text:
- Revelation 16:15
Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
– Revelation 16:15
This verse tells us the Lord's return is a secret descent. He comes as a thief, quietly and secretly. No one knows of it, and no one can recognize Him even if man sees Him. Maybe someone wonders, "When the Lord comes, we cannot see Him and cannot recognize Him even if we see Him. How do we watch for and welcome Him?" Actually, Jesus Christ has already shown us the way to welcome Him. He said, "My sheep hear my voice" (John 10:27), "And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom comes; go you out to meet him" (Matthew25:6), "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me" (Revelation 3:20). It can be seen that when Jesus comes again, He knocks at the door through the speaking of words and seeks His sheep, that is, when He descends in secret, only those who watch for the Lord's return and listen to God's voice can welcome the Lord's appearance. So, during the period of the last days, we should be wise virgins. When we hear someone yell, "Behold, the Bridegroom comes," that is when we hear someone testifying that the Lord has already returned to speak, we should seek and investigate. We can accept and follow the Lord when we hear His utterances and confirm that His word is the truth and is God's voice. Only such people are ones who truly watch for the Lord's return and are raptured before God's throne and attend the feast of the Lamb before the disasters, and are the most blessed. Dear brothers and sisters, have you heard God's voice? Have you welcomed the Lord's appearance?
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Bai Xue Jin Hua fetched Sister Zheng and Sister Yang (back from another province) from the railway station. After they three had lunch, she put them to bed. Jin Hua was about to lie down and take a nap when Sister Wang of her church came to tell her that ten more brothers and sisters had been arrested by the police of the CCP the day before, so she didn't want to attend meetings and planned to go to another place to work. Hearing that, Jin Hua's heart sank with the realization that the extent of the CCP's persecution was becoming more and more grievous. But at that moment, she was too busy comforting Sister Wang to think more, "God uses it to test our faith in Him, and it also fulfills the sign of the Lord's return. The Lord Jesus said, 'Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and you shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. … But he that shall endure to the end, the same shall be saved' (Matthew 24:9-13). Now the prophecies of the Lord's return have already been fulfilled and the day of the Lord has already come. Wait till He descends with the clouds, and we'll be raptured into the kingdom of heaven. Just as the Lord Jesus said, 'And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draws near' (Luke 21:27-28). At this crucial moment, we should keep our faith in Him even more—we must endure to the end, no matter how great the persecution and tribulation. Today, our light affliction, which is but for a moment, will work for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory in the future." Sister Wang said with an impatient look, "I know it's worthwhile for us to suffer any hardship in order to welcome the Lord's return. But the point is how to welcome His return when we don't even know how He will return. Are we going to just look up to the clouds in the sky and wait for His descending day after day? Has the Lord Jesus come?" Before Jin Hua could say a word, Sister Wang had hurried off, on the pretext of catching the bus. Now Jin Hua did not have the heart to nap any longer. The words of Sister Wang hit her heart like a heavy hammer and her heart, she felt, were as if falling apart. She smoothed her hair, sat in the chair by the window, and looked subconsciously out of it: There the trees on each side of the road joined to form a long green shade, which was in verdant luxuriance; fleecy clouds, like masses of cotton, were floating in the azure sky. Staring at the floating clouds, Jin Hua thought: She is right. Can it be that we just look at the sky and wait for the Lord Jesus to come upon white clouds day after day? Has the Lord Jesus come? With so vast a sky and so many clouds, how can we see Him if He doesn't come on clouds within our view but in another place? All of a sudden, Jin Hua's heart became heavy. Lately, the CCP government had restarted another round of persecution. Besides, smog had been heavy and news of deaths from it kept coming, throwing many people who didn't believe in the Lord into panic. So a majority of brothers and sisters were more eagerly expecting the Lord Jesus to return earlier. But they all were confused about how to wait for His return. Jin Hua opened the Bible to study the prophecies about the coming of the Lord Jesus. She saw Revelation 3:3, "If therefore you shall not watch, I will come on you as a thief, and you shall not know what hour I will come on you," and Revelation 16:15, "Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame." It's mentioned in these verses that the Lord will come as a thief. Thinking that "as a thief" means coming quietly and secretly, rather than openly on clouds, she was startled: How should I have ignored these verses? The Lord will come as a thief, which is to say that He will come secretly. In that case, how can we meet Him? When Jin Hua was thinking over this question, Sister Yang and Sister Zheng came up. Sister Yang was a preacher and always had a unique insight into the scriptures. So, when Jin Hua saw her, as if seeing a lifeline, she poured out all her confusion. She said eagerly, "I had thought the Lord will come openly upon a cloud. But just now I read several verses and felt He will come secretly. So I can't make out how He will come. What are your opinions on this question?" Sister Zheng said smilingly, "Revelation 3:3 says, 'If therefore you shall not watch, I will come on you as a thief, and you shall not know what hour I will come on you.' Here it says the Lord will come as a thief and that people don't know when He will come. So the Lord will descend in secret." Sister Yang said, "You say the Bible prophesied the Lord will come as a thief and that nobody knows when the Lord will come. I don't deny that. But the Lord Jesus also prophesied, 'And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom comes; go you out to meet him' (Matthew 25:6). 'Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me' (Revelation 3:20). These verses have made this clear: At midnight someone cries that the bridegroom has come, and if someone hears the voice and opens the door to welcome the Lord, they will attend the feast with Him. This shows that there is a voice when the Lord comes and people can know it. In addition, Revelation 1:7 says, 'Behold, he comes with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him.' According to these verses, I think, it's very possible that the Lord will first descend secretly and then change His form and descend openly on a cloud after finishing His work." Sister Zheng said, "According to the prophecies in the Bible, the Lord's descending on a cloud is entirely different from His coming as a thief. If He comes upon a cloud and we can see Him, it will be much easier for us to recognize Him. But if He comes as a thief, it's hard to know. We may meet with many difficulties, and must seek and investigate, because it's not easy to hear the voice of the bridegroom. What does the voice of the bridegroom actually mean? Can it be the words of the Holy Spirit to the churches? If we find the words of the Holy Spirit to the churches, does it mean that we hear the voice of the bridegroom? I suppose the voice of the Holy Spirit equals that of the bridegroom, and that can't be wrong. If the words of the Holy Spirit to the churches have been expressed, that would be wonderful!" Jin Hua said, "There are mysteries in the biblical prophecy that the Lord will descend on a cloud, which we can't delineate. We all know that the earth is round, so which place is suitable for all mankind to see the Lord Jesus descending on a cloud? How far can we mankind see? If He descends on a cloud over our city, we can see Him, but can we see Him if He does so on the opposite side of the globe? So I think this prophecy that the Lord will descend on a cloud can't be as simple as we've thought. We should carefully seek and investigate the Lord's return. Revelation prophesied, 'He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit said to the churches' (Revelation 2:7). This indicates that the Holy Spirit will undoubtedly speak to the churches in the last days. If we hear the words of the Holy Spirit, does it mean that we hear the voice of the bridegroom? And when we seek the appearance of the Lord, what's the most important is to hear the voice of the bridegroom. Is it right?" Sister Yang said, "Yeah. After hearing your communication, I think that the Lord may come as the incarnate Son of man to speak and work. Aren't the words of the Son of man exactly the voice of the bridegroom? Here I think of another significant prophecy about the coming of the Lord. The Lord Jesus said, 'For as the lightning, that lightens out of the one part under heaven, shines to the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day. But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation' (Luke 17:24-25). In these two verses, it's mentioned that when the Lord comes, He must "suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation." It cannot refer to the public appearance on a cloud of the spiritual body of the resurrected Lord Jesus. For the spiritual body is supernatural and not subject to space and geographical constraints, walking through walls and entering into the house with the doors closed. If the Lord descends with clouds in the spiritual body after resurrection, who dares to reject Him? How can He suffer a lot? According to the prophecy of the Lord, I think it is very likely that He will come as the incarnate Son of man, just as when the Lord Jesus came, outwardly, He was an ordinary, normal man, so no one recognized Him as God Himself. They treated Him as an ordinary man and rejected Him; besides, the Jewish chief priests, scribes, and Pharisees frantically resisted Him, condemned Him, and even nailed Him to the cross. Therefore, I think the Lord's prophecy—He will return as the Son of man and as a thief—probably means that He will incarnate as the Son of man and descend secretly. The utterances of the returned Lord should be the words of the Holy Spirit to the churches. Such understanding is probably out of the enlightenment and illumination of the Holy Spirit." Jin Hua said, "Thank the Lord! There are many prophecies about the Lord's return in the Bible: Some say that the Lord will descend on a cloud and everyone will see Him; some say that the Lord will come secretly as a thief and that no one knows when He will come; still some say that the Lord will arrive as the Son of man, who will suffer a lot and be rejected by this generation, and so on. In these prophecies, there are mysteries and truths to be sought. Most believers in the Lord are waiting for Him to descend upon a cloud, and many pious servants of the Lord are all waiting watchfully, eager to see one day that the Lord descends with clouds and takes them into the kingdom of heaven. But no matter how He comes, since He promised to come again, the Lord Jesus will certainly come to receive us. The Lord is faithful. We believe those who wait for Him will never be disappointed. So if someone hears the bridegroom's voice, he should notify the church as soon as possible and we all should go out to meet Him; if someone hears the testimony of the Lord's coming, we should not miss the chance but should seek and investigate." Sister Yang said, "Well, I came across a relative who believes in the Eastern Lightning on the road yesterday. He testified to me that the Lord Jesus has already secretly returned in the flesh as the Son of man and expressed the truth to do the work of judgment starting from the house of God. We didn't fellowship too much because the environment was not good. But I can invite him to fellowship together." All of them were ecstatic. Jin Hua suddenly had her direction and was brightened within. At that moment, the first thing she thought of was to call Sister Wang immediately. She picked up the cell phone … If you want to know more about the mysteries of the second coming of Jesus, learn more on our Mysteries of Second Coming page, or in the following content: 2 Imperative Ways to Get Ready for Jesus' Return Reveal the Mystery of "the Coming of the Son of Man" From 4 Aspects Does the Lord Come to Do Work in the Flesh or in a Spiritual Body?
