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Landmark: Supreme Court sides with churches in 'ministerial exception' employment case
Posted on Jan 11, 2012 | by Michael Foust
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WASHINGTON (BP) -- In a landmark decision for churches, the U.S. Supreme Court has for the first time ruled that a "ministerial exception" allows congregations and religious groups to hire and fire ministers free of federal employment discrimination laws.
The unanimous ruling Wednesday (Jan. 11) in a case closely watched by religious liberty organizations involved a teacher who had been fired from an Evangelical Lutheran Church school in Michigan. The teacher, the equivalent of a minister in the school's employee classification, sued the school after she was fired, and the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in her favor.
Although the case only involved one employee at a Christian school, the constitutional principle in the case could have impacted churches. Observers considered it one of the most significant religious freedom cases to reach the high court in decades.
The Sixth Circuit's decision worried religious groups who feared that a ruling against them would strike a blow to their hiring freedoms. The Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission and International Mission Board signed a brief urging the high court to side with the Lutheran school.
The Supreme Court, with no dissenters, said that the First Amendment is clear in preventing government interference.
"The Establishment Clause prevents the Government from appointing ministers, and the Free Exercise Clause prevents it from interfering with the freedom of religious groups to select their own," Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for the court.
The two clauses are found in the section of the First Amendment pertaining to religious liberty: "The Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."
Although lower courts had sided with the ministerial exception, the Supreme Court had never ruled on the matter.
"We agree that there is such a ministerial exception," Roberts wrote. " ... Requiring a church to accept or retain an unwanted minister, or punishing a church for failing to do so, intrudes upon more than a mere employment decision. Such action interferes with the internal governance of the church, depriving the church of control over the selection of those who will personify its beliefs. By imposing an unwanted minister, the state infringes the Free Exercise Clause, which protects a religious group's right to shape its own faith and mission through its appointments.
Roberts added: "According the state the power to determine which individuals will minister to the faithful also violates the Establishment Clause, which prohibits government involvement in such ecclesiastical decisions."
In his 22-page decision, Roberts set forth historical background, noting that the Puritans fled to New England in order to "escape the control of the national church." After the First Amendment was adopted in the late 1700s, Roberts said, the federal government made clear its understanding of the amendment's meaning. For example, when the first Catholic bishop in the U.S. asked President Jefferson in 1806 who should be appointed to direct the affairs of the Catholic Church in the Louisiana Territory, Secretary of State James Madison responded that it was an "entirely ecclesiastical matter" for the church to decide. Roberts also quoted an 1872 Supreme Court opinion in which the justices refused to decide whether slavery or anti-slavery factions controlled Walnut Street Presbyterian Church in Louisville, Ky.
The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty represented the Lutheran school.
"The message of today's opinion is clear: The government can't tell a church who should be teaching its religious message," said Luke Goodrich, deputy national litigation director at the Becket Fund. "This is a huge victory for religious freedom and a rebuke to the government, which was trying to regulate how churches select their ministers."
The Department of Justice had urged the high court to reject totally the "ministerial exception."
The Alliance Defense Fund, which also has been involved in the case, also applauded the ruling.
"The Supreme Court was right to conclude that the government cannot contradict a church's determination of who can act as its ministers," ADF attorney Kevin Theriot said. "This clearly goes to the heart of the original intent of the religion clauses of the First Amendment."
The Lutheran school in question divides teachers into two categories: "called" and "lay." Called teachers have to satisfy several requirements in order to fit into that category, including taking theological study courses and obtaining the endorsement of the local synod. Lay teachers work on one-year contracts and don't have to meet those requirements, and are hired only when there aren't enough "called" teachers. The teacher in question, Cheryl Perich, was a "called" teacher.
