“Sallah is no street Carnival - GhanaHomePage” plus 4 more |
- Sallah is no street Carnival - GhanaHomePage
- 2010 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb date set - Motorsport.com
- Man electrocuted near Lake Winneconne - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
- Mike Charlton of Eastlake hopes to set land speed record, a dream his ... - Cleveland Plain Dealer
- Shooting for 365 MPH On Two Wheels - Wired News
| Sallah is no street Carnival - GhanaHomePage Posted: 22 Sep 2009 09:54 PM PDT By Osumanu Al-Hassan In every community today, the one dominant question people ask is whether the mode by which Muslims choose to celebrate the Eid-ul-Fitr (Sallah) is what Islam prescribes for observing such a blessed occasion. This question, however, does not emanate only from non-Muslims, but also from majority of concerned Muslim individuals, simply because of the worrying development of how some perceive and show their joy on this day.  Not only do we cause nuisance with blockades that we put on streets, we also engage in activities that are totally contrary to all Islamic norms and values. It's perfectly true that as Muslims we have to show our joy for completing the 30 days of fast, but isn't that supposed to be done according to our Islamic culture? Unfortunately, as Muslims we appear to be unsatisfied with the way Eid is celebrated; the prayer grounds, the sermons, the handshakes and the bridge-building visits to neighbours and relatives, which form integral part of the celebrations. Today, Muslims have allowed aspects of foreign cultures to take over the whole idea of Eid, making it difficult to distinguish Sallah from other occasions like Halloween or Mardi Gras. According to Islamic narrations, the early morning of the day after Ramadan comes to an end (first day of Shawwal) is termed 'The day of recompense†and angles descend to every part of the earth. These angels then say in very melodious tones, 'O followers of Mohammed (pbuh), come out in your adornment to meet The Generous Lord. He is rewarding you for all the deeds done during the holy month and also forgiving the sins of His servants.' This is the day of 'Eid-ul-Fitr' during which all believing Muslims are expected to go to prayer grounds for prayers. Muslims are not expected to start this day dressed in costumes, drumming, dancing and revving up engines of motorbikes and cars that have had their exhaust pipes deliberately removed to generate lot of noise. While believers are preparing to go to the mosques and prayer grounds, others choose to prepare drums, costumes and other accoutrements and then sit to wait for prayers to end so they can take over the streets. Such people do not even see the importance of joining the congregational prayers. It is said that the Holy Prophet narrated that when all believing Muslims have finally come outside their homes for the occasion, Allah shall ask the angels, 'What is the reward of a worker who has accomplished his duties?' The angels shall say 'Our Lord and Leader, his payment is to give him the due reward.' Allah shall then say 'I testify to you my angels that I am combining for them, their rewards of deeds in the month of Ramadan and their night prayers have won my trust and my forgiveness.' Allah shall say 'O my servants. Demand anything from Me. For by My Might and Majesty, you will not demand anything concerning your religion and your worldly things unless I reward you for the invocation. This 'day of recompense' is the day Allah says He will reward all believers for their deeds during the Ramadan and the night we spent praying and asking for His trust and forgiveness. How do Muslims expect forgiveness and reward when we choose this very day to mock all the good deeds we did during the Ramadan? The Imam of the Nyamekye Central Mosque, Mallam Mucktar adequately summed up this in his sermon when he noted that any Muslim who engages in improper activities on this day can be equated with a person who, after taking a shower and putting on his best adornments goes out to amuse himself in a puddle. People are so keen to run into the streets that when they go to the prayer grounds they forget to ask Allah for his blessings.  Isn’t it a little extreme when we practically turn the whole celebration into a street carnival, where we perpetrate activities that Islam, the religion we are commemorating frowns on?  