We are still living in a cycle of sinning and confessing. So when the second coming of Christ arrives, can we enter the kingdom of heaven? Please read this article to learn the criteria for entering the heavenly kingdom.
Huiyong Since I believed in the Lord, I have prayed to God in the name of "Jesus" in everything. One day, I found that the Israelites all called upon God's name "Jehovah" in the Old Testament. The believers began to pray in the name of "Jesus" in the Age of Grace of the New Testament. Moreover, Revelation prophesied that people will call God by the name "the Almighty" at the time of the holy city coming down. Until then did I know that God can be called by another name the Almighty besides the names of Jehovah and Jesus. Then I thought: Now that God has three names, which name should I pray in? Feeling confused, I went to see a pastor. He said to me: "In Acts 4:12, it says, 'Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.' So we must hold on to the name of the Lord Jesus, pray in the name of the Lord Jesus, and not call on other names. …" Hearing what the pastor said, I thought: Isn't it recorded in the Bible that God also has the names of Jehovah and the Almighty? If we can't call on other names, then aren't we denying the two names? With the question, I began to study the Bible. In the Old Testament, it is recorded that Jehovah God said: "I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no savior" (Isaiah 43:11). "this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial to all generations" (Exodus 3:15). However, it is recorded in the New Testament: "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). Now that, in the Old Testament, it is said that only Jehovah is the Savior, why do we accept the name of Jesus? Since the name of Jehovah lasts forever, then why do we pray in the name of Jesus? And in the New Testament, it also says: "Neither is there salvation in any other" (Acts 4:12). "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever" (Hebrews 13:8). Aren't these words contradictory? I felt very confused, so I often prayed for the Lord to enlighten me to understand the mysteries contained within. Until one day, my father told me: "The Lord Jesus has come back, and He is the incarnate Almighty God in the last days. He has revealed the mystery of God's name in His words." Hearing this, I hastened to seek and investigate it. Then my father read several passages of Almighty God's words to me: "The work that Jesus did represented the name of Jesus, and represented the Age of Grace; the work done by Jehovah, represented Jehovah, and represented the Age of Law. Their work was the work of one Spirit in two different ages. … Although They were called by two different names, both stages of work were done by one Spirit, and the work of the second was a continuation of the first. As the name was different, and the content of the work was different, the age was different. When Jehovah came, that was the age of Jehovah, and when Jesus came, there was the age of Jesus. And so, each time God comes, He is called by one name, He represents one age, and He opens up a new path; and on each new path, He assumes a new name, which shows that God is always new and never old, and that His work is always progressing forward" ("The Vision of God's Work (3)"). "In each age and each stage of work, My name is not baseless, but holds representative significance: Each name represents one age. 'Jehovah' represents the Age of Law, and is the honorific for the God worshiped by the people of Israel. 'Jesus' represents the Age of Grace, and is the name of the God of all those who were redeemed during the Age of Grace. If man still longs for the arrival of Jesus the Savior during the last days, and still expects Him to arrive in the image He bore in Judea, then the entire six-thousand-year management plan would stop in the Age of Redemption, and would be incapable of progressing any further. The last days, furthermore, would never arrive, and the age would never be brought to an end. That is because Jesus the Savior is only for the redemption and salvation of mankind. I took the name of Jesus for the sake of all the sinners in the Age of Grace, and it is not the name by which I shall bring the whole of mankind to an end. Although Jehovah, Jesus, and the Messiah all represent My Spirit, these names only denote the different ages in My management plan, and do not represent Me in My entirety. The names by which people on earth call Me cannot articulate My entire disposition and all that I am. They are merely different names by which I am called during different ages. And so, when the final age—the age of the last days—arrives, My name shall change again. I shall not be called Jehovah, or Jesus, much less the Messiah, but shall be called the powerful Almighty God Himself, and under this name I shall bring the entire age to an end" ("The Savior Has Already Returned Upon a 'White Cloud'"). My father fellowshiped with me: "In the Age of Law, God did His work under the name of Jehovah. In the Age of Grace, God did His work under the name of Jesus. He uses the name to start a new age and end the old age, and to represent the work of one age. His name changes according to the change of the age. The Bible says: 'I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no savior' (Isaiah 43:11). 'this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial to all generations' (Exodus 3:15). The words are under a certain background and refer to one age and one stage of work. They don't mean that God's name is Jehovah in any age, but that, as long as the age and the stage of work God starts doesn't finish, people have to keep His name in that age, which can be transgressed by no one. The 'all generations' and 'for ever' here refer to the scope of the Age of Law. When God starts a new work and a new age, His name will change accordingly. That is to say, God's name doesn't remain the same forever, but changes with the development of His work. In the Age of Law, God's name was 'Jehovah.' When the Lord Jesus came to work, then God's name changed to 'Jesus.' This is why we hold on to the name of the Lord Jesus. In the last days, God carries out a new work and His name changes to 'Almighty God.' People must pray in the name of Almighty God. This fulfills the very prophecies in the Bible: 'Him that overcomes will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from my God: and I will write on him my new name' (Revelation 3:12). 'I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, said the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty' (Revelation 1:8). These words prophesy that God will have a new name. Since it's a new name, it can't be the name of Jesus, but that of Almighty God. Every time when God carries out a stage of work, He will take a name with the significance of the age to represent the work He is to do and the disposition He is to express in that age. The Bible says that God's name is ever unchanging. It only means that God's name remains unchanged in that age. But when the age changes, God's name will change accordingly. It is the reason why the name of the Lord Jesus has changed to Almighty God. Moreover, each name of God has its meaning. His name is closely related to His work, with one name representing the work of one age. The name of Jehovah represents the work God did in the Age of Law. The name of Jesus represents the redemptive work God did in the Age of Grace. Finally, the name of Almighty God represents the judgment work God does in the last days. Although the name of God changes, His substance doesn't change. Just as Almighty God says: 'There are those who say that God is immutable. That is correct, but it refers to the immutability of God's disposition and substance. Changes in His name and work do not prove that His substance has altered; in other words, God will always be God, and this will never change'" ("The Vision of God's Work (3)"). Afterward, I read many words expressed by Almighty God and they solved the questions that have bedeviled me for years. I finally understood: There is only one God. Just because of God's different work in different ages, He takes three different names—Jehovah, Jesus, and Almighty God. One name represents one age, one stage of work and part of God's disposition. This is God's work principle of being always new and never old. In the Age of Law, Jehovah God did the work of decreeing the laws and commandments and leading man in their lives, and made them know how to worship God to receive God's blessings and what was sin. In that age, God expressed His disposition of wrath and curse. Later, people fell into sins and weren't able to keep the laws. They were all at the risk of being condemned to death by the law. Therefore, Jehovah God was incarnated for the first time. Under the name of the Lord Jesus, God ended the Age of Law, did the redemptive work of the Age of Grace, and forgave people of their sins. What the Lord Jesus expressed was the disposition of mercy and love. In the last days, people are corrupted deeply. God becomes flesh again, and under the name of Almighty God, does the work of judging and purifying man. He expresses the disposition of righteousness, majesty and wrath, and shall bring the entire age to an end. No matter how God's name changes, His substance never changes, neither does the aim of His work of saving man. So, people should pray to and call on God by the corresponding names of different ages. For example, in the Age of Law, when people called on the name of Jehovah, they could feel God's leadership. In the Age of Grace, people must pray to God in the name of Jesus, confess their sins and repent to the Lord Jesus. Only in this way could they be forgiven of their sins and receive God's blessings and leadership. If people didn't follow God's footsteps and still called on the name of Jehovah, they couldn't obtain God's work, and God wouldn't listen to their prayers. In the Age of Kingdom of the last days, we should directly call on the name of Almighty God. If we still call on the name of the Lord Jesus, we can't receive the work of the Holy Spirit or the approval of God. Moreover, we will finally be eliminated and forsaken by God. Thank God for enlightening me and making me understand the truth in this regard. Without Almighty God's words revealing the mystery of God's name, I would never understand it even if I believe in the Lord Jesus all my life. Thank Almighty God! All the glory be to Almighty God! If you want to know more about the mysteries of the second coming of Jesus, learn more on our Mysteries of Second Coming page, or in the following content: How Should We Understand God's Name Will Change in the Last Days? Reveal the Mystery of God's Name God's Name—Do You Know the Origin of Name "Jehovah"? God's Name-What Does the Name "Jesus" Mean?
