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Or – "Swan Song, Anyone?"
So. I'm back. Those of you who listen to the podcast may have heard my oblique references to having a swollen arm and generally whining about something or other. The clinical diagnosis is "tendonitis," which means that my left arm swells, and throbs, and basically makes life miserable, and fine motor work (like, say, typing?) has a tendency to cause agony. I'm mostly over this bout, thanks for asking, just in time to go on a bravado run of reviewing unmatched by any man, woman, or energy being in a tiny scale model spaceship in recent memory. Provided, of course, that I manage my pain. In any case, my return to active duty coincides (in a general sense) with the end of Brubaker, Fraction and Aja's run on Immortal Iron Fist. Danny Rand has been through the fire over the last year and a half, and now he's ready to change his life for the better. The problem is fate, as always, has a surprise or two up her sleeve for our Daniel Rand-Kai…
Previously on Immortal Iron Fist: With the help of his hetero lifemate Luke Cage, his on-again, off-again girlfriend Misty Knight, HER hetero lifemate Colleen Wing, and a few friends in low places, Iron Fist has not only defended his adopted home of K'un Lun from the machinations of outsiders, but from it's own ruler, Yu-Ti, the August Personage In Jade. In so doing, he has also brought the other six legendary immortal weapons to Earth with him, finally come to terms with the life of his predecssor, Orson Randall, united the women of K'un Lun into an army, placed his former sensei, Lei Kung the Thunderer in power, defeated the forces of Hydra, and punched out a bullet train. Not a bad afternoon's work, all told. Now, having overcome the greatest odds of his life, Danny's focus now is rebuilding his life on Earth, as complicated as it is…
We start with Daniel in the dojo, surrounded by students, preparing to show them some real martial arts. "What are you waiting for? Your mommy need to sign a permission slip?" he goads, and nearly a dozen warriors attack as one, overwhelming the Iron Fist with kicks and punches. He defends himself against their attacks, blocking each strike, impressed with the warriors' form. The funny reveal comes when we see that he's teaching a class full of eight to twelve year old kids. Danny has converted a Rand warehouse into a dojo/after-school center, providing tutors, and even an afternoon meal for underpriveleged kids. "Thirty million-some hungry kids in this country. Although the government doesn't call it 'hungry.' The government calls it being 'food insecure.'" Danny overcomes this by making sure that every kid eats, every kid trains, every kid studies.Â
Later that afternoon, he visits another Rand site, musing over how hard it is to deal with the changes he's been making at Rand International… "Namely, gutting it and shutting it down… The Randall fortune was rooted in the blood and oppression of the people of not just K'un Lun, but of all of the Capital Cities of Heaven… So I'm giving it away." Danny is surprised when Jeryn Hogarth, his number one money guy rrives, and tells him that it's over. "I need to go," Jeryn explains, and Danny tells him that he was the heart and soul of R.I. Jeryn smiles, and tells him, "No, I wasn't Danny. You were." Jeryn then broaches the subject of Danny's blossoming expense account, and Danny whistles innocently. Jeryn flat out asks if he's bankrolling Luke's Avengers, and Rand prevaricates. "Noooooooo… yeah." Heh.Â
Danny then heads to the secret hidden 13th floor of the Rand tower, where he finds the Prince of Orphans and the other immortal weapons (including Fat Cobra in a tie?) searching through mystic tomes for any clue about the rumored EighthCity of Heaven. He tries to talk to the Bride of Nine Spiders, but she simply hisses "I knoooow what day it iss, Dannielll Rannnd," in a very creepy fashion.  Danny then takes his leave in order to make another meeting, across town, which we don't see… except for the aftermath. Danny and Misty Knight lay in a wrecked bed, both obviously exhausted, Misty drinking an entire bottle of water in one swallow. "I would actually KILL a guy for fig newtons and some orange juice," Danny gasps. Heh. Danny and Misty discuss their relationship, whether they're a couple or what, and Misty gravely judges, "We're complicated." Danny tells her he's tired of complicated, and suggests they be something more, and Misty agrees to think about it.Â
Later that evening, we find Mr. Rand in a cab with Luke Cage, taking his longtime pal to a secret destination… Times Square. "Why is your logo on top of our old Heroes for Hire office?" asks Luke, and Danny explains the whole thing. "I have billions of dollars… BILLIONS, Luke… that I'm gonna spend the rest of my life giving away… Let's see what happens to the world's problems when we throw craploads of money at them." Luke is concerned for Danny's health, noting that his pal is keyed up beyond belief, and hasn't slept in days, and asks him if he even knows what day it is. Something is up there..  Danny blows it off, explaining that they're finally going to do some real good. "I love, y'know, fighting Kang and stuff with you guys… but ask a family that lives under a bridge about Kang, and they just want their kid to eat tonight, y'know?" Luke agrees to help, and Danny then sets off on another mission , delivering coffe and blankets to homeless vets in New York shantytowns, before returning to his home to meditate. As Iron Fist, he is finally grounded, tied to the past by his legacy, the history of the Iron Fists, and delves into the book, realizing to his horror that all the previous Iron Fists died at the age of 33… moments before Luke, Misty and Colleen enter carrying a birthday cake.
Care to guess what the number of candles is? This is a very well done issue, a perfect capstone to this team's run on Iron Fist, taking everything that's happened in the first 15 issues and REALLY using it to change Iron Fist's life in ways both large and small… They've managed, also, to make certain that the next writer has a playing field mostly clear of the rubble of their run (a nice touch) while setting up a couple of big ongoing mysteries to carry the continuity over. Several Gatekeeper regulars have told me that they're using this changeover as an excuse to drop Iron Fist from their pull list, without seeing what the new writer might have in store, and while I love Bru and Fraction's issues, I'm not to that level yet. This book has really, FINALLY, established Daniel Rand as a force in the Marvel Universe, a mover and a shaker, almost Batman level in resources and skillz, and that I appreciate greatly. David Aja's art is as awesome as ever, especially the moment of horror as Danny realizes that he may not have much longer to live… It's the total package, an excellent issue which proves why I'm going to miss this creative squad. It's 4.5 out of 5 stars, only missing perfect by the slimmest of margins (due mostly to my disappointment with Misty's response to his proposal.) Here's hoping that this book stays awesome in the coming months…
9 Comments
I'm dropping it. Listen people, only follow your favorite creators. I can guarantee that Iron Fist will be cancelled 18 months from now if not sooner. Only Bru and Frac knew how to handle the character. Someone who's been tainted by Cable can't possibly measure up.
I only first picked up this book because of Major Spoilers, and I'm really glad I did. I'll certainly stick with it for a bit and hope the new team can live up to the standards of Brubaker and Fraction. (Although I have to say, the change in writer on Atom really seemed to cause a change very much for the worse)
The one (very minor) thing that bugged me about this issue is the comment Jeryn makes about Danny having been "more Gates than Bono" (or something along those lines), implying he used to be very selfish as opposed to philanthropic. I'm guessing Fraction hasn't heard of the Gates Foundation ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gates_foundation )? Which gives away at a bare minimum $1.5 billion every year?
If you only follow your favorite creators how do you get new favorite creators? Does someone tell you a creator is talented and you jump on the bandwagon or what?
I say, read what you want to read, if you are personally entertained by it then keep reading. If it isn't worth the 3 (or 4) bucks then it's time to drop it. Really, it's that simple.
I think Duane Scuarniskaireuisfkdljd… gets a bum rap from Cable. Cable is an editorially driven book (I have no proof, but any book coming out of a crossover usually is. Fun fact: Cable's original series spun out of the events of X-Cutioner's Song, a crossover). The editors tell the writer the plot and the writer basically tries to make something of it.
Duane (I'm not going to try to spell his last name) is a crime fiction writer if I remember correctly. So a more street level book may be his chance to shine.
You had me at Fat Cobra in a tie.
I absolutely loved this issue, as I have loved Bru/Fraction's entire run on this title. As I am very sad to see them go, I'm curious to see how the new creative team handles Daniel Rand and his band of Immortal Weapons.
Give it a chance guys, don't become overbearing fanboys just yet.
Awesome review. I think Bru/Fraction/Aja run has already gone down as a truly new classic run. Seriously, who actually gave a crap about Iron Fist before this series? I thought the best touch of the issue was the silent answer Misty gave to Danny by actually bringing him orange juice and fig newtons. C'mon fellas, isn't that what we all want at the end of the day? A woman who brings us our freakin' oj and fig newtons?? As always, I'm going to be cautiously optimistic and give the new crew a fair chance. I also hope that once the dust settles after Secret Invasion, he continues to have a prominent role in the Avengers books…
As long as we don't suddenly end up with a 17-year-old chick as Iron Fist on the New Warriors or something along those lines, I'll continue to follow the character with interest.
Did anyone else catch that Aja put a Brub and Fraction cameo in a panel when Danny and Luke are in Times' Square? They both have blazers on, but you can see Fraction wearing a shirt underneath that would say "Casanova" and Brubaker's shirt would see "Criminal" if not for the jackets. Nice touch on a final issue for that team.
I hope the new team can keep it going. I feel like they deserve at least one story arc…


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If there's one thing above all other things that we really pride ourselves on here at Makersify, it's our ability to source the most extensive selection of breakout boards at the most competitive prices, to ensure that - whatever project you may have in mind - you can source the right one.
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Along similar lines, we stock the perfect breakout boards for AVR development, Feather, FPGA, mbed, PIC, Propeller and Twinket projects, many of these terms referring to specific types of boards in our extensive Adafruit range.
A selection of the boards that may fulfil your requirements
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Alternatively, your intended project may require the use of an Ultra-Precise Real Time Clock (RTC) module like that of Adafruit, this ChronoDot RTC being based on the DS3231 temperature compensated RTC (TCXO). Unlike the considerable drifting that other RTC solutions can suffer from, the ChronoDot drifts less than a minute per year, making it a highly suitable option for time-critical applications where there isn't the option to regularly synchronise them to an external clock.
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subset: commoncrawl


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I love Danie, but he has a secret. And I being in his presence could get us both killed. I can't just leave him, I love him. How can we keep a normal relationship when we're having our every move watched. But that's the least of our problems.
- Gemini Flank
RomanticTaleLover Oct 18, 2011
To be honest, Still loving it :D and I am liking Gemini and Danie.
aestaetics Feb 13, 2011
@Geminilover101 it is great. kab1232 is a Harry Potter fan so she kinda tied it in her own story with action, fantasy, romance! You know other stuff.