Perich began the 2004-05 school year on disability leave with a sleep disorder, narcolepsy. In January 2005, she notified the school she would be returning to work in February but was told that the school had hired a lay teacher to fill her role. The school, Hosanna-Tabor, believed that she was physically unable to return to work that year or the next, and they offered to pay a portion of her insurance premium in exchange for her resignation. She refused to resign and showed up for work on Feb. 22, refusing to leave until she had received a document stating that she had showed up for work. That same day, she told the school that she had spoken with an attorney and intended to file suit. The school fired her on April 10, 2005, due to her "insubordination" and the damage she had done to the "working relationship" by "threatening to take legal action."
The case was Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Michael Foust is associate editor of Baptist Press.
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Preposterous, I know. But, upon close inspection (by my standards), It actually seems like a pretty darn good idea for the Kings to make a run at signing free agent Lamar Odom. Here's the case against him: He'll turn 30 at the beginning of the season, he may or may not have a pathological addiction to candy, he has been accused of disappearing at times, the Kings aren't good enough yet to take a risk on a crowning piece like Odom. What follows is the argument in favor of his signing with the Kings.
As is the case with any NBA deal, money is the primary issue. Specifically, how much would it take to get him and is he worth that amount? Reportedly, he was offered a 3 year contract worth $27M by the Lakers, which has since been pulled off the table. That same report says that Miami has also offered a 5 year, $35M contract. So, it seems safe to assume that he'll cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $7-9M, depending on how many years the winning bidder is willing to guarantee.
Obviously, the Kings don't have the benefit of being a title contender, a major market, or a tax haven on their side. However, we do have the rare advantage of cap space. This means that we are one of the few teams that can sign Odom for more than the MLE without possessing his Bird Rights. But the Lakers do have his Bird Rights, so they can match any offer we make. Why would he choose us over them? I'm sure he wouldn't, but it isn't a given that the Lakers would match. According to Shamsports, the Lakers are already approximately $7M over the luxury tax without Ron Artest's salary (which should be about $7M per). That means that every dollar that we're willing to guarantee over the Lakers' offer, they have to pay two dollars to match. Add to that the fact that he's not a starter for them and they've already taken 3yrs/$27M off the table and it seems very unlikely that they'd be willing to match - say - 4yrs/$33M. Yes, that's a year less than MIA's offer, but it's also nearly the same amount of guaranteed cash. Odom now has a ring, and he didn't really seem like the kind of player that would take a pay cut to play on a great team in the first place. I say, he follows the money and we've got it.
Here comes the hard part: Is he worth it? Some will say no, he's too old. But we know that even exceedingly talented young teams need veterans to become contenders. We salivate at Portland's promising young core, while they throw money at aging second-tier stars like Pacman Jones at the Minxx Gentlemen's Club & Lounge. A lot would have to go right for us to be in the position that the Blazers are in now, and their coach and front office agree that they desperately need quality vets to become legitimate contenders. Hedo is 8 months older than Odom and just got 5yrs/$53M from Toronto. His stock is high, but I don't think he's a better player than Odom. He scores more points, but does so less efficiently. He has good size and ballhandling for his position, but so does Lamar. He also plays no defense and isn't a good rebounder, which is what makes Odom special. Artest - who is six days younger than Odom - just got 5yrs/$35M, but I'm sure I don't have to explain what makes him a uniquely risky commitment. So the price is right.
Does he fit the team? He plays a position where we have an apparent logjam, but it's also the position of most need. Best case scenario, Donte or Casspi will become a SF like Odom, but neither of those two is at all proven and Odom already is Odom. He can also give us a much different look at PF than JT, Brockman, or May, which makes us more versatile. I understand that this rebuild has been too painful to throw away what small progress we've made on a short-term solution. Still, we've got to start winning games sooner rather than later, given our woeful attendance and Sacramento's tenuous grasp on the franchise. I'm suggesting we sign Odom through the 2012-13 season, by which time Martin will be 30 and his contract will expire. Shock, Hawes, and Evans will be 26, 25, and 23, respectively. If we're not contenders by that point, then this phase of the rebuild will have been a failure regardless of whether we signed Odom. So Odom isn't too old for this team unless one believes that his production will fall off quickly as he passes 30. Obviously LA and Miami (his two most recent employers) don't expect that to happen, given that they have both offered him long-term deals. I'm sure that you can think of plenty of players that are still highly effective in the first half of their thirties, including 9 of last year's 26 All-Stars. I haven't seen much diminishment of Odom's considerable athleticism. He'd have to really fall off of a cliff in the next few years to not be worth $8.25M per season, in my opinion.