Each genuine follower of the Lord Jesus is expecting Him to come back soon so that his wish for years could be realized. And he can receive the Lord's promise and enjoy His blessings. Especially in the end-time, our heart of longing for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ becomes more eager. It is written in Acts 1:11, "this same Jesus … shall so come in like manner as you have seen him go into heaven." And it says in John 14:3, "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to myself; that where I am, there you may be also." Therefore, the brothers and sisters firmly believe that the Lord Jesus will come again. Then, in what manner will the Lord Jesus come? Will He really come on a cloud as we imagine? Will the prophecies be fulfilled in the same way as we think? In what manner should we welcome His return? This is a question that each of us who follow the Lord Jesus must consider seriously. If we are careless, we'll probably lose His salvation. Referring to "prophecy," we should first know this clearly: Prophecies are what will occur in the future. Before they come true, none of us knows what they really mean. In prophecies, there are God's wonderfulness and wisdom as well as mysteries. Man can neither fathom nor understand how they will come true. Why can't man fathom it? Because God's thoughts shall always be higher than man's thoughts. The gulf between heaven and earth is like that between the thoughts of God and man. Just as it is written in Romans 11:33-34, "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who has known the mind of the Lord? or who has been his counselor?" And it says in 2 Corinthians 3:6, "…for the letter kills, but the spirit gives life." So, the fulfillment of prophecies is not as simple as we imagine, much less will it occur according to the words of the Bible. Why do we say so? Let's look back to how the prophecies about the Messiah's coming were fulfilled. Then, we shall see that prophecies don't come true according to the letters of the scriptures or man's imagination. The Israelites at that time all expected the Messiah to come earlier. Especially in the later period of the Age of Law, their heart of longing was even more eager. However, when the Messiah did come, they did not recognize Him but resisted and forsook Him. Why was it so? It was clearly written in the Bible, "…a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son…." (Isaiah 7:14) But in their eyes, Marry had a husband. How could the prophecy that "a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son" be fulfilled on her? Although the Lord Jesus was actually born by virgin Marry, how many people believed this fact? Obviously, what people saw was discordant with the fact. Let us read another prophecy in Isaiah 9:6-7, "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given: and the government shall be on his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, on the throne of David, and on his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from now on even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this." According to this prophecy, the Israelites gave the rein to their lively imagination, thinking that the Messiah who would take power must be born in a palace. He must be majestic-looking and have an impressive appearance, and would lead them to overthrow the rule of the Roman government. What was the result then? When the prophecy came true, Jesus was not born in a palace, but in a manger. He was not majestic-looking like a king in their imagination but was a very common carpenter. He did not lead the army to overthrow the rule of the Roman government, but instead taught man to be tolerant and patient, love enemies, and forgive others until seventy times seven. None of these conformed to the imagination of the Israelites. From what is stated above, we see that man's imagination completely contradicts the fulfillment of the prophecies. Pharisees eagerly looked forward to the coming of the Messiah, but at the same time forsook and resisted His coming. Why was that? Because they were full of the illusions about the coming of the Messiah. They were filled with imaginations and notions about the fulfillment of the prophecies. Therefore, when the prophecies came true in a way not conforming to their notions and imaginations, they resisted and condemned Jesus to the utmost. This fully showed their nature of stubbornness, arrogance, and not seeking the truth, which was the cause of their failure. Pharisees held onto the prophecies in the Old Testament, but they resisted the coming of the Messiah. Were the prophecies wrong? Certainly not. It was simply because they paid too much attention to the letters of the scriptures but neglected the substance of the fulfillment of the prophecies. These prophecies didn't enable them to recognize and accept the Messiah. Instead, they became the cause of their resistance to the Messiah and the foundation for them to forsake Him. In the end, they nailed the merciful Lord Jesus onto the cross, committing a monstrous sin, which led to the destruction of their nation. Now it is already the end time. How should we deal with the prophecies about the Lord's return? If the Lord returns in a way that is discordant with our expectation and imagination, how shall we face it? Shall we hold on to the letters of the scriptures and welcome the return of the Lord according to our imagination, or be a humble man who seeks the truth? Will we shut the door against the returned Lord Jesus like the Pharisees? Don't we need to think it over? In fact, the Lord Jesus has already descended in a hidden way, the Spirit of truth has already come to the world. He is Almighty God who became flesh in the end time. Almighty God expressed millions of words. He has opened the Little Scroll and revealed all the mysteries of God's six-thousand-year management plan to the whole mankind. It has been over twenty years since Almighty God embarked upon the end-time work in China. Every denomination and sect seem to have been cleared up. All those who truly believe in Godand thirst for the truth have come out of their denominations and sects to accept Almighty God's end-time work of judgment and chastisement. However, when Almighty God's kingdom gospel is spreading on a grand scale in the religious world, few of the unbelievers are aware of it. This fulfills all the prophecies in the Bible that the Lord will come as a thief. The reason why this period is called the hidden advent is that during this period God only does work on those believers who await His coming. For those unbelievers, the work is hidden. It fulfills the prophecies in 1Peter 4:17 and Hebrews 9:28. The verses go like this, "For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God." "So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and to them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin to salvation." When the Lord Jesus comes back, some know it first, some know it later, and some don't know. Some investigate and accept the gospel after hearing upon the Lord's advent, while some condemn it hastily or ignore it. As Almighty God's kingdom gospel continuously spreads, the prophesies gradually come true that the Lord will reap and winnow, separate the wheat from the tares, reunite all denominations into one, and so on when He comes again. Since the Lord has descended in a hidden way, then how to explain that the Lord will descend on a cloud? Almighty God says, "For several thousand years, man has longed to be able to witness the arrival of the Savior. Man has longed to behold Jesus the Savior on a white cloud as He descends, in person, among those who have pined and yearned for Him for thousands of years. Man has longed for the Savior to return and be reunited with the people, that is, for Jesus the Savior to come back to the people from whom He has been apart for thousands of years. And man hopes that He will once again carry out the work of redemption that He did among the Jews, will be compassionate and loving towards man, will forgive the sins of man, bear the sins of man, and even bear all of man's transgressions and deliver man from sin. They long for Jesus the Savior to be the same as before—a Savior who is lovable, amiable and venerable, who is never wrathful towards man, and who never reproaches man. This Savior shall forgive and bear all of man's sins, and even die upon the cross for man once more. Since Jesus departed, the disciples who followed Him, and all of the saints who were saved thanks to His name, have been desperately pining for Him and awaiting Him. All those who were saved by the grace of Jesus Christ during the Age of Grace have been longing for that joyful day during the last days, when Jesus the Savior arrives on a white cloud and appears to all men. Of course, this is also the collective wish of all those who accept the name of Jesus the Savior today. Throughout the universe, all those who know of the salvation of Jesus the Savior have been 'desperately yearning for' the sudden arrival of Jesus Christ, to 'fulfill' the words of Jesus when on earth: 'I shall arrive just as I departed.' Man believes that, following the crucifixion and resurrection, Jesus went back to heaven upon a white cloud, and took His place at the Most High's right hand. Similarly, man conceives that Jesus shall descend, again upon a white cloud (this cloud refers to the cloud that Jesus rode upon when He returned to heaven), among the mankind who has desperately yearned for Him for thousands of years, and that He shall bear the image and clothes of the Jews. After appearing to man, He shall bestow food upon them, and cause living water to gush forth for them, and shall live among man, full of grace and love, living and real. And so on. Yet Jesus the Savior did not do this; He did the opposite of what man conceived. He did not arrive among those who had yearned for His return, and did not appear to all men while riding upon the 'white cloud.' He has already arrived, but man does not know Him, and remains ignorant of His arrival. Man is only aimlessly awaiting Him, unaware that He has already descended upon a white cloud (the cloud which is His Spirit, His words, and His entire disposition and all that He is), and is now among a group of overcomers that He will make during the last days. How can man know that, although the Holy Savior Jesus is full of affection and love towards man, He would never do His work in the 'temples' inhabited by filth and impure spirits? Though man has been awaiting His arrival, how could He appear to those who eat the flesh of the unrighteous, drink the blood of the unrighteous, wear the clothes of the unrighteous, who believe in Him but do not know Him, and who constantly extort Him? Man knows only that Jesus the Savior is full of love and compassion, and is the sin offering filled with redemption. But man has no idea that He is also God Himself, who is brimming with righteousness, majesty, wrath, and judgment, and possessed of authority and full of dignity. And so even though man eagerly yearns for and craves the return of the Redeemer, and even 'Heaven' is moved by the prayers of man, Jesus the Savior does not appear to those who believe in Him but do not know Him." God's sheep listen to God's voice. As long as you read Almighty God's word, you will see that God has appeared!very Christian wants to know how the Bible prophecies about second coming of Jesus Christ are fulfilled, as well as the way in which the Lord will make His return, the work He will do when He returns and how to welcome His second coming, etc. Our Daily Devotionals aims to seek and prepare for the second coming of the Lord together with our brothers and sisters, and attain eternal life. The contents of our website are very rich, click here for more related articles: If you want to know more about the mysteries of the second coming of Jesus, learn more on our Mysteries of Second Coming page, or in the following content: How to Handle Biblical Prophecies to Welcome the Lord 7 Prophecies Have Fulfilled; Have You Welcomed the Return of the Lord Jesus? Reveal the Mystery of "the Coming of the Son of Man" From 4 Aspects
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CONTACTS:Taitron Components IncorporatedDavid Vanderhorst 661-257-6060
CONTACTS:Taitron Components IncorporatedDavid Vanderhorst 661-257-6060
TheStreet's Fundamentals of Investing Course will teach you the keys to making the right decisions in any market.
TheStreet's Personal Finance Essentials Course will teach you money management basics and investing strategies to help you avoid major financial pitfalls.
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The Supreme Court rules that previous congressional action forbidding states from legalizing sports betting was unconstitutional.
Twenty-First Century Fox is making a play for more local stations.
On its investor call on Wednesday morning, Walmart discusses the Flipkart deal.
Joe Burgoyne of the Options Industry Council brings you over 30 years of experience in the financial industry. Join us for Part 1 on Wednesday, March 7 at 7 p.m. EST.
OptionsProfits, the CBOE, and Option Pit are hosting a class on March 24 that covers a wide variety of methods to trade the S&P 500.

