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One of the best ways to increase the resale value of your home and make your home more comfortable while you live in it is with an upgrade to vinyl replacement windows. Vinyl windows are the best replacement windows available, and they can give your home many advantages over others in the market.
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- Home Value: Vinyl replacement windows are a great way to enhance the value of your home. Vinyl windows are stylish and have great curb appeal. If you are trying to sell your home in today's real estate market, you need every edge you can get. At SelectPri, we give you that edge with the best replacement windows in Bordentown NJ.
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NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Traveling to two different meets, highlighted by the 5,000 and 10,000-meter runs, the Lipscomb track and field squads have an action packed weekend ahead of them. The two meets will get underway on Friday at the Raleigh Relays hosted by North Carolina State and the Bill Cornell Spring Classic hosted by Southern Illinois in Carbondale, Ill.
The Raleigh Relays will feature more than 50 schools, including the likes of Clemson, UCONN, Michigan, Michigan State, North Carolina, Pittsburgh, Tennessee and Wake Forest along with Atlantic Sun Conference foes ETSU and USC Upstate.
Events begin at 7:45 a.m. on Friday with the 3000m steeplechase. The final event on Friday is the 10,000m run at 9:35 p.m. Saturday's action begins at 8:30 a.m. with section two of the 10,000m run and ends with the 4X400m relay at 4:45 p.m.
The distance squads will get a workout with eight women and five men competing in the 5,000 or 10,000-meter runs for the first time in the outdoor season at the prestigious Raleigh Relays. Kendra Lobley, Tessa Hoefle, Madelin Talbert, Maggie Lawrence and Minna Fields will all be competing in the 5,000 while Alex Newby, Renee Minzie and Missy Down challenge in the 10,000.
The men's side will see Geoff Musick, Daniel Gardner, Isaiah Greer, Jared Wingerter and john Kingstedt all compete in the 5,000.
Tucker Peabody will race in two events including the 200-meter Invitational, pitting the runners with the top times against each other.
Houston Ward will be the busiest man in Raleigh, competing in three events – the shot put, the discus and the hammer throw. Fellow thrower April Terry will be competing in the shot put and the hammer throw
The Bill Cornell Spring Classic begins with field events at 3 p.m. Friday and running events at 6 p.m. With just six events scheduled for Friday, festivities continue in an action packed Saturday with field events at 9 a.m. and running events at 12:30 p.m.

subset: commoncrawl


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Listed below are data sets from accountability reporting which can be used to assist in research of North Carolina accountability reporting and testing measures at the school and/or district level.
Data Sets for READY Accountability Reporting
North Carolina provides this data set of district and school level data used in the READY Accountability Reporting website. Effective with 2012-13 reporting this data contains information on all accountability model indicators. For data sets from 2012-13 and prior years that contain only End-of-Grade (EOG) and End-of-Course (EOC) data please click here.
Data sets are in a text (tab delimited) format. After download, files can be imported into a database tool.
Additional Reports
2013-14 Alternative Schools Local Options Report (pdf, 78kb)
2012-13 Alternative Schools Local Options Report (pdf, 113kb)


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Controversy ridden but glamorous nonetheless, IPL 6 launches tomorrow
The Indian Premier League (IPL) is known as much for its sporting and glamour quotient as for its controversies. This year's ban on Sri Lankans from playing in Chennai is only a continuation of the trend in the cash-rich league which started in 2008.india Updated: Apr 01, 2013 17:20 IST
Dogged by myriads of controversies but glamorous nonetheless, the sixth edition of the Indian Premier League will kick off on Tuesday with what promises to be a glitzy opening ceremony featuring Bollywood stars and international rapper Pitbull.
Flying drummers, Chinese percussionists, fireworks and some of the biggest film stars in the country, including Shah Rukh Khan and Katrina Kaif, will perform at the ceremony at the Salt Lake Stadium.
Never before in cricket has any private tournament been as successful as the IPL and it is expected to be a rollicking affair once again when the nine franchises lock horns for the coveted title.
However, since its inception in 2008, IPL has been known as much for its sporting and glamour quotient as for its controversies. This year's ban on Sri Lankans from playing in Chennai is only a continuation of that trend.
The latest controversy to hit the tourney is the ban on the cricketers from the island nation from playing in Chennai after Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa insisted that the matches can be played in the southern metropolis only if there were no players or team officials from the Emerald Island.
Jayalalithaa's diktat comes in the wake of the growing unrest in Tamil Nadu over the atrocities against ethnic Tamils in Sri Lanka during the civil war against Tamil Tigers that ended in 2009.
The IPL's unilateral decision did not go down well with the team owners and now the franchises with a strong Sri Lankan presence are slowly building up pressure on the IPL governing council to shift their play-off and knockout matches out of Chennai. The franchises' contention - IPL will be robbed of good competition and it will be a win-win situation for Chennai Super Kings if they are allowed to get away with it.
Continuing the controversy trail, the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) have affirmed this year too, the five-year ban on Kolkata Knight Riders' co-owner and actor Shah Rukh Khan following an ugly spat with MCA officials after his team's win over Mumbai Indians last year.
The actor allegedly manhandled security and hurled abuses at them in an inebriated state after being barred from entering the ground.
As if the Khan brawl wasn't enough, IPL 2012 hit the headlines the very next day when Royal Challengers Bangalore's Luke Pomersbach was arrested for allegedly molesting an Indian-American woman. The Australian batsman was said to have misbehaved with the woman after drinking with her in a room.
The saga of drunken brawls continued this year also, albeit outside the country when Delhi Daredevils' Kiwi import Jesse Ryder sunk into coma after being assaulted outside a bar in Christchurch. Ryder though, has recovered and is undergoing treatment for a smashed skull and punctured lung.
Now characterised by three Cs - cash, cricket and controversies - the IPL has hogged the limelight for the wrong reasons, be it allegations of match-fixing or cricketers slapping each other or the unceremonious sacking of its creator Lalit Modi. Former IPL commissioner Modi saw the dice turn against him in 2010 when he was sacked following charges of financial irregularities. He left the country for London and has stayed there since.
The inaugural edition of the cricketing jamboree will perhaps be remembered more for the 'slapgate' involving Kings XI Punjab pacer S Sreesanth and Mumbai Indians' offie Harbhajan Singh.
The video footage - the pacer sobbing and his teammates consoling him - became one of the long-lasting images of the opening edition. As a fallout, Harbhajan was suspended for the remaining 11 matches.
Also, match-fixing allegations surfaced last year after a sting operation conducted by a news channel claimed to have uncovered shady deals between team owners, players and management.
As if the banning of players, team owners and official was not enough, the IPL in 2011 got rid of a franchise - Kochi Tuskers Kerala - to end its turbulent one-year stint which also saw a minister quitting the union cabinet after allegations of his involvement in the side's entry into the league.
The sleazier side of the IPL came to the fore during the after-parties, as the celebrities and Page 3 people joined cricketers with food, wine and revelry flowing freely, to say nothing of rave parties.
But the sleazy affair was discontinued after South African cheerleader Gabriella Pasqualotto, in her tell-all blog, described cheergirls as "walking porn" and certain cricketers as "naughty".
(With inputs from IANS and PTI)
First Published: Apr 01, 2013 11:27 IST


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Free to do what you really want to. With the Services & Apps from BMW ConnectedDrive to connect you with everything you consider important. BMW ConnectedDrive Driver Assistance offers you greater comfort - so you can focus on the essentials. It also gives you the choice: travel guide, entertainer or guardian angel - you decide who your travelling companion should be.
What can your BMW do for you? Get you to your destination on time? Provide answers to all your questions? Or keep you entertained at all times? The Services & Apps from BMW ConnectedDrive offer you a wide range of useful features. With intelligence and innovation they make your life easier and turn every journey into an experience.
So connected, you're free. Every day. See for yourself.
BMW ConnectedDrive - a technology packet full of services and apps that connects you closely to the world around you. It makes tasks easier and quicker to perform, giving you more time for what's really important: your family, friends and free time. Experience the many facets of BMW ConnectedDrive.
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Soft Gingersnap Cookie Recipe
Happy December! Let the holiday baking begin! I love this time of year! I have a LONG list of things I want to bake this month. I will be making my favorite, classic recipes, but I also have a few new things to experiment with. I will try to post them as fast as I bake them:)
To kick off the holiday baking season, I made a batch of soft gingersnap cookies. I love my gingersnaps SOFT! The key is taking them out at 8 minutes on the dot. They won't look done, but just trust me, they are ready to come out of the oven. Let them sit on the hot baking sheet for a minute or two and then transfer them to a cooling rack. If you follow my instructions, you will enjoy soft and tender gingersnaps... and I think that is the best way to enjoy them!
Our house smelled amazing while the cookies were baking. The ginger, cinnamon, and molasses smell filled each room with holiday cheer! Give these classic cookies a try-your friends and family will love them..if you decide to share that is:) And remember, don't over bake!
I am submitting these cookies to Susan at Food Blogga. She is hosting Season 3 of Eat Christmas Cookies. You can submit a cookie too, the last day to participate is Dec. 20th. To view all of the fabulous cookies click here. New cookies will be added all month long, so visit often:) Thanks to Susan for hosting such a fun event. I love cookies!
Soft Gingersnap Cookies
(Printable Recipe)
2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
Pinch of fresh nutmeg
3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup molasses
White sugar-to roll the cookie dough in
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and spices in a medium bowl. Whisk the ingredients together.
3. With a mixer, combine the butter and brown sugar until smooth and creamy. This will take a couple of minutes.
4. Add in the egg and vanilla extra. Mix until well combined.
5. Add in the molasses. Mix until the molasses is combined with the other ingredients.
6. With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour mixture. Add in a little at a time until all of the flour is mixed in.
7. Form the dough into Tablespoon sized balls. Roll the dough in white sugar.
8. Place the cookie dough balls on a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat. Make sure they are a couple inches apart.
9. I pressed down on the cookies slightly to help them flatten out. If you like puffy cookies, don't press them down.
10. Bake for 8 minutes and NO longer. You want them to stay soft! Let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for a minute or two, then transfer to a cooling rack.
11. Enjoy!
If you like these gingersnap cookies, you might also like:
Gingersnap Lemon Sherbert Sandwiches from Dessert First
Gingersnaps with Orange Ginger Cream Filling from Recipe Girl
Gingersnaps from Baking with Dynamite
Spicy Ginger Crinkle Cookies from The Canadian Baker


