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CRS: Cuba-U.S. Relations: Should the United States Reexamine Its Policy?, September 29, 1994
From WikiLeaks
About this CRS report
This document was obtained by Wikileaks from the United States Congressional Research Service.
The CRS is a Congressional "think tank" with a staff of around 700. Reports are commissioned by members of Congress on topics relevant to current political events. Despite CRS costs to the tax payer of over $100M a year, its electronic archives are, as a matter of policy, not made available to the public.
Individual members of Congress will release specific CRS reports if they believe it to assist them politically, but CRS archives as a whole are firewalled from public access.
This report was obtained by Wikileaks staff from CRS computers accessible only from Congressional offices.
For other CRS information see: Congressional Research Service.
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If you have other confidential material let us know!.
For previous editions of this report, try OpenCRS.
Wikileaks release: February 2, 2009
Publisher: United States Congressional Research Service
Title: Cuba-U.S. Relations: Should the United States Reexamine Its Policy?
CRS report number: 94-759
Author(s): Mark P. Sullivan, Foreign Affairs and National Defense Division
Date: September 29, 1994
- Abstract
- This report first outlines the current U.S. policy approach toward Cuba and then discusses the option of moderating policy and what this strategy might entail. It then examines the arguments in favor of such a policy approach and the arguments opposed to changing U.S. Policy.
- Download


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NEW YORK, NY – Macy's 150th annual Thanksgiving Day Parade drew thousands to New York City yesterday including one unwelcome guest, Manigator.
As members of the Betty Page High School marching band of Amarillo, Texas passed by 58th street, the trumpet section was accosted by a half-man half-alligator coming out of a sewer drain. At 9:13 am Manigator was clearly drunk, and screaming about the noise upsetting his headache.
The parade was stalled for seven minutes while police corralled the drunken mutant back into a storm drain.
Later in the morning the world famous Rockettes took to the main stage on 34th street in preparation for their live televised performance. Shortly after beginning their signature kickline, Manigator appeared seemingly from nowhere disrupting the routine.
Spilling a can of cheap beer and slurring his speech, Manigator made passes at several of the "Pretty Ladies!" who scattered from the inebriated mutant. Cameras deftly avoided the fiasco, filming only the performers who were able to continue the routine. Eventually one of the disgruntled dancers, angry at losing her face time on nation television, high kicked the lurid hybrid back to the sewer, receiving much applause from the crowd.
No injuries were reported from the incident. Manigator is wanted by police for disturbing the peace and attempted voter fraud in south Florida.
NEW YORK, NY – Macy's 150th annual Thanksgiving Day Parade drew thousands to New York City yesterday including one unwelcome guest, Manigator.

subset: commoncrawl


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I got this today from my Harlequin author pal, Alice Sharpe. And it's soooo steamy and good, I had to share.
Version 2011
He grasped me firmly, but gently,
just above my elbow, and guided me
into a room, 'his' room.
Then he quietly shut the door and we were alone.
He approached me soundlessly, from behind, and
spoke in a low, reassuring voice close to my ear,
"Just relax."
Without warning, he reached down, and I felt his strong, calloused hands
start at my ankles, gently probing, and moving upward along my calves,
slowly but steadily.
My breath caught in my throat.
I knew I should be afraid, but somehow I didn't care.
His touch was so experienced, so sure.
When his hands moved up onto my thighs,
I gave a slight shudder,
and partly closed my eyes.
My pulse was pounding.
I felt his knowing fingers caress
my abdomen, my ribcage.
Then, as he cupped my firm, full breasts in his hands,
I inhaled sharply.
Probing, searching, knowing what he wanted,
he brought his hands to my shoulders,
slid them down my tingling spine
and into my panties.
Although I knew nothing about this man,
I felt oddly trusting and expectant.
This is a man, I thought, a man
used to taking charge.
A man not used to taking 'No' for an answer.
A man who would tell me what he wanted.
A man who would look into my soul and say .. . .
"Okay, ma'am, you can board your flight now."


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I uploaded a new photo via my web host upload, deleted the existing stock images, and got the following code where the image should be:
Warning: Invalid argument supplied for foreach() in /nfs/c01/h11/mnt/13167/domains/beacondeservesbetter.org/html/wp-content/themes/atahualpa/functions/bfa_rotating_header_images.php on line 39
Warning: array_rand() [function.array-rand]: First argument has to be an array in /nfs/c01/h11/mnt/13167/domains/beacondeservesbetter.org/html/wp-content/themes/atahualpa/functions/bfa_header_config.php on line 279
Note that I did nothing to any code, simply upload the file.
I tried reverting back by deleting my image and reinstalling the original images, but still this error code appeared.
my website is beacondeservesbetter.org
Would appreciate any assistance, we are supposed to be online Monday! Thanks


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CenterSquare employs a disciplined investment approach using proprietary research and analytics to seek attractive risk-adjusted performance across multiple market cycles. Investing in listed real estate, private equity real estate, and private real estate debt, our teams execute proprietary research and underwriting methods to seek mispriced investment opportunities. Our experience has shown that attractive relative valuations provide both downside protection and potential for upside growth. We are relentless in our pursuit of value and through proprietary risk management, we are consistent in our execution.
Socially Responsible Investment Philosophy
As a fiduciary, CenterSquare's investment strategy is aligned with our clients' long-term investment objectives and a commitment to social responsibility and environmental stewardship. CenterSquare's socially responsible investing stance has been developed based on our duty to make purposeful and well-informed decisions on our clients' behalf. CenterSquare has long recognized the basic tenets of socially responsible investments and the corresponding impact on investment portfolio performance. As real asset investment specialists, the analysis of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors is integrated into our investment process because we recognize their ability to create long-term and sustainable value.
Our Approach
CenterSquare incorporates a proprietary analysis of ESG factors while evaluating investments. As appropriate, CenterSquare favors investments with superior ESG metrics.
Listed Equities
We have been incorporating ESG considerations into our listed equities investment process for over two decades. As the focus on ESG has continued to evolve, we continue to incorporate additional best practices to make our model more robust. We assess companies along ten metrics that measure environmental stewardship, social responsibility, and corporate governance to provide an expanded analysis of material ESG factors.
Direct Property Investments
We incorporate ESG considerations into our direct real estate equity and debt investment processes. We conduct thorough environmental due diligence on all new investment activities and assess climate-related physical risks as part of our investment process. Separately, we conduct background checks on all parties with significant ownership or control of partners and employ a Responsible Contractor Policy designed to encourage social responsibility in the selection of independent contractors for real estate property investments.
CenterSquare exercises its responsibilities as a direct shareholder in listed equities through engagement with companies based on this Philosophy via proxy voting and direct communication (meetings, letters, etc.) with other investors, industry bodies, non-governmental organizations, academics, or other specialists who can provide valuable insight into an ESG issue or a company's activities. When appropriate and deemed necessary, CenterSquare may choose to lead or join with others in a campaign to promote our principles and values as stewards of client capital.
As part of our commitment toward social responsibility and environmental stewardship, we support the Task Force for Climate Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) and are an active member of Climate Action 100+ and signatory to the UN Principles of Responsible Investment (UNPRI).
Socially Responsible Investment Collaborations
As a fiduciary and proponent of responsible investing, we believe it is important that investors participate in all company meetings through the exercise of their voting rights. As an active manager, we support or enhance our investment rationale for a company through active engagement and through the exercise of our clients' voting rights globally as outlined in our Proxy Voting Policy steered by the ISS Sustainability Proxy Voting Guidelines.
Proxy Voting Policy
We provide a quarterly responsible investment update to clients upon request, which can include examples of ESG engagements and records all voting activity undertaken during the quarter, including rationale for decisions to vote against management. Separately, as a UNPRI Signatory, we report on our responsible investment practices on an annual basis through the UNPRI reporting process, which aligns with TCFD recommendations. We also publish periodic research and notes that offer insight and thought leadership on topical and relevant ESG issues.
Code of Ethics Statement
The Social Spotlight: An Emerging Focus in Real Estate ESG
ESG: Making a Difference (And Money) with Real Assets
ESG and REIT Investment Strategies
CenterSquare speaks to NAREIT about the benefits of ESG considerations in a REIT portfolio.


