah. It’s no wonder the rising number of terror attacks by Muslims are conducted by converts. Who wants hell when heaven is just one Namaz away?
NOTE: Adelle Nazarian writes for the Henry Jackson Society. Her work can be found on their Web site at http://www.henryjacksonsociety.org/
Young Iranians Express Hope, Fear in Aftermath of Elections
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
By Adelle Nazarian
June 16: Iranian supporters of presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi stage a protest against presidential election results in Iran. (Photo by AP)
As Iran has been gripped by protest, violence and allegations of vote fraud in the wake of a contentious national election, people around the world are watching — but perhaps none more closely than the young Iranians who helped push voter turnout to record levels.
Some of those young Iranians, in interviews with FOXNews.com, spoke openly about their hopes and fears in the wake of the President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s contested victory over reformist challenger Mir Hossein Mousavi
.
“My fellow (Iranian) classmates in Turkey were crying when they found out the news,” said Amir Arman, who is a 33-year-old doctoral candidate studying social psychology in Turkey.
He said he wanted Mousavi to win badly.
“Mousavi is not necessarily the best candidate. But he is the least-worst of all four candidates,” Arman said, adding that one of his reasons for backing Mousavi was his fear that the world’s oil reserves are running out. “If Mousavi comes to the stage, he will bring nuclear power to the scene.”
Arman also is concerned about the lack of civil freedoms in Iran and poor management of the government.
Other Iranians gave different reasons for voting for Mousavi.
“If there was a 1 percent, just a 1 percent chance that I could keep Ahmadinejad’s vote from coming up, that’s the chance I took,” said a 27-year-old woman who asked to be indentified only by her first name, Samereh, for fear of retribution.
Samereh, who moved to Shomal from Tehran for work a few months ago, compared the Iranian government to the Taliban. She said people are fed up and willing to die for their country.
Mid-conversation, the Yahoo chat function on her computer started faltering. Minutes later, her connection was lost.
“The government is taking satellites down from peoples’ homes,” she said. “They’re everywhere.”
Masoud, a 27-year-old computer engineer who is fluent in both English and Farsi, also spoke on condition that his last name not be revealed.
He currently is unemployed, which is common among today’s young people in Iran, a sign of less-than-hopeful economic times. Masoud blames Ahmadinejad for this and said that while Ahmadinejad is in office Iran’s “freedom, economic situation and our relation with other countries are getting worse.”
Samereh and Masoud both expressed frustration with Ahmadinejad’s “superstitious” mentality and how he used warnings of foreign threats as a tool to boost himself to the presidency.
“A lot of people voted for him because … they were afraid of Ahmadinejad’s curse,” Samereh said. “They play with peoples’ senses.”
All three Iranians said they are tired of the Islamic republic’s current regime, in particular its mismanagement of the government and the economy.
But in an unprecedented move, Iran’s 12-member Guardian Council announced it will review ballots in a partial recount after what is believed to be the largest voter turnout in Iranian history.
Not all Iranians are optimistic that the outcome will be fair.
“In these times, you can’t trust anyone,” Samereh said.
Everyone panic! But don’t forget to remain calm.
Could the swine flu be the pandemic that was predicted to wipe out the human race?
Could we be witnessing the beginning of the end as we know it? (The year 2012 — said to be the apocalyptic end of the world according to the Mayan calendar — is only 2.5 years away. So maybe the swine flu is the disaster that will start it all?)
Or could we possibly, maybe, perhaps, really just be making much ado about…nothing too major?
For starters, here are some swine-a-licious flu facts and stats:
So what are our government officials saying?
Well, when asked by Matt Lauer — co-host of MSNBC’s “Today” show — what advice he’d give his family members if they plan on traveling any time in the near future, Vice President Joe Biden basically said “JUST DON’T DO IT!” He also advised against traveling in “confined spaces” like airplanes or subways where a cough or a sneeze by a person infected with swine flu could spread the illness.
Shortly after, we learned that a member of Obama’s Energy Department has been showing swine flu-like symptoms just days after returning from Mexico. (EVERYONE SHUT DOWN THE U.S.-MEXICO BORDER!!!!!). And just in case you’re wondering — don’t worry — he hasn’t been withing 6 feet of President Obama.
One word: Q-U-A-R-A-N-T-I-N-E
Everyone relax.
In a worst-case scenario — I repeat WORST-CASE SCENARIO –, we can expect to see approximately 1,700 U.S. cases of the swine flu over the next month. SO let’s just say this happens until the end of the year…that leaves us with about 11,900 people infected over the next 7 months. That’s STILL less than the 36,000 people who die each year of the regular flu. Plus, with all the dynamic advancements we’ve had in biotechnology — and word of a new vaccine coming out next month to combat the various new versions of the swine flu — most of those, hypothetically infected, people will not even die. This is nothing like what happened in 1918 or 1968. So it’s probably safe to say, you’re going to be OK. CLICK HERE
Follow these tips:
