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Category: theology
The Day After An Election
A couple of thoughts after the election yesterday.
The Kingdom of God is far more creative than our two-party, big-money political process. The best commentary yesterday evening pointed out the cycles common to electoral politics. Yet we're meant to act surprised at how these things turn out. We're also supposed to pretend that the system isn't rigged, that every citizen has access to the same representation, that money's role is neutral. In the end, for all the ways I'm grateful for our democracy, I have to admit to its fundamental lack of creativity and kindness. Held up to such predictability, the Kingdom of God as described and modeled by Jesus is almost unbelievable for its imaginative ethic. Here the last are first, the poor are rich, and those with the most power and influence are barely a footnote.
Also, communities of Christians will continue pursuing Jesus' cause together the day after any and every election. Most of us will choose to vote thoughtfully, but our solidarity comes not primarily from the satisfaction of voting but from our common identity and cause with God's people. For us the action is after election day, regardless of who was or wasn't elected. We are concerned with the big picture, but most of us will give our best attention to the smaller places where mercy and justice can be pursued with and for those who share our zip code.
May God grant wisdom to our elected public servants. May God grant his church courage and faithfulness; may our skepticism and hope be rightly placed.
Protesting in Ferguson: Logical, Normal, & Christian
After the first protests (in person and online) emerged in response to Michael Brown's killing in Ferguson it was common to hear complaints and confusion about those who protested. I experienced a bit of this misunderstanding and disagreement for some of the things I wrote in the days following the young man's death. Of course, misunderstandings and disagreements are inevitable and aren't generally reason enough for me to (re)explain myself. In this case, however, the events in Ferguson along with the pushback provide an opportunity to clarify why I believe protesting the killing in Ferguson is a logical, normal, and Christian response.
My reading of the Bible provides the understanding of what it means to live as God's adopted people, including our responses to events like those in Ferguson. There's nothing especially novel about this; people of faith look to their scriptures and traditions as the basis for their practical ethics. For example, I've recently spent time with some Jewish rabbis who have articulated a compelling Biblical rationale why they must advocate for undocumented immigrants. Drawing from their scriptures (the Christian Old Testament) they cannot avoid the mandate to show hospitality and seek justice for the foreigner within our nation's boundaries.
But, to be fair, many Christians who highly esteem the Bible saw no need to speak against the events in Ferguson. I think I know why. In the (mostly) white Evangelical world with which I'm familiar it is typical to see the work of justice as peripheral to proclaiming the Gospel. One respected acquaintance recently cautioned that I should take care to keep my Christian priorities right, by which this person meant the clear articulation of the Gospel. Earlier this year another friend approvingly cited Billy Graham's decision not to involve himself with the Civil Rights Movement because it would have distracted from his singular task of evangelism.
The problem with these separations between evangelism and justice is that the Bible makes no such divisions. The biblical assumption, rather, is that those who have known God's love will in turn show God's love, not simply in the individual ways we Americans tend to default toward but also in the corporate and systemic ways so much of the Old Testament is concerned with. So Billy Graham's decision to avoid the Civil Rights Movement may have won him wider audiences, but his implied message that allegiance to Jesus required no reorienting of prejudices and systemic injustices was at odds with the biblical narrative. It's hard to see from where in the Scripture one could make the case that such thin conversion is God's desire or the Christian's goal.
"From that time on Jesus began to preach, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.'" So records Matthew at the beginning of Jesus' ministry, the implication being that the has-come-near kingdom would provide the backdrop for his work and words. The kingdom of heaven is seen implicitly in Jesus' many interactions with those on the margins and more explicitly in the Sermon on the Mount and the parable of the sheep and the goats. Jesus' vision of justice will always contradict our own cultural assumptions of justices, but there is no denying that his kingdom is a just kingdom whose citizens express compassion, mercy, and justice even as they proclaim the kingdom's nearness in Jesus.
All of this, it seems to me, leads Christians to pursue justice as a natural and normal expression of our location within God's kingdom. Our work of justice will often flounder and many times be ignored by societies bent on efficiency, but we seek justice anyway as a sign to the kingdom that has come near.
Does the apostle Paul's directive to obey governing authorities in the book of Romans weaken any of this? No. The vision Paul articulates is of governing authorities who exercise equitable judgements and serve the common good. When the governing authorities abuse their God-given power it becomes inevitable that Christians will have to choose Christ's rule over that of their government. In such moments, Christians will still seek to submit to the authorities even while pushing against their corruption. The non-violent Civil Rights Movement is surely our nation's clearest experience of this theological vision.
But what of Ferguson specifically? How do the above convictions play out? Maybe it will be useful to rehearse two of the common complaints I've heard about those who protest Michael Brown's death. The first has to do with the legal process; the second with where those who grieve and protest should instead direct their energies.
About the legal process, some have argued that no protests should have been registered until it is proven whether or not the police officer acted wrongly. It's a sane point on the surface with a seemingly just logic: the judicial process in our country is the level ensuring that each of us is treated fairly. The problem is that this isn't the logic of our judicial system. Those of us who don't know this experientially need only to read a book like Michelle Alexander's The New Jim Crow, notice studies like this one about the racial inequities of police searches in Chicago, or push past the pundits to learn of the long history of police misconduct in Ferguson.
It only makes sense to wait and trust the judicial process if that process has been proven equitable in the past. But it hasn't. And it isn't. Consider then how a rebuke to wait sounds to someone who has been run over by a system that purports to serve and protect. When the protestors in Ferguson were told to wait, that justice would be served, it's likely they were being lied to. Far too often justice has not been served to black and brown people in this country. Why should we assume differently in this case?
This is why, in a previous post, I referred to Michael Brown's death as a murder. I don't mean to say that I know that the officer murdered Brown as per a legal definition. But I do know that legal definitions only make sense when they're applied equally and such equality has thus far eluded our country. And so it is that a young black man like Jordan Davis can be murdered but we can't bring ourselves to call what the white man did to him murder. Saying that Michael Brown was murdered is a small attempt to tell the truth about a system that lies about the ways that certain groups of citizens suffer and die.
Within this atmosphere of deception and twisted logic it is entirely right for a Christian to protest the death of another unarmed African American man before the judicial process has run its course. When Christians spoke out quickly in Ferguson they were doing two theologically appropriate things. First, they were telling the truth about the ugly system which took Michael Brown's life. Second, they were giving notice to those leading the legal response to Brown's death that they were being watched carefully. The judicial system would be held to account, judged by it's role to issue justice with fairness.
The second complaint about the protestors I'll consider is the one that chides those protesting for focusing too much on the past. The rationale here, as I understand it, is that while inequalities may exist, it does little good to continue reviewing how these have been expressed in the past, even the very recent past. Rather, those who wish to change their circumstances should focus on their future and do their best despite the odds. This may sound callous, but it's a sentiment I've heard expressed frequently in the wake of Michael Brown's death.