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Press Release
RxMatch Inc. to speak at the 8th Annual Social Media Conference in Las Vegas on January 17-18, 2013
Kian Raiszadeh, CEO of RxMatch will discuss social media & medicine. Dr. Raiszadeh will explore the impacts of social media and will speak on how the rapid adoption of social media in medicine will revolutionize the health care industry.
WEBWIRE – Wednesday, January 02, 2013
New York, NY--Ticonderoga Ventures, Inc. announces that RxMatch will speak at the Social Media Conference in Las Vegas on January 17-18, 2013.?
Kian Raiszadeh, CEO of RxMatch will discuss social media & medicine. Dr. Raiszadeh will explore the impacts of social media from both a physician's and a patient's perspective and will speak on how the rapid adoption of social media in medicine will revolutionize the health care industry.
There are 135 million Americans who search for health information online and over half of internet users feel that social networks have helped them make crucial decisions regarding their health.
In the past, physicians were known to be the primary source of medical answers but now the internet has extensive information. This data can be helpful and yet often times misleading, which is why RxMatch has created a network based on actual patient experience and recovery.
Registration to the 8th Annual Social Media Conference also includes attendance to the Viral Summit on January 19, which covers viral marketing strategies for rapid growth. Registration to the event can be found at http://socialmediaconference.com/register-las-vegas-2012.php
ABOUT RxMatch
Patients who acquire a disease must learn to cope with the fear, uncertainty, and anxiety. RxMatch, a crowd sourced medical social network, is helping to alleviate those fears by providing meaningful insight to its users. RxMatch.com is an online resource which gives patients a way to connect with others that share similar traits and experiences to learn more about their condition in a safe private network. The system utilizes proprietary scientific algorithms to match patients with others similar to them. This gives patients a unique view into what to expect, various treatment options, and the ability to learn about options they were previously unaware of.
An important feature of this network, is the ability for patients to track their disease and overall health in a visual journal and follow their treatment progress. Patients are able to compare their recovery progress based on proven outcome measures, their comorbidities and overall health to others who have undergone the same surgical or non-operative treatment. They are also able to pass along their own knowledge and experiences, which in turn could make a difference in someone else's life.
RxMatch is unique for many reasons. First, it takes the best and most useful elements of a social network and puts them to use in a very specific way. Secondly, the addition of physician oversight and monitoring ensures accurate and reliable information. And finally, validated outcome measures establish objective scientific data, which all but eliminates the Internet's subjectivity of information.
One of the initial focuses of RxMatch has been on orthopaedic disorders, but the list of supported diagnosis is continuing to expand based on patient demand. Part of the beauty of the site is in the fact that the patients themselves will direct the areas of discussion and help to grow the database of information organically.
RxMatch already has over 1500 users and the community is growing at a rapid pace. There's also a blog in place with a wealth of educational content covering many common diagnoses, various surgical and non-surgical treatments, and important medically related issues.
RxMatch was created by Kian Raiszadeh, MD, an orthopedic surgeon, and Houman Haghighi, a product development expert with a background in social networking products and software development. Kian found the inspiration for RxMatch in his residency training after recommending a patient undergo an elective surgery. The patient asked, \"Can I talk to someone who has already had this procedure\" That simple question set in motion the idea of opening a dialog amongst an entire community of people with similar diagnoses to discuss different treatment options and their pros and cons.
For more information about RxMatch, including contact information, visit www.rxmatch.com
The Social Media Conference is a leading event in the social media and social networking field. The convention and expo discusses business and enterprise social networking as well as strategic communications.
Attending the event are senior social media executives, social networking strategists, strategic communication experts and individuals from: venture capital, software, mobile, interactive marketing, widgets and other new technologies.
For more information, please check http://www.socialmediaconference.com contact:
Ticonderoga Ventures, Inc.
Marketing and Logistics Representative
Social Media Conference?
Tel/Fax: USA +1 (212) 722-1744 ext 79?
Media Relations:?Social Networking Watch
Tel: USA +1 (212) 444-1636
This press release may contain forward-looking statements, particularly as related to the business plans of the company, within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Sections 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and are subject to the safe harbor created by these sections. Actual results may differ materially from the company's expectations and estimates.


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What's a quick way to prove the following fact about minors of an invertible matrix $A$ and its inverse?
Let $A[I,J]$ denote the submatrix of an $n \times n$ matrix $A$ obtained by keeping only the rows indexed by $I$ and columns indexed by $J$. Then
$$ |\det A[I,J]| = | (\det A) \det A^{-1}[J^c,I^c]|,$$ where $I^c$ stands for $[n] \setminus I$, for $|I| = |J|$. It is trivial when $|I| = |J| = 1$ or $n-1$. This is apparently proved by Jacobi, but I couldn't find a proof anywhere in books or online. Horn and Johnson listed this as one of the advanced formulas in their preliminary chapter, but didn't give a proof. In general what's a reliable source to find proofs of all these little facts? I ran into this question while reading Macdonald's book on symmetric functions and Hall polynomials, in particular page 22 where he is explaining the determinantal relation between the elementary symmetric functions $e_\lambda$ and the complete symmetric functions $h_\lambda$.
I also spent 3 hours trying to crack this nut, but can only show it for diagonal matrices :(
Edit: It looks like Ferrar's book on Algebra subtitled determinant, matrices and algebraic forms, might carry a proof of this in chapter 5. Though the book seems to have a sexist bias.


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Showing 1–1 of 1 book
- List: Amelia Bloomer List - Young Adult Fiction
- List: Great Graphic Novels for Teens
- Author: Isabel Greenberg
The One Hundred Nights of HeroIn the Empire of Migdal Bavel, Cherry is married to Jerome, a wicked man who makes a diabolical wager with his friend Manfred: if Manfred can seduce Cherry in one hundred nights, he can have his castle--and Cherry. But what Jerome doesn't know is that Cherry is in love with her maid Hero. The two women hatch a plan: Hero, a member of the League of Secret Story Tellers, will distract Manfred by regaling him with a mesmerizing tale each night for 100 nights, keeping him at bay. Those tales are beautifully depicted here, touching on themes of love and betrayal and loyalty and madness. As intricate and richly imagined as the works of Chris Ware, and leavened with a dry wit that rivals Kate Beaton's in Hark! A Vagrant, Isabel Greenberg's One Hundred Nights of Hero will capture readers' hearts and minds, taking them through a magical medieval world.


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X-Men is the type of comic series that makes it tempting to visualise yourself in a starring role. Its heroes are just like the rest of us, give or take a few chromosomes, and its universe works both as an allegory for coming to terms with your identity as it does for the larger issue of race relations. But does X-Men: Destiny mutate into something great, or is it a few steps down the evolutionary ladder?
Every X-Men fan has at one time fantasised about discovering mutant powers of their own, and this game channels that well as you take control of one of three civilians who find themselves in somewhat of the same situation. It's an interesting take on the franchise as you'll play a rookie instead of controlling one of the familiar X-Men characters, meeting them along the way. You can also collect their scattered about genes, which sounds gross, but is just like picking up a regular power-up. You take charge of the son of a mutant hater, a girl abandoned by her mutant father or a jock who finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time and must grow stronger and more familiar with your powers as you progress. When you begin, you face another choice as well – you can pick between three abilities, which set up your attack basis for the rest of the game. You'll learn new moves as you go, and by the end each makes for a unique play style that stands apart from the others.
The overarching narrative is interesting as well. Professor X is dead and mankind's mutant anxiety is at a fever pitch. The future of the X-Men is up in the air, especially after a rally for peace between humans and mutants is mysteriously attacked. As you progress, the plot thickens as different factions enter the mix. Depending on which character you pick, you'll get a different back-story as well, and that subtly affects the rest of the game – the first character struggles with thoughts of betraying his father's anti-mutant sentiments, for example. It's clear that story is a major focus of Destiny, which features many dialog scenes, choices that open up alternate areas, and the ultimate decision – whether to join the X-Men or side with the more militant Brotherhood, headed by Magneto.
For all its focus on an open-ended narrative, however, it's a pretty linear affair, and most of the choices you'll have to make only influence gameplay in a minor way. And while the storyline is very well written, the majority of the dialogue is relatively uninteresting and can severely halt the flow of gameplay. The game pauses as you discuss the situation with different characters, and it feels out of place and poorly implemented most of the time.
The rest is nothing special either. It's your standard beat-em-up, having you fight bland enemy after bland enemy with just a few simple attacks. Collecting X-Genes makes things a lot more interesting – who wouldn't like to travel about by one of Iceman's frost waves? – but it works as more of a perk instead of something deeper. If you collect all of one type of gene you unlock a Fan Suit, allowing you to utilise the ability as it regenerates by time, whereas regularly you have to wait until you pick up more power-ups. This adds a sense of fun and progression to the mix, but otherwise combat is a very unimaginative, rarely challenging affair that can become quite tedious after extended play.
Boss battles are quite simple as well, usually involving one trick you'll have to learn for a certain phase. It's never hard to figure out, but until you do you can expect to die repeatedly. This is usually somewhat late in the battle after the challenge picks up a bit, and if you perish you'll generally have to fight through an overly simple section of the contest or listen to some unskippable dialogue again. It's a serious design flaw and can make for a very boring, frustrating experience.
Level design lacks creativity, generally having you follow a set path from one marker to the next with plenty of invisible barriers along the way where you might like to explore or hop over an obstacle to the next part of the stage. It often relies on leaping up ledges along walls, which make it a big problem that jumping is somewhat awkward and slow, turning this aspect into somewhat of a chore at times. What's worse is that if you're accidentally holding the control stick a little to the left or the right instead of directly pointing up – which is quite easy to do, given that you'll also travel horizontally along these ledges – rather than hopping to the next, you'll fall to the ground. Other control issues factor in as well, including one boss battle that depends on your climbing a wall and leaping off at just the right moment. If you do so at slightly the wrong angle you'll instead climb back down a bit, making yourself vulnerable to attack, and thus dying, subsequently tediously repeating the simpler part of the fight again and again.
The worst part of the experience, however, is the at times atrocious camera. It has a tendency to swing around somewhat erratically or place itself at just the wrong angle, and while manual enemy targeting and D-Pad adjusting help remedy this, it still gets in the way quite a bit – especially when fighting a boss that's too quick for the camera. The key assigned to placing it directly behind your character is the 1 button, which is inconveniently located for something so important.
The graphics utilise a simple style that looks more or less like it would fit right into the pages of a comic book, but often just comes off as undetailed and unimpressive. Words like "Uncanny!" and "X-treme!" pop up from time to time during fights, which adds a bit of personality. However, some slowdown shows up once in a while, and the game has a few glitches including occasional freezing and bugs that force you to restart from your last save. That's not all that exudes lack of polish; clipping problems and flickering graphics show up here and there as well. The music is generally catchy and fits right in, and the voice acting works well, but often the equalisation is off a bit and it's hard to make out what people are saying if they're speaking during gameplay. Oddly, there's no way to adjust the volume of each.
An impressive storyline and some interesting choice-driven gameplay make Destiny a compelling experience at times, and the occasional diverging pathways and ability to choose your mutant power at the beginning add replay value and help make one playthrough unique from the next. However, it's still largely linear, and the gameplay mostly amounts to simplistic, repetitive beat-em-up combat, boring level design and platforming marred by a somewhat cumbersome jumping mechanic. Throw in a seriously faulty camera and you've got an average experience that should have been so much more.


