text:
The Epistle of St. Paul
to the
Third Bible Class
(Romans 3:21--4:25)
B.[1] Manifestation, or, the Universal Provision of Righteousness (3:21-26)
"There is none righteous, no, not one."
"But now a righteousness from God . . . has been made known."
Up to this point the message of the book has been bleak and discouraging. The whole world is by nature corrupt and degenerate. "But now" in verse 21 forms a great divide, introducing something totally new. The form is the intensive form of the adverb. It can be logical ("now as the argument stands") or temporal ("now, in the present time"). This appears to be a case of designed ambiguity in Paul. He knew of the two meanings, and probably intended both of them to work here.
The glorious news is that God has intervened. In the gospel of salvation through his Son he has provided a faith-righteousness that avails in his sight. Paul adds that the Law and the Prophets attest to this provision of righteousness. The simple fact is that a righteousness is available, and this righteousness comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe (v. 22).
Verses 23 and 24 provide the balance: all have sinned, and all are justified freely by His grace. The verbal expression "all have sinned" can be taken in one of two ways. One is to take the form as a constantive aorist, meaning "all have committed acts of sin" referring to personal sins. The other way is to take it in conjunction with Romans 5:12 referring to Adam's sin, thinking more of the unity of the race. The former seems preferable here, in view of the consequence of the sin--"and are coming short" of the glory of God. The falling short need not be equally short for all people; that is not important. The point is that all have missed it, whether by a little or a lot--it is fatal.
But they are being justified[2] as they believe. Justification is not a process; it means that God declares to be righteous whoever believes in Christ. The act of grace by which God pardons all the believer's sins and accepts the believer as righteous because of the righteousness of Jesus Christ, which is credited to the believer's account--this wonderful act is known as justification by faith. Believers do not become righteous through faith--they are declared righteous by God.
The stress of "freely by his grace" cannot be overlooked. Believers are justified "without a cause" or "for no reason"--it is a gift, or as Lenski says, "pure, abounding, astounding grace." Our justification originates in the loving heart of God.
This justification is through the redemption that came by Jesus Christ. The noun here means a "ransoming away" with the idea of never again coming into the same bondage. The form of the word certainly harmonizes with other teachings on the certainty of salvation.[3] The price that Jesus paid for redemption was his outpoured blood (see 1 Pet. 1:18,19)--he paid enough for the sins of the whole world so that faith-righteousness was secured forever.
The way this redemption worked, according to verse 25, is that God set Jesus forth as a propitiation. The term is hilasterion, a word that can function as a noun or an adjective. It is used in Hebrews 9:5 for the "mercy seat,"[4] the covering for the ark of the covenant known as the propitiatory, or place of atonement (the place where the High Priest would sprinkle the blood on the day of atonement). There it has the article on it for stress--Jesus is the mercy seat. But the context in Romans sufficiently expresses the means of propitiation as the point (and this is the only place Paul uses the word). So the idea in Romans focuses on the act (but one can hardly ignore its connections to Israel's mercy seat where the blood was applied). There is some debate about the meaning of the word; but it seems to include both ideas of expiation (the removal of sin) and propitiation (the averting of wrath). Although there was the wrath of God against sin, it was also God in His love who took the initative against it. So the Greek term captures both the idea of appeasement of God's wrath, and the expiation of sin. By this death there is satisfaction of God's justice and holiness. The holiness of God is preserved by the need for propitiation; the love of God is revealed by the provision.
According to the following verses God had several reasons for setting forth Jesus to be such a propitiation. (1) God wished to make known his righteousness. In the Old Testament age, that is before Christ died, sin was not finally or ultimately punished once and for all--it was only passed over. Old Testament believers were redeemed in the same way that we are--by grace through faith, based on the blood of Christ (who was slain before the foundation of the world). What they did not know was who was eventually going to pay for these sins, because the sacrifices of animals were repeated. But they knew they were forgiven because God told them they were (Lev. 4:10; 2 Sam. 12:13; Psalms 32, 130, et al). Yet for the payment for these sins God passed over them until they could all be nailed to the cross in the death of the Messiah, the Son of God, once and for all. In Christ the justice of God is completely satisfied. (2) God also wished to make known his justice for us at the present time. And (3) God wished to harmonize his attribute (righteous) and his action (justifying). The only way that God could remain righteous and at the same time declare sinners righteous was for God to come in the flesh and die for the sins of the whole human race. Thus, the demands have been met; the sins have been are paid for; the way is open for grace to be bestowed on all who believe.
C. Harmonization, or, Justification and the Purpose of the Law (3:27-31)
Where then is boasting? It is excluded, shut out. Conduct and achievements cannot procure righteousness, for people are justified without the deeds of the Law. This is a blow to human pride. Nothing that a mere mortal can do will win for him or for her the righteousness needed to cover sin. The only way of appropriating it is through faith in the shed blood of Jesus. This is not a vague hoping against hope; and it is not a superstitious compliance with ritual. It is a specific believing in the person and work of God incarnate, Jesus Christ, relating especially to his atoning work upon the cross. Faith in his blood is what counts, the blood shed for the remission of sin (see Heb. 9:22). The believer is pronounced righteous, received as righteous "by his blood" (Rom. 5:9).
Does this nullify the Law? On the contrary, Paul will show that he is establishing the Law (in its right use of revealing sin). Moreover, he will show that faith upholds the Law. If the Law is properly understood, believed, and obeyed, then the appeal for faith in a sacrificial atonement for sins exposed by the Law would be seen as the heart of the Law. What is new is that the Son of God himself becomes the propitiation. Therefore, anyone who lived under the Law and had faith in the LORD would transfer that faith to Jesus and his blood.
D. Illustration, or, Justification and the Old Testament (4:1-25)
In this chapter Paul looks back to the Old Testament to show that it substantiated the concept that a person could be accepted by God apart from the Law. Recall how Paul affirmed that this truth was "testified to by the Law and the Prophets" in 3:21. Well, this chapter is an explanation of these. The point will be clear that it is faith in the LORD that brings this imputed (credited) righteousness that is available. Just as Israel's sacrifices were of no benefit to participants who had no faith, so the death of Jesus will be of no benefit to an unbeliever. The theme of believing, of faith, will now be illustrated from the Old Testament.
1. Abraham's example (4:1-4)
The passage begins with the conversion of Abraham, recorded in Genesis 15:6. This experience of Abraham, of course, was prior to the Law of Moses by about 600 years. "Abraham believed in Yahweh, and he reckoned it to him, namely righteousness." That is the way I would translate the Hebrew of the passage citeds here by Paul. The text has the dual emphasis of faith and grace, as Paul says elsewhere, "by grace you are saved through faith" (Eph. 2:8). Abraham believed the LORD, and went to do what the LORD had told him to do; and for this act of faith, God credited him--gave him--righteousness.
2. David's Writings (4:6-8)
The point that Paul makes is that when someone works the wages are not a gift but an obligation; but for the one who trusts in the LORD who justifies the wicked faith is credited as righteousness.
But then Paul adds that David says the "same thing." David's point in the cited psalm is much in agreement, but the method of joining the Scriptural citations is a clever rabbinical hermeneutic method known as gezerah shawah--they find passages where a key word is used and show the relation between the passages. The term "reckoned" is used in Genesis 15:6 as well as in Psalm 32:1, 2. In the first case it says that God reckoned righteousness to Abraham who believed; in the latter passage the psalm says that God does not reckon sin against the one who is forgiven. By taking two passages that use the same word, Paul can weave the full argument about justification by faith. The doctrine of justification by faith goes beyond the mere accounting the sinner to be righteous. It includes the idea of forgiveness of sin, or the non-imputation (non reckoning) of sin. Sin involves both omission and commission; therefore, justification signifies that it is as if the person never sinned, and did everything right.
Please pardon a rather simple but I think useful illustration. The Hebrew word to "reckon" has been brought over into modern Hebrew for "computer," which is no surprise given the obvious link between "reckon, account, credit" and "computer." We could say, then, that it is as if God calls up our file on the heavenly computer, deletes all the sins that were registered against us, and enters into our account "the righteousness of Christ."
3. Faith alone justifies (4:9-12)
But the Jew might respond that Abraham was circumcised (Gen. 17); so do ritual acts come into the picture? Paul answers, "Genesis 15 comes before Genesis 17"--a smashing blow against ritualists. In other words, Abraham's obedience in circumcision was not the ground of his justification. The patriarch was pronounced righteous before he was circumcised--on the basis of faith. True, the genuineness of his faith was seen in the fact that he followed the call of God and left Ur and went where God directed him. His subsequent circumcision was also an outward seal upon his inward, justifying faith. Faith obeys! But it is the faith that brings justification, not the obedient acts. Outward religious forms and observances, though absolutely necessary as the evidence of saving faith, are nonetheless secondary.
Circumcision was the seal of Abraham's faith. The expression "seal of circumcision" in verse 11 probably means the "seal which is circumcision." Circumcision was the sign of the covenant God made with Abraham. A "seal" authenticates and confirms what the covenant claims; and this seal also was symbolic, representing a repudiation of the flesh as it dramatically displayed. Over the generations from Abraham, the seal of circumcision marked out the people in their covenantal relationship, identifying the descendants of Abraham (ideally) as members of a covenant community.[5] The aim of circumcision for Abraham's covenant was not only to identify him as the father of all who were born into the family, but also as the spiritual father of all who believed in the LORD as he did. From that point on the descendants of Abraham were to be known as the "seed of Abraham"; but this expression came to mean three different things: (1) physical descendants, or Israelites who do trace their line back to Abraham; (2) physical descendents or Israelites who also believed in the LORD as Abraham did--so these are the true or full seed of Abraham (see Gal. 3), and (3) true believers who are not physical descendants--Gentiles--for if they believe in the LORD they share the faith of Abraham.
The Abrahamic Covenant with its sign of circumcision, then, pertained to believing Jews who followed the rite because they shared the faith; it did not pertain to unbelievers who simply performed the rite. The rite (of circumcision) without faith is dead ritual; faith without the rite brings salvation, just as faith with the rite does. Abraham is the spiritual father of those who believe, Gentiles who have not circumcised, and Jews who have. But the deciding factor is faith. Jews cannot assume because they are descended from Abraham, or because they were circumcised, that that is sufficient. Neither can Gentiles who have become members of the Church and who have been baptized consider that sufficient to salvation. There must be genuine faith, or there is no salvation at all.
Today, believing Jews are part of the New Covenant, just as believing Gentiles are. And the name for the present body of believers, Jew and Gentile, is the "Church." But the apostle still makes a distinction between Jews and Gentiles, for there is still a benefit for the Jews who are the natural and spiritual descendants of Abraham (as we shall see later in the book).
4. The promise comes by faith (4:13-25)
The promises of God are contingent on faith and not dependent on obedience to the Law. Who could attain them by doing the Law? The great promise for Abraham was that he and his descendents would be "heirs of the world"--meaning all the families, the nations of the world. After all, he was the father of nations, and the one through whom blessings would come to all the families of the earth. But for this promise to be valid it must be a promise from God, by grace; it is not an earned estate.
The simple contrast is between the human view of things and God's view:
Human view (true): faith (means) + grace (basis) = sure promise
Human view (false): works (means) + law (basis) > [wrath]
ends up here unexpectedly
Divine View: sure promise < (based on) grace (alone) + (through) faith
God made the promise to Abraham before the Law was given, the promise that there would be blessing for all the families of the earth. God desired to assure that the promise was on the basis of grace, and the only way that this could work is that the means be by faith and not works. Here is another tremendous support for the doctrine of eternal security if you think it through. The promise precedes the Law; grace precedes faith. Our security begins and ends with God, and is not based upon works.
Abraham believed in the LORD. Or, as verse 18 says, "contrary to hope (in man), in hope (in God) he believed." All that Abraham did was believe a promise from God--and we know he believed the promise because he went to the land God told him to enter to receive it.[6] In the Old Testament faith was in the Word of the LORD, what God had said. But in essence the faith of Abraham is the same as the faith we have today--we just have more content. Abraham's faith was a resurrection-type faith--he believed the promises of a God who could infuse life into a dead body, a God who calls things that are not as though they are.[7] The promise to Abraham of a seed like the stars of the heavens has in the New Testament been first fulfilled[8] in Jesus--the promised Seed, an unexpected birth, life out of death through resurrection. It is essentially the same faith.
And so Paul finishes the chapter by noting how the words of imputed righteousness were written for us too--who like Abraham believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. This is the kind of faith that brings imputed righteousness, a faith that does not stagger over the power of God to bring life out of death, to fulfill the promises. It is a faith that believes that with God all things are possible, especially our eternal salvation, because it is based on the grace of God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Yes, like Abraham, we may struggle at times with understanding it, living up to it, demonstrating it in a consistent life of faith--but we will follow no other way.
The death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ brings us salvation, not works, and not ritual like circumcision, or in our churches, baptism or the Lord's Supper. These are not to be minimized; but they themselves do not bring salvation. The death of Christ does. And so on this point verse 25 calls for a closer look. The text says, "He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification." The preposition dia, translated "for" in the above translation, is open to several interpretations. (l) The first view is that it is used two ways here: he was delivered because of [retrospectively] . . . and raised with a view to [prospectively]. The point in this interpretation would be that the result of his resurrection is our justification (as in the hymn, "rising he justified"). The difficulty is that one would expect the same preposition in parallel clauses to have the same meaning and not to be translated differently.
(2) And so a second view is to take them both prospectively (following Denney): he was delivered over "with a view to" making atonement for sins. This is satisfactory as far as the grammar goes, but misses the theological point that justification is an accomplished fact.
(3) The better view is to take them both retrospectively; they would normally be translated "on account of" or "because of." The verse would then say that Jesus was delivered over to death because of our sins, and was raised because of our justification. The point then is clear: the fact of our justification made necessary the resurrection. Justification is accomplished in the death of Jesus Christ; resurrection is the necessary issue of an accomplished atonement. The resurrection is God's receipt--it is the Father's, "Amen," to Jesus', "It is finished." It is heaven's acceptance of the death of Christ. Without the resurrection from the dead, there is no indication that the death was atoning and justifying. But with the resurrection from the dead, everything that Christ claimed to be doing in His death--including justify sinners who believe--has been accomplished.
Things to Consider
1. How would you explain these significant terms: justification, redemption, propitiation, expiation?
2. What do you think Abraham actually believed when the text says he believed in the LORD? Describe the content of his faith. What exactly does someone today have to believe to be saved (now that we have more revelation)?
3. What is imputed righteousness?
4. What is the relationship between the reality of the covenant relationship and the sign of the covenant? How did this work out in history when people received the sign before the reality?
5. How does the Father in heaven confirm that Jesus' death was indeed efficacious--i.e., that it did redeem people from their sins?
E. Exultation, or, the Certainty of Salvation (5:1-11)
Romans 5:1-11 is often treated as a survey of the results of justification by faith. While it is certainly possible to use the material that way, one must be sure not to ignore the main point of the passage. The theme of these eleven verses is the certainty of salvation that we have in Jesus Christ our Lord.
1. Peace with God
Verse 1 begins the theme: "since we have been justified through faith we have[9] peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." The alienation between God and mankind is gone; the natural hostility of the human heart is gone; the sin which separated us from God has been paid for by Christ. The sinner, once at enmity with God with no hope of recovery, is now united with the Father through the justifying work of the Son. To be at peace with God Almighty, in spite of our sinfulness, is one of the glories of saving faith. This is the peace that our Lord Jesus Christ promised, a peace that passes all understanding. It can only come when the sinner is changed, that is, through genuine forgiveness. Peace" carries with it more than the idea of the absence of hostility or enmity; it encompasses the ideas of wholeness and well-being. It is what allows for Paul to describe believers as a new creation.
2. Access to God
Verse 2 tells us that because of the grace of our Lord there is now open to us a realm of privileged access. Paul says that we have gained access by faith into his grace in which "we have now taken our stand." Here is the certainty of access due to the confidence of faith. This faith will not crumble in the face of adversity because it is strong enough to handle afflictions. In fact, Paul says tribulation will strengthen faith. Believers have learned that suffering produces perseverance, because the suffering of Jesus into which they have entered by faith guarantees security.
3. Confident Hope
Paul says that we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. The hope that Christians have is based on two facts: (1) God has given us the Holy Spirit, and by the Spirit He has shed abroad in our hearts the love of Christ (5:5) which engenders and radiates hope; and (2) the Christian experience proves beyond the shadow of a doubt that God, who was willing to send His beloved Son to the cross for our sins, remains faithful forever (5:2-5).
4. God's Love for us in Christ
Verses 6-8 present the great comforting news of the Gospel, that God demonstrates His love for us in this, that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. Paul explains that rarely will someone die for another, even a righteous person--but Christ died for the ungodly. Our justification is based on the love of God through the death of Christ on our behalf, and not on any merit we might claim. And since all have sinned, as Paul so eloquently discussed, our only hope is faith in the shed blood of Christ. No works are possible; Christ died for sinners. The security we have in the faith is not in ourselves, but in the love of God manifested in Christ.
5. Justified--Saved--Reconciled
The climax of the section comes in the message of verses 9-11. Paul begins with a rabbinic argument (qal wahomer--if this is true, how much more . . .). Since we have been justified by His blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through Him. We are introduced here to the present ministry of the ascended Christ, which by the argument mentioned above is less difficult than the initial act of justifying people. Here are the implications in his argument: (1) it takes more to do something for an enemy than for a friend; since we are now friends, God will do even more for us; (2) it took more to reconcile us to Himself than it does to keep us; (3) it took more for God to give His Son in death than for us to share in His life. If God can deliver us from the penalty of sin (justification, the harder work), then will he not also deliver us from the presence and the power of sin--that is, keep us safe and secure. So because we have been justified, we may have confidence that He will deliver/save us from the wrath to come. Or, He who has begun a good work in us will complete it in glory. Verse 10 uses another qal wahomer argument--if we have been reconciled through his death, "how much more" shall we be saved through His life. He now lives to complete our salvation.
In fact, Paul is emphatic about the joy and confidence that we have through Christ: We shall be delivered from the presence of sin, and be brought into God's holy presence, glorying in God. The attitude of the redeemed is triumphant, joyful, happy, boastful in God. This will be the attitude of all believers in the future when their salvation is complete. That he is here talking about the future complete stage of salvation is clear from his contrast with the mention of "now" in verse 11--we now have reconciliation, but in the future we are guaranteed complete salvation.
"Reconciliation" is a key idea in the discussion. The term describes the union in peace of individuals who were formerly hostile. It is not only a change of attitude, but a change of position as well. All enmity and antagonism is gone because we have been changed, we have been reconciled to God.[10] So we have in verses 1 and 11 the key ideas of peace with God through justification (v. 1) and reconciliation (v. 11). They are inseparable doctrines. Justification touches our sinful nature and changes our position, our standing before God; reconciliation touches our deepest attitude toward God--it is the intimate side of the relationship.
[1] Note: Section "A" was the last lesson; this is not section "B" under the main heading that began the last lesson.
[2]The present is durative or iterative in force, the actions, complete in themselves, continue.
[3] Some folks do not like to talk about "eternal security" because it smacks of easy believism. But the fact of Scripture is that those who truly believe in the Lord are secure eternally because of the work of Christ. Our salvation is not made secure because we are able to hold on to it, but because he is able to hold us by his grace.
[4] The translation "mercy seat" goes back at least to Wycliffe. In the Old Testament it is called "a place of propitiation" and refers to the lid on the box, the ark of the covenant. The ark is described in the Old Testament as God's "footstool" (Ps. 132), so he sits enthroned above it, not on it (according to the imagery of the sanctuary)..
[5]The sign was, of course, for men; but in those patriarchal days such a sign for men was a sign for the whole tribe because it was at the heart of procreation.
[6] Be careful with the modern rhetoric that is often added to the call for faith. Abram did not "yield himself to the LORD 100%"; he believed in the LORD. If we had to yield 100% in order to be saved, none of us would make it.
[7] He and Sarah knew that her body was dead as far as having children was concerned, but he brought life out of that womb--Isaac. And Abraham knew that if he sacrificed Isaac to God (Gen. 22), God was able to fulfill the promises through Isaac anyway.
[8] This means it finds its fullest meaning in the birth of the special seed. The basic meaning is that there will be innumerable descendents; but for the blessing to extend to the whole world that seed had to be significant--and Jesus Christ, the seed of the woman, the seed of Abraham, the Son of God--he was and is most significant.
[9]There is a textual problem on the verbal form between a subjunctive and an indicative. There is great support for the subjunctive, which would carry the idea of "let us go on enjoying peace"; but the indicative ("we have peace") has been retained in most Bibles.
[10]Although it is popular to sing or described God as reconciled, Paul's use of the word indicates that we, the sinners, have been reconciled to God. He needed no change.