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1. Spidey shoots webbing to Logan's eyes2. Wolverine accidentally pokes his eyes with his claws 3. Spidey lands a clean blow. Knockout.
@mattwing87: You can't take out Spidey from a distance. Spider sense. More like Spidey uses Cap's shield against him. With Bats providing cover fire and distraction, Spidey aces Cap and Wolverine. :)


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"You have got a lot of admirers here," Speaker Somnath Chatterjee observed adding in a lighter vein "we are waiting for your Sidhusim", an apparent reference to Sidhu'sanecdotes and unique style of cricket commentary.
Sidhu wanted to know how tenders were called for the project when Government says it has not yet been approved.
A suprise BJP nominee from Amritsar, Sidhu, who had rushed from Pakistan during the Indo-Pak series for his election campaign, said the prestige of the nation was involved.
He said while this side of the border on the 25 km stretch was full of potholes, once crossing over to Pakistan, there was an impressive six-lane road.
"There is no fruit without the root," was one of Sidhu's one liners. The once dashing opening batsman wanted to know why Amritsar was being ignored.
"I compliment you," Chatterjee told Sidhu on his presentation.
When Sidhu wanted to speak again, the Speaker allowed with a rider "this should not be taken as a precedent. I am allowing because of your sportsmanship."
Adorning a dark suit, Sidhu then went on to recite a couplet.
In his response, Road Transport Minister T R Baalu recalled that he had complimented Sidhu as a cricketer but went on tell the BJP member that he was "100 per centmisinformed" about the status of the project.


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In the last 90 days, 4 listings have been listed, which means new availabilities might be leasing quickly. You'll want to be prepared to tour spaces as quick as possible. About 25% of the available space in the Huntington County are subleases, so you might be able to sign a shorter term by taking over a previous lease. There aren't many listings below 2,000 square feet posted, so finding a space for a small business might be tough.
The standard measurement for office space in this area is around sqft. Most buildings in this region are approximately 1 floors. Most buildings in this market were built in 1974 and are Class Class B.
Trends and status of the commercial real estate market in Huntington County.
Market Report
Real time and historical data on commercial real estate listings in Huntington County.


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Take a look at the below list of Black Sabbath Top 10 Songs and Albums of All Time till 2017 with new and upcoming songs 2017. Black Sabbath is a rock band that hails from Birmingham, England. It was formed by a legendary guitarist (who is also the songwriter) Tonny Iommi together with the primary lyricist who couples as a bassist Geezer Butler. Other members of the band back then included the drummer Bill Ward and Ozzy Osbourne who is a singer. They have since changed the line-up. People have on most occasions cited the Black Sabbath as the trailblazers of old heavy metal music. Their successes in this genre have seen them ranked as the 'Greatest Metal Band' of all time by MTV. Their entertainment career has overseen great commercial success selling more than 70 million records all over the world. These top ten songs have crowned their success in a big way by attracting a lot of fans to their camp.
List of Top 10 songs by Black Sabbath of all time Till 2017
10. 'Dear Father.'
'Dear Father' came in 2013 amid a reunion that saw the band nearly go full circle. Three-quarters of the band were in action but were without the services of the drummer Bill Ward. 'Dear Father' was the last song of the album born out of the reunion. The song had an evil sound with a growling riff. The lyrics were very exceptional in that they were so hard-hitting.
9. 'Children of the Sea.'
The band was revitalized to full strength when they dispensed with Osbourne who had grown increasingly unreliable. Osbourne's reliable surrogate was Ronnie James Dio, a vocalist who previously belonged to the Rainbow. When Dio jumped on the bandwagon, instant results were seen. The musicality was rejuvenated. Dio also took up penning duties. 'Children of the Sea' was evidence of the restoration. It is no wonder that this song has such a great vocal melody on top of quality lyrics.
8. 'Heaven and Hell.'
'Heaven and Hell' was a song from the album 'Heaven and Hell.' The album was the ninth by Black Sabbath. It was the first album in which Dio featured. Dio was also responsible for bass-playing on top of singing. The song has one the greatest riffs by Iommi. The vocal performance of the song is a testament to why Dio is widely regarded as one of the finest vocalists in the history of hard rock.
7. 'Air Dance.'
Towards the end of the '70s, The Sabbath had lost most of their magic spell. They were losing their talent to drug addictions. Their ideas were fast draining. Their final album towards the end of the '70s was messy. This album, 'Never Say Die!' was a messy compilation. The only nice patch on this work was 'Air Dance' which was a beautiful fluid solo by Iommi.
6. 'Fairies Wear Boots.'
This song was the fourth release of the album 'Paranoid.' This song never charted on any top music chart. It is its musicality. However, that secures it in a sweet spot of metal rock. It is introduced by a short piece of playing instruments. The guitars possess a distinct crunch. The sporadic grooving in the song too reminds you that you are listening to the Black Sabbath. It is claimed that 'Fairies Wear Boots' tells of an attack they witnessed being executed by skinheads- a theory Iommi disputes.
5. 'Symptom of the Universe.'
Metal fans revere Iommi very much for his artistry behind the guitar. His fame and popularity can be attributed to not only the solos but also the guitar riffs. The sixth album by the Sabbath, 'Sabotage,' released in 1975 was the last one that had no rival at that time courtesy of the unique skills by Iommi. Of all the shots he had at perfection, 'Symptoms of the Universe' did not disappoint him. Iommi rewards the song with a killer riff. I mean, if you listen to the song and you don't feel like playing an air-guitar, you could be dead already.
4. 'Iron Man.'
Once one gets to decide which songs by Black Sabbath will occupy the top four positions, you are lost for order. It is impossible to determine which one will land which positions. Their career has been epitomized by great hits. 'Iron Man' is one among these great hits. It comes in strong from the album 'Paranoid.' From the teasing grooves to the guitar riffs and the dark lyrics, it is a major hit by all means. This is one of the Black Sabbath Top 10 Songs of All Time till 2017.
3. 'Sabbath Bloody Sabbath.'
This song came in hot from their fifth studio album. In the album, the Black Sabbath stepped out of the undiluted metal territory to produce a diverse content. Here the band used the loud-quiet-loud formula long before credit for this style was claimed by the American alternative rock. Its lyrical power can only be rivaled by few songs in the genre.
2. 'War Pigs.'
'War Pigs' was from the band's second album titled Paranoid. Paranoid is undoubtedly the best album by the Black Sabbath. The title track rose immediately to the singles charts. 'Paranoid,' an anti-war anthem has since stood the test of time to become a testimony of the band's high musical standards. Despite some remnants of their origin in blues-rock, the combination of Iommi's guitar and Buttler's lyrics was able to define the Black Sabbath's early sound. Their lyrics could have sent them to jail had they been under a dictatorial regime when Buttler sang, "Satan isn't a spiritual thing, it's warmongers. That's who the real Satanists are, all these people who are running the banks and the world and trying to get the working class to fight the wars for them." The song was written more than 40 years ago, but the lyrics remain relevant as they address the issues of today and probably those to come in the future.
1. 'Black Sabbath.'
This song was the genesis of all. The popular narrative says that even before they adopted the moniker Black Sabbath they were still doing songs as the blues-rock band Earth. It is said that during this time, people used to flock cinemas to watch horror films. Out of this, the idea of producing scary music was conceived. They set out to chart the way into their future. The guitarist, Iommi, played some Tritons while Butler penned some horror lyrics about the devil. Thus, the Black Sabbath found their identity, and they bore a first born of a new musical genre.
Black Sabbath New Songs 2016-2017
Fans of the Black Sabbath have been looking forward to a new album release. A new album has, however, not been forthcoming. There is good news to this effect, though. The band has been on a celebration of their final tour 'The End.' From this tour, the band will compile four studio songs that have never been heard before. The disk will also feature four live tracks from three shows they did in 2013 and 2014. Check out for these songs in the compilation that you have never heard before.
1. 'Take Me Home.'
2. 'Cry All Night.'
3. 'Season of the Dead.'
4. 'Isolated Man.'
With a piece of work titled as 'The End,' it is a clear indicator that The Black Sabbath are about to hang up their boots. Their fans are delighted that even at the homestretch of the band's career, they are still doing their best to entertain. I quote one of their loyal fans who said, "We wish them well, in their looming retirement and old age. We will surely miss them."