So there you have it: the case for Lamar Odom. It's almost certainly moot, since Petrie flat-out stated that the Kings wouldn't be major players in the market for free agents (please hold your Sean May jokes). But I think Geoff would be wise to reconsider that position in this case. Thanks for reading.

subset: commoncrawl


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A FEW days ago I was called on by two well known Cumberland Presbyterian ministers of Auburn, Revs. McCormick and Penick, to survey the old lines of a remarkable as well as historical spot of ground--the former site of the "Old Gasper River Meeting-house." The deed of the church lot from John Carnahan to the people of the Presbyterian Church, bears date of the beginning of the present century, and written on a very wide, unruled sheet of paper, in a bold, dashing hand, and runs in this quaint style: "The said John Carnahan, for and in the consideration of the sum of six shillings, in hand paid by the said congregation, in hand to the said John Carnahan, the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged, and the congregation is hereby acquitted and discharged before the inclosing and delivery of these presents, do bargain, sell and confirm in feoff, unto the said people of the Presbyterian Church, six acres of ground off my own head-right, etc.
On a rising eminence, about a stone's throw from the bank of that beautiful stream, "The Clear Fork of Gasper river," is the place where the Meeting-house stood--a ridge of rough stones, forming an oblong, thirty by fifty feet, marks the identical spot. It is about two miles north of South Union, Kentucky. The old log house has long since gone to decay, and not a vestige of its ruins now remain, save the ridge of stones which served as a foundation for the house. The undressed appearance of the material indicate, that like Solomon's Temple, it was put up without the sound of a hammer being heard.
The paper called for a large elm tree, standing on the bank of the river, as the beginning corner, no trace of which could be found, but the spot where it once stood could be pointed out by Mr. Smith Hambling, whose memory was aided in the matter by recollecting where he used to stand when a boy, forty years ago, and throw stones at wood-peckers coming out of the holes they had pecked in the old and then dead elm. The venerable octogenarian, Esquire Wm. Barnett, as straight as an arrow, and as lively as a lad, was with the surveying party, and added to the enjoyments of the day by his sallies of wit, and early reminiscences of the surroundings.
A fine, large spring of clear sparkling water rises immediately outside the church lot, and it was remarked by one of the party that this could create no great inconvenience, since the church going people, if ever debarred from crossing the line, could easily reach the water with a long-handled gourd.
The Cumberland Presbyterians having received permission from the claimants of the old site, also a donation of more ground from Jacob Yost and family, are now erecting on the old place a large and elegant church edifice, and while the wealth and hospitality of the neighborhood makes it a good location for a flourishing church; yet there being, as at Enon, "much water" there, would seem to argue its being more suitable for a Baptist or Campbellite church.
Standing on this sacred spot, surrounded by the neglected graves of the long-forgotten dead, what strange and weird visions of the past, rises and pass in panoramic view before me. Here is the birth-place of Cumberland Presbyterianism. More than three-quarters of a century ago James McGready preached here, and a great revival followed, out of which grew the large and influential body of Christians known as the Cumberland Presbyterians. Elder Rankin, who lived to be nearly a hundred years old, and died about ten years ago at South Union, was pastor of this church at the time of the great awakening under McGready's preaching, and objected to the course pursued by that great revivalist, and afterward founded the Society of Shakers at South Union, and was for many years a leading spirit of the Society.
Here was once a famous religious camp ground, and whole families came from a distance of fifty miles around in wagons and carts, and camped on the sacred ground for weeks at a time.