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Set to hit the Xbox 360 next week, the downloadable Modern Warfare 2 Stimulus Pack brings with it five new maps and a just a touch more controversy to a studio recently embroiled in discord.
The founders of Activision owned Infinity Ward recently were firedamid allegations of royalties being withheld by the publisher and the duo being insubordinate to their parent company.
But the internal upheaval and lawsuits haven't managed to impact the team still at Infinity Ward, Infinity Ward Community Manager Robert Bowling tells Kotaku.
"Not at all, our main focus as a team here at Infinity Ward is this pack," he said. "We want to focus on making the games we love."
Unfortunately, the Stimulus Pack has brought with it its own bit of controversy, with some claiming that the price tag is too steep for what is being delivered.
The $15, five map Stimulus Pack for Modern Warfare 2 hits the Xbox 360 next week on March 30 and the PS3 on April 30. The pack includes three new maps "Bailout," a multi-level apartment complex; "Storm," an open industrial park littered with heavy machinery; "Salvage," a snowy junkyard fortified by stacked debris and crushed cars. It also includes two makes from the original Modern Warfare, "Crash," a war-torn urban environment; and "Overgrown," which features a massive dry creek bed.
While Bowling disagrees with those who say that the 328 MB map pack is over priced, he also pointed out to Kotaku that it is Activision, not Infinity Ward, that set the pack's price.
The maps, Bowling said, were designed in part to address some of the things gamers want or don't want in online matches.
For instance, some of the maps are designed to specifically keep players from hiding out in spots and sniping.The maps also are meant to bring new environments to the multiplayer aspects of the game.
I asked Bowling if the fact that two of the maps were brought over from the original Modern Warfare meant that we might see more ports of those maps to Modern Warfare 2. It's not that simple, Bowling said.
"The two we included are some of the most played on Modern Warfare," he said. "They are also two that work really well in Modern Warfare 2, but just because one was a great map in Call of Duty 4 doesn't mean it will play well in Modern Warfare 2.
"Things like (Modern Warfare 2's) Marathon Perk could destroy the balance of a Call of Duty 4 map."
While the Stimulus pack is designed to reinvigorate the Modern Warfare 2 online community, Bowling was quick to point out that the game has never dropped off of the most played list for online titles.


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EU SHUTTLEBUS Group run daily shuttle bus transfers from/to SALZBURG
Service: door-to-door transfers by private shuttle and shared shuttlebus.
bottled fresh water for free on board, child seats for the safety of your kid for free.
Pick up: from your hotel, apartment, hostel, airbnb, pension, any address in Salzburg.
Drivers: kind and experienced professionals, english speaking responsible persons.
Vehicles: private cars, minivans, minibuses, limousines. Fully insured and air-conditioned. Non-smoking.
TOP Transfers from Salzburg: to Prague Hotel and Airport, Bratislava Hotel and Airport, CK Cesky Krumlov, Salzburg, Munich Hotel and Airport, Passau, Budapest Hotel and Airport, Hallstatt, Bad Ischl, St.Wolfgang, Obertraun etc...


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GOP Wants Pentagon Protected From Automatic Cuts
Counting down, it is now exactly two weeks before the clock runs out for Congress's supercommittee. If its six Democrats and six Republicans fail to reduce deficits by more than a trillion dollars, automatic spending cuts will kick in. Under this process, known as sequestration, the law would require half the cuts to come from defense spending. NPR's David Welna reports.
DAVID WELNA, BYLINE: As if Congress had not fallen into low-enough esteem already, its Joint Select Committee on Debt Reduction appears headed for a failure that many fear will jolt the financial markets once again. By all reports, the Republicans on the evenly divided panel have refused to consider the increased tax revenues that the Democrats say should be part of any debt-reduction deal. Still, Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell yesterday cast his party as the side seeking a deal.
SENATOR MITCH MCCONNELL: The six Republicans on the Joint Select Committee want an outcome, do not believe failure is an option; and we are working toward that end as diligently as we can.
WELNA: Because what Republicans don't want is the consequence of failure, which is the sequestration of up to $600 billion that the Pentagon would otherwise spend over the next decade. John Ullyot is a former spokesman for Republicans on the Senate Armed Services Committee.
JOHN ULLYOT: Republicans never thought it would come to a sequestration where defense cuts would be triggered.
WELNA: Republican lawmakers such as South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham are already talking about undoing the law that calls for the automatic spending cuts. Graham says he's all for reducing deficits.
SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM: But if the committee fails, I'm not going to allow the triggers to be pulled that would shoot the Defense Department in the head.
WELNA: Last week, the supercommittee heard from the co-chairman of President Obama's blue ribbon fiscal commission. Erskine Bowles said he'd heard of efforts on Capitol Hill to protect the defense budget from the automatic cuts that were designed to push the panel to reach an agreement.
ERSKINE BOWLES: I think that would be disastrous. I think people would look at this country and say, you guys can't govern.
WELNA: Sequestration would also cut an equal amount of domestic spending. Such social programs as Medicaid, food stamps and Social Security would be exempt from sequestration, whereas they could be subject to cuts by the supercommittee. That's why some Democrats who want more cuts in defense spending are rooting for the supercommittee to fail. Robert Borosage heads the left-leaning Institute for America's Future.
ROBERT BOROSAGE: If you had to choose, as Newt Gingrich says, between blowing off your head and shooting your kneecap, the sequestration is the least damaging course for the most vulnerable Americans.
WELNA: Meanwhile, the House Armed Services Committee has held a series of hearings on the possible consequences of cuts in defense, beyond the hundreds of billions of dollars agreed to in the debt ceiling deal last summer. Buck McKeon, the panel's Republican chairman, put this question to Defense Secretary Leon Panetta last month.
REPRESENTATIVE BUCK MCKEON: Do you agree with me that the national defense has contributed enough to deficit reduction, and that no further cuts should be recommended?
LEON PANETTA: Absolutely.
WELNA: Panetta warned the committee that sequestration would, in his words, devastate our national defense and quote, hollow out the military.
PANETTA: I don't say that as scare tactics; I don't say it as a threat. It's a reality.
WELNA: Lawrence Korb says that's nonsense. Korb was assistant Defense secretary during the Reagan administration; he's now with the left-leaning Center for American Progress.
LAWRENCE KORB: We've done this before - much greater: Nixon, Eisenhower, Reagan second term and Bush first term, and Clinton - without these devastating consequences.
WELNA: Korb says Pentagon spending in real dollars would return to 2007 levels if sequestration does takes place. That would amount to roughly a 15 percent cut, while previous Pentagon cutbacks averaged around 30 percent. Even so, that's far more than many Republicans are ready to accept, which is why all hope for the supercommittee has not yet died.
David Welna, NPR News, the Capitol. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


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Create a Website Account - Manage notification subscriptions, save form progress and more.
In 2015, the signal lights along Meridian and 3rd and 2nd Streets NE (aka "the bypass") in Puyallup's downtown were outfitted with a system designed to improve traffic flow by adjusting signal timings based on demand. The system was then expanded to River Road and has most recently been installed on the hill, with terrific results.
The adaptive traffic system monitors roadway volume and uses real-time data to manage current traffic conditions. The system evaluates the data and adjusts the signals based on the most efficient way of allowing traffic to proceed.
In this way, the system is able to keep vehicles in motion with as few stops as possible. Here's proof, via impressive increases in the number of vehicles served at certain intersections (these numbers are preliminary pending a fuller study):
The 9th Street SW corridor sees about 31,000 vehicle trips each weekday. By prioritizing where and when travel is heaviest, the adaptive system optimizes northbound movement during the morning peak travel period and southbound movement in the late afternoon/early evening. In addition to better managing traffic flow at each individual intersection, the system also coordinates movements between intersections which are in close proximity.
The system maximizes traffic flows in three different ways:
Well-coordinated traffic signals increase safety, cut down on emissions, and save time and fuel. More green lights make each day better!


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GENEVA (AP) — A U.N. committee compared the Vatican's handling of the global priest sex abuse scandal with torture Monday, raising the possibility that its failure to investigate clergy and their superiors could have broader legal implications.
But the Vatican's top envoy in Geneva, Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, claimed that the Holy See was getting its house in order after a decade-long effort to deal with a global priest sex abuse scandal.
"There has been, in several documentable areas, stabilization and even a decline of cases in pedophilia," he told a committee of experts in charge of the U.N. Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, which the Vatican ratified in 2002.
At the Holy See's first appearance before the committee, experts mainly peppered the Vatican with tough questions to be answered Tuesday. For instance, they asked why the report on its implementation of the treaty was almost a decade late, and why the Vatican believes its responsibility for protecting against torture only applies within tiny Vatican City, a nation of less than 1,000 inhabitants.
"I wonder if you could tell us how you insure that the criminal prohibition against torture in Vatican City covers all individuals for whom the Holy See has jurisdiction," asked committee member Felice Gaer.
Experts said a finding by the committee that the systematic abuse amounted to torture could have drastic legal implications for the church as it continues to battle civil litigation around the world resulting from the decades-long scandal that saw tens of thousands of children raped and molested by priests.
Katherine Gallagher, a human rights attorney for the New York-based nonprofit legal group, the Center for Constitutional Rights, said such a finding could open the floodgates to abuse lawsuits dating back decades because there are no statutes of limitations on torture cases. Gallagher, whose group represents Vatican sex scandal victims, said rape can legally constitute a form of torture because of the elements of intimidation, coercion, and exploitation of power.
"The torture committee's questions really were about sexual violence and rape, and they made it clear that these acts fall within the definition of torture and the Vatican's obligations under the torture convention," she said after the hearing.
"A recognition by the torture committee that this is one of the most significant crimes could really open up a new level of prosecutions and accountability," she added.
Pope Francis has said he takes personal responsibility for the "evil" of clergy sex abuse, and has sought forgiveness from victims. He has insisted that the church must be even bolder in its efforts to protect children.
On Saturday, members of the Pope's sexual abuse advisory board said they will develop "clear and effective" protocols to hold bishops and other church authorities accountable if they fail to report suspected abuse or protect children from pedophile priests.
Francis announced the creation of the commission last December and named its members in March after coming under initial criticism for having ignored the sex abuse issue.
The U.N. committee, which is composed of independent experts, will issue its final observations and recommendations May 23.
In January, a U.N. committee that monitors a key treaty on children's rights accused the Holy See of systematically placing its own interests over those of victims. That committee rejected the Vatican's argument that it had limited geographical responsibility.


