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helloPublished January 10, 2013 Uncategorized 6 Comments
A Summary Defense of John Paul IIPublished August 16, 2009 Pope John Paul II , Saints 4 Comments
Tags: Canonization, Catholic, Pope John Paul II, Saints, Sanctity
… and why he should be canonized a saint.
It is practically a foregone conclusion that John Paul II will be canonized a saint in the coming years. This makes some quite uncomfortable, and others downright angry. In fact, the whole idea of sanctity is rather antiquated in our culture. We don't like to single others out. It's not polite. And anyway, who's to say you're holier than I? Because of the very public nature of the papacy, not all will be happy with the canonization of Pope John Paul II; and this is perhaps the reason that less than a quarter of all Popes have been canonized. No public office holder, secular or religious, holds a 100% approval rating; but this should not be an impediment to canonization, nor will it be.
The arguments against John Paul II's canonization come down to one thing: He was a bad Pope. The arguments may not state that explicitly (some do), but it is certainly the conclusion to be drawn. Just take a look what happened to the Church on John Paul II's watch. The number of priests and religious have dwindled. Known sexual deviants among the clergy were "protected". Catechesis among the faithful was almost non-existent. Catholic politicians at odds with Church teaching (usually regarding abortion and contraception) were allowed to receive communion without retribution. In a similar fashion, "liberal" theologians, with few exceptions, were allowed to continue teaching at Catholic universities and receive communion without penalty. And so it goes. Basically, everything that is wrong with the Church happened, and indeed flourished, under John Paul II's watch. But this cannot be a serious argument against his canonization.
It is rather unfair to blame all the ills of the Church on a Pope that was elected in 1978. As most would agree, it is empirically evident that all of the aforementioned ills were present, at least in seed form, in the period between the closing of Vatican II and John Paul II's election as Pope. Besides that, the entire line of argumentation is premised on a false perception of papal power. It is said that John Paul II "didn't do enough", as if the role of the papacy is to force, from on high, orthodoxy on the rest of the Church. This is not how John Paul II saw his role as Pope, and, I might add, that is not how Benedict XVI envisions his role either. What many see as the job of the Pope to "fix" whatever problems are existent in the Church is primarily the job of local Bishops. It is the local Bishop who is to foster vacations within his diocese. It is the local Bishop who is to ensure his faithful are catechized; and it is the local Bishop who is to discipline sexually deviant priests, and heterodox politicians and professors. Sure, the Pope can and, arguably, should step in when a Bishop is not doing his job; but now the argument against John Paul II has been narrowed from "he was a bad pope" to "he was a bad disciplinarian". Fine. John Paul II even admitted as much in his book Gift and Mystery (his reflections on the 50th anniversary of his ordination). But is this reason to doubt his personal sanctity? I think not.
Being non-confrontational and a bad disciplinarian no more speaks against one's personal sanctity than does being confrontational or a good disciplinarian. These are character traits, not marks of virtue (or non-virtue). It can be argued that, as Pope, it was John Paul II's job to discipline those who erred. Besides the fact that this is primarily the role of the local Bishop, let us remember that the papacy was not something for which John Paul II volunteered. In fact, he wanted more than anything to go back to his beloved Poland upon completion of the 2nd conclave of 1978. However, the Holy Spirit had other plans, and he accepted his new role as an obedient son of the Church. Is it reasonable to expect that someone as non-confrontational as Pope John Paul II would spontaneously exhibit disciplinary vigor after his election as Pope? Of course not. After all, he was human and putting on the papal mitre in no way changes this fact.
Was John Paul II a good Pope? Maybe not, depending on your view of the role of the papacy or your political leanings. But the real question is, throughout his life did those who knew him see John Paul II as one exhibiting exceptional virtue, personal holiness, and singular devotion to God and man? By all accounts, the answer is a resounding yes! And is this not the reason for canonization, to provide the (Catholic) faithful a model of virtue and holiness to be imitated? If John Paul II were not to be canonized, it would simply be because he is a public figure, and thus controversial. I'd hate to think that on such grounds the Church could be robbed of such a model of sanctity. No matter how you slice it, the arguments against the canonization of John Paul II come down to what this or that person dislikes about his papacy. He was too lenient. He was too liberal. He was too conservative. Blah, blah, blah. It's a shame that someone who is otherwise a saint can be denied canonization for being a crummy administrator or not amiable to your political or theological agenda.
In closing I will state the very obvious fact that every canonized saint had flaws of character, no matter what the hagiographers may tell us. And every saint was a sinner, like the rest of us; but, unlike most of us, they exhibited in an exceptional way personal holiness and devotion to God and his people. It is for this reason, and this reason alone, that John Paul II should be canonized. I am of the opinion that St. Francis of Assisi is perhaps the greatest saint (regarding personal holiness) in the history of the western Church, but I am quite sure that he would have made an awful Pope. Thank God he was never put in such a position, or we may have been deprived of one of the Church's great saints.
(More) Chesterton on Birth ControlPublished August 15, 2009 Ethics , G.K. Chesterton , Marriage and Family , Politics Leave a Comment
Tags: Birth Control, G. K. Chesterton, Gilbert Magazine
… If [the Birth-Controller] can prevent his servants from having families, he need not support those families. Why the devil should he?
If anybody doubts that this is the very simple motive, let him test it by the very simple statements made by various Birth-Controllers like the Dean of St. Paul's. They never do say that we suffer from a too bountiful supply of bankers or that cosmopolitan financiers must not have such large families. They do not say that the fashionable throng at Ascot wants thinning, or that it is desirable to decimate the people dining at the Ritz or the Savoy…
But the Birth-Controllers have not the smallest desire to control that jungle. It is much too dangerous a jungle to touch. It contains tigers. They never do talk about a danger from the comfortable classes. The Gloomy Dean is not gloomy about there being too many Dukes; and naturally not about there being too many Deans. He is not primarily annoyed with a politician for having a whole population of poor relations, though places and public salaries have to found for all relations. Political Economy means that everybody except politicians must be economical.
The Birth-Controller does not bother about all these things, for the perfectly simple reason that it is not such people that he wants to control. What he wants to control is the populace, and he practically says so. He always insists that a workman has no right to have so many children, or that a slum is perilous because it produces so many children. The question he dreads is "Why has not the workman a better wage? Why has not the slum family a better house?" His way of escaping from it is to suggest, not a larger house, but a smaller family. The landlord or the employer says in his hearty and handsome fashion: "You really cannot expect me to deprive myself of my money. But I will make a sacrifice. I will deprive myself of your children."
— G. K. Chesterton, quoted from Gilbert Magazine, Volume 12 Number 8 (July/August 2009)
Defining the CanonPublished July 6, 2009 History , Scripture 1 Comment
Tags: Canon, Christianity, History, Scripture
A list of the works to be considered authoritative began to take form in the Christian community earlier than I had supposed. We always hear that the "definitive" list was not compiled in the 4th century, but less attention is paid to the fact that many of these works were considered authoritative well before then.
In about 180 CE (at almost the same time Irenaeus was defending the four Gospels against Marcion, who wanted to acknowledge Luke alone) there appeared the first listing of the books of the New Testament that bears a similarity with the present Christian canon. The Muratorian canon (as the list came to be known) listed the four Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, the Pauline letters, and the rest of the present New Testament with the omission of Hebrews, James, and the two letters attributed to Peter. The list included, however, the Shepard of Hermas, a popular work of the late first century. No definitive canon was established until the fourth century, and even then there would be disagreement over the Epistle to the Hebrews, but the attempt to form a distinctive Christian canon had begun.
— Robert Bruce Mullin, A Short World History of Christianity (Westminster John Knox Press, 2008)
Understanding SexPublished May 17, 2009 Dietrich von Hildebrand , Ethics , Holiness of Life , Marriage and Family , News 4 Comments
Tags: Alice von Hildebrand, Catholic, Christianity, Christopher West, Dietrich von Hildebrand, Ethics, John Paul II, Sex
Alice von Hildebrand has recently taken issue with the way Christopher West explains John Paul II's Theology of the Body. Alice von Hildebrand is someone I greatly admire and respect, so when she speaks I listen. I know many others feel the same. Her main concern with West seems to be his lack of reverence when discussing something as "intimate" and "extremely serious" as sex. Von Hildebrand is also concerned that West does not respect the tremendous danger posed to us by concupiscence. Read the CNA article
Recently, West, in an interview with ABC, made remarks suggesting that Pope John Paul II's Theology of the Body takes what was good in the sexual revolution a step further. West sees an explicit and "profound" conncection between Hugh Hefner and Pope John Paul II. Both saw that sex was good and natural, but only one (JPII) saw how sex can be sanctified. There is a good point to be made here, but it does lack reverence. But I think this is exactly what West is trying to do. He is trying to use "the language of the world" in order to show the world a "better way", like a Trojan horse of Holy Love Making in the temple of the Aphrodite. This is fine as far as it goes, but I do share von Hildebrand's concerns. If sex is sacred, it should be talked about with reverence. If sex is beautiful then it should be talked about in the language of beauty. This was something her husband, Dietrich von Hildebrand, was very concerned with. He wrote that one of the greatest sins that go unnoticed in our world is irreverence. Giving a proper response to value is what makes us human and a proper mark of reverence. An improper response to value belies irreverence. It seems this understanding of irreverence in response to value is what underlies Alice von Hildebrand's concerns with West's approach to sex. I tend to agree with her. Let us not be prudish Puritans, but lets us not be Holy Playboys either.
Aristotelian Influences – Part 3Published May 15, 2009 History , Philosophy 3 Comments
Tags: Aristotle, Catholic, Frederick Coplestone, History, Philosophy, Theology
Or The Triumph of Aristotle in Medieval Theology
However, in 1231 Pope Gregory IX, while maintaing the prohibition, appointed a commission of theologians, William of Auxerre, Stephen of Provins and Simon of Authie, to correct the prohibited books of Aristotle, and as this measure obviously implied that the books were not fundamentally unsound, the prohibition tended to be neglected. It was extended to Toulouse in 1245 by Innocent IV, but by that date it was no longer possible to check the spread of Aristotelianism and from 1255 all the known works of Aristotle were officially lectured on in the University of Paris. The Holy See made no move against the university though in 1263 Pope Urban IV renewed the prohibition of 1210, probably out of fear of Averroism, the renewed prohibition remaining a dead letter. The Pope must have known perfectly well that William of Moerbeke was translating the prohibited works of Aristotle at his own court, and the prohibition of 1263 must have been a check to Averroism, not as a seriously meant attempt to put an end to all study of the Aristotelian philosophy. In any case the prohibition was of no effect, and finally in 1366 the Legates of Pope Urban V required from all candidates for the Licentiate of Arts at Paris a knowledge of all the known works of Aristotle. It had by then long been clear to the mediaevals that a work like the Liber de Causis was not Aristotelian and that the philosophy of Aristotle was not, except of course, in the eyes of the Latin Averroists, bound up with the interpretation given it by Averroes but could be harmonised with the Christian faith. Indeed the dogmas of faith themselves had by then been expressed by theologians in terms taken from the Aristotelian system.
This brief summary of the official attitude to Aristotle on the part of ecclesiastical and academic authority shows that Aristotelianism triumphed in the end. This does not mean, however, that all mediaeval philosophers of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries extended an equal welcome to Aristotle or that they all understood him in the same way: the vigour and variety of mediaeval thought will be made clear in succeeding chapters. There is truth in the statement that that shadow of Aristotle hung over and dominated the philosophic thought of the Middle Ages, but it is not the whole truth, and we would have a very inadequate idea of mediaeval philosophy in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries if we imagined that it was inspired and characterized by a slavish acceptance of every word of the great Greek philosopher.
Frederick Coplestone, S.J. – A History of Philosophy, Volume 2 (Doubleday, 1993)
Aristotelian Influences – Part 2Published May 14, 2009 History , Philosophy 1 Comment
Tags: Aristotle, Frederick Coplestone, History, Philosophy
Or The Prohibition of Aristotle in Medieval Theology
However, the system of Aristotle did not meet with universal welcome and approbation, though it could not be ignored. Largely because the Liber de Causis (until St. Thomas discovered the truth), the so-called Theologia Aristotelis (extracts from the Enneads of Plotinus) and the De secretis secretorum (composed by an Arab philosopher in the eleventh or beginning of the twelfth century) were wrongly attributed to Aristotle, the latter's philosophy tended to appear in a false light. Moreover, the attribution of these books to Aristotle naturally made it appear that the Arab comentators were justified in their neo-Platonic interpretation. Hence it came about that in 1210 the Provincial Council of Paris, meeting under the presidency of Peter of Corbeil, Archbishop of Sens, forbad the public or private teaching of Aristotle's 'natural philosophy' or of the commentaries on them. This prohibition was imposed under pain of excommunication and applied to the University of Paris. In all probability 'natural philosophy' included the metaphysics of Aristotle, since when the statutes of the university were sanctioned by Robert de Courcon, Papal Legate, in 1215 Aristotle's works on metaphysics and natural philosophy, as well as compendia of these works and the doctrines of David of Dinant, Amalric of Bene and Maurice of Spain (probably Averroes, the Moor or Maurus) were prohibited, though the study of Aristotle's logic was ordered. The study of the Ethics was not forbidden.
The reason for the prohibition was, as already indicated, largely due to the ascription to Aristotle of works which were not by him. Amalric of Bene, whose writings were included in the prohibition of 1215, maintained doctrines which were at variance with Christian teaching and which would naturally appear to find some support in the philosophy of Aristotle, if the latter were interpreted in the light of all the books attributed to him, while David of Dinant, the other heretical philosopher whose writings were prohibited, had actually appealed to the Metaphysics, which had been translated into Latin from the Greek version brought from Byzantium before 1210. To these considerations must be added the undoubted fact that Aristotle maintained the eternity of the world. It was, therefore, not unnatural that the Aristotelian system, especially when coupled with the philosophies of Daivd of Dinant, Amalric of Bene and Averroes, should appear as a danger to orthodoxy in the eyes of the traditionalists. The logic of Aristotle had long been in use, even if the full Organon had come into circulation only comparatively recently, but the complete metaphysical and cosmological teaching of Aristotle was a novelty, a novelty rendered all the more dangerous through association with heretical philosophies.
Frederick Coplestone, S.J. – A History of Philosophy, Volume 2 (Doubleday, 1993)


