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A9 TV; September 18th 2011
Live Interview with Israel Channel 10 TV
We send our greetings to all our brothers in Israel; to Muslims, Christians, Jews. We send our greetings. We love them all very much. We feel compassion toward all of them. We want them to be in peace.
We believe in the End Times. We believe that we are in the times of the King Messiah, Moschiah. All the evidences related to the coming of King Messiah, Moschiah in the Torah has appeared. That is to say, all the evidences related to the coming of Hazrat Mahdi (as) have come about. We see these evidences both in the hadith of our Prophet (saas) and the Torah.
There is no problem whatsoever between Israel and Turkey. They all love one another, they know each other as brothers. This has been so for centuries. In the time of our Prophet (saas), our Prophet (saas) used to take off his cloak and lay it underneath Jews and conversed with them. Our Prophet (saas) married a Jewish and a Christian lady. Besides, you know the era of Spain when Jews were persecuted. We took them from Spain and brought here, to Istanbul, to the most distinguished district of the beautiful city of Turkey. We made them settle in Istanbul. We presented our friendship and brotherhood to them. This is a tradition of us. We have always had feelings of compassion and protection towards Jews and we always will . That is why this crisis is temporary. In other words, it is impertinent to think that this will grow worse and that it will end up in conflict and war. There will be no war, no fight. On the very contrary, because we are in the time of Hazrat Mahdi (as), there will be peace and brotherhood. Together with Palestine and Turkey, Israelwill be in the midst of all kinds of goodness. Our Palestinian and Israeli brothers will embrace one another, the fight will come to an end. Those walls will be demolished; those giant, tall, high walls. The control points will alsoberemoved because peace and brotherhood will come. We see this in the hadith of our Prophet (saas). Our Prophet (saas) spoke of the End Times and the era of Hazrat Mahdi (as) in detail.
Similarly we see it in the Torah. We read it in the Torah, you saw it. We are in this era depicted in the Torah. The King Moschiah has come, Hazrat Mahdi (as) has come. Let us rejoice in this. Consequently the sounds of conflict, the noises of war must disappear and they will disappear. You will also see them. In 10-20 years, a great peace and brotherhood will reign in the region. Consequently, noises of strife and war must disappear and they will disappear. You will also see them. For about 10-20 years, a great peace and brotherhood will reign in the region. Our brothers must rejoice in this. That is, they must have unease for no reason. Surely Jews are brothers of religion with one another. So are the Muslims. We are also brothers of this world with our Jewish brothers. We feel compassion for them; we respect their opinion and beliefs. We do not believe in intervening and putting pressure on anyone's beliefs as Allah openly relates in the Qur'an, "There is no compulsion in religion." No one can ever violate Allah's provision. No one can be converted to Islam by force. A religion is a religion if it is embraced by one's own free will. By compulsion, that religion becomes unacepptable. Our Israeli brothers must know this notion and make their assesments according to it. Three thousand years ago, the Torah gave us the good news that we will see these beautiful days. Our Prophet (saas) also gave a detailed account of this age 1,400 years ago. All the portents have appeared. The portents of the King Moschiah. The flow of the Euphrates stopped. Two comets, Halley and Lulin, appeared. The Qa'ba was stormed. Eclipses of the Moon and the Sun 15 days apart during Ramadan. They all happened. Conflicts are temporary. They must be evaluated in the context of political affairs. In the realm of politics, such crises, such tensions happen. The general opinion of the Turkish public is important. Likewise the general opinion of the Israeli people. We must dwell on these, and they can be determiend by public surveys.
In response to the question, "Our representatives have come here; you can assume the role of a mediator":
We are already in such an activity. I love Israelis because they are of the descent of the Prophet, the sons of Prophet Abraham (as) and the Prophet Jacob (as). They are the grandsons of the prophets. Of course we love them. We love Palestinians. They are the sons of Prophet Ishmael (as). Of course I love them. I surely would not want any conflicts to happen between the sons [of prophets]. We want bliss, joy and peace to reign in the region and to be in a climate of joy and feasting. We want welfare, peace, brotherhood, security to come to the region. While this is very easy, it has become extremely complicated under the influence of satan, but we see in the 3,000 year old statements of the Torah that Hazrat Mahdi (as), King Moschiah will provide this ease and beauty. These are also seen in the hadith of our Prophet (as) uttered 1,400 years ago. Therefore the time is up. Also according to the Torah, we are at a period close to the End Times, the Day of Judgment. It is also the same according to our Prophet (saas). That is to say, we are in the last phase.
Both the sons of Prophet Ishmael (as) and the sons of Prophet Israel (as) are my brothers. I surely have love for all of them. I would surely not want any fights and tension to happen between them. We make efforts for this end.
You will, Insha'Allah, see that King Messiah will establish the peace. In five to ten years time, this beauty will happen, you will see this.
Muslims act in compliance with the Qur'an. Jews also will comply with the original Torah. We are the servants of Allah, we will love one another very much. We will look with an eye of peace, with a positive eye, with an auspicious eye.
Political disputes are not important at all. They will all settle down and turn out to be all right. Everyone will be positive and fine. You will witness this in some time. These [incidents] are all temporary.
President Erdogan is a compassionate person. You can rely on my guarantee. He does not want war. He is not a person who will stir up war. He is a man of peace. You do not look at the statements. On his behalf, I give my guarantee. Neither war, nor conflicts will happen. There is surely disorder and grief ensued by the [Mavi Marmara] incident. But it will not turn into a war or violence.He is also a compassionate, merciful person who has awe of Allah. He loves people, and he is in favor of peace and democracy. In this respect, you canbe convinced.
In fact what must be done at this point is the following; let's ask the general opinion of the Israeli people. Their conviction reflects the truth. Nothing other than this remains, because apologizing is not done by force. It is an apology if it comes from the heart. If the Israeli people are in favor of an apology, then they apologize.
They will all be brothers. On one side is the sons of Prophet Ishmael (as) and the other side is the sons of Prophet Jacob (as). There may always be conflicts among brothers. But this will end up in peace because we are in the age of King Messiah and Hazrat Mahdi (as). You will see that what I am telling is true. They will embrace one another and be brothers. Security precautions will also be lifted. The region will enjoy tremendous welfare, beauty and peace. Israeli young people will enjoy life with their Palestinian friends. These are all artificial problems arising from the temptation of satan. These will all be removed. Attentively follow world history and you will see that it is true.
I would like to caress the cheeks of those little Israeli kids and embrace you. I would like to embrace the Palestinian young people. I love you all and I send my greetings and respect to all of you. I express my deepest love to Muslims, Christians and Jews. We will see one another soon, we will embrace one another. Let your hearts be at ease. All these fights and tension will come to an end.
The graves of all Prophets, your grandfathers who are the prophets, are there. Everything you have is there. You will surely live there. Also according to the Qur'an Allah relates that you will be there, it is your homeland. You will live in peace and bliss. Allah settled you there. Of course you will be there. But free and at ease. You will live in every corner of the world comfortably. The pressure over you will be completely lifted, because we are in the era of King Messiah. The pain of the Palestinians will also come to an end. The tension over our Arab brothers and all the Islamic world will disappear. The age of peace and ease will come. You will witness this.
Mr. Erdogan is indeed a compassionate person. He merely feels resentment and grief in his heart. He is sorry for those people who martyred there, who suffered, who were wounded there. He feels sorry for every deceased person; he feels grief, be it for a Jew or a Muslim. He considers the incident from this perspective. No war ship will ever come there. Nothing of that sort will happen. Be at ease. No war will break out.
Allah does not let the world become derelict…..The world will be in the hands of the King Messiah (as). Consequently you will be safe. So will the Muslims and Christians. The world does not proceed towards an unknown. It is under the sway of Allah. Allah will put the world into order with the hands of Hazrat Mahdi (as). Let your hearts be at ease.What all the prophets had told have come true. The words of Prophet Moses (as) also came true. We must put our trust in Allah.
Surah Qaf, 1-3:
By the Glorious Qur'an!
Nonetheless they are amazed that a warner should have come to them from among themselves and those who are disbelievers say, 'What an extraordinary thing! When we are dead and turned to dust . . . ?That would be a most unlikely return!'
They say, "What an extraordinary thing!" What is this? Weakness of faith. Wherever we look in the Qur'an, we come across weakness of faith. So what are we doing? We relate the signs leading to faith. We try to remove weakness of faith. This is the subject that is most emphasized in the Qur'an. We dwell on this subject because it is very important. Seventy-eighty percent of the Qur'an is devoted to this subject, Insha'Allah.
Surat al-Hujurat, 15:"...and then have had no doubt and have struggled with their wealth and themselves in the Way of Allah."
"have had no doubt"; why would someone not have any doubts? Because he has profound faith. Again we see the importance of the signs leading to faith.
Surat al-Qasas, 23:When he arrived at the water of Madyan, he found a crowd of people drawing water there. Standing apart from them, he found two women, holding back their sheep. He said, 'What are you two doing here?' They said, 'We cannot draw water until the shepherds have driven off their sheep. You see our father is a very old man.'
24- So he drew water for them and then withdrew into the shade and said, 'My Lord, I am truly in need of any good You have in store for me.'
25- One of them came walking shyly up to him and said, 'My father invites you so that he can pay you your wage for drawing water for us.' When he came to him and told him the whole story he said, 'Have no fear, you have escaped from wrongdoing people.'
26- One of them said, 'Hire him, father. The best person to hire is someone strong and trustworthy.'
Notice that these women had looked carefully at Prophet Moses (as). And he looked at them carefully. The women are also convinced that he is strong. The second point is that; they had conversed and convinced that they are reliable. His expression on his face, his manner of talking had made them convinced that he is reliable. Why would a person be reliable? Because he is faithful. Why do the women love Prophet Moses (as)?Because of his faith. So what is thereason of love? Faith.
27- He said, 'I would like to marry you to one of these two daughters of mine on condition that you work for me for eight full years. If you complete ten, that is up to you. I do not want to be hard on you. You will find me, Allah willing, to be one of the believers.'
28- He said, 'That is agreed between me and you. Whichever of the two terms I fulfil, there should be no bad feeling towards me. Allah is Guardian over what we say.'
29- When Moses had fulfilled the appointed term and had set off with his family, he noticed a fire from one side of the Mount. He said to his family, 'Stay here, I can see a fire. Hopefully I will bring you back some news from it or a burning branch from the fire so that you will be able to warm yourselves.'
30- But when he reached it a voice called out to him from the right hand side of the valley in the part which was full of blessing, from out of the bush: 'Moses, I am Allah, the Lord of all the worlds.
31- Throw down your staff!' Then when he he saw it slithering like a snake he turned and fled and did not turn back again. 'Moses, approach and have no fear! You are one of those who are secure.
32- " Put your hand inside your shirt front. It will emerge pure white yet quite unharmed. And hug your arms to your sides to still your fear. These are two proofs from your Lord for Pharaoh and his ruling circle. They are a deviant people.'
Why do they have weak faith? And why is there a need for miracles? Because the most important matter is to show and explain the signs leading to faith to people. Why does Almighty Allah want him to throw his staff? Why does He want them to witness a staff turning into a snake? Because people believe in evolution. They are poisoned by their faith in evolution; they do not believe, they are atheists. Allah wants them to be saved from atheism and convert to the belief in Creation, belief in Allah. That is why He createsproof.
33- He said, 'My Lord, I killed one of them and I am afraid they will kill me;
34- And my brother Aaron is more eloquent than me so send him with me to support me and back me up. I am afraid they will call me a liar.'
35- He said, 'We will reinforce you with your brother and by Our Signs will give you both authority, so that they will not be able to lay a hand on you. You and those who follow you will be the victors.'
Allah and His supporters will be victorious, insha'Allah.
36- He said, 'We will reinforce you with your brother and by Our Signs will give you both authority, so that they will not be able to lay a hand on you. You and those who follow you will be the victors.'
What is this? Weakness of faith. What are the evidences, miracles shown there? The evidence that will reinforce their faith, that will convice them in mind and heart. What is the subject? How to remove the weakness of faith. It is obviously seen that we are on the right path. It is seen.
37- Moses said, 'My Lord knows best who has come with guidance from Him and who will have the best Home in the end. The wrongdoers will certainly not be successful.'
38- Pharaoh said, 'Council, I do not know of any other god for you apart from Me. Haman, kindle a fire for me over the clay and build me a lofty tower so that perhaps I may be able to climb up to Moses's god! I consider him a blatant liar.'
Again due to weakness of faith; due to the materialist mindset, it is seen that the Pharoah faces a deadlock and utters nonsensical logic. Just as how Darwinists talk nonsense, he talks nonsense.
39- He and his troops were arrogant in the land without any right. They thought that they would not return to Us.
Disbelievers have always tried to supress people with military power. There is reference to this fact in the Qur'an.