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SAN JOSE, Calif. – Day 2 of Finovate saw a seeming parade of wealth management and investment solutions, but the final one included a new twist — virtual reality. Was it a bit frivolous? Was the use case far-fetched, strained, even bizarre? Could be, but the audience appreciated it anyway simply because differentiation is getting harder to achieve in fintech, which is seeing an influx of new roboadvisors chasing a finite number of clients.
The consumer play is a difficult one for wealth managers, and already well-populated, but the B2B2C play is wide open. An undercurrent at Finovate Spring 2016 was that the time for partnership has seldom looked better from the FI side — startup funding is getting tighter, and customers are still hard to come by. Banks are sitting on customers and funds, and surrounded by an ocean of innovation. Notably absent: insurance. And now for today's startups, followed by our winners:
The day's first demo brought together Finovate elder statesman Yodlee's data aggregation with Envestnet's wealth management service for goal-based investing under the umbrella of the Advisor Now tool. (Envestnet bought Yodlee last fall.) This tool builds on what CEO Anil Arora discussed on last week's earnings call — gaining synergy from the Yodlee and Envestnet lines of business. But when will they settle on a name for this brand? Do we need to hear both Yodlee and Envestnet every time?
Ephesoft extracts meaning from unstructured content, the company says. (This is sort of what life is all about.) Financial services have a lot of unstructured content to deal with, and Ephesoft can help — after all, it also works with the federal government, which has even more. Ephesoft demoed a cloud-based enterprise document capture system for mortgages and mobile onboarding. The company does the familiar document capture for authenticating users and collecting data, and adds analytics on top of it.
Silver6 showed video messaging for customers that changed on the fly with the input of user data. The demo relied on video, which was a bit jarring at first, but then again, video IS the product, so it was a demo, of a sort. The Silver6 engine builds videos out of account data to form video statements. The video somehow "knows" which parts were watched, though it was not clear how.
ThreatMetrix finds bad guys and bad transactions amid all the good ones. The company works in the background to collect over 500 attributes from even a short form or loan application, then informs banks about possible threats. There is information about the device being used, of course, and ThreatMetrix adds data from third parties and external sources and mashes it together to form a visualization of threats. ThreatMetrix was one of a number of companies taking on the digital identity problem — forming a user's digital identity, negatively, in this case. Showing who we are in a secure way online is shaping up to be THE problem of banking and just about everything else. Blockchain? Chatbots? Who will solve this?
BaseVenture demoed a new service for fund managers, offering digital fund management via its fundmanager.io site. A partnership with law firms enables embedded executable documents for rapid approval of contracts and documents. The demo also included an impressive and sophisticated document management system.
DigiByte is a bitcoin competitor said to be faster and more reliable. In essence it is a cryptocurrency play for sharing value in a more bank-friendly way. DigiByte also showed document-signing technology leveraging distributed ledgers to take on Docusign, and a gaming play for microtransactions – you know, for kids. How much is a DigiByte worth?
LendingRobot automates investments in marketplace lending for an average of 9% returns. Why do you need a robot? Because the best loans are funded in seconds, CEO Emmanual Marot said, and you'll miss them. A robot might not. Investors get diversified portfolios assembled by LendingRobot. Users set risk tolerance and LendingRobot builds them a basket of loans. Android and iOS dashboard apps launched a month ago. The platform manages $100 million in assets for 5,000 clients.
CarLinX is, as the name may apply, a card-linked offer platform. Restaurants throw out 30% to 40% of the food they buy due to poor data and lack of forecasting, CEO Silvio Tavares said. CardLinX helps with card-linked offers for that day the restaurant has too many avocadoes. Demoed was a wizard for creating card-linked offers for merchants. Users can create an offer, search for an offer, even request an offer. The service will be sold through banks to business customers.
NUDetect from NUData Security finds out who is visiting your site or app by using behavioral authentication to build digital identities for visitors. By looking at the device, biometrics, and device behavior, it is possible to build these identities. The way users type and so on gives an understanding of the human behind the machine.
ForwardLane offers the ultra-high net worth client experience to the merely mass affluent. The service is a roboadvisory that leverages machine learning to offer relevant advice. Data arrives via – who else? – Xignite. Bonus points were earned for mentioning both roboadvisors and chatbots in the same presentation.
PayActiv offers advances on paychecks – the idea is to take down payday loans. The service can be offered as an employee benefit. Risk is low to PayActiv because the money has been earned. As with Uber's instant cash-out program, PayActiv allows employees to get access to payment for every hour worked. Using a mobile app, the user adds money to her PayActiv account. Each transaction carries a $5 fee. The service also includes a savings tool.
Corezoid is a cloud operating system for banks. In a passionate presentation, Head of Marketing Sergii Danylenko said that card networks will disrupt banking by becoming the backend for merchants, while the front ends are controlled by messaging services and smartphone manufacturers. Banks are reinventing the wheel and duplicating effort, Danylenko said. There should be a uniform process layer on top of Visa and MasterCard APIs. Corezoid wants to be this process layer.
Advisor Software will allow financial managers to create branded robodavisors and build model portfolios. Clients can onboard online and have portfolio and goals built. It was described as a turnkey lead-generation portfolio management tool built within the Compass CRM.
Digital Foresight from NIIT Technologies is a high-value targeting engine that uses predictive analytics and external data to track prospects and wealth managers. Relevant realtime data is provided about prospects, and social media intelligence is also used.
The name blend stands for "better lending" – the company uses tech to take on the next wave of mortgage lending. Blend demoed a step by step mobile mortgage process, including a co-pilot capability so a loan officer can walk borrowers through the process. A log of activity – compared to a Facebook feed – exists for borrowers, lenders, and regulators. The solution can be white-labelled (of course).
PayNuver is a solution for disbursements to avoid sending checks, which can cost $3 per check, or more. The example used was an insurance company which needs to do a payout. The system notifies recipient via SMS or email. Funds can then be put onto virtual cards, or pushed to a bank account via ACH. A batch mode exists for mass payouts. It was unclear if recipients need to set up accounts with the service.
VIX Verify enables the global underbanked to identify themselves to financial institutions. The company demoed its three-step mobile onboarding and authentication process with GreenID: ID card, selfie video, and various third-party data sources.
SwipeStox says that in Europe it has been called the Facebook and Tinder for trading. The stock-trading app opens with a newsfeed that learns what the investor is interested in. They then swipe through trades and film quick Snapchat-like videos explaining why they are doing what they're doing. B2C focuses on social – but the company also does B2B and has a white-label solution.
Malauzai Software showed off a tool for building mobile apps. Local businesses can build mobile wallets powered by their banks. The visual app builder was clean and intuitive. Modular features to publish an app based on their customers were prominent. Also introduced was MOXPay for billpay and P2P payments.
Switch is a card management tool that can update or switch credit cards stored in various sites and apps. With the increasing digitization of finance, users need it to be easy to get cards into apps or sites for use. Additionally, the company demoed a card management report for FIs, to see how its cards are being used vs competitors' offerings.
Fiserv showed off its mobile account opening process, which includes social media links, an Uber link, TouchID, data importing through the smartphone camera, out-of-wallet questions, and a "mascot" to keep the consumer apprised of his stage in the onboarding process. Immediate funds were available through Fiserv's own realtime payments solution.
Auvenir is looking to disrupt the financial audit industry. The system is built to work via mobile. Data is pulled from the web to prepopulate fields. Audited companies can collaborate with their auditors via mobile for document sharing.
Chip Shield is looking to secure EMV cards during online shopping with a hardware card reader. The service also supports virtual cards for one-time use, and can be used for two-factor authentication. "You don't have to take a selfie to use this," CEO David Marsyla said, holding up a card. But would card-present rates be charged for online transactions accomplished with the reader?
Sberbank, Russia's largest bank with 100 million retail customers, announced a messaging system, Sberbank Messenger, that is integrated with a user's mobile banking app. Users can send money, pay bills, and shop, using fingerprint authentication. A number of partner businesses appeared on the site. Businesses listing in the app have a toolbox to select from to build up offerings. Third-party developers can also contribute tools.
Finaeos is a cloud-based ecosystem for raising funds and investing in deals. It includes a social platform for connecting different players in the ecosystem. Investors can find a listing of deals – and entrepreneurs can get funded.
Polly Portfolio delivers your firm's investment expertise to your clients and interviews investors in order to deliver portfolio recommendations. The company uses natural-language processing to deliver human-readable advice. Polly Portfolio wants to be a backend to an advisory firm rather than a standalone roboadvisor.
ShortSave is a way for lenders to help distressed borrowers and to give additional visibility to both. The multichannel process collects additional data and helps servicers modify borrowers' loans to keep them as customers in good standing. Loan modifications for mortgages can take 30 days – ShortSave demoed doing it in moments.
Credit HQ helps small businesses get better control of their cashflow. The service, provided by the bank, gives visibility into companies with which SMBs are doing business. There is also a dashboard for SMB bankers to use to help their clients. The service has gained traction in Europe and is now launching in the U.S.
Comarch demoed a virtual reality investing app. Yes, virtual reality. The VR experience offers a personalized newsroom, meetings with advisors, and portfolio overviews. Comarch "brings 'private' back to private banking" – with a little fun, the company says. The use of virtual reality was absurd, but welcome to the weary crowd.
BrandCrowder offered a platform for investing in franchises, which have outperformed the stock market by 33%. The startup builds curated funds that are offered to investors based on their profiles. Professional investors are also included so users can follow them, or not. Investors do not need to be accredited, though some deals are only available to accredited investors.
Race Data is a database marketing company. Banks use Race Data to inform customer engagement representatives to enrich their knowledge of the customer. The relationship accelerator offered by Race Data can help small banks take on the big guys.
Sezzle is taking on merchant processing by facilitating ACH payments between consumers and customers with Sezzle Pay. It does this by linking bank accounts together, so users must link their account to Sezzle – a challenge. Sezzle's processing fee is 1.5% + $0.15. Consumers get 1% rewards – most consumers use debit cards and get no rewards, CEO Charlie Youakim said.
Today's winners: Silver6, Corezoid, Malauzai, SberbankLike This Post