text:
Ugh. Get ready for this one, you guys! You might want to put a cold compress on your HEART. Then again, this is not actually that surprising. This video should be called "Michelle Bachmann: Par For The Course." After the jump, I have posted a video that is taken from a 2009 broadcast (like, a pretty major broadcast, probably on NBC, just kidding) but was only recently uploaded to the Internet of Michelle Bachmann leading a bunch of creeps* in a prayer to God asking HER to both forgive the sinners in our government and to stop the passage of health care reform. She actually asks for God's "mercy" on the subject. Oh, motherfucker. I am (barely) willing to accept that we live in a country where a not unimportant and somewhat powerful segment of the population feels that human beings should not be allowed to have health care** but to bring God into things is just straight-up gross. IT IS A BIG WORLD OUT THERE! Maybe God does not have time to read all 1900 pages of the legislative proposals? She is too busy answering Her emails! Admittedly, this video is not nearly as funny as the photo of her hiding behind some bushes to spy on a gay rights rally, but it's almost as grossly misinformed as the time she thought she was from the same birthplace as John Wayne when in fact she is from the birthplace of John Wayne Gacy. LOLOL! What a nightmare!
So PUMPED that she's running for President! Can you campaign for both terms right off the bat? FOUR MORE YEARS! (Thanks for the tip, Merrill.)