There are some good reasons why downplaying history is always a bad idea and chief among them is how our present circumstances are unintelligible without a historical view. Ta-Nehesi Coates' recent essay on housing discrimination is a perfect example of just how important this is. But setting aside such common sense reasons to look to the past, there are two Biblical precedents that should keep Christians from privileging the future over the past. We can first consider the Psalms, which over and over again give voice to a people who are looking to their history and crying to God for justice. These songs open passages of complaint to God, petitioning - even demanding – God's righteous action on behalf of the suffering. On the other side of this backward look, we also find God's people looking back to find their culpable role in history. From exile the people, even generations removed from the original sins against God, learn to lament, to identify themselves with those whose injustice and idolatry had mocked God.
In response to Michael Brown's death, and the history that cannot be separated from it, it is entirely right for Christians of all races to look to the past. For some this look back will prompt the sorts of angry, fist-shaking prayers we find in the Psalms. God's name will be invoked as protector and judge. Others of us will look back and, if we have eyes to see, will find much to lament. We'll find ourselves back there and we won't like what we see. For us the look back will prompt grief, repentance, and an identification with a story we'd previously held at arm's length.
Perhaps it's not surprising that generally it's people from the majority culture who counsel against the historical perspective. We sense that if those who have known the oppressive heel of the society which has benefitted us look back – particularly if they are our Christian kin – we too may be compelled to look back. And maybe we know that when we do, we will be forced to put on new lenses through which to view Michael Brown and others like him.
There are very understandable reasons, subtly whispered into our society's ear, why the protestors in Ferguson were quickly discounted and called into question. But, as I hope I've reasonably articulated here, for the Christian, there are far better reasons to see past these uncreative and repetitive deceits and to respond to injustice boldly in light of the kingdom that is drawing near through Jesus.
Lessons From One Night In Ferguson
Last night Michael and I joined a group of clergy to pray and petition for justice on behalf of Michael Brown. We were already in the St. Louis area with our families for a few days of vacation and when word came about the clergy march the timing and location seemed too providential to ignore. I won't go into the play-by-play of our evening, but the experience was unlike any I've had.
This morning I woke up thinking about some of the lessons I'm walking away with from our short time in Ferguson. My perspective is incredibly limited: I'm an outsider who spent a few hours in a place where others have lived their entire lives. Even so, I want to hold onto some of my experiences, despite how incomplete they are.
The Anger Is Real
It seemed that many of the protestors, like us, where from places other than Ferguson. Yet there were some locals too and it was their response that most caught my attention. In addition to the anger about Michael Brown's death, there was also a barely contained rage about the way their city had been occupied by the police for over a week. All around were flashing lights, blocked streets, and check points. The protests from these citizens were not a show for the cameras but rage from an occupied people.
The Tension Between Symbolic Actions And Local Solutions
Ferguson has become a symbol for the ever-present oppression experienced by many Americans. Many of the young people we interacted with last night had come from around the country to protest. They were certainly concerned with Michael Brown's death, but their perspective was broader- systems and policies were within their sights. I thinks this is OK and probably necessary, but at some point local leadership will need to gather the local stakeholders to determine Ferguson's strategy going forward. Hopefully the symbolic actions can be a catalyst for local voices to articulate particular strategies for this city. It would be a shame if the big picture perspective – as important as it is – were to drown out those who will live in Ferguson long after the media leave.
Chanting Is Easier Than Praying
Michael and I were under the impression that there would be organized times of prayer as we marched in Ferguson. This never happened. Honestly, it would have been hard. The noise, flashing lights, and adrenaline made it far easier to chant loudly – No justice, no peace! Hands up. Don't Shoot! – than to pray quietly. I wondered though, driving home, what it would have been like had small groups of clergy stopped occasionally during the march to join hands a pray. I wonder if some of the besieged citizens would have welcomed prayer. I wonder whether the omnipresent police would have relaxed, even a little bit. I don't know, but it was an important reminder that prayer is the Christian's first choice, always, regardless of how chaotic the surroundings.
Police Intimidation Is The Worst
There were plenty of kind police officers whom we interacted with last night. But this didn't change some important facts: some of our fellow marchers had been harassed and arrested earlier in the week; everywhere you looked were men (I don't remember seeing a single woman officer) with guns, clubs, and intimidating vehicles; we were not aloud to stop moving and any time we did there was an officer who would quickly urge us to move. Michael and I began to breathe more easily as we walked away from Ferguson around midnight and the guns and gazes of the law enforcers receded behind us. I cannot imagine living under the constant threat of intimidation, whether on this grand scale or with the constant question each time I saw a police officer. I can't imagine it, but there are many who can.
There is plenty that we experienced last night that will take some time to process. Despite the chaos and intimidation, I'm very glad we went. It is important that Christians show up to places like Ferguson – including such places in our own neighborhoods that will never get this attention – and bear witness. We bear witness to any way the image of God is debased in people anywhere. And, equally important, we bear witness to God's presence and movement in the places others have deemed God-forsaken.
Michael Brown and the Discipline of Seeing
Since first learning about the killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, MO I've been thinking about different things I've wanted to write. Parenting a newborn and some travel have kept me from blogging, which is probably not a bad thing: most of my initial thoughts have been articulated far better by others. If you've not done so, please check out these articles: The Cross and the Molotov Cocktail by Christena Cleveland; Black Bodies, White Souls by Austin C Brown; Black People are not Ignoring 'Black on Black' Crime by Ta-Nehisi Coates. Please leave a comment with additional reflections you've found helpful.
With all of the good, insightful, and prophetic things that have been said since Michael Brown's tragic and completely needless death, there is one small thing I'd like to explore here. I have in mind those white people who were surprised by the slowly revealed details from Ferguson as well as the reactions of grief and rage from that community.
It was impossible not to know about Robin Williams' recent death. The outpouring of support, remembrance, and grief was everywhere. The conversations about depression and suicide that ensued were needed and important, a silver lining to a sad ending.
Williams died the day after the streets of Ferguson erupted in anger and fire, the "language of the unheard" as Rev. Dr. King would have explained to us. On that day and the ensuing days it was common to hear and read a version of this question: Why does the suicide of an actor command so much more of our collective attention than the murder of a young man and the lament of his community?
The question is entirely legitimate and just, though any expectation that the attention to these very different deaths could have played out any differently misses something true and wrong about America. In this country there have always been some lives that matter more than others. A white, male, celebrity like Williams occupies a place within our society that cannot be ignored. You couldn't remain ignorant of his death even if you wanted to. Michael Brown, on the other hand, occupied a very different, almost invisible place. And yes, it's true that Williams was a celebrity and so his death within a culture of celebrity-worshippers took on added, almost religious dimensions. But consider that even after Ferguson erupted in protest and even after the ugly facts of Brown's death began to come to life, most white people had little understanding of the story, if they'd heard of it at all.
There's nothing right about the death of a white actor taking precedent over the murder of another young, African American man, but there's also nothing surprising about it. White America exists within a bubble which filters out the abuses and indignities suffered upon black and brown people. In the late 1950′s James Baldwin traveled to Charlotte, NC to document attempts at integration. He wrote, "I was told, several times, by white people, that 'race relations' there were excellent. I failed to find a single Negro who agreed with this, which is the usual story of 'race relations' in this country." The same sentiment, with slightly different language, would be expressed by many white people today. Racial injustice is not something we think about because it's not something we see.