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This post from HandPicked Nation (via Small Measures) really touched me this morning/afternoon. So much so, I wanted to share it with you!
After shedding some tears and feeling the ping of their loss, it makes me want to be positive. strong. and looking ahead with gratitude.
Happy Friday Friends!


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A sweeping House Republican plan to overhaul the nation's tax laws would wipe out a slew of popular tax breaks to help pay for lower overall tax rates, a politically risky move in an election year that drew quick opposition Wednesday.
The plan would repeal deductions for state and local taxes, medical expenses and moving expenses. Tax credits for child care, adoption services and energy-efficient upgrades to homes would be gone. The mortgage interest deduction would be reduced for people buying houses costing more than $500,000.
In exchange, income tax rates would be cut and the standard deduction, which is used by most taxpayers, would be nearly doubled. The child tax credit would be increased and a complicated series of tax breaks for education expenses would be consolidated and simplified.
The plan borrows ideas from President Barack Obama and other Democrats. But here's a reality check: It has almost no chance of becoming law this year. Even House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, distanced himself from the details Wednesday.
Still, it could become an important political document as congressional elections approach in November. Should Republicans embrace the plan, they could use it to highlight their efforts to simplify tax laws and spur economic growth.
"We need to be the party of growth, opportunity, restoring the American dream. And I think this is something Americans have hungered for," said the plan's author, Rep. Dave Camp, R-Mich., chairman of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee. "Look, we have an obligation to debate the big issues of the day."
Democrats quickly revealed their election-year strategy, pointing out cherished tax breaks that would be cut.
"Any proposal that eliminates the deduction for state and local taxes, as the Republican plan would do, is dead on arrival," said Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.
Boehner, already wary of some of the unpleasant details, would not promise a vote in the House this year. When asked about the details, Boehner said: "Blah, blah, blah, blah. Listen, there's a conversation that needs to begin. This is the beginning of the conversation."
When asked whether the Republican Party stood behind the plan, Boehner said, "You're getting a little bit ahead of yourself."
The White House was more upbeat. Spokesman Josh Earnest said there are "a couple of aspects of congressman Camp's proposal that are encouraging."
Under the plan, investment managers, big banks and owners of corporate jets would get hit with new or higher taxes, billions would be set aside for public works projects, and some wealthy business partners would no longer be able to avoid Medicare taxes.
Those are ideas championed by Obama, who would direct the new revenue toward more government spending. Republicans, meanwhile, would use it to lower income tax rates for most families and corporations.
The top income tax rate would drop from 39.6 percent to 25 percent, but the plan would impose a new 10 percent surtax on some earned income above about $450,000. The top corporate income tax rate would fall from 35 percent to 25 percent.
The plan would increase the standard deduction from $12,400 to $22,000 for married couples, essentially exempting families that make less from paying federal income taxes. The child tax credit would be increased from $1,000 to $1,500.
The plan is designed to encourage more taxpayers to take the simpler standard deduction rather than itemizing. As a result, 95 percent of filers would take the standard deduction rather than itemize, according to analysis by the nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation. Currently, about one-third of filers itemize their deductions.
It would mark the first overhaul of the tax code since 1986.
"This is a comprehensive plan that reflects input and ideas championed by Congress, the administration and, most importantly, the American people," Camp said. "In other words, it recognizes that everyone is a part of this effort and can benefit when we have a code that is simpler and fairer."
The plan is designed to raise about the same amount of tax revenue as the current system, though the overhauled system would be much simpler. It also is designed so that different income groups continue to pay about the same as they do today. Individual taxpayers could see big changes, depending on their circumstances.
Taxes on investments would be cut. But, Camp said, a generous tax break enjoyed by investment managers, known as "carried interest," would be eliminated. Huge banks with more than $500 billion in assets would be hit with a fee. Corporate jet owners would have to wait longer to write off the cost of buying them.
Camp said the plan would eliminate a provision that allows wealthy entrepreneurs and other professionals to avoid Medicare payroll taxes by setting up corporations and accepting the bulk of their compensation as business income instead of wages.
The plan would shore up the cash-strapped Highway Trust Fund by dedicating $126.5 billion in corporate tax revenue to the fund over the next eight years. The fund, which pays for infrastructure improvements, faces annual shortfalls.


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Unless a miracle happens, we will no longer have the ability to vote on changes to Facebook's terms of service and privacy policy after today.
At 12pm PT, Facebook will cut off voting on its latest set of proposed changes to its so-called site governance documents, the Data Use Policy and Statement of Rights and Responsibilities, legal contracts that we all must agree to in order to use the social network.
Facebook stipulates that a full 30 percent of users – about 300 million people, at last count – must vote against proposed changes in order for the vote to be "binding." If fewer users cast their ballot, the results are only "advisory." At the time of this writing, however, only about 660,000 people have voted – 299.3 million fewer than is needed to make our voices matter in Palo Alto.
Of the 660,000 votes, about 580,000 have voted against the changes, which include putting a stop to the voting process altogether. Instead, Facebook wants to create a new way to get user feedback on changes in the future, such as surveys.
About 79,000 users have voted in favor of the changes.
Other changes to Facebook's policies include allowing greater sharing of our personal information with affiliates like Instagram, alterations to the filtering of Facebook Messages, clarifications on the ability of advertisers to run political or religious ads, and increased visibility of user profiles in search engines.
Prior to this year's voting, which started one week ago today, a pair of privacy advocacy groups, the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) and the Center for Digital Democracy (CDD), warned that the changes would increase risk for users. Specifically, the groups said that changes to Facebook Messages would likely subject users to an increase in spam, which is a major source of malware that can be used for identity theft.
While voter turnout this year is abysmally low, it is actually a significant increase over years past. In 2011, for example, just over 342,000 people cast their vote. The jump in user participation may have to do with Facebook's additional promotions of the vote, which arrived in the form of emails and posts to users' News Feeds. Clearly, that wasn't enough.


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CHICAGO, Ill. (Sept. 10, 2012) – The Chicago Fire Soccer Club announced today that the club has acquired Wells Thompson from the Colorado Rapids in exchange for a conditional draft pick. Per team and MLS policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.
"Wells is a steady, dependable player that has proven himself in MLS," said Fire Head Coach Frank Klopas. "He will provide additional depth and coverage on the wing and in the midfield as we continue to make our push for the MLS Cup Playoffs."
Thompson joined the Colorado Rapids in 2010 from the New England Revolution and tallied five goals and four assists in 75 MLS Regular Season matches. Thompson was a member of the Rapids squad that won the 2010 MLS Cup.
Drafted by the New England Revolution in the first round (fifth overall) of the 2007 MLS SuperDraft,
Thompson made 71 regular season appearances in three seasons for the Revolution. In his rookie season, Thompson made 27 appearances and started 11 matches, then started all four post-season games for the Revs, including the 2007 MLS Cup final.
Thompson made his MLS debut against the Fire on April 7, 2007. He also notched his first professional goal against the Men in Red on May 6, 2007.
A four-year standout at Wake Forest University, Thompson finished his collegiate career with 16 goals and 10 assists, helping Wake Forest advance to the 2006 NCAA College Cup for the first time in school history.
Thompson will be available for selection by Head Coach Frank Klopas for the Fire's match against Toronto FC at BMO Field in Toronto, ON on Wednesday, Sept. 12 at 6:00 p.m. CT (NBC 5.2/97.5 ESPN Deportes).
Name: Wells Thompson
Position: Midfielder
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 155 lbs.
Date of Birth: November 25, 1983
Place of Birth: Winston-Salem, NC
Hometown: Winston-Salem, NC
Citizenship: USA
Acquired: Acquired from Colorado Rapids on Sept. 10, 2012
Twitter: @WellsThompson


text: It's All Politics Can Congress Match Wits With A Nobel-Prize Winning Physicist? March 17, 2011 It's probably unnecessary to point out that Nobel laureate physicist Steven Chu, President Obama's energy secretary, is scary smart but in an approachable way. That came through in his appearance Wednesday when he parried questions from lawmakers.