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Speed stacking, sport stacking or cup stacking is the sport of quickly stacking cups. The goal is to precisely and quickly stack cups in predetermined patterns.
The sport is played competitively by teams and individuals, or played against the clock by speed-stacking hobbyists. The World Sport Stacking Association, or WSSA, holds tournaments around the world, and players are divided into divisions based on their ages. Speed Stacks is the official brand of the WSSA and the only brand allowed in tournaments. The game was created in the 1980s, and gained popularity in the 1990s after it was showcased on "The Tonight Show."


text:
When Poe, after leaving Mr. Allan's door, crossed the lawn and passed out of the gate, can any one realize how momentous was the instant of time in which the gate closed after him, or what a woeful human tragedy was in that instant inaugurated? The closing of the gate meant the shutting out forever of his past life; the clang of the iron latch was the knell of all that had been bright and pleasant and prosperous in that life, now lost to him forever. There he stood, homeless, penniless, friendless, utterly alone in the world, with a pathless future before him, shadowy, dim, no hand to point him onward and no star to guiden. From this moment commences the true history of Edgar A. Poe.
On leaving the Allan house, Poe went directly to the Mackenzies, the only place to which he could turn, and spent several days [page 62:] with these kind friends, discussing what would be best for him to do, now that he had his own way to make in the world. They advised him to begin by teaching, until he could see his way more clearly; but Richmond was at present no place for him, and he decided to go to Baltimore, where his relatives, knowing the city so well, might be able to assist him. The Mackenzies gave him what money they could spare, and Miss Valentine, on hearing where he was, sent more.
But in Baltimore Poe found himself coldly received by his relatives. Since his miserable failure at West Point, when his prospects had seemed so bright and all conspiring for his good, they had lost all faith in him, and did not propose to trouble themselves on his account. On his last visit, Neilson Poe, at whose house he was staying, had obtained for him a place in an editor's office, which after a brief trial Poe threw up. He now again applied for that place, but failed; as also in his application for the position of assistant teacher in some academy. And now commenced that wretched life of wandering, and penury, and, according to Mr. Kennedy, of actual starvation, which is as sad as any other such history in literature, with the exception of that of poor Chatterton. [page 63:] His days were passed in roaming about the streets in search of employment — anything by which he could obtain food and at night a miserable place where to rest his weary limbs. He wrote a few stories which he endeavored to dispose of to editors, but met with no success.
Many stories have been told in regard to this unhappy period of Poe's life. One, related by a Richmond man, stated that, being in Baltimore about the time in question, he one day had occasion to visit a brick-yard, when there passed him by a line of men bearing the freshly moulded bricks to the kiln. Glancing at them casually, he was amazed to recognize among them Edgar Poe. He could not be mistaken, having been for years familiar with his appearance. Whether Poe recognized him, he could not say; but when he returned next day he was not there, nor did any one know of the name of Poe among the laborers. It was the opinion of this man that he had merely picked up a day's job for a day's need.
He was said to have been recognized in other equally uncongenial occupations, but relief was at hand in the time of his sorest need.
[S:0 - HLFP, 1907] - Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore - Bookshelf - Home Life of Poe (S. A. Weiss) (Chapter 10)


text:
BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – The Presbyterian College football team dropped its conference opener at Gardner-Webb, 24-3, on Saturday night at Spangler Stadium in Boiling Springs, N.C. The Blue Hose drop to 1-4 overall and 0-1 in Big South play, while Gardner-Webb improves to 3-3 overall, 1-0 in the Big South.
Head Coach Harold Nichols's Take
"I thought in the first half penalties took us out of some opportunities early. We had some drives going but weren't able to get any points out of them. We kicked a field goal there right before half and I thought that would be a big play in the game. It put us down 10-3 and I thought it would give us a chance going in to the third quarter. We did some good things in the third quarter but we just kept shooting ourselves in the foot and had some plays that we left out there. Defensively, I thought we hemmed them up at times but again struggled with the big plays. We are frustrated and disappointed and we have to get it figured out. I think we are better than that but Gardner-Webb is a good team and a lot credit goes to them."
Turning Point
The second half turned the tide in Gardner-Webb's favor, as the Runnin' Bulldogs outscored PC, 14-0, in the half and outgained the Blue Hose, 250-79, to claim the victory. Touchdowns from Tyrell Maxwell and Khalil Lewis came late in the third and fourth quarters, respectively, to put the game away for GWU.
How It Happened
Gardner-Webb scored on its opening play of the game, as Tyrell Maxwell found Kyle Horton for 74 yards for the touchdown to give the Runnin' Bulldogs the early 7-0 lead. GWU then added to its lead with three points on its following drive, going 72 on six plays with a 30-yard field goal by Paul Schumacher to make it a 10-0 lead just 10 minutes in to the game. Presbyterian would get on the board late in the first half, putting together a 15-play, 73-yard drive that elapsed 4:49 with Brett Norton making his third field goal of the year, a 24-yarder, to cut the lead to 10-3 at the half.
Maxwell extended the Gardner-Webb lead late in the third quarter with an 87-yard touchdown run, pushing the margin to 17-3. Khalil Lewis tacked on a late score in the fourth quarter with a one-yard touchdown to cap off an 11-play, 87-yard that elapsed 5:56 and push the score to the final margin of 24-3.
Stat of the Game
The Blue Hose defense continued its success on third downs this season, holding the Runnin' Bulldogs to 3-of-10 on third downs in the game. On the year, opponents have managed just 12 third down conversions on 53 attempts against PC, a conversion percentage of 22.6 percent. PC entered the game second in the FCS in third down defense.
Offensive Leader
Ben Cheek was back at quarterback, making his third start of the season. He threw for a career-high 124 passing yards on a career-high 17 completions.
Defensive Standout
Grant Beidel paced the PC defense on the night with a career-high and game-high 11 tackles, including seven solo tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss. It was his first game this season with double-digit tackles and now has 3.0 tackles for loss on the season, after having 0.5 tackle for loss in PC's last game against Florida Tech.
Offensive Highlights
- Darrell Bridges led PC on the ground, rushing 19 times for 67 yards with a long of 20 yards.
- Daryl Wilson tied his career-high with five receptions for a season-high 45 receiving yards to lead PC on the night. He hauled in his longest reception of the season, a 31-yarder in the third quarter, which is the third longest offensive play by the Blue Hose this season.
- Darquez Watson continued his strong play at wideout, catching three balls for 39 receiving yards on the night. He has at least three receptions in each of his last three games played, the only PC receiver to do just that.
- Brett Norton made his only field goal attempt of the night, a 24-yarder, for his third make of the season. He is now 3-of-4 on the year and 9-of-14 for his career, including a flawless 9-of-9 on the road.
Defensive Notes
- Brett Norton continued his strong play as a punter, booting it eight times for 338 yards, an average of 42.2 yards per punt. Norton also had three punts downed inside the 20 and two of at least 50 yards. On the year, Norton has had 16 punts downed inside the 20 and 11 punts of at least 50 yards.
- Kevin Green and Nick Moss each added eight tackles in the game. Moss added a 0.5 tackle for loss, the first of his career for the PC freshman.
- Robert Baker forced a fumble in tonight's game, the first forced fumble by PC this season. Steve Osondu recovered it for the second fumble recovery by PC this year.
Up Next
PC returns to action on a short week, hosting Monmouth in the first ever Thursday night game at Bailey Memorial Stadium at 7 p.m. The game can be seen on the Big South Network.