If we're honest, we're OK with our blindness. It's far easier to talk about Robin Williams than Michael Brown. After all, a celebrity's death asks nothing of us while, were we to take actually see it, the epidemic of alienation, incarceration, and murder of black men demands nothing short of a total rearrangement of the American way of life. A way of life that has benefitted some of us in tremendous ways. Better to remain blind than to give up our way of life.
Of course, this is not an option for those of us who are Christians. Jesus asked his followers, "Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear?" Well, the answer has too often been yes, but it doesn't have to remain so. But if white Christians are to begin responding to injustice we must first develop the discipline of seeing.
What is a discipline of seeing? It begins by acknowledging that there is much that we from the majority culture will not naturally see. I recently heard Dr. Carl Ellis point out that much of the marginalization that is experienced by people of color is systemic and by default. It is a marginalization that is so tied to how our society works that it is impossible for some to avoid and almost impossible for others to see. Acknowledging that my experience of America is warped allows me to begin seeing more clearly how others experience this place and its prejudices.
A discipline of seeing compels me to seek new guides. I begin to understand that Michael Brown's death doesn't represent something aberrant but disturbingly normal. This realization, and thousands others like it, make plain the extent of my blindness. If I am to walk the narrow path in this newly-revealed reality I will need those who can point the way. Authors, pastors, and entire neighborhoods become voices I cannot live without if I am to avoid retreating into my former isolation. These women and men of color – all with distinct stories and perspectives, all standing outside the so-called privileges bestowed upon me – become the sources of wisdom I cannot do without.
As I begin to see more truthfully I can properly lament the death of a beloved celebrity while not allowing it to overshadow what is going down in Ferguson. That is, I'm able to grieve what is genuinely worthy of grief and not just what I'm told to feel badly about.
Theres a final thing about learning to see: the death of Michael Brown and the tumult that continues in Ferguson is quickly visible and important to those with eyes to see, but their sight is not limited to a series of events at a distance. A discipline of seeing means, that though my privilege works to blind me, I will notice how the injustices of Ferguson play out in my city and neighborhood. Michael Brown and Ferguson cannot become prominent but ultimately powerless symbols for those with eyes to see. Rather, the prejudices and pressures that are at work there must also be admitted to here.
Learning to see carries this great risk for those content with blindness: seeing leads us to grieve; seeing leads us to act. An enlightened sympathy for injustice at a distances bears no resemblance to Jesus' expectation that his followers walk with those who suffer. The discipline of seeing allows me to grieve rightly a young man's death a long ways away while stepping into the path of those same forces of death that even now wreak havoc on my neighbors.
"…in trouble most of the time."
The language of prayer occurs primarily at one level, the personal, and for one purpose, salvation. The human condition teeters on the edge of disaster. Human beings are in trouble most of the time. Those who don't know they are in trouble are in the worst trouble. Prayer is the language of the people who are in trouble and know it, and who believe or hope that God can get them out. As prayer is practiced, it moves into other levels and develops other forms, but trouble – being in the wrong, being in danger, realizing that the foes are too many for us to handle – is the basic provocation for prayer. Isaac Bashevis Singer once said, "I only pray when I am in trouble. But I am in trouble all the time, and so I pray all the time." The recipe for obeying St. Paul's "Pray without ceasing" is not a strict ascetical regimen but a watchful recognition of the trouble we are in.
-Eugene Peterson, Answering God: The Psalms as Tools for Prayer (1989).
Life in the City: Why not Give Up?
A lot of people were shot to death in Chicago this holiday weekend. A whole lot more were shot and survived. I won't mention how many suffered because the numbers are obscene and the individuals who died deserve more than our passing obsession. Even a city that is accustomed to violence and death feels this weight. I sat in two different rooms yesterday with veteran community leaders who have lived with death for a long time. These women and men whom I respect and look to for direction sighed heavily and paused longer than normal as they mentioned the weekend's shame.
There's a question that comes up during these moments, sometimes spoken and often implied: Why not give up? The pastors, organizers, and neighborhood leaders I spend time with don't have to give themselves to this work of compassion and justice. They could do other things. They could pursue jobs with observable metrics of success.
I don't know how most of these folks would answer the question, but it's been important that I have a way to answer- something that makes sense of these heavy and sad days while providing the rationale to stay present in the city.
In The Meaning of the City (1970) Jaques Ellul makes the theological point that the city is the systematized and entrenched sin and rebellion humanity experiences on an individual level. That is, the curse of sin that we each know is writ large in the city, something to which we contribute and by which we are destroyed. We may search for solutions for the city's problems but, "while the search is going on, the vampire does its work and calls for more fresh blood. And new throngs of men take up residence under the rule of the curse."
There has recently been a return to American cities by young people – white, mostly – who are reversing the migrations of their parents and grandparents. They are, as best I can tell, interested in what the city has to offer by way of experience and opportunity. The Christians among them often want to show compassion to those on the margins of the city. Both groups, according to Ellul, misread the city and its designs. The city is not neutral. "[W]e must admit that the city is not just a collection of houses with ramparts, but also a spiritual power." The new urban dwellers can miss how cities intend to (de)form them.
Some of Ellul's readers mistake him for being a pessimist, but that's incorrect. Toward the end of the book, after showing again and again how the city opposes God's intentions for the flourishing of all people, Ellul reminds the reader that the Bible ends not with a return to a garden in Eden but in a city.
God involves himself in an adventure completely different, for from this very city he is going to make the new Jerusalem. Thus we can observe God's strange progress: Jerusalem becomes Babylon, Babel is restored to the status of a simple city, and this city becomes the city of the the living God. [Emphasis mine.]
This is, of course, the Gospel: rather than requiring humanity's return to Eden, God inhabits our systems of rebellion and allows them to run their natural and violent course over his sinless body. His sacrifice makes real a future where our embodied collusion against God becomes God's dwelling and ours.
Why not give up? Depending on one's starting point, the question may not make much sense. For the person who came to the city for an urban experience or to make a noticeable difference the question and its variants will eventually become unavoidable. It will also become increasing difficult to answer with anything resembling joy. But Ellul – for whom humor is one of the evidences of the Christian's presence in the city – proposes a different vocation for the urban Christian. Our call is simply to represent Christ "in the heart of the city." We are not builders and we do not judge our success by the work of our hands. We bear witness to the crucified and resurrected Christ who will one day make the city his home.
Would we consider giving up our witness to Christ? For this is what the city-dwelling Christian is called to.
There is freedom here from the city's tyranny. First, we are free from they tyranny of success. Among people who only affirm that which is measurable, Christians can remain present in the city regardless of perceived successes. Success for us has only to do with our faithful witness to Jesus, a work that is, by its very nature, impossible and dripping with grace because of its impossibility. We succeed in this witness-bearing vocation inasmuch as we confess our failure at it. Second, we are free from the tyranny of time. The Christian holds together the seemingly opposite convictions that the city is beyond our abilities to save and will one day become the symbol of God's salvation. Yet this is no reason for isolating resignation. Worshipping a God beyond time inculcates us with humility about the ways we bear witness to Jesus in the city. We can remain faithfully present, submitted to God's presence, without the need to judge the efficiency of our presence. Rather, we admit our ultimate inability to judge such efficiency.