subset: commoncrawl


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GOP Plan B: Protect business owners
It may be time to add another phrase to the fiscal cliff lexicon: carve-out.
Republicans in the Senate are brainstorming ways to shield small businesses from tax hikes should they be unable to persuade President Barack Obama to extend the Bush tax rate cuts for everyone.
Story Continued Below
Maine Republican Susan Collins and other GOP senators are toying with what they're calling a "carve-out" to benefit small businesses that pay their taxes through the individual side of the Tax Code.
A sort of GOP Plan B, a carve-out could give Republicans — and some red state Democrats — a way to save face if they're faced with a choice between allowing the government to go over the fiscal cliff or swallow some sort of marginal tax rate increases.
( PHOTOS: Fiscal cliff's key players)
Collins, for her part, is reprising her proposal to impose a 2 percent surtax on the wealthiest earners, with a carve-out. But the concept could also apply to a broader marginal rate increase. The idea is to exempt those profits, from S-corporations, partnerships and other passthrough entities, from the income tax increases Obama wants for top earners.
But it's far from clear whether a carve-out would pass muster with the White House and congressional Democrats, whose official preference is a full expiration of the Bush-era rates for top earners. It would be messy and take a big chunk out of the revenue that Obama is seeking to generate from marginal rate hikes. It would also run into long-standing partisan divisions over what constitutes a "small business" — and how many of them, exactly, would be hurt by increasing upper-income tax rates.
But discussions reflect the difficult position Republicans face in the fiscal cliff talks, after an election in which Obama made the expiration of the top Bush-era tax rates a central rallying cry.
( Also on POLITICO: Rough start for fiscal cliff talks)
"It's more of a break-the-glass-type proposal if we can't get the deal we want to prevent the rates from going up," said one senior GOP aide who has talked with several Republican offices about the idea. "There's definitely been talks of this type of carve-out, but the hope still is that Obama and congressional Democrats will agree to the framework that Boehner and McConnell have laid out."
Republicans have conceded that revenues will have to be put on the table, but have been pushing to avoid actual rate increases — a position shared by at least a few Democrats. Some top Democrats have discussed a rate increase short of the Clinton-era rates, while some House Republicans have signaled a willingness to raise taxes on millionaires.
Still, few Republicans are willing to budge off of their strict no-tax-rate-increase position at this stage in the fiscal cliff negotiations.
Asked whether the House Ways and Means Committee is considering a carve-out, panel spokesman Sage Eastman noted that the committee majority is still not even considering rate increases, so it's "kind of tough to even get to the second step."
GOP opposition to Obama's pitch to allow rate hikes on households making more than $250,000 has focused heavily on the potential risks to small businesses. They say tax increases on the top 2 percent will crush startups, often citing an Ernst & Young study — authored by former top Treasury official Robert Carroll — that says the increases would result in more than 700,000 fewer jobs and stifle economic growth.
That's because about 75 percent of businesses, and almost all companies classified as small businesses, file their profits individually rather than through the corporate tax code.
"The problem with raising tax rates on wealthy Americans is that more than half of them are small-business owners," Boehner said in a press conference last week.
Democrats often counter that only about 3 percent of those small businesses would actually be affected by the rate increases, and that Republicans are hiding behind small businesses in their efforts to protect the wealthy. They say that the GOP is including in its calculations people not normally thought of as small-business entrepreneurs: celebrities who receive income from speaking engagements, people who invest in stock, best-selling authors who get royalties for book sales and partners in law firms and hedge funds.
"In reality, only a tiny fraction of the top earners actually own, control and manage a business that is small and has hired anyone," Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) said on the Senate floor in July.
A small-business carve-out, GOP aides say, might look like one Collins introduced last December during the standoff on the payroll tax holiday.
The Maine Republican introduced legislation to extend the payroll cut and several other expiring provisions, and offset it with a 2 percent surtax on millionaires. The surtax included an exemption of sorts for businesses that had less than 500 employees.


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Hip fracture is associated with an increase in short-term mortality (death within one year) for women ages 65 to 79 years and healthy women ages 80 years and older, although the risk returns to previous levels after one year for women ages 70 years and older, according to a report published online first by Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Nearly 300,000 hip fractures occur each year in the United States, causing substantial short- and long-term disability and increased mortality. Previous research to determine the mortality risk associated with hip fracture has not always accounted for differences in health status.
"Such methodological limitations have made it difficult to determine whether the noted increase in mortality after hip fracture is the result of underlying poor health or the hip fracture itself," according to the authors. Additionally, studies that explored the influence of age on mortality after hip fracture have conflicting results. The researchers sought to determine the short-term (one year or less), intermediate-term (between one and five years) and long-term (between five and 10 years) mortality associated with hip fracture, as well as whether healthy women ages 80 years and older would have increased mortality associated with hip fracture when compared with healthy controls of the same age.
Erin S. LeBlanc, M.D., M.P.H., from the Center for Health Research, Kaiser Permanente Northwest, Portland, Ore., and colleagues prospectively studied participants in the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures, a large community-based, multicenter study. Participants were recruited between 1986 and 1988 and followed until December 2005; the mean (average) follow-up was 14.4 years. The researchers selected 1,116 women with hip fracture and matched each with four control participants of the same age who did not have hip fracture (n = 4,464) for a total of 5,580 participants. Through a healthy older subset (n = 960) of participants ages 80 years or older who attended a 10-year follow-up examination and reported good or excellent health, the researchers were able to examine the association with health status. The authors determined incident (new-onset) hip fractures by examining radiology reports, and used death certificates to confirm participant deaths.
For participants with hip fracture, the odds of death were twice as high in the year after the fracture as were controls (16.9 percent vs. 8.4 percent). The odds of short-term mortality increased in participants ages 65 to 70 years (16.3 percent vs. 3.7 percent) and 70 to 79 years (16.5 percent vs. 8.9 percent); an increase was also observed in women ages 80 years or older with good or excellent health (15.1 percent vs. 7.2 percent). After one year following fracture, participants with fracture and controls had similar mortality, except those with fracture ages 65 to 70 years who continued to have an increase in mortality.
The authors noted that, because the risk of hip fracture increases with age, hip fractures may become an even larger public health issue as the population ages. According to the results of the study, an association exists between age, health status (in those ages 80 years and older), and short-term mortality after hip fracture.
"If our findings are replicated, they would suggest that research should focus on hip fracture prevention and interventions in these groups that could decrease mortality during that high-risk period," they write. "Women who are 65 to 70 years of age continue to have an increased risk of mortality for up to five to 10 years; therefore, prevention of hip fractures in these women should be of high priority."
(Archives of Internal Medicine Published online September 26, 2011. doi:10.1001/archinternmed.2011.447. Available pre-embargo to the media at http://www.
Editor's Note: This study was supported by grants from the Public Health Service, the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases and the National Institute on Aging. In addition, Dr. LeBlanc is supported by a grant from the National Center for Research Resources. Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, financial disclosures, funding and support, etc.


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Staff writer
Several businesses recently made a cooperative donation of $4,000 to the Marion County Fair Association, and fair association president Chuck McLinden said the money went to good use.
"What we did was use that money to pay for improvements in the rabbit and poultry barn," McLinden said. "Specifically we put vents in the roof to allow the air to flow through better."
McLinden said previously hot temperatures and lack of air movement in the rabbit/poultry barn made exhibitors leary of bringing their animals for competition.
"It is our 100 percent intention to make this a better experience for everyone involved and to improve the facilities so exhibitors will want to bring their animals and leave them all week for everyone to enjoy," he said.
Laura Dailey, parent of fair rabbit division supervisor Jacob Dailey, said the county fair experience was better than ever for her family, and their rabbits, this year.
"The air vents pulled the heat out. That plus the two swamp fans that Rickey Roberts got for the barn, made it a very nice place to be this year," Dailey said. "This was the first time in I don't know how many years, that the rabbits and poultry stayed all week of the fair."
Dailey said improvements made possible by the local donations were so important to 4-H exhibitors who invested a lot of time and money in their project.
"Jacob was named Kansas Rabbit Breeders Association King last week in Hutchinson," she said. "Next weekend he will be exhibiting in the National Rabbit Show in Wichita. If he had lost his breeding stock at the county fair because of heat this year, like has happened in the past, he would not be on the path to success that he is now."
Cooperative Grain and Supply, Land 'O' Lakes, Ampride, and several other businesses formed the cooperative that donated money to the fair association.
McLinden said any funds left over from the rabbit/poultry barn improvements, which cost the fair association around $3,500, would be applied to other improvements at the fairgrounds in Hillsboro.