Here the jerks, that singular religious phenomenon, peculiar to that age, raged with fearful epidemic violence, attacking alike the saint and sinner--baffling then, as it has continued to do to this day, the efforts of the most learned and critical, to account for or unravel its mysterious manifestations. It would indeed be a strange coincidence, if the rebuilding of the temple should be followed by a revival of the jerks. The very surrounding suggest the more than possibility of such an occurrence.
If the reader has felt half the pleasure and interest in reading about this ancient and venerable place, that the writer felt in surveying around it, then I am satisfied.--Tripod, in Russellville Herald.
[Source: The Cumberland Presbyterian, February 10, 1876, page 3]
Most Cumberland Presbyterians know something of the causes that resulted in the organization of our beloved church. During that stormy period of religious discussion in the Presbyterian Church when there was such a marked difference of opinion between some of her leading divines, and such wonderful manifestations of the Holy Spirit, no place was more prominent, and no place is of more historic interest to Cumberland Presbyterians to-day than Old Gasper Church in Logan County, Kentucky. Located near by, and closely connected with Old Gasper in historic interest, is "Shaker Town." This town was established about the time of the organization of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. It will be remembered, that a difference of opinion resulting in religious trouble arose among a number of Presbyterian preachers while holding a meeting at Old Gasper, not long before the organization of our church. Among these ministers were McGready, Ewing, the Rankins, and others. Out of this party a person of Rev. John Rankin, who failed to cast his lot with either the revival or anti-revival side of the Presbyterians.
Shaker Town is on the Memphis branch of the L. & N. R.R., about fifteen miles south of Bowling Green, Ky. This is one of the most beautiful and best farming sections in the state. The town is on a beautiful elevation, and consists of a church, a large business house or office, a school house, and five other very large, beautiful, and imposing structures used a residences, called the Center House, North House, South House, East House, and West House. At one time, there were five-hundred adherents to the Shaker faith living in this little town, but there are not nearly so many now. They adhere to the doctrine of celibacy, and their number is only recruited by those who join them from the "world" as they term it. These shakers are a very peculiar people, especially in their worship, a large part of which consists in singing and dancing, and a continual shaking of themselves, which is very amusing to onlookers. But with all these peculiarities they are a very intelligent, industrious and enterprising people. They own in Kentucky several thousands of acres of land, and are very wealthy. While they do not mingle with the world socially or religiously, they are friendly towards Cumberland Presbyterians, and sometimes attend our services at Old Gasper.
It was at Old Gasper that the first camp meeting in Christendom was held. It was here, just a century ago, that the Spirit of God so wonderfully operated on the hearts of men, convicting the stubborn-hearted, and often overpowering them so that they fell to the ground in an utterly helpless condition. On one occasion, a married lady went to the altar for prayer, and her husband, a very wicked man, went and very roughly dragged her away, and on this spot God struck him dead! Ah, those were wonderful days! Would we had the power from on high to-day, as our fathers had it then, for were it so, no power could stand against us! Some months ago I had the pleasure of assisting the pastor, Rev. W. H. Perkins, in a meeting at this grand old place. How impressive to look upon the great old trees that tower many feet into the heavens. These are the trees under which McGready and Ewing stood, and sheltered their heads in the days of yore. The same spring from which they drank, still yields an inexhaustible supply of nature's beverage.
Adairville, Ky.
[Source: The Cumberland Presbyterian, July 1, 1897, page 1674 (10).]
Read "The Gasper River Meeting House" by Thomas Whitaker


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In a move that even our British internet video friend would not accept, the RIAA is now claiming that MP3s that you have ripped from CDs you have purchased are unauthorized copies. That's right, the very existence of digital music in the-file-format-which-must-not-be-named is an affront to all that is lawful and just. Forget about the fact that RIAA lawyers have already admitted ripping CDs for personal use is legal. Hypocrisy is only a speed bump on the path to oblivion.