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Brevard, N.C.- The Brevard College volleyball team dropped their match with the Mars Hill Lions in four sets at Boshamer Gymnasium on Saturday afternoon, 25-23, 26-24, 25-14, 25-23.
Brevard recovered from a loss in the first set to edge the Lions in the second set and tie the game at 1-1. However, Mars Hill regained momentum with an exclamatory win in the third set before stealing the final set.
Marissa Wixson put together a complete performance for the Lions, delivering 15 kills, 23 digs along with six assisted blocks.
Fatima Gharachorloo again led the Tornados in kills, collecting 13 kills at a .186 hitting percentage to go along with 24 digs.
The Tornados look to regain their rhythm with a nonconference matchup with the Erskine Flying Fleet in Due West, South Carolina on October 10th at 7 p.m.

subset: commoncrawl


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HTC has introduced a Windows phone, the HTC HD mini, which utilizes HTC's in-house developed HTC Sense.
HTC Sense is an interface focused on putting people at the center by making the phone work in a simpler and more natural way, the vendor said. This experience revolves around three fundamental principles that were developed by observing and listening to how people live and communicate.
Like the HTC HD2, the HTC HD mini continues the same focus on people-centric communication, the company remarked. HTC's Windows-based Twitter application, HTC Peep, is also included.
Leveraging its 3G broadband connectivity, the HTC HD mini also offers personal Wi-Fi anywhere for computers or other devices. The HD mini can also be further enhanced to reflect user's needs and style by downloading a variety of applications from the Windows Marketplace for Mobile.
The new HTC HD mini will be available to customers across major European and Asian markets beginning in April.
- Wireless broadband developments in Southeast Asia markets
As of 2013, the 10 ASEAN nations had a total of over 700 million mobile subscriptions, with the CAGR from 2003-2013 reaching 24%. This Digitimes Research Special Report analyzes the various mobile broadband markets in ASEAN and looks at the respective trends in 4G LTE development for those markets.
- 2015 global tablet demand forecast
This Digitimes Research Special Report provides a 2015 forecast for the global tablet market and analyzes the strategies of key market players such as Google, Apple, Intel, and Microsoft.
- 2015 China smartphone panel trend forecast
This Digitimes Research Special Report analyzes the strategies of key China-based major panel makers BOE, Tianma and IVO for attacking the different market segments through technology and pricing, and their relationship to local vendors Huawei, Lenovo, ZTE, Xiaomi and Coolpad.


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How about supply and demand has reached its equilibrium. That is the only logical answer since we have no sales figures from Apple. This article is speculative as the demand for any product diminishes over time. M'essany knows this. To bad he cant write a truthful article to save his life. Everything from this guy is over blown, under delivered, speculative, not confirmed, unverified, and plainly junk. Sorry to be so blunt. The other writers on MMI are much better.
writers need to start being held to standards. It is shotty writing like this is what hurt firms and their stakeholders. This is a problem that seems to be getting out of control. I am not one for government or governing body controls, but something needs to be done. When a Writer can write what he/she wants, and it makes a stock drop 10%, there is something wrong. Obviously these writers on forums can write anything they want without much fight from their boss as page views is all they apparently care about...........pathetic.
Considering that Modmyi depends on the success of Apple products to remain operational, posting a somewhat negative story goes to their credit.
As for Mmi, no. Mmi should continue, and will continue to write what they want. As I said in my latter post, the other writers are OK. I enjoy reading Anthony's articles. However, his articles seem more relevant.
If mmi depends on Apple's success, this story does nothing to help it. I fail to see how a negative story helps anyone other than the Unethical writer( Unethical based on the notion that this story was found, and simply replicated, nothing fact checked or verified. And, on the deceitful Titles he continuously uses) with page views and hopefully comments.
Now, back to the original article. Why would Apple cutting back on orders mean anything? Supply and Demand is all this is. The phone has sold records amounts at time of release during its tour into new and emerging markets. Again, this is simply bloggers trying to find anything that they can write about and turn it into something it is not.
When Apple was on the rise, these same people couldn't get enough of Apple, now they need news so these same people are going to turn their back. Nobody wants to keep reading happy stories when there is drama and scandal to be found. And when there is no drama or scandals, these so called bloggers make one. Its that simple.
Though it would be even better with a latest-generation processor and a Retina display, I'm completely satisfied with my iPad mini. Even if the 4th-generation iPad was the same price, I would still rather have the mini because the size just works better for me. I can't wait for the next version! I'll gift this one to my mother or use it as a dedicated TV remote / TV-watching companion.


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He was a terrific player with sensational leaping ability
Garry Cooper came to UNCW from the tiny Pamlico County town of Whortonsville. He had a Hall of Fame career playing basketball for the Seahawks, later traveled the world competing against the Harlem Globetrotters.
He's still tight with his teammates, a talented group of UNCW players who ushered the program into the Division I era in the late 1970s and early '80s. He and former coach Mel Gibson – two names straight off a Hollywood marquee – communicate once a week. When Cooper's father passed away two years ago, Gibson and his wife attended the funeral.
Informal gatherings of former Seahawks have been held in the past. But UNCW coach Buzz Peterson understands the reward of a tight-knit basketball family. He belongs to the most famous one, fostered by former coach Dean Smith at North Carolina.
Peterson and staff hope to make men's basketball alumni weekend a vibrant annual event, unite players from all eras in hopes that it grows into a special reunion everyone circles on his calendar each fall. Approximately 50 former players, student-managers and coaches are expected to attend this year's festivities, which include golf, a basketball game, and perhaps a video presentation from a special former Seahawk or two.
Cooper describes himself as the "team clown" when he shared the court with teammates Danny Davis, Denny Fields, Delaney Jones, Ralph Peterson, Barry Taylor, Dave Wolff and the Martin brothers. But he was also a terrific player with sensational leaping ability, a point guard's dream who could soar to retrieve an errant lob pass and slam it down for two points.
He remains the program's all-time leader in blocked shots (143), is fourth in rebounds (691) and 14th in points (1,091). Those numbers earned him induction into the UNCW Hall of Fame in 2002, one of just six basketball players to be so honored.
What Cooper recalls about that weekend is part of what made UNCW such a special place for him. One of his old professors attended the ceremony and shared how he appreciated the way Cooper carried himself with dignity and class. Cooper said he was just the fun-loving sort, yet that sense of family pervades the university and the program.
"It was a really, really great experience," he said. "I couldn't ask for a better place to play. The ability and talent all the players had at Wilmington. Individually we wouldn't have been a very good team, but collectively our games meshed. We really love each other. Men don't say that often."
After graduating in 1981, Cooper headed out to play for the Washington Generals, the longtime foil of the Harlem Globetrotters. In one year, he traveled to Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Guam, and all 50 United States. He loved the experience and planned to stay on the road for a few more years, but after a game one night at the Forum near Los Angeles, he called home and learned his high school coach had died. Coaching at Pamlico had always been a dream, so Cooper applied and was hired. He coached the boys for 12 years and the girls for nine, leading both to district championships.
Open-heart surgery four years ago curbed the frequency of his trips back to UNCW to watch games. But Cooper says he's "feeling a lot better these days" and still tries to visit if he has time to spend the night. Otherwise, he stays busy as the director of public services in Pamlico County, a position he's held for a year-and-a-half after 21 years as the director of parks and recreation.
"I just loved playing basketball," Cooper said of his playing career. "I did whatever it would take to win a basketball game. Our team was that way. We all worked together out there, and there was no selfishness to our play."
Brian Mull: 343-2034
On Twitter: @BGMull