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DUBAI (Reuters) - All those killed when gunmen opened fire during a military parade in Iran belonged to the country's elite Revolutionary Guards, the semi-official Tasnim news agency said.
Up to ten people died in the attack in the southwestern city of Ahvaz, it said.
Reporting By Dubai Newsroom; Writing By Maha El Dahan; editing by John Stonestreet

subset: commoncrawl


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The Sony PSP is one of my favorite portable devices, simply because it delivers a quality gaming experience on the go. Over the past year, Sony has been making slight improvements to the PSP, and it's not hard to see where the trend is going…
Many portable "phones" today are really nothing more than an attempt to be the "everything to everyone" gadget. Today's phones include a camera, video cam, microphone, speaker, touch screen, keyboard, wireless networking, headphones… everything that a computer has. And now cell phone vendors (*cough* iPhone *cough*) are trying to say that their gadgets are even full-blown gaming consoles. Unfortunately, many of these games are casual in nature, and really do not appeal to a "real" gamer.
Some of the updates to the PSP include Skype, microphone, and web camera (sold separately). Really all you need to make the PSP a full-blown phone/online gaming device is to add a keyboard and 3G. (a second analog stick wouldn't hurt, either). The PSP already has Skype, so you only need a "data" plan with your device.
What if the PSP had a slide-out keyboard? The PS3 and Xbox 360 controllers have mini-keyboard attachments, so this should be the next big thing for the PSP. Or what if the gaming controls slid out from the sides?
I cannot bring myself to purchase one of today's gadget phones. If money were no object, then I would have one, but the cost/benefit must be analyzed… is it worth $100 a month for a gadget that I would barely use? Sure it would be neat, but is it really worth it?
The "hard-core" gamer would be very happy with a true "gaming" phone… be it a PSP phone, or if vendors would produce real games for phones rather than shoving crapware down our throats.
The first thing that must happen is better hardware. Some cell phones come with 3d hardware (iPhone and the Google phone), but these really can't compete with what the PSP can do, and there are many other shortcomings in the hardware department (read why PSP is better than iPhone).
The second thing for this to be a success are the games. For Sony… just keep doing what you're doing. PSP games completely blow away any cheap-ass casual offering on the iPhone, and robust online games like Resistance: Retribution (reviewed here) puts nails in the coffin.
For Apple… well… you have a lot of catching up to do in the gaming department… Casual games are becoming a significant portion of the gaming market, but you won't be considered serious until you have serious games.
Now is the time for Microsoft or Nintendo to throw down the gauntlet. Microsoft has the phone know-how (kindof), and Nintendo is the uncontended gaming leader.
The time is right for a "true" gaming phone. Who will get there first, and who will do it best?


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Homeopathic Cold Remedies
Quick Bits…
Common homeopathic remedies help with the common cold? But of course! Here are eight of the best to stop those sniffles and sneezes. Just match your symptoms to the remedy.
If you liked the information on this page you may also enjoy our regular newsletter, full of information, news, discounts, and offers. Subscribe here.
Note: All information we provide and comments we make are from the homeopathic perspective. They are not necessarily endorsed by sectors of some governments, medico-pharmaceutical groups, "skeptic" organisations or those unfamiliar with homeopathy. Comments, references or links posted by others on this page may not reflect the opinion of Homeopathy Plus and so should not be seen as an endorsement or recommendation by Homeopathy Plus. Please see a trusted healthcare practitioner for advice on health problems. Further information about the purpose of our material may be read in our disclaimer.