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Reading FC's 05/06 season will go down as one of the best in the club's history as the club mounted an unstoppable march through the Coca Cola Championship.
Steve Coppell's men stormed through the league and continued the momentum into the Premier League season, finishing in a record seventh place, narrowly missing out on European qualification.
getreading has looked back at the squad and manager to find out what each player is doing now.
See our picture gallery for what the players and staff are now up to in 2014.
Read More:
Former Reading FC star Dave Kitson to announce his retirement
Reading FC Memories: Dave Kitson was not a typical footballer, and that's what makes him special
Southbanker: Dawning of a new era at Reading FC?
OPINION: Adkins deserves the chance to build at Reading FC once takeover is done
27 things that drive us mad about football


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Tuesday, April 12, 2016
The Democrats and Delegate Math
4 comments:
"Clinton's margins of victory in Florida and Texas were larger than Sanders's wins in every state he has won combined." Yes. Even when he does win, he barely wins. And I love how no one else is talking about the splitting of pledged delegates.ReplyDelete
You need only to look at the state of South Carolina to know that Bernie Sanders has it good on the Democratic side.
100% reporting Delegates Votes
Trump (won) 50 32.5%-239,851
Rubio 0 22.5%-165,881
Cruz 0 22.3%-164,790
Bush 0 7.8%-57,863
Kasich 0 7.6%-56,206
Carson 0 7.2%-53,326
Yet on the Democratic side, Sanders got delegates even though Clinton blew him out of the water!
100% reporting Delegates Votes
Clinton (won) 39 73.5%-271,514
Sanders 14 26.0%-95,977
He got less votes than Cruz and Rubio got on the Republican side, and they got 0 delegates.Replies
It's really baffling that this is not reported about in a straight forward manner because the evidence is so clear that, in true (big D) Democratic fashion, we want to help the little guy which allows someone at 40% of the vote to look like a winner (with the help of a compliant media who swoon over things like crowd counts and ignore policy).Delete
God forbid that the political journalists on MoJoe and elsewhere would actually dig beneath the surface.ReplyDeleteReplies
I know, right? Unfortunately, they are long past the point of informing and are now merely trying to boost ratings by creating fake narratives and "story lines" that advance the viewer to the next fight.Delete


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The bookmarks are already popping up around town for "To Be Queen: A Novel of the Early Life of Eleanor of Aquitaine" by former Wilmington resident Christy English. New American Library will release the book April 5 as a trade paperback ($15).
The dust jacket shows a whole army of Crusaders marching out in front of a castle, so this one should be quite the swashbuckler.
According to the publisher, the novel takes young Eleanor from the age of 15, when her father suddenly dies and she becomes Duchess of Aquitaine, one of the most powerful nobles in medieval Europe.
She's quickly betrothed to King Louis VII of France, who unfortunately loves the Church more than he loves her. Within a few years, though, she's charmed by a young rogue named Henry — soon to become King Henry II of England — and she elopes with him.
This gives us the eventual set-up for "The Lion in Winter" — and for English's previous novel, "The Queen's Pawn." That's the one in which a middle-aged Eleanor sets up her ex-husband's daughter (from a later marriage, fortunately) to become Henry II's mistress. (Foilks lived such interesting lives, back then.)
As you might recall from our September 2010 edition of Prologue, English is a John T. Hoggard High School aluman, who says there's a third Eleanor novel in the works. For more on her, visit www.christyenglish.com.
And where are all these bookmarks coming from? I suspect they're being planted by Christy's very proud dad, Carl English.


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As expected, the matrix used in MALDI-MS has a considerable effect on the peak intensities, the relative abundance of biomolecules seen, the level of interfering ions observed, and fragmentation. Considerable work has gone into trying to define what makes a suitable matrix for MALDI. In general, however, the only steadfast rule is that the matrix molecules must absorb at the wavelength of light used and therefore absorb the energy without imparting excessive internal energy to the analyte. Other desirable qualities are vacuum stability, inertness, and the ability to generate a homologous matrix–analyte mix. In practice, most matrices cannot meet all of these requirements, so a compromise must be made based upon the application.
Compared with solid matrices, liquid matrices can have many advantages. The main advantage that a truly liquid matrix has over a solid matrix is that of homogenous sample mixing and a simple and even morphology. With a solid crystalline matrix, the analyte might not be distributed evenly throughout the crystals, the laser bores into the crystal on successive shots, or the laser desorption position needs to be changed frequently — all potentially leading to significant changes in ion signal abundances and inefficient sample consumption. Searching for "hot spots" is often required, and as each crystal is reduced in size, the distance the analyte travels increases, affecting mass resolution and accuracy. With a liquid matrix, a near-uniform surface is presented; because the liquid is self-healing and renewing, the peak abundance remains relatively stable once an equilibrium of renewal is achieved (12). This means that liquid matrices provide considerably better shot-to-shot reproducibility, as is required for quantitation (12).


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February 2015 Offer T&C's
Click HERE to view all straps
Terms and Conditions
For February we will be offering customers a free WatchObsession Spring Bar Tool with orders containing Watch Straps that total over £30 (excluding postage). The inclusion of the Spring Bar Tool is completely at our discretion and orders falling short of the £30 minimum will not receive the free tool. The offer is valid worldwide and the addition of the spring bar tool will not affect your postage costs.
The offer is limited to one free tool per order and valid only while stock lasts. You will not be able to redeem the spring bar tool for any monetary value, credit or exchange it for another product. Should you want to return the order you placed for a refund then you will need to also return the spring bar tool to obtain your refund.
Offer ends 28th of February.
Pictured below is the Spring Bar Tool that you receive.
Offer ends 28th of February.
Pictured below is the Spring Bar Tool that you receive.


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Lyrics Depot is your source of lyrics to Wayfaring Stranger (traditional) by 16 Horsepower. Please check back for more 16 Horsepower lyrics.
Wayfaring Stranger (traditional) Lyrics
Artist: 16 Horsepower
Album: Secret South
I'm just a poor wayfaring stranger
a-travelin' through this world of woe
but there's no sickness, toil, or danger
in that bright land to which i go
i'm goin' there to see my mother
she said she'd meet me when i come
i am just goin' over jordan
i am just a-goin' home
i know dark clouds will gather 'round me
i know the way is rough and steep
yet beautiful fields lie just before me
where god's redeemed their vigil keep
i'm goin' there to see my brothers
gone before me one by one
i am just goin' over jordan
i am just a-goin' home
i'll soon be free from earthly trials,
this body rest in the old churchyard
i'll drop this cross of self-denial
and go singing home to god
i'm goin' there to see my savior
to dwell with him no more to roam
i am just goin' over jordan
i am just a-goin' home
i am just a-goin' home
16 Horsepower Lyrics
16 Horsepower Secret South Lyrics
More 16 Horsepower Music Lyrics:
16 Horsepower - Black Lung Lyrics
16 Horsepower - Clogger Lyrics
16 Horsepower - Haw Lyrics
16 Horsepower - Heel On The Shovel Lyrics
16 Horsepower - Nobody 'Cept You (Bob Dylan) Lyrics
16 Horsepower - Prison Shoe Romp Lyrics
16 Horsepower - Pure Clob Road Lyrics
16 Horsepower - Scrawled In Sap Lyrics


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Our brand new site is now live!
Store Locations
Provo Fresh
3362 N. University Ave.
Provo, UT
Ph: 801-852-8620
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Lindon, UT
Join Our Mailing List
Want some of Utah's Best Chocolate Cake on your birthday, for free?
Would you like to know when we are offering a "buy your favorite entree and get one free" deal?


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WELCOME TO THE hRIA HOME PAGE
HRIA - Membership Information
For more information about the Hire and Rental Industry Association, the HRIA Code of Ethics, the benefits of membership and how to become a member follow the links below or visit us on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn.
Click here for Membership Application and more information about the HRIA
HIRE18 Celebrating 50 Years
HIRE18 was a Celebration of 50 years history, recognising the great achievements that have helped shape the rental industry, as well as looking at new technologies, the next generation of hire professionals and what the future might hold.
Hire & Rental News Magazine Media Kit
Hire and Rental News is the Official Magazine for the HRIA. The current Media Kit is now available.
Click here for contact information, how to advertise, and the Media Kit
The Hire and Rental Industry Association is proud to provide its members access to 'HRNet', a website dedicated to providing workplace relations support.
HRIA Insurance Brokers
HRIA endorsed insurance broker and provider. If you would like more information about how we can help protect your assets, please refer to the link.
HLB Mann Judd
The Hire and Rental Industry Association is proud to provide its members access to Accounting & Business Advisory service.
Click for more information and how to access HRIA Accounting & Advisory
Strategic Alignment Training
SAT offers a valuable service where they can identify skills/training needs, map a training pathway and connect to an appropriate training provider.
Personal Property Securities Act 2009 (PPSA) - Members Information
For the latest information on the PPSA, please login and go to Contracts & Insurance in the Member's area.
Congratulations to all of our winners of the Hire Industry Excellence Awards 2018.
Rental Company of the Year
Rental Company of the Year
Rental Company of the Year
Under $5M
Supplier of the Year
Supplier of the Year
Best New Product
Best New Product
Best Stand
Best Stand
For more information on the Hire Industry Excellence Awards including past winners click here.


