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NHIAA Boys' Basketball Previews: Portsmouth, Memorial thinking bigBy JOE DUBALL
New Hampshire Union Leader
December 11. 2017 9:01PM
The Scoop: Boys' basketballPlayers to watch (as determined after consultation with area coaches): Alex Tavares, senior, Portsmouth; Manny Alisandro, senior, Manchester Memorial; Cody Morissette, senior, Exeter; Josh Morissette, freshman, Exeter; Ian Cummings, senior, Merrimack; Cody Graham, senior, Portsmouth; Max Bonney-Liles, senior, Alvirne; Max Chartier, senior, Bedford; Jack Anderson, sophomore, Londonderry; Yannis Nyantenji, senior, Bishop Guertin; Arie Breakfield, junior, Spaulding; Nolan Anderson, senior, Bedford; Mike Sanborn, senior, Portsmouth; Casey Lane, senior, Nashua North; Zach Dagan, senior, Trinity; Mike Roumraj, senior, Manchester Memorial; Jack Schaake, junior, Winnacunnet; Chris Nulty, senior, Lebanon; Tayler Mattos, senior, Kearsarge; Tommy Johnson, senior, Kearsarge; Drew Brown, sophomore, Pelham; Matt Simco, senior, Hollis/Brookline; Scott Spenard, senior, Coe-Brown; Bryce Johnson, senior, Bishop Brady; Kevin Newton-Delgado, sophomore, Hopkinton; Bryton Early, senior, Somersworth; Evan Arsenault, senior, Berlin; Zach Signor, senior, Hopkinton; Kevin McGrath, senior, Hopkinton; Evan Gray, junior, Somersworth; Matt Pluskis, senior, Belmont; Joe Minson, senior, Monadnock; Cam Darrah, senior, Pittsfield; Garrett Olsen, senior, Woodsville; Anthony Senesombath, senior, Newmarket; Josh Woods, senior, Lisbon; Danny Kubkowski, sophomore, Littleton; Andrew Dubreuil, senior, Derryfield; River Baker, senior, Profile; Josh Whittier, senior, Pittsfield; Reese Swedberg, senior, Moultonborough
Notable quote: "Coming in here was refreshing and has really just rejuvenated me. I coached my heart out (at West) every year I was there, but this is new and different. These guys are going to enjoy this run as much as I am." — Memorial coach Danny Bryson on joining the Crusaders after 15 years at Manchester West.
Key games: Exeter at Bedford, Dec. 19; Lebanon at Kearsarge, Jan. 2; Conant at Hopkinton, Jan. 11; Portsmouth at Bedford, Jan. 19; Hollis/Brookline at Lebanon, Jan. 19; Manchester Memorial at Manchester Central, Jan. 26; Pinkerton at Londonderry, Jan. 26; Berlin at Somersworth, Feb. 2; Portsmouth at Exeter, Feb. 6; Pittsfield at Newmarket, Feb. 6; Newmarket at Derryfield, Feb. 13; Littleton at Moultonborough, Feb 21; Exeter at Manchester Memorial, Feb. 23; Bedford at Bishop Guertin, Mar. 3; Pelham at Goffstown, Mar. 3.
Last year's NHIAA Division I boys' basketball season was all about Portsmouth High School.
Despite playing in Division II in 2015-16, the Clippers were deemed the title favorites by their D-I opponents before games started. They fulfilled their label with a 23-0 championship season. However, no one should expect any one team to dominate the league this season.
The 2017-18 campaign, which starts for most clubs on Friday, appears to offer more balance than most seasons, a reality Portsmouth coach Jim Mulvey is excited about.
"The state as a whole is just so much better, which makes it tough," Mulvey said. "We're not the favorites for sure. … We'll be in there somewhere, but it's definitely widespread now with a lot of teams getting better."
The Clippers lost three of their top six players, but they'll have offensive firepower returning with Cody Graham and Mike Sanborn arguably the best jump-shooting tandem in the division.
Portsmouth will be small, though, following the graduation of starting center and New Hampshire Gatorade Player of the year Joey Glynn. Alex Tavares, who opened eyes playing down low with Glynn, will take over the show with his dynamic skill set, which includes post play and working off the dribble.
"I think Alex is our best all-around player and most valuable," Mulvey said. "He does a lot of things that not every fan realizes. He's rebounding, gets loose balls and just grinds it out. He's shown he can score it, too, and the skill level has risen a lot over the summer."
Portsmouth's problem will be depth, Mulvey said; the school's title runs over the last two seasons haven't allowed younger players to get minutes and experience.
Depth will not be a problem for Manchester Memorial, which has 10 seniors back and a new but familiar face guiding them. Danny Bryson returns to his alma mater after 15 years at Manchester West to take the reins from retired Crusaders coach Jack Quirk.
"I have high expectations for us," Bryson said. "There isn't too much of an adjustment here since I have a philosophy of playing full-court and up-tempo, which they were already doing. More discipline on both ends is really what I'm looking for."
Memorial can score and defend outside with Jake Santiago, Mike Roumraj and Elvin Barbosa, but it can do the same around the basket with Alec Ross, Zac Lubin and Dino Adumene.
"We can go fast, big or go with 3-point shooting," Bryson said. "That's why I'm planning to play up-tempo. We can just throw bodies at you all game because we have enough and aren't skipping much of a beat with players No. 1-10."
Even with so many options, Manny Alisandro figures to be Memorial's key. The senior is a positionless player who can score from a variety of spots and defend any opposing player with his height (6 feet, 2 inches) and athleticism.
"He's a special player that really gives you everything," Bryson said. "I haven't had a player of his caliber since Aaron Martin at West. He's a leader that can score, is coachable and really plays for his team."
Mulvey and Bryson both indicated that Exeter and Bedford are likely to join their clubs in the contenders conversation.
Senior Cody Morissette and the Blue Hawks lost a couple key components from their 12-6 club from last year, but reinforcements are on the way. Freshman Josh Morissette, Cody's younger brother, is a heralded, well-known talent who gives Exeter a swing player to go along with Cody's solid guard play. Bobby Cliche and Cam Clark will also push Exeter to the top of the standings.
Bedford's loss in last year's final against Portsmouth added fuel to the fire of a team that returns a heap of experience. Max Chartier will look to duplicate his offense from last season. The Bulldogs should also get good production again from Nik Mokas and Nolan Anderson.
Tim Goodridge has a tough duo in Merrimack with the always-steady senior Ian Cummings and sharp-shooting Owen Ploss leading a very young club. Londonderry will find its way into the conversation if Nate Stanton can get consistency from its big men to go along with a good backcourt of Jack Anderson and Cole Britting.
Bryson said Manchester Central is another team to watch after his Crusaders took some lumps against them during the summer. Second-year Central coach Dave Keefe had a full offseason to prepare his Little Green, which wasn't the case after taking his post just before last season.
Division II
The landscape of this division was undefined before 2016-17 D-III champion Kearsarge of North Sutton jumped up from Division III. No team separated itself from the other, but the Cougars certainly do with 6-foot-7 senior center Tayler Mattos leading the charge. Mattos, who has committed to play at the University of New Hampshire, improved his mid-range game last season and it's safe to assume another offseason of grooming will have the big man at his best while Kearsarge seeks a second consecutive state title.
Mattos isn't all that Kearsarge coach Nate Camp has to work with. Camp has the second half of last year's two-man game back as well, with guard Tommy Johnson returning. Johnson creates his own shot and is a major threat from the outside when defenses cave on Mattos. Kearsarge also has starters Kyle Hernon (6-foot-4) and Joe Storozuk back.
Lebanon is the defending Division II champion but is far from the team that finally exorcised its playoff demons. They were rewarded by losing their top three guards to graduation. Returning for the Raiders are forwards Chris Nulty and Matt Eyelander, who may be the best post duo D-II has to offer.
Cole Etten is the new head coach at Hollis/Brookline as Mike Soucy is now the director of athletics at Merrimack. Etten, who was previously at Bishop Brady of Concord, inherits a team that returns some players who helped the Cavaliers to the semifinals last season. Matt Simco will be the focal point for Hollis/Brookline while Scott VanCoughnett and Matt Dowling round out the team's returning starters.
Pelham was firmly in the hunt last season and has the potential to do the same this winter. Drew Brown, little brother of former Gatorade Player of the Year Keith Brown, is a year older and settling into his brother's role as a scorer for the Pythons, who also have Blake Woekel as a solid player to rely on.
Division III
Kearsarge's exit from the division is every team's gain as the new season gets going. A handful of contenders that would've sat behind Kearsarge while developing more depth are now in a position to work through their issues without falling behind.
"It definitely does open things up," said Hopkinton coach Steve Signor, who added that he, like most coaches, is happy he doesn't have to plan for Mattos anymore. "There would've been a couple teams still with a good shot of beating them. That means that there are still frontrunners and if they stay healthy, they'll make their runs."
Signor's Hawks are among those top clubs in the D-III hunt. Zach Signor, Kevin McGrath and Kevin Newton-Delgado are Hopkinton's only experienced players, but Steve Signor believes the crew he has will find a way to thrive with their speed.
"We're faster than we were last year with guys that like to run, get out in the open floor and attack the rim," Steve Signor said. "That's certainly helping us out in our transition game, but we're also not deep yet."
