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The gloomy March payroll report released Friday morning delivered the clearest evidence yet that the U.S. economy still hasn't reached escape velocity.
Continue Reading Below
The weakest jobs report since June 2012 also deals a blow to talk of an early exit by the Federal Reserve, which appears poised to keep its foot firmly planted on the easy-money gas pedal.
"We've seen this time and time again in this recovery. We've seen stronger data and then a softening. The economy has yet to shift into a higher gear and stay there," said Josh Feinman, global chief economist at Deutsche Bank's (NYSE:DB) DB Advisors.
While the jobs report was unmistakably negative -- it missed consensus expectations by a whopping 112,000 jobs -- other recent indicators on consumer spending and housing reinforce the notion that the U.S. economy continues to improve, just at a tediously slow pace.
"Just as it's a mistake to extrapolate out the stronger data earlier this year, I think it's also a mistake to get too negative on these data," said Feinman.
Ugly Jobs Report
U.S. stocks suffered a triple-digit retreat Friday morning immediately following the release of the jobs report, which showed the U.S. created just 88,000 nonfarm jobs in March, 56% below the Street's view of 200,000.
Private-sector payrolls increased by just 95,000 jobs, or about 100,000 fewer than had been forecasted. And the unemployment rate dipped to 7.6% from 7.7%, but only because the labor force continued to fall.
"The report will fan fears that we will once again see a slowdown in job creation after a strong start to the year, as in 2011 and 2012," Nigel Gault, chief U.S. economist at IHS Global Insight, wrote in a note. "With the impact of the sequester yet to be felt, hopes that the economy could sustain a 200,000-plus monthly job creation rate will have to be deferred until 2014."
However, the report did contain a few silver linings, including revisions to the prior two months that added 61,000 jobs collectively to nonfarm payrolls, lifting February's growth to a stellar 268,000.
"Our view is that the February employment report overstated strength in the labor market, and the March report likely overstates any weakness," Michael Gapen, director of U.S. economic research at Barclays (NYSE:BCS), wrote in a note.
Russell Price, senior economist at Ameriprise Financial (NYSE:AMP), said expectations likely got out of whack due to the stronger-than-expected data earlier this year.
"I don't really think it changes all that much. Is it disappointing? Absolutely," said Price, but "there was some giveback expected for March."
Back to Square One
So where does that leave the economy in the aftermath of the March jobs dud? Probably right back to where it started: with sluggish growth of around 2%.
"I think the headwinds holding back this recovery are diminishing. But it's not a straight line and there are other things complicating it," said Feinman. "While it's hard to see with all the noise, there has been some progress with working off the excesses of the bubble era."
There are clear signs of improvement on the consumer front, despite hurdles like the payroll tax hike that came out of the fiscal-cliff compromise.
The Reuters/University of Michigan gauge of consumer sentiment jumped to a stronger-than-expected reading of 78.6 in March from an earlier reading of 71.8 -- the largest upward revision on record.
Recent statistics from the Commerce Department show U.S. consumer spending increased at a steady pace of 0.7% in February from January, the largest one-month increase since September 2012. Personal income climbed 1.1%, topping forecasts.
"The consumer has been holding up quite better than expected, especially considering the payroll tax hike," said Price. "Consumers are feeling a lot better because the value of their homes is rebounding and the stock market is improving."
Fed Likely Staying Put
Thanks to the improvements on the consumer spending front and a huge build in inventories, Barclays raised its growth forecast on Friday for first-quarter GDP to 3.5% from 1.5%.
However, Barclays warned that growth is expected to slow in the second quarter to just 1.5% and 2% in the second half of the year, due in part to the fiscal tightening.
Economists will be watching March and April consumer data closely to see if the effects of the payroll tax hike weigh on spending patterns.
While the jobs report provoked a kneejerk selloff in the equities markets, it doesn't appear that Wall Street needs to be worried about the Fed yanking the easy-money punch bowl that has supported stock prices anytime soon.
If anything, the March payroll figures bolster the case for the Fed's policymakers to continue injecting $85 billion into the economy each month through the controversial quantitative-easing program.
"How many times have they seen this [seasonal slowdown] just like everyone else?" said Feinman. "They are not going to pull back until they are more convinced that this stronger growth is for real. A few months of it is not going to cut it."


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Melody Generator Circuit
Here is a simple melody generator circuit you can make using an IC.The UM66 series are CMOS IC's designed for using in calling bell, phone and toys. It has a built in ROM programmed for playing music. The device has very low power consumption.Thanks for the CMOS technology.The melody will be available at pin3 of UM66 and here it is amplified by using Q1 to drive the speaker.Resistor R1 limits the base current of Q1 within the safe values.Capacitor C1 is meant for noise suppression.
- Power supply must be between 1.5V & 4.5V .Do not exceed 4.5 V.
- Speaker can be driven with external NPN transistor.
- Melody begins from the first note if power is reseted.
- Assemble the circuit on a good quality common board.
- If transistor HE8050S is not available use any NPN transistor like BC548 or 2N2222.
Circuit Diagram
UM 66 IC – Data and Specifications
We have other Tone Generator circuits that you may like; Take a look:
1. Police Siren
5. Touch Controlled Musical Bell

subset: commoncrawl


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Before & After: Mallory's Complete Overhaul
Like this entry? Favorite it below!
- Name:
- Mallory
- Location:
- Saint Paul, MN
- Division:
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- About my kitchen reveal:
- We completely overhauled our kitchen – from cabinets and countertops, to floors and lighting. We even removed a wall between the kitchen and dining room to open up the living/entertaining area of our main floor.
- My best tip for a successful kitchen makeover::
- Choosing the right professionals is key. We've heard nightmare stories from friends and family who've undertaken remodeling projects that did not go quite as planned. We used a trusted company that has a wonderful roster of subcontractors and the project was finished beautifully – on time and with no major surprises.
- My favorite meal to cook in my kitchen::
- Using the new gas cooktop is a joy with any recipe, but one of my specialties is fried chicken from the Bromberg Bros. Blue Ribbon Cookbook. Our ventilation hood over the burners is awesome at clearing the air of any "frying oil" smells.