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The famed Oxford Union in England has invited talk-radio host Michael Savage to participate in a debate on whether or not fugitive National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden should be called a hero.
There's only one hitch, as Savage pointed out in his reply to the invitation from the Oxford Union's Charles Vaughn.
The popular, nationally syndicated San Francisco-based talk host was banned in 2009 from entering the United Kingdom by Prime Minister Gordon Brown's government along with Muslim extremists and leaders of racist groups for "seeking to provoke others to serious criminal acts and fostering hatred." The government, however, has never specified what Savage has said that might threaten the nation's security.
Savage replied to Vaughn: "While I am most honored to have been invited to speak at the Oxford Union, I am unable to enter the great nation of England."
Official correspondence released under the U.K.'s freedom of information law revealed that the government banned the American talk-host – who had given no indication he planned to ever travel to the country – because it wanted to use his name to provide "balance" to a "least wanted" list dominated by Muslim extremists.
Get Savage's free weekly insider newsletter five days a week in your email inbox by going to the top of the home page on Savage's website and clicking the green "SUBSCRIBE" box.
Vaughan extended the invitation to Savage Thursday evening through the talk-host's syndicator, Cumulus Media Networks.
"We feel that you would offer fascinating and original insights on the motion and the phenomenon of whistleblowing at large, following your comments supporting Edward Snowden's leaks," Vaughan wrote.
Snowden fled to Russia and received asylum in August after exposing highly classified programs in which the U.S. collects data on its citizens and important figures worldwide.
"As a talk show host who regularly discusses the importance of government transparency," Vaughan wrote, "you are perfectly placed to discuss the difficult balance to be struck between individual privacy and national security."
Savage has called Snowden a "patriot" for exposing U.S. spying on citizens, distinguishing him from convicted U.S. Army soldier Bradley Manning, who had "no altruistic intent."
In his reply to Vaughan, Savage said: "If you can convince your government to correct this miscarriage of justice and they will allow me to enter England, perhaps I could arrange to debate before your prestigious organization."
Savage, who delves inside Britain's blacklisting in his book "Banned in Britain, said he has not heard back yet from Vaughan, and Vaughan could not be reached by WND.
Britain's 'values'
Asked to comment on the Oxford invitation, Savage noted people now "are living in fear that with the NSA spying and the increasing overbearing government of the West, that very soon free speech will be limited."
But that's nothing new, said Savage.
"Guess what? It's been going on since 2009, when I, Michael Savage, a member of the American media was banned for no reason from entering the United Kingdom," he said.
Savage said he was assured that the ban would be lifted when David Cameron, of the Conservative Party, replaced the Labour Party leader, Brown, as prime minister.
"It is now 2014, and I am still unable to access the great dental care and cuisine of England," Savage said. "I guess Cameron turned out to be the Boehner of England."
See the collection of Savage's bestselling books in the WND Superstore.
As WND reported in May 2009, then-British Home Secretary Jacqui Smith announced that Savage was on a list of 16 people banned from entry because the government believed their views might provoke violence. Smith said it was "important that people understand the sorts of values and sorts of standards that we have here, the fact that it's a privilege to come and the sort of things that mean you won't be welcome in this country."
A year later, Cameron's new government told Savage it would continue the ban unless he repudiated statements made on his broadcasts that were deemed a threat to public security. Again, the government didn't cite any statements.
Savage's daily "The Savage Nation" has been one of the most popular talk-radio shows in the U.S. for more than a decade. On Jan. 1, his show will move to the coveted East Coast drive time, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Cambridge calling
Oxford's invitation is not the first time Savage has been asked to participate in a debate at an esteemed English society since the ban.
In 2009, as WND reported, the Cambridge Union canceled Savage's scheduled participation in a debate via video link just one week before the event. The organizers, who had asked him to debate on the theme of political correctness, claimed they had to cancel because of "numerous legal issues" – which they didn't name – along with technical and financial problems.
The 2009 invitation from the Cambridge Union said its leadership had been following Savage's ban "with great interest" and believed he was "more qualified than anyone to talk about the subject of political correctness in America and Britain." The Cambridge Union, founded in 1815, has hosted the likes of British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and American presidents Ronald Reagan and Theodore Roosevelt.
In the Oxford Union invitation to Savage Thursday night, Vaughan said he and his colleagues would be "honoured if you were to help us continue this tradition of hosting some of the most influential people in the world, and are sure that you would enjoy the experience."
Founded in 1823, the Oxford Union has featured world figures such as Reagan, Cameron, Mother Theresa and the Dalai Lama.
Savage is the author of 29 books, including six New York Times bestsellers. He was awarded the coveted Freedom of Speech Award by Talkers Magazine and earned his Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley.
Get an autographed copy of "A Time for War" exclusively at the WND Superstore now while supplies last.
Savage's latest novel, "A Time for War" is a sequel to "Abuse of Power," which spotlighted the threat of radical Islam.
His other bestsellers include "Trickle Down Tyranny: Crushing Obama's Dream of the Socialist States of America," "Trickle Up Poverty: Stopping Obama's Attack on Our Borders, Economy, and Security," "The Savage Nation," "The Enemy Within," "Liberalism is a Mental Disorder," "Political Zoo," "Psychological Nudity: Savage Radio Stories" and "Banned in Britain."


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Can Giving Actually Improve Your Health?
Maylin Rodriguez-Paez, RNWe know that giving is good for your soul, but is it good for your body too?
As it turns out, giving can indeed benefit you both emotionally and physiologically.
During the holiday season, we tend to give an awful lot. Many of us shower our family, friends, and even our pets with gifts.
As you know, this can become quite expensive and, in many cases, even stressful. But, if done for the right reasons, your gift giving may come right back to you in the form of positive (yet) intangible benefits.
Below we'll explain the science of giving and show you how it can reward your health in unexpected ways.
Giving is Linked to the Hormone OxytocinScientists aren't exactly sure why humans give, but they think it has something to do with oxytocin, the "love hormone."
Oxytocin is released when a woman gives birth. It enhances the bonding between a mother and child and produces what can be best described as "warm and fuzzy" feelings. Apart from that, it also can alleviate depression and anxiety.1
To determine if oxytocin really influences giving, scientists divided a group of college students in two groups, with one group receiving oxytocin and the other a placebo.
They had each group play computer games where the participants could win money to donate to a charity.
At the end of the study, the researchers found that the oxytocin group donated 48% more money.2 Pretty interesting, isn't it?
Giving Produces Feelings of HappinessGiving makes people feel good, and science is finally starting to explain why this is the case.
MRI scans show that giving to a cause actually activates the dopaminergic region of the brain.2 This area is associated with rewards and feelings of pleasure.
In an interesting experiment, Harvard scientists gave people money to spend. One group was told to spend the money on themselves, and the other group was told to spend it on others.3
They found that people who spent their money on others felt happier at the end of the day.
Giving Can Actually Prolong Your LifeGiving is not just about donating money or goods; it can also be about donating your time.
In the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, scientists followed a group of women for 30 years. They documented their behaviors and health patterns and found that women who volunteered lived longer than their non-volunteering peers.4
In another study, scientists surveyed elderly residents living in California. High volunteers (those who participated in two organizations) had a 44% decreased risk of mortality compared to non-volunteers.4
Volunteers show significant benefits in measures of quality of life which include happiness, life satisfaction, self-esteem, depression, and even physical health.4
Giving your time and service has also been found to decrease stress hormone levels.3
The Bottom LineSo, is it truly better to give than to receive? It seems a bit cliché, but science suggests that the answer is yes!
Have you experienced this firsthand in your life? If so, please share your experiences with us in the comments!
- Trends Neurosci. 2012 Nov;35(11):649-59.
- Horm Behav. 2011 Jul;60(2):148-51.
- Anik, Lalin, Lara B. Aknin, Michael I. Norton, and Elizabeth W. Dunn. "Feeling Good about Giving: The Benefits (and Costs) of Self-Interested Charitable Behavior." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 10–012, August 2009.
- Available at http://www.ssc.wisc.edu/wlsresearch/publications/files/_private/Piliavin-Siegl_Health.Benefits.of.Volunteering.in.the.Wisconsin.Longitudinal.Study.pdf. Accessed November 26, 2012.