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BBC GoodFood November 2013
English | 154 pages | PDF | ~135 MB
English | 154 pages | PDF | ~135 MB
BBC GoodFood is UK's first and best-selling food magazine. In 22 years, the magazine has tested, cooked and eaten it's way through 7500 recipies and now has arrived in India, as it's first truly international food magazine. Thoughtfully customised to local taste buds, BBC GoodFood India is here to redefine food in the Indian imagination.
Issue Description:
Good Food India turns 2 with a coup. Our 2nd anniversary special is the mother of all collector's editions. It showcases 25 culinary icons from across the world and their ultimate dishes. Imagine getting exclusive interviews with global giants like Alice Waters, Kylie Kwong, Masaharu Morimoto and Matt Moran as well as Indian legends like Imtiaz Qureshi, Ananda Solomon and Jiggs Kalra all in a single issue. We believed in this impossibly ambitious idea and made it happen. The greats have also given us access to their blockbuster recipes, which we've triple-tested in the Good Food kitchen as always. And how could we forget Diwali? We've put together a host of stylish features for the festive season—Indian mithai with a delicious modern twist (think motichoor mousse and shrikhand red velvet) crackly brittles and a DIY guide to making your own festive hamper. So grab your copy and feast with us. After all, it's your birthday, too.


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- Oregon
- Alabama
- Texas A&M
- Florida State
- Oklahoma
- Baylor
- Auburn
- Ole Miss
- Notre Dame
- West Virginia
- Arizona State
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- Georgia
- Stanford
- Michigan State
- Mississippi State
- Wisconsin
- Missouri
- East Carolina
- Kansas State
- Ohio State
- Oklahoma State
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
College Football Playoff Teams 14.3
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Melissa Coombs
Melissa joined Command Group in September 2015 as a Staff Accountant. She is a Certified Fraud Examiner and is pursuing her CPA designation. Previously, Melissa worked for a CPA firm. She has also previously served as the Business and Operations Manager for a newspaper, a freelance small business consultant, and an office manager. Melissa has a Post-Baccalaureate in Accounting from George Mason University and a BA in History from Virginia Tech.
Staff Accountant,
Command Group


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We have hand-picked quality ingredients to offer you these new responsibly sourced menus. Made from scratch by your chefs and sure to please!
Certified Angus Beef , Springer Mountain Farms ABF Chicken, Plainville Farms ABF Turkey, Butcher's Block Pork and locally sourced Vegetables comprise the base ingredients of these delicious Responsibly Sourced menus.
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Domkirken, Norway
From FamilySearch Wiki
Church Records
The parish registers for the Cathedral church in Bergen included the New church (Nykirken), that was separated in 1622and the border established in 1648, and the Johannes church (Johanneskirken) until 1885. Domkirken Family History Library has microfilmed records, 1663-1932.
Images of the church books are online at Digitalarkivet. 1663-1941
Bergen searchable database christenings 1668-1894, confirmations 1763-1791, marriages 1663-1911, burials 1668-1980.
Cathedral (Domkirken) Church in Bergen.
Return to Norway portal Return to Bergen county


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Carmelo Anthyon reconfirmed he is indeed clutch earlier today with two big shots, check the game winner below. Do you still have hope for the Knicks?
If Melo played like this every night,he would easily be the second best player in the league.Of course,Kobe being the best player.lol
sadly all this hype but at the end of the day Knicks ain't going nowhere. Just being real …..
Steve,Matt has been vocal about Google and general SEO / Webmaster advcie for sometime now. I thought that by sharing these videos it would provide some help and insight for some people, glad our efforts are hitting the mark.Best,Brian J


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Product Spotlight
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Delek Group Sees Mixed Second Quarter Results
The first six months of 2008 keeps CEO confident.
TEL AVIV, Israel – During its second quarter earnings report, Delek Group Ltd. underscored consolidated revenues that increased 42 percent year-over-year reaching NIS 27 billion, while net income reached NIS 50 million.
According to the report, revenues for the second quarter of 2008 increased 35 percent reaching NIS 14.6 billion, compared to NIS 10.8 billion in the same period last year. While net income was driven by strong growth in overseas operations, it was offset by the lower contribution of the U.S. oil refining sector. This, the report noted, resulted from ongoing industry-wide refining margin erosion.
"We continue to show steady growth despite the slowdown in the global economy. Thus far in 2008, our fuel subsidiaries both in Israel and Europe, performed well as a result of the successful fuel retail strategy we have put in place, focusing on convenience stores and capitalizing on economies of scale. In addition, our automotive holdings continued to perform well, with strong growth in sales," Asaf Bartfeld, chief executive officer of Delek Group, said in a statement.
He continued: "However, the ongoing refining margin erosion in the U.S. as well as the weaker financial and real estate sectors offset this strong growth."


text: Big Brother 19 is set to reveal the new cast in about 30 days. New spoilers tease that they may not reveal the cast but give America the chance to vote 16 people of a pool of 30-50 potential houseguests, giving BB19 the ultimate power to decide the cast for the 2017 summer season. The 'BB19' Rumor Started On Reddit According to Daniel on Twitter, the conspiracy theory (which was originally posted on a Reddit) deals with a video of a young attractive girl named Erin, who by all accounts looked exactly like a human Barbie doll. The man videotaping asks Erin to come talk to him on tape, but she refuses. She tells him to "watch Big Brother 19," and he can see her there. The man was obviously shocked and asked her if she was going to be on Big Brother 19. She turns to him and says, "Vote for me." The video led to a host of rumors about Big Brother 19. Assuming Erin was telling the truth about being in the running to be on BB19, she probably won't be on the show now. CBS doesn't allow the cast to talk to anyone about being cast or the casting process. So, by talking to the man on the street, Eric threw away her chances of being on Big Brother. America Votes For The Cast? Twitter believes that Erin could have spoiled a major twist. Is it possible that CBS will gather up a pool of 30-50 potential houseguest and have the Big Brother fans vote for 16 people they think would be good for the show? Just 40 More Days until @CBSBigBrother Premieres! Are you ready?! #BB19 #BBCAN5 pic.twitter.com/RrHWfAxmp7 — TheBBInsider (#BB19) (@TheBBInsider) May 19, 2017 Many Big Brother fans have been upset with the show in recent years. They have expressed their disappointment in the series' casting process. The BB19 fans want to see less recruited and returning players and more people who apply to be on the show. So, this rumored scoop could be interesting a step in the right direction. That's if, it is true, of course. Big Brother 19 Starts Later, Giving Potential Houseguests Time To Campaign? Big Brother 19 starts almost a week later than it usually does, which adds to the speculation that the Reddit rumor may be true. Many suggested that the later start time may be to give the potential houseguest time to campaign to America to pick them. Of course, this is all based on a social media rumor and CBS has not confirmed any of this information. Can't wait #BB19 ????????♥ pic.twitter.com/L62DzOa8bE — J???? (@Jaayliit) April 8, 2017 Previously, Big Brother would start at the end of June, ending around September 19. In the past few years, the show added a week or two to the season. Instead of spending 89 days on the show, the houseguest would spend 99 to 105 days in the house. A Shake-Up Is Needed, According To Julie Chen The Chenbot has said a few times since Big Brother 18 ended last year that the series may need to be revamped as the twist has gotten a little stale in the past few years. One of Julie's suggestions was to force the houseguest to stay awake from 10 am to 11 pm because on the complaints she repeatedly saw on Twitter was that the cast slept all day. Additionally, another idea she had was to give the CBS All Access members more control over the game like in Big Brother: Over The Top. CBS has not revealed any real information about Big Brother 19 other than the semi-finalist were contacted. Big Brother 19 fans, do you think the rumor of America gets to vote for the cast is true? Do you think BB19 will be all new players, all-stars, or a mix of the two? Big Brother 19 returns to CBS June 28 with a two-hour premiere. [Featured Image by Image Group LA/ABC via Getty Images]