In his essay, The Harlem Ghetto (1949), James Baldwin wrote about the Biblical passages that oriented his father, a pastor, in a city that was bent on his destruction. "The favorite text of my father, among the most earnest of ministers, was not 'Father, forgive them, for they know not what the do,' but 'How can I sing the Lord's song in a strange land?'" Baldwin's father was echoing the question of Psalm 137 asked by a people in exile. The Christian who abides in the city who has not asked this question is, we can assume, still enchanted by the city's many idols. But for those with eyes to see and to those who are the city's special focus of destruction the question is inevitable. God, Ellul writes, has an answer to this question found in Jeremiah 29. "But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you find your welfare…"
In these ways – simple but never simplistic and certainly never naive – we bear witness to Jesus in the city. We can speak truthfully of the city's many horrors without being overcome. Though mobility is a societal value that can hardly be questioned, the Christian can and does question it, choosing to remain in this particular city unless the Spirit of God scatters us elsewhere- a call, we can assume, that will never be about our personal convenience though it will never be without joy.
Marriage Limits Us
Maggie and I were married fifteen years ago today. After the ceremony in the beautiful stone chapel on our college campus, we receded down the aisle and into the muggy night air. The Blue Ridge Mountains – so beautiful in that western corner of North Carolina – guided our pick up truck and twenty-one year old bodies away from the friends and family who'd gathered to bear witness. We drove into the dark night, toward something new.
All these years later it's hard to remember what we thought we were moving toward, but I'm sure we imagined more. Somewhere wrapped within our expectations and desires was the sense that marriage opened doors and expanded horizons. And in so many ways it has. On Monday evening I tossed fresh asparagus in olive oil and reminded Maggie that she's responsible for my much expanded palate. Too trivial? Well then, you must not understand the sacramental goodness of springtime vegetables- but I'll indulge your skepticism nonetheless. How about this? I care more about people than I did before marriage. My wife delights in people. If you take photos on your vacation, she will be genuinely interested in seeing the pictures and hearing your stories. You get the idea. And over these fifteen years her interest in friends and neighbors has begun to capture my own, more introverted affections.
But what we couldn't have expected, not with any imaginative clarity at least, was how we'd each be limited by marriage. Such a grating word to our American ears, limited. But there it is, and there it's been- a real part of our marriage. Simply, there are things she and I have not done and do not do because we are married to the other. This is partly practical. Take Maggie's social nature for example. Though I've come a long way in enjoying the act of hospitality, I'm still tired by it. And so we host less than Maggie would on her own. She knows fewer of our neighbors than she would had she remained single or married an extrovert.
But the limitations of marriage are more than practical. For us, and I suspect many others, marriage is a place of weakness. I imagine it must be similar to those who accept a monastic vocation in which they are bound in covenant to others. Such covenant relationship is sure to expose my weaknesses because I cannot walk away. I cannot leave. How much of what we perceive to be strength is just avoiding the people who bring out our worst? This isn't possible for two people committed to moving into the deeper waters of trust and faithfulness. We remain with each other in our weakness and so we cannot deny that such weaknesses are a part of us. As the years pile up the vows we made in the chapel in front of the congregation begin to make more sense: an anchor is needed if we are to remain present and vulnerable despite the wounding potential of our weaknesses.
In all of this has been a gift that I wouldn't trade for any American dream of a life without limits. Because, in the end, that dream is a delusion. To be human is to be limited, weak even. There's no need to pile up examples of this- we bump into these parts of our humanity as often as we're actually paying attention. But more than simply accepting reality, the limiting nature of marriage has shown me the flourishing that limits can nurture. Living within limits opens up possibilities of faithfulness and longevity. Remaining cognizant of my weaknesses gives the Christian practices of repentance and forgiveness an immediacy that slowly redeems.
Is such flourishing only available to the married? It's a question that deserves a thoughtful answer but briefly, no. Like the married person, the single person will benefit from relationships that aren't subject to transience. But unlike the married person – and I'm thinking here of Christians – the single person is free to pursue a vocation with a single-mindedness that will bring about its own encounters with limitations and weakness.
I've reached the concluding portion of this short essay where I should say sweet things about these fifteen years of marriage, but if you were paying attention earlier you'll remember that I'm an introvert and so am not given to saying personal things publicly. But they have been and will again be said to the woman who stays with me and loves me in my weaknesses and despite my limits.


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Gaaaack! Oscar gives me stress. Pay off your credit carrrrrds! Though I suppose if he's already living in a trash can, maybe he doesn't have much farther to fall...
On Dealing With Telemarketers (Using Advice From a Telemarketer)
I don't answer the phone from unknown numbers either. If it's important, they'll leave a message. Since I have found that ignoring calls does get me called repeatedly, I use my cell phone's reject function so that it doesn't even ring when they call, just auto-rejects. I can see later that there was a call, but it doesn't annoy me the way that the constant calling used to.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
August 11, 2014
Sanders unsure of Clinton presidency
"What is her agenda? I don't know. You don't know. She hasn't said," Sanders said.
August 4, 2014
'Torture report' delayed in redaction fight
Democratic senators say the CIA is trying to redact too much information.
July 17, 2014
McCain: 'Hell to pay' if Russian separatists shot down Malaysian plane
Still, the senator said the incident "has the earmarks of a tragic mistake."
July 16, 2014
Paul: Perry 'name-calling' in isolationism debate
Paul dismissed Perry's recent criticisms of the senator's foreign policy position.
July 10, 2014
'We should be afraid of this court'
Democrats are trying to make voters aware of the court's decisions.
July 9, 2014
Reid backtracks on money votes
The broken promise is not sitting well with appropriators, but sources point to the midterms.
July 8, 2014
Untamed Cruz refuses to play nice with GOP campaign arm
GOP hopes of corralling the Texas senator during the 2014 primary season are officially dead.
July 8, 2014
Sen. Menendez wants DOJ to investigate alleged Cuban smear plot
Menendez wants to know if Cuba planted false stories linking him to prostitutes.
July 8, 2014
Export-Import Bank supporters aim for show of strength in Senate
Business groups are turning their firepower toward the Senate.
July 8, 2014
Pryor hits Cotton for questioning his faith
A new ad is aimed at touting the Democratic incumbent's religious conviction in Arkansas.


text:
Rodeo Explains New Ticketing System
By Chris Gray
Songs to Remember #GamerGate By
By Jef With One F
I Want My Man to Prove He's Divorced. Help!
By Willie D
The 10 Most Quintessential Old Jazz Songs
By Angelica Leicht
Live: Willie Nelson at House of Blues
Six Types of People You Might Meet at a Guitar...
By Chris Lane
We're Doing the Funky Chicken All Right
By William Michael Smith
New Houston Rap: Le$'s Steak X Shrimp, etc.
By Brando
Let's Meet Our Artopia 2015 Bands
Live: Method Man & Redman at House of Blues
By Nathan Smith


text:
The fifth game in the Assassin's Creed series (depending on how you want to count), Assassin's Creed: Unity is perhaps one of the most demanding games to ever hit the PC. It has also had a rather bumpy start, though some of that may be due to people expecting their system to handle the game without turning down a few of the graphics options. Can your GPU handle Unity, or does it need a few judicious upgrades first – or maybe just a couple more patches to the game – that's what we're here to find out.