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Denied a Future? (2001)
4 Volume Set about the right to education of Roma/Gypsy and Traveller children in Europe
Author/Publisher: Save the Children
Language: English
Download: Volume 1 [PDF]
Volume 2 [PDF]
Volume 3 [PDF]
Summary [PDF]
Denied a Future?: The right to education of Roma/Gypsy and Traveller children examines 14 countries across Europe. It highlights the impact that a lack of personal security and freedom of movement, poverty and powerlessness all have on access to education for Roma/Gypsy and Traveller children.
Denied a Future? describes law, policy and practice in the period June 2000 to June 2001. We intend the report to serve as a benchmark against which the impact of current and future investments by the World Bank, the European Union, national and local governments and other agencies can be assessed.
4 Volume Set
Vol 1 - South-eastern Europe
Vol 2 - Western & Central Europe
Vol 3 - International legislation handbook
Vol 4 - Summary


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Stewart Island & Ulva Island Birds
There are around 130 species of birds in and around Stewart Island, including land, sea and shore birds. Some rare birds have been released Ulva Island.
As soon as you arrive in Stewart Island, you are likely to be serenaded by the sound of the bellbird, the melodious tui and the raucous kaka parrot.
Many birds are easily seen in and around the village of Oban. They include: bellbird, kaka, tui, red-crowned parakeet, tomtit, fantail, grey warbler, wood pigeon, variable and pied oystercatchers, kingfisher, white-faced heron and more.
Artículo de
Ulva Island Birds & Forest Guided Walk with Ruggedy Range™
Ulva Island's rich rainforest, with delicate ferns, mosses and orchids, is home to rare and endangered birds. Let our passionate, knowledgeable nature guides help you gain a true appreciation of our special heritage on this unique guided walk.


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My little Cowtank Onyxhorn dinged 68 two nights ago, so my goal of hitting 70 by December 1st (which is my birthday and the day that I will acquire WotLK) would appear to be right on track. However, I'lll BARELY be 70 and WON'T have the benefit that many long-time lvl 70 tanks will have had of having run all the Tempest Keep, Steam Vaults, Shadow Labs, and Shattered Halls ad nauseum (not to mention Heroics and Raids) and thus won't be geared in stuff that will be vastly superior to everything he finds up through lvl 77 or so. So, with that in mind, I started taking a peek at what will be available in the earlier 5-man dungeons of Northrend for those of us Tanky-Come-Latelys who are leaping off the top of the zeppelin tower and catching onto the mooring line with one hand, barely making the requisite level in the nick of time as the first transports disembark for the frozen north…
This listing is MOST helpful to Prot Warriors (Fury & Arms might find some of the pieces useful), Feral Druids, and Death Knights. Some Tankadins will just want to gear up in Warrior plate anyway, but for those who prefer some INT and Spellpower mixed in, you'll be pleased to know that while I haven't listed them here, there are a plethora of VERY nice Plate Caster drops along the way. They may be more intended for Healadin use, but they're still very very good and from what I understand of Paladins, mixing in some Int and Spellpower goes a long way for you guys. I'm also leaving off quest rewards because they may not be the same depending on what Faction you prefer to play as, and honestly, you should be able to tell if a quest reward is meant for a tank or not. So, with that said… Mark your maps and get to lookin!
(Note: This is all based on information available from www.wowwiki.com and www.wowhead.com. Some could be incomplete. There could easily be drops that are not yet listed on either site, but it's a good starting point nonetheless.)
Utgarde Keep
Prince Keleseth – no good tank drops.
Skarvald – Skarvald's Dragonskin Habergeon will be an early favorite of newly-arrived Feral Druids.
Ingvar the Plunderer – While Death Knight tanks would doubtlessly prefer something with more Parry on it, it's hard to be picky early on, and the Hit and Strength (which I believe Equals Parry w/ the right talents for DK's?) bonuses of Ingvar's Monolithic Cleaver will probably put it high on their Northrend wishlists… not to mention the name.
The Nexus
Grand Magus Telestra – No good tank drops. BOOOO!
Anomalus – Also no good tank drops. DOUBLE BOO!!
Ormorok the Tree-Shaper – Chiseled Stalagmite Pauldrons! Wave your Mantle of the Warchiefs good-bye (if you're Horde anyway.. if you're Alliance, well, I don't know what you wear… aside from silky-soft skin and a great deal of shame.)
Keristrasza – No love.
Krik'thir the Gatewatcher – Nothing to see here. Move along.
Hadronox – Arachnophobes turn away from the screen… unless you're a Feral Druid. In which case, kill the spider and loot yourself some Treads of Aspiring Heights.
Anub'arak – One of the most interesting (and downright badass!) characters in WCIII: The Frozen Throne doesn't disappoint tanks of any flavor with the Signet of Arachnathid Command. It'd be even cooler if it gave you the Crypt Lord Swarm ability, but I guess we'll all have to settle for just a very nice tanking ring for the early to mid WotLK content.
Lastly (for THIS particular review) we come to Ahn'kahet: The Old Kingdom
Prince Taldaram – Nada
Elder Nadox – Zilch!
Jedoga Shadowseeker – Oh, Tanky-tanky! Look at Battlechest of the Twilight Cult! For a Shaman, she carries some darn fine plate! And her ring is a good DPS/Soloing piece to boot! Much love from the Twlight's Hammer straight to us.
That should carry you through about level 75 or so. Now, I didn't include the PLETHORA of plate gear w/ Int and mp5 that drops (a piece or TWO from each instance!) in these locations. Tankadins will have to decide if it's better for them or for a Healadin/Shockadin/Whateveradin. Next time we'll take a look at what's available in Drak'Tharon Keep, The Violet Hold, and Gundrak. Personally , I can't wait for Drak'Tharon Keep or Gundrak. ST/ZF on Ice FTW!


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Polaris® High Efficiency Water Heaters
From reliable and quiet performance to high, up-to-96% efficiency ratings, Polaris® High Efficiency Water Heaters are one of the main reasons behind the American brand's great reputation. With their space heating capabilities, sturdy stainless steel construction, ease of installation and great service support all American products are known for, Polaris water heaters are designed from the ground up with the idea to help homeowners save money and water.
The American High Efficiency Gas Water Heater provides the ideal blend of high efficiency and easy installation.
American combines the best attributes of conventional and tankless technologies to provide the best of both worlds in the new American Hybrid Gas Water Heater.
A complete, integrated solar water heating system that's ready to install. And it's highly efficient.
A new advanced hybrid electric design integrates heat pump technology to produce a product that is twice as efficient as a standard electric water heater.


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For all Washington's criticisms of derivatives, it isn't taking a firm stand with its new policy recommendations.
The Over-the-Counter Derivatives Markets Act of 2009 was sent to Congress this week. But, as The Project On Government Oversight points out, most of the language is spent divvying up authority between the SEC and the CFTC, not setting limits on the complex financial products themselves by strictly defining them.
That could mean watered-down rules. As POGO notes, leaving it up to the SEC and CFTC would give "industry the opportunity to influence the definition through back channels." Instead, they recommend that Treasury "put in a formal definition of a standard derivative before allowing the regulators to try and do it."
That echoes a column from Matthew Goldstein at Reuters, who argues the White House needs to take the lead in defining the much-derided -- and debated -- $592 trillion industry. "Leaving it to the regulators to decide will allow an opportunity for the industry to get their hooks into this and potentially create a mess," says Goldstein.
We know Tim Geithner's busy and lawmakers don't even know what a derivative is, so how would you define those tricky little things?


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Meinl Byzance Traditional 18" Extra Thin Hammered Crash
- Product code: B18ETHC
- Diameter: 18" (45,72 cm)
- Alloy: B20 Bronze
- Finish: Regular
- Thickness: thin
- Sound: Very low tone, very fast dynamic response
- Production: Hand chased
Meinl Byzance Traditional 18" Extra Thin Hammered Crash · Crash-Cymbal
Meinl Byzance Traditional
A new era in the Meinl Cymbals production. Meinl Cymbals made in Germany in the "CAST BRONZE" method. One of the world's leading foundry melts the special Meinl bronze alloys and provides ready-rolled blanks basin for further processing to Meinl Cymbals forge.
The pool of BYZANCE traditional series, however, are made in the "CAST CYMBAL" method, each "individual" basin is cast as a single blank. That is the key difference in the production of the new BYZANCE pool.
A Meinl completely rebuilt production plant in Turkey builds exclusively BYZANCE Meinl Cymbals. Here the traditional Turkish Beck Blacksmithing blends in perfect harmony with the high-tech experience and know-how of a leading pool manufacturer. BYZANCE cymbals are made from the first to the last step, entirely by hand. The starting material is the first time in one Meinl Cymbalbronze the composition 80% copper + 20% tin.
The manufacturing process begins with the melting of the raw materials, followed by the casting of the individual blanks. These blanks are heated in several steps over again and rolled into flat disks. In the hot process the pelvic crest is forced out. By hand, the pelvis is hammered into shape and elaborately defined to be independent, individual sound. The pools are now turned off by hand and obtain their tonal fine-tuning. All BYZANCE pools are now being brought to Germany in the Meinl Cymbals forge. Here they receive in a special high-tech operation, with their typical surface finishing.
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text:
Sideburns small
Made of Real Hair in different shapes
handwoven Real Hair Quality, mottled, in different
colors: Black, Brown, Blonde, Grey, Salt n Pepper.
These beard appear particularly natural. They are handwoven on a fine tulle and even from a short distance it still appears to be naturally grown. They can be ordered in many different forms and colors or specially made on order. Handwoven Beard are especially precious and with good care reusable and durable for a very long time.
Affix the Beard with Mastix glue.
Due to the manual production small deviation in color and form are no sign of quality degradation.
Product Rating Sideburns smallThere's no rating yet
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Welcome to Oklahoma Christian University. OC is a special place of Higher Learning and Higher Calling. It's a place we call home.
Our mission is to transform lives for Christian faith, scholarship, and service. Students get a better, deeper education at a first-rate Christian university like OC. Our students, alumni and faculty constantly earn national or regional awards or recognition for effectively serving others locally or across the globe. But even beyond the high-quality academic experience, OC provides opportunities for young people to mature spiritually, socially and emotionally in ways that state schools cannot.
At OC, we not only teach, we connect. Christian men and women educate students in the classroom, but also connect with them outside of it – at church, across the campus and in their homes. It is through these deeply important mentoring relationships that students are able to explore real faith, not as stagnant text on a page, but as a living, breathing, world-changing force that's relevant in every facet of their lives.
We prepare students to go out and make a living, but more importantly, we prepare them to go out and make a life.
I truly believe that OC has it all. We're in a great location. The Oklahoma City metro area is growing and maturing on the national and international stage. There are great job and church opportunities here for our students and graduates. And OC provides a first-rate education and a sense of home because of the personal relationships and concern people have for each other.
I don't think there's another place anywhere like Oklahoma Christian University. This is home.
To contact President deSteiguer, email email@example.com, call (405) 425-5100 or fax (405) 425-5090. OC's mailing address is: P.O. Box 11000, Oklahoma City, OK 73136-1100.