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About: East Surrey Hospital / Accident and emergency East Surrey Hospital Accident and emergency RH1 5RH
Posted by lisab (as ),
We visited a&e today sunday after my daughter was thrown off her horse,
We cannot fault the service we received it was absolutely 100% perfect. We were seen very quickly and efficiently and all the staff including the tea lady were delightful, professional, respectful, kind, funny, friendly.
I simply cannot emphasis enough the wonderful care we received. Thank you so much everyone.
Response from Maxine May, Communications Officer, Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust 2 years ago
Dear Lisa
Thank you so much for for taking the time to post your comments. I hope that your daughter is making a good recovery.
We're so pleased to read that you felt your daughter was so well looked after and cared for. A&E is particularly busy at this time of year and it's so good to read such positive feedback. I will make sure that I pass your comments on to the team. I'm sure they will be delighted!
Kind regards
Maxine May
Communications Officer
- {{helpful}} of {{total()}} people think this response is helpful
- Was this response helpful? Yes | No
Thank you for your feedback.
See more responses from Maxine May


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|Product & services pricing
|Chance of future purchase:
|Shipping & packaging:
|Customer service:
|Return/Replacement policy:
Never buy an item form this company while living in USA
"I ordered a pair of squash shoes. The company sent me the wrong size shoe. I tried to contact the company via email through their web site 4 times to get them to correct their error and send me the correct size shoe with ZERO success. They never responded to any of my emails. It would cost me more than I paid for the shoes to resolve the problem in which I REFUSE to do. This company blows in regards to my opinion on customer satisfaction. Do not but anything from this store if you live in America because if they send you something other than what you ordered, it will cost you more than what you paid for it to correct their mistake."
US Customers beware - returns have to be shipped back to England at your cost!! Even though they send you the wrong size!
"I ordered from the US version of their website. There was no indication anywhere that the sizes I selected would be randomly changed into UK sizes, and then a different US size would be sent instead. I ordered Men's Size 8 Crocs. The UK size 8 translates into a US size 8.5, but since Crocs are not made in half-sizes, they sent me a Size 9 instead. Note that Crocs are a US company, so nowhere does it say Size 8 (UK). They are just plain Size 9 Crocs, when I ordered Size 8.
The company offered me a refund if I sent it back to them. What I never imagined is that I would have to ship them back to England. The shipping cost is about the same as the total refund I would be getting, so that is never going to happen. Once again, I ordered from the US website.
I suppose I could also take a plane and fly to England to return them to a store?!"
On going to the Halifax store today Sunday 9th 7 17
"After going to the Halifax store today I was spending £35 pound's I asked the cashier and management if I was able to keep the 3 plastic hangers and was asked to say please.so I said please then she said no and told me we re-use them I said please and then she umilliated me by laughing at me.then I told I would not be spending my £35 pound's with this shop just for the 3 plastic hangers witch would of cost nothing to them I will never go to sports direct again "
Must be second class.
"All shoes I bought from SD have been characterized by short durability. Puma, Nike, Rebook, Adidas and what ever. They have been cheap but of poor quality. Is it possible that the shoes are second sortiment or fake?"
Avoid at all costs
"Ordered clothing. It arrived with security tags still attached (the type you can't get off). They refused to take the items back and send replacements. Had to go to a lot of trouble and spend a lot of time to find a place that would remove the tags. Everyone thought I had stolen the items. Disgusting. Avoid this company at all costs."
Stay away! Absolutely the worst "Customer Service" I have ever dealt with
"I had ordered from the site for four times. The goods came ok but anything afterwards was my absolute the worst experience with online sellers.
So, I will not do the same mistake ever again.
My only advice is to stay away from the seller because they tend to do false marketing (let's call it by its real name: lying) and afterwards, they will just ignore your e-mails.
Specifically, they gave me "the gift voucher" after some amount of money spent. After some time, I have used it or just I thought I did, silly me.
When my credit card invoice came, I found out that they had charged me for the full amount. Nevertheless, they still deducted the amount from the gift voucher.
I did get the replay on my first e-mail, a rude and a very offensive one. My second and the third attempt to ask for their mistake to be corrected, was simply ignored.
So, I admit to be naive and to believe that such a big seller will conduct its business in correct manner.
My bad. Won't happen again.
Do not make the same mistake I have made."
Useless customer service and after sales process
"Very poor online shopping experience. Customer Service (CS) does not exist in this company. If you are placing and order online and if anything goes wrong with the order (even if it's not your fault) - don't even waste your time contacting customer service via email or phone. Without a doubt worst shopping experience I have had over years. Placed an order nearly for £100, only to find out that couple of items I requested were out of stock (even through website was showing them available so not my fault if website was not updated). Hence as a result I wanted to cancel my order to avoid items being shipped to me only for them to be returned back. Tried multiple emails to CS team, no reply. Tried calling them, after over half an hour wait on premium number, finally got to a CS agent who believe it or not didn't even listen to my issue fully and hung up on me and at the ended up the order which I didn't really want and only way is to post them back which will cost me arm and a leg.
So in a nutshell poor very poor experience. Word of advice for others:
- be absolutely sure when you placing order as order amendments will never work in this company,
- even the website shows available, don't have high hopes as their website is not reflecting the actual items whether if they are or aren't in stock,
- Even if sports direct messes the order up from their side, definitely don't hold your breath in getting any sort response form their CS team via email.
- Even if you find their number - don't waste your time and money calling their CS premium number. After waiting for ages in the queue, they have tendency to just dis-connect the call when you are talking to them.
Though can be good bargains on the website - but after-sales and customer service is not even quality of a 3rd/4th/5th or even 6th world retailer. **** poor.
"If I keep posting this someone will eventually deal with my complaint, won't they?
You can't even shame them in to action. They get so much negative feedback that they just ignore it, like water off a duck's back !!
I returned some faulty golf shoes and socks to Sports Direct.
They wouldn't replace them. They said they were out of stock although they're still showing on their website. I presume that it is because the shoes have increased in price since I bought them.
They replaced the part that was paid by a gift voucher with another voucher..
They haven't refunded the balance, which was paid with a Credit Card that I no longer use.
They completely ignore repeated emails about the balance due to me.
I wouldn't deal with them again, you can decide for yourselves
"I ordered at 9.43 am yesterday and paid for next day delivery and I still haven't received my order, Where is it? "
"1 item missing from my parcel. No refund."
(shop in Manchester arndale)
went to the shop in Manchester arndale last week, I felt victimized by a member of staff, in fact not just staff CASUAL STAFF, PART TIME!!1
After walking around the store whispering to different members of staff about me, she then went on to make a formal complaint to the POLICE. Then the manager WHO WAS NOT THERE AT THE TIME told the police they witnessed me threatening her.
I have now been told not to return to that sports direct again: im banned HAHAHA.
What happened to the customer is always right? I honestly recommend you avoid that shop, built on lies and they employ a bunch of immature, non-experienced, uneducated teenagers who know nothing about being a sales assistant.
I felt victimized and intimidated by a member of staff, but im in the wrong?
haha the manager was probably paid to say they witnessed it, that's how faulty the business is.
Also I spend £150-£200 in that specific shop during Christmas time which is only 5 months away but I would rather go elsewhere than go to any sportsdirect again.
I also have £60 worth of love2shop vouchers for sportsdirect, which will be a waste because there going right back, they deserve no money and I hope the business ends soon.
Lost a reliable customer over a teenager? what a joke."
"I went to the Woking branch last Friday to buy a pair of training shoes, picked a pair i likes and tried then on and they fitted, cost was £75. The shoes were black and white in colour and the right shoe was on display. The display shoe was dusty and had a stain on it. I asked the attended if could have a new pair that was not on display but was told that they only keep one size in store and if i wanted it I had to buy that pair. Of course I rejected it. The store/attended/sports direct wanted to sell me what is effectively second hand goods at full price. Not aceptable!!!!!!
I walked over to Milliets opposite found a similar shoe, the attended was very helpful, helped me select the shoe, had a new shoe in the stock, I spent £90. Well worth the money.
"Several weeks ago I brought (x12) items through their online store & when the package arrived one of the more expensive items from inside was missing - in its place was an empty plastic bag which looked to of been damaged by a machine from the factory or warehouse.
I immediately contacted customer support & supplied photo evidence - I was told several days later that they would investigate the matter but I've not heard anything since.
They now ignore all emails & any New customer support tickets go unanswered.
Pure theft & poor customer service - I'll never use Sportsdirect again. "
"I went into the LEEDS Headrow branch amd bought some trainers advertised at £24.99. When the sale was processed and I checked the receipt I was charged £32. When I asked I was told that this was the price so requested a refund as I had already paid using my credit card. I was offered a CREDIT NOTE but NO REFUND. Apparently NO REFUNDS are available at SPORTS DIRECT and only CREDIT NOTES. I complained and spoke to the Manager who said the Company policy was NO REFUNDS! Shoppers beware! "
"I made an order on Thursday (before 7pm as per delivery T&C's) and paid £6 for next day delivery meaning it should have arrived yesterday. It didn't. And the tracking info provided will not let me track the parcel properly. I emailed customer services and asked for a refund of my delivery charge and their response was to tell me that the order is on its way and provide another link to the useless parcel tracker. No mention of a refund and no apology for poor service. At the end of the day they have taken my money for a service they failed to provide. Will not use again.