McGrath and Newton-Delgado are two pieces to watch as the season goes. Steve Signor is very high on McGrath's versatility while Newton-Delgado, a 6-foot-4 sophomore, is coming into his own in the post.
Somersworth fell short of a title game appearance at the hands of Kearsarge last winter and has its eyes on taking the next step despite some frontcourt losses. Mitigating the lack of height will be guards Bryton Early and Evan Gray, who are both working through injuries to start the season, while Colby Grant will be expected to do more in the post.
Hilltoppers coach Rob Fauci said his team went through similar adversity last season and found a way to persevere, suggesting a case of deja vu could be in the cards.
"There was turmoil and uncertainty to start last season, but it helped us figure out the character of the team," Fauci said. "It really had us looking at who to go to. From day No. 1 this year we've preached that this is a team game. … The big thing in the first few weeks is to figure out the pieces that I have."
Fauci and Steve Signor both agree that if a team were to assume Kearsarge's role of heavy favorites, then it would be Berlin. The Mountaineers and coach Dave Morrissette are equipped with useful pieces at every position, including arguably D-III best point guard and player in Evan Arsenault.
"You're not just talking about size in terms of height. Their guys are just big," said Steve Signor about Berlin. Arsenault is 6-foot-2 while Joey Fodor (6-foot-4) and Seth Balderrama (6-foot-1) are further examples of the size advantage. "It's tough to move them inside. They're good at creating space and getting you in foul trouble while Evan can run the floor and create opportunities from the outside."
Young teams with veteran coaches like Eric Saucier at Conant of Jaffrey or Sudi Lett at Campbell of Litchfield are definitely groups worth keeping tabs on.
Division IV
You're likely not going to find a team hungrier or more equipped for a Division IV championship than Pittsfield. The combination of desire and experience will work in favor of the Eagles, who finished 16-2 a year ago before their playoff run ended with a first-round exit. The tough ending resulted in an offseason resurgence, according to Pittsfield coach Jay Darrah.
"We hit it pretty hard during the summer," Darrah said. "In past years, we've played just to play (during the summer). The attitude was different this time with everyone playing and preparing for the season. It's nice and something we should always do, but this year especially."
The work ethic is paired with experience, which starts with reigning D-IV player of the Year Cam Darrah. The guard is back for his senior campaign with opposing defenses ready to hound him again, which is something Jay Darrah, Cam's dad, said he's dealt with since fifth grade. However, Jay Darrah finds the attention on his son as a strength for the club.
"We've taken it in and learned to move along with it," Jay Darrah said. "We've used it to our advantage as we've been progressing other players, developing spot-up shooters and putting big guys in the right areas. We're going to continue to encourage the extra coverage on Cam with it opening other guys up."
Cam Darrah will play both guard spots, but the installation of high-energy Garrett Guerrero-Hadley at the point adds a wrinkle for Pittsfield. Among the other key returners for Pittsfield are shooters Casey Clark and Dylan Bocash as well as forwards Josh Whittier and Brandon Bojarsky, both of whom are 6-foot-4.
Another father-son duo to watch comes out of Moultonborough as Matt Swedberg gets his 6-foot-6 son Reese back from a year at St. Paul's School of Concord. Pairing Reese Swedberg with guard Joey McClay should put the Panthers in contention.
Defending champion Groveton, 2015-16 champ Littleton and Woodsville will reprise their roles as perennial contenders out of the north.
Newmarket will lead southern teams with a lot of experience coming back for coach Jamie Hayes, including the experienced backcourt of Simon Cote and Anthony Senesombath. Derryfield of Manchester faces some hurdles with the graduation of Sam Anderson, but guards Jeff Pratt and Andrew Dubreuil have the championship pedigree to help the Cougars rise following their D-IV soccer title in the fall.


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On Insurance needed a new web page design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 64 designs submitted by 12 freelance designers.
We are a consumer information website focused on insurance. We are re-designing our website with the goal of becoming a more comprehensive resource for consumers to find out rate information specifically on auto insurance.
We just designed a new logo, and now we're ready to design the website.
Flex your creative juices!
Any consumer searching for free information on insurance quotes, typically auto insurance.
4 Pages:
1. Homepage
- Self explanatory on wireframes
- One additional requirement not shown on the wireframes is that we now need a 'new headlines' section, which includes the top 2-3 recent news headlines that link to the full stories, as well as a list of all the news items.
2. State level page
- Consumer will select a scenario that most approximates their situation. For example: Married couple with kids, Young single male, etc.
-Upon final delivery, we would like an icon library to represent each of the following scenarios:
--Young single male
--Young single female
--Young married couple with no children
--Young married couple with children
--Middle-aged single male
--Middle-aged single female
--Middle-aged married couple with no children
--Middle-aged married couple with children
--Senior couple
--Senior single male
--Senior single female
3. State rate-table page
-Once a consumer selects a scenario that best approximates them, they will see rate tables for different insurers.
-We would like guidelines to be established for table design, although actual table contents will vary by state
4. General content/article page
Refer to attached wireframes for content requirements on each page. Logo art files are also attached with brand colors.
**Feel free to post one page first for feedback before designing out additional pages.**
960 width - PSD files upon final delivery. No HTML or CSS required of course.

subset: commoncrawl


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The Crown Heights Community Mediation Center is a unique neighborhood institution that works to improve community problem-solving, collaboration, and inter-group relations in Crown Heights, Brooklyn.
Operating out of our storefront offices since 1998, the Mediation Center seeks innovative ways to promote community cohesion in our neighborhood, known for fragmentation. This includes providing residents with links to resources on issues like education, parenting, housing, and immigration; providing support to young people navigating the challenges of a community tainted by violence, drugs, and poverty; and galvanizing neighborhood, borough, and city stakeholders in order to improve the quality of life for all residents.
The Crown Heights Community Mediation Center is a project of the Center for Court Innovation.
We are located at 256 Kingston Avenue in Brooklyn, NY. We can be reached by calling 718-773-6886 or emailing email@example.com.


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New technology
Winchester inventor gets down to nuts and bolts with new Wave Thread technologyBy MEGHAN PIERCE
Union Leader Corespondent
July 21. 2013 3:40PM
WINCHESTER — Dale E. Van Cor is setting out to revolutionize the world of nuts and bolts with a new fastener technology he says is stronger and more durable than standard nuts, bolts, pipes or any threaded connection.
According to Van Cor the first destructive test on the wave thread on May 9 pulled the heads of the bolts off at 1,631 pounds while the standard threads broke at 1,398, showing his new fasteners have 16.1 percent more strength.
The wave thread is a stack of circles that distributes stress evenly. "It's just a way of making a stronger connection," said the 57-year-old Winchester native, who says he's been an inventor all his life.
"I made things. I made toys," said Van Cor.
There are many advantages to the wave thread design, he said. The total surface contact transmits vibration instead of absorbing it and conducts heat efficiently, he said. The thread is quick to connect, takes fewer turns to fully engage and is impossible to over tighten, he said. Over-tighten and you break the bolt instead.
"You cannot over-tighten a wave-headed bolt. Your next threshold is to break it. You can over-tighten nuts and bolts, and they cause hidden damage," Van Cor said, such as vehicle damage caused by the over-tightening of nuts and bolts. "It would eliminate some of the warranty claims that the car industry has to deal with."
And because there is total contact with the wave thread, there is a total seal, so water cannot seep in and cause rust, damage that deteriorates nuts and bolts in municipal water lines that lead to water main breaks, he said.
"They are radically different than anything else on the market," Van Cor said. "I predict in 20 years, 10 percent of all connections, all things that screw together, will be using wave thread. ... It's a total surface fastener, which means it creates a total seal."
To get his latest invention into the hands of engineers, scientists entrepreneurs or anyone else who wants to play with it as quickly as possible, Van Cor said he is currently raising funds to create a library of 2,000 files with all the UNC nuts, bolts and washers with the corresponding wave thread nuts and bolts. (UNC are 90 percent of the bolts used today.)
These files are for 3D printers that can make parts across a range of plastics and metals. The future of 3D printers are lower cost and stronger materials. Later libraries will have plumbing, hydraulic and pneumatic parts, Van Cor said. "I don't have one thing. I have a box of tools, and these will all have different applications, and in each place they are used they will be made differently."
Van Cor has started a crowd-funding campaign online at rockethub.com called the "Campaign to Fund access to Wave Thread technology for everyone."
Van Cor's mission is to raise $18,000 to create an online store and library.
That library will sell for $299 and be for personal use. This will get the wave thread into the market place with the goal to sell commercial licenses for a variety of applications, he said.
"I'm trying to make it as accessible as possible to as many people as possible," Van Cor said.
The wave thread was one of 24 crowd grant challenge finalists, chosen out of 300 readers submissions by Popular Science July 15.
Retired Keene State College math and computer science professor Ronald Tourgee of Spofford has known Van Cor since he was his student in the 1970s and has consulted with Van Cor about his inventions. Though he sees funding a major hurdle for an individual inventor, Tourgee believes the wave thread has a future based on Van Cor's inventive thinking and its performance in stress tests.
"I personally think that this will take hold," Tourgee said. "It seems to me his idea of this special thread is pretty important."