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Students and Early Careers
The beginning of a career is a transformational time. We can relate.
Here at Ericsson, we create transformational technology, conceived, created and delivered to makes people's lives easier, more fulfilling and more connected. But we don't simply transform technology. We transform people too, by giving them support, and learning and career development opportunities.
You'll only get to start your career once. Let's make it a good one.
Our programs
Your potential is an excellent investment
You are a future innovator. A future idea incubator. A future technology leader and global expert. And, just like our vision of a world in which anyone can connect to anything, from anywhere, we want to make that future a reality.
Our development programs offer opportunities to everyone, from undergraduates to those with a few years' commercial experience. That's because every career is different at Ericsson. We're such a large and diverse business that people are constantly explore different fields, working in different locations and taking on different kinds of projects. Yet at the same time, we're a business with a very clear vision of what we want to achieve.
Want to learn more about the opportunities our programs offer?
Get experience. Recognition. And, just maybe, a foot in the door at Ericsson.
Read more about our student competitions.
Our hiring process is designed to help us get to know you and your skills. It's also an opportunity for you to find out everything you need to know about us. Consider it a conversation about the future.
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If you already know what you're looking for, start here. You can view all of our current vacancies across all of our regions.
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Ericsson complies with applicable country, state and all local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location across the world in which the company has facilities. In addition, Ericsson supports the UN Guiding Principles for Business and Human Rights and the United Nations Global Compact.
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Ericsson is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing reasonable accommodation for qualified disabled individuals during the application and hiring process. Ericsson will make modifications or adjustments to the job application or interview process that will enable a qualified applicant to be considered for a position. If you require an accommodation due to a disability, please contact Ericsson at email@example.com or (866) 374-2272 (US) or (877) 338-9966 (Canada) for further assistance.
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Complaints alleging misrepresentation of material facts in the labor condition application and/or failure to comply with the terms of the labor condition application may be filed with any office of the Wage and Hour Division of the United Stated Department of Labor.
Important notice: fraudulent job offers
It has come to our attention that emails and job adverts have been created and circulated by unknown individuals for the purpose of attempting to defraud candidates.
Potential candidates should be wary of approaches that appear to be offering a job for which they have not applied, especially if personal details or money must be sent in order to proceed with the recruitment. Neither Ericsson nor any commissioned third parties recruit in this manner. Such approaches are almost certainly fraudulent attempts to gain details of identity for illegal use.
Ericsson is taking all necessary steps to investigate this matter further.


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CONSTITUTION SPIRIT Owner, Manager, Shipyard
Maritime News
Oil Recovered from WWII Shipwreck
Operations to recover oil from a World War II-era shipwreck are nearing completion after commencing on May 11, 2019 off the coast of Long Island, N.Y., the U.S. Coast Guard said on Thursday.The sunken vessel, Coimbra, was a supply ship owned by Great Britain that was torpedoed by a German U-boat off the coast of Long Island during World War II. Initial dive operations in May 2019 confirmed the tanker was leaking small amounts of oil, the Coast Guard discovered.A unified command consisting of the Coast Guard and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation oversaw the response supported by more than 100 government, industry and environmental specialists.
Interview: Douglas Prothero, CEO, The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection
As privately owned, luxury yachts near the size of the average cruise ship, behold a new option, which is anything but commonplace: The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection. At 624 feet and 11 decks, her exterior profile resembles a sleek superyacht design, not a cruise ship on the horizon. Launched in October 2018 at Hijos de J. Barreras Shipyard in Vigo, Spain, the flagship of the new brand is now in outfitting and interior finishing. The project was co-managed by The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, Marriott and Tillberg Design of Sweden.
St. Louis Regional Freightway: Prepare now for Lock Closures
Lock Closures Starting on the Illinois Waterway This Summer May Result in More Freight Flowing Through St. Louis Region.Businesses that move or handle commodities on the Illinois Waterway system are being encouraged to start making alternative plans due the scheduled closure of locks on that inland waterway system. With a two-week closure planned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers beginning as early as August 2019 and closures of 90 to 120 days expected in the summers of 2020 and 2023
U.S. Unsure About Details of Tanker Towed to Iran
U.S. officials say they are unsure whether an oil tanker towed into Iranian waters was seized by Iran or rescued after facing mechanical faults as Tehran asserts, creating a mystery at sea at a time of high tension in the Gulf.The MT Riah disappeared from ship tracking maps when its transponder was switched off in the Strait of Hormuz on July 14. Its last position was off the coast of the Iranian island of Qeshm in the strait.Iran says it towed a vessel into its waters from the strait after the ship issued a distress call. Although Tehran did not name the vessel, the Riah is the only ship whose recorded movements appear likely to match that description.A U.S.
IMO2020: The Rise of Bulk Liquid Hydrogen in Norway
Imagine a power distribution network where excess renewable energy from hydropower, wind, solar, and nuclear energy is converted to hydrogen and used as transportation fuel in the maritime industry. With the allure of a zero emissions fuel, a number of ship owners are starting to seriously consider hydrogen for newly built vessels. As a bold first step, the country of Norway has provided a number of grants to leading maritime companies to conduct feasibility studies into various aspects of this emerging technology sector. Central to this discussion is "how" hydrogen will be transported from its source to end-users.


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Sell sporting goods online
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Sports players are shopping online
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Shopify is a proven, predefined, fully hosted ecommerce solution. We understand how complicated it can be to set up and operate your own online store, which is why our system is designed to let you focus on other areas of your business while we take care of the logistics. Create a website to sell your sporting goods online by choosing from hundreds of professionally designed themes and templates. Our advanced shopping cart processes orders, tracks inventory, manages customers and produces detailed reports. With protected hosting, helpful apps, fast servers and unlimited bandwidth, Shopify acts as your reliable, scalable partner behind the scenes.
All the features you want, none of the hassle
Shopify makes it easy to build and manage your online store
Simple interface
Easily manage your products within the Shopify admin. Upload your own images or use our free stock photos, add new products, feature items, edit inventory, and much more.
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Keep track of the status on all orders. Analyze your order history to build better customer relations and target your marketing campaign.
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Check out our Theme Store or design your own. You have complete control over the look and feel of your store via the admin and theme settings.
We're here to help, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can email or call our dedicated support team if you have any issues.
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Shopify offers a fully customizable store design
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New to ecommerce and web development? Don't worry: our step-by- step process makes it quick and easy to build an ecommerce website.
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Whether you are an experienced programmer or you've never had a website, our online store builder will help you create a store that looks even better than your competition.
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Snowden's tricky path to justice
The National Security Agency contractor who admitted to what officials have called one of the worst leaks in American history faces a complicated path to U.S. courts.
Edward Snowden, a 29-year-old Booz Allen Hamilton employee, said in a Guardian interview published Sunday that he is staying at a hotel in Hong Kong and hopes to win asylum in a country like Iceland.
Story Continued Below
While Snowden may be hoping for a life forever on the run, he'll have to navigate a labyrinthine international legal system with little precedent for Americans accused of committing political crimes.
But for all the harm that government officials have warned of, legal experts expect that the charges he'd face would carry maximum penalties of 10 years apiece.
( PHOTOS: 10 famous whistleblowers)
Snowden's situation is different from that of Bradley Manning, the army private now on trial at Fort Meade, Md. Manning faces life imprisonment for the huge data dump he provided to WikiLeaks, but as a member of the military, he's being tried via court-martial. And Snowden didn't sell the secrets or give them to a foreign power, so he won't be subject to the huge penalties of the espionage laws, as Robert Hanssen or Aldrich Ames were when they were caught spying.
The Justice Department can charge Snowden, indict him and leave the charge sitting out there — but to go beyond that, he would need to be brought back to U.S. soil.
Like many extradition treaties, the one between the United States and Hong Kong contains an exception for political crimes, a category Snowden's admitted acts would almost certainly fall under. Even so, Hong Kong could decide simply to expel him without turning him over to American authorities.
( Also on POLITICO: Snowden leak exposes cracks in contractor-based system)
And given Hong Kong's reversion to Chinese sovereignty in 1997 — after the extradition treaty was entered into — it is not immediately clear which government would decide Snowden's status. Coming immediately after the weekend summit between President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping aimed at improving relations between the two countries, the questions are even more complicated: turning Snowden over, if the Americans seek that, could have major diplomatic consequences. Remanding him to the United States might serve as an act of good faith for the Chinese, but they would also likely have high demands for what they would want in return.
The United States does not have a separate extradition treaty with China.
"There has to be a political decision on the part of the extraditing country that that sort of act is in its political interest," said Ryan Scoville, an expert in international law at Marquette University Law School.
( Also on POLITICO: Beck, Moore call Snowden a hero)
If Snowden can get himself to a Hong Kong consulate of a nation that will welcome him, he could stay there indefinitely without being captured by U.S. or Chinese officials. Julian Assange of WikiLeaks has gone this route in London, staying in Ecuador's embassy for nearly a year to avoid extradition to Sweden on sexual assault charges.
Scoville said it is unlikely that another country would shelter Snowden and bear the political costs of harboring such a high-profile American wanted by the U.S. government, but that possibility remains.
"If there were some sort of consulate in Hong Kong that was willing to grant him entry and shelter him from authorities that would want to cooperate, he could have the same sort of protection that Julian Assange has had over the last year or so," Scoville said.


