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We belong to a powerful buying group, which multiples our buying power by hundreds of stores so we can negotiate excellent values on the jewelry we select for you. We travel far and wide to buy our diamonds direct from the source and choose each diamond we sell for maximum beauty and value.
It is with confidence and pride that we can guarantee our jewelry is free from defects in material and craftsmanship for the life of the item. We will replace any item found to be defective at no cost to you. All white gold rings receive free rhodium plating for lifetime of the item. First sizing is free of cost after presented.
(Does not cover normal wear and tear. Rhodium will be determined to be done so that not to speed up the aging process of the item)


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Hear an Amazing Story of Survival During Hurricane Sandy
There have been a lot of awful or inspiring stories coming out of Hurricane Sandy. This manages to be both. A man found a note in his house scrawled by a person who had taken a blanket to keep hypothermia at bay. The author of the note was sure he was dying.
He also took a black jacket, identified himself and left contact information so the homeowner could contact his family and tell them he had died. Here's the letter:
It reads:
Who ever reads this I'm DIEING – I'm 28 yrs old my name is Mike. I had to break in to your house. I took blankets off the couch. I have hypothermia. I didn't take any thing. A wave thru me our of my house down the block. I don't think I'm going to make it. The water outside is 10ft deep at least. There's no res[c]ue. Tell my dad I love him and I tryed get[t]ing out. His number is ###-###-#### his name is Tony. I hope u can read this I'm in the dark. I took a black jacket too. Goodbye. God all mighty help me.
The letter fell into the hands of a man at a local radio station, who called the number. Tony answered, and said his son had written the letter, but he was alive. The DJ and Mike had a conversation about what happened, and full audio is available here.
We only wish every story that started out this way had an equally happy ending.

subset: commoncrawl


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"I like making images that from a distance seem kind of seductive, colorful, luscious and engaging, and then you realize what you're looking at is something totally opposite. It seems boring to me to pursue the typical idea of beauty, because that is the easiest and the most obvious way to see the world. It's more challenging to look at the other side."-Cindy Sherman
A lot of the time I blame my style ruts and lazy dressing on life being poopy (I know I'm lucky, but I'm also angsty, and a teenager) and on hostile environments. No matter how many times I try to stick with the "life is beautiful! Everyone is nice once you get to know them!" mindset, I end up more with the "life sucks, you're standing on my neck" one, because I go to school (or anywhere, but mostly school) and get all sad because there is sexism and racism and ableism and homophobia and other isms and phobias and general depressing...middle schoolyness. For a while I've let myself use this as a reason to wear a very basic combination of things, every day. But really I should use these hostile environments as reasons as to why I should create my own world through my outfits, because a certain outfit totally puts you in a different place, and it's easier to ignore certain kinds of people when I'm in my own world, yes? And as far as life sucking goes, this then makes me want to create and learn and absorb as many interesting things as I can. This doesn't mean the realities of Life Suckage, like the isms and phobias, should go ignored, and I try to do both (not the isms and phobias, I mean creating my own world as well as trying to make life not suck for other people.) This is fulfilling to me. I'm putting this here because I want to hear what you think and because I'll get in more ruts and have to come back to it. If I read this in many years I will shake my head at all the teenagerness, then be sort of pleased.


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Bohemia Flower Shop provides fresh flowers in Bohemia, NY. We deliver only the freshest flowers, and have built an unmatched tradition of customer service, quality, and value. Daily shipments of the freshest locally grown and exotic blossoms guarantee that you buy only the best when you work with us. We offer hundreds of floral arrangements that are perfect for any special occasion. Send birthday or anniversary greetings, get-well wishes, or congratulations to a special person, knowing that you can rely on us to deliver quality every time! We can also design unique, elegant centerpieces for weddings, private parties and other special events.
Call on us for same-day funeral flowers in Bohemia. We offer a large selection of floral sympathy displays, including full-and half-casket designs, floral blankets, standing sprays and table displays delivered in elegant containers. In addition to floral arrangements, we deliver live flowering and non-flowering plants and remarkable container gardens. Flowering plants arrive in full bloom and are guaranteed to be healthy. We also supply seasonal floral decorations like holiday wreaths and floral garlands.
Choose one of our outstanding gift baskets for a break from the ordinary. Our gift baskets are filled with fresh blooms, fruits, candies, nuts, snacks and fun gift items. We assemble our gift baskets only after you have placed your order, so a gift basket from Bohemia Flower Shop always arrives at the peak of flavor! One of our professional floral designers will help you select the right flower arrangement for your special occasion. For flower delivery in Bohemia, order from us online anytime at bohemiaflowershop.com. Browse our large, color catalog of fresh flowers. Our easy-to-use Web site makes online ordering a breeze! Complete your order with a major credit card. Bohemia Flower Shop will create and deliver your floral gift! Bohemia Flower Shop offers free same-day flower delivery in Bohemia for all orders placed through our Web site. Unlike the major online or "800-number" ordering services, we do not add ordering fees, service fees or convenience fees to your bill. Additional delivery fees may apply to orders placed for delivery outside of Bohemia.
We offer same-day flower delivery in Bohemia, Long Island, Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx, Manhattan and Staten Island. We also offer same-day delivery of hospital bouquets; we deliver to all nursing home and hospital facilities in our local delivery area. You'll save money and time when you work with a local florist in Bohemia. You'll also receive the highest-quality floral arrangements and the most professional floral delivery services around. Bohemia flower delivery is available to the following Funeral Homes: Moloney's Bohemia Funeral Home, Moloney's Lake Funeral Home & Cremation Center, Joseph A. Weber Funeral Home, Inc., Spadaro Funeral Home, Bayport-Blue Funeral Homes Inc., Robertaccio Funeral Home Inc, Ruland Funeral Home Inc., Fives Patchogue Funeral Home and more! Bohemia flower delivery is available to the following Hospitals and Nursing Homes: Brookhaven Memorial Hospital, The Arbors at Bohemia, Petite Fleur Nursing Home, Atria Hertlin Place, Good Samaritan Nursing Home, Island Nursing & Rehab Center Inc., Sunrise of Holbrook, The Arbors at Islandia West, and more! Bohemia flower delivery is available to the following Areas: Bohemia, Ronkonkoma, Holbrook, Oakdale, Islandia, Central Islip, and more!


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Specifies the additional client data.
Returns the number of file descriptors.
Specifies the connection to the X server.
Specifies the file descriptor.
Returns the file descriptors.
Specifies the procedure to be called.
This function can be called at any time after a display is opened. If internal connections already exist, the registered procedure will immediately be called for each of them, before XAddConnectionWatch returns. XAddConnectionWatch returns a nonzero status if the procedure is successfully registered; otherwise, it returns zero.
The registered procedure should not call any Xlib functions. If the procedure directly or indirectly causes the state of internal connections or watch procedures to change, the result is not defined. If Xlib has been initialized for threads, the procedure is called with the display locked and the result of a call by the procedure to any Xlib function that locks the display is not defined unless the executing thread has externally locked the display using XLockDisplay.
The XRemoveConnectionWatch function removes a previously registered connection watch procedure. The client_data must match the client_data used when the procedure was initially registered.
The XProcessInternalConnection function processes input available on an internal connection. This function should be called for an internal connection only after an operating system facility (for example, select or poll) has indicated that input is available; otherwise, the effect is not defined.
The XInternalConnectionNumbers function returns a list of the file descriptors for all internal connections currently open for the specified display. When the allocated list is no longer needed, free it by using XFree. This functions returns a nonzero status if the list is successfully allocated; otherwise, it returns zero.


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- Topic: Health: Risk factors
- Definition: Diabetes prevalence refers to the percentage of people ages 20-79 who have type 1 or type 2 diabetes.
- Source: International Diabetes Federation, Diabetes Atlas.
- Development relevance: Diabetes, an important cause of ill health and a risk factor for other diseases in developed countries, is spreading rapidly in developing countries. Highest among the elderly, prevalence rates are rising among younger and productive populations in developing countries. Economic development has led to the spread of Western lifestyles and diet to developing countries, resulting in a substantial increase in diabetes. Without effective prevention and control programs, diabetes will likely continue to increase.
- Limitations and exceptions: The limited availability of data on health status is a major constraint in assessing the health situation in developing countries. Surveillance data are lacking for many major public health concerns. Estimates of prevalence and incidence are available for some diseases but are often unreliable and incomplete. National health authorities differ widely in capacity and willingness to collect or report information.
List of countries ordered by: Diabetes prevalence (% of population ages 20 to 79)
Source: Health
Nutrition and Population Statistics - World Bank - Downloaded in August 2017


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Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks & Sir Colin Davis
Biographie Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks & Sir Colin Davis
Sir Colin Davis
The traditional road to success for a conductor used to be an apprenticeship in an opera house as a coach, playing the piano for singers in rehearsal. Colin Davis chose another route, partly by necessity. Unable to play the piano, he was not allowed into the conducting course at the Royal College of Music in London. So, he achieved an important international career by taking the initiative to form ensembles and conduct for friends at first. Early successes included the founding of the Chelsea Opera Group, a company which to this day gives performances of little known operas in concert.
Davis was soon working with professional orchestras including the BBC Scottish Symphony. His first 'break' was at Sadler's Wells in 1958 when his conducting of Mozart's Abduction from the Seraglio began a lifelong connection with that composer. The Edinburgh Festival followed along with Glyndebourne. His concert career blossomed in the mid 1960′s alongside his opera work and his other passion for Berlioz began to bring him to the attention of record lovers. He has recorded all the major works of Berlioz, including the first complete (and still regarded as the landmark) recording of Les Troyens.
Davis has enjoyed a career-long affiliation with Philips Classics, recording along with Berlioz, Mozart, the complete symphonies of Sibelius (while he was Principal Guest Conductor of the Boston Symphony in the 1970s) and much more.