The Prophet has instructed Muslims to put on their best clothes on this day. Unfortunately, some choose to dress like mad people and walk like drunkards with all kinds of items including bells tied to their torn outfits. Some years back, the spectacle we witness on the streets on Eid was completely unknown. What many still remember were Chiefs of the various communities riding on horsebacks with processions behind them. And this was done in an orderly fashion, without the Halloween taste that has been introduced into the celebration today.  Those beautiful processions have today become children and adults, males and females alike hanging dangerously on speeding vehicles, without thinking of the dangers they are exposing themselves to. Like marauding army on a mission, the crowds take over the streets, putting up blockades and causing huge traffic jams.  And woe onto any driver whose vehicle enters into the barricaded area of the street, because by the time it goes through the car will be badly dented. Boys and girls are seen hanging dangerously on various parts of vehicles, from the boot to the bonnet. No one wishes to be seen sitting on a seat, the more dangerous the posture, the more appealing it is.  Fellow Muslims, life is too precious to waste in this manner, on a day we are supposed to be glorifying Allah for his bounty. Didn’t the 30 days of fast teach us anything? Endangering precious lives and causing the worst of nuisance are now side attractions on the day of Eid-ul-Fitr. Another showcase for the day is the pack of motorcycle riders who speed along the streets, with cheering crowds racing along. The machines they ride are huge, very huge and just imagine when one goes crashing into the crowd of running children, which often happens.  Besides the dangerous way they ride, the exhaust pipes are deliberately removed to generate the worse of noise one could ever imagine, which could be heard miles away. For lack of space, I cannot mention examples of injuries that people have sustained when recklessness on the streets caused accidents. I am however sure we have all heard of some.  This unacceptable way of celebrating the Eid has often caused frictions between law enforcement agents and the youth of some communities. One example was what happened at Darkuman a year or two ago, when a contingent of police officers was dispatched to enforce law and order by preventing the youths from blocking the main Darkuman-Nyamekye road.  What happened there was ugly. The youth vented their anger not only on the police but also on innocent people and attacked bystanders, shopkeepers and destroyed vehicles. In retaliation to this action, the police descended on the community and arrested many people, including innocent visitors who were visiting relatives at Darkuman.  In cases like these, the only ones to blame would be ourselves because if we follow what the Holy Prophet taught, nobody will have cause to accuse Muslims of anything. The way we observe the Eid is not Islamic and Muslim leaders should come out to condemn it. Prophet Mohammed (pbuh) said, “When revolt is ‘asleep’. Allah has cursed any person who wakes it.† Is that not what we do on the streets when we commemorate ‘Halloween’, which we erroneously attempt to tag as Eid-ul-fitr?
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| 2010 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb date set - Motorsport.com Posted: 22 Sep 2009 07:10 PM PDT 2010 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb Set For June 27 - Top International Drivers Field Expected Back For Another Crack At The Ten-Minute Barrier On The Peak Colorado Springs, September 22----- The 88th edition of the world famous Pikes Peak International Hill Climb will be staged on June 27, and another assault on the record books is in store for fans of the race. Race fans can look for a repeat performance by the star-studded field of top international drivers, led by defending champion Nobuhiro Tajima, who won his fourth straight Unlimited division crown in 2009 with a clocking of 10:15.368. The Japanese ace prevailed over a pair of European rally car champions, a Ford Fiestas driven by Sweden's Marcus Gronholm and Britain's Mark Rennison in his Ford RS200. Tajima Wins! All three drivers, along with Andreas Eriksson, another Swedish Ford Racing Team driver, are expected back in June. The 2009 edition of the Race To The Clouds produced one of the event's most successful outings, with a total of 165 competitors challenging the Peak in eleven divisions of autos, semi trucks, exhibition, open wheel, super stock cars, pro trucks and motorcycles, and an all-time turnout of domestic and international media that produced record race coverage and fan interest. "We achieved our goals in 2009 and exceeded some," said PPIHC Chairman Bob Gillis. "We met our expenses with the strong support we had from our sponsors, our loyal