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Industry consultant is taking new weight-loss centers global.
WAKEFIELD, R.I. - Industry consultant Casey Conrad has announced the creation and opening of a national chain of centers called Healthy Inspirations, Weight Loss and Lifestyle Centers.
The first corporately owned center opened recently in El Paso, Texas. Two other centers, which are licensees of the turnkey program, opened last month within existing health clubs. Conrad plans on opening another location in New England by late Novem-ber, with a projection of 10 centers in the next 24 months along with numerous licensees nationally and, eventually, internationally.
The Healthy Inspirations program combines nutritional counseling, exercise, and massage and relaxation techniques. The program guarantees clients that they will lose between 2 to 3 pounds per week safely. The program also helps clients reach and maintain long-term goals.
"There are two primary reasons weight-loss programs have failed in the club environment, and they are inseparable," Conrad said. "One, the programs have been dependent upon highly educated nutritionists, creating a dependency between [them] and the long-term success of the program. Second, [the people] who are running the program are traditionally not salespeople, but rather are educators.
"Unfortunately, substantial sales figures will only come from a program that revolves around a sales-based system, which is exactly what Healthy Inspirations does. We find qualified employees who can sell, and teach them how to follow the guidelines, rules and educational pieces established by a nutritionist. The result is having a full staff that can sell and make the entire program run so if one person leaves, it doesn't kill the program."
- The American Cancer Society-California Division (ACS), American Heart Association (AHA), California Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (CAHPERD), California Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Coalition (CVD), Center for Public Health Advocacy, National Stroke Association (NSA) and both the Northern and Southern California Public Health Associations (NCPHA and SCPHA) have joined the Berkeley-based Public Health Institute (PHI) in asking the California governor to take action to resolve the obesity crisis.
The call for action comes in response to the latest Behavioral Risk Surveillance Survey System, an ongoing survey of more than 4,000 California adults. The survey found that in 1999 nearly 53 percent of California adults were overweight or obese. According to the PHI, weight problems claim the lives of more than 33,000 Californians each year, and are projected to cost the state $6 billion in direct health care costs annually.
- Bell Atlantic Yellow Pages and the Philadelphia Mayor's Commission on Literacy launched "Fit to Read," a program created to encourage parents and children to develop themselves both mentally and physically. The program will provide families with increased access to books and educational information. Also, each month, a speaker will go to different sites throughout Philadelphia to discuss topics on physical fitness and nutrition for parents and children.
This program could provide an opportunity for Philadelphia area clubs interested in contributing more to family fitness.
- IDEA, the Health & Fitness Center, has created the IDEA Personal Fitness Trainer (PFT) Recognition System, which the association describes as an "impartial system for recognizing qualified personal trainers." The system's goal is to separate outstanding trainers from unqualified ones.
There are four levels of recognition within the system:
IDEA Professional PFT: This is the most basic level of achievement within the system. To qualify, a person must hold a current recognized personal trainer certification/certificate or a bachelor's degree in a fitness-related field or be a certified athletic trainer or licensed physical therapist. In addition, the person must sign the IDEA code of ethics, be covered by liability insurance and be CPR-certified.
IDEA Advanced PFT: To qualify, a person must meet the same criteria as an IDEA Professional PFT, plus he needs to have attained 15 hours of continuing education over the past two years or hold a master's degree in a fitness-related field.
IDEA Elite PFT: To qualify, a person must meet the same criteria as an IDEA Advanced PFT, plus he needs to have at least three years of experience working as a personal trainer and provide letters of reference from two professional colleagues and two current clients.
IDEA Master PFT: The highest level of achievement within the IDEA PFT Recognition System. To qualify, a person must meet the same criteria as an IDEA Elite PFT, plus he needs to have at least five years of experience working as a personal trainer and performed community and industry service within the past year.


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Islamic Defender Front (FPI) wants Indonesia to be khilafah country, that made lot of troubles in Indonesia, many times they bring terrors for society, on 2 June a transgender named Angela from Makasar, Indonesia has been mauled by them. She has terrible injured on her face, and the police seems like not to give any respons...
Indonesia was very tolerance country before, but after FPI came and destroyed everything, I am Indonesian, i love my country, also i am atheist, sure i want to see my country back to tolerance country like before... please tell this to the world, the truth has to be uncovered
Views: 279
This is so tragic.
What a bad world the fundamental religionists are making of it.
yes, that is so bad, even few moments ago, in front of United Nations, Indonesian ministry of religion says that Indonesia is the most tolerance country, based on what??!!
many intolerance cases in Indonesia, such as FPI bullied Yasmin Church members, they killed ahmadia members in Cikeusik, Indonesia.. also police arrested Alex Aan because of his Atheism..
This is has to be end...
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President Barack Obama says his nominee to head the World Bank has key global experience that will help it improve conditions around the world.
Obama says "it's time for a development professional" to lead the world's largest development agency.
Obama is nominating Dartmouth College President Jim Yong Kim to lead the international financial institution. The Korean-born Kim is a physician by training and a leading figure in global health and development circles.
Obama announced Kim's selection at a White House Rose Garden event.
The 187-nation World Bank focuses on fighting poverty and promoting development. The World Bank has always been headed by an American and is a leading source of development loans for countries seeking financing for infrastructure projects.


text:
About The Company
ECM Publishers, Inc. is a publishing, printing, digital media and distribution company that operates in Minnesota and western Wisconsin. Started in 1976 as the vision of founder Elmer L. Andersen, the Company has grown from one paid circulation weekly newspaper and shopper to its current operations which include 49 publications. Most of these newspapers are printed at the company's Princeton web printing plant. The market includes more than 650,000 homes.
ECM Publishers employs more than 390 full and part-time associates in four product lines: publications, printing, digital media and distribution.
Adams Publishing Group purchases ECM Publishers, Inc.
Mission Statement
ECM Publishers, Inc. exists to serve and benefit our customers, associates, shareholders and communities by:
- Gathering and communicating information
- Providing superior products and services
- Promoting and maintaining excellence throughout our operations
- Operating honestly, ethically and with respect for all with whom we deal
- Participating actively in community betterment
- Contributing to individual freedom, peace and justice in the world