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No Pictures yet I'm afraid, but I wanted to post a quick update that the GP02 is coming along very, VERY well. I stumbled onto a concept I had no intention of producing but now that I've gotten it started, I'm quite excited.
I'm going to keep the concept under wraps for now, its not as much a "secret" as I just want to build a little anticipation. Needless to say, I have my customized decals sent already from Samueldecal.com (thanks again Samuel, you truly are the best!) and the implemented parts are nearly complete. Mecha Skunk is closing, I'm sad to report, but I ordered a large shipment of metal detailing parts which just arrived today, so that's good news.
So stay tuned for the GP02 project, part 1 of a 5 part Alternate Universal Century project presented here ate Korewa Gundam!
Until next time –


text: DigitalThe Social NotworkBy Shea Bennett|March 14, 2011 ShareBy Shea Bennett|March 14, 2011 ShareAre you using Twitter and Facebook productively, or are you just goofing around? There is no right or wrong answer – you can use these technologies in any way you choose. That's kind of the point. So go ahead: waste time.But that's only okay if it's your time. If it's your boss's, or your colleague's, or mine, then we have a problem. And if we have a problem, we need a solution. And fast.So ask yourself some questions: how can I use Twitter more productively at work? Can I use Twitter more productively at work? What does 'productive' even mean? And if I figure all of this out, will my boss be okay with it?These are problems only you can answer. But let me leave you with this: if you're minimising or hiding away your social networking activity each and every time your boss gets even a little bit close to your screen, you're already in trouble. Despite appearances, he or she is not as stupid as they seem. In all likelihood, they've already noticed, and it's only a matter of time before you're called out. So quit the nonchalance, and do the work.Or you can just shrug your shoulders and carry on goofing around. Hey, it's worked for you so far. And after all, they're only the people who sign off on your paychecks. Sharehttp://adweek.it/2kWLon6 copy Adweek Adweek


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162, 5334 72 Avenue SE
Pawhaus is a quality addition to Calgary's burgeoning array of independent pet suppliers. An ample stock of Nearly Naked neckwear is displayed, together with equally large selections of West Paw and Jolly Pets products. Grade-A nosh is furnished, including Hurraw from Quebec. Service is enthusiastic, and the shop is owned by a trainer, so sound advice on products is much more likely than it is at other retailers. Pawhaus also boasts a great-looking training room that can be booked for classes or events.


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Apparently, we've been doing this wrong all along. You know how a standard toilet is about the height of a chair and allows you to retain a seated position while using it? Well, new studies are actually showing that this could actually be detrimental to a person'sRead more →
Yet another reason to have your heating units cleaned and inspected has surfaced, this time in South Carolina. According to a recent article in the NY Daily News, a South Carolina mother of five recently found her ex-boyfriend, whom she had broken up with more than 12Read more →
Fall is one of the best times of year to get away. Whether it's for a long weekend or an entire seven-day adventure, the season provides a great opportunity to embrace cooler temperatures and beautiful scenery. And thankfully we live in an area filled with lakes andRead more →
Depending on your personal tolerance to cold, September may be the month in which you first turn on your furnace. With average lows in the 40s at night, the Wisconsin climate can start to get cool this time of year, and it can either make you happyRead more →


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College of Engineering & Science
Students demonstrate final robotics [Video]
December 16, 2015
Students in the Introduction to Microcontrollers demonstrate their robots during the final exam this week.
Robot features included:
- Random walk
- Navigate obstacles
- Respond to color sensors
- Locate an object and deposit it in a container.
Watch how well the robots perform.


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October 1st brings much "blessings" to wrestling fans, something they wouldn't have on a normal day.
With the live updates from Madison Square Garden special, Raw, SmackDown and NXT TakeOver: we dare say, the week was power packed.
See also: WWE Hell in a Cell 2015: Undertaker Vs Brock Lesnar MATCH PREDICTION — Updated
Several match contests rocked the industry making it not only difficult to distinguish which is more interesting than the other but also which talent did better.
See also: Latest WWE SmackDown Results: Dolph Ziggler "Slaps" John Cena |Big E Vs. Xavier Woods Kicks For More
However, One wrestler we would love to speak about is Asuka who has so much substance and breath in her. Her style of fighting, her courage and her achievements makes it difficult for us to consider a week full of matches without mentioning her. We believe in her and we think if she is book properly in the future, she would affect WWE positively; WWE needs more wrestlers like her, spectators are already whispering.


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NEWS - Aircraft locates 'missing' Lord Howe Race yacht
Hempel Paints 37th Gosford to Lord Howe Island Yacht Race
1630 November 3: A search aircraft from Lord Howe Island late this afternoon located the 'missing' yacht Frantic, which had been competing in the Hempel Paints 37th Gosford to Lord Howe Island Yacht Race.
Frantic, skippered by Michael Martin from Lake Macquarie Yacht Club, had not been in radio contact with the race organisers, Gosford Sailing Club, since the start of the 414nm race across the Tasman Sea last Saturday.
The 11.9m Sayer-designed sloop was sighted about 200nm east of Newcastle on the NSW Central Coast and about the same distance southwest of Lord Howe Island. She was heading under sail back towards her home port.
"The Cessna aircraft was able to fly low enough to be certain that the yacht was not in any trouble and was making good time," said Gosford Yacht Club president, Andrew McDougall in announcing the successful sighting of Frantic.
"I think, however, it will be a couple of days before they reach port."
"The exercise underlines the efficient organisation set-up by the club to deal with situations in such a long ocean race, which takes the fleet across more than 400nm of open sea.
"Initially, when the yacht had failed to radio her position after two consecutive radio 'skeds', we asked Frantic to fire a white flare shortly after midnight on Sunday. The crew of Frantic responded correctly and the flare was sighted by another competitor, Polaris of Belmont.
"We assumed that Frantic was continuing to race, despite having radio problems, but this morning, with all racing and retired yachts now in port, we activated the second stage of our crisis management plan.
"After contact with NSW police and the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, a Cessna flew from Lord Howe Island to the area where we had plotted the yacht was likely to be, based on co-ordinates from a satellite tracker aboard the boat.
"The aircraft sighted the yacht about 3.34pm, with the pilot and observers satisfied that all was well aboard the boat and that she was heading home without any need for outside assistance.
"Fellow competitors already on Lord Howe Island were advised of the successful sighting of Frantic and of the crew's wellbeing late this afternoon," McDougall said.
The last racing yacht to finish what has been a tough race, with the fleet battling strong headwinds most of the way across the Tasman Sea, was the Gosford Yacht Club entry Polaris of Belmont, skippered by Chris Dawe.
The veteran yacht, which competed in the first Gosford to Lord Howe Island Race seven years ago, crossed the finish line off Lord Howe's coral lagoon at 8.50am today. The retired yacht from Queensland, Charlie's Dream, also reached the island.
Race director Bob Swan has confirmed Paul Clitheroe's Beneteau 45 Balance as the IRC division winner while Polaris of Belmont took out PHS honours.
— Peter Campbell
Photo: Frantic found and heading for home. (pic © Saltwaterimages).
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Abu Dhabi is the largest of the seven emirates that comprise the United Arab Emirates and was also the largest of the former Trucial States.
An estimated 1,000,000 people live here, with an estimated 80% expatriate population.
The capital houses important offices of the federal government and is the home of the ruling family and the President of the UAE. Abu Dhabi has grown to be a cosmopolitan metropolis. Its rapid development and urbanisation, coupled with the relatively high average income of its population, has transformed Abu Dhabi to a larger and advanced metropolis.
Blending a "Manhattan" skyline with landscaped parks and gardens, the city is a jewel in the desert warmly welcoming all visitors.
The capital of UAE, Abu Dhabi lies on a T-shaped island jutting into the Arabian Gulf from the central western coast.
Abu Dhabi Climate
Sunny/blue skies can be expected through-out the year. The months June through September are generally hot and humid with temperatures averaging above 40ºC (110ºF). The weather is usually pleasant from October to May. January and February are cooler and may require the use of a light jacket.
Local Currency
The local currency used in Abu Dhabi is the UAE dirham (AED or Dhs). Cash is the best method of payment, especially when shopping in souks (markets) or using taxis. In shopping malls, one can withdraw money from ATMs which will mostly accept any card such as American Express, Cirrus, MasterCard, Visa, Cirrus and Plus System.
Credit and debit cards are also widely used as a method of payment.
Arabic is the official language of the UAE, but English is widely spoken and understood.
Social Etiquette
Abu Dhabi is a modern city that welcomes visitors from all around the world. Certain factors must be taken into consideration during your visit. A conservative dress code is highly recommended, especially in public places. Swimwear is acceptable only at the beach or around the swimming pools.
Etiquette during the Holy Month of Ramadan
During the Holy Month of Ramadan, residents and visitors are requested to refrain from drinking, eating and smoking in public areas (including chewing gum, sweets or drinking water). A very conservative dress code should also be adhered to. Men should wear trousers and a shirt and women should wear either long dresses or a conservative top and skirt/trousers.
Emirati Cuisine
The local cuisine in United Arab Emirates consists of a blend of Middle Eastern and Asian cuisines. Due to the harsh desert conditions, the traditional cuisine incorporates a lot of meat, grain and dairy. Reflecting UAE's trade heritage, the cuisine is rich with spices such as saffron, turmeric and cinnamon, along with nuts, limes and dried fruits.
Experience authentic Emirati Cuisine, in the capital's first fine-dining Emirati restaurant Mezlai at Emirates Palace.
Transportation in Abu Dhabi and getting around from A to Z
Abu Dhabi International Airport serves this city. The local time is GMT + 4 hours. Public transportation is available within the city. Visitors can find out more at www.abudhabi.ae.
Apart from organised tours, most visitors use taxis in the urban areas. These are plentiful, safe and can easily be flagged down at the roadside. Taxi services can also be booked in advance. Should you wish to travel in style with Emirates Palace, you can discuss options with our concierge.
Developments in Abu Dhabi
New developments on islands surrounding the city plan to increase the population of the city by up to 800,000. Saadiyat Island has several cultural developments coming soon:
- The Louvre Abu Dhabi has been designed by Pritzker Prize winning architect Jean Nouvel and opened in late 2017.
- The Guggenheim Abu Dhabi will be dedicated to contemporary art and culture and is due to open soon.
For more information please visit the official Abu Dhabi website