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MSR PocketRocket
This tiny, fast stove performs great in poor weather.
Brand: MSR Gear Reviews
Model: PocketRocket
For the price of a couple of large pizzas and a pitcher of beer, you can own a stove that's fast, light, and performs great in bad weather. The PocketRocket's burner-mounted partition divides the flame into three parts, which helps keep the fire going through moderate wind gusts even if one section blows out. In a Texas rainstorm, the MSR held a steady flame, and it outperformed all other stoves except the Soto when the mercury dropped below freezing. Downsides: Don't expect precision heat control, and the tightly focused flame creates a hotspot. The angled supports have only three tiny points of contact with the pot, so stability is iffy on anything less than level ground. And use the plastic storage box (included): One tester slightly mangled the stove's pot supports when he threw the stove into his pack unprotected.
Criteria less than 6 ounces; less than $65
Test numbers 120 meals cooked; 50 gallons of water boiled; temps 0° to 70°F; winds up to 60 mph
Ratings scale 5 = Perfect gear, 1 = Save your money (Overall rating is not an average of other scores.)This best-selling, ultralight, pocket-sized canister stove will fit in your palm. No need for priming, pressurizing or maintenance, it can boil a liter of water in under 3.5 minutes.


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Get the most relevant content and special deals. Please choose your country below:
Please choose your country to get the most relevant content and special deals.
HostPapa is a leader in corporate responsibility and sustainable business practices.
Just as HostPapa is committed to reliable hosting and quality customer support, we are also deeply committed to the world we live in. It only makes sense that we all do our part to keep the planet healthy for ourselves and those who come after us.
We take pride in being able to say that HostPapa was one of the first web hosting companies to make a public commitment to going green. We promote the development and use of wind and solar energy resources by purchasing green energy certificates to offset all the power we use in our data centres and offices. By putting equivalent clean energy back into the grid, we effectively reduce our carbon footprint and support renewable energy initiatives.
HostPapa has taken the initiative of going green by purchasing 100% green renewable energy to power our data centres, web servers, office computers, laptops, and office space.
HostPapa purchases "green energy tags" or certificates from a certified green energy supplier. That supplier calculates the total energy consumption of our operation and uses their suppliers of green energy to pump in 100% equivalent energy back into the power grid. Since HostPapa began purchasing green energy, we have removed thousands of tonnes of CO2 emissions and other greenhouse gases affecting our environment.
Simply put, we did it because of our commitment to corporate responsibility and to the environment. Ultimately, we wanted to be the green leader in web hosting. The servers and equipment we use here at HostPapa run 24 hours per day and consume a great deal of electricity. Why should we burden the world just because we require that electricity to power our servers? If we need the electricity for our operation, let's buy it from clean energy sources and contribute positively to our environment.
Green Tags are created when wind power or other renewable energy is substituted for traditional power. The result is a shift away from our dependence on burning fossil fuel to produce electricity. Using clean renewable energy is friendly to the environment and reduces emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. Green Tags represent the real savings in carbon dioxide and other pollutants that occur when green power replaces burning fossil fuel.
We intend to continue investing in these alternative energy sources, even with the rapid growth rates and expansion of our company and related equipment.
It's a sobering fact that the generation of electricity and its resultant greenhouse gases and carbon emissions is the single most contributing factor to industrial pollution in the world. Acid rain, soot, smog, mercury, and particulate matter (among other pollutants) are serious detriments to our health - as a people and a planet.
Whether you're a business owner, entrepreneur, webmaster, or blogger, you're also a consumer of energy and energy products and services. Every kilowatt hour of power that you use, including running your website(s), has an effect on the rest of the world.
We can all do our part to help reduce pollution - and HostPapa wants you to be a part of it.
Add these banners to your site and let your visitors know that you use 100% Green Web Hosting.
Right click on the banner you would like to use on your website.
Insert the image with the following code:Select Text

Note: Make sure you change the text in red to match the banner location in your local web files as well as the image width/height.


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Heart Like Heaven by Hillsong Worship
: : :
Gratitude goes beyond the 'mine' and 'thine' and
claims the truth that all of life is a pure gift.
In the past I always thought of gratitude as a spontaneous response
to the awareness of gifts received, but now I realize that
gratitude can also be lived as a discipline.
The discipline of gratitude is the explicit effort
to acknowledge that all I am and have is given to me as a gift of love,
a gift to be celebrated with joy.
Henri Neuwen
Here's a printable
of Psalm 9:1
for you
Let's exercise the discipline of gratitude,
for you
Let's exercise the discipline of gratitude,


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- 1. Third son of Terah and consequently the youngest brother of Abraham; he was born in Ur of the Chaldees, where he died while his father was still living. He had three children, Lot and two daughters, Milcah and Iscah. Milcah became the wife of her uncle Nahor (Gen. xi. 27-29). Josephus mentions that Haran's monument was shown in his time; and that there was also a Haran, son of Nahor, Terah's father, begotten when Nahor was one hundred and twenty years old ("Ant." i. 6, § 5). According to the Rabbis, who interpreted "Ur" to mean "fire," Haran was thrown after Abraham into the furnace by Nimrod. Haran had no firm belief in God. He said to himself: "Should Abraham perish in the furnace, I will side with Nimrod; if he come out alive, I will be with Abraham." Therefore he perished in the flames (Gen. R. xxxviii.; Yalḳ., Gen. 62).
- 2. A Levite in the time of David; one of the family of Shimei (I Chron. xxiii. 9).