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This page contains excerpts from government reports, signed by elected officials.
on Mar 31, 2005
Report: the Report of the Commission on Intelligence on WMDs:
Source: Report to the President on WMDs, p.501
The threat of chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons proliferation has transformed over the past two decades. The technical expertise required to produce these weapons has become increasingly widespread, while many of the materials needed to make them are widely available on the open market. Meanwhile, terrorists have expressed a growing demand for these weapons and demonstrated their willingness to use them. The Intelligence Community has not kept pace with these events.
Rather than attempt a top-to-bottom assessment of the chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons threat, here we focus on relatively new aspects of the threat that present specific intelligence challenges, and that--in our view--require additional Intelligence Community reforms beyond those discussed in our other chapters. We recommend that:
The DNI take several specific measures aimed at better collaboration between the intelligence and biological science communities;
The National Counter Proliferation Center develop and ensure the implementation of a comprehensive biological weapons targeting strategy. This entails gaining real-time access to non-traditional information sources; filtering open source data; and devising specific collection initiatives directed at the resulting targets;
Intelligence Community, along with other relevant government bodies, support a more effective framework to interdict shipments of chemical, biological, and nuclear proliferation concern; and
The Intelligence Community better leverage existing legal and regulatory mechanisms to improve collection and analysis on chemical, biological, and nuclear threats.
Topic: Homeland Security
Headline: CIA should work more with scientists to understand WMDs
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Twin Cities West Metro - MN
Twin Cities West Metro is a group for local tennis players to connect. Join the group, then look thru the players at the right. Start a discussion here and/or introduce yourself on player profile pages. Have fun!See More
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text:
major macro economic indicators
|2018 (e)
|2019 (f)
|GDP growth (%)
|Inflation (yearly average, %)
|Budget balance (% GDP)
|Current account balance (% GDP)
|Public debt (% GDP)
e): Estimate. (f): Forecast.
- High-quality infrastructure and public services
- Skilled and productive workforce; dynamic demographics
- Powerful tourism industry
- Competitive international groups (aerospace, energy, environment, pharmaceuticals, luxury, agri-food, retail)
- Global agricultural leader
- High level of savings
- Too few exporting companies; loss of competitiveness and market share
- Weakening level of product sophistication; insufficient focus on innovation
- Low employment rate among young people and older workers
- Room for more efficiency in public spending; high public debt
- Private debt on an upward trend
Risk assessment
Growth set to slow further in 2019
Growth will remain moderate in 2019, after easing significantly in 2018. Household consumption is expected to rebound thanks to a slight uptick in employment and purchasing power, driven by measures as the scrapping of employee contributions – effective as of October 2018 –, the reduction in housing tax, the increase in the minimum wage subsidy (work bonus), the tax exemption for overtime pay and the reduction in the general social contribution (CSG) for one third of pensioners, whose pensions are between €1,200 and 2,000 per month. Real wages are expected to rise, due, on the one hand, to tight labour market conditions, with many companies reporting recruitment difficulties, and, on the other hand, to lower inflation, in line with the stabilisation of oil prices in 2019. The unemployment rate will continue its gradual decline but will remain high, at around 9%. Despite persistently favourable credit conditions, household investment will slow due to weaker confidence levels, which will affect construction (building permits were down 7% over the first three quarters of 2018). Conversely, investment by businesses, which are reporting record high profit margins (39.1% at the end of 2017), should remain brisk due to supply constraints, with the production capacity utilisation rate at 85% at the end of 2018. However, since these investments are mainly made using credit, corporate debt will remain on an upward trend. Business insolvencies will rebound in 2019, increasing by 1% after declining by 3.4% in 2018, in connection with more muted growth.
Despite the slowdown in France's main trading partners (rest of the European Union, United States, China), exports will be resilient, thanks to cost competitiveness gains recorded in recent years. However, foreign trade is no longer expected to contribute positively to growth in 2019 because of the rebound in imports. Hotel stays increased by 3% in the first three quarters of 2018, exclusively due to the return of foreign tourists (+8%), in a trend that is expected to continue in 2019, despite less favourable economic conditions in all advanced economies.
Public and external accounts stuck in deficit
Despite tax revenues driven by resilient activity, the government deficit is expected to widen in 2019, due to tax measures to increase purchasing power (estimated cost of €10 billion, or 0.4% of GDP) and to the conversion of the competitiveness and employment tax credit (CICE) into a permanent reduction in employer contributions, which will entail a double cost for public finances in the transition year (estimated deficit excluding exceptional measures: 2.4% of GDP). As a result, the government deficit is expected to temporarily return to over 3% in 2019. As a consequence, although its public debt is among the highest in the eurozone, France will be one of the few countries where the debt does not decline.
The current account deficit will remain stable in 2019. While the goods balance is structurally in deficit as the country is a net energy importer, the services balance is in surplus thanks to tourism revenues. Since 2015, the balance of goods and services excluding energy has become negative, as the deficit in manufactured goods continues to widen, mainly due to the relocation of automobile production and investment in imported machinery. At the same time, this deficit is only partially offset by the excess income generated by dividends from French subsidiaries abroad. The resulting small current account deficit is mainly financed by debt or equity issues held by non-residents.
President Macron's popularity rating falls
Despite having a strong remit after his clear victories in the 2017 presidential and legislative elections, President Emmanuel Macron is facing growing social unrest. While during his first year in office, protests were essentially led by trade unions opposed to reforms aimed at making the labour market more flexible and changing the status of the SNCF (state-owned rail transport company), this transformed into a popular protest with the arrival of the gilets jaunes (yellow vests, name for the hi-vis safety jackets that drivers must keep in their cars), protesting against fuel taxes. President Macron's popularity rating halved between January and November 2018, falling to 25%. Major reforms to the pension system, including the abolition of special schemes, which is due to be unveiled in 2019, could be the source of further protests. However, President Macron has a comfortable majority in the National Assembly through his party, La République en Marche, which holds 308 seats out of 577. In addition, as the main moderate opposition parties (Socialist Party on the left and Republicans on the right) are rebuilding, the main alternatives are currently on the far right (Rassemblement National) and the far left (France Insoumise). Meanwhile, the increased European integration called for by President Macron will depend on the outcome of European elections in May, amid rising nationalism in many European countries.
Last update : February 2019
Bank cards are now the most commonly-used form of payment in France, although cheques are still widely used. In value terms, cheques and transfers are still the most popular forms of payment.
If a cheque remains unpaid for more than 30 days from the date of first presentation, the beneficiary can immediately obtain an enforcement order (without need for further procedures or costs). This is based on a certificate of non-payment provided by the creditor's bank, following a second unsuccessful attempt to present the cheque for payment and when the debtor has not provided proof of payment within fifteen days of receipt of a formal notice to pay served by a bailiff (article L. 131-73 of the monetary and financial code).
Bills of exchange, a much less frequently used payment method, are steadily becoming rarer in terms of number of operations – although in terms of total value they remain important. Bills of exchange are still an attractive solution for companies, as they can be discounted or transferred and therefore provide a valuable source of short-term financing. Moreover, they can be used by creditors to pursue legal proceedings in respect of "exchange law" (droit cambiaire) and are particularly suitable for payment by instalments.
Bank transfers for domestic or international payments can be made via the SWIFT electronic network used by the French banking system. SWIFT offers a reliable platform for fast payments, but requires mutual confidence between suppliers and their customers. France is also part of the SEPA network.
Debt collection
Unless otherwise stated in the general sales conditions, or agreed between the parties, payment periods are set at thirty days from the date of receipt of goods or performance of services requested. Interest rates and conditions of application must be stipulated in the contract – otherwise the applicable interest rate is that applied by the European Central Bank in its most recent refinancing operations. Throughout the first half of the year in question, the rate applicable is that in force on the 1st January and for the second half year in question, the rate applicable is that in force on the 1st July.
Amicable phase
During this phase, the creditor and the debtor try to reach an amicable solution via direct contact, in order to avoid legal procedures. All documents signed between the parties (such as contracts and invoices) are analysed. Where possible, the debtor can be granted an extended time period to pay his debts, with the period's length negotiated as part of the amicable settlement.
Legal proceedings
Order for payment (injonction de payer)
When a debt claim results from a contractual undertaking and is both liquid and undisputable, creditors can use the injunction-to-pay procedure (injonction de payer). This flexible system uses pre-printed forms and does not require the applicants to argue their case before a civil court (tribunal d'instance) or a competent commercial court (with jurisdiction over the district where the debtor's registered offices are located).
By using this procedure, creditors can rapidly obtain a court order which is then served by a bailiff. The defendant then has a period of one month in which to dispute the case.
Fast-track proceedings
Référé-provision provides creditors with a rapid means of debt collection. If the debtor is neither present nor represented during the hearing, a default judgment can be issued. The court then renders a decision, typically within seven to fourteen days (though same-day decisions are possible). The jurisdiction is limited to debts which cannot be materially contested. If serious questions arise over the extent of the debt, the summary judge has no jurisdiction to render a favourable decision. Judgments can be immediately executed, even if the debtor issues an appeal.
If a claim proves to be litigious, the judge ruled competent to preside (juge des référés) over urgent matters evaluates whether the claim is well-founded. If appropriate, the judge can subsequently decide to declare himself incompetent to rule on the case. Based on his assessment of whether the case is valid, he can then invite the plaintiff to seek a ruling through formal court procedures.
Ordinary proceedings
Formal procedures of this kind enable the validity of a claim to be recognised by the court. This is a relatively lengthy process which can last a year or more, due to the emphasis placed on the adversarial nature of proceedings and the numerous phases involved. These phases include the submission of supporting documents, written submissions from the litigants, the examination of evidence, various recesses for deliberations and, finally, the hearing for oral pleadings (audience de plaidoirie).
Proceedings are issued through a Writ of Summons (Assignation) which is served on the debtor fifteen days before the first procedural hearing. During this hearing, the court sets a time period for the exchange of pleadings and discovery. Decisions rendered do not necessarily have the possibility of immediate execution. In order to be executed, they must first be served on the debtor. They are also subject to appeal.
Enforcement of a legal decision
Unless the court decision is temporarily enforceable, enforcement can only commence if no appeal is lodged within one month and must occur within ten years of notification of the court's decision. Compulsory enforcement can be requested if the debtor does not comply with the judgment. Obligations to pay can be enforced through attachment (of bank accounts or assets) or through a third party which owes money to the debtor (garnishment).
France has adopted enforcement mechanisms for decisions rendered by other EU member countries. These mechanisms include the Payment Order under the European Enforcement Order. Decisions rendered by non-EU members can be recognised and enforced, provided that the issuing country is party to a bilateral or multilateral agreement with France. In the absence of an agreement, claimants are obliged to use the French exequatur procedure.
Insolvency proceedings
Court-Assisted proceedings
These can be either mandated Ad Hoc or conciliation proceedings. Both are informal, amicable proceedings, where creditors cannot be forced into a restructuring agreement and the company's management continues to run the business. These negotiations are governed by contractual law throughout their duration. The proceedings are conducted under the supervision of a court-appointed practitioner (a mandataire ad hoc, or a conciliator) in order to help the debtor reach an agreement with its creditors. Both of these types of proceedings are confidential but conciliation can eventually be made public if the debtor has the approval of the commercial court. Nevertheless, the terms and conditions of agreements remain confidential and can only be disclosed to signatory parties.
Court-Controlled proceedings
The four types of court-controlled proceedings are judicial reorganisation, judicial liquidation, sauvegarde, and Accelerated Financial Sauvegarde proceedings (AFS).
In all four proceedings, any pre-filed claims are automatically stayed. Creditors must file proof of their claims within two months of publication of the opening judgment, or four months for creditors located outside France. Debts which arise after proceedings commence are given priority over debts incurred beforehand. Certain types of transactions can be set aside by the court, if they were entered into by the debtor during a hardening period (before a judgment opening a judicial reorganisation or a judicial liquidation).
With Court-Controlled proceedings there can be variations in the extent of involvement of the court-appointed conciliator. The sauvegarde and AFS procedures are debtor-in-possession proceedings, but with judicial reorganisation, the court can decide whether to set aside the company's managers. The role of management is particularly reduced in cases of judicial liquidation, as the debtor company usually ceases to conduct business. Nevertheless, the court can decide for a business to continue operating, under a court-appointed liquidator.