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Peter Parker and his friends go on a summer trip to Europe. However, they will hardly be able to rest - Peter will have to agree to help Nick Fury uncover the mystery of creatures that cause natural disasters and destruction throughout the continent.
What if a child from another world crash-landed on Earth, but instead of becoming a hero to mankind, he proved to be something far more sinister?
Damon Gameau embarks on a journey to explore what the future could look like by the year 2040 if we simply embraced the best solutions already available to us to improve our planet and shifted them rapidly into the mainstream
John Wick: Chapter 3 – ParabellumMA15+ Action
John Wick is on the run for two reasons… he's being hunted for a global $14 million dollar open contract on his life, and for breaking a central rule: taking a life on Continental Hotel grounds. The victim was a member of the High Table who ordered the open contract. John should have already been executed, except the Continental's manager, Winston, has given him a one-hour grace period before he's "Excommunicado" – membership revoked, banned from all services and cut off from other members. John uses the service industry to stay alive as he fights and kills his way out of New York City.
In a world where people collect pocket-size monsters (Pokémon) to do battle, a boy comes across an intelligent monster who seeks to be a detective.
After the devastating events of Avengers: Infinity War (2018), the universe is in ruins due to the efforts of the Mad Titan, Thanos. With the help of remaining allies, the Avengers must assemble once more in order to undo Thanos' actions and restore order to the universe once and for all, no matter what consequences may be in store.
When Fred Flarsky reunites with his first crush, one of the most influential women in the world, Charlotte Field, he charms her. As she prepares to make a run for the Presidency, Charlotte hires Fred as her speechwriter and sparks fly.
Ingrid becomes obsessed with a social network star named Taylor Sloane who seemingly has a perfect life. But when Ingrid decides to drop everything and move west to be Taylor's friend, her behaviour turns unsettling and dangerous.
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David Pippin
Based out of Carrollton, Georgia, David Pippin not only commands the stage with his virtuoso guitar skills, but shares his talents for sound production and teaching with the community. As a two-time Atlanta Blues Challenge winner for solo/duo acts, and an Atlanta Institute of Music graduate, David networked and fine-tuned his skills as a musician. David uses these skills to foster a love for local music and currently helps other musicians in the community share their own talent as President of Little Big Jam LLC, a local music and arts festival.
David's experience touring the southeast has allowed him the opportunity to perform for many types of crowds. He brings this knowledge to every performance and corporate event. David has the ability to go from classical dinner music, to energetic party music with ease.
David's ability to perform is easily matched by his professionalism at every event he is a part of. He has a full iPad operated PA system as well as a high quality LED Light system. Also by request, he has the ability to play a client's preferred playlist through any device.
Along with performances and sound engineering, David loves to teach music in the local community. Working privately and at Ballew's Music, David has taught guitar/music lessons for over 12 years.
If you are interested in booking David for anything, please contact him personally at