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Putin recognizes Crimean independence
Published 12:00 am Tuesday, March 18, 2014
KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — Ignoring the toughest sanctions against Moscow since the end of the Cold War, Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula as an "independent and sovereign country" on Monday, a bold challenge to Washington that escalates one of Europe's worst security crises in years.
The brief decree posted on the Kremlin's website came just hours after the United States and the European Union announced asset freezes and other sanctions against Russian and Ukrainian officials involved in the Crimean crisis. President Barack Obama warned that more would come if Russia didn't stop interfering in Ukraine, and Putin's move clearly forces his hand.
The West has struggled to find leverage to force Moscow to back off in the Ukraine turmoil, of which Crimea is only a part, and analysts saw Monday's sanctions as mostly ineffectual.
Moscow showed no signs of flinching in the dispute that has roiled Ukraine since Russian troops took effective control of the strategic Black Sea peninsula last month and supported the Sunday referendum that overwhelmingly called for annexation by Russia. Recognizing Crimea as independent would be an interim step in absorbing the region.
Crimea had been part of Russia since the 18th century, until Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev transferred it to Ukraine in 1954 and both Russians and Crimea's majority ethnic Russian population see annexation as correcting a historic insult.
Ukraine's turmoil — which began in November with a wave of protests against President Viktor Yanukovych and accelerated after he fled to Russia in late February — has become Europe's most severe security crisis in years.
Russia, like Yanukovych himself, characterizes his ouster as a coup, and alleges the new authorities are fascist-minded and likely to crack down on Ukraine's ethnic Russian population. Pro-Russia demonstrations have broken out in several cities in eastern Ukraine near the Russian border, where the Kremlin has been massing troops.
Fearing that Russia is prepared to risk violence to make a land-grab, the West has consistently spoken out against Russia's actions but has run into a wall of resistance from Moscow.
Reacting to Monday's sanctions, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov declared that they were "a reflection of a pathological unwillingness to acknowledge reality and a desire to impose on everyone one-sided and unbalanced approaches that absolutely ignore reality."
"I think the decree of the president of the United States was written by some joker," Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, one of the individuals hit by the sanctions, said on his Twitter account.
The White House imposed asset freezes on seven Russian officials, including Putin's close ally Valentina Matvienko, who is speaker of the upper house of parliament, and Vladislav Surkov, one of Putin's top ideological aides. The Treasury Department also targeted Yanukovych, Crimean leader Sergei Aksyonov and two other top figures.
The EU's foreign ministers slapped travel bans and asset freezes against 21 officials from Russia and Ukraine.
"We need to show solidarity with Ukraine, and therefore Russia leaves us no choice," Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski told reporters in Brussels.
Despite Obama's vow of tougher measures, stock markets in Russia and Europe rose sharply, reflecting relief that trade and business ties were spared.
"I guess the market view is that Russia forced their case in Crimea, pushed through the referendum, and the Western reaction was muted, so that this opens the way for future Russian intervention in Ukraine," said Tim Ash, an analyst who follows Ukraine at Standard Bank PLC.
On Monday evening Vice President Joe Biden was heading to Europe to meet with NATO allies. He was headed for Warsaw, where he was slated to meet Tuesday with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and President Bronislaw Komorowski. He was to meet separately with Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves. In Lithuania, Biden planned to meet with President Dalia Grybauskaite and Latvia's President Andris Berzins.
In the Crimean capital of Simferopol, ethnic Russians applauded Sunday's referendum that overwhelmingly called for secession and for joining Russia. Masked men in body armor blocked access for most journalists to the parliament session that declared independence, but the city otherwise appeared to go about its business normally.
"We came back home to Mother Russia. We came back home, Russia is our home," said Nikolay Drozdenko, a resident of Sevastopol, the key Crimean port where Russia leases a naval base from Ukraine.
A delegation of Crimean officials was to fly to Moscow on Monday and Putin was to address both houses of parliament Tuesday on the Crimean situation, both indications that Russia could move quickly to annex.
In Kiev, acting President Oleksandr Turchynov vowed that Ukraine will not give up Crimea.
"We are ready for negotiations, but we will never resign ourselves to the annexation of our land," a somber Turchynov said in a televised address to the nation. "We will do everything in order to avoid war and the loss of human lives. We will be doing everything to solve the conflict through diplomatic means. But the military threat to our state is real."
The Crimean parliament declared that all Ukrainian state property on the peninsula will be nationalized and become the property of the Crimean Republic. It gave no further details. Lawmakers also asked the United Nations and other nations to recognize it and began work on setting up a central bank with $30 million in support from Russia.
Moscow, meanwhile, called on Ukraine to become a federal state as a way of resolving the polarization between Ukraine's western regions — which favor closer ties with the 28-nation EU — and its eastern areas, which have long ties to Russia.
In a statement Monday, Russia's Foreign Ministry urged Ukraine's parliament to call a constitutional assembly that could draft a new constitution to make the country federal, handing more power to its regions. It also said the country should adopt a "neutral political and military status," a demand reflecting Moscow's concern that Ukraine might join NATO and establish closer political and economic ties with the EU.
Russia is also pushing for Russian to become one of Ukraine's state languages, in addition to Ukrainian.
In Kiev, Ukraine's new government dismissed Russia's proposal as unacceptable, saying it "looks like an ultimatum."
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Deshchytsya visited NATO headquarters in Brussels to request technical equipment to deal with the secession of Crimea and the Russian incursion there.
NATO said in a statement that the alliance was determined to boost its cooperation with Ukraine, including "increased ties with Ukraine's political and military leadership."
Associated Press writers Maria Danilova in Kiev, John-Thor Dahlburg in Simferopol, Lynn Berry in Moscow, Nedra Pickler in Washington, Pan Pylas in London and Mike Corder and Raf Casert in Brussels contributed to this report.


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The U.S. and Canada may be as lovey-dovey as two neighbors can get, but according to this charming video history by CGP Grey, both countries agreed to tuck themselves a little bit in, 10 feet back for America, 10 feet back for Canada, creating a corridor of open, surveillable, clear space between them.
This ribbon of emptiness is constantly monitored, regularly gardened (Baby Tree! Be gone!) and persists for 5,500 continuous miles — considered the longest deforested straight line in the world — protecting the U.S. and Canada from interlopers, or beavers without passports.
Except for one thing — it isn't straight.
The engineers who tried to follow the 49th parallel used primitive instruments, and, it appears, twine, and so the border got a wee bit zigzaggy, producing a number of problems, a few of which are delightfully described here ...
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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The Romantic in me could easily be persuaded that God was standing in Oregon when he created the world. We are blessed with incredible natural beauty. Crater Lake is one of the most magnificent sites in the United States. It is a favorite destination for visiting family and friends who are curious to see its blue waters. Actually, the water in the caldera is colorless and the fabled blue is the result of blue light in the sun's spectrum being scattered by water molecules before returning to the surface of the lake. I promise no more lessons in optics if you promise to put Crater Lake put it on your bucket list. It's gorgeous.
There are a limited number of places to eat in the Crater Lake area. We've fallen into a pattern of having one meal in and one meal out and the al fresco meal is, by far, everyone's favorite. We pack several salads, cheese and fruit for a cheese board, something sweet for dessert and the fixings for spectacular sandwiches that are served on incredibly good bread. Men have been sent to the moon with fewer provisions than we take for a picnic. I like to vary the sandwiches we make; the only requirement is they be uncommonly good. They are usually assembled and warmed just before eating. This steak sandwich is one I love to make for our picnics. The combination of blue cheese, roasted peppers and arugula is an undeniable treat. We warm or grill the beef just before its piled on warm, crusty rolls. Regular readers know I have a "thing" for flatiron steak and I use it whenever possible. As luck would have it, none were available for our picnic. It was time for the "mother of invention" to step to the plate. Having been called worse things, I took it in my stride. I had the butcher trim and slice a boneless rib roast into paper thin slices. The meat was seasoned and quickly sauteed in a mixture of garlic flavored olive oil and butter until it was just rare. I warmed the beef on site. It goes without saying that we used an Oregon blue cheese that just happened to be named Crater Lake Blue. I hope you enjoy this sandwich as much as we do. Here's the recipe.
Blue Cheese Steak Sandwich...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite
1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
4 crusty hard rolls or bread of your choice, warm
1-1/2 pounds rare, thinly sliced steak
1 cup fresh arugula or watercress
1 cup bottled roasted red sweet pepper, drained and patted dry
1) In a small bowl combine blue cheese, mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, and vinegar.
2) Spread one side of warm rolls with blue cheese mixture. Top each with an equal portion of arugula, roasted pepper and sliced steak. Yield: 4 sandwiches.
I'm linking this to Smiling Sally for her Blue Monday event.