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- Cite
- Soviet POWs
- English
On June 22, 1941, Germany invaded the Soviet Union. Three million German soldiers were reinforced by Finnish, Romanian, Hungarian, Italian, Slovak, and Croatian troops. Within weeks, German divisions conquered the Baltic republics of Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia. In September the Germans laid siege to Sevastopol and Leningrad, and by late October, the cities of Minsk, Smolensk, Kiev, Odessa, and Kharkov had fallen. Millions of Soviet soldiers were encircled, cut off from supplies and reinforcements, and forced to surrender.
Soviets Viewed as Subhuman Enemies
Yet for Nazi Germany this attack was not an "ordinary" military operation. The war against the Soviet Union was a war of annihilation between German fascism and Soviet communism; a racial war between German "Aryans" and subhuman Slavs and Jews. From the very beginning this war of annihilation against the Soviet Union included the killing of prisoners of war (POWs) on a massive scale. German authorities viewed Soviet POWs as a particular threat, regarding them not only as Slavic subhumans but as part of the "Bolshevik menace" linked in their minds to a Jewish conspiracy.
Second Largest Group of Nazi Victims
The brutal treatment of Soviet POWs by the Germans violated every standard of warfare. Existing sources suggest that some 5.7 million Soviet army personnel fell into German hands during World War II. As of January 1945, the German army reported that only about 930,000 Soviet POWs remained in German custody. The German army released about one million Soviet POWs as auxiliaries of the German army and the SS. About half a million Soviet POWs had escaped German custody or had been liberated by the Soviet army as it advanced westward through eastern Europe into Germany. The remaining 3.3 million, or about 57 percent of those taken prisoner, were dead by the end of the war. Second only to the Jews, Soviet prisoners of war were the largest group of victims of Nazi racial policy.
Deliberate Policy
This death toll was neither an accident nor an automatic result of the war. It was the Nazi state's deliberate policy. German treatment of Soviet POWs differed dramatically from German policy towards POWs from Britain and the United States, countries the Nazis regarded as racial equals to the Germans. Of the 231,000 British and American prisoners held by the Germans during the war only about 8,300—3.6 percent—died in German custody.
Glossary Terms
Series: Soviet Prisoners of War
Critical Thinking Questions
- How did the treatment of Soviet prisoners of war illustrate Nazi ideological beliefs?
- Why did the Germans treat the Soviet POWs so much more harshly than those POWs from other nations?
- Investigate international codes of conduct for the treatment of captured military personnel.


text: Nintendo has pleased many UK fans today. We're normally used to them releasing the Virtual Console games late, but today they've released them a day earlier because of a pubic holiday in German. Just to add to the greatness of this news, the game they've released is Donkey Kong Country 2.


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Custom Cerused White Oak Server
Have a question? call 631.725.0006 or email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Fishers Home Furnishings of Sag Harbor, New York has fine furniture for the Hamptons, East End of Long Island including the North and South Fork. We deliver to Bridgehampton, Southampton, East Hampton, Montauk, Westhampton Beach, Hampton Bays, Riverhead, Watermill, Amagansett, Shelter Island, Sagaponack, Eastport, and Quogue.


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Fortune Family – Fam-uh-la
Fortune Family's back with a new single, Fam-uh-la. The other week, Lydia had a great post the other week about samples used in songs, and this one has a lot of samples itself so I thought I'd take you through them.
First, let's get to the music. Hop samples "Shadow of Lo" by Return to Forever. Return to Forever is a jazz-fusion band from The Big Apple, led by well respected pianist Chick Corea. They made their mark during the 70's, and came back just a few years ago to do some shows and record new music. Chick Corea is a pretty incredible dude — he played with The Legend Miles Dewey Davis III back in the 60's — so his chops and credentials are mightily legitimate.
Now, the lyrics. The female voice you hear is Lauryn Hill, sampled from the Fugees song "Ooh La La." As members of the Fugees, Hill, Wyclef Jean, and rapper Pras Michel were huge; they had a Grammy Winning record in 1996 with "The Score," which went platinum 4 times over. Then, in 1997, the group went their separate ways, all managing to promote successful solo careers. Hill went on to record her magnum opus, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, Clef went on to produce for such acts as Santana and Destiny's Child, and Pras went on to record with hip-hop god Ol' Dirty Bastard. Not too shabby all around, I'd say.
The sound clips, to me, add a lot to the song. The first is Bob Ross a painter. Kind of the Richard Simmons of his craft, truly a pleasure to watch.
You've also got a clip from Dumb and Dumber, and one from the Peep Show at the end. All in all, a whole lot of different sounds went into creating this song, and it's cool to see how it all comes together.
Dream Big


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Hey, hey all you lovely Being Grown Up followers!!
Please don't say,
"Oh, it's just a guest blogger... I'm not getting my Ashley fix today..."
then skim over my guest post and move on through your blog roll...
'Cause that would make me SO sad!
I am real excited to be here and so thrilled to meet the lovelies that follow Miss Ashley, 'cause really, SHE'S awesome so you all must be awesome too!!! So please, stay awhile and let's get to know each other! ;)
I am Kassi! A face behind the blog, Truly Lovely!
I say 'A face' because my sister, Kayli is the other face... haha!
I love Miss Ashley and her 'growing up' antics here at Being Grown Up, so I am stoked to be blog swapping with her today!
So a little bit about me... I am WAY too much addicted to blogging and the blogging world... I sell Scentsy... I'm in the process of planning my wedding and purchasing my first house with my mister... My day job is Marketing Director for an accounting software... And I like dots... Alot...
|Yep, that's me!
At Truly Lovely, my sister and I...
Mostly I 'cause the sister is in the middle of her senior year of high school... And let's face it... there's some pressing issues she's gotta deal with there... Like what to do after high school!!
But I digress...
Anyway... we post on the lovelies of life! Anything and everything that we happen to think is 'Truly Lovely'! Thus the title!
What we find to be Truly Lovely include crafting projects... Like these super easy, but still super cute Chalkboard Canisters.
Or this sweet Train Case Embellishment!!
Sometimes the things we find to be Truly Lovely are yummy treats like these Mint Oreo Brownies!
And because we like sharing things and meeting new lovelies like YOU... You're apt to get a random post sharing facts about us, giving something lovely away, or sharing our opinions on any random product!
So that's a little bit about us!!
I hope you'll check out our blog and if you like what you see you can get an (almost) daily dose of two fun ladies, Kassi and Kayli, just by clicking follow!
If you're popping over to Being Grown Up from Truly Lovely, I'm sure Miss Ashley would love a new follower too!
And we love you guys, so we know she will!!
Share the comment and following love new friends!!!
Hope to see you around again soon!!!
Isn't she the best!? If you haven't checked out her blog already, go do it!!
Thanks so much for coming and visiting with my crowd today Kassi!!
Hopefully we will be seeing you again SOON:)


text: Loading... Bellacina by Casey Key (Please Select) Community Information Site Plan Driving Directions Photos Local Interests Home Features Finance Your Dream Sales Center: 5512 Sentiero Drive Nokomis, FL 34275 Driving Directions Print Page Sales Contact: 941-313-8139 866-495-6006 Make an Appointment Request Information Arezzo From $319,900 | 1,926 Sq. Ft. | 3 Bedrooms | 2 Baths | 2 Garage | 1 Story The Arezzo is a 1,926 sq. ft. single-family villa home with three bedrooms, 2 baths, a den and two-car garage. The Master Suite includes dual sinks, water closet and two-sided walk-in closet. A designer kitchen overlooks the great room with sliding door access to a covered lanai. Flexible space options and upgrades are available. FLOOR PLAN PHOTOS LOCATIONS OPTIONS VIRTUAL TOUR Personalize This Home