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Red Heat (US - BD)
Gabe giggles at Schwarzenegger's Russian accent in DTS-HD 5.1 sound...
Notoriously vigilant Soviet Police Captain Ivan Danko (Arnold Schwarzenegger) sets an ambush for a notoriously vicious Georgian drug dealer named Viktor Rostavili (Ed O'Ross). Viktor escapes the trap, and in the scuffle murders Danko's partner. The vengeful Danko follows his prey to the United States, where he joins forces with Chicago Art Ridžić (James Belushi), a sloppy but effective police detective investigating Viktor's gang's local shootouts. The unlikely duo bickers throughout the investigation, but eventually finds a common ground, and take down the Georgian drug dealing menace. Oh, spoiler alert.
I swore up and down that I'd seen every 'classic era' Schwarzenegger flick ever made, but about ten minutes into Red Heat I realized I had never seen this film. One can hardly blame me; the box art features James Belushi after all. Who wants to watch a James Belushi movie? But I should've looked closer; I would've noticed that just above the title is the name Walter Hill. Hill is best known for his writing and directing work on hit tough guy movies like 48 Hours, and cult classics like The Warriors. Besides writing for the Alien series, and Sam Peckinpah's The Getaway, I personally love Hill for his work co-creating Deadwood, and for two of his more underappreciated films— The Long Riders and Southern Comfort. These two films, which I highly recommend to any readers with an affinity for macho men acting macho, are enough to make the rest of the writer/director's career worth a look. James Belushi, or no James Belushi.
Red Heat opens with a flesh show that practically defines the era—homoerotic, tough guy posturing set to the creepiest electronic score this side of a John Carpenter flick. Unfortunately, the rest of the film isn't nearly as over-the-top in its depiction of sex and violence, it's mostly a less funny replay of the buddy action movie conventions Hill created with 48 Hours. The film features a much more common mid-'80s action style than Hill's best work, which often recalls Sam Peckinpah's balletic violence (and predates John Woo's most famous work). In this respect Hill fails to separate himself from the rather generic '80s studio action pack like John McTiernan or Paul Verhoven. Hill is effective and efficient, but he's done better, and he loses points for somehow finding a way to make Gina Gershon look unattractive. The surprise element is Schwarzenegger, who's eternally amusing without even trying. The script demands Arnold speaks with a Russian accent, and his inability to do so with any consistency is an utter joy, as are his deadpan responses to Belushi's inane jokes.
Lionsgate, like Paramount and Universal, releases perfect new release Blu-ray's, but their catalogue releases run a pretty rough gamut. For every First Blood there's a Total Recall. Red Heat hits somewhere near Terminator 2—effective, and worth the upgrade, but not an unbelievable shock of 1080p quality. This is, as I said, my first time watching the film, so I don't have much to compare it to outside of expectations planted by similar films on Blu-ray. The film is shot using rather broad lighting schemes, so there aren't many opportunities for high contrast blacks or super sharp details, but things are definitely sharper than standard definition could muster (sweat is always a good indicator). More impressive is the detail consistency. The wide shots are just as sharp as the close-ups, sharp enough to make a handful of stock shots stick out like soar thumbs. Red Heat isn't all that colourful either, but there are a few moments of good old '80s neon, specifically the hotel where Danko sleeps. The bright reds here show signs of minor compression noise and bleeding, otherwise, the natural hues are pretty well separated and relatively pure. The whole print is pretty grainy, but not overwhelmingly so, and edge-enhancement is only a minor issue.
The frame often feels cramped, and some of the camera movements are similar to those created by the pan-and-scan process. The official specs state that the film should be framed at 1.85:1, and this disc is 1.78:1. That's not a big enough discrepancy to really make a difference, but my gut tells me this transfer is zoomed slightly beyond the difference between these two framing standards. Readers are welcome to tell me if I'm right or wrong in this assumption.
Red Heat features some of the goofiest punching effects heard outside of a '60s chop-socky flick. The hits all make the same, flat noise, and lack any real LFE support. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 remix does not go to waste just because of some dumb choices made during the film's original sound mixing process. At the very least James Horner's contrasting score gives the system a good work out from every angle. The front channels feature the more traditional music, while the rear channels feature the more ghostly electronic sounds. The score can be a bit obnoxious at times, but shows genuine creativity on Horner's part. The general soundscape is pretty minimalistic, and the majority of incidental sound effects come directly from the centre channel. Crowd and street scenes feature lively ambience in the stereo channels, and occasionally in the rears, though discrepancy between the two rear channels is rare, save a few deflecting bullets. The dialogue is well centred and clear, but there are distinct moments where the sound quality of the voices and their volumes change.
This Blu-ray release comes fitted with the same extras as the special edition DVD Lionsgate released a little while ago. 'East Meets West' (09:40, SD) is a brief look behind the scenes of the production, which was financed by Carolco Studios. Carolco heads Andrew Vajna and Mario Kassar recall their studio's early success, developing Walter Hill's vision, casting the film, filming in a real prison, the film's modest success. 'A Stuntman for All Seasons' (12:30, HD) is a tribute and glance at the career of Benny Dobbins, a stuntman/coordinator who died of a heart attack during the filming of Red Heat. 'I'm Not a Russian, But I Play One on TV' (05:10, SD) is a brief interview with actor Ed O'Ross, who played the viciously villainous Victor. O'Ross apparently based his performance on Stalin, and wrote quite a back story for his character. Things end with a made for TV EPK (16:00, SD), four TV spots, and a trailer.
Red Heat is far from writer/director Walter Hill or star Arnold Schwarzenegger's best work, but it surely ain't either man's worst (those would be Super Nova and Eraser, arguably). This Blu-ray release features no additional extras, and the audio track isn't exactly overwhelming, but the high definition video quality is worth the upgrade for fans, especially those with larger sets. Lionsgate's catalogue Blu-ray's are hit and miss, but the prices are always right, and this particular transfer sits somewhere in the middle of their usual quality spectrum.
* Note: The images on this page are not representative of the Blu-ray release.
Review by Gabriel Powers
bradavon Member Join Date: April 2005 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 1,945
James Belushi was a good actor. This is on my favourite Arnie films, better than the Running Man IMO.
Tibor Lugosi Member Join Date: August 2008 Location: United States Posts: 59
Bradavon wrote: James Belushi was a good actor. This is on my favourite Arnie films, better than the Running Man IMO.
Totally agree, also one of my fave Arnie flicks, very underrated imo. I will pick this up for sure for less than a tenner.
Totally agree, also one of my fave Arnie flicks, very underrated imo. I will pick this up for sure for less than a tenner.
keffa Member Join Date: July 2007 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 436
sounds like a bad upscale. stick with the dvd and upscale. shame. good film. perhaps technology will development when the film studios wont have to spend 1000`s on remastering films so they can all be upscaled perfectly. obviously down to the original print I guess..look at Predator!
Gabe Powers Editor Join Date: September 2004 Location: United States Posts: 4,713
Don't go by these screencaps keffa, note the note at the bottom of the page. These are from the DVD. It's definitely not an upscale, it's just not a film that looks particularly shocking in HD.
Chris Gould Editor Join Date: May 2001 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 7,171
keffa wrote: sounds like a bad upscale. stick with the dvd and upscale. shame. good film. perhaps technology will development when the film studios wont have to spend 1000`s on remastering films so they can all be upscaled perfectly. obviously down to the original print I guess..look at Predator!
I'm not sure if I read that right, but if I did upscaling will never compete with true definition. Remastering encompasses a lot more than simply increasing the resolution anyway. As for Predator, it's actually quite a lot better than the DVD.
I'm not sure if I read that right, but if I did upscaling will never compete with true definition. Remastering encompasses a lot more than simply increasing the resolution anyway. As for Predator, it's actually quite a lot better than the DVD.
Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian
Disc Details
Release Date: 10th November 2009
Discs: 1
Disc Type: Blu-ray Disc
RCE: No
Video: 1080p
Aspect: 1.78:1
Anamorphic: No
Colour: Yes
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 English, Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround French
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
Extras: East Meets West, A Stuntman for All Seasons, I'm Not a Russian, but I Play One on TV, Original EPK, Trailer
Easter Egg: No
Feature Details
Director: Walter Hill
Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, James Belushi, Peter Boyle, and Ed O'Ross
Genre: Action
Length: 104 minutes
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Wampler Apartments offer an amazing variety of residential and commercial properties throughout the Champaign-Urbana area. From prime locations to beautiful turn-of-the-century buildings, our properties are perfect for students, graduates, and professionals. Contact us today and we'll help you find the right fit for you. We're a local and family-owned company with a dedicated staff providing unparalleled service, selection and value in residential apartments and commercial suites in the Champaign-Urbana area. Contact us today!
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If you're new to the Champaign-Urbana, Illinois area for work or school we have a wide variety of residential locations that are perfect for students, graduates, and professionals. Whether you're looking for a place to live that is in the heart of campus, the vibrant center of downtown, or even a quiet neighborhood away from hustle and bustle, we have studios, one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments, townhouses, duplexes, lofts, and more. You're bound to find a perfect fit for your lifestyle. Contact us today to find the right place for you.


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Looking for best 61105 Internet service providers available in your area? We found 9 high speed 61105 internet companies and 33 plans in 61105 zip code neighbourhoods.
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AT&T is a fiber-optic ISP, Digital TV and Telephone service provider, available in 21 states of the United States. AT&T offers fastest Internet connection for both home and businesses. AT&T Internet speed for residential user ranges from 3 Mbps to 100 Mbps. In some location AT&T high speed Internet service offers up to 1 gigabit download speed.
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61105 Zip Code Facts
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Town of CaryHome Menu
Meeting Calendar
This calendar displays only meetings of the Town Council and affiliated boards, commissions and committees. Go here to view the full Town calendar.
Planning and Zoning Board Work Session
- Date: 11/13/2017 6:30 PM
- Location: Town Hall Conference Room 10035
316 N Academy St
Cary, North Carolina 27513
Return to full list >>
The current agenda will be available by 5 p.m. the Friday before the meeting:


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Evelyn Lorene Hedrick Oates, 78, of Lantern Lane, died Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012, at Moses Cone Memorial Hospital in Greensboro.
A memorial service will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at First Presbyterian Church by the Rev. Dr. Lee Zehmer. Inurnment will be in the church columbarium.
The family will receive friends after the service in the church fellowship hall.
Mrs. Oates was born Sept. 17, 1934, in Davidson County to David Ottis Hedrick and Esther Hedrick Hedrick. She was a graduate of Davis-Townsend High School and attended Lenoir-Rhyne College. She was a faithful member of First Presbyterian Church, where she was a member of the Presbyterian Women. Mrs. Oates was also a member of the Lexington Garden Club and the Charity League of Lexington and volunteered at Wake Forest Baptist Health — Lexington Medical Center. Her parents and a brother, Olin David Hedrick, preceded her in death.
She is survived by her husband of 54 years, Robert T. Oates Jr. of the home; son Christopher S. Oates and wife Elizabeth of Greensboro; daughter Laura Oates Hubbard and husband Jeffrey of Forest, Va.; brother Leon Hedrick and wife Ruth of Lexington; and grandchildren Mary Oates, Anna Oates, Sarah Hubbard and Josh Hubbard.
In lieu of flowers, memorials should be made to First Presbyterian Church, P.O. Box 586, Lexington, NC 27293.
Online condolences may be made at www.davidsonfuneralhome.net.
Evelyn Hedrick Oates
Evelyn Lorene Hedrick Oates, 78, of Lantern Lane, died Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012, at Moses Cone Memorial Hospital in Greensboro.