A class of graduate engineering students at the University of Massachusetts Amherst conducted stress tests of the wave thread in a cooperative project to develop a new kind of wave thread that "could transform the strength, performance, and sealing ability of nuts, bolts, pipes, containers, valves, and other types of 'fastener' products," according to a July 2011 UMass Mechanical and Industrial Engineering online article by PhD Sanjay Awarde, who teaches at UMass Amherst.
Jigar Patel, a PhD candidate student who led the study, has been Van Cor's research assistant and has conducted numerous tests on the technology.
"The key finding generated by Patel is that stress concentrations appear to be significantly lower in wave threads than in standard threads. This indicates that wave threads will make a stronger connection," Awarde wrote. "Their sophisticated computer analyses gave some very promising results for Van Cor's invention."
You can read more about the invention at www.wavethread.com.


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I'm looking for a tunnel ram style intake and smallER 500/600 cfm Holley carbs. I have a mild built 358 solid lift engine i'm pulling from my dirt modified. Putting thie into a 1980 z-28 Camaro to play with.
SBC Intake & carbs
Items Wanted - No Commercial Posts Please!
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Re: SBC Intake & carbs
I have a holley 600 double pumper I just took off my car. give me a call if your intrested. 732-6620
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No cold comfort for outside NH animals
January 28. 2013 8:03PM
STRATHAM - The super cold we've been suffering through has prompted an unusually high number of calls to the New Hampshire Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals about dogs left outside without shelter.
The NHSPCA said not only is it dangerous to leave pets outside in extreme temperatures without food, water and shelter - exposing them to dehydration, hypothermia, frostbite and even death - but also it is against the law.
It's a misconception that the fur on their backs will insulate dogs and cats, but short haired dogs are particularly at risk from being left outside in extreme temperatures.
Like people, pets need to be indoors when the temperature drops to low extremes.
State law requires domestic animals left outside be provided adequate shelter, which must be of a size to allow the dog to remain clean and dry, to stand up, turn around and lie down, and to retain its body heat,
That last item, a size to let the dog retain its body heat, means leaving a garage door open a foot or so isn't adequate shelter.
The NHSPCA urges pet owners to do more than meet the requirements of state law and keep a dog inside if possible, but if the dog has to spend a lot of time outdoors, the organization has recommendations.
- If the dog spends a lot of time outside, make sure it has a clean, dry, draft-free place to go, with the floor raised up off the ground and shavings or bedding to provide extra warmth and comfort.
- Pets kept outdoors need extra food and water, due to the loss of energy caused by working to stay warm.
- Short haired breeds should have a sweater or coat with a high collar or turtleneck that covers from the base of the tail to the belly.
- Don't leave the dog outside for extended periods, to lie on the snow or on cold asphalt driveways or porches.
If you see a dog or horse outdoors, without shelter at this time of year, the NHSPCA asks that you make a call to the local animal control officer, police department or humane society.


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Decreased electrical consumption by consumers will mean a price decrease which facilitates increased long-term use as others find productive uses for that spare energy at a reduced rate.Kim O'Hara wrote: If you're reading this at night, stand up and walk around the house/apartment/whatever. If a light is on in an empty room, turn it off. That's one!
This is related to how technological efficiency actually increases consumption over the long-term rather than decreasing it. It is called Jevon's paradox.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jevons_paradox" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
The same principle applies here, too. In any case people taking off or using sweaters isn't going to make any impact on industrial energy consumption.If you're reading this in the middle of winter with a heater going full blast, turn it down and put on a sweater. (If you're reading in the middle of summer with the aircon going full blast, turn its thermostat up and take off a sweater.) That's two!
If energy is available to be consumed at an affordable rate, societies will consume it.And so on … most of us have been told these things before, haven't we? They do work and will make a real difference if enough of us do them - and even more difference as our example spreads until this thinking becomes the new normal.
If you want people to decrease energy consumption, you need to heavily tax it and make it unaffordable to waste, but then that leads to economic problems and the masses upset with over taxation.
I think it is futile. We're living unsustainable lifestyles that damage the planet, and putting on a sweater instead of using the heater is a drop in the bucket that does not even begin to address the problems. It might make people feel less guilty for wrecking the planet with their decadence, like clicking "like" on a Greenpeace Facebook post.And don't you dare say it's futile!
I believe the system will runs its course. Fossil fuels will be used up, the planet will cook and as resource limits kick in human population levels will decrease given the hard limits. Resource wars are already being fought and this will only amplify over time. Much of our social complexity will unravel leading to a loss of advanced technologies as they become unaffordable and irrelevant to people scraping by as subsistence farmers like they did before industrialization. As darkness descends over the land and extreme heat and floods ravage once fertile lands there will be great suffering as the sting of kaliyuga becomes more and more pronounced.
If you think that's delusional, just think about how much energy industrial civilization needs to sustain itself and where most of it comes from. It comes from fossil fuels, the consumption of which is leading to horrific climate change. There are no alternatives to concentrated solar energy in the form of oil, coal and natural gas, though these substances when burnt are disrupting the atmosphere and warming the planet.
Once the fossil fuels become unaffordable to extract and energy availability rapidly declines the reverse of industrialization will occur, but in the new environment of rapid climate change and all its ill effects.
This is what kaliyuga looks like unfortunately.
We're already borrowing from future generations who can't protest.Okay, we can't stop bad things happening - but we can reduce them. We have a simple choice: we deploy every single wedge we can find, as quickly as we can, or we make life worse than it need be for everyone alive in ten years, twenty years, fifty years from now.


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February 07. 2013 10:42PM
No big surprises at Alton deliberative town meeting session
By LARISSA MULKERN
Special to the Union Leader
ALTON - A small group of voters made no changes to the bottom line of the operating budget but discussed a number of funding requests on the 2013 town warrant during the deliberative session.
Approximately 75 voters out of 4,022 registered attended the Wednesday night session, which ran four hours and adjourned at 11 p.m.
On the lengthy warrant - with 44 articles total - Articles 12 through 18 request funding for capital reserve accounts: $45,000 for town hall building improvements; $20,000 for the sidewalk fund; $40,000 for the landfill closure fund; $15,000 for the benefits pay trust fund; $35,000 for the building and site improvement fund for the transfer station; $27,500 for the milfoil capital reserve; and $30,000 to the Senior Center Pearson Road fund.
Article 19 seeks approval for the town's proposed 2013 operating budget of $6,457,356; the default amount is $6,423,603.
Warrant articles in excess of $100,000 include a request to withdraw $139,000 from the Ambulance Operation Fund to pay for ambulance personnel wages, supplies and equipment, training, fuel and maintenance. Article 22 seeks $100,000 for the fire equipment capital reserve, with $50,000 coming from fund balance and $50,000 raised from new taxation. The fund was established to repair or replace the fire engines, the oldest of which is 38 years old. Article 26 asks for $750,000 for the highway reconstruction capital reserve account. The amount is partially offset by a state Highway Block grant fund of $160,968, and the money is used to fix town roads.
The warrant includes funding requests for a variety of nonprofit and social service organizations: $8,456 for the Community Action Program; $12,000 for Central New Hampshire VNA and Hospice; $2,000 for the American Red Cross; $10,000 for the Alton Community Services which provides a food pantry and assistance program; $1,500 for New Beginnings; $11,250 for the Genesis program which provides mental health care to area residents; $2,000 for Caregivers Transportation; $2,400 for the Appalachian Mountain Teen Project; and $2,000 for Child and Family Services.
Non-funded warrant articles include one that asks voters to accept a proposed noise ordinance; one petitioned article to revert to elected Firewards for Alton Fire-Rescue; and an easement request that would allow a local resident to construct a septic system. Voters and town officials at Wednesday's session cleared up the language on this petitioned article to make it legal.
Voting day for proposed zoning amendments, town officers and the town warrant will take place on March 12 at the high school from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.


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Atari founder "baffled" by Wii U, declares "end of an era"
Atari founder and Pong creator Nolan Bushnell has expressed his doubts regarding the Wii U.
In a widely-reported feature article in the New York Times, Bushnell didn't seem impressed by the console.
"I actually am baffled by it. I don't think it's going to be a big success," he said.
Bushnell apparently believes that most consumers won't fork out for a new console when it doesn't provide a significant graphical advance – despite the Wii's phenomenal success demonstrating significant demand for hardware innovation sans horsepower leaps.
"These things will continue to sputter along, but I really don't think they'll be of major import ever again. It feels like the end of an era to me."
Bushnell's ambivalence over the console may echo mainstream reactions to the machine; while the Wii U seems to have sold well at launch, there's a perception that general consumers don't understand the system's marketing, largely caused by the circulation of an image showing Twitter users' confusion. Happily, a quick search of Twitter reveals an equal number of users are profoundly ignorant and confused by, for example, basic body functions, so we can probably rule this method of market research out as inconclusive.
Thanks, Kotaku.


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Seriously friends, today's Teacher Tip trumps all others.
I honestly feel it is the most important thing teachers need to do in order to create the best, most-effective, learning environment that they possible can. I love classroom organization. I adore classroom decor. But, if you don't have a solid plan for how you will consistently run your classroom the rest is moot.
Being able to successfully manage a classroom comes down to two things: planning and consistency. You need to have very clear expectations and a solid foundation for how you want your room to run. That's not to say you won't make changes and tweak things along the way, but you need to go into the year having thought through each and every aspect of a school day.
- You need to list out all of the procedures and routines that apply to your teaching situation.
- You need to create a detailed expectation for each of them.