GeForce 7800 GT: XFX Overclocked
The first in a series of vendor 7800 GT reviews, we'll take a closer look at how the 7800 GT compares to the 7800 GTX. Does the XFX...34 by Josh Venning on 8/30/2005
September GPU Tidbits: SLI, Master Cards and X800
We have a few random tidbits that don't particularly belong anywhere else on the site, so we decided to publish them in a nice little summary of what we...17 by Kristopher Kubicki on 8/26/2005
ATI's Daily Roadmap Shuffle: Another X800 Part on the Horizon
So who wants another card with performance just below an X800XL?16 by Kristopher Kubicki on 8/25/2005
ATI R5xxx Roadmap Inside: Value First
ATI's production problems and supply demand for XBOX 360 have prompted the company to lead their R5xxx launch with RV515; their successor to the X300. ATI's midrange will...38 by Kristopher Kubicki & Vinney Shimpi on 8/16/2005
Vendor Cards: XFX GeForce 7800 GTX Overclocked
The next in our 7800 GTX graphics card series, this XFX GeForce 7800 GTX has an impressive factory-overclock. Let's see how it stands up to the competition.25 by Josh Venning on 8/16/2005
Catalyst 5.7 Drivers: Memory Limited Performance Improvements
ATI implements HyperMemory with their latest Catalyst driver. Just how does this new edition affect performance?23 by Josh Venning on 8/13/2005
NVIDIA GeForce 7800 GT: Rounding Out The High End
Today, the 7800 GT hits the streets. More powerful than the 6800 Ultra at just about the same prices, the 7800 GT offers quite a punch for the money.77 by Derek Wilson & Josh Venning on 8/11/2005
GeForce 7800GTX: EVGA's KO Edition
We had the chance to play with EVGA's latest 7800GTX this week. With default clock speeds of 490MHz and 1.3GHz (core/mem), this lifetime warrantied card is sure to please.34 by Josh Venning on 8/9/2005
Vendor Cards: BFG GeForce 7800GTX OC
Continuing our GeForce 7800GTX graphics card series, we look at BFG's solution this week. With a factory overclock and a t-shirt, many are interested in this part. Let's see...20 by Derek Wilson & Josh Venning on 8/4/2005
Vendor Cards: MSI NX7800GTX
The second in a series of vendor 7800 GTX reviews, we're looking at the MSI NX7800 GTX. How does this card measure up to the EVGA e-GeForce 7800 GTX?42 by Derek Wilson & Josh Venning on 7/24/2005
AnandTech Exclusive: CrossFire Benchmarks Revealed
CrossFire is still in development at ATI, but Gigabyte was kind enough to lend us a test system with a functional CrossFire master card.65 by Derek Wilson on 7/22/2005
Vendor Cards: EVGA e-GeForce 7800 GTX
First, in a series of vendor 7800 GTX reviews, we bring you the EVGA e-GeForce 7800 GTX. With a default overclock, does this card have what it takes to...26 by Derek Wilson & Josh Venning on 7/16/2005
Battlefield 2 GPU Performance Analysis
UPDATED... With the release of another current generation graphics engine, we investigate graphics performance over multiple classes of cards.78 by Derek Wilson on 7/7/2005
Microsoft's Xbox 360, Sony's PS3 - A Hardware Discussion
We look at both of the recently announced consoles and do our best to separate fact from fiction.91 by Anand Lal Shimpi & Derek Wilson on 6/24/2005
NVIDIA's GeForce 7800 GTX Hits The Ground Running
Today marks the release of NVIDIA's latest graphics solution. Is it simply a rework, or is there some real power under the hood?127 by Derek Wilson on 6/22/2005
NVIDIA Announces 16x AA For SLI
In response to ATI's CrossFire, NVIDIA is introducing 16xAA for SLI in a driver soon to be released.18 by Derek Wilson on 6/9/2005
ATI's Next Three Months Of Catalyst
ATI is revealing information about the upcoming features and performance of their next 3 driver releases. Catalyst 5.6, 5.7 and 5.8 look to polish up ATI's software offering.30 by Derek Wilson on 6/9/2005
ATI Mobility Radeon X800 XT: More Pipes in Notebooks
ATI is introducing a 16 pipe version of its M28 graphics processor. This part should be just as powerful as ATI's high end desktop parts. We take a look...41 by Derek Wilson on 6/6/2005
ATI's Multi-GPU Solution: CrossFire
ATI antes up with its own flavor of multi-card gaming. Competing with NVIDIA's SLI technology, CrossFire brings a couple of new ideas to the table.56 by Anand Lal Shimpi & Derek Wilson on 5/30/2005
Integrated Graphics: Xpress 200 vs. GMA 950
Having already looked at budget discrete solutions, we break out our integrated solutions to see how the latest on-board technology holds up.30 by Derek Wilson on 5/26/2005


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You are here: Home > Holiday
Events: Holiday
← Previous 1 … 3 4 5
Wednesday Walk-Around, a Guided Tour of Blithewold
Docents tell the story of the Van Wickle/McKee family, the original owners of this beautiful seaside garden estate.... View Event »
Wentworth Illumination
Wentworth's "Illumination" makes a festive occasion of lighting up the grand Victorian hotel, symbolizing the beginning of the... View Event »
White Mountains: Home for the Holidays! Mountain Garden Club's Holiday Sale
A favorite holiday event in Mount Washington Valley is the Mountain Garden Club's Holiday Boutique. Hand-crafted items of... View Event »
You're Invited! An Evening of Holiday Food and Drink
A night you will not want to miss! Russ Morin, owner of Russell Morin Fine Catering, brings one... View Event »
← Previous 1 … 4 5


text:
Weather Links
Humidity 86%
Winds 0.0mph
Sponsored by: Arceneaux Ford
Humidity 86%
Winds 0.0mph
Nov 17, 2011 7:23 AM by Release
Shortly after midnight, a St. Martin Parish Sheriff's Deputy while performing routine patrol at Lake Martin discovered the body of a deceased elderly woman. The woman has been identified as Jessie Messex, 83, of Breaux Bridge.
Her cause of death remains under investigation. We will have more on this story as it develops.
11 hours ago


text:
I need to use google analytics on a domain that has many subdomains, but they should all be inside the main domain.
Like this:
my website: a.com
subs: x.a.com, y.a.com, z.a.com
he is coming from: google.com
Lets say the users starts at x.a.com, then he clicks something and goes to y.a.com, and finally, he ends up buying something at z.a.com.
I would like to know, if I will be able to know that he came from google, so we can mesure where to put our money on.