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Join us to attend the hearing on Monday, April 13, of the California State Senate Public Employment and Retirement Committee. The committee is considering SB 185, a bill to mandate that the two large state pension funds divest from coal companies. This is an important first step toward complete fossil fuel divestment by the California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS) and the California State Teachers' Retirement System (CalSTRS), and we are asking for a big turnout to support the bill.
The bill, titled "Public Divestiture of Thermal Coal Companies Act," is sponsored by Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de León, and requires divestment of companies that mine coal. It also instructs the pension funds' administrators to conduct a "comprehensive assessment of the feasibility and implications of divesting the retirement system funds of additional fossil fuel investments, such as natural gas and petroleum," thus paving the way for more extensive divestment in the near future. The bill is part of a package of four climate-related bills proposed by Governor Jerry Brown and currently making their way through the legislature. You can find more information at Fossil Free California.
What else can you do?
- Write or call your state senator today to ask him or her to cosponsor SB 185 before the hearing. You can find out who your state senator is by clicking here.
- Like us on Facebook.
- Write to the Senate Public Employment and Retirement Committee asking them to pass the bill out of committee with unanimous support.
- Ask for letters from supportive organizations you are connected with (environmental groups, faith groups, city councils that have already divested).
- CalPERS members: Write or call (888-225-7377) CalPERS CEO Anne Stausboll, asking Board members to support SB 185.
- Attend the CalPERS Investment Committee meeting at 10:30 am earlier the same day (April 13) at CalPERS headquarters, 400 P Street in Sacramento. The committee is meeting to consider whether CalPERS will support SB 185.
Coal is a bad investment for California—and for the Earth!
1315 10th L St
Rose Ann Vuich Hearing Room (2040)
Sacramento, CA 95814
United States
Google map and directions


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Visibility Protective Clothing Market report includes the company profiling, market share analysis, and analysis of competitive strategies adopted by various market players.
The growing industrial development in emerging economies, especially in Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America, pushes the growth of various industries such as manufacturing, mining, and construction. Rapid industrialization leads to an increase in the employment rate in industrial sectors, which, in turn, fuels the demand for protective clothing. Companies are increasingly recognizing that accidents, coupled with heavy fines for deviation of OHS laws and regulatory requirements, cost far more than protective clothing. Regulations also render the employer responsible for workers wearing appropriate personal protective equipment in all operations where there is an exposure to hazardous conditions.
Browse through the market data tables, figures and detailed ToC on the "Visibility Protective Clothing Market".
Related Reports:
European Visibility Protective Clothing Market:
The European visibility protective clothing market is expected to reach $333.0 million by 2018, to grow at a CAGR of 5.5% from 2013 to 2018. The financial crisis of 2008-2009 led countries to adopt a strategy of reduced budget allocation for each of their sectors. Although the growth in region's various sectors is currently slow, its continuous requirement in the existing facilities such as oil & gas, military, fire fighting, and so on would be driving the market for protective clothing.
North American Visibility Protective Clothing Market:
The North American visibility protective clothing market is expected to reach $423.2 million by 2018, to grow at a CAGR of 30.4% from 2013 to 2018. The North American region is the largest market for protective clothing, which is driven primarily by its oil & gas, healthcare, fire fighting, and improving construction industries. In 2013, North America accounted for 26.3% of the protective clothing market consumption. The oil & gas and construction industries are the major consumers of protective clothing in North America, together contributing to 63% of the North American protective clothing market.
Asia Pacific Visibility Protective Clothing Market:
The Asia-Pacific visibility protective clothing market is expected to reach $291.77 million by 2018, to grow at a CAGR of 7.3% from 2013 to 2018. Asian countries, such as China and India, are becoming the centre for global manufacturing operations, which enhances the need for protective clothing. Increased governmental investments in infrastructure, international funding for developing countries, housing demands to meet the expectations of the steadily growing population, public utilities and development spending, commercial and entertainment structures, and many more reasons like these have resulted in the region having a large construction industry.
Latin American Visibility Protective Clothing Market:
The Latin American visibility protective clothing market is expected to reach $200.0 million by 2018, to grow at a CAGR of 7.6% from 2013 to 2018. Mexico and Brazil are important countries in the region, having high construction and manufacturing activities. Venezuela has high oil & gas activity, thereby resulting in an attractive market for protective clothing. Other countries in the region do not occupy a major share in the global protective clothing market. Argentina and Chile are two other countries that have been studied.
Middle East & African Visibility Protective Clothing Market:
The Middle East & African visibility protective clothing market is expected to reach $188.97 million by 2018, to grow at a CAGR of 7.6% from 2013 to 2018. Middle East and Africa have some of the world's most prolific oil and gas industries, which have been growing at a rapid pace in the past, and will continue to do so in the future. The rapid growth in infrastructure in the region, especially in countries such as Saudi Arabia and South Africa, has established a huge potential market for protective clothing.
About MicroMarket Monitor:
MicroMarket Monitor identifies and attends to various unmet needs of different industrial verticals, which include value chain impact analysis. The company publishes about 12000 Market Research Reports on various Micro Markets across the world. The graphical nature and multidimensional analysis of these reports provide advanced Business Intelligence Tools to the clients in that particular target market.
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Warning: This post contains strong language and jokes that will likely be offensive to some people. If that will bother you, don't read it. If you do read it, don't complain about it.
One of the cool things about having a relatively popular blog is that I'm now occasionally being sent books and DVDs to review. This is doubly cool when it's something that I really enjoy, and I really love roasts. No, not the culinary variety, the "let's get together and insult someone for an hour" type. It's one of my favorite forms of comedy and always has been. And one of the best things that has happened in the world of comedy over the last decade or so is the number of younger comics who have gotten involved with the Friar's Club.
The Friar's Club, for those who don't know, is a nearly century-old entertainer's group based in New York. In the early days, the leaders of the club included men like George M. Cohan, Will Rogers and Irving Berlin. From the very beginning, they were known for their dinners honoring famous entertainers with backhanded compliments. The Friar's Club was the home of all the great comedians from the Vaudeville age to the 60s. And today it has made a real comeback with the infusion of new blood, particularly among the many great New York comics working today. And the celebrity roast has made a comeback along with it.
Comedy Central has aired many celebrity roasts over the last few years. Many brave souls have suffered the slings and arrows including Hugh Hefner, Jerry Stiller, Chevy Chase and Drew Carey. But the latest to be victimized is none other than Pamela Anderson, and that roast has now been released on DVD. The producers were kind enough to send me a copy to review. I had seen it on Comedy Central, but it was heavily censored. It's much funnier uncensored, as this DVD obviously is. I'll try to give you a sense of this roast below the fold, but be warned: this is really strong stuff and not for the easily offended.
The new batch of roasts has introduced a whole new group of great comics to the world – Nick DiPaolo, Greg Geraldo, Sarah Silverman and many others. But the undisputed king of the insult comics today is Jeffrey Ross. Roasts are a perfect setup for his brutal sense of humor, especially one like this: the only reason Pamela Anderson decided to do the roast was because Comedy Central gave a big donation to PETA, her favorite charity. And you knew the comics were going to go right after that tender spot.
Ross walked out on stage in a fur coat, prompting Courtney Love (who is apparently friends with Anderson and was there just to make it an even more target-rich environment) to throw water at him. He released the tension by announcing, "Oh relax, it's not real fur – we shaved Bea Arthur's back." For some reason, Ross has made Bea Arthur his personal punching bag at these roasts. At one of the early ones, upon noticing that Dr. Ruth was on the dais, he proclaimed, "I wouldn't fuck her with Bea Arthur's dick." Riffing on that same theme during the Pamela Anderson roast he said, "I wouldn't fuck Bea Arthur's dick with Andy Dick's pussy." Crude? Yes. But very, very funny. He also wondered out loud how it was possible that Courtney Love could look worse than Kurt Cobain. And when he spotted Anna Nicole Smith in the audience he remarked, "Hey, we should roast her next year. We could do all the same jokes – plus fat jokes."
If any of the new comics comes close to Ross in this area it's Nick DiPaolo, a comedian whose political incorrectness can be a bit jarring at times (but I think it's hysterical). His brings a quintessential New York and Italian attitude to the proceedings. Lisa Lampinelli is his female counterpart, an outrageously filthy comic who doesn't care who she offends. When she notes that because Anderson had dated Tommy Lee, the lead singer of Poison and Scott Baio, her life story should be a VH1 special called "I fucked the 80s", you can't help but laugh.
This is probably the funniest of all the roasts that have been done in the last few years, funnier even than the Hugh Hefner roast – although if they ever put out an uncensored version of that roast on DVD that includes Gilbert Gottfried's amazing performance of the Aristocrats joke, that might well top this one (and yes, that's a hint to the producers of this DVD that if they have that one, I want it. Like now). For those, like me, who like their comedy like a Somalian warlord (dark and vicious), this is a must have DVD for your collection.


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- We're available to meet with you. Use the form below to send us an email to schedule a meeting.
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Picturing Labor in the Work of Krzysztof Kieślowski
Polish Movie Nite is happy to present two films by Krzysztof Kieślowski, the documentary short "The Office" (1966), and the feature-length film Camera Buff (1979). Media art historian Erica Levin will introduce the films, analyzing the complex politics and strategies of picturing labor in Polish cinema.
Upon graduating from Łódź Film School in 1965, Kieślowski focused almost exclusively on documentaries. "The Office" portrays the intense bureaucracy that existed in Polish government services at the time. Pensioners, lined up at a social security office, are one by one turned away for various procedural violations. One request is denied because the applicant has too many identifying documents, and she is told to acquire an official nullification of one of the redundant papers. An elderly man encounters difficulty because a document was stamped with a square seal, rather than a round one.
Frustrated by harsh governmental censorship, Kieślowski abandoned the documentary form in the mid-1970s. Still, he often employed a documentary style and non-actors in his feature films, portraying everyday life under the weight of an oppressive system. Camera Buff tells the story of Filip Mosz (played by Jerzy Stuhr), a humble factory worker whose newfound hobby - amateur film - becomes an obsession that transforms his modest, and formerly happy, life. Exploring the repression of individuality in Communist Poland, the film focuses on the ethical choices faced by a single person. Camera Buff won the grand prize at the Moscow International Film Festival.
Erica Levin is an art historian and film theorist currently working on her dissertation at UC Berkeley about politics, temporality, and the news in media art of the 1960s. She earned her MA at UC Berkeley, and her BA at Wesleyan University. She has taught courses on urban modernity, visual culture in the atomic age, experimental film, war and cinema, art criticism, and contemporary art.
"Urząd" / "The Office"
5 minutes, black and white
Amator / Camera Buff
117 minutes, color
8pm Wednesday
April 27, 2011
Polish Club of San Francisco
3040 22nd Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
Special appreciation goes to Maureen Mroczek Morris, and to Krol Vodka and Trumer Pils, for their ongoing support. Additional thanks go to Jeremi Sudol for his assistance in the preparation of this event.