- You need to teach them to the students and you need to communicate them to other adults that will be working in your classroom.
I do this by writing a "Classroom Expectations and Routines Manual." I created a binder that houses every nitty, gritty detail for myself and for my classroom aide. I then cut and pasted from that document to create a smaller manual for the students and parents to access and an additional version that I leave with my substitute teacher plans.
This allows me to have all players on the same page. It provides a sense of security and safety for the students because they know exactly what to expect and when to expect it. It establishes a framework to our day so that the classroom runs itself and zero time is wasted with the issues that arise from downtime and inconsistency.
I created a Teaching Classroom Routines and Procedures Workbook last summer when I did a miniseries offering tips on managing a classroom. I've had many requests to create a Blackline Design version to match the materials for my newest teacher binder inserts and was more than happy to oblige (especially since these are the materials I am using in my own room this year).
So it is with great excitement that I share with you my new, updated Teaching Procedures & Routines Packet.
It includes over 150 routines and procedures so that you don't overlook a single, itty bitty thing when planning for how your classroom will run. The packet will provide you with a pacing calendar for pacing and teaching the routines, planning sheets to detail out how you envision each procedure in your classroom, 3 different styles of covers for your manual with matching stationary to print onto. It includes my tried and true method for teaching any and all procedures in just a few easy steps and details on how to create your manual.
|{click here to access and download this product}
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|Tuesday, Sep 17, 2013 - 7:00 PM
"Light Bulb Recycling"
Did you know that light bulbs can be recycled and made into new products? Join the host of Curiosity Quest Goes Green, Joel Greene as he explores the Lighting Resources facility in Texas to learn how they collect old light bulbs. Then they dump them all into an incredible machine that breaks them apart, safely collects the mercury, chops, cleans, and separates them. Lastly, Greene follows the crushed light bulb remnants to a Glass Recycled in Texas to watch the process of mixing the recycled light bulbs in with recycled glass to create gorgeous counter tops and flooring. D
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Gold's 12-year rally, the longest in at least nine decades, is poised to continue in 2013 as central bank stimulus spurs investors from John Paulson to George Soros to accumulate the highest combined bullion holdings ever.
The metal will rise every quarter next year and average $1,925 an ounce in the final three months, or 11 percent more than now, according to the median of 16 analyst estimates compiled by Bloomberg. Paulson & Co. has a $3.67 billion bet through the SPDR Gold Trust, the biggest gold-backed exchange- traded product, and Soros Fund Management LLC increased its holdings by 49 percent in the third quarter, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings show.
Central banks from Europe to China are pledging more steps to boost growth, raising concern about inflation and currency devaluation. Investors bought 247.5 metric tons through ETPs this year, exceeding annual U.S. mine output. While both sides said talks Nov. 16 between President Barack Obama and Congress over the so-called fiscal cliff were "constructive," the Congressional Budget Office has warned the U.S. risks a recession if spending cuts and tax rises aren't resolved.
"We see gold as a hedge against the follies of politicians," said Michael Mullaney, who helps manage $9.5 billion of assets as chief investment officer at Fiduciary Trust in Boston. "It's a good time to garner some protection in portfolios by having some real asset like gold."
Longest Streak
Gold advanced 11 percent to $1,731.10 in London this year, headed for a 12th consecutive annual gain, the longest streak in data compiled by Bloomberg going back to 1920. Prices reached a record $1,921.15 in September 2011. The Standard & Poor's GSCI gauge of 24 commodities gained 0.7 percent and the MSCI All-Country World Index of equities climbed 8 percent. Treasuries returned 2.7 percent, a Bank of America Corp. index shows.
Bullion held through ETPs, the first of which listed in 2003, reached a record 2,604.2 tons yesterday, valued at $144.9 billion. That exceeds the official reserves of every nation except the U.S. and Germany, World Gold Council data show. The SPDR Gold Trust alone holds 1,342.2 tons.
Soros increased his investment in the trust to 1.32 million shares in the third quarter, the most since 2010, a Nov. 14 SEC filing showed. The stake, with each share representing about a 10th of an ounce, is valued at $221.7 million. Prices advanced 60 percent since January 2010, when Soros called gold the "ultimate asset bubble." Michael Vachon, a spokesman for the 82-year-old who made $1 billion breaking the Bank of England's defense of the pound in 1992, declined to comment.
Copyright 2014 Bloomberg. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Copyright 2014 Bloomberg. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


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Pergamos: The Church at Satan's Throne For now, let's open our Bibles to Revelation chapter 2. We're going to be looking at verses 12 through 17, the letter to the church at Pergamos.
In chapters 2 and 3 of the book of Revelation there are letters by the Lord Jesus written to seven churches. They were actual historical churches, churches that really did exist. These messages were directly given to those specific churches because of the very specific issues at hand. However, these letters transcend those churches, as do the letters of the New Testament which are typically written to churches or individuals and also transcend those churches and individuals to be applicable to all of us. These letters likewise describe not only a single church in history but a kind of church that exists through all the history of the church. And so they are very instructive for us.
As we look at this third letter to the church at Pergamum, or Pergamos, either is correct, we meet a church engaged in compromise. The first letter, you remember, was written to Ephesus, the church that left its first love. The second letter was written to Smyrna, the persecuted church. And this letter is written to a compromising church. This church is beginning to be linked inseparably to the world. And this church has decided that it can maintain some kind of Christian credibility and also associate itself with the sins of the past. Pergamos is a picture of any church that courts the world, any church that marries paganism in any form. The church at Pergamos is a picture of any believer, any Christian who weds the world, as we shall see.
As we go through these letters we note that they all have pretty much the same components, and we'll run through those components and by doing that the letter will unfold to us. First is the correspondent...the correspondent, or the one who writes. Verse 12 says, "To the angel, or the leader, the messenger, the one who will take this letter back to the church at Pergamos, probably one of their pastors, to the messenger of the church in Pergamum, write:" And that is, of course, the Lord Jesus telling John to write, John is the pen man, he is the one who picks up the quill, as it were, and puts the words that Jesus gives him. He says, "Write this, the one who has the sharp two-edged sword says this..." And I've noted for you that every time these letters begin with a reference to the author, this is typical of ancient correspondence. Modern correspondence ends with the author's name, ancient correspondence began with the author's name. And this author is identified as the one who has the sharp two-edged sword.
We know who that is from chapter 1 verse 16 because back in chapter 1 you have the vision of Jesus Christ. And Jesus Christ is described in verse 16 as having in His right hand seven stars which, you know, are the seven leaders of the churches, as is noted for you in this same text. And out of His mouth, it says, came a sharp two-edged sword. So the Lord is described as holding the leadership of the church in His hand and out of His mouth coming a sharp two-edged sword. Now when you go over to chapter 2 verse 12, the one who has the sharp two-edged sword says this...Jesus Christ then is the author. And in this case you will notice that the description of Christ that is selected is that which articulates His judicial authority. It sees Him as judge, it sees Him as executioner. What is it that is the sword coming out of His mouth? Perhaps Hebrews 4:12 says it as well as any, "For the Word of God is alive and powerful, sharper than any...what?...two-edged sword." It is the Word of God coming out of His mouth that is like a two-edged sword. It's a double edged sword to speak of its facility and alacrity and judging and moving fast from side to side and wreaking havoc as it moves. It is an instrument of judgment falling on those who are deserving of that judgment.
In Revelation chapter 19 we see the same imagery in verse 15. Jesus Christ in His return is described here, heaven opens in verse 11, a white horse, the one on it is faithful and true, He comes in judgment and making war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and so forth. And in verse 15, "And from His mouth comes a sharp sword." And here it tells you what it's for. "So that with it He may smite the nations." It is a sword of judgment. The two-edged character simply means it moves fast and rapidly and devastatingly in both directions. It cuts everywhere it turns. The introduction to Christ then in this letter is not a happy one, it is not a promising one, it is a threatening one. When He introduced Himself to the church at Smyrna in verse 8 He said the first and the last who was dead and has come to life, that's encouraging because some of them were dying for the faith in Christ and He was writing them as the one who was resurrected, who had conquered death for Himself and for them. In the letter to the church at Ephesus He introduces Himself simply as the one who holds the seven leaders in His hand and moves among the churches, which are represented by the golden lampstands, not threatening at all, speaking about His control and His care and His concern as He moves through His church and His protection over its leaders. Here is the first negative introduction because this is a church that is facing judgment. This introduction of Christ is the right introduction for the church at Pergamos. The church at Pergamos was in serious danger and that danger was going to come from the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. He is the one who wields the sword. This particular sword is the sword of judgment that is used to cut down those who disobey the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is clear from the very letter which we'll study tonight as we go through it that Pergamos was compromising. Pergamos obviously was a church made up of Gentiles primarily who had been converted out of paganism. They had, no doubt, been converted to Christ and there was some great transformation but times have changed and they have now gone back and picked up some of their pagan habits. They have married the world, as it were, and are in danger of the judgment of the Lord of the church. Disaster is looming on the horizon.