I know I said I would not be surprised at anything the record labels do anymore, but come on. Really? Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if the real record labels have anything to do with the RIAA anymore other than in name. As clueless as the major record label heads are, there is no way any sane person can fail to see what a detriment to health of the music industry the RIAA is. What exactly is it trying to do here? Even if they win every pending lawsuit, do they really think people are going back to buying cartloads of $18 CDs just like the good ol' days?
Nay, the RIAA is a monster that is out of the control of those who have created it. But unlike horrific human creations such as the Cylons or Terminators, the RIAA becomes less terrifying and more cuddly with each action it takes.
via [gizmodo]


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Lately I've been doing this thing where a lot nights I can barely make it through the Daily Show without falling asleep. This means I often don't get around to watching Colbert until the next day, either in the morning as I'm getting myself together or in the afternoon when I take a short break for lunch. Not sure what's going on here, but I fear that it's Olditus.
Anyway, it's barely been a week since the presidential election and already the pundits are speculating about who the Republicans and the Democrats may nominate in 2016. Dear God make it stop. Yes, this is something I find deeply troubling, and watching Colbert over lunch today I learned that he is REALLY troubled by it, and, as usual, his coming unhinged over something leads to laffs. Enjoy.


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Column: Tebow Time clocks out in the Big Apple
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- PAUL NEWBERRY AP National Writer
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February 11, 2013 at 20:40 PM EST
Flight Centre's Pick Of Must-Do Tours In Europe
PR Log
- Feb 11, 2013 - Travellers are locking in last-minute trips to Europe for the summer season, thanks to a second round of discounted deals from leading tour operators.
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Highlights along the way include a locally guided bike tour of Munich's famous landmarks, a private boat through Venice's canals, a sightseeing tour in Rome and Florence, a Paris by Night experience and more.
The price includes 11 nights twin or triple-share accommodation, 11 continental breakfasts and 6 three-course dinners, local guided trips, services of an experienced English speaking tour manager and driver, transport in an air-conditioned coach, a ferry crossing and sightseeing as per itinerary.
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The price includes nine nights' twin share accommodation at 4-star hotels in Athens, Mykonos & Paros, breakfast daily, one dinner, return transfers, transport by ferries between the islands, services of an experienced English speaking trip leader and walking tours.
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COSMOS - Hidden Treasures of Northern Italy
From $1159* per person twin share, this eight-day tour of Northern Italy travels from Milan to Cinque Terre, Parma, Pavia and Vigeano, before arriving at Lake Maggiore.
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*Price is subject to change and availability at the time of booking.
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Earlier this year, the FDA announced its plans to change the 20-year old nutrition facts panel that appears on food products. The change reflects changes in nutrition science and a better understanding of consumer behavior. We analyzed the announcement back … Continue reading
Touchdown? Campbell's Chunky Soups for NFL Fans Reviewed
Campbell's Soup Company is enjoying a good run this year in the public markets. The stock is up 30% in 2013 and performing at its best since the late 1990′s. The company certainly has innovated in the last 12 months … Continue reading
Chain Restaurant Nutrition: 12 Easy Ways to Less Unhealthy
One of our readers recently emailed us with a problem many of us face as part of the American workforce: "I've recently lost weight, got healthy and I don't eat processed foods. I'm in a new job and my co-workers go … Continue reading
Tis the Season … for Cabbage?