text:
Are you interested in starting another source of income? This Business Opportunity has the flexibility to work around your family - newGladstone, QLD
ll walks of life from CEO's, Administration, Cleaning, Mining, retail, sales, trades and services, etc you too can achieve success with this Business Opportunity. Take control of...from Adzuna - 1 day agoclose [ x ]
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for all meals, maintain and clean galley, cleaning of cabins, bathrooms , all housekeeping service of cabins. You will be "sea hardy" and yet be able to provide friendly and...from Gumtree - 30+ days agoclose [ x ] Similar Searches:Sales and Food PreparationGladstone, QLD
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igh quality plate display Performing general cleaning duties Experience and skills required: Must be a Fully Qualified Chef Must have Food and Wine Knowledge What you need for...from oneshift - 30+ days agoclose [ x ]
After School Care CoordinatorAcquire Careers - Gladstone, QLD
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en to keep them active and engaged • Maintaining a clean, safe and hygienic environment for out of school care programs • Managing and training staff for all programs and tasks...from recruit.net - 30+ days agoRecent Job Searches


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text:
Latest News Update on railway
Related News Results:
Prabhu, Birender file RS nominations from Haryana
Chandigarh, Nov 25 : Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu and Union Rural Development Minister Birender Singh Tuesday filed their nominations for the two Rajya Sabha seats from Haryana.
Powerful bomb found in Assam train
Guwahati, Nov 24 : A powerful bomb was found in the compartment of a local train at a railway station near Guwahati Monday, a day after a blast killed two people and injured over 25 others in Dibrugarh, police said.
Prabhu, Birender to file Rajya Sabha nominations from Haryana Tuesday
Chandigarh, Nov 24 : Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu and union Rural Development Minister Birender Singh will file their nominations for the two Rajya Sabha seats from Haryana Tuesday.
Railways seeks French collaboration
New Delhi, Nov 24 : Indian Railways Monday said they were looking forward to collaborate with French companies in the field of safety, customer service and high-speed train services.
Bomb found in Assam train
Guwahati, Nov 24 : A powerful bomb was found in the compartment of a local train at a railway station near Guwahati Monday, a day after a powerful blast killed two people and injured over 25 others in Dibrugarh, police said.
Railways to get policy for development issues
New Delhi, Nov 21 : The Indian Railways will ready a road map and a guiding policy in the next two-and-half months on development-related issues during the next 10-15 years, Minister of State for Railways Manoj Sinha said Friday.
Kidnapped Delhi boy rescued from Jharkhand, two held
New Delhi, Nov 21 : An 11-year-old boy, kidnapped from Delhi, was rescued from a railway station in Jharkhand and two people were arrested with the help of the Railway Protection Force (RPF), police said Friday.
Cabinet approves signing of Saarc Regional Railways Agreement
New Delhi, Nov 20 : The cabinet Thursday approved the signing and ratification of the Saarc Regional Railways Agreement by India, as a member state of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation which will enable better connectivity in the region, an official statement said here.
Show material used in passenger coach interiors, SC tells railways
New Delhi, Nov 18 : The Supreme Court Tuesday asked Indian Railways to place before it the material used for furnishing the interiors of railway coaches so that it could get it tested by labs to ascertain its quality.
Rajnath makes surprise inspection in Delhi
New Delhi, Nov 18 : Home Minister Rajnath Singh Tuesday made a surprise inspection of various locations in the national capital, including the New Delhi railway station and a police station, and asked people and government officials about issues like cleanliness.
Toilets at railways stations are the dirtiest: Survey
New Delhi, Nov 18 : Close to 90 percent Indian travellers feel that railway stations across the country have the dirtiest toilets and need major improvement, a survey ahead of World Toilet Day has revealed.
'Swachh Bharat Abhiyan': Rajnath Singh pays surprise visit to NDLS, ...
New Delhi, Nov. 18 : Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh made unannounced visits at New Delhi Railway Station and Paharganj Police Station today so as to check on whether the public spaces were clean.
Railways awaiting recommendations of Debroy Committee
New Delhi, Nov 18 : Indian Railways Tuesday said they are waiting for the recommendations of the Bibek Debroy Committee on mobilisation of resources and restructuring.
MH17 fragments loaded onto railway wagons
The Hague, Nov 17 (IANS/TASS) Fragments of the crashed Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 have been partially loaded onto railway wagons in the Ukrainian town of Torez, the Dutch government has said.
Two-year old found on railway track in Varanasi lies unidentified in ...
Varanasi, Nov. 16 : An unidentified two-year old boy, who was found severely injured on Mughalsarai junction's Jeevanpur railway track in Varanasi on Wednesday, is undergoing treatment in the city's Kabir Chaura hospital.
Chintan wins Deutsche Bank Urban Age Award
New Delhi, Nov 15 : Chintan, a non-government organisation working with waste pickers, was conferred the Deutsche Bank Urban Age Award, 2014, for cleaning the New Delhi railway station, a statement said Saturday.
DMRC's Sreedharan appointed to head Railways' committee
New Delhi, Nov 14 : Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu Friday appointed former managing director of Delhi Metro Rail Cooperation (DMRC) E. Sreedharan as a one-man committee to suggest proper procedures for accountability in all tendering processes which will be dealt at the operating levels.
Manohar Parrikar takes charge as Defence Minister
New Delhi, Nov. 10 : Former Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar on Monday took charge as the Union Defence Minister in the national capital. "I would like to thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi for showing confidence in me and giving me such an important and sensitive ministry. I know that Arun ...
Mahendra Singh Dhoni rested for first Test against Australia; Rahul, ...
Mumbai, Nov 10 : Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been rested for the first match of the four-Test series starting Dec 4 against Australia while Karnataka opening batsman K.L. Rahul and Railways leg-spinner Karn Sharma received call-ups to the 19-member squad announced Monday.
Suresh Prabhu takes charge of Railways
New Delhi, Nov 10 : Suresh Prabhu Monday took charge as the new railway minister, replacing D.V. Sadanand Gowda.
Gold smuggling racket busted in Guwahati
Guwahati, Nov 10 : The Government Railway Police (GRP) Monday arrested three youths at the Guwahati Railway Station and recovered about 9.5 kg of gold from their possession.
'Will usher transformational changes in Railways': Suresh Prabhu
New Delhi, Nov. 10 : Newly inducted Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu on Monday stated that he will work towards bringing a much needed transformational change in his ministry in the next three-years.
PM Modi's Cabinet: Manohar Parikkar new Defence Minister, Suresh ...
New Delhi, Nov. 10 : Former Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar is the new Defence Minister and former NDA minister Suresh Prabhu will now head the Railway Ministry, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi led NDA government carried out the first cabinet expansion on Sunday.
Verdict in L.N. Mishra murder case deferred to Dec 8
New Delhi, Nov 10 : A court here Monday fixed Dec 8 for delivering its verdict in the 39-year-old case of murder of the then railway minister Lalit Narayan Mishra.
In cabinet rejig, Jaitley gets I&B, Gowda loses railways and ...
New Delhi, Nov 10 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi left the portfolios of Rajnath Singh, Sushma Swaraj and M. Venkaiah Naidu untouched among the top few important ministers, while he re-juggled the portfolios of most others and distributed their extra ministries to newcomers, with Arun Jaitley being ...
Parrikar new defence minister, Prabhu gets railways
New Delhi, Nov 10 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday effected a reshuffle of some ministries and allocated portfolios to 21 new ministers, giving defence to Manohar Parrikar, railways to Suresh Prabhu, information and broadcasting to Arun Jaitley and moving Harsh Vardhan from health to science ...