volunteers and fans. We also had more than 30,000 people attend our Fan Fest in downtown Colorado Springs. Ticket sales were up over the 2008 race and may have been our best ever, and we had exceptionally strong advance and race day sales." PPIHC Inks New Agreement With The Sports Corp Gillis also announced that the event has reached a new three-year agreement with the Colorado Springs Sports Corporation to provide assistance and promotion in a variety of areas, including media support, publicity, accreditation and sponsor fulfillment. "We were delighted with the effort of our staff, race director Phil Layton and director of operations Andrea Adams, and with the support we received from The Sports Corp and its team," said Gillis. "We have a solid team in place now as we look forward to an even more memorable race in 2010." The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is America's second-oldest motor sports race behind the Indianapolis 500, conducted since 1916. The race is run on a 12.42 mile course that begins at 9,390 feet and finishes at the 14,110-foot summit of America's Mountain. -credit: ppihc  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Man electrocuted near Lake Winneconne - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Posted: 22 Sep 2009 06:20 PM PDT Oak Creek man sentenced for attack on mother Assembly expands invasive species rules Man electrocuted near Lake Winneconne Assembly backs board appointment for DNR secretary Assembly passes shield, breastfeeding bills Big Top Chautauqua founder resigns Sartori Foods hires Schwager as new president Wellpoint would provide universal coverage if certain conditions met State man accused of stalking Jewel Kindergarten bill goes to governor Grandmother killed in crash is identified Falls man gets 4 years in shaken baby death State acts to fix felon databank gap Shorewood to go forward with donated sculpture Northbound I-43 in Sheboygan County reopens after emergency fix Council approves contract with no-layoffs guarantee Fighter jets from the115th deploy to Iraq Census says: more bikes on the road in Milwaukee Cultural Alliance gets $146,250 economic development grant Milwaukee will have more Frontier Airlines flights A.N. Ansay insurance agency merges with Vincent Group Two-thirds of state's corn, soybeans in good or excellent condition Kohls deemed greenest retailer in the U.S. New park for Milwaukee's east side Waukesha narrows police chief search Midwest resumes seasonal flights to Fort Lauderdale 2 charged with pot-growing in Franklin '90s hit-makers Cranberries to bring reunion tour to Riverside Group seeks to defend domestic partner law Bill would let visiting NFL teams sail through red lights Milwaukee repair shop becomes victim of hard times Sheboygan passes on stimulus money for buses  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Mike Charlton of Eastlake hopes to set land speed record, a dream his ... - Cleveland Plain Dealer Posted: 22 Sep 2009 06:05 PM PDT By Bill LubingerSeptember 22, 2009, 9:00PMVIDEO: Mike "The Missile" Charlton has spent the last three years building a jet-powered motorcycle in his Eastlake, Ohio garage. His quest is to shatter the land speed record for bikes by going 500 mph on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah on September 20th.
Mike Charlton inched closer with every turn of the wrench. Closer to a world speed record. Closer to a father who once wrote him off. Weeks before what could be the shining moment in his once-tattered life, Charlton and the high-powered racer in the garage behind his house in Eastlake were a neighborhood curiosity. Five or six times a day, friends dropped in to chat and check the progress. "Hey, how's it going?" a buddy greeted him one recent morning. "Good," said Charlton, a wild-haired Christopher Lloyd "Back to the Future" type. "I'm going to try to start it up today." Like the eccentric film character, the 51-year-old has built a contraption to warp time. At 500 miles an hour, to be exact. Charlton's machine is a motorcycle, technically, because it moves on two wheels. It's more rocket, sleek and skinny -- 22 feet long, 2 feet wide, 30 inches high -- and a hefty 2,000 pounds. Strapped to an 8,000-horsepower jet engine, it's built to blast him across the white flatlands of Utah, near the Nevada line. Charlton and his crew left Sunday to compete in an event called "Cook's Land Speed Shootout" at the Bonneville Salt Flats later this week. He named the jet bike Aslan, after the "Great Lion" character in "The Chronicles of Narnia," a series of fantasy novels by C.S. Lewis. And it may indeed be a fantasy. On Tuesday, his