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Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Did St. Thomas deny the dogma of the Immaculate Conception?
31 comments:
- kkollwitz said...
Thanks for this pithy explanation.
- December 6, 2011 at 6:32 AM
- A Sinner said...
Of course, Scotus's "solution" implies a "Franciscan" framework in general. I say "implies" and not "requires." I suppose a non-"Incarnationalist" interpretation can still maintain Our Lady's Immaculate Conception, but the theological context in which it was defined implies an "absolute primacy of Christ" in the orders of both Creation and Grace (ie, that even Adam and Eve and the angels DID need Christ, in a foreseen way, for their grace, and that Christ would have incarnated [though not suffered His Passion; a greater good] whether or not man had fallen).
- December 6, 2011 at 7:41 AM
- Capreolus said...
Dear Father,
You might be interested to read--if you haven't already, or if you're even able to find a copy--Fr. Norberto Del Prado's exhaustive work: "Divus Thomas et Bulla 'Ineffabilis Deus.'"
He treats of the language and concepts regarding active and passive conception, St. Thomas's variation in language from the Sentences' commentary to the Summa and beyond, and the opinions of the Commentators. Fr. Del Prado, O.P., adheres closely to the dictum that "Divus Thomas semper loquitur formalissime."
All the best regards to you and your fine work here!
Fr. Johnson - December 6, 2011 at 10:16 AM
Are you sure about St. Bonaventure, Father, agreeing with his friend, St. Thomas, about this?
- December 6, 2011 at 10:18 AM
- Mick Jagger Gathers No Mosque said...
Dear Father. Thank you for that explanation.
Without even looking-up the correct answer, I remember from the acronym WOW that it was William of Ware, not The Angelic Dr. who first got this right, right?
I was in a Trad Study Group back in Portland, Maine and I was really surprised that StThomas didn't know this :)
Really...I thought he knew everything - December 6, 2011 at 12:35 PM
What mistaken notion about human generation? Since St. Augustine until the 19th century the Church taught that the human body began at conception but that the human soul was infused only at a later time - at least 40 to 80 days later. FLAMEN
- December 6, 2011 at 1:06 PM
What mistaken idea about human generation? Since St. Augustine until the 19th century the church taught that the human body began at conception and the human soul was infused 40-80 days later.
- December 6, 2011 at 1:08 PM
- Alfred said...
What mistaken idea about human generation. From St. Augustine until the 19th century the church taught that the huiman body began at conception and tht the humaan soul was infused 40-880days later.
Flamen - December 6, 2011 at 1:11 PM
- Alfred said...
WHAT MISTAKEN IDEA ABOUT HUMAN GENERATION? SINCE ST. ApetsvUGUSTINE TO THE 19TH CENTURY THE CHURCH TAUGHT THAT THE HUMAN BODY BEGAN AT CONCEPTION AND THE HUMAN SOUL WAS INFUSED 40-80 DAYS LATER.
- December 6, 2011 at 1:13 PM
- Joe @ Defend Us In Battle said...
Thank you for that concise summary of St. Aquinas' thought. This is very helpful!
- December 6, 2011 at 1:14 PM
- Nick said...
This reminds me of a theological question... Will development of doctrine continue to the end of time, or will it stop prior to the time of the Antichrist?
- December 6, 2011 at 5:02 PM
- Stacy Trasancos said...
Excellent and inspiring, as always. Goodness!
- December 6, 2011 at 7:43 PM
- Father Ryan Erlenbush said...
@Alfred (Flamen),
I have no idea what you are trying to say ... perhaps there is a language problem? - December 6, 2011 at 8:46 PM
- Father Ryan Erlenbush said...
Yes, indeed, even St. Bonaventure had erred on this point ... but (given the time) it is certainly understandable.
The specific citation is: III Sent., dist. 3, q.27.
Blessed Duns Scotus (who followed in the Bonaventurian school) is often credited as the great defender of the Immaculate Conception -- though, I have tried to show that St. Thomas himself sets the theological foundations for the dogma (and also seems to have believed in it by the end of his life).
Peace to you always! + - December 6, 2011 at 8:49 PM
- Father Ryan Erlenbush said...
Thank you for the reference to Del Prado's work!
I will see if I can get a hold of it somehow. - December 6, 2011 at 8:50 PM
- Mick Jagger Gathers No Mosque said...
Dear anonymous re ensoulment. That is the argument of the Josef Mengele Society - abortionists.
While the Angelic Dr wrote about that issue he also firmly maintained the Tradition of an absolute, complete, and total ban on abortion.
No, it is the Church of the Angel of Death, the followers of Mengele (an abortionist in So America) who try and abuse the Angelic Doctor's teachings to make it seem as though he would likely support early abortion. - December 7, 2011 at 7:36 AM
- jeremyschwager said...
Thank you for this explanation. I was not aware of St. Thomas' later thought on the Immaculate Conception.
- December 7, 2011 at 7:38 AM
- Josemaria Paulo Jeromino Martin Carvalho-Von Verster said...
Father Ryan
Even if St. Thomas Aquinas was in Error early in his life before believing in the Immaculate Conception,is Thomism still The only valid system of Catholic theology? - December 7, 2011 at 10:53 AM
- mormorador said...
I think that the material in I Sent. does not actually make the point that the author requires; the first give away of this is the fact that the discussion is in 1 Sent D44. I.D.44 is on the power of God to create things/the universe/the humanity of christ etc better. It is NOT focused on issues of the immac. conc. at all; this example just added to the mix of arguments.
Aquinas' response is against the Anselmian challenge as follows:
it was fitting for the virgin which God prepared for his only-begotten son that he make her shine in a degree of purity, which nothing greater that is less than God can be understood. But God can make nothing equal to him in goodness and purity. Thus it seems that he could not make anything better than the virgin. (Anselm Concep. Virg. ch. 18).
The way this issue is framed, note, has no bearing on the question of time, and transiting from sin to being cleansed of sin slightly after conception, or being in permanently in a pure state. Indeed, questions of acquiring a pure state versus having it from the start are just not resolvable, and the concept of purity at issue for the argument doesnt impinge on it.
Aquinas' response is as follows:
To the third videtur, it needs to be said that purity is held out by retreat from a contrary; and therefore something created can be found which nothing more pure can be among created things, if it has not been stained by any contagion of sin; and there was such purity in the blessed Virgin, who was free from original and actual sin. She was, however, below God, in as much as there was in her a potential to sin. But goodness is increased by approach to the term which is infinitely distant [distat in infinitum], namely the highest good. Whence for any finite good anything can be better.
The point about this response is that the past-tenses (perfects and imperfect-pasts) fit with the entire question, which Aquinas asks about what God could have done [potuerit]. It just says that The BV was without orig. sin; there is no implication about process at all.
Note that this reading makes Aquinas more consistent across his works, and removes the 'flipflop'. Given that it also makes better sense of the text (respecting that the immac. concept. timing issue is not in play), but it is instead a broader disquisition on the broader issue of God's power. As a result, I think the early-career view of Aquinas as holding the immac. conc. doctrine you impute to him wont work. It is possible that your argument for doctrinal change still works because of a change from ST to the Angelic Salutation; I havent looked at the text, but frankly Id be dubious, on the interpretive grounds that the prayer just isnt addressing the issue with the refinement our question requires. (Clue again: its a *prayer*). - December 7, 2011 at 2:30 PM
- Father Ryan Erlenbush said...
First, please limit the length of your comments ... that last one was way too long and in-depth ... it was more a blog-post than a comment.
In any case, Fr. Garrigou-Lagrange (who was an expert in Thomism if ever there was one) was convinced that in the commentary on the sentences St. Thomas held the Immaculate Conception (though, of course, he did not use those specific words).
The point St. Thomas was making (early on) is that Mary had no sin and never had any sin (not even original sin) -- this is why he said that the only thing that made her less than God was the "potential to sin" (hence, he clearly held what we today call the "Immaculate Conception").
And (truth be told), St. Thomas went too far in his early writings because, in addition to the potential to sin, Mary also had the debt of original sin (even while being immaculately conceived).
I hope it is clearer now! - December 7, 2011 at 3:20 PM
- Father Ryan Erlenbush said...
No, Thomism is not the only valid system in Catholic thought ... personally, I am convinced that it is the best system, but it is not the only one.
Catholics are free to be Scotists, or Augustinians, or Bonaventurians ... not to mention the many Eastern schools of thought!
But it is good to know that St. Thomas did not deny the Immaculate Conception after all ... far too many people take this cheep shot, and they are liars. - December 7, 2011 at 3:22 PM
- Josemaria Paulo Jeromino Martin Carvalho-Von Verster said...
Thanks for Clearing This Misconception about Thomism!
- December 7, 2011 at 10:27 PM
- mormorador said...
My point was that the 1 Sent. text you cite is compatible with the position (of ST) that
she was cleansed from sin shortly after conception and while yet in the womb, and such a position makes Aquinas consistent across time, and consistent with the Dominicans of his day etc (i.e. a decent contextualised reading). Sorry about the lengthy post, but a matter of evidence, decency and truth was at stake.
Again: in the 1 Sent. text, he only affirms that Mary was cleansed (at some point), it does not deal with whether this happened after conception or at it (embryological issues notwithstanding).
One cannot infer "never had any sin (not even original sin)", as you and GL require from the 1 Sent text, only 'did not have sin (neutral about never/sometimes), such that only below God in potential to sin'. This subtlety kills the inference you must make for your alternating reading of AQ to work.
Remember, as Pope Leo said, whoever hates the distinctions of scholastic philosophy hates the distinction between the true and the false! Get ready to make the distinctions, or admit the argument is a flopper.
The authoritative status of G-L as a Thomism *scholar* has to be in doubt - he was a scholar, but also a Thomas-partisan, trying to make Aquinas congruent with dogma after the 19th c. declarations. This project of bending Aquinas' texts for 19th-20th century purposes is perfectly fine for an ideologue in a continuing tradition, but it ain't expertise in Thomism of the sort of scholarly detachment your appeal to authority requires.
Please respond to my argument seriously this time. - December 8, 2011 at 3:10 PM
- Father Ryan Erlenbush said...
If Mary had ever had original sin, then she would be less than God in more ways than simply being able to sin.
But, in the Commentary on the Sentences, St. Thomas says that the only respect according to which she is less than God is that she could sin.
Thus, it is clear that St. Thomas believed (early on) that she was conceived without original sin.
Further, if we though of Mary as conceived with sin and then purified later ... we could thing of yet something more pure, namely one conceived without original sin ... but St. Thomas held that Mary was the most pure of all that can be thought among created things ... thus, it is clear that he held that she was immaculately conceived.
Now, will you get serious and show where the flaw in my argument is? - December 8, 2011 at 3:17 PM
- mormorador said...
Dear Fr, I included translations and context of the 1.Sent article to obviate exactly this sort of misreading.
Your comments then mine; your response needs unpicking, and having done so, the failure of the original argument becomes clear.
You write:
If Mary had ever had original sin, then she would be less than God in more ways than simply being able to sin.
**This just isnt in Aquinas' text here.**
But, in the Commentary on the Sentences, St. Thomas says that the only respect according to which she is less than God is that she could sin.
** No, the Latin and my trans. do not say that that was the only way she is less than God is impeccability. It only says that She was, however, below God, in as much as (inquantum) there was in her a potential to sin. Nothing makes this an 'only', and the very context (remember, it is Anselm who wants Mary as maximally-pure-and-only-God-is-purer/better; Aquinas is exactly trying to carve out the possibility of Mary's being possibly betterable (read the whole paragraph again pls, and look at the argument at play - it has nothing directly to do with immaculate conceptions in the timing sense, but degrees of perfection).**
You say:
Thus, it is clear that St. Thomas believed (early on) that she was conceived without original sin.
**This doesnt follow. He only says she was without original sin; and that, in this context of discussion of possible good or better ways of creating the world, does not address conceived-with issues.**
You say:
Further, if we though of Mary as conceived with sin and then purified later ... we could thing of yet something more pure, namely one conceived without original sin ... but St. Thomas held that Mary was the most pure of all that can be thought among created things ... thus, it is clear that he held that she was immaculately conceived.