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ipcalc – Backtrack 5 – Miscellaneous – Miscellaneous Network – ipcalc
A tool that is more than likely not used very often in Backtrack is the ipcalc which is a command line to that will quickly provide you broadcast address, network address, netmask, and Cisco wildcard mask. If you do a lot of Backtrack Linux installations that each require different IP information for various networks this tool can be really useful to verify settings made in the networks file in Ubuntu/Backtrack. I used to find myself breaking out a iPhone IP calculator on a regular basis and while I still do use that application I prefer ipcalc from the command line if its readily available. Below are details regarding ipcalc and the various switches available to it.


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Although we've got this karaoke ready for you to sing, the right holders of it have forbidden companies like KaraFun to use it. We're really sorry but at the moment we can't release it online.
as made famous by
Liane Foly
Original songwriter : Michel Jonasz
Producers/Arrangers : Jean-Yves d'Angelo, Kamil Rustam


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Continental Airlines Introduces New Meals and Snacks for On-Board Purchase
Menu includes hot Angus cheeseburger, grilled chicken spinach salad, fresh fruit and cheese plate and popular brand-name snacks
HOUSTON, Sept. 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Continental Airlines (NYSE: CAL) today announced a new menu featuring a variety of high-quality, healthy food choices available for purchase in economy class on select flights beginning Oct. 12, 2010. The new meals and snacks will be offered on many U.S./Canada and certain Latin American routes.
The menu will include freshly prepared hot and cold mealtime selections similar to those served in casual-dining restaurants, such as Asian-style noodle salad, grilled chicken spinach salad, Angus cheeseburger, and Jimmy Dean sausage, egg and cheese sandwich. Snack and dessert options — including a gourmet cheese & fresh fruit plate, several types of snack boxes, a la carte brand-name snacks and chocolate-covered Eli's Cheesecake on a stick — will also be available for purchase. Prices will range from $1.50 for Pringles Original Potato Crisps to $8.25 for the grilled chicken spinach salad.
"The new menu is a direct result of feedback from our customers, who told us they wanted more food choices on our flights," said Sandra Pineau-Boddison, Continental's vice president of food services. "With that in mind, Continental researched trends in the restaurant industry and tested and tasted a broad range of possible menu items in order to provide dining options that reflect today's customer preferences."
The new food-for-purchase menu will replace the complimentary meals and snacks currently served in the economy cabin on the select routes. Continental will continue to offer complimentary food in the economy cabin on all intercontinental and certain other international routes, and on long-haul domestic routes over six and a half hours. Continental will also continue complimentary food service in the front cabin (first class and BusinessFirst) on routes worldwide. Traditional non-alcoholic beverages will continue to be complimentary on every Continental flight.
Continental Airlines is the world's fifth largest airline. Continental, together with Continental Express and Continental Connection, has more than 2,700 daily departures throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia, serving 132 domestic and 137 international destinations. Continental is a member of Star Alliance, which overall offers more than 21,200 daily flights to 1,172 airports in 181 countries through its 28 member airlines. With more than 40,000 employees, Continental has hubs serving New York, Houston, Cleveland and Guam, and together with its regional partners, carries approximately 63 million passengers per year.
Continental consistently earns awards and critical acclaim for both its operation and its corporate culture. For nine consecutive years, FORTUNE magazine has ranked Continental as the top U.S. airline on its "World's Most Admired Companies" airline industry list. For more company information, go to continental.com.


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GVF Celebrate 40th Anniversary
Graphic courtesy of: Ellen Gray
May 12, 2014
Chealsia Smedley
The Ohio University Alumni Association (OUAA) will host Gospel Voices of Faith's (GVF) 40th anniversary celebration during OUAA's upcoming inaugural On the Green Weekend. The weekend events begin Thursday, May 29 and ends Sunday, June 1. On The Green Weekend welcomes Ohio University alumni and friends and the Athens community to campus during one of the most beautiful times of the year. This "spring homecoming" event emphasizes academics and the arts.
Gospel Voices of Faith was founded by six Ohio University students who wanted to worship God through song. Their first performance was in 1975, the same year the group became an official university organization.
Former GVF members will spend the weekend reconnecting, rehearsing and entertaining. A benefit concert will be held on Saturday at 4:00 p.m. in the First United Methodist Church at 2 South College Street. The event is a fundraiser for OHIO's Urban Scholars Program. The organization's long-time advisor Francine Childs, Ph.D., invites everyone to Grace Christian Center at 9322 Johnson Road in nearby The Plains, OH for Sunday morning worship at 10 a.m.
Kelly Davidson, academic advisor in OHIO's The Patton College of Education and former GVF member, helped to coordinate the celebration and said formerly about 50 or 60 members and their families participated in events. She expects a similar turnout this year.
"Our advisor, Dr. Francine Childs, challenged us to live the life we sang about," she says. "It was more than a student organization. Gospel Voices of Faith was a family."
For more information about the event and about OHIO's On the Green Weekend, click here.


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If you have an event in your region, please use the event-form to send it in:
Webmasters can send their .ICS (ICAL) feed link pointing to the events in your local basic income week agenda for embedding into this calendar. (use tag "biweek2019")
more info: http://time.ly/document/user-guide/using-calendar/importing-events-calendars/
User hint
Just choose the right category to see the events in your country, if it is not there: there is work to be done! send them in!


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Sunday, February 19, 2017
February 19 - Elias and Companions, Martyrs, Comforters, Inspiration to Others
The five men gathered together and agreed on one particular thing: they felt called to go and be a comfort to brothers and sisters who had been arrested by the Roman Empire. Elias, Daniel, Jeremiah, Isaiah, and Samuel were Christians in Egypt during a time when Christianity was entirely unwelcome within the bounds of the Roman Empire.Rome had made it explicitly clear that those who were Christians were enemies of the state and would be treated as such with little regard for their nonviolent convictions. Elias and his companions had known people who had been seized and murdered for their faith and therefore they knew well that this calling could be their first step on a path that led inexorably toward their own martyrdom. Yet, they could not shake the conviction that God was calling them to go to Cilicia and comfort Christians that were slaves in the mines there. So, they packed their things and they went out. They arrived without interference and they found the ones they were looking for. They sang songs and prayed with these faithful individuals whose faith could not be deterred by Roman power. When both the comforters and the afflicted had been encouraged by their mutual faith, the men prepared for the journey home. That's when the problems started.
Rome was exceptionally adept at discovering and identifying Christians. By most accounts, they were also fairly successful at breaking the faiths of those whom they captured. They knew well that those who visited Christians in prison and slave camps were likely to be Christians themselves. When Elias and his companions visited their brothers and sisters, they marked themselves for Rome's attention. As they were returning home they were stopped in Caesarea by a group of soldiers assigned with their interrogation. Their captors asked them why they had made the journey and probably expected to hear some complicated lie that might cover over what Rome knew very well: these men were Christians and therefore unwelcome in the Empire. What they heard however was a frank admission by the men that they were Christians and they had traveled to comfort their brothers and sisters. Surely, they were surprised at the ease with which they had confessed--it was as if they weren't ashamed of the fact. The men had counted the likely cost of their journey--their own lives--and found it to be an acceptable price for serving God. They were tortured and asked to deny their faith but they did not. They would not be broken. Finally, they were beheaded.
Yet, after their deaths two men came forward named Porphyry and Pamphilus and insisted that these men who had traveled far to provide comfort deserved to be buried. They confronted the Empire and insisted on kindness.They must have known the likely outcome of their insistence since Rome was not interested in being kind so much as they were interested in controlling and dominating the minds and hearts of the people. They were accused of being Christian because of their insistence that the men be buried and mourned. They admitted that they were and were tortured before being burned to death. This wasn't the end, however, as another man named Seleucus came forward and spoke loudly in praise of the men who had been willing to lay down everything to follow after their executed Lord. He spoke highly of Pamphilus' and Porphyry's courage and bravery in the face of a grisly death. The soldiers seized Seleucus and he was also exposed as a Christian. For this crime and for the crime of speaking highly of those whom Rome despised and had killed, he was beheaded.It seems that all had indeed counted the cost and were willing to pay it for the privilege of following after a God who had been executed for loving too much, as well.
Posted by Joshua Hearne at 7:00 AM
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