engine was acting up, running at half speed. Charlton and his crew were prepared to replace the jet engine with another if necessary. But if the thing works as planned, he will set a land speed record -- the one his father always dreamed of owning, but never had the chance. How did a father's unrealized whimsy become that of a son's? After a long, bumpy ride, they came to share it. Milton Charlton was a teenager in the '50s, when hot rods were king and boys flexed their muscle drag-racing. He heard about a Salt Lake City mechanic named Athol Graham who tried to break the land speed record, and wrote to him. He asked for specifications of Graham's jet-powered car so he could duplicate it. Graham wrote back, in great detail, in a letter dated Feb. 17, 1960. Six months later, Graham was killed when his car lost a wheel at about 300 mph. Milton Charlton's quest for a speed record had crashed, too. He married at 20, had eight kids, opened "The Bug Hut," a service garage for Volkswagens, and worked two full-time jobs for most of his life. Dad shared his love of cars and drag racing with his six sons, especially Mike, the oldest. He took his boys to Dragway 42, Thompson Raceway Park and other local tracks. He signed Mike up to race midget cars as young as age 7. And he put the boys to work in his shop. "He always put the family first," said Peg Charlton, his wife of 51 years. "And me, he thought I was great. I had him fooled." Her husband's dream got shelved permanently, as aspirations often do when fathers are grounded by responsibility. Sometimes, young men with big ideas just run out of time. Eleven months ago, Milton Charlton died, his ashes spread in Hinckley Lake, where he had worked as a young lifeguard. Until his last days, he would join his son in the garage as the jet-bike came together. Now, Mike Charlton carries the torch for both of them -- an unlikely union after what he put his father through. Mike worked at his dad's shop through his late 20s, while battling a serious drug and alcohol problem. He was jailed 17 times -- for drunken driving, burglary, robbery and other crimes. His wife left him. His father couldn't count on him. "He would fire me every Monday . . . and my mother would hire me back every Tuesday," he said. Eventually, his father simply gave up on him. "There were many times 'Pops' wanted to kill him," Peg said. "He was a rotten kid." Pops didn't have to. Mike tried to do that for himself. In 1991, while in the Lake County Jail, he twisted a bedsheet around his neck to end it all. "I woke up with a sore neck," he said, chain-smoking Marlboros as he worked on the bike, "but I knew something had happened to me inside. God gave me mercy instead of justice." On a more righteous path ever since, Charlton, who has since remarried, works as a Local 860 union laborer. He has also become a popular attraction at race tracks throughout North America, where he's invited to run his jet-powered truck and a smaller jet motorcycle he built about eight years ago. "It's nirvana," he said, closing his eyes as he described the sensation of hyper-speed. "I'm living in the moment. I have complete peace. For about eight or 10 seconds I'm just completely focused." Inside, the garage door is a mechanic's "chalkboard," with drawings, plans and Charlton's "11 Rules for Living," which he started compiling around the time his dad died. He has' eight so far, such as, "My ego is not my friend," "Everybody lies" and "All these rules may be wrong!" Nearby are two framed quotes: "One day you'll wake up and it'll all be over -- Mike Charlton," and, "You have never tested God's resources until you have attempted the impossible." "He's got a goal in life," said boyhood friend Roger Kilian, a metal fabricator and Charlton's crew chief. "And my goal in life is to help him." Last year, a jet motorcyclist reached 362 mph at Bonneville, the mark that Charlton hopes to shatter. But his vehicle has a flat bottom; the other didn't. So all this work and he may not even return with a record, at least in that category. No matter. Charlton went anyway, even if he had to put half of the $10,000 entry fee on a credit card. Even if his jet turns out to be not be as sturdy as he expects. A driver died in August when his car wrecked at 230 mph on Bonneville's straight, 12-mile stretch. Charlton's rocket, which starts up with a flame shooting out the back and a deafening, thunderous squeal, has an air speedometer that registers up to 700 mph and twin parachutes to stop it. He will wear an inch-thick suit and a racing helmet with three pieces of information stenciled on the back: his blood type, that he has no allergies and a phone number for next of kin. "My big fear is not trying it," he said. The tight "cockpit" of Charlton's jet-bike was barely built for one. But when he fires up his machine with the speed record on the line, his father will be riding shotgun.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Shooting for 365 MPH On Two Wheels - Wired News Posted: 22 Sep 2009 03:49 PM PDT