Cabbage in December? Yep! If you're like many folks with a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) delivery OR you just like to buy in season, you're probably swimming in cabbage. Don't fret! Here are some recipes with reviews on stuffed cabbage, … Continue reading
Navigating the Grocery Store Circular
If you're the type of shopper that reads supermarket circulars, you've probably noticed that most of the stuff advertised is not the healthy food. This is because junk food manufacturers usually have the biggest budgets, and can afford to spend … Continue reading
Halloween Wrap up – Jack-O-Lantern Soup [Recipe]
Wondering what to do with your Jack o' Lantern now that Halloween festivities are behind us? Try a time tested family favorite – Orange veggie soup or as kids like to call it – Jack-O-Lantern Soup. It's easy to prepare, … Continue reading
What a Letdown: Campbell's Zigzag on Sodium in Soups
Folks, the chart tells it all. After several years of promoting and pushing low sodium salts, Campbell's Board of Directors has decided the strategic and widely publicized move was a mistake. Sales of the core soups have been slumping, and … Continue reading
Campbell's Soup Has a Math Problem
Here's an interesting read from the Consumerist Blog. Several moms from New Jersey are suing Campbell's for misleading labeling. You'd think that the soup on the right has 25% less sodium than the one on the left, but in fact, … Continue reading
Low Calorie Comfort Food – It Exists!
This is a guest post by Lisa Cain, PhD, a.k.a Snack-Girl There is more than one way to create comfort. One way involves lots of calories and icing. How about something hot? This won't work if you live in the … Continue reading
Are You the 1 in 10 that Consumes Sodium Moderately?
Shocking or not, 90% of Americans consume sodium in amounts that are above their healthy daily limit. These finding were published earlier this week in the Center for Disease Control's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). Salt has become some … Continue reading


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Category Archives: Friends events
Friends' Spring Book Sale!
The Spring Book Sale will take place Monday, May 12 through Saturday, May 17 in the Rogers Room of the Forest Grove City Library, 2114 Pacific Avenue in Forest Grove. Sale Hours: Monday, May 12, 10-8 Tuesday, May 13, 10-8 Wednesday, May 14, 10-8 Thursday, … Continue reading
Friends Annual Meeting, April 10
Friends' annual meeting will be held April 10 at Noon in the Rogers Room of the Forest Grove City Library 2114 Pacific Avenue. Friends' members are urged to attend to hear a summary of Friends activities, vote on by-laws changes … Continue reading
Forest Grove Conversations Series
The 2013 Town Hall event is titled "The Future is Now: Citizens and Community in the Digital Age." The program will take place on Tuesday, April 2, 2013 (please note the new date) in the Forest Grove Community Auditorium from 7:00 … Continue reading
Where Friends' Money Goes
As you can see, below, Friends of the Forest Grove Library has many activities to raise funds. The Forest Grove Library Foundation's Capital Campaign is one obvious recipient. On what else does Friends' spend their hard earned money? Cultural programs Friends have … Continue reading
Friends used book sale goes online
In addition to Friends' twice yearly book sales at the Library, we have begun selling donated books online. Friends has become one of the many organizations selling through Amazon. We list books in Amazon's huge database and have the advantage … Continue reading
2011 Cultural Program Series
Programs will be held on the first Tuesday of each month, January through May, at 7:00 pm. In the Rogers Room at the library, 2114 Pacific Avenue, Forest Grove. January 4 Roots of Rock 50s and 60s Rock and Roll … Continue reading
Posted in Cultural programs, Family programs, Friends events, Music programs Tagged Music, Programs Leave a comment
2011 Great American Speeches
The working title for the next Great American Speeches event is "Women: Opportunity & Challenge from the ERA to the 21st Century." It will be held on March 29, 2011 at 7:00 pm. The venue will depend on the anticipated … Continue reading
Posted in Friends events, Great American Speeches Tagged conversation, Programs, town hall Leave a comment


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We are proud supporters of The Lauren Page Trust. We are committed to making a difference to a local charity. Our firm will be staging a number of fundraising activities throughout the year to raise money for this special cause.The Lauren Page Trust
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Breaking Tax News - September Tax E-News News 01/09/14
Read the September edition of our Tax Newsletter, keeping you up-to-date with the latest tax news and announcements.
Surviving a Tax Enquiry in an "Unfair" Age Blog by Barry Soraff
It's been a few years now since HMRC changed the way it handled tax enquiries. The new procedures were trumpeted as a way of improving communication between taxpayers and HMRC, making the handling of enquiries more efficient, less costly and ideally much simpler.