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|Home > Job Seekers
Job Seekers
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Arkansas Job Link
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An Arkansas Joblink Jobseeker account provides the ability to:
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Gone. Big wicket that.
Surprised him with pace and good catch by Jadeja.
Gone. Big wicket that.
Surprised him with pace and good catch by Jadeja.
I'll be interested most to see if Root can rotate the strike here while Bell's struggling to score. Would be a good way to demand a spot.
What if all the switches get stuck on 'destroy'?
I'm being impatient.
Too many variations from Ashwin. Just bowl the normal flighted off-spinner 5 times an over for once.
Starting to get behind the rate here ... Bell's been there a long time for 40.
Two boundaries in three balls after I posted that.
Last edited by stumpski; 27-01-2013 at 03:11 AM.
40 off 76 and still blocking the worst opposition bowler. If Bell gets out now I'll wait at the airport to stab him
From where has Dhoni remembered Yuvraj now ?
Introduction of Yuvraj has helped, but I don't see him staying on for long.
A pleasant gift from Dhoni to bowl some more Yuvraj when Jadeja is already the 5th bowler, and a much better left-arm spinner.
Dhoni working on the theory every English batsman is Pietersen, IMHO.
Yuk, rank half tracker from Ashwin as I type. Root does the necessary.
Cricket Web's current Premier League Tipping Champion
- As featured in The Independent.
"I don't think that they'll come close to us to be honest."
- Steve Smith before the Ashes
It'll be close this. Good partnership but we've no idea how they'll manage it in about 5 overs' time when they have to kick on.
There's just something wrong with Ashwin's action.
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Chicago FORCE North Fall Support Meeting
Wednesday, October 23, 2013 from 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM (CDT)
Who's Going
San Francisco, California
London, United Kingdom
Florence, Italy
Event Details
Chicago FORCE North
Fall Support Meeting
Do you have a family history of breast and/or ovarian cancer?
Have you tested positive for a BRCA mutation or are you considering genetic testing?
You are not alone.
FORCE exists to improve the lives of individuals and
families facing hereditary breast and ovarian cancer.
The local area FORCE is holding our quarterly
get-together and I hope you can join us!
When: Wednesday, Oct 23rd, 2013 @ 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm
Where: Cancer Wellness Center, 215 Revere Dr. Northbrook, IL 60062
Who you will meet:
FORCE Volunteer Coordinators & Members
Certified Genetic Counselor:
Anna Newlin of NorthShore University Health Systems
What: Learn from other people who are navigating the hereditary cancer path. Help someone else by sharing your story. This is a great chance to meet some local area FORCE members and/or catch up with those you've met at previous get-togethers.
Men's Support: There will also be a Men's Support meeting held at the same time for husbands/boyfriends
When & Where
Cancer Wellness Center
215 Revere Dr
Wednesday, October 23, 2013 from 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM (CDT)
Add to my calendar
Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered (FORCE - www.facingourrisk.org) is a 10 year young nonprofit organization devoted to improving the lives of individuals and families affected by hereditary breast and ovarian cancer. About 1 million Americans carry a BRCA or other gene mutation that puts them at high risk for these cancers. Through our programs FORCE provides lifesaving information, resources, and support, and advocates for families that may carry one of these cancer-causing genes.


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Caught up with Dans manager Wad today to find out whats been happening. He was good enough to write us this statement.
Caught up with Dans manager Wad today to find out whats been happening. He was good enough to write us this statement.
Damn, that sucks.
I wonder what happens now? Will other states take this into consideration when licencing Dan? Hopefully common sense prevails.
Fighting, writing and mood lighting.
I myself suffer with WPW.
I'm currently 21 and was diagnosed with having this condition 7/8 years ago. Unlike Dan I found out by collapsing at the top of a flight of stairs and falling down them.
Basically WPW is an extra pathway between the atria & ventricles of the heart, also known as a bunch of nerves called the bundle of Kent.
This causes the ventricles in the heart to contract prematurely, creating a type of supraventricular tachycardia.
It's a pretty rare condition with something like 0.1% of the World's population being affected.
It can be controlled by the use of beta blockers or a defibrillator like shock to the chest. In extreme cases they put a catheter through the femoral vein or jugular into the heart where they then destroy the tissue thats causing the problem.
I was prescribed beta blockers at first but they made me ill and caused me to miss about 6 months of school so I had to come off them in the end. I've managed to keep mine under relative control through clean living.
Gutted for Dan, hope he can fight again.


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The NAEDA Board of Directors has named Richard E. "Rick" Lawhun president and chief executive officer, effective Jan. 1, 2014. Lawhun has more than 30 years of experience with demonstrated leadership in strategic planning, program development, membership growth and financial management.
Prior to joining NAEDA, he served as president and CEO of the American Concrete Pressure Pipe Association (ACPPA) in Fairfax, Va. During his six-year tenure with ACPPA, Lawhun implemented a rebranding campaign to include a new logo, tagline, web site and marketing material. He expanded membership by amending the association's bylaws and recruiting international members; streamlined operations to improve efficiencies and reduce costs; and doubled the association's legislative efforts. Prior to joining ACPPA, Lawhun was vice president of member benefits for the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors in Falls Church, Va.
Lawhun also served in a variety of staff leadership roles at the American Society of Civil Engineers, including manager of technical activities, senior manager of membership development and director of the Construction Institute. Early in his career, Lawhun managed an engineering department at Dewberry & Davis, an ENR Top 50 design firm.
"We are extremely pleased to have Rick as our new president," notes NAEDA chairman Tom Nobbe, CEO of Wm. Nobbe & Co., Inc., Waterloo, Ill."He has a unique set of skills and experience that will serve NAEDA well as we seek to reorganize our governance structure and increase the effectiveness of the organization."
Asked why he was drawn to NAEDA, Lawhun stated, "This is a challenging opportunity to be part of an organization that is seeking to increase its visibility and better serve its members. I am honored to have been selected and look forward to working with the members, board of directors and staff in leading NAEDA into a promising future."
Lawhun is an alumnus of Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va., where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering. He and his wife, Ping, will be relocating to St. Louis from their current home in Fairfax.
Lawhun succeeds Paul Kindinger, who resigned as NAEDA's president last year. The executive search was conducted by Waverly Partners, LLC, of Cleveland, Ohio, and was directed by Blaine Bingham, NAEDA's incoming chairman. Blaine has expressed his appreciation to the NAEDA Search Committee for their time and efforts in reviewing all the candidates and in the final selection of Lawhun.