**This is perhaps an ingenious argument; but (1) it isnt Aquinas' D. 44 arg (2) Aquinas is exactly arguing against a conclusion founded on this sort of 'nothing greater conceivable' sort of move of Anselm. Note (3) that it is *Anselm* that uses the language reminiscient of possible conceivable perfections (again, see my translations). Aquinas quietly sidesteps this ontological-argument style language and doesnt entangle with it, so why impute it to him?
(4) We havent even touched on the Latin, and on Aquinas' response to the whole question, where he makes points on absolute vs comparative perfection and evaluation that undermine this little ingenious argument that you tried to impute to Aquinas 1 Sent.
Further points (again): my reading makes Aquinas maximally consistent across his works, and deals with the context of the article and distinction of the Sent. Comm. It does not impute things to Aq that are not in the Latin. It is written without an agenda to make Aquinas on the right side of debates decided definitively only centuries later (surely a bad scholarly methodology, although, as a partisan, one is welcome to it).
Might I suggest you have gone off half-cocked on the basis of ideology, and would do better to read these snippet-paragraphs of Aquinas in a broader context of his concerns in Sent 1. D.44 - the goodness and changeability of the universe. (Or, better, read D.42-44). In terms of sec. lit, O. Blanchette's book on the perfection of the universe is the best guide to Aquinas' mind on this distinction.
PS I used Parma vol 6, p. 533. I'd be really interested if you used Mandonnet for this and there is a variation in MSS here. - December 9, 2011 at 3:36 AM
- Father Ryan Erlenbush said...
You need to start your own blog ... that last comment was way too long and involved.
My short reply:
St. Thomas says that Mary was less than God "inquantum" (insofar as) she was able to sin ... rather than inquantum she incurred any sin.
If he intended that she had once had original sin, but then it was washed away -- then, she would not (necessarily) be any more pure than a newly baptized baby ... but St. Thomas doesn't say that a newly baptized baby is less pure than God inquantum he is able to sin ... but inquantum he has had original sin.
This shouldn't be that difficult to grasp.
Further, it is the accepted interpretation of more than simply the great Fr. R. Garrigou-Lagrange ... even the Catholic Encyclopedia affirms that St. Thomas held the Immaculate Conception when he was young!
Finally, while St. Thomas says that a created thing can always be created "more good" (contra Anselm), yet he clearly says that there could be a created thing "which nothing more pure can be among created things" and then he such "there was such purity in the blessed Virgin".
Hence, I don't know why you say that Thomas doesn't make this argument. Clearly he does!
Now, address those two arguments ... I don't care which edition of the Latin you use. - December 9, 2011 at 6:29 AM
- mormorador said...
TO address them slightly out of order -
The GL and Catholic Encycl. of the old days are partisan sources, and my comments about about appeals to authority above hold. Show me a contemporary Aquinas scholar (last 30 years, not a 'Thomist', in serious academic literature) and I'll give it weight.
First point - inquantum erat "she was able to sin"; this 'was' is ambiguous, referring to whole time or at once; there is no reason to think it refers to all time given we know about Aquinas' views later. While a first blush reading of it fits your reading, because we dont attend to such temporal issues when reading simple 'esse' predication, when we realise the question of timing isnt at issue, we reread it and see it is compatible with a later purification, or purification at a time. The 'was' for his argument only has to be true for a time for Aq's argument to work (indeed, note he uses 'inquant erat' for the conditional, then 'fuit' for the assertions about mary - he is actually being more careful about modality and time than you are, or our translations are capturing him as doing. He says She was (fuit) below God, insofar as there was (erat) in her a potency to sin).
to the third: you say:
yet he clearly says that there could be a created thing "which nothing more pure can be among created things" and then he such "there was such purity in the blessed Virgin".
Correct. But again, you are overintepreting the force of 'fuit' (there was). It doesnt imply 'always was' without further argument, given what we know about Aq's views and the views of people at the time.
Note you did a shift from presenting a argument in Thomas' mouth about thinkable/conceivable degrees of perfection (I say, a la Anselm) back to a more fair representation of Aquinas' own expression, which does not secure the conclusion. Does this mean you concede that your earlier argument was NOT Thomas', and is an Anselmianised Thomism?
Please tell me you can at least see the difference between the first version of the argument you imputed to AQ (the conceivable grades one), and this new version (dealing direct with realities). If not, I fear for your competence in reading the subtlety of texts.
It hangs on the 'There was' and temporal properties, basically. You've overinterpreted the text.
Any comment on maximal consistency?
Any comment on the broader D.44 context? - December 9, 2011 at 9:46 PM
- mormorador said...
Additional point: your initial argument about new-born babies, again, might be ingenious, but it isnt in the 1 Sent text. And decontextualised arguments ex silentio about what Thomas did not say are pretty worthless.
Thomas is not addressing the timing issue in immaculate conc. issue in 1 Sent, and his wording is open enough to accomodate what was then an ongoing controversy. The onus is on you to prove he did uphold it definitively to make your change-of-views reading of AQ work. So far you havent.
Sorry about long posts, but distinguishing between the true and the false requires it. I do not think I am 'padding'. - December 9, 2011 at 9:53 PM
- Father Ryan Erlenbush said...
I agree with you that St. Thomas is not explicitly addressing the timing issue in his commentary on the Sentences -- and this is why he never explicitly says "She was preserved from original sin in the moment of her conception".
However, the whole force of the argument shows that St. Thomas did indeed think that Mary was entirely free from original sin -- making her the most pure among created things (and it is obvious that she must then be more pure than John and Jeremiah, who were cleansed in the womb; more pure than a baby who is cleansed by baptism).
Hence, the whole force of the "was immune from original and actual sin" is that she never had either -- your reasoning would lead us to think that St. Thomas would be ok with saying that she once committed an actual sin, but was later on purified from it ... which is ridiculous.
I don't have anything more to say ... the argument seems obvious to me ... it is the received Tradition of both the Thomistis (like Garrigou-Lagrange) and the non-Thomists (like most of the articles in the Catholic Encyclopedia -- the particular one I referenced is by F. Holweck, who is not remembered as a Thomist but as a Church historian).
I have nothing more to say on this point ... I guess we will have to agree to disagree. + - December 10, 2011 at 7:48 AM
This coming Easter will be my second in the Church. I have been consuming Catholic theology as fast as I can but have much to learn. I am grateful for the serious approach taken in the comment section. This is the first time I've ever commented on a blog and it is because I felt compelled to say thank you. I am comforted to know the desire for truth lives in the Church without the need to kill the Mystery of Faith.
Alan - December 11, 2011 at 7:24 PM
Dear Father Ryan,
There is an old translation of St. Thomas' Angelic Salutation online here. In it, the above-quoted sentence ("She ... incurred neither original nor mental nor venial sin.") lacks the word "original" – but I understand there is some disagreement in the extant manuscripts on that point.
I'd like to draw your attention to an earlier sentence, under the heading "Full of Grace". Thomas writes:
"Christ excelled the Blessed Virgin in this, that He was conceived and born without original sin, while the Blessed Virgin was conceived in original sin, but was not born in it."
This seems to agree with Thomas' earlier teaching in the Summa.
Grace be with you,
Strossmayer - November 14, 2012 at 9:23 PM
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MarketWatch.com and 24/7 Wall St. try to evaluate which U.S. cities pay the most for the privilege of watching their pro sports teams, and for a change in the sporting world, Cleveland is near the top. To identify the 10 cities that spend the most money per capita on sports stadiums, the websites relied on "Public/Private Partnerships for Major League Sports Facilities," a book on municipal stadium spending by Judith Grant Long. To calculate the total per capita expense that each city bore, Ms. Long included financing costs for all sports stadiums that were in operation as of 2010. Cleveland is No. 4 on the list, with a public per capita stadium cost of $517, based on a regional population of 2.068 million. Here's how the websites describe the Cleveland market: As of 2010 the public costs of all three major sports facilities in Cleveland was just under $1.1 billion, with 75% of the funds needed to build the stadiums coming from the public. The most expensive was Cleveland Browns Stadium, which cost $441 million. The other two facilities, Progressive Field and Quicken Loans Arena, were built in 1994. The cost of those facilities was $399 million and $328 million, respectively. Cleveland's professional sports teams, however, have struggled to compete. The last major professional sports team in the city to win a title was the Browns, who won the NFL Championship in 1964. No. 1 on the list is Green Bay, Wis., with a public per capita stadium cost of $1,114. Green Bay, though, is an anomaly, since it's an ultra-small market (309,469 people) with only one pro team, the Packers.
Editor's Choice
Cleveland loves its sports -- and pays a lot for them
Lending is the key: KeyCorp CEO Beth Mooney made an appearance on Jim Cramer's CNBC talk show and talked up the bank's recent strength in commercial and industrial lending. "We see the biggest strength is in our commercial mortgage banking business which had a record year in 2012 because there's a very, very strong market for debt placement," Ms. Mooney said during the interview. "And if you look at our investment banking and debt placement income, it was up 75% year-over-year, and some piece of that was driven by the strength in commercial mortgage banking." Mr. Cramer, a fan of regional banks, is very bullish on Key, noting that the stock was below $7 a share last June and now is above $9. cold comfort: I enjoyed the comment from a Cleveland commodity futures trader in this Wall Street Journal story about financial con man Russell Wasendorf Sr., who on Thursday was sentenced to the maximum 50 years in jail after admitting to orchestrating a fraud at his futures brokerage and misleading regulators for almost 20 years. Mr. Wasendorf, 64, pleaded guilty last September to the fraud at Peregrine Financial Group Inc. that federal prosecutors said "had cost clients $215.5 million and masked a business that never was profitable," according to The Journal. He also was ordered to pay the full amount of missing funds in restitution. But that's a pipe dream. Mr. Wasendorf's assets are being liquidated but they aren't expected to come close to covering the shortfall, according to the receiver and trustee in the case. The Journal says Mr. Wasendorf's sentence brought little comfort to Kevyn Davey, a 45-year-old independent commodity futures trader in Cleveland. Mr. Davey tells the paper that he lost around $5,000 when Peregrine filed for bankruptcy. "To me, the fact that he rots in jail doesn't matter," he says. "The money would be the thing." Concentration: Poverty in the last decade has risen most rapidly in neighborhoods that already have a lot of poor people, according to this commentary from three researchers at the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland. The increasing concentration of poverty was found in 83 of the 100 metro areas studied by researchers Dionissi Aliprantis, Kyle Fee and Nelson Oliver. In the Cleveland Fed's service area of Ohio and western Pennsylvania, "the concentration of poverty rose markedly in many major metro areas due to the severity of the recession in Ohio," according to the bank. The researchers found that between 2000 and 2010, the total poverty rate of the U.S. rose from 11.3% to 15.3%. The government's official poverty threshold is a family of four earning just more than $22,000 a year. The permanent campaign: A leading Democratic Super PAC, House Majority PAC, is getting a jump on the 2014 mid-term elections by announcing that it will target for defeat 10 House Republicans, including the newly elected David Joyce in Geauga County, who represents Ohio's 14th congressional district. "They all represent competitive districts and they all have records and beliefs that are out of touch with the districts they represent," House Majority PAC spokesman Andy Stone tells The Huffington Post. The effort to oust the 10 House members will be the main focus of House Majority PAC in 2013, according to the story. This will include "earned media, paid media, social media and online campaigns," Mr. Stone says. A nice clip: Congratulations, fellow Ohioans. Relative to most of our fellow Americans, we are cautious with money. At least that's what Coupons.com says, based on results of its fourth annual "Most Frugal U.S. Cities" list, which is based on citizens' use of print and online coupons (huge surprise, right?) Ohio is ranked as the country's "most frugal state," as its three biggest cities — Cleveland, No. 8; Columbus, No. 12; and Cincinnati, No. 13 — all make the list, which honors 25 metro areas. The Midwest dominates the list, with more than double the number of cities than any other region. No. 1, though, was from the South — Atlanta.
You also can follow me on Twitter for more news about business and Northeast Ohio.