If you look back at what happened in the history of the church, you can understand this kind of thing. If you look at the sweeping history of Christianity in the western world, you will see churches that became worldly and what happened to them. You look, for example, at a time period say from the year 300 to 600 and you see that under the Roman Empire under the direction of Constantine in those early years, the church married the world. Heathen priests became Christian priests. Heathen temples became Christian churches. All children were required to be christened, they were therefore supposedly made Christians by putting a little water on their heads. Heathen days of feasting and drunkenness were made in to Christian days like Christmas and all other sort of saint days. And Christianity got lost in all of this. It was merely a mass state religion. And that is perhaps the most dominant period in the church history when the Pergamos mentality was evident. But if we ever were in such a time, we are in such a time again today. The church, of course, has become worldly. The liberal or dead church, as we would perhaps want to call it today, those who have departed from the true faith and embraced the world are all around us. Those denominations, for the most part, died in terms of spiritual life and live on only in name. The church is impure. The church has sold out to Satan, it has wed the world and has long since been judged by Christ and stripped of any power or any spiritual influence. That's where Pergamos was and that's why the Lord identifies Himself as the one with the sword.
Now, secondly, we look from the correspondent to the city itself. What was the city like? And again I don't want to get caught up in geography lessons and sociology lessons, but just to give you a little bit of a feeling. This particular city is less than a hundred miles from Ephesus. Smyrna would be about half way if you were moving north, and that's what I told you...the route of these letters follows the route that would be taken to deliver them. Ephesus the starting point, and then on to Smyrna, and then on about 50 miles, 55 miles or so north to the city of Pergamos. It's about 20 miles inland from the Aegean Sea. On the ancient side of Pergamos there is a village today, it's called Bergama(?), it's a Turkish corruption of the word Pergamos. There is still, I understand, a small Christian community in Bergama. Legend says that Pergamos was built by a son of Hercules. Supposedly was built on a lofty hill in the broad and fertile plain of the Caicus valley by this son of Hercules. By the time John penned this letter, it had been the capital of the Roman province of Asia Minor for somewhere between 250 and 300 years. The word "Pergamos" literally means parchment. Do you know what parchment is? Parchment is a writing material developed from animal skin. And apparently it was first developed in this area and thus the city of Pergamos took its name from that. It was an important religious center where the pagan cults worshiping Athena, Asklepios, Dionysius which is another name for Bacchus the god of drunkenness and debauchery, Zeus...all of these things were there. The worship of the Roman Emperor was very big. In fact, this was the first city in the ancient Roman world to build a temple to Caesar. The emperor worship had reached the point of cultic form. He was no longer seen as a political or military leader but he was seen as a god. And in this city they built the first temple to Caesar. Further years indicated that they built further temples, and so the city had perhaps several temples of worship for Caesar. It came then the capital of Caesar worship. That city which was more given over to that than any other city in ancient Roman territory.
They had developed along with Caesar worship, of course, all of these other pagan forms of worship. And as long as you worshiped Caesar, you could worship somebody else. What made it tough for Christians was they didn't worship Caesar at all. They worshiped Christ and Him alone and refused on the one day a year when you had to burn incense to Caesar to do it, and therefore lost their citizenry rights and lost their lives in some cases. That would have been intensified in Pergamos because it was the capital city for Caesar worship, and probably it was required more than just one day a year in this city, and that's what precipitates the fatality that occurs in this city to one of the members of the church.
In the city of Pergamos also was a large university and a library we are told and this is quite remarkable in ancient times, a library of 200,000 volumes. Now if you stop and realize that you're talking about volumes which are hand written because there is no printing, not for a long, long, long time like 1500, and they were having to copy those by hand, you can understand that a volume...library volume of 200,000 is a tremendous significance. In fact, it was such a significant library that it was later sent to Egypt as a gift from Antony to Cleopatra. So the city had some prominence and some significance.
What about the church? We move from the city to the church. How did it start? Well again we don't know. We do know, according to Acts chapter 16 that Paul passed through the area. This city, Pergamos, was in a region of Asia Minor called Mysia. And in Acts 16:8 it says Paul passed through there, whether in passing through there he effected some gospel ministry which brought some people to Christ in the city of Pergamos which was probably on the toll road, the Roman toll road through Mysia and Paul perhaps went through it, whether or not he had ministry there, we don't know. There's nothing in the book of Acts to tell us that he founded the church. The best...the best understanding would come from Acts 19:10 because in Acts 19:10 you remember that the Apostle Paul had this wonderful ministry in the city of Ephesus and it was so powerful and so far-reaching that verse 10 says that all who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks. So at some point during the time of three years ministering in Ephesus, the word was bouncing out. People were traveling and moving, Christians were going up north through these various cities and taking the gospel and it was echoing through all of Asia Minor.
During that period of time, no doubt, the church at Pergamos was founded. But it was in a very pagan atmosphere, completely perverse to Christian testimony. In the middle of that was situated this little church to which Christ addressed the letter. In fact, in verse 13 you will note that He says, "I know where you dwell, where Satan's throne is." Satan's got his operations all over the world but he's got his throne there. That's quite an amazing statement. Make no mistake, my friend, his throne is not in hell, it's in this world. This is the field of his operation. Hell is the place of his incarceration, this is the place of his operation. His power was unleashed from this city and some in the Pergamos church had fallen victim to Satan and become thoroughly engulfed and meshed and even married to the world. Frankly, not persecution but this kind of compromise is the fastest way to destroy the church's life and testimony.
Now, let's look a little more closely at the letter and see the commendation. There's some good things to say. He says them in verse 13. "I know where you dwell, where Satan's throne is." They existed at the headquarters of satanic opposition. Now people say, "Well how would you interpret that?" Well, I would just interpret it the way it's written. Satan had obviously established the center of his operation there. I don't know why, but he had. It was the headquarters for his authority. You must note also that He says here, "Where you dwell where Satan's throne is," a mark of permanent residence. Satanic power was manifest right out of that city.
Now in Smyrna they had a synagogue of Satan. We noted that back in verse 9. But here is the very throne of Satan. The synagogue of Satan, I might remark, was perverted Judaism. The throne of Satan was this Gentile base of false religions. And so, Satan had set up his enterprise there and this little church was feeling the heat of it and it was in some ways succumbing to it.
Further we know that this church was without any particular apostolic ministry. We don't have any record that they had been exposed to any powerful leadership, that they had been exposed to any great solid teaching. But as I have said before, true faith is not fragile, only false faith is and they were standing against it. Some of them, however, who had attached themselves to the church were being sucked into the world. They were having to meet the enemy on his own ground and it was not easy.
But they would succeed, the true church, because you remember the words of Jesus, "I will build My church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it." I will build My church and the throne of Satan will not prevail against it. There was a true church here, there was a growing church here, there was a real church there, a saved church, waging an uncompromising war right at the throne of Satan. They were doing well enough to be commended. "I know where you dwell, where Satan's throne is and you hold fast My name and did not deny My faith." They were true. I say it again, true faith is not fragile, it is indestructible. It survives everything, even the onslaughts of hell.
Now just what is Satan's throne? What are we talking about? What can He mean here? Well it could refer to the emperor worship which was set up there, the worship of Caesar which then flows out pervasively through the whole Roman Empire, the first city to build a temple to Caesar. It could refer to the magnificent altar to Zeus. Zeus was sort of the head of the Pantheon, the supreme god. And one of the wonders of the world, this magnificent altar to Zeus, the largest most famous altar in the world was there. It was shaped like a huge throne. It looked like a throne and it was set on the Acropolis. The Acropolis means the highest place. They would always put their worship point at the heights in ancient times, and so they had built this famous throne, as it were, or altar to Zeus. Perhaps that was the throne of Satan.
But there's another element of their worship that fascinates me and it certainly must be included in any understanding of Satan's throne. Not only was he orchestrating Caesar's...the worship of Caesar from there to flow out to the Roman world, the known world, not only was there this massive altar on the Acropolis that looked like a throne and a Satanic one at that because it reflected a false religion, but there was the very bizarre and strange worship of Asklepios. Asklepios was the god of healing and Asklepios was known all over the ancient world as the Pergamese god, the god most associated with Pergamos was Asklepios. A very famous individual came from Pergamos, his name was Gaylon(?). And Gaylon was the second most famous medical person in the ancient world, the most famous being Hippocrates. Any doctor before he can go through the processes takes what is known as the Hippocratic oath which is the ethical statement made by Hippocrates that should be the standard by which any medical practitioner applies his trade. But next to Hippocrates was Gaylon was the second great shining medical mind.
In the city of Pergamos was a medical school. And this was a famous place of medicine. Mingled into their medicine, of course, was a lot of superstition. And the emblem or the idol of Asklepios was a snake. If you have ever seen the medical symbol, you will notice that in the middle of a medical symbol winding its way around the pole is a snake...that is the ancient god Asklepios, the god of healing. When you went to the temple of Asklepios you went there to be healed. In the temple harmless snakes slithered all over the temple floor. And in order to be healed you had to go in there and lie down and stay there. You slept on the temple floor and while you slept the defused multiplicity of the deity of Asklepios crawled over your body and infused you with his healing power. Satanic? Yes. Right from the old serpent himself. So when you hear that Asklepios was there, the serpent god, that sounds Satanic. When you know that Zeus was there and big upon the hill looming over the whole place was an altar to this false god, you know that Satan was there. And when you know they were worshiping the Caesars, you know that Satan was there. And when you put it all together, certainly this is Satan's throne.