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Audi A8 Saloon50 TDI Quattro Sport 4 Doors Tiptronic
Vehicle Highlights
- 'Lights On' Reminder Warning BuzzerAdaptive Cruise Control With Cruise Assist, Emergency Assist, Efficiency Assist, Swerve Assist, Turn Assist And Speed LimiterAudi Connect Safety And Service (E-Call)Audi Drive SelectAudi Parking System Plus With Front And Rear SensorsAudi Smartphone Interface With App Store Includes Wireless Apple Carplay, Android Auto And Amazon Alexa IntegrationAudi Virtual CockpitBluetooth InterfaceCamera Based Traffic Sign RecognitionConvenience KeyElectro - Mechanical Power Assisted SteeringHead Up DisplayMmi Navigation Plus With Mmi Touch + Twin Touch Screens With Haptic FeedbackOperating Buttons In Black, Glass Look With Haptic FeedbackPower Door ClosurePower Operated TailgateRear View CameraRemote Fuel Filler ReleaseService Interval Indicator
- 24 Litre Adblue Tank48V Mild Hybrid Technology8 Speed Transmission With Hill Hold Assist82 Litre Fuel TankAdaptive Air SuspensionDiesel Particulate FilterQuattro All Wheel Drive With Self Locking Centre Differential
- Audi Music InterfaceAudi Sound SystemDab Digital Radio ModuleDvd SystemMmi Radio PlusUsb Connection
- All-Weather, Manoeuvring, Position, Static Cornering, Turning And Motorway Lights With Automatic Dynamic Headlight Range ControlAudi Space FrameAuto Dimming Rear View MirrorBody Colour BumpersBody Colour Exterior Mirror HousingsBody Colour Side Protection With Aluminium Trim StripsElectric Front WindowsElectric Rear Windows With Isolation SwitchElectric Sunblinds For Rear Window And Rear Door WindowsElectrically Adjustable Heated Folding + Automatically Dimming Exterior Mirrors With Memory Function And Integrated Led IndicatorsFront Wash/Wipe With Interval DelayHd Matrix Led Headlights With Dynamic Light Presentation And Dynamic IndicatorsHeadlight Cleaning SystemHeat Insulating Glass In Side And Rear WindowsHeat Insulating Glass WindscreenHeated Rear WindowHeated Windscreen Washer JetsHigh Beam AssistLed Brake LightsLed Daytime Running LightsLed Third Brake LightOled Rear Lights With Changeable Rear Light SignatureRear BootRear Side Wing DoorsSide SkirtsWelcome/Leaving Lighting
- 12V Socket2 Zone Automatic Air Conditioning3 Seat Rear Bench With Centre Armrest In 2Nd Row4 Way Electric Lumbar Support For Driver And Front PassengerAudi Phone Box LightCentre Console With CupholdersComfort Centre ArmrestDoor Pockets With Bottle HolderDriver And Front Passenger Side Sunvisors With Illuminated Vanity MirrorsDust/Pollen FiltersElectric Front Seats With Memory FunctionFront Floor MatsGlove Compartment CoolingHeated Front SeatsHeight/Reach Electric Steering Column With Easy Exit FunctionIsofix Child Seat Mounting Points On Outer Rear SeatsLeather GearknobPassenger Footwell Storage NetReading LightsRear Floor MatsRear HeadrestsRoof Mounted Sunglasses HolderSilver Cloth HeadliningSingle Front Passenger SeatValcona Leather Upholstery With Contour Comfort Front Seats
- Chrome Exterior Pack - A8Extended Led Interior Multi Coloured Light Pack - A8High Gloss Styling Pack - A8
- 3 Point Seatbelts On All Rear SeatsAbs/EbdActive Front Headrest SystemAsr Traction ControlAudi Pre Sense BasicAudi Pre Sense FrontBlack Brake CalipersDriver/Front Passenger AirbagsEdl Traction ControlElectromechanical Parking BrakeEspExtended Pedestrian Protection MeasuresFront And Rear Disc BrakesFront And Rear Side Airbags With Head Airbag SystemFront Passenger Airbag DeactivationRear Child Proof Door LocksSeatbelt Reminder + Electric Contact In Buckle + Advanced Safety EquipmentTyre Pressure Loss IndicatorWarning Triangle And First Aid Kit
- Anti Theft Alarm Tow Away ProtectionAnti-Theft Wheel Bolts And Wheel Loosening DetectionRemote Central Locking
- Dark Matt Brushed Aluminium Lower InlaysFine Grain Ash Natural Grey Brown Upper Inlay
- HcNot AvailableStandard Euro EmissionsEuro 6Wltp - Co2 (G/Km) - Comb184 g/kmWltp - Co2 (G/Km) - Comb - Teh196 g/kmWltp - Co2 (G/Km) - Comb - Tel184 g/km
- CamshaftDohcCatalytic ConvertorYesCc2967 ccCylinder LayoutV6Cylinders6Engine LayoutNorth SouthFuel DeliveryCommon RailGears8 SpeedNumber Of Valves24TransmissionSemi-Auto
- Ec Directive 1999/100/Ec AppliesNoWltp - Fc (L/100Km) - Comb7Wltp - Fc (L/100Km) - Comb - Teh7.5Wltp - Fc (L/100Km) - Comb - Tel7Wltp - Mpg - Comb40.4Wltp - Mpg - Comb - Teh37.7Wltp - Mpg - Comb - Tel40.4
- AdblueYesAlternative Fuel QualifyingNoBadge Engine Cc3.0 ccBadge Power286Based On IdNot AvailableCoin DescriptionTdi QuattroCoin SeriesSportGeneration Mark4Insurance Group 1 - 50 Effective January 0745EManufacturers Corrosion Perforation Guarantee - Years12 yearsManufacturers Paintwork Guarantee - Years3 yearsNcap Adult Occupant Protection %Not AvailableNcap Child Occupant Protection %Not AvailableNcap Overall Rating - Effective February 09Not AvailableNcap Pedestrian Protection %Not AvailableNcap Safety Assist %Not AvailableDid At Least One Aspect Of This Vehicle's Safety Give Cause For Concern?NoService Interval Frequency - Months24 monthsService Interval Mileage18000 milesSpecial EditionNoSpecial OrderNoStandard Manufacturers Warranty - Mileage60000 milesStandard Manufacturers Warranty - Years3 yearsVehicle Homologation ClassM1
- 0 To 62 Mph (Secs)5.9 secEngine Power - Bhp286 bhpEngine Power - Kw210 kwEngine Power - Rpm3500 rpmEngine Torque - Lbs.Ft443 lbs.ftEngine Torque - Mkg61.2 mkgEngine Torque - Nm600 nmEngine Torque - Rpm2250 rpmTop Speed155 mph
- Emissions Test CycleWltpRde Certification LevelRde 2
- Alloys?YesSpace Saver?NoTyre Size Front235/55 R18Tyre Size Rear235/55 R18Tyre Size SpareTyre Repair KitWheel Style5 V SpokeWheel Type18" Alloy
- Height1473 mmHeight (Including Roof Rails)Not AvailableLength5190 mmWheelbase2998 mmWidthNot AvailableWidth (Including Mirrors)2130 mm
- Fuel Tank Capacity (Litres)82 litresGross Vehicle Weight2710 kgLuggage Capacity (Seats Down)Not AvailableLuggage Capacity (Seats Up)505 litresMax. Loading Weight690 kgMax. Towing Weight - Braked2300 kgMax. Towing Weight - Unbraked750 kgMinimum Kerbweight2020 kgNo. Of Seats5Turning Circle - Kerb To Kerb12.5
Why Choose Vanarama?
Our unique Price Promise means we'll find you the very best deal on your chosen vehicle. And if you do find a competitors' quote we can't beat, we'll give you £100.Full terms and conditions can be found here.
If you change your mind up to 30 days after your vehicle has been delivered, you don't have to worry! As long as haven't exceeded your mileage by 50 miles, we'll collect it from wherever you are, free of charge.Full terms and conditions can be found here.
Unlike many of our competitors, we won't charge you anything to arrange your lease. You simply pay your initial payment and monthly rentals and we'll cover the rest.
Delivering a 5-star service to you is at the heart of everything we do. That's why we're rated excellent on Trust Pilot for our customer service.
There's no need to worry about the hassle of collecting your vehicle. Once it's ready, we'll get it delivered straight to your door, drama-free.
Why Choose Leasing?
Frequently Asked Questions
- How Long Will My Vehicle Delivery Take?
Delivery time really depends on several factors, including the vehicle you choose, whether it's in stock & if you're having accessories fitted. If your vehicle is in stock, available & already kitted out the way you want it, it could take as little as 2-3 weeks to be delivered.Can I Lease A Vehicle With Bad Credit?
Leasing is a form of vehicle finance or credit, which means funders will look into your credit history when you apply to lease. If you've missed payments or cancelled finance in the past, these can negatively impact your credit score. Vanarama works with more than 10 potential funders & we'll always try to match you with a funder to suit your needs.Can I Cancel A Lease Part Way Through?
A lease contract can be cancelled by requesting an early termination. If you request this, the vehicle must be returned to the funder & you'll pay a penalty fee - the amount varies depending on the funder & the type of lease agreement you have, but it could be more than 50% of all remaining payments. If you lease a car with us, you will be covered by Redundancy Protection. This means if due to an unexpected life event you are suddenly unable to afford your payments, we may be able to help. See more about this here.Which Businesses Can Lease Vehicles?
In general, any business can lease a vehicle & benefit from the cost savings leasing offers - even new businesses.Can I Change My Annual Mileage Limit Mid-Contract?
Yes, although the process will depend on which funder your lease is with & if you are eligible to do so. If you think your mileage limit needs changing, call us straight away so we can discuss your options.What Is The Shortest Lease Contract I Can Take?
The shortest lease term available from Vanarama is 2 years, up to a maximum term of 5 years.How Does Fair Wear & Tear Work?
If your lease contract requires you to hand your vehicle back at the end, it will be inspected by the finance company for any damage that isn't considered 'fair wear & tear'. The odd bump, scratch or scuff is fine - after all, you could have been driving this vehicle for up to 5 years - excessive damage is not & penalties are often charged to repair it.


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As I showed earlier today in my 10 Best Minor League Deals Of The Year post, minor moves sometimes have a major impact. Today's latest:
- The Rays released right-handed reliever Jay Buente, tweets Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times. The move created a 40-man roster spot for Dan Johnson, whose contract was purchased. Buente, who'd been claimed off waivers from the Marlins in May, found himself literally twice as hittable for the Rays' Triple-A affiliate as compared to his work in the Marlins' organization this year. Topkin adds that recently designated pitchers Rob Delaney and Mike Ekstrom cleared waivers and the Rays are waiting to hear if they'll accept outright assignments.
- The Orioles released lefty reliever Mark Hendrickson on Monday, according to the team's transactions page. He'd been designated for assignment last Tuesday.
- The Diamondbacks released first baseman Daryle Ward, tweets Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus. The 36-year-old hit .318/.445/.471 in 110 plate appearances. He last played in the Majors in '08 with the Cubs.


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Simplifying your technology, and your business
Founded in 2004, Highlands Computer Technologies began with a mission to help small and medium-sized businesses like yours get a real return on their technology investments. Since then, we have remained dedicated to providing state-of-the-art IT support, service and products that allow our clients to get ahead of the competition and achieve greater success.
Expert IT support from Highlands Computer Technologies takes the focus off your technology problems and puts it back on what really matters – your business.
Here's why so many businesses depend on Highlands Computer Technologies for IT service and support:
- Our Registered Microsoft Partner Status – reserved for companies that demonstrate excellence in implementing Microsoft technologies
- An entire team of experts at your service – dependable consultants and engineers that work as your partners in IT and success
- Round-the-clock technical support – IT help when you need it most
Technology services from Highlands Computer Technologies are designed, created and implemented with your unique business needs in mind, so you know you'll see a return on your IT investments today and in the future.


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AMES, Iowa — Progress is being made on 10 projects funded through the Iowa Nutrient Research Center at Iowa State University.
The center was established in 2013 by the Iowa Board of Regents in response to legislation passed last spring by the Iowa Legislature and signed by Governor Terry Branstad. The center received $1.5 million for 2013-2014 for research evaluating the performance of current and emerging nutrient management practices, providing recommendations on implementing the practices and developing new practices.
Plans for the projects were prepared by scientists at Iowa State, the University of Iowa and University of Northern Iowa, each addressing critical needs or gaps in nitrogen and phosphorus research identified in the science assessment that was part of the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy. The plans were shared with the center's advisory council last September, with funding first available in October.
Highlights from first quarter progress reports include:
-- Cover crop management techniques are the focus of one project. Fifty-four field plots were established in October and a rye cover planted for experiments and measurements that will take place this spring. In addition, two experiments in controlled environment chambers are underway, and simulate the field experiments.
-- One project involves extensive fieldwork in the Cedar River watershed. Fourteen monitoring sites were selected last fall, with stream water collected from each site once every two weeks from mid-October until early December. Water sampling will resume in the spring, plus soil samples will be collected. The research will help identify actual nutrient losses in relation to land use practices.
-- Farmers need solid financial information and user-friendly tools to help them make decisions about adopting effective non-point source Best Management Practices (BMP). This project began with development of preliminary BMP budgets for the majority of the nitrogen and phosphorus practices described in the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy. Design work is underway on spreadsheets that could be used by producers as they analyze BMP options on their farms.
-- Another project focuses on measuring nitrogen and phosphorus loads on a scale from a few hundred acres to a few thousand acres. Eighteen monitoring sites have been established in several central Iowa watersheds, where water quality monitoring will begin this spring. Nutrient concentrations and flow data will be used to calculate mass nutrient load from the watersheds for evaluation against land use and management information.
A website for the Iowa Nutrient Research Center provides information on all 10 projects. The website, https://www.cals.iastate.edu/inrc/, is part of the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy website, http://www.nutrientstrategy.iastate.edu/.
The Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy is a science and technology-based approach to assess and reduce nutrients delivered to Iowa waterways and the Gulf of Mexico.
The center's director is John Lawrence, the associate dean for extension and outreach in Iowa State's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and director of ISU Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension and Outreach.
"The Iowa Board of Regents has requested $1,548,000 in legislative funding for 2014-2015 to continue the research of the center," said Lawrence. "We believe this is important research for the state and are hopeful the work continues into the years ahead to make progress that improves Iowa's waters."