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Saturday, April 07, 2007
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Pictures i have taken while on my favourite pastime Walking/Hiking. I love the freedom of the out doors and The wonderful scenery the UK gives us during different seasons. I try to capture a sense of the Outdoors in my pictures and inspire others to want to get out and enjoy the countryside. Click on photo to enlarge


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SGPC auditor's reinstatement raises eyebrows
The reinstatement of the high-profile Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) internal auditor SS Kohli has raised eyebrows, with many Panthic leaders claiming that rules were flouted to reinstate Kohli, who is close to deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal.punjab Updated: Jul 19, 2014 08:13 IST
The reinstatement of the high-profile Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) internal auditor SS Kohli has raised eyebrows, with many Panthic leaders claiming that rules were flouted to reinstate Kohli, who is close to deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal.
"The SGPC president cannot overturn the decision of his executive, only the general house can," former SGPC secretary Manjit Singh Calcutta said here on Friday.
Kohli was sacked by the executive at its meeting held in Chandigarh on July 11 on charges of "misuse of power" after many members criticised his style of functioning, particularly his rude behavior towards SGPC employees. They also pointed to his hefty pay package of around Rs 1 crore a year saying this precious amount could be saved.
On the basis of the executive's decision, Kohli's services were terminated by the SGPC on July 16. However, the very next day, the internal auditor was reinstated on the orders of president Avtar Singh Makkar.
Makkar's decision created a furore in the SGPC circles here, with many, including most executive members, questioning the powers of the president.
Commenting on the issue, Calcutta told HT, "How can the SGPC president overturn the decision of a meeting (executive) that he himself presided over? Such a thing never happened during the 15-16 years I spent in the gurdwara body as its secretary. All this shows that Sukhbir Badal is running the SGPC."
Kohli's entry into SGPC
Kohli, a chartered accountant hailing from Ambala, was an unknown entity till his entry into the SGPC in January 2009. The only political figure he knew till then was the SGPC senior vice-president Raghujit Singh Virk, a co-opted member from Karnal.
Virk introduced him to Sukhbir Badal. At the behest of Virk, Kohli began managing the accounts of the bus companies of the Badals, which further drew him closer to the deputy CM.
At the time of his appointment as internal auditor, Kohli drew a salary of Rs 3.5 lakh per month. No other employee of the SGPC, including its then seniormost secretary, could boast of such a salary. In fact, the seniormost employee of the SGPC even now does not get a monthly salary of more than Rs 60,000.
Appointment challenged
Kohli's appointment was challenged in the Sikh Gurdwara Judicial Commission by Baldev Singh Sirsa, currently a member of the Akali Dal (Panj Pradhani). The commission sacked him in October 2009 from the SGPC post.
"My contention was that Kohli's appointment was illegal as according to the SGPC rules, if an appointment has to be made to a post having a salary of above Rs 7,000, the post must be advertised, which was not done. Moreover, I questioned the hefty pay package and also pointed out in my petition that the SGPC already had three internal auditors and a government auditor, so there was no need for another," Sirsa said.
However, the SGPC re-appointed him to the same post after duly issuing an advertisment in the newspapers. This time, his salary was increased to Rs 5.5 lakh a month. Currently, he is drawing a monthly package of Rs 7.66 lakh.
Initially, he looked after the auditing of accounts of only the SGPC. However, as his influence with the deputy CM grew, he was also asked to handle the accounts of the Sri Guru Ramdass Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, the Guru Granth Sahib World University and various other higher educational institutes run by the SGPC. He even succeeded in employing around six persons in different institutes and it was said that they only obeyed his orders.
SGPC sources have claimed that Kohli is consulted on all major construction projects of the SGPC. This includes the construction of the ultra-modern, environment-friendly kitchen of the 'langar' (community kitchen) of the Golden Temple. This work has been sourced to a private company and is not being built through 'kar sewa', as it requires a great degree of expertise.
"Kar sewa is being replaced by corporate sewa in the SGPC," an SGPC official said while referring to the langar project.
Defying dress code
It is said that Kohli does not follow the SGPC dress code. According to the code, an employee can wear turbans of only three colours -- blue, black and saffron. No other colour of the turban is permitted during duty hours.
However, the auditor is often seen wearing other coloured turbans that match his trousers and shirt.
First Published: Jul 18, 2014 22:39 IST


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The Innocents by Francesca Segal: April 2013 book of the month
The Innocents (winner of the 2012 Costa First Novel Award) is a beautifully executed homage to Edith Wharton's The Age of Innocence.
The central story of The Innocents – a newly engaged couple from a privileged community, whose impending marriage is threatened by a dangerously seductive cousin – remains the same. But author Francesca Segal firmly sets her version of events in contemporary London, specifically the sheltered and insular Jewish community of Hampstead Garden Suburb.
Adam and Rachel have known each other since childhood; their families (like all the families they know) meet in the same synagogue, holiday in the same Israeli resort, gather at the same feasts at each other's houses year after year. When the wayward and vulnerable model Ellie Schneider arrives back from New York, she causes much consternation in her inability to act 'appropriately'. To Adam, her presence makes him reevaluate everything he held dear: the stability and security that he has always strived for suddenly appearing claustrophobic and restrictive.
The real brilliance in this book is the comparative (and often similar) manners, fashion, attitudes and social behaviour in 19th-century Gilded Age New York and the equally nuanced 21st-century North London. But where Wharton vilifies the cold social strata of the rich, Segal takes a wittier and often warmer perspective: the family may be suffocating but it is also a place of love, generosity and acceptance.
Segal's masterstroke is her anthropological take on society: the collision between timeless Jewish customs and the changing world beyond the NW postcode, and the endless cultural expectations that every character must shoulder.
About Francesca Segal
Francesca Segal was born in London in 1980. Brought up in the UK and America, she studied at Oxford before becoming a journalist and critic.
Her work has appeared in Granta, the Guardian, the Financial Times and Vogue. For three years she wrote the Debut fiction round-up in the Observer, and has also worked as a features writer at Tatler. The Innocents is her first novel. Find out more here, and you can follow her on Twitter.
Book club discussion: Tuesday 30 April
We're thrilled that Francesca Segal will be answering questions about The Innocents, winning the Costa Award and her writing career, on Tuesday 30 April, 9-10pm. Please feel free to discuss the book throughout the month and then come and chat to Francesca on Tuesday 30 April.
If you're not lucky enough to bag one of the free books, you can always buy The Innocents in paperback or Kindle and join April's book club discussion.
This giveaway has now closed, but you can buy the book here
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SOURCE: Shinesrooms.com
March 13, 2012 08:05 ET
NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - Mar 13, 2012) - www.shinesrooms.com has a handpicked team of market professionals with over 100 years of combined investing experience. Today they are providing members comprehensive research on the Apparel Stores industry and are offering free analytical research on Aeropostale Inc. (NYSE: ARO) and Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (NYSE: ANF). Register with us today at http://www.shinesrooms.com/index.php?_controller=RegisterMember&_method=index to have free access to these research reports.
The U.S. retail environment seems to be improving and consumer confidence is rising as wages increase and unemployment falls. Although the holiday season was plagued by intense promotional activity, sales were relatively high. According to the National Retail Federation January was also strong, with sales increasing 4 percent year-over-year, driven by warm weather and gift card redemptions. Unfortunately, rising input costs are adding pressure to margins, already stressed by promotions and high levels of competition. Get your free reports on Aeropostale Inc. and Abercrombie & Fitch Co. at http://www.shinesrooms.com/index.php?_controller=RegisterMember&_method=index. There is no commitment to join.
www.shinesrooms.com is the Ultimate Trading Environment for investors. If you are considering owning Aeropostale Inc. and Abercrombie & Fitch Co. then you should sign up for a free membership and our complimentary reports today at www.shinesrooms.com. Over the last 5 years our returns outpaced any of the major indexes. Sign up today to find out what you are missing.
Despite a 16 percent increase in fourth quarter net sales, Abercrombie & Fitch Co. reported adjusted earnings of $1.12 per share, down 18.8 percent year-over-year. The company seems to be increasing their focus on more profitable international markets as of late. 2011 saw Abercrombie close 71 U.S. stores and open 47 new international ones. The opening of 5 stores in international flagship locations is scheduled for 2012. Aeropostale Inc. report is accessible for free by registering today at http://www.shinesrooms.com/AeropostaleInc130312.pdf.
Conversely, Aeropostale Inc. has also recently reported a challenging fourth quarter, with net income falling 68.9 percent year-over-year to $26.1 million as revenue dropped 3.7 percent and gross margins contracted 11.3 percentage points to 24.3 percent. Abercrombie & Fitch Co. report is accessible for free by registering today at http://www.shinesrooms.com/AbercrombieandFitchCo130312.pdf.
The two Apparel Stores stocks research reports are available for free by signing up now on www.shinesrooms.com.
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Shine's Rooms is the brain child of David Shine, a 13 year Wall Street veteran with a stellar track record. For 13 years Shine has trained thousands of traders to navigate and profit from the markets. Using cutting edge technology, Shine provides you with a community in which you can trade alongside Shine and his Team as they guide you through the market's ever-changing landscape.
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- sophielle
- 4 years ago
- Wedding: May 2015
My wedding is in exactly 8 months and we have yet to pay the deposit to the venue so we can still change all of our plans. Planning is going very well (we have found the photographer, dj, band, dress, wedding colors, have a good idea of the decor…) and my Fiance and I agree or compromise easily on everything. So far the stress level is pretty low. But… I can't help it but feel like this is too much for me. I talked about it to my Fiance and Maid/Matron of Honor. He thinks I am not optimistic enough about the outcome and she thinks I am putting to much things on my plate.
We are planning to DIY too much (all decor, cakes) and have too much to do by ourselves on the day of (hair and makeup, reception and ceremony decor, music gear installation…). We do not have a wedding planner, unfortunately. We'll have a day of coordinator (a good friend) and will delegate to friends and family who have volonteered.
I thought about it and I think my discomfort comes from 3 major things:
1. Too much to do the day of, fear of lacking time to do it all and have it look good.
2. Ugly reception room (trust me…. a 70's convent with beige and burgundy walls, orange floors and burgundy banquet chairs)
3. Too many guests. The room capacity is 120, our guest list is 120. I would prefer 60-70 but my Fiance wants 120 (our families too).
While I can try to calm me down and ask for more help on the day of and trust my coordinator and can forget about the ugly venue (who will look decent with our decor) I think I really fear the 120 guests… If it was only up to me (which is not…) I would just rent a pretty restaurant downtown who doesn't need any decor and invite only close friends and family.
I have never liked being in the spotlight… I know people won't be judging and will only be happy for us but I can't help myself but fear the moment I'll have to walk down the aisle on my father's arm and say my vows in a mic.
I am not the only shy bride here, so how have you coped with this fear? The only strategy I have found yet is to take the pictures before the ceremony and have a first look before going down the aisle so I won't be as stressed out as if I had to see him for the first time there.