In the middle of all of that, in the middle of the powerful work of Satan was a little church. And I love this, He says, "And you hold fast My name and did not deny My faith." That's the commendation. You hold fast My name. "My name" always means who I am, person and work. In other words, you have been faithful to Me. He's talking about personal faithfulness to Him. And then He says you did not deny My faith. You did not deny My truth, My gospel, the message of salvation by faith. You didn't deny Me, you never denied who I was and you never denied your faith in My gospel, My truth. You never deviated in your theology and you never deviated in your fidelity. You believed the truth and you sustained that belief faithfully, you stayed true, you didn't compromise.
The courage of their faith is evident. They stood boldly for Christ. They weren't ashamed of His testimony, even in the place where Satan's throne is. It wasn't easy...back to verse 13...you held fast My name, you hold it right now...present tense...you have not denied My faith, you don't deny it now, even in the days of Antipas, My witness, My faithful one who was killed among you where Satan dwells.
Antipas, we don't know who he was...probably their pastor, one of their leaders. My witness, My martus, My martyr, My faithful one...notice the "My's, would you? My name, My faith, My witness, My faithful one...Christianity is so personal, isn't it? So personal. You didn't deny My name, you didn't deny My faith, that's your commitment to Me. And then there is My witness, Antipas, My faithful one, that's My commitment to him. I belong to you and you don't deny it, you belong to Me and I don't deny it either. I'm yours and you're Mine.
He identifies Antipas only as My witness, My martus. And that word went through an interesting metamorphosis. It basically means witness, martus, but it came to be martyr. Because so many of the witnesses that were faithful to Christ died, the word martus eventually became transliterated into English as martyr. And here is a person who is right in the transition, a witness becomes a martyr because the witness pays the price. You were faithful, you never denied My name, or My faith, even in the day of Antipas. My witness, My faithful one who was killed among you, in your midst.
Tradition says, fascinating, he was burned to death inside a brass bull. They had created a brass bull hallowed out, they set afire and put him in it. You saw that, it happened among you, you watched My faithful one, you watched My witness become My martyr and you never deviated from your faith and you never denied My name.
The faithfulness of that little church should be a challenge to all of us today. Antipas paid the supreme price for not compromising. Some of us aren't even willing to sacrifice our popularity or our wrong desires for the sake of staying separated from the world. You have to ask...what in the world has happened to our sense of values? Here's a man who would rather die than compromise. We would readily compromise rather than change the simplest pattern of our selfish lives.
So, Pergamos, for the most part, was faithful. Then, fifthly, comes the condemnation. This is sad...the condemnation. Verse 14, "But I have a few things against you." I just hate to read that. So much good, so many faithful, but I have this against you. "Because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam." Verse 15, "You also have some who in the same way hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans."
What's He saying? This is what I have against you, you have these people there who believe these false things and you are allowing it. You're not dealing with it. You're allowing them to feel comfortable. I have a few things against you...two, namely..."Because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam." You have them, it's your responsibility, you're not putting them out of the church. You're not dealing with it. It wasn't a question of their denying the Lord's name, they wouldn't do that. It wasn't a question of denying the faith, they wouldn't do that. It was a question of being soft and tolerant to error. There are some in your church who have wed the world and you're allowing them to feel comfortable.
And He directs Himself at two heresies. One identified with an Old Testament character, the other identified with a New Testament period character, anyway, by the name of Nicholas. He says you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam. We don't have the time to go back but you can take your Bible, go back to Numbers 22, 23, 24, and 25 this evening after the service and you'll fill in the whole story of this fascinating character by the name of Balaam. You have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam. Rather than go into the whole thing, the Lord directs Himself at exactly what He has in mind. What was the problem with Balaam? What's the doctrine of Balaam or his teaching? "Who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit acts of immorality."
Balaam was a prophet for hire. Balak, king of Moab, wanted to get rid of Israel. The Moabites and the Israelites were always after each other. Balak wanted to get rid of Israel. So he went to Balaam who was a prostitute prophet and could be bought. And he paid him to curse Israel. He felt that if Balaam would curse Israel, he had such prophetic powers that Israel would be under the curse. Three times Balaam tried to do it. Every time he tried to do it he failed. So he got another plan. If he couldn't curse them, he'd earn his money another way, he'd corrupt them. So what did he do? He devised a plot. His plot went like this, the Moabite women will move in among the Israelite men and the Moabite women will sexually seduce the Israelite men, suck them in to inter-marriage. And once they're inter married it will pull them in to all the idolatry life of Moab. Life of Moab could...the life of Moab could be reduced to a simple statement, it could be described as fornication and idolatrous feasts. It could be described as gluttonous orgies of lasciviousness. It could be described as debauchery and prostitution. And so, Balaam tried to work his plot and have the women of Moab seduce the men of Israel into inter marriage and then he could bring Israel into a blasphemous union with Satan and idols and fornication and that would debase Israel, that would destroy their power.
You want to know something? It worked. The doctrine of Balaam is the teaching that the people of God can inter marry with the heathen and thus will become what the heathen are. There were some people in this church saying it's okay to inter marry, inter mingle with the pagan system. We are not to be separate, we are not to be aliens, we're to inter marry with unbelievers, we're to get involved in life around us, mixing the old patterns, the old morals, or lack of, the old idolatry with the new Christianity. Of course our Lord had called for a clean break but always there are the seducers, always there are those who come in and want to get God's people to break from the separation and mingle with the world. God absolutely condemned such a union in Israel and here the Lord Jesus Christ condemns such a union in Pergamos. We're reminded of 2 Corinthians 6 where Paul says, "What fellowship has light with darkness, what concord has Christ with Belial? Be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers." But here there were some people in the church saying you can be a Christian and worship idols, you can be a Christian and commit fornication with a heathen priest, priestess at the temple or priest. You can go to the debauchery and the orgies and the festivals and the feasts and still come here and pay your homage to Jesus. They were teaching that.
And what was worse, the saints were doing nothing about it, absolutely nothing. James 4 says, "Friendship with the world is enmity with God." There can be no compromise, there can be no inter marriage with unbelievers. But you have some there and they're advocating it and they're teaching it and you're not stopping them.
And so, people are eating things sacrificed to idols and committing acts of immorality. Back at the Council of Jerusalem in Acts 15, the Apostles sent out a message to the churches and said, "Don't eat things offered to idols, it sucks you back into idolatry, it may be an abuse of your Christian freedom, it makes weaker brothers stumble, it conjures all the old life patterns, and the council at Jerusalem also said stay away from all immorality. And they were really mandating not the obvious private sexual sin, but the public orgies that went on in pagan life. This issue was settled long ago, having been discussed and mandated from the council of Jerusalem in Acts 15 and still here are some decades later saying God tolerates this.
Then there's another thing He has against them. Verse 15, "Thus you also have some who in the same way hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans." That little phrase "in the same way" is important because the teaching of the Nicolaitans led to the same behavior. Nicolaitans were comparable to those who were following Balaamism. Some think this goes back to Nicholas who once in Acts 6 was appointed as a deacon but later defected and became an apostate, we can't verify that. But apparently this man, whoever he was, Nicholas, like Balaam had advocated a mingled life style. He may have been kind of a pre-Gnostic, someone who believed he had entered in to ascended knowledge. He no doubt was a Libertine who believed that you could conduct yourself any way you wanted it. It advocated an extreme indulgence in sin, uncleanness, immorality and orgies based upon a perverted understanding of God's grace. It was an abuse of freedom. You have people like that today who think they're free in Christ to behave themselves any way they want. I'll never forget having an experience with a well-known and popular preacher and writer whose wife came to me and said, "Could you help me? I have a burden for my husband, he needs help desperately." And I said, "What's the problem?"
She said, "It's his life style. Women in every city, this has been going on for years, bar rooms, drinking, wasting money, involved in all kinds of sin."
I said, "Well I'll be happy to meet him and confront him." So I called and set up an appointment for a meeting place. I walked in a restaurant where I was to meet him and he was sitting with two unseemly women at a bar, drinking. And I walked up to him and said, "I'm here to speak with you," and pulled him away and said, "This is the first and last time I'll ever meet you in a place like this."
We went on to discuss the life style, the patterns of the life style. And he defended himself on the basis of grace and Christian freedom...went on to divorce his wife and marry for a third time.
There have always been the Nicolaitans who in the name of perverted grace and ascended knowledge think they can live above God's standard. There are always those of the ilk of Balaam who want to seduce God's people into idolatry and immorality and paganness and tell them it's okay. The point here is this, what was wrong in this church? The core of Christian people holding fast to the name of the Lord, that is to His person, not wavering on who He was and what He did, not denying the faith, firm in the gospel and believing it, were soft in dealing with error...serious error and all error is serious.
I heard the other day about a Christian magazine, national magazine that's doing an article on me, they haven't interviewed me so I don't know if it's true, but maybe they're doing it and are not interviewing me on purpose. But I'm sure the query of the article from what I heard is...why does John MacArthur write all these controversial books? What's...what is in to him? Why does he write these books? And the answer is as simple as understanding this text, I want to be faithful to hold fast the name of my Lord, I want to be faithful not to deny the faith and I also want to be faithful to expose error...lest the Lord Himself come against me and my church with a sharp two-edged sword.