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The Sabbath School Bible Study Guide and the corresponding E.G. White Notes are published by Pacific Press Publishing Association, which is owned and operated by the Seventh-day Adventist church. The current quarter's editions are pictured above.
Official Adventist Resources
Standard Edition Study Guide Week 10
Teacher's Edition Study Guide Week 10
Easy Reading Edition Study Guide Wk 10
Search the Complete Published Ellen G. White Writings
Support this project
If you would like to support this website, please click on the following link to donate online or you may mail your check to: Life Assurance Ministries, PO Box 905, Redlands, CA 92373. Mark your check "Bible Studies."
First Quarter 2011 (January–March)
Commentary on the introduction: "Jesus Wept: The Bible and Human Emotions"
Week 10: February 26–March 4
Commentary on "Jealousy"
Following is a day-by-day commentary on the material included in the Bible Study Guide with references as necessary to the supplemental passages included in the E. G. White Notes for the Sabbath School Lessons.
Copyright 2011 BibleStudiesForAdventists.com. All rights reserved. Revised February 16, 2011. This website is published by Life Assurance Ministries, Glendale, Arizona, USA, the publisher of Proclamation! Magazine. Contact email: email@example.com.


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Aug 9, 2022
In-Flight Entertainment welcomes you to Marauder Radio starring Bob Zima, Frequent Flyer to Hell and Back. This podcast features Bob's quirky insights and lessons learned from having to reinvent, reboot and rebuild his life at least TWICE now…all due to the "Bullsh!t of Life."
On today's show, Bob discusses how too often society and the psychological industry get mental healtyh wrong, create stigma and barriers for people to find genuine and authentic mental wellness.
Bob Zima is a middle-aged, over-educated, under-employed, overweight, white-guy who believes that when he tries less his life has more success. He's is healing each and every day from addiction, bankruptcy, plenty of bad relationship, dumb-ass career decisions and the death of two of his children. He has also backpacked through Europe, talked with the Pope, played basketball with Michael Jordan, was selected as the clinical site supervisor of the year in Illinois and has had his picture taken with the Stanley Cup
Bob is a licensed clinical professional counselor and improvisational comedy graduate of Chicago's famed Player's Workshop of the Second City. He makes healing and counseling fun, entertaining and educational.
Marauder Radio is a roller-coaster ride of mental health and healing ideas, a treasure trove of inspirational rants and witty lampooning of the psychological and religious industries in 'Merica. Bob's HOOYA (Head Out Of Your Ass) humor therapy encourages all to engage in a cranium-rectum extraction then get busying having fun and enjoying all that life has to offer.


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The secure communities policy is driving a massive increase in deportations. Since President Obama took office, we have seen one million deportations. In 2010, the United States deported 400,000 people, more than in the entire decade of the 1980s. The secure communities policy is also racist.
(Photo by Runs with Scissors)
This rise in deportations is due to laws passed in 1996, and a massive infusion of money into draconian enforcement of immigration law with the creation of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). With an annual budget of $60 billion, DHS has been able to expand its operations far beyond those of its predecessor, the Immigration and Naturalization Service.
When we look at who is getting deported, however, it's clear that Asian and European immigrants are almost never deported, yet blacks and Latinos are deported in massive numbers. And, nearly all deportees are men. Sound familiar? Yes, racial and gender disparities in immigration law enforcement look a lot like those in criminal justice law enforcement.
Police are much more likely to arrest blacks and Latinos. In New York State, 94% of those arrested on drug charges are black or Latino. And, yes, whites and Asians do use and sell drugs. They are just rarely arrested.
Now that President Obama has forced more cooperation between police and immigration law enforcement through the Secure Communities program, we can expect to see more blacks and Latinos deported.


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By: Eric Eisenberg
Paul Dano is moving from the world of time-travel hitmen to a story of vigilante justice. The actor, who very recently appeared alongside Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis and Jeff Daniels in Rian Johnson's Looper, has signed on for a part in Prisoners the new film from director Denis Villeneuve. Based on a script by Aaron Guzikowski, the plot follows a man who discovers that his daughter and best friend have been kidnapped. When the cops are unable to find them, he decides to take the law into his own hands, running into conflict with the "big-city detective" who has been on the cas
Variety, which reported the new casting news, confirms that the film will also star Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal and Melissa Leo. Villeneuve is best known for helming the 2010 film Incendies and this past summer wrapped production on the thriller An Enemy (which also starred Gyllenhaal). The trade says that the movie is aiming to start production in early 2013, quite possibly to avoid the production of The Wolverine, which still has Jackman's schedule tied up. It will be released sometime in fall 2013 by Alcon Entertainment.
Beyond Looper Dano has had a busy year, starring in movies such as Ruby Sparks, Being Flynn, and For Ellen. This summer he was cast in Steve McQueen's Twelve Years a Slave, alongside Michael Fassbender, Brad Pitt, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Giamatti, Garret Dillahunt and Michael K. Williams. It's being produced by New Regency, Plan B and River Road, and has already made it to post-production.
Source: Cinema Blend


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My husband previous base salary plus benefits and commissions sales position has just been cut to pay him only the commissions. Now we are on our own to cover medical insurance.
Thanks for this information. I am going to look into whether we can get our $1000+ medical insurance bill cut by joining.


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Arizona gov. signs Planned Parenthood funding ban
May 5, 2012, 2:31 AM
PHOENIX (AP) – Gov. Jan Brewer on Friday signed into law a bill to cut off Planned Parenthood's access to taxpayer money funneled through the state for non-abortion services.
Arizona already bars use of public money for abortions except to save the life of the mother. But anti-abortion legislators and other supporters of the bill say the broader prohibition is needed to ensure no public money indirectly supports abortion services.
Planned Parenthood Arizona claims a funding ban would interrupt its preventive health care and family planning services for nearly 20,000 women served by the organization's clinics. The organization says it will consider a legal challenge.
The measure targeting funding for Planned Parenthood for non-abortion services was one of several approved by Arizona's Republican-led Legislature related to contentious reproductive health care issues this session.
(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)


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A new NASA video draws on detailed maps of the moon's surface made recently to recreate the view of "Earthrise" seen by the astronauts of the Apollo 8 mission.
On Dec. 24, 1968, astronauts Frank Borman, William Anders, and James Lovell orbited the moon and caught the first sight of our planet from a distance. The famous Christmas-eve view became known as "Earthrise," and changed the way Earthlings viewed our home world from then on.
Now, NASA scientists have used footage from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter currently circling the moon to recreate the vision for the rest of us in honor of Earth Day 2012, which occurred Sunday (April 22).
"This visualization recreates for everyone the wondrous experience of seeing Earth from that privileged viewpoint," LRO project scientist Rich Vondrak of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., said in a statement. You can see the new Earthrise video here.
The scientists used software to recreate the orbit charted by the Apollo 8 capsule based on coordinates from the mission report and photographs taken by the crew.
The moon surface footage comes from the high-definition maps being created by LRO, while the Earth imagery is a mosaic of pictures taken by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (known as MODIS) instrument on the Terra satellite. These photos were assembled by NASA's Visible Earth team.
The original Earthrise sighting was not planned, but occurred serendipitously.
"The spacecraft was pointed down to look at the moon's surface, because Anders was conducting an extensive photographic survey," said James Rice, an astrogeologist at Goddard. "But Lovell needed to perform a navigation sighting, so Borman rolled the spacecraft."
Once the image of Earth popped into view, the astronauts can be heard in the mission audio recordings interrupting their work to cry out, "Oh my God! Look at that picture over there!"
These audio recordings accompany the visual track of the new NASA video, giving the viewer another taste of what it might have felt like to be there at that pivotal moment.
Follow SPACE.com for the latest in space science and exploration news on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.


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Mpam-9c87d471.exe is part of AntiMalwareDefinitionUpdate and developed by Microsoft Corporation according to the Mpam-9c87d471.exe file information. In certain cases, malicious trackers and scripts can disguise themselves as legitimate files, like Mpam-9c87d471.exe, leading to glitches, overload and system malfunctions.
In such cases, Mpam-9c87d471.exe can create unnecessary records and folders in the Windows registry. Check your PC to eliminate possible application conflicts and system failures.
System Information:
Your machine is currently running: unknown
Outbyte PC Repair is incompatible with your operating system.
Mpam-9c87d471.exe's description is "AntiMalwareDefinitionUpdate".
Mpam-9c87d471.exe is digitally signed by Microsoft Corporation.
Mpam-9c87d471.exe is an .exe file.
Mpam-9c87d471.exe is usually located in the following folder:
Mpam-9c87d471.exe actions
Fix system elements
Eliminate file conflicts
Restore system stability
Delete junk filesDownload PC Repair See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy Policy.
of antivirus scans don't detect any virus in it
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of users rate Mpam-9c87d471.exe as a useful program
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of users find Mpam-9c87d471.exe to be malicious or a scam