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AKCEYCOM LIMITED is a multifaceted Service Provider
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of the company fueled by joint venture strengths of
two reputed conglomerates of Sri lanka and Bangladesh
who has much diversified business spheres.


text:
Jason Aldean Wins Album of the Year at 2011 American Country Awards
Jason Aldean looked every bit the genuine country star clad in his trademark black cowboy hat, black leather jacket over black shirt, jeans and boots when he strolled to the podium to accept the award for Album of the Year for 'My Kinda Party' at the 2011 American Country Awards.
After shaking hands with the stars of the reality show the 'Pawn Stars,' Aldean thanked his management, record label,and most of all his fans.
"Thank you very much. It's been a hell of a year," he said. "[I want to thank] everybody that had a part in the last year. It's been amazing. I'm proudest that over a million of you guys came out to our shows this year. You guys are the reason this year has been amazing. see you all on the road next year!"
The other nominees for the award were Taylor Swift, Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley, Keith Urban and the Zac Brown Band.


text:
Four bewitching cultures with tens of thousands of years of history between them, the UK is a dynamic nation awash with distinct landscapes, a fascinating history and a diverse and multi-cultural society.
Take a tour of Dublin, Killarney and Belfast with stops at iconic natural landmarks...
Northern Ireland's part of Ireland, right? Wrong. Here's what else you need to...
Technology has changed the way we live our day-to-day lives and (for worse or for...
Australia: No - Not required
Belgium: No - Not required
Canada: No - Not required
Germany: No - Not required
Ireland: No - Not required
Netherlands: No - Not required
New Zealand: No - Not required
South Africa: Yes - in advance
Switzerland: No - Not required
UK: No - Not required
USA: No - Not required
Tipping isn't expected but a tip for good service is always appreciated. Rounding up a taxi fare is commonplace.
Internet access is good in the UK, with internet cafes and Wi-Fi hotspots easily found in most cities and major towns.
Mobile phone coverage is generally very good in most parts of the UK, except perhaps in remote areas. Ensure global roaming is activated before you arrive.
Modern, flushable toilets are the standard in the UK.
Pint of beer = £4
Simple cafe lunch = £10
Nice meal in a restaurant = £30
Tap water is considered safe to drink unless otherwise marked.
Major credit cards are widely accepted by stores and hotels in the UK. Smaller cafes and shops may not accept credit cards, so ensure you carry enough cash to cover small purchases.
ATMs are very common in the UK, so finding one won't be a problem in most towns and cities.
Absolutely. All passengers travelling with Intrepid are required to purchase travel insurance before the start of their trip. Your travel insurance details will be recorded by your leader on the first day of the trip. Due to the varying nature, availability and cost of health care around the world, travel insurance is very much an essential and necessary part of every journey.
For more information on insurance, please go to: Travel Insurance
Please note these dates are for 2017. For a current list of public holidays in United Kingdom go to: http://www.worldtravelguide.net/united-kingdom/public-holidays
Intrepid is committed to travelling in a way that is respectful of local people, their culture, local economies and the environment. It's important to remember that what may be acceptable behaviour, dress and language in your own country, may not be appropriate in another. Please keep this in mind while travelling.


text:
October 16, 2008 Agenda
Mission Statement
The mission of the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board is to promote, adopt, and maintain reasonable and enforceable standards that will ensure a safe and healthful workplace for California workers.
Public meeting/public hearing/business meeting of the
Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board
If you have questions regarding any of the following agenda items, please contact
Chris Witte at (916) 274-5721
October 16, 2008
Harris State Building
1515 Clay Street, Auditorium
Oakland, California 94612
10:00 a.m.
Call to order and introductions
Public meeting (open for public comment)
This portion of the public meeting is open to any interested person to propose new or revised standards to the Board or to make any comment concerning occupational safety and health (Labor Code Section 142.2).
This portion of the meeting is also open to any person who wishes to address the Board on any item on today's Business Meeting Agenda (Government Code Section 11125.7)
Any individual or group planning to make a presentation during the Public Meeting is requested to contact Chris Witte, Executive Secretary, or Marley Hart, Executive Officer, at (916) 274-5721 in advance of the meeting so that any logistical concerns can be addressed.
Adjournment of the public meeting
Public hearing (open for public comment)
Explanation of procedures
Proposed Safety Standards (Revisions, Additions, Deletions)
Title 8:
Construction Safety Orders
Division 1, Chapter 4, Subchapter 4, Article 11
Sections 1598 and 1599
Use of High Visibility Apparel
Title 8:
General Industry Safety Orders
Division 1, Chapter 4, Subchapter 7, Article 7
Section 3328
Machinery and Equipment--Definition of "Equipment"
Adjournment of the Public Hearing
- Business meeting
The purpose of the business meeting is for the board to conduct its monthly business.
Proposed Safety Orders for Adoption
Title 8:
High Voltage Electrical Safety Orders
Division 1, Chapter 4, Subchapter 5, Article 36
Section 2940.6 and Appendix C
Updating National Consensus Standards for Insulating Protective Equipment
(Heard at the September 18, 2008, Public Hearing)
Title 8:
General Industry Safety Orders
Division 1, Chapter 4, Subchapter 7, Article 98
Section 4999
Properly Rigged (Handling Loads)
(Heard at the July 17, 2008, Public Hearing)
Proposed Variance Decisions for Adoption
- Other
Temporary/Experimental Variance Process Update
Len Welsh, Chief
Division of Occupational Safety and Health
Legislative Update
Executive Officer's Report
Budget Update
Future Agenda Items
Next meeting:
November 20, 2008
Glendale City Hall
613 E. Broadway, 2nd Floor Council Chambers
Glendale, California 91206
10:00 a.m.
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Tom Cruise & J.J. Abrams Talk 'Mission: Impossible IV'
Tom Cruise and J.J. Abrams are all smiles at the "Oscar Wilde: Honoring The Irish In Film" event held at Los Angeles' Wilshire Ebell Theatre on Thursday (March 5).
The 47-year-old actor presented J.J. with the Oscar Wilde for his outstanding work over the past year, calling him "a filmmaker who doesn't set borders – a great guy and an incredible artist," according to the BBC.
J.J. also gave a sneak peek at what to expect from Mission: Impossible IV: "We have a really cool idea that we're playing with and I'm looking forward to that coming to pass," he said (via UKPA). "[T]here definitely will be a European presence but there's a whole crazy story, it's definitely a jet setting movie."
10+ pictures inside of Tom Cruise presenting J.J. Abrams with an award…


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It's pretty bizarre to me that, as notorious as the film "Audition" is, I'd somehow I'd made it this long without either watching it or even so much as hearing any of the specifics of the movie. In fact the only thing I'd really known about this movie is that it was one of the films that helped inspire "Hostel," thereby helping to launch the "torture-porn" craze in horror here in the States.
Why does she have two bras on? I don't get it.
Having now helmed his second feature film -- the previous being "The Collector" -- the time has come to weigh in on one Marcus Dunstan, Director. The verdict is not looking good. Consider if you will, "The Collection."
We review the biggest practical joke of the Halloween season...
It's definitely... a movie...
Bradley Cooper is reportedly in talks to take the lead role in the much discussed remake of the 90's film "The Crow". Wait what now? Not that Cooper is the greatest actor of all time but I had assumed the remake would be on the discount DVD shelves before it's opening weekend was over. Now, I don't know what to think. Up is down, black is white, Finkle is Einhorn and Einhorn is a man!
If you're like me then you had a lot of questions after you watched the final "Saw" movie. The largest of course being why the hell did I watch 27 of these movies. There was 27 of them right? Well, surprisingly James Wan and Leigh Whannell say that Jigsaw could rise again if they were approached with a new and different idea to get the ball rolling again. Just so we're clear fellas, I will do everything in my power to stop this, and you will have to murder me. Your move gentlemen!
The good people at Paramount have picked up the rights to the Ray Bradbury joint "The Martian Chronicles" with the intentions of making a big screen adaptation of the short story collection. That's kind of obvious though isn't it, Paramount is a movie company so why would they buy the rights to a story if they didn't want to make a movie out of it. I'm sorry I'm so dumb and waste your time like this.
"Dark City" star Rufus Sewell has landed the role of Adam in the upcoming big screen adaptation of the book "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter". For those of you not familiar with the book, Adam is the head vampire and the second greatest enemy of Mr. Lincoln. The first of course being people who hate beards. Because, ya know, he had one and all I guess. I'm not a Social Studies textbook people.
James Wan and Leigh Whannell are the duo that brought you "Saw" and now they've got a trailer for a new film called "Insidious". It's a heartwarming tale of a kid that lives in a house that's having all kind of weird haunted type stuff going on in it. Here's the catch though, it's not the house that's haunted, it's the kid! Dun dun duuuuun!
Last week we talked about our feelings and the fact that there might be an Alfred Hitchcock biopic in the works. Well now we can chat again because there's rumors that Sir Anthony Hopkins is the front runner to play our favorite rollie pollie horror icon. We should also make childish comments about the name Hitchcock and giggle like girls.
"The Silent House" is a movie from Chris Kentis and Laura Lau, the peeps who brought you "Open Water" and today the film's got a clip up on the tubes. Doesn't look like too silent of a house to me! Get it? Cause of the title? It's a pun... or a play on words... or a poem. I don't know.
Is there a video game version of "The Walking Dead" in the works? The world may never know! Wait no, that's wrong. We'll know, we'll know on February 17th when game developers Telltale announce their new big game that's based on a "a just-launched property from the TV and comic book world whose popularity is changing life as some know it." It really could be anything!
In the horror drought that follows October, people get desperate for scares – desperate enough to wade into the Watch Instantly vaults and watch damn near anything in hope that it will be either sufferable or incredibad, which is how I imagine most viewers will find "Are You Scared?" Unfortunately, the film evokes neither of those adjectives.
It's Saw time, bitches!