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Our Mission
- Forever Young?
BVHM After-school
(In-Schools Program)
We're excited to begin our partnership with the nearby Buena Vista Horace Mann this year! At our new after-school writing project, we'll be working with third and fourth graders to improve their reading and writing skills. Join us as we help students develop their writing talents through independent reading, writing prompts, and activities.
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This original Kyocera TK-5150 magenta toner cartridge has been designed and made by Kyocera from scratch to work flawlessly with your printer.
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What is a Wisdom Tooth?
We all know that for most people, wisdom teeth need to be removed in order to prevent serious dental problems! But have you ever wondered, what exactly is a wisdom tooth? Wisdom teeth are the third set of molars that typically grow in during a person's late teens/early twenties.
Why are they called "wisdom" teeth?
Formally known as "third molars", wisdom teeth developed their name due to the late nature of their arrival, at an age where people are "wiser" than when their other teeth grow in (during childhood).
What is their purpose?
Today, wisdom teeth are no longer needed in order for us to process food. Back in the day, however, when the human diet consisted of tough meats and fibrous vegetables, an extra molar was needed to break down food. Scientists have not discovered a common day use for wisdom teeth, as they are not needed for chewing modern food.
Why do wisdom teeth need to be removed?
Over the years, human jaws have become much smaller, making the space too crowded for wisdom teeth. Therefore, when wisdom teeth start growing in, they push on the teeth that have already established themselves. Once they start pushing on other teeth, the alignment of a person's mouth is affected. Wisdom teeth can easily become "impacted". This means that they are trapped underneath a person's gums and are unable to fully erupt, which can be painful. Since wisdom teeth aren't needed and can affect your smile and health negatively, we recommend that most people have them removed. For the few people that don't get their wisdom teeth removed, serious dental health problems can occur down the road.
If you're curious about the status of your wisdom teeth – contact us today at Wauwatosa-Milwaukee Office Phone Number 414-257-1161 and we will go over your options with you!