text:
Login Required
You need to have a Pokémon Trainer Club account to save your Favorite Pokémon!Log In Sign Up No Thanks
It's good at finding berries and gathers them from all over. It's kind enough to share them with friends.
It shares the leaf on its head with weary-looking Pokémon. These leaves are known to relieve stress.
The Pokémon Company International is not responsible for the content of any linked website that is not operated by The Pokémon Company International. Please note that these websites' privacy policies and security practices may differ from The Pokémon Company International's standards.
Pokemon.com administrators have been notified and will review the screen name for compliance with the Terms of Use.
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species-brainstorming: Difference between revisions
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* Does "year of authority" need to be an hcal?
* Does "year of authority" need to be an hcal?
===Embedding within other
===Embedding within other ===
The proosed [[plant]] microformat (with care regime, supplier, etc.), [[
The proosed [[plant]] microformat (with care regime, supplier, etc.), [[]] or [[hReview]] could contain a scientific name microformat, in the same way that an hCal can contain an hCard.
Revision as of 15:31, 19 September 2006
Species Brainstorming
Andy Mabbett
There should, I believe, be a microformat for the markup of plant and animal names, to include their scientific names. Consider:
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchos
The microformat would allow user agents to be configured to perform look-ups on on-line databases of species, according to user preferences. Specification of the taxonomic class would help user agents to know which such databases were applicable (i.e., use database A for plants, but database B for mammals and database C for insects.)
It would also allow for more specific searching (do I mean "crow" or do I mean "Corvus corone"?).
The specification should encourage, but not mandate, the correct capitalisation of scientific names "Anas platyrhynchos" not "anas platyrhynchos".
A first draft
I'm tending towards this model:
- sci (scientific name)
- kingdom
- phylum
- class
- order
- family
- bin ("binomial name")
- genus
- species
- sub ("subspecies")
- var ("variety")
- subvar ("subvariety")
- form
- subform
- cult ("cultivar")
- cultgp ("cultivar group")
- trade ("trade name")
- cross (e.g. "F1")
- strain
- authority
- year (...of authority)
- cname ("common name")
where all except "bin" are optional, and it is possible to infer from simply:
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchos
that the genus is Anas and the species is platyrhynchos (and, thus, "bin" is to "sci"; as "adr" is to "vcard")
Other examples
 Larus glaucoides kumlieni
 Pisum sativum var. macrocarpon
  Thayer's Gull
  <span class="bin" Larus thayeri
  Amanita muscaria
 Pica pica Linnaeus, (1758)
The species was classified as  Tringa longicauda by Johann Bechstein in 1812.
- Is "sci" the best attribute name for the top-level?
- Should "bin", var", "cult", etc., be written in full? (I think not, to save bloating file sizes)
- Should other attribute names be abbreviated for brevity?
- Is "class" a potentially confusing attribute name, and what should replace it ("taxoclass", perhaps?)
- What other attribute names are needed, if any (we could do with help from a taxonomist!)
- How to deal with: "Podiceps sp." (a grebe of unknown species)
- Should we allow divisions of "bin" with no parent "sci", such as:
Larus glaucoides kumlieni
- Does "year of authority" need to be an hcal?
Embedding within other microformats
The proosed plant microformat (with care regime, supplier, etc.), hlisting or hReview could contain a scientific name microformat, in the same way that an hCal can contain an hCard.
- Wikipedia: Scientific classification
- International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature
- International Code of Botanical Nomenclature *[1]


text:
Release Date: 1971 |
Oceania (5)Pink Floyd is one of those rare bands whose vast catalog of music is filled with hidden ge...e210013 (4.5)One of Pink Floyd's most exquisite pieces. It's one of their most enduring and beloved...scotish (5)One of these days, it's going to cut you into pieces....TheMoonchild (4)The moment Pink Floyd made it clear they were here to stay....
isaacb263 (4.5)A classic PF record that compares to DSoTM....AnyColour74 (4.5)Seals84 (4)Set the tone for some of Pink Floyds best work...Killtacular (3.5)
I think I just realized how great this album really is. I had to bump it up from a 4 to 4.5.
Album Rating: 4.5Super Duper review for a Super Duper album. I first had this on vinyl,
then on cd, but I lost both for years. ;(
I badly need this cd again. Echoes is sooo epic. Masterpiece of album.
Take note that the cover art is an ear to Waters. To see it better, just incline
your head to the left and look. =]
Album Rating: 3.5Nice review, I totally am going to listen to this album again now. I thought Wright did the lead vocals on Echoes though.
Album Rating: 4.5^Gilmour and Wright together.
I love to sing 'Echoes', even if I don't see exactly
what it's all about. (I'm french, so english allegories
remain mysterious to me)
Yeah Wright harmonizes with Gilmour. I probably should have mentioned that. And thanks for the feeback guys.
Album Rating: 4.5Pleasure buddy. Pos'd
Album Rating: 5.0album's fantastic
aside from that you say wind noises and psychadelic alot, and that you describe echoes in a very this-
happens-then-this-does-then-that-happens-again (kinda hard to avoid with a track that's like 20
minutes long, I know :p), review isn't half bad
Thanks. I really tried to avoid doing that for Echoes, but yeah as you said its hard with a track that long. It's also hard to avoid that with a six song album.
Album Rating: 4.0Album's near-classic, just doesn't do as much for me as Wish, Dark Side and The Wall did. Great review too
Album Rating: 2.5Great review, but this is the most overrated album in prog. One of These Days is the only great track on here. Echoes could be if it weren't for the irritating middle section. Fearless and A Pillow of Winds are decent, and San Tropez and Seamus are utterly pointless.
Album Rating: 4.5A definite pos. I missed your last few because I've been off for a while, but I must say your reviews keep getting better. Keep it up. Because of your great work I'm inclined to give this (and especially Echoes) another listen.
Only thing I disagree with is Barrett being a musical mastermind, but hey, that's just my cup of tea.
Album Rating: 4.5This album is stupidly good.
Thanks a lot Nag. I'm actually much more of a fan of post-Barrett Pink Floyd, but he was really great at what he did.
good album
Album Rating: 4.5Piper and some other of their early albums were pretty good, but I hardly listen to those. Care mostly for Dark Side up till The Wall (logically), but as said I should probably listen to this more.
I should listen to more Pink Floyd besides the "big three." Great review, I'll definitely check it out.
I think I need to listen to the late 60's albums again since I haven't in 5 years or so.
Album Rating: 4.5Fine review, I should check this out.
echoes and a pillow of winds rule
great album
Bands: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z


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Healthy Eating
Eating well to maintain a healthy weight is one of the most important things you can do to lower your risk for type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
It can seem hard to make healthy food choices, particularly if you are on a budget and short on time. But there are some simple steps you can take to help you and your family eat healthier. Choose 2 or 3 of these suggestions to start today. Then come back another day and try a few more.
Shop Smart
Set aside some time to plan your weekly meals. You might want to start with just a few days. It may seem like a hassle at first, but having a plan (and writing your grocery list with it in mind) can save you time, stress and a lot of extra trips to the store.
Stock your pantry with plenty of healthy basics, including brown rice, whole grain pasta, crackers and cereals.
Remember that fresh fruits and vegetables are usually healthier than canned or frozen, but it is better to have canned or frozen fruits or vegetables than none at all!
When you run out, put the items on your grocery list so you'll always have them on hand.
Shop only from your grocery list.
Avoid aisles that contain foods high in calories but low in vitamins and minerals such as candy, cookies, chips and sodas. Also avoid buying items promoted at the front of the store, on the "end-cap" displays at the end of each aisle, or at the cash register. These foods are usually low in nutrition.
Eat Smart
To cut down on the sodium in canned vegetables, drain and rinse them before heating in fresh water. You can do the same to cut down on added sugar in canned fruits or better yet, buy them packed in juice (not syrup).
Try starting meals with a salad or a broth or tomato- based soup with lots of vegetables. This helps you eat more good-for-you veggies while filling you up before you get to the higher fat and calorie courses.
Make healthy snack foods easy to find in your kitchen. For example, when you get home from work or school, put some fresh carrots, grapes or pretzels out on the counter instead of a bag of chips.
In restaurants, ask if meats can be grilled rather than fried, and request sauces and dressings on the side. Remember to choose fruit, salad or other vegetables as side items, rather than French fries. Order a salad or soup to start and then share an entrée. Save money, and lots of calories, by skipping dessert.
Build a Healthier Plate
Use a grocery list when shopping for food to help you choose more fresh vegetables, fruits, and whole grains.
Buy leaner meats (such as chicken, turkey and lean cuts of pork or beef such as sirloin or chuck roast) and lower fat dairy products (like low-fat or skim milk and yogurt).
Buy whole grain breads and cereals.
Save money by buying less soda, sweets and chips or other snack foods.
Remember that special "dietetic" or "diabetic" foods often cost extra money and may not be much healthier than simply following the suggestions given here.
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Best Buy has agreed to pay around US$121 million in cash for online music retailer Napster, the companies announced Monday.
For the money, Best Buy gets a database of 700,000 subscribers to Napster's digital entertainment services, and its Web platform for streaming music. Best Buy foresees using that platform to sell content other than music, it said Monday.
Napster revamped its music download service in May, offering 6 million music tracks in MP3 format for sale without DRM (digital rights management).
Best Buy has owned part of Napster since December 2004, when it paid $10 million for a stake in the company in a joint marketing agreement.
Napster's board of directors has agreed to the deal, which the companies expect to close in the fourth quarter. The purchase will cost Best Buy around $54 million, after taking into account Napster's cash reserves.
Best Buy said it does not intend to make significant staffing changes. Under the terms of the deal, Napster CEO Chris Gorog and other managers will remain with the company.


text:
The BiDi Screen is an example of a new type of I/O device that possesses the ability to both capture images and display them. This thin, bidirectional screen extends the latest trend in LCD devices, which has seen the incorporation of photo-diodes into every display pixel. Using a novel optical masking technique developed at the Media Lab, the BiDi Screen can capture lightfield-like quantities, unlocking a wide array of applications from 3-D gesture interaction with CE devices, to seamless video communication.
Published in ACM Transations on Graphics, 2009 vol. 28
The following are images of the BiDi screen prototype built for the SIGGRAPH Asia 2009 Emerging Technology exhibition. Case design by MIT UROP Emily Tow.
|high res
|high res
|high res
The re-lighting demo, shown running on our new prototype. The world-navigation demo, running on our new prototype. The model-manipulation demo, running on our new prototype.
Check here for more videos.
Q: How does it work? How does it sense 3D information from a thin display?
Q: How is this different from Surface, SecondLight, Gesturetek, Perceptive Pixels and xyz?
Q: Will this replace flat-bed scanners?
Q: What are some other applications of this technology?
Q: What are the future directions?
Q: Isn't this the same as something Apple did?
Q: How did you implement the light-sensing layer of the BiDi Screen?
Q: Isn't this same as some other projects that use cameras in the back?
Q: What are the parameters of the current prototype?
Q: What components did you use for the prototype?
Q: Why isn't the BiDi Screen prototype as thin as the LCD panel it uses?
Q: How does the tiled-MURA mask used in the BiDi screen produce equivalent imagery to a pinhole array?
Q: How does the BiDi screen estimate depth?
Q: Is flicker noticeable in the BiDi screen prototype?
Q: Is there noticeable lag between movement and display update?
Q: What type of tie fighter is featured in the videos?
Q: Does the BiDi Screen herald a dystopic Orwellian future, in which sinister government bureaucrats monitor our every move, and personal privacy is a distant memory?
You can find more details about the construction and operation of the BiDi Screen in our supplementary materials section.
Here is our bibitex entry:
   author = {Matthew Hirsch and Douglas Lanman and Henry Holtzman and Ramesh Raskar},
   title = {{B}i{D}i Screen: {A} Thin, Depth-Sensing {LCD} for {3D} Interaction using Lights Fields},
   journal = {ACM Trans. Graph.},
   year = {2009},
   volume = {28},
   number = {5},
   publisher = {ACM}