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An accounts receivable factoring company can provide many businesses with financial assistance. The factoring process is a simple solution and has been used for a long time in handling financial situations.
Factoring is simple. A business sells existing, uncollected invoices to a third party known as a factor in return for immediate cash. Depending on the type of factoring agreement entered, collections on the factored invoices might remain as a responsibility of the business or it may become the responsibility of the factor. Factoring allows a business to collect full payment on a sale before the collection period has passed.
While factoring requires a sale to be made first, so the business has an outstanding, uncollected invoice to factor, the Rapid Capital Funding merchant cash advance program allows a business owner to cash-in on their future sales. While a merchant cash advance is similar to factoring, in many situations it is an alternative to a small business loan.
Adjustable Rate
An adjustable rate is a specific type of interest rate.
When seeking business funding or any type of traditional financing, comparing interest rates is very common. Interest rates make a big difference in the payment amounts and overall costs for business loans and are usually based on the prime rate set by the Federal Reserve.
Fixed rate and adjustable rate are the two primary types of interest rates. Fixed rates are interest rates set at the time of inception and always remain the same throughout the length of the loan or financing.
Like fixed rates, adjustable rates are set at the time of inception, but with an adjustable rate, the rate is slightly lower. Both parties usually agree to set this lower rate, knowing that it will later adjust to a fixed percentage over the prime rate.
The advantage of a merchant cash advance is that there are no interest rate charges.
Alternative Financing
There are many alternative financing methods that are available to small business owners who do not want to rely on the traditional sources, such as banks, for funds.
Small business owners often have a hard time meeting the strict credit and collateral requirements set by most lenders to qualify for any form of traditional business financing. Such restrictions cause for business owners to seek an alternative to traditional financing.
Traditional lenders financing is not the only way for a business to get money. Rapid Capital Funding provides an alternative to traditional financing for many different types of small businesses with our business cash advance or merchant cash advance programs. We will purchase a small percentage of your future credit card sales until the payback is completed and give you the cash advance your business needs now!
Business owners often lack the necessary credit scores and collateral to secure financing. Lenders look at the risk involved in financing, and that is going to be determined according to your credit history. Unfortunately, individuals with a history of bad credit are more likely to have a late payment and/or to default entirely. Traditional lenders are strict and will usually reject applicants unable to meet the minimum requirements for both credit scores and collateral.
Our merchant cash advance program has no personal collateral requirements. Credit scores are reviewed in the qualification process; however, a credit history does not hold the same weight in qualifying for a merchant cash advance. Traditional lenders are limited by a set of rules and regulations. A merchant cash advance is the financial alternative because it does require immaculate credit and has much more flexibility.
It is important for business owners to know about alternative financing and all other financial options available. Business owners have to face many different financial scenarios and financing options such as a loan, lease or line of credit, which may not always work.
Alternative Funding
Alternative Funding is when a business gets money from a business cash advance, which provides reusable means to receive the working capital needed without the traditional financial resources such as a loan or lease from a private lender or bank.
Rapid Capital Funding provides businesses with alternative funding, allowing them to grow, purchase advertising, inventory, equipment or provide the cash for any of the business' financial need. Freedom from fixed payments, stringent terms, and other inflexible aspects of traditional bank loans, give more freedom and options to our customers to stabilize or improve their business.
At Rapid Capital Funding, we understand our customers and deal with many different types of business and needs. The benefits of our merchant cash advance program are the opportunity for your business to avoid traditional small business financing, a quick way to get money for your business and a simple, effective way to stabilize, improve and expand.
Business Finance
Business financing is when an outside resource is used to cover a business' financial needs. A loan, lease or lines of credit are examples of traditional financing options, but business financing may also refer to other financial alternatives. The most common elements in evaluating how a business may might finance or cover the costs of different initiatives include business need, available collateral, available down payment, time needed to repay or make payments and the applicants credit score. Out of the many factors to consider in comparing different financial opportunities, these items are the primary starting points.
When a business needs a large piece of equipment, several different financial methods may be available. Small business loans or a corporate credit line might help handle the costs, an equipment lease arrangement or a merchant cash advance. The cost and flexibility a business receives to secure the equipment may vary greatly depending on the financial solution. A loan, for example, can take months to arrange, which is usually not the case with a lease or merchant cash advance. Sometimes up-front money or collateral is required.
It is important for a business owner to know and understand all the different options and requirements to find the best financial solutions to the business' specific needs and situation.
Business Financing
Third-party resources used to cover business costs of anything from start-up expenses to closing costs and may include marketing, advertising, expansion, remodeling, equipment and more. Business financing will most likely come from a traditional lender like a bank or private investor.
The merchant cash advance program by Rapid Capital Funding provides qualified business owners with fast, easy access to working capital. The merchant cash advance is a simple financial alternative and is not a form of business financing. It is a much quicker process than a bank loan or other forms of traditional business financing with no up-front fees, personal collateral and with minimal requirements.
A merchant cash advance is a great opportunity for you to eliminate the burdens of traditional business financing and an easy way to get the cash your business needs.
Business Loans
A business loan is an arrangement in which a lender gives money or property to a borrower, and the borrower agrees to return the property or repay the money, usually along with interest over a period of time. Usually, there is a predetermined time for repaying a loan, and generally the lender has to bear the risk that the borrower may not repay a loan (though modern capital markets have developed many ways of managing this risk). Business loans can be used for many different business needs like marketing costs, inventory, and equipment and can often be a used to grow a business while protecting the existing cash flow.
The Small Business Administration (SBA) is a well-known business loan resource, while it does not actually offer loans, it provides a guarantee to the lender in a situation where the applicant defaults on an SBA-approved loan. The SBA guarantee makes it easier for a small or new business to receive financial help due to a smaller risk of loss for the lender associated with an SBA loan as opposed to other loans.
Once approved by the SBA, the business owner will be provided information on SBA approved lenders offering the financing. An SBA loan can be very beneficial to a small business, but the SBA requirements too often become a struggle for the business owners. It is very difficult to qualify for business loans from any lender, even those not connected to the SBA. The three biggest issues for business owners are that business loans will most likely require personal collateral, down payments and above-average credit scores, causing them to explore other financial options.
There are several different financial solutions available depending on the business type and need that would offer more flexible and faster results than business loans. Thousands of small business owners have found the merchant cash advance to be an effective alternative.
Business Receivable Factoring
Business receivable factoring is when a third party purchases are existing, uncollected invoices from a business at a discounted rate. In return, the business receivable factoring company gives the business money. The business receivable factoring company will get paid the receivables, as they are collected.
Business receivable factoring is often needed by businesses when there is a long delay (typically 60-120 days) between when they invoice their customers and when they collect the money. Many businesses sell products that allow customers 6-12 months to pay. This can create major cash flow issues for even the largest companies. Business receivable factoring companies have been around for many years because of the nature of how many companies extend terms to customers.
Rapid Capital Funding's merchant cash advance program has many similarities to business receivable factoring however the two are quite different and should not be confused. The biggest difference between the two is that business receivable factoring requires the sale be made before it can be originated. The merchant cash advance program is based on future credit card sales, therefore, does not require the sale to have taken place. With a merchant cash advance, a portion of future credit and debit card sales are purchased.
As difficult as it is to manage cash flow in your small business today, business receivable factoring can be a good way to manage cash flow.
Buying Out a Partner
Many businesses today are formed in partnership. Two or more people are joining together to invest and grow a business together. In some cases, partnerships go on forever until the business is sold to a third party. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. What often happens is one or more of the partners don't get along, therefore, creating an opportunity for the remaining partner to buy out the other partners
When buying out a partner, there are a multitude of factors to consider including how much the remaining partner is willing to pay for the other partner's interest. Will the buyout be a cash buyout or will payment arrangements be made over time? For the purchasing partner, he/she can often get the best price if it is a cash offer. This will entice the selling partner to accept the offer.
The single most important issue faced in buying out a partner is where does the money come from to allow buying out a partner? A merchant cash advance or business cash advance can be used very effectively in these situations. How does it work? It's simple...
The purchasing partner and the selling partner own a restaurant that processes $100,000 per month in credit card sales. Together they obtain a merchant cash advance for $150,000. The money is used to pay the selling partner for his/her interest. The purchasing partner then continues to operate the business and pay off the advance. This is a win-win.
The merchant cash advance in this example is used to buy out a partner. The restaurant continues to operate as usual only now paying down the business cash advance using a small portion of the credit and debit sales until it is completely paid off.
The credit and debit card sales of the business are used to obtain the merchant cash advance. The selling partner is happy because they receive upfront money, and the buying partner is happy because he/she doesn't have to come out of pocket money to make this possible. This is a painless process that involves both parties.
Are you looking for the cash to buy out your partner? Apply for a merchant cash advance today!
Cash Flow
Cash flow is what powers and propels small business and is a measure of businesses financial health. By definition, cash flow is cash collected minus cash paid out. Often times small businesses struggle with cash flow because management because they may have accounts receivable or money owed to them that can take up to 120 days to collect. This can cause major cash flow problems for a business if not properly prepared. Other cash flow problems can occur during high growth periods when a business is spending money for advertising and equipment but is slower to bring in cash.