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Assignment #115: Ultra-Wide-Angle
I just got a new ultrawide fisheye zoom and I've been using it on both my full-frame and APS-C cameras. I've been having fun playing with the ultrawide perspective and the fisheye distortion. Some can be good, but too much is...well...too much. For this week's Assignment, send in your best ultra-wide-angle photos. I'm interested to see how you use the distortion and the perspective for all sorts of nature subjects. Enter by midnight, October 9th—Christopher Robinson, Editor


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Glitter Devil Face Mask
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This black plastic full face mask has red glitter accents on the face. It has glittery devil horns as well. Makes a great finishing touch to your Halloween costume. An elastic band holds the mask in place.
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I just had a week of sub-I at Mount Sinai West, where Dr. James Mickinsey practices. For those of you who don't know, he is internationally known for treating complex aortic cases, and the primary reason I was so excited to extend my stay one more day in this hospital that I have to travel 40 minutes each way. Below is a description for a sandwich technique for an extent III TAAA case I scrubbed.
Patient is a 84 YO AAM who has been followed by Dr. MicKinsey for an extent III TAAA that was >5.5 cm and had ulcerative plaques. The method of repair was going to be so called "Sandwich technique", where chimney graft for visceral arteries will be sandwiched by two aortic stent grafts (schematics shown below). This technique was designed to bypass the expensive, time consuming step of personally designing fenestrated/branched TEVAR graft for each patient with TAAA that needs visceral artery coverage, and allows off-the-shelf selection of stent grafts.
RIght CFA, with less iliac tortuosity was accessed and dilated up to 22F for deployment of the first thoracic stent graft, and left CFA accessed with 5F sheath for aortogram. Usually, axillary arteries would be accessed with cutdowns to cannulate the visceral arteries and deploy the chimney stents. Due to a history of hemi-facial and hemi-torsal burn with prior skin grafts covering the left chest and axillary region, cutting down on the axillary would lead to future skin breakdown, so we performed bilateral brachial artery cutdowns instead. One setback for the brachial cutdown is that since the patient's arms would be abducted and extended, rotating the C-arm to get lateral fluoro views would be difficult. We solved this problem by abducting patient's arm minimally, giving just enough space for adequate rotation of the C-arm. This might not be possible for obese patients.
Bilateral CFA were accessed first. Aortogram was taken to assess the TAAA, access vessels and visceral branches. Right CFA with less tortuous iliac artery was chosen to be the route of deployment of the first thoracic stent. Bilateral brachial cutdowns were done (an attending at each side with Dr. McKinsey monitoring outside, a common set up of lineup in a complex aortic case here as I've heard). The celiac axis and SMA were cannulated from above, balloon expandable chimney stents were inserted and deployed at the same time, with the proximal ends above the upper border of thoracic stent graft. The second aortic stent graft was deployed, sandwiching the chimneys, and the whole system was dilated with CODA balloon, but carefully avoiding the origins of celiac and SMA. Completion angio showed no endoleak. Whether or not to cover the renals then deploying a third aortic stent graft for a second sandwich were discussed, but due to the elderly status of the patient and the extent of coverage possibly leading to spinal cord ischemia, we decided to call it a day.
What a wonderful case that shows how far vascular surgery has come. From open surgery 20 years ago to endovascular cases nowadays, the field of vascular surgery has truly evolved with respective to time and technological innovation. Dr. Frank Veith (surgeon who performed the first EVAR in the U.S.) said in his presidential address during SVS annual meeting a while ago that vascular surgery needs to evolve like Darwinism. Dr. McKinsey's practice is not only fascinating and unparalleled, but also definitely a representation of Dr. Veith's vision.


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Scientists and researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) are constantly innovating, integrating novel technologies, and "walking the talk." Since 1982, NREL has won 52 R&D 100 Awards — known in the research and development community as "the Oscars of Innovation" — for its groundbreaking work.
When it came time for the lab to build its own high performance computing (HPC) data center, the NREL team knew it would have to be made up of firsts: The first HPC data center dedicated solely to advancing energy systems integration, renewable energy research, and energy efficiency technologies. The HPC data center ranked first in the world when it comes to energy efficiency. The first petascale HPC to use warm-water liquid cooling and reach an annualized average power usage effectiveness (PUE) rating of 1.06 or better.
To accomplish this, NREL worked closely with industry leaders to track rapid technology advances and to develop a holistic approach to data center sustainability in the lab's new Energy Systems Integration Facility (ESIF).
"We took an integrated approach to the HPC system, the data center, and the building as part of the ESIF project," NREL's Computational Science Center Director Steve Hammond said. "First, we wanted an energy-efficient HPC system appropriate for our workload. This is being supplied by HP and Intel. A new component-level liquid cooling system, developed by HP, will be used to keep computer components within safe operating range, reducing the number of fans in the backs of the racks."
Next, the NREL team, which included the design firms SmithGroupJJR and the Integral Group, created the most energy-efficient data center it could to house and provide power and cooling to the HPC system. High-voltage (480 VAC) electricity is supplied directly to the racks rather than the typical 208 V, which saves on power electronics equipment, power conversions, and losses. Energy-efficient pumps largely replace noisy, less-efficient fans.
"Last but not least, we wanted to capture and use the heat generated by the HPC system," Hammond said. "Most data centers simply throw away the heat generated by the computers. An important part of the ESIF is that we will capture as much of the heat as possible that is generated by the HPC system in the data center and reuse that as the primary heat source for the ESIF office space and laboratories. These three things manifest themselves in an integrated 'chips-to-bricks' approach."
Like NREL's Research Support Facility, the ESIF HPC data center did not cost more to build than the average facility of its kind. It actually cost less to construct than comparable data centers and will be much cheaper to operate. NREL's approach was to minimize the energy needed, supply it as efficiently as possible, and then capture and reuse the heat generated.
"Compared to a typical data center, we may save $800,000 of operating expenses per year," Hammond said. "Because we are capturing and using waste heat, we may save another $200,000 that would otherwise be used to heat the building. So, we are looking at saving almost $1 million per year in operation costs for a data center that cost less to build than a typical data center."
Warm-Water Cooling Boosts Data Center Efficiency
The ultra-efficient HPC system in NREL's new data center has been designed in collaboration with HP and Intel. The HPC system will be deployed in two phases that will include scalable HP ProLiant SL230s and SL250s Generation 8 (Gen8) servers based on eight-core Intel Xeon E5-2670 processors as well as the next generation of servers using future 22nm Ivy Bridge architecture-based Intel Xeon processors and Intel Many Integrated Core architecture-based Intel Xeon Phi coprocessors. The first phase of the HPC installation began in November 2012, and the system will reach petascale capacity in the summer of 2013.
In the spirit of overall energy efficiency, the Intel Xeon Phi coprocessor delivers on several fronts. According to Intel, it can easily port complete applications in a short time, so software engineers won't need specialized tools or new languages to support significant software packages. "Intel coprocessors also increase the efficiency of computer resource usage," said Stephen Wheat, general manager of high performance computing at Intel. "The methods of code optimization for Xeon Phi are identical to what one does to make the most of Xeon processors. Finely tuned optimizations for Xeon Phi almost always result in a better-performing source code for Xeon processors. As the optimized and tuned application is run in production, the achieved performance per watt on both Xeon Phi and Xeon processors allows achieving the results with the lowest energy use."
While some of the NREL HPC components may be off the shelf, the team is taking a different approach in cooling this supercomputer.
"In traditional computer systems, you have a mechanical chiller outside that delivers cold water into the data center, where air-conditioning units blow cold air under a raised floor to try to keep computer components from overheating," Hammond said. "From a data center perspective, that's not very efficient; it's like putting your beverage on your kitchen table and then going outside to turn up the air conditioner to get your drink cold."
"NREL's ultimate HPC system is currently under development and will be a new, warm-water cooled high-performance system," said Ed Turkel, group manager of HPC marketing at HP. "It will be a next-generation HPC solution that's specifically designed for high power efficiency and extreme density, as well as high performance — things that NREL requires."


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As I'm going through this little life journey here, I've been trying to take every opportunity I can to learn about my food. That's why I was stoked to finally go along on one of my father's regular fishing trips this winter!
My father- you know, Daddy- has been fishing in Texas with the same guide since 1982. He fishes all year round, many times a year, on different types boats, in all kinds of weather conditions and water depths, and even wading in a marsh for 8 hours at a time. This year he asked if I wanted to come along for a week, and I think he was expecting me to give the usual answer ("Why would I want to do that??). Let me remind you: I'm a city girl. I had never touched a live fish before. I had never been on a boat that wasn't a dinner cruise or a yacht with bottle service. So I said yes!
We spent four full days with our guide Danny, who has been guide fishing since he was a teenager and is so in touch with fish that he seems to be in direct communication with them. Danny would say, "We are going to find Drum fish in this spot for 25 minutes", and instantly we'd be catching Drum fish one after another for exactly 25 minutes. Then they'd suddenly stop biting, just as he predicted, and we'd move onto the next spot. Seriously.
Danny kept calling me a "city slicker" because I did things like wear legwarmers and designer sunglasses and matching outfits on the boat each day, but he stopped using that nickname once I started catching some serious fish... I caught the biggest fish of the week, a Drum which had to be thrown back because it was oversized!


text: A compilation of four short films that explore gay themes: Crush revolves around a boy and girl whose friendship changes when her crush is not returned. In The Mountain King, a young hustler seduces a straight beachgoer. Lost tells the story of a young drug-using male prostitute. The Confession finds a dying man asking for an unlikely visit from a priest.