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Apothecary Double-Door Sideboard & Glass Hutch
- No Longer Available -
Like classic apothecary cabinets developed around the turn of the 20th century, our elegantly simple sideboard combines expansive, ample storage, and the strong geometry of Classical architecture. Well-suited to displaying plates, glassware, linens and silver, or other collectibles.
Show Details +
- 79"W x 17"D x 94"H
- Weight: 323 lbs.
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Would you like to save as your currency permanently or for this visit only?
The space was great very secluded and private great for honeymooners like my husband and I was I didn't like how I was being questioned about getting extra towels for my room I was very unhappy about it as if we had a limit on get towels
Good Nothing
Clean room with WiFi. Reasonable access to the freeway. Just down the road from the amazing Michele Bakery. Some of the guests were loud, which is probably par for the course in this area.
Our room was clean and quiet. The interior of the motel has been updated, so the room felt more upscale than the motel's exterior appearance. All the folks we met who work there were very friendly and helpful. This place exceeded our expectations. Thanks
Room was pleasantly furnished. Motel manager was very kind and extremely accommodating.
Beds are somewhat comfy, rooms are big and have a flat screen tv Internet unreliable. Shady people gathered outside my room at 4am being loud. Shower raised up and hard to get in/out. Water pressure bad.
It is a clean, and quiet hotel with comfortable beds. The cost is very reasonable. It is also close to other activities. Parking was limited on a Saturday night, and there are limited channels to watch. Also the heater/AC made a lot of noise.
Internet connection was shaky
This hotel was located close to a conference center for an event we were attending. It was very clean and the staff were helpful. The rooms had a refrigerator and microwave. I wish it had had a pool for the kids.
The shuttle was super easy to use. We could get right on the train to downtown and saved a lot of money this way. The shuttle driver Roberto was excellent In suggesting activities and areas to go to and areas to avoid. They were willing to work with us and the shuttle was always running. The front desk staff was also wonderful. The rooms were nothing fancy and breakfast was bad but for the money and for how nice the staff were and the location it more than made up for it.
Staff were super helpful! Everyone took the time to help us with our needs and gave us tips on places to visit, best modes of transportation, and events happening. The free 24 hr shuttle to and from the airport gave us easy access to anywhere we needed to go in the city and saved us money and time! Will definitely stay again! Pool/spa area was small and crowded. Breakfast was also crowded and made for long lines and wait.
Very friendly staff, comfy beds, breakfast was good. My sheets and towels had stains on them, the AC was so loud I couldn't sleep, the carpet in my room was pretty gross and it was coming up.
Free air shuttle bus (time is also flexible) Staff are very kind and friendly non
The location was good to the major interstates. It was good for the money I payed. I will stay there again. The pool was dirty, we found long hair in the bottom of the pool. The breakfast room was always crowded. Not many healthy options.
Loved having an indoor pool and hot tub, especially after a long international flight. The room and bed were surprisingly much more comfortable an spacious than the pictures made it seem and we had many tv channels to browse through. Being so close to the airport an without alternative transportation, it was disappointing that there was hardly anywhere to eat within walking distance of the hotel. There was a good pizza place or delivery, but our options were very limited. Also, the water wasn't the best tasting (may just be we are not used to Chicago water) and there wasn't really a microwave we could use anywhere other than the breakfast nook, which was closed off to us. Also, not having the option of anything for breakfast because we had an early flight was annoying. They should be used to early risers and have some sort of cereal or bread and fruit that could be quickly grabbed and don't require any preparation by the hotel.
I'll like to compliment Cecilia (front desk), Lupe (room maintenance), and Jose (shuttle driver) for their excellent service provided to us. They made us feel good and comfortable. Thanks to all of you. We really appreciate it. The room was reserved as non-smoking but had a terrible cigarette odor. Perhaps management needs to work a little bit on improving that. A few employees need to work on their customer service attitude; Lety (front desk) and Saul (maintenance) for example. They seems to be mad and upset most of the time. We noticed a bit of rudeness when asked for things. Other than that we had no complaints.
Cheap enough to entice. Close to the airport so you won't miss your flight. Friendly staff. Very far from the city but I guess you'd expect that from an airport hotel. Rooms just clean enough to be bearable. Even though the breakfast is included, do not count on it at all.
Loved the friendly and helpful staff. Free parking and free shuttle to airport were the whole reason I booked here, but the room was very nice and clean! Not enough outlets in room
24 hour airport shuttle this was the reason I chose this hotel. Left on time and no complaints at all no complaints this is a airport hotel so you knew what you were getting
The staff was friendly and helpful. The shuttle service was quick and convienent. It was sn awesome value. The room was sort of dirty and the facilities were a little sparse. A change machine would have been nice.
I have in many Motel 6 bit this one was a little pricey. I didn't like the service the guy in front desk gave me a smoking room without even asking and I had my child with me, so I had so come back to the front desk to change it because I guess they don't use common sense or follow the reservation details . They room was overall clean, but the bed still had hair from previous use I guess they are not wasted well, I went into two different rooms and they both were like this.
Convenient to the O'Hare Int'l Airport Exterior in very poor condition and the rooms were furnished with outdated fixtures and the carpet in bad condition. Need I say more. I have stayed with Motel 6 in the past and have found them to be acceptable. This one not so!
The room Staff attitude
staff was friendly and helpful with directions. the carpets were very dirty. the fan in the bathroom ceiling was falling out.
The free parking too much noise
Our room was newly renovated. Small but comfortable given the location and our purpose (staying overnight due to layover). Staff was very friendly. We couldn't get into the first room we were given and someone else had the same issue we did. It was resolved.
The staff was extremely friendly and helpful. The room was quiet, a plus. Plenty of parking.
The staff went out of their way to offer assistance since Chicago was a new experience for us.
I liked the wood laminate flooring rather than carpet. The receptionist asked me smoking or non smoking. I said non smoking and still ended up getting a room that smells like smoke. There was hair and dirt all over the floor. For some reason I felt the urge to check under the bed and there was a condom under the bed.
it was close to my conference the next morning AC worked dirty they gave me a smoking room and the smell was terrible I booked a nonsmoking room water pressure was low in the bathroom parking was crowded bad neighborhood, poor lighting entrance was not clearly marked sheets had cigarette burns in them alarm clock was broken and sticky, apparently someone had spilled something on it you will not want to stay here more than one night
The staff was so nice! Not very clean... was just a place to sleep but the area was sketchy.
I appreciated the generous sized room, comfortable bed, large refrigerator, and overall nice facilities and staff. I found it convenient to have a gas station across the street to fill my tank, a McDonald's down the street for my morning breakfast sandwich, and it was an easy 10-minute drive to my son's university. Overall very comfortable and very convenient for my needs – the value best I have found in the area! I will be staying here again!!
It was cheap. It was a dump. The room SMELLED AWFUL like someone had used way too much air freshener to cover a worse smell, I had to air the room out. The floors were fake wood parquet that was old and peeling up in spots. there were no amenities at all other than two small bar soaps. No fridge, microwave, coffee maker, hair dryer, NOTHING. fluorescent light in bathroom flickered for a full minute before it came on. I was so paranoid about bedbugs I did not let any of my clothes or bags touch the bed or floor. I unmade the bed and lifted the mattress up to look under it with a flashlight before i laid on it. When I was driving around I saw TWO other Motel 6's within a couple miles of this one, and they both looked a lot nicer. (I only saw the outside though) I ended up changing my flight home from a morning flight to the night before mainly so I would not have to spend a second night here.
The staff at the front desk was very friendly and efficient during check-in. The hotel is located at the intersection of busy roads- very loud throughout the entire night. Semis in the parking lot were constantly making noise. The room was not very clean- stain on the bed sheet, hair in the sink and shower, stains on the floor by the shower and on the wall by the sink. Pretty rundown overall. It was cold and you could not turn the temp higher than 65! Thin blanket and sheet on the uncomfortable bed. if you wanted to use wi-fi, you had to pay for it.
Nothing Everything, smelt terrible, neighbors kept me up all night. Bed was a brick I was hurting bad the next day, not free wifi, just gross I was afraid a cockroach was going to crawl on me any minute
Staff was very helpful and attentive. Rooms were decent and good coffee in the morning. Stayed for an event in the area and the stay at Elk Grove was nice.


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R&D presented at ISEA2013
Waterwheel Patch Presentation at ISEA 2013 in Sydney by Suzon Fuks, James Cunningham and Ian Winters.
This video document relates our current research using mobile devices as a way of integrating remote physical movement and sound into the online structure of Waterwheel's Tap allowing participation away from keyboard/mouse based computers. Taking a cue from research using sensors in dance, we are using phones carried by/attached to remote participants collecting sensor information on their movements and audio as content, feedback and control source for the Tap while they are exploring tracks and soundscapes of their local waterway/body of water in Australia, Indonesia, Europe, and USA: Brisa Mp – volunteer in Sydney, Russell Milledge & Rebecca Youdell – Bonemap in Cairns (Australia), Evelyn Ficarra & Kate Genevieve in Brighton (UK), and Mary Armentrout & Marcia Scott in San Francisco (USA).
Waterwheel co-founders Inkahoots are working to implement practical research results.
R&D – mobile phones sensors sending data – first time on the Tap!
Ian has continue the research on Isadora. Have a look at this performance beginning of May!
Yesterday we had a first – very first – trial on the Tap itself.
Yellow=James Cunningham – Brisbane, Australia
Green= Ian Winters – San Francisco, USA
Blue=Adhari Donora – Riau, Sumatra, Indonesia
Red= Suzon Fuks – Brisbane, Australia
R&D on phone sensor generated interactivity
Ian Winters, James Cunningham and I are in residence at Earthdance in the Berkshires, experimenting and developing a patch using cell phone sensor data (motion & location) to generate online performance.
The movements generated by James with the cell phone send data via the internet in order to draw.
Ian has continue the research on Isadora. Have a look at this last performance!


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Naples cracking down on Gulf Shore parkingPosted: Updated:
Most Popular Stories
NBC2 Investigators: Danger hidden behind Facebook personality quizzes
Those personality quizzes you take on Facebook seem fun and harmless, but the NBC2 Investigators have uncovered there's a darker side.
Man sues California Lottery for not honoring $5M ticket
He alleges he was wrongfully denied a $5 million Scratchers ticket prize because his 16-year-old son bought the winning ticket.
Shots fired at Cape Coral home; no arrests made
A shooter sent bullets flying into a Cape Coral home in a neighborhood between Northeast Pine Island and Pondella Roads in the Northern part of the city.
O.J. Simpson: Naples residents react to possible new neighbor
With parole granted, O.J. Simpson could soon call Southwest Florida home.
2 killed in Cape Coral crash
Two people were killed in a crash Friday afternoon on Pine Island Road in Cape Coral.
$23,000 worth of gold stolen from Cape Coral home
A crook stole $23,000 of gold from a Cape Coral home.
Shady Cape Coral roofer wanted by Louisiana police
A roofer exposed as a scammer by the NBC2 Investigators has lost his license in Florida and is wanted by law enforcement in Louisiana.
'Home Alone' dad John Heard dead at 71
Actor John Heard, whose many roles included the father in the "Home Alone" series and a corrupt detective in "The Sopranos," has died. He was 71.
Charlotte County community dubbed 'City of the Future'
You'll find solar trees throughout The heart of Babcock Ranch, and electric vehicle charging stations in every home.
Dish customers targets of recent scam
The Lee County Sheriffs Office is calling it one of the most believable scams they have ever seen, and it's targeting Dish Network customers.