The 60p Tax Rate Blog by Lee Manning
After running under the radar for over five years, the 60p stealth tax has now been thrust into the spot light.
Golf Day 2015 07/09/15
Following the success of our 2014 Annual Charity Golf Day, we are pleased to announce that our ninth Golf Day will be held in September 2015.
Xero Stress for Small Businesses 01/05/15
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Accounting, Finance and Tax for Recruitment Agencies 18/01/15
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Sports history is full of scapegoats like Steve Bartman, Bill Buckner, Chris Webber, and most recently Billy Cundiff have all taken their fair share of media hazing as a result of a sports related incident. Especially when their seems to be no answer for a poor performance the instinctual action is to blame someone else, to find a scapegoat. New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick may have just found his.
In an interview following his teams 21-17 loss against the New York Giants in the Super Bowl Belichick called out the player, or more specifically the object, that caused his team to lose. "We had great practices all week," he stated at the beginning of the interview. "But when it came to game time we just did not perform. I think the reason is pretty obvious, it's Wes Welker's gross mustache. That thing is a beacon and an obvious distraction for our players. I often found myself staring at it throughout the game, and I can only imagine that my players did the same."
It's true that Welker's mustache is in fact disgusting, and an atrocity to upper lip hair everywhere, but was it really that big of a distraction? The answer is astoundingly 'yes.'
Confirming the accusation was Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, who stated that his incomplete pass on the Patriots first play, which resulted in a penalty/safety, was a result of him being entranced by the 'stache and losing track of what was going on.
"I went back to pass and I saw Wes on a cross route, then I saw it, the 'stache. From their I don't remember much I just sort of tossed the ball. Even while being hit I was staring at the mustache. I didn't want to admit it at the time to coach, but that's what happened."
For a quarterback who never makes mistakes it was a reasonable explanation. But for Belichick it's reason for investigation. Less than a day after the loss Belichick has reportedly already contacted the NFL to investigate possible tampering charges by the Giants, more specifically paying off Welker to grow out his facial hair. Whatever the case Belichick took matters into his own hands, tackling his receiver on the plane ride home and removing the cursed mustache. The clean-shaven Welker refused to comment about his missing mustache.
At least his mustache proves that he just looks like he's eleven years old. Massey out.


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5 Stocks Underperforming Today In The Energy Industry
Editor's Note: Any reference to TheStreet Ratings and its underlying recommendation does not reflect the opinion of TheStreet, Inc. or any of its contributors including Jim Cramer or Stephanie Link.All three major indices are trading up today with the Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) trading up 44 points (0.3%) at 15,464 as of Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2013, 12:50 PM ET. The NYSE advances/declines ratio sits at 1,183 issues advancing vs. 1,800 declining with 78 unchanged.The Energy industry currently sits down 0.3% versus the S&P 500, which is up 0.2%. On the negative front, top decliners within the industry include InterOil Corporation (IOC), down 9.7%, Petroleo Brasileiro SA Petrobras (PBR), down 1.7% and Ecopetrol S.A (EC), down 0.9%. Top gainers within the industry include ConocoPhillips (COP), up 1.4%, Chevron (CVX), up 0.7% and Royal Dutch Shell (RDS.B), up 0.5%.TheStreet would like to highlight 5 stocks pushing the industry lower today:5. Enterprise Products Partners (EPD) is one of the companies pushing the Energy industry lower today. As of noon trading, Enterprise Products Partners is down $0.82 (-1.4%) to $59.78 on average volume. Thus far, 942,174 shares of Enterprise Products Partners exchanged hands as compared to its average daily volume of 1.4 million shares. The stock has ranged in price between $59.14-$60.60 after having opened the day at $60.55 as compared to the previous trading day's close of $60.60. Enterprise Products Partners L.P. provides midstream energy services to producers and consumers of natural gas, natural gas liquids (NGLs), crude oil, refined products, and petrochemicals in the United States and internationally. Enterprise Products Partners has a market cap of $55.7 billion and is part of the basic materials sector. Shares are up 22.0% year to date as of the close of trading on Monday. Currently there are 16 analysts that rate Enterprise Products Partners a buy, no analysts rate it a sell, and 1 rates it a hold.TheStreet Ratings rates Enterprise Products Partners as a buy. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its revenue growth and increase in stock price during the past year. We feel these strengths outweigh the fact that the company shows low profit margins. Get the full Enterprise Products Partners Ratings Report now.STOCKS TO BUY: TheStreet Quant Ratings has identified a handful of stocks that can potentially TRIPLE in the next 12-months. Learn more.