text:
Ambitious about Autism and TreeHouse School are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. We expect all our staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
Safeguarding and Safety
Adult at Risk Safeguarding and Protection Policy
Adult at Risk Safeguarding and Protection Procedure
Adult at Risk Procedure Flowchart
Child Safeguarding and Protection Policy
Child Safeguarding and Protection Procedure
Child Protection Procedure Flowchart
Keeping children safe DfE Policy
Preventing Extremism and Radicalisation Policy 2015
Pupil Premiums
TreeHouse School Pupil Premium Statement
PE and Sports Premium Statement
Year 7 Literacy and Numeracy Catch-up Premium: TreeHouse pupils do not currently receive this funding.
SEND Report
The SEND Code of Practice 0 – 25 sets out a requirement that all schools publish information on their website about the implementation of the Governing Body's policy for pupils with SEN. The TreeHouse School SEN Information Report is provided below:
Teaching and Learning
Assessment, Reporting and Recording Policy
Equality and Diversity
Equality and Diversity Statement
Behaviour Outcomes report 2016-2017
Behaviour and Discipline Policy
Other Policies
Charging and Remissions Policy
Compliments and Complaints Policy
Compliments and Complaints Policy -- Easy Read
Early Years and Foundation Stage Policy
First Aid and Health Care Policy
Observation of teaching, learning and assessment policy
Other Information
We are able to provide paper copies of the information shown on our website please visit our Contact us pagesto request them.


text:
19 July: Rita Ora hides slender frame after a night out with Chris Martin
Rita Ora made her way out to the concrete jungle New York on July 19, and decided to cover up her assets despite showcasing her incredibly slender physique the day before.
The blonde beauty hid her toned torso underneath an oversized jumper with the words "May the Bridges I Burn Light the Way" emblazoned in red across the garment.
The 25-year-old 'Black Widow' songstress teamed the baggy number with a pair of red heeled sock boots the day after partying with Coldplay's frontman Chris Martin.


text:
From BuzzPo
CHICAGO, Ill. – Following the cancellation of Donald Trump's Friday evening rally, a Black Lives Matter supporter fired guns and made gang signs to '#FeelTheBern.'
The Twitter user known as Jamaal Williams is openly a Black Lives Matter and Bernie Sanders supporter. He recently posted the below tweets to his Twitter account.
I suppose we shouldn't be too surprised. Hopefully the appropriate law enforcement officials can track this gentleman down so he can #FeelTheBern that he desires so badly.


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Swift Transportation has various makes and models of tractors, trailers, and refrigerated equipment for sale or lease at superior values. Our equipment has been serviced and fleet maintained to the highest standard in the industry. Custom leasing contracts are available so you can choose which type of equipment and maintenance is right for your company.
We are a dealer selling directly to the end user eliminating the middleman markup, so you know you're getting a fair price.


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a company is saying applied for a loan on line and now they want their money and i don't remember being approved for a loan over the internet i have applied but never approved or received any money. says they will file lawsuit for bank fraud i never had any money deposited into my account from an online loan company what can i do. i am very disturbed about this can you give me any feed back or should i just wait and see what they are going to do because it told them i really don't know what they are referring to.
The first thing you need to do is a hire a lawyer in your area that is familiar with business litigation and our defense of economic crimes. Depending on the facts and circumstances of your case, if you made any false statements to a federally insured financial institution in connection with any loan, line of credit or account, you could be prosecuted federally pursuant to Title 18, United States Code, Section 1014 - False Statements to a Federlly Insured Financial Institution. Less likely would be a prosection under Title 18, United States Code, Section 1344 - Bank Fraud.
Based on th einformation that you included in your question, it sounds like the financial institution may be at fault, in which case you will need legal advice in order to protect your credit from any potentially negative information. As you point out, unless you actually signed for a loan - and more importantly, received the funds, you should be able to resolve this matter rather quickly. However, like any problem, this will likely not go away on its own and therefore needs to be addressed sooner rather than later.
NOTE: This answer is made available by the out-of-state lawyer for educational purposes only. By using or participating in this site you understand that there is no attorney client privilege between you and the attorney responding. This site should not be used as a substitute for competent legal advice from a licensed professional attorney that practices in the subject practice discipline and with whom you have an attorney client relationship along with all the privileges that relationship provides. The law changes frequently and varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. The information and materials provided are general in nature, and may not apply to a specific factual or legal circumstance described in the question.Ask a similar question
I agree that you need to consult an attorney confidentially and as soon as possible, If you do not have sufficient funds, I would recommend that you contact the Federal Public Defender in Houston.Ask a similar question
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Environment Washington Research and Policy Center Staff
Rob Sargent
Environment Washington
Senior Energy Policy Analyst
(617) 747-4317
Rob Sargent oversees policy and strategy development for Environment Washington's energy-focused campaigns. Previously, he served as the Energy and Legislative Program Director for MASSPIRG. Mr. Sargent is a 1982 graduate of the University of Vermont and joined PIRG staff in 1984 as a canvass director. He has also directed MASSPIRG's Toxics Program, and was the founder and the original director of the Massachusetts Campaign to Cleanup Hazardous Waste, now known as the Toxics Action Center.


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Pizza Hut Original Pan Pizza
Recipe by mollypaul
An easy recipe from a copycat site posted in response to a recipe request. Cooking time is approximate.
Top Review by emberpatch
I have been trying out various pizza dough recipes for years now unable to find the perfect texture and flavor I was looking for. I am so glad I came across this one. It is THE dough recipe I will use from now on. (I haven't made the sauce yet) I made a few slight changes. I heat the oil for the bottom of the pan with a clove of garlic on medium heat until the garlic "fizzes". Then I set it aside to come to room temperature and until the dough is ready to go in the pans. I also always let my yeast mixture sit for longer than stated, anywhere from 10-20 minutes, and I add the salt to the flour.
This dough seems to be very forgiving too. The first 2 times I made this I didn't have powdered milk so I substitued warmed milk for a portion of the water. The 3rd time (this evening), I completely forgot to add the oil to the dough. It came out really dry and I thought that I added too much flour. I ended up adding a few tablespoons of water to the dough until it felt "right". I remembered the oil when it was much too late but it still turned out GREAT! The kids even said that it was the best pizza I have ever made.
The type of pan really makes a difference too. I have an actual Pizza Hut pan that my mother let me have. (she got it from someone that use to work for Pizza Hut 20 years ago) It is a thick, dark deep dish type pan. The pizza omes out perfect. The crust comes out exactly like thiers. Soft on the inside with a thin layer of crispy golden crust. My airbake pizza pans don't come out as well, but they are still really good pizzas.
See Discussion:57 Reviews 1 Tweak
Ingredients Nutrition
- 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon dry oregano
- 1⁄2 teaspoon marjoram
- 1⁄2 teaspoon dry basil
- 1⁄2 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1 1⁄3 cups warm water (105 F)
- 1⁄4 cup non-fat powdered milk
- 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
- 4 cups flour
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 (1/4 ounce) package dry yeast
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (for dough)
- 9 ounces vegetable oil (3 ounces per pan)
- butter-flavored Pam cooking spray
Toppings of your choice
- pepperoni or ham or chopped vegetables or cooked ground sausage or beef
- 16 ounces grated mozzarella cheese
Directions See How It's Made
- Combine sauce ingredients and let sit for 1 hour.
- Put yeast, sugar, salt, and dry milk in a large bowl.
- Add water and stir to mix well.
- Let rest for two minutes.
- Add oil and stir again.
- Add flour and stir until dough forms and flour is absorbed.
- Turn out on to a flat floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes, adding more flour as needed, until elastic and no longer sticky.
- Divide dough into three balls.
- Put 3 ounces of oil in each of three 9-inch cake pans, making sure it is spread evenly.
- Using a rolling pin, roll out each dough ball to about a 9-inch circle.
- Place in cake pans.
- Spray the outer edge of dough with Pam and cover with a plate.
- Place in warm area and allow to rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 475°F.
- For each 9" pizza, spoon 1/3 cup sauce on dough and spread to within 1-inch of edge.
- Distribute 1 1/2 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese on sauce.
- Place toppings of your choice in this order: Pepperoni or ham, vegetables, meats (cooked ground sausage or beef) Top with 3 ounces mozzarella cheese.
- Cook until cheese is bubbling and outer crust is brown.
- Serve hot.


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Homemade Finger Paint
Recipe by Texas Bell Foods
With this quick and easy finger paint your child can finger paint for just pennies. It's perfect for using on paper or in the bathtub. The dish soap makes this finger paint wash out of anything my girls have painted with it. Keeps for at least a week in airtight containers. A fun painting option is to cover a tray or cookie sheet with waxed paper and have your child spoon paint over it in different colors. Cover with another sheet of waxed paper. Your child can press down on the colors and watch them blend and move.
Top Review by mier_family_11158331
I made this last night and was excited to take it to preschool today. I put it in a plastic container with a snap on lid. This morning, the wonderful finger paint had turned into pourable liquid paint! It definitely WAS NOT finger paint. I don't know what went wrong or why it changed texture.
See Discussion:7 Reviews
Ingredients Nutrition
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1⁄3 cup cornstarch
- 2 cups cold water
- 1⁄4 cup clear liquid dish soap
- food coloring or food coloring paste
Directions See How It's Made
- Mix together sugar and cornstarch in a small pan, then slowly add cold water.
- Cook over low heat, stirring until the mixture becomes a smooth; almost clear gel about 5 minutes.
- When it's cool, stir in clear dishwashing liquid.
- Scoop equal amounts of the mixture into containers and stir in food coloring or, for even more vibrant colors, use food-coloring paste.