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This report was written by Air Force Master Sgt. Chuck Marsh for the Armed Forces Press Service.
OVERSEAS WITH THE USO TOUR — The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders have partnered with the USO for the last 34 years, and since that first performance in 1979 in Korea they haven't looked back.
With two cheerleaders, Jackie Bob and Cassie Trammel, currently on a USO overseas troop entertainment tour with Navy Adm. James A. Winnefeld Jr., vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the high-stepping, high-kicking and high-energy ladies show no signs of slowing down.
"The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders take pride in showing support to our troops in the U.S and all over the world," Bob said. "We've been doing this for so many years because it's the way we can give back to the men and women who sacrifice so much for us. This is my third tour and I'll do as many more as I can during my tenure as a cheerleader."
The USO tours began in 1941 when Bob Hope and a cast of other entertainers sought a way to give back to the troops. Winnefeld, who's accompanied on the tour by his wife, Mary, felt the same calling to bring entertainment to the soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen stationed and deployed around the world.
This is the second USO tour headed up by Winnefeld since taking his post as Joint Chiefs vice chairman in August 2011.
"These women are so professional, they work so hard and they train very, very hard," Winnefeld said. "They are in a sport — it's so physically demanding that they can only do it for a few years. They are so poised that there was no question in my mind who I wanted to bring on tour with us again."
Aside from showing off their dance moves on stage, the pair of "America's Sweethearts" shared their stories with the audience and why it's important to them that they are on the USO tour.
"It's a joy," said 24-year-old Trammel of her fifth USO tour so far.
"I've spent the last four Christmases and New Years away, and people come and ask me, 'Why would you do that? Why would you want to be away from your family to go visit people overseas?'"
The troops are "away from their families all year. Why can't I give up one day?" she replied.
For Trammel, a Garland, Texas, native, travelling on USO tours is something her family knows a lot about.
"For me, this is really special. My mom went on USO tours when she was a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader in the '80s so I'm just walking in her footsteps," she said.
Bob, the other half of the dancing duo, had a different reason for joining the team. The four-year veteran cheerleader opened up to the military audience in Naples, Italy, and let them know she, a California native, was cheering for another NFL team, but wanted more.
"I was a 49ers cheerleader for four years," she said. "I left California to join an organization that took pride in serving those that serve us. I left home, I joined the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, and am now honored to be here on my third USO tour."
She continued, "When I turned in my time-off request to the physician I work for, in the reason for leaving section I wrote, 'To be able to serve those that serve us.'
"This is a tradition that we know the team will carry on for many years to come, and we're glad to be part of it and to have the chance to say 'thank you' to the men, women and family members who help us have the freedoms we enjoy," Bob concluded.


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SEATTLE and MILPITAS, MICROSOFT SQL PASS SUMMIT 2015, October 28, 2015 – SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ: SNDK), a global leader in flash storage solutions, today announced the next generation of FlashSoft software for Microsoft Windows Server and Microsoft Hyper-V. This newest version of its FlashSoft server-side, solid state caching software delivers customers significant application performance acceleration gains, up to three to five times1, especially in transactional and virtualized environments which often experience high I/O latency.
"This new offering exemplifies our dedication to transforming the data center through flash technology," said Ravi Swaminathan, vice president and general manager, Systems and Software Solutions, SanDisk. "We recognize that efficient access to data for key applications is an essential requirement for our enterprise customers. The new version of FlashSoft software now offers customers even better application acceleration, regardless of the environment or scale."
FlashSoft software, now updated for Microsoft Windows Server, Microsoft Hyper-V, and Linux operating systems, ensures that the most frequently accessed data (hot data) is serviced by server-side flash rather than slower back-end storage. This alleviates storage performance bottlenecks and accelerates applications by reducing response time, without mandating a large investment in hardware. Organizations running large database-driven applications on shared storage infrastructures typically experience high I/O latency as the primary constraint on application performance. FlashSoft software helps address the pain points of these enterprises by dramatically improving availability of hot data.
Key benefits of the latest FlashSoft update include:
FlashSoft is compatible with any enterprise flash device, including PCIe, NVMe, SAS or SATA interfaces from all vendors. The software runs in any standard x86-based server, working efficiently with both storage area network (SAN) and Direct Attached Storage (DAS) configurations.
SanDisk at SQL PASS Summit 2015
SanDisk is a Gold sponsor of SQL PASS Summit 2015, 27-30 October in Seattle. Visit SanDisk's booth #222 to learn how SanDisk's enterprise flash products deliver application acceleration and make businesses more efficient. Join SanDisk and SIOS for the "PASS The Bacon" panel on Friday, October 30th at 6:45am.
About SanDisk
SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ: SNDK), a Fortune 500 and S&P 500 company, is a global leader in flash storage solutions. For more than 27 years, SanDisk has expanded the possibilities of storage, providing trusted and innovative products that have transformed the electronics industry. Today, SanDisk's quality, state-of-the-art solutions are at the heart of many of the world's largest data centers, and embedded in advanced smartphones, tablets and PCs. SanDisk's consumer products are available at hundreds of thousands of retail stores worldwide. For more information, visit www.sandisk.com.
© 2015 SanDisk Corporation. All rights reserved. SanDisk and FlashSoft are trademarks of SanDisk Corporation, registered in the United States and other countries. Other brand names mentioned herein are for identification purposes only and may be the trademarks of their holder(s).
1Based on internal testing. As measured using an OLTP benchmark suite with MS-SQL Server. Complete test report available.
2Application performance testing conducted by SanDisk used a HammerDB workload on Microsoft SQL Server to demonstrate a 4.4 times increase in transactions per second.
Media Contact:
Rebecca Parr
SanDisk Corporation


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Hagan takes top qualifying spot in Funny Car at NHRA Southern Nationals in Atlanta
COMMERCE, Ga. – Matt Hagan raced to the No. 1 qualifying position in Funny Car for the first time since November 2011 on Friday at the rain-delayed Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway.
Hagan, the 2011 Funny Car champion, powered his Dodge Charger to a track record time of 4.067 seconds at a top speed of 312.86 mph. He will meet No. 16 qualifier Tony Pedregon to open Saturday's 11 a.m. eliminations.
Shawn Langdon (Top Fuel) and Mike Edwards (Pro Stock) also were No. 1 qualifiers in their categories at the seventh of 24 NHRA races this season.


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New Incentive May Provide Better Learning EnvironmentJuly 31st, 2013 by flanews
Most teachers will see a pay raise this fall thanks to state lawmakers. Lean budget years have also cut money for classroom expenses, forcing teachers to dig into their own pockets. But, teachers in need of paper and pencils may not have to dig as deep this year.
In a few weeks – school hallways will be filled with students. First grade teacher Bridget Gainous says she is anticipating a new year with new incentives.
"That's really exciting and anything teachers can get is always wonderful," said Gainous.
Wednesday morning, Governor Rick Scott tweeted a new teacher debit card. The card is part of a classroom supply assistance program allowing teachers to spend up to 250 dollars on items for their classes. The cards will be distributed in the upcoming weeks.
According to Ganious, "This will help cut down on some of the costs I have to spend out of my own pocket."
As teachers get to ready to go back to school, the teacher debit card comes at a perfect time as this weekend kicks of the sales tax holiday weekend.
John Fleming with the Florida Retail Federation says the sales tax holiday will generate an estimated 400-million dollars for the state.
"That's an added increase in revenue in sales you wouldn't see without a tax holiday. It's a pretty big boost for retailers and it's a good bargain for Florida's families," said Fleming.
The sales tax holiday has been in place since the late 90's with a two year hiatus in the late 2000's. The sales tax holiday applies to clothes, school supplies and, for the first time, to computers.
"That's a pretty big tax savings you'll be able to get this weekend," said Flemming.
Remember this, there are price caps on the sales tax holiday. You can only spend up to 75 dollars on clothing, 15 dollars on school supplies and 750 dollars on computers.
For years teachers have been reimbursed for some school supplies. In the past, they would have to use their own money first, instead of having a debit card.
Posted in State News | 209 Comments »


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Watch CBSN Live
The first group of passengers who were aboard the trapped Russian vessel MV Akademik Shokalski, arrive at a safe surface off the Antarctic, Jan. 2, 2014.
The helicopter rescued all 52 passengers from the research ship that has been trapped in Antarctic ice, 1,500 nautical miles south of Hobart, Australia, since Christmas Eve after weather conditions finally cleared enough for the operation Thursday.
Credit: Zhang Jiansong/Xinhua/AP
Ben Maddison and Ben Fisk from the Russian ship MV Akademik Shokalskiy link work to place a wind indicator atop an ice feature near the trapped ship 1,500 nautical miles south of Hobart, Australia, Dec. 31, 2013.
The research ship, with 74 scientists, tourists and crew on board, was on a research expedition to Antarctica, when it got stuck Dec. 24 after a blizzard's whipping winds pushed the sea ice around the ship, freezing it in place.
Credit: Andrew Peacock/Australasian Antarctic Expedition/AP
Credit: Andrew Peacock/Australasian Antarctic Expedition/Footloose Fotography/AP


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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The New York Attorney General plans to sue Wells Fargo & Co on Wednesday over failures to comply with the terms of the $26 billion national mortgage settlement, according to a person familiar with matter.
At the same time, Bank of America Corp confirmed it had separately struck an agreement with New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman over similar types of alleged compliance problems.
Separately, a committee of 14 other states and federal authorities monitoring the settlement are expected to announce agreements with both Bank of America and Wells Fargo to address similar compliance concerns over loan modifications and other issues, people familiar with the matter told Reuters.
Those agreements seek to address complaints from borrowers that banks had not met the terms of the national settlement.
Vickee Adams, a spokeswoman for Wells Fargo, said the bank had not been served a copy of the lawsuit.
She added that the bank believed a "collaborative approach - not protracted litigation or continued threats - offers the best path toward continuing to improve services to borrowers."
Dan Frahm, a spokesman for Bank of America, said: "We're pleased to resolve without litigation the matters brought forward by the New York Attorney General related to loan modifications and other assistance mortgage servicers provide."
He added that the agreement would require the bank to bolster its interactions with the New York Attorney General and home owner advocates.
The two pending actions by Schneiderman come several months after he said he had evidence to suggest the banks had violated the terms of the settlement, which is designed to end mortgage services abuses.
Last year, the country's top banks agreed to provide $26 billion in fines and relief to struggling homeowners.
Schneiderman has claimed his office has documented hundreds of potential violations over the timely processing of mortgage modification applications.
Reporting by Karen Freifeld; additional reporting to Peter Rudegeair in New York; Writing by Sarah N. Lynch in Washington; Editing by Stephen Coates


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Vitaphone production reels #7020-7021.
The veteran movie star chats about his debut as the mayor of Hawkins in "Stranger Things" Season 3, plus his new role on the Amazon Original series "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel."
Check out IMDb's San Diego Comic-Con coverage, featuring Kevin Smith as captain of the IMDboat, July 18 to 20, 2019, visit our guide to Star Wars, family entertainment, and more.