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MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — Vermont's attorney general says the state is the latest to ask an appeals court to rule that the federal law defining marriage as between a man and a woman is unconstitutional.
Attorney General William Sorrell said Friday that the Defense of Marriage Act deprives same-sex couples of federal benefits and unfairly discriminates against them.
He says Vermont, New York and Connecticut, all states where gay marriage is legal, filed a brief in a case brought by a New York woman who had to pay $350,000 in estate taxes when her partner died. New York had joined the case in 2011.
The federal government said last year it would stop defending DOMA. Several federal judges have ruled the law is unconstitutional, including a ruling this year in a lawsuit filed by Massachusetts.


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Subjects in the Library are split into relevant categories. Clicking on a subject title, will take you to the subject outline for this subject, listing all of the sections. All subjects on the system follow a common layout, starting with legal requirements, through practical guidance, to sources of further help.
Continual Professional Development: Most subjects have a multiple choice quiz at the end, some of the very short subjects have a self-certification declaration. If you choose to complete these, they will count as CPD, with your personal record being automatically updated, with the pre-set number of hours, on completion.
As an organisation we offer practical and pragmatic advice to assist our members but it should not be regarded as legal advice.
Any Crown copyright material is reproduced with the permission of the Controller of the HMSO and the Queen's Printer for Scotland.
Every attempt is made to keep the Library content up to date. Where information booklets and guidance documents have been reproduced from other organisations in the Additional Resources sections, there may be a period where older versions are still included prior to newer versions being obtained.


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Lloyd C. Blankfein
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Text Size
Director Since: April 2003
Other Current U.S.-listed Public Company Directorships: None
Other U.S.-listed Public Company Directorships within past 5 years: None
Key Experience and Qualifications
- Committed and deeply engaged leader with strong communication skills: Over 30 years of experience in various positions across our firm. Mr. Blankfein utilizes this firm-specific knowledge and experience in his role as Chairman and CEO to, among other things, lead the firm and its people, help protect and enhance our culture and articulate a vision of the firm's strategy. Mr. Blankfein also uses strong communication skills to guide Board discussions and keeps our Board apprised of significant developments in our business and industry
- Extensive market and industry knowledge: Leverages extensive familiarity with all aspects of the firm's industry and business, including our risk management practices and strategy
- Face of our firm: Drawing from extensive interaction with our clients, investors and other constituents, provides additional perspective to the Board
Career Highlights
- Goldman Sachs
- Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (June 2006 – Present)
- President and Chief Operating Officer (January 2004 – June 2006)
- Vice Chairman with management responsibility for Fixed Income, Currency and Commodities (FICC) and Equities Divisions (April 2002 – January 2004)
- Co-head of FICC (1997 – April 2002)
- Head and/or Co-head of the Currency and Commodities Division (1994 – 1997)
Other Professional Experience and Community Involvement
- Member, Dean's Advisory Board, Harvard Law School
- Member, Board of Dean's Advisors, Harvard Business School
- Member, Dean's Council, Harvard University
- Member, Advisory Board, Tsinghua University School of Economics and Management
- Member, Board of Overseers, Weill Cornell Medical College
- Member, Board of Directors, Partnership for New York City
- Graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School


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Autumn Garden
As the days shorten and the temperature drops in the autumn months, spectacular leaf colour ignites the Botanic Garden. But in the Autumn Garden in particular, foliage colours, from vivid coral to deep purple, are revealed as the dominating green chlorophyll breaks down and combine with late flowers, seedheads, fruits and feathery grasses to become a beautiful, richly textured tapestry.
Some of the best displays of fiery autumn foliage are provided by the Sweetgums,
Liquidambar styraciflua
'Worplesdon' from America and the related
L. orientalis
from Turkey. The latter species, although rarely grown, is a valuable late colourer and the decaying, star-shaped leaves take on glowing deep-orange tones in late autumn. This very effective Sweetgum duo is repeated on the Lake's northern shore.
Many different species of Smokebush (
) provide a foliage tapestry of flaming reds, pink, clarets and oranges against which the pale grey or coral smudges of the spent inflorescences are pinned. Other autumn leaf colour comes from many Acer species, including a trio of
Acer palmatum 'Osakazuki'.
The palmate, seven-lobed leaves are wine-red, purple, pale coral and orange to begin with, each leaf held on a slender, cerise-pink stalk as are the samara fruits – a pair of seeds held in papery burgundy wings. Weeks later, the foliage has reduced to a deep wine colour, making a vibrant contrast to the butter-yellow, fan-shaped foliage of a neighbouring Maidenhair (
Ginkgo biloba
). The soft, feathery foliage of a Dawn Redwood (
Metasequoia glyptostroboides
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The low and mid-level plantings are enlivened with late flowers such as the lilac-coloured goblets of Autumn Crocus (
Colchicum autumnale
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Grasses are mixed into the autumn plantings
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Band of Outsiders designer Scott Sternberg asked photographer Paul Jasmin to pose for their Holiday Collection in his LA home, it's a shoot full of character and really gets the message of the clothes across.
The pieces are traditional menswear worn with a casual feel, think mustard velvet waistcoats, gently rumpled shirts and bow ties.
Click image to start gallery[Source]


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Jill, Jill, Jill…you've always got to give viewers something to talk about. Did she or didn't she? When the always loud, often catty, and sometimes ringleader of the Real Housewives of New York took to the red carpet for the 9th Annual TV Land Awards, the media was buzzing about Jill's dramatic new look. Plastic surgery rumors exploded on the internet, but during her recent appearance on WWHL, Jill (looking equal parts Barbara Eden circa 1965 and a 90's Madonna sans cone bra) coyly refuted any type of surgery, but was open about her use of injectables.
No stranger to controversy and cat fights, the reality diva has been subject to these rumors before. In 2009, Jill's personal blog set the record straight with exactly the type of maintenance she required to fight the natural aging progression. Mrs. Zarin cites an earlier breast reduction as the only time she's been under the knife. And let's be honest, who can blame her–I didn't even know someone COULD be a G cup. As for the other pricey procedures, Jill copped to getting years' worth of Botox injections (which I think is a requirement to even be considered for any Housewives cast), laser tightening of her neck, and treatments to reduce cellulite prior to pesky bikini season (shudder).
Now, in an interview this week with Wendy Williams (you have to love it when Wendy gets an exclusive!), she's is explaining her new look yet again. While I fully expected Jill to say that her new, majorly slicked back ponytail and extensions tightly pulled her skin back for an instantly taut look, she instead introduced America to the 'liquid facelift.' People.com explained the process more succinctly, stating that "[r]ather than using a filler to tackle individual smile lines, the dermatologist…lifted Zarin's face by injecting Restylane along the jaw line and up along the sides of her face." And only at a couple thousand dollars a pop…bargain!
But wait…that doesn't explain her slimmer looking nose, does it? That, my friends, has nothing to do with scalpels or injectable fillers, but it is instead the sleight of hand of Jill's new hair and make-up artist. Like countless license tags ("Heidi 'N Spencer 4EVER") and klassy t-shirts (I Survived Spring Break '08!), Jill is getting airbrushed. According to Jim Crawford, her new face painter, prior to his services, Jill was using plain old make-up (the nerve!). Crawford has magically thinned Zarin's nose and face by using contouring make-up in a darker shade, as well as airbrushing the sides of her face and hairline. Sweeping her bangs away from her face also diminishes the appearance of her nose and showcases her wrinkle-free, frozen forehead.
I will say I have always thought Jill was attractive in a "ladies who lunch" sort of way, which makes sense, as that is exactly what she is. Am I in love with her new look? Um, no. But it isn't going to give me nightmares or anything (fingers crossed). Her hairstyle and those extensions are way too severe, and while her face is free of lines, that extreme ponytail ages her because it's such a desperate attempt to follow a trend she is just too old to follow. While she has yet to have a surgical face lift, she states, "All [of] the sudden if I woke up with jowls, that's it. I'm going under the knife." Regardless of how you feel about her, you have to give her credit. Jill is nothing if not honest about what is (and isn't) going on with her face.
Moving on to tonight's new episode of the Real Housewives of NYC. On the third episode of the season titled 'Hairy Mess,' Alex attempts to mend her relationship with Sonja by having lunch with her. Meanwhile, Ramona, who gained infamy for her wild-eyed runway walk the year before, is asked to appear on the catwalk again. Also: Alex basks in her new career as a model; LuAnn's boyfriend throws a get-together featuring wine and speed dating; dramas intensify between Kelly and Ramona.
The episode airs at 10/9c and a preview clip is below.
Watch What Happens Live – The guests tonight are Alex McCord and Denise Richards.