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By Melissa Quinn
Police say an unidentified man tried to sexually assault a city woman enjoying a stroll near the 5300 block of Holmes Run Parkway on Tuesday night.
At about 9:45 p.m., the victim, a 23-year-old Alexandria resident, was walking in a nearby park when the suspect confronted her. After striking up conversation, the man grabbed her, pulling her into a secluded, wooded area, city police said. The victim broke free and fled.
Authorities describe the suspect as a 220-pound black man between 5-feet-7 and 5-feet-9. He wore all black clothing at the time of the attack.
Investigators do not believe the attempted assault is connected an attack in the same area in mid-September.
No arrests have been made and police urge anyone with information to call the Alexandria Police Department's criminal investigations section at 703-746-6711.


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Madrid - 8 February 2018
Spain Certification Dinner 2018
Welcome in Madrid!
At this prestigious annual business event in honour of the achievements of HR, we certify organisations with excellent employee conditions. Congratulations! This premier corporate event of the year saw the Top Employers companies celebrate with their teams, peers and leading HR and business executives.
Take a look at the pictures from this year's Dinner:


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Ukraine: Pro-Russia gunmen seize offices in Crimea
KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia sent fighter jets to patrol the border with Ukraine, reportedly gave shelter to the country's fugitive president and stood by as pro-Russian gunmen stormed offices of a strategic region, deepening the crisis for Ukraine's new government even as it was being formed.
The moves pose an immediate challenge to Ukraine's new authorities as they seek to set up an interim government for the country, whose population is divided in loyalties between Russia and the West. Ukraine's new prime minister said the country's future lies in the European Union but with friendly relations with Russia. Some 150,000 Russian soldiers carried out military exercises and fighter jets patrolled the border.
A respected Russian news organization reported that President Viktor Yanukovych, who was driven out of Kiev by a three-month protest movement, was staying in a Kremlin sanatorium just outside Moscow.
"I have to ask Russia to ensure my personal safety from extremists," Yanukovych said in a statement carried by Russian news agencies on Thursday. He said he still considers himself president.
Shortly after, the same three Russian news agencies quoted an unnamed Russian official saying that Yanukovych's request for protection "was satisfied on the territory of Russia."
Oleksandr Turchynov, who stepped in as acting president after Yanukovych's flight, condemned the takeover of government buildings in Crimea as a "crime against the government of Ukraine." He warned that any move by Russian troops off of their base in Crimea "will be considered a military aggression."
"Unidentified people with automatic weapons, explosives and grenades have taken over the governmental buildings and the Parliament building in the autonomous region of Crimea," he said. "I have given orders to the military to use all methods necessary to protect the citizens, punish the criminals, and to free the buildings."
In Kiev, lawmakers chose Arseniy Yatsenyuk as the new prime minister. He will face the hugely complicated task of restoring stability in a country that is not only deeply divided politically but on the verge of financial collapse. The 39-year-old served as economy minister, foreign minister and parliamentary speaker before Yanukovych took office in 2010, and is widely viewed as a technocratic reformer who enjoys the support of the U.S.
Shortly before the lawmakers chose him as the leader of the new Cabinet, Yatsenyuk said Ukraine doesn't want a fight with Russia, but insisted the country wouldn't accept the secession of the southern Crimea region.
He said Crimea "has been and will be a part of Ukraine."
Yanukovych fled after riot police attacked protesters in Kiev's central square, killing more than 80 people, and European and Russian officials intervened. He has not been seen publicly since Saturday, when he said he remained the legitimately elected president — a position that has been backed by Russia.
Russia's respected RBK news organization reported Wednesday evening that Yanukovych was staying at the Barvikha sanatorium, which is run by the presidential administration's property department. The spokesman for this department, Viktor Khrekov, told The Associated Press on Thursday that he has no information about this.
The RBK report was impossible to confirm, but security at the Ukraina Hotel was unusually heavy late Wednesday, with police watching from parked vehicles outside and guards posted throughout the lobby. Some of Yanukovych's allies, also reported to have been at the hotel, may have still been there.
Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman also said he had no information about Yanukovych's reported arrival in Moscow.
In a clear warning to Ukraine, Putin on Wednesday ordered massive military exercises involving most of the military units in western Russia. On Thursday, as part of the exercises, 90 fighter jets were put on combat alert and were patrolling the border with Ukraine, Russian news agencies quoted the Defense Ministry as saying.
The military also announced measures to tighten security at the headquarters of Russia's Black Sea Fleet on the Crimean peninsula in southeastern Ukraine.
The military maneuvers prompted a sharp rebuke from U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, who warned Russia that any military intervention in Ukraine would be a "grave mistake."
The Russian Foreign Ministry voiced concern Thursday about the Russian-speaking population in Ukraine and vowed to protect their interests. State-owned ITAR-Tass news agency quoted a statement read at a session of the ministry's board on Thursday, saying that Russia "will have a firm and uncompromising response to violations of the rights of compatriots by foreign states."
Russia has accused Ukraine's interim leaders of failing to control radicals who threaten the Russia-speaking population in Ukraine's east and south, which includes the Crimean Peninsula.
Witnesses said the gunmen in Simferopol, the Crimean regional capital, wore unmarked camouflage uniforms and carried rocket-propelled grenades, sniper rifles and other weapons. They raised the Russian flag over the local parliament building.
The men did not immediately voice any demands and threw a flash grenade in response to a journalist's questions. They wore black and orange ribbons, a Russian symbol of the victory in World War II, and put up a sign reading "Crimea is Russia."
Maxim, a pro-Russian activist who refused to give his last name, said he and other activists had camped overnight outside the local parliament in Simferopol when 50-60 heavily armed men wearing flak jackets and carrying rocket-propelled grenade launchers and sniper rifles took over the building.
"Our activists were sitting there all night calmly, building the barricades," he said. "At 5 o'clock unknown men turned up and went to the building. They got into the courtyard and put everyone on the ground.
"They were asking who we were. When we said we stand for the Russian language and Russia, they said: 'Don't be afraid. We're with you.' Then they began to storm the building bringing down the doors," he said. "They didn't look like volunteers or amateurs; they were professionals. This was clearly a well-organized operation."
"Who are they?" he added. "Nobody knows."
In a statement, the local government said Crimean Prime Minister Anatoly Mogilyev had tried to negotiate with the gunmen but was told "they were not authorized to negotiate and present demands."
Ukraine's acting interior minister, Arsen Avakov, said on his Facebook page that police were sealing off the area.
"Measures have been taken to counter extremist actions and not allow the situation to escalate into an armed confrontation in the center of the city," he said.
Phone calls to the Crimean legislature rang unanswered, and its website was down.
Meanwhile, Ukraine's currency, the hryvnia, dropped further to a new record low of 11.25 to the U.S. dollar, a sign of the country's financial distress.
One of the new government's first tasks will be to seek rescue loans from the European Union and the International Monetary Fund. The finance ministry has pegged the country's needs at $35 billion dollars for this year and next to pay salaries and debts and cover the large budget deficit.
Associated Press writers Maria Danilova and Karl Ritter in Kiev and Nataliya Vasilyeva in Moscow contributed to this report.


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Another Tuesday, another critical day for the 2012 Republican presidential contenders.
This time the locations are Michigan, where most polls close at 8 p.m. ET, and Arizona, where voting ends at 9 p.m. ET. The story political junkies are watching closest: Will former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, a Michigan native, hold off a strong challenge there from former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum?
Also on the ballots, of course: former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas.
Once again, we're helping out the Elections Desk by live blogging. Starting around 7 p.m. ET, you should be able to see our latest updates right on the NPR.org homefront. Join us if you'd like to follow along.
Also, many NPR stations will be broadcasting live coverage starting at 9 p.m. ET — and that programming will also be webcast on NPR.org.
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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Some observers are wondering why American Crossroads, the Karl Rove-inspired superPAC, would bother to run a political attack ad against Hollywood star Ashley Judd, an outspoken supporter of President Obama who has said she's mulling a 2014 run against Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.
Here are six reasons:
1) The ad reportedly cost just $10,000, but has already gotten disproportionate attention because it features a lot of Judd video and is connected to Rove. It has generated more than a quarter million views on YouTube since it was uploaded on Wednesday. Mission accomplished.
2) American Crossroads' President and CEO Steven Law was McConnell's chief of staff during the 1990s. He also managed McConnell's first re-election campaign in 1990. Additionally, he did a stint as executive director of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, whose purpose is to get GOP senators elected and re-elected. So the ad is right up his alley.
3) In politics, it's a good idea to discourage potentially significant challengers from running if you can. So the ad is a warning to Judd that she can expect no quarter if she were to enter the race against McConnell, the Senate minority leader.
4) It's also a good idea to define your opponent before your opponent defines himself or herself (if you have any doubts, ask Mitt Romney). So an ad alleging that Judd -- who spent much of her childhood in Kentucky, attended the University of Kentucky, and traces her roots in the state back 10 generations -- is a carpetbagger from Hollywood (and Tennessee) and who walks in lockstep behind Obama is meant to cause Kentuckians to say: "She's not one of us."
5) American Crossroads can also use the ad in its fundraising efforts.
6) You have to get back in the game at some point, and Judd gives American Crossroads an opportunity to do just that after a very disappointing 2012 election, which included Rove's infamous election night performance on Fox News.
Copyright 2013 NPR. To see more, visit www.npr.org.


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Thor: God of Thunder #1
Throughout the ages, the gods of the Marvel Universe have been vanishing, their mortal worshippers left in chaos. NOW! the Mighty Thor follows a trail of blood that threatens to consume his past, present and future selves. The only hope for these ravaged worlds lies with the God of Thunder unraveling the gruesome mystery of the God Butcher!
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Not a REAL baby, of course; that would be edible.
No, this is a tiny, plastic, inedible baby (a la carrot jockey) hidden inside the doughy goodness. The person who cracks a molar on said non-edible baby is King or Queen for the day, and traditionally is required to make next year's deep-fried baby fritter.
If that's you, then here's what you need to make a proper King Cake:
- Melted white icing
- (1) ton each of gold, green, and purple sprinkles
- (1) baby, non-edible
Traditionally speaking, the King Cake is not the most pleasing thing to look at. In fact, if your King Cake is a hideous blob of slime and sprinkles, then, congratulations! You nailed it!
Of course, some bakers do try to hide the hideousness with beads, coins, and any other shiny objects they have lying around:
And, given our sue-happy world, bakers do have to make sure customers are aware of the non-edible baby choking hazard:
Thanks to Anony M., Brinn M., Brooke S., Marcia T., Chastity B., Kelley H., Brandon H., Lauren, & Kiki, who think Fat Tuesday just got a little skinnier.
UPDATE: Whatever you do, DO NOT venture into the comments today. Our EPCOT threat level is at RED, people. RED! Run away! Don't look back! And whatever you do, DO NOT SAY A KING CAKE IS DEEP-FRIED! OR CAJUN! OR TASTES BAD!
[Kermit flail] AAAAAUUUUGGGHHH!!!