It is important for business owners to utilize all available resources to maintain cash flow. They need to stay ahead of their competition and always have access to working capital to maintain and grow their business. Many small to medium size businesses may not fit the mold for traditional banks and lending institutions. They may try to apply for business loans and get denied after a lengthy process just to learn that the bank doesn't understand how their business functions. This can be frustrating.
Rapid Capital Funding understands the cash flow needs of small businesses. We understand that good businesses need capital to run and grow their business. We work with many businesses that have a difficult time with traditional lending. Especially in our current financial crisis! We are able to provide the working capital a business needs to survive.
Our merchant cash advance program is a perfect way for you to balance and manage your cash flow. You can use the money from the advance however you want. You pay it back with a small percentage of your credit and debit card sales. If your business increases, you will pay it down quicker. If your business slows down then, you pay less. It's completely flexible and allows you to manage your cash flow effectively. Our merchant cash advance program is so good that 85% of our merchants renew their advances. This becomes a great resource for businesses to use.
If you are interested in learning more about how our merchant cash advance program works, click here.
Small Business
The term small business can change by industry and country, region, etc.
In general terms: A small business is a business with a low number of employees that is not dominant in its field of operation. In America today, it commonly means having less than 101 employees.
Most small business must have a different of financial matters. This can be taken care of well with the income produced from the business; at times it is important for the small business (management) to go elsewhere for resources to receive capital. For the most part, the company's best solutions are that the owners to seek their opportunities.
Most financing means are one way that a small business may not meet their demands. Some methods are small business loans, leasing, and private equity, family, etc. These other methods require small business owner has a solid credit history, also a detailed business plan for eligibility. Interest rates are comparably not high. These loans may take months to secure. That is the deal breaker for most small business owners.
Small business owners may seek different choices for financial advice. There can be solutions like factoring accounts receivable or using merchant cash advances. Options like this can have a higher cost than a loan product, but there are some real benefits. Rapid Capital Funding will provide merchant cash advance to businesses that the owners have a credit score as low as 400, most common sources typically would not consider this unless a merchant's credit score was above 700. Merchant cash advances can happen in days, not months. Other services, such as how payments are made or how invoices are collected, will change based on the program the business owner chooses.
Small business owner know the challenges obtaining working capital, a good method is to research and do your due diligence. Merchant cash advances will help small business when used effectively. Every financial product is unique to the needs of your small business. Rapid Capital Funding is ready to meet your business needs. Call or email for a quick quote.
Small Business Loans
Small business loans can be received through banks and other financial institutions. Most people believe small business loans are issued from the government. The Small Business Administration (SBA) may offer backing to qualified loan products. When a loan and lender can qualify the criteria established from SBA loan products, the loan is allowed a guarantee of repayment by the SBA. That makes, "SBA loans" not as risky for lenders. However, most small businesses find that "SBA loans" are very hard to obtain.
Over the five million small businesses in America presently could use the capital that these products offer. Out of the approximately 9,000 lenders that do "normal" loans to big businesses, it is the small business owner often runs into trouble when trying to get "normal" financing.
Many small business loans have strict criteria to qualify. The lenders often want an exceptional credit score, personal collateral, and a large down payment to even review an application for a small business loan. That is why small business owners have a hard time with these guidelines. Most need the working capital but just won't qualify.
Most small business owners don't even know there are other options out there. Some of these options a can be easy and more conducive than small business loans.
Rapid Capital Funding has one of the best financial options out there, and thousands of business owners have successfully used it instead of using small business loans. Rapid Capital Funding clients know the variations between small business loans and merchant cash advances.
A merchant cash advance is not a loan product that is why it can fall under a different set of rules and covenants. Merchant cash advances are trying to look at the positives of small businesses, not the negatives, for example, future credit card sales, so the guidelines for qualifying are not as demanding compared to small business loans.
Rapid Capital Funding does not require a down payment or personal collateral for a merchant cash advance. Although, your credit score is looked at as part of the qualifying process, that fico score carries less meaning than it does in traditional financing. A bruised credit report usually an automatic disqualifier for small business loans, not the case with a merchant cash advance from Rapid Capital Funding. While it can take months to secure a business loan, a merchant cash advance from Rapid Capital Funding can be funded in less than four business days.
Although small business loans can work, small business owners need to know all of their options. By Knowing the benefits and restrictions of each financial product, small businesses should be ready to match their individual need with a solid solution.
Small Business Working Capital
Small business working capital is a standard accounting tool when a business' current liabilities are subtracted from the business' current assets. Current liabilities are debts or accounts payable owed and payable with a calendar year to. Present assets are typically liquid assets like cash or cash equivalents, inventory, etc. Working capital is the cash used to maintain the business' operations, like purchasing inventory, advertising, handling payroll, etc.
Small business working capital can be used as one measure to see how the business is succeeding in managing the cash flow of the business. This is used to measure debt tools that are being used to leverage and strengthen the financial health of the small business.
A small business can produce revenue to allow profits are used as working capital. Although that does not always happen. Most situations when a small business owner needs a third party to provide working capital used to change the daily income business.
Small business working capital usually comes from different third-party sources. The most typical would be banks or the bank loans backed by the Small Business Administration (SBA). Bank loans are one of the sources of working capital for small businesses; many small business partners have difficulty with the tight guidelines and limitations of financing small businesses.
One way for small business working capital is using a merchant cash advance. A merchant cash advance is not a loan product or type of business financing; it is more flexible and conducive to smaller businesses, and their needs. Most businesses who don't qualify for a bank loan or SBA assistance find it can get the money their business needs through a merchant cash advance.
To get more information on a merchant cash advance to increase your own small business working capital account, just click here for more information. If you are ready to take control of your business plans through obtaining small business working capital without the headache of traditional financing, we encourage you to get a per-qualification today.
Traditional Bank Loans
Traditional bank loans have a financial tool used commonly for today's businesses. With the right situation, this financial option is used with business owners to capture and feed the business, commonly used to stabilize inconsistent cash flows.
The demands of small businesses are broad. In some cases, traditional bank loans are not possible. Often the business owner's needs and the details of the business, traditional bank loans may not be viable. For these type of merchants, there are other options.
A popular way to get working capital utilized by small business owners is a merchant cash advance, or credit card factoring. A merchant cash advance is not a loan. Because of its ease, it appeals to large amounts of small business owners that need an option to traditional bank loans.
Traditional bank loans guidelines are high; they expect perfect credit history, secure collateral, and usually a large down payment. The whole process is very timely; much of the paperwork to complete is complex. The waiting time to get approved usually can take months. A merchant cash advance is different: personal collateral is not necessary, no down payment, the whole process is fast and easy, in some cases they can fund in 72 hours.
Traditional bank loans often must have a specific purpose; merchant cash advances don't put these restrictions. Merchant cash advances, Owner of the business is free to spend the money on anything as they need.
One significant piece for a small business owner to understand is that there is that a merchant cash advance is out there as an option to most small businesses. Any small business that is having trouble qualifying for traditional banks loans are encouraged to look beyond traditional financing and experience the ease, simplicity and benefits of a merchant cash advance.
Unsecured Business Loans
Unsecured business loans are loans that are not secured by collateral. Usually, lenders have only the business credit history and the owner's credit to rely on in deciding whether to offer the loan. Often, a lender will give unsecured business loans only to clients who demonstrate an exceptional ability to be current with all debt.
Many of Rapid Capital Funding's clients find their merchant cash advance the best and easiest solution. Increasingly popular with small businesses across the country are Merchant Cash Advance, or credit card receivable funding. Merchant cash advance providers rely on future credit card sales, and a merchant cash advance is a quick and excellent answer for many business needs.
A merchant cash advance is not a loan; it is a financial product that does not require personal collateral or an excellent credit history. A merchant cash advance is common and easy for most business owners than an unsecured business loan from a bank. The application process is quick and easy; the money can be in-hand in as few as 72 business hours.
Working Capital Factoring
When an operational small or medium sized business is seeking working capital, factoring is one course of action to research and thoroughly understand the various methods.
Factoring is when a business accumulates cash or cash equivalents. The business then sells the uncollected, pending invoices to a third party a.k.a. "a factor". The factor pays the business a discounted percentage of the face value of the invoices, which occurs quite frequently. The business is then able to use the cash given for any purpose. Due to the type of factoring agreement a business has, a responsibility to gather the invoices could still be on the business, or it could be assumed by the factor.
Small business owners tend to access working capital factoring for a select amount of reasons. All businesses need cash flow in order to stay afloat, but a lot of times a small business owner might battle with the demands and restraint of bank loans. Factoring functions under a different set of rules and arrangements, which makes it easier for many businesses to use this strategy of financing.
While factoring is one option for receiving a working capital, there may be other solutions suitable for overcoming cash flow strains within a small business. One option is our merchant cash advance. A merchant cash advance is comparable in some ways to factoring, but these two options should not be mixed up.
Like factoring, a merchant cash advance does not require exceptional credit, it has no restrictions on use, and it can be presented and arranged almost instantly. While factoring needs a sale to be made to make an outstanding, uncollected invoice, a merchant cash advance will only be based on your future credit card sales volume is the basis of a merchant cash advance.
If you are seeking for working capital factoring, we urge you first to check out a merchant cash advance. The difference of what you could be saving means more money for you and your future success!