Denis Manning has been racing motorcycles since he was 16. He's been chasing land speed records since he was 28. Now, at the age of 62, he is leading his team in a campaign to reclaim the piston-driven streamlined motorcycle world speed record he has held twice. To do that, his Bub Seven Streamliner will have to go 365 mph at the Bonneville Salt Flats. That's fast enough to drive from Los Angeles to New York in less than eight hours. Denis Manning is no stranger to speed. He's built a number of speed machines over the past 30-odd years, including a 1966 Honda 450 cc supercharged motorcycle capable of an 11.8 second, 130-mph quarter-mile. His most famous creation, the Harley-Davidson streamliner piloted by Cal Rayborn, claimed the piston-driven streamlined motorcycle world speed record at 265 mph in 1970. He founded Bub Enterprises in 1976, a performance exhaust company and has since then Bub Racing is the name everybody associates with his two-wheeled torpedoes. His newest creation, the Bub Seven Streamliner, is his The Seven held the world-speed record of 350.884 mph from 2002 until 2006 when it was snatched away by the Top-Oil ACK-Attack Streamliner with a blistering 360.913 mph. Now with a new engine, Bub racing crew is back on the salt to oust the incumbent and reclaim the crown. The Top-Oil was powered by a pair of turbocharged Suzuki Hayabusa engines. Bub Racing's setup was tailored to the land speed racing regulations at an even 3.0-liter package. It features a turbocharged "big-bang" combustion V4 configuration running on alcohol. It puts down 525 horsepower and 425 foot-pounds of torque through a four-speed transmission with high and low neutrals to allow a shiftless coastdown. The big-bang combustion pattern as found in many Moto-GP platforms to negate the need for an additional traction control system on the surface of the Bonneville Salt Flats. V-4 Big-Bang Cast Aluminum Candy All this sound expensive? It surely is. The price tag may well run into the millions, but Eric Manning's lips were sealed. "I know not to answer that question," he said. "It's not about the money anymore, its about the passion." With an established aftermarket exhaust company behind them as well as several sponsors, that passion has a lot of fuel to keep the fire going. True to his family's racing pedigree, Eric Manning has stepped out from his fathers shadow to create an LSR streamliner of his own to compete in the 50cc division. Think that's weak? You ride a wheeled Olympic skeleton sled on crack at over 150 mph and then we'll talk. 50cc's at 150mph? Where's The Trunk For The Spare Underwear? As for the salt, Eric Manning says, "It's a living beast." Sudden rain can flood the flats with an inch of water. But the wind is trickiest of all, and the safety regulations won't let you run if the wind is anything more than a painfully weak 3.5mph. To set the record, seven-time champion AMA flat-tracker Chris Carr will have to make a run, get the streamliner turned around and make the run again over the same measured-mile. The AMA dictated rules dictate that the two sequential runs must be made within two hours. Wind or rain interrupt your run? Too bad. Got a shagged tire or mechanical problems that needs attention? Tough luck. Once the Seven is towed up to speed for the first quarter-mile, everyone is relying on Carr, who ended up in the pilot's seat because he responded to a want-ad looking for someone to fill the spot. We're not kidding. Yesterday, the team waited all day for calmer winds only to get one shot at the end of the day. Everything was running great until the parachutes deployed half-way down the run! With a faulty accelerometer to blame, the glitch is fixed and they are back on the zero-line waiting for the green-light on wind conditions. Luckily there is plenty of eye-candy around including one V8 powered, wheel-driven car that topped out at 432mph before losing a cylinder. So we are keeping our fingers crossed for perfect weather, flats and runs and hope to bring you an update of a new world record holder later this week. Stay tuned. We'll be waiting by the Bat-phone. Photos and Video Courtesy of Bub Racing  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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