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- Description
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Open your heart with this luxurious Glam Open Band and let love radiate your mind. This ring portrays an artistic display of craftsmanship, engulfed in gold vermeil and showcasing an unequal sprinkle of white topaz stone on both edges of the golden ring. A perfect ring to spark up your night.
Medium: Size 6-8
✦ 14K Yellow Gold Vermeil (14K yellow gold plated over a sterling silver base)
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Yes! We offer a one-time free domestic exchange on gold vermeil items. If you would like to change to a different size or design, please contact us with your order number at firstname.lastname@example.com within 30 days of delivery. A prepaid shipping label for the piece will be sent to you and the new item will be issued once we receive your return.
Do you carry half sizes?
Our standard size offering for gold vermeil rings is a whole size between 5 to 9 (size 9 varies depending on the ring design). If you are between sizes, we recommend you to order a half size up. We can also customize it in 10k/14k solid gold between sizes 3-11, including half sizes. Email email@example.com and we will help you out.
Will the ring turn my finger green or rust?
No, it will not turn your finger green or rust. Our base metal is nickel-free 925 sterling silver, perfect for sensitive skin. As time goes by, sterling silver can get oxidized. There is nothing to worry, simply use a piece of silver polish cloth to gently rub your ring to clean.
How do I know my ring size?
There are three ways to know your ring size. 1. Visit our ring size page and follow the measurement instructions. 2. Purchase our ring sizer and measure it at home (recommended). 3. Walk into your local jeweler and have your size measured (recommended). If you have additional questions, email us at firstname.lastname@example.com
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Coronal mass ejection from the Sun in April, 2012.
Everybody loves a good "whodunit?" How else could you explain the number of television shows with the prefix "CSI"? So when a study in Nature identified a previously unknown (and very large) spike in carbon-14 around the year 774 AD, it raised a lot of eyebrows. This radioactive isotope of carbon is created when energetic particles from beyond the Earth transform atmospheric nitrogen to a form of carbon with two neutrons more than the most common isotope.
Nobody could think of a historical account of unusual phenomena in the heavens that might have triggered a surge in 14C production, and something like this should have been hard to miss. So when a college student from UC-SD found a record of a "red crucifix" in the skies over Britain in that year, Nature published his note.
The original report, published by researchers from Nagoya University in Japan, involved analysis of Japanese cedars. Because the production of carbon-14 in the atmosphere varies over time, researchers often pursue records of that variability to increase the accuracy and precision of radiometric carbon dating. Tree rings provide one of those records.
When the researchers sifted through their data, they discovered the unusually high amount of carbon-14 in rings from 774 and 775 AD, and did some thinking about what could potentially have caused it. There were a couple of possibilities to consider. One was a solar flare, which can launch charged particles into Earth's atmosphere that generate carbon-14. Another was a nearby supernova, which releases large amounts of gamma radiation.
No increase in carbon-14 has been found to coincide with documented supernovae in 1006 or 1054 AD, so in order to explain the spike in 774 AD, a supernova would have to be either many times larger or much closer than those. But such an event would have been impossible to ignore—the "guest star" that appeared in 1006 was brighter than Venus— and no record of it was known.
So what about a large solar flare? They put that down as unlikely, too, as their calculations showed it would take a flare at least a thousand times larger than anything we knew about to do the job. Again, the effects would have been remarkable, with otherworldly aurorae and a deadly thrashing of the ozone layer.
So the source of the radioactive carbon was a mystery, but one that was cleared up last week. It turns out they did the math wrong. A pair of researchers from Washburn University and the University of Kansas published a comment in Nature pointing out that the solar flare calculations included a rather fundamental error. Working backwards from the intensity required to produce the right amount of carbon-14 in Earth's atmosphere, they mistakenly calculated the total size of the event as if the flare was emitted in all directions from the Sun, forming an expanding bubble of charged particles. In reality, solar flares erupt in directional jets, as can be seen in this NASA video.
Obviously, that brings down the required size of the event considerably. Still, it leaves it some 20 times larger than the 1859 Carrington Event—the largest solar flare recorded from the Sun. Events that large have been observed on other stars, so it's possible our Sun is capable of it, as well.
While the lack of a historical record for an event like that is still conspicuous, the revised calculation also reduces the impact it would have on the ozone layer. The Japanese group believed it would be large enough to cause a mass extinction event, but the Kansas researchers disagree. "The results are consistent with moderate biological effects: reduction of primary photosynthesis in the oceans and increased risk of erythaema and skin cancer, but no major mass-extinction level effects as implied earlier," they wrote.
A bit of self-correction
This is the self-correcting nature of science at work. Not everything gets caught by peer review, and mistakes get published. That's not as big of a problem as it could be because scientists are, as a rule, a distrustful lot. Unlike lesser mortals, their eyes don't glaze over when they reach the methods section of a paper. (Okay, sometimes they do.) When the Kansas researchers found a number that didn't seem to make sense, they sat down and worked it out.
Sometimes, this kind of scrutiny results in the critic realizing that the, while surprising, a result was apparently correct. From there, they might devise a way to investigate or test it in another context. In other instances, like this one, an error is discovered and corrected so everyone can get on with the business of figuring stuff out.
As for whatever appears to have occurred in 774, all options are back on the table. If there was a significant event, and it was caused by a massive solar flare, it would behoove us to learn all we can about it. While the effects back in 774 could have been a bit unpleasant, folks then didn't rely on digital infrastructure and a global communication network, so it wouldn't have been as disruptive.
Nature, 2012. DOI: 10.1038/nature11695, 10.1038/nature11123 (About DOIs).
The Carrington event of 1859 – the largest solar flare ever recorded


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University of California, Santa Cruz
The Holocaust: The Destruction of European Jewry is an adaptation of an on-campus course that has been co-taught by Murray Baumgarten, Distinguished Professor of English and Comparative Literature (Literature Department), and Peter Kenez, Professor Emeritus (History Department), for over 20 years at UC Santa Cruz.
In this course, you will explore the Holocaust from the overlapping perspectives of literature and history—through memoirs, historical documents, poetry, documentary footage, filmic representations, and novels. You will expand your knowledge of the literature of the Holocaust, Eastern and Western European Jewish communities, the origins and development of antisemitism, the establishment of labor and extermination camps, resistance movements, and the Holocaust as a problem for world history.
There is more than one way to take this course: You can complete all of the activities (and earn a Verified Certificate) or only the activities that are most interesting to you. Whatever you choose to do, we encourage you to find a havruta (a study partner) in your community or in the Coursera community so that you can experience the course in a more interactive and meaningful way.
Specific details
Category of Education
Arts and Humanities