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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. lawmakers applauded the formation of an interim government in Ukraine and said on Friday they are writing legislation to authorize financial and technical assistance for the country.
Details of the package were being hammered out, but Senator Chris Murphy, chairman of a Senate subcommittee on European Affairs, said the package would be part of "a broader, coordinated program" with the European Union, International Monetary Fund and other international partners.
"I encourage the new government to implement the necessary economic reforms to stabilize the economy and set Ukraine on a path to prosperity, including rooting out corruption and increasing transparency in government finances," the Connecticut Democrat said in a statement.
"Ukraine's leading industrialists might also consider how they can play a helpful role in stabilizing the economy," Murphy said.
To become law, an assistance package would need to pass the Senate and the House of Representatives, before being sent to the White House for President Barack Obama's signature.
Representative Eliot Engel, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said he would be interested in discussing the Ukraine package with the Senate in order to submit a similar measure in the House.
The House Foreign Affairs Committee will hold a hearing on events in Ukraine and U.S. foreign policy there on March 6.
Lawmakers said they felt Congress needed to support Ukraine's democracy and independence and encourage it and other eastern European countries to strengthen their ties to the west, rather than President Vladimir Putin's Russia.
"We have to send a very strong message to Putin," Engel told Reuters.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said the United States had warned Russia not to inflame the situation in Ukraine.
The Senate and House have already approved non-binding resolutions supporting democracy in Ukraine. Murphy and Republican Arizona Senator John McCain traveled to Kiev in December and addressed crowds of anti-government protesters.
(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by David Gregorio)


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QUETTA, Pakistan (AP) — An official says gunmen have killed eleven Pakistanis and Afghans in a border town of southwestern Pakistan as they were trying to cross to Iran to travel on to Europe as illegal migrants.
Local government official Zubair Ahmed said Saturday the shooting took place late Friday in the Sunsar town of southwestern Baluchistan province.
He said the dead and wounded were Afghans and Pakistanis.
It was not immediately clear who was behind the attack, but hundreds of such Pakistanis and Afghans are captured by Iranian border guards every year for illegally trying to travel to Europe to find better jobs.
Iran deports such detainees after questioning.
Quetta is the capital of impoverished Baluchistan province, where nationalist groups have also waged a low-level insurgency.


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The Peruvian Savage last fought at UFC 79 in 2007. Props to MMA-Latino for the image.
While there's a chance that some of you reading this may not know who Tony DeSouza is, it's hard not to respect him for what he has done for our sport. The thirty-eight year old Cholitzu practitioner (that's Cholo Jiu-Jitsu, n00b) complied a 3-3 record in the UFC and a 10-4 record overall until his retirement in 2007. He was the wrestling coach of Team Penn throughout The Ultimate Fighter 5, and the inventor of the Peruvian Necktie.
Oh, and he also stepped up on short notice Thursday night to fill in for one of his injured students, and despite not fighting in five years, submitted Bolivian Luis Fernando in the first round.
As MMA-Latino explained to us in an email, Tony's student was originally set to fight Luis Fernando on Thursday night. However, a freak accident at their hotel room saw the window fall out and cut his student's hand and arm, forcing his student to withdraw from the fight [Author Note: "Freak accident" is really putting it mildly here, I imagine]. DeSouza stepped up to take the fight, and despite a respectable effort from Fernando, "The Peruvian Savage" secured a fight-ending choke in just over one minute. Video awaits after the jump.
It wasn't exactly a display of world-class striking, but it's great to see that DeSouza still training regularly and keeping himself in fighting shape. Likewise, both men deserve props for being game enough to accept the fight on short notice.