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This action might not be possible to undo. Are you sure you want to continue?
The Complete Book of Time and Money provides 352 pages of fun exercises that guide children to a better understanding of the mathematical concepts behind time and money principles. Units break the lessons down into minute, quarter-hour, half-hour, hour, coins, and bills segments for easy comprehension.
Over 4 million in print! Designed by leading experts, books in the Complete Book series help children in grades preschool-6 build a solid foundation in key subject areas for learning success. Complete Books are the most thorough and comprehensive learning guides available, offering high-interest lessons to encourage learning and fun, full-color illustrations to spark interest. Each book also features challenging concepts and activities to motivate independent study, a fun page of stickers, and a complete answer key to measure performance and guide instruction.


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SMEs warned about contractor tax obligations
Small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) hiring self-employed contractors are being warned about the risk of avoiding their tax obligations.
A report from unbiased.co.uk said that business owners need to be clear on HMRC rules regarding contractors to avoid falling foul of tax rules and potential penalties.
It said that SMEs could save a total £2 billion in tax by utilising self-employed contractors but that many who are 'disguising' full time employees as contractors are doing so unlawfully.
Businesses have increasingly turned to contractors or sub-contractors following the economic downturn to carry out short-term work or to supply specialist skills on specific projects. Outsourcing staff this way is often more cost effective for businesses than hiring permanent staff.
HMRC regards employees and those working self-employed on a contract basis differently for taxation purposes. For instance, businesses do not normally pay tax or national insurance contributions for contractors.
According to the research, if 15 per cent of higher rate taxpayers transferred to self-employed or contractor status, SMEs could benefit from national insurance savings of around £2 billion every year.
However, it highlights that tax rules in this area are complex, saying: "SME owners have to ensure they are clear on the rules - to avoid utilising 'disguised employees' and being accused of tax avoidance."
Such 'disguised' employees are considered as those leaving a company to become self-employed, while effectively remaining employed on a full-time basis by a company for the sole purpose of reducing the company's tax liabilities.
Karen Barrett, chief executive of unbiased.co.uk said: "Tax is a vast and complex subject and it can be hard for business owners to find the time to understand how to optimise their tax status whilst also running their business day to day."
"By utilising self-employed workers better, SMEs could be saving tax payments but it also highlights that tax can be a bit of a minefield."
Its 2012 Tax Action report also revealed that SME owners are also failing to take advantage of tax breaks and efficient ways to run their business amounting to £7.1 billion a year. Elsewhere, it found that individual Britons will also pay £12.6 billion in unnecessary tax to the tax man in 2012.
We can help with tax compliance. Please talk to us for more information.


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SOURCE: Axiometrics Inc.
August 19, 2014 13:00 ET
DALLAS, TX--(Marketwired - August 19, 2014) - The U.S. apartment market continued its amazingly strong 2014 in July, as effective rent growth increased once again, occupancy remained steady and fewer concessions were offered, according to Axiometrics' monthly apartment market trends report.
Axiometrics, the leader in apartment market research and analysis, noted year-to-date (YTD) effective rent growth leads that of all post-Great Recession years for the fourth straight month and is just 10 basis points (bps) away from the recovery's peak YTD figure, reached in 2012.
Annualized effective rent growth was 3.8% in July, a 12 bps increase from the 3.7% recorded in June and a 40 bps climb from the 3.4% of July 2013.
"Effective rent growth has increased for five straight months, but is still a long way from the summer of 2011, when the rate was in the 5% range," said Stephanie McCleskey, Axiometrics Vice President of Research. "On the other hand, it's becoming more and more likely that 2014 will be the strongest overall year for the apartment market since the recession ended. This is the year of the apartment."
Average effective rent in July was $1,163.10 per month, an increase of $7.40 from June's figure.
Concessions Continue Falling
Concession levels set another post-recession low, dropping to an average of 0.7% in July from 0.8% in June. Dollar-wise, that translates to $8.70 on a 12-month lease. To compare, 8.33% is one month's free rent.
The asking rent growth and effective rent growth lines in the accompanying chart have almost parallel movement since November 2013, with a very slight narrowing of the gap between them in July. Asking rent growth in July was 3.4%, some 42 bps lower than effective rent growth.
"The consistency in the gap between asking and effective rent growth can be attributed to the descent of concessions as a large factor in the current apartment market," McCleskey said. "With new deliveries being absorbed at a high rate, landlords at many properties -- especially Class A and Class B+ buildings -- can rent their units without offering anything beyond the location and the amenities."
The increased use of automated revenue management systems also helps diminish concessions, since properties using that type of software do not tend to offer concessions.
"Are the days of 'one month's free rent' and '$100 cash back' over?" McCleskey asked. "For now, in a strong apartment market, probably. Concessions could increase in a future down cycle, but likely not to the extent of late 2009, when the dollar value of concessions was more than $70 per month."
YTD Rent Growth Near Recovery's Peak
Year-to-date effective rent growth was 5.1% in July 2014, up from 4.5% in June and 30 bps ahead of the 4.8% recorded in June 2011, the next strongest post-recession year. The gap between 2014 and 2011 is unchanged from May and June.
July marks the fourth straight month in which 2014 has settled in as the strongest year for the apartment market during the recovery.
"The U.S. apartment market would have to go into significant decline in order for 2014 to give up its No. 1 position by the end of the year," McCleskey said. "YTD effective rent growth need increase by only 10 bps to reach the post-recession peak of 5.2% set in August and September 2011."
Occupancy Remains at Highest Point
Occupancy remained at 95% for the third straight month, the highest level since April 2008.
"The steady occupancy portrays a market that is absorbing all the new supply being delivered this year, and settles the question (at least for now) whether overbuilding is generally taking place," McCleskey said.
Class A Rises to No. 2
Effective rent growth for Class A apartment properties -- those with the top 20% highest rent -- continued its steep rise in July 2014, reaching 3.6%. That's a 40 bps rise from June's rate of 3.2% and an increase from the 3.4% of July 2013.
Though the year-over-year increase seems slight, the July 2014 rent growth figure was significant for several reasons:
Class C was just percentage points behind Class A, also registering at a rounded 3.6% effective rent growth, a decline from the 3.9% in June and 3.8% in July 2013, when it was the strongest asset class among the three.
Class B remained the strongest asset class for the fourth straight month, with annualized effective rent growth of 4.3% in July, an increase from 4.1% in June and 3.5% in July 2013, when it was the weakest asset class among the three.
"The increases in effective rent recorded for class A and B in the past few months can be attributed to ongoing strong demand for higher-rent apartments as job growth continues its positive trend," McCleskey said. "Another factor is continued high occupancy, especially among millennials."
Sun Sets, Rents Rise in the West
Data for metropolitan areas show that the Pacific Coast is driving much of the national increase in effective rent growth.
Oakland once again led Axiometrics' top 50 apartment markets in effective rent growth with an annualized rate of 10.3%, while Bay Area neighbor San Jose led in occupancy at 96.9% and was No. 3 in rent growth.
The top 10 metros nationally included seven Pacific Coast markets, five of those in California -- Oakland, San Jose, Sacramento, Oxnard and San Francisco. Two other California markets -- Riverside and Los Angeles -- weighed in at 11 and 15, respectively. Seattle and Portland, OR, also were in the top 10.
Only three of the top 15 were east of the Mississippi River: Atlanta, Miami and West Palm Beach. Denver, Houston and Fort Worth rounded out that list.
Northeastern markets continued to underperform the national average. Washington, DC effective rent growth was 0.0% for the second straight month.
About Axiometrics
Axiometrics improves property and portfolio performance for apartment investments. Confident investment decisions begin with reliable, timely information. No one has more accurate, detailed, and up-to-date research on the apartment and student housing markets. Learn more at www.axiometrics.com or by calling 214-953-2242.
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National Year-to-Date Effective Rent Growth
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National Concession Value with Annual Asking and Effective Rent Growth Rates


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Sussex frustrated waiting for Mustafizur: Coach Davis
London, June 22 (IANS) Sussex coach Mark Davis said he is frustrated over his long wait for Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman's arrival, who is undergoing rehabilitation to regain match fitness.
The team had roped in South African all-rounder David Wiese as Mustafizur's replacement, and though the Protea was signed for two matches, he had to play four before leaving England to join the Caribbean Premier League in the West Indies.
Sussex will also miss the services of England medium pacer Chris Jordan against Gloucestershire on Sunday as he will be on national duty in the ongoing One-Day International (ODI) series against Sri Lanka.
"We have a couple of people but it is very late in the day; so it is very hard to get replacements," Davis was quoted as saying by bdnews24.com on Tuesday.
"The top players in the world have been signed or are playing CPL or their countries aren't allowing them to play."
"That's the frustration because we have chosen Mustafizur as probably the No.1 bowler in the world in that format."
On June 9, Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) physio Bayezidul Islam said it would take Mustafizur at least two weeks to be fully fit but, last week, trainer Mario Villavarayan said the pacer would need another month of rest.
To give the 20-year-old seamer time to recover after the IPL, Sussex gave Mustafizur time off and were hoping to have him by June 10.
Despite the delay stretching more than a week after that, the Sussex coach was still hopeful about getting Mustafizur.
"I spoke to the Bangladesh head coach and he said he would be assessed after two weeks, which is now," Davis said.
Earlier this year, Mustafizur made a brilliant debut in the Indian Premier League (IPL) playing for eventual champions Sunrisers Hyderabad.