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Writing in the Conjuncture
Étienne Balibar, We, the People of Europe? Reflections on Transnational Citizenship (Princeton UP, 2004)
Jason Read
University of Southern Maine
1. As a collection of essays, presentations and articles, Etienne Balibar's We, the People of Europe? covers a wide variety of political and social questions: the unification of Europe, sovereignty and citizenship in the age of globalization, the politics of violence in an age of ethnic cleansing, and the (at the time impending) war in Iraq. Even a passing glance at this apparent diversity, however, reveals a unity in that these are very much topics of the present, bound together by an immediate relevance or even pressing urgency. Of course the contemporary nature of these reflections may pass without notice, or simply be summed up by such phrases as "a noted French philosopher and theorist reflects upon current events." But given that Balibar, like Louis Althusser, stresses the fact that all philosophical writing is "never independent of specific conjunctures," which is to say that all philosophy, whatever its claim to universality or consideration of eternal questions is determined in part by its political, economic, and cultural conditions, the discussion of current events is not an aside, a temporary digression from eternal questions, but essential to philosophical activity (1995: 144). Thus, prior to any consideration of the thematic concerns and arguments that link and relate these different essays, it makes sense to begin any consideration of Balibar's book from this specific question of how it engages, and thus defines, the existing conjuncture. Which is to say that it is a matter of first addressing it as a specific kind of "philosophical practice," of a way of doing philosophy, before engaging its specific philosophical assertions and arguments. (Although it should be noted that the terms "before" and "after" are out of place here, since they suggest a strict division, and demarcation, as if it would be possible to separate "practice" and "statement" along the lines of form and content.)
2. The terms "conjuncture" and "philosophical" or "theoretical" "practice," if they are recognized at all, will be recognized as belonging to the heyday of "Althusserian" or "structuralist" Marxism of the late '60s and early '70s. Such terms would appear to be out of sync with a book that is oriented towards the present. Two conclusions follow from this, one clarifying what is meant by conjuncture, the other revealing something of Balibar's philosophical practice. A conjuncture is not a zeitgeist, "spirit," dominant ideology or even episteme . It is not homogenous or self-identical, but rather is riddled with contradictions and conflicts that reflect its historical tension. This perhaps especially true for political philosophy, which is more or less explicitly concerned with relating concepts and interpretations such as citizen, democracy or even sovereignty, which date from a long series of historical transformations to current conditions. Political philosophy is a reflection of any period's non-identity to itself: as it relates ancient concepts burdened with unrealized possibilities to an ever-changing present. Second, Balibar's own effort to respond to the pressing demands of the present is not to be confused with that of his contemporaries who in response to events recent (9/11) and not so recent (the collapse of the Soviet Union) have abandoned all vocabularies and discourses other than that of liberal markets and liberal democracies or of the apocalyptic battle of good versus evil. Thinking in a conjuncture is not the same as utilizing the catch phrases and buzzwords of a given moment. In fact, the concepts that are perhaps most useful in making sense of the moment are those that are considered to be out of sync with it. We, the People of Europe? could be productively read as a reinvestigation of some overlooked concepts and schools of thought: the list would include not only the idea of "conjuncture," and "structural causality," but also the work of Carl Schmitt. (Although it is beyond the scope of this review to consider the latter.)
3. In the writings of Althusser, Balibar and others associated with the terms of "Structural Marxism," the idea of the conjuncture plays a role that would appear at first glance to be primarily exegetical. The idea of the conjuncture, of the historical and political conditions, informs Althusser and Balibar's interpretations of Marx, Montesquieu, Spinoza, Machiavelli, etc., in which the traces of historical conflict are revealed to be at work in the very articulation of their writing. Given the fact that every philosopher writes in relation to a conjuncture, those who wrestle with "eternal questions" as much as those who respond to a revolutionary instance, the question that remains is "What happens when the insistence on the conjuncture becomes not just the basic condition for the interpretation of texts but the explicit goal of writing?" (Which is another way of asking "What it that makes "materialist philosophy" materialist?") In the late seventies Althusser argued that this insistence on the "heteronomy" of philosophical practice, the recognition that philosophy struggles with questions that are provoked and determined by economic, social, and political conflict is the ultimate philosophical lesson of Marx's famous topography of base and superstructure. "The measure of Marx's materialism is less the materialist content of his theory that the acute, practical consciousness of the conditions, forms and limits within which these ideas can become active" (1990: 275). For Althusser (at least in this phase of his career) Marxism did not offer a new philosophy, a new way of understanding the world, based upon the laws of the dialectic, the concepts of labor, or praxis, but a new practice of philosophy, a new way of doing philosophy that reflects its heteronomy. Balibar's recent work can be understood as an attempt to put to practice this idea, which Althusser called for but did not demonstrate. As Balibar argues in the opening lines of We, the People of Europe? with respect to the underlying method of the book:
This method could be called "clinical": it combines the combines the epistemological interrogation of the speculative categories that we use in political philosophy (such as borders and territories, state, community and "public" structures, citizenship and sovereignty, rights and norms, violence and civility) with a consistent affirmation that only singular forces, unpredictable events, and dialectic evolutions actually shape history (2004: viii)
The terms and concepts of political thought are no longer "proper" to philosophy which is left to squabble over their proper normative content and then wait for the world to act accordingly, nor are they reduced to merely descriptive categories, which can be empirically verified. Rather, political philosophy is situated between the normative and the descriptive, between the "ought" and the "is," drawing its vision of a better world from the existing tensions and possibilities of the present.
4. For Balibar the formation of the European Union is a moment laden with such possibilities and dangers. It is a historical moment situated between two tendencies: on the one is what Balibar calls a new form of "apartheid," a massive division between the rights granted to nationals of member countries and those of non-member countries, the ethnic minorities, immigrés, extracommunatari, and Ausläunders , who are included economically, but are excluded politically, and, on the other, the possibility of a reinvention the very idea of sovereignty, citizenship, and political belonging. As Balibar argues, Europe must either become "more democratic" by confronting and resolving such issues as the question of borders, which remains a "non-democratic condition" of democracy, or risk losing its legitimacy and its ability to address social conflict. While such a formulation is based upon verifiable facts and tendencies: the rise of far right parties in Europe, the question of sans-papiers, anxiety over cultural and religious identity, not to mention the fact of the European Union itself, which embodies a new form of constitution, political identity, and sovereignty, it does not follow self-evidently from them. Left to themselves the various facts, events, and conditions which support the book's central theses are just that, a series of facts and events that could be used to support a variety of theses (everything from the decline of the nation in the age of globalization to the "clash of civilizations"). A philosophical intervention into this conjuncture, one which is aimed at realizing one tendency, in this case the "democratization" of Europe, cannot simply enumerate the existing conditions and possibilities but must articulate a new understanding of the present and of politics.
5. At the center of this new conception is Balibar's argument regarding the relationship between the economic and social transformations (such as the often noted globalization) and changes in ideologies and concepts of political community. This is in some way the classic problem of the base and superstructure, as well as the less well-known but equally pertinent problem of "structural causality." As Balibar writes:
But the economic and administrative functions of nation-states, as they are defined in an unequal world market, only represent half of what is necessary for understanding the nation as social "form" or "formation". But understanding halfway is the same as not understanding at all, if it is true, as I would like to suggest here, that the "law" of history is indirect action or action at a distance. The determining factor, the cause is always at work on the other scene - that is, it intervenes through the mediation of its opposite. Such is the general form of the "ruse of reason" (which is every bit as much the ruse of unreason): economic effects never themselves have economic causes, no more than symbolic effects have symbolic or ideological causes. But the cause, or the determination of the efficacy of the ideological causes, on account of the fact that a given ideological force, a given symbolic structure doe not remain without historical effects, can only be economic, just as only ideological "causes" or "structures" can account for the fact that economic forces or interests have a given social effect (2004: 19).
As much as this problem revisits and rearticulates methods of historical explanation that are generally considered to be out of date (tying together in one dense paragraph Hegel's "ruse of reason", Marx's base and superstructure, and Althusser's "absent cause") it also contains a kernel of a theory of the nation and of nationalism that is articulated throughout Balibar's book. The nation, and with it nationalism, has either been overlooked by various forms of critical thinking - most notably by Marxism, which as Balibar argues, reflecting on the history of communism in Europe, "[in f]ailing to comprehend nationalism … found itself 'nationalized,' from one end of the continent to the other" (2004: 91) - or not taken seriously as a dimension of political and social life.
6. As Balibar argues nations and nationalism are generally grasped along a continuum that posits "good" nations, which have transcended their excessive attachment to place or ethnic belonging to become only specific instances of universal ideas of "freedom" or "liberty", to "bad" nations, which are burdened by particularistic identities (1991: 47). Not only is the dividing line between good and bad, or irrationalism, notoriously difficult to draw in any coherent way (that is, beyond any ideology in which same feelings, ideals, or actions such as dying for one's country are labeled either "nationalism" or "patriotism" depending on who expresses them), but the very idea that one's own nation has transcended nationalism is itself a kind of nationalism (2004: 15). (Although Balibar does not say so in his book, which includes a final essay written on the Iraq war, the contemporary situation in the U.S., in which the United States is presented as the exemplar of the universal values of freedom and democracy, would fit this latter model.) Against this thoroughly ambiguous moralizing discourse which is continually dividing between "good" and "bad" nations, Balibar argues for a strong interpretation of the "nation form" taking seriously the extent to which it structures all of our categories of thought and action, our comprehension of ourselves as individuals, and thus considering to what extent we are a "national being" (homo nationalis) as well as a social being (animale sociale) or economic being (homo oeconomicus) (2004: 12).
7. To return to the schema of causality cited above, the "nation form" occupies a privileged place, given that "nations" are often situated with respect to both the administration of economic conditions and symbolic representations of belonging and identity. Moreover, it is through the nation that these causes intersect and transform each other, " a way for economic forces to determine symbolic effects and vice versa." (2004: 21). The "nation" is at once a particular social form - entailing particular conditions of labor, life, and health - and a political or ideological form - entailing a particular idea or ideal of the citizen as subject. The irreducibility and instability of these two dimensions, social and political, constitutes much of the difficulty history of the nation since at least the French revolution in Europe, which has struggled over the question of "social citizenship" (2004: 164). The nation is not, however, just the point of intersection, or articulation, between the two causalities, economic and ideological (or imaginary), which determine each other without ever becoming identical. Or, more to the point, such a formulation does not explain why the nation is to some extent constitutive of individual and collective identity. The nation also operates and legislates over the most basic dimensions of human existence: language, in the form of public education, and genealogy in terms of legislating particular forms of family, as well as the significant passages of life and death (2004: 20). These quotidian dimensions of existence form the basis of not only a particular "national community" but also the human community, or more precisely they explain the blurring between the national and the human in that they delineate the divisions beyond which it is difficult to consider the other as human. This is what Balibar calls "anthropological difference"; that is, as a difference without which humanity itself is unthinkable but which cannot be drawn in a stable or objective fashion, without remainder or residue: examples of this would include sexual difference, as well as the division of labor, and humanity between the ignorant and the educated or barbarous and civilized (2004: 240). Thus, Balibar carries out an analysis of the nation that is at once "structural" focusing on the overlapping effects of different relations (economic, political, and cultural) and "anthropological", emphasizing that these effects are actualized in so far as they become part of the quotidian dimensions of human existence, becoming intertwined with the very definition of the human. On a theoretical level, Balibar's understanding of the nation can be understood to not only expand the terrain of structural analysis, but to overcome the apparent gap thought to separate the analysis of structures from the lived experience of daily life.
8. While the theoretical and philosophical insights of We, the People of Europe? are strong, most notably in advancing and developing such concepts as "conjuncture" and "structural causality," it would be wrong to limit any discussion of the book to its philosophical dimension without discussing its political arguments. The most obvious of these concerns its argument, outlined above, regarding the particular tension in the present regarding the European Union. Given that the problem confronting the European Union, the conjunction of economic inclusion and political exclusion of migrant workers or "illegals" (to add the American terms) is by no means limited to Europe, Balibar's warning regarding a new form of Apartheid extends beyond Europe. It might be possible to say that the problems that Europe is facing, of how to rearticulate the relationship between social, economic, and political belonging beyond the nation, is a problem that is affecting the world. It is perhaps another way of considering, and shedding light on, what is meant by globalization (2004: 105). Moreover, given the extent to which the nation, or the nation form, determines our thought and understanding of the world, it is important to argue that this rearticulation cannot be taken lightly. It is not as if one can shake off hundreds of years of history which have interlaced ethnic, linguistic, cultural, and political belonging through the nation form overnight, and leap into some sort of global or cosmopolitan future. This rearticulation will have to take seriously these intersections, and in doing so situate itself within, rather than above, the unstable and ambiguous ground of ideological belonging. Thus, as much as the recognition that subjectivity is itself constituted through various structures -economic, political, and ideological - political action is only possible in and through subjectivity.
9. This brings us to a final point that is perhaps at once political and philosophical. Given the turn to the question of the constitution of political subjectivity in contemporary philosophy, a turn which either privileges the political over the social or economic, as the case of Jacques Rancière's discussion of "the people," or reduces the political to the social or economic, as is perhaps the case of Michael Hardt and Antonio Negri's concept of the "multitude" (which in many respects is directly deduced from transformations of labor), Balibar's structural consideration of the nation suggests that political subjectivities (whether repressive or revolutionary) are always constituted at the unstable point of intersection of economic conditions, ideological representations, and quotidian habits. This intersection is nothing other than the conjuncture, which is the unstable ground of both political action and philosophy. Ultimately, then for those of us far from the borders of Europe, We, the People of Europe? may be most productively read not as a statement about a given political problem (although it does have much to say about that), but as an advance in how to think and write in relation to the conjuncture.
Jason Read is an Adjunct Professor of Philosophy at the University of Southern Maine. He is the author of The Micro-Politics of Capital: Marx and the Prehistory of the Present, as well as journal articles published in Rethinking Marxism, Pli, Crossings, and Borderlands. Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Althusser, Louis (1990). 'Is it Simple to be Marxist in Philosophy?', trans. Graham Lock, in Philosophy and the Spontaneous Philosophy of the Scientists and Other Essays , London: Verso, 203-240.
Balibar, Étienne (1995). 'The Infinite Contradiction', trans. Jean-Marc Poisson with Jacques Lezra, in Lezra 1995, 142-164.
Balibar, Étienne (2004). We, the People of Europe? Reflections on Transnational Citizenship , trans. James Swenson, Princeton: Princeton University Press.
Balibar, Étienne and Immanuel Wallerstein (1991). Race, Nation, Class: Ambiguous Identities , London: Verso.
Lezra, Jacques (1995). Depositions: Althusser, Balibar, Macherey, and the Labor of Reading , New Haven: Yale University Press (Yale French Studies, No. 88).
© borderlands ejournal 2004