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- Admissions
- Academics
- Research
- University Life
- Alumni
- About
Admissions & Info:
Fax: 202-885-3790
Kreeger, Room 104
Arnold, Glen Wayne
Administrative Coordinator
Students must successfully complete an examination in Preliminary Theory based on ECON 802 Macroeconomic Analysis I and ECON 803 Microeconomic Analysis I at the end of their first full year of classes (or whenever they have completed both courses).
The Exam is typically administered during the first full week of June. Students must register to take the exam in mid-March in order to be guaranteed a seat.
Students are permitted two attempts to pass the exam.


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There remains great debate about who was most responsible for the death of Jesus. Christians know that Jesus' death was caused by the sin of each of us. But we also know that Christ died at one specific moment in history, and that those who lived at that time also had a part in it. They could have avoided it. We could have avoided it. We know Judas had a part in it, since he turned Jesus over to those who hated him. We know the religious leaders at the time had a part in it, since they handed him over to the Romans for crucifixion. Nevertheless, one thing is certain: Jesus was crucified because Pontius Pilate allowed it.
Yet, Pontius Pilate personally opposed Jesus' crucifixion; he said so several times during the course of Christ's trial, and ultimately washed his hands of Christ's blood before he turned him over for crucifixion. So the question becomes: did his personal opposition to Christ's being crucified truly absolve him of his responsibility in the matter? Personally opposed or not, he still gave his permission for it to happen.
Now fast-forward two thousand years to our current political climate, where our leaders must decide on many important issues- including matters of moral importance. Since some matters are as serious as life and death, the Church has recently been reminding politicians and voters about five non-negotiable issues we must consider when choosing a candidate in the upcoming elections. In this lesson, we will examine these non-negotiable issues, which we can call the "Big Five":
Embryonic stem cell research
Human cloning
Homosexual marriage
Why so important?
Of course, Americans face more than these five issues during this election. There are economic issues, security and world peace issues, including the war on terrorism and Iraq. With so many pressing issues, why does the Church say these five issues are essential and non-negotiable? The reason is that the right to life is antecedent to all other rights.
The Church is not trying to impose its religious creed on everyone. It is simply reminding Catholics and society about basic truth. The Church reminds us that these are basic human rights issues. Giving in on these issues will make our society crumble.
The first four non-negotiable, ethical issues are life-and-death issues, actions that always kill innocent human lives. The fifth one deals with something essential for a healthy society: marriage and family.
The First Four: Life-and-Death Issues
Abortion and euthanasia are deliberate acts to terminate life in its most vulnerable stages: in the womb, and in sickness or old age. Both are hot topics in current elections.
Candidates fiercely debate the legality of abortion and partial-birth abortion-a procedure in which the baby is partially removed from the womb, and then killed. The state of Oregon has approved euthanasia, but part of the federal government is challenging this. Many courts of law are dealing with the issue of the killing of the sick or elderly.
Embryonic stem cell research and a potential application of human cloning involve the manipulation and killing of human life for scientific purposes. Scientists want to use stem cells from human embryos to create healthy cells for sick people. But a human embryo is a baby at the very beginning of its life. All scientific data points to this, even though this is not obvious to the naked eye. Some scientists promote human cloning as a way to reproduce, or mass produce, healthy organs and body parts for medical use.
Even though embryonic stem cell research and human cloning are proposed as a way to help the sick, they also involve inhuman production of human lives (manufacturing children), manipulation of these new human beings, and their destruction. Similarly, neither embryonic stem cell research nor human cloning is a proven method. In fact, adult stem cell research has offered a positive alternative. Nevertheless, the scientific community puts heavy pressure on elected officials to grant government money to these morally destructive pursuits.
The Fifth Issue: Protection of Marriage
The last of the Big Five is homosexual "marriage." Some elected officials want government to allow and recognize the union of two people of the same sex as a marriage. Some judges or politicians have declared homosexual marriages legal even though these decisions often disregard laws that have been enacted to protect the definition of marriage. Even though most Americans oppose legalizing same-sex marriages, a very vocal minority is gaining the sympathy of many politicians and judges.
The Church's Role: Reminding about Basic Human Rights
The Church is not interested in political parties. In this case it is interested only in helping us distinguish between right and wrong. That is why it offers guidance also during election years, when we face the responsibility of choosing legislative leaders. The Church has always confirmed the importance of certain basic ethical values, even when doing so has made it very unpopular, and has even lead to persecution.
Right to Life
Abortion, euthanasia, embryonic stem-cell research and human cloning all result in the deliberate ending of human life. They go against the most basic human right: the right to life.
Some argue that embryos are not human beings, but consider this: either the embryo is a human being or it is not. If it is not, then it should not become a child and then an adult. To use a simple example: a human embryo will definitely not grow into a cabbage or a kitten. From the moment of conception, a human embryo has all the elements necessary for its full development. Saying that it only becomes a human life after a certain amount of cell multiplication is arbitrary, and contradicts the facts. The embryo becomes a human life because it already is a human life.
As discussed above, this is not just a faith issue. Even though as Christians we know that these things directly violate the Fifth Commandment, "You shall not kill", every human being is capable of understanding that killing innocent human beings is gravely wrong, whether he believes in God or not. Only selfishness and superficialness can make someone deny this.
That is why the Church is very clear when it speaks on these issues. Abortion is a "moral evil" and this teaching is unchangeable (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2271). Euthanasia is "morally unacceptable" and "constitutes a murder" (CCC, 2277).
Likewise, human cloning and embryonic stem cell research violate human dignity because they involve creating, manipulating, and oftentimes the killing of human embryos solely for research. "It is immoral to produce human embryos intended for exploitation as disposable biological material" (CCC, 2275). The reason is that a newly formed embryo carries all the genetic material the person will ever need during his or her entire life. A new human being is there- just not in the form that is obvious to the naked eye. Therefore, any attempt to manipulate the embryo or genetic material is the manipulation or destruction of a human being.
Respect for Marriage
In regards to homosexual "marriage," the Church has always upheld and defended the sanctity of marriage as an intimate union between a man and a woman. In marriage, a lot is at stake: the psychological and physical health of the spouses, the psychological and physical health of children, and the virtues that spouses and children will live in society. The health of society depends tremendously on the health of marriage and the family.
There are real consequences for everyone when marriage is called something it is not. It promotes a culture of deception and moral confusion. The very things that give society stability will be considered optional, and eventually will be despised. Calling homosexual unions marriage will promote a lack of respect for the essential things in real marriage.
These essential things in marriage, such as the sexual complementarity of the man and woman and the openness to the proper conception and education of children, work for the good of society and he good of children. They are an indispensable help for deeper happiness, maturity, and fulfillment of the husband and wife, and especially for the healthy formation of children. Every child has a right to a true father and mother, and a real family.
While the Church acknowledges some persons may have an attraction to other persons of the same sex, it is firm in its teaching: "Homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered…contrary to natural law" (CCC, 2357). Homosexual persons are called to abstaining from sexual acts that go against the correct use of their sexual faculties, as every Christian person is.
The Church never tells people who to vote for, but it continues to educate and inform voters on matters of moral importance.
Election 2004
While the Church does not endorse either candidate in the current presidential election, its guidance helps us compare and contrast their views on the Big Five issues.
A fundamental difference in the candidates is the role they give their faith when making decisions. President Bush, a born-again Christian, believes strongly that his faith should influence his decisions. Senator Kerry, though a professed Roman Catholic, believes his faith should not influence the way he votes as a politician. He has said many times that he is personally opposed to certain issues, but would not impose his personal beliefs on others.
Other Elected Officials
In this election many other political positions are also being filled. One third of U.S. senators face election. All the members of the House of Representatives will be chosen. Many state and local officials will be elected. All these positions are important in defending these five non-negotiable issues. A responsible citizen will promote candidates in all these positions who defend human life and the family, since our society is affected by the laws that are proposed, enforced, and interpreted by all levels of the government. Of course national positions have more universal effect, but state and local levels are also essential in promoting and protecting a culture of life and a culture of respect for marriage and family. In addition, most national politicians and judges start first at a local level.
Vices and Virtues in the Political Process
In a perfect world, the sound moral judgments of voters would put moral leaders in office. Unfortunately, certain negative factors can affect the outcome of an election. One is the deceit and confusion that occurs when politicians give false information about issues or are not clear with us about where they really stand. News media can sometimes add to this problem. Voters must show discernment when choosing a candidate. Discernment is figuring out which issues are the most important, based on what is right and wrong, then prioritizing them accordingly.
Another negative factor is moral cowardice on part of politicians. Even if politicians are convinced of the right thing, it is difficult for them to stand up for it. This leaves voters with imperfect or poor options when going to the polls. It takes moral courage to stand up for what is right, both as a politician and as a supporter. When a candidate shows strong moral values, we should do all we can to support him or her. Sometimes this takes a spirit of initiative and networking for essential causes. An example of this is a campaign by Catholic Answers, an apologetics organization, for national distribution of a voter's guide outlining the Big Five issues. They advertised the guide in full-page ads in a national newspaper and on radio stations in order to reach the most people.
