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Ramadan Mubarak to all the Muslim readers of the blog. The blessed month of fasting, the 9th month on the Islamic Hijri Calendar 1429, starts this year on September 1st, 2008 – which is also a holiday in North America (Labour Day). The Islamic calendar is a lunar month,  which means it is based on the moon and its sighting from the earth. This implies that the Islamic months are not tied to the seasons (which are based on the position of the earth in relation to the Sun).

We’re getting ready to go for Taraweeh in half an hour. The month of Ramadan is the most important time of the year for Muslims around the world. It is the month of increased worship, particularly fasting during the day and the night prayers. It is followed by the Eid ul Fitr festival. To learn more about Ramadan, check out Islamicity.com’s Ramadan Information Center.

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I admit I’m a bit obsessed with the International Space Station. Its an incredible feat of human ingenuity and technological advances and the first real step into humans inhabiting space stations and perhaps other planets. The NASA web site has an interactive reference guide for the ISS. Its a great resource for anyone wanting to explore the ISS – both from the outside and the inside! There are animations, explanations, pictures and videos on the beautifully constructed flash based site. Its a science-geek’s dream come true. As I explore the ISS through this web site, I’m reminded of the similarities (and differences) between this and the space ships in movies such as 2001: A Space Odyssey and StarTrek.

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As far as I’m concerned, the International Space Station represents one of the best human accomplishments.

ISS as seen from Space Shuttle Endeavour [1680x1050]

Originally uploaded by TopTechWriter.US

A breathtaking shot of the ISS from the space shuttle Endeavour.