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iHeartMedia Website Recruitment Alert
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"Man was matter. That was Snowden's secret." After a hundred pages of war wounds and twisting metal, despair and PTSD, this line in Catch-22 barbs like shrapnel. "Man is matter." Watching blood pour from bodies and cruelty triumph over any hope of opposing chaos, the soldiers learn this lesson painfully well. We readers beside them feel it, too.
A month ago, the news channels streamed the name "Snowden." In my mind, it conjured up the recurring flashback of the book, wherein we hear hints of Snowden's secret until finally we are told "man was matter." This we hear upon examining Snowden's dead and instantly corrupting body beside the protagonist in the plane. The author of Catch-22, Heller, saw the secret tragedy of humankind in the dark proclamation that man was matter, plain and stark.
Snowden's secret was that man was not spirit, not eternal, not divinely made. Man was rotting meat.
Though the argument is not a presentation of discursive logic, it overwhelms me. That simple set of seven words challenges my every assumption about the world. Because, at the end of it, there are two possibilities: Man is Divine or man is matter. We are either the image of God or rotting meat. That is the secret. Opting for the first requires too much of our lives. Opting for the second requires only that we accept death. Our culture opts for the second, in a frenzy of denial. Behind the science that believes it can answer the problem of mortality, behind the plastic surgery that flees the possibility of visibly approaching death, there is the belief that man is matter. Kept secret, the belief that man is matter is the terrifying assumption at the heart of any life besides a religious one.
But, matter is more precious than imagined. Though I read the line "Man was matter" with a chill and a revulsion, I feel the answer even here. There is a cool refreshment to the voice of the incarnate Christ in my ear as I whisper, terrified, "Man is matter?" and He says the answer is more glorious than I can conceive.
The horror of man as matter rests in my conception of matter. But, matter is not an undignified thing. The dust and lazy stone and leaf veins all share in the dignity of matter, created by God. At heart, the very matter I fear is me is also the matter assumed by God in the incarnation.
What Heller failed to see when he wrote that terrifying proclamation – man was matter – is that, once and since Ascension eternally, matter was God. Not pantheistically or utterly; matter can never be equated with God. Yet, by choice, the eternal God who created all things made Himself into matter in the incarnation, forever changing the dignity and stature of matter. The matter I am is nothing to terrify my soul with fears of mortality or whispers of insignificance. The matter I am is ennobled by the Incarnation of the Lord. Yes – man was matter. Heller saw enough to see more than most. What greater challenge is there than to actually see the visible when the entire world seeks to cover it up?
Yet, the matterdom of mankind is no secret to the Christian. We celebrate our ability to act as the body of Christ, making visible the eternal God through our bodies, and we trust in the resurrection of these bodies. We hold unshakeable within us the remembrance of God's judgments. The great secret of Heller's Snowden is no secret to the Christian. The non-Christian must live in constant denial of her false belief that she is bare matter. The Christian has no denial of her state as matter, nor the compulsion to limit her state to one of soulless matter. No, the perfect Christian is one who has no secret from herself. She knows her matter and knows more.
Of course, today's Snowden also had a secret. In 2013, Snowden's secret is that there is someone watching. Unjustifiable as the actions behind that secret are, when we take a step back, it provides an insight.
Once again, the Christian knows Snowden's secret and knows more. Whereas the non-Christians may live as though they are untraceable, as though their actions have no impact on those around them, as though they have secrets, the Christian never can. The non-Christian is startled by the rude awakening that someone has been watching. The Christian, quite the contrary, has always lived in the knowledge that God is watching. The Christian has always known Snowden's secrets:
Man is mortal.
Our private actions are known.
Yet, shining our lights higher, we illuminate beyond the terrifying fringes of these statements. We see beyond the fearful image these convey and glance where the joy lies in the greater picture. Man is mortal, but death has been defeated. Our actions are seen, but so are our pains, our trials, our moments of love, and all by One who loves.
The world has secrets that bleed and leak, but the Lord has mysteries that ages cannot fathom.


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SEAL BEACH — Freeway crew workers are scheduled to begin pile driving on the San Diego (405) Freeway this week as part of the West County Connectors project to reconstruct the Seal Beach Boulevard bridge.
Orange County Transportation Authority officials said the pile driving will begin Wednesday and will continue sporadically on weekdays between 7 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. over the next several months.
Pile driving is a common method of constructing bridge foundations, OCTA spokeswoman Laura Scheper said.
To support the bridge, steel or concrete beams are driven into the ground by a large hammer mounted on a crane, until they reach a hard layer of earth beneath the foundation, Scheper said.
The activity may be loud and disruptive because of the vibration and pounding, she said.
The $277 million West County Connectors project will improve traffic flow by directly connecting car-pool lanes on the San Diego, San Gabriel (605) and Garden Grove (22) freeways.
For more information regarding the project, visit www.octa.net/wcc.
- Joe Segura


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- Home >
- About: PSEC
Physical Sciences and Engineering Center (PSEC)
The PSEC Project — Building for the Future
On June 6, 2006, voters in the Foothill-De Anza District's service area approved, by a 65.69 percent margin, a $490.8 million bond (Measure C). Chancellor Linda Thor states that, "Measure C now enables Foothill College . . . to renovate . . . classrooms, laboratories and offices with a modern infrastructure that will provide updated electrical, heating and ventilation systems, convenient access for people with disabilities, and 21st century technology critical for delivering quality instruction and services to our students."
The Physical Sciences & Enginering Center (PSEC), is scheduled to open in January 2013. It is the future home of the Foothill College Science Learning Institute (SLI) which will foster an environment of collaboration and innovation, allowing dedicated faculty to teach, inspire and transform how STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and math) are taught and learned. In addition to increasing the transfer rates of students studying STEM subjects, the SLI will develop a STEM work force prepared for jobs opening in biotechnology, nanotechnology and renewable energy systems. Download the FC_SLI.pdf.
Design Details
In 2009, Ratcliff Architects won statewide recognition with a Community College Facility Coalition Award of Merit for the Project in Design category for the Foothill College Physical Sciences & Engineering Center (PSEC). All design and structural components of the new PSEC facility and grounds complement the distinct Pacific-style architecture for which Foothill College is internationally renown. The facility has also been designed to achieve the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design LEED® silver rating. The center is 65,800 square feet and consists of three buildings:
1. The lab building
- five chemistry labs
- four physics/engineering labs
- materials and nanoscience labs
- one classroom and data analysis room
- two student special project areas
- large chemistry instrumentation room
2. The classroom building
- six classrooms
- two large lecture rooms
3. The commons area
- conference/multipurpose space
- STEM student social area
- faculty offices
PSEC Building Maps
Maps (quick view)
Maps (PDF Version )
Construction of the Physical Sciences & Engineering Center (PSEC) began in February 2011 by the Bay Area's Hathaway Dinwiddie Construction Company. The project, which has a cost $41,576,000, is funded by Measure C — a $490.8 million bond approved in 2006 by voters residing in the Foothill-De Anza Community College District service area.* The project includes complete reconstruction of Parking Lot 4 and site improvements around a new three-building complex. Download the Construction Zone Map (pdf).
Topping Out Ceremony
Donors, community leaders, and Foothill-De Anza Community College District trustees joined Foothill College students, faculty and staff for a construction site topping out ceremony for the college's new PSEC buildings on Friday, Oct. 21, from 1 to 2:30 p.m. The ceremony gave key players in a building's creation - the opportunity to sign their names to the final beam that will be moved into place by workers to mark the topping out phase of the structure's steel frame. The event took place in Parking Lot 4, which is adjacent to the construction site of the new building at the campus in Los Altos Hills.
PSEC Open House
On February 26, 2013, PSEC held an open house for the local community, the college and its partners. Foothill President, Judy Miner, welcomed about 150 guests which included educational partners from UC Santa Cruz, Stanford University, Mountain View Los Altos High School District, Palo Alto Unified School District and Trustees, foundation members, citizen's bond oversight committee and advisory council members. Guests gathered in the courtyard to hear speeches by Chancellor Linda Thor, Judy Miner, and others instrumental in the PSEC building project. After the speeches guests toured the classrooms and laboratories where they were treated to scientific demonstrations of the AFM and SEM electron microscopes, the 3-d printer, and others.
PSEC is showcased with a larger-than-life aluminum sculpture of figures interacting with atomic structures which is located at the top of the hill and is visible from the campus loop road. At the PSEC entrance a large periodic table spans the wall where donors names are written on elements that they have purchased as part of a fund raising project. PSEC opened its doors to students at the beginning of winter quarter 2013. Students and faculty have expressed their appreciation and pleasure of working in well lit, state-fo-the-art buildings.