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I just read the article on BB.com by Chris Brown "Factors in Luck's decision". In it he discusses four reasons why Luck might stay in school for the next year. Two factors are given by Albert Breer of NFL.com, and then Chris follows up with two more reasons. IMO the arguments are weak, and most importantly inconclusive.
First Breerclaims that those close to Luck think he will factor who is picking first this year into his decision. I dont see how that makes any sence as lets say we are the #1 pick, and he might not want to play in Buffalo, but how does he have any idea who will be the #1 pick next year. It could be Buffalo again. There might not be a season, and then who knows who would pick #1. It might be a team he dislikes even more. For that matter he might not be the #1 pick in 2012 as he could fall down the draft board. I never understood this logic if you are the #1 pick you are not going to go to a great team. In fact most #1 pick QB's go to teams that are struggling on offense. If anything this goes to our favor as Chan is showing what he can do with a bunch of no name undrafted rookie WR's a backup QB, and a young line with weak OT's. If I am Luck I am thinking I can do great things in this offense. There is a lot of upside in our offense compared to the teams that could be drafting him if he waits a year.
Second he mentions his dad could pull of an Eli Manning type trade. Really?? With whom would we pull off that trade with? I got nothing.
Then Chris steps in and says it could depend on what his current coach Jim Harbough does. He implies that Dallas is the only team looking for a head coach, and that he thinks it is likely that JH will stay at Stanford. OK so what. If JH stays that in no way implies that Luck would stay also. QB's leave there coaches every year if I am not mistaking, and if JH does get a new job then that could have a big effect on Luck wanting to leave.
Last of all he mentions location. He says he does not think it will be a big factor, but that Buffalo is relatively close to his dad. In fact only Pitt. and Cincy are closer. I dont know what differece it makes to Luck, but this one has to be in our favor.
What gets me about this whole story is he leaves out the main factors. Not a word about Luck already saying that he will finish his education, or the biggest factor of all MONEY!!! So let me finish the story for him and explain why I think he will be the #1 pick in the 2011 draft.
First like I said before money is the biggest factor here. We all agree that this kid is smart, and he values his education. So I am sure he knows that if he comes out this year he has a good chance of making 20-30 MILLION more in his first five years in the NFL then if he comes out in 2012 under an new CBA. Even a dumb kid could figure this one out. I am sure he will get plenty of this advice as he gets closer to the time of decision.
Secondly as I said earlier there is no guarantee that he would be the #1 pick in 2012. Lots of juniors go back to school to finish up, but not many when there is so much to loose. He will Know by the end of the year if he will be #1 this year or not, and if he is then his stock can only go down.
Last but not least is education. Education is important, and if he decides to do what he said he would do and finish his degree before he goes pro. then I will respect him for following through with what he has said. I will also have to give him the new title of "the dumbest smart guy in America". He can finish his degree any time he wants after he makes his 20 MILLION extra by putting it off a few years. Does he think that degree is going to help him evade would be tacklers running around the football field? Time wise he will have his degree within one year of when he finishes football, which is when he might first need it. Is the loss of the 20 Mil. worth that? I cant see how.
In conclusion I am in no way guaranteeing that Luck will come out this year, but I am saying I have read nothing yet that makes me think that he will be in school next year unless it is the school of hard knocks.