text: I'm brand new to the synthesizer/midi world so sorry if this is a dumb question. So I just got an alesis mmt-8 and hooked it up to my microkorg, it's been going great considering I've been winging it the whole time, but can I assign several microkorg sounds to be played on several channels simultaneously or can I just playback one program? If so, that's a huge bummer because I've spent months saving patches thinking I'll be able to play them back on different tracks via a midi sequencer.


text:
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text:
As fundraisers, we are known for going the extra mile to get that big gift. So was the case when I participated in a capital campaign for a wonderful organization. At the time we were working hard and fast to obtain as many big gifts as possible. We had spent several lunches over the course of a year on one particular donor who was older and very friendly with my boss. Over the years they had known each other and supported each other's causes. On this particular day, this potential donor had come to our lunch meeting prior to a dentist appointment he had made. Upon our arrival, he told us a story of his recent car accident and the resulting missing top teeth from a collision with the steering column. "Oh no…you can hardly tell!" my executive assured him. That wasn't exactly the truth, but we were on a mission and that was the beginning of the lengths he would stretch to in order to close that gift.
There was small talk and a campaign update, with more investigation on our part as to his intentions. Lunch was served and we all had the chowder, at our guest's insistence. My boss quickly ate his to get himself back on track to talk more with our prospect. "So, did you love it?" our prospect asked my boss. "Oh yes! Best seafood chowder I've had." What came next was unexpected and a slight miscalculation on his part. After eating half his bowl of chowder, this gentleman scooped, with his own spoon, more of his chowder into my CEO's bowl. I felt my eyes bulging from my head as I tried to make eye contact with my boss as if it say, "Are you really going to eat that?!" But I already knew the answer, and sure enough without missing a beat, he finished off his newly refreshed bowl of soup.
Unfortunately, the lunch did not end with a gift, and even after comping him to our special event later in the year, we did not ever receive a gift from him. Sometimes no sacrifice or amount of free lunches will move a prospect to become a donor. So be careful how far you bend to get that gift…because sometimes the prospect is just enjoying the attention—and the soup.


text:
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The report presents the findings of a study comparing health care use and expenditure for veterans who hold Gold Cards, with the remainder of the community. The study focuses on the major components of Department of Veterans' Affairs health expenditure - local medical officer services, pharmaceuticals, private and public hospital services.
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text:
Rockies option Greg Reynolds to Sky Sox, activate Alan Johnson
NEW YORK — There was a frantic nature to the Rockies' victory today. Not only did it come down to the last swing — David Wright's flyball to the right-field wall — but roster wrinkles followed.
Greg Reynolds, who picked up his first victory since June 17, 2008, was optioned to Triple-A Colorado Springs. Right-hander Alan Johnson was called up to provide long relief and prepare for his spot start Sunday.
To make room on the 40-man roster for Johnson, Aaron Cook (finger, shoulder) was shifted to the 60-day disabled list. Cook isn't expected to return to the big leagues until the first of June. Reynolds was optioned because Ubaldo Jimenez will return to the rotation Monday against Tim Lincecum and the Giants.
"This is fun to watch and be a part of. I can't wait to get back," said Reynolds, who is 1-0 with a 3.27 ERA. "It was important to do well because it meant a lot more this time (because of all the injuries and setbacks).
Reliever Franklin Morales has a light sprain of his right ankle. He was injured covering first base in the first game of today's doubleheader. It doesn't appear to be a DL situation at this point, but bears watching.
The Rockies have depth in Triple-A with Rex Brothers, a lefty, and Matt Daley, a righty, who didn't allow an earned run in spring training.


text:
Owambe is the usual party in Nigeria where there is no limitation when it comes to partying. A correct owambe has correct food in abundance, surplus drinks and endless dancing and merriment.
One other thing that is required of a correct owambe is asoebi. Asoebi is like the uniform worn at these parties. Friends and families of the celebrants are decked in gorgeous uniform or same material. They are required to make the material in any style of their choice, however they should look good.
A correct owambe has people dressed in beautiful asoebi to add colour and glamour to the event.
Whenever you have an owambe, remember we have the best styles selected especially for you. Peep the gorgeous styles we saw on the gram this last week below.


text:
Good afternoon,
Before christmas I bought CronuxMax plus for my Logitech G25 and to use it for the PS4 with F1 2016 game. The problem that I have is, when I'm driving over the track after 5 or 7 minutes, CronusMax automatically disconects my G25.
I have read the manual and also here watching the post to see what is the problem but I didn't found it. I use this port USB to connect the PS4 controller and the Logitech G25 to the input of CronusMax. (Port USB)
Sorry for my bad English, I am improving it.
Best regards


text:
I'll begin this post by first jogging your memory to the summer of last year, when the EME label was set to hold a North American Tour that unfortunately for fans, didn't happen. When asked about the situation, EME coroner Banky W pretty much explained that things didn't go according to plan, and gave his sincerest apology to fans. As many of you are aware of, the EME team gave fans another opportunity of meeting them this summer, as they promised to perform at different locations around the U.S. (Among those locations was NYC, which I recently did a review post for. ) All was going accordingly until the cancelation of the California/ Canada tour. Enough grammar. Here's the gist:
Banky W and the rest of the EME boys have been promoting their tour, and allegedly reached out to a well known California promoter (@Echecrates for those on twitter) to help put the show together. However, just days before the show was supposed to take place, the EME boys cancelled, with the explanation that "something HUGE came up". Banky W even gave a press release statement, explaining that the EME team is very appreciative of their fans, but what came up was beyond their control. The promoter however expressed his disdain over the issue on twitter, emphasizing the fact that EME came to him, and not the other way around. He also mentioned that "something HUGE came up" was not a good enough reason/ explanation to cancel a show he worked hard to put together. He stated that he got fans from out of state to buy tickets to watch the EME boys perform, despite their concerns over the fact that the show, like last year, might be canceled.
As if things weren't bad enough, a leaked DM (direct message) between two individuals on twitter (@msJANElove, & @ToniDidItOnEm ) added more fuel to the fire. (See screenshots below) The tweets are quite straight forward, and show that the person sending the tweets (@ToniDidItOnEm) was very much aware of the fact that the concert wasn't going to take place. She not only brought the fact that "something HUGE came up" was questionable, (suggesting that the EME boys already knew that the concert wouldn't take place, but were promoting it anyway) , but she also received heat from the promoter because she, as his friend , was well aware of the fact that he was getting "played" by EME.
(Click on images to make them bigger)
In summary, EME is receiving a lot of criticism right now for their actions, and are being accused of scam. I heard something about lawyers getting involved, (because apparently last year, fans that bought tickets never received their money back) but nothing is yet confirmed. I do know that according to banky, fans this time will be refunded 100% for their money. There's been no word yet from the EME camp, so we'll all just have to sit tight.


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Strike doesn't dim GE's Q4
EmptySTRIKE ZONE: LATEST NEWS AND UPDATES
The bottom line at NBC Universal during the fourth quarter was not damaged by the writers strike, and the same should hold true this quarter.
Jeff Immelt, chairman and CEO of NBC Uni parent company General Electric, praised Jeff Zucker and his team for their preparation ahead the WGA strike that began Nov. 5. What's more, he hinted that Zucker, NBC Uni's CEO, is similarly preparing for an actors strike that could happen this year.
Immelt and other brass made their remarks during a Friday conference call announcing GE's fourth-quarter financial results.
NBC has been thriving, said GE vice chairman and CFO Keith Sherin, because the absence of writers has "allowed us to basically introduce new reality shows, and they're all off to a great start."
"There's a lot of discussion about the writers strike," Sherin said. "There was no noticeable impact in the fourth quarter. We do have fewer new shows, but we also got a lot lower cost."
NBC Uni's profit rose 10% in the fourth quarter, marking the company's fifth straight quarter of earnings growth and its first double-digit gain in more than two years. GE's entertainment arm saw a 6% profit gain to $3.1 billion for all of 2007.
"NBC Universal has great momentum," Immelt said, highlighting that the film operation had strong global growth and its best year ever. And Sherin said management was "thrilled" over the double-digit profit growth at NBC Uni in the latest period.
NBC Uni posted a profit of $923 million for the fourth quarter, up 9.8% compared with a year ago. Revenue climbed 8% to $4.55 billion.
Boosting the latest quarterly results at NBC Uni were strong cable channels and film studio figures, as well as lower costs that were a result of the strike.
Importantly, "the network results were up in the fourth quarter and that's because our TV content revenue from monetizing our programming more than made up for the ratings pressure," Sherin added.
GE's overall fourth-quarter earnings from continuing operations rose faster than NBC Uni's bottom line, ending up 15% at $6.8 billion as revenue increased 18% to $48.6 billion.
For the full year, NBC Uni's gains also underperformed GE's total. The entertainment unit's profit gain came despite a 5% revenue decline to $15.4 billion. GE's full-year profit of $22.5 billion was up 16% as revenue grew 14% to $173 billion.
At Universal, fourth-quarter revenue rose 16% thanks to strong theatrical and DVD releases. At the cable networks, fourth-quarter operating profit rose 23% on a revenue increase of 14%. The company cited continued ratings strength at USA, Bravo and Sci Fi Channel, and news channels MSNBC and CNBC saw double-digit ratings increases.
Georg Szalai reported from New York; Paul Bond reported from Los Angeles.