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BELLFLOWER - Although city officials described Bellflower as a city in limbo with the loss of redevelopment, they remained optimistic during the State of City luncheon Thursday.
With a theme of Investing in Bellflower, the event gave city leaders a chance to highlight recent significant investments.
Kaiser Permenante's investment of $15 million to improve its facility and HQT Homes' $7 million investment in the Belmont Court project to build up the mixed use of property in downtown were two major projects during the last year.
However, talks of economic troubles were unavoidable.
"We are certainly facing many economic challenges in these uncertain times," Mayor Scott Larsen said. "However, despite these tough times the City Council members and the city staff are always working very hard to provide the best services possible to our community and to positively shape the future of our great city."
During City Manager Jeff Stewart's speech - titled The Good, the Bad and the Ugly - the state was identified as an "ugly" because of its "money grab," he said.
Since 2004, the state has taken $5.48 million from Bellflower, he said, including $3 million from the demise of its Redevelopment Agency.
"A major economic development tool has evaporated and we're trying to figure out where to go next," said Brian Lee, director of Community Development. "We're looking into some alternate economic development tools on moving forward in life without redevelopment, because we can't stay the way we are."
The loss of the Redevelopment Agency, which had purchased a number of properties throughout the city, has, in many ways, brought the city to a standstill, Lee said.
"The biggest obstacle is not knowing. You may talk to a dozen developers who express an interest and maybe out of that, one may turn into something," he said. "But, if there's a question mark over everything - everything stops. Everything basically stops until the rules get rewritten and that's where we are right now."
Other financial challenges facing the city include budget cuts to parks and recreation, public works and public safety.
According to Larsen, the city has undergone a cumulative $15 million in cuts since 2008-09 fiscal year.
General Fund Revenues decreased by $2 million between the 2006-07 and 2010-11 fiscal years.
"The adopted 2011-2013 operating budget includes a shortfall of $450,000," he said. "We want to continue community reinvestment and revitalization, but resources are scarce."
The economic recovery has been slower than expected, Larsen said.
"Weaknesses in the housing market continue to affect both the construction industry and the financial services sector," he said.
Although difficult days remain ahead, Larsen promised that Bellflower will remain resilient.
"Despite a lot of adversity, this town has set its goals, shown its pride, and made its way forward," he said. "So to borrow from the great General Hannibal, `We will either find a way, or make one,' and we're going try to work hard to make a way or find a way to make this city worth investing in for the decades to come."
firstname.lastname@example.com, 562-714-2141, twitter.com/PamelaHaleBurns


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BOSTON, MA- For the second-straight season, the Merrimack women's indoor track & field claimed ninth place at the Northeast-10 Indoor Championships held at the Reggie Lewis Center Saturday evening. The Warriors totaled 25 points at the meet, coming up just three points behind Bentley.
Briana Devereaux (Londonderry, NH) earned All-Conference first team honors with a second-place finish in the 1,000 meter run with a mark of 3:01.94. Devereaux's time qualified her for the New England Championships.
Fiona Coleman (Windsor, CT) led a trio of Warriors in the top-10 of the 5,000 meter run as she claimed fourth. Kelsey Grimmer (Shelton, CT) crossed the finish line in seventh while Rebecca Ainscow (Derry, NH) seized ninth.
Ashley Wright (Somersworth, NH) cleared 1.47 meters in the high jump to garner an eighth-place finish in her first collegiate season.
Christine Manfra (Stoneham, MA) finished 11th in the 400 meter dash with a time of 1:04.76, just 0.18 seconds shy of a top-10 finish.
The Warriors' distance medley relay squad of Devereaux, Kayla Morong (Topsham, ME), Desiree DeLeon (Salem, MA) and Anne Bajor (Methuen, MA) earned second place with a mark of 12:44.21. The 4x800 relay quartet of Morong, Julie Binney (South Easton, MA), Andrea Chapa-Cerviatti (Worcester, MA) and Ashley Sarris (Shelton, CT) posted a time of 10:28.33 to claim eighth.
"We performed well today. Our athletes all came ready to compete. Every athlete turned in personal or seasonal bests in their events. Today was a big improvement over last year's results. It was great to see Merrimack be competitive is so many events," said head coach Matt Pimentel.
Up next, Merrimack will compete at the New England Championships February 24.


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Shutter Single Extra-Wide Vanity Base
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Angled louvers, an architectural detail from ancient Greece, find a new role as style – and ventilation – enhancing additions to the bath.
Show Details +
- 55½"W x 24"D x 32¾"H
Shown in Weathered Oak Drifted.
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text:
How to Access MarinMap public maps and data
To access MarinMap to download public map data:
Go to http://mmgis.marinmap.org
Click on Public Map Data
You will need to accept the MarinMap agreement to use the data by clicking "I Accept"
To download aerials:
Click on the link To download Aerial Photos(Ortho) Panels Click Here
Zoom to the location and follow the directions at the bottom of the screen to download the panels:
TO download a photo panel, Zoom and Pan to the location, then Click the hotlink in the toolbar and Click the Active radio button for Grid East Or Grid West in the Layers List. Then click on the map in the panel grid that you want. The Ortho Photos can be viewed by zooming in and clicking on the Orthos East and West Checkboxes. Click Refresh map after you change the visible checkbox in the Layer table. A page will appear that indicates which panel you selected with links to allow you to download the image in .tif or .sid There are 2 scales of aerial photos. 400 scale indicated by the larger grid lines, predominate in the west and the 200 scale indicated by the smaller grid lines and predominate over the east and populated areas.
To download other GIS information:
From the Public Map Data page, click on Vector Data.
Click on MarinMap
Click on the zipfile you wish to download
To view map information:
Search by address or Parcel ID in the Parcel Search window
Free viewers are required for some of the attached documents.
They can be downloaded by clicking on the icons below.
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text: The new Star Magazine says that Tina Simpson is boozing and that it is out of control and it is all blamed on the fact that Joe Simpson is dating a bunch of younger guys. The thing is she probably has known about the guys for a long time. The booze might be because it has gone public or maybe she just has always had a booze problem. Whatever the reason, Jessica Simpson is of course worried that her mom is going to lose it completely and be a drunken mess and "spiral out of control." Tina is apparently using hard liquor. I know, I know. No beer or Alizee for Tina she is going for the hard stuff. I don't want her to have a drinking problem, but I could just imagine her sitting on a couch in the dark sipping on a bottle of Jack while she mumbles about Ashlee's dance on SNL and her fondness for John Mayer's butt and the hugs of Nick Lachey while cursing Joe and listening to Jessica's songs on shuffle.