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April 12, 2013
Contact:Bob Considine (609) 984-1795
Lawrence Ragonese (609) 292-2994
Lawrence Hajna (609) 984-1795
(13/P35) TRENTON – Keeping pace with the Christie Administration's goal of having Island Beach State Park fully operational for the peak summer season, Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin has announced that more areas of the popular destination will reopen with enhanced amenities starting today.
In addition to the increased beach access points, which stretch about five miles down into the nearly 10-mile-long park, operating hours of the park will expand from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily for the first time since Superstorm Sandy struck last October.
"Thanks to the hard work of park staff, partnerships, volunteers and contractors, we have seen considerable progress in the cleanup and restoration of Island Beach State Park," Commissioner Martin said. "This is all part of the Christie Administration's plan to have a strong summer tourist season at the shore. We are eager to open up these new areas for visitors to experience or rediscover one of the jewels of the state park system while work continues."
Starting today, expanded areas of Island Beach State Park will reopen, including access trails and parking lots at A-2, A-3, A-4, A-5 and A-6. Since January 25, only the popular Ocean Bathing Area 1 and Gillikin's Road had been open for walking, sport fishing and four-wheel driving.
Visitors with 2012 and 2013 mobile sport fishing permits will now be authorized to utilize Gillikin's Road south to the A-7 access point.
The Reed's Road parking area at the northern end of the park is also reopened, allowing fishermen on foot to access the beach through the maintenance trail. As of today, the Nature Center is also open for group use by appointment only. Those reservations can be made through the park office at (732) 793-0506.
Restrooms at Ocean Bathing Area 1 are now open, as is the restroom facility at A-6. The air station for four-wheel drive vehicles at A-6 is also now operable, allowing owners of these vehicles to inflate and deflate their tires as needed.
Metal detectors, permitted in accordance with State Park Service policies, also are now allowed on open sections of the beach.
Access to the park remains free of charge until May.
"We have seen a very enthusiastic response from visitors at Island Beach State Park since our partial reopening in January," said Richard Boornazian, Assistant Commissioner for Natural and Historic Resources. "With the warmer weather and the increased access to the park, we anticipate a very steady climb in people coming out to experience what the park has to offer."
Areas of the park that remain temporarily closed include Ocean Bathing Area 2 and Two-Bit Road at the northern most point at the park. All trails south of A-6 and bay access points 15 and 21 remain closed, as well. Horseback riding is also not permitted at this time at Island Beach State Park.
The Division of Parks and Forestry has extended the use of 2012 Island Beach State Park mobile sport fishing permits until 2013 permits can be sold on park grounds. Those who would like to purchase a 2013 mobile sport fishing permit can do so via mail or at the Trenton Central Office of the State Park Service.
Island Beach State Park manager Ray Bukowski also advises that visitors exercise caution when driving along Shore Road, the main artery of the park, due to increased truck traffic hauling debris and from the Ocean Bathing Area 2 parking lot and on-going road sweeping efforts.
Island Beach State Park sustained considerable damage when Sandy hit New Jersey on October 29. In addition to the loss of electric and gas utilities, boardwalk structures, lifeguard towers, signage and fencing, dunes were breached at certain beach access paths along the nearly 10-mile length of the park, leaving piles of sand as tall as seven feet high along portions of Shore Road.
Cleanup progress and dune restoration has been fueled by work from park staff, New Jersey State Park Service and a series of cleanups involving partnerships like Friends of Island Beach State Park and New Jersey Beach Buggy Association.
For more on Island Beach State Park, visit http://www.nj.gov/dep/parksandforests/parks/island.html
For an application for a Mobile Sport Fishing Vehicle Annual Permit, please visit: http://www.state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/parks/docs/island_beach_permit%20revised%2012-12.pdf
For more on New Jersey's State Parks, Forests and Historic Sites, please visit:http://www.state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/index.html
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In some roles played over long periods, performers can find a way to make their character evolve, bend to their will. But in the glittering vampire world of "Twilight," star Robert Pattinson found that some things really do last forever.
"It's a strange character because there's not too many places to go," says Pattinson of much lusted-after, noble "vegetarian" vampire Edward Cullen. "He's gonna be around forever, he can't die, can't get hurt, his emotions are quite fossilized as well. I think (series author Stephenie Meyer) mentioned this in a book: With vampires, once you start feeling one thing, it just stays like that for ages. Once he's fallen in love with Bella, that's it. There's no other place to go but worrying about her."
*More under the cut*
"It's a strange character because there's not too many places to go," says Pattinson of much lusted-after, noble "vegetarian" vampire Edward Cullen. "He's gonna be around forever, he can't die, can't get hurt, his emotions are quite fossilized as well. I think (series author Stephenie Meyer) mentioned this in a book: With vampires, once you start feeling one thing, it just stays like that for ages. Once he's fallen in love with Bella, that's it. There's no other place to go but worrying about her."
*More under the cut*
Pattinson looks fit, if surprisingly thin, and perfectly put together as he puffs on an electronic cigarette in this Four Seasons suite in Los Angeles. However, with the promotional blitz for the franchise's final film - "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2" - only just begun, he's already sounding a touch weary, though unfailingly polite and willing to answer questions. Perhaps it's the sound of a man with one more hill before the finish line.
"It's a very strange character to play when you're projecting absolutely every human emotion onto another human. You're living vicariously through them. That's why he'd almost become a noncharacter, up until the last two movies - 'Breaking Dawn' is when he suddenly realizes, 'Oh, I have to actually live for myself. I'm not just living for her.' He spends the first three books completely saying, 'I don't exist.' I mean, that's how I read it.
"I guess I made the boldest choices in the first one. I was really thinking, 'How do I fix problems in my performance?' " He laughs at himself, then wistfully adds: "The first one was crazy; you could do anything you wanted. Entirely different thing."
The fifth installment is the only one to have a repeat director: Bill Condon ("Gods and Monsters") directed both parts of "Breaking Dawn." Still, it has a distinctly different feeling from the rest of the franchise, even from "Breaking Dawn Part 1." The film concerns newlywed Edward and Bella's struggle to defend their family against the encroaching Volturi, who want to execute an extremely hostile takeover. As such, it's an urgent, globe-trotting epic that contains the series' biggest surprise for fans (no spoilers here).
Over the course of the past five years and these five "Twilight" films, Pattinson has also appeared in some high-profile projects outside the franchise. Among these, "Water for Elephants" co-starred Oscar winners Reese Witherspoon and Christoph Waltz, and "Cosmopolis" was directed by David Cronenberg. But Pattinson says he had trouble translating the lessons learned from them to the series that made him one of the highest-paid actors in the world:
"Everything stayed the same; the audience stayed the same. Even doing interviews to promote each movie, you're literally asked the same questions as the first one. It doesn't happen with other movies. Even the fans, they had the same reaction to it. It's crazy, it's visceral, but it's the same. So it kind of exists in this bubble."
'The Rover'
The actor doesn't seem ungrateful - just grateful for the opportunities he has before him. His next project will be "The Rover," by Australia's David Michôd, director of the acclaimed - and very adult - "Animal Kingdom." Pattinson's involvement with other indies harks back to a very brief formative period for an actor who became a superstar at 22.
"The first ('Twilight,' directed by indie queen Catherine Hardwicke) definitely felt the most free, and scary, as well. You don't really feel the same nerves after that first moment. I'd never even done a movie in an American accent before. A lot of the clothes I was wearing in the first one ... I got stuck in Vancouver getting my visa - I was supposed to be there for three days and I was there for three weeks by myself. I ended up buying a lot of the costumes I had in the movie. You could kind of do anything. We changed lines all the time.
"But as soon as that one hit, the second one was very much about - we were all saying," he says, dropping to an enthusiastic, conspiratorial whisper, " 'We're gonna make it way better, way better!' It was much more slick on the second one. You could feel the kind of machine growing. By the third one it was like, 'Yeah, we're definitely doing a franchise.' " He laughs.
"So the idea of changing a line by the time we got to the third one? Unthinkable. Also, it kind of combined with the losing of anonymity. On the second movie, we could still kind of go out together as a cast. By the third one, the hotel we stayed at, every exit was covered at all times. Really different experience." This time his laugh is a touch rueful.
As he prepares to move on from such a significant chapter of his life, the 26-year-old says some of his fondest memories of the series still emanate from the first installment. But they weren't all warm and fuzzy.
News crews
"I remember the fights, seeing it transition into the franchise," he says. "I remember towards the end of the shoot, when the studio kind of realized, 'Oh, we've got something bigger than we thought on our hands,' and suddenly there were all these news crews on the set. And we all got so furious about all these people coming around." He laughs yet again. "All those little fights. Now there's 10,000 paparazzi every single time you do an exterior.
"Everyone was so passionate on the first one. We didn't want it to be just a teen movie or anything. It's good to know that's how this huge thing started. And we kept fighting. It was just a much bigger thing to fight against. But in the beginning, yeah, it was a great energy to be born out of."