Verse 16 brings us to the command. The command is very simple. "Repent," turn around and go the other way. This is a sin. He's not saying to them, "Now, folks, you're just too loving." He says, "Repent, this is sin and if you don't repent and do something about it I am coming to you quickly and when I get there I'll make war against them with the sword of My mouth. If it has to be, I'll come and I will slice them up if you don't repent." You can't tolerate evil in any form. You can't allow it. First Corinthians 5 Paul says, "A little leaven does...what?...leavens the whole lump." You allow that, it festers and it grows. The church must be in constant judgment on teaching. There's no room for compromise. If we fail to exclude unbelievers from the fellowship of the body, we're in error. The church isn't designed for unbelievers to come and say whatever they want and be accepted as they are, it's designed for saints to hold the truth and unbelievers to come and hear the truth and in hearing it be saved. And when you allow unbelievers to come in and take part and participate in the church, you're going to have people who live a Balaam life style and a Nicolaitan life style and they'll mingle the church with their fornication and the church with their idolatry and the Lord says...I'll come with a sword in My mouth and I'll slice them up.
The church is never to be a place of the mingling of those things. It's never to be a place where unbelievers feel safe and secure. It's to be a place where unbelievers feel frightened though loved, fearful though welcome and where they can hear the truth and be saved. You can never suppress error by compromising with it. Yes, we want to reach out in love. Yes, we want to bring in unbelievers to hear the truth of Christ and experience our love and experience our kindness and our graciousness. But never give them the false security that they belong until they know Jesus Christ which knowing is made manifest in their life. Compromise is so serious Christ says if you don't stop, I'll make war against them with the sword of My mouth. That in itself could be a reference back to Balaam. Back in Numbers 22 it says, "The Lord opened the eyes of Balaam and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way with his drawn sword in his hand." And you know what Balaam did? Smart guy, he bowed all the way to the ground. The Lord pulled a sword on Balaam, the Lord will come with a sword against a compromising church. You have to judge error, you have to keep the church pure.
Then finally the counsel in verse 17. "He who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." Which is a long way of saying...listen, listen. Don't miss this. You've got to hear this message. And it's the Holy Spirit inspiring it as John writes it, as Christ gives it. And then this counsel is so wonderful, "To him who overcomes," who is the overcomer? Every time you see it in the book of Revelation, who is it? The believer. First John 5:4 and 5 says, "Who is the overcomer? The one who believes." And what is it that overcomes? Our faith, our belief. To the true Christians, He says, here is a promise after these fearful threats. He doesn't want panic. "To those who are the overcomers, the true believers, I'll give some of the hidden manna." What's the hidden manna? Well you know what the manna was? Manna was, well I guess the closest thing we could call it is angel food cake. Manna was some kind of honeyed bread out of heaven. Remember when the children of Israel were wandering in the wilderness and God was delivering this marvelous heavenly bread? He says I'll give you the hidden manna. Why does He say hidden? Well, according to Exodus 16:33 when they traveled, they took the ark of the covenant and inside the ark they hid some...what?...some manna. What did that represent? Oh I think it represented the bread of life. Who's that? Jesus Christ. Just as Israel received manna from heaven as its food, for the true believer He says I'll give you Jesus Christ. I'll give you the true bread, the spiritual bread from heaven which the world doesn't see, I'll give you that bread which will sustain you. Go back to John 6:51 and hear Jesus say, "I am the bread of life." I'll give you Christ. I'll give you all that is in Christ. I'll give you all the benefits of knowing Christ. You're an overcomer and I'll give you all you need to sustain your life forever.
Then He says, "And I'll give him a white stone." You say...what's that? Well, I don't know. A lot of options. Interesting to think about them all. Some say it's the white stone that's similar to the one on the breastplate of the high priest called the urim and the thummim by which the high priest could determine the will of God, and so what it means is I'll give you a stone by which you can determine My will. Some say it represents simply a diamond and I'll give you something that is very precious, namely eternal life. I'll give you something that is very precious that would only be given to one who is deeply loved, and since I love you so greatly like a man giving a woman an engagement ring, I'll give you a diamond to show you My love.
But there's an interesting little historical note, when a victor won in the games, whatever great games were being held, it was not uncommon for the victor to be given as part of his prize a white stone. And the white stone was his admission pass into the festival that was held following the games for all the victors. Could it be that the overcomer will receive the ticket to the eternal victory in heaven?
And then He says, "And a new name written on the stone," and I read where they would do that. They would give the victor, like a trophy, a stone with his name and he alone could use it as his pass. "A new name written on the stone which no one knows, but he who receives it." I can't tell you how many people have asked me...what is that name? A lady will come to me any time I preach on the book of Revelation and say, "What is the name that no man knows?" Folks, I don't know what the name is. If I knew what the name was then this verse couldn't say what it says, it would have to say, "And no one knows except John MacArthur." The only one who knows what it says is the person who receives it, that's how personal it is. What it is to me is some kind of personal message from Christ to the one He loves which is given as an admission pass into eternal glory. I'll know mine and you'll know yours and we'll know the Lord wrote them for each of us and for none of the others of us.
We don't want to be a compromising church. And so we've got to deal with issues lest the Lord come against us and smite us with a sword out of His mouth. We want our faith to be real, we want to hold fast to the name. We want not to deny what we know to be true. We want to deal with error in our fellowship. We want to be the true church, the true believers, the overcomers who some day will be given Jesus Christ in all His fullness as the hidden manna, who some day will be given the white stone to give us admission in to the eternal feast in heaven. And on that white stone will be written a special message privately from the living Christ to those He loves.
If you don't know Jesus Christ, the hidden manna isn't for you, the white stone is not yours. And all you have is the sword of His judgment. I'm not under any illusion, I know there are people in this church in that category, you are living out the doctrine of Balaam, you are living out the teaching of the Nicolaitans, you are here and perhaps as far as anyone around you knows you are worshiping Christ and you go from this place into idolatry and immorality. And the Lord will come and make war with you sooner or later unless you repent.
Father, we thank You again for the Word and for its power and conviction. Thank You for instructing us. We give you praise in our Savior's name. Amen.
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X-MERRY Creepy Scary Clown Mask Wide Smile Latex Mask x12009
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Originally published on January 3, 2014 10:16 am
A very cold winter storm is engulfing much of the Northeast, dumping more than 20 inches of snow in some areas and bringing strong winds along with it. Schools are closed in Boston and New York City. Thousands of flights have been canceled. Officials around the region are asking people to stay home and let road crews do their work.


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Sexiest Women of Stock Photography — Morning Eyegasm [PICTURES]
Searching stock photography libraries all day is sometimes an arduous task. Every once in a while, however, a photo will appear that makes the task a little easier on the eyes. Stock photography is chock full of gorgeous, but unidentified, women.
We gathered up our favorite pictures and put together this gallery to hopefully get some answers as to who these anonymous stock photo women are and where we can find more (namely free) photos of them.


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66 Frognal was built in 1938 by the Connell, Ward and Lucas architecture firm. It is considered an important example of the International Style, a minimalist architectural style which originated in America in the 1920s. Conceived as a private home, it originally had an open terraced roof and a lively colour scheme on the facade. Later owners roofed over the terrace and opted for a monochrome palate, as seen here in the 1990s. Now Grade II listed, the building's refurbishment won the 2005 RIBA Conservation Award.
The Collection
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12pm - 5pm
Wednesday - Friday & Sunday
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The USA has been aiding Japan's quake ravaged north with large deployments of troops, aircraft and carriers as part of "Operation Tomodachi," and the extent of their efforts has earned the undying gratitude of Japanese in the affected regions and beyond.
Some of the scenes at US relief operations, where the US navy and air force (here mostly the USS Ronald Reagan and the Black Knights) and took a prominent role:
Even 2ch is moved:
"As expected of our friends!"
"They're so handsome. It's like a movie, really."
"I could cry. We're truly grateful, America!"
"Sorry we were so hard-hearted. It seems America was our only friend after all."
"They are really used to this stuff, aren't they?"
"They really are tool cool. What is this sense of security I feel…"
"Please make Japan a state."
"Guys who have seen actual combat are in a different class."
"They are heroes, seriously."
"As expected of our master! Japan will remain by your side as your Pochi forever!"
"Rather than seeing our government's incomprehensible press conferences, seeing the US army on the ground is much more reassuring."
"The SDF isn't bad, but seeing this you can really tell how badly Japanese lack decisiveness."
"I got wet when I saw this on the news. America can have me any time!"
"They seriously look too cool! USA!! USA!! USA!! USA!!"
"The USA is truly Japan's ally!"
"If God made the world into a feature film America would be the protagonist."
"Americans may be stupidly optimistic but they are certainly brave and believe in justice."
"It's amusing that we can rely on another nation's armed forces more than we can our own government…"
"I cried!"