text:
"Chapter 10: The Scriptures, the Most Valuable Library in the World," Teachings of Presidents of the Church: George Albert Smith (2010)
"Chapter 10," Teachings: George Albert Smith
Chapter 10
The Scriptures, the Most Valuable Library in the World
God has given us the holy scriptures to help us and our families prepare for eternal life.
From the Life of George Albert Smith
Late in his life, President George Albert Smith recalled an experience from his youth when a passage of scripture had a long-lasting effect on him: "When I was about fourteen years of age, I read the fortieth chapter of Alma in the Book of Mormon in our Sunday School class. It made an impression on my mind that has been helpful when death has taken loved ones away. … It is one place in the scriptures that tells us where our spirits go when they leave this body [see verses 11–14], and I have wanted to go to that place called paradise ever since."1 [See suggestion 1 on page 109.]
President Smith hoped others would have their own meaningful experiences reading the scriptures. In his public discourses and his personal interactions with others, he encouraged everyone to study the scriptures as a way to build their own testimonies of the gospel. Once, while traveling by train, he started a conversation with a man who was raised in a Latter-day Saint family but was no longer participating in the Church. "As we visited," he later said, "I talked to him about the gospel of Jesus Christ. … And he said as we discussed the principles of the gospel, 'These things interest me.' We visited quite a long time, and when we finished, that good man, I believe he was a good man, said to me, 'I would give all that I possess to have the assurance that you have. …'
"I said, 'My brother, you don't have to give all that you possess to have that assurance. All you have to do is to search the scriptures prayerfully. Go where they may be explained to you. Seek the truth, and the beauty of the truth will appeal to you, and … you can know as I know that God lives, that Jesus is the Christ, that Joseph Smith is a prophet of the Living God.'"2
Teachings of George Albert Smith
The truths contained in the scriptures are far more valuable than the philosophies of men.
The Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price, do not contain the wisdom of men alone, but of God. While they do not find their way into the homes of many people, they contain the word of the Lord. What mattereth it, though we understand Homer and Shakespeare and Milton, and I might enumerate all the great writers of the world; if we have failed to read the scriptures we have missed the better part of this world's literature.
My brethren and sisters, all the truth that is … necessary for our salvation, is contained within the lids of the books that I have already enumerated. We may not possess a library of two or three thousand volumes, but we may possess at small cost a priceless library that has cost the best blood that has ever been in this world.3
I am not concerned whether or not you have the books of the great libraries of the world in your home, provided you do have these books. Think of the millions of volumes that there are in [the] Congressional Library at Washington, in the British Library, and in the libraries of other countries, millions of volumes—and yet all that God has revealed and published to the children of men that is necessary to prepare them for a place in the celestial kingdom is contained within the covers of these sacred books. How many of us know what they contain? I frequently go into homes where I see all the latest magazines. I find the books that are advertised as best sellers on the bookshelves. If you were to throw them all away and retain only these sacred scriptures, you wouldn't lose what the Lord has caused to be written and made available for us all to enjoy. So, brethren and sisters, among our other blessings let us not forget that the Lord has made it possible for us to have, enjoy, and understand the scriptures and to have his word that has been given down through the ages for the salvation of his children.4
As I read the scriptures, … I marvel at the goodness of the Lord to bless those who accept his teachings, for we find more comfort in these sacred records than in all the philosophies of the ages, as given to us by the wisdom of men.5
We talk about the philosophies of men and hold them up sometimes as a pretty picture, but when they conflict with the teachings of our Heavenly Father as contained in Holy Writ, they are valueless. They will never lead anybody into eternal happiness, nor help him to find a place in the kingdom of our Heavenly Father.6
I sometimes feel that we do not appreciate the Holy Bible, and what it contains, and these other scriptures, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price that have been referred to … as letters from our Heavenly Father. They may be so received, at least they are his advice and his counsel to all the children of men given to them that they may know how to take advantage of their opportunities, that their lives may not be spent in vain.7 [See suggestion 2 on page 109.]
The Lord gave us the scriptures to help us overcome our trials and prepare for exaltation.
This is a day of proving ourselves, a day of trial. This is a day when men's hearts are failing them with fear. When the multitudes in the world are asking themselves what the end will be. A few inspired men know what the end will be. The Lord has told us what would occur, in [the scriptures], this wonderful library that I hold in my hand. He has given us the information that we need to adjust our lives and to prepare ourselves that no matter what may transpire we will be on the Lord's side of the line.8
Let me read what the Lord says with reference to these latter days in the first section of the Doctrine and Covenants: …
"Wherefore, I the Lord, knowing the calamity which should come upon the inhabitants of the earth, called upon my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., and spake unto him from heaven, and gave him commandments. …
"Search these commandments, for they are true and faithful, and the prophecies and promises which are in them shall all be fulfilled.
"What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same.
"For behold, and lo, the Lord is God, and the Spirit beareth record, and the record is true, and the truth abideth forever and ever. Amen." [D&C 1:17, 37–39.]
This preface is worthy [of] your earnest consideration. It is the admonition of the Father of us all. It is the loving advice of a tender parent who knows what we require, as he said in the chapter just read that knowing what was about to come upon the inhabitants of the earth he gave these commandments.9
Sometimes we forget that the Lord has spoken and we fail to inform ourselves of His decrees. …
Dozens of passages in the scriptures could be cited as evidence that our Heavenly Father in mercy and kindness has been talking to the children of men all down through the ages, not only telling them what would occur, but pleading with them to turn from the error of their ways lest destruction should overtake them. …
Our Heavenly Father, through His faithful representatives, has told us of the important things that should occur and we can read about them in His holy scriptures. If we really desire to be saved and exalted in His celestial kingdom He has told us how to proceed.10
[The scriptures are] the greatest library to be found in all the world. What does it contain? It contains what your Father and mine has thought of enough importance to preserve and give to the children of men and make accessible in many languages of the World. These scriptures are all important and should be understood by the Latter-day Saints. I am not going to ask you to hold up your hands to ascertain how many here assembled have ever read these books, but I desire to call your attention to the fact that these are precious truths, and they contain the revealed word of the Lord printed and published to the world for the purpose of preparing his children for a place in the celestial kingdom. That is why I say they are so valuable. … How thankful we ought to be that we live in a day and age when we can read his advice and counsel and have things explained that otherwise might be obscure and uncertain to us.11 [See suggestion 3 on page 109.]
We inspire faith in our families by reading the scriptures with them.
I would like you to ask yourselves, how many of you have read anything to your families out of these books from time to time, called them together to teach them the things that they ought to know. I am afraid many of us would have to say we have been too busy.12
We have already heard of many of the blessings that the Lord has given to us in the sacred records that have been kept until our day, and that contain the advice and counsel of an all-wise Father. It seems strange that so many of our people, with the opportunities offered, lack familiarity with the contents of these sacred records.13
Will our Father hold us guiltless when we go home, if we have failed to teach our children the importance of these sacred records? I think not. … Do you suppose that after the Lord has … placed within our reach the excellent teachings contained in these holy records, that he will consider us appreciative if we fail to teach them to our families, and to impress them upon those with whom we come in contact?
Brethren and sisters, I desire to emphasize again the teaching of the Master: "search the scriptures;" read them prayerfully and faithfully, teach them in your homes; call your families around you and inspire in them a faith in the living God, by reading those things that have been revealed. They are the most precious of all the libraries in all the world.14
Keep this library where you can find it, and where your children will find it, and then have enough interest in the eternal salvation of those boys and girls that are in your home that you will find ways and means to interest them in what these books contain, that they may know how precious they are in the sight of their Heavenly Father.15
What a lovely thing it was to me when I was a child to have father and mother sit down by the fireplace and read the Bible while we children sat on the floor. …
Now, I want to say, my brothers and sisters, that the advice of Jesus Christ, is still in force with us wherein he said, "Search the scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal life, and they are they which testify of me." [John 5:39.] Do not neglect the old family Bible; do not put it away upon the shelf and forget it. Find out, if you do not already know, what it says, and if you have read it before, read it again often to your children and to your children's children. Read them not only the Bible, but other books of scripture that the Lord has given us for our exaltation, for our comfort and for our blessing.16
I admonish you, O Israel, search the scriptures; read them in your homes; teach your families what the Lord has said, and let us spend less of our time reading the unimportant and often harmful literature of the day, and go to the fountain of truth and read the word of the Lord.17 [See suggestion 4 below.]
Suggestions for Study and Teaching
Consider these ideas as you study the chapter or as you prepare to teach. For additional help, see pages v–vii.
As you read the first paragraph on page 103, think of a time when a verse of scripture has inspired you in a similar way. How did you come to know that the scriptures are true? What experiences have you had with them recently that have strengthened that testimony?
Read the section that begins on page 104 and consider what place the scriptures have in your personal library (among the other things you read, watch, or listen to). What can you do to give the scriptures a more prominent place in your home and in your life?
Review the section that begins on page 105. How have the scriptures helped you face the calamities of the last days? Consider how you might use the scriptures to help someone you know who is facing a difficult trial.
Ponder President Smith's counsel to families on pages 107–9. What blessings come to families who study the scriptures together? What are some effective ways to inspire our children's (or grandchildren's) interest in the scriptures? Prayerfully consider what you can do to be more diligent in studying the scriptures with your family.
Related Scriptures: Deuteronomy 6:6–7; Joshua 1:8; Romans 15:4; 2 Timothy 3:15–17; 2 Nephi 4:15; Helaman 3:29–30; Doctrine and Covenants 33:16
Teaching help: "You can help those you teach feel more confident about their ability to participate in a discussion if you respond positively to every sincere comment. For example, you might say, 'Thank you for your answer. That was very thoughtful' … or 'That is a good example' or 'I appreciate all that you have said today'" (Teaching, No Greater Call, 64).


text:
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