The Open Door Manuscript

For several months starting February 1, 2011, I committed myself to sitting at my computer once each day after meditation for the purpose of opening my mind and energy to receive information. I had no way of knowing what would come through these sessions or where the information would lead me. But I felt compelledbody, mind, and spiritto commit myself to this endeavor. The Open Door Manuscript is the result of that focus.

"Offers a new, broader model of the open-door philosophy of community colleges to better serve an increasingly diverse student population by not only ensuring access to higher education, but also by ensuring success, a campus environment of inclusiveness, and the colleges' engagement with the communities they serve"--Provided by publisher.

Gender, Piety, and Production in Fourteenth-Century English Apocalypse Manuscripts is the first in-depth study of three textually and iconographically diverse Apocalypses illustrated in England in the first half of the fourteenth century by a single group of artists. It offers a close look at a group of illuminators previously on the fringe of art historical scholarship, challenging the commonly-held perception of them as mere craftsmen at a time when both audiences and methods of production were becoming increasingly varied. Analyzing the manuscripts? codicological features, visual and textual programmes, and social contexts, it explores the mechanisms of a fourteenth-century commercial workshop and traces the customization of these books of the same genre to the needs and expectations of varied readers, revealing the crucial influence of their female audience. The book will be of interest to scholars and students of English medieval art, medieval manuscripts, and the medieval Apocalypse, as well as medievalists interested in late medieval spirituality and theology, medieval religious and intellectual culture, book patronage and ownership, and female patronage and ownership.

House with Open Door A Comprehensive Research Study on White Marriage (Cohabitation) in Iran By: Kameel Ahmady The study reported in this book by the British-Iranian anthropologist Kameel Ahmady considers both legal and informal coupledom in Iran. It is hugely broad in scope and also detailed in specifics. In considering the factors which shape young Iranian’s decisions about heterosexual relationships Ahmady takes us from the end of the secular era of the Shahs of Iran to the modern day ultra-religious administration. We are also guided across many regions of the globe, and across cultures, from the largely closed communities of decades ago, to the present age of instant global communication and influence. Ahmady’s endeavours explore a way of living and understanding society that most in the West have rarely encountered. We may know that in some countries bigamy, even polygamy, is still permitted; we may even know that in some places children are permitted to be married at a very early age (often, in Iran, girls to older men – but never forget that some western states also permit very young people to marry). What we are less likely to know however is that Iran has specific contemporarily reiterated legislation allowing ‘temporary’ or ‘white’ marriage (sigheh), whereby the licence is for a specified duration, in fact anywhere between one hour and 99 years. Nor are we likely to know that sexual involvement outside marriage is increasingly common in the Iranian metropolises, but also, as confirmed by post-Millennium legislation and, should the authorities so decide on the basis of the evidence, punishable in some cases by lashing, stoning or even death. Present-day Iran is a complex nation, on the one hand imbibed with centuries of deeply religious tradition and family strictures, and on the other informed about the modern world by sophisticated and easily accessible technologies available to millions of highly educated young citizens, men and women alike. In this book Kameel Ahmady sets himself the task of exploring how the contradictions between these fundamentally conflicting factors are resolved (or not) by the young people in his country of birth. As in many parts of the world, age of marriage in Iran has risen dramatically over the past few decades; the duration of ‘adolescence’ has increased significantly. Amongst the most important influences in this trend have been low rates of secure employment, unmet expectations of good jobs by both male and female graduates, housing problems, inflation, the significant costs (including mehr or dowry) of formal marriage, and poverty and the greater expectation now of autonomy and self-direction in younger adults. These factors, insofar as they are recognised at all, are a matter of concern, sometimes alarm, on the part of older family members and traditionalists who fear that their faith, culture and traditions are under threat. Thousands of young Iranians therefore live double lives – conventionally single in public, but living as ‘married’ couples in private. Since the law concedes nothing to these private arrangements, there is no protection for the more vulnerable partner, and indeed no prospect of active citizenship for any children born to the couple; these illegitimate offspring, Ahmady tells us, will not even acquire a birth certificate or rights to education. There is, he says, an urgent necessity for legislators in Iran to acknowledge and face up to these serious problems and issues. Driving the trend to illicit or temporary ‘marriage’ are a number of matters considered entirely private and personal in most of western society. Kameel Ahmady’s and his team respondents have a lot to tell us, quite explicitly, about their ‘sexual needs’ and about the necessity (according to the Iranian Civil Code) or otherwise of virginity before marriage. These are unlikely issues for discussion in most - though not all - parts of the modern world. For the first time in Iran this book will reveal the hidden and wide-angle aspects of this phenomenon at macro level, with an emphasis on the Tehran, Mashhad and Isfahan metropolitan areas. #house_ with_ open_ door # Age_of_marriage_in_Iran #temporary_marriage #white_marriage #cohabitation #Cohabitation_in_Iran #White_marriage_in_Iran # sighe_mahramiat #Gender #gender_problem_in_iran #women #women_right

Journey into the amazing world of Zouddha, an ancient philosophy for self-realization that defined a unique way of life a life abundant both materially & spiritually and focused on complete inner & outer freedom as an individual. The manuscripts that detailed all the secrets for successfully achieving this way of life were lost to the world when they mysteriously disappeared more than seven hundred years ago. Nirmann takes you on a scintillating tour through the mysteries of a long lost world of symbols, an age old secret practice of meditation and mystical secrets for inner alchemy from an ancient civilization that existed thousands of years ago in the snow clad Himalayan region of India. Prepare to be surprised and thrilled as Nirmann narrates a magical tale that eventually divulges the secrets and mystical framework of the Zouddha lifestyle for leading a life of freedom, of living both - a materially abundant & deeply fulfilling spiritual life while living within the mainstream world. Learn about the intricacies that teach living a life of mastery as opposed to slavery. The ancient Zouddha Manuscripts explain the origin and meaning of different types of invisible chains that we are unknowingly held captives of and continue to lead a slaves life in the major areas of life such as money, body, senses, emotions, values, beliefs, religion and spirituality. In the quest for discovering the ancient Zouddha Manuscripts, the book takes the readers through an adventurous journey from Delhi, to Boston, to Amsterdam, to a mysterious island in the modern day Persia, and following clues from Israel to Zurich. The book goes further to reveal the seven realms of life that hold the secret teachings of Zouddha promising the stopping of abuse & exploitation that we face from others & from ourselves, to discovering our true original inner self, to giving ourselves a new birth and discovering the answer to the quintessential question who am I.

The Open Door provides a comprehensive, carefully documented "state of the science" on homelessness and mental illness. The book reviews the effectiveness of service and housing interventions targeted at this constituency, and discusses efforts to bring evidence-based programs to scale.