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Opinions of the Saints vs. Magisterial Teaching
When there seems to be a conflict between the personal opinions of Saints and a Teaching that comes from the Magisterium, where should we go to? (the question itself is disobeying or la pregunta es necia as its said in Spanish).
Jesus has said:
{16:18} And I say to you, that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it.
{7:24} Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and does them shall be compared to a wise man, who built his house upon the rock.
{7:25} And the rains descended, and the floods rose up, and the winds blew, and rushed upon that house, but it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.
{7:26} And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them shall be like a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand.
{7:27} And the rains descended, and the floods rose up, and the winds blew, and rushed upon that house, and it did fall, and great was its ruin.
{7:28} And it happened, when Jesus had completed these words, that the crowds were astonished at his doctrine.
{7:29} For he was teaching them as one who has authority, and not like their scribes and Pharisees.
Yet, hardened heads still go to whatever source that agree with their limited understandings when they disagree with the Pope, teaching of the Magisterium or body of Bishops in communion with the Pope.
Now that the world mourns due to acts of violence of terrorism under the guise of religious belief, it is good to remember the teaching of the Church regarding our relationship with, not only Muslims, but people of other faiths.
As Catholics, I hold that our Faith is the truest one and that all those who contradict our doctrine are in error.
However, what does the Magisterium, the Pope, and Bishops in communion with the Pope teach in regards of Islam and our relationship with them?:
3. The Church regards with esteem also the Moslems. They adore the one God, living and subsisting in Himself; merciful and all- powerful, the Creator of heaven and earth,(5) who has spoken to men; they take pains to submit wholeheartedly to even His inscrutable decrees, just as Abraham, with whom the faith of Islam takes pleasure in linking itself, submitted to God. Though they do not acknowledge Jesus as God, they revere Him as a prophet. They also honor Mary, His virgin Mother; at times they even call on her with devotion. In addition, they await the day of judgment when God will render their deserts to all those who have been raised up from the dead. Finally, they value the moral life and worship God especially through prayer, almsgiving and fasting.
Since in the course of centuries not a few quarrels and hostilities have arisen between Christians and Moslems, this sacred synod urges all to forget the past and to work sincerely for mutual understanding and to preserve as well as to promote together for the benefit of all mankind social justice and moral welfare, as well as peace and freedom. - Nostra Aetate by Pope Paul VI
253. Faced with disconcerting episodes of violent fundamentalism, our respect for true followers of Islam should lead us to avoid hateful generalisations, for authentic Islam and the proper reading of the Koran are opposed to every form of violence. - Evangelii Gaudium by Pope Francis
Notice the bolded statement. Do you think the Pope ignores what the Koran says in light of all if its content in order to say that declaration in a Magisterial document? Do you think that the Pope is ignorant regarding the violent verses of the Koran, and only knows the peace verses? Or do you think that he is lying, which is worst? No, the Pope is well aware of all of the content of the Koran in order to say that statement.
841 The Church's relationship with the Muslims. "The plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator, in the first place amongst whom are the Muslims; these profess to hold the faith of Abraham, and together with us they adore the one, merciful God, mankind's judge on the last day." CCC
Also, here is a link from the USCCB regarding our dialogue with Muslim:
Since the Pope (and actually Popes in this case) is my Shepherd entrusted by Jesus Himself to me, I take his words seriously and not like any ignorant dude who happens to say something about Islam.
I particularly have not read the Koran, but I know of the violent verses, and yes, they are violent; but I also know of the peace verses which promote peace, works of charity and mercy even to non-believers of Islam who do not wish to convert but want to be at peace, so is there a contradiction? Faithful Moslem agree with the recent Popes that the Koran does not promote violence or terrorism (this is sinful in fact!), that happens only when the verses are read out of context, or as a misinterpretation to blatantly promote unjust wars or unjustified terrorism. Only self-defense is justified.
But sadly, many fellow Catholics do not heed the teaching of the Church in this regard, even priests. A priest said in a homily, that the true Moslem are the extremists, that the peaceful Moslem are not truly Moslem.
John 3:27; John 15:5; Matthew 19:26
Last edited by Brother : 13th January 2015 at 08:21 PM.
It has become very common over the internet that whenever a "Catholic" does not agree with the Pope or teaching of our current bishops in communion with the Pope, they take the sources of old Saints (and in many cases they misinterpret them) in order to support their idea.
Here is an example, a website where its author apparently agrees with alleged opinions of some Saints in order to promote schism with our current Pope and Magisterial teaching on the matter:
Even if the alleged opinions of those Saints are true, their personal opinions are not over Magisterial Teaching. A person cannot be at the peak of holiness all the time, a person may be less holy at times, or not holy at all at other times. Also, a person may be very holy and yet ignorant on a subject matter because the fact that a person is ignorant about something, does not mean that he is sinful. And a person can be very holy and yet fallible for we are all fallen creatures.
The Magisterium is here to teach and correct us. Before the Church teaches on a subject matter, we can have our opinions on open questions, but once the Magisterium has spoken a teaching, case closed.
That site says nothing about the experience that St. Francis of Assisi had with the Moslem.
St. Francis walked across Muslim lines unarmed in order to meet Sultan Malik al-Kamil of Egypt for a peaceful dialogue. Did the Sultan beheaded Francis for being an infidel? No, a good relationship began to rise between them. St. Francis never told the Sultan that he was going to convert to Islam, no; he kept his Catholic Faith all the way during and after the peaceful conversations with the Sultan so that the Franciscans (yes, non Muslim believers) were granted permission to get in and out those grounds taken by the Muslim whenever they please. Sultan Malik al-Kamil of Egypt was a true follower of his faith.
I also have personal experiences with followers of Islam at a previous job and now in my current job.
They interact with me in a friendly manner, they don't hide that they are Moslem and I don't hide that I'm Catholic, we joke around, have fun, dialogue, I notice that women in particular are very humble, and I'm not making this up. This is my real experience with them.
So what the Popes and the Magisterium teaches us in the matter must be true! I believe them.
If I'm incorrect on something I have said here, or if I'm missing something, please don't hesitate to let me know.
Best regards.
John 3:27; John 15:5; Matthew 19:26
Last edited by Brother : 13th January 2015 at 08:13 PM.
moderate peaceful Muslims interpret the "violent" passages of the Quran as figurative in meaning, similar to NT passages:
[1 Timothy]
{1:18} This precept I commend to you, my son Timothy, in accord with the prophets who preceded you: that you serve among them like a soldier in a good war,
{1:19} holding to faith and good conscience, against those who, by rejecting these things, have made a shipwreck of the faith.
My position in salvation theology is that Muslims who love God and neighbor have the state of grace by a baptism of desire, and they will have eternal life in heaven (as long as they do not die unrepentant from actual mortal sin).
Objectively, everyone should convert to Catholic Christianity. But if a person does not know this (invincible ignorance), and he is in good conscience, he can be saved without converting.
However, the violent extremists cannot be in good conscience. Some deeds are so horrific that no sane person could have a sincere but mistaken conscience in committing such acts.
Ron Conte
Roman Catholic theologian
The only aspect of this that I am not was covered, is how Islam teaches to read the Koran, specifically in cases of conflicting passages. If two passages conflict in message, the later scripture overrides, or abrogates the earlier scripture passage.
The problem here is that Muhammad wrote throughout his life in what became the Koran. If you follow his life, he started in Mecca and was professing a peaceful message. He left in 622 and traveled to Medina. In Medina he turned towards war and violence, and his scripture writings reflected his actions. After conquering in Medina, he and his followers returned to Mecca and conquered there as well.
As a result, the violent and later written scripture passages abrogate the earlier and peaceful written scripture passages. I wrote a paper in college on Islam, and I have yet to find anything that disagrees with this information but am not professing to be an expect or that I am even correct.
Here is more information with examples.
2cor 7:1 Therefore, having these promises, most beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of the flesh and of the spirit, perfecting sanctification in the fear of God.
Just as Christians don't agree on many different points of controversy, so also Muslims do not agree. A Muslim does not have to believe that later passages outrank earlier ones.
The main problem is that a fundamentalist reading of the Quran implies violence. So fundamentalism becomes dangerous. By comparison, a fundamentalist reading of the Bible, while incorrect, does not lead to violence.
Ron Conte
Roman Catholic theologian
Muslim who truly worship the One and same God we worship are the ones who follow the same basic precept for us all: "Love God above all and neighbor as self".
Anyone who do not love and is not subject to the Eternal Moral Law which is higher than any limited written law that looks contradictory to any loving moral act (which is the will of God), have become idolaters of strange rules, personal interpretations, or things above the One true God who is Goodness Himself. God is Light, so He cannot be darkness. God is Love, so He cannot be hate.
So, the Muslim who worship the same God who has told us "There is no other commandment greater than to Love God above all and neighbor as self.", are truly God worshipers.
John 3:27; John 15:5; Matthew 19:26
The same can be said of Catholics. If any Catholic does not truly love God and neighbor, then he is not a faithful worshiper of God, but an idolater.
Ron Conte
Roman Catholic theologian
I agree with you, however I don't believe it says that anywhere in the Koran. (I couldn't find it, but that just means I may be lacking in my googling skills)
Even if abrogation is not believed, which was first introduced not long after Muhammad's death, there are still an estimated ~109 violent passages in the Koran, as written by Muhammad. (Not like the Old Testament)
one example:
I agree that there are very good and holy Muslims. What I believe though, is that they are good because they only acknowledge the good passages or what is right in the Koran.
2cor 7:1 Therefore, having these promises, most beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of the flesh and of the spirit, perfecting sanctification in the fear of God.
Hi Jay,
I haven't said that that "Love God above all and neighbor as self is the greatest law of all" is written in the Koran. I did not explain it well. What I'm trying to say is that those who worship the same God in spirit and truth follow this same precept as the eternal moral law because is the SAME GOD we worship. This same God has told us this in the Bible, He may have not told with the same wording in the Koran, but this doesn't mean that He has changed His mind for Muslims. Since the one true God of all of humanity is Love, He can not be so just for Christians, hate for Muslim or immorality for Jewish, etc. God is Love and His love applies to all of us regardless of the religion people follow.
Actually, it doesn't have to be written in the Koran, for it's already "written" in our hearts. For example, when Cain killed Abel, Cain knew that murdering his brother was wrong and the Ten Commandments were not written yet, and because of this reason, it doesn't mean that Cain was exempted from his fault. So, for us reasonable humans, we know what an immorality is, even when nobody is watching or nobody has told us that it is wrong.
Here is a basic information from Wickipedia explaining how the Muslin seeking peace and love interpret the Koran, and those who don't:
Now, any one who, for example takes that particular passage from the Koran 8:12, and takes it 'by the letter' and do it "because it's written there", at that specific point, and does not take other considerations (also written in the Koran) and of even other Muslims seeking peace, then he is an idolater, not a true worshiper of God.
John 3:27; John 15:5; Matthew 19:26
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BOSTON — All we know for certain now on the night before Christmas Eve is that Freddy Meyer's high hit on Milan Lucic in tonight's 4-1 Bruins win at TD Garden earned the Atlanta defenseman elbowing and roughing minor penalties, and Lucic earned a game misconduct and match penalty for his response.
Lucic is now suspended pending review of his punch to Meyer while the blueliner's arms were being held in a scrum.
Here's another look at the hit and the scrum:
As expected, both sides had different tales to tell after the game.
Bruins forward Milan Lucic:
"I mean … it was a high hit for sure. I was bleeding from the lip and after a hit like that … I mean that was the second time he has done that. He's hit me late. He's hit me cheap. Now that's the second time. I mean, you can't give a guy a free pass too many times, but I'm happy that we stuck together as a group and as a team. … For myself personally, a match penalty, so I will do whatever I can …y ou know… to face the consequences."
Atlanta head coach Craig Ramsay:
"Freddy laid a good hit. That is what happens, you throw a big hit and you have to have a fight. We are taking hitting out of the game. He gets a penalty for a good hit. They started all the fights and I thought we should have had a power play for the rest of the game, maybe a two-man advantage."
Atlanta defenseman Johnny Oduya:
"I think it was a hit that Freddy came up and hit him. I don't think that there was an elbow. He hit him high in the chest. They didn't like it so he got jumped and sucker punched that one time."
Bruins head coach Claude Julien:
"I've looked at it again and it's a cheap hit. Hopefully it is seen that way. You know, if you're a player with all the head injuries we've had, the concussions and all that stuff that's happened to our team whether it's [Patrice] Bergeron or whether it's [Marc] Savard and other things and we're talking about cutting down on head shots, you can't blame a player for reacting to those kind of things and I think everybody kind of reacted and that's what happened. But you know, I'm going to stand here and say our guys stood together for something that was, to me, a real cheap shot and uncalled for and hopefully the league sees it that way too."
Bruins defenseman Andrew Ference:
"It was a high hit, without a doubt. I mean Looch is going down the boards and I was following right behind him, so I had a really good view of it. The guy just put his stick and his hands right into Looch's head. So, it's a high hit. No question about it."