Parrikar new defence minister, Prabhu gets railways
New Delhi, Nov 9 : Manohar Parrikar will be India's new defence minister, while Suresh Prabhu has been given the charge of the railways ministry, an Rashtrapati Bhavan statement said Sunday.
Verdict in Lalit Narayan Mishra murder case Nov 10
New Delhi, Nov 9 : A court here will Monday deliver its verdict in 39-year-old murder case of then railway minister Lalit Narayan Mishra.
PM recalls childhood memories of trains, railways stations
Varanasi, Nov.8 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who stayed at the Diesel Locomotive Works (DLW) guest house during his two-day visit to his parliamentary constituency Varanasi, on Saturday said that the stay in the DLW guest house brought back memories of his childhood, when he had been closely ...
PM Modi reviews connectivity-related infrastructure sectors
New Delhi, Nov. 5 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday chaired a high-level meeting, where he reviewed the progress of work towards achievement of targets in the connectivity-related infrastructure sectors of roads, railways, shipping and civil aviation.


text:
Revenge of the Sith (US - DVD R1)
We have early details on the 3rd of the latest Star Wars prequels
Starring: Ewan McGreggor
Released: 1st November 2005
Further Details
Lucasfilm has today officially announced Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith which stars Ewan McGreggor and Hayden Christensen. The film will arrive in seperate widescreen and full screen editions from the 1st November this year, with each setting you back around $27.95. Both will carry an English Dolby Digital 5.1 EX track. Extras will include an audio commentary, a brand-new full-length documentary produced by Lucasfilm Ltd, two new featurettes on the prophecy of Anakin Skywalker, and the movie's amazing stunts, a 15-part collection of Lucasfilm's groundbreaking web documentary series, and a two-level playable demo of Star Wars Battlefront II. Completing the package will be some deleted scenes and trailers. We've attached the official package artwork below, along with a couple of screen shots from one of the new deleted scenes which chronicles the birth of the Rebel Alliance. Further details will follow.
Revenge of the Sith: Artwork
Revenge of the Sith: Disc One Menus
Revenge of the Sith: Deleted Scene
News by Tom Woodward
Follow our updates
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text:
Sunday Night: Isolated showers with temperatures holding steady in the lower to mid 50s. Winds from the southeast ... More...
New Future for The Enterprise Center in Motion
Tuesday morning, Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke, in partnership with Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger, announced The Enterprise Center (TEC) will shift their mission and structure to focus on growing Chattanooga's innovation economy and addressing issues like access to technology for all citizens.
The announcement follows a report sent to Mayor Berke last week from the Chattanooga Forward task force recommending the "creation of an entity to explore creative strategies to utilize the community's technological assets such as the high speed gigabit infrastructure."
"As Chattanooga is becoming a leader in the innovation century, we must capitalize on the momentum of the Gig and our city's entrepreneurial spirit," said Mayor Andy Berke. "The Enterprise Center has carried out its vision since 2002, building lasting partnerships with research and technology leaders throughout the region. With this refocus in mission and direction, TEC can now meld its strong history of collaboration with the future of technology and innovation in our community."
"The Enterprise Center has executed great projects in our community in the past. This is a great opportunity for us to revisit the mission of the organization and form new partnerships to help small businesses leverage technology to grow jobs in Hamilton County," said Mayor Jim Coppinger.
In 2002, The Enterprise Center was created to lead technology-based economic development initiatives and to identify opportunities to coordinate transfer technology with the region's research and technology partners including Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Y-12 National Security Complex.
"It has been my great pleasure to be a part of TEC's great work," said Wayne Cropp, President of The Enterprise Center, who will move into a transitional role over the next few months. "Now, the Center is positioned to take on a new role as the hub for connecting the gigabyte as an economic development catalyst. While this approach is more narrowly focused on leveraging our digital assets and building our entrepreneurial community, it builds on the accomplishments of the past decade."
TEC programs related to Renewal Community programs between 2002 and 2009 resulted in hundreds of jobs and over $50 million in total monetary impact in the region. TEC efforts helped spur development in the Main Street, Northshore and South Broad Street areas.
"I am pleased that Mayor Berke sees TEC as the place to pull together the creative and innovative talent in our community to make the Gig come alive. It is a recognition of the mission of TEC to be a catalyst for change," said Jim Sattler, Chairman of the Board for The Enterprise Center.
As part of their revitalization program, TEC developed extensive experience in brownfield initiatives aimed at remediation and reuse. Eight clean-up projects have been completed with over 100 acres being made available for redevelopment.
TEC also worked to facilitate the planning of potential high speed rail connecting Atlanta-Chattanooga-Nashville. Cropp will ensure that these projects are successfully completed or transitioned to other entities before new leadership is appointed in the coming weeks.
"As a past board chair of The Enterprise Center, the decision by Mayor Berke continues a critical partnership between the city and TEC. We were created to be a coordinator for technology and Mayor Berke's approach to innovation rejuvenates our mission," said Jim Hall, former chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board.
A team has been named to guide the transition of TEC over the coming months, including selecting new board members and a president for the organization. The transition group will work with stakeholders to review TEC bylaws, structure, strategic plan, and projects to ensure a smooth transition.
"We envision this will be a short process, so that a newly focused Enterprise Center can hit the ground running and capitalize on all the opportunity for the gig and the potential for Chattanooga in the innovation economy" said Sydney Crisp, Unum's Vice President for Global IT Infrastructure and Risk Management, who also serves as a member of TEC's transition team.
The TEC transition team includes:
-- Kristina Montague, The Jump Fund
-- Ted Alling, Lamp Post Group
-- Ken Hays, Kinsey, Probasco & Hays
-- David Belitz, Chattanooga Renaissance Fund
-- Sydney Crisp, Unum
-- Sarah Morgan, Benwood Foundation
More Business News
Last Update on November 21, 2014 18:31 GMT
BEIJING (AP) -- China's central bank unexpectedly slashed interest rates on Friday to re-energize the world's No. 2 economy, joining a growing list of major economies that are trying to encourage growth in the face of a global slowdown.
On top of the rate cut, Chinese authorities promised to inject credit into the financial system if needed.
The People's Bank of China said it is trying to address "financing difficulties" caused by a shortage of credit. It also said the move was not a change in monetary policy and economic conditions are within an "appropriate range."
China's economic growth fell to a five-year low of 7.3 percent in the latest quarter and manufacturing and other indicators are declining. That has prompted suggestions Beijing might intervene to prop up growth.
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) -- European Central Bank head Mario Draghi says the chief monetary authority for the eurozone is willing to "step up the pressure" and broaden its stimulus efforts to help the struggling economy.
Draghi said Friday at a banking congress in Frankfurt, Germany that if current efforts do not achieve the desired effect the ECB could "broaden even more the channels through which we intervene."
The ECB has already lowered its benchmark interest rate to near zero and started purchasing bonds made up of bank loans to companies -- an effort to boost lending and economic activity.
Some economists think the bank could widen the bond purchases to include corporate or government bonds in an effort to pump newly created money into the financial system -- so-called quantitative easing, or QE.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Unemployment rates fell in 34 U.S. states in October, a sign that steady hiring this year has been broadly dispersed through most of the country.
