Mark Alexander

FOREWORD On September 11, 2001, Muslim terrorists launched an attack on the United States to punish it for being what Osama bin Laden considered the land of the infidels! In fact, this attack was an attack on the entire Western world and, even more important, it was an attack on Western civilization, the underlying objective being to take civilization back fourteen hundred years to a time of great glory for the Islamic world. In the wake of the attack by young Muslim extremists, which resulted in the collapse of the twin towers of the World Trade Center in Manhattan, our leaders attempted to assure us that the terrorists did not represent the entire Muslim world. It was said that they were the actions of a minority, of an extreme fringe group. It was, and continues to be, troubling, however, that we have heard very little strong condemnation coming from the supposed moderate Muslim community. Who are these moderates? Why have they not spoken out more vociferously? Do they really exist? When will they speak out with moral indignation? Indeed, will they ever? For most Westerners Islam is thought to be just another world religion, equal to Christianity and Judaism. But is this really the case? Upon closer study, Islam seems to be far different from the other two religions. Certainly no one would accuse Muslims of being tolerant, non-judgmental, non-violent or peace-loving! While Muslims have been allowed to build hundreds of mosques in Western countries, Christian churches may only rarely be built, if ever, in Muslim countries! Indeed in some Muslim countries such as the Sudan, it is official government policy to demolish churches! In addition, it is difficult to believe that any world religion would advocate treating women as second-class citizens, and actually get away with it! The concept of brotherhood in Islam is strong. The posture advocated by Prophet Mohammed in the Koran toward non-Muslims, however, is to seek them out and annihilate them. The phenomenon of suicide bombers is at once both pathetic and chilling. On the one hand, it is pathetic that young Muslims are taught that they can gain entrance into paradise by taking peoples lives in such a gruesome manner. Carnal pleasures, of course, await the males upon entrance into heaven! On the other hand, it is chilling to think that there are any people living in the 21st century ready to teach and encourage such savagery. What is the supposed theological justification for holding to such beliefs? Indeed, is there any such thing in Islam as theology in which the tenets of the faith are examined critically? Isnt it the case, rather, that the teachings of Prophet Mohammed are accepted literally, and without question? In his book, The Dawning of a New Dark Age, Mark Alexander explores these questions, and often finds disturbing answers. Unlike many authors on the subject, Mark actually lived and worked among Muslims for many years; so he has first-hand knowledge of the religion and culture. While on his tours of duty in the Middle East, Mark immersed himself in Islam and Arabic culture, studying the religion both from Occidental and Oriental perspectives. He familiarized himself not only with the Koran, but also with the beliefs and attitudes of Muslims in the street. This experience has given him unusually clear insights into the aspirations of the Muslim world. Marks conclusions will not be comforting to those who would like to believe that the long-term threat to the West is limited to the aspirations of a few fundamentalist terrorists. Douglas Kennedy, Ph.D.,

A Collection of Essays on Islam

The Dawning of a New Dark Age

From archaeological excavations and artifacts, humans evolved very little, maintaining the same tools and skills for nearly 200,000 years. Then around 65,000 years ago, a variety of new technologies, such as projectile weapons, fish hooks, porcelain, and sewing needles, made an abrupt appearance. Bird-bone flutes appeared, indicating the arrival of music. Artistic creativity also flowered, as can be seen in cave paintings. Archaeologists have long debated what spurred this sudden burst of intelligence and creativity. “Once There Were Two” takes these facts and creates a story to explain why we as a species were infused with a higher level of intelligence almost overnight. Archaeologist Jonathan Brush, the preeminent expert in unusual artifacts, needs to decipher the information found in Rwanda. Jonathan and his team need to decide if the world is ready for the truth.

Once There Were Two

The Incredible Incas

FOREWORD On September 11, 2001, Muslim terrorists launched an attack on the United States to punish it for being what Osama bin Laden considered 'the land of the infidels'! In fact, this attack was an attack on the entire Western world and, even more important, it was an attack on Western civilization, the underlying objective being to take civilization back fourteen hundred years to a time of great glory for the Islamic world. In the wake of the attack by young Muslim extremists, which resulted in the collapse of the twin towers of the World Trade Center in Manhattan, our leaders attempted to assure us that the terrorists did not represent the entire Muslim world. It was said that they were the actions of a minority, of an extreme fringe group. It was, and continues to be, troubling, however, that we have heard very little strong condemnation coming from the supposed moderate Muslim community. Who are these moderates? Why have they not spoken out more vociferously? Do they really exist? When will they speak out with moral indignation? Indeed, will they ever? For most Westerners Islam is thought to be just another world religion, equal to Christianity and Judaism. But is this really the case? Upon closer study, Islam seems to be far different from the other two religions. Certainly no one would accuse Muslims of being tolerant, non-judgmental, non-violent or peace-loving! While Muslims have been allowed to build hundreds of mosques in Western countries, Christian churches may only rarely be built, if ever, in Muslim countries! Indeed in some Muslim countries such as the Sudan, it is official government policy to demolish churches! In addition, it is difficult to believe that any world religion would advocate treating women as second-class citizens, and actually get away with it! The concept of brotherhood in Islam is strong. The posture advocated by Prophet Mohammed in the Koran toward non-Muslims, however, is to seek them out and annihilate them. The phenomenon of suicide bombers is at once both pathetic and chilling. On the one hand, it is pathetic that young Muslims are taught that they can gain entrance into paradise by taking people's lives in such a gruesome manner. Carnal pleasures, of course, await the males upon entrance into heaven! On the other hand, it is chilling to think that there are any people living in the 21st century ready to teach and encourage such savagery. What is the supposed theological justification for holding to such beliefs? Indeed, is there any such thing in Islam as theology in which the tenets of the faith are examined critically? Isn't it the case, rather, that the teachings of Prophet Mohammed are accepted literally, and without question? In his book, The Dawning of a New Dark Age, Mark Alexan

Alexandra Bertron

Nele De Belie

Concrete and cement-based materials must operate in increasingly aggressive aqueous environments, which may be either natural or industrial. These materials may suffer degradation in which ion addition and/or ion exchange reactions occur, leading to a breakdown of the matrix microstructure and consequent weakening. Sometimes this degradation can be extremely rapid and serious such as in acidic environments, while in other cases degradation occurs over long periods. Consequences of material failure are usually severe – adversely affecting the health and well-being of human communities and disturbing ecological balances. There are also large direct costs of maintaining and replacing deteriorated infrastructure and indirect costs from loss of production during maintenance work, which place a great burden on society. The focus of this book is on addressing issues concerning performance of cement-based materials in aggressive aqueous environments , by way of this State-of-the-Art Report. The book represents the work of many well-known and respected authors who contributed chapters or parts of chapters. Four main themes were addressed: I. Nature and kinetics of degradation and deterioration mechanisms of cement-based materials in aggressive aqueous environments, II. Modelling of deterioration in such environments, III. Test methods to assess performance of cement-based materials in such environments, and which can be used to characterise and rate relative performance and inform long term predictions, IV. Engineering implications and consequences of deterioration in aggressive aqueous environments, and engineering approaches to the problem.

State-of-the-Art Report, RILEM TC 211 - PAE

Performance of Cement-Based Materials in Aggressive Aqueous Environments

Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Fantastic Four #1 with this new book about the two pop-culture visionaries who created the Fantastic Four, and a decade in comics that was more tumultuous and awe-inspiring than any before or since. Calling on his years of research, plus new interviews conducted just for this book (with Stan Lee, Flo Steinberg, Mark Evanier, Joe Sinnott, and others), regular Jack Kirby Collector magazine contributor Mark Alexander completed this labor of love just weeks before his untimely passing, tracing both Lee and Kirby's history at Marvel Comics, and the remarkable series of events and career choices that led them to converge in 1961 to conceive the Fantastic Four. It also documents the evolution of the FF throughout the 1960s, with previously unknown details about Lee and Kirby's working relationship, and their eventual parting of ways in 1970. With a wealth of of historical information and amazing Kirby artwork, Lee & Kirby: THE WONDER YEARS beautifully examines the first decade of the FF, and the events that put into motion the 1960s era that came to be known as the Marvel Age of Comics!

Mark Alexander

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