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In the news
Roland H. Cunningham Obituary
Alan W. Postlethwaite Obituary
Melvin J. Wachowiak, Jr. Obituary
AIA. Artifact, Archaeology, vol. 63, no. 6, Nov.-Dec., 2010, p. 72.
Anon. "Materials Scientists, Conservators Join Forces to Preserve Silver Srtifacts and Art" PR Newswire, October 26, 2010.
Kodadek, Ellen. "China's Ten Thousand Springs Pavilion Goes to Flushing Town Hall" artdaily.org, October 2010.
Williams, Don. "goodbye texas...hello new york! the 10,000 springs pavilion is on the move" the affiliate blog, July 27, 2010.
Woody, Rachael Christine. "3d Imaging to Unlock Ancient Mysteries" Smithsonian Collections Blog, October 27, 2010.
Butler, Declan. "French bid to save rock art" Nature 467, 375-376, 2010. doi: 10.1038/467375a
Butler, Declan. "French bid to save ice-age rock paintings at Lascaux cave" Scientific American, September 22, 2010.
Anon. "Prof. David C. Joy wins 2010 Duncumb Award for Excellence in Microanalysis." Burker, August 2010.
Neely, Paula. "Mysterious Jamestown Tablet an American Rosetta Stone?" National Geographic, January 13, 2010.
Kennedy, Randy. "New York's Met, Replicating Art Works Bit by 3-D Bit" The New York TImes, March 13, 2010.
Anon. "Scientists determine geese involved in Hudson River plane crash were migratory" EurekAlert!, June 8, 2009.
Stewart, Martha. "Martha Stewart: How to store herbs is a very dry subject" Philadelphia Daily News, August 6, 2010.
Anon. "Obsidian provides archaeological evidence" UPI.com, June 25, 2009.
Kean, Sam. "Does Plastic Art Last Forever? Not even close. Can a generation of synthetic objects be saved?" Slate, July 1, 2009.
Wang, Linda. "Working for Uncle Sam" C&EN, 87(44): 56-58, November 2, 2009.
Gordon, Christine M. "The Smithsonian accepts Emmett Till's casket" thedailyvoice, September 4, 2009.
Anon. "Measured Response: Smithsonian Researchers Study Less Destructive Decontamination Techniques," NCPTT Notes, issue 45, Spring 2006, pp. 5.
Bartelme, Anthony. "The Crucial Role of Conservators," American Archaeology, vol. 10, no. 1, Spring 2006, pp.12-19.
Bristow, Samuel. "Save Your Stuff," For Me, vol. XVI, no. 6, October 2006, pp. 77.
Cettina, Teri. "Store Everything," Woman's Day, October 3, 2006, pp. 162-164.
Young, Emma. "Art Attack," New Scientist, April 2, 2005, pp. 42-45.
Zambito, Maureen. "Conservator Shares Tips on Preservation," The Intelligencer (Wheeling, WV), online version September 17, 2006; printed version September 29, 2006.


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Beautiful young actress Amanda Seyfried doesn't just take over Hollywood, but also a series of magazine covers. This time, the lovely 25-year-old 'In Time' star poses gracefully for Glamour's November 'Men Issue', the UK edition. Flaunting her gorgeous blonde locks, Amanda looks incredibly stylish in a special spread photographed by Simon Emmett. Inside the magazine, Amanda sits down for a chat and dishes on Hollywood pressures, working with her 'In Time' co-star, Justin Timberlake, her panic attacks, but also on British guys, her b... Read More


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Sharon and Craig
Host of THE LATE LATE SHOW with Craig Ferguson, joined by his "horse" Secretariat, provides the ladies with some laughs on THE TALK in New Orleans, Tuesday, January 29, 2013 from CBS Super Bowl Park at Jackson Square in the heart of the historic French Quarter. Craig Ferguson, left, and Sharon Osbourne, shown. Photo: Heather Wines/CBS ©2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.


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AYER - Ayer saw a 74 percent turnout of its 4,976 registered voters on Tuesday for the Presidential-cycle election. Ayer's vote tallies tracked closely with the final outcome in various races.
Fifty-five percent of Ayer voters chose to return President Barack Obama and Vice President Joseph Biden to office. Among the Obama supporters were husband and wife Doug and Dawn Wilson
"Because I don't want Mitt to be president," laughed Doug Wilson. The two said they voted for Democratic candidates down the ballot. "Obama!" declared M. Diaz as he left the polls. Though unenrolled, Diaz said he also voted for Obama in 2008. "He started something. He has to finish it."
Melissa Tomyl voted for Obama. "I have an alternative lifestyle and I don't believe Mitt Romney is going to keep his word. I have two kids. So that's why. We had Mitt Romney as governor and he didn't do a heck of a lot for us. If he can't do it as governor, how's he going to do it as president?"
Tomyl had her son and daughter in tow. Her daughter favored Romney and her son favored Obama. Tomyl said it was important to her to bring her children to the polls.
"I told him the first thing I did when I turned 18 was to register to vote," said Tomyl, gesturing towards her son. "Living in the United States, they have to realize that if they were other places in this world, they may not have that right."
"I like him, he's very down to earth and I like what he stands for," said Linda Garrier about Obama.
Gerrior's significant other, Kermit Morris, also voted for Obama though he said he's not beholden to one party or another. "I vote for who I think is best for the country."
"I think he's against big businesses and for the middle class and poor people," said Morris. Morris, a member of the United Steel Workers union, said he voted for Obama in 2008 as well. Gerrior and Morris said they also voted for Elizabeth Warren for U.S. Senate.
The couple disagreed, however, about campaign ads. Gerrior was sick of them.
"It's unbelievable. TV, the phones - I check my caller ID before I answer," said Gerrior. "They've been ringing off the hook. More so this year."
But Morris smiled and said he enjoyed political advertising. "They teach me certain things about what candidates have done that I might not know. I just find it fascinating."
Forty two percent of Ayer voters cast their ballot for former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and his Vice Presidential running mate, Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin.
"Mitt is it!," said Bob Carter. Though he's otherwise unenrolled, Carter said he voted for Romney. "I don't want Obama because of his foreign policy and the way he treats the military. We can't afford him anymore."
Bob Carter said he was sick of the political ads. "And the lies," added his wife Laurie Carter.
"I think every single one of them lie," said Laurie Carter. "They say they're going to do this and they're going to do that and nothing gets done." She said she also voted for Romney.
Dorothy McSorley was enthusiastic about her vote for Romney and said she'd previously voted for Romney for governor. "We can't take any more of this. We need the change. He's a wonderful man. He's got morals and principals and I hope he's the winner tonight."
Ayer favored Senator Scott Brown for re-election, though he was defeated by Harvard professor Elizabeth Warren. Brown garnered 54 percent of the Ayer vote compared to Warren's 45 percent Ayer vote.
Ayer also chose to re-elect Cong. NIki Tsongas, giving her 60 percent of the Ayer vote over her Republican challenger Jonathan Golnik. It was a rematch between the two following the 2010 election. Tsongas has served with the Massachusetts delegation since 2007.
Senator Jamie Eldridge returns to Beacon Hill. Eldridge secured 61 percent of the Ayer vote compared to Republican challenger Dean Cavaretta who landed just 31 percent of the Ayer vote.
Groton Republican Sheila Harrington was unopposed in her race to return to the House. Ayer will also be represented by Lunenburg Democrat Jennifer Benson. Benson, likewise, was unopposed.
On the state ballot questions, 78 percent of Ayer voters agreed on the right-to-repair bill. The state passed the measure with 85 percent of the Massachusetts vote.
Ayer narrowly said 'no' to the right to die, assisted suicide question. Statewide the results were too close to call as we went to press on Wednesday. Ayer said no (49 percent) and the state tally seemed to trend towards a 51 percent 'no' vote statewide.
Ayer voted 'yes' on medical marijuana, which also received a 63 percent favorable response statewide. Sixty three percent of Ayer voted 'yes' on Question 3.
And on the non-binding Citizens United question, 64 percent of Ayer voters said 'yes' that the landmark case needed to be overturned and that corporations should not be treated as individuals in terms of campaign contributions.
Ayer has 4,976 registered voters. On Tuesday, 3,665 Ayer voters cast a ballot, for a 74 percent turnout. Town Clerk John Canney said he was pleasantly surprised to see a long line of voters cued up and snaked throughout Ayer Town Hall before the polls opened in the second floor Great Hall at 7 a.m.
"I wish I had a camera," said Canney. The Ayer vote was tallied and finalized at 10:30 p.m., Canney said.
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