Voters may also hinder the political process by way of their laziness and indifference. Either they do not make the effort to inform themselves properly on the candidates' true positions or they do not vote because they think their effort will not amount to anything. In fact, little more than half of all eligible voters actually vote. Victory, however, results from tenacity and action. The beauty of democracy is that it rests in our hands. It is our responsibility to make our government a reflection of truth.
Get Involved
Some say the Church has no place in politics, but there is more than politics involved in an election. The Church has a duty to educate consciences on moral matters, just as lay people have a responsibility to spread Gospel values in the secular world. Many times during his pontificate, Pope John Paul II has reaffirmed this vocation to evangelize by reminding us, "Be not afraid."
While we do not have the right to impose our beliefs on others, we have a right and a duty to propose the truth to them. Truth has a special power because it makes sense, like the difference between life and death. It also carries a special grace, as God uses it to convert hearts and minds.
The good news is that young people today are more pro-life and pro-family than in the very recent past. And we don't have to be over 18 to have an impact. Often "campaigning" done by young people such as discussing these issues with friends and family, can make a huge impact. Ignorance is the greatest enemy to truth. We can make a difference by educating others on the importance of the Big Five issues and the stance that candidates take on them. Begin by understanding theses issues ourselves, and then we can find effective ways to help others understand them.
Let's keep in mind that our efforts to educate others on these issues cannot end with these elections. The Holy Father has called young people to be active protagonists in promoting a culture of life and in spreading the Good News about marriage and family. He believes deeply in young people. We need to remember, however, that people are won over by charity in proposing the truth and by respect for their free will.
Human Embryo– A human life in the earliest stage of human development.
Discernment-Wisdom and judgment in determining the moral importance of issues or problems and prioritize them accordingly.
Moral Courage-Facing and dealing with what is important without withdrawing when it is dangerous or difficult. The virtue that helps us put into action and defend essential values, especially when they are contrary to popular opinion
Initiative-Personal capacity for thinking up and carrying out a positive action. Ability to think and act without being urged or obligated
Networking– Making the most of one's personal relationships to spread information and inspire action
Apologetics– The art of using reason and knowledge to defend one's faith. Explaining the specifically Christian faith to non-Christians and explaining the Catholic faith to non-Catholics
Tenacity– Endurance, strength, persistence. Holding fast to ideals and actions. Opposite of laziness.
Arbitrary– depending on individual discretion (as of a judge) and not fixed by standards, rules, or law
Antecedent– something that precedes- or comes before- something else
Complementarity– the state of filling up or completing; supplying mutual needs or offsetting mutual lacks
Bible Blurbs
"I have set two things before you: life and death, blessing and curse; therefore choose life. (Deuteronomy 30:19)
"What you did you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me." Mt. 25: 45
"No one who lights a lamp conceals it with a vessel or sets it under a bed; rather, he places it on a lamp stand so that those who enter may see the light. (Luke 8:16)
"…for if these things are done when the wood is green what will happen when it is dry?" (Luke 23:31)
For the children of this world are more astute in dealing with their own kind than are the children of light.' (Luke 16:8)
Saints and Heroes
White Rose Martyrs (1942)
As Hitler's Nazi party consumed Germany and threatened the rest of the free world, a group of university students in Munich decided to educate the German public about what was taking place.
Hans Scholl, a medical student, was a natural leader with a charismatic personality. His sister, Sophie, was intelligent and gutsy, never backing down from the truth. With fellow students Christoph Probst, Willi Graf, and Alexander Schmorell, they formed the White Rose, an underground resistance movement against the Nazis.
Though from different religious backgrounds – Orthodox, Protestant, Catholic – the students recognized and wrote about the fundamental evils in Hitler's plan. They printed and distributed thousands of anti-Hitler leaflets to leaders throughout Germany. Three of the White Rose, the Scholls and Probst, were caught passing out leaflets at the university. At trial, when asked why she participated, Sophie proclaimed, "Somebody had to make a start!" Hours later all three were beheaded. Today, over 200 schools in Germany are named after the students who gave their lives to promote truth.
Blessed Alberto Marvelli (1918-1946)
Alberto Marvelli grew up in Rimini, Italy. A boy of great energy and determination, Alberto excelled at sports, especially cycling. After serving in the army, Alberto became an engineer and worked for Fiat, a famous sports car manufacturer. When the German army destroyed his hometown, he returned to help the people left injured, homeless, and hungry. He traveled all over by bicycle delivering food, clothing, and medicine. Once, he sent the windowpanes of his own house to a sick priest whose house was without windows.
His tireless works of charity earned him such a reputation that local authorities asked him to lead the committee for rebuilding the area. He oversaw building projects and managed large sums of money for those in need. He made the most of his responsibilities by founding a university, soup kitchens, and an association for construction workers.
Alberto enjoyed serving people through political action. He became a candidate for political office in the new government. Unfortunately, Alberto was struck by a military truck and killed on Election Day while riding his bicycle to the polling station. Even his political enemies mourned the loss of this sincere, courageous young man.
Discussion Questions
A. Using the Big Five guidelines, which presidential candidate, which senatorial candidates, and which candidates for the House of Representatives most support a culture of life and family?
B. What is the difference between the Big Five and other life-and-death issues such as war and capital punishment? (Note: Help students distinguish between situations that are "intrinsically evil" and those that prudential decisions made with certain criteria and which the Church has never said they are always intrinsically evil (Criteria for defense of society combined with respect for human life. Final decision left to the prudent judgment of "those who have responsibility for the common good", etc.) See resources:
Abortion: CCC 2771; Euthanasia CCC 2277; Embryonic Stem-Cell Research: CCC2275; Human Cloning: CCC2275; Homosexual "Marriage": CCC2357;
Capital Punishment: CCC2266; War: CCC2307-2317
C. Is it possible to believe one thing but to do the opposite? Give examples of how some politicians act this out in their political offices. Why would a politician do this? Is this a good characteristic to have in a leader?
D. Some people staunchly identify themselves with a certain political party to the point of disregarding these five non-negotiable issues. Is this a good rationale to have if one wants to be a serious Catholic voter?
Writing Activities
A. In your journal, make a list of some things you really believe in. Next, write what you would do if these beliefs were challenged. Which beliefs are objective truths? Can you prove them? Which beliefs are your own personal opinions? Can you support them?
B. Write down the process of discerning a political candidate's views.
Resolution Ideas:
1. Gather information on your local and state political candidates. Make a bulletin board for your classroom or school delineating the candidates' positions according to the Big Five criteria. Make handouts available with the same information and offer them to your fellow students so they may disseminate the information.
2. Distribute the Catholic Answers Voter's Guide for Serious Catholics ( HYPERLINK "http://www.catholic.com" www.catholic.com) to neighbors, relatives, friends, and other Catholics.
3. Organize a debate to encourage students to further research the moral aspects of campaign issues, and to express their own opinions to rest of the class, or to the whole school. Explore the issues of just war and capital punishment in addition to the Big Five.
Further Formation
From Doctrinal Note on Some Questions Regarding the Participation of Catholics in Political Life
About the Five Non-Negotiable Issues:
"When political activity comes up against moral principles that do not admit of exception, compromise or derogation, the Catholic commitment becomes more evident and laden with responsibility. In the face of fundamental and inalienable ethical demands, Christians must recognize that what is at stake is the essence of the moral law, which concerns the integral good of the human person. This is the case with laws concerning abortion and euthanasia (not to be confused with the decision to forgo extraordinary treatments, which is morally legitimate). Such laws must defend the basic right to life from conception to natural death. In the same way, it is necessary to recall the duty to respect and protect the rights of the human embryo. Analogously, the family needs to be safeguarded and promoted, based on monogamous marriage between a man and a woman, and protected in its unity and stability in the face of modern laws on divorce: in no way can other forms of cohabitation be placed on the same level as marriage, nor can they receive legal recognition as such." (Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, , November 24, 2002, number 4)
From The Catechism of the Catholic Church
About discernment, prudence, justice, and fortitude:
1835 Prudence disposes the practical reason to discern, in every circumstance, our true good and to choose the right means for achieving it.
1806 …With the help of this virtue (prudence) we apply moral principles to particular cases without error and overcome doubts about the good to achieve and the evil to avoid.
1836 Justice consists in the firm and constant will to give God and neighbor their due. 1837 Fortitude ensures firmness in difficulties and constancy in the pursuit of the good.
"All sinners were the authors of Christ's Passion … the Church does not hesitate to impute to Christians the gravest responsibility for the torments inflicted upon Jesus. (Catechism of the Catholic Church number 598)
"…This Biblical language does not mean that those who handed him over were merely passive players in a scenario written in advance by God." (Catechism of the Catholic Church number 599)
"No ideology can erase from the human spirit the certainty that marriage exists solely between a man and a woman…"( Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Note on Legal Recognition to Unions of Homosexual Persons, November 24, 2002, number 2)
"Society owes its continued survival to the family, founded on marriage." (Note on Legal Recognition to Unions of Homosexual Persons, number 8)
"Legal recognition of homosexual unions or placing them on the same level as marriage would mean… making it a model in present-day society..(and) would also obscure basic values which belong to the common inheritance of humanity."(Note on Legal Recognition to Unions of Homosexual Persons, number 11)