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Watch The ::God Is Imaginary Videos On YouTube ::
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Being a Christian, I've made my decision. That decision offers no compromise; therefore, I'm closed to anything else.
if god didnt exist who created the universe...and for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction...our actions will be judged by the all knowing GOD(ALLAH)
my religion has everything a being can need and the best proof would be quran,it has everything man never knew and what he recently discovered... the quran knew it 1400 years ago and it has never been changed unlike the bible this is nothing but a miracle.i will post an example of a verse revealed 1400 years ago but man recently discovered.
"The heaven and the earth werejoint together. And We clove them…(SurahAnbiya,21:30).and this verse of the holy Quran speaksabout the big bang theory in a nut shell."
I always say what I mean. But sometimes I'm a sarcastic prick whose tone can't be properly communicated via text.
it has never changed..ever!!!!
Have those who disbelieved not considered that theheavens and the earth were a joined entity, and Weseparated them and made from water every living thing?Then will they not believe?...THIS IS THE COMPLETE VERSE
heaven is used as a substitute for sky...logic...heaven and earth
The older daughter, concerned about preserving the familyline, suggested to her sister that, because no men werearound, it was their duty to preserve the bloodline bylying with their father.[v.31,32]The daughters then got their father so drunk they wereable to have intercourse with him on two consecutivenights, the older daughter having her way with him thefirst night, followed by the younger on the followingnight.[v.31-35] The text describes that Lot was so drunk"he was not aware of it when she lay down or when she gotup."[v.33,35]
heaven is used as a substitute for sky
he is a prophet sinning makes him a poor role model
heaven is used as a substitute for sky...logic...heaven and earth


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Lindsay Lohan violated her probation by allegedly stealing a necklace, Judge Stephanie Sautner just ruled.
The judge ordered Lindsay to stand trial for theft, but reduced the charge from a felony to a misdemeanor.
Although Judge Sautner found Lindsay in violation of probation, she will not go to jail now. The penalty will be determined after the verdict in the trial.
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UN: Colombia coca crop down 25 percent
UN: Colombia coca crop down 25 percent
Aug. 08, 2013
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Colombia reduced its area under coca cultivation by 25 percent last year, the United Nations said Thursday, meaning Peru has likely surpassed it as the world's No. 1 cocaine-producing country.
The annual reduction was Colombia's biggest since the international body began monitoring it in 2001.
The U.N. Office of Drugs and Crime is not slated to release 2012 Peru coca crop numbers until next month.
Earlier this week, it announced that Bolivia's crop, the world's third-largest, dropped for a second straight year.
The UNODC said the Colombian coca crop fell to 185 square miles (48,000 hectares) last year from 247 square miles (64,000 hectares) in 2011. It placed Peru's crop at 240 square miles (62,500 hectares) in 2011.
Peru says it destroyed 54 square miles (14,000 hectares) of coca last year, all manually. That compares to 505 square miles (131,000 hectares) eradicated in Colombia, most via U.S.-funded aerial spraying.
Neither UNODC officials in Peru's nor the country's drug czar, Carmen Masias, would comment on whether Peru has passed Colombia.
Former Peruvian drug czar Ricardo Soberon said there is little doubt that Peru's crop is now bigger, although he has little faith in either the U.N. or the U.S. measuring methods.
"There is more area (under cultivation), and more unrefined cocaine," he said. Much of it is being smuggled eastward via small plane to Bolivia for final processing, he said.
That cocaine almost exclusively serves the Brazilian, Argentine and European markets while Colombian cocaine is primarily shipped to the United States.
Colombian and U.N. authorities attributed the big drop in Colombia's coca crop last year to repeated eradication of land where coca growers have tried to replant and to a migration of a lot of coca growers to mining.
Coca bushes on such parcels are relatively immature and yield fewer leaves than more mature plants, explaining why Colombia's potential cocaine production only dropped 10 percent last year to 345 metric tons, by U.N count.
In neither Peru nor Bolivia does the U.N. make estimates of potential cocaine production.
The U.N. says Bolivia's coca crop is currently at 90 square miles (23,500 hectares).
U.S Drug Enforcement Administration agents are active in supporting local law enforcement in Colombian and Peru but were kicked out of leftist-led Bolivia in 2008 for allegedly inciting the political opposition.
Associated Press Writer Frank Bajak reported from Lima, Peru


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|Three Weeks at Wabash: 'Passion is for Pros'
Wabash grads approach even their avocations with passion! Indiana University Maurer School of Law Assistant Dean of Communications Ken Turchi '80 informed and entertained students in a talk about his book for the Indiana Historical Society, L.S. Ayres & Co.: Store at the Crossroads of America.
Turchi interviewed 40 people in his spare time for the 283-page coffee table style book.


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June 14, 2012
New breeding grounds discovered in Kansas
EMPORIA — Surveys have now been concluded for the first range-wide assessment of lesser prairie chicken populations using common methods across portions of five states. The Lesser Prairie Chicken Interstate Working Group is composed of biologists from the state fish and wildlife agencies of Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. The Working Group collaborated with federal agencies and West Ecosystems, Inc., of Laramie, Wyo., to conduct the large-scale, helicopter-based survey to locate lesser prairie chicken leks across the High Plains in all five states.
Leks, which are also referred to as gobbling grounds, are sites that the birds come to every spring for breeding. These surveys encompassed more than 300,000 square miles, and survey results will be used to produce the first statistically valid, five-state estimate of the number of leks by sometime later this summer.
The lesser prairie chicken has been considered a candidate under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) since 1998, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will release a proposed rule on the status of the bird under the ESA in September. Information from these surveys will be used as a baseline by these five state fish and wildlife agencies to monitor trends in prairie chicken populations and to target conservation programs in partnership with private landowners, oil and gas industries, and wind-energy and electric utilities.
"These surveys will be the basis for a range-wide lesser prairie chicken management plan that is being developed by the five states in collaboration with the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Grassland Initiative," said Jim Pitman, small game coordinator for the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism. "The plan is expected to be completed by next March, and we are hopeful that it will preclude the need for the Fish and Wildlife Service to designate the lesser prairie chicken as a federally threatened or endangered species."
The surveys this spring detected several previously unknown leks, despite the severe drought that occurred across the region last year. They also detected leks in Kansas that are beyond what was thought to be the northern extent of the historic range of the species. Lesser prairie chicken numbers have been largely increasing in Kansas for the last 15 years while populations have declined in parts of the southern portion of the range. Biologists believe this northward expansion may represent a shift in the population of the species caused by improved habitat from native grasses planted through the federal Conservation Reserve Program.


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Reach Your Goals
The Theology courses are designed to present an overview of the content of the Christian faith with opportunities to study the major world religions.
The Theology program for majors has as its primary purpose an academic study of the content of Christian doctrine in order to prepare students for graduate study, for teaching religious education or directing religious education programs, and for ecumenical dialogue in the community.
The Theology Department also offers Certificate programs at the basic and advanced levels. These programs are especially intended for persons engaged in religious education or various Church-related ministries. Admission to the certificate program presumes demonstrated competency in English 101 and 102 but does not require other preliminary College level courses. Students entering the program with advanced standing in Theology must complete one half of the credit hours in Theology at Thomas More College.
Chart Your Course
What You Will Learn:
- A comprehensive systematic overview of major areas of theological study.
- The methods and principles of theology.
- The link between theological knowledge and other areas of a liberal arts education.
Program Highlights
The Theology program provides students a solid foundation for pursuing seminary education and/or advanced study in academic theology, religious education, or pastoral ministry.
The Theology program prepares students for church-related careers including director of religious education, youth ministry, and social services.
Note: Any student interested in pursuing seminary education should contact the Theology Department Chair before declaring a major.
For more information, contact:
Reverend Ronald M. Ketteler
Department of Theology
Thomas More College


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The subject says everything. What is the difference of arduino uno and pic18F4550? in what ways does arduino uno is better than pic18f4550 microcontroller?
The AVR also has better (well more useful) hardware timers (PWM, counters, interrupts etc).
I wonder - does the Arduino/avr compiler do optimizations?
I'm sticking to Arduino/AVR, if you outgrow the Arduino IDE you can always use your favourite editor and use gcc-avr to compile your programs.
I believe the Microchip C compilers are also based upon GCC,