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Focus on Economic Data: The Federal Reserve and Monetary Policy, September 13, 2012
The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) of the Federal Reserve System (Fed) meets approximately every six weeks to determine the nation's monetary policy goals and, specifically, to set the target for the federal funds rate (fed funds rate). The fed funds rate is the interest rate at which banks lend their balances at the Federal Reserve to other banks, usually overnight.
The FOMC has maintained the target federal funds rate at a range of 0 to 1/4 percent since its December 16, 2008 meeting. The fed funds rate has been kept at this historically low level due to a long period of low and often negative real GDP growth, significant numbers of non-farm employment losses, and a high unemployment rate.
This lesson focuses on the September 13, 2012, press release by the Federal Open Market Committee on the current Federal Reserve monetary policy actions and goals.
NOTE: On occasion, the FOMC holds unscheduled face-to-face or conference call meetings to make more timely policy decisions in response to unusual economic events or conditions. The policy decisions made as a result of any of these unscheduled meetings will be included in the lesson on the next scheduled meeting.
- Explain the meaning and possible consequences of the September 13, 2012, Federal Open Market Committee decision concerning the target for the federal funds rate.
- Identify the current monetary policy goals of the Federal Reserve and the factors that have recently influenced monetary policy goals.
- Explain the structure and functions of the Federal Reserve System, Federal Reserve Banks, and the Federal Open Market Committee.
- Identify the monetary policy options and other tools available to the Federal Reserve to stimulate or contract the economy.
U.S. Monetary Policy - September 12, 2012
The purpose of the Federal Reserve System's Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) is to undertake monetary policy actions to "influence the availability and cost of money and credit to help promote national economic goals." The FOMC meets approximately every six weeks to review and recommend monetary policy goals and actions.
The nation's overall macroeconomic goals, as established by the Employment Act of 1946 (Public Law 79-304, February 20, 1946), are to "promote maximum employment, production, and purchasing power." The Fed's monetary policies are intended to help achieve these goals. The Federal Reserve Act of 1913 had previously given the Federal Reserve responsibility for establishing monetary policy.
In 1978, the Full Employment and Balanced Growth Act (also known as the Humphrey–Hawkins Full Employment Act), amended the 1946 law, after unemployment and inflation levels began to rise. The 1978 law called for a more specific macroeconomic goal - full employment.
- Students: What do you think of these national economic goals - promote maximum employment, production, and purchasing power. What do they mean? Should there be other national macroeconomic goals?
- Students: Do you think we can have full employment, growth and low inflation at the same time?
Take a look at the FOMC's September 13, 2012, monetary policy announcement for a better understanding of how the Federal Reserve's actions impact the current health and future prospects for the U.S. economy
Federal Open Market Committee Monetary Policy Press Release
Released: September 13, 2012
- "Information received since the Federal Open Market Committee met in August suggests that economic activity has continued to expand at a moderate pace in recent months. Growth in employment has been slow, and the unemployment rate remains elevated. Household spending has continued to advance, but growth in business fixed investment appears to have slowed. The housing sector has shown some further signs of improvement, albeit from a depressed level. Inflation has been subdued, although the prices of some key commodities have increased recently. Longer-term inflation expectations have remained stable."
NOTE: Unless otherwise cited, all quoted materials in this lesson are from the September 13, 2012, FOMC announcement.
The first paragraph of many recent FOMC announcements have begun, "Information received since the Federal Open Market Committee met in..." Since each announcement may signal a continuation or change in policy since the last meeting, any economic changes since that meeting are the focus of the FOMC's policy decision. In this case, the FOMC statement began with a positive outlook for the U.S. economic growth, but a less positive outlook for employment. "...economic activity has continued to expand at a moderate pace in recent months. Growth in employment has been slow, and the unemployment rate remains elevated."
Students: The FOMC announcement mentions some specific factors influencing its decision. In this case, some mixed signals, "the unemployment rate remains elevated. Household spending has continued to advance, but growth in business fixed investment appears to have slowed." How might these have influenced the FOMC's decision?
Next, the FOMC provided a rational for its policy decision, based on its Congressional mandate. The focus was on slow employment growth and lack of inflationary pressure.
"Consistent with its statutory mandate, the Committee seeks to foster maximum employment and price stability. The Committee is concerned that, without further policy accommodation, economic growth might not be strong enough to generate sustained improvement in labor market conditions. Furthermore, strains in global financial markets continue to pose significant downside risks to the economic outlook. The Committee also anticipates that inflation over the medium term likely would run at or below its 2 percent objective."
What is the FOMC's current policy priority?
"To support a stronger economic recovery and to help ensure that inflation, over time, is at the rate most consistent with its dual mandate, the Committee agreed today to increase policy accommodation by purchasing additional agency mortgage-backed securities at a pace of $40 billion per month. The Committee also will continue through the end of the year its program to extend the average maturity of its holdings of securities as announced in June, and it is maintaining its existing policy of reinvesting principal payments from its holdings of agency debt and agency mortgage-backed securities in agency mortgage-backed securities. These actions, which together will increase the Committee's holdings of longer-term securities by about $85 billion each month through the end of the year, should put downward pressure on longer-term interest rates, support mortgage markets, and help to make broader financial conditions more accommodative."
The FOMC's priority is the economic recovery. While continuing recent programs to extend the maturity of its security portfolio, they also pledged to purchase up to $40 billion in mortgage backed securities. This strategy is intended to further reduce long-term interest rates and stimulate investment and growth. Growth should positively impact hiring and reduce unemployment. This was a departure form recent policy statements in that it more specifically focused on employment and an even longer term strategy a New York Times article headline referred to as a "Forceful Move." [Appelbaum, Binyamon. "Fed Ties New Aid to Jobs Recovery in Forceful Move," The New York Times (September 14, 2012), page 1.]
The FOMC extended its projection for the current low interest rate policy through mid-2015 and "until the economic recovery strengthens."
- "To support continued progress toward maximum employment and price stability, the Committee expects that a highly accommodative stance of monetary policy will remain appropriate for a considerable time after the economic recovery strengthens. In particular, the Committee also decided today to keep the target range for the federal funds rate at 0 to 1/4 percent and currently anticipates that exceptionally low levels for the federal funds rate are likely to be warranted at least through mid-2015."
In November, 2010, the Fed announced a plan to purchase $600 billion in securities in order to increase liquidity in financial markets and stimulate the economy. Though this plan has critics, the Fed has stuck with the strategy. This time, the FOMC reiterated that goal and added a significant program to purchase mortgage-backed securities to further boost the housing market.
The FOMC decision was not unanimous. One member was concerned about the very specific time frame of the policy statement.
"Voting for the FOMC monetary policy action were: Ben S. Bernanke, Chairman; William C. Dudley, Vice Chairman; Elizabeth A. Duke; Dennis P. Lockhart; Sandra Pianalto; Jerome H. Powell; Sarah Bloom Raskin; Jeremy C. Stein; Daniel K. Tarullo; John C. Williams; and Janet L. Yellen. Voting against the action was Jeffrey M. Lacker, who opposed additional asset purchases and preferred to omit the description of the time period over which exceptionally low levels for the federal funds rate are likely to be warranted."
Students: Read the FOMC announcement from the FOMC webpage . It may be more interesting to read it from the original source Note the careful use of language by the FOMC.
In summary, this announcement was very similar to those of the FOMC meetings over the past year and a half, since the end of the recession. Keep interest rates low, provide greater liquidity, and keep an eye out for any changes in economic conditions, especially any signs of inflation.
Recent FOMC announcements have been accompanied by a press conference by Ben Bernanke, the Fed chairman, who adds some details to the official announcement and answers questions. In the future, the individual district banks will announce actions in their regions.
- Students: You can watch Ben Bernanke's September 13, 2012, press conference. Link: http://www.federalreserve.gov/monetarypolicy/fomcpresconf20120913.htm ]
Introduction to The Federal Reserve System, the FOMC, and Monetary Policy
The Federal Reserve System was created by Congress in 1913 "to provide the nation with a safer, more flexible, and more stable monetary and financial system." It is a federal system, composed of a central, governmental agency, the Board of Governors, in Washington, D.C., and twelve regional Federal Reserve Banks, located in major cities throughout the nation.
Note: Much of the following is summarized from the Federal Reserve publication: "The Federal Reserve System: Purposes and Functions ," which is available online.
The Federal Reserve's duties fall into four general areas:
Conducting the nation's monetary policy by influencing monetary and credit conditions in the economy in pursuit of maximum employment, stable prices, and moderate long-term interest rates.
Supervising and regulating banking institutions to ensure the safety and soundness of the nation's banking and financial system and to protect the credit rights of consumers.
Maintaining the stability of the financial system and containing systemic risk that may arise in financial markets.
- Providing financial services to depository institutions, the U.S. government, and foreign official institutions, including playing a major role in operating the nation's payments system.
Students: Review the four Federal Reserve duties mentioned above. Note that monetary policy is just one duty. The others include services that are provided by the district banks. See the online version of "The Federal Reserve: Purposes & Functions" for more details. Link: http://www.federalreserve.gov/pf/pf.htm
A Brief History of Central Banks
Most developed countries have a central bank whose functions are broadly similar to those of the Federal Reserve. The oldest, Sweden's Riksbank, has existed since 1668 and the Bank of England since 1694. Napoleon I established the Banque de France in 1800, and the Bank of Canada began operations in 1935. The German Bundesbank was reestablished after World War II and is loosely modeled on the Federal Reserve. More recently, some functions of the Banque de France and the Bundesbank have been assumed by the European Central Bank, formed in 1998.
The Creation of the Federal Reserve System
During the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century, financial panics plagued the nation, leading to bank failures and business bankruptcies that severely disrupted the economy. The failure of the nation's banking system to effectively provide funding to troubled depository institutions contributed significantly to the economy's vulnerability to financial panics. After the crisis of 1907, Congress established a commission and institution that would help prevent and contain financial disruptions.
Congress passed the Federal Reserve Act in "to provide for the establishment of Federal reserve banks, to furnish an elastic currency, to afford means of re-discounting commercial paper, to establish a more effective supervision of banking in the United States, and for other purposes." President Woodrow Wilson signed the act into law on December 23, 1913.
The twelve regional Federal Reserve Banks and their Branches carry out a variety of System functions, including operating a nationwide payments system, distributing the nation's currency and coin, supervising and regulating member banks and bank holding companies, and serving as banker for the U.S. Treasury. The twelve Reserve Banks are each responsible for a particular geographic area or district of the United States. Each Reserve District is identified by a number and a letter. Besides carrying out functions for the System as a whole, such as administering nationwide banking and credit policies, each Reserve Bank acts as a depository for the banks in its own District and fulfills other District responsibilities.
Students: Can you identify the Federal Reserve District bank that serves your school's geographic area?
The Twelve Federal Reserve Districts
Who owns the Fed?
Though its name may sound like a government-run agency, the Federal Reserve System is an independent body, created by Congress and subject to audit by the Government Accountability Office(GAO). The twelve district banks are owned by the member banking institutions. The Federal Reserve Board members and Chairman are appointed by the President and confirmed by Congress. Each district bank has its own board of directors.
The Federal Reserve's website explains: "The Federal Reserve System fulfills its public mission as an independent entity within government. It is not "owned" by anyone and is not a private, profit-making institution."
"As the nation's central bank, the Federal Reserve derives its authority from the Congress of the United States. It is considered an independent central bank because its monetary policy decisions do not have to be approved by the President or anyone else in the executive or legislative branches of government, it does not receive funding appropriated by the Congress, and the terms of the members of the Board of Governors span multiple presidential and congressional terms."
"However, the Federal Reserve is subject to oversight by the Congress, which often reviews the Federal Reserve's activities and can alter its responsibilities by statute. Therefore, the Federal Reserve can be more accurately described as "independent within the government" rather than "independent of government"."