Japan for its part has deployed virtually the entire SDF into the region, and its civilian sector is certainly no slouch at rebuilding either:


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What a pity, a little further and it may have landed in my back yard !!! Regards Tony. VK5ZAI J.A.(Tony)Hutchison P.O.Box 470 Kingston SE South Australia 5275 Australian ARISS Co-ordinator and Satellite ground Station. Web Site :- http://www.electric-web.org Frank H. Bauer wrote: >All, > >On September 7, 2006 at 16:00 GMT, SuitSat-1 re-entered about 1400 km >south-southwest of Western Australia. For more details, including the >winners of the Chicken Little Contest, please go to: > >http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/ariss/suitsatContest.php > >I want to thank all who made SuitSat-1 the phenomenal event that it >was. Your hard work and dedication paid off. > >In just 3 weeks the SuitSat team developed and delivered a safe satellite >system that has gained the confidence of the international space >agencies. The web and PR team were able to garner unprecedented press >coverage of our ham/educational outreach activity, including over 9 million >hits on www.suitsat.org in February. Students around the world had the >opportunity to participate in a 7 month "school spacewalk" with the >artwork, pictures, signatures and voices on-board. And the "super-sleuth" >ham radio operator extraordinaires were able to pull a significant amount >of data from the satellite despite of its low signal strength. > >And my congratulations to the students and adults who won the Chicken >Little contest!! > >Next for SuitSat-1--the commemorative certificates/diplomas. And at the >AMSAT-NA symposium/ARISS meeting we will discuss our thoughts and plans for >a potential SuitSat-2. > >Stay tuned! > >73, Frank H. Bauer, KA3HDO >AMSAT V.P. for Human Spaceflight Programs >ARISS International Chairman > >---- >Sent via email@example.com. Opinions expressed are those of the author. >Not an AMSAT member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! >Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/sarex > > > > ---- Sent via firstname.lastname@example.com. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/sarex
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Date:Tuesday 28th November 2017
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Join Gavin Webster and Lee Kyle for the only topical north east football comedy show. Expect local lampooning of the regions clubs, great football nostalgia and anecdotes, a quiz where you can challenge the lads for money on their historical knowledge of Newcastle United, pies and bovril in the break, even a sing song at the end. With great guests including a couple of ex footballing legends. Howay the lads (and lasses)!
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Unfortunately, non-consensual sexual contact occurs all too frequently during the college years. Sexual assault can happen to both males and females; however, over 90% of people who are sexually assaulted are female. Statistics suggest that one in eight college women have been sexually assaulted. However, it is difficult to determine with certainty the actual incidence of sexual assault because most women do not report what happened to campus security, school administrators or police. In fact, many women never tell anyone about the assault, and are left to cope with the emotional consequences alone. Unfortunately, avoiding seeking help from others limits recovery and healing from the trauma of a sexual assault.
Acquaintance or date rape, in which a woman is assaulted by someone known to her, is by far the most common kind of sexual assault for both college-aged women and women in general. It is estimated that 85% of women who have been sexually assaulted know their assailant. For college women, a potential assailant may be a man she meets on campus or through friends, someone she encountered at a bar or party or a current or ex-boyfriend. In many cases, substance use, especially alcohol, plays a role in sexual assault. Estimates are that three out of four men who assault a woman and one in four women who are assaulted were drinking or using drugs at the time of the assault. Alcohol use increases the likelihood of assault in part because intoxication contributes to poor communication about sexual intention and expectations. A man may also wrongly assume that a woman is automatically sexually "available" when there is alcohol involved. Sexual assault also may result from an assailant taking advantage of a woman's diminished capacity to set limits or protect herself when she has been drinking.
There are some men who purposefully intend to assault women who are in vulnerable situations. However, many men who commit sexual assault do not see their actions as wrong, and do not think that they have caused harm or injury. A man may be encouraged by a college social environment in which men are supposed to "score." He may think women need to be persuaded to have sex, or believe that her body language gave him the green light. He may view her style of dress, flirtatiousness, or his own sexual arousal as justification for the assault, or he may believe that her initial willingness to kiss or touch meant it was OK to keep going without her consent. For a woman who has been sexually assaulted, these kinds of justifications can be confusing and difficult to reconcile with her own experience of violation, betrayal and serious emotional and physical pain. To recover, she must recognize that situational circumstances (e.g. being drunk, losing one's friends, going off alone or getting a ride from him, having her dinner paid, having had previous consensual sex with him) do not mean she asked for or deserved to be sexually assaulted.
Emotional Consequences of Sexual Assault
Women who have been sexually assaulted typically experience symptoms of emotional trauma. Each woman's response to sexual assault will differ depending on individual circumstances, prior history of sexual assault or other types of trauma, and her typical style of coping. The following emotional consequences of sexual assault are common, and are expected reactions to a traumatic event.
Shock or Numbness
After being sexually assaulted, many women initially experience emotional shock and numbness. Common reactions to sexual assault include feeling emotionally detached, feeling confused and in a state of disbelief. A woman is likely to feel that something very wrong has happened, but does not yet know how to understand or make sense of what occurred. It is also common to experience difficulty keeping track of time, making it to class and keeping appointments.
Fear and Anxiety
Feelings of fear and anxiety typically occur after a sexual assault. A woman who is sexually assaulted may fear encountering her assailant, and may experience intense distress at reminders of the assault. She may also have more general fears, such as fearing men, being afraid of being alone or just feeling afraid much of the time without obvious cause. It is also common to feel keyed up and nervous, to experience panic attacks, or to be unable to sit through class or interact with others. Some women may cope by appearing outwardly calm and controlled, but underneath feel very distressed.
Reliving the Memory of What Happened
A woman who has been sexually assaulted typically relives the event in some way. She may feel upset and distressed in an ongoing way, experience nightmares or "flashbacks," or have unexpected, intrusive thoughts or feelings about the assault.
Minimizing or Not Believing What Happened
A woman who is sexually assaulted may want to just forget what happened, and may avoid thinking about it. She may be reluctant to label the experience as an assault or rape. She may insist she's fine. She may even feel that it is behind her initially, but then experience difficulty later. Abuse of alcohol ordrugs may result from trying to forget. A woman who has been sexually assaulted often fears not being believed, and she is likely to avoid going to friends and family who could provide support and legitimize her experience.
Self-blame and Guilt
Many women who have been sexually assaulted feel that they are to blame for what happened. Self-reproach about incidents leading up to the assault, or not doing enough to prevent it is common. It is important for her to recognize that freezing or emotionally shutting down during a sexual assault is a common way that the mind deals with serious threat. Women who do not tell friends or family what happened are forced to deal with the emotional aftermath alone. This can lead to long-term psychological difficulties. It is important to remember that she is not responsible for his actions.
Many women who have been sexually assaulted feel deeply ashamed. This shame contributes to feeling isolated and different from others. It is common to feel degraded or damaged, and these feelings may translate in to a sense of being "dirty" or "ugly." Many women want to shower or bathe immediately after the assault, and there may be an ongoing concern with cleanliness.
A woman who has been sexually assaulted may struggle with symptoms of depression, including sleep problems, fatigue and difficulty concentrating.
Loss of Trust and Relationship Difficulties
A woman who has been sexually assaulted often loses her natural ability to trust and rely on others. She may also lose faith in her own ability to discern danger, and to accurately judge the character and trustworthiness of others. Isolation, withdrawal and interpersonal conflicts in friendships and family relationships are also common after sexual assault. Women who have been sexually assaulted may fear dating situations, experience difficulty in relationships with males and have sexual difficulties.
Women who are sexually assaulted may feel angry. Anger may be directed toward the assailant, themselves, the assault itself or the way others reacted. Anger may also generalize to daily irritations in life that ordinarily would be experienced as minor.
A Sense of Loss of Control
A woman who has been sexually assaulted is likely to feel that her personal control over her life and her privacy has been taken away from her. She may feel powerless and helpless as a result of the assault.
Academic Difficulty and Disorganization
College women who have been sexually assaulted may have academic difficulty due to missing classes, deadlines and appointments. Confusion, sleeplessness at night, depression, anxiety and withdrawal can lead to academic crisis.
Physical Problems
Emotional consequences of the assault may emerge as physical symptoms, such as stomach distress, headaches, or muscle tension.
What to do if you have been sexually assaulted
If you have been sexually assaulted, it is important to get yourself to a safe place. Remember, you are not to blame. Consider telling someone you trust who can give you comfort and emotional support, and try not to isolate yourself. Remember that any staff or faculty member in the Virginia Wesleyan community can help you get the assistance you need. The most important thing is to ask for and get help. In addition, Virginia Wesleyan University has contracted with YWCA Sexual Assault Support Services to provide immediate help for anyone that has been assaulted. They can be reached through their 24 hour hotline at 757-226-9922. The YWCA Sexual Assault Support Services workers are available to provide whatever amount of help you feel comfortable accepting, from offering support or advice over the phone to actually accompanying you to the Emergency Room. Seeking medical attention to address the possibility of injury, pregnancy or sexually transmitted disease is strongly encouraged. Although it may go against your instincts, it is best to initially not shower or discard clothes you were wearing. This limits your ability to take legal action if you decide to do so. The counselors from YWCA Sexual Assault Support Services or staff from the Student Counseling Center can help give you confidential guidance and support. Your appointments are confidential, and you are not required to report the assault as a result of seeking counseling. Your counselor will help you to talk about and manage your feelings. The counselor is also available to help you consider your options and decide what will be most conducive to your healing in your individual situation.
The Student Counseling Center
The Student Counseling Center is also available to help if your assault occurred in the past. It is not too late to seek help for a sexual assault, even if it happened a long time ago. If you have any questions regarding the information contained in this section, please don't hesitate to contact one of the counselors.
Bill Brown can be reached at 455-5730 and Crista Gambrell can be reached at 455-3131.
Although you are free to contact any of the counselors in the Counseling Center, Heidi acts as the Center's Victim and Survivor Support Specialist.
Please note: Ideas and information in this section were adapted from the Villanova University website.