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373 Credit Score – Loan & Credit Card Options
Is credit score of 373 good or bad? Learn how to improve it.
A credit score under 373 is considered a very "bad" credit score. If your credit score is this low, you'll more than likely have a very hard time obtaining credit cards and loans. And in the event that you are approved for either, you'll often be asked to pay a large fee or deposit to cover the risk the lender is taking.
Overview of a 373 credit score
- Credit Cards: Secured
- Auto Loan: High APR
- Personal Loan: Yes, High APR
- Mortgage: FHA Only
- Apartment Rentals: Yes
Your credit score is one of the most important determining factors for your future. It could be the one thing that determines whether you are able to get a loan for a new home or keep renting. It can impact how high the interest rates on your car, home, and student loans are. The better your credit score is, the less you'll have to pay for borrowing money.
And even more importantly, your 373 credit score is one of the biggest indicators of your fiscal responsibility, that's why it's very important to understand is it "good" or "bad". Anytime you apply for a new loan or credit card, someone will be looking over your credit report. And you'll even find that future landlords and employers will consider your credit before making their decision. The lower your credit score is, the bigger your risk of having to make a large deposit before getting a new lease or opening a new account. Your credit score could even result in lost job opportunities.
It is very important that you don't just check your credit score once with only one credit bureau. The danger of doing this is that you will never be able to detect in case there is an error. A bureau is not infallible, mistakes could be made due to human factor. It is therefore important to re-check your 373 credit score across all bureaus. This is a very safe practice that will guarantee that you are given a valid credit rating at all times.
If you do not check your credit rating across all bureaus, the mistake of a bureau may negatively affect your situation and this will not be good for you.
373 Credit Score: Credit Card Options
Bad credit score tells lenders that you pose a major risk. Because you don't have a track record of paying your bills on time and in full, you'll have a hard time finding unsecured credit cards with high limits. The import of this of course is that potential lenders will be cautious to credit you because your credit score speaks louder concerning your personality particularly when it comes to handling financial commitments than any juicy promise you have to offer the lender.
The 373 FICO score takes its toll on the kind of credit card available. Your best bet will be to apply for a secured credit card. Secured cards require you to pay a deposit upfront that covers your charges if you fail to make a payment. After several months of regular payments, you'll often get the deposit back. The credit cards available to you must be such that it has pre-qualification checks, low upfront fees as well as reporting to three credit bureaus. Examples of credit cards you can take advantage of, having 373 credit score, is the Capital One Secured Master card which has a relaxed security deposit and does not require an annual fee.
However, unsecured credit cards for bad credit score are still an option. As much as having a bad credit score is not a good experience, it is not all hell and gloom all the way.
Card Name | APR | Annual Fee | Secured/Unsecured |
Total Visa | 29.99% | $152 | Unsecured |
Capitol 1 MasterCard | 24.99% | $0 | Unsecured |
OpenSky Visa | 18.14% | $35 | Secured |
Discover it | 23.99% | $0 | Secured |
Credit Score of 373: Car Loans
Car dealerships want to know that you're dependable. You're expected to make payments on time every month, so they want some insurance in the event that you don't. As a result, the lower your credit score is, the higher your interest rates will be. With a 373 credit score, you can expect an auto loan interest rate between 20.26% and 22.26% when shopping for a new car. If you're in the market for a used car, the rate will be closer to 20.78% – 22.78%.
Long gone are the days when people with poor FICO score were not given auto loans. Nowadays, you can get a loan but not all the dealers provide this opportunity. Some of the lenders who provide loans increase the interest rate. This will cost you a lot of dollars as it will increase your monthly payments and the total cost.
For making it easy for you to understand, we have this table to show you the difference between getting an auto loan with 423 and 373 credit score. First of all, we will need to define an initial cost of the car. Let us use the average amount borrowed for an auto loan. Mostly, a loan with $20000 initial cost is selected by the car buyers.
We will be considering two types of car loan, loan type 36 and 48 months. The table shows how much you will be saving your money by improving your credit score.
Loan Type | Credit Score | Rate* | Monthly Payment | Total Payed | Saved |
36 | 373 | 21.2636% | $756.21 | $27223.59 | – |
36 | 423 | 18.4236% | $727.3 | $26182.98 | $1040.61 |
48 | 373 | 21.2636% | $622.15 | $29863.35 | – |
48 | 423 | 18.4236% | $591.94 | $28412.94 | $1450.41 |
Loan Type | Credit Score | Rate* | Monthly Payment | Total Payed | Saved |
36 | 373 | 21.77676% | $761.5 | $27414.04 | – |
36 | 423 | 19.58276% | $739.03 | $26604.96 | $809.08 |
48 | 373 | 21.77676% | $627.7 | $30129.61 | – |
48 | 423 | 19.58276% | $604.17 | $29000.16 | $1129.45 |
First, we will take a look at how much you can save if you selected 36 month car loan. The interest rate on the car loan with 373 credit score is 21.2636%, your monthly payment will be $756.21. The total paid amount will be $27223.59. However, when you increase your 373 FICO score by 50 points, the APR will be lower. This is because people with better credit get loans at the lower interest rate. The APR will be 18.4236%, the auto monthly payment will be $727.3 while the total paid amount will be equal to $26182.98. Therefore, this shows that you can save $1040.61, just by improving your credit score a little bit.
In the same way, if you prefer the 48 month loan and your credit score is 373, you get APR of 21.2636%. The monthly payment is $622.15 and the total cost will be $29863.35. On the other hand, when you have 423 credit score with APR 21.2636%, the monthly payment will be equal to $591.94. The total cost will be $28412.94. Hence, you will be able to save $1450.41.
There are many benefits of increasing your FICO score from 373 to 423. You will get better interest rates, you will have to pay less on monthly basis, and the total amount paid will be less as well. So, in some cases, it can be concluded that increasing your credit score of 373 by 50 points, will help you save thousands on your loan. It is worth improving your credit score before applying for the loan, as it will not only help save your money but will help have a good reputation as well.
373 Credit Score: Personal Loan Options
Getting a personal loan with a credit score below 373 will be difficult, which makes sense because 60% of people with scores this low default on their loans. But there are low credit personal loans available. You'll have to expect to make tradeoffs, such as taking less than ideal terms and accepting a high interest rate. On average, you can anticipate interest rates as high as 22%. Enlisting a cosigner or getting a secured loan is a great option to boost your chances of getting accepted and lowering your interest rates.
Guide on bad credit loans
Getting Mortgages with 373 credit score
With a credit score below 373, your best bet with be a Federal Housing Authority loan, because lenders tend to be more lenient with the requirements of these mortgages. Quite often, you'll be expected to make at least a 10% down payment prior to securing the mortgage. It's also important to remember that the reason your credit is poor can affect your likelihood to secure a loan—loss of a job can be more understandable than maxed out credit cards. To better your chances, you should also demonstrate other signs of financial security, such as steady employment.
Considering these things, your credit score is one of the most important numbers in your life. It can affect every action you take, from the house you live in to the car you drive. Taking steps to improve your 373 credit score is the best way to save money and make your life easier down the road. There's no excuse to not improve your credit score!
How is a 373 credit score calculated?
The three major credit bureaus rely on five types of information to calculate your credit score. They collect this information from a variety of sources, and compile it to give you an overall score. The score is comprised of 35% payment history, 30% amount owed, 15% credit history, 10% new credit, and 10% credit diversity.
Your payment history is the key factor that helps to determine your credit score. In the simplest terms, your payment history is based on how often you pay at least the minimum payment on your bills on time. However, some of the other factors aren't so simple. The second most important factor is the amount you owe, which is based on the amount of credit you have available compared to the amount of debt you have. This is called your credit utilization ration, and it matters because lenders believe you are more likely to miss payments if your credit cards are maxed out.
The third factor in play is your length of credit history, which assesses the average age of your accounts and how long it's been since those accounts were actually used. The last two, smallest factors are how often you apply for new accounts and how diverse your credit portfolio is. In other words, opening multiple accounts at a time hurts your score, while having different types of accounts improves it.
5 Steps to Improve Your 373 Credit Score
Keep your credit card balances low. The amount of money you owe versus the amount of credit you have impacts your credit rating. The lower your balances are, the higher your score will be. Ideally, your cards should never have more than thirty percent of their available credit line charged. Consolidating your credit card debt via a personal loan could be a great solution to a low credit score. In addition, paying your balance in full every month may not make a difference—some credit bureaus consider the amount on your statement rather than the amount after your payment.
Keep your old debt on your report. So many people call their credit bureaus the week after they've paid off a home or car and try to get the debt removed from their report. But paid debt is actually a form of good debt that will boost your score—not lower it.
Be smart when shopping for a loan. Applying for several loans or credit cards in a row can drastically hurt your score. But most lenders will give you a "grace period" where your credit score won't be impacted. If you do all of your loan shopping in a three-week period, for example, there's a good chance it won't count against you. Reaching out to one of the bureaus is a good way to find out their exact policy.
Pay your bills and cut your debt. Make your monthly payments on time and in full as often as possible. At the end of the day, the less debt you owe, the higher your credit score will be. Being smart about how you use your credit card will do nothing for your score if its maxed out.
- Don't let yourself worry. You shouldn't be checking your credit score every day or expecting changes overnight. Just adopt good habits, like the ones above, and keep working towards gradual improvement.
Improving your 373 credit score can take a lot of work, but following these steps can make all the difference. It will take time, but you can see your credit score go up within a year, which could save you countless amounts on interest rates. Dedicating the effort to improving your credit is worth the investment.
The Different Types of Credit Scores
The three main credit bureaus are Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Each bureau gives you a score, and these three scores combine to create both your 373 FICO Credit Score and your VantageScore. Your score will differ slightly among each bureau for a variety of reasons, including their specific scoring models and how often they access your financial data. Keeping track of all five of these scores on a regular basis is the best way to ensure that your credit score is an accurate reflection of your financial situation.


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Flex-C Trac, Flex-C Plate, Flex-C Angle - Canada 2330125, New Zealand 507672, Australia 760162, Europe 1073805, China ZL01815011.X and other patents pending. Hammer Lock - US Patent 8,453,403. Canadian Patent for Hammer-Lock feature - 2656542. Flex-C Header - US Patent 7,210,271. Three Legged Dog - US patent 6792733 and other patents pending. Quick Qurve Plate -7,941,983.
Registered Trademarks: Flex-C Trac in the US, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Europe. Three Legged Dog in the US and Canada, Quick Qurve in the US and The Curved Wall People in the US.
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Every time the calendar changes I feel the weight of tucking away another year. I cannot believe 2013 was the year my babe turned 13, or that I actually finished writing my own book. Those milestones, both personal and momentous, fill me with deep gratitude. At the same time, 2013 was a year where many of my dear friends' parents and grandparents became ill or passed away. In these middle years, I feel sandwiched between the hope and possibility I see in my kiddos and the messy pain of witnessing loved ones stoop, ache, and slow.
Judy Rodgers was one of those we lost last year. Though I never met her, Rodgers deeply impacted me, along with so many others. I treasure the lazy Sunday afternoons P and I have spent at Zuni snugged into a tiny table near the long zinc bar, grazing on oysters, Caesar salads, crispy fries, chilly martinis. Life doesn't get better than that. Digging deeper into my memory, I see myself eating at Zuni before my Senior Prom feeling very grownup in uncomfortable heels and a fancy dress, made to feel totally at home in Rodgers' restaurant. A decade ago, Rodgers' brilliant cookbook, The Zuni Cafe Cookbook, let us bring her food into all of our kitchens. Her perfect roast chicken is the one Paul makes on a weekly basis, her brined turkey is the one we sit down to every Thanksgiving.
When Rodgers succumbed to cancer last month, I knew I wanted to mark her passing here, to pay my respects. I thumbed through her book looking for just the right recipe to embody what I loved about her food. As I flipped to the final pages, I found the recipe I wanted - dates stuffed with mascarpone, pistachios and pomegranates plus mandarins, blood oranges, and a splash of orange blossom water - a simple, beautiful, delightful dessert infused with Rodgers' magic.
INGREDIENTS adapted from Judy Rodgers' The Zuni Cafe Cookbook
printable recipe
- 4 mandarins
- 2 blood oranges
- splash of orange blossom water
- 8 ripe dates - Medjools are always my favorite
- 8 teaspoons mascarpone
- 30 roasted/salted pistachios, shelled and coarsely chopped
- seeds from 1/2 pomegranate
Cut each date with a slice large enough to remove and discard the pits. Carefully stuff each date cavity with 1 teaspoon mascarpone. Press some chopped pistachio and pomegranate seeds onto the mascarpone. Scatter the remaining pistachio and pomegranate onto the plate if you so desire.
Rodgers' brilliant combination of flavors, textures, and colors is the embodiment of seasonal brightness on a plate. Thank you Judy.


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