The Labor Department says unemployment rates rose in just 5 states, the fewest since April. Rates were unchanged in 11 states.
Nationwide, employers added 214,000 jobs in October, the ninth straight month of gains above 200,000. That's the longest such stretch since 1995. The U.S. unemployment rate fell to 5.8 percent, a six-year low, from 5.9 percent. Steady economic growth has prompted more companies to add jobs, though the additional hiring hasn't yet boosted wages.
Georgia had the highest unemployment rate, at 7.7 percent, though that was down from 7.9 percent in September. North Dakota continued to have the lowest rate, at 2.8 percent.
DETROIT (AP) -- Toyota is recalling nearly 423,000 Lexus luxury brand cars in the U.S. to fix fuel leaks that can cause fires.
The recalls affect the 2006 to 2011 GS, 2007 to 2010 LS and the 2006 to 2011 IS models.
Toyota says the cars' fuel lines have nickel phosphate plating to protect against corrosion. Some lines could have been built with particles coming in contact with a gasket. That can cause the sealing property to deteriorate and cause fuel leaks.
Toyota says it's not aware of any fires or injuries caused by the problem. The company found it after getting complaints of fuel odors.
Dealers will repair the gasket seating surface at no cost to owners.
Some of the Lexuses were recalled in 2009 to fix leaks in aluminum fuel pipes.
TOKYO (AP) -- Japan's transport ministry has told air bag maker Takata to conduct an internal investigation after cases of its air bags exploding triggered safety concerns in the U.S. and other countries.
Transport Minister Akihiro Ohta said Friday that the ministry ordered Takata Corp. to conduct its own investigation into the air bags and report back. The ministry's direct instruction to an auto parts maker is considered rare.
The ministry also ordered Takata and Japanese automakers to study whether additional recalls are needed at home following a U.S. decision to expand recalls nationwide from an earlier measure limited to high-humidity zones.
Takata air bags can inflate with excessive force, sending metal shrapnel toward the driver and passengers. The problems have caused six deaths and dozens of injuries.
DEARBORN, Mich. (AP) -- Ford says its new aluminum-bodied F-150 pickup will get up to 26 mpg on the highway, making it the most fuel efficient gas-powered full-size pickup.
The Ram truck is the current leader among pickups, getting up to 25 mpg on the highway with a gas engine.
Fuel economy is a key data point for the new F-150, which is arriving at dealerships this week. Ford shaved 700 pounds off the weight of the truck by switching the body from steel to lightweight aluminum, a dramatic change for the best-selling vehicle in the U.S.
The F-150 will get 26 mpg on the highway with a 2.7-liter EcoBoost engine, which is a $495 option. That is 13 percent better than the outgoing truck's 23 mpg.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Obama administration is delaying a decision on whether to reduce the amount of ethanol in the nation's fuel supply.
Last year the Environmental Protection Agency proposed to reduce the amount of ethanol in fuel for the first time. The decision angered corn growers and ethanol companies who have since lobbied the government to reverse the decision.
The EPA said Friday it expects to make a final decision next year.
The ethanol targets are required by a 2007 law that tried to address global warming, reduce dependence on foreign oil and boost the rural economy by requiring oil companies to blend billions of gallons of biofuels into gasoline annually.
Lawmakers did not anticipate fuel economy would improve as much as it has in recent years, reducing overall demand for gasoline.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The White House says President Barack Obama's immigration executive actions would boost the economy by expanding the U.S. labor force and increasing worker productivity. It says average wages would rise over a 10 year period, a claim that Obama critics and even some labor allies dispute.
The report by Obama's Council of Economic Advisers estimates the administrative actions would increase the gross domestic product by $90 billion, or 0.4 percent, over 10 years. It says wages for native workers will rise by 0.3 percent by 2024
The report aims to counter critics such as Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama, the top Republican on the Senate Budget Committee, who say the executive measures would reduce wages and cost American workers' jobs. AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka also says Obama's moves to provide access to temporary visas could suppress wages in the tech sector.
Obama's actions could spare nearly 5 million immigrants illegally in the U.S. from deportation and make them eligible for work permits.
NEW YORK (AP) -- Online streaming service Aereo says that it has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, saying an unfavorable ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court was too difficult to overcome.
In June, the Supreme Court ruled that Aereo operates much like a cable TV company. As a result, the court said the service violates copyright law unless Aereo pays broadcasters licensing fees for offering TV station programs to customers' tablets, phones and other gadgets.
CEO Chet Kanojia said in a statement Friday on the company's website that the Supreme Court decision "effectively changed the laws that had governed Aereo's technology, creating regulatory and legal uncertainty."
Kanojia said that the Chapter 11 filing will allow Aereo Inc. to maximize the value of its business while avoiding the cost and distraction of litigation.
PARIS (AP) -- HSBC says it has been placed under formal investigation in France over services it offered to clients required to pay taxes in France.
In a statement Friday, Switzerland-based HSBC Private Bank said French investigators demanded a 50 million euro ($62 million) bond.
France's government is increasingly cracking down on tax dodgers, including establishing an office dedicated solely to investigating financial crimes.
HSBC said the investigation involves the bank's actions from 2006-2007.
MOSCOW (AP) -- Russia's foreign minister says there should be no intervention in global energy production, even as the country's economy takes a hit from rapidly falling oil prices.
After a meeting with his Saudi counterpart in Moscow, Sergei Lavrov said both Russia and Saudi Arabia did not want oil production targets to be affected by "political or geopolitical designs."
The theory that the United States has manipulated global oil production to bring down prices is a popular theme on state-owned television in Russia, where the economy and state budget are heavily dependent on oil exports.
Also on Monday, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak told Russian news agencies that the government was reviewing the possibility of lowering oil production, but still wasn't sure whether such a move would be feasible.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- A drilling company says a worker killed in an offshore explosion was cleaning a piece of equipment during routine maintenance at its oil-and-gas platform in the Gulf of Mexico.
Houston-based Fieldwood Energy LLC says another worker suffered "visible injury" and two other workers reported ringing in their ears. The company says the three injured workers have been released from the hospital.
Fieldwood says the worker who was killed Thursday was cleaning a piece of equipment that separates oil from water liquids when an "isolated pressure event" occurred. The company says the victim was employed by the Louisiana company Turnkey Cleaning Services, which specializes in cleaning offshore facilities.
The explosion happened on the Echo Platform, which is about 12 miles offshore near the mouth of the Mississippi River.
NEW YORK (AP) -- Dow Chemical Co. says it will add four new members to its board of directors after pressure from hedge fund activist Daniel Loeb's Third Point.
Shares of the specialty chemicals maker rose 2.6 percent to $52.82 in morning trading Friday.
The new additions are Mark Loughridge, Raymond Milchovich, Robert Miller, who will join the board in January. Richard Davis will join in May.
Dow has also agreed to include the group in its nominees for election at the 2015 annual meeting nominate.
In January, Third Point disclosed that it bought a stake in Dow, but did not disclose how many shares it bought. Third Point says Dow is its biggest investment.
As recently as last week, Third Point published a website and video pushing Dow to shake up its board and increase shareholder value.
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