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Case Study
Zen-Nisshoku Chain (zChain) is an alternative chain of grocery stores consisting of nearly 1,800 stores nationwide. By pooling purchasing of general foodstuffs and fresh foods, as well as alcoholic beverages and sundries, zChain provides merchandise at prices that are competitive with major supermarkets. In addition, the Company supplies IT devices for stores in the network, such as Point of Sale and ordering equipment that provide an overall support for store operations. At the chain's headquarters, shared storage that emphasizes "Ultra-High Speed" using the SanDisk ION Accelerator and Fusion ioMemory PCle application accelerators has been implemented. The new infrastructure was put into operation in January 2015, improving processing capacity by approximately eight times and realizing a 32 percent cost reduction, compared with the previous system.
Double performance of the IT infrastructure, while cutting costs by half
Zen-Nisshoku Chain (zChain), which was formed in 1962, is Japan's largest voluntary retail chain. Never wavering from the teaching that "Whatever is to be accomplished, it is better to do in harmony," the members and the headquarters teams have together expanded to become a national chain serving the entire country of Japan—from Hokkaido to Okinawa. In particular, in order to compete with major distribution companies, ZChain has emphasized aggressive investment in IT equipment and infrastructure, or what they refer to as "arming with IT." With respect to the background of this action, Akira Onda, GM Information System Headquarters and Senior Executive Officer of Zen Nihon Shokuhin Company Ltd. told us, "Our greatest source of strength is the achievement of one-to-one marketing utilizing IT to its maximum. Purchasing histories of customers who visit the stores are captured in the headquarters database via POS in a format that does not lead to identification of personal information. Based on this information, sales promotions and sales campaigns are tailored to each individual based on their purchasing history."
At stores that belong to the Zen-Nisshoku Chain, customers are provided at no charge with a Zen-Nisshoku Member's Card to participate in the Zen-Nisshoku Frequent Shoppers Program (ZFSP), which runs in 550 stores nationwide and covers 1.5 million customers. By tying the card to purchasing history, the program rewards specific customers in the form of points for merchandise with high frequency of purchase.
Akira Onda, GM Information System Headquarters
Senior Executive Officer, Zen Nihon Shokuhin Co., Ltd.
The Challenge
However, the IT architecture, which had been implemented in 2007, began to experience capacity shortages, and, in some devices maintenance became unavailable. As a result, in 2013, the Phase 2 IT Infrastructure Project was initiated. The mandate handed down from upper management was to "double the performance while reducing the expenses by half," explained Mr. Onda, recalling the background to the system renewal.
The previous architecture, which the System Headquarters team refers to as the Phase 1 IT Infrastructure, was a system utilizing Oracle Database. With respect to the storage-related devices that stored the data, it was originally thought that 6TB would be adequate capacity; however, as a greater quantity of data was stored, this capacity reached its limit. Due to circumstances at the vendor, the supply of parts needed to expand the storage ceased, and expansion of the storage capacity became no longer possible. In addition, deficiencies in the performance of the storage-related database became a material issue, and delays began to emerge in overnight batch processing and in issuing and receiving orders. To resolve these issues, the Information System Headquarters began a selection process for the Phase 2 IT Infrastructure, which centered on leading-edge storage equipment.
Building shared "Ultra-High Speed" storage with SanDisk ION Accelerator and Fusion ioMemory application accelerators
"Products that had the possibility of building the 'Ultra-High Speed' storage system sought by the Company were limited to those of three companies, including SanDisk ION Accelerator. At that point, it was decided to perform a performance comparison of the three companies using actual data," said Mr. Onda, upon discussing the process of the examination.
Akira Onda, GM Information System Headquarters,
Senior Executive Officer, Zen Nihon Shokuhin Co., Ltd.
The Solution
At the Information System Headquarters, where product examinations and evaluation testing had been conducted since October 2012, the three products were comparatively evaluated over a period of approximately six months. The system—which included SanDisk ION Accelerator and Fusion ioMemory—was selected in August 2013. "The key criterion in the selection was the superiority in terms of performance observed through evaluation testing. In addition, connection with InfiniBand was possible, and thus focus was also placed on being able to achieve our 'Ultra-High Speed' at excellent cost performance."
"Further, the functions relating to required investment and ease-of-use of the screen design were also given favorable consideration. In addition, there was an expectation for continuity and flexibility with the SanDisk ION Accelerator that would allow for expansion of performance and capacity with general purpose server and flash storage," Mr. Onda commented regarding the reasons behind the selection.
Once performance, manageability, and expandability potential were comprehensively evaluated, the Phase 2 IT Infrastructure was built using SanDisk ION Accelerator storage infrastructure as the core. The software that had been operating on the old environment was migrated to the Phase 2 IT Infrastructure.
Increasing processing performance eight-fold while reducing costs by 32 percent
"This time, there was absolutely no revision or updating of the software component, and the infrastructure system and operational system were transferred to SanDisk ION Accelerator as is. Even so, the effect of conversion to 'Ultra-High Speed' by SanDisk ION Accelerator was sufficiently obtained," explained Mr. Onda, touching on the results of the introduction.
Daimu Takagi, Information System HQ,
Zen Nihon Shokuhin Co., Ltd.
The Result
Up to this point, the storage processing by the Oracle database had been the bottleneck for many processes. By converting the storage processing to "Ultra-High Speed," the Information System Headquarters team was able to obtain performance that exceeded their initial expectations. "In concrete verifications, the job execution times were improved eight-fold, and screen display of Web applications with Java was also accelerated to roughly four-fold. In terms of task times, processes that had taken 11 seconds for screen access display were shortened by between two percent and 0.2 percent. This translated to an average of 400,000 accesses per day and improving the efficiency of 22 hours of tasks. In addition, cost was not quite cut in half, but were reduced by roughly 32 percent, earning high praise from management," added Mr. Onda, regarding the concrete effects.
Daimu Takagi of the Information System HQ also made the following evaluation of the improved operation site with SanDisk ION Accelerator. "Up until now, processing of the POS data that had been tallied was time-consuming; thus, when inquiries were received from stores, we were not able to report on the previous day's data. However, with the conversion to the new system, tallying is completed overnight, and we are now able to quickly respond to inquiries the next morning."
Maximizing the utilization of the "Ultra-High Speed" infrastructure and targeting further growth
Zen-Nisshoku Chain has adopted "VISION 2025," a management vision looking ten years into the future. In realizing this vision, the expectations for, and the role of the information system will be important, and actions toward the maximum utilization of the current "Ultra-High Speed" infrastructure have already been started. "Under the theme of VISION 2025, the project of thinking about the Zen-Nisshoku Chain ten years hence has been established. In this, the role of the information system is large, and going forward, a variety of management measures will be implemented utilizing IT to its maximum. Commenting on the Company's plans and outlook for the future, Mr Onda said, "Under the current plan, we have scheduled a boot up of a new retail system including POS next year. In addition, further enhancements of One-to-One marketing represented by ZFSP and building of CRM, as well as realizing net strategies in line with the omni-channel era are also planned. All of these plans are being rolled out on the Phase 2 IT Infrastructure. Because of this, the current structure—which is scalable and able to respond in a mission-critical manner with SanDisk ION Accelerator—is what is supporting the company management."
Whether you're a Fortune 500 or five person startup, SanDisk has solutions that will help you get the most out of your infrastructure.
Whether you'd like to ask a few initial questions or are ready to discuss a SanDisk solution tailored to your organizations's needs, the SanDisk sales team is standing by to help.
We're happy to answer your questions, so please fill out the form below so we can get started.
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BERLIN (AP) — Israel's prime minister brushed off international uproar over a planned new settlement project near Jerusalem, claiming Thursday that Israel will keep the area under any future peace deal in any case.
Israel's plans to build 3,000 new settler homes in the corridor east of Jerusalem triggered sharp criticism in Europe — including from Germany, traditionally one of Israel's most stalwart allies. The move came after the U.N. General Assembly voted to support a Palestinian statehood bid — with Germany abstaining rather than voting against.
Netanyahu's tough comments were the latest sign that he has no plans to step back from his plans to develop the area. On Wednesday, initial plans for the project were unveiled, though officials stressed it could be years before construction actually begins.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel appeared anxious to downplay tensions between the two countries, saying after meeting Netanyahu that, as far as Israeli settlements on land that the Palestinians want for a future state are concerned, "we agree that we do not agree."
Palestinians say building settler homes in the so-called E1 corridor would make it impossible for them to establish a viable state in the West Bank.
Nabil Abu Rdeneh, a senior adviser to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, said it "is a red line, and there will be no solution in the presence of this project."
"After the decision of the U.N. General Assembly, every centimeter in Jerusalem and the West Bank is Palestinian land, and every Israeli settlement is illegal," he said.
Netanyahu offered no indication that his government might be prepared to backtrack. The contentious corridor is small, he told reporters, and "successive governments from Yitzhak Rabin on down to my predecessor, Mr. (Ehud) Olmert, have also said this would be incorporated in a final peace treaty."
Olmert wanted to keep the corridor under Israeli control under a final peace deal, but reportedly opposed any development of the area before a peace agreement is reached. A spokesman for Olmert did not immediately return a message seeking comment.
The Palestinians note that no agreements were ever reached.
The area could sever parts of the West Bank from east Jerusalem, their hoped-for capital. Linked to an existing bloc of settlements, the sprawling area would also drive a deep wedge between the northern and southern flanks of the West Bank, greatly hindering movement.
The unusually tense build-up to Netanyahu's long-planned trip to Germany, one of Israel's closest allies in Europe, reflected the increasing displeasure in Europe at his government's seeming intransigence, particularly over Jewish settlements on lands the Palestinians want for a future state.
Six friendly European countries summoned the local Israeli ambassadors to file protests, and the U.S. has condemned the latest settlement plans. On Wednesday, the Palestinians asked the U.N. Security Council to call on Israel to halt the planned construction.
In an interview with German newspaper Die Welt published on Wednesday, Netanyahu said that he "was disappointed, as were many people in Israel, by the German vote in the U.N." on Palestinian statehood.
"I took note of this," Merkel said at the two leaders' joint news conference at which she stressed anew Germany's commitment to Israel's security.
"We did not take the vote, and our position, lightly," Merkel said. "We are against unilateral measures, so we didn't vote yes — that was very carefully considered. On the other hand, there is a certain amount of movement on the recognition of two states, which at many points in time we didn't have with the Palestinians."
Netanyahu stressed that despite the vote, Germany and other European countries have been among Israel's strongest allies and remain committed to helping ensure its security.
"I don't think that we lost Europe," he said of the vote.
Associated Press correspondents Josef Federman in Jerusalem and Robert H. Reid in Berlin contributed to this report.