"The 12 regional Federal Reserve Banks, which were established by the Congress as the operating arms of the nation's central banking system, are organized similarly to private corporations--possibly leading to some confusion about "ownership." For example, the Reserve Banks issue shares of stock to member banks. However, owning Reserve Bank stock is quite different from owning stock in a private company. The Reserve Banks are not operated for profit, and ownership of a certain amount of stock is, by law, a condition of membership in the System. The stock may not be sold, traded, or pledged as security for a loan; dividends are, by law, 6 percent per year. " Source: http://www.federalreserve.gov/faqs/about_14986.htm .
What if the Fed makes a profit?
In January, 2012, the Federal Reserve System announced that it was turning over $77 billion in profits to the U.S. Treasury, as it is required by law. The profits were the return from the Fed's investment portfolio - treasury securities, mortgage-backed securities, other investments, and some income from services it provides to financial institutions.
The Federal Reserve Board of Governors
The seven members of the Board of Governors are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate to serve 14-year terms of office. Members may serve only one full term, but a member who has been appointed to complete an unexpired term may be reappointed to a full term. The President designates, and the Senate confirms, two members of the Board to be Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Federal Reserve, for four-year terms. The current chairman of the Federal Reserve is Ben S. Bernanke, Ph.D. See Figure 2.
The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC)
An important component of the Federal Reserve System is the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), which is made up of the members of the Board of Governors, the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and presidents of four other Federal Reserve Banks, who serve on a rotating basis. The FOMC oversees open market operations, which is the main tool used by the Federal Reserve to influence money market conditions and the growth of money and credit. Traditionally, the Chairman of the Board of Governors serves as the Chairman of the FOMC.
- Students: What do you think is the rationale for the mix of voting members on the FOMC - seven FRB Governors, the NY Fed president and four other reserve bank presidents?
From the Fed webpage: "The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) consists of twelve members--the seven members of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System; the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York; and four of the remaining eleven Reserve Bank presidents, who serve one-year terms on a rotating basis. The rotating seats are filled from the following four groups of Banks, one Bank president from each group: Boston, Philadelphia, and Richmond; Cleveland and Chicago; Atlanta, St. Louis, and Dallas; and Minneapolis, Kansas City, and San Francisco. Nonvoting Reserve Bank presidents attend the meetings of the Committee, participate in the discussions, and contribute to the Committee's assessment of the economy and policy options."
Federal Reserve Policy Tools
The Federal Reserve implements monetary policy through its control over the federal funds rate, the rate at which depository institutions trade balances at the Federal Reserve. It exercises this control by influencing the demand for and supply of these balances through the following means:
- Open market operations: the purchase or sale of securities, primarily U.S. Treasury securities, in the open market to influence the level of balances that depository institutions hold at the Federal Reserve Banks. Open market operations are used to meet the goal of the target federal funds rate. Open market operations are conducted by the Domestic Trading Desk at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
- Reserve requirements: requirements regarding the percentage of certain deposits that depository institutions must hold in reserve in the form of cash or in an account at a Federal Reserve Bank.
- Contractual clearing balances: an amount that a depository institution agrees to hold at its Federal Reserve Bank in addition to any required reserve balance.
Discount window lending (discount rate): extensions of credit to depository institutions made through the primary, secondary, or seasonal lending programs.
By trading government securities, the New York Fed affects the federal funds rate, which is the interest rate at which depository institutions lend balances to each other overnight. The Federal Open Market Committee establishes the target rate for trading in the federal funds market. The target rate is currently set at a 0 to 1/4 percent range (since December, 2008.)
Figure 3, below, shows the recent history of the target federal funds rate through current period. Notice how the target rate has normally moved up and down in a cyclical pattern. This pattern of change is strongly correlated with the business cycles, generally increasing during expansionary periods and decreasing during contractions. The fed funds rate target has been set at 0 to 1/4 percent since December 2008.
What About LIBOR?
You may have heard recently some controversy over "LIBOR" interest rates. In the news, this may sound like LIBOR and the federal funds rate are the same. Well, they are similar, in that they are loans form one bank to another, but they are not the same.
The federal funds rate is the interest rate at which banks (depository institutions) lend their excess reserve balances to other banks. Only U.S. banks participate in this system. These loans are usually overnight in U.S. dollars.
The target federal funds rate is a target interest rate that is set by the FOMC for implementing U.S. monetary policies. The effective federal funds rate is achieved by using open market operations through the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, trading U.S. Treasury and other federal agency securities.
LIBOR (London InterBank Offered Rate) is the average interest rate determined by a small group of large banks that participate in the London interbank money market. One bank can borrow unsecured funds from other banks at this rate. These loans can be from overnight to one year, and can be in a variety of currencies.
LIBOR is calculated from prevailing interest rates between highly credit-worthy institutions. It may or may not be used to derive business terms. It is not fixed beforehand and is not meant to be part of macroeconomic policy.
- For more information about the U.S. Federal Reserve System and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System
For more information about the FOMC, go to "About the FOMC
How Monetary Policy Affects the Economy
The initial link in the chain between monetary policy and the economy is the market for balances held at the Federal Reserve Banks. Depository institutions have accounts at their Reserve Banks, and they actively trade balances held in these accounts in the federal funds market at an interest rate known as the federal funds rate. The Federal Reserve exercises considerable control over the federal funds rate through its influence over the supply of and demand for balances at the Reserve Banks.
The FOMC sets the federal funds rate at a level it believes will foster financial and monetary conditions consistent with achieving its monetary policy objectives, and it adjusts that target in line with evolving economic developments. A change in the federal funds rate, or even a change in expectations about the future level of the federal funds rate, can set off a chain of events that will affect other short-term interest rates, longer-term interest rates, the foreign exchange value of the dollar, and stock prices. In turn, changes in these variables will affect households' and businesses' spending decisions, thereby affecting growth in aggregate demand and the economy.
Short-term interest rates, such as those on Treasury bills and commercial paper, are affected not only by the current level of the federal funds rate but also by expectations about the overnight federal funds rate over the duration of the short-term contract. As a result, short-term interest rates could decline if the Federal Reserve surprised market participants with a reduction in the federal funds rate, or if unfolding events convinced participants that the Federal Reserve was going to be holding the federal funds rate lower than had been anticipated. Similarly, short-term interest rates would increase if the Federal Reserve surprised market participants by announcing an increase in the federal funds rate, or if some event prompted market participants to believe that the Federal Reserve was going to be holding the federal funds rate at higher levels than had been anticipated.
Expansionary monetary policy actions: Decrease interest rates
- Reduce the target fed funds rate
- Open market operations: buy securities
- Reduce reserve requirements
- Decrease the discount rate
Contractionary monetary policy actions: Increase interest rates
- Increase the target fed funds rate
- Open market operations: sell securities
- Increase reserve requirements
- Increase the discount rate
Want to know more about Federal Reserve policy options, go to: "Open Market Operations "
Changes in short-term interest rates will influence long-term interest rates, such as those on Treasury notes, corporate bonds, fixed-rate mortgages, and auto and other consumer loans. Long-term rates are affected not only by changes in current short-term rates but also by expectations about short-term rates over the rest of the life of the long-term contract. Generally, economic news or statements by officials will have a greater impact on short-term interest rates than on longer rates because they typically have a bearing on the course of the economy and monetary policy over a shorter period; however, the impact on long rates can also be considerable because the news has clear implications for the expected course of short-term rates over a longer time period.
In the current economic environment of slow growth, high unemployment , and slow credit markets, the Fed has adopted a stimulatory policy. Given the very low level of interest rates, over the last year, the Federal Reserve has taken additional measures to open up financial markets and stimulate spending.
Students: Can you identify the intended impact when the Fed uses its various policy options and tools? If the Fed sells securities, what will happen? If the Fed reduces rates, what will happen? If the Fed increases reserve requirements, what will happen?
During the recession, the Federal Reserve established several new programs to counter the "liquidity crisis" and the tight credit markets. These programs are intended to provide capital to different types of financial institutions "to strengthen market stability, improve the strength of financial institutions, and enhance market liquidity. Most of these special program have been ended or "wound down" in the past year.
The first of these new Fed programs was the Term Auction Facility (TAF), created to improve bank liquidity. The TAF "allows a depository institution to place a bid for an advance from its local Federal Reserve Bank at an interest rate that is determined as the result of an auction. By allowing the Federal Reserve to inject term funds through a broader range of counterparties and against a broader range of collateral than open market operations, this facility could help ensure that liquidity provisions can be disseminated efficiently even when the unsecured interbank markets are under stress."
The common thread in these Fed programs' goals is to improve the balance sheets of financial institutions by supporting the value of their assets. One of the problems with bank holding has been uncertainty about the underlying value of the securities they hold. By replacing the banks' securities, such as mortgaged-backed securities, with those with more secure values, confidence in the banks will increase. In a more stable market with more predictable asset values, more narrowing and lending should result.
Remember, the Fed has two mandates, established by the Congress with the Employment Act of 1946. They are price stability (low inflation) and full employment. These two goals are often in conflict. When the economy is growing too slowly, demand for goods/services is low, and there is no anticipation of inflation. When growth is slow or negative, unemployment tends to be higher.
When the economy is growing too quickly, the opposite tends to result, higher inflation and low unemployment. Recently, the unemployment rate has fallen to 8.2 percent, but remains well above an acceptable level.
- Students: With currently low inflation, Fed policy can focus on growth and stimulating employment. Is it worth the risk of inflation?
At its September, 2012, meeting, the FOMC took a stronger stance to stimulate the economy, by directly targeting employment and the housing market - two weak spots in the recovery -by purchasing mortgage-backed securities.
According to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, mortgage-backed securities are, "debt obligations that represent claims to the cash flows from pools of mortgage loans, most commonly on residential property. Mortgage loans are purchased from banks, mortgage companies, and other originators and then assembled into pools by a governmental, quasi-governmental, or private entity. The entity then issues securities that represent claims on the principal and interest payments made by borrowers on the loans in the pool, a process known as securitization. [Source: "Mortgage-Backed Securities," U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. URL: http://www.sec.gov/answers/mortgagesecurities.htm . Cited September 14, 2012.]
By buying these securities from banks, the banks will have stronger balance sheets and a greater capacity to make loans to households and businesses. The loans, hopefully, will result in more hiring.
Will it work?
With the unemployment rate hovering just over 9 percent, the FOMC has decided that more forceful measures are needed to get the economy going. Keep an eye on the employment and real GDP growth data to see if it works.
Take a look at data about your school's Federal Reserve district bank. 12 regional Federal Reserve banks serve the United States.
From the Map of the Twelve Federal Reserve System Districts , identify the Federal Reserve district bank that serves your school's geographic area.
Explore your Federal Reserve district bank's web site for information about the economic health of your region and programs available to your area's businesses and consumers.
- Are economic conditions in your region of the United States similar, better or worse than national economic conditions? Growth? Employment/unemployment? Price level changes?
- Are there any particular characteristics about your region that impact it's economic health - better or worse than other regions?
- What do the president and/or other leaders of your Federal Reserve Bank have say about current regional economic conditions?
- What programs and information services does your Federal Reserve Bank offer to businesses, consumers or schools?
Take another look at the map of the regional Federal Reserve Banks. Do the sizes and boundaries of the twelve regions make sense to you? Remember, this map was drawn in 1913 when the populations and levels of economic activity of the western and southern regions were much smaller parts of the total U.S. economy.
Do you think the map would look different if the regions were established and the map was drawn today?]