Despite some minor lapses, there is a wealth of information here, without obvious bias and including varying perspectives, conveniently assembled and clearly organized, and with appropriate historical background. Although cross-references are extensive, there are some gaps, such as the lack of a direct connection between the Salafism article and the entries on al-Qaeda or Bin Laden (Jihadist Salafiyya's most prominent follower). Wahhabism, subsumed under Salafiyya, is underindexed. Neither the article on slavery (discussing links between Islam and enslaved African Americans) nor the index point to the actual brief discussion of Islamic law on slavery. The Druze and Sufism articles do not note wide Muslim persecution of such splinter groups (though information on Muslim-Muslim intolerance can be found elsewhere in the book).

Spanish Town panache

Beads, plastic cups and other traditional Mardi Gras throws were not the only things flying Saturday at the Spanish Town Mardi Gras Parade.

"Seriously, they can’t be throwing real chicken parts. That has to be against the rules," Horak, 39, said.

Heidi On Seal's Bits

Not literally, of course.

Still, we're sure she also loves him for his mind and soul as well as his body.

The Winner's Cycle

What do you get when you combine one wicker rocking chair, a thrift-store bicycle and 13 very motivated mechanical engineering students? A vehicle that can navigate an obstacle course at 25 mph without spilling a single can of pop. Behold the Rudy Hawkenheimer, Seattle University's first-ever entry in the Human Powered Vehicle Challenge, a 21-year-old event sponsored by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

Developed over the course of the 2003-2004 school year, the "Hawk" so named because students thought the moniker sounded sophisticated and technical and would scare their opponentswon third place in the utility-class competition. "The whole idea was to design a vehicle and enter a competition that wasn't too technically demanding, so even the freshmen on the team could make meaningful contributions," says Assistant Professor Frank Shih, who led the undergraduates on their quest for an SU superbike.

Madison neighborhoods band together

With this, we can show the rest of the metro Jackson area what we can do when we work together," she said.

More than 50 people showed up Thursday to the first meeting of the Madison Organization of Neighborhood Associations, despite heavy thunderstorms in the area.

Though the group is a way for all homeowners associations to come together, it is not exclusive to neighborhoods with existing associations.

Any Madison neighborhood or area can have a representative.

"It kind of gives some pizazz to our efforts of keeping this city one of the best places to live," said MONA membership chairwoman Cherry Prather. "We can promote the neighborhood associations and help everyone keep their neighborhoods maintained."

According to the bylaws, the group will not be involved in politics, Prather said.

On Show 2004

The last four months of every year are jam-packed full of the latest cycling bikes, frames, parts and widgets, all rolled out and shown off at the main trade-shows of the year. Eurobike, EICMA, and especially Interbike, all attract the cycling world like bees to a honey-pot, with the major companies keeping their next-year's